He lies down on the bed and holds his love in his arms. Their breathing gradually calms, and Sanji lets out a small whimper.
"Damn, feels like I won't be able to walk tomorrow." He says, burying his face in the pillow to shield it from the sun's rays. The swordsman chuckles, caressing the body against him.
"Should I take that as a compliment?" He quips with amusement, sitting up to rest his head on his fist, observing the grumpy blond.
"You wish, moss-head."
"Well, it's not 'Zoro~' anymore, huh? You seemed to like my name though." The blond blushes, pressing his face further into the pillow.
"Shut up!" The assassin bursts into laughter, getting up from the bed and standing in front of the sulking blond with a broad smile. Perplexed, the chef raises an eyebrow. "What?"
Without a word, the green-haired man scoops him up in a princess carry and exits the room.
"Hey! What are you doing?! Put me down right now!" Shouts the kidnapped, turning tomato-red.
"You need to clean up after all we've done. And I'm pretty sure you can't take a single step. So stay put." He says cheerfully, opening each door on the floor until he finds the bathroom with a bathtub.
He gently sets down the chef, who decides to remain silent, crossing his arms and puffing out his cheeks like a child.
"I can walk just fine, you damn swordsman." He grumbles, earning another smile from the seaweed-head.
"Sure, sure, my heart." He declares, running the water until it's just the right temperature. Without complaint and enjoying the situation, Sanji lets himself be washed by the care of the Marimo, who is much gentler than one might expect from his mountain of muscles and scars all over his body.
Once clean, he's wrapped in a towel and seated on the toilet while Zoro takes his own shower. The sight of the large scratches on the swordsman's muscular back gives the blond a small sense of pride, knowing he's the only man on earth who has touched that part of the infamous King of Hell. Then they return to the bedroom, once again in princess-carry mode. He has to admit, he could get used to this.
They dress in silence, wondering what they'll do next. Because death is always at the door.
"Marimo, I..."
"I have a plan to deal with them, don't worry." His voice is steady, and Sanji feels like he's facing the stoic man he's always known.
"What's your brilliant idea? Because let me remind you, they're not defenseless. If they're coming without bodyguards, we're lucky. Not to mention, if they show up now, I won't be much use."
"Don't worry, you don't have to lift a finger. I'll take care of them and catch them off guard one by one." The blond's expression darkens.
"You intend to kill them, don't you?" The professional assassin's look gives the impression of surprise.
"Of course I do. They want to kill you, and I'm not giving them the chance to harm you." He approaches the blond and kisses him. "Now that I have you, I'm not letting go. Let them come, I'm ready for them." Sanji blushes at the green-haired man's possessiveness, but furrows his brow as he considers something.
"Me too... I don't want to leave you now, but... staying alone isn't the right solution, it's too dangerous." Zoro opens his mouth to say something, but he's cut off by the blond's hand. "That's why I'm going to call people I know who can help us." The swordsman looks puzzled.
"If that's the case, why didn't you call them to help fight me?" His blue eyes turn away and he looks guilty.
"Well... I... I didn't really have a reason to live. I didn't want to involve anyone, and I certainly didn't want to be responsible for the death of one of the few people I could call a friend. But..." Sanji looks at the face of the man his heart loves. "Now, I don't want to die anymore. I want to be with you, continue being with the crew, endure Luffy's screams, Usopp's lies, Nami's scolding, Robin's stories, Chopper's cuteness, Brook's music, and Franky's inventions." He steps forward to stand right in front of the swordsman. "But most of all, the arguments I have with you, the fights I have with you, the trouble you always cause, the fact that I always have to go into town to find you, your habit of drinking like a fish, your kindness to children, the strength you radiate to protect your friends, the devotion you have to your dreams, and your habit of always keeping your promises." They gaze into each other's eyes, seeing each other's souls. "I want to be with you because you're the person who pushes me to be better every day, always keeping an eye on me and distracting me from my melancholy whenever something goes wrong." He kisses the lips before him. "You've become my reason to keep going today. So take your responsibilities."
Zoro listens without interrupting, feeling his heart swell more and more with each word from the blond. Gently, he takes the pale hands and presses them to his lips.
"I'll take all the responsibilities in the world if it means staying with you. I'll protect you from threats so you can stay free. I'll support you in your new ventures and endure your mood swings." He says teasingly, earning a tap on the shoulder before taking Sanji's hands in his own again. "You're the light that keeps me from sinking into darkness. Your smile is the best remedy I know for lifting my spirits. You may be a ladies' man, but we all know you'd never hurt a woman. Your cooking is the best I've ever tasted, so..." He places his hand on Sanji's tear-streaked cheek. "Would you share your life with a fool like me?"
Sanji is crying his heart out and in one leap, he wraps his arms around the broad, reassuring shoulders of the man of his life.
"Of course, you idiot! I want to be with you, live with you, and grow old with you!" He cries tears of joy, and Zoro smiles like he's never smiled before in his life. He spins him around the room and kisses him passionately.
But happiness is short-lived as three black cars pull up in front of the house. With a sudden movement, Sanji rushes to the still-open window and watches as the doors open to armed men—his brothers and father.
"Damn, they're already here." His face pales drastically and he looks at Zoro with anxiety. "What do we do?" Zoro secures his swords to his belt and adjusts his headbands to cover his face.
"You stay here while I handle it."
"But-"
"No, you can't fight, you're their target. So stay put. I promise to come back alive. That's a promise." He presses his forehead against the blond's. "Do you trust me?" Sanji looks at him apprehensively but eventually relaxes.
"I trust you." Zoro kisses his forehead before heading towards the bedroom door.
Downstairs, there's knocking and the brothers shout to open up.
With one last glance, Zoro closes the door on a terrified Sanji. But the prince isn't going to sit idle. Once the door is shut, he grabs his phone and calls the people who can get them out of this mess.
"Hello? It's Sanji. I need you to bring as many armed guys as you can to my place. It's time for me to break free."
Zoro quietly closes the bedroom door behind him. Ahead stretches a long corridor leading to a spiral staircase. Remaining in the corridor gives him a one-on-one advantage, but he's more vulnerable to gunfire. If no reinforcements arrive, he has to face three princes, a princess, the underworld king, and between 6 to 10 guards depending on whether there were 4 or 5 per car. That's a maximum of 15 people... It could be worse.
At the entrance, someone pounds violently on the door.
"Open up, you trash! Unless you're already dead!" The swordsman grunts at the words, tightening his grip on Wado's handle. He moves towards the staircase and opens the first door on the landing, slipping inside. Surprise is crucial in this situation, and pushing enemies down the stairs can buy him time.
"You're clearly dead! Or you're hiding like a coward! Come on, guys! Break down that door!" The door bursts open and the ground floor is flooded with guards, followed by the rest of the Vinsmoke family, except the sister waiting in the car. If given the choice, she wouldn't have come, but she can't disobey her father, especially since he now has no qualms about eliminating them if he's dissatisfied.
"Hey there, Sanji! We've come to fetch you! I wonder how the King of Hell killed you; you've been in his crosshairs for a while. He must have really worked you over all night!" Zoro smiles slightly at this remark, knowing he indeed took care of him, but not in the way they think.
The sound of footsteps approaching the staircase puts him on high alert, and he hides in a blind spot. He closes his eyes, focusing only on the creaking of the wooden steps.
The person climbing the stairs has a steady gait but stops abruptly in the middle of their ascent.
"Stop, Yonji. Let a guard take the lead; there's no guarantee the King of Hell is gone." Says an authoritative voice, likely Judge.
"Huh? Seriously? That guy must have been gone a long time after redecorating the room with his guts," complains the youngest brother.
"It's an order." Pouting, Yonji descends the stairs to let several guards pass. "Search every room in this house."
"Yes, sir!" Hearing the command, Zoro draws his swords and positions himself to impale the first person who comes into his reach.
The sound of several people climbing the stairs is clearly audible, without any attempt to be discreet.
From his vantage point, the assassin sees the first guard pass by, then two more, the last one approaching the door where he's hidden. But before the guard can react, he finds himself with a blade in his stomach and throat, preventing him from alerting the others who still have their backs turned. Without hesitation, Zoro leaps at the second man, who turns because he sees something in his peripheral vision, but like the first, he can't make a sound.
"Warni—" The third guard couldn't finish his sentence.
"BANG!" The fourth guard panicked and fired, but the bullet lodged into the wall, and he collapsed to the floor. Four down.
"What's happening up there?!" The hurried footsteps on the stairs give Zoro no time to hide, so he does the only thing that seems smart at the moment—charges headlong into the belly of the first guard to reach the top of the stairs, taking the three remaining guards with him.
Zoro manages to grab onto the railing to avoid falling himself. For a split second, his gaze meets that of the underworld king, who widens his eyes in surprise. With a quick motion, Zoro retreats back upstairs to find cover from prying eyes.
"YOU! KILL HIM! I WANT HIM DEAD! Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, come!"
"What?! Why?! We want to fight too!" Niji shouts before being grabbed by the collar by his father and forced out of the house.
"We don't question my orders!" With rapid strides, the family rushes out of the house. The King Of Hell grits his teeth in anger.
"Damn it!" Those cowards are fleeing, and Sanji won't be safe until they're dead. He needs to stop them from taking the car, but he also can't let the guards reach the Cook.
"BANG!" A bullet ricochets in front of him, preventing him from advancing and pursuing the fugitives. But he's not done yet. He rushes to Sanji's room at lightning speed to reach the open window.
"BANG! BANG! Bang! BANG! Bang!" The gunfire echoes through the house, but there are also shots fired outside.
"What's going on?!" With a swift movement, he opens the door and comes face-to-face with a loaded gun and a sapphire eye staring at him in surprise, before being grabbed by the collar and thrown into the room, the door slamming shut.
"What the hell are you doing barging in like that! Imagine if I shot you in surprise!" The blond shouts, locking the door with his gun still raised and staying on guard.
"But you didn't shoot, so if you're going to scold me, do it later, you damn cook!" The green-haired man growls, rushing towards the still open window. They hadn't closed it all night? They hoped the neighbors wouldn't mind them not letting them sleep and waking up to gunfire.
His hand was grabbed before he could jump.
"Wait, moss head! There are allies outside, I called them and they're dealing with the Vinsmokes. Please stay here, please." Sanji pleaded with a worried and pleading voice, squeezing his hand with all his might in a futile attempt to restrain him.
Seeing the blond in the throes of anguish, Zoro moved away from the window and took his beloved in his arms. Initially surprised, Sanji eventually let go to wrap his arms around him in return.
"It's okay, Cook. I promised I'd come back alive," Zoro whispered as he pulled away slightly to look into Sanji's worried blue eyes. "But I know you'll never rest easy as long as they're around," he added, stepping back another pace to break the embrace. "And neither can I live a normal life while they're a threat." Without waiting for Sanji to respond, Zoro turned and leaped out of the window before the blond could stop him.
Outside, it's a real battle scene. Strangers are fighting against the last three guards who came out of the house, as well as the underworld princes. But the sight of one person almost gives the famous King of Hell a heart attack.
"Sanji!" A boy wearing a straw hat dashes towards the house before leaping straight to the first floor. "Sanji! ARE YOU OKAY?!"
Zoro is still stunned by the arrival of his best friend before someone shouts at him.
"Hey, King of Hell! How about giving us a hand, yoi!" A tall man with a pineapple head lands right beside him, punching one of the guards who rushed at the swordsman.
"Marc—" He stops just in time, remembering he's currently the King of Hell. But the tattoo on his chest makes his eyes widen. He knows it. Then it clicks.
"The Phoenix of Shirohige..." The blond looks around before fixing his gaze on him.
"So you're the infamous King of Hell. You don't look so tough." He receives a flat stare from the assassin before he raises his blade and slices the guard who had stood up in half.
"I could say the same about Whitebeard's second. What are you doing here?" Marco flashes an amused smile.
"Our mutual friend called us to help him get rid of the parasites after his life. We've already got hold of the princess, who surrendered without a fuss, but the others might be more complicated." He gestures towards Judge, who was fighting against several people, including a freckled man with black hair.
"Ace?"
"On a mission, he prefers to be called Hiken, so please don't repeat it." Zoro is increasingly confused. Luffy's brother is part of one of the city's largest gangs, and he never knew this information?! Seriously, what is his informant doing? Unless they're in cahoots, because come to think of it, he's never been on a mission to eliminate a member of this clan, except for a certain Blackbeard, but that was only because he betrayed them.
Marco is drawn to something and leaves Zoro hanging.
"We'll deal with it later. First, we need to take down the princes and Judge! Come on, kid!" The assassin grunts at the remark, muttering that he's not a kid before diving back into the fray, attempting to reach the first prince with red hair who is already fighting against an androgynous man named Izou.