Chapter 48

Stuck to the skin

Zoro observed the cook in the arms of their crewmates. The blond had waited until breakfast was almost over to talk about what had happened to him the day before and although he had tried to do it as naturally as possible, his emotion had been palpable. Yet he had wanted to tell them everything: his incomprehension, his confusion and above all, his distress. When he had felt silent a few minutes later, nobody had missed his tight voice and in response, Chopper, Usopp, Franky and Nami had rushed towards him.

Sanji had been surprised but he had been quick to let go and now, seeing his relieved face and his arms closed around his friends, Zoro had no doubt that this was his greatest comfort. This physical support was exactly what the cook needed and despite his good will, the swordsman knew that he wasn't the one who could offer it. Everyone had their role to play in supporting their companion and Robin's sweet smile as she finished her tea like Luffy's satisfied laugh helped to soothe the blond in the same way as this embrace.

Soon, Sanji raised his head and searched for the still seated swordsman with his eyes. Zoro nodded back, a way of congratulating him in his own way. The cook had told him that he would inform the crew the next day and he had done so. The day before, the blond was terribly affected and a few weeks earlier, he would have done his best to hide his condition. But Sanji was no longer the same and he faced each new day as best he could now. He was still in pain but he refused to let his behavior be dictated by fear. He was undeniably progressing and the swordsman was the first witness of this. Whether by his posture or choices, Zoro found his crewmate more and more often and this observation warmed his body despite his otherwise impassive face.

The blond finally turned away to enjoy the warmth of his friends and Zoro turned his attention to his right to glance at Luffy who was laughing with Brook while trying to steal his last pancake from Jinbei. The swordsman felt deeply grateful to his captain and his respect for him had even increased. The straw hat boy definitely had an unusual personality and the fact that he had managed to see beyond the character the blond had locked himself into to bring him to his senses was further proof of this. Zoro knew that no one else could have reached the cook like Luffy had. He could never have pulled that off, if only because he hadn't even noticed the suffering of his companion while he had held him in his arms. Just like Sanji, the swordsman had everything to relearn.

Zoro absentmindedly ran a hand over Kitetsu at his waist. Going back to normal with the cook put him to the test too. By recovering a form of authenticity between them, it was actually all the upheavals of their past relationship which caught up with them at the same time and in particular the latest events which had separated them.

The swordsman gently stroked its hilt in the hope of soothing his blade as much as himself. A few days earlier, he had been surprised by the return of their ritual. Totally immersed in his fight against the blond, he had forgotten the blurry space in which they were both floating now. Fighting was probably their greatest habit and the best way they had always had to express themselves. Zoro had let himself be carried away, excitement pulsing in his veins as he found his companion a little more with each blow exchanged. He had been more focused on Enma and it was only natural that Kitetsu had sucked up his unconscious desires. At the end of his last attack, the black sword had rushed towards the cook and Zoro had stopped it a few millimeters from his chest.

It was at that moment that he had become aware of the intention of his blade. The Kitetsu hadn't wanted to cut his rival. It had wanted to get rid of the last barrier that remained between them, his shirt, and Zoro had felt the call of the flesh run through him as surely as the Kitetsu had wanted to caress the cook's skin with its sharp blade.

The urge of his sword had made its owner aware of the temptation and the swordsman was more cautious now. He kept strict control of his actions and thoughts during their fights and the incident didn't recur. Yet he always felt Kitetsu quiver during their fights and Zoro wasn't surprised to note that his cursed sword was the one that contained his instincts.

Despite appearances, the fencer knew that Sanji wasn't there yet. Certainly, the blond had left him stunned the night he had shared his feelings but Zoro didn't forget that the cook probably already felt something for him when they had a fling and that hadn't stopped him from running away. Sanji was trying to put his life in order and recognizing what he was feeling was an essential act for reclaiming his identity. That didn't mean he wanted to take the next step by acting on his feelings. Besides, he hadn't asked Zoro about his opinion or even expressed what he wanted in this regard. He had simply put into words what he felt and that was already a big step forward. Maybe one day Sanji would like to act on it and make his feelings come alive but for the moment, this was not the case.

It was up to the cook to take the first step if he ever wanted to and Zoro tried to remain as neutral as possible. The blond felt comfortable enough with him to confide and the swordsman appreciated this newfound trust between them. If Sanji figured out his rival's desires, maybe the fencer would scare him or get him angry. The cook was getting to grips with his confusion little by little and Zoro had no interest in rushing him. Last time, it had cost them both dearly.

The swordsman didn't forget that he himself needed to consider their relationship differently. If Sanji decided to take the step, the fencer could no longer let himself be overwhelmed by passion without taking into account the significance of their actions. He wasn't afraid of commitment, but he didn't know exactly what this relationship would require of him in return and he would have to be careful. As for the cook, he simply didn't consider himself worthy of such an act and he was for the moment convinced that he couldn't even allow himself to do it. His confidence was still too fragile and Zoro needed to give him time.

"What do you want to do, Sanji-kun?" Nami finally asked as his companions released their grip around him. "We can leave if you prefer."

"I'd like to help them," the cook admitted. "I know I won't be able to undo what the Germa did to them but if I can fix a little of what they caused at least…"

"Surely we can," Usopp said, "We could renovate their houses or their research center, for example."

"They need to see that they have nothing to fear from you!" The little reindeer agreed. "I can give them medicine and treat the sick if they have any!"

"If you got it in you, you can even make some recipes for them," Franky suggested.

"If there are Marines, we can kick their butts!" Luffy offered enthusiastically.

"By offering them our help to revive their economy, you'd leave a positive and lasting image," Jinbei pointed out to him.

"This would allow them to develop a financial policy on a sounder and more honorable basis than their previous attempt," Brook noted.

"This is the best opportunity," Robin confirmed. "The residents may not trust us at first but in the long term, this will remain the best proof of your positive involvement so that they can get back on their feet with dignity."

His friends turned to their cook, waiting for his answer, and Sanji nodded after a few moments. "I think I'd like to help them revive their economy," he decided. "I'd like them to know that they can trust again but also that they have the ability to help themselves and not to make the same mistakes. By giving them just a little push in the right direction, they'll have the opportunity to become stronger."

"Their main research center is only a few minutes away; we can go this afternoon to explain our approach," Nami suggested.

"It's gonna be super!" Franky was enthused.

"I can't wait to help them!" Chopper rejoiced.

"The Great Captain Usopp will give them the benefit of all his knowledge and technology!" The sniper pranced.

"Because you know something about technology?" Zoro said, doubtful.

"Didn't Sniper King tell you the story of the proud and brilliant Captain Usopp who saved the inhabitants of a modest island in the Grand Line by providing them with such knowledge that they later built modern facilities over more than a hundred thousand square kilometers?!"

"Did you do that, Usopp?!" Luffy exclaimed as the swordsman rolled his eyes.

"Sniper King didn't tell us!" The ship's doctor added, equally impressed.

"It must have been an exciting adventure," Brook laughed.

Sanji looked at his friends as good mood slowly returned to the galley. A wave of gratitude hit him hard. He had been so lucky to meet them. He was so lucky to still enjoy their presence. Usopp had started the story of his imaginary odyssey and Jinbei stared at the little reindeer and the captain hanging on his lips in disbelief while Robin stifled a laugh. Brook and Franky also followed the saga with interest, punctuating their sniper's flights of poetry with characteristic laughter and exclamations. For his part, Zoro had already moved on and Nami was probably thinking about their next action towards the island's scientists.

The cook collected the empty plates before taking them to the sink and running hot water over them. Despite the anxiety of the situation, he wouldn't have traded his place for anything in the world at that moment. Surrounded by those he loved and who loved him back, he felt the most privileged of men.

Sanji was slowly walking towards the northern end of the island. At the turn of his solitary walk, he had headed without thinking towards the abandoned center whose photo he had seen in the main building of the city. His friends had returned to the Sunny to put together a plan based on the information they had gathered and they were studying all the possibilities in relation to the research structures that the island had: the water tower, the main building in town and an old workshop not far from the port. Sanji was probably the only one to know of the existence of this other center because he had been alone when he had noticed it.

When the crew had walked into the main building early in the afternoon, panic had immediately engulfed the place. The presence of a member of the Vinsmoke family was clearly no longer a secret and seeing him enter had been enough to freeze the atmosphere. In the same way, while Nami and Robin had been able to talk with the locals the day before, the Straw Hat Pirates had become just as terrifying to them. The staff had fled before anyone could even ask a question or attempt to explain. Franky had tried to hold them back but the young woman he had grabbed had screamed so loudly that he had released her in surprise. Likewise, when Nami had wanted to step forward, the man she had wanted to question had fallen to the floor trying to get away from her.

Unease had taken hold of the crew. The people around them had been terrified and they couldn't even talk to them. Fear and dread had been visible on their faces. Everyone had felt how deeply what they had experienced had traumatized them and Sanji had felt the guilt suffocating him a little more.

Luffy had ended up wrapping his elastic arms around two men in white coats who were trying to escape behind yet another door and Zoro had blocked the others' path by standing in front of the only exit. The scientists had frozen, livid, and even when Usopp had tried to calm them down, they had remained silent, paralyzed by fear. Sanji had felt the weight of their horrified gazes clinging to him even more than to the menacing figure of the swordsman or the world-famous figure of his captain and the pain he had felt had taken his breath away.

He had spent his entire life trying to forget where he came from, and now the terror of these men brought him right back where he started, reminding him that in the eyes of the rest of the world, he would always be associated with those he hated.

In the end, he had left the room, certain that his friends would get nothing out of these panicked scientists as long as he was there. Chopper had come to join him in the office where he had sat against the wall and they had waited in silence for Robin to come find them. It was on this occasion that he had seen it, a black and white photo hanging on the wall among others. He had observed it absently, spotting the characteristic cliff in the north of the island behind which the complex was built, more to keep busy than out of real interest.

On the way back, Jinbei, Nami and Usopp had explained to their two companions that the inhabitants had kept three active centers which they were trying to restart while the others were abandoned. Their area of expertise was aerospace and it was for this reason that the Germa had been interested in them. At the time, their scientists were at the forefront of the subject and they passionately studied the components of the universe in the hope of one day traveling to the far reaches of space. It was an exciting field but one that required a lot of investment and paid little.

The Vinsmokes had seen an opportunity to further increase their power. Colonizing new worlds was an objective that matched their ambitions and if in the process they could win new resources in order to trade them, they weren't going to miss out on this. The Germa was a paramilitary empire but also a financial empire and they had showered with berries the leaders of the island who couldn't believe their eyes. The insane means made available to their science department had made them make giant leaps in terms of discoveries and progress, but the complexity of the natural laws of the universe required patience and humility for its exploration. Two qualities that the Germa didn't possess.

After a few months, the results and the beneficial effects were no longer convincing enough. The Vinsmokes had never been kind to the inhabitants but they had stayed away as long as the scientists satisfied them. Yet when their annoyance had taken over, they had begun to terrorize random scientific staff to make them work faster. Then they had made examples when a scientist didn't achieve the expected result. Their families had received a piece of his body or their colleagues had opened the door of their office on their severed head.

Managing through terror wasn't so much their primary concern as overcoming their boredom. The brothers had kept themselves busy by getting paid by neighboring nations to win wars but between two missions, they returned to their father who was experimenting on the consequences of weightlessness on bodies or on living conditions in space. Judge had the idea of perfecting his soldiers a little more and very often, his daughter had assisted him.

The Germa had lost patience when another spacewalk was cut short and the shuttle had exploded mid-flight shortly after takeoff. While the inhabitants had mourned their astronauts, the Vinsmokes had packed up and taken all their research away, but that was not the only gift they had left them. Furious to have wasted their time with those they considered incapable, they had destroyed all their installations, ravaged their homes and randomly killed residents on their way, leaving only cries of despair and ashes behind them.

With no means of subsistence left and heartbroken, the surviving islanders had decided to engage in illegal trading to try to earn some money while they got back on their feet. They were just recovering from their injuries when the Straw Hat crew had disembarked with another Vinsmoke among them.

And even if Sanji had never participated in the abuses committed by his family, his wanted poster and his appearance were enough to reignite the flame of their deepest fears and attempts at discussion were doomed to failure. Not enough time had passed to allow the residents to take a step back and the pirates couldn't expect their support or even any chance they might give them.

The crew had then decided to develop a strategy where contact with the population would be minimal. The inhabitants were too scared and the pirates would probably do them more harm than good, even with the best will in the world. Franky had offered to rebuild their centers and Usopp to provide them with wood for their damaged houses. Chopper was planning to give medicines to the pharmacies and Nami was even considering making a donation on behalf of the crew. Yet it wasn't really what they had hoped for nor what their cook had wanted to give them.

At the end of the afternoon, the straw hat boy's crewmates were rather disappointed and Sanji had felt the need to take a walk. Brook and Chopper had offered to accompany him but he had declined. The blond had wanted to be alone and he had followed the coast to avoid meeting any locals. After a while, he had seen the northern cliff and walked towards it without being able to stop himself.

Now the sky was clouding over with every passing hour and as he approached the headland, still following the beach, Sanji shivered. He had a feeling that venturing to this place alone was not wise given his unstable state, but an unhealthy curiosity pushed him to continue. He wanted to know what the Germa had done in every detail, but he was also ashamed of their actions and maybe he wanted to protect his friends from the cruel reality. As if the actions of the Vinsmokes had something to do with him despite their distance, if only because they shared the same name.

Finally, Sanji reached the limits of the northern beach which opened onto several rows of thick trees. At this point, he no longer saw the cliff but he knew that it was on the other side of the small forest which probably hid the entrance to the center. Without slowing down, the blond continued on his way. He only walked for a few minutes before entering a large clearing and as he had expected, a huge building with worn and largely broken stones stood just in front of the cliff in which it had been built.

As soon as he saw it though, Sanji froze in shock. He took a step back but his back hit a tree trunk and he jumped. His hands closed behind him on the hard bark and his breathing hitched. Sweat began to flow down his back despite the cool wind that was rising. He knew he should look away but he couldn't. He was hypnotized.

Facing him, like eternal guardians, the five members of the Vinsmoke family gazed at him from their full height, gray stone statues more than thirty meters high.

Sanji felt nausea twist his stomach as he stared at them helplessly. At the far left, Yonji had stroked a pose worthy of the greatest gladiators, sure of his strength and victory. To his right, Reiju was frozen in a more enigmatic smile. Among his children, Judge looked as indifferent and austere in his posture as in reality. Next to him, Ichiji offered the visitors his perfectly cold face and at last, Niji sized them up with all his arrogance.

Sanji felt anger wash over him. These megalomaniacs had built colossal statues in their own image and for their own glory like gods among mortals before crushing them as easily as ants!

The blond took a shaky step forward, then another. The main door was located between Judge's stone legs, and he tried to keep his eyes focused straight ahead as he moved forward. Despite the obvious agitation already coursing through his body, he needed to know. To know how far the Germa had gone.

I hope you liked Zoro's view.

The next chapter is going to be rough!