A/N: Fair warning, but things get a little weird in this one.
Four
It was only by chance that he caught a glimpse of the familiar pink hair in the market square. Sanji had been alone bartering for local cucumbers that were said to make the best tzatziki, when she caught his eye. After paying much more than he was aiming for, he took the produce and pushed through the crowd, catching his sister by the wrist. She spun and was surprised to see him, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"What are you…?"
"Reiju…" He pulled her in and hugged her close, not wanting to let go ever again. "Are you safe?"
She whispered a faint, "No."
That was all he needed to hear and nearly dragged her back to the ship, insistent that she at least stay the night with the crew. Some of the pirates did not like seeing her, though when she told her story in-full—one of suffering under their father's insanity and their brothers' cruelty, finally driven out as her brother had been to survive on her own—the captain nodded and made a decision.
"You're staying with us then," he said. "For good."
"You can't be serious," Nami said flatly. "You can't go collecting people, Luffy. It doesn't work that way."
"Of course it does," he stated. "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates, and I'm gonna need strong crewmates—if she's Sanji's sister, then of course she's strong! She survived in Germa longer, and differently—that makes her strong too! Just like him! I thought Zoro wanted someone else to spar with! And she can discuss medicine with Chopper! She saved me from poison when we first met, didn't she?"
"No offense, but we all know very well that you're a former mercenary and assassin," Usopp mentioned. "What's to say that you won't go back on that?"
"You're just going to have to trust me, which I know won't come easy," Reiju said quietly. "I can't blame you for being apprehensive." She glanced down towards her feet and saw the baby crawling up to her, placing her hands on her boot. "Why is she…?"
"She likes you," Franky grinned. "My daughter doesn't like just anyone out of nowhere." He picked up the babe and placed her in the mercenary's lap, allowing the girl to cuddle into the woman. "See? Floe's a great judge of character. She loves her Auntie Reiju already."
The woman gave a faint smile as she stroked the young child's hair. "This is very kind of you all. Don't you worry about where I came from? About what I used to be?"
"Plenty of us came from vastly different places, used to be with very different crews," Jinbe said, "and many of us have done things we've regretted. This crew is the perfect environment to shed and accept those past layers. Whatever comes after us, we can take it on together."
"So inspirational, you nearly sound like you should be the captain," Reiju noted. The Fish-Man chuckled at that.
"I used to be one, but for now… I see the strength of those who I travel with, of our captain, and to be a cog within this crew… it's done wonders for me." He silently acknowledged the woman's discomfort and took Floe from her lap, allowing the child to sit on his shoulder and tug at his sideburns. "Stay with us for however long it takes."
"Yeah!" Luffy grinned. "I don't think I can put it any better than Jinbe. You're staying with us." Off to the side, Nami and Usopp sighed incredulously, Robin smirked mischievously, and the rest of the crew reacted with a mixture of relief and acceptance…
…all but Zoro. He stared at her and she stared back, the two exchanging expressions mostly implacable to anyone. Well, not that any of the others noticed. They were too busy figuring out how they were going to celebrate the newest addition to the crew, with only the two of them really noting the sudden change to the air in the room. While Luffy demanded a party (with plenty of meat, as was customary), green and pink met, their wills clashing against one another as their regard for each other melded and morphed into something neither could place a finger on. It wasn't until later, when Zoro leaned in while delivering food from the kitchen island to the dining table, did they even speak.
"I see you."
The mercenary attempted to keep herself level as she watched the swordsman lean back out of her space and head on over to the kitchen side of the room once again, being a delivery boy for her brother as he barked out orders. The green-haired man—who seriously had naturally green hair? Not even her baby brother, technically-speaking—and watched him from behind as he argued, then took more plates from Sanji to set upon the table. There was something about the way he moved that was like a tiger, deliberate and powerful and a few shades from something darker than that… predatory.
Maybe, she thought, this was not the worst thing that could have happened to her after all. Reiju took a bite of her food and chuckled weakly—at least Sanji had improved his craft since the last time he had cooked for her as children. Her eyes met Zoro's again and she confirmed her suspicions.
Then again: Vinsmoke Judge did not raise cowards or lambs.
Sanji was not entirely certain what was wrong with his sister, only that she was really not normal.
After a brief chat with Chopper, it was generally agreed between the two of them that there was not anything that could likely be done except give accommodation where it could be attained. It was not so much a matter of figuring out how her brain was wired differently (and considering the crew's collection of characters, they weren't entirely new to the concept), but how much of said wiring had been forcibly pulled out by their father's experiments and brothers' cruelties. The both of them had been mostly normal, if a bit lonely, and what was honestly adjusting to positive forces in one's life in the grand scheme of things? He would rather the Thousand Sunny be her version of the Baratie, where everything was far from typical, but still with everyone's best interests at heart.
She remained quiet and aloof, wishing to observe more than anything. As time passed, the Straw Hat Pirates were able to get a smile out of her here, a giggle there, and it seemed as though she was settling in fine, if not slightly awkwardly. She did not have the same history with them, but that meant that it was merely time to begin anew, just as they did whenever someone else joined. It was the same as when he had come aboard the Going Merry, Sanji had remembered, and in time his sister would feel just as comfortable…
…at least, he hoped.
The Marine ship that attempted to board the Thousand Sunny was surprisingly capable of the task they set themselves to—there was a definite string of combatants that were able to set themselves upon the decks of the pirate ship, making things a bit more complicated than usual. With that said, it was just as easy for the pirates to send a couple of their number over onto the Condor, with the ones both drawing that straw being Zoro and Reiju.
"So why are we here again?" the swordsman wondered, keeping close to the former mercenary. She pushed him back so that they could keep out of sight of a squad of soldiers responding to the trouble above decks.
"It's simple: take out their leader and you've got yourself a group that falls back very quick."
"We're out for adventures, not murders."
"Hm…" A smirk crept across her lips. "The Pirate King's Right Hand unable to kill?"
"It's not a matter of being unable or unwilling; I just don't make a habit of hunting for Marines on their own ship. It's the sort of thing that brings you down to their level."
"Then it's a good thing I showed up, or you might have never learned genuine military tactical maneuvers."
Zoro rolled his eye and they kept going down the corridor, headed towards the officers' quarters. They heard some indistinct shouting and they knew that they had their target within range.
"Knock him out and tie him up this time," he demanded. "I know Luffy, and if we make a kill of it, then he's not going to like it."
"Fine," she pouted. "I'm saving a time to call the shots for later on."
"What the hell are you on about?" He watched as she gave him a wink, which was spooked off her by the sound of an extremely close-by gunshot. They bust into the office and found what appeared to be the Captain in charge of the ship having been executed by another man in a Marine uniform, the pistol still smoking. The living soldier saw the pair of intruders and laughed.
"Ah, good—excellent timing," he chuckled. "You've given me the perfect—urgk!"
His gloating was stopped by a spike of poison from Reiju's wings going into his mouth and out the back of his head, causing him to drop down to the floor dead. She stepped over towards the bodies, careful to not touch, examining them best she could.
"Was that you cashing in calling the shots?" Zoro wondered grouchily.
"That was me acting in our best interests," she stated. "Either we get in trouble for clearly killing him, or we have him frame us for assassinating the captain. It worked out to where we actually did something good, for a change; to think that you're the one my brother was so attached to that he refused to properly be married, and yet you can't see to quit while you're ahead." He shrugged.
"We're not together right now," Zoro said. "I'm not fond of fucking people who can't get their heads out of their own asses, which would be nice right about now."
"The head or the ass?"
He considered that, nudging the poisoned soldier with the toe of his boot. "Neither sound bad right 'bout now."
"You make it sound like there's something that you might like better…? Right now…?"
He paused for half a second, his eyes flicking up and down her, trying to read her body language. "Is that an offer?"
She shifted her weight on her other hip. "It might be."
"Here…?"
"Do you have a better idea…?"
There they were—the princess and the pirate, the mercenary and the bounty hunter, the one running from her past and the one chasing his future—and the air electrified between them. They stood apart, tall and proud, gazes locked as the tension built. A smirk appeared on her lips, a challenge to the man before her.
If you're such a predator, then prove it.
One swift motion and he lifted her off the floor, pressing her body between his and the wall as they crashed headlong into a kiss. She brought her legs up to wrap around his waist almost automatically, the instinctive motion opening her up and sending clear signals to Zoro: she was willing and ready to dance.
The fight outside seemed to melt away as they ground against one another in the office, not caring about the carnage going on with the rest of the ship. She eventually signaled to get put down, allowing her to shimmy out of her panties and him the chance to clear off the desk with one swipe of his arm—it wasn't as though the stuff's owner was going to need them anymore. He kissed her fervently as she laid down on the desk lengthwise, taking up as much room as possible. She unbuckled his trousers and slid them down to his knees, prompting him to stroke himself a few times before sliding into her. It did not matter that they were on a Marine ship, with two very dead Marines in the room—one of them being an officer—and there was a small-scale war being waged on the deck above them. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he continued to thrust into her, both completely taken by how the other was simply existing in the same time and space.
Just as they were about at their climax, several Marine grunts burst into the room, completely horrified at the scene before them. One even vomited in the corridor. Zoro glared at them, the entire lot passing out before they could raise any sort of alarm.
"Let's finish this on the ship," Reiju breathed, her lip curling in irritation. She got off the desk and straightened her dress as Zoro tucked himself back up regretfully. Without knowing what to do with her soaked panties, she shoved the garment in his pants pockets as a consolation prize, the pair exchanging wicked grins.
"I am going to make you see stars, princess," he smirked, drawing Wado. He didn't even bother with the other swords, as they would have been too powerful a combination for a fight that was in the bowels of the ship holding them all afloat. "Let's finish this."
The pair fought their way through a blockade of Marines they encountered on the way to the upper deck, the soldiers none the wiser—they both had watch late that night anyhow.
It was early in the morning when the newspaper was delivered. Sanji was out on the deck, getting in one of his increasingly rare cigarettes before the day began. He was down to a pack a week, which was something he found was at the very least easier on his pocketbook. Chopper was nagging him less too, if he really thought about it…
"No, I don't want any," he grumbled, trying to brush the News Coo off. The bird tried to entice him with the cigarettes for sale on its back, knowing he was a prime target. Sanji instead opened the paper and began to read in the pale dawn twilight, aggressively ignoring the bird until it went away.
It seemed as though, for the most part, there wasn't much that caught his eye that he didn't immediately know was propaganda or fabricated or both. There were a few things that snuck through, tucked in the corners and under the line, sandwiched between feel-good stories about king bulls saving a child from drowning and a review on the state of popular music now that the Soul King had been ostracized for some years. That was how one could tell what was fact and what was embellished at the very least—the cook longing for a day when fact would be front-and-center and not brushed aside by those who who wished to serve themselves and not the people they swore fealty towards—and he was glad to have the intellect to catch on the rhythm, the phrasing, the buzzwords, the whistles, and the tone that generally separated mandated stories from the rebellious sneaking-in of journalistic subterfuge.
Except, one story did catch his eye. It was a tiny blurb about the Marine ship they had fended off the prior week. There was nothing in there about who it was the Marines were attempting to take down, nor anything about who the soldiers in-question were. Instead, there was a tidbit that made his stomach churn.
WGS CONDOR IN CLASH WITH PIRATES – OFFICERS MURDERED, CORPSES DEFILED
Raising his eyebrow at that, he continued on. Wasn't the Condor the ship they had been tussling with? He could barely keep track some weeks, if he was being honest with himself, and he wondered what possibly could have been done… or, alternatively, what was claimed that they had done. Multiple ships; so possibly another player in the story. Captain and Lieutenant Commander murdered; that made sense based on what happened that day. Pirates found in the midst of intercourse… okay, yeah, that was not normal.
After pulling that page out of the paper to pocket it, Sanji finished up and flicked the stub into the ocean, keeping the story to himself. There was something about it that didn't sit right, with him wanting to do a bit of digging next time they were in port. He placed the remainder of the newspaper on the kitchen table and began to work, hoping he'd be ready by the time Floe needed her bottle.
Sure enough, as though on cue, Robin came in for her morning coffee promptly at six, daughter sleepily tucked in her arms. He set before her breakfast for both, complimented the amused mother, and went back to the rest of the crew's meals.
"You seem chipper today," Robin noted.
"It's the nicotine—give me until lunchtime," Sanji replied. "Cutting back hasn't exactly been doing wonders to my temper."
"Franky helping you repaint the insides of the cupboards definitely was one of his better ideas," she chuckled. The combination of the stained white paint and the babe playing with cereal was a powerful force to contend with, and the cook had scared himself witless because of it. She opened the newspaper and raised an eyebrow. "Sanji? Was there a missing page when you got this?"
"I've just got a recipe I want to look at in detail later," he lied. "I'll put it back once I deem it usable or not."
Robin nodded in agreement—it seemed fair enough. She continued to read the newspaper and watch over her daughter while they both ate breakfast. The rest of the Straw Hats began to slowly filter in and out, starting their rhythm for the day.
Except, as the day went along, Sanji paid close attention to the rest of the crew as they went along their daily business. He watched to see if anyone was acting out of the ordinary, something that would tip him off to anything being amiss. Possibly one of them had run into something on the Condor and the Marines were attempting to cover it up? He didn't want to be forthright unless he had an inkling something did happen, and friends or not, pirates were not the best sort to go around accusing of things in general. No one seemed particularly skittish or sullen—which was comforting—yet the real issue was two people who weren't…
If Sanji didn't know better, he thought as he prepped dinner that evening, he could have sworn his sister and former paramour were fucking.
Trying to put the thought behind him, he tried to concentrate on his work to no avail. He even burned his hand on the stove due to how deep in thought he was—a move that made Mara force him to sit down while she finished up dinner and he contemplated the unthinkable. Reiju? Zoro? There was no way… but then again, it didn't explain the glances they were sharing, or the way their touches just barely lingered. It reminded him of Franky and Robin shortly after the former joined the crew, before they admitted to the relationship that forced Chopper to sit Luffy down and explain the concept of sexual intercourse. He wracked his brain in an attempt to explain it, yet couldn't; there was no choice but to go to the source.
"Oi, marimo; got a sec?"
It was after dinner and when everyone was settling into their nightly routines. They were both on the deck, alone aside from the moon and stars above. Zoro put down his barbell and stared at Sanji.
"'Sup?"
"Does this look familiar?" he asked, holding out the news article. He lit his lighter so that the swordsman could read easier, watching the other man's face. Zoro scowled.
"Where did you get this?"
"It was in the morning paper—you and Reiju said there wasn't anything interesting on the Condor when you reported back after we shook them. Do you think this was the work of the Marines themselves?"
"That or just lies," Zoro shrugged. "We didn't do anything like that—she killed one man in the officer's quarters, but he'd just killed the captain, so it didn't matter."
Sanji let out a breath, having not realized he was holding one. It was a relief that the article which read like rebellion was just a trick—though it made him wonder why the tactics were the same. Possibly it was a change in editors? Writers? The Marines really wanting to cover up this deadly mutiny…?
"We did fuck though, but I don't know where they got the idea that we fucked the dead guys. That's just weird."
Sanji's brain came to a crashing halt as he turned his head to look his crewmate in the eyes. Oh, god, they were the eyes he gave when he was being completely fucking serious.
"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it," Sanji groaned. "That's my sister."
"She didn't seem to have any hang-ups about that."
"I wouldn't expect her to—her emotions were fucked with just like our brothers' were, and not raised with normal rules like 'don't fuck someone who slept with your brother'!"
"Weren't the two of you the ones who made it out closest to normal?"
"That's… that's not the point…!" Sanji felt as he wanted to tear out his hair at the moss-brain's absolute lack of understanding. "Why would you fuck her? On a Marine ship?! With dead bodies in the room?!"
"They don't care—they're dead."
"That's not the point!"
"Why do you even care?" Zoro scoffed. "I like her because she's strong and not an idiot and when we were finally alone for once it happened to be there. It's not like you and I are together anymore."
"Not now, but we used to be; how difficult is that to get through your brain?"
"She can make her own decisions."
"Which I know are going to be weird, because my siblings are all fucked up somehow, but you don't have that excuse!"
"Sorry for having taste—thought that's what you wanted."
"You know what? We're fucking through, you idiot marimo-brained lout! I don't care—we're done for good."
"Each time we break up we're done for good."
"This time I fucking mean it," Sanji growled. "You're such a fucking idiot."
"I'd think that you'd at least be glad to know your sister has taste."
Not deigning that a response, Sanji stormed off the deck and made his way below decks into the docking system, tucking himself into a corner where he curled into a ball and began crying, catching his tears on his shirtsleeve. God, he hated this… the only person he could actually fault was his father, and even then… what the hell could he do about it at that point? He could still sail with them, still look them both in the eyes… but… this was just too much at once.
"Sanji…?" He cringed at the sound of his name, for anything that piss-poor excuse for a human being gave him stung horridly. It did not matter who it was, it was a painful reminder of everything he tried to leave behind. An arm gently rested around his shoulders as someone joined him in the corner. He knew he should have smelled bread and chocolate, yet he could only tell it was Mara by the sound of her voice thanks to how much he was crying.
"Go away," he said shakily.
"Not until I know you're better," she replied. He tried to shrug her off, yet she was having none of it. "What the hell happened?"
"Judge keeps on fucking up my life," he claimed. He cried some more, with snot running from his nose. "I can't blame Reiju because she cannot process what's wrong. I can't blame the idiot marimo because that would imply that he's preying on my sister and she can't make her own decisions… which she can… and…" His voice cracked and he went quiet.
"Ah." Mara didn't need to ask—she could figure out what was going on. She placed an arm around his shoulder and he instinctively leaned into the touch. "I can alter that, you know."
"...alter what?"
"Your memory of it."
He stopped and twisted in order to stare at her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…" She hesitated. "…that's my Devil Fruit power. The Memo-Memo Fruit allows me to view people's memories, alter them, even delete them."
"When did you…?"
"I ate it when I was ten—Big Mom made me."
"...but when did you last…?"
"On Whole Cake Island; I haven't used my abilities in years." She avoided eye contact as she continued. "At first, it was because it's easier to infiltrate a group without needing to alter their memories constantly, but as time went on and I became one of you… I just didn't feel the need… not even on enemies."
"Then I respectfully decline your offer," he replied. He gently placed his hand on her chin and turned her face so that he could gently kiss between her brows, right in the middle of her three eyes. "Who else knows?"
"I told Robin a while back," she admitted, "but no one else. I didn't want anyone to rethink me being here… or my intentions…"
"Your original intentions weren't exactly good, but they are now, and that's what counts." He paused and let silence fill the room. "Can I stay with you again? I don't think I can go back to the men's bunks tonight."
"C'mon," Mara said gently, gesturing for him to stand. She took his hand in hers and led him through the ship to her tiny cabin, where it thankfully sat away from others in the storage area. After borrowing some of her oversized pajamas—which were still comically tight on him—Sanji went to bed with his wife, his back to her as he positioned himself precariously on the edge of the mattress. He was nearly asleep when he felt her arms wrap around his waist and pull him closer.
"Mara…? I…?"
"Just go to sleep," she ordered, keeping her chest flush against his back. He settled into her grasp and fell into a deeper sleep than he had known in rather a while.
He was relaxed, he was comfortable, and—most of all—he felt safe. Even when he woke in the middle of the night, all he needed to do was feel the arms around him to know that everything was going to be alright, even if he was the one who was going to make it so.
No one else really learned of what precisely went down between Sanji and Zoro that night. Some, like Luffy or Brook, didn't realize anything even happened. The rest noticed and were wise enough to not pry. It was always safest to keep out of the affairs between the cook and the swordsman, and so the particular tiff they were currently embroiled in went undisturbed.
If it got too bad, they knew, the captain would sort them out.
The job should have been downright fucking simple: discreetly crash a World Government display of pomp and circumstance, snag a copy of the Poneglyph that was supposedly hidden in the basement, and get the hell out of there before anyone was the wiser. It was only open to nobility, which meant that the options of who could attempt the maneuver's initial phase was slim.
"If you screw this up, I don't care what sort of security is in there, I'm going to come in and murder all four of you," Nami threatened. She fussed over the way Zoro's jacket sat on his frame, which made the man squirm uncomfortably. The navigator was going over his looks while Sanji, Mara, and Reiju were allowed to assist one another. "I still say I should be going in."
"Who would get you past the guards?" he grunted. "Sanji and Mara have to go in together because they're married, and Reiju being there works best with a man on her arm. Would you rather she take Usopp? Brook?"
"Be happy you're even in the consideration, moss-brain," Sanji sniped. He was trying to do his best to keep from staring at both Zoro and Mara, both of them looking sharp in their suit and low-cut shimmering dress, respectively. "You're good in a fight, but this is espionage—you're a useless sack of shit."
"Literally everyone there will know who we are."
"...and we will be noble-born siblings bringing a wife and a paramour to a high-society event, so fucking deal with it."
"I thought you weren't fessing up to that."
"I will if it helps, idiot swordsman."
"Shit cook."
"Alright, alright, boys, you're both pretty," Nami scolded, stepping between the two of them. "Now get out there and show me that you're something other than pretty stupid and we'll talk, yeah? As good at navigation as I am, even I need help from the Poneglyphs to ultimately make sense of the New World, and you're going to get that information for me if there is any, and anything that might benefit Robin's studies."
The two men grumbled as their respective dates took them by the arm and hauled them out onto the deck to get final approval from the rest of the crew. Their appearance was met with a generally positive air, though it did not mean that everyone was down for the plan.
"I still don't understand why we're doing this," Usopp frowned. "The people throwing the party are going to know you weren't invited, and it's not like there's a bunch of bounty posters with your names and faces slapped on them all over the place. I still think covert would be best."
"People still remember station, no matter how much or how little it really matters," Mara replied. She looked out over the bay to see the island glittering in the distance, her heart oddly calm for preparing to embark on a tensely delicate mission. "It will seem as though we miss some of the finer things, and they will let us wander about as we please. Besides, these kinds of things always plan for extra, uninvited guests, because that's what rich people do. If anything, we're doing them a favor."
"How is this a favor?"
"By drinking their spare booze and eating their spare food." Usopp stared flatly at Mara and she raised an eyebrow. "What? Don't believe me?"
"I'd believe you if we were all going and using Luffy as a distraction," he replied.
"Oh, don't be sad, Usopp-bro," Franky chuckled. "Being part of the reinforcements isn't terrible."
"I'm a literal rock star and I'm hanging back," Brook offered. "Just think of the entrance we can make! Oh, I can feel the excitement in my bones!" He paused. "Wait! All I am is bones!"
Several of the Straw Hats rolled their eyes at that and they started their mission. The spies, along with Nami and Robin, went down into the loading docks, the fancier ones using the Mini Merry II and the plainclothes ladies in the Shark Submerge III as their transport into town. They both docked side-by-side, with their support hanging back in the submarine.
"Remember to call soon as you're either in trouble or on the way back," Robin offered. She handed Mara a small pad of paper and a pen that the younger woman slipped into her dress. "You call if you need something translated."
"Then I'll be calling you constantly," Mara grimaced. Robin laughed at that and the four spies made their way down the docks and towards the party—it was go time.
Deep within the semi-private island was a small community that was eerily occupied only by those who seemed excessively wealthy. There were very few people who seemed to be working, which set all four of the pirates on edge. Where were the servants? The paid staff? The people who were needed to make everything happen? They walked down the street together, Reiju with Zoro and Mara with Sanji, and effortlessly went into the grand manse that was the setting for the evening. The palace that the ball was held in was opulent and excessive beyond anything the four were used to after months at sea. Sure, three of their number had grown up amongst royalty and excess, yet the fact of the matter remained that it was far from the Sunny no matter what.
"Keep a close eye out for someone who might rat on us," Sanji muttered.
"Nonsense," Reiju chuckled lowly. "We'll only be offered to the Marines if we get caught doing something. Otherwise, you know they're too afraid of us. These are lesser pirates and even lesser nobles—they know their place."
"Yeah, I guess they do." He glanced about and noticed that no one had pointed at them yet, which was a good sign. "Alright, mingle a little bit—can't go disappearing immediately now."
After a few awkward laughs, a couple canapes and drinks, and making sure that Reiju had good control over Zoro, Sanji and Mara were able to feign being drunk enough for a snog in an antechamber and snuck away from the main events. There were no other guests as they crept through the corridors, no one dashing from one part of their job to another, and it was unsettling.
"I still think Robin should be here," Mara gulped as they poked their heads into varying rooms. "She's stronger at this."
"Robin-chan is not the one who I very publicly married and have yet to very publicly divorce," Sanji reminded her. "Besides, if Reiju or I show up with her on an arm, then they know to watch where we go if there's a Poneglyph in here. You're still a wildcard."
Mara nodded and the two of them continued on. Eventually, they came cross a large chamber, with a long staircase leading down to the floor where a blue Poneglyph sat. The pair went down the stairs quickly, wanting to get their mission done before someone came searching for them.
"Are you able to read it?" Sanji asked.
"Yeah, I think so," she replied. She squinted in the low light, trying to decipher the text. After a moment, she blinked in surprise, then grinned. "Oh, yeah, I can definitely get this. All I need is a few minutes…"
As time went on, it became difficult for Sanji to keep his eyes on the door and shadows. With Mara being caught up in her work, there was little that he wanted to watch. She seemed to glow in confidence and authority as she used her skills to decipher the text before them. All the months of practicing, of translating, of writing things down in the script on paper, had brought her here, and he felt in awe of it. Something low in his gut churned, and the cook realized something:
He really was falling in love with her.
Panic washed over him as he realized what was going on. Years ago, there had been a murderous child he had brought onto the Thousand Sunny in an effort to get her away from her disastrous situation, hoping that when she left, she would be a bit less murderous and a bit happier with life in general. Instead she had stayed, and now, after everything, he was watching her utilize a skill she had gained while with the crew, to further their adventures, putting everything on the line for them. She had grown into her own woman, sure of her footing in life, and it was disturbingly attractive.
"...Mara…?"
"Yeah, Sanji?" She glanced over at him, the corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk. His heart melted—oh, he was done for. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, I, uh, just wanted to know if there's anything you need from me."
"Nope, not yet," she replied. "Just keep on the lookout and…"
As Mara turned back towards the Poneglyph, something odd began happening. Her eyes glazed over and her expression went blank, the stone in front of her completely grabbing her attention. The glyphs began to glow a soft pinkish color, making Sanji's skin crawl.
"Uh, Mara, what's happen—fuck!" He looked at her face and saw that her eyes were glowing—all three eyes—the same color as the glyphs. The air around them began to swirl, the epicenter being Mara. A weight dropped in Sanji's gut and he knew this was out of his league.
"Robin," he hissed into the Den Den Mushi from his pocket, "has Mara ever glowed before while reading?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean why are she and the Poneglyph glowing like we're in some fucking Thriller Bark sideshow?!"
The snail was quiet for a moment before Robin chuckled lowly. "Nami is going to take the Mini Merry II to get some of the others. Don't touch Mara—reinforcements are coming."
Just then, the door at the top of the stairs slammed open—they were caught.
"Make it quick, because we have company," he said before shoving the Den Den Mushi back in his pocket. He kicked away an arrow that had been loosed in their direction, not in the mood for any antagonistic pleasantries. A particularly stupid guardsman leapt down to the floor and crouched into a fighting stance.
"We knew you were bold, but didn't think you were this bold," he chortled.
"What can I say? Pirates aren't known for being timid."
"Then this is the last time you and your crewmate are going to attempt to sneak Poneglyph knowledge."
"...and there's where you make the mistake," Sanji said. He stubbed his cigarette out on the floor and glared at the guardsman. "This isn't just my crewmate you're threatening… it's my wife."
The guardsman swallowed hard—oh, shit.
As it turned out, they didn't really need backup after all. By the time Robin showed up, Sanji and Mara were surrounded by a collection of unconscious and dubiously alive guards, the former cradling the latter in his arms after having passed out. Robin sent word that things were fine, but that they might as well continue to help Zoro and Reiju cause havoc upstairs. She approached the pair cautiously, not wanting to spook her crewmates.
"I… I think her powers awoke," he said, voice cracking. "Will she be alright?"
"She'll be just fine, if my memory serves correctly." Robin picked up Mara's notebook and began to flip through it, comparing the translation with what was on the stone in front of them. "She got this far?"
"Yeah—he was having a go of it."
"It's very accurate—as good as I'd do." She looked at the younger woman, asleep in their crewmate's grasp, and smiled. "I think Floe has a good alternative teacher, in case she doesn't want to listen to Mom."
"Without a doubt." Sanji waited until the rest of the stone was translated before he lifted Mara in his arms, carrying her as he and Robin went back throughout the palace. They couldn't help but smile at the destruction that was being levied against the guards and their elitist employers thanks to Reiju and Zoro. Tattered-looking people were milling about, looking incredibly relieved and angry—the missing servants and slaves now liberated—as they poured out from a hole that had opened up in the now-crumbling floor. An explosion could be heard outside, assuring them that the backup had arrived.
"What's wrong with the kid?" Zoro asked as he saw his crewmates finally walk into the ballroom. Robin brushed aside the hair in front of Mara's forehead, revealing her closed third eye.
"It looks like her abilities woke after all," she said. "The genetic advantage she completely gave up on inheriting has surfaced, and I believe she now might have a better grasp on Poneglyphs than I do."
"Better keep that information between us," Reiju stated. "That was precisely the thing that both Big Mom and Judge were after—they catch wind of it and they'll never leave us alone." She flung a shard of poison at a Marine that was struggling to get up, causing his body to crumple back onto the floor. Sanji hoped Robin missed it, but Zoro looked at Reiju with an expression that he recognized as pure lust. "We should get back to the Sunny."
"Agreed," Robin nodded. The four pirates went outside, seeing that their crewmates were indeed causing much more chaos than was necessary. Luffy and Franky were in the middle of breaking up a Marine battalion, whilst Jinbe was covering their rear flank. Robin crossed her arms and, in an instant, arms sprouted from all of their opponents, cracking their necks with a flick of her wrists. The way then cleared for her and Sanji to walk back to the Mini Merry II while the remainder of their crewmates continued to rough up the reinforcements. They took Mara back to the ship, bringing her to a panicky Chopper who put her directly in the infirmary.
Later on that night, Mara woke up in her bed, jolting upright in a state of shock. The last thing she could remember was her vision going white as she read the forbidden glyphs, and now she was back on the Thousand Sunny, everything quiet and calm. She glanced down and saw Sanji was doubled-over, both sitting in a chair and leaning on a bit of mattress next to her while he slept. It was enough to make her breathing even out, as his presence was enough to calm her. She laid back down and went to sleep—it was going to be fine.
It was a few days later and everyone was gathered in the kitchen, listening to Mara explain herself and the eye that was hiding behind her bangs… the reason that the Poneglyph job didn't go as well as previously planned.
"This is something," Brook mused. "We had a Three-Eye in the Rumbar Pirates and he was careful not to let it be known to too many people—always kept it covered claiming it was an ugly scar. I guess that's a big reason as to why."
"I don't like keeping things from you all, since you've been so nice to me and my sisters," Mara admitted, "but you know how rough it can be, as a kid, being teased and ostracized by your family and peers for something you have no control over."
"More than you're aware," Chopper nodded. "I'm glad Robin and Sanji knew, but are you sure that's it? There's nothing else you need to tell us about yourself?"
"Nothing medically, other than that I have a Devil Fruit ability." She didn't elaborate, which caused Zoro to scoff.
"Embarrassing power?" he asked. She nodded. "Then don't worry about it."
"Yeah, you're still our friend, Mara-chan," Nami reminded her. "Sometimes, friends keep things from one another. It doesn't make them any less a friend… just… it's not the right time for everyone to know yet."
"Nami was secretly part of a whole other pirate crew when we met," Luffy explained, "and Robin nearly gave herself to the Marines in order to protect us. We don't care about that!"
"Really…?"
"Really!" Luffy yelped when Mara threw her arms around his neck in a hug, though he returned the action with a billion-watt grin. She cried against his shoulder in embarrassment. "Hey Sanji!"
"Yeah?"
"I think we need to have a party! What do you have for party food?"
"Don't you worry about that," the cook laughed. "Give me an hour and we'll start with the best party we've had in a long time."
Sure enough, it was an excellent party. The pirates ate and drank into the night, with their baker doing something she normally was loathe to do: keep her bangs from her face. Usopp loaned her a headband and she held them back all night as they all celebrated and commiserated. By the end of the night, the consensus was that Mara's latent Three-Eye Tribe… peculiarities… were only able to manifest because she had been part of a supportive group that helped her relax and be herself. Had it been Pudding, it might have been a different conversation, but since it was Mara… well… they were nothing short of proud.
It was almost Floe's birthday.
The Straw Hat Pirates found an empty island to use as a base as they prepared to hold what was declared to be the best birthday party ever, according to the captain. It didn't matter that she was only going to be a year old—he wanted it to be the most fun time ever. This meant that the entire crew kept busy with preparations, as they were even going to have guests.
"What's Franky's brother like?" Mara asked Sanji as she whipped some frosting together for the cakes in front of her. There was going to be one large one for the adults, and a small one for the wee birthday girl to slam her face into. He was only semi-concentrating on some sauce for a roux, making sure it didn't boil over before needing to let it set. "I didn't think he had one until last year."
"Iceburg is… odd… though a different sort of odd that Franky is—they're not brothers by blood, but they're brothers all the same."
"That… doesn't explain much."
"They both are heirs to the legendary shipwright Tom the Fish-Man—you have to be a bit off your rocker to claim that."
She shrugged at that, accepting that as at least a partial answer. "Still… my guess is that he is at least a good man, yeah?"
"He's a decent guy, yeah; the kind that's married to his work. I doubt that he'll bring a guest like Franky wanted. The guy just wants the only brother he's ever known to be happy, you know?"
"I can imagine." Mara chuckled as she moved to place the frosting in the refrigerator to chill. "It makes you kinda wonder… I guess…"
"Wonder about what…?"
"Oh, about this and that—what it'd be like if that was how all siblings behaved."
"...instead of attempting to murder one another, like some do?"
"Yeah…" Mara glanced over at Sanji as he removed the roux from its heat source and couldn't help but feel a leap inside her stomach; his apron was covered in splatters and his face still smudged from the chocolate she had accidentally flung in his direction earlier in the morning. She popped up onto her toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, languid and unconcerned with anything else aside from them.
Then, without warning, Sanji bent down as he returned the kiss, shifting his stance so that he was pressing her hips into the counter. His knee automatically slid between her legs as they held each other's faces. The kiss was hot and hungry as pressure that they barely knew existed relished in being released. She leaned further into the counter, feeling a bowl begin to dig into her lower back—that didn't matter, however, because her head was spinning, just as his was. She could feel her knees grow weak as he hardened against her; this was not part of the plan.
"Hey Sanji! Mara!" The two hurriedly broke and went back to their stations as Usopp came into the room, Floe sitting crankily in his arm. He looked at the kitchen staff and could sense that something was wrong… something was just off. "Uh… did I interrupt something?"
"No, what is it?" Sanji barked. "We've got a lot to do before the Water 7 contingent gets here."
"The Great Uncle Usopp has been tasked with getting Floe her mid-morning bottle," the other man said. He waited for the cook to pop into the fridge and grab a pre-filled bottle, the baby grabbing at it hungrily. "Do you need any help?"
"No, we should be alright," Mara smiled sweetly.
"Yeah—we don't need anyone else in here fucking anything up," Sanji added. Usopp glared at him, causing Mara to jump in again.
"You know that if you start helping, then Luffy will want to help too, and how much of the food will actually leave this kitchen to get put on the table if that happens?" This answer satisfied the marksman, though barely.
"Well, let me know if His Highness changes his mind," he said, returning to the baby fussing in his arm. He walked out and then Sanji and Mara were alone once more, though this time, with something held above them in the air.
"What… what are we…?" she wondered aloud. "What are we doing?"
"We are the Thousand Sunny's cook and baker, two people in the service of the Pirate King, his enforcers and comrades, and we are preparing the food for our youngest crewmate's first birthday," he replied through grit teeth.
"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it."
"Mara… I…" He was cut off by her kissing him again, this one quick and fleeting. A sigh escaped his lips and he frowned. "What the hell are we doing?"
"Dancing around the best thing our parents ever did for us, it seems." They both let out a reluctant laugh—as though either of the offending parents were consciously capable of anything good.
"Even a man freshly blinded can find the way around his house to his favorite spot to hide when he's lonely," Sanji snarked. He saw that Mara raised an eyebrow and he let out a genuine chuckle. "I think another phrase is 'even an idiot can get something right every now and then and still be an idiot.' Zeff used to say that… well… the version about the blind man."
"You didn't have the most genteel upbringing, did you?"
"That's an understatement," he chuckled. Sanji then frowned slightly, his brows furrowing. "Let's not say anything to anyone for a while. They'll figure it out—some of them will figure it out—but I don't want to go announcing to the crew about us when…"
"Nothing until we figure out what we really are to one another, promise," she assured. They both nodded and, after staring at one another once more, got back to working, not knowing how long their truce was going to last.
Later on that day, Cutty-Nico Floe, daughter of the Thousand Sunny, had the best birthday party a toddler could ever ask for. Her parents were there, as were her aunties and uncles from the ship, her cousins and their parents, and her father's family from Water 7. There was laughter and good food and lots of shouting and playing and having fun. She giggled in elation as she discovered she was allowed an entire cake to herself, uttering her first real word as she smashed her hands into it:
"Super!"