It has been a long time, hasn't it? Well, here's another drabble, this time one that was spontaneously written rather than based off a prompt. I've been meaning to write something featuring Sanji (he's my favourite OP character, after all) but never got around to doing it until now. Hope you like it, and do leave a review after reading! :)
To Protect What Is Precious
Sanji would never hurt a woman, they all knew that. They had seen, far too many times, how he would refuse to fight and just silently take the attacks, even if it threatened his life. They were reminded of it every day, when the cook would offer refreshments regularly to the ladies, ignoring the men, and allow himself to be manipulated by Nami without a care.
Zoro called it sickening, Luffy just laughed, and everyone simply accepted it as Sanji being Sanji. No one expected him to act any different; no one thought he ever would.
But one day, when the swordswoman of an enemy crew held a blade threateningly to Usopp's throat, drawing blood, it was not a sword that came to deflect it, nor a rubbery arm from across the deck, nor even a pair of disembodied arms that saved him, but a polished black shoe that flew out of nowhere to send the weapon skidding across the deck and its owner after it.
As he gaped up at his savior, blood still trickling from the shallow cut on his neck, he saw teeth clamped tightly over the cigarette held between them. The cook lounged as usual with his hands in his pockets, but for the first time Usopp was actually close enough to see the tense lines that marred that form.
It was then that he, and indeed all of them who witnessed it, became sure of one very important thing. That for Sanji, just like for every single one of them, no matter what else they viewed as important and precious, one fact prevailed.
Nakama always came first.