6 weeks earlier~

Zoro wiped the blood from his eyebrow, panting to gain his breath, whilst Sanji jumped back and raised his leg in a defensive stance, slight concern on his face. It was a rare occurrence that he managed to get in a kick like that.

'You're losing your touch, Moss-brain. You could have blocked that.'

Zoro said nothing as he pressed down on his brow to try and stop the bleeding, mainly to stop it from running into his eye.

Sanji relaxed his stance, pulling out a cigarette.

'Go see Chopper and get it stitched. We'll call it a draw.'

Zoro gave his brow one last wipe, then raised his swords again, taunting grin in place.

'Don't underestimate me, shit-cook.'

Sanji frowned, pocketing his cigarettes once more. It was obvious that the blood was affecting the swordsman's vision as he kept trying to blink it out, but who was Sanji to call him out on it.

'Have it your way Marimo.'

Sanji lunged, swinging his leg towards Zoro's torso. Zoro blocked it with one sword, swinging the other towards Sanji's grounded leg. Sanji jumped to avoid it, switching legs and aiming a kick to Zoro's abdomen whilst his swords were busy.

Zoro doubled over as the kick connected, the wind being knocked out of his as he was knocked back a few feet.

'Call it quits you idiot. You can't fucking see properly.'

Zoro growled, raising his swords once more. Sanji was beginning to lose his patience with the stubborn fuck.

'I'm not doing this with you. You're not at your best so go and see the fucking doctor.'

'We're doing this!'

It was Zoro's turn to lunge, metal slicing through the air as Sanji felt a wave of frustration.

'Are you a fucking masochist? Fine then!'

If this is what Zoro wanted, then fine. Sanji will just have to teach him the art of not-being-a-fucking-moron.

He dodged with ease, although Zoro preempted his movements and sliced up to meet him. Sanji barely managed to evade that one, impressed that Zoro's fighting ability had began to evolve beyond the need for sight. But even still, sight was not to be taken for granted. Sanji sidestepped him gracefully, keeping he sound of his breathing low so as to make much noise, which was probably an aid to Zoro's low vision.

Sanji gathered force behind his coming roundhouse with a full 360 spin, before it connected with a crunch to Zoro's ribs.

Zoro was sent flying into the mast and fell into a heap, clutching his ribs, his breath coming out in wheezes. Sanji balled his fists at the sight.

'I fucking warned you, you stupid piece of fucking algae. I'll go and get Chopper.'

Zoro awkwardly got to his feet, his back to Sanji as he started to walk stiffly towards the cabins.

'No, it's... fine. I'll go see him in a bit, I have to go wash this blood out of my eyes first.'

Sanji rolled his eyes at the retreating man, deciding that he should probably go and forewarn Chopper and also give a true account of what happened considering Zoro wasn't overly talkative when he had injuries. Fucking egotistical bastard.

Chopper was sitting with Robin, who was reading him a story about some legendary temple somewhere, but she paused when Sanji entered the room looking relatively serious.

'What's the matter, Cook-San?'

'Erm, so sorry to bother you my sweet but, Chopper, Zoro will need you to stitch him up in a bit.'

Chopper's eyes widened.

'What? Why? Where is he now?'

'He's gone to wash the blood off his face. He has a cut above his eye and, erm, potentially a broken rib.' Chopper jumped to his feet, turning into his heavy point form and pointing at the cook furiously.

'What the hell, Sanji? I'm guessing you have something to do with it considering you're here.'

Sanji raised his hands, defensively.

'Yes, we were sparring, and yes, the cut on his eye was a lucky shot from me. But the ribs were his fault! I told him to come see you after the eye thing cos he couldn't see but he wanted to carry on!'

Robin closed her book gently.

'Oh my goodness, although that does sound like Bushido-San... We can finish this later, Doctor-Kun, if you'd like?'

Chopper sighed with exasperation, changing back into his normal form and facepalming.

'Thanks Robin, that'd be great.'

He stomped out of the room, heading towards the showers, leaving Sanji looking sheepish whilst Robin surveyed him.

'He'll be fine. He heals quickly,' she offered, although Sanji wasn't overly bothered about the swordsman's condition, it was his own god-damn fault.

'We know he will, my flower, I just hate having to disturb you. What were you reading?'

Robin showed him the cover of the book, which showed an old temple with light resonating from some of the stones.

'It's a legendary temple that's supposedly one one of the grand line islands. It's said to have magicks protecting its treasures from outsiders and that only certain people can enter.' Robin opened the book and turned to a page which showed glowing tiles and glyphs.

'Magic? Is that a real thing?'

Sanji came to sit next to her, examining the pages as she turned them.

'Who knows? We have devil fruits so it isn't completely impossible for other forms of magic to exist. Or maybe it is the work of a devil fruit user? It's intriguing, isn't it?'

'That it is, my lovely. Do you think it's a real place?'

'Only as real as I thought Sky Island was before we discovered it.'

Sanji nodded in agreement. Robin closed the book once she'd shown Sanji all the diagrams.

'Well, who knows? Maybe we'll get to see it if it's real,' he offered. Robin smiled gently, just as Chopper came storming back into the room furiously, gaining both of their attention.

'He won't come out! Argh!'

Sanji furrowed his brow.

'Why not?'

Chopper flung himself into the armchair in the corner of the room, folding his arms.

'I don't know! Told me he'd come to me when he's finished. Sanji, this is your mess! Go sort it out!'

Sanji deadpanned.

'You think he's more likely to come out at my request rather than yours? Really?'

'Sanji,' Chopper screeched angrily, 'if he's really broken a rib then it may have punctured a lung so excuse me for being irrational!'

Sanji's gut dropped as he realised how serious Zoro's condition could be.

'Okay, sorry, I'm on it.'

Sanji stood and made his way out onto the deck. Why the fuck did he have to be dragged into it because of that Neanderthal's inability to take care of himself?

He climbed the wooden ladder that joined the bath-house to the rest of the ship and stilled as he reached the door. He could hear the running of the shower, and there was something else, masked behind the sound of running water.

Zoro sounded like he was in pain. Shit. Sanji panicked, reaching for the door handle which was, as he expected, locked.

'Oi! Oi Marimo, are you okay?'

He banged on the door with urgency, and the sounds inside stopped instantly followed shortly by the sound of water cutting out.

An angry snarl came from inside, taking Sanji aback.

'Will. You. Fuck. Off?'

Sanji pulled out a cigarette, bringing it to his lips as he rummaged for his lighter in his inside pocket in order to keep calm. That was a bit unmerited. What the fuck was going on?

'Oi, fuck-face. I have express orders to deliver you to Chopper, so no. I will not fuck off. Hurry the fuck up or I'll knock the door off its hinges.'

The door clicked and then opened slightly. Zoro's face appeared in the gap, an evident bruise already making its way down to his eye. His teeth were bared and he looked livid.

'I'm serious, cook. Go. Away. The ribs aren't broken and the eye stopped bleeding so you and Chopper can fucking chill.'

It took a few seconds to process what Zoro said before Sanji lost it.

He was used to the way Zoro spoke to him (hell, he gave the same back) but the fact was that Chopper wanted to check over his wounds to make sure they weren't serious. Because he was fucking worried. How dare the shitty swordsman be angry at the little doctor for that.

'You fucking piece of shit!'

Sanji booted the door in, not caring that Zoro was just on the other side of it. Zoro's eyes widened at Sanji's outburst a second before he was hit in the face by the door he was hiding behind. He stumbled backwards as the door was forced open, losing his balance and landing on his ass painfully.

Sanji pushed into the bathroom ready to kick some shit, but then suddenly halted.

Zoro's breath hitched as he sat there, stark naked, with a solid erection.

'Wh- what the fuck Marimo?'