Chapter 65

At the end of the road

Sanji rushed down the stairs of his small house before sprinting towards the door which he threw open. Arriving outside, he noticed that the sky was barely clearing and he slowed down. The night air was cool at the end of summer and the silence still enveloped the entire island at this particularly early hour.

The blond could hear the dull beating of his own heart pounding in his ears and, panting, he finally turned onto the main path of the village, unsure of which direction to take. Amy had suggested he go to the north beach because the Sunny had appeared there but the crew had always docked south in the small cove where they had first arrived. Sanji was therefore hesitant about what to do: should he head towards the beach and the All Blue or, on the contrary, cross the island to reach the north of the archipelago?

Suddenly, a flock of seagulls flew squawking from the ocean and Sanji instinctively turned his head towards them before the rhythm of his heart increased in his chest: between the trees bordering the beach, a large white sail glided noiselessly along the coast.

The cook swallowed, brutally paralyzed. It was the Sunny, he'd bet his life on it. He couldn't make out the flag at this distance but he would recognize this mast and these riggings anywhere. They were back.

Sanji was about to rush towards them, but he felt his back and forehead cover with sweat and his legs weaken while he followed the sail of the ship through the trees, hypnotized. His heart was now pounding at full speed under the force of his emotion and he forced himself to take long breaths to calm down.

At that moment, he was truly split in two. Torn between the exultation of knowing his crewmates near the island and the anguish revealed by this presence that he had never expected so soon. This return was in fact completely unexpected. Why had the crew returned? Why hadn't his friends called him? Had their radio equipment been damaged? Was the Sunny damaged?

The cook wasn't so naive as to believe that this was just a courtesy visit. It had been two years now since the Straw Hat crew faced the raging seas of the New World and Luffy hadn't become the Pirate King yet. He was still far from it and the latest events proved it. So what logic was he pursuing? Had he recovered from the terrible news he had faced? Was anyone too badly injured to continue their journey? Were the Marines after them?

Sanji regained control of his body the moment the sail disappeared on the horizon again. His legs finally relaxed and the air fully entered his lungs. He rushed towards the beach then. The reason why Luffy had decided to lead his crew to the All Blue didn't matter because, whatever it was, he would soon be with his crewmates to hear it.

"Sanji?! Sanji, where are you?!"

Chopper's desperate voice froze the cook who had just reached the forest at the edge of the last homes a few steps from the beach. He couldn't see the little reindeer because of the trees and last shadows of the night, but his heart wrenching cries were already breaking his heart. He paused in spite of himself on the dirt road, out of breath. What had happened? Why was Chopper in such a state? Why did he seem to be alone? Where were the others? Were they injured or…

His knees buckled, and Sanji mechanically resumed his walk in the direction of his voice. He was quite incapable of answering his friend's pleas to reassure him. He barely managed to move towards his cries without really knowing how he could put one foot in front of the other. Finally, he saw him. The doctor emerged from the edge of the forest at the same time and Sanji stopped again, overwhelmed. The reindeer's cries increased when he saw him and the blond could only fall to his knees to catch him when Chopper rushed into his arms, tears streaming down his face.

The doctor's tiny hooves against his chest felt like a monumental shock and the blond remained rooted to the spot for long seconds while Chopper flooded his shirt with his sorrow. In the end, Sanji placed a trembling hand on his small, sobbing body, his throat tight.

"Ch-Chopper…"

"S-S-San-Sanji, I-I thought that I-I'd ne-never see you again!" The reindeer collapsed and the cook braced himself. "I'm here, Chopper, everything's okay… What happened? Where-Where are the others?"

"This idiot was too impatient to see you; we couldn't hold him back." Sanji raised his head abruptly and met Usopp's bright gaze fixed on them. "I told him he was gonna scare you if he screamed like that but he couldn't help it…"

The voice of the sniper was full of emotion and it fueled that of the cook. A laugh drowned in tears escaped Sanji, relief finally freeing him. "Wh-What an idiot, he-he scared the hell out of me!" He hugged the inconsolable reindeer a little tighter before gently slipping out of his embrace and getting back to his feet, furtively wiping his eyes with his hand.

"Sanji, man…" The sharpshooter suddenly choked, his eyes brimming with tears.

"I know… Don't say it."

The two friends fell into each other's arms and Sanji took a few moments to catch his own breath. "I can't believe you're here," he whispered, staring at the sniper while the little doctor clung to his leg.

"Me neither," Usopp admitted with a smile. "It was so unexpected…"

"Why didn't you tell me? If I had known I-"

"Sanji-bro!"

The blond didn't have time to finish his sentence as he was literally yanked out of the ground then crushed violently against the metallic body of the cyborg who began to cry his eyes out.

"Sanji-bro, I missed you so much! The Sunny was empty without you and that was not super!"

"I-I missed you too but F-Franky, you're gonna kill me." The cook tried to struggle against the mass of his friend.

"Franky, don't kill Sanji!" Chopper immediately shouted, panicked. The shipwright placed the cook back on the ground and Sanji was able to breathe with relief. He smiled at the cyborg then. "I can see you're still sentimental, you pile of junk…"

"Sorry, bro, it's because of the emotion," Franky sniffed, removing his sunglasses despite his huge hands.

"My friend, your absence had indeed seemed endless."

Sanji turned to the crew musician who had just come forward to bow deeply before him. The blond felt his throat tighten again and he shook his head to contain his emotion. "Brook, not you, too…"

"My apologies but it's such a joy to see you again," the skeleton admitted, visibly touched.

The two friends hugged before Sanji straightened up while taking a shaky breath. "The pleasure is shared, Brook, believe me. The pleasure is shared…" He then looked at his crewmates gathered around him, nervous. "Where are the others? Is everyone okay?"

"They're probably nearby," Usopp reassured him while turning towards the beach to show him the direction of the ship. "Nami was finishing securing the Sunny when we left."

"We tried to call Liam to let you know but there was no answer," Chopper told him, finally wiping his eyes.

"He's probably on Basterl," the blond remembered.

"How did you know we were here anyway?" Franky asked.

"Lily was fishing in the north of the archipelago; she saw you."

"We did arrive through an unknown door," Brook agreed. "We initially wanted to wait until the sun came up but we ultimately couldn't resist!"

"We were all super impatient to see you again!"

"Indeed, it was impossible to wait any longer."

Sanji felt a shiver go up his spine and his breath escaped him when he heard this unique voice, both so deep and soft. He then abruptly turned around and came across the two smiling blue eyes of the crew's archaeologist who had arrived without a sound.

"Good morning, dear chef."

"R-Robin-chan, my goddess… You… You're so…"

The blond swallowed and the young woman chuckled. "Unexpected?" She suggested.

"... gorgeous," the blond finished, definitely under the spell of her black hair now falling to the small of her back and her long dress accentuating the curve of her hips.

"Thank you. You look particularly good too," she replied with a smile, "This little goatee is a great idea."

"Oh, Robin-chan!" Sanji finally seemed to come to his senses and he swirled around the young woman before grabbing her left hand and bowing before her, brushing his lips against her skin. "Alluring, charming, stunning Robin-chan… I am nothing compared to your beauty, even more devastating than I remember…"

"Ro-Robin! You may not believe me but I swear I saw a school of salmon among several eels! And it really doesn't make sense because they were freshwater eels-"

Sanji paused, Robin's hand still delicately trapped in his before straightening up and raising a surprised eyebrow in the direction of a young man who had just stumbled in front of them, out of breath.

Immediately, Chopper rushed towards him, beaming. "Malek, we found Sanji!"

The latter stopped when he saw him and several seconds passed during which the eyes of the two cooks met. In the end, Malek looked away. "Um… hello."

"We told you the All Blue was home to all species of fish," Usopp pointed out to him then.

"Oh, yeah, I… Sorry. It's just that… I was surprised," his crewmate apologized. "I mean, that's kind of unusual…"

With these words, the blond finally left the beautiful archaeologist to extend his hand to the newcomer who stared at him, visibly uncomfortable. "I'm Sanji. Welcome to All Blue."

Malek carefully shook his hand in return, "Thank you… I'm Malek, the… cook. The new one."

Sanji simply nodded before fixing his gaze on him, his eyes sparkling. "Do you wanna know something even more amazing than salmon swimming among freshwater eels?"

Malek observed him with curiosity. "Like what?"

"Their taste. All Blue's salt is unique because it mixes salt from all the seas in the world and gives a special flavor to foods. Would you be interested in testing them?"

Malek's eyes widened instantly. "You mean… cook them? Can I?"

"Of course. This is a chef's paradise and none of them should miss out on this unique experience; so whenever you want, we'll show you the restaurant," the blond offered with a smile.

"Wow… Thank you, I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it."

"I can show him the restaurant if you want, Sanji!" Chopper suggested happily.

The blond glanced at the other cook to ask his opinion but his illuminated eyes answered for him. "Okay, go ahead right away, I'll join you later," he agreed, amused. "And if some senile old man refuses to open the door, tell him that I sent you."

"Sure!" The little reindeer got enthused.

"So that old pirate is still here," Usopp deduced.

"More than ever," the blond cook confirmed, finally taking a cigarette out of its box.

"See you later!"

Chopper and Malek quickly walked away in the direction of the All Blue and Sanji lit his cigarette before taking a long drag.

"That was extremely generous of you." Brook complimented him when their two companions had disappeared from their view, "Our new friend was dreading meeting you despite all our efforts to reassure him."

"He was super stressed," Franky agreed.

"Well, we didn't even know if you were informed of his presence since we couldn't get a signal to All Blue," Usopp grimaced.

"I found out about it a few weeks ago in the newspaper," the blond replied softly, blowing out his smoke.

"He's a trustworthy person," Robin assured him.

"I'm sure he is."

The cook inhaled once more on his cigarette before looking at his friends, suddenly serious. "Don't take what I'm gonna say the wrong way because no one is happier than me right now to see you again but… What are you doing here so soon? I didn't think you'd come back for years…"

They glanced at each other and Usopp finally shook his head. "It'd be best if Luffy tells you about it…"

"It's not bad news as one might have feared," Robin tried to soothe him when she saw his tense face.

"It's just super unexpected!" Franky added.

"If you say so…"

The five companions set off towards the Sunny and Sanji took another drag on his cigarette, nervous. Everything seemed so unreal and so fast. He was just processing having found part of his crew and at the idea of meeting Luffy's eyes in a few minutes, his entire being was filled with an indefinable emotion.

"Our captain also felt that this was an opportunity to relax," Brook told him when they arrived on the beach.

"What is the New World like?" The cook asked, "I guess it's not easy and you seem to have changed so much," he noted, observing the developed build of Usopp and the even more oversized body of Franky who were walking alongside him.

"It's hell," the sniper admitted. "You can't take one step in front of the other without coming close to death…"

"It is an extremely dangerous place," Robin agreed.

"We do our best to keep up with our enemies; some of them have incredible strength," the musician added.

"Have you learned how to control Haki?" Sanji asked with interest.

"We'd like to, but apart from Luffy, we can't use it," Franky said.

"He has a particularly powerful Conqueror's Haki," the archaeologist explained.

A proud smile stretched the cook's lips at these words. Obviously, his captain possessed this tremendous mysterious energy. He expected nothing less from him.

"Did he explain how he triggered it?" He wanted to know.

"Unfortunately, he can't handle it yet," the skeleton replied.

"His Haki was revealed when he learned of Ace's death," the cyborg sighed. "He knocked everyone out but without understanding how and he didn't even realize it until we told him. He was in no position to control much at that time anyway…"

At this moment, Robin turned towards the blond who had turned pale. "You have been informed of the death of the captain's brother, have you not?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

"I have… And I'm so sorry I wasn't there," Sanji whispered as the Sunny finally came into view.

Franky put his huge arm around his shoulders then. "Don't worry, bro. Somehow, you've always been with us."

"Sanji-kun! Oh my God, you're here!"

The cook froze when he noticed that the crew's navigator had jumped into the sand from the deck of the ship and started running before throwing herself in his arms. Taken aback, he felt her little fists violently grip his shirt and the moment she looked up with her eyes shining with tears, he staggered. His arms quivered around her frail body and he stared at her, unable to utter a sound.

"Sanji-kun, it was so hard!" She reproached him, fixing her eyes brimming with tears on his own, "How could you do this to us?!"

The blond swallowed, completely helpless in the face of the distress of the young woman who buried her head against his shoulder to hide her tears. "I-I'm sorry, Nami-san… Forgive me…" He stroked her long red hair which now fell to the small of her back with his fingertips before closing his eyes for a second, overcome with emotion. "I missed you all so much, Nami-san… I missed you so much. Every day, every hour, every minute…"

He placed a trembling kiss on her forehead while the navigator wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I'm glad you're okay," she finally whispered.

"And you don't know how happy I am to see you here…"

Nami smiled before slipping out of his embrace and their friends approached in turn. Sanji looked for a new cigarette in his pocket to help himself regain composure then. He was about to click his lighter when a voice echoed from the beach a little further away.

"Hey, Sanji."

The blond looked up and saw Luffy's figure walking to join them, his straw hat pulled over his eyes. As he raised the edges to look at him, the cook lowered his cigarette butt, his throat dry. Luffy. He had so much to tell him. He had imagined so many times the words he would choose to express all his regrets and support following the tragedy that had affected him. And yet at that moment, no sound wanted to cross the barrier of his lips.

However, by the intensity of his gaze, Sanji could sense it. Luffy wasn't quite the same anymore. Even more than the rest of his crewmates, he had changed. His gait and presence as he walked towards them reminded him that he wasn't in the presence of just any pirate but of the future king of them. And like all future monarchs, the ordeal he had faced had destroyed him before giving him a new life so that he could rebuild himself stronger. Here, on this simple beach, Luffy radiated power and determination. He may have lost his brother but this pain had only strengthened him and Sanji felt true admiration. The brightness of his eyes was maybe a little less carefree today, but his will was intact and Sanji straightened up to welcome him.

Luffy came up to him and the cook gently bowed his head to express the respect he had never ceased feeling for him.

"Captain."

Immediately, a grin lit up the straw hat boy's face and broke the solemn aura he was draped in. "I'm hungry, Sanji!"

An equally sincere smile lit up his cook's face in turn. "Of course you are, you bottomless pit. Malek went to the restaurant, I'm sure he'll have made something for you."

"Awesome! Let's go right now!"

"Hm-hm."

All his companions turned towards the navigator who had just cleared her throat. She then looked intently at the straw hat boy in the visible hope that he would remember something, but he stared at her for several long seconds before he did.

"Ah yeah, I gotta ask you something, Sanji!"

"What?" The man wondered.

"Will you be my cook?!"

The blond stared at him and Nami rolled her eyes. Besides them, the rest of their friends giggled.

"I already am your cook, Luffy," the blond replied cautiously. "Unless you've changed your mind…"

"Eh? No, I'm talking about my wedding! That's why we came back!"

At these words, Sanji felt his eyes grow impossibly large. "E-Excuse me?"

"You gotta be my cook with Malek! I want lots of legs of lamb, barbecues, grilled meats, pork ribs, ducks, roast chickens, Sea Kings and… food!" He begged, running out of qualifiers.

"W-Wait a second, Luffy. What do you mean your… your wedding? W-With who?"

"I bet you a hundred berries that he'll oppose it," Franky said to the sniper who nodded discreetly. "A hundred and fifty he's gonna start crying."

Suddenly, a violent punch hit the cook's head and he wobbled. Usopp, Brook and Franky winced while Robin stifled a laugh.

"What do you mean 'with who'?! With me, obviously!" The redhead roared beside him, red with anger.

The blond stared at her in turn, his eyes still distorted by shock, and Nami got riled up again. She was about to get his head straight with a pair of slaps when the cook suddenly fell to his knees in the sand.

"No. No, no, no, no, no, there's no way," he began to stutter. "I'm dreaming, that's the only explanation. You're not here, I knew it was too good to be true…"

Usopp and Franky exchanged a glance while the navigator grabbed the blond by the collar of his shirt, looking threatening. "You got a problem with that?" She growled, "Because Malek could easily take care of it by himself if you chicken out!"

Her friend continued to stare at her, still in disbelief, and Nami lost her patience. She raised her hand towards his cheek to slap him but at that moment, he burst out laughing. The navigator released him, stunned, and after a few moments, Luffy also leaned towards his cook who was writhing in laughter in the sand.

"You okay, Sanji?" He asked him while the others approached in turn, just as surprised.

The blond continued to roll on the ground, almost hysterical, and Nami gritted her teeth. "I never thought you'd be the kind of person who'd make fun of me, Sanji. It was a bad idea to want to celebrate with you actually…"

The navigator's remark put an end to the act of madness of her crewmate, who stood up just as suddenly. "Wh-What? No, Nami-san, never! I'll never make fun of you!"

"Why this laughter then?" She pointed out dryly, "Care to explain?"

Standing in front of her again, the blond looked down. "Because… Because I'm so happy, Nami-san," he finally whispered. "Just last night I thought I might never see you again and this morning, you're alive and here… And you're gonna get married. And… And you're so beautiful and I'm so happy, Nami," he repeated, visibly moved.

"Sanji-kun…" Touched, the young woman rushed into his arms again and this time, the blond hugged her back strongly. Luffy started laughing and he slapped his cook on the back. "It's decided then! You'll be my personal cook for my wedding!"

"I never said I would do it," Sanji grunted, now enjoying the navigator's body against his own. "I'll be the cook for Nami-san and all the invited ladies, period. Malek can take care of the rest."

"That'd be perfect, Sanji-kun!" The redhead exclaimed, straightening up in his arms with excitement. "I've always dreamed of a magnificent macaron cake or croquembouche for my wedding!"

"I'll make samples so you can choose the cake you prefer!" The blond immediately suggested.

"Can you make those sumptuous decorations that we see in magazines with sugar roses?" She asked, her eyes shining.

"I can even make small tangerines if you want, Nami-san."

"Oh, I love you!" The young woman pressed herself a little tighter against him and the cook burst with happiness. The situation was so banal that their crewmates laughed and a discussion soon began about the organization of the ceremony. Yet after several minutes of propositions and suggestions, each more monumental than the last, Luffy's stomach growled loudly.

The blond turned towards him, frowning. "You look really hungry," he said.

"Nami didn't want to give me meat!" His captain immediately complained, and she sighed. "We've been making restrictions for quite a few days," she admitted. "And since we decided to come back here, we didn't make any stock, we just looked for a door."

"I'm hungry, Sanji," the straw hat boy whined again, dragging himself on the sand.

"Okay, you should all go to the restaurant and the old man will make something for you," he decided.

"You're not coming with us?" Usopp wondered.

"Of course I'll come, but I'd like to prepare a special snack for my princesses and I need the best tangerines to make it!" The blond replied, batting his eyes towards the two women of the crew.

"I can't wait to eat your cooking again!" The navigator rejoiced.

"Go ahead, I'll join you!" He assured them as he rushed towards the ship.

"Don't be too long!" Nami insisted as they walked away.

It was only once in the Sunny's galley that Sanji realized the absurdity of his behavior. He had offered his friends to treat them and it was only natural that he had rushed onto the ship and then into the galley. On this ship that he hadn't been on for almost two years. In this galley that was no longer his.

Sanji let his gaze sweep across the room from the doorway. Suddenly, he didn't dare to enter. He immediately noticed that the general layout hadn't changed since his departure and it warmed his heart as much as it increased the feeling of strangeness which had pursued him since the Den-Den Mushi had rung.

In the end, he took a few steps and headed towards the cupboards, undecided. As he opened one, he tried to convince himself that he wasn't trying to observe Malek's organization but rather to find the ingredients for the chocolate and tangerine dessert that he had imagined a minute earlier. Yet he couldn't help but notice that the other cook had reorganized some of the food and he gently closed the doors after finding the packet of gelatin. He was about to head towards the pantry where he knew Nami stored her fresh fruit when the door opened behind him.

Sanji turned around before freezing instantly when he came across Zoro who paused in turn on the threshold when he saw him. The packet of gelatin slipped from the blond's hands and fell on the counter without him trying to catch it.

At that moment, reality finally caught up with him. Finding each of his crewmates had filled Sanji with so much joy that he had felt like he was living a waking dream, but seeing Zoro put the last events in their rightful place. The swordsman symbolized the whole range of emotions that had never stopped battling within him. From the purest euphoria to the most merciless torment. The power of what he had always felt around the fencer had never been a mirage and even today, this intensity forced his certainties. And finally, he was facing him again.

Sanji hadn't prepared for such a shock. He had protected himself from the inevitable crash of his feelings and refrained from imagining a hypothetical reunion, a return that might never come. For two years, they had made their own life and for this reason, their relationship would never be the same, even when Zoro would become the best swordsman in the world. Sanji had refused to even hope. And yet, beyond the frantic beat of his heart, his head was just as fascinated by the very image of the fencer. This man he hadn't seen for so long was identical to the one he remembered and at the same time, he was terribly different, increasing the distance that had inexorably widened between them.

Zoro's hair was still the same improbable green but his already imposing muscles had developed further. He had kept his haramaki and black pants but he hid them under a long kimono tightened at the waist by a crimson belt and open on his chest now. His three earrings were intact. His three swords too. But the most glaring difference was that Zoro only had one eye left.

Sanji didn't look away. Scars had never scared the swordsman and the blond himself had always considered them to be the sign of his commitment. And although he secretly admired them, he didn't hesitate to blame Zoro for not taking care of himself. This time, he didn't say anything though.

This wound was different. Just like the scar that Mihawk had inflicted on him, it was impressive and Sanji had no doubt that it was, in the same way, a source of honor for the fencer. And somehow, he was proud of it too. Zoro was fighting for his dream like he had promised.

Yet it also reminded the blond how much his friends' previous words hadn't been spoken lightly. The New World was formidable and the warrior that was the first mate of the crew was the perfect illustration: they had to pay dearly for their survival on this ocean and there was no room for error, even the smallest.

"I didn't know you'd be here."

The deep voice of the swordsman echoed strangely in the room and it took the cook a second to realize that it had been an eternity since he had heard the sound of his voice.

"I… I wanted to make a cake for Nami-san and Robin-chan and since we were at the foot of the Sunny, I didn't think."

"Malek isn't there?"

"He's at the All Blue. With Chopper."

"Hm." The swordsman finally walked into the room and Sanji took the opportunity to pick up his packet of gelatin while trying to get back on track. He then turned to the fridge and grabbed the pitcher of tangerine juice.

When he turned around, he was surprised to see that Zoro had sat down at the table. "You, uh… You wanted something?"

"Malek always gives me a cocktail after my workout. With alcohol," he stated.

Sanji couldn't help but stare at him. "It's barely seven in the morning, Zoro."

"We didn't sleep because we looked for the door."

"I see… Well, he obviously didn't have time to make one for you, you'll have to wait."

The blond headed towards the pantry and returned a few moments later, his fruit in hand. He frowned when he noticed that Zoro hadn't moved. "I won't make you a cocktail, mosshead."

"Why not? You're still a cook, aren't you?"

"That's not the point."

"What's the point then?"

Sanji sighed. "It'd be too… weird. All that." He tried to explain, making a vague gesture with his hand to show the galley.

"Oh."

A heavy silence stretched out in the room for several long seconds and Sanji placed his fruit on the worktop, clearly undecided. After a few moments of internal struggle, the blond finally turned back to the cupboards, opened one and grabbed two glasses and a bottle of water. He then placed them on the table with determination before sitting across the table from the swordsman.

When the cook filled the glasses and handed him one, Zoro looked at him questioningly. "Even doing this is weird," the blond muttered to answer his silent question. "That's not exactly my galley anymore; I don't really feel like I belong here…"

"It'll always be your galley."

Zoro grabbed the glass and downed it in one go while Sanji shook his head, drinking slowly and searching the room with his eyes.

"I have the feeling that I've lived as much in one hour as in half my life," he whispered after a few moments. "Last night, I was taking care of my next cheese orders and this morning, I'm in the Sunny's galley, you came back and… Do you know that Nami and Luffy are gonna get married?!" He added suddenly before sighing loudly, "Really, I don't know what's craziest since I got up…"

The swordsman looked at him with an impassive gaze. "Of course I know, cook. I was there."

"It's a figure of speech," the blond brushed off. "What I mean is… It looks completely surreal, right? Luffy. Luffy's getting married. And with Nami!"

Zoro shrugged. "Something about his stomach ache that he wants to tell everyone because you never know what could happen."

Sanji nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that does sound like him."

A comfortable silence took place this time between the two men until Sanji's gaze fell precisely on the swordsman. The latter frowned when he noticed.

"What?" Sanji pointed out his new scar with a tilt of his chin. "What happened?"

"A Vice-Admiral."

"Wow, it must have been something. And?"

"And nothing, cook. He was fast and I couldn't avoid his sword."

The blond frowned. "When was it?"

"About a month."

"What kind of wound is it? What does Chopper think?"

At these words, Zoro slammed his empty glass on the table before pushing his chair back and Sanji stared at him, surprised.

"He thinks I'll never see with that eye again, period."

"But you didn't try to-"

The swordsman interrupted him, getting up. "I gotta go."

"You gotta go? Where? Everyone's at the All Blue."

"I gotta train."

Zoro left the room without looking back and the door closed quietly behind him. For his part, Sanji remained still for a long time, alone in the middle of the galley, with a painful feeling of incomprehension in the pit of his stomach.

At the time, I almost cut this chapter in two given its length but in the end, I thought it was a well-deserved gift!

The reunion between Sanji and Zoro may seem banal but given their respective situation, I made this choice because they both walk on eggshells when facing the other. For now.