Chapter 93

The way things are

When Sanji opened his eyes the next morning, he noticed that sunlight was beginning to spread into the room and he moved imperceptibly to grab his watch and check the time. Reassured, he then gently put it down and leaned back against his pillows to enjoy the serenity of the moment a little longer, lulled by the deep breathing of the swordsman at his side and the incandescent memories of their night.

A few minutes later, he stretched, almost ready to get up. Breakfast would need to be at the restaurant given the damage to the Sunny the day before and he knew he could count on Malek to start feeding their friends if he was late, but it wasn't in his nature to back out, even temporarily. Yet this morning, he would have appreciated enjoying these timeless moments even more. Indeed, his anxiety had completely disappeared as the night progressed and this morning, for the first time in a long time, he felt perfectly relaxed. Of course, he had felt strangely euphoric since his conversation with Zoro at the wedding, but nothing compared to this incredible feeling of having finally managed to find his right place at the swordsman's side.

This place was different from the one he'd occupied two years earlier though. At the time, it had already felt enviable, but now it seemed almost bland compared to what he now shared with Zoro. He was more aware of all the facets of their bond, good and bad, as well as its most subtle weaknesses and impressive strengths. Surprisingly, he realized that he felt much more in control of what bound them together thanks to this painful experience of separation. And even though there were still questions about their future, he knew that their relationship would be able to approach them calmly now.

Sanji turned towards his companion and observed him for a moment. Zoro was still deeply asleep and barely lit by the first rays of the sun. The cook brought his hand to the swordsman's face, a few inches from his own. He thoughtfully brushed the new scar across his left eye. Zoro had never spoken of this injury since the crew's return to the All Blue, at least with him, and it had appeared almost secondary amidst all the challenges the swordsman had had to face. Yet the blond's curiosity was back now that their demons were behind them.

"What is it?"

The blond's hand paused when he realized that Zoro was actually awake. Focused on his forever-closed eye, Sanji hadn't noticed that the other was open and staring at him intensely. He gently placed his fingers on Zoro's scar then.

"Does it hurt?"

The swordsman shrugged slightly despite his position. "Not anymore."

"How… do you see?"

"Like you." Sanji raised an eyebrow and the swordsman's hand moved up from under the sheets to go through the everlasting lock of blond hair that partially obscured his companion's face. "It's not the same," the cook protested. "It's just moving shadows that I can push aside if I really want to."

Zoro retrieved his hand and rolled onto his back, placing it in front of him to observe it. "I can see clearly. I no longer have migraines and my perception of relief and depth quickly returned. My distance vision has adjusted and I no longer lose my balance. Since I reconnected with my swords, I can find my way around just as I used to."

He then examined his fingers in the light of the room and frowned after a moment.

"The hardest part is remembering that I have a significant blind spot on my left side now. This will force me to be even more responsive when moving during a fight."

The swordsman finally dropped his hand after a few more seconds and turned to his companion, who was staring at him without a word. "What about you?" He asked.

"Me?" The blond wondered. Zoro nodded and pointed to his right eye with his chin. "Why did you switch sides with your hair?"

Sanji brought his hand to his own face, surprised, before shaking his head. "I don't know… I just woke up one morning and wanted to change, that's all," he confessed.

"When was that?"

"Not that long ago. Maybe six months."

"Weird," the swordsman admitted, stretching leisurely. "You gonna switch again soon?"

"I don't think so." Zoro then noticed that the cook had propped himself up on one elbow to face him, his hand gently tracing the contours of his scar once more. "I like the idea that I can see for you on the left side and you can see for me on the right side. The two of us become one that way."

The swordsman stared at his companion for a second before a smirk tugged at his lips. "Fucking sap," he noted with amusement.

"So what?" It's still better than being like you, insensitive," the blond answered back.

"Wrong. I'm not insensitive to you."

Grabbing the cook's neck to prove his point, Zoro pulled him into a passionate kiss, which Sanji responded with equal ardor. Yet the blond soon paused before grimacing and the swordsman looked at him questioningly.

"We're filthy as hell, mosshead," he muttered, feeling the skin on their stomachs stick to his fingers. "We need to take a shower before we leave, not to mention we need to change the sheets…"

"I can hardly even see it. Besides, if we do it tonight, we'll get them dirty again," the swordsman pointed out, running his tongue along the hollow of Sanji's neck so as not to lose his body heat.

In response, Zoro was roughly pushed back against the mattress while the blond got rid of the comforter to get up with annoyance. "You only have one eye left, but that shouldn't stop you from using it. Otherwise, I'd consider you only need half your food from now on."

Sanji picked up his clothes scattered on the floor before slamming the bathroom door behind him. Left alone, Zoro closed his eyes again, a smile on his lips. There was nothing better than their early morning arguments over trivial matters. No doubt, he was back in paradise…

"Oh, Sanji, I gotta tell you something! Did you know Amy is an excellent baker?!"

The blond slowly turned to his dark-haired counterpart, an eyebrow raised.

The entire crew, minus their shipwright who was already busy fixing his ship, had met as planned at the All Blue to enjoy a delicious breakfast an hour earlier. In doing so, Lily and Amy had been invited by the girls since they had spent the night in their little house. The meal didn't last long though because Nojiko and Vivi needed to go get their things for their imminent departure.

The girls had then all returned to sit on the terrace of the All Blue while waiting for Liam to take Nojiko home and Chakam to come get Vivi. Indeed, the air was quite cold but the blue sky and beauty of the landscape had finally won out for these last moments together. The rest of the boys had scattered to various occupations. Usopp had decided to lend a hand to the cyborg, Zoro and Luffy had ended up going on the beach below to settle their scores after provoking each other throughout the meal and Brook and Chopper were walking around the orchards with Zeff, Elio and Sam.

So logically, Malek and Sanji had ended up in the kitchen doing the dishes and that's how the blond put his spoons away in the drawer on his right before answering his friend.

"Yeah, I noticed… Why?" He asked cautiously.

"Remember? After the wedding, she wanted to show me something. Well, she showed me her cakes and I couldn't believe it!" The dark-haired cook exclaimed while wiping the butter knives, "She's really good at it so I offered her to make some for the All Blue!"

"Really?" The blond man asked, increasingly puzzled. "And what did she say?"

"Oh, she was quite embarrassed. I think she wasn't expecting it and it's true that she's already very busy with her jewelry and being a waitress, but I actually wanted to talk to you about it. Why not make her work in the kitchen instead of in the dining room? She could really help us!"

Sanji put away his last cutlery before carefully folding his dish towel on the counter. "I guess the decision is up to her…"

"Great! I'll ask her!"

Malek quickly put down his own dishcloth and rushed out of the kitchen toward the terrace. Sanji followed more leisurely, clearly curious. As he walked through the back door of the kitchen, he leaned against the restaurant wall so as not to disturb his friends when he took a cigarette from his pack. Malek had just approached the girls and he listened while grabbing his lighter.

"Amy, I spoke with Sanji and he's agreed to let you make some pastries with us!"

The blond cook was surprised to see all the ladies' eyes instantly focused on Malek, then on Amy, who began to blush intensely even though she herself didn't dare look at him.

"Amy, you let Malek taste your cakes, you clever girl." Nami was amused when the young girl blushed even more.

"Excellent idea," Robin added with a smile.

"It's important to know how to play your cards right," Nojiko agreed.

"I didn't know you were good at this!" Vivi congratulated her.

"Do you wanna take up this activity after all?" Lily asked, intrigued.

"Oh, uh… I don't know," the girl stammered, "It was just… a passing thought…"

"So you've already baked elsewhere?" Malek inquired with interest. "I had a feeling you had a precise technique! Where did you learn? They must be someone truly gifted because baking is a particularly delicate art and I'm not the greatest expert myself!"

"Oh, uh… Well…"

Amy finally raised her head to cast a mortified glance in the direction of the blond, who raised an eyebrow while puffing on his cigarette. Malek caught their gaze and looked at his friend for a second before turning to Amy, stunned.

"Did Sanji teach you how to bake? I guess that makes sense… But that means you've already trained at the All Blue then!" He realized, "Why did you stop and why didn't you tell me?" He wondered afterward. "You told me you'd be interested!"

Hearing him, Amy shrank a little further in her chair before looking up at the blond cook who was also watching her in surprise, her eyes shining with guilt. A second later, unable to bear it, she quickly stood up, on the verge of tears.

"I-I'm sorry, I… It was a bad idea, I'm sorry…" The young girl burst into tears before running off towards the village, leaving her bewildered friends behind.

"Amy?!" Sanji immediately worried and he was about to rush to catch up with her, his cigarette already on the ground, when a hand from the archaeologist on his arm gently stopped him.

"I think one of us would be better suited to talk to her," she explained when he looked at her questioningly and panicked.

"What did I say?" Malek asked the girls, visibly distraught.

"Nothing," Nami sighed.

"It's no one's fault," Nojiko reassured him.

"What's going on?" Sanji wanted to know, concerned.

"It's just girl stuff, don't worry," Vivi replied gently, "Amy's not in danger."

"I'll go see her," Lily decided.

The fisherwoman quickly headed towards the path Amy had just taken and Sanji followed her with his gaze, still concerned. Robin's hand patted his shoulder in a comforting gesture then. "Don't worry. Our young friend is gaining confidence and dares more. In doing so, she's also experiencing the flaws in her own plans."

Sanji felt both reassured and confused by his friend's words. He didn't understand what she was referring to, but if there was one wise person he trusted blindly, it was the crew's beautiful archaeologist. Moreover, all the ladies seemed to have understood his protégée's attitude and none of them seemed worried, only apologetic. He then met Malek's unsettled gaze and nodded to reassure him.

"We'll leave it to you, my angels. We'll just wait for her…"

"Gum-Gum Jet Bazooka!"

Zoro was hit by his captain, who was launched at full speed by the force of his attack reinforced by his Gear Second. Despite his two swords crossed in front of him to protect him, he fell back about thirty feet onto the sand. He then heard Luffy laugh while he tried to catch his breath, wincing.

"Fucking rubber boy… I'll show you." The swordsman grabbed his last sword and placed it in his mouth, "Three Sword Style. Dragon Twister!"

The dragon form Zoro deployed above him made his captain whistled in awe and he narrowly avoided being sliced by the blades of his first mate, whirling at full speed. He ran away and then caught his breath, a grin on his face.

"My turn! Gum-Gum Jet Gatling!"

The surge of punches from the straw hat boy immediately forced Zoro to protect himself with his three swords to repel his hands as they attempted to strike him and the swordsman focused even more. Luffy was formidable in close combat and Zoro struggled to keep up with his pace, but he refused to give up.

He knew that beyond the trivial provocations that had pushed them to fight, the straw hat boy was offering him a way to assess the progress he had been able to make since he heard his blades again. And if he knew Sanji's techniques perfectly, which helped him to resume his habits and confidence, facing his captain was very different. Indeed, not only did Luffy possess insane power but his unpredictability kept him under pressure every second. Zoro was already satisfied to see that he managed to remain standing under the blows that continued to fall on him, but he also noted that he only managed to protect himself and not to retaliate.

Gritting his teeth, he was about to try to free himself when his captain surprised him again. "Gum-Gum Jet Rocket!"

Zoro stiffened when the straw hat boy propelled himself towards him at breakneck speed, his hands clinging to the trees lining the forest behind him. The swordsman then spread his legs further apart to secure a better footing.

"Three Sword Style. Streaming Wolf Swords!"

Luffy winced as he felt the sharp edge of his first mate's blades cut into his skin when he reached him and he deviated slightly to avoid them. For his part, Zoro was already ready to take advantage of it.

"Two Gorilla!"

Zoro's concentrated strength in his biceps doubled in size and Luffy's eyes widened when the swords turned silver. Without thinking, the captain's Haki surrounded him in turn to protect him and the swordsman's blades collided harshly with this new, unexpected armor. Zoro stumbled backward, unsteady, and Luffy also stared at his arms before an appreciative smile tugged at his lips.

"Gum-Gum Jet Missile!"

The captain immobilized his first mate by stretching out his arms before retracting them to better charge at him. Grimacing, Zoro tried to free himself without success and the straw hat boy's blow sent him flying back several dozen feet into the ocean.

"I won!" Luffy yelled when the swordsman emerged from the waves a few seconds later. The man took a long breath, exhausted, and Luffy joined him as he reached the beach, a huge smile on his face. "You know how to focus your Haki now, Zoro!" He congratulated him.

His first mate shook his head. "Not really, it's… my swords that seem to activate it for me sometimes. I'm working on recognizing and mastering it, but it takes a lot of energy."

"Great!"

Zoro nodded, still panting, and looked back at his captain. "Does this make any sense to you?" He asked, nodding at Luffy's arms. The straw hat boy followed his gaze down to his now-white limbs before shrugging. "When I need it, it appears; it's handy! I've noticed it's easier when I focus on my opponent, though."

Zoro took another breath. "I guess we still have some work to do, but we're on the right track…"

The straw hat boy nodded enthusiastically, beaming, before the two friends headed back to the All Blue. "It's funny how we all possess Haki and no one knew!" Luffy suddenly said.

"All of us? What do you mean?" His first mate asked in surprise.

"Well, Usopp, for example. He can shoot from super long distances and Malek is very accurate! Nami can predict the weather and Robin always knows what we're thinking!"

"You think it's Observation Haki for them?" His swordsman asked, intrigued.

"Yeah! Robin said when you were sick that Haki shows up depending on the person and that's why yours disappeared because of your swords!"

"Oh. That makes sense," Zoro agreed.

"Imagine when Sanji develops his Armament Haki in addition to the Haki he already has for his food! And Brook with his music! And Chopper! Oh, I hope Franky can build a super-cool robot!"

Zoro lost himself in thought while his captain continued his hyperactive monologue.

Now that Luffy mentioned it, he couldn't help but see things his way. The straw hat boy had gathered around him people with extraordinary gifts to achieve his goal and it was definitely not by chance. Zoro had no doubt that each of his crewmates possessed this strength within them, in one form or another. And the idea that the cook could develop Armament Haki filled him with a delicious excitement. Given his sensitivity, Sanji was probably already using Observation Haki without realizing it, whether to improve his cooking skills or to understand his companion. And the swordsman was eager to train and master this new skill with him. Their relationship would only be stronger and his dream would come closer once again.

At that moment, Zoro knew that he had truly returned to his normal life. Finally.

How about some action in the next chapter? It's been a while!