Another night spent watching the dark shift into dawn. Sanji lay in his bed, half out of his covers, staring with aching eyes at his plain ceiling. His nightmares insisted in repeating the incident at the séance to him. Nami's piercing scream, the bloodied man's burning touch, the Ouija board syphoning through the letters of his name…

It was enough to keep anyone awake. But it was going over a week now since Sanji had proper sleep. He could feel it eating away at his bones. Even just walking outside for a while took whatever energy he had left out of him.

But Sanji didn't really have anything else to do. With a heavy sigh, Sanji rolled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. Relieving himself and splashing cold water on his face, he returned to his bedroom and collapsed back into bed.

He stared at his alarm clock. 5:57.

His eyes moved from the glowing numbers to the golden earring on his bedside table. Absently, his mind started to flick through the clues they had so far. None of them seemed to point to a new direction that Sanji could take. Maybe he should return to the hospital. He hadn't visited Koshiro in a while. Maybe he could try and get another clue from him.

With the weight of the world pulling against him, Sanji peeled himself out of his bed and got dressed. He left his flat and started his long trek to the hospital. He didn't really feel like taking the bus right now.

Passing the nearby café, he nearly bumped into Robin without even realizing it was her.

"Good-morning, Sanji," She said.

Sanji blinked. "Miss Robin! Good morning! What a pleasure to see you. What are you doing up so early?"

"The café opens in a few minutes," said Robin. "I was just going in for some coffee and a bit of morning reading. Would you care to join me?"

All of Sanji's previous desires to be anti-social fled from his body. Coffee with the lovely lady Robin sounded just too tempting right now.

"I'd love to," he answered, escorting her to the café.

They ordered their drinks from a couple of baristas, surprised that there were people up at this time, before taking a seat in their usual corner. Sanji sipped at his coffee, not even caring that he'd just burnt his tongue, and let the warmth seep deep into his bones.

"Another night without sleep?" asked Robin.

Sanji hummed and nodded. "I guess it doesn't take a sharp pair of eyes like yours to see that anymore, huh?"

A sympathetic smile spread on her face. "I heard you had a terrible experience at the séance the other night?"

Sanji gave a humourless laugh. "Miss Robin, are you sure you're not a psychic yourself?"

She giggled. "Unfortunately, Nami did tell me about that this time."

Sanji fell silent, quietly sipping at his coffee. He didn't know what to say to that.

"You don't have to worry," she added. "Nami didn't tell me willingly. There's only so much you can hide from me, you know?"

Sanji still said nothing. But he supposed it felt better to know that Nami still kept his secrets. Robin reached for her bag and pulled out a small, purple box, tied with a black bow.

Sanji frowned at the box. "What is this?"

"I guess you could call it an early Christmas present," said Robin, smiling in the way she did when she knew things that nobody else around her seemed to. "Open it."

Sanji reached for the box and pulled the ribbons off, lifting the lid. Inside, placed neatly on top of black crepe paper, was a miniature Ouija board. It was big enough to fit in the palm of one hand. Beside it was a little, thumb-sized planchette.

"Um…" Sanji stared at the present. It was, by far, the most random one he's received.

Robin sipped her coffee. "Actually, this was Sharley's idea. She said she didn't want to condone the contact of malicious spirits, but she felt that this would be of use to you."

Sanji popped the lid back on the box. "What, did the other night's mishaps not put her off enough?"

Robin shrugged. "I don't know the details. But I'd say you really need it. When was the last time you slept?"

"…I slept last night."

"Alright. When was the last time you slept a decent night's sleep?"

Sanji didn't answer. He really couldn't remember.

"Sanji," Robin called his attention again. When he looked up to her, he saw the concern in her eyes. "I don't know what's going on, but we're all worried about you. Not just Nami."

She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "I'm not asking you to share your problems. God knows you already give the boys enough grief for it every time they ask. But… I guess I just want you to know we're all here for you when you need it. Don't forget your friends."

Sanji watched the encouraging smile spread across Robin's face. It sickened him. He knew she meant well, and he was grateful that she cared. But he hated not being able to pull his own weight. He hated having to drag his friends into his own problems and having it wreck them too. The red handprint on Nami's shoulder flickered in his mind.

He shook his head and pulled out of Robin's grasp. Reaching for the box, he slipped it into his coat pocket and pulled on the best smile he could muster.

"Thank you for your concern, my dear," he said. "I'll be fine. It's nothing for you to worry about."

Robin's face fell back into her solemn expression, like she was trying to assess and read him in one glance. Sanji cleared his throat and got up from his seat.

"Well, I hate to leave so suddenly, but I really must get on with my day. Will you excuse me?"

"Of course," said Robin, as she got out her book again. "Just remember what I said."

He nodded, thanking her again for the present in his pocket, before leaving the café and catching the bus to the hospital.

For someone who hated hospitals, Sanji really shouldn't be willingly visiting one during his spare time. To make it seem less weird, he went to check in on Chopper first, finding the little doctor catching some shuteye between shifts. Sanji smiled to himself. Sometimes, Chopper pushed himself too hard. Deciding not to disturb his sleep, Sanji made his was to Zoro's room.

Koshiro was absent again. Sanji checked the time on his watch as he stood outside the room. Maybe it was too early for the guy to visit. Sanji took a deep breath before entering the room by himself.

Zoro lay as lifeless as ever on the bed. He was paler, chest barely moving. Nothing at all like the Zoro he'd watched in the tournament videos.

"Hey," Sanji greeted. His words returned by nothing.

Sanji sighed. He reached into his pocket, passed the box that Robin gave him and pinched the small, gold earring at the bottom. He pulled it out, dangling the gold in the air.

Sanji glanced down at Zoro's ear. Sure enough, along the bottom of his left earlobe, there were three small holes, lined neatly side by side. Sanji hovered the earring over one of the holes. He pictured the demonstration video, watching the three earrings chiming against each other as Zoro moved. Then he remembered the vision at the cliff top. The earring that fell from the spectre…

"It really is yours," said Sanji, pocketing the earring again.

He pulled out the box and emptied the small Ouija board onto his palm. He had nothing else to go on, and now that he'd promised himself not to involve any of his friends in this, Sanji was back to square one. Maybe even a step behind square one. Square zero.

Glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one else was around, Sanji held the Ouija board like a phone between two hands, and placed the small planchette on the centre of the board.

"Alright, look," he said, glancing over the sleeping Zoro. "I really, really want to get out of this mess. I didn't even ask for any of this. It's not like I want to go around rubbing shoulders with spectres. It's just… not normal."

He paused to rub at his sore eyes.

"But I guess I'm stuck with you until I can put you to rest. So at least let me try to help you. Give me a name, a clue, anything."

The life support machine beeped away. Sanji stared at the inanimate Ouija board in his hands. He tried again.

"Zoro?"

He waited. Maybe he needed to physically touch the little wooden piece? Sanji reached his thumb out towards it, but the planchette started to move. He startled, and stared as the wooden disk hovered over letters.

S. A. N. J. I.

He swallowed, his pulse throbbing under his skin.

"Y-yeah, it's me."

The planchette moved again.

L. O. O. K. B. E. H. I. N. D. Y. O. U.

Sanji frowned. Not this shit again. But his heart drummed away, and the hair on his arms stood on end. He turned slowly.

The door opened. Sanji jumped, barely catching a yelp that threatened to leave his lips.

Koshiro paused at the doorway, blinking in surprise. His face quickly pulled into a smile.

"Oh, Sanji-kun," he said. "You beat me here. What a surprise."

Sanji chuckled awkwardly. "Ah, yeah. Sorry."

"Oh, don't apologize," Koshiro continued, entering the room and shutting the door behind him. "I was just telling Zoro yesterday how you haven't come by in a while. Sorry I wasn't here to greet you. I had to go get breakfast."

He moved across the room and filled the kettle. "Would you like some tea?"

"Um," Sanji guessed he didn't really have much of a choice.

Koshiro set about preparing two mugs of tea. When Koshiro's back was turned, Sanji slipped the miniature Ouija board back in his pocket and took a seat in one of the chairs.

"I'm glad you came today, actually," said Koshiro as made the tea. Sanji noticed the change in his tone of voice. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Me too, actually," said Sanji, deciding just then to ask him for more clues about Zoro's murderer. But he knew he couldn't just jump straight to that. "Er, sorry. You first."

Koshiro smiled, passing a steaming mug to him. He sat down, taking in a deep breath and glancing over to Zoro, his eyes holding a glimmer of hurt behind those round glasses.

"It's… A difficult topic," he started. "I was just planning on carrying this burden myself, but. Well, I feel that since you know Zoro too, it's only right you know."

Sanji sipped at his tea quietly. Inside, a voice nicked at the back of his mind. He didn't like where this was going.

"I've already told you about what the doctors have been saying," Koshiro continued. "About Zoro's condition… He's not shown any improvement for the past few months. I've had a good long think about it myself too, and… Maybe, it's for the best."

"A year is a long time. When Zoro first went under, the doctors said that the longer a person stays in a coma for the more unlikely it was for them to wake up. I've… been staying strong through this whole time. But… Maybe things turned out the way they did for a reason."

Sanji gulped his tea. The lump sunk down his throat uncomfortably and dropped like a rock in his gut. Dread crawled across his skin, and a heat blossomed in his chest.

"You're… You're thinking of…" Sanji didn't really know how to word it.

But Koshiro understood and he dipped his head.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I realise this is hard to take in… But I hope you'll understand the decisions of a tired old man. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up for."

"When are you, I mean… How long until…"

Koshiro smiled his broken smile. "Well, I know this may contradict everything I just said. But I thought it would be nice for Zoro to reach his next birthday before we change his treatment. He'll be eighteen in a few months, you know."

His eighteenth. Sanji only had until November to find Zoro's murderer. But then again, if he passes on completely, will his spectre? Or will he proceed to haunt Sanji forever until he finally looses the last bit of sanity? Sanji started to fidget with the mug in his hands. He didn't have enough time.

"Uh," Sanji sat up, then he gave a short laugh. "This… Sorry, this is all a bit hard to take in… Um…"

"Of course, I'm sorry," Koshiro cleared his throat and sat up. "But anyway, we'll move on. What was it you wanted to bring up?"

Sanji gripped his mug and leaned forward in his chair. It was now or never.

"Mr Koshiro, I know this probably isn't the best topic to move on to. But I need to ask. Do you have any suspicions at all about who could've done this to Zoro?"

Koshiro frowned. "Why?"

"It's just… Something doesn't seem right. I've seen how Zoro fights. It's not easy to overpower the guy. Whoever did it must've caught him with his guard down. And the police didn't have any suspects at all? Isn't that too strange?"

Koshiro's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Sanji-kun… You haven't been looking into Zoro's accident, have you?"

Sanji met the elder man's glance. He may as well come clean with it now.

"It wasn't an accident. Someone tried to kill Zoro, and whoever it was needs to be brought to justice. At least before he goes under for good. It's only right."

Koshiro's face changed completely. His dark eyes cast down on the floor, lips pulling down into a small frown.

"Sanji-kun," he spoke, his voice dragging out of his lips like a hiss. "I don't think that is a smart thing to do. It is just as you said, Zoro was a strong young man. Whoever it was that got him knew exactly how to do so. These are people you shouldn't be messing around with."

"All the more reason to find out who they are," said Sanji. He paused then, his brows knotting on his forehead. "Wait… Does that mean, you know who they are?"

Koshiro's frown deepened. "I don't know anything."

"But you have a suspects in mind, don't you?" Sanji pressed. "Who are they?"

The elder man fell silent, glancing at the floor. Sanji insisted.

"Please. For Zoro."

Koshiro looked up. Somewhere, in that broken glance, Sanji saw something like hope spark in his eyes again.

"There was only one man I know who came close to taking Zoro's life," Koshiro spoke. "The man Zoro held up as his rival. The only man he'd lost to in a tournament."

Sanji's breath hitched in his throat. His mind was screaming, 'Who? Who?' But he stayed silent and let Koshiro unravel the suspect in his own pace.

The door clicked open, cutting their conversation short. Sanji swore inside but quickly put a smile on his face when he saw a beautiful nurse enter the room.

"Sorry for interrupting," she said, closing the door behind her. "It's time to move Zoro again."

"Ah, yes, of course," replied Koshiro, getting up from his seat and putting his mug down.

Sanji's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he checked it to see a message from Luffy.

"Please excuse us, Sanji-kun," said Koshiro. "This may take a while."

Sanji shook his head. "It's alright. I best be going anyway."

Koshiro hesitated for a moment, before nodding. "Alright. Thank you for dropping by."

"Don't worry. Just… think about what I said."

Sanji left the room and made his way out of the hospital. He read Luffy's message on his way out.

'Hey, where are you?'

Frowning, Sanji tapped out a reply.

'Out. Why?'

'I've been looking all over for you! Your old man kicked me out of the kitchens before I could eat anything D: Where are you?'

Sanji was half way through typing a reply, when Luffy messaged again.

'Actually, better yet, come over to mine. And bring food. I've got something cool to show you.'

Sighing, Sanji deleted his previous reply and typed out another.

'This better not be like that time you asked me to come over to show me something cool and it turned out to be this monstrous mould growing in the back of your microwave...'

'That mould was awesome! But this is waaaaaaaay better. It's about that Zoro sword guy.'

Sanji stopped in the middle of the hospital car park. While he read over the message again, Luffy sent him another.

'Ace found out something BIG about him from Shanks. We got new footage too! Come over! And don't forget FOOOOOD'

Sanji shook his head and pocketed his phone, running for the bus that just stopped outside the car park. In the back of his mind, he calculated how long it would take him to return home, cook something quick, and head out to the Portgas' flat in the centre of town.