Chapter 8

Romance along the water

Sitting on the grass near a beautiful cherry blossom tree, Sanji took in the sublime view he had of the All Blue, his cigarette between his lips. He was feeling good here, alone, taking a step back for the first time since he had discovered this legendary ocean.

He had left his crewmates with the cyborg who had officially shown them his new sea scooter after lunch. Although he was impressed with the machine too, the blond hadn't wanted to join those who wanted to test it immediately. In the same way, Zoro had walked away towards the deck of the Sunny to take a nap and Robin had followed Liam towards his workshop. The cook had therefore seized this opportunity to slip away in turn.

After the festive evening the crew had spent the day before with their two new friends, the morning had been rather calm. Lily and Liam had suggested going around the village to introduce them to the rest of the inhabitants, but they had only met a few people. Most had stayed cautiously in the background and the blond didn't blame them: given their history with pirates, the unusual appearance of their group didn't inspire confidence at first sight. Not to mention the exuberant personality of the captain who had jumped from one house to another, sniffing greedily at the little food the inhabitants had managed to save. That's why despite Lily and Liam's wish to reassure them, only a former tattoo artist turned into a farmer had spoken a few words. His stature, almost as imposing as Franky's, had a lot to do with it, the man not wanting to be impressed by anyone.

During their walk, they had headed away from the village and after a few minutes, the path they had taken had come out onto a small plain where an old wooden building stood out behind the horizon of the sea. A little further on, the huge pink cherry tree had caught the already admiring gaze of the crewmembers and they had all approached to look at the clear view. The landscape was indeed breathtaking and when Sanji had leaned towards the edge, he had noticed a small cove below. Lily had then shown him the way to access it by land through the pines and the blond had promised himself to explore it in the afternoon. However, he had finally made a detour by the point of view to admire the panorama once again and he could no longer look away.

After several minutes of contemplation, however, the cook forced himself to get up. He absolutely wanted to take a closer look at the small cove because he had a very specific idea in mind and this place could turn out to be the ideal place for what he imagined. The euphoria and sequence of the last days had pushed him in a whirlwind of emotions and actions that kept him thinking every single minute. So when his head was touching his pillow at night, he was falling asleep instantly and the next morning, his duty as a cook was already calling him for another busy day, not to mention the incessant discoveries he was making on All Blue.

Determined, Sanji stubbed out his cigarette, wrapped it in a tissue and stuffed it in his pocket until he found a trash can. He then went back down to the village and started looking for the little path that Lily had shown him. The inhabitants were still discreet and he only saw two men returning from the fields. Despite his greeting, they looked away, hurrying back to their homes, and Sanji went on his own way.

A few moments later, he found the path quite easily near the first large pines south of the houses. He then disappeared into the resinous-scented trees and smelled the air with delight, watching the sap harvest in small pots that the villagers had attached to the trunks. The vegetation was awakening in the spring and light birdsongs were heard: the walk was definitely pleasant and he lost track of time.

That's why the cook emerged more quickly than he would have thought into the cove he had observed that very morning. Raising his head, he saw the large cherry tree at the top of the viewpoint before examining the place carefully: the cove wasn't very large and placed between two rocky cliffs, hidden even from the sea. In fact, he couldn't see the Sunny anywhere from here, but he knew that she was moored further east. Under his feet, the sand was similar to that of the main beach from which he had turned up, although the air was a little cooler because of the rocks.

Sanji smiled and lit another cigarette. This place was perfect.

"Please! Please! Please! Please!" Luffy was stamping his feet in front of his shipwright's gleaming scooter that he had just put into the water.

"Look, it ain't against you but it's a first use and it's still in the experimental stage," The cyborg explained to him again. Suiting the action to the word, he approached his machine and checked the solidity of the seat. "You absolutely wanna try it so I took it out but you need to be careful with it," He continued, shaking his head.

"Why?" Chopper asked him.

"This island doesn't have a lot of material and if something goes wrong, I won't have anything to fix it."

"I'm not very enthusiastic about the idea of testing it among Sea Kings," Usopp declined, "I've had my fill."

"I need full use to see maneuverability," The cyborg mused.

"Maybe we could ask Sanji-san when he's coming back?" Brook suggested.

"Gimme the keys to your scooter, Franky."

Surprised, the boys turned to the navigator who was coming closer, determined. "The Waver obeyed me perfectly so if your machine has the slightest defect, I'd know," She said when she walked up to him.

The shipwright's face lit up with a broad smile. "That'd be great, Nami-sis!"

He gave her the keys and the young woman jumped onto the scooter before adjusting the seat and mirrors. She then turned on the ignition and was about to put the throttle up when an elastic arm wrapped around her slender waist.

"I'm going with Nami!"

The navigator turned her head and the ecstatic expression of the straw hat boy behind her made her roll her eyes. "Suit yourself but if you fall, I won't fish you out."

Luffy barely had time to nod with delight as the scooter rushed to attack the first waves.

"Move, mosshead, I've got something planned for us on the beach."

The swordsman raised his sleepy eyes to the blond's figure in front of him on the deck. He could hear the sound of cutlery and chatter from the open galley door above them, a sign that his crewmates had begun to eat.

He stretched for a long time as he watched the cook dragging on his glowing cigarette butt. "How so?" He muttered next.

"Nami and Luffy aren't here and Robin is with Liam and Lily for the evening so I thought it was the right moment."

The fencer straightened up against the mast, intrigued. "The right moment?"

The cook blew his smoke off before turning his attention back to him. "The right moment for a truly romantic evening this time."

"Again?"

Sanji glared at him. "What you mean 'again'? Last time didn't count considering what happened!"

Zoro rolled his eyes. "It was you who wanted to fight, it's your fault we couldn't finish eating in peace!"

"Of course, idiot mosshead! I wasn't gonna let that young girl be humiliated by that fat fuck!"

The swordsman stood up with a grunt before folding his arms stubbornly. "We said no more than one date every two months," He reminded him firmly.

At these words, Sanji couldn't help but look away, embarrassed, and he bit a little harder on his cigarette. "I know, mosshead, but… We're on the All Blue, dammit! You can't deny me that!"

Zoro raised an eyebrow, suddenly interested in the cook's attitude. "Then you'll owe me." Because the blond was staring at him, flabbergasted, the swordsman continued. "Let's just say next time, you'll do whatever I tell you."

The saucy gleam in his eyes left no room for doubt and Sanji blushed. "No way!"

"Very well, as you wish," His companion replied, pretending to turn away.

"W-Wait, you can't blackmail me with… With a date!" The cook got indignant.

"I can and I will," The swordsman shrugged. "You're on the All Blue and I thought it was your dream. It should be enough if it's that important to you, don't you think?"

Sanji stared at him again, his eyes narrowed. "You're the worst man and the worst mosshead in all of the Grand Line!" He hissed after a few moments of silent internal struggle.

The swordsman smirked broadly in return. "After you, cook."

Sanji walked past him in outrage and the swordsman quietly followed suit. They jumped off the Sunny's railing and walked silently through the trees. The blond was feeling perfectly embarrassed and his hurried steps contrasted with that of his companion who radiated smugness behind him.

After a few minutes, the cook crossed the line of the last pines that led to the cove and he immediately went to the blanket and large basket he had put down earlier in anticipation of their evening.

"A picnic, cook?"

Sanji gritted his teeth around his new cigarette butt. "You'll see that I haven't planned anything special," He grumbled, setting out his plates and dishes, "It ain't even really a date when I think about it so I don't see why I should do what you want…"

"We'll see, but the picnic on the beach looks like one of your romantic plans," The fencer commented slyly. Zoro saw the blond clench his jaw ever harder and he approached the blanket in turn, definitely amused. He then bent down to examine the dishes the cook was setting down, a knowing smile on his lips. "Bluefin tuna and salmon?" He noted casually.

"I bought some from Lily, it was by chance," His companion tried to evade by taking out the cutlery.

The swordsman then saw another tempting dish and grabbed it. "Vinegared rice and pickled vegetables?"

"I just went to see the guy we saw this morning, I wanted to ask him something."

"And teriyaki skewers?" The swordsman showed him again, feigning surprise.

This time, Sanji struggled to come up with an explanation. "There was some meat for sale, that's all! They gotta live in this damn village…"

Zoro put the dish down with satisfaction to observe his lover. The cook was now trying to hide his embarrassment by looking for imaginary utensils in his basket and the fencer felt a predatory smile stretch his lips. He was hungry now. So he pushed the different plates around them and firmly wrapped one of his arms around the waist of his companion who got pressed against his chest. "What a coincidence, they got everything I like in this village," He whispered in his ear.

"Yeah, well… You were lucky, that's all," The blond muttered, struggling limply to get up, his cheeks flushed.

"I wonder what they had for dessert…"

The cook's breath caught in his throat. "Rum… Rum babas," He admitted grudgingly.

"Oh. Interesting." The grip of the swordsman's arm tightened around the blond's waist and his smile widened as he placed his lips on his lover's throbbing neck. However, he quickly had to use both hands to restrain the cook who threatened to escape, his face red. In the end, Zoro made him turn his way. "For a simple dinner, I think you planned a lot of details," He noticed nonchalantly.

"You're wrong, you stupid swordsman, I always do this for Nami-san and Robin-chan!" The blond was offended.

"So I'm entitled to the same attentions as the girls? That's new…" Smiling smugly, Zoro leaned towards the cook to claim his lips this time but the man pushed him away with one hand on his face, irritated.

"Okay, of course it's a fucking date, asshole!"

The swordsman burst out laughing and Sanji moodily freed himself from his companion's embrace before putting his cigarette butt between his lips again. He then grabbed two glasses and sharply uncorked a bottle. "Seriously, even on All Blue, you manage to ruin everything…"

Nami wiped her forehead beaded with seawater before finally turning off the scooter's engine. She jumped into the water to pull it onto the beach and Luffy quickly helped her. They sat down to catch their breath and the straw hat boy sprawled on the sand, laughing.

"It was so great!"

The navigator nodded, smiling. Since the beginning of the afternoon, she had really pushed Franky's sea scooter, on the high seas as well as towards the coast. She had even followed several currents to test its reactivity and she was impressed by the creation of the cyborg. The scooter responded perfectly and apart from a slight deviation to the left at full speed, she had spent an enchanted afternoon testing it with her captain. Luffy, totally excited at each acceleration and turn, had accomplished the feat of not falling into the water. He owed this little miracle to his elastic limbs, which had more than once saved him at the last second when the navigator had suddenly changed tack.

Nami gazed at the landscape around her. The sun was beginning to set in the ocean. The other side of the island was even wilder than the one they had come from. In the distance, she could make out the shape of another land forming part of the archipelago Lily had told them about.

She then glanced at her bag with satisfaction. After going back to the Sunny to make a first report to the shipwright, she had decided to start mapping the island by its most deserted side and Luffy had once again wanted to go with her. However, before starting to draw, it was time to eat. She got up quickly and opened the trunk under the seat of the scooter. "Sanji-kun made us dinner."

"Really ?!"

The young woman tossed a huge meat sandwich to her captain, which he caught on the wing while she brought out a salad with prawns, cucumbers and fragrant rice.

"It's so good!" The straw hat boy was literally drooling on the sand while already chewing a huge mouthful but Nami didn't mind. She had had a wonderful day and the evening was shaping up to be just as great so she could turn a blind eye to Luffy's deplorable manners for once.

Nearly two hours later, Nami finally lay down on her towel beside the straw hat boy who was watching the celestial vault. She had taken advantage of the natural light until the end to take measurements and draw the first lines of her map, but now the night forced her to postpone her activity. She then stared in turn at the sky which was gradually lighting up above them.

"Are these the same stars as on the Grand Line, Nami?"

The young woman shook her head. "No, and they don't look like the constellations of the East Blue either. We really are in an unknown place…"

"They're still beautiful," The captain affirmed with conviction.

"They are," The navigator agreed with a smile.

As she got lost again in the contemplation of the sky, she was suddenly surprised to see Luffy sit up to stare at her, clearly annoyed. "I got a problem, Nami!"

"What's the matter?" The redhead wondered, turning to him.

"Do you remember when I told you I had a stomach ache and I didn't know what to do?"

The young woman nodded. "Yes, why?"

"Well, there's another weird thing going on!" The straw hat boy was annoyed and he folded his arms.

"Like what?"

"I dunno; usually, we kiss and it gets better but lately, it ain't working!"

At these words, Nami frowned. She then sat down completely, a wave of concern crossing her mind in spite of herself. "You mean… you don't feel like kissing me anymore?" She inquired softly.

"I do! I still wanna do it but…" Luffy sighed loudly and ran a hand under his straw hat for inspiration. "It's like I got a monster that eats my stomach when we kiss and then it's worse!"

"Oh."

Nami felt herself blushing. She had learned to perfectly decode the captain's strange metaphors for his feelings now and although their physical contact had been more frequent lately, the straw hat boy was still very naive and not keen on deepening them. Nami herself didn't insist. She knew Luffy had a particular way of approaching their relationship and if he didn't want to push their touches, she didn't feel any less happy with him. So tonight, a part of her was happy to see that Luffy was feeling some desire for her, but another part was also embarrassed. She didn't want her own desires to cause the straw hat boy to do something he didn't want to.

However, the hope in his eyes when he looked at her at that moment made her smile. "The best thing is to do it like it comes, don't think about it too much," She tried.

"All right, but sometimes, it's really hungry!" Luffy continued, upset, "I ain't sure what it'd wanna do…"

The navigator's heart couldn't help beating a little faster in her chest and she put a hand on his cheek to calm him down. "I trust you, Luffy, I know you won't hurt me."

The straw hat boy was still frowning, undecided, before he finally laid back onto the sand, his eyes shining with joy. "It's great, you always know what to do!"

The young woman smiled tenderly and leaned to kiss him. Her kiss was chaste and she didn't intend to deepen it, but she soon felt her captain's elastic arms pull her hard against his chest and she toppled over him.

Luffy didn't notice that Nami's breath had quickened against his lips. He was focused on the monster in his stomach and his growing hunger. Actually, he hesitated to tell the navigator that maybe the monster wanted to fight more than to eat. He had also noticed that he tended to confuse the two sensations in her presence. In the end, however, he decided to just enjoy the caress of their lips and let his tongue dance with that of the young woman for several minutes, gradually forgetting his questions to focus on the present moment.

The wind suddenly blew on the beach and Luffy felt his body tense strangely. His hands pressed along the body of the navigator lying on him in reflex and a soft moan sounded in his ear. The straw hat boy didn't know why this sound suddenly awoke the monster in his stomach but it started to roar. In a flash, he understood the principle: the monster liked to hear the navigator against him so he stopped thinking. Following the advice of the young woman, he pressed his body a little harder against hers.

"Z-Zoro, stop…"

The swordsman smiled devilishly and the pace of his hand quickened on his lover's member. Sanji shuddered violently and the water lapped against them when he suddenly tightened his hands around the swordsman's neck.

"Remember, you must do everything I tell you," The fencer whispered.

"Motherfucker," The blond stammered, "You have… no respect for anything…"

The swordsman sank his teeth into his neck and the cook moaned while his legs were pressing convulsively around his companion's hips. The ocean temperature was cooler at this late hour of the night and Sanji was wincing every time the water was splashing against his upper body in the open air. Zoro then let his tongue trail in the hollow of his throat and he closed his eyes.

The fencer hadn't taken long to claim his due and the cook had been forced to follow him into the ocean after reluctantly undressing. The water barely reaching his waist, he had been imprisoned by the arms of his crewmate who had immediately electrified him with devastating back and forth movements on his virility. It didn't take long to awaken his desire.

"Z-Zoro, I mean it. Not here…"

Unmoved by his plea, the swordsman stroked him even harder while his other arm wrapped around the blond's hips to press him more. Sanji bit his lips under the storm of sensations but he hadn't said his last word yet. "Pl-Please. I'll do something else, anything…"

This prospect sent a shiver of desire to the fencer who really hesitated to give in to his request. However, when he looked up at his companion's languid face and half-closed eyes clouded by pleasure, his will strengthened. "There won't be a better place, cook," He whispered to him, slowing down his caresses in favor of their intensity, "It's here and nowhere else that you wanted to be."

Sanji tensed in his arms and the swordsman sensed that the blond would soon surrender. He then quickened his movements again and pressed his lips to his, panting. The pleasure of his partner in the ocean of his dreams was an image he wanted to engrave in his memory forever.

The cook's hands gripped the back of his neck possessively and the swordsman traced his body from his waist to his blond locks, guiding him to better ravage his mouth. Sanji's legs were now encircling him in an iron grip and he seemed not wanting to let go but he suddenly left the swordsman's lips, his approaching orgasm overwhelming him. A second later, the fencer felt his member tense between his fingers and the blond's pleasure surged, instantly washed away by the ocean around them. Gazing at his companion's body, Zoro kissed him again, breathing heavily.

When Sanji came to his senses after a few moments, the swordsman was still staring at him and he felt himself blushing. The mosshead had depraved him to the point that he couldn't help but come in the ocean he had been looking for so long and he was hesitating between kicking his ass or pursuing what they had just begun.

"I can't get used to it, but I think I love All Blue."

All rational thought abruptly left the cook's brain and he froze in the fencer's arms. Zoro was staring him straight in the eye and although he spoke about the ocean, the intensity of his gaze seemed to mean something else.

"You-You love… All Blue?" He repeated breathlessly.

"It was far from being won but I realize it could have been worse," The fencer approved, letting his gaze drift over the body against his own. The swordsman then ran his wet hand through the blond locks of his crewmate who shivered when drops of water fell on his bare shoulders.

Sanji looked up at his companion and, heart pounding, placed his own hands around his neck. "You may love All Blue but for my part, it's you-"

Zoro's finger on his lips prevented him from finishing his sentence and Sanji frowned.

"Love words are pointless, cook," He whispered, leaning over to replace his finger with his lips on his mouth.

"For you maybe," The blond mumbled in the middle of the kiss, annoyed.

"You and I, we don't need it." His lips went down into the crook of Sanji's neck then towards his chest and the blond's breathing quickened again.

"Y-You seem pretty sure of yourself, mosshead," The cook whispered so as not to lose face under the pleasure that was already threatening to resurface.

Zoro closed his eyes while continuing to caress the blond's collarbone with his tongue. "Let me prove it to you…"

At the time, I wrote 3 different versions for the scene between Zoro and Sanji!

I wanted to show both couples have grown since Looking for balance. I hope you liked it.

I'm not sure when the next chapter is going to be posted. Hopefully on Thursday but if not, I'll post it next Monday.