AN: First and foremost, thank you all for reading this story :)

Some notes: This story takes place in an ambiguous time after the time-skip of two years. As for how the crew survived without a cook that long, I'll leave that to your own imagination.

Sanji will certainly be out of character for the first bit of this story, as his life is drastically different. But eventually he should grow into himself.

This story is planned to be a two-shot.

There are no pairings in this story, though it focuses on the relationship between Sanji and Zoro mainly.

Please enjoy :)

The smell that radiated from the dank stone staircase almost prevented the swordsman from entering. It smelled of filth and decay, and Zoro could guess that it led down to the dungeons. He doubted he would find anything worth finding down there, as this mansion had clearly been abandoned for some time. However, he was sure he would be berated later if he didn't search every inch of the place for anything of value.

He paused at the door, staring down into the darkness and listening for anything. He held his makeshift torch out over the stairs to try and see anything, but the stairs spiraled down blocking his view. There was a trickling sound, which he assumed was a leak of water of some sort, that echoed within. He rested his hand on one of his swords, just in case, and made his way down the grimy and slick stairs that were lightly covered in dust.

He was right, it was a dungeon, though a small one. There were only a couple cells in the room, and one of them was empty except for some loose chains and old blankets in the corner.

The other cell, however, was surprisingly full of objects, even if they were a bit shabby. There was a broken cot that had been pushed into the corner, next to a rickety and smashed bookcase that was laying on the ground beside it. An abundance of books were scattered across the floor, several even reaching outside of the cell, covered in pictures of food. There was also a mound of dirty clothes piled against the wall. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a scrawny, dirty, hairy leg sticking out from the pile.

Zoro shook his head, hoping the man had at least died in his sleep. The mansion he had entered had been abandoned for some time from the looks of it, so this man must've died long before.

He turned then towards the trickling sound. It wasn't anything special, simply a leaking ceiling just outside of the cell. There was a crack that allowed the smallest sliver of light to shine through and the leaking water was able to somehow be enough to allow a small patch of moss to grow around it. It was almost beautiful in a way, but Zoro wasn't one to really care about those sorts of things.

He glanced at the cell once again but felt it would not only be a tad inappropriate but also not worth it to check inside, so he headed back towards the stairs.

Scrape, scrape.

Zoro paused and looked over his shoulder, his hand back on his sword. He moved the torch back over to the cell and saw that the man had moved slightly. His leg was now curled up against his covered body.

"You're alive?" Zoro asked aburptly, his voice echoing through the room. The bundle seemed to flinch at the sound. Zoro cursed and walked over to the cell, peering inside. He hesitated a moment, pondering if he should actually let a prisoner free, but figured the man had suffered enough and he couldn't in good conscious leave him there. He set the torch in a slot on the wall before raising his sword and slicing through the lock. It fell with a loud clang on the ground and the man in the cell curled into a ball with a moan.

Zoro walked over and paused right before the figure. He hesitated, wondering if he should leave and get the others. He wasn't worried for his own safety, but rather wondered if a doctor would be needed. A raspy breathing sound could be heard from under the blanket, now that he was closer. Zoro crouched down in front of the figure.

"Hey." He said as he reached over and shook what he thought might be the figure's shoulder. The man shuddered but didn't respond. Zoro frowned and grabbed the blanket, pulling it off and tossing it aside. The first thing that hit him was the smell, and as he covered his nose, he got a good look at the man. It was hard to tell age, but he guessed the man was similar to his own. He had long dirty blonde hair covering most of his face that didn't look washed or cut in a long time. He also looked completely starved. The man was practically all bones, with hollowed cheeks and cracked lips. His eyes were squeezed shut and his arms were trying to shield himself from the swordsman.

Zoro didn't know what to do. The man obviously was in terrible shape. The slow dripping of water snapped him out of his shock, and he stood up and quickly went over to the dripping water, holding out his hands into a bowl shape to catch what water he could, before hurrying back.

"Oi. Look, water." Zoro said to the man, who continued to tremble. Zoro frowned before holding the water above the man's head and letting it drip down onto his face. The man's eyes opened in surprise, looking at the water before landing on the swordsman frowning down at him. The man still seemed frightened but shuffled slightly to where the water was dripping onto his lips, though his wide eyes stayed locked on Zoro. When the water ran out, Zoro repeated this two more times before the man slowly pushed himself up into a seated position, his head still hanging slightly to the side.

"Can you talk?" Zoro asked. The man opened his mouth and coughed.

"Yeah." He finally responded, though his voice sounded raw, unused. He tried to lick his lips, getting used to the movement.

"Got a name?"

"Sanji."

"That's a stupid name." Zoro scoffed, and Sanji's eyes widened slightly. "Well you seem lucid enough. I'm traveling with a doctor; I can have you looked at and maybe get some food in you before we leave. Looks like whoever locked you up here is long gone, so guess today's your lucky day."

"You have food?" Sanji asked, his expression suddenly turning from fear to something almost unhuman. Zoro raised his eyebrows, watching the man.

"Yeah, if you're good." He warned, then without prompt, grabbed him and tossed him lightly over his shoulder, marveling at how light the man was, weighing as little as a child despite his long legs and apparent height. Shocked by the abrupt movement, Sanji let out a strangled yelped and started clawing weakly at the swordsman's back in an attempt to get away.

"Hey, quit that. I'm not going to hurt you, dumbass. Just hold still. I'll get you some food." Zoro replied, barely feeling the scratches. After a moment, Sanji settled down, already tired from the effort.

"Are you just trying to trick me..?" Sanji asked, his breathing hard.

"No. I'll get you food. I promise. Just stop moving or I'm putting you back down... You want to stay here?"

"No…"

"Okay." Zoro sighed, wondering what mess he had gotten himself into already. It would've been so much easier to just leave the man here but knew he couldn't do that. He reached to grab the torch again.

"Wait."

"What now?"

"M-my book." Sanji muttered. Zoro looked over at the number of books strewn across the floor.

"You're insane if you're asking me to pick up all these shitty books. Some nerve you have for your savior."

"No, just one." Sanji raised his hand and pointed to a journal that had somehow escaped the cage, probably thrown, and was against the far wall. Zoro sighed but walked over and picked up the book, stuffing it into his haramaki before grabbing the torch and making his way back up the stairs.

"Thanks."

"Yeah yeah. You owe me a lot already…twirly brow."

"It's Sanji."

"I'm not calling you that. It's stupid."

"…Marimo."

"What?"

Of course, it was storming. Badly. Zoro carried the man over to the window of the main foyer and looked out, frowning as lighting flashed across the sky and the rain battered the already cracked windows. He had planned on heading back to the ship, even though Nami had given him explicit instructions to stay put, lest he get lost. He had hoped to get the man back to Chopper quickly but doubted someone in his shape could survive the storm on the long trek back.

The team had separated into groups once on the island. The entire place had looked abandoned, but they needed to restock some essentials. So, they split up to gather water, hunt food and guard the ship. Zoro's partner had been Nami, but after a misstep, he had sacrificed himself to prevent her from tumbling down a steep ridge. Having seen the mansion in the distance, she made him promise to meet her there, and to not move. It had been light out when they separated, but Nami warned him they might need to take shelter for the night.

He squinted out into the night, wondering if she had gotten herself caught in the storm.

Sanji's trembling suddenly intensified tenfold.

"H-hey! You okay?" Zoro asked, not sure what to do. "Shit…" He noticed a fireplace in one of the corners and walked over, setting the trembling man down in front of it before walking over and grabbing anything cloth he could find. Tablecloths, pillows, curtains, napkins. He carried them over and dumped them on the man, who sneezed immediately from the dust that rose out of them.

Zoro then smashed a few side tables and chairs for wood before dumping them in the fireplace and lighting it with his torch. After a moment, the wood caught and slowly light flickered through the room. Once satisfied that it wasn't going to go out anytime soon, he turned back towards Sanji. The man was still shivering. Zoro sighed and pulled off his coat, he felt fine himself, and wrapped that around the man as well before resuming his search of the building. He had seen a kitchen earlier but had dismissed it. Perhaps he could find something edible there.

He walked around a bit, trying to find the kitchen. He remembered it was on the first floor, but for some reason it took him quite a while to find it. He kept opening doors and finding closets, or dining rooms, or the laundry room. Finally, though, he found the kitchen, which was right next to the lobby.

The room was empty, as he remembered it. The room was quite big with a large counter in the middle of marble. The cabinets surrounding it were open and empty, with one hanging off its hinges. He glanced through all the cabinets though, trying to find anything remotely edible.

In the last cabinet, he thought he had finally found something edible, but it was only a bag of salt. He sighed, his search unfruitful. He was fine, he could survive for quite some time without food. But he didn't know how long his new companion had gone without eating.

Figuring it was better than nothing for now, he grabbed an empty jar and brushed it off before creaking one of the windows open carefully and sticking his arm out to get some rainwater to drink. He drank some for himself then let the bowl refill before heading back to the lobby to check on Sanji.

The room had warmed up slightly, but not nearly enough due to its size. Sanji had slumped over slightly in his sleep. Zoro crouched down in front of the man and started slapping his cheek lightly.

"Oi, swirlybrows, wake up. I have some more water." Zoro said, and when there was no response, he shook the man's shoulder. It took a moment but Sanji's eyes slowly peeled open and he immediately jerked back away from Zoro, so fast his head banged against the pillar.

"Hey, calm down. You're fine. Here, water." Zoro winced at Sanji's head, but figured he was probably okay. Sanji took a moment to remember the man in front of him, staring at him cautiously before lowering his eyes to the water. His expression changed again and his hands eagerly raised to take the bowl. As he grabbed at it though, the trembling in his arms nearly caused him to spill the water. Zoro cursed and held the bowl steady.

"Shit… look, I'll do it. Just sit there." Zoro sighed again, wondering why he was the one cursed at becoming this man's nursemaid. But, he fulfilled his duties and reached over and grabbed the back of Sanji's neck to hold his head firm, then raised the bowl to his lips. He first poured the water into the man's mouth, but that caused Sanji to break into a fit of coughs before Zoro realized he was drinking too fast. So, then he tried again, very slowly tipping the bowl and it seemed to help. When the bowl was finished, Zoro set it aside and sat back on his haunches.

"Thanks." Sanji whispered, but curled up once again, hunching over himself.

"What's wrong now?" Zoro asked.

"Food?"

"Shit. Yeah. Haven't found that yet." Zoro sighed, looking once again at the storm outside, calculating. It still seemed like a terrible idea to try to find the ship dragging a nearly dead man around with him. He could've sworn he saw a bit of hail banging against the glass as well. He weighed his options for a moment then looked back at the man.

"Hey."

"…yes?"

"Don't die." Zoro said as he stood up and faced the door. He would have to hunt. The storm didn't scare him, but it did worry him. It would be hard to find any animals to eat in the dark, and the storm would have them in hiding as well. He also pondered if he'd be able to find his way back to the mansion. But, it seemed like he had no other choice.

He stepped towards the door when he felt something curl weakly around his ankle. He looked over at Sanji, who was looking even paler than usual.

"What?" Zoro asked, glaring down at the man. Sanji released his grip slowly, but didn't speak, staring up at the swordsman. He sighed and crouched down again to be eye level with the man.

"Look, I'm just going to get us some food. I'll come back. I promise. Be a man."

Sanji's head nodded slightly, but he looked away from Zoro and hugged his legs, turning his eyes back to the fire.

"Jeez, like a kid." Zoro frowned but then reached over and patted Sanji's head once before quickly standing and turning back towards the door. He paused a moment more, reaching into his haramaki and retrieving Sanji's journal and tossing it on the floor next to the man. He then headed out into the rainy night, the closing of the main door echoing through the halls.

Finding some meat was easier than expected, having come across a burrow within a few minutes of leaving the mansion. The problem was that he had been having trouble finding the way back. The wind was harsh and constantly blowing rain in his face, so he was quite sure he had passed the same outcropping of rocks three times.

After circling several times though, he finally made out a wisp of smoke in the dark sky. He locked onto it and ran straight ahead.

Within moments he was back at the run-down mansion, its large form looming before him. He sighed in relief and grabbed the large metal handle and shoved it open. He was hit immediately with the warm arm circulating the room and he looked over to see a shadow blocking out some of the light from the fire. He walked over to the figure and palmed his head, shoving him backwards.

"If you're going to kill yourself, fires a nasty way of going. I'd be happy to lop your head off." Zoro growled at the man, glaring down at him as the rain slowly dripped off his form onto the ground. The drops close to the fire sizzled away. Sanji stared up at the man, eyes wide. He stared for a moment before a tear dropped down his cheek.

"Are you…crying now?!" Zoro asked, panicking. He already felt incredibly uncomfortable and unqualified for this situation without the emotional quotient added.

"S-sorry…" Sanji croaked, dropping his head down into his hand and shaking his head. Zoro huffed.

"Well, I brought you food. But I've got to cook it first, so just hang in there." He kicked off his wet shoes next to the fire to dry before plopping down onto the ground and pulling out a few squirrels. He quickly got to work, skinning the fur off them.

Sanji lifted his head at the smell, and before he knew it, had managed to craw his way over and reach for one of the animals. Zoro grabbed the man's forehead though and shoved him back.

"Stop that. If you eat it now, you're going to get sick. I know you're hungry but hold on. I'm going as fast as I can." Zoro growled at the man before turning back to his prey. He skewered the animals on some pieces of broken wood then held them over the fire to cook. The push hadn't detoured Sanji, and he slid up next to Zoro and the fire, watching the animals cook, though he kept his hands at his sides.

Zoro looked over at the man warily, making sure he wouldn't do something stupid like shove his hands into the fire.

Sanji looked back, raising his eyebrows.

"You look like an idiot…" Zoro muttered before turning back to the flames.

"…Marimo."

"The hell did you just call me?" Zoro glared over at the man, before realizing that there was something resembling a smile on his face for a moment before it faded back away. Zoro huffed again and scowled at the fire, waiting for their food to cook.

When Zoro thought the meat looked cooked enough to eat, he pulled it from the fire to the wide-eyed expression of the man beside him.

"Alright, can you handle it this time?" Zoro asked, still holding it out of the man's reach. Sanji nodded, his eyes focused only on the meat. Zoro looked a bit doubtful, but also didn't want to constantly be spoon feeding the man. So, he decided to chance it and handed over the meat.

Sanji snatched the meat quicker than Zoro thought possible for a man as weak as he seemed and started shoving it into his mouth, eating it with barely chewing. Zoro watched with slight disgust. He was used to Luffy eating like a maniac, but there was something in Sanji's expression, something feral. He put his own meat behind his back, a little worried his own food would disappear just as quickly.

Sanji even licked all the remnant juice from his fingers and looked around, as if searching for something else to eat. He spied the end of Zoro's food and his fingers twitched, but when he caught Zoro's eye, he looked away quickly. Zoro held out his food towards the man, offering it. Sanji hesitated for only a second before taking it and eating it quickly, messily shoving his long hair out of the way. Zoro leaned back, watching the man. He was hungry, sure, but he'd survive a day without food.

When Sanji was finished eating, Zoro threw the remaining sticks into the fire and made sure Sanji was properly covered before leaning back against the pillar for a quick nap.

Zoro awoke to the sounds of retching. He sprung up at the unusual sound, hand on his sword. Sanji was a few meters away from the fire, huddled over himself and shuttering as everything came up out of his stomach onto the dusty floor. Zoro hurried over and caught the man before he fell face first into his own vomit.

"The hell…" Zoro frowned at the scene. He was sure that he had cooked the meat well, so he didn't understand why Sanji had thrown it all up. Whatever was happening couldn't be good though. All his effort to help the man just went out the window. He cursed and wiped Sanji's mouth with the tablecloth and winced at how his long hair had dragged into the vomit. He pulled out his sword and with a quick cut, chopped off a majority of the man's hair, leaving it at chin length.

He looked out the window. It was still raining, and there was the occasional flash of lightning, but the storm seemed to have lost most of its power. Sanji was starting to shiver and sweat in Zoro's arms, so the swordsman decided he would probably have to chance taking him to the ship. He had no medical knowledge and his little effort seemed to only harm the man more.

Zoro glanced around him and took stock of the situation. With the rain as it was, the torch would be useless. But that also robbed them of a source of heat as well.

He grabbed his coat from Sanji's shoulders and put the man's arms through the sleeves before tying it with his sash tightly around the man's thin waist. He then tied the few tablecloths around the man as well and a cloth napkin over the man's head. After doing so, he grabbed his swords and stuffed the man's journal in his haramaki before gently setting the man draped over his shoulder, so he'd have an arm free if needed. He opened the main door of the mansion and stared out into the dark night, recalling Nami's advice she pounded into his head every time she had a chance. 'If the island is small and you get lost, just find the coastline and follow it until you see our ship.'

That sounded simple enough.

"Hang in there…"He dashed out into the storm.

Fortunately, this time around luck was on his side. Though they were still drenched by the time they found the shoreline, a couple fortunate turns and fifteen minutes later Zoro was staring out at the dark deep ocean before him. He peered in both directions, leaving it to fate whichever direction he took. His gut told him to go to the right. He always followed his gut. Sanji was nearly ice cold on his shoulder. He frowned and turned left.

When he finally saw the ship in the distance, Zoro picked up his speed and ran for the ship. The rain was finally letting up but their clothes were still soaked through.

Usopp spotted them first from the Crow's Nest and shouted out to the others who came out just as the rain stopped. Zoro didn't wait for them to let down the plank and instead jumped up onto the ship.

"This is a first… Zoro actually made it back on his own." Usopp wondered, as he gathered with the other crew members on the deck and took in his wet form.

"Is that…a man?" Nami asked, her hand over her mouth as walked over, wincing as she caught a whiff of the smell.

"We were supposed to meet at the mansion." Zoro glared at her accusingly before searching for Chopper with his eye. "We need a doctor, quickly."

"I ended up running into the others, and I figured you'd be fine." Nami replied, pinching her nose. "Who is that?"

"Is he dead…?" Luffy asked, poking Sanji's side.

"Almost." Zoro replied as Chopper came out, looking distressed. He immediately brushed past the wondering eyes of the others and followed Chopper into the infirmary with everyone following close behind.

"Where did you find him, Swordsman-san?" Robin asked, looking him over as well, but keeping a distance as Zoro placed him down on one of the cots and Chopper immediately started checking his pulse and vitals.

"In one of the cells in the basement of that mansion. Poor bastard was locked up, probably abandoned when the owners high tailed it out of here."

"How terrible!" Nami gasped.

"Wait, if he was in prison, doesn't that mean he's a criminal?" Usopp asked, frowning.

"Well we aren't exactly on the right side of the law either…" Nami noted, frowning as well, "But… he's been through a lot. We can at least get some food in him. It's not like he's in any shape to harm us."

"True… what do you think, Captain?" Usopp and the others turned to Luffy, who flashed them a smile.

"He can't be that bad if Zoro saved him." Luffy replied, patting his first mate on the arm. Zoro looked slightly embarrassed and glared at his captain.

"Well I couldn't just leave a starving man to die!"

"Aw, Zoro's just a big softy." Usopp added, but quickly stepped behind Luffy when the swordsman turned his glare towards him.

"Are you sure he's alive? He's nothing but bones, like me!" Brook said as he gazed at the man. Chopper had adorned a clothespin on his sensitive nose and had started cutting the soiled clothes off him.

"Yes, but he's in bad condition." Chopper said as he tossed the old clothes into the waste basket.

"How bad?" Luffy asked, taking in the clearly visible ribs of the man's chest.

"Pretty bad… I'll need to do a thorough examination though to know well. Uh… but it's a bit crowded in here." Chopped said as Usopp leaned over the deer to get a better look as well. Taking that cue, they shuffled one by one out of the room, asking for updates whenever they were possible. Franky patted Zoro's shoulder as the man had stayed leaning against the wall, staring down at the Sanji, and he gestured towards the door. Chopper noticed and stopped Zoro at the door as he was leaving, however.

"Zoro, sorry could you help? We should get him cleaned up. And you can tell me what happened." Chopper suggested. The look Zoro gave the deer showed that he did indeed mind and would prefer to do anything else, rather than washing a grown man.

"O-oh! Don't worry, I'll wash him. I just need you to help hold him or turn him over." Chopper explained, waving his hooves. Zoro frowned. That wasn't much better, but doable. He sighed and rolled up his sleeves.

"Fine. Just do it quickly."

Franky smiled slightly and shut the door behind him as he went out.

After getting Sanji clean and in fresh clothing, also complimentary of Zoro's meager wardrobe, Chopper went about trying to get some more liquids into his system. He put in an IV and checked all his vitals again while hearing what had happened from Zoro. He explained to the swordsman that it was probably good that Sanji had thrown the meat up, since feeding him something solid and so much of it so quickly could actually harm someone who was starving.

"O-oh but you did a good job though! Don't worry about it! You didn't know!" Chopper exclaimed, seeing the look on Zoro's face when he realized he had actually hurt rather than helped the starving man. Zoro just shook his head and went out to get some exercising done while Chopper monitored Sanji's progress.

However, he was unable to get even his stretching done as he bombarded with questions as soon as he left the infirmary. They asked where he was found, how was he found, did he say anything? Annoyed, but also knowing that they wouldn't let up, Zoro went into the dining room and grabbed a bottle of liquor before sitting down at the table. The others had followed gladly and settled themselves down in various parts of the room. After taking a swig, Zoro finally recounted everything that had happened, which wasn't much in his eyes. He wasn't one to embellish a story, and the whole thing only took a couple minutes. Then the questions came.

"Did he talk to you? Did he say where he was from?"

"What's his name?"

"How long was he down there?"

"Why was he locked in a cell?"

Zoro rubbed his forehead.

"I don't know. His name is something stupid… what was it.. a number.. uh, Sanji. All he said was he wanted food." Zoro shrugged. "Ask him yourself when he wakes up."

"Hmm… and there was no one else down there with him? No other prisoners?" Brook inquired.

"Nope, just him and his books." Zoro said, suddenly remembering the item safely tucked into his haramaki. He fished it out and placed it on the table. Everyone suddenly leaned forward to get a good look at it.

"A journal! Perfect!" Nami reached over to take it as everyone crowded around. She cracked it open and a paper fell out of it. Franky reached down and picked it up.

"Is this—oh, its just… a recipe for mushroom soup." He said, sounding disappointed. Nami frowned and looked back at the book. She turned the page, then another.

"These are all.. just recipes." She noted, flipping through all the way towards the end of the book. "How boring…"

"He's a cook!" Luffy realized, his face brightening. "We have a cook, finally!"

"Now wait Luffy, we don't know anything—"

"Hurray! No more potato soup!" The captain exclaimed.

"Hey, you said you liked that." Usopp scowled at the captain who just shrugged, grinning.

"Well, I suppose it would be nice to have an actual cook on our ship." Robin added, smiling.

"What good is a cook if he can barely move?" Zoro asked.

"We'll just wait for him to get better." Luffy replied.

"We aren't a hospital, Luffy." Zoro shot back.

"Then you should have left him there, Zoro." Luffy responded, still smiling and knowing he had his first mate beat. Zoro scowled and took another swig of his drink.

They spent the evening chatting amongst themselves, surmising what kind of person this new shipmate was, and what possible crimes he could have committed. Zoro eventually tuned them out, his mind wandering from the conversation. Though the others seemed oddly optimistic, he couldn't help but worry if the man would survive even the night.

Zoro was on watch that night, after insisting he was fine. He had gotten plenty of rest after a long nap in which they were waiting to see if Sanji would wake up. He had been stretching his legs when he heard a strangled sound and crashing coming from the infirmary. He cursed to himself as he ran for the door, wondering if they had indeed underestimated their new guest and had just put their doctor in danger. He threw open the door and stormed in, hand on his sword.

Sanji was awake, as he had expected, but wasn't attacking anyone. The man, who looked like a completely different person now that he was washed and shaved, was curled up on the corner of his cot, pressing his back against the wall, his eyes wide with fear.

Chopper was holding up his hooves in front of himself, trying to calm the man down.

"It's okay… I'm Chopper, the ship's doctor." The deer said in a low, soothing tone. There was a bottle smashed on the ground and the IV that had been in place looked to have been ripped from Sanji's arm.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Zoro asked, as he looked over at the man, catching his eye. Recognition flashed in Sanji's eyes.

"Marimo…" He muttered, his hand lifting slightly in the man's direction before dropping back onto the bed. Zoro scowled back at him.

"He ripped out his IV…" Chopper said, gesturing to the tube that lay abandoned on the floor, and the mark on Sanji's arm where it had been forcefully removed.

"Then just put it back in."

"I can't. He won't let me get near him." Chopper said, frustrated, tears gathering in the corner of his eyes.

"Want me to hold him down?"

"Please… but can you do it gently? Convince him I'm just trying to help..?" Chopper asked, obviously distressed.

"Fine." Zoro walked over to the man. "Why are you being such a wuss? He's trying to help you."

"What is that..?" Sanji asked once Zoro was standing in between the two. His eyes kept flickering to the side as if trying to make sure the deer hadn't snuck up on him.

"That is a doctor. Now, give me your arm. Or no food." Zoro threatened.

"N-no Zoro, you'll scare him again!" Chopper cried, grabbing his leg. He stared, however, as Sanji immediately held out his arm for Zoro to take.

"There, now stick it in." Zoro ordered the doctor, who quickly scrambled to put the IV back into the man's arm.

"There! All done!" Chopper announced and Zoro let go of Sanji's arm. The man curled up again but didn't pull at the tube.

"Good. Now, listen to Chopper. He's trying to save your life." Zoro scolded, and Sanji dropped his head down to knees and hugged them to his chest.

"Wow… you're amazing!" Chopper said as he gave Zoro a look of admiration at his handling of the situation.

"He's just like a child… How old are you anyway?" Zoro asked him. Sanji peeked out from his knees.

"…Not sure… around 21?" Sanji replied.

"That's my age…. You look like a teen excited he was able to grow some facial hair."

"….At least I can grow facial hair."

"What?!" Zoro glared and grabbed Sanji's head, causing Chopper to jump up.

"C-careful Zoro! He's still very weak!" Chopper pleased. Zoro glared down at the man who met his gaze steadily. He then ruffled his hair roughly in retaliation. Sanji's shoulders started shaking and Zoro pulled his hand away, worried he might have harmed him in some way.

"Wait… are you laughing?" Zoro asked, unamused as they witnessed Sanji trying to hide a large grin on his face.

The next few days were a mixture of amusement for some and aggravation for others. Sanji wasn't the easiest of patients. It was hard enough trying to keep him from overeating and keep his body working well, when he also freaked out at every person that entered the room. Well, almost every person. He seemed okay with both Nami and Robin, if a bit skittish. He wouldn't listen to them, but he also wouldn't lash out or hide from them either. Brook was banned completely, and the other guys had to be cautious around him. Zoro seemed like the one exception, however, and this amused the others to no end.

"He's like a baby duck that follows his mother." Nami teased one evening as they sat around the dinner table eating potato soup for the thousandth time.

"It's rather cute, isn't it?" Robin added, smiling at the swordsman. He glared at them both.

"It's stupid. Why's he only clinging to me anyway? I'm sure as hell not being all buddy buddy with him." Zoro questioned, looking at the doctor for answers. Chopper shrugged.

"I'm not sure.. but maybe it has to do with the fact that you were the one who saved him."

"If he wanted to show his appreciation, he'd leave me the hell alone."

"To be fair…" Usopp butted in, "He's not exactly… nice to Zoro either. Just obedient."

"Heh, I probably intimidate him." Zoro grinned.

"Maybe he knows Zoro's a big softy and would never hurt him." Luffy supplied, patting the swordsman's shoulder, who immediately turned red and slapped his captain's hand away.

"Like hell I am!"

After a week of nursing Sanji back, Chopper suggested that they start trying to talk with him one by one to get him used to the crew but also start to decipher how the man was doing mentally. Though Sanji listened well to Zoro, even if he did snark back at the man from time to time, he still refused treatment or food unless the swordsman was present. Chopper wanted to wean off his dependence on the swordsman and build trust with the others as well.

They decided to start with the women, since he seemed most tolerant of them compared to the others. Zoro acted as sort of the chaperone of the whole thing, though reluctantly. He pulled up a chair next to the bed and leaned back, closing his eye, hoping to get in a nap. Nami was first up and she closed the door behind her as Chopper exited and pulled up a stood next to the bed. Sanji eyed her warily, gripping the sheets.

"Hi, Sanji-kun. How was your day?" Nami asked, flashing him a smile. Sanji's face turned pink and he looked over at Zoro, who was trying to tune them both out.

"Sanji-kun, I'm over here." Nami continued, trying to catch his attention. "It's okay, I won't hurt you. Look, I got you a present!" She pulled out a tangerine from her pocket and offered it to the man. His eyes swiveled back towards the fruit. Zoro opened his eye.

"Hey. No food unless Chopper approves of it." Zoro ordered. Nami slowly looked over at the swordsman, her grin turning evil.

"Such a mother hen…. I already asked, one tangerine won't hurt your little chick." Nami replied, tossing it up and catching it, watching Sanji's eyes bob up and down as he followed the fruit.

"I'm not a mo—"

"Can I..?" Sanji asked, looking over at Zoro.

"Peel it first." Zoro directed, causing Nami to giggle. She placed the tangerine within Sanji's reach who snatched it quickly. He tried to get the peel off but was obviously struggling.

"Aren't you supposed to be a cook?" Zoro asked, snatching the tangerine out of the man's hands. Sanji's eyes widened and he looked at Zoro, forgetting about Nami's presence in the room.

"What?" He asked.

"Your journal. Full of recipes." Zoro replied. "Were you a cook before you were placed in that cell?" Sanji's eyes dropped and he shook his head.

"I just wanted to be…" He replied, playing with the button on his shirt.

"You know…" Nami jumped in, "That's the one thing our ship is missing, a cook." She snatched the tangerine back from Zoro and started peeling it herself. Sanji glanced up at her, his hair still covering most of his face.

"I'm not a cook…" He told her. Nami smiled at the man, pleased that he was actually speaking directly to her.

"You can be." She placed the peeled tangerine on the bed in front of him. He took it.

"I want to talk to him next!" Luffy said, as he opened the door and a worried Chopper followed after him.

"L-luffy! We're trying to start slow; Robin is next!"

"The captain should be first anyway!" Luffy responded, beaming into the room that Nami had exited earlier. Zoro opened his eye at the intrusion, once again awoken from his sleep. A tangerine peel slowly slid down his face, falling from its placement on the top of his head. He immediately glared at the man beside him, but Sanji's attention was on the devil-fruit user before him.

"Oi, Luffy. Just don't get too loud." Zoro told the captain before he dropped the peel into the trash and closed his eye again. Chopper fretted for a moment, frowning, but knew he couldn't win out over his captain. He stepped out and shut the door gently.

"Hey! So, I've decided, you're going to be our cook!" Luffy declared, plopping himself down onto the stool and grinning at Sanji. Sanji immediately reached over and gripped Zoro's sleeve for support. Zoro kept his eye firmly closed, trying his best to ignore the situation, hoping Sanji would deal with it on his own.

"I'm not a cook…" Sanji replied when he realized Luffy wasn't going to leave until he answered him.

"We have a really nice kitchen! It has a lot of pots and pans and knives and stuff!" Luffy explained. Sanji was showing a bit of interest in this.

"…Really?" Sanji asked.

"Yeah! And when you come with us, you can cook everything for us! All types of fish, and sharks!"

"You guys are pirates… right? Traveling the grand line…" Sanji had let go of Zoro's sleeve and his hand slid over to land protectively on his journal on the table beside his bed. His large boney hand was able to cover it entirely.

"I'm going to be king of the pirates! We're on an adventure to seek the One Piece!" Luffy said happily, his legs bouncing up and down as he sat cross-legged on the stood. Sanji's eyes widened slightly and he gripped his book tightly before pulling it into his lap and flipping it open.

"Have you heard… of the All Blue?" Sanji asked, flipping towards the back of his journal to a drawing of a sea full of fish.

"What's that?" Luffy asked, grinning curiously. Zoro, who had only been pretending to sleep the entire time, opened his eye, also a bit curious at the whole interaction. Sanji wasn't talkative at all that they'd seen. The most he'd talk was short questions or requests, and those were to Zoro himself. He watched as Sanji turned the book around so that Luffy could see, a small smile appearing on his face. It somehow made him seem younger and older at the same time. Like a childlike maturity.

"It's a sea… where all the waters gather. I've always wanted to see it…" Sanji admitted, "Think of all the things you could cook…"

"And eat! Wow, that's amazing! I want to go there too!" Luffy goggled at the drawing. Sanji lit up at his reaction.

"Right? It sounds really great!" Sanji's smile grew slightly, his voice stronger than it had been before.

"Let's go there together!" Luffy reached over and grabbed Sanji's hand, much to the man's surprise. He tensed up, his eyes sliding towards Zoro's. When he saw Zoro watching him, he quickly looked away and back to Luffy's hand. He took a deep breath.

"That… would be nice…" He replied, his voice shakier than it had been, but determined. Luffy looked ecstatic.

"We have a cook!" He shouted, "I'll show you the kitchen!" Luffy gripped the man's wrist and pulled him from the bed, to the other two's shock. Zoro acted quickly and grabbed Sanji around the waist before he toppled onto the floor. Sanji's hands had automatically latched to Zoro's arm, trying to support himself after spending so much time unable to walk properly.

"Luffy! Be careful, he's still recovering!" Zoro scolded, but the Captain laughed.

"He looks fine to me!" Luffy replied.

Sanji was leaning heavily on the swordsman but had found his footing. He hesitantly tested his thin legs, putting bit by bit of his weight on them. Zoro watched him, frowning. There was something in Sanji's expression. He didn't look defeated like he had before. Sanji slowly started to release his grip on Zoro's arm and the swordsman hesitated, wondering if he should let go of the cook. He let go. Sanji swayed slightly while he stood. Luffy flashed them a smile then bounded out of the door. Sanji moved to follow, slowly placing one foot in front of the other, as he paled slightly.

Zoro reached over and grabbed the back of Sanji's shirt and prodded him forward. Slowly, step by step, and leaning slightly against Zoro's hand, Sanji made it out onto the dock. He looked up, amazed.

The sky was bright and a deep blue with a scattering of big white fluffy clouds dancing across it. Below it, spanning endlessly, was the sparkling clear ocean. Sanji's shoulders scrunched up slightly and his head bowed. Zoro didn't say anything as the man quickly wiped a tear from his face before turning to follow Luffy.

Sanji was sweating by the time they reached the kitchen, and Zoro had to re-adjust his grip, now with one of Sanji's arms over his shoulder and his other practically holding him up by the waist.

"You're lucky you weigh less than a sack of rice, dartbrows."

"Marimo."

The kitchen had a few select crew members occupying the room, watching as they entered with interest. Chopper obviously had no idea that they were taking this little trip and had rushed over but stopped his doting with one look from Zoro. He stepped back to allow them to enter but kept a watchful eye on them in case something happened.

Robin and Franky were at the dining room table, having a short break of tea and cola. They watched with curiosity, but neither of them tried to barge in on the situation.

Luffy had hopped over the counter and over to the stove of the kitchen. He turned one of the knobs on the stove and a large flame shot into the air.

"Luffy! Don't touch that!" Zoro said, looking alarmed as Luffy turned on two more of the burners to show Sanji.

"And knives!" Luffy exclaimed as he reached for them. Alarmed with their captain's tenacity, Zoro practically tossed Sanji onto the counter as he chased after him.

An arm sprouted out of the stove, startling Sanji, and quickly turned off the burners before disappearing in a flutter of blossoms.

"Sorry to startle you, Cook-san." Robin apologized, smiling at the man. Another arm sprouted out on the counter in front of Sanji and held out a hand to him. "It's my devil-fruit ability."

Sanji stared at it for a moment then hesitantly reached over and took her hand.

"I suppose… there are a lot like you on the seas."

"And two more in front of you, and our musician as well." Robin said with a smile before taking a moment to explain the other's abilities. He was clearly impressed and saw soon what she was talking about as Luffy bounced around the room with the knives in his hands as Zoro tried to steal them back from their overzealous captain.

"H-how are you feeling…?" Chopper asked the cook, finally getting his courage back to approach the man without the swordsman's keen eye watching.

"I'm okay I think…. Um… sorry…" Sanji returned, looking a bit sheepish for how he had reacted around the deer.

"Oh, its okay, you piece of shit!" Chopper replied, smiling. Sanji looked a bit taken aback by the insult, but figured it was in the same vein as Zoro's snappy comments.

"Thank you, asshole." Sanji told the little deer, who also seemed a bit shocked at the words directed at him but smiled in return. Chopper climbed up onto the counter and sat himself near Sanji, and together they watched their captain and swordsman run with knives.

AN: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review, they really encourage me to continue writing!

Though not much of a cliffhanger, in our next chapter Sanji will experience the outside and chaos will ensue~