Nothing Sanji had fitted Zoro. He had a thick, black coat that was two sizes too big for him, but even that was so tight on the tiger's bulky form that Zoro couldn't zip it closed. A stretchy jumper, and a beanie hat over the tiger's head-stripes completed the hobo look.
Sanji didn't manage to stifle a chuckle when he caught the full image of Zoro's look on the reflective surface of the lift doors.
"What?" grunted Zoro.
Sanji shook his head, biting the inside of his cheeks to stop himself from blurting out laughter. "Nothing, nothing."
Zoro grumbled but didn't say anything else. It was a good thing he wasn't bothered about his appearance. But then again, why would he be? He was finally getting out. Sanji could sense the anticipation in the bristling of his fur.
The cook took a deep breath as the lift chimed and the doors opened. Better keep focused on the mission at hand. The lobby was empty, with the lights dimmed for the night atmosphere. Cindry stood stooped by her desk, bulb eyes off and on stand by.
Sanji tried to stride out of her sensor, but there was no escaping the receptionist. Zoro startled beside him when she snapped upright, eyes lighting up and face pulling into a smile.
"Good-evening, Mr Black! Oh, and company!" she waved at the two, wrist gears whirring loudly in the quiet lobby.
"Uh, 'evening," Sanji muttered, keeping Zoro beside him, out of Cindry's view, and continued towards the exit.
"Going out? It's late. Don't forget you have work at nine a.m tomorrow morning."
Sanji gave a dry chuckle. "I won't."
"Take an umbrella, Mr Black. There are forecasts for rain tonight, with temperatures of nineteen degrees…"
Her voice faded behind the closed lobby doors. Sanji sighed and led Zoro to the tube tracks.
"That was…" the tiger began, words trailing off his tongue.
"Cindry. Our receptionist."
"She's… uh… She wasn't…"
"Yeah, she's a robot," said Sanji, opening his tobacco tin and pulling out a pre-rolled cigarette. He lit up. "You didn't have robots in Vegapunk's lab?"
"None like her."
Sanji smirked. "Yeah. She's one of a kind."
They waited in silence. Sanji finished off his cigarette just as the tube rolled by. Zoro kept up his usual, straight face, but Sanji could see the wonder in his eyes. They darted everywhere. Pupils growing and shrinking at every new thing he came across. Although folded under the beanie, his ears turned this way and that, trying to take it as many new sounds as possible. When something particularly piqued his interest, the end of his tail curled.
Sanji wasn't even hiding the fact he was watching the tiger. Zoro must have been that engrossed in his surroundings that he either didn't notice the cook, or didn't pay him any attention. His unspoken marvel at things made the quiet ride in the empty tube carriage all the more exciting. He watched everything go by as they moved. The grass, the buildings, the dotty constellations reflected on the darkened sky dome.
Looks like the Island weather is clear tonight, thought Sanji.
They entered the Main Terminal. Fluorescent lights of the tube carriage stinging their eyes, brightened by contrast of the dark tunnel. Zoro twitched as the tube clunked on to the other tracks. His gaze fell to the floor, focused on the sound of the whirring and clinking gears that happened bellow the carriage, changing the tracks over to the ones that led to Mainland.
Then the darkness gave way.
Sanji didn't bother to look out at the sea, or the purple-clouded sky that mirrored the water, or even the glowing and glimmering city lights of Mainland far off in the dark distance. Instead, he watched the unguarded marvel that unravelled like a slow-blooming flower on the tiger's face.
Zoro stood and moved to the door, pressing a palm to the glass. The violet waters reflected in his eyes, as his pupils dilated until they were full circles. He stared out at the horizon, the bristling of his fur now spread to his muzzle.
Sanji wondered if this was the first time Zoro had seen the world outside. He swallowed a thick lump of guilt he could feel building up behind his throat. Gritting his teeth, he reminded himself that he wasn't the one that put Zoro through whatever he'd been through. He wasn't the cause, or at least not the whole cause, for Zoro's frustration. In fact, he was now helping the tiger be rid of all that.
He lifted the bangle to his face. Nothing but the time flashed into the air. No messages. Yet. Strange, he thought the tracking chip would've sent a signal now that they left the Island boundaries. Sanji got to his feet too, feeling an edgy twitch in his leg muscles. He joined Zoro by the windows, but kept himself more than an arm's length away from the tiger.
Zoro moved his glance from the glowing city to the Island getting smaller and smaller behind them.
"What's that place?" Zoro asked, attention returning to the city in the distance.
"It's Mainland," answered the cook. Zoro looked confused. "It's a city. A place where people live."
"The labs aren't in the city?"
"No. Revolutionary Industries has its own island. One of many around the world, actually."
Zoro's brows were still scrunched, but he seemed pleased with the answer. The tube entered the harbour, then darted into the thick of the city. Neon lights, fluorescent lamps, glowing holograms and projections, cars, trucks, people in bright clothing. Everything flashed by in a multi-coloured blur.
Zoro took a step back from the window, eyes darting back and forth, trying to catch everything at once. For a moment, Sanji was worried the tiger would be overwhelmed. But Zoro seemed to take it all in stride.
The tube began to slow, nearing a tunnel that led into Mainland's central terminal. Sanji tutted at the sight of the platform full of people. Why was it so busy at this hour? Zoro shrank beside him, ears pressed against his head and pupils slitting as he growled at the sight of the crowd waiting to board the tube.
"Just follow me," said Sanji. He stood at the edge of the doors as the tube stopped. "Don't worry about pushing past people."
"That's the last thing I'd be worried about."
Sanji kept his smile to himself at that, turning when the tube doors opened. He slipped passed the first few people already stepping in, unaware of the passengers coming off. Hoping Zoro was close behind him, he kept shoving a pathway through the platform, to the freer space at the back.
Zoro was some distance behind him. His dislike for crowds showed clearly in the frown on his face. What was he going to do now? If he left Zoro here, how was he gonna make his way through the confusing muddle of Mainland on his own?
Zoro grumbled when he reached the cook.
"There's too many people here."
Sanji smirked. "You haven't even seen outside yet."
The tiger regarded him with a look of curiosity. Sanji lead him to the exit. The humidity hit him like a thick blanket when he stepped out on the pavement. The dense air smothered the blonde, and he loosened the collar of his jacket to cool off and ease his breathing.
Dark clouds rolled overhead, reminding the promise of rain, and all across the street people bustled passed them to seek shelter. Brightly coloured shells sped down the roads, illuminating the street as they passed. Neon signs flashed around them, inviting passer-bys into restaurants, cafés, or other areas of entertainment.
Zoro bumped into him from behind, startled by the hologram of a woman who appeared beside him without warning and began to talk in a melodious voice about 'Sheen Toothpaste'. A hasty pedestrian hurried past the tiger, bumping into him as he passed and pelted off down the street before Zoro even had a chance to growl at him. Another person shouldered him, then another, and a feline Companion who hissed and glared at him as she strode down the street after her owner.
Sanji shook his head. There was no way Zoro could survive out here on his own. He couldn't leave him here. It had to be somewhere quieter and more isolated. Somewhere the tiger could catch his bearings.
"Hey," said Sanji.
The tiger whipped around, trying to spot the cook in the sea of people who were trying to get into the station. Sanji rolled his eyes and grabbed the end of Zoro sleeve.
"This way," he said, leading the tiger through the throng and down the street. To his surprise, Zoro followed and didn't pull out of his grasp. Even after Sanji let go of his sleeve, the tiger still paced after the blonde.
They went slowly. Zoro was a lot more easily distracted that Sanji anticipated. He stopped at almost every shop window, halted to stare after each Companion that passed him. There were many occasions where he would take a wrong turn and Sanji called him back to the street. The cook was more than pleased to see Zoro answered his call and followed.
Soon, they left the busiest parts of the city, and walked into a more residential area. The land started to rise into a gentle slope. Sirens, car horns and the buzz of conversation faded into the distance, replaced by the rhythmic tapping of Sanji's footsteps and the soft padding of Zoro's close behind him.
The path wound them all the way to the top of the hill, where Sanji stopped before the iron gates of a park. Zoro stood beside him, nostrils flaring as he caught scent of the trees and grass beyond the railing. Tail swaying, Zoro peered in, his amber eyes glowing in the low light of park.
Sanji smiled, and slid a red keycard through a slot in the gate. As the rungs parted with a screech, he walked through the open gateway and cocked his head at the tiger.
"C'mon."
Zoro didn't need telling twice.
They strolled along the pathway. Sanji let Zoro explore the park at his own leisure. For a moment, whenever those green and black stripes disappeared from view, Sanji thought that Zoro finally took this chance and escaped from him. But it wasn't long before he found the tiger again, or the tiger wandered back to the pathway, looking confused and lost each time and relaxing when he spotted the cook.
Eventually, Zoro seemed to grow tired of exploring and followed Sanji again. Sanji took him up another slope, at the very top of the park. He wasn't very familiar with this side of Mainland, but he did know this part of the park, specifically.
It was a clear area, boarded off by some hedgerows and a spindly tree. A long bench lay under the boughs and another under an open shelter beside the tree. Two vending machines under the shelter illuminated the area. A metal railing fenced off the edge of the slope, where it started to roll down again. Sanji stood behind the railing and watched the city sparkling bellow them. Seeing it from a distance like this reminded him of the ocean far from the shore and the dense clouds. The open ocean that shimmered and glinted a cerulean blue under the sun.
He felt Zoro's presence beside him. The tiger watched the city too, eyes roving over the lights, ears turning to hear some sound too far for Sanji to catch. Zoro closed his eyes, his stripes dancing in the soft breeze that blew at his fur. After a moment, his ears rose slowly from under the beanie, eyes cracking open and staring out at the horizon. Lightning flashed in the distance. Sanji missed it. He turned and watched the darker clouds bordering the horizon. Another bolt of lightning streaked the sky. Soft thunder followed after a long pause.
"Those are the wastelands," said Sanji, pointing to the empty, dark land far from where the lights of the city ended. "Storms happen a lot out there. If you're somewhere high, you're bound to see them coming. Not long until it rains now."
Zoro closed his eyes again.
"It's quiet here," he said.
"It is. Probably why there's not many people around. Silence scares a lot of us now a days."
"I noticed," said Zoro. His eyes opened slowly, amber unravelling like a fire starting to grow. "There's noise everywhere. Vegapunk's lab, your lab. Even when there's no-one around, there's this humming. It's irritating."
Sanji said nothing and cast his eyes back over the city. He never really noticed any humming.
"Does silence ever scare you?" asked the tiger.
Sanji hummed as he pulled out his tobacco tin.
"Complete silence does," he answered. "But the more I think about it, the more I realize that we're not really in complete silence, ever. Even here, now, there's still the wind blowing, and the sound of the people down there, far away. And us, talking, breathing."
He paused and lit up, watching the smoke disappear in the breeze as it streamed from his nostrils. They watched the storm clouds glide closer towards the city, the rolling thunder growing a little louder each time.
He saw Zoro fold his arms out of the corner of his eyes. "This is better," said the tiger. "Not silence, but… this… uh…"
"Peaceful."
Zoro nodded. "Peaceful."
Sanji smiled, about to take a dig at the sappiness for Zoro's sentiment, when two drops of warm water splattered on his cheek.
"Ah, shit," he muttered. "Rain."
The blonde strode over to the vending machines under the shelter. Gentle tapping on the roof soon grew into a rhythmic beat, and the hissing of a cascade in the distance grew louder.
Pulling out his set of keycards, Sanji grabbed a red one again and slotted it into a long and thin vending machine. Pushing two green buttons, the machine popped out two plastic umbrellas. Just in time, as Sanji heard the full onslaught of the rain pattering on the roof of the shelter.
Putting up his umbrella, he returned to Zoro. The tiger had taken off his beanie, and stood exposed to the showers. His stripes began to sag under the weight of the water, and steam slowly rose from the top of his head on off his shoulders where the coat was darkening. He held his palms out to catch raindrops, watching the water hit his arms with eyes wide with awe.
He glanced up at Sanji. The innocence in that look was enough to stop the cook in his tracks, freezing him on the spot as his heart melted in his chest.
"It's warm," said Zoro.
"It's rain," replied the blonde. He watched as the steam rose in tendrils around the tiger. "It doesn't bother you?"
Zoro shook his head, droplets flying from the ends of his whiskers. Rain got in his eyes, and he tried to rub them out but only got more water in them. He shook his fur. Sanji stood back, only managing to catch some of the splatter. The water stung his skin.
"Okay," muttered Zoro, blinking vigorously. "Maybe it does a bit…"
Sanji laughed. "Here." He handed Zoro the umbrella in his hand and quickly put up the other one.
"You're lucky you've got all that fur," he said. "A friend of mine has the most sensitive skin. She got rain-burnt once…"
A beep from his bangle interrupted Sanji. It shattered whatever tranquil spell he was under. Panic began to race through his heart as he remembered why they were out in Mainland in the first place. He lifted his wrist and read the message that projected from the screen.
How's Tigey? –TL
Sanji swallowed. This was it. Law must have detected the tracking chip, and they were probably looking for Zoro now. He glanced up at the tiger, who seemed to sense Sanji's apprehension and mirrored the worried look on his face.
"If you want to leave, you'll have to go now," said Sanji. "I… I don't know where to point you to… Mainland's a pretty big place, but I wouldn't trust just anyone you come across. You could try making it over to the waste lands. The first few thousand miles are clean, but they're also uncharted. I don't know who's out there or what they're like…"
Sanji's mind was screaming Ohara Shelter, but he couldn't bring Zoro there. He'd just be locked up and hidden there too. It wouldn't be any different from what he'd just escaped from.
"If…" Zoro started, his words trailing off. Sanji turned back to see the tiger staring off at the city, blinking lights blurred in the downpour. Zoro's face set in a deep frown, as though he was battling with a thought in his head.
"If I returned with you… Would you put the collar back on me?"
Sanji stared, unblinking. The warm vapour in the air began to sting his eyes. Was that… Did Zoro really just suggest returning to the Island?
"The collar's broken," Sanji's mouth said the words before his mind caught up with the situation. "Even if I did, you could take it off yourself."
Zoro met his eyes then. The glimmer returned to those amber orbs, flickering like fire in the rain.
"But you'll still have to keep me in that room?"
Sanji glanced at the ground. "If Law knew where you are now, he wouldn't waste time to capture you and hold you somewhere you're sure never to escape from again."
A deep sigh left the tiger. Zoro cast his glance back at the city. Lightning sparked and bolted across the sky over the buildings, and thunder came as a dull crack over the din of the downpour.
Sanji's heart raced in his chest. If Zoro was showing even the smallest signs of wanting to stay, this was Sanji's opportunity to convince him. He didn't want Zoro to leave. Not when there's every possibility the tiger would be captured again, and the next time the cook would see him, Zoro would be broken beyond level conversation. He would be nothing like the tiger that prowled his dreams. Sanji didn't want that. He had to retain whatever fire there was left.
"Zoro," said Sanji, taking a step towards him. "If you come back to Island with me, after tonight, I'll… I'll make sure you won't get caged again. You'll be free, I swear."
The tigers eyes burned into his. Zoro's stern face and intense stare sending shivers up Sanji's spine. He felt a chill radiate from the pit of his stomach, even with the warm rain that fell around them.
"How?" asked Zoro.
Sanji gripped the handle of his umbrella, taking a deep breath of smoke as he thought.
"Vegapunk sent you to us so we could tame you," he said. "If… if you behaved more tamely, the chances of Law and Robin agreeing to give you freer reign will be higher."
Zoro's face dropped to a look of disappointment. "You mean I have act like that moronic dog and that stupid bear?"
Sanji shook his head. "No. Just… Just like you are now, but more… tolerable."
Zoro frowned.
"You know… Try not to kill us. It's not that hard, is it?"
"Tolerable can only go so far," said Zoro. "I won't like it if you try to stick a needle in me again."
"We won't force you into doing something you don't want," said Sanji. "I'll make sure of it. I'll let you know of any changes in our examinations before we do them, and I'll speak to Law and Robin about things you won't like."
"Will that really make a difference?"
"Yes," Sanji answered firmly. He matched the straight-faced, hardened look the tiger was wearing. He decided not to say anything more. It was all up to Zoro now. But the cook made another choice to follow through with whatever the tiger wanted. If Zoro came back to the island with him now, great. But if he was still bent on escaping, then Sanji would help him to whatever lengths he could.
The drawn out silent stare down between them only made Sanji's heart race faster. The bangle on his wrist to burned with the memory that they won't have much time to act either way. He wanted to press for an answer, but bit his tongue not to talk until he tasted iron.
Zoro broke eye contact first, taking a deep breath and glancing back out to the city lights speckled in the deluge. He closed his eyes again, chest rising and falling slow and steady, breathing in the rain. Sanji shoved his free hand in his pocket, trying to resist fidgeting. God, what he would give to know what was going through the tiger's mind right now.
After what seemed like hours, amber eyes cracked open again.
"I'll go," muttered Zoro, almost inaudibly that Sanji tilted his head closer to hear him better. Zoro turned to face him. "I'll go back with you. Just don't lock that damn thing around my neck again."
Sanji's heart stopped, the air and his words clogging in a lump in his throat. He could feel his face pulling into a smile, but his muscles froze and he stood rigid. His bangle beeped again.
You're not asleep already, are you?-TL
"We'll have to go back now," said Sanji, turning on his heel to making his way back down the hill. "If we're lucky, they won't have even noticed you were gone all this time."
He turned back when he sensed that the tiger wasn't following him. Zoro stayed by the railings, looking out at the city again. Sanji opened his mouth, about to call him over, but not a sound came out. He realised what Zoro was doing.
He was enjoying his last few moments of freedom.
Sanji kicked himself internally for his fickle mind. Now he wanted to yell at Zoro, urge him to go, run and be free. Why was he coming back with him to the Island? What was there for him?
Before any of those thoughts could turn into words, the tiger was standing before him. He looked calm. Like he'd made his peace.
Zoro gave him a curt nod. "Let's go."