Here we have chapter 5. This was probably my favorite to write, but I think that has something to with it being a Sanji POV chapter and after having worked on Through the Eyes of a Cook for such a long time, I really enjoy writing him :)

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter :)


~When the strong fall~

It had been almost four hours since the ingredient-search party had set out and so far it had been peaceful. Luffy had stayed in the kitchen for an hour while Chopper and Sanji had nurtured him. Zoro had only dropped by once after Chopper had made Luffy go back to bed, but other than that he had stayed in the crow's nest the entire time. Sanji had gone up to give him some lunch, expecting to find the swordsman training, but instead he had found him meditating. To not disturb him, he had set the tray with food and drinks near him and listed out of the room quietly. Zoro not training was a blessing. The real reason Chopper and Sanji had decided to make Zoro stay on the Sunny was to keep him from overworking himself. His injuries from Thriller Bark were not yet healed, even though he did a pretty good job of pretending they had. Chopper didn't know what had happened, but he was no fool, and he knew the limits of each crew member as well as Sanji knew their favorite foods, and Zoro had gone way beyond that limit. Sometimes Sanji wondered why Zoro was still alive, he had already been on the brink of death when he had taken all of Luffy's pain, yet he was still conscious when Sanji had found him after the whole ordeal. It was quite scary to think about really. He also wondered what kept the swordsman going, because Sanji was sure that he was alive due to logic-bending stubbornness and the only answer that made any sense was Luffy.

Sanji remembered well the first time he had meet Zoro and he remembered how much of an idiot he had thought Zoro was. Granted he still thought he was an idiot, but for entirely different reasons. Zoro had been driven by ambitions and nothing else, and he had been so ready to throw his life away for it. He had gone up against Mihawk, when he was obviously way out of his league and he had been defeated by a man wielding a pocket knife. Not really what Sanji would consider an admirable death. Yet, after having been sliced up and having only escaped death by the mercy of Hawk-Eyes himself, Zoro had raised his sword and not only declared that he would one day achieve his goal of becoming the best swordsman in the world, but he had also declared Luffy the king of the pirates. In Sanji's eyes, that was the moment Zoro had taken the role of vice-captain. Usually when talking of vice-captains it was the person who would command the crew in their captain's absence and had the most responsibility following said captain. However in a crew as the strawhats where there were only eight members, not counting Luffy, there wasn't much need for a second-in-command, yet everybody agreed that it was Zoro. It wasn't because Zoro was strong, because so was Sanji. It wasn't because Zoro had been the first to join, because Nami had joined soon after. It wasn't because he had special bond with Luffy, because so did Usopp. It was because of all that and more. It was because he had directly linked his dream to Luffy's. It was because he valued Luffy's dream more than his own, which had once meant everything to him. It was because out of everyone, Luffy put the most faith in Zoro and it was because of all that, Sanji feared their current situation.

When Zoro had been unconscious for three days on Thriller Bark, Luffy had been unusually quiet. He had smiled, laughed and partied with his friends and those from the Rolling Pirate Crew, but he had always excused himself early from the banquets to be by Zoro's side. Sanji figured that half the reason Luffy acted like this, was because whenever there was a big fight and Zoro was down for a day or two, Luffy was down as well. In Alabasta Zoro had woken up only a day before Luffy and in Water 7 it had been the same. When Luffy woke up, Zoro was there, and for the first time when Luffy had woken up, Zoro was in pain, injured and unconscious, and the look on Luffy's face when he had sat by Zoro the first night had scared Sanji, because he came to the same realization Luffy had most likely arrived at. They weren't ready. For a small crew like the strawhats it was important that every single member was strong, and when one of the top fighters fell, it was worrying. They had only just escaped death from Moria and all his zombies, and when Kuma had suddenly appeared, they were completely at his mercy. They weren't ready and that scared Sanji, because suddenly making a stop on their journey could cost them their lives.

Sanji had wanted to ask Luffy what to do about it, but he had never found the courage to do so. Instead he let the anxiety build up inside him and he would find himself wondering how he could best protect the crew. His heart called out for the three who were the least ready for the New World. It wasn't that Nami, Usopp and Chopper couldn't hold their own, because Sanji knew how strong each of them were, but they all had one thing in common which would eventually be their doom. They didn't believe in their own abilities. Nami and Chopper usually saw themselves as having no role apart from being the navigator and doctor, when in reality they were both much stronger than the average person.

Nami reminded Sanji a bit of himself. Her strength came from her wit and intellect, which she used to get out of the worst situations. Sometimes Sanji wondered how Nami could think so lowly of her fighting abilities when she had more than proven herself countless of times in the past. In Alabasta she had defeated Mr. 1's partner, meaning that the only woman stronger than her was Robin, and Robin was powerful. In Enies Lobby she had taken out a member of CP9 who had been strong even before eating a Devil Fruit, and afterwards she had probably had at least twice that strength. Yet Nami was always one of the first to get scared and declare that she couldn't possibly win against someone, even when faced with opponents who should have been no match for her, if she just kept her head clear. What Nami needed was to stand more on her own. She had the abilities and she had strength, she just needed to believe in those, but when constantly surrounded by stronger people who could protect her, it was hard to let go of that fear.

Chopper was different from Nami, because he knew that he had the power, but he was afraid to use it, and Sanji understood why. Chopper's deadliest weapon turned him into a raging killing machine that couldn't tell friend from foe and Franky had experienced that first hand. But because Chopper understood his that his maximum power was so dangerous, he was afraid to get anywhere near it, and that held him back. In a way, Chopper was like Zoro. Quite harmless when he was in a peaceful mindset, and deadly when forced to go all out.

Usopp was like Luffy without being aware of it, because no one was like Luffy, not entirely at least. In the strawhat crew, everyone was an expert at something, which Sanji sometimes found a little too coincidental and it sometimes made him wonder what exactly Luffy was thinking when he recruited new members. Luffy was known for inviting people without any form of discrimination, but the ones who ended up joining were all specialists, and they were probably some of the best the world had to offer. They had the only person in the world who could read the ancient language written on the poneglyphs. They had a person who could predict the weather on the Grand Line and they had Usopp, who Sanji would claim was the person with the most natural talent amongst them, only challenged by Luffy. All of the people in the crew had spent years honing their skills, and not to say that Usopp hadn't, but until he had joined the strawhats his only weapon had been a poorly made slingshot. And no matter what kind of artillery Usopp was armed with, he could use it to perfection within almost no time, and if that wasn't talent, then talent was a myth. Sanji would never forget when Usopp had stood on top of the tower of justice and shot down Robin's captures from a distance greater than any normal gun could reach, and he had done it with such precision that Sanji had been slightly intimidated by the skill. And yet, Usopp had no self esteem. He had left the crew because he felt like he had been a burden to them, when he had probably saved their lives just as many times as everyone else.

The problem was the strength of Luffy, Zoro and Sanji himself. He was aware that their power levels were inhuman and as much as that saved the lives of all of them, it also limited them. Talent casts shadows and even if the people in shadows are just as amazing as the ones in the light, it is discouraging and weakening to be hidden away from the light. They had to do something about their situation soon. If Luffy hadn't brought it up by the time they landed on Fishman Island, he would do it, because it couldn't go on like this, not on the sea ruled by the Yonkou.

Sanji had just finished washing the last dishes and was about to start cooking the dinner for the people on the ship and the people he imagined would be returning before nightfall, when something exploded. Sanji ran to deck and Chopper followed him soon after, and by then the deck was already a battlefield. Zoro was surrounded by thirty people and there were still more on the ship which was now docked next to the Sunny. Sanji joined the battle and began to work his way through the people who had yet to reach Zoro. Chopper disappeared for a short while, most likely to orientate Luffy and order him not to leave the Sick Bay, but he soon returned and joined the battle as well.

At first it all seemed to be going well, but Sanji slowly felt himself tire out and no matter how many enemies they took out, another one just took their place. Sanji realized that they were limited by three things. Firstly the were fighting on their ship which meant that they had to keep their attacks small. Sanji, who used fire, could risk setting everything aflame and Zoro couldn't use his flying blades techniques, which had become such a normal part of his fighting that not being able to use it was extremely limiting. Secondly, apart from not being in a place where he could wipe out the enemy with one sure strike, as it would destroy the ship, Zoro had a certain limit due to his injuries, and a long battle was the last thing he needed. Lastly they had to protect their captain. There had yet been any indication that their enemies knew who they were, which was relatively weird, nor that they knew that they had a sick crew mate aboard, but if they were to find out, it would be mere child's play to take him hostage.

And then things took a turn for the worse. Someone with a considerable amount of strength and a devil fruit to top it off boarded the ship and was now facing Zoro, who looked like he was in a whole bunch of pain. The remaining thirty or so people then surrounded Sanji and Chopper to make sure that they could not assist the swordsman in any way. The people around them knew that they were no match for Sanji, and therefore they decided to not attack him. Instead they wait for him and Chopper to charge, so that they could counter them, which Sanji did not like. The enemies plan was simple and foreboding. They were going to take Zoro out first and when he had been dealt with, they could focus on Sanji and Chopper with a devil fruit user by their side. Under normal circumstances Sanji would have trusted Zoro to deal with the guy, but the blood dripping from his reopened wounds made Sanji worry more than he had ever worried about Zoro, and he tried desperately to break free from the people surrounding them, but there were just too many and Sanji watched as Zoro fought the devil fruit user.

The devil fruit was quickly determined, a zoan type; the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Tiger. The enemy was fast and deadly, and he seemed experienced against swordsmen, but probably not against a three-sword user. Sanji knew that Zoro understood his position, but that did not stop him from acting recklessly, or perhaps that was what made him act like he did, because Zoro decided that a fast victory was the best way to go. When Zoro suddenly grew two extra heads and arms, and his swords went from three to nine, it was safe to say that Sanji was shocked, because what the hell even was that technique? Whatever it was it got the job done, and in the surprise that had stunned their enemies, Chopper quickly made it to Zoro's side as he fell. At that moment Sanji knew that he was alone in the fight. Zoro was down and in need of treatment, so Sanji charged and gave Chopper an opening to get Zoro inside.

The battle was long and Sanji slowly felt as his legs got heavier with each kick, but he had to protect the crew. When Sanji was finding it hard to breathe and he still had forty enemies to deal with he decided that sails were easy to remake and set a plan in motion that would allow him to take about half of his enemies down. He slowly lured them closer to the main sail, and allowed them to get closer and closer, while he slowly jumped higher and higher into the air, by using his enemies as trampolines. When there was a great crowd gathered underneath his feet he ripped the sail from its restraints and set it on fire. He then kicked the sail downwards and enveloped as many as he could. About fifteen people caught fire and jumped in the ocean to save themselves, so now Sanji just had a little over twenty people to deal with. Amongst them were five swordsmen, and they were really beginning to get on Sanji's nerves, because with the strength he had left, they were hard to deal with. Swordsmen could usually be dealt with by being fast, but Sanji's legs were feeling like lead, so he had to come up with another way to deal with them.

Because of the length of the battle, his enemies had figured his fighting style out and the swordsmen took front lines. Sanji's slowed pace gained him a few cuts here and there, and when he had been too slow to duck he had taken a slice just above his eye. For a crucial moment the blood dripping over his eye blinded him and someone took the opportunity to punch him right in the chest and he fell back. Instinctively Sanji placed his right hand where he had been hit and assessed the damage. It hurt, but it seemed that the attack hadn't been enough to break anything, so Sanji quickly got up and continued fighting. There was an attack from his right and he turned to kick the enemy away, but not even a second later a swordsman came from behind him and while three men charged in front of him. Sanji knew that he would be too late if he tried to deal with swordsman first, so he tried to go for the men charging at him and use them as a shield. Just before his leg connected, he feared that he wouldn't make it, but luck was on his side as the swordsman was shot down. Not even ten seconds passed before the remaining swordsmen were down and with Usopp protecting him, Sanji finished taking the rest of the enemies down quickly.

After the battle Usopp came running from the jungle and he helped Sanji tie the defeated enemies up. When there was no longer any chance that they could do any harm, Usopp asked about Zoro and Sanji sent him to the Sick Bay. Usopp had been acting uncharacteristically brave through the whole ordeal with Luffy, but seeing the look on his face when he had heard that Zoro had fallen was what did it for Sanji. They couldn't continue on like this. Not when the strongest of them were falling.

Sanji took all the enemies, which he assumed were pirates after looking at their ship with the black flag, and threw them back on their own ship, where he unfurled the sails and steered the ship away from the island. The strawhats weren't people who killed in cold blood, and some of them didn't even kill at all, so Sanji just sent them safely away. They would wake up in a day or so and if they decided to come back, the strawhats would probably be gone, and if not, they would have their captain back in action.

Sanji went back to the kitchen. His injuries could wait until Chopper had treated Zoro. He didn't start cooking though, he would wait until Chopper had given him the go, so after Usopp had left with a determined look on his face, which put Sanji's mind slightly at ease, he collapsed on a chair. Now that the adrenaline was gone from his body, the pain was really starting to set in and damn it hurt. Chopper soon appeared beside him and treated him. He gave him a shot that dulled the pain, but also left Sanji's mind hazy. Chopper said something about not wanting to separate the crew, and Sanji was faintly aware of being wrapped in blanket and being placed on a makeshift bed on the floor of the Sick Bay.

When Sanji woke up there was a glass of water beside him and he drank it faster than the probably should have. Chopper was currently tending to Luffy, but went to Sanji when he saw that he had woken up.

"Don't push yourself," Chopper said as soon as Sanji sat up, "How are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

Sanji took a moment to actually register how his body was feeling before replying: "This stings a bit," he gestured to the cut above his eye, "and my body is kind of sore, but it doesn't really hurt."

Chopper nodded and reached for a small jar on the desk. He then applied the contents of the jar, some light green paste, to the wound and told Sanji to stay still for another ten minutes. So he did. He watched as Chopper applied the same paste to some of Zoro's wounds before reapplying some new bandages and he watched as he tended to Luffy who now didn't just look like he had no strength in his body but also looked like he was in pain. When the ten minutes were up, Chopper came back, washed away the paste and put some cool oil on it. Sanji was told not to touch it and just let the wound breathe, and if he did as told there would be no scar after it had healed, which was good. Sanji would have hated to have a scar on his face.

Chopper then allowed Sanji to get on with his job and he left for the kitchen. It was almost evening when Sanji started making the dinner. There was still an hour or two until nightfall and Sanji expected a few people to make it back, as some things couldn't be looked for in the dark, but he guessed that it also depended on where people were on the island. They might just camp out if they were too far away and didn't want to go around in the jungle in the middle of the night, which was quite an understandable opinion to have. Sanji would probably also have preferred to camp out, but that was mostly because he hated bugs, especially the ones with wings, and they were more active at night.

Sanji finished up a stew fairly quick. He had picked stew because in addition to being extremely nutritious, it also kept for a long time, so Sanji could feed whoever came at any given time. After he had finished it he gave Chopper a serving and helped himself to some before putting it away. During the time it had taken to cook, eat and clean, the day had turned to night and Chopper urged Sanji to sleep because of his injuries. Not seeing why he should disobey, Sanji made himself comfortable with a lot of blankets in the kitchen, where he would be close to Chopper. He didn't really want to stay in the Men's Quarters all by himself, so the wooden surface would have to do.

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Sanji didn't know how long he slept, he just knew that it was still night when he suddenly woke up. At first he didn't know what had woken him, because he wasn't really in pain, just a little sore from sleeping on the floor and he was still a little tired, so naturally he should have stayed asleep. He peeked into the Sick Bay where Chopper had fallen asleep over his desk and quickly made sure that everybody was okay. Except for the fact that Luffy looked like he was having an unpleasant dream, they seemed fine, so Sanji was beginning to wonder what had woken him when he heard a faint scream and he knew exactly why. He ran out of the Sick Bay, through the kitchen and out onto the deck and tried to determine where the voice had come from when he heard it again. Sanji took off as fast as he could, and ignored the pain which slowly made itself noticed in his ribs. Sanji shot through the forest and frantically looked for the source of the scream, but in the end they came to him. Brook was running with Nami on his back from something that Sanji couldn't really identify.

"What are you guys-" Sanji started, but the rest of the sentence got interrupted as a pack of giant wolves came chasing after Nami and Brook. Now he understood what they were running from.

"Get to the ship!" Sanji yelled as Brook ran past him. Sanji ran towards the wolf who lead the pack and kicked it into a tree. For a moment the wolves stopped running, but when the leader stood up, as if Sanji hadn't just attacked it, they all went for the kill. Sanji decided that getting caught up with giant wolves wasn't the safest nor best idea, so he ran as well. He kicked the wolves away whenever they got too closed, but he never engaged in battle. There was no need for him to get hurt in a fight against an enemy who couldn't do them harm when they were on the ship. At least he hoped that they couldn't do them harm on the ship.

When Sanji made it to the Sunny, Nami and Brook were safely on deck and Sanji soon joined them. They all smiled at each other as the wolves stood at the beach with seemingly no way to get to their prey. But these were giant wolves on the Grand Line, so Sanji shouldn't have been surprised when they ventured into the sea and went straight for the Sunny. Not wanting to start a second fight on the deck, especially a fight involving dangerous killing machines, Sanji decided that they should sail the ship further away from shore. Nami quickly agreed, but with the main sail down, they had to use the paddling system, which would take some time to prepare. Nami took the job of steering the ship, while Sanji and Brook defended the ship from hungry carnivores. The first wolf to climb onto the Sunny got kicked all the way back to shore by Sanji, but the second invasion wasn't that easy as four wolves climbed aboard at once.

"Can't you sing them to sleep or something?" Sanji asked Brook as he kicked another wolf away only to find that another one had gotten onto the deck.

"I'm sorry, Sanji-san. I tried, but it didn't work." Brook apologized as he stabbed a wolf on the railing in the leg, which made it loose its grip and fall down into the sea beneath it.

At this moment Chopper emerged from the kitchen to see what all the commotion was about and he let out a shocked gasp when he saw the wolves. He then closed the door behind him and quickly joined the battle in trying to get the damn wolves off of the ship. When the ship started moving away from shore, Sanji felt a wave of relief and this time, when they got a wolf away from the Sunny, a new one didn't pop up. They were still fairly close to the island, close enough to see if anyone of their missing crew mates should come to the beach, but still far enough so that they wouldn't get attacked my mainland animals.

"Is anyone injured?" Chopper asked as soon as they were out of danger.

"Nami-san has few injuries," Brook said, sounding exhausted, "She hurt her foot pretty badly."

"What?!" Sanji exclaimed, "Nami-san is hurt? How? When?" Sanji was shaking Brook at this point, but he looked oddly calm. Maybe he was just too exhausted to care. It must have been a long day.

"Well, I wasn't there for most of it, but she ran into these three pirates, who were pretty strong. In fact if it wasn't for those wolves, we probably wouldn't have gotten away."

"Because of the wolves?" Sanji tilted his head in confusion, "Weren't they trying to eat you?"

"They were, but they took out our enemy first, so all we had to do was run."

"Oh..." Sanji said, not knowing exactly how to respond. Nami got carried inside by Chopper and Sanji offered some food to Brook, who gladly accepted. Chopper had apparently just taken Nami to the kitchen, possibly to not overcrowd the Sick Bay and to not worry them about Zoro. Sanji served both Nami and Brook some stew, while Chopper tended to Nami's foot. It looked quite bad, like someone had stabbed right through it. No wonder Brook had been carrying her.

"Did you get the ingredients?" Chopper then asked and both of them handed the doctor their bags. Sanji smiled. They had two of the ingredients already. Franky and Usopp could return at any moment, and Robin knew where hers was, so all she had to do was wait until the next full moon, which was only a day away. Despite all the shit that had happened that day, they were still on track and Luffy might be healed before they knew it.


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