Hello everybody,
thank you for your lovely comments, favoring, and following. I hope you'll enjoy the new chapter. Next upload will be on saturday/sunday depending on my schedule ;-)
See you then and have a great time
Sharry
Chapter 1
-Nami-
"Okay guys, we'll get there in half an hour. Kamy said the Log Pose will need less than three hours to reposition. So..."
"All darts?"
"Yes Luffy, all darts will reposition of course." The navigator rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Anyway, we should get going as soon as possible. I don't feel safe so close to the Red Line."
The other pirates answered more or less agreeing.
Not even two hours ago the Thousand Sunny, ship of the straw hat's crew, hat surfaced from the never-ending depths of the ocean. Just days ago, the crew had reunited, only to fall into a new adventure at the bottom of the sea.
They had left the Fishman-Island behind – or rather below – them and now the miracles and dangers of a brave new world awaited them.
An adventure they had trained for; for two long years they had waited for this moment, and now they were ready, more than ready.
"Anybody wants to stay onboard?" Nami asked and took a look around. She hadn't lied about her insecurity. At the horizon she could still see the Red Line and that sent cold shivers down her spine. Although the Marine Headquarters had been moved, the unbreachable wall of stone and dirt made her skin crawl and she couldn't wait for the needles at her wrist to reposition. She wanted to move on, even though she knew that what awaited them was certainly not less dangerous than what they had left behind.
Answering her question Franky, Usopp and Brook raised their hands.
"Wanna go down in my workshop," the cyborg mumbled, and the sniper nodded in agreement.
"Fine, so the rest of us can go ashore for a little bit. Any plans?"
She preferred to know what the others were up to. This way it was easier to collect all her crewmates in case something happened, because something always happened.
Especially her two favorite retards – namely Luffy and Zoro – shouldn't wander around on their own, each of them was a magnet for disaster.
"King Neptune recommended a book I would like to buy," Robin explained with a smile.
"And I need to stock up my supply. My stock is pretty low after Sanji's trouble."
"Tze, the cook is trouble himself. Kicking the bucket by nosebleed, pathetic," the swordsman of the crew commented dryly.
"Hey, ain't my fault, you aren't capable of understanding real beau..."
"But Zoro, Sanji was in a dangerous state, don't joke about it," Chopper interrupted the short-tempered cook and avoided unintentionally a larger dispute between the two men.
Nami cleared her throat to get back to the actual topic.
"What about you, Sanji? Need to go grocery shopping?"
The cook glared for another second towards the swordsman before smiling at Nami.
"Yes Nami-swan, I actually do. It's never wrong to keep the..."
"Okay, then that's settled," Nami murmured. She had a growing headache, maybe she had drunken a little bit too much at last night's party. But she knew exactly what would lighten up her mood.
"Luffy, you and I, we'll go shopping."
"Great!" The straw hat grinned widely. "We'll buy food?"
The navigator sighed. "By all means, when we're done, alright?"
"Awesome!" Their captain was dancing around happily, clapping his hands and singing "meat, meat, meat" overly excited.
"And you, Zoro, help Sanji."
"What?!" Both brawlers huffed in unison.
"Nami-swan, are you serious?"
"Not in a million years. Dartbrow can carry some bags on his own."
"How did you just call me?"
"So not only your nose is broken?"
"Well, look one-eye talking big!" Sanji stuck his tongue out towards the swordsman, pulling his left lower eyelid down.
"Even with one eye I can see your ridiculous dartbrow."
"Ain't half as ridiculous as your green mossheaUFF!"
"Ouch!"
"Can't you two just shut up?!"
Swordsman and cook were kneeling on the ground, rubbing her heads while the navigator hovered above them like a dawning thunderstorm.
"Zoro, you go with Sanji, period! I don't wanna leave late just because you got lost again."
"What do you mean by that?!" Zorro grumbled and got back on his feet, a hand still rubbing his head.
"Means you got the orientation of a cave crayfish," Sanji answered, back on his feet as well.
"Don't insult the crayfish," Usopp mumbled behind his hand.
"What?!" The swordsman spin towards the cook, a hand at his swords, but raised both hands defensively when Nami starred him down.
"Zoro could accompany me as well," Robin offered with a smile. "I could need some help with carrying all those books and I would make sure our swordsman will return safely."
Franky, Brook, Usopp, and Sanji giggled like little kids, but grew dead silent when the former pirate hunter glared at them. Only their captain didn't pause in his happy meat-dance.
Nami sighed but noted Robin's look and nodded softly.
"Go ahead, I don't care who takes..."
"Never mind. I'll go with the shitty cook, wanted to buy some sake anyway," Zorro murmured and waved it away.
"Like you had any money for that," Sanji commented with a smirk, but his favorite enemy only lifted an eyebrow.
"Okay, so that's that," Nami sighed relieved and nodded to her left where a vague shadow of an island had appeared at the horizon, "just in time, Looks like we're there."
-Sanji-
Not even half an hour later Sanji was in the middle of a huge market of a small town, dragging the annoying mosshead along, who verged to head into the wrong direction every few feet.
"This way Marimo, right. The other right."
"Stop nagging, stupid cook."
"Then stop running off all the time. We're on straight street, can't be too hard to take the right way."
"Just shut up, cook."
They glared at each other, but then Zoro pointed at something behind Sanji like they weren't in the middle of a heated discussion.
"What about this booth, let's take a look."
Sanji's eyes followed the other one and shook his head.
"That ain't your pay-grade, mosshead."
And of course, he should be right. The booth showed off the greatest rice wine in finest quality; Sanji could tell from the blue labels and because there wasn't a single price tag.
Actually, the offered goods awakened his curiosity too, as a cook it was his job to shop for the best food and it was seldom to find such an exquisite choice of sake. Still to buy only three or four of those bottles he probably would have to trade in at least one of his crewmates.
Besides the two pirates, multiple bystanders gave the booth a closer look, making it difficult for the cook to make it to the swordsman, although he was more worried about the goods in his bags.
When he finally reached his crewmember in the second row of potential customers he whispered into his ear.
"Come on, Marimo. That's Junmai Daiginjo Sake. We can't afford something like this, not if we don't find the One Piece within the next minute."
To his surprise the other one gave him an odd glance.
"You really believe the One Piece is a treasure?"
Sanji shrugged his shoulders.
"Treasure or not, this rice wine is way above our price range."
He watched the swordsman casting another glance at the expensive bottles before sighing and walking away, not even caring if Sanji could keep up with him or not.
Hastily Sanji made his way out of the group of people and followed the older one before that idiot could get lost.
It was almost too easy to make fun of sulking Zoro right now, on the other hand it was rare to see him being interested in something else than swords and fighting, so Sanji decided against mocking his favorite rival.
"What now?" The former pirate hunter asked almost too casual when Sanji reached him.
"Let me take a look."
The blond pulled his shopping list out of his pocket and browsed over it.
"So, guess we need some rice flour, but then we got it all."
"You wanna make rice cake?"
Zoro rose an eyebrow. Sanji nodded while they started walking again.
"What did you do to Chopper?"
The cook wasn't stupid. Everyone in their crew knew that their youngest friend and the swordsman had some weirdly close relationship and although the mosshead wasn't much of a considerate person it was sheer madness to distress Chopper in front of him.
"Nothing," Sanji replied and headed for the next booth.
"Then why the Mochis?" Distrust dropped out of each single syllable.
With a sigh Sanji turned for his crewmember, who observed him like a criminal.
"I promised him, that's it."
"Sure," Zorro murmured. "You hate to make rice cake, because it's sticky and can cause suffocation when eaten."
Surprised Sanji looked at the other one. Shockingly the swordsman was totally right. That was exactly the reason why Sanji usually denied those sweet little sugar bombs to their youngest crewmember, although Chopper loved them. But he hadn't been aware that the young doctor had apparently complained about it to the first mate.
"Why would you...?" Zoro paused in the middle of his interrogation and stopped walking.
Confused Sanji stopped as well, having no clue what was going on with the other one, Zoro's facial expression totally motionless, almost like a mask with an empty gaze looking at nothing. Suddenly Sanji's inner alarm bells went off. He tried to follow the swordsman's look, but the other one just grabbed him by the arm and dragged him along.
"We have to leave," Zoro gnarled, his voice even deeper than usually.
"What's wrong?" They hastened down the market, avoiding passengers and guiding their groceries carefully through the mass of people.
"Zoro, talk to me."
Sanji was half a step behind the other one as they reached the end of the market.
"No time, we need to get lost."
"Yeah, got that part, but why?"
They left the last houses behind them. It would take them roughly around ten minutes through the small piece of woods to reach the calm harbor if they took their time, but right now they were much faster of course.
"Like I said, we can talk about that when we're..."
Sanji rushed against the adamant back of Zoro, who had jerked to a halt and stopped talking.
"Dammit Zoro, what the hell?"
Sanji rubbed his nose, but then he realized why the other one stood still.
In front of them were three people, more exact two bald mountains of muscles and between them, looking almost fragile in comparison, a young woman.
She was beauty, as simple as that. Sanji noted her elegant silvery hair, cascading down her shoulders in gracious waves. Just like the men behind her she was wearing a flawless fitting black suit, showing off all her assets. Additionally, she wore an almost glowing white coat, enlightening her hair and her ice-blue eyes even more.
The cook was already lost to her beauty, her grace burned into his memories for all eternity, but then he noted the small brooch of her cape. It showed the emblem of the world nobles.
Sanji shivered while the woman smiled gently and folded her hands in front of her stomach, even her black gloves showed the painted hoof of the rising dragon.
"It's been such a long time, right Roronoa Zoro?"
Her voice was as soft as a feather and Sanji wasn't certain anymore, whether she was an enemy or the swordsman's former love interest. Well giving it a second thought she had to be an enemy. It was impossible that a noblesse like her would spend her private time with some ill-bred swordsman.
Apropos swordsman, Sanji's eyes darted to his side, just to watch Zoro gulping heavily and reaching for his weapons.
"Get lost," the former pirate hunter hissed without peeling his eyes from the woman in front of him.
Electricity filled the air but aside from the dangerous emblem Sanji was clueless why the other one tensed up so much. Those muscle mountains were nothing more than decoration, none of them dangerous to either of them, and the lady in front of them didn't seem like a fighter.
Now she smiled even wider and Sanji's heartbeat fastened up. She was way too good for the mosshead, but maybe she wanted to have some private time with Sanji instead.
"You can calm down. My father did not accompany me."
As a matter of fact, the swordsman let out a deep sigh of relief as an answer.
"But do not worry, as soon as I inform him that I found you, he will come."
Now Zoro stopped breathing.
But it was even more than that. Shocked Sanji watched the other one stepping back half a step, ignoring his cover and letting go of his grocery bags. Zoro was pale and his chin quivered.
The cook had no idea what was going on or why his favorite rival reacted that way, but he knew it was time to dive in.
"Bonjour mon amour," he whispered softly and took a step in front of his crewmember. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Sanji and with whom do I have the honor?"
For the very first time she met his eyes and Sanji knew that this moment alone was worth everything that might would happen afterwards.
"Oh, excuse my impolite behavior. Of course, I know who you are. My name is Korekuta Joudama and I'm here to retrieve Celestial Dragons' property."
"Excuse me?" Surprised Sanji glanced at the pale swordsman behind him. "You stole some world noble's stuff? How did you do that?"
"No reason to worry," the woman in the suit continued, "I am not here to mean any trouble for you or your crew. Just some small business and then I'll be gone."
"With you I'm always up for some business, you dream of my sleepless..."
"I'm not interested in negotiating with you."
Now she sounded way colder than before and her eyes had left Sanji long ago, looking straight at the man behind him.
"No," Zorro gnarled like a beast in a trap.
Not even slightly intimidated the young woman laughed lightly.
"Oh, you haven't even heard my offer."
"Not interested." The other one stepped forward again, standing right next to Sanji. "You're no match against me, so get lost before I kill you."
This threat took Sanji by surprise, but at least the other one sounded more like his usual self with every word he spoke.
"You won't," the World Government's woman insisted, "you won't fight me."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that." By now the swordsman was showing his evil grin and Sanji felt much better, although the idiot mosshead was threatening a beautiful lady.
"But I am," she replied victoriously, "after all my father will come for you sooner or later and take what is his. You won't raise a finger against me."
The grin disappeared within half a second, taking Sanji's confidence along.
"But we can come to terms without consulting my father, if you agree, less dramatic, more civilized. Let us reach an agreement."
Zoro huffed in annoyance. "Yeah right, like I would bargain with you. There's nothing you could offer me, Joudama."
It seemed like the lady had just waited for that comment. She raised her left hand and right on clue the guy behind her pulled out a small booklet and gave it to her.
"Of course I have something to offer. What about number 4,052 for example, or number 1,128."
"What?" Sanji didn't get a thing, but that woman continued to ignore him.
"I'm not interested in anything from that list," the swordsman hissed.
"Are you certain? Maybe I should verify. Number 4,052; name: Tony Tony Chopper; attributes: reindeer, ate the human-human-fruit; category: slave and research."
Confused Sanji looked back and forth between the stranger and Zoro, who looked like somebody had just declared Chopper's death sentence.
"And about number 1,128; name: "Soulking" Brook, attribute: skeleton, former human, ate the Revive-Revive-Fruit, category: slave."
Now she smiled at Zoro.
"Aren't those two of your crewmembers? And here on the additional list I find another familiar name: Vinsmoke Sanji. Not categorized just yet, but as soon as he is, I'm certain he'll be part of the research fraction, although he would probably make a great slave as well. What's your opinion, Zoro?"
Sanji started sweating. Not once had he mentioned his family. He wanted to avoid that burden for his friends, and he had been ashamed as well, but this woman knew who he was and now Zoro did as well.
But the other didn't even react to this.
"What are you offering?" He asked motionless.
Appalled Sanji turned towards him. What the hell was he thinking? What did that goddamn list mean? Why were Chopper, Brook, and he mentioned and what the hell did Zoro steal that the world nobles would take such measures to get it back? Maybe his swords?
The woman made another step forward.
"If you accept my offer, I will erase those three objects from the list."
Objects?
"No." Zoro declined harsh and cold, but something about his voice sounded off, almost weak.
"So let me raise it up. None of your crewmembers' name will ever be put on that list."
The man next to Sanji gulped heavily. What the hell was Zoro thinking?! What the hell was going on? And how the hell knew that idiot mosshead such a woman?!
"And no traps?" Zoro demanded. "No fine print?"
She nodded. "Certainly. As long as you fulfill your part of the deal, we'll keep ours."
"Zoro, what the hell is going on?" He hissed, but Zorro ignored him as well and stepped forward.
"So, what do you say?" The woman met the pirate in the middle.
"Can someone please tell me what the fuck is happening?!" Sanji yelled and grabbed the other one's shoulder. Almost surprised Zoro looked at his hand, like he had completely forgotten, that Sanji was there at all. For a heartbeat they looked at each other.
"It's alright, cook."
Then he nodded to the noblesse and shrugged Sanji's hand off.
"Fine, here's my offer." Zoro held his hand towards the stranger. On clue she pulled her glove off and took his hand while Zoro continued. "None of my crewmates or any friends I may have will ever show up on that list or are hunted by you guys in any kind of form. For that I agree to accompany you unresistant."
"Wait a second? What?!" Sanji tried to jump in-between but even before the muscle-mountains could move, the ground beneath them rumbled and wind - stronger than anything Sanji had ever seen – shoved him back, blowing him away several feet. Out of nothing Zoro and the stranger were engulfed in shining light, while an invisible wall rose around them, keeping Sanji out of their private circle.
"Zoro, wait damn it! What the fuck are you doing?!" Sanji hammered against the glimmering wall of nothingness, but the other one didn't even look at him. "You can't do that, you freaking idiot!"
"One small limitation," the woman replied, her voice muffled like behind glass, "our renunciation of violence will fade the moment one of your friends or crewmates tries to actively stop us. Furthermore, you won't only accompany me unresistant but follow my orders until my father arrives."
Sanji still tried to break the wall, hitting, kicking, screaming. The ground between Zoro's feet crumbled and suddenly fluttering rolls of papyrus rose from the depths of the earth, wavering around the two people inside the light wall.
"Before we leave, I want five minutes to speak to the cook."
"Two and not a second longer."
Breathing heavily the swordsman nodded. The grin of the stranger grew hideously.
"Deal," she spoke clear.
"Deal," Zoro agreed just as strong.
The fluttering papyrus rolls coiled up around their handshake and then they were gone, just like the glimmering nothingness that was keeping Sanji out of their business. He stumbled against the swordsman.
"Zoro, what are you doing?"
The other one looked at him, almost gentle, almost just as gentle like when Zoro spoke with Chopper in the middle of the night after another nightmare.
But then Zoro pushed him back several steps, looking like his stern self again.
"Okay, listen up, cook. We only got 120 seconds."
"Zoro, what the hell is..."
"Didn't I just tell you to shut up?!"
The former pirate hunter pulled his three swords from his haramaki and urged them into Sanji's arms.
"I got no time to tell you the details, so listen: Don't come after me, don't you dare! You need to find Rayleigh. He can explain. Take care of my swords."
"Wait, wait, wait a second!"
"No, listen up. Tell Rayleigh what happened, you have to tell him exactly what deal I made, got it?"
"Okay?" Slowly Sanji understood, at least he understood how important it was that he remembered everything that happened.
Zoro leaned forward, whispering fast but not hastening, almost calm.
"And you need to tell him the following. Tell him, to regard his age."
"What?!"
"Yes, he's getting on a bit and has to consider that."
Zoro shook his head, looking over his shoulder before watching Sanji again.
"And another thing." Now the swordsman sounded softer, sadder, "I'm sorry. Didn't plan it like that. I didn't want to endanger any of you and didn't want you to find it out this way."
"Find out what?"
But Zoro didn't answer, simply grinned at him, a grin as natural as Franky's nose, before taking a deep breath and padding Sanji's shoulder.
Then he turned around.
"Alright Joudama, let's get going."
The stranger turned around as well and lifted her right hand; the muscle-mountain next to her offered her some reddish handcuffs.
Zoro hesitated a second before extending his hands and a silent klick hollowed through the woods
"Take care of the others, cook." Zoro called out to Sanji.
"Deal between worlds," the stranger said to nobody but the air behind her started wavering.
"Go ahead," she ordered and Zoro did as she said.
Two steps later they were gone.
"No! Wait!" Sanji ran after them, but as he reached the wavering air nothing was left.
The cook was all alone in the forest, surrounded by grocery bags and Zoro was gone.