Emotions can change faster than the weather on the Grand Line.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 6

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The entire walk to the other side of the island had been dead silent.

At least between the two pirates.

They had to wander through a few villages that were bustling with activity. They weren't all that different from all the other villages they had visited in the past. None of the citizens seemed to take much notice of them as they wandered through. At least the majority of them didn't. To Zoro's astonishment, he watched as the pervy cook walked right past some rather attractive women who were watching him without so much as a glance in their direction.

If that wasn't surprising enough, at one point when they were passing a clothes line, Sanji smoothly reached out and tugged a black button up shirt off the line without pause. He watched the blonde calmly tug on the button up shirt like it was his own. It was a size too big for him, but it went well with his now dry black jeans and the bandana that was still tied around his head.

The fact Sanji made no move to take off the bandana puzzled Zoro. After their conversation on the beach, he had expected the blonde to be pissed at him. To blow up and avoid him like the plague.

Having him not acknowledge his presence at all proved to be more grating on his nerves. Not once did Sanji look back to even check if he was still following. He kept moving forward with that same casual stride. Like he owned the ground he walked on. It was captivating and irritating at the same time.

As they were traveling through another small village, Zoro watched as a few young women stared openly at Sanji as he walked past. Giggling and whispering to one another as their cheeks flushed. One young lady eventually worked up the nerve to approach the blonde.

She was blushing like mad, but held her ground when Sanji stopped to look at her. Then with a meek smile she held up a vibrant blue flower up to him.

A warm smile curled Sanji's lips on seeing the flower. "Is that for me?" he asked on a velvety voice.

The girl's blush instantly grew as she nodded quickly.

Sanji's smile grew as he gently took the flower from her delicate hands. He then took hold of her chin and tilted it up to place a tender kiss to her forehead. "Thank you, my dear lady." he cooed before pulling away and continuing down the path.

Zoro watched the girl nearly faint at the treatment before the other young women all converged on her giggling like mad. 'What the hell was that..? He.. He was actually smooth right then...' He was stunned. Not one stupid dance. No gushing. No pink hearts or immediate declarations of love.

This was just too weird.

Closing up the space between them, Zoro noticed Sanji taking in the scent of the flower with a pleased smile on his face. "Oi... What was all of that?"

Sanji looked away from his flower to his comrade now walking beside him. "What was what?"

A disbelieving look fell over Zoro's face. "You just passed seven women that were all staring at you. You didn't even look at them."

"Yeah... So?" Sanji asked with a raised brow.

"So? That's not like you. You're usually a babbling idiot by now. What's the deal?"

The way it was said put the blonde off a bit, but he returned his gaze to the path ahead. "I'm not really dressed for entertaining ladies. Plus my bandages are slipping. I'll probably be bleeding through this shirt in a minute."

Understanding why the black shirt was stolen off the line, Zoro wondered if the salt water was aggravating the wound. "Should I change them when we get back?"

For some reason, the blue eyes narrowed at the attentive question. "If you want." He looked to the flower in his hand and lightly twirled it between his fingers. "I never really got why people pick flowers. It doesn't matter how well you take care of them. You have to watch them slowly wither and die..."

His feet hit the wooden boards of a small bridge that arched over a stream at the edge of the village. On reaching the middle of the bridge, Sanji paused and looked at the flower for a moment longer. "I don't want to see that... I'd rather remember them when they were beautiful."

The blonde brought the flower close to breathe in its scent one last time. Then with a fling of his wrist, the blue flower sailed over the bridge railing and fell into the stream.

Zoro watched in confusion as the water swept the flower away. As the flower disappeared from his sight, a strange sense of unease fell over him. The sound of the cook's heavy black shoes had him looking back to the thin figure walking away. 'Why.. Do I get the feeling that he's not talking about flowers...?'

That heavy feeling landed back in his gut.

Something just wasn't right.

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The rest of the journey to the small beach where the others took Merry was somehow even quieter than before.

Much to Zoro's infinite frustration.

At this point, the cook wouldn't even look at him.

Zoro made a few observations. Tried to point out things of interest, but he was lucky if he even got a 'hm' for his efforts.

'But he doesn't seem pissed.. Nothing about him seems like he's angry...'

If the blonde had been angry, Zoro could have easily dealt with that. This total indifference was driving him crazy. He honestly didn't think Sanji was capable of being indifferent.

Sanji was a passionate man about everything. Everything he did was done with everything he had to give. Chores, cooking, flirting, fighting, everything he poured his heart and soul into. Zoro knew this from the moment he first saw the blonde.

Seeing him like this...

'It.. Actually hurts...' Zoro knew this wasn't the Sanji he had spent so long fighting with. Something happen back on the beach. Something he had done. 'But what? What did I do?'

The only answer he received was the sound of Sanji's shoes hitting the gangplank.

"Oi! Anyone home?" Sanji called out as he boarded the ship.

"Up here!"

Sanji lifted his head to see Usopp waving from the crow's nest. "Where is everyone?"

An exasperated sigh left the sniper as he leaned against the edge of the crow's nest. "Robin and Chopper came back to drop off the supplies they bought, then left again because they heard a nearby village has a big library and some book stores. Nami heard that some really rich lady is offering this huge reward for a missing cat, so she drug Luffy off to look for it." Usopp finished with a wave of his hand.

A slight smirk twitched onto Sanji's lips. "Heh, so you got left with ship duty."

"Yup..." Usopp blinked when he saw the bandana on the blonde's head. "Sanji, why are you wearing Zoro's bandana?" he asked as he started to climb down from the crow's nest.

Sanji glanced briefly at the swordsman walking up the gangplank before folding his hands behind his head and grinning wide. "I saved it from certain doom, so I told Marimo if he wants it back he's either got to fight me for it, or admit that I'm better than him."

Zoro froze for a moment at the sudden challenge. He could tell from the cook's voice that he meant it. After looking at that grin, his eyes narrowed. "I'm debating on if I even want it back. I don't want to catch your stupidity." he shot back with a slight growl.

Instead of getting pissed, Sanji's grin turned into a sinister smirk. His eyes locked with the swordsman's as a purring laugh left him. "Spoken like a guy afraid to get his ass handed to him."

This was more than a challenge. One look into those darkened blue eyes told Zoro that the blonde was was daring him to try and take the bandana back. 'He wants to fight...'

The moment he recognized it he felt that guilt gnawing at his insides again. The blonde was already seriously weakened. Any further confrontation could cause lethal damage. 'Sanji knows that... But he still wants me to fight him..'

He couldn't look into those piercing eyes anymore. Without a word he turned away and headed for below deck. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end from the intense stare that followed him. He had to rethink this. What had he done worth such contempt?

On seeing the display, Usopp nearly fell the remaining six feet to the deck. "I... I've never seen Zoro just walk away like that..." He hopped down to the deck and hesitantly walked over to the cook. "Damn, Sanji... I feel a weird tension between you two... Weirder than normal... Did something happen out there?"

Sanji took note of the concern in his friend's voice, but offered his usual easy smile. "Nothing I didn't expect to happen. Don't worry about it."

Usopp still frowned at the way it was dismissed so easily. He knew the blonde well enough to know when he was avoiding a problem. But he also knew there was no talking the stubborn man out of a decision, so he let it drop. "Well, did you guys find anything?"

"We found most of Chopper's missing bottles and a couple jars of nails and screws. We also found some of the spare planks and coils of rope, but they were too fucked up to bother saving. We'll have to stock up on those too." Sanji explained as he fished out a cigarette.

As the cook lit up, Usopp sighed deeply and rubbed at the back of his neck. "All of the gunpowder got soaked as well. I'll need to get that later."

Feeling a bit more at ease after he took a drag, Sanji gave a thoughtful hum. "Why don't you go ahead and do that? I'm going to be here rearranging the kitchen inventory and preparing dinner. You don't need to stay."

"Eh? Now? But what if another storm stirs up?!" Usopp squeaked as his eyes immediately shot up to the sky.

"You worry too much." Sanji poked at the long nose until it provoked that irritated glare that always amused him. "They've been happening at night anyway, so just make sure you get back before dark."

Swatting at the hand prodding him, Usopp fixed a less than thrilled stare on the blonde. "That doesn't have me soaring with confidence. All of that stuff is heavy! How am I supposed to bring it back on my own?"

"I'll go."

The deep voice had the two looking back to see Zoro approaching them without the backpack.

On seeing the strange flat expression on Zoro's face, Usopp was a bit wary. "You sure? You just got back."

Zoro's eyes flickered to the cook to see that the blonde head was turned away from him. A frown twitched over his brow for a moment before he focused on the uneasy sniper. "I'm sure. Let's go."

Noticing the weird tension suddenly spiking between the two, Usopp swallowed hard and looked between the two nervously. "Ah.. Well.. I'll go get my bag and be right back..."

The quiet pair paid no real attention to the sniper as he scurried below deck.

Zoro had been glaring at the gangplank, but, when he saw that the cook was making no move to leave, he risked another glance.

Right hand stuffed in his pocket, Sanji was smoking calmly. Once more his gaze was fixed on the horizon. That far away look settled deep in his eyes. It was like nothing around him existed other than the cigarette his lips were wrapped around.

'What the fuck is going on in his head...'

"Hey..."

"Hm..?"

"Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"

Sanji was still for a moment after the question was asked. "I suppose that depends on your definition of 'okay'." he muttered before tossing his cigarette over the deck railing.

Zoro's eyes followed the path of the half spent smoke before they were drawn to the blonde walking away. "Oi, wait."

He was about to reach out and take hold of the retreating shoulder, but the cook suddenly spun around and caught the tan hand in midair. The steel like grip that was making his wrist joint creak in complaint startled him. "What the hell are you..." Zoro's words completely failed him when he saw the gaze he was under.

The blue eyes glared at him from beneath the edges of his bandana. Steady and intense.

"Sanji..."

On hearing his name, Sanji tightened his grip on the thick wrist. "Don't." he whispered before finally releasing his hold.

Zoro barely had time to breathe before the blonde had already scaled the stairs and quietly closed the galley door behind him. He lightly rubbed at the bruises already starting to form on his wrist as he stared at that closed door. What had just happened? What was that look for? It was almost seething.

There was an aura that had spiked briefly around the blonde in that moment. One he knew too well. 'I've.. Never felt a killing intent from him before...'

"Z.. Zoro..?"

Broken out of his shock, Zoro looked to see Usopp slowly approaching him on trembling knees. "Usopp..?"

Usopp was clutching his bag protectively over his chest as his gaze shifted between the swordsman and the closed galley door. "What.. What's wrong with Sanji? I've never.. I've never seen him so angry before..." he whispered, fearing the cook might hear him.

Zoro's eyes widened when he realized that Usopp must have seen the entire exchange between them. For the sniper to be able to feel the hatred meant that Zoro wasn't imagining things.

He looked back to the galley and frowned. "I don't know."

'Dammit... What did I do?'

Still left with no answers, Zoro let out a deep breath and turned towards the gangplank. "Let's go. We've got a lot to pick up before night fall."

"Okay..."

Suddenly, Usopp was less afraid of the storms hitting the island.

'I'd rather deal with a hurricane than the storm building in the galley...'

He had a feeling the hurricane would be more merciful.

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TBC

The Grand Line hath no fury like a cook's scorn.

Later~