Omni-Piece: Without Ben

Another One-Shot Chapter

EXTRA! Water 7: Ashes (Sanji's POV) 3/?

Sanji leaned against the railing of the Going Merry, the salty sting of the sea air biting at his face. His cigarette hung loosely between his lips, its smoke curling up into the wind. His eyes, hidden behind a mess of blonde hair, were fixed on the horizon, toward Water 7.

Water 7 was a sight to behold with its canals, its towering structures, and the ships that drifted through its water like forgotten dreams. Beautiful. But something wasn't right.

Sanji didn't know when it had happened, but the warmth of the crew, that unspoken bond they'd all forged, had started to fray, bit by bit. It was hard to pinpoint exactly when he had first felt it. Maybe it had been when Chopper returned from his errand, Ben's jacket wrapped tightly around his small form like a shield.

Sanji didn't know what had caused Chopper to wear it—whether it was to find comfort in Ben's presence or just to have something to hold onto—but what struck him was the absence of Robin. Where had she gone off to?

Usopp, too, had changed. The kid who used to joke and laugh at the dumbest things now seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sanji tried to brush it off after their first clash with the Franky Family. The fight had been brutal, and Chopper had done his best to patch him up. But even after that, there was something off about Usopp. He'd withdrawn into himself, his usual cocky attitude buried beneath layers of doubt and frustration.

It wasn't until Usopp's return—after his second encounter with the Franky Family—that things finally broke. Sanji had heard Chopper curse under his breath. The doctor never swore unless it was serious. And Usopp... he was worse off than ever. Sanji's chest tightened at the thought of the sniper—the one who had always been the loudest voice of the crew, the one who had never shied away from a fight, now with his head down, his words lost in the silence.

Sanji's cigarette burned down to a nub, and he flicked it away, watching it disappear into the sea below. He didn't want to think about it anymore. Didn't want to think about the crew falling apart, about the way everything felt like it was slipping through his fingers.

But then he caught Luffy's gaze. The captain was standing nearby, his usual carefree expression now replaced with something quieter, more serious. It was a look Sanji had never seen before.

Luffy's voice broke through the quiet. "You guys…" he started, and Sanji's stomach dropped. "…we have to leave the Merry."

The words landed like a punch, knocking the wind out of him. For a moment, Sanji couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. His first instinct was to protest, to argue, but the look in Luffy's eyes stopped him. There was no room for debate, no room for disagreement. Luffy had made his decision.

Sanji's heart clenched painfully. The Going Merry was their first ship, their home for so long. And now, they were leaving her behind. Just like that. The thought of it—of saying goodbye to the only thing that had carried them across the start of the Grand Line—hurt more than anything else. But he couldn't find the words.

He needed air. Needed space. He couldn't think anymore. Without another word, Sanji turned and left the deck, his feet carrying him toward town. He didn't know what he was hoping for—didn't know what he was looking for—but he needed to find Robin. She had been so distant lately, but Sanji could still feel it—the pull. The urgency.

As he moved through the streets of Water 7, his eyes scanned every face, every passerby, but Robin wasn't there. She wasn't in the crowds, she wasn't at the docks, and she wasn't at the shipyard.

It was only when he spotted her, standing at the entrance of the train station, that he felt his heart lurch.

She was there. But something was wrong. She looked defeated, slumped in a way Sanji had never seen before. The fire that once burned behind her eyes was nowhere to be found. She looked… empty. Like the person they had all known, the Robin who had fought beside them, the Robin who had saved them so many times, was slipping away.

Sanji's heart thudded painfully in his chest as he took a step forward. He couldn't lose her. Not now. Not like this. Without thinking, he broke into a run, pushing past people as his eyes stayed fixed on her figure.

"No, you don't!" he shouted, just as Robin took a step forward to board the train. "You're not leaving, Robin! Not like this!"

He stood there for a moment, his chest tight, his thoughts scrambling to find some way to stop her.

But the train had already begun to move, and Robin was already gone.

Sanji stood frozen in place for what felt like an eternity. His mind was a swirl of confusion, frustration, and heartache. But in that moment, he understood. She was slipping away, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

No. This wasn't over. Not yet. "I'll save you, Robin," he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the noise of the station. "I swear I will!" he added, sneaking into one of the last train cars of the sea train... not before leaving behind a message for his Nami-sawn, of course.

=TO BE CONTINUED!=