.:Chapter 7 - Cuffs:.


Darkness consumed the screens. Metal clanging. Hopeless sobs. Whimpering. Echoes of a child suffering and alone.

There was no color in little Sanji's life, yet Zoro was seeing red.

With a flash of dulled vibrancy, four children appeared on the monitors like ghostly whisps, fighting against hordes of Germa soldiers and beating them easily as Germa scientists praised their quick progress.

Vinsmoke Judge called to them with a rare smile. "You've done well," he said.

The kids — pink, red, blue, and green — grinned back, running toward their dad in a trail of laughter. Judge opened his arms wide as the four jumped into them. "I'm so proud of you all!" He laughed with them, gazing down with a kindness nobody had seen before. "My little masterpieces," he praised.

Then, in a puff of smoke, the image solidified.

There was Sanji.

Tiny, and shaking, and curled up in a ball with a metal helmet locked around his head in a cold, damp dungeon.

Alone.

Zoro's eyes trailed from the helmeted child on the screen to adult-Curly who was grimacing and strapped unceremoniously to a medical table. It was slight, but Zoro could make out the shaking of Sanji's sweat-soaked body. He remembered the way the cook had panicked when the helmet was placed on his head…

Suddenly, Zoro was moving.

"Zoro, no!" Nami screamed.

Next, Sanji was seen back at present day Germa castle after his duel with Judge sent him flying onto his back. The cook was still asking his younger self a question.

Little Sanji… I've got something I want to ask…

Zoro rammed into the clear prison wall. Just like with Luffy, it shot him back in a wave of blue light, but the pirate hunter turned pirate was on his feet again, colliding with the cell door even harder than before. Again, he was sent flying. Nami ducked with a scream, Zoro barely missing her as he soared passed.

The bald specialist with the robotic arm – Enver – stood and clicked something on his metal wrist. "What happened to his leg restraints?" The cell door buzzed brighter.

"Zoro, calm down!" Nami yelled when the swordsman pushed himself back on his feet and sprang again. "There's nothing we can do right now, please!"

"You're just going to get yourself hurt!" Usopp joined, watching Zoro fling himself just as unsuccessfully as the first two times. He almost crashed into Nami again.

"And me! You're going to get me hurt!" the navigator cried, rolling to the far ends of the containment hold. She kept her own legs pressed firmly together with the illusion they were still shackled. She had been using the scientists' distraction with Sanji's memories to pick at her and Zoro's leg restraints, with resounding success.

Leave it to the reckless mosshead to act out and draw attention to the fact his legs were free. The idiot.

Sanji's thoughts continued through the chaos.

Do you owe someone respect just because you're related by blood?

"We should sedate that one," Ashvin said, watching as the green-haired Straw Hat tried to catch his breath, his tanned skin smoking from all of Enver's electricity.

Teal-haired Rhys glanced over her shoulder at him as well. "He is in love with the sad Vinsmoke," she stated.

Zoro blushed and sputtered out a breath as he got back on his feet once again. "Who asked you?" he spat. His next words were directed at Hollowell. "Hey! It's obvious you're not gonna find what you're looking for. That asshole Vinsmoke obviously didn't think highly enough of the cook to let him in on anything, so take that fucking helmet off him!"

"~Teeshishishi. Men like Vinsmoke Judge oftentimes prefer to needlessly…show off their secrets." Hollowell clicked his tongue with a creepy grin and snapped his fingers at his specialists. "Let him throw his love-tantrums. There is no escaping containment even if he had faulty restraints."

Seeing as how the female Straw Hat still had her leg restraints locked, Enver nodded and retook his seat without question.

"Yes, sir," the specialists chorused, not even sparing Zoro a second glance. The swordsman was kind of offended actually. And pissed. Panting heavily and glaring at them all.

What do you say? Sanji wondered, thinking of the biological father he was currently in battle with. Any fond memories of him?

Can't think of one, can you?

If they weren't going to listen, Zoro would make them listen—

"Sit down," Nami hissed at him. When it looked like he was about to call her a 'witch' and argue, she said through gritted teeth, "Don't ruin this…" She wiggled her fingers, and his eyes traced down to see that their resident cat-burglar's wrists were free.

"Don't worry about Sanji, Zoro," Luffy said. "He can take this."

"Doesn't mean he should have to," the swordsman grumbled.

I'm sorry.

You've suffered so much…

Zoro scowled. "See? The dumbass is apologizing to himself now!" Always guilty when he didn't have to be. The shitty martyr made Zoro insane.

The Straw Hats did frown at that, but Robin tried to reason. "Our dear cook will be free soon enough." She made a pointed glance toward Nami so he knew what she was referring to without alerting their captors. "Let us remain rested until then, hm?"

Zoro met Luffy's bright, knowing gaze then. The captain smiled reassuringly, and Zoro fell to his knees in defeat. He watched Sanji stand – onscreen – as flashes of his life in the iron mask went through his mind.

["Father…let me out.]

["It's so dark in here. Please! Fatherrr!"]

I'm sure you've got nothing but anger towards him, Sanji thought. He watched the cold man who had been behind most of his suffering charge at him again, spear at the ready. Sanji poised for the attack, leg raising slowly and precisely. All the years of pent-up anger flowed through him, centering at the ball of his foot as he prepared his kick. This was a moment Sanji never knew he had been waiting for. The pain of the past mixed with the fury of the present. Vinsmoke Judge would pay. Right now.

That was something Zoro could get behind. Almost relishing the memory, wishing he had been there.

As Judge came at him, spear blazing, Sanji started to call out his attack when suddenly his father called out first.

"Wall up!"

In an instant, Germa soldiers had converged on Sanji, creating a wall of men between him and Judge. Sanji hesitated with innocent people in the way. But as Judge's spear sped closer, Sanji's eyes widened – as did the Straw Hats' – and he shouted.

"Watch out! He's heading straight for you!"

But the soldiers didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't even flinch. Sanji balked as the soldier in the middle was impaled. Judge's spear didn't stop as it went for Sanji, now smeared in the soldier's blood, and at the last second Sanji's foot came up in defense, contacting with the point of Judge's blade.

His hesitation cost him.

The impact hurt. It shot Sanji into the sky, cigarette flying free from his mouth. KO'd.

The Germa soldiers cheered.

The Straw Hats' mouths were hung open in shock as the scientists of Hollowell Mind Tech grew intrigued by such thoughtless obedience.

Luffy quickly turned angry, however. "What a lousy cheater!"

"He just used his own men as a shield," Usopp squeaked.

"What kind of person would do something like that?" Chopper rubbed at his poor eyes. He didn't think the tears would ever stop at this rate.

"A cruel one," Zoro stated. "And a coward."

"That's super uncool. Sanji had that fight in the bag before Judge pulled that nasty trick."

"To have men willing and ready to die by your own hand... For such a trivial duel, as well." Brook shook his head. "Makes my blood boil. ...At least it would if I had any veins. ~Yohoho!"

Robin agreed with the skeleton. "I wonder if Germa's soldiers are also modified."

"~Teeshishishi. You see what I meant about powerful men wanting to show off the extent of their power, Roronoa Zoro?"

The swordsman snapped at Hollowell. "Shut the hell up. I wasn't asking!"

After Reiju patched Sanji up like old times, commenting how she couldn't believe he was the same helpless brother she used to know, Judge entered the scene again, somehow more smug than before. Of course he and Sanji argued, with the cruel king reminding the cook that it was his blood that ran in Sanji's veins.

"Quite the narcissist to keep bringing that up," hummed Brook.

"You would think Judge wouldn't bring it up as often as he does considering he believes Sanji a failed Vinsmoke," Robin said. However, with Judge's next words, it was clear why he was suddenly adamant Sanji remember who sired him.

"I require Big Mom's help," Judge explained. "But unfortunately she requires a blood connection in return."

"Well, I still don't get it," muttered Usopp. "Why'd he have to bring Sanji into it if he has so many other precious masterpieces?" The sniper made a face as he imitated Vinsmoke Judge.

"Frankly, I do not relish the thought of marrying off one of my invaluable sons to someone in that demented madwoman's lineage."

Usopp instantly frowned. "Ah."

"Just a pawn in a very cold game of chess," Brook sang.

Judge eyed Sanji pointedly. "Then I remembered…years ago I had another child who was an absolute failure."

"Tell me you guys killed this asshole," grumbled Zoro.

"Well…" Nami, Chopper, and Brook all trailed off, making faces.

"Oh man, you'd have been so mad," Luffy chortled as if it was the funniest thing in the world. Zoro thought maybe he didn't want to know anymore what happened on that damn island.

"You'll be a sacrifice for the family," Judge continued. "Understood? I haven't changed my opinion of you, and I do not think of you as a worthy son. Just so we're clear."

As Sanji's eyes were reluctantly pinned on Judge, Reiju snaked her way over to him and something cold clicked against both of Sanji's wrists.

Gold bracelets?

No. Not bracelets…

Judge smirked. "You mentioned your hands are important to you. That works in my favor. You know of the collars celestial dragons put on their slaves, yes?"

The crew froze, hit with instant realization at where this was going.

"If they try to escape from their masters it detonates, removing their heads." He gestured to Sanji's new accessories. "These are rigged to work the same way. If you try to flee your hands will be blown off."

Chopper gasped. "No!"

"Geez..." Usopp winced. "Guy can't catch a break. Like, at all."

Zoro's temper was rising again. Those bastards threatened his hands on top of everything else?!

It took a moment for Luffy and Nami to process what they'd just watched. And then suddenly they both shouted, "Wait… HAAH?"

"WHEN DID HE HAVE THOSE?" Nami demanded. "Wait. He was wearing them when we first found him, wasn't he?"

"Oh yeah." Luffy nodded. "I thought they were just part of his fancy prince outfit."

Nami groaned.

"How'd you guys not know about these?" Usopp asked. Nami pouted in frustration.

"Look, a lot was happening, okay?! And he never said anything..."

"He wouldn't, though," Zoro muttered with his eye closed, trying to keep calm.

Nami sighed. "I suppose you're right. He wouldn't have wanted us to worry. And looking back at his past, I don't think Sanji thought he was worth the trouble…" The thought saddened Nami considerably. "Maybe that's why he pushed us away so hard that day."

Something about her words made Zoro's stomach clench uneasily. He always wondered how their captain brought their cook back. How it went down... Wasn't his place to ask, though. Even after he and the cook became official, he didn't feel right asking.

And the witch had another point that Zoro didn't want to consider — that Sanji probably never expected Luffy to go after him. He didn't expect the same passion that Luffy had for the rest of the crew because Sanji didn't think his worth was equal to theirs.

Bile rose in Zoro's throat. He'd never felt so much rage in his life, watching the stupid tiny cook suffer and realizing that past still haunted him to this day. And he didn't say a fucking word to anybody. What a fucking pain. How'd Dartbrow end up with such a shitty family?

Chopper noted, however, that Sanji didn't have the cuffs on when he and Luffy arrived at Bege's castle.

"Oh," Nami realized. "You're right."

"See? He got them off," Luffy grinned. "Nothing to worry about."

"Still can't believe we didn't know," the navigator mumbled.

"It had to be yet another knife they were holding above his head to keep him there," Brook said.

"And with his childhood it's no wonder the guy felt he had no choice but to go along with them," Franky added.

Robin sighed sadly. "And now they're threatening to take away the thing he prides himself in most."

"Ah, I wouldn't have let it happen anyway," Luffy said, matter-of-fact. He wasn't worried because it was in the past, and he knew how it ended. And he also knew that if he had known what was happening at the time he would've saved Sanji and his hands no matter what. Those were Sanji's treasures, and Luffy would do everything to protect them.

Onscreen, Sanji stared down with wide eyes at the gold bands only a sadist would create, and a far-off memory swirled into his head as gray brick transformed into brown wood. A gruff voice filled the room.

"Now, let me see your hands," Zeff said.

A grin stretched across Luffy's face again. "Hey, it's the old guy with the funny hat!"

"That must be Zeff," Robin guessed. Although the face was new to some, his name had been shared with all the Straw Hats at some point along their journey. He was clearly part of Sanji's better memories. She was delighted to finally put a face to the name.

Tiny, scratched palms appeared, and a now-tween Sanji was pouting up at the wiry-whiskered chef who had taken him in. Zeff took one of the kid's reddening hands and began to gently wrap it.

"It's covered in bruises," the older cook scolded.

Sanji's frown faded as he inspected the bandage. He wasn't expecting the old man to take care of it like that.

But then: "Stupid brat," Zeff said, fist suddenly knocking Sanji upside his blonde head.

Offended, Sanji shot back, "Why'd you do that, you old geezer?!"

"I've explained this before! Don't you ever use your hands for fighting!"

Young Sanji paused to consider this. He didn't quite understand it yet, but he hung onto his mentor's words until it was a part of him.

Now, as the memory focused back on the cuffs clasped around adult-Sanji's wrists, the fear in the curlybrowed cook's eyes was evident. Sanji looked up from his captive hands and glared at the two Vinsmokes in front of him.

"Screw you! Take 'em off!"

Judge scoffed at the order.

"You can't run away - cuffs or no cuffs," Judge continued after telling him only Big Mom possessed the key. "Because I have the entire Germa army to put you in your place. We will see this marriage through."