All your lovely comments make it hard not to post another chapter. :) And this happens to have one of my favorite parts in it.
It was unfortunate that the Piety apothecary did not have everything that was on the list, the shop keeper did inform them that wild plants grew in the woods but by then it was too dark to go searching for plants. Chopper felt a little bad that he hadn't reported anything with good results for two days, but he was sure once they gathered the plants and returned to make the vitamin, Zoro would be in higher spirits than when they left. He couldn't be sure of the results, but the combined mixture was sure to aid with the physiological aspects of sexuality.
They went into the woods the next morning and found the remaining plants. They brought branches of chastity bell just in case the old woman's folktale was true. Chopper did feel as though they were being watched from the deeper woods but they were left undisturbed if something did have eyes on them. There was also no sign of Luffy and despite his comforting thought of Luffy being their strong captain, Chopper intensely worried about the situations he got himself into sometimes.
They made it back to the Going Merry by mid morning and were met by Sanji, who was chain smoking against one of the thicker railings. His ashtray had been brought from the galley and had gathered at least a day's worth of ends.
"Our local demon ran off the ship," Sanji said, his voice monotone; neither worried or angry.
"W-what?" Chopper asked as both he and Robin had climbed onto the deck.
"Must have done it while I was sleeping because I've turned over this whole ship looking for him." Sanji let out a puff of smoke.
"B-but why?" Chopper held his backpack in hand which held the fresh herbs. "We might have found something that will help and he just ran off? What happened? Did he turn into a demon? What does he look like?"
"Oi, oi, one thing at a time," Sanji said, looking tired, as though he hadn't gotten much sleep. "Look, he was okay until last night. He had some sort of a freak out before dinner and he hid up in the crows nest without coming down. This morning, he's gone."
Robin tapped her chin with a finger, looking off to the wooded area along the cliff face. "You don't suppose he went to the island, do you?"
"We've got to find him!" Chopper pulled on his hat. They couldn't both have lost Luffy and a turning-into-a-possibly-soul-eating-demon-Zoro at the same time in some dangerous woods. "How are we going to help if he's not here?"
"First, I think we should calm down," Robin said, forever patient. "It's not going to help if we don't have the curse ready by the time we find him."
"Oh Robin, so wise and patient beyond her years," Sanji praised with a smile but with a definite lack of flair than his normal self usually had. Then he paused, seeming to take in the whole of what Robin said. "Curse?"
"It's not a curse, it's a vitamin," Chopper said promptly. Robin was right though. He had herbs to prep and powder. He'd feel better if Zoro was there to see if it worked right away, but first they had to make it.
Sanji made coffee for Robin and breakfast for Chopper in the galley, Chopper started meticulously grinding the herbs and measuring how much was going into each pill as Robbin filled Sanji in on what they'd come up with.
"An aphrodisiac," Sanji said curiously.
"Yes," Robin said with a nod and sipping her coffee. "We figured if the chastity bell was hindering Mr. Swordsman's ability to feed, then an aphrodisiac would enable him to feed until we are able to leave the island." Sanji thought this over but frowned as he thought deeply.
"How is him taking an aphrodisiac going to help him feed?" Sanji asked. "He takes energy from other people."
Robin exchanged a look with Chopper as he looked up and they both looked at Sanji. "Well," Chopper said, "the vitamin isn't for Zoro, it's for who ever he's going to feed on."
"Ah-Oh." Sanji blinked, looking surprised. "Of course. Right."
Chopper blinked. "Are you okay with it, Sanji?"
"Alright with what?" Sanji's face was tinged red and looked mildly uncomfortable, even as he was already pulling out another cigarette.
"Well..." Chopper looked to Robin, unsure if he should say anything.
"I think it's alright, Chopper," Robin assured him. "This is an odd situation." Sanji just looked more confused so much so that he paused in lighting his new stick.
"We-we know you and Zoro are lovers!" Chopper said louder than he really meant to, throwing his hooves into the air. Sanji suddenly started coughing loudly and for a moment he didn't stop. Then Chopper saw that Sanji's cigarette had disappeared and his only logical action was to turn into his heavy point and perform the Heimlich maneuver on the cook so he didn't choke on his cigarette. "SANJI, DON'T DIE!"
Once Sanji had recovered from his surprise, he sat at the table and switched to a cup of coffee with Robin. His face was red, most likely from nearly suffocating and he hid his face between sips of coffee.
"Luffy was checking in on you after dinner one evening," Chopper retold the tale, returned to his normal form and standing on the bench across from them. "He wanted a late night snack because he was going to be on watch but he saw you and Zoro kissing. He told the rest of us and we knew you two were starting to get over your differences and maybe found you were happy together."
"It was Nami's idea to keep it quiet," Robin put in. "She figured that when you two were ready to announce yourselves you would tell us in your own time. She forbade us from mentioning it casually. It's understandable that you two were working out details in your relationship."
"But, we're..." Sanji was beginning to find his words, even though they were hoarse and confused. "You thought that I... and-" He stopped and Chopper patted his back.
"We wanted to wait until you came out so we could all say that we support you!" Chopper said cheerfully.
"But we didn't want to pressure you in case you were feeling flighty," Robin added helpfully. Chopper nodded. He knew Sanji was always paying attention to the women, but Nami theorized that it was to cover up that Sanji wanted to give Zoro attention as well but that he was too shy. Chopper didn't quite understand why Sanji would have to hide it if he liked Zoro, and he had never seen Sanji be shy before. But what ever his silly reasons, he wanted Zoro and Sanji to be happy, and if it happened to be with each other, then he was happy for them.
Sanji was quiet for a very long moment and he stared into his coffee. He chose his words carefully when he did speak. "You're... okay with the idea of me and Zoro... being in a relationship romantically?"
"Yes," Chopper said firmly and Robin nodded with a smile.
"Oh well... good to know." Sanji's voice sounded hollow, but Chopper wasn't expecting Sanji to be completely okay with his and Zoro's secret affair being brought into the open if he was trying to keep it quiet before.
"I thought it was a little poetic since Mr. Swordsman's lust needs seem to coincide with your sex drive," Robin said after a sip of her coffee. "You two balanced each other out so well, it wasn't a large shock."
"Oh well, thank you, Robin." Sanji almost looked pained as he said it, but he said it politely. He cleared his throat as he gestured to Chopper's work station. Chopper quickly got back to it. "So this vitamin...?"
"Curse, actually," Robin corrected. "It's supposed to be a curse that is bestowed upon a victim to draw incubi to them."
"It's the closest thing we could find since Zoro is only half incubus," Chopper said and waved his hoof. "But there's nothing bad in it. It's actually very good for your blood flow and joints."
"Right..." Sanji rubbed the back of his neck and mutely volunteered himself. "So it should get my lust back?"
"If all goes correctly, yes," Chopper said. "But this really isn't something that directly works on the libido. It increases blood flow, has anti-depressant qualities, as well as anti-anxiety. You might feel rather warm and you should be alert to everything around you." Chopper quickly checked over the list they'd copied. "Although you might feel sluggish after a while. Not drowsy, per say, but it does call for a lot of horny goat weed."
"Horny goat weed?" Sanji asked, looking rather unsure about that.
"It's just the name of the plant." Robin assured him for Chopper.
Chopper finished his grinding in due time. He made five pills to start off with and put them in a labeled bottle. He then held it out to Sanji, who hesitated, but took it. The only thing they had to do next was find Zoro.