Chapter 54

To remember

Sanji concentrated all his strength in his right leg before kicking the immense pylon which vibrated under the attack without giving in. Mad with rage, the cook whirled again to better throw himself against the steel which creaked in return. He couldn't stop the anger from growing as he concretely confronted what his family had done, but at least he didn't let his fury control him. It only served to fuel his attacks to better erase their memory from the landscape. The sound of successive impacts soon created a continuous hum while below, his friends were also going wild.

The cook noticed several flashes of lightning growing around Nami while the sound of Franky's machine gun rivaled his own noise. A little further away, Luffy was having a blast and his vengeful fists were pulverizing everything in their path, like Zoro's blades on the other side of the room. Near the pools, Jinbei and Usopp still worked together, protected by Brook's sword, Chopper's broad figure and Robin's countless arms.

Sanji redoubled his efforts against his own enemy. He knew he had nothing to do with it but somehow, he still felt responsible. And to break away from this impression that still stuck to his skin, he could only fight to continue to prove to himself and to the inhabitants that he had nothing to do with those who had tyrannized them.

The day had started so well… As planned the day before, the crew had met as soon as breakfast was over to head towards the water tower. Usopp, Franky and Brook had tested the circuits and repaired the last control panels on the dashboard. They had also tried to send a message to the shuttle using their new radio but there was no response. Franky had assumed that the system would first have to be rebooted to amplify the signal range.

Luffy had been excited and he didn't wait for the cyborg's permission to turn on the power that reactivated the entire installation. In the midst of the initially flickering light, all the devices had gradually restarted and a whirring sound had been heard. The circuits had held on and no smoke had spread. On the contrary, the light had even stabilized and mechanisms had started up as well as indicator lights attesting to their smooth running as they progressed. Smiles had lit up faces and a huge button had finally started flashing in the middle of the control panel. Franky had pushed it in without hesitation.

At that moment, the water tower had shaken and the pirates had shared a puzzled look. Usopp had leaned out the window and urged his friends to join him. Below, the earth had opened up and a huge satellite dish had emerged, probably the way to contact the shuttle at such a distance.

They had rejoiced. The water tower was perched about a hundred meters above the ground, an ideal spot for observing the sky. It was not an installation that was intended to guide aerospace objects, but its high position made it a perfect place when the conquest of space had become a reality during the Vinsmoke era. The water tower had been emptied of water and converted into an operational control center.

Suddenly though, the satellite dish had stopped halfway and ominous sirens had begun to ring out. All the installations had paused and the main light had gone out. Only flashes of red had swirled in the room and commands weren't responding.

Franky had figured out that the system had gone into security alert when a trap door had slide above their heads at the top of the water tower. Robin's eyes had quickly located a large pylon that had scanned the entire area with lasers and a second later, the tools that the sniper had left at the entrance of the water tower had been pulverized. The cyborg had explained to the crew that his repairs had probably not been recognized by the Vinsmoke technology and that the system interpreted these changes as an attack. According to him, it was an ordinary protection against hacking which made it possible to take control of remote controls.

The shipwright had set about dismantling part of the control panel to short-circuit the problem, but even though he had torn it off, the defense system had remained. A countdown had even started and the atmosphere had become more tense. Who knew what the Vinsmokes had planned if their facilities fell into the hands of competitors? For his part, Sanji was certain that they would have preferred to blow up the water tower or even the entire island rather than let someone take ownership of their research and discoveries.

The blond had immediately felt fear creeping into him at this thought while the infernal noise of the sirens had prevented him from thinking calmly. In his panicked mind, if the water tower exploded, they would have no chance of getting the shuttle back and worse, if the island couldn't withstand the shock, the astronauts wouldn't be the only ones to lose their lives.

The cook's brain had started working at full speed. Law had remained on the Sunny and he would be smart enough to move away from the coast if necessary. Sanji was already planning to jump through the window to shelter as many inhabitants as possible on their ship when Luffy's hand on his shoulder had pulled him out of the whirlwind of his thoughts.

"Franky. What can we do?"

The cyborg had his head in the circuits and he had stood up to turn towards his captain. He had asked for pliers which Brook had been quick to provide and after cutting a huge cable at the power generator box, only the red light had remained while the shrill sound of the alarm had finally died down, allowing everyone to breathe.

"I studied the entire facility during repairs and I didn't see any destruction systems but there may be one hidden. What's sure is that they have one hell of a defense system and we can't cut it. It has its own autonomous power source," he explained, pointing to the pylon above them.

Luffy had increased the pressure with his fingers on the cook's shoulder and Sanji had felt himself relax. As the fog of stress faded, he had realized that this was a perfect opportunity to put into practice his new resolutions that Zoro's words had inspired in him. Indeed, the blond had decided to no longer be governed by fear and his attitude towards these events would determine how he would feel in a few hours. And as Law had pointed out, it was the accumulation of small decisions that would definitely influence the course of his path in the right direction. A victory today against the ghost of his family by giving the inhabitants the possibility of seeing their people again would give him back a part of himself, and so on until he has recovered everything.

Gathering his courage, Sanji had nodded and his captain's hand had left his shoulder at the same time while a smile had lit up his face. Of course, Luffy had sensed his new state of mind and the cook had strengthened his will. He wouldn't panic, he would trust his friends. He was not alone. Together, they could break down the protection the Vinsmokes had put in place, and if they couldn't, there would always be time to come up with a new strategy. But not before trying everything.

The countdown had come to an end and the defenses had been deployed to protect the water tower from intruders. The crew had shared the tasks then. Nami and Franky had leaned out the windows to target the sentry robots who were entering the premises in search of enemies around the satellite dish.

The bulk of the attacks had been concentrated in the control room though, the place where the enemies would have tried to take control of the water tower, and Jinbei and Usopp had rushed towards the empty pools from which all sorts of robots were emerging. A little further away, Brook, Robin and Chopper had attacked those who were targeting them from the corners of the walls while Luffy had positioned himself in the middle of the room to destroy as many flying robots as possible. For their part, Zoro and Sanji had tried to prevent shots of all kinds from hitting the newly repaired control panel but when the captain's fist had pierced the ceiling to better eject a robot, the cook had changed tactics.

After a nod with the swordsman, he had jumped towards the gaping opening thanks to his Sky Walk to reach the pylon before attacking it head-on. He knew that if he brought it down, the entire defense system would collapse since Franky had said it was its power source.

Yet the steel pylon was extremely resistant and Sanji had been struggling for many minutes now. Thanks to his Diable Jambe, he had gotten rid of the laser that was monitoring the area below and Nami and Franky had taken the opportunity to go down directly to the foot of the water tower. However, the blond had not yet managed to reach the inside of the pylon to deactivate it because the material which protected it was really effective.

Finally, the steel creaked again after yet another attack and Sanji gained more momentum before whirling around to further reinforce his power. His flaming foot rushed straight towards the crack that had just appeared and a second later, the pylon suffered the blow when the cook's kick shattered its protective layer. The pillar twisted until it bent on its right side while sheet metal scraps flew in all directions and into the control room a few dozen meters below.

"Watch out!"

Robin looked up and, immediately spotting the problem, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. A huge hand then appeared near the hole and deflected all the projectiles. Relieved, Sanji threw himself against the half-destroyed pylon. Even though he could easily reach the operating circuits now, he wanted to bring it down. He wanted to cause the fall of this pylon like that of the Vinsmokes and he redoubled his efforts to finally tear it from its base.

The pillar soon cracked under the pressure before falling to the ground and the blond warned his friends again. He then saw Franky's arm deflect it from its trajectory before it reached the satellite dish still half stuck underground while Nami was frying the last sentinel robots one after the other with her lightning.

Still high in the sky, Sanji caught his breath when the pylon fell in a shower of metal around the cyborg. He landed on the roof at the edge of the hole that Luffy had created and wiped his bloody lip that had been hit by a splinter. He then glanced at the control room and saw that the battle was coming to an end.

Indeed, deprived of their command, the robots continued to fight but they no longer got up once on the ground, undoubtedly running out of energy, and Usopp and Chopper quickly knocked them out while Jinbei made them explode under the pressure of his karate. Brook and Robin were still tracking the smallest of them as they slipped through the grooves in the walls while Luffy triumphantly strike a pose on the largest of them in the middle of the room and Zoro cut off the legs of a robot that was crawling on the ground to attack them.

In the end, calm returned and the blond jumped down to join his friends. At that moment, the safety disengaged and the light came back on. There were cheers of joy as the satellite dish below resumed its ascent and applause when it stabilized, its immense dome turned skyward.

Brook cleared the control panel and Zoro pointed to a new light button that Luffy quickly pressed. Robin heard a crackling and Usopp activated several commands on the dashboard while Jinbei and Chopper pushed the carcasses of the robots that were now cluttering the place. When Franky and Nami joined them, a voice boomed through the speakers and the crew rushed to answer it.

Sanji smiled brightly.

Sanji sighed with satisfaction as he gathered the empty dishes in his stall. He felt tired and happy. The morning had been rough but he felt that he had gained some peace of mind. Luffy's subtle reminder had allowed him to pull himself together and then, he had focused on his goal.

He had enjoyed a sense of belonging among his companions busy defending the water tower. He hadn't felt the need to involve Stealth Black to help him or be more effective. He had done his part and along with the rest of his friends, they had been victorious.

The message they had heard was a recorded call from the shuttle from several weeks ago. The astronauts expressed their concern about the lack of signal from their command center and the crew had rushed to send a message in return. After a few minutes, a response had come and a relieved man had explained that they had used almost all their fuel. They would use the gravity of the moon to throw themselves towards the earth and finally return home now that communications were working. The Straw Hat Pirates just had to wait for news from the shuttle and the final phase of their plan could begin.

With renewed confidence, Sanji had wanted to return to the market that same afternoon. Nami and Robin had immediately offered to accompany him again and the blond had had a hard time declining but he did. He needed to achieve the process alone and he needed to take this little extra step on his own. Chopper had then asked him a few questions before allowing him to do so.

The cook had left with around ten pies in his arms towards the market. It wasn't much but the little reindeer had insisted that he doesn't skip any steps and in less than two hours, Sanji had sold all his food, allowing him to further strengthen his confidence. The locals were starting to relax in his presence and even though he had given away most of his pies instead of selling them, no one had run screaming in front of him and the cook could not have hoped for a better outcome for this day.

The blond carefully put away the bouquet of now dried flowers that Nami placed each time among the plates before looking at it for a moment. He remembered the extraordinary way in which the navigator had behaved the first time they had come. In the process, he remembered how Robin had triggered the first move of the townsfolk towards him.

Suddenly, Sanji bit his lip. Had he thanked his princesses properly for this? He had been so overwhelmed with emotion each time that he struggled to remember exactly everything that had happened.

The cook felt his heart race in his chest and the bouquet of dried flowers escaped him to land limply on the stall while a myriad of memories assailed him.

Sanji relived all those times when Usopp was worried and clumsily tried to help him as best he could without hurting his ego.

He remembered Brook and Jinbei discreetly reassuring him with a remark or a gesture when he hesitated.

He became aware of the feat of Chopper who managed to support him through this ordeal by giving him enough space but also sometimes by firmly reminding him of his limits.

Franky, who worked day and night on the Vinsmoke technology to find an antidote and help the inhabitants for him.

Zoro, always by his side despite their tumultuous past. As faithful and silent as a shadow, but also as strong as a rock, and Sanji had relied on him more often than he would have thought.

And finally, Luffy. His captain. His eternal and unwavering presence. The one who had never stopped believing that Sanji was one of those who would help him make his dream come true.

The blond felt tears welling up in his eyes and he lowered his head, a surge of nameless gratitude suddenly filling his throat. He realized that he had never expressed the extent of his gratitude to his crewmates since he had begun to sink and now that he realized it, he could not let his friends in the dark one more minute.

The cook left his things and started running. He paid no attention to the puzzled looks of passers-by and merchants as he rushed towards the Sunny as if his life depended on it. Because his life depended on it. Without the Straw Hat Pirates, Sanji was sure he wouldn't be the same today.

Nami, Robin, Usopp, Jinbei, Brook, Chopper, Franky, Zoro, Luffy. Without them, Sanji knew he wouldn't have had the will to fight, he had sensed it right away. But caught up in his suffering, he hadn't appreciated how close he had come to becoming someone he fiercely hated and who would have swallowed up everything he had ever been. Fortunately, his companions had forced him to confront his demons.

At that moment, Sanji realized the inestimable opportunity offered to him. A chance that he almost didn't seize but which he was determined to never let slip away again. He would not live a life of regret. He preferred to struggle with himself today rather than cry over his fate when he no longer had the opportunity to redeem himself tomorrow.

The cook soon rushed past the last houses and took the road towards the port without slowing down. His feet couldn't carry him fast enough to find those to whom he owed so much and tell them everything he should have told them long ago.

Finally, the outlines of the Sunny appeared among the rays of the sun which were falling over the sea and Sanji quickened his pace even further. A second later, he jumped onto the deck and landed staggering on the green grass, gasping for air.

Most of his companions were gathered there and they instantly turned their heads when he arrived, surprised. Chopper was the first to react and he rushed towards the blond when he noticed that Sanji was struggling to catch his breath.

"Sanji, what happened?!"

In response, the cook dropped to his knees to hug him, his eyes shining with tears. "Thank you, Chopper, thank you. Thank you for everything you do for me…"

Stunned, the little reindeer froze before hugging the blond back with all his might. "I'm your doctor and your friend, you don't need to thank me!" He gently chided him as tears ran down his cheeks. "Are you sure everything is okay?" He then added, sniffing as he tried to examine the cook.

Sanji nodded and stood up to breathe, regaining control of himself. "I'm sorry, I needed to tell you and it couldn't wait."

"It's great if you're able to express yourself on this subject; it's excellent news," the reindeer said, wiping his own eyes.

The cook turned to the sniper who had come closer at the same time as the other crew members who were on the deck.

"Usopp, thank you…"

"Hey, don't worry." His friend replied awkwardly when the blond hugged him in turn, "It's normal, you know. You scared us…"

"I know and I feel bad about it. I'll do my best so that you don't regret it."

"Believe me, no one doubts you."

The blond finally straightened up before looking away so as not to flinch in front of the sniper's bright eyes and he fell on Jinbei's. "You must have a low opinion of me," he sighed. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this when you just joined us and I appreciate that you still supported me."

"I was witness to your unfailing courage on numerous occasions already," the Fish-Man said. "My support has been with you from day one."

As Sanji smiled in return, he was grabbed by the powerful arms of the cyborg who was crying his eyes out. "Sanji-bro, we missed you so much!"

"I feel like I've been on a long journey," the cook agreed after a few moments.

"What a joy to know you're among us once again!" Brook exclaimed in turn, moved.

"Thank you, guys. Thank you…"

The blond let himself be hugged for another minute before gently pushing away the shipwright who sniffed loudly. Sanji had to fight back his own tears far too often but he took a short breath then headed towards the first floor where the rest of the crew was watching the scene. He stopped in front of Robin who was sitting in front of a game board with the surgeon of death.

"Robin-chan, thank you for your presence and your interventions when I needed them," he murmured, bowing, "Thank you for what you did at the market and thank you for-

A hand suddenly appeared in front of his lips to stop him and the cook straightened up to stare at her, surprised. Facing him, the archaeologist smiled softly, "I know how you feel and there's no point in thanking me. Friends support each other no matter what."

Sanji felt another smile stretch his lips at these words and the hand vanished. His eyes then fell on the navigator who was holding a basket of freshly picked tangerines a few steps away and when he met her eyes, the tears he had held back as best he could came to his eyes again.

"I'm proud of you, Sanji-kun."

"Nami-san… Thank you for everything."

The young woman approached and put her fruit in his arms. "Don't worry about that. You can thank me by cooking my favorite dishes and giving me some treasures," she replied with a wink.

"Count on me," the cook said, deeply moved.

Finally, Sanji turned to Luffy. Standing a few meters away under the tangerine trees, the straw hat boy wore his characteristic grin and the cook took a step closer, his mouth dry.

"Luffy, I-

The blond paused, suddenly at a loss for words. There was none that could convey the depth of what he felt for his captain. He owed him so much that no words would ever live up to the gratitude he felt towards him.

"Thank you," he finally choked.

In response, the straw hat boy stretched out his elastic arms to wrap them around the cook's shoulders before propelling himself forward. Surprised, Sanji had the reflex to push aside the basket of tangerines while maintaining his balance when Luffy wrapped his legs around his waist.

"I wanted to do it; I don't like it when you're sad! I like it better when you're happy!"

The cook couldn't help but laugh and his emotion ebbed at the same time, leaving him lighter than he had ever been. He hugged the rubber boy who was laughing heartily against him and Sanji's gaze met Law's. He then put his captain down and took a step towards him, hesitant. "I guess I can thank you too. You helped me quite a bit on certain points after all…"

"I suppose you're right. However, I would like to avoid embarrassing outpouring if you don't mind," the surgeon replied, returning his attention to the game board. Sanji nodded, on the same wavelength, before turning around in search of the last member of the crew.

"He's up there," his captain told him, pointing to the mast and still beaming.

The cook felt his heart beat a little faster in his chest. Yet he took advantage of the calm he had just found to gently place his basket of tangerines in the shade of the trees before going back down the stairs.

At the foot of the mast, Sanji climbed the rope without hesitation but by the time he reached the crow's nest, he had slowed down considerably. He had so much to say to Zoro but the feelings inside him went beyond thanks. Unfortunately, before he had time to put order in his head, he had arrived.

Taking a deep breath, the cook slowly pushed the trap door open to climb inside and the shirtless swordsman turned around, lowering the sword he had been training with to look questioningly at him. Sanji remained frozen in return, unable to articulate the words he was burning to say, and Zoro ended up staring at him. The swordsman noticed his companion was tense then and he approached quickly, his eyebrows furrowed. Sanji understood that Zoro feared he was in shock again.

"Cook, what's-

"Thank you, Zoro."

The swordsman stopped, clearly surprised, and Sanji felt the tears he had been holding back since he had arrived escape him. He tried to compose himself instantly and facing him, Zoro smirked when the blond wiped his eyes with a sudden move.

"Shut up, grasshead. Chopper said it's great if I can talk about it so don't make fun of me!"

"I didn't say anything," his companion pointed out while his smile deepened in front of the blond's still watery eyes.

"It's just… a lot," the cook admitted as he felt overcome with emotion again. "I should have told you all before, I should have understood that you wanted to help me and-and…" Sanji forced himself to catch his breath, his hands trembling, and Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Hey, breathe, cook. You're gonna have a panic attack when you come to thank me?"

The blond glared back. "I… Of course I won't, I…"

Yet his breathing picked up in spite of himself and Zoro crossed the last meters between them to place his hand on the back of the cook's neck to pull him forward. With Zoro's forehead against his, Sanji swallowed as best he could while the swordsman grunted.

"Seriously, only you can make yourself sick when you finally feel better…"

"I am not having a-a panic attack, moron! It's because of the e-emotion!"

Zoro rolled his eyes when he heard him wheezing and Sanji ended up resting his head against the swordsman's shoulder to fight back his tears. He had been holding on since he had returned to the Sunny so he didn't want to let go now. He took several long breaths, still unable to stop his body from trembling slightly.

"Relax, cook, we don't need you to make a big deal out of it," Zoro's voice suddenly whispered in his ear. "It's enough for us if you're yourself again."

"I know…"

Sanji closed his eyes, enveloped by the comforting arms of the swordsman who slowly rubbed his back in a soothing gesture. He felt good despite his breathing a little too fast and the flood of emotions that was still surging. Much more peaceful than in weeks and even months. He hadn't finished fighting against what had been eating away at him for all these years, he knew it, but he finally had the feeling of moving forward on the right path and this feeling was unbeatable.

Suddenly, Sanji became aware of Zoro's body against his own. He straightened up slightly and looked for his companion's gaze. He found it only a few inches from his face and the cook felt a surge of electricity run through him in front of its intensity. He could almost feel the swordsman's hot breath on his lips and this time he shivered with desire without being able to stop it. Zoro didn't miss it and Sanji felt himself blush before looking away.

"What's stopping you, cook? That's not like you," he whispered.

The blond shook his head, his eyes still shifting. "Well, you didn't say anything when… I figured you lost interest."

Zoro's hands went to his waist at those words. "I didn't say anything because you didn't really know what you were saying. You were trying to get better. You would have been scared no matter what answer I would have given. You weren't ready."

"Maybe," his companion admitted.

"Do you know what you want today?"

The cook hesitated for a second and looked again for the swordsman's gaze. He was perfectly aware of his desires and what they implied now. And Sanji was ready to take responsibility for the consequences if only to achieve what he had promised himself. He refused to have regrets now.

"It's you I always wanted, Zoro."

"Then do it. If you want it, do it."

The blond's hands were trembling again and he placed them around the neck of the swordsman to look him in the eye. Zoro stared back. In the end, the cook closed his eyes.

"But what if you don't want me now?" He breathed against his lips, "I mean, so much has happened… There was my family and Pudding but even before that I-

"First things first, cook. For now, I'm here."

Sanji felt his own hands move on the back of his companion's neck and Zoro pressed his hips a little harder in return. The cook opened his eyes and let out a shaky sigh. Yes, Zoro was here, but he had no way of predicting if a common future still awaited them and despite his resolve, he could not prevent the fear from freezing his insides at this possibility.

Was it that important? he asked himself when his lips finally met those of the swordsman a few seconds later.

Whatever, he realized as their breaths mingled, awakening a fiery passion that had never stopped burning.

Whatever, Sanji repeated himself when an incredible sensation ran through him the moment Zoro brought his hands up around his face to deepen their kiss, pressing him as if to better make up for the time that they could never get back.

Whatever, he decided, abandoning his fears to fully enjoy the present moment and respond to the swordsman's call. Nothing else mattered when he was wrapping up a day that would, no matter what, be among his fondest memories.

Yes, it took time, but here it is! Sanji and Zoro have finally reached the tipping point!

At the time, I worked on all the scenes several times because it's a big and very dense chapter. I hope you liked it!