Based on One Piece Chapters 843, 844, and 845.

This will be a tragedy. You have been warned. Also, Character Death. Again, warnings now.

A loud, growling noise echoed through the ship. Still, the crew slept on, sadly used to the sound. Luffy not eating was perhaps the most worrying thing for them but they couldn't force him to eat. Somehow, it was just hard to approach him when it was clear how set he was in his resolve. However, a voice croaked out, a little worn from disuse.

"Sanji~"

Franky rolled over, trying to place why that sounded so familiar and yet it also felt like he hadn't heard it in forever.

"San~ji~ Food. I'm hun~gry~"

Suddenly, Sanji was rolling out of bed, hitting the floor with a loud thud. He didn't care that he woke everyone else in the room, scrambling to his hands and knees, looking around wildly. Franky sat up, rubbing his eyes, before the sound processed in his head. His eyes widened. It was a voice they'd all been waiting to hear and finally, on the morning of the third day, here it was.

"San! Ji! Food! I'm hungry!" Luffy pouted, rubbing his stomach and yawning tiredly as he came to stand in the doorway. It was as if these past three days hadn't even happened for him. He was acting the same.

There was a loud sniffle and Sanji was hanging his head but Franky could see his watery smile from this angle. "Really, you're such a…" Getting to his feet on shaky legs, Sanji wiped the tears from his eyes, his smile brighter even than when he'd rejoined the crew. "Come on, then, Captain. I'll whip you up a feast, whatever you like."

Luffy paused mid-yawn and suddenly grinned, laughing. "Shi shi shi shi~ You're the best, Sanji!"

Really, it was like the last three days hadn't even happened but as his eyes teared up in relief, Franky knew they had and knew they weren't necessarily past the storm yet.

Breakfast was a noisy affair. When was any meal with Luffy not a noisy affair, really? Nami and Robin looked on as Luffy continued to eat everything in sight, both smiling fondly. Law quietly sipped his tea, acting like he had no part in this. Usopp kept grinning and tearing up, only to wipe them away and shove plate after plate of food towards Luffy. He insisted he wasn't hungry and even let the shorter male steal off his plate. Chopper was checking his pulse and trying to determine how this impromptu fasting had effected his health. He kept shouting at him to eat quietly but didn't seem overly worried, so it couldn't be too bad, right? Zoro and Jimbei sat in silence while Sanji moved around, cooking at his fastest speed and putting out as much food as he possibly could. He was determined to make up for his gaffe and make sure that his captain never felt the need to go hungry again.

Luffy suddenly pauses in the middle of eat. "Ah!" He holds out a large ham with a big bite taken out of it. "Right! Sanji! Before I forget, I thought about it!"

He doesn't seem to notice the tension that immediately riles up in the air around him. Then again, his idiot captain has always been like that. Sanji pauses in cooking for a minute, his happy humming stopping and he turns down the flames of the stove top before slowly turning around. His expression is wary, even pensive. Franky wonders if he's questioning his place on the crew. Had Luffy been questioning his place on the crew? Surely not! That's what started all this! His eyes whip to Luffy, who doesn't seem to notice that almost everyone is staring at him.

"I thought really, really long and hard about this but I still couldn't find the right words." He mumbles, his voice loud in the quiet room, tapping his head thoughtfully as he closes his eyes and concentrates. He finally screws up his face in a happy smile and laughs. "Shi shi shi shi! So you're just gonna have to trust me, okay? If something's important to you, tell me! I'll protect it with all my might, no matter what! That goes for all of you, okay?"

This whole time. This whole time when they had been worrying about him, fretting about his mental health, his well being. This whole time, he was trying to find the right words. The right words to reassure them, to let them know that they would be safe as part of his crew. That he would do everything in his power to protect them, to protect what was important to them, everything was for them. Franky wasn't surprised when Sanji covered his mouth with a shaking hand or when he suddenly kneeled down. It wasn't just relief when he started bawling, it was heart felt gratefulness. Nami teared up as well, laughing and crying, as was Usopp. Robin let out her usual quiet laugh and Franky was sure that he saw a small smile grace Law's lips for a minute. Zoro sighed but seemed relieved and so did Jimbei. Chopper looked around, eyes wide and a happy expression on his face, taking the whole scene in. Franky wasn't ashamed when he started bawling a minute later, shouting it was so beautiful, nor did he mind when Brook announced that he needed to play a tune to celebrate.

Luffy just laughed his usual laugh, taking the whole scene in with a confused but bright smile. "Why're you guys crying over breakfast? You guys are weird. Shi shi shi shi!"

"You big idiot," laughed Nami, still crying and laughing as she hugged him tight.

Finally. Finally, there was a semblance of normality returning to the crew. Their captain was officially back and Franky couldn't be happier.