Author's Note: Alright before you kill me, this story is going on haitus. I have a poll on my profile, please don't kill me. I don't own One Piece, this is an inaccurate representation of law and the prosecutor is a certain someone who I will give happiness points to if you can tell me who he is. I will be focusing on Escort Me.
Speechless
By: Setkia
Full Summary
Sanji is a cook at the Baratie who, for a reason not fully understood by all the other cooks, has not spoken a word in three years. He goes through his life normally, communicating through paper and pen. He hasn't felt the urge to speak since he's decided he would never speak again. Things change though when one day, while taking out the trash, he accidentally runs into the "Demon the Streets".
Roronoa Zoro, the "Demon of the Streets" is a mystery but he's feared by everyone who hears his name. He's on the run from the police with a wanted poster and a big prize if he's found and captured. With an accidental wrong turn, he encounters a strange man with long legs and blond hair. Zoro learnt pretty early on that in his line of work, you don't get attached to people and yet somehow this cook is working his way through his barriers.
PART TWO: GOOD FIGHT
Even in the road blocks (yeah)
Even through the rough spots
When you're feeling you've given all that you've got
I'm with you in the next step
Giving you in the next breath
I'll be the voice saying "You're gonna make it"
When you're out there on your own
You are never alone
-Good Fight, Unspoken
XXI
Stop looking at me. Stop it. I'm not a freak. I'm not crazy.
The courtroom is full of people and none of them look all that nice in his opinion. Standing in front of everyone makes him feel anxious and he doesn't like it. The notebook in his hand is held tightly and his knuckles turn white. He breathes in deeply and lets out a shaky breath.
"Name," says the prosecution.
Sanji doesn't like the prosecution, it's a man with grey hair and a frilly shirt on and he just looks menacing really. His opening statement rings in his ears.
"I am here to prove what is already known: that Roronoa Zoro is guilty of arson."
The conviction he spoke with unnerves Sanji.
Sanji writes slowly on his notepad, his hand trembling. He holds it up for the prosecution to see and he frowns. "Talk to me," says the prosecution, his steely eyes nothing close to as welcoming as Zoro's. "The judge needs to hear you."
"S-Sanji V-V..." His throat won't work, his voice box is unplugged, his chords are out of tune, his lips are chapped, his neck is itchy, his tongue is inflated, his heart is going to break out of his rib cage, Sanji doesn't have words to describe the fear that's going through him.
"Talk, dammit!" screams the judge.
"Sanji," he spits out. There's a tremor to his voice, it does not go unnoticed by the others. "Vin... Vinsmoke."
His eyes flicker across the room, he can see Zoro sitting in the defendant's chair, a stern scowl on his face. His brows are creased and he has handcuffs on him. They've declared him a threat to the members of the court.
"Occupation?"
"C-cook," he stutters. He doesn't like talking, doesn't like the eyes on him, but if this is going to help Zoro, he's willing to do it. "At the ... At the Baratie."
The judge nods, though he still seems upset that Sanji is still being so quiet. They hand him a microphone but Sanji pushes it away. He doesn't want it, doesn't want to hear his voice.
They sigh and resign themselves.
"You may now testify. What is your relation with the defendant?"
"I ..." Sanji feels his body shudder and he's sure the entire courtroom can hear his heart. "He ... He was ... Hungry," he forces out.
Something in Zoro's features soften at Sanji's words.
"Excuse me?" asks the judge. "You're telling me the defendant was hungry?"
"Y-yes," says Sanji. His voice seems to be getting softer and softer.
"He was hungry?" repeats the judge flabbergasted. He shakes his head in disgust. "What is that supposed to mean? There are starving children in Africa, does that mean you have a relation to them too?"
"He ... He was hungry," says Sanji once more, fiddling with his hands. He is not permitted to smoke inside the courthouse and he's itching for a cigarette. "And ..." His voice lowers even more.
"The court demands the witness speak louder," says the judge.
"Scars," Sanji chokes out in a quiet voice. "Battle scars..."
"Battle scars?" repeats the judge. "Do you know how he got those scars? He got them by murdering, by slaughtering innocent people!"
"Innocent."
The judge raises an eyebrow at Sanji. "What did you just say?"
"Innocent," Sanji repeats and he just knows that he's mumbling.
"Speak up!" screams someone from the audience.
Sanji fiddles with the button on his blazer. He clears his throat, trying to speak louder, but it feels rough, his throat's uncomfortable. "He's ..." he began again. "There's no ... definite proof, Z-Zoro's in —"
"Are you retarded?"
"Why does he sound like shit?"
"What's with his eyebrows?"
"SHUT UP!"
It's so sudden, no one sees it. One moment Zoro is sitting in bleachers, waiting for Sanji to finish his testimony, the next he's jumped over the stand and he's gripping Sanji's arm with a gentle grasp that seems impossible given his callused fingers. "Can't you see it hurts him to talk about it?" he demands. "Are you really going to torture him?"
"Just because you're out of jail now Roronoa, doesn't mean we won't hesitate to send you right back," the judge sys, glaring at him. "Step away from the witness."
"You're hurting him!" Zoro protests.
Everything else becomes white noise. Sanji knows he wasn't ready for this, but if he can do this right, maybe this time it'll go right. If he can give a good testimony, then maybe he won't have to see such horrible things again. Maybe he won't have to think about the one roaming around, the one roaming who should be behind bars.
He can feel Zoro holding him tightly to his chest and he can hear the gallery shouting, complaining. It sounds like a buzzing in his ears, driving him absolutely mad. He can't stand it. He raises his hands to his ears and blocks them. He leans closer to Zoro's warmth and tries to block everyone out but it isn't working. It isn't working and it hurts and he can't and someone's going to die and—
"ORDER! ORDER IN THE COURT!" The gavel slams down harshly and Sanji flinches with each bang it makes on the desk, sinking into Zoro even more.
"The court will now break for a fifteen minute recess for the prosecution to gather their wits. And can someone stop that boy from shaking? He's freaking me out!"
Author's Note #2: The thank yous!
Tamul-chan9090: Yeah so this is how it happened...
ThePoliceLlama: Sorry there was no Robin here. She will be there in the future.
Guest: I don't know anything about Impel Doom, so I don't really want to write about something I know nothing about, except for law.
Tsukino Aisuru - A: Yeah ...
lilcutieprincess: I checked, it's his official last name, not Vinsmock. It's Vinsmoke.
Ashlielle: Don't worry, you are not alone, I am so far behind as well.
EmperialGem21: Yup ... Working on it.
NaruHinaLuvr: Yup... It's just convenient that I found out he had a last name when I did.
HollyWoodFix: Thank you so much! I'm working pretty hard on getting her in character.
Alright question time: how badly did that go? Rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worse.
