Chapter 17

Double-edged

"I need the list of foods you've touched or tasted in the last few weeks," Law said to the cook.

"All the food? Well, there are quite a few…"

"Hmm. Let's just say the foods you had access to but your crewmates didn't consume. Since you're the only one affected, it may be something you bought recently or discovered in a local market."

Sanji took a moment to think. "Well, I cooked almost everything we bought on Kurta Island so I think we can rule out the assumption that it came from there. Then we called in at a tiny island where I mostly bought fish but I knew all the species. It was on Morto that I discovered ingredients with their different honeys and I tested dozens of them. Maybe it's the pollen from a specific flower that gave me an allergy!" The blond realized then.

"Not likely," The surgeon replied, writing down his patient's answers in his notebook," The trade in these honeys has been known for years and if cases of allergies had arisen, they would mention it to avoid any risk or bad publicity. Also, I'm pretty sure Bepo has tasted every honey on this island and he's had no such symptoms."

"A rare allergy?"

"Maybe. I'll test your sensitivity to pollen."

The Heart Pirates captain continued to jot down his thoughts and Sanji searched his memory while tapping on the galley table they had been sitting around to help him think.

For the past two days, he had spent most of his days in the dark-haired doctor's company when he wasn't making meals for the crew. Despite his condition, he wanted to keep his role in the galley and his friends had even congratulated him by pointing out that the taste of his dishes was still as delicious. Sanji tried hard to smile at those words. His preparations relied entirely on his memory now and while he had been pleasantly surprised to find that he barely needed to concentrate thanks to the force of his habits, the fact remained that he had lost some of his confidence because he could no longer check his dishes. He could have asked any of his crewmates to test them for him, but their sense of taste wasn't as sharp as his and their description of the aromas had nothing to do with what could be produced by a professional chef.

"I haven't come across any new ingredients recently," The blond continued, "There was a spice merchant at the last market I visited but I didn't go."

Law didn't need to know that he had been restricting himself for weeks precisely so as not to be tempted to cook more. Ironically, this reality was useful today because it drastically reduced the possibilities.

"What about drinks?"

Sanji glanced in the direction of his cupboards. "I have a wide variety of teas and coffees; these are blends that I have known for a long time though. Sometimes, I use wine for my preparations and to serve at the table; the bottles are in the pantry if you wanna see them."

"No adulterated alcohol?"

"I rarely make my own alcohol but when I do, it's perfectly pure," The cook assured him. "The only one who might bring some on board is the mosshead but I never touch his bottles, they're mostly disgusting."

"Alright. I'll check anyway."

Sanji gestured to the adjacent door and the other pirate stood up. As Law moved the crates of vegetables and fruit to access the bottles, the cook let his gaze wander around the room. He had undergone every possible test and interrogation with the surgeon of death. Law wasn't as warm as Chopper and sometimes, the hours were long with this man who was as silent as he was rigorous. However, and despite his guilt, Sanji had to admit that not facing the empathetic gaze of the little reindeer was a relief. The two doctors shared the same meticulousness and the same thoroughness when it came to unraveling a medical enigma though and sometimes, the blond had felt himself blushing when the questions of his doctor had been extremely personal.

While the surgeon worked at his bedside, Sanji repeatedly wondered how Law and his captain could have developed any attachment. As he had thought the first time Nami had mentioned it, Law was the exact opposite of Luffy and they had absolutely nothing in common. On Punk Hazard and on Wano, the Heart captain had spent his time yelling at the straw hat boy to keep quiet and stick to their plan. And even if Sanji hadn't really been around on Dressrosa, he had no doubts that the exact same thing had happened. In the end, Luffy was going his own way and the blond was tempted to believe that Law probably didn't return his feelings but he was caught in this relationship without being able to escape it because the will of the straw hat boy was such that no way out was possible. Or the other pirate didn't want to admit he was attracted to a loud, hyperactive elastic boy and he hid behind apparent coldness to preserve his pride.

Either way, Sanji felt some compassion towards the surgeon at the idea and he refused to believe it was because his situation might remind him of his own relationship with another member of the crew.

"You were right; I didn't find anything."

Law sat down opposite to him and annotated his notebook before looking at his previous writings. As he turned a page, Sanji asked him the question that had been burning his lips for several days now.

"Is it really possible that I triggered the problem myself?"

"Absolutely," The doctor replied without taking his eyes off his notes, "The translation of an emotion somatically is common and the phenomena of conversion cause unique symptoms according to the history of the patient. The fact that you're a cook and that your sense of smell is affected is an excellent clue in this direction."

"Why all these tests then?" The blond wondered.

"Because your doctor wants to rule out all organic causes first and he knows you better than I do."

Sanji stared at his hands for a moment. "If I make myself sick, what are my chances of recovering?"

The surgeon looked up from his notebook and Sanji tried not to look away when the silence dragged on between them. "Without identifying the cause of this condition, complete cure is impossible. Sometimes the physical symptoms can be relieved, but the origin must be treated in itself."

"How do you treat it?"

"Psychotherapy and hypnosis achieve good results. The patient must become aware of their own suffering, accept it and learn to distance themselves from it." The blond didn't add anything and Law watched him carefully. "Does this eventuality seem worthy of interest to you?"

At these words, Sanji snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. "No, I was just curious."

The doctor stared at him for a moment longer and Sanji held his gaze. Finally, Law closed his notebook. "Let's move on to the vegetation you have. I saw that your navigator cultivates very particular mandarin trees and Nico Robin showed me several species of flowers and plants on the ship. Some could carry poison or toxic substances."

"Usopp knows them well, we can ask him."

"Alright, let's go."

The two men stood up and as they headed for the door, Sanji remembered that he wanted to ask his current doctor another question.

"Why are you still here by the way? You found out what's happening to me with Chopper; wasn't that the deal you made with Luffy?"

"The terms of our agreement specified that I had to find the reason why your sense of smell is no longer working and we have found where the problem is, but a diagnosis is not complete without some real etiology," The surgeon replied, walking quietly.

"So you're only doing this to honor your agreement?"

"Do you think I don't keep my promises?"

"I know we can count on you but I'd have thought you'd take the first opportunity to claim your due and leave," The cook confessed, following him outside. "I'm sure Luffy wouldn't object."

"Maybe. Yet your case is interesting and discovering the origin of an unknown disease could benefit me."

The surgeon started down the steps to the deck and Sanji scowled. "I see. I'm just a freak you can study from every angle," He muttered, taking a cigarette out of his pocket.

In front of him, Law nodded back, a smile on his face. "Don't thank me. Thank your captain instead."

With late afternoon and rainy weather, the crew gathered in the galley awaiting dinner. Chopper took the opportunity to take a break as well, and on this occasion the cook was forced to sit around the table with his friends as he trimmed beans in preparation for the meal. The little reindeer discussed the progress of his research with enthusiasm and his crewmates encouraged him before wondering about the other doctor locked up for hours in the infirmary. Indeed, after questioning the sniper about the plants on the Sunny, Law hadn't reappeared among them and he had even skipped lunch.

The conversation turned to the next destination they were soon to encounter then, but before the navigator could tell them more, the galley door opened and the surgeon of death walked straight to a cupboard.

"I think I have the answer to your question but I must warn you. It'll change absolutely nothing to the eventuality of being able to cure Blackleg-ya or not."

The crew immediately froze and Luffy turned to him, attentive. "What is it?"

"An artificial bacterium," The ex-Warlord answered, grabbing the plate that the cook had put aside for him, "An extremely precise and methodical bacterium."

"How is it possible?" Chopper exclaimed. "We have reviewed all the viruses and all the infections!"

"With our usual tools," Law reminded him. "This bacterium was created to measure; it concerns both nanotechnology and biology."

"Who can make stuff like that?" Usopp asked in disbelief.

"Unfortunately, there are a lot of candidates," Book lamented, "Caesar put his abilities at the service of the Smiles and this man on Wano also used his knowledge on this subject."

"Both pharmaceutical and military laboratories have always conducted experiments for study purposes," Robin agreed. "Scientific advances combined with medical data can easily create miraculous drugs or deadly weapons."

At these words, Law pointed a finger at the young woman. "Exactly. Given its diffusion model and the brutality of the symptoms, this bacterium is a weapon. There's no question about it."

"How dangerous is it?" Nami wanted to know, worried.

"As dangerous as any weapon. Its purpose is to destroy, not to spread."

"What?!"

The little reindeer had jumped up from his chair while the cook and all his friends had turned pale beside him.

"It is the main function of this bacterium," The surgeon continued, gulping down his pasta as if nothing had happened, "To cling to the respiratory tract then to pass into the trachea and the lungs, gradually paralyzing all the functions of the body. When the organs are no longer able to obtain enough oxygen, it is asphyxiation. This is how it decimated all those who breathed it on the island where you have been."

"Which island is it?" Jinbei asked.

"The island where you were interrupted because of clashes between rival gangs."

"So that would be where Sanji-bro caught it," Franky sighed.

"That's a fact," The other captain affirmed. "After tracing your route, I collected the newspapers for the past few weeks and compiled the data with access to the Marines' computer database. Everything matches. A biological attack took place on the port at the same time of your visit and most of the people back there lost their lives immediately or after a few days. Some are still in a state of advanced respiratory distress after having completely lost their sense of taste and smell. Then, other primordial functions gradually deteriorated and they were placed on life support."

"This island was tiny; how could they get such weapons?" Nami whispered in a trembling voice.

"Arms dealers in the region take advantage of the clashes to supply both parties and test their new prototypes directly on unaware human guinea pigs," The surgeon answered. "It's pretty clever, nobody complains when this kind of man disappears."

"A merchant told me about it," The cook remembered, biting his lip.

"That's why the Marines didn't intervene, they were informed from the beginning," Jinbei said.

"I was at the port and I ain't sick," Zoro pointed out, doubtful.

"It's probably a short-range diffusion, perhaps to guarantee the concentration of the bacterium in sufficient quantity. Only those who were very close to the place of the attack suffered. All of the victims are men who were in the port."

"Why Sanji and not us?" Usopp insisted, "Even though he was closer to the port, we arrived at the scene at the same time!"

"He's been exposed since he has symptoms," Law pointed out.

His friends then turned to the cook, who moved uneasily in his chair. "It's possible that I arrived a little earlier to help the inhabitants trapped during the shooting…"

"Why didn't you say anything?" The cyborg wondered.

"I didn't think it was important," The blond sighed. "I coughed a little afterwards but everything quickly went back to normal…"

"If you've been exposed to that smoke, that should have been the first thing you told me when you started having those symptoms!" The little reindeer reproached him, displeased. "It is an essential element!"

"I'm sorry, Chopper, I wasn't thinking."

"This bacterium is a lethal weapon, so why isn't our chef dead?" Robin wondered suddenly.

Her crewmates stared at her in shock and the archaeologist clarified her thoughts.

"The majority of these people died quickly after succumbing to a progressive paralysis of their respiratory functions. But when it comes to our friend, it is only a paralysis of the cells linked to his sense of smell. The slightest inhalation should have caused the same consequences, even mitigated, and leave him at least diminished as it has been for some of these men."

"My main guess is that the Raid Suit's mask filtered the air or lessened its effects. You'd need to study the fabric to be sure, but Germa has very advanced technology and protection against biological weapon is a given considering its intentions."

Law looked up from his plate at the suddenly deafening silence in the galley and he noticed that everyone was staring at him with wide eyes.

"What's the matter?" He inquired, frowning.

"The Raid Suit?" Nami repeated. "Are you sure?"

"Well, yes, the Raid Suit. "You know what it is, don't you? Blackleg-ya wears it to quietly get rid of your enemies, which is a great idea in itself." The doctor then turned to the blond who was as white as a sheet between his captain and the sniper. "What? You weren't wearing the Raid Suit at the time of this attack? It seems very unlikely, but-"

"I was. I was wearing it."

Sanji swallowed and Luffy frowned. "You weren't wearing it when we found you at the port," He pointed out.

"I took it off before you could see me."

"Why?" Usopp asked him, dumbfounded.

"I don't really know," His friend admitted, lowering his eyes.

"It wasn't the first time you acted in this way, was it?" The soft voice of the archaeologist inquired.

The cook didn't have the courage to answer and Chopper stared at him in shock.

"Sanji!"

The blond looked up at the ship's doctor whose large betrayed eyes were looking at him without wanting to believe it.

"You didn't tell me you were exposed to that smoke and you've been taking risks without telling anyone for weeks! I'm your doctor and it's my duty to treat you but I can't if you don't tell me the truth!" He choked.

"I'm really sorry, Chopper… I don't know what else to say."

Facing him, Nami was also staring at him with incomprehension. "Sanji-kun, this is absurd. Why would you do such a thing? Why use the Raid Suit to put yourself in danger?"

The blond instinctively tightened his grip on the beans placed in front of him, not knowing how to answer. "I-I didn't want to; I was just trying… to help."

"But why hide it from us then?" The redhead insisted, frowning.

"I-I don't know… Things got out of hand," His crewmate stammered.

"I know why."

The crew turned their eyes to the swordsman whose gaze pierced right through the cook's figure and Sanji felt his heart suddenly racing. Zoro couldn't. He wasn't going to…

"The cook needs to keep busy all the time and with his stupid costume, he can save the widow and the orphan while thinking that nobody will notice his trick. That's why he didn't say anything. From the start, he wanted us to believe everything was fine."

His friends turned their attention back to the cook who could only look down again and Nami bit her lips. "Sanji-kun, you… you feel so bad because I asked you to cook less?"

The blond felt so guilty his stomach knotted in front of the navigator's misty eyes and he shook his head firmly. He couldn't lie about it anymore. "No, Nami-san, it was… It was long before that."

A stunned silence greeted his revelation and Law put his fork down on his empty plate, shaking his head. "Next time, I suggest you improve communication between yourselves if you want to avoid making unnecessary arrangements."

The dark-haired pirate walked towards the door and Luffy looked up at him. "It doesn't change what we decided. You helped us with Sanji and that's what I wanted. We'll give you the poneglyph information as agreed," He assured him.

"I didn't doubt that. Your word has always been a golden rule and that's why I agreed to come here in the first place. I'll keep the Den-Den Mushi connected."

The surgeon disappeared outside and the straw hat boy looked back at his crew. Around the table, Sanji kept his eyes stubbornly fixed on his beans and Nami and Chopper no longer hid their tears which silently rolled down their cheeks. The rest of his crewmates were frozen in bewildered silence and he met the gaze of his first mate who stared at him without moving.

"I'm glad you used the Raid Suit, Sanji."

The cook jerked his head up in the direction of his captain and the man nodded firmly in return.

"If you hadn't worn it that day, you'd have died. The Raid Suit saved your life."

I changed some details at the last minute in this chapter at the time. I wanted more emotional intensity.

About Sanji, now that his secret is out, he's kind of free, but opening his cell doesn't mean he can get his life back on track so easily. He still has a long way to go before he can accept himself.