.:Chapter 11 - Run Away:.
Sanji was still being beaten by his brothers, unable to fight back with the threat of Zeff's head on the line, as well as his friends, and his own hands… All facts his brothers never failed to bring up with each pound of their knuckles against flesh and each crunch of their heels against bone.
"Please just fight back, Sanji," pleaded Usopp.
Nami cowered behind her hands. "I can't watch this anymore!"
"Be thankful you're not the one living it." Zoro's knuckles were bone white as he kept himself in place, leaving his sword sheathed and obeying his captain's orders. His body wanted to react. To slice Sanji out of that thing sucking the memories from his brain like a leech. The cook had suffered enough already.
But as Sanji was knocked around, Germa's underground facility faded away. The memory jumped back again, and little Reiju was suddenly in the dungeon cell alongside little Sanji. The brothers were nowhere to be seen. Reiju only appeared after they were through. She delicately reached through iron to place a band-aid on her brother's broken nose.
"Don't think I'm on your side just because I patched you up," she said. "I'm not involved, okay?"
"I know she doesn't want a target on her back, but what good is she doing, honestly?" Nami mumbled.
"Perhaps, even her ounce of kindness gives Sanji hope," Brook suggested. Certainly not by any purposeful intention on Reiju's part, but still.
As if needing to explain to him why she bothered at all, Reiju muttered, "Those three don't get sad. They never feel sympathy, either. Father thinks they're such great fighters because they don't have emotions. My body has physical modifications, too, but I actually have emotions."
Chopper gasped as Robin's theory was proven correct. "She does feel something."
"So, she can actually feel sympathy for her brother," Nami said, quirking an eyebrow. "But still doesn't stand up for him?"
"It could be possible that the same commands programmed into the modifications of Germa's clones are also in Judge's children," Robin said.
Realization widened Nami's eyes "As in, she wouldn't be able to disobey her father's orders?"
"Exactly. Moreso, where Sanji obviously got away somehow, Reiju probably can't turn her back on their father. If she is genetically forced to stay there, it would be prudent for her to remain unproblematic."
"She's stuck being a weapon for Germa, but also stuck feeling guilt and sadness," Chopper realized. "That's why she helped Luffy when we asked for help while Yonji just treated it like a game."
"Ugh, somehow that's an even worse fate than turning out like her brothers," Nami said. And maybe, Nami thought, she was part of the reason Sanji felt obligated to save his family from Big Mom.
Zoro couldn't care less about the damn sister. He could only have an inner crisis about one Vinsmoke at a time.
If Curly was afraid he'd activated his dormant mutations, that meant he would also be unable to disobey or turn his back on Judge. Would he seek him out? Would his purpose suddenly be to fulfill his Germa destiny? He would be nothing but a slave to the very people who made his life hell, forced to murder and destroy and enjoy it. And Judge would relish in it after Sanji had given him so much trouble for so long.
Zoro gritted his teeth at the thought.
How long had these same worries been plaguing the cook?
"Well," Reiju said after finishing his bandages, "bye."
"Um…thanks for helping me again," Sanji murmured, watching her leave.
Reiju turned back to him, as if his words reminded her of something. "Oh. I think we're supposed to cross over the Red Line soon. Towards the East Blue.
The Straw Hats perked up at that. If they were finally entering the East Blue, Sanji's escape had to be soon.
"We're going to fight in some wars."
Sanji didn't like the sound of wars. Still didn't understand why his sister cared enough to keep him informed, feelings or no feelings. What was he supposed to do with this information anyway? Maybe she hoped the battles ahead would keep her other brothers busy enough to leave Sanji alone and wanted to convey that hope on to him.
Either way, it didn't matter. Nor did it come to be.
His memories rushed through the journey over the Red Line in snippets – cannons firing; swords clanging; giant transponder-snail ships climbing over the Red Line like it was nothing – and whatever chaos was happening outside of Sanji's cell during their traveling, just as much chaos was happening within its bars.
One moment Sanji would be dicing vegetables, and the next his brothers were there slamming him with wooden clubs. And, like clockwork, Reiju was there to patch him up afterward.
His brothers broke him to pieces while his sister sewed him back together, time after time.
And that was Sanji's life for a while, as memory upon memory spun together, the poor kid never got a reprieve.
The Straw Hats couldn't wait for his escape. Wondered how it would happen, but also needed him out of there.
This was the life he waltzed right back to from Zou. He knew what was waiting for him. Knew nothing would've changed. Still he went, simply because he couldn't stand the thought of being the reason that kind of pain and suffering were brought into the lives of his nakama.
"When we get Sanji out of here I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind for not saying anything," Chopper said with a pout. Then he sniveled, eyes squiggling with streams of tears down his cheeks. "And then I'm gonna hug him so tight!"
Among the chaos, Sanji's memories began to slow again, focusing on another pivotal moment in his life as a Vinsmoke. After another round from his brothers, which left his cooking supplies and food a disaster around him as well this time, Reiju was bandaging his arm once again.
"You never learn," she said, but this time Sanji yanked his arm away. This shocked her. This was different. He wasn't as pliant as he usually was.
They could all tell his clothes were more ragged now. His hair was growing too long beneath the helmet, falling further into his sunken eyes. He was clearly tired. Tired of it all. Worn down. Sanji was resilient, but he had his limits.
And he was at one of those limits now.
He sat beside Reiju and even she could see the stiffness in his shoulders, the quaking of his breaths. He was thinking too hard about something, fists curled. Determination mixing with anger. And then…
"Reiju, I…"
The Straw Hats were tense with anticipation. Would he lash out? Would he try to attack the one person somewhat on his side?
"I want to be a cook," he declared, jumping to his feet as Reiju gasped. "No matter what it takes!"
Luffy's muscles relaxed, and he laughed, making the others laugh with him this time because it was just…so Sanji.
"I told you not to tell me stuff like that," Reiju shrieked.
Sanji couldn't hold back his tears, but he remained standing tall even as his shoulders shook. His eyes blazed behind the fear, behind the misery. He needed out, and she was the only one he could trust to help him. "If I could just…run away somehow," he choked through his sobs, "while we're in the East Blue…" His tears overflowed down his mask as he met his sister's eyes. "Then I'll be free, right?"
The Straw Hats' eyes shined, stirred by the fiery passion their little cook still managed to cling to.
"Yeah. You'll be free, Sanji," Luffy promised. It was the most important thing after all. To be free to follow his dreams, just like the rest of the crew.
As he stared at her, raw emotion pouring from his watery eyes, he inhaled and shouted, "I can live the rest of my life without ever seeing them or Dad again!"
For once, Sanji's heartbreak was too much for even Reiju, who filled with her own tears. She hated the way he made her feel. Hated that his life was so miserable. Hated that she kept caring.
Suddenly angry that she couldn't hold her emotions in, she lashed out and grabbed at the bars between her and her brother.
The Straw Hats worried she was about to turn on him.
"Back away," she commanded. In the blink of an eye, Reiju's modified arms pried the prison bars apart. "You only get one chance," she cried. "So try not to mess it up!"
Grins broke out across the room.
Franky teared up, throwing his head back. "Sanji's passion is so strong he got even his sister to act out for him," he wept.
The two tiny Vinsmokes were suddenly rushing up the spiral stairs, out of the dregs of Germa's dungeons.
"The fight just started," Reiju was saying. "Father's hiding the key to your mask in his bedroom, so you need to go in there and get it quickly. I'll check to see if it's safe enough for you to go. Okay?"
"Yeah."
"As soon as you get to Father's room," – Sanji's memories panned through the room as Reiju's voice was describing it – "look for a symbol on the wall that looks like a skull. That's where you'll find the secret door."
Armed with a sword, Sanji – battered body looking more fragile than ever – dragged a chair over to the wall with the skull on it. He climbed up and grabbed the hidden key with a wave of relief.
A booming voice ambushed him.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Sanji froze. He hadn't heard his dad's voice in… Hadn't seen him in… How long?
"You little brat, how did you escape?" Judge demanded. "SPEAK UP!"
Sanji slipped and fell to the floor, the metal too heavy on his head. When he lifted himself up, his eyes were on fire. He stood and put the key to his helmet on display between them.
"I'm going to leave this wretched kingdom," he declared. "And no one's getting in my way – not even you!"
Zoro smirked. There's that fire.
Luffy cheered. He loved a good escape.
Judge scowled. "You've developed quite an attitude since you've been locked away." There was a pause as he considered the boy's words with obvious skepticism. "You're normal, and that makes you weak. There's not a sea in this entire world where you could survive on your own."
Little Sanji was glaring as harshly as his Straw Hat companions.
"You'll die," Judge finished.
Surprising everyone, Sanji pulled out his sword. "Yeah, so what? You still can't stop me!"
There was a united feeling of pride for their little cook. Even at his age, even after all he'd been through and all the times he was told 'no', he was risking everything he had for his dream. No matter what.
Judge was quiet a moment. When he responded, his voice remained low and precise. "I wouldn't want to."
Sanji faltered at this.
"It feels strange to admit this," Judge said. "But I suppose I am human after all. Even though my son is useless, I can't bring myself to kill him. But you're saying you'll go away voluntarily?"
"This guy loves to rub salt in wounds," Usopp muttered, disgusted.
The words coming from the man's mouth cut Sanji deeper than he was expecting. He was still supposed to be his dad, after all. Sanji knew he was weak and useless and a burden, but…
"I won't stop you then," Judge continued. "And I'll gladly let you have the key to that iron mask."
Sanji slowly lowered his sword, lip quivering as he tried to remain brave.
"Listen, Sanji. Before you and I part ways for the last time, there is something I must ask of you. A favor.
"Sanji doesn't owe you anything!" Nami shouted, frustrated.
"Vinsmoke Judge with that audacity again," Brook hummed, bony brows furrowed.
"No matter what, if anyone ever asks about your family, you must never tell them who your father is. You must know…that having youas a son is my greatest shame."
The Straw Hats were fucking livid.
All will drained from Sanji in that moment. Shoulders slumping, eyes shaking, he wondered what the point of fighting even was. No, he didn't want to be there. But he also hadn't been prepared for his father's harsh truth. Everything he had feared his father thought of him had been true. From the very beginning. No matter how hard he had tried… It hadn't mattered. He was a failure.
"I… I don't even have words…" Usopp stuttered. A whisper that mimicked the angry despair in everyone's thoughts.
Germa was where he was born, supposed to be his home, but without his mother there was nothing left for Sanji. He wasn't welcome. Just an embarrassment that his father had wanted to hide. Just a burden to everyone.
He had to leave.
It was better for everyone else if he was gone.
"Sanji…" Chopper choked on a noiseless sob.
Once the first cry broke through little Sanji's lips, he couldn't stop.
His heart hurt.
And it was too much.
Sanji let his sword fall, unable to control his weeping even as his father watched on in his shame. He walked past Vinsmoke Judge in a river of tears. The moment Sanji was finally freed from the weight of the helmet – which clanged harshly to the ground – he took off running, his painful sobs ricocheting one last time throughout the walls of his first home.
If the Straw Hats collected their combined tears, they could fill the sea.
With their combined rage, they could fill the galaxy.
Yet, nobody could find the right words for the aches in their hearts. Zoro wasn't the only one eyeing their captive chef this time. They hoped, more than anything, that he knew how much he was worth to them.
As Sanji's echoing cries faded out, the memory transitioned, and Sanji – waterworks still going – found himself ashore the island Germa had been attacking, Reiju beside him.
His sister pointed at a ship with a wine bottle figurehead that was docked at the port. It was being ignored by the carnage, and Reiju heard nobody was going to bother with it.
"You need to board that ship," she told her brother.
Sanji, hair long and disheveled but now free of grotesque iron, couldn't contain his crying. Futilely, he rubbed at his red rimmed eyes as his other hand tugged at the gold strands of his greasy hair.
"Come on, Sanji, stop crying like a little baby." Reiju grabbed her little brother and yanked his arms from his face. "Look, you can never come back here – understand?"
Sanji could only nod.
Reiju was breaking, too. "You'll be okay," she cried. "I swear!"
He managed a wet glance at her and she almost smiled at him. "The sea is really big, okay? You will meet nice people out there someday."
Everyone's eyes softened. Robin gave a light chuckle through her tears as she recalled a similar promise made to her before the buster call on her village. Saul and Reiju were both right, she thought.
The sea's a vast place, so I guarantee someday you'll find friends who won't ever leave you. No matter who you are, ain't no one born into this world to be alone!
The sea is really big, okay? You will meet nice people out there someday.
"Now goooo!" Reiju shoved Sanji toward that ship with every bit of her superhuman strength.
Tears streaking behind him, Sanji stumbled.
"Don't look back! Run awayyy!"
Sanji caught his step and ran. Ran as fast as he could. Away from the violence, away from the painful darkness, away from everything he once knew. His legs shook with terror and anxiety and adrenaline, but he never stopped.
"Run, Sanjiiii!"
Wailing the whole way, little Sanji finally escaped from Germa.
He never looked back.
At least, until he walked right back into it thirteen years later.
Warm sandy shores shifted back to the cold, gray cement of Germa's underground cloning facility. Everything was silent. Somehow darker than before.
And as footsteps faded into the distance, the Straw Hats gasped.
Balled their fists.
Covered their eyes.
Cried out.
Cursed everything to hell, because…
Although the three Vinsmoke brothers had finally ceased their assault, Sanji laid unconscious, sprawled on his back among the cracked tile slabs, face swollen beyond recognition and body drenched in his own blood.
Why did I force myself to rewatch all this for this fic? JUST TO CRY?