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Chapter 81

Unbreakable

"Hey, Nami!"

Sitting on the beach, the young woman turned towards the voice that had just called her. Despite the bright sun, a cold wind made her long red hair dance around her face and she tucked a strand behind her ear while her captain plopped down next to her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "I thought Brook wanted you to listen to the songs he chose for the ceremony."

"We did and it was great!" Her fiancé replied as he sprawled out on the sand. "There'll be games with really weird music! Then he and Franky looked at how to set the tables so I went to see Usopp and Chopper but they were busy with Robin, Vivi and your sister, no one wanted to come and have fun!"

"It's because the flowers arrived, they need to think about how to arrange them in the room," the navigator told him. "That's also why I came here, they want to surprise me."

"I don't know where Zoro, Malek and Sanji are," the straw hat boy added as he looked at the cloudless sky, disappointed.

"Sanji and Malek are at the All Blue, they're checking the delivery of the last orders and Zoro probably is at the crow's nest to train."

"This is not funny…"

The young woman shrugged her shoulders before looking back at the sea to observe it for a few moments, her cheeks reddened by the fresh air. "Do you realize? In three days, we'll be married, Luffy," she suddenly said.

At her side, the straw hat boy grinned. "It'll be so cool!"

"I'm having trouble realizing it's finally happening, but I'm also so excited," she agreed.

A short silence stretched quietly between the two fiancés. Luffy turned onto his stomach and began to try to count the grains of sand he had collected in his hand while Nami seemed lost in her own thoughts.

When she spoke again a few minutes later, she had her eyes fixed on the horizon. "I don't think I've ever told you, but I love you, Luffy."

The straw hat boy looked up at her, surprised. "You sure you never told me? That's weird, I feel like you've done it a lot of times!"

"I'm sure. It's even pretty stupid because I often wanted to tell you without really finding the courage and then, when we argued, I really regretted never having dared…"

"Ah. Yet when you were at Torao's and even when you were looking for the currents for the Sunny, I thought you told me," Luffy insisted, his eyebrows furrowed.

Nami smiled and finally turned her head towards her captain. "This is typical of you," she laughed. "You deduced my feelings from my actions, but I never bothered to tell you to your face and I wanted to do it. I know we're getting married, so it might seem obvious, but I wanted to. Just so you don't doubt it."

"Okay!" The straw hat boy approved, his huge smile on his lips, "You know, I love you too!" He added firmly as he straightened up.

"I know." Nami leaned down to kiss her fiancé and their breaths mingled for a few moments before the navigator plunged her eyes back into those of her captain who was watching her. She looked back for a moment before hesitating, visibly troubled.

"It's weird… I expected that telling you would allow me to feel completely at peace but it's not really the case… I don't know if these words are actually enough…"

As Luffy looked questioningly at her, the redhead ran her cold fingers over his warm cheek.

"I don't really know how to explain it, but it's like since I met you, the world finally turns in the right direction," she whispered. "As if this was finally the place I wanted to live in and that thanks to you, my life was no longer an endless mess… So I don't know if telling you that I love you is strong enough to convey that my heart beats a little faster every time you look at me. That I feel a little prettier, even if you don't give it much importance. That there's no other person who makes me feel as good. Can you imagine? There's no compliment that makes me happier than yours, even if they're sometimes absurd like when you threw that huge fish at me from the deck of the Sunny," she finished with a smile.

"Oh, I remember! You made a list after!"

"Yeah. And in the end, I think I liked the fish better…"

Nami rested her back against her captain's chest, calmly contemplating the azure blue sky. She enjoyed the warmth of the body pressed against hers before grabbing one of the straw hat boy's hands to wrap it around her. She then closed her eyes, lulled by the sound of the waves and Luffy's breath on the back of her neck.

"I knew the power of love thanks to Bell-mère before I met you and when she died, I totally rejected it. I never wanted to get attached to people again if it was to suffer so atrociously when they disappeared. But you, little fool, you didn't care when you forced me to board your ship," she joked, caressing his hand.

She sighed, a smile on her lips and her eyes still closed.

"I found a family among the crew but now, I know that if something happened to them, I wouldn't die of grief. I'll recover precisely to continue in the name of everything we shared. So that this love lasts as long as possible."

"Just like for Ace," Luffy said. "Like for Ace and for Sabo."

Nami squeezed his hand a little harder to approve before straightening up to face him and looking deeply into his eyes. "I know that you will become the Pirate King and I swear that there'll be no current that I won't sail to take you to Raftel. There'll be no obstacle that I won't overcome to see you there and be by your side. No matter the Marines, the storms or our enemies in our path."

"No matter the consequences," her captain repeated firmly.

"And until death do us part, I will love you the same," she promised him again.

"Well, I'll love you even after!"

Nami put her arms around his neck to kiss him, a smile on her lips. "If there's someone who can love beyond death, I know it'll be you," she agreed.

Luffy closed his own arms to hold his navigator close, beaming. He had no doubt that he would love all those he cherished long after he left this earth. He loved his friends, he loved his family, he loved his crew and he loved Nami. His love knew no bounds.

Sanji put his crates of figs and onions in the Sunny's galley before turning back towards the orchards. He had no time to lose: he had to start prepping food for the ceremony the next day if he wanted to keep up with the All Blue's services. Fortunately, Malek was helping him with this task and while the archer had left with Liam to get their last deliveries, Sanji had taken charge of picking the fruits and vegetables needed for their first dishes. The fig and candied onion chutneys to accompany the foie gras verrines were just waiting to be cooked, but first, the blond also wanted to bring back apples and lemons for his pies, not to mention fresh herbs for the All Blue's evening service.

With his empty crates in hand, Sanji hurried back onto the deck and saw the swordsman's annoyed face as he came down from the mast at the same time.

"What's the matter with you now, you damn mosshead?" He asked, stopping to get rid of the damp earth stuck to his crates.

"Nothing."

The cook shook his head while Zoro stood at the railing, his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on the ocean. For days now, the swordsman had resumed a frantic pace, and Sanji had had time to notice his various effects. And while he had been pleased to see that Zoro seemed to be finding some peace in his discipline, he had also noticed that his crewmate had been growing annoyed lately. For his part, he did not understand this attitude. Naturally, Zoro was impatient to get his connection back with his swords, but at the same time, he had spent weeks cut off from all sensation and it made sense that he would not find his bearings so quickly.

"You're putting too much pressure on yourself."

The swordsman's face remained impassive. "That has nothing to do with it."

"Come on. You've been pushing yourself even harder since you thought you were onto something during paintball."

"Of course. I know I'm close," the fencer replied.

"Maybe, but your method doesn't work. Proof is, you still don't sleep." The swordsman frowned and Sanji shrugged while finishing shaking his last crate. "You think we didn't notice? You've always been in a foul mood whenever you can't get your improbable quota of sleep. Not to mention that no one walks on you because you didn't collapse in the middle of the ship."

"It's because there's something wrong," his crewmate mumbled, still turned towards the horizon.

"What is it?"

"Just forget it; it's too complicated."

Sanji rolled his eyes and threw two of his crates that landed at the swordsman's feet. The man finally turned towards him, frowning. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Let's go. I need a pack mule and you need a break."

"I didn't say I wanted to rest," he pointed out.

Sanji smirked in return while slipping a cigarette between his lips. "Your dazed face tells me that you need a break so come with me to the orchards, you'll think of something else. Besides, we'll have time to talk about it and it might allow you to figure out a thing or two."

Zoro scowled. "I don't wanna talk about it, I can't even explain it to myself."

"All the more reason," the blond insisted, pointing to his crates.

The swordsman didn't move and the cook kept himself from shaking him like a plum tree. Since Zoro had resumed his training, he was less and less inclined to continue sharing what he was experiencing in his quest for Haki and although Sanji sincerely believed that this was the return of his companion's grumpy character, he didn't appreciate being pushed away after everything he had done for him.

"Hurry the fuck up, mosshead. I don't have all day."

The blond retrieved his own crates, turned on his heels and walked towards the beach, annoyed. A few seconds later, as he reached the edge, he still couldn't hear anything from the swordsman and so he prepared to jump over the railing without wasting any more time. At that moment though, he finally heard the sound of the swordsman's boots following suit after picking up his crates and Sanji jumped onto the sand without turning around, a satisfied smile on his lips.

"There's something wrong."

"No kidding." Sanji shook his head even though the tense swordsman behind him couldn't see it, and clenched his teeth around his cigarette butt to keep himself from getting angry.

For nearly twenty minutes that he had been dragging the swordsman from one tree to another, the crates were almost full but Zoro's mood had not improved and that of his companion even less. During all this time, the blond had tried to find out what was frustrating the swordsman that much but apart from the same sentences repeated over and over, he was not making any progress.

"Be patient, mosshead," he added as much for himself as for the swordsman while stopping in front of a lemon tree. "You'd better think about something else for a few hours. Go see Luffy, he'll probably have lots of ideas to keep you busy."

Stopping a few steps away to put down his full crates, Zoro sighed heavily. "I don't need to rest; you don't get it."

The cook froze in front of the tree before placing his own crate in the grass to select his lemons, his jaw clenched. "I've been trying to help you since day one, moron. I believed when you wanted to give up, so don't even try to turn this around. You're the one who can't say what's on your mind."

Zoro didn't answer, but the blond clearly felt him shrug. "I know you helped me, but it's different."

"I don't see why." Sanji grumbled, "The real problem is that you can't explain in concrete terms what's going on."

The swordsman shook his head behind him. "I can't explain it better. I focus and I start to recognize the breath of the objects around me. And I also perceive my swords. Only, their breath is like… incomplete."

"It's normal; they're injured," his companion reminded him.

"I know but as soon as I feel their presence, my mind forgets everything else and I can't focus on anything else. I tried to ignore them but even my body becomes obsessed with them, it's as if I have to touch them at all costs."

"So what? Maybe now that you consciously perceive Haki, the one in your swords is calling you."

"I'm telling you that's where it goes wrong! When I touch them, everything stops and they don't answer me."

Sanji shrugged in turn, putting his lemons in the crate. "You're probably tired. With all the effort you're making, your Haki is probably diminishing very quickly."

"No. When I resume my concentration on something else, it works."

"Well, maybe it's because you're not strong yet to shift your perception only to your swords."

"No."

At these words, Sanji glanced at the swordsman behind his shoulder with annoyance. "What do you mean? How do you know?"

"I just know. I was able to develop my Haki quickly on the environment once I knew I could feel it too. For my swords, it's different. I feel them and I know they're injured but directing my Haki at them isn't enough to restore communication. Something's missing." Zoro frowned then, undecided. "Maybe they need a stronger swordsman to repair them… I could leave them in a safe place while I get stronger."

"That's ridiculous," the blond muttered. "How are you gonna achieve your dream without them? It could be years before you create a bond with other blades. Not to mention that you can't fight Mihawk without the Wadô."

"If it's to protect them and give them back what they gave me, I'm willing to postpone my dream," Zoro insisted.

Sanji rolled his eyes as he continued his picking. "You didn't become an expert in a week, all right? You have no idea what's going on, so why do you think this crazy theory will work better than another?"

"You told me yourself that this last step didn't concern anyone but me," his companion pointed out. "And I feel like I'm missing an essential element, I just need to find it. I don't need to concentrate more this time."

"If you say so. Still, your idea of giving up your swords in a vault while waiting to become better is stupid. Without your swords, you won't become stronger."

Zoro shrugged again, his gaze drifting off into the horizon. "My swords are an extension of me. I feel them as if they're part of my body and until now, it was as if someone had cut off my arm. Since I consciously activated my Haki though, it's more like I have a prosthesis. I can't manipulate them as usual but they're here. It's almost… as if they don't recognize me."

Zoro sighed softly then, and the cook turned to him, puzzled. "I can't force them to continue traveling with me, I can't even touch them without losing contact. I need to become more powerful. Maybe I need to leave for a while to learn new techniques…"

At these words, Sanji felt his eyes widen. "To leave?"

The swordsman nodded, his gaze suddenly fixed on the plain with determination. "There are many swordsmen whose skills are recognized throughout the world. I'll find them all, down to the last one if I have to, and whether it is through Haki or something else, I'll repair my swords."

"But… What about Luffy? What about the crew?" The cook pointed out, stunned.

"Maybe I can continue with them until I find some of the swordsmen or meet up with the crew later. I don't know yet, I haven't really thought about it," he admitted.

"You fucking ungrateful bastard!"

Surprised with his sudden anger, Zoro turned his attention back to the blond in front of him. Sanji was livid. He took a threatening step towards the swordsman and pushed his finger into the middle of Zoro's kimono.

"So that's it? You're gonna leave the crew? You're gonna let Luffy down? You're gonna give up going with him to Raftel? And all this for what? Because you're too eager to wait to understand how your connection with your swords works?!" The cook fixed his gaze burning with fury into that of the swordsman. "What about me? What about how hard I try? What about all our renunciations, our promise? All these sacrifices?! What about us, Zoro?!"

The swordsman swallowed and did not see the huge kick of the blond coming towards him. The sole violently hit his stomach and Zoro crashed into the fence of the field bordering the orchard, the wood breaking into a thousand pieces around him. Half knocked out, Zoro shook his head to regain his senses and get back on his feet but a few steps away, the cook was already crossing the few feet that separated them.

Filled with rage, Sanji felt all his resistance shattering. He didn't care that his companion wouldn't be able to defend himself as he was used to and he wanted to attack him to make him regret his words as much as his thoughts. Didn't Zoro perceive the agony he was inflicting on him at that moment? Sanji had agreed to endure this torture because he had focused on their final goal, because he had completely relied on his crewmate. So who did Zoro think he was to ruin everything they had patiently achieved and defended while risking their lives? How dare he question two years spent believing in each other and in their dream? Why couldn't Zoro wait a little longer when they were so close to the goal?!

Fury swept away the last shreds of his reason and Sanji armed his right foot to better crush his opponent. He had suffered too much to let Zoro give up so easily. He had given too much of himself to allow the swordsman to escape in this way. If Zoro decided to leave, the cook would fight dearly to take back what he has entrusted to him: his trust but also his heart.

Eyes flashing, Sanji kicked forward to hit him in the head and the swordsman tensed. It was at this moment that the blond noticed his posture. Although too tense and indecisive, one thing caught his attention: his swords. Zoro had placed his hand on the hilt of his blades, ready to defend himself, and in a split second, Sanji realized what his companion's previous revelations really meant.

The anger in his eyes turned to surprise and his foot moved a few degrees, hitting the swordsman in the shoulder instead. Zoro stumbled even more, visibly lost, but his hand closed more on his swords. The cook knew exactly what he had to do now and another kick hit the swordsman in the stomach. Zoro doubled over upon impact. He staggered again before coughing violently, panting.

"Fight back, you idiot."

Another kick to the legs threw the swordsman to the ground and the shadow of the cook hid the sun as his figure towered over him, making his blond hair radiate light and accentuating his dark face.

"What do you prefer, mosshead? You gonna swallow your pride? You want everyone to know that Roronoa Zoro is no longer capable of fighting a cook who stayed on his island while he spent two years in the New World?"

The cook's foot was going to hit him again but Zoro felt his companion's provocation awaken something instinctive in him. Without thinking, he unsheathed his white sword and used it to counter the imminent attack that was heading his way. The power of the kick against his only blade made him wince but the sword held firm and Zoro finally managed to push back the blond who didn't give him time to catch his breath.

Barely up, another kick grazed his head and he parried it without knowing how, his blade seeming to react on its own. Facing him, the blond's face turned into a terrifying grin and Zoro tightened his grip on his sword. The next moment, an avalanche of kicks fell on him and the swordsman felt his blade vibrate in his hands as he avoided them as best he could.

"That's it. Let your fucking swords do the talking since you can't do it."

Zoro didn't realize that he had pulled Kitetsu out until several seconds later. Surprised, he noticed that his swords were buzzing with anticipation. His reflexes took precedence over everything else and his blades seemed to take advantage of it without him knowing how. When he dodged another attack from the cook by performing a Nigiri that forced Sanji to dodge his air blades for the first time, an incredible feeling of excitement went through him and he let his mind flow towards his swords that greedily swallowed him.

At that moment, Zoro staggered under the force of their appetite and their connection abruptly faded again. Yet the blond's foot was still rushing towards them and the swordsman simply raised his swords to protect himself, taking the blow hard. The cook put his foot back on the ground as if to probe him with his gaze and Zoro took the opportunity to catch his breath. He then focused on gathering his Haki and his perception immediately spread around him.

His swords vibrated again and Zoro felt his eyes widen at the revelation. Taken aback, he couldn't help but stare at them for a second. His swords. His swords didn't need more Haki to recognize their owner, they needed to fight alongside him to become familiar with his style again and regain their memories! How had he not thought of that sooner? Their bond had not been forged through concentration but through their incessant battles where they had learned to know and trust each other. And the blond in front of him was an opponent they had faced more times than the swordsman could say. His mind as well as his body perfectly remembered him, just like his fighting postures and their rivalry that the cook awakened in him every time. His swords were thirsty for memories and Sanji was filled with them, awakening the warrior instinct of their owner in all its past splendor.

Zoro slowly closed his hands on the hilt of his two swords and a smirk stretched his lips. The strength of their now conscious bond poured into the sharp tips of his blades and they shuddered with pleasure. For his part, the blond immediately noticed the change in attitude and he also armed his foot, his grin echoing his own.

"Looks like you finally figured something out, mosshead."

Zoro didn't answer and positioned his swords in front of him, inciting the cook to attack him. Sanji didn't waste a second and rushed towards him.

"L-Luffy!" The panicked voice made his captain and his interlocutors turn towards the sniper who was running towards them on the beach, visibly distraught.

"What's going on, Usopp?" The navigator asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

"An attack?" Malek asked. He had just returned to the island a few minutes earlier.

"W-Worse than that!" The young man replied as he arrived in front of them, his breathing ragged, "S-Sanji and Zoro. They-They're fighting!"

"They're fighting?" Nami repeated, her eyes wide.

"Why?!" Malek got worried.

"I don't know! We finished with the decorations and Nojiko and Vivi went to see Lily and Amy to show them the schedule. We went back down to the Sunny and that's when we saw them in the orchard; they're completely wild! You gotta come, we can't stop them!"

"Sanji and Zoro are fighting?! This is so great!" The straw hat boy yelled, drunk with joy.

The three friends turned to their captain, stunned, but before they could make a move, Luffy was already rushing towards the fields.

"What the hell happened?" Nami exclaimed, stunned.

On the dirt road between the orchards of the island, she had joined the rest of the crew at the same time as Malek and Usopp, who were observing the infernal couple of the Sunny from a safe distance. The blows that the swordsman and the cook exchanged were of a rare violence and the bloody scratches on their skin as well as their damaged clothes reminded their crewmates of their most intense fights on the deck of the ship.

Suddenly, the two men faced each other and engaged in staring contests for a few moments while catching their breaths. Nami felt her eyes widen with fear when she saw the cook's right leg catch fire.

"Sanji-kun, stop!"

Facing the blond, the swordsman did not back down and even pulled his third blade out of its sheath while he put his white sword between his teeth.

"What the hell are they doing?!" Usopp was terrified.

Before their crewmates could worry any further, the swordsman's blades and the cook's leg met furiously, creating a devastating shockwave that reverberated to their friends before making them stagger.

When they straightened up, Malek looked anxiously at the two men who were now fighting at an incredible speed. "We gotta stop them!" He got alarmed.

"They look hurt," Chopper worried in turn.

"When they're like this, it's not a good idea," Franky said, grimacing. "We're gonna get swept away before we even reach them."

"Our friends probably have a dispute to settle," Brook agreed.

"Luffy, do something!" Usopp begged him, "They're gonna kill each other!"

In response, the captain jumped on the wooden fence surrounding the field, just as wild as his crewmates. "Sanji! Zoro! It took you so long, I'm so happy!"

His crew stared at him, disconcerted, while the straw hat boy continued to loudly encourage them. In the end, Robin stifled a laugh. "It seems that everything is finally back to normal now…"

Musical inspiration for the scene between Luffy and Nami: Come what may - Moulin Rouge OST

Musical inspiration for the fight scene between Sanji and Zoro: Unbreakable - Two Steps from Hell

Just like Robin said, everything is in place now. The endless wait will soon be over!

There's 3 days left until the wedding and there'll be a chapter for each remaining day with increasing intensity until the ceremony. I can't wait to share them with you!