The flat was quiet, like it had always been in the past, when Sanji and Luffy entered. With all the hub of activity that surrounded the tiger ever since he moved in, Sanji wasn't used to his home being so hollow anymore.
"Sanji, food! Hungry!"
But trust Luffy to shatter any form of peace. Still, a boisterous Companion with an eager stomach was welcome in Sanji's flat. Even if that Companion put the blonde in danger of being eaten out of house and home.
"I thought you said you wanted to see the tiger?," said Sanji, raising a brow.
Luffy's face slipped from confused, to utter awe, as the labrador started to prance around Sanji's flat, ears perked and nose twitching for a scent. Sanji chuckled and shook his head, hanging up his jacket and kicking off his shoes by the door. When he left his entryway, he spotted Luffy staring through the glass doors with wide eyes, tail swaying vigorously.
Sanji stood beside him, frowning when he saw Zoro lying on the futon with his back towards them, exactly how he'd left him that morning. Luffy tugged the back of his shirt.
"Can I go see him?"
Sanji moved towards the sensor on the door, spinning the bangle on his wrist until the small screen faced upwards.
"Remember what I said on the tube?"
Luffy straightened. "Don't bark, don't growl, don't rough house, don't provoke him and always stay behind the white line."
The Companion held a determined look on his face, but his eyes still glinted with excitement. Sighing, Sanji pushed whatever doubt he had in his mind about this being a bad idea and pressed the screen of his bangle to the sensor.
Zoro's ears twitched towards the sliding door. Luffy bounded in, plopped down on the wooden floor, behind the white tape.
"Hi!" He greeted.
Slowly, Zoro turned his head and frowned at the Labrador. After staring at the new creature for sometime, his confused gaze moved to Sanji, before lowering back to Luffy. But with no words said, the tiger turned back and continued to ignore them.
Luffy whined, tilting his head a little. "My name's Luffy," he said. "What's yours?"
Nothing.
Sanji rolled his eyes. "His name's Zoro."
"Zoro?" Luffy turned back to the tiger. "Chopper says you're a tiger. I didn't know tigers were Companions too."
Nothing, again.
Sanji sighed and returned to the kitchen, leaving Luffy to have a one-sided conversation with the wall of a tiger. When he returned with two bowls of water for them, Luffy was still talking.
"Chopper said you're scary strong. He said you managed to escape. I'm strong too, we should wrestle one day."
Still nothing. Zoro's ears weren't even twitching anymore.
"Sorry, Luffy," said the cook. "He hasn't been very talkative lately…"
The Labrador pouted. "Was it the tranquilizers? I get woozy after them too. Makes me feel dizzy. You had lots, didn't you? Are you still sleepy from them?"
Zoro breathed out sharply through his nose. Sanji bit his lip to stifle a laugh. He wondered how long the tiger could keep up this cold-shouldered sulk around the talkative labrador.
"I'll go get dinner ready," said Sanji, patting Luffy on the head. "Good luck."
"Yay! Food!" Luffy threw his hands up in the air. "You're lucky, Zoro. Sanji's the best cook ever!"
"Kiss-ass," Sanji muttered under a barely concealed grin. He turned to the tiger before he left. "I don't suppose there's any point asking you want you want for dinner, kitty?"
Amber eyes watched them in silence. Specifically, Zoro was staring at the hand that ruffled the fur between Luffy's ears, before darting up to meet the cook's gaze. But he didn't say anything.
"Didn't think so," said Sanji.
"Hey, do you ever get dizzy staring at your stripes?" said Luffy, just as the cook left the tiger room.
Sanji scanned through his ingredients in the fridge, wondering about what to cook. Something with a lot of meat, probably, to suit Luffy's taste. While he worked, Sanji kept glancing at his jacket hanging up in the hallway, weighed down by the scrambler in its pocket.
He itched at the thought of what would happen after he used it. Would Zoro be grateful and finally speak? Or would he take it as another opportunity to finally murder the foolish cook properly and escape? And then there was Luffy… Should he wait until the Labrador was gone before he carried out his plan? Would Zoro hurt Luffy too when escaping?
He shook his head. Plating up the food, he strode to his jacket and moved the scrambler to the pocket of his trousers before collecting the plates and returning to the tiger room.
Luffy had already broken his promise, sitting on the other side of the room, an arm's length away from the tiger who had obviously gotten up to move away from him without success. It was a comical sight: Energetic Labrador sitting and babbling away nonsense while Zoro sat opposite him, face growing sourer by the minute, but refusing to interact just yet. The look he gave Sanji as the blonde entered was nothing short of a cry for help.
Thankfully, Sanji didn't have to say a word. When he reached the table, Luffy stopped dead in the middle of his sentence, nose twitching towards the steaming plates of food.
"Meat!" he cried, leaping and dashing across the white tape to sit at the table, tail wagging and tongue lolling out.
Sanji placed the plate with the biggest portion down in front of Luffy.
"Wait," he said, holding a finger up to stop the Companion from diving head first into his meal. Luffy whined, but squirmed on the spot, eyeing the dish in front of him.
"Alright, dig in," said Sanji, once he'd placed the other two plates down. Luffy cheered and inhaled mouthfuls of beef, vegetables and rice.
"Mmph! Itsh guth Thanthi!" Luffy tried to speak between mouthfuls.
Sanji rolled his eyes. "Tell me that after you've eaten."
He glanced over at Zoro. The tiger watched Luffy from the other end of the table, but Sanji was sure he could see the smallest of smiles finally break his composed features.
"Don't let your food go cold, mossy," said Sanji. But he regretted saying anything. As soon as the words left his mouth, Zoro's face snapped back to solemnity, and he sank beside the table and ate quietly. Sanji gritted his teeth to stop himself from scowling. He'd change the tiger's sulking soon enough.
"Hey, you don't talk much, do you?" said Luffy, reaching the end of his plate. "Do you know how to speak?"
"Oh, he knows plenty."
The labrador frowned. "Is he sick?"
Sanji shook his head. "I don't think so. But it's hard to tell when he won't even say what's wrong."
He threw the tiger a pointed glare, expecting one in return. But all he got was a blank look. Zoro pushed away his empty plate and crawled back to his futon.
Luffy whined. "Why won't he talk?"
Sanji glanced at Luffy for a long time. His hand wandered to the uncomfortable lump of the scrambler device in his pocket.
"I don't know, but I'm hoping to do something tonight to change that."
He noticed Zoro's ears twitch towards the conversation. Luffy cocked his head, brows creased. His eyes darted down to Sanji's hand as the cook pulled out the device and placed it on the table with a thunk. In retrospect, perhaps it was a good idea pulling this off with Luffy around.
"Luffy," said Sanji. The Companion met his eyes with a confused frown. "I'm about to do something incredibly stupid. But whatever happens, I want you stay behind the white tape, okay?"
"Okay. Why?"
Sanji got up and crossed the room without answering. Zoro sat up at the sound of the cook approaching, face scrunched into a growl. He tried to move away, but Sanji caught him by the metal collar. Zoro grabbed his wrist. Before he could make another move, Sanji pressed the metal prongs of the scrambler to the collar and flicked the switch. The lights flickered. Both Companions startled as a high-pitched whistle shot through the air.
The collar clicked open. Zoro eyes widened and he watched it come loose into the cook's hands. He stared at Sanji. The blonde looked as surprised as the tiger, staring back at Zoro as a long silence drew out between all three of them.
"Well," said Sanji, clearing his throat and dropping the collar. "That should solve one of your prob-"
Zoro lunged forward, catching Sanji off and he pinning him to the wall with an arm across his neck. Sanji coughed, struggling against the growling tiger. Zoro managed to lift him until his toes barely touched the ground.
"Hey!" Luffy yelled from the other side of the room.
"Why did you do that?" growled Zoro, amber eyes burning through Sanji's skull. "Why did you take the collar off?"
The blonde felt pressure tighten around his throat. Was Zoro even going to give him a chance to speak?
"Hey, let him go!"
From Sanji's peripheral, he saw Luffy jump up to his feet, facing them both but staying right on the edge of the white tape.
"You stay out of this," growled Zoro. The rumbling in the tiger's chest reverberated across his whole body. Sanji felt it in the tight knot of muscles in his arms.
Amber eyes flicked back to Sanji. Zoro's pupils were nothing but thin slits like the small stripes on his forehead.
"Why did you take the collar off?"
The pressure eased from his neck a little and Sanji coughed out his reply.
"You clearly didn't like it. I told you I'd help you, didn't I?"
Zoro pressed him to the wall. "You people don't help me without expecting anything else in return. Why the fuck did you take off the collar?"
"HEY!" Luffy barked. He stood on his tip-toes on the tape, fists clenched and fur bristling. He glared at the tiger, fangs bared. "I said, let. Him. Go."
"Luffy…" Sanji managed to squeeze his words out. "Don't…"
"You're part of this too, aren't you?" said Zoro, his tone lowering. "What are you two planning?"
"Nothing!" Sanji choked, feeling the air leave his lungs and none of it return. "I just… wanted…"
Luffy's hand appeared on the tiger's shoulder. Zoro glanced over. A fist slammed against his jaw. Zoro let the cook go, doubling backwards. Sanji only had time to take in a sharp breath, before the two Companions launched at each other in a flurry of fangs and claws. Fur flew. The table flew. Plates shattered on the floor.
"Luffy! Zoro!" Sanji yelled, but his voice barely carried over the roaring, barking and growling.
Blood splattered on the floor. Sanji needed to act now. He jumped to his feet, watching the quick exchange of kicks and punches. Miraculously, he took an opening. Slipping a leg in at a split second pause, he got between the tiger and the dog and kneed Zoro sharply in the gut.
Zoro hunched, clutching at his stomach. Before Luffy could lunge forward at the opportunity, the cook turned and hooked an arm around the Labrador, throwing him out of the room. He slammed his palm against the panel on the door, hearing it beep and the door begin to slide shut. Zoro roared. Sanji turned to see the tiger, red-eyed and flying at him with fangs and claws bared.
A hand grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked Sanji out of the room as the glass door slid shut. Zoro hit the glass with bang. He punched and butted the door several times, the door frame shuddering and reinforced glass shaking. Sanji took a step back, thinking that Zoro may well break out of his prison once again. But he stopped. The tiger glared at the two in the hallway, eyes red and throbbing with furry.
A humourless smirk stretched across his fangs. "That's why, isn't it?" he said. Sanji could just about hear him from behind the glass.
"You took the collar off because there wasn't any point in it. Collar or no collar, I'm still locked up in here!"
He slammed his fist against the door. Even the floor shook at the force of it. Luffy barked beside him. The cook decided it was best to separate the two, and dragged Luffy into the living room. They were both panting. Sanji sat Luffy down on the couched and inspected him. The right side of his face was starting to swell and blood dripped from the end of his nose.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah." Luffy sniffed and wiped his nose on his arm. Sanji grabbed a damp dishcloth from the kitchen and passed it to the Labrador.
"Stay here."
"You're going back in there?" asked Luffy. His words muffled as he pinched his nose with the cloth.
"I'll calm him down," said the cook. He sighed, patting the Labrador on the head. "Sorry I dragged you into this. You don't have to stay here."
Luffy frowned. "I'm not leaving if he's going to hurt you. I'll stop him."
"Then just stay here, okay? I don't want you two fighting."
Luffy looked uncertain, but he nodded. Sanji returned to the glass doors and peered inside. Zoro sat on the other end of the room, his face set in a frown stewing with anger. The edges of his eyes were still pink. He glared at Sanji when the blonde appeared behind the glass. Sanji swallowed, took a deep breath and pressed his bangle to the sensor.
The door opened. Sanji was glad it still worked after the beating it took. He stayed behind the open doorway. Just as Zoro stayed on the other side of the room, tail twitching irritably.
"I'm not caging you in," said Sanji. "If you want to walk around, then fine. If you want to stay here and sulk, that's fine too. I will take action though, if you try to get in another scrap with Luffy."
Zoro didn't respond. Sanji turned back to the living room, and to an eagerly awaiting Luffy, whose tail wagged in anticipation at his return.
"Looks like he'll be quiet for now," said Sanji. He sat beside the labrador and checked the screen on his bangle.
11:45
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had work the next day too…
"You can go home, Luffy. It's getting late."
Luffy shook his head vigorously, ears flapping as he did.
Sanji smiled. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."
He expected more insistence to stay from Luffy, but the Companion's attention stuck to the hallway to the tiger room. Zoro stood at the edge of the living room, glaring at the two sat on the couch. Luffy's fur bristled, but he held in a growl. The fierce look didn't leave his face though.
Zoro glanced at Sanji. "I'm getting out of here."
Well, that was expected.
"You're going to get me out of here."
Sanji sat up slowly. "I can't do that."
"You don't have a choice."
"And what exactly are you threatening me with here? If you kill me, that's more of a loss for you."
Zoro's eyes darted to Luffy. It was enough for Sanji to understand.
The cook stood in front of the labrador. "Zoro, when you were out for a couple of days, Law put a tracking chip in you."
Zoro's face contorted into one of disgust.
"Even if you did get off the Island, it wouldn't take long for them to find you again."
The tiger paced the edge of the living room. "Then get it out of me."
"What? I can't do that."
Zoro strode across the room and into the kitchen. Luffy growled as he passed them, so Sanji put a hand on the dog's shoulder to remind him to stay. He followed Zoro to the kitchen space, watching as the tiger pulled a knife from the block on his wall. The tiger held the handle end to Sanji.
"Tracking chips are in the scruff our necks, right? Cut it out of me."
Sanji glowered, snatching the knife away from him and replacing it on the block.
"First of all, if you think a cook is going to do something like that with one of his utensils, then you're a fucking idiot. Secondly, I didn't take that collar off to help you escape, but I won't stop you if that's what you want to do."
Zoro's scrunched brows glared at the knife block like it offended him. The twitching of his narrow pupils imitated the thoughts that must have been running through his head.
"When I leave, how long until they start coming after me?"
Sanji swallowed the disheartened feeling swelling in his chest at Zoro's determination to escape.
"I don't know," he answered. "Not that long. The chip will send a signal when you've crossed the Island border. So you have whatever little time there is between the signal going off and Law finding out about it."
Zoro grew still and silent. Only his tail swaying in thought behind him gave sign that there was still life going on inside. Finally, his glance returned to Sanji. His face was calm, but the burning glint returned to the amber eyes that had been dull the past week.
"That'll be enough time," he said. "You took the collar off. Regardless of whether or not you see it as an aid to my escape, it was. So see it through to the end and help me get off this Island."
Sanji felt his brows knot uncomfortably. "Where will you go? You're miles away from Vegapunk's lab."
"Anywhere's better than here."
The hard truth of Zoro's words pierced his gut like sharp ice. But what else was he expecting? This place would always be a prison for Zoro. Sanji felt like an idiot for thinking that taking the collar off would change that.
He took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll get you to Mainland. But you'll have to do everything I say if we're gonna make it there without anyone noticing."
Zoro's face changed then. His tail rose, his posture straightened. The spark in his eyes ignited, and a small smile spread across his fangs. Small, but it was the biggest Sanji had received from him.
Sanji returned to Luffy, who was watching them cautiously from the couch.
"I'm gonna need you to keep this a secret," he said. "Zoro's not really allowed out."
Luffy looked at Zoro, then back at the blonde. "You're going to Mainland?"
Sanji nodded.
"I'll come with you."
"No, it's alright. I'll be back soon."
Luffy hummed uncertainly.
"If you want to help, you can stay here. I need you to do something."
"Okay, what?"
"Law might be coming around some time after we leave. I need you to keep him here as long as you can."
"Trafal-guy?" Luffy's ears perked atop his head. He chuckled. "Alright. I can do that."
Sanji smiled approvingly and ruffled his ears. He turned back to the tiger. Zoro was watching them again. That blank face of observation always irked something in Sanji.
"Alright," said Sanji, nodding his head towards the hallway. "If we're going to smuggle you out of here, we'll need to hide your stripes."
Zoro frowned. "Why?"
"Well, unless you want to be discovered before we've even left the Island. I don't know you've noticed, but tigers a bit on the rare side around here."
Zoro grunted. "Alright. Whatever. Just make it quick."
Sanji led the Companion to his room, surprised by the ease and co-operation Zoro was showing him. Perhaps the tiger was learning to trust him after all. At least he hoped that was true.