Chapter 3

Romantic stopover

Zoro frowned and turned around to search again for the clothes he thought he had left in the bathroom that morning. Not seeing them, he glanced at the pile of clothes still on the floor that he had left before his shower and hesitated for a second. Maybe he could put those back on? Eventually, however, he gave up. He was soon going to meet the cook for their date and the blond would certainly not like seeing him wearing the same clothes as the day before, even if the fencer had taken the trouble to take a shower…

Tightening the towel around his waist, the swordsman stepped out of the Sunny's bathroom and quietly crossed the deck. Brook and Chopper were studying a flyer from the city to decide on their next plan and Zoro walked past them in the direction of his room. The rest of the crew was still on Vorgo island.

A few hours before, the swordsman had been assigned to accompany Franky to stock up with cola and it hadn't taken them too long. Back on the Sunny, the cyborg had left with Usopp and Luffy in search of specific parts to build an engine for their next sea scooter. Zoro had then noticed that the cook hadn't returned yet and he had taken the opportunity to get ready. The blond had indeed decided it would be a lunch date.

Once inside the bedroom, Zoro walked over to his wardrobe and opened it. He frowned again when he noticed that he only had one outfit left, arranged precisely in the middle of his shelf. However, he quickly shrugged and grabbed it. He probably hadn't paid attention and all his clothes were dirty. He should worry about that when he gets back, but in the meantime, he had a clean outfit and that's all that mattered.

The swordsman dropped his towel and put on his clothes without a second thought.

Sanji cursed and adjusted the collar of his t-shirt in front of the mirror in his room. He had taken the time to make a detour to the dry cleaner downtown, but his shirt was really screwed. He had therefore put his huge supply of provisions in the galley and after putting them away, he had opened his wardrobe in search of an outfit elegant enough, but also relaxed, despite the absence of his favorite designer shirt. He had made several tests and had ended up deciding on a gray marl cashmere sweater and ecru jeans bringing out his slender waist. Luck was on his side as no downpours had fallen since the crew had moored the Sunny and the air was mild enough for him not to bother with a coat despite the clouds gathering in the sky. The cook then quickly combed his hair before taking one last look at the mirror.

When he arrived, he had feared that the fencer hadn't returned yet or worse, that he had gotten lost. But Brook and Chopper had assured him that they had seen him cross the deck not long before. Now the swordsman was probably waiting for him and Sanji got annoyed at his own nervousness. It was just a lunch and an outing with Zoro on some island, it wasn't the most romantic date of the year! And yet. Sanji counted on the fingers of one hand the few times he and the swordsman had been alone together with the idea of spending time together. Like a normal couple.

The blond sighed. Their last date had ended when the swordsman had fought with an overly sophisticated waiter who had made him feel uncomfortable. Afterwards, the cook had realized that he had set the standards too high that day, but on their previous outing, it was Zoro who had dragged him to a beer bar. Sanji hadn't enjoyed it one bit among the deafening laughter and their neighbors who were too drunk to realize that they were throwing up their guts an inch from his shoes.

Today was therefore crucial. He hadn't managed to get a reservation in the restaurants he wanted but he had noticed several bistros on the port and among all those available, he was planning on obtaining two small places. The important thing was to find a simple and warm atmosphere that would allow them both to behave naturally to be relaxed and enjoy their moment together.

After an umpteenth verification of his outfit, Sanji closed the door of his closet with a determined gesture and finally left the room to step on the deck. He was ready. He was about to take a deep breath to yell at his companion to get his butt up here when Zoro burst into his field of vision.

"Shall we go, cook?"

Sanji closed his mouth in shock. Not only was the fencer on time but in addition, his appearance was a breathtaking experience and the cook was no longer able to make a sound. Indeed, he could only stare at his perfect body in an immaculate white t-shirt and tight black jeans that looked great on his muscular hips. Zoro had of course found a way to hold his swords to his belt but strangely, Sanji couldn't blame him, his manliness reaching new heights.

"Cook?"

The blond nodded vaguely, far too busy ogling the fitted black leather jacket with a patina effect open on Zoro's chest which enhanced him incredibly. Still trying to shake himself off, Sanji slowly looked up to the swordsman's face, but the man's messy green hair made him look untamed and seductive, his sparkling earrings a picture straight out of the cook's hottest fantasies.

His heart fluttering, Sanji finally regained the use of his legs and slowly approached. "Where… Where did you get that, mosshead?" He asked him, his throat dry.

The swordsman took a quick look at his own clothes before shrugging. "Nami and Robin made me buy them on one of the last islands we visited. I didn't want to, they ain't comfortable enough for training but for going out, I guess that'll be fine. Anyway, there was only this outfit left in my closet so you must live with it."

Sanji stared at him again, swallowing his saliva so as not to drool directly on his shoes. "I'll live with it," He repeated automatically, "It… ain't so bad."

Zoro seemed to be satisfied with his answer and, totally unaware of his companion's stir, jumped off the ship.

For his part, Sanji took a second to close his eyes and dedicate an unlimited gratitude to his princesses before rushing in turn over the railing of the Sunny. In the end, this date might be the right one…

"It's actually quite nice here."

Sanji bit his lips, unable to help but be disappointed. He and Zoro had walked the seaside for almost an hour without managing to find a table among the restaurants that the blond had selected. The island's marine resources and their unlikely diversity were such that they were booked for months and the cook had ended up stopping in front of a rather common brasserie. The menu didn't offer any local specialties and patrons were rather boisterous, but at least the atmosphere was relaxed and the swordsman seemed to enjoy it, immediately putting his swords against his seat as the blond inspected the menu with a critical eye.

In the end, he had ordered a glass of white wine to accompany some cod back and rice with vegetables when the swordsman had asked for a plate of duck confit surrounded by a mountain of fried potatoes. Not to mention an entire bottle of red wine after having caught the cook's suspicious gaze on him when he had wanted to ask for sake.

Now the blond was sipping his drink while waiting for his meal while trying to see the bright side. After all, Zoro was trying hard too and that was what he had to focus on.

"I'm sorry, sir, there's no more cod back."

Sanji looked up at the waiter who had just brought the bad news. He was looking deeply sorry and the blond put down his glass, sighing. "What else do you have?"

"The rib steak, the flank steak, the vegetarian burger and the chef's salad!"

"What's in your salad?" The cook wanted to know.

"Romaine lettuce, candied tomatoes, egg, toast with hot goat cheese and parmesan cheese," The waiter listed amiably.

"Well… Remove the parmesan and add a bit of duck instead. Do you have that? Otherwise, take a piece of his plate," He said, pointing to the swordsman at his side.

"Of course, sir. We have magret."

"That's fine," The blond approved, taking out his pack of cigarettes.

"Is my plate ready?" The fencer then asked.

"Uh, yes, but we were waiting to have both prepared," The waiter replied, embarrassed.

Zoro glanced at his companion whose lighter had just ignited his cigarette and in front of the swordsman's obvious expectation, he shrugged. "Do as you want," He muttered, blowing his smoke. The fencer confirmed his will with a look to the waiter and the man nodded before walking away.

A minute later, Zoro was devouring his part with relish and Sanji wrinkled his nose in annoyance. "Chef's salad, my ass. Putting cheese twice in the same dish is a rookie mistake…"

"Their potatoes are good," Zoro informed him, taking a huge bite.

"I can see that. They're swimming in grease," The blond grumbled, crushing his cigarette butt in the ashtray.

The fencer stuck his fork in one of them. "Try it, cook. This one ain't dripping."

Sanji hesitated but he had to admit that the smell of food made him hungry and the fact that the swordsman was thinking of sharing his part with him was also rather pleasant. He approached his hand to the fork to take it but Zoro shook his head, a little smirk on his lips. "Open your mouth."

The cook stared at him before rolling his eyes in front of the fencer's delighted face. "You pervert," He muttered, obeying nonetheless.

Zoro grinned as he shoved the fork in his mouth and Sanji bit into the potato. "It's not so bad," He admitted, "It's well-seasoned thanks to garlic."

"Try that now." The swordsman was now handing him a bite of duck and Sanji couldn't help but smile at his suggestive gaze.

"Do you fancy dessert already, mosshead?" He replied, leaning down again, his gaze locked on his.

"We could have it on the beach," His companion approved.

"Sounds like a good idea…"

"Well, ain't that cute!"

Sanji froze before slowly sinking back into his seat. Raising his eyes, he fell on the mocking gaze of a fat man surrounded by two others slightly behind him who had just entered the brasserie. Judging by their confident faces and badly tattooed Jolly Roger on their forearms, they were obviously pirates.

"Holy shit, I thought it was a legend but it seems like the rumor is true!"

The blond frowned before grabbing a new cigarette with his teeth while Zoro continued to swallow his share without emotion.

"Gentlemen, we have a table for three over here-"

"I ain't sure if I wanna stay now that I know what kind of customers you accept," The man interrupted the waiter. "I mean, I know money is important but still…"

A wicked smile on his lips, he looked at the blond who raised his head in turn towards him. "Get outta the way, customers can't get in," The cook calmly pointed it out to him, blowing his smoke.

Facing him, the big pirate burst out laughing. "It ain't me who scares away customers, Black Leg! If you ask me, if anyone should be disgusted, it's rather because of you and your faggot manners!"

The blond's jaw twitched and next to him, he felt Zoro slow down the pace of his chewing. Around them, the restaurant suddenly fell silent, waiters freezing and customers tensing in their chairs.

Sanji took a deep breath to settle a little more in his seat while crossing his legs. "Wow. Must have been three months since I heard that," He commented, pointedly dragging on his cigarette. "You should consider an update next time."

"My apologies," The man sneered while his two crewmates also laughed, "Must say that a pussy crew, it makes people talk!"

The cook's hands whitened when they sunk too deeply into the armrests of his chair and the man's smile widened. "We all had respect for Straw Hat after he took two Warlords down and with his Supernova status. But allowing fags in his crew made us realize one thing: this guy's like you, a scum."

The blond felt his body tense but he forced himself to relax his foot which was itching to crush the pirate's face furiously. With the progress of their relationship, he and Zoro had never tried to hide but they weren't showing themselves exaggeratedly either. Yet with the growing fame of Luffy, rumors weren't long to spread on the Grand Line. And if Sanji had learned to take insults concerning him and Zoro, those towards the crew and his captain were sticking in his craw.

"You'll tell him yourself when he's the Pirate King," He finally replied through gritted teeth.

The man thought the blond was afraid and he laughed scornfully before turning to the fencer who was watching him while finishing his plate. "I gotta say, I was really surprised coming from you, Roronoa," He said, "You already had a reputation before and a lot of guys admired you…"

Zoro calmly continued to chew while holding his gaze, as if indifferent to his words.

"I get it, you wanna show him who's the boss but to go as far as showing yourself with him like that… Did you forget what chicks can do, man?"

The silence was now deafening and the swordsman swallowed his mouthful of potatoes before grabbing his bottle without deigning to answer him. The fat pirate shook his head. He then turned and took a few steps around, his crewmates stepping aside to let him pass.

Arriving in front of a table, an appreciative grin lit up his face and he grabbed the arm of a dark-haired young girl who was pulled from her chair under the helpless gaze of her boyfriend. The pirate turned again to the swordsman to show her off. "Look at this one, she ain't bad looking! She got everything you need where you need it and I'm sure it could get your thoughts in order! What you say?"

Zoro just continued to drink, looking back at the pirate. Amused by his silence, the fat man smirked. "Don't be shy, show us what you can do. Pirate Hunter Zoro."

At these words, he threw the young girl violently in the fencer's direction and she screamed, trying to protect herself from the impact with her hands. She was about to hit the table when she was caught by the left arm of the swordsman who had pushed the obstacle. Zoro put her back on her feet before finally removing the bottle neck from his mouth with his right hand. He then quietly stared at the pirate who was watching him with amusement.

"Bad idea," The swordsman pointed out to him.

"What?"

A huge impact in the belly answered him when the foot in fire of the Straw Hat crew's cook propelled the big pirate against the wall of the restaurant, flipping the tables upside down. The customers came out of their torpor, panicked, and rushed to the exit while the young woman alongside Zoro also ran. Immediately, the two other pirates wanted to attack the blond and the swordsman grabbed his blades to break them down with two precise blows.

A few steps away, Sanji didn't even deign to give them a look, his eyes fixed on the man at the back of the room who was slowly getting up. The fury made all his limbs tremble and he armed his foot with a halo of fire again before heading in his direction, determined to finish him off.

The pirate felt the attack coming and he pulled a long knife from his belt which the cook quickly parried with the flat of his shoes. The man then tried to hit him in the face but the cook was faster and his enemy took a knee in the chest which made him drop his weapon. In the end, he was pinned against the wall by his opponent's foot on his throat.

"You make me sick attacking women like that," The blond spat, teeth clenched around his cigarette butt. His foot pressed a little harder on the pirate's throat and the man tried to move to escape the pain, his forehead suddenly beaded with sweat. "If I see you again and you disrespect them, I'll rip off what little manhood you have left between your legs to make you eat it. Got it?"

The man grumbled something incomprehensible and Sanji released him abruptly, letting him fall to the floor for him to catch his breath. The cook then leaned to grab him by the collar when a voice called out to him.

"Well, Mr. Black Leg, I think the lesson has been learned."

The blond turned around to assess the newcomer while the man was also gazing at him, a sugary smile on his lips. Tall, athletic and clearly muscular, Sanji immediately recognized the pirate emblem on his hat designating him as the captain of the three men he and Zoro had just knocked out. Behind him, a dozen pirates had also entered.

"My men can be short-tempered at times but if you would be so kind as to forgive them for their behavior this time, I'd be very grateful."

Sanji narrowed his eyes, not loosening his grip on the man he was holding. "I want him out without fuss," He replied without taking his eyes off him. "I stand by what I said."

"What kind of pirate would you be if you didn't?" The newcomer approved, visibly pleased.

At these words, he nodded to his men who rushed to pick up their two crewmates at the feet of the swordsman. They approached the blond then, who scornfully released their companion, and they helped him to his feet before quickly walking away.

The captain then turned to the two Straw Hat pirates while nodding at the owner of the brasserie, frozen behind his counter. "Gentlemen, please excuse us for the inconvenience." He turned around and his coat flew behind him for a second before he disappeared out the door, the rest of his crew with him.

Sanji finally pulled the cigarette from his lips, still furious. "Fucking fascists…"

Sanji stared absently at the shimmering reflections of the sea. The wind blew intermittently and the gray clouds continued to roll by, but the lack of rain left travelers and locals enjoying the afternoon. Sitting cross-legged in the grass a little higher than the shore, the blond was hearing the waves crashing gently on the sand and the seagulls crying above the beach below. At his side, the swordsman had spread his legs and closed his eyes, suggesting that he had fallen asleep despite leaning on his hands.

After the incident at the restaurant, the owner had been forced to close to clean up the mess and the cook had bought a crêpe to compensate for his lost meal. However, it had been almost twenty minutes since he and the fencer had settled down outside the city to enjoy a moment of solitude, and he had hardly tasted it.

"Zoro, you think…"

The swordsman opened one eye to look questioningly at him and Sanji looked back at the sea. "You think they're right? That we're…"

In front of his companion's perceptible hesitation, the fencer frowned. "That we're what, curly? Faggots?"

At these words, the blond tensed up before lightly kicking Zoro's legs. "No, you moron! And don't talk like that, it's a romantic date right now!" He got annoyed. "Well, it was…"

Zoro shrugged and Sanji sighed. If he had believed a few hours ago that their outing had finally a chance to go well, reality had once again shown him that he had been wrong. He had quickly had to adapt to the hostile climate that could trigger his relationship with the swordsman and even if he had learned to ignore it quite easily, he couldn't prevent guilt from catching up to him sometimes.

"Then what?" The fencer suddenly growled, still waiting.

The cook bit his lips, not knowing how to broach the subject now. "I don't know… Maybe, without meaning to, we're a burden," He finally muttered, staring at the horizon.

"A burden?"

"Yeah. For Luffy."

His partner raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised, and Sanji sighed again. "I know he doesn't care what anyone says about him or us, but the truth is, it attracts assholes. What if he gets attacked because of us one day?"

Zoro quietly gazed back at him. "How many assholes do you think he's gonna smash before he's King of the Pirates?"

The cook shook his head. "Exactly, his goal is already outsized enough, no need to add more," He grumbled.

"You seem to forget something," The swordsman interrupted him and Sanji looked up at his companion, puzzled. "Luffy's not alone, we're here to smash those assholes with him. Are you gonna let them trample your captain's dream, cook?"

The blond immediately narrowed his eyes. "I'd rather die."

The swordsman nodded, a broad smile on his lips, then grabbed the cook's hand to take a large bite out of the crêpe he was holding. "So take advantage to gather strength, you promised me a dessert," He reminded him with a knowing smile.

Sanji couldn't stop a smile from stretching his own lips as the tension in his body released despite himself. He then brought the rest of his crêpe to his mouth, examining his lover's figure again. "For our next date, I want you to put these clothes back on, mosshead."

Zoro burst out laughing.

This story will definitely be darker than the first part…

I also hope the first scenes made you smile!