Work Text:
“You know what? Okay, fine. Starve yourself to death!” Sanji clicked his tongue as he turned his back on Zoro. He was mad. Fuming mad. Not only was Zoro injured from their recent fight, but he was also refusing to eat. How do you expect a cook to react to that? Be happy?
“I’ll be fine. I’ll just sleep this off.” Zoro leaned his back against the couch in the galley, resting his head on its headrest. He had bandages all over him plus a few plasters for his bruises. Sometimes, you’d think that this guy is weak as fuck if you didn’t know who he fought given the number of injuries he always gets.
However, the blond was not taking no for an answer. There’s no way he’d let Zoro starve. There’s no way he’d let the mad do as he pleased. With a bowl in his hand, he approached the swordsman, settling himself on his lap, and scooped a spoonful of fried rice, forcefully feeding the greenhead. “If you waste food, I’d get mad at you.” The blond glared as he watched the bigger man chew in defeat, eventually smiling wide when he opened his mouth for another spoon of fried rice. “That’s my mosshead.” Sanji kissed him on the cheek.
* * *
“Cook, take a look at this.” Zoro paused from walking to take a good look at the displayed items on a stall they were about to pass by. The two of them were sent to buy stocks before they sailed on the seas again, and it so happened that he saw a pen that looked like antlers. “Ya think Chopper would like this?” He asked as Sanji stood next to him, looking at the various displays.
“Oh, that’s so cute. Yes, I mean, he’d like whatever you give him.” Sanji chuckled, somewhat blushing at the thought of Zoro and Chopper bonding. As he checked the displays, a bracelet with hints of green little gemstones caught his attention, especially since the lock looked a lot like Zoro’s earrings.
“You got something you like?” The greenhead asked as he took the pen and paid for it. Sanji just shook his head and said something along the lines of ‘No, I’m just looking.’ He then went ahead when it looked like Zoro got everything he needed, not surprised when he lagged behind. He probably got lost for a few seconds, he thought.
When they reached the Sunny, Chopper gratefully hugged his father-slash-brother figure when he received the pen. The blond looked at them happily, surprised when the swordsman took his hand and put something around it. The green gemstones twinkled against the light. It was the bracelet he was eyeing earlier.
“How did you- but I didn’t get something for you.” Sanji was happy at the thought that Zoro noticed, as he always does, but sad at the same time because he didn’t get him one.
“Don’t worry. I got this for me,” the swordsman grinned as he showed him the bracelet he was wearing. It was with yellow little gemstones with dangling spiral things. This guy… He’s too adorable.
* * *
“Shh, you’ll be fine. I’m here. I’m with you.” Zoro wrapped his arms around the cook, embracing him as the blond’s tears soaked his shirt. It was painful seeing him like that. He’s miserable, and he couldn’t even do anything besides being there with him to provide him warmth. It’s all that he could do. He couldn’t help but feel useless as he watched and listened to Sanji’s cries. He knew that if it was painful for him, it was a hundred times more painful for his cook.
The swordsman could feel how Sanji’s temperature rose from all his crying, his pretty and delicate hands grabbing onto his shirt, trembling. Zoro hugged him tighter, kissing the top of his head as he continued to gently caress his back. “I will never leave you, Sanji. I will make sure you’re not harmed again.” His voice cracked a little as he imagined what the blond had gone through at the hands of his own family. It was even more painful to imagine that he still gets nightmares from it. He still suffers from panic attacks.
“I will protect you with my life.”
* * *
“LUFFY! Where’s the cook? Have you seen him?” There was panic in Zoro’s voice as he rendezvoused with their captain as they were escaping the island. He couldn’t get ahold of him no matter how many times he called him using the portable transponder snail.
“Hah? I thought he was with you!” Luffy grunted as he evaded an enemy attack, the swordsman slashing through the lot of marines blocking their way. “We got separated on the way here!”
“What?! I thought he was with YOU.” Zoro got even more worried, getting distracted as a bullet grazed his cheek. He couldn’t help but get a bad feeling about it. His heart beat even faster at the thought of Sanji getting harmed. “I told you not to let him get out of your sight!”
“He’ll be okay! I’m sure he will!” Luffy gave him an assuring smile.
* * *
“ZORO! STOP IT! IT WASN’T LUFFY’S FAULT!” Nami screamed, crying as she witnessed how Zoro drew his sword and pointed it at their captain. Of all people, he was the least they would expect to do that.
“It’s okay, Nami.” Luffy stood up, ignoring the pain in his jaw caused by Zoro punching him. “Look, I know we’re all hurting, Zoro. Especially you. But I am hurting too. I’m his captain. I didn’t want it to happen.”
“You’re his captain! That’s right! And you should’ve prioritized your crew’s safety!” The swordsman tightened his grip on the handle of Enma. Usopp and Chopper were in the corner, not knowing what to do. Robin and Jinbei were preparing to intervene. Franky and Brook were observing. All their eyes were screaming pain. “You’ve always been reckless, Luffy. And I followed you through all those because you’re my captain. I trust that you would protect the rest!”
“AND I WAS PROTECTING THEM-!”
“YOU COULDN’T PROTECT SANJI! YOU COULDN’T PROTECT THE ONE PERSON I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU TO PROTECT!” A tear fell out of Zoro’s eyes. His hands were trembling, shaking. He was full of anger. He was overflowing with anger. With sadness. With pain. “I told you his tendencies. He was unstable. I told you to keep an eye on him. I told you to be with him. I told you to protect him, Luffy. But you didn’t! And look what happened!” The swordsman took long strides to get to the main mast where Sanji’s body was placed. Another tear trailed down his cheek as he stared at his lifeless body.
“Zoro…” Nami attempted to get near, but Zoro pointed the sword at her. It was shaking. It took a couple of seconds of silence before the swordsman put his sword down, piercing the grassy ground of the lawn deck as he kneeled in front of Sanji, carefully lifting his lifeless body and pulling it in a tight embrace.
Zoro silently cried in despair, his shoulders shaking as his warm skin touched Sanji’s cold one. “I told him I’d protect him with my life. I promised not to let him be harmed.” The swordsman whispered, enough for the rest of the crew to hear. “But I failed. What greatest swordsman.” He laughed, pain visible in his voice.
“Zoro,” it was Luffy.
“Let me off the next island.” Everyone gasped.
* * *
“You think he’d be fine?” Nami asked as they watched Zoro’s back disappear into the woods, the Sunny sailing away against the slow waves of the ocean.
“He won’t,” Robin answered, everyone looking at her. “Cook-san was everything to him. We all know how faithful he was in following Luffy. He would be willing to kill even one of us if the captain said so. But for Sanji, he broke his bushido.” The tall woman sighed, sadness somehow apparent in it. “Let’s just wish him the best.”
* * *
“Have you heard of the news? They say Sanji Vinsmoke of Strawhat Pirates is dead and Roronoa Zoro left their crew.”
“Oh? You didn’t know? Roronoa Zoro was spotted in the woods. He was burying something there last week. I don’t know the full details, but apparently, he wasn’t moving an inch even if it rained. He was just kneeling in front of the grave the whole seven days.”
“What? Without food or water?”
“I don’t know. We were too afraid to approach him. He looked really mad and well… sad. He looked miserable.”
“You think we can defeat him and collect his bounty?”
“FOOL! He’s the world’s greatest swordsman! How do you expect to defeat the man who defeated Hawkeye!”
“Well, he’ll probably leave soon, right?”
“Hopefully. I hate pirates, man. They’re evil.”
* * *
“Are you sure he’s not dead?” A crowd was forming not too far behind Zoro. People were gathering at the location where he was found on the island, the same place where he buried Sanji’s body. However, it wasn’t a scene one would call frightening. Rather, it was quite a painful view. The once muscled and well-built swordsman was now all skin and bones. You could see even his ribcage from behind, his spine trailing down his back.
“I’m telling you, he’s not! He’s breathing!”
“How could that be? It’s been 88 days since he got here!” One of the curious audience exclaimed.
“Has no one given him food and water?” A woman in her 30s asked, somewhat worried.
“We tried, but he wasn’t eating them. He was not even paying attention to us whenever we left food in front of him.” A teenage boy answered.
The crowd continued to discuss Zoro’s situation. He never moved from his spot. He didn’t eat or drink for the past three months. Was this his way of repenting? Was he punishing himself for failing to protect the person he loved so dearly? Was this a fitting fate for him instead of choosing death?
To be honest, even Zoro did not know. To him, everything felt like yesterday. He didn’t notice how the time flew by. He never felt hunger or thirst. He was just staring straight into the makeshift grave he created for his love, letting the days, weeks, and months pass by. He was stuck. He was stuck in an abyss that he wasn’t even aware that he was killing himself slowly. It was that painful. Sanji’s death was that painful.
“This way, m-ma’am…” A middle-aged man’s voice could be heard from behind the crowd. He was probably the island’s leader based on how everyone paid respects to him as he walked through the crowd with an eccentric lady carrying an umbrella. “He’s right there.”
Sounds of heels ticking and tacking on the ground stopped beside Zoro, and a sigh could be heard afterward. “You’re so pathetic. Argh, why am I even doing this?” Her high-pitched voice began to yap, staring intently at the new figure of his once companion. Seeing him in such a state was definitely not something she had expected, but at the same time, she wasn’t surprised knowing how stubborn this man could get.
The woman clicked her pink platform heels and fixed her black bouffant dress before she leaned down to grab Zoro by the shoulder. “Listen here, you stupid oaf. You’re not getting anywhere by slowly killing yourself here! Ugh, and did you really think that starving yourself for three months would bring the dead back to life?! What? Are you trying to do what Sanji-kun experienced when he was young? Nami told me about it! Your crew is worried sick even after you left them!” Perona screamed at his face, but his blank eyes made her mad. Is this really what was left of Roronoa Zoro?
“Ghost woman…” Zoro mumbled with a hoarse voice. It was really faint. It sounded like he almost lost his voice.
“I have a name!”
“Can you bring Sanji back to life?” His once blank eyes cried dried tears. He was sobbing.
Perona was conflicted. She did not know what to do. Roronoa Zoro was crying without tears! Not only was that unexpected, but he also looked like he was in great pain. She sighed. “I can summon his soul, at least.”
“L-let me… let me talk to him… Perona, p-please…” Zoro begged, attempting to bow down to the ground, but the lady with pink hair stopped him before he could do so. There’s absolutely no way she’d want to see him bow down like that in his state.
“If you promise to come with me, then I will.” She gave him a condition, and Zoro immediately nodded. Perona wasn’t the one who lost someone, but it felt like her heart would burst to see Zoro in that state. She took a long, deep breath as she put down her umbrella and stood in front of Sanji’s grave. She started to chant and her body began to glow, her powers affecting the crowd not far from them, losing their consciousness as a part of their souls were gathered in Perona’s hands.
Zoro watched her, still not fully aware of what was happening. All he could see was how the glowing sphere in Perona’s hands was slowly turning into a figure as soon as she released it.
“S-Sanji…” The swordsman muttered as he saw Sanji’s figure in front of him, a little transparent. He began to cry the moment the cook made eye contact with him.
“Oh, my God. Zoro, what has become of you?” Sanji’s soul knelt to face Zoro properly, cupping his thin face with such a sad look painted on his. He stared at him for a good minute before tears started to run down the blond’s cheek, his lips curving down as he suppressed his sobs. “I am so sorry. I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
”Cook, is that really you?” Zoro’s weak voice made Sanji’s heart sink even deeper, his hands trying to reach for him. The cook didn’t hesitate to hold his hand and place it on his cheek.
“It’s me. I am here.” Sanji cooed him, biting his lower lip. “Mosshead, why did you let yourself become like this?”
“There was no point in living a life without you.”
“But this doesn’t make me happy at all.” Sanji sobbed. “I don’t want to be the reason why you’re miserable like this. I don’t want this.”
“Sanji, take me with you…”
“There’s no way I’d do that, you idiot.” The blond hugged Zoro, understanding what Zoro had done to himself. He felt dejected, but he was also happy that he was alive. “I want you to live for me, Zoro. Live your life the way you did when I was alive. That would make me happy.”
The swordsman was silent, hugging back the almost-transparent figure of Sanji. “I want to be with you, cook. I don’t want this.”
“Zoro, I’d get mad at you.” Sanji frowned at him, holding his tears back. Zoro just looked down. “Promise me, you’d live for me. You’d live for yourself. You would go back to training. You’d go help Luffy and the crew reach their dreams. You’d be the best swordsman in the world once again. Promise me.”
“Cook…-”
“Zoro, promise me. Don’t make me cry.” Sanji pursed his lips as his tears threatened to fall.
“Zoro, you don’t have much time. I can’t hold the souls together anymore.” Perona chimed in, struggling to maintain a stable figure of the cook.
“Thank you very much, Perona-chan, for letting me speak with this mosshead for the last time.” Sanji smiled at her before he turned to plant a kiss on Zoro’s lips. “Mosshead, make sure you eat a lot, okay? Don’t just settle for rice balls. Learn how to properly cook. Eat three meals a day. Don’t forget your snacks too. I know, you need your snacks after your every training session. Always drink your water, don’t just consume alcohol. Drink water. You sweat a lot, so you need to stay hydrated. Also, make sure you have a change of clothes. Don’t wear your sweaty ones, you’ll get sick. I know you don’t easily get sick, but just do as I say. And please, get your sleep. Rest. You always stay up even after I’m done cleaning the kitchen just so you can protect the crew at night. Sleep, okay? I’m counting on you. I know you can get back on your feet. I know you’ll be fine, even without me. You’re strong. The strongest I’ve ever known.”
“Cook…”
“I love you, my mosshead.” Sanji smiled at him, planting a kiss on his forehead.
“I love you, cook.” Zoro embraced the blond, holding him in his arms for the last time as he felt him slowly disappear into thin air. The swordsman felt something heavy being lifted from his chest. “If I can't be close to you, I'll settle for the ghost of you.”
* * *
“Zoro!!!! Mihawk is calling for you!!!!!” Perona’s voice rang through the whole mansion, even piercing the walls of Zoro’s training room. The swordsman clicked his tongue as he put down his giant barbell, his body glistening from sweat. He made sure to wipe himself up and drink some water before eyeing the empty chair in the corner of the room.
“She’s such a loudmouth, don’t you think so?” Zoro rolled his eyes as he complained to Sanji. “She thinks she’s the boss now after marrying Hawkeye. Did she forget that I defeated his husband? Tsk.” He shook his head as he smiled at the empty chair before he went to see Mihawk.
When he finally found the room, thanks to Perona’s holo-holo ghosts, Mihawk handed him a transponder snail.
“Who’s this?” He asked the raven head before he answered the call.
“ZOROOOOOO!!!! HOW ARE YOU?!?!?” The greenhead had to take a step back from the transponder snail at how loud the volume of Luffy’s voice was.
“Luffy…” The swordsman shook his head. “What’s up? Need help?”
”YEAH! We’re currently at Inu Kingdom!” Luffy announced, and Zoro looked at Mihawk as if telling him what that meant. “WHY DON’T YOU JUST JOIN THE CREW AGAIN? ISN’T IT HARD TO TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH?”
“You know I can’t do that.”
“WHY NOT? You already apologized. And we knew that you just did it out of your emotions! PLUS, IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO! You helped me become the king of the pirates, and we found All Blue! Everything’s good!”
“Just because.” Zoro chuckled. “I’ll be there.”
* * *
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZORO!!!!!”
“Man, you’re so old now. 60? DAMN.” Luffy downed the mug of beer as they cheered. The crew visited Mihawk’s new castle where Zoro was staying to celebrate the swordsman’s birthday.
“You’re just two years younger than me, idiot.”
“You’re still older though!” Everyone laughed, and they continued partying. Zoro, on the other hand, excused himself to go to the kitchen. Perona helped him prepare the feast for the celebration since he couldn’t do it alone. But he was definitely a great cook now compared to what he was 39 years ago. Back then, he couldn’t even mold a rice ball right.
“They’re always so lively.” Zoro chuckled as he stared at the empty chair on the counter. “You’d think they’re kids even at their age.”
Usopp’s singing voice could be heard along with Brook’s guitar.
“Are you saying that I act like a kid too? I certainly don’t.” The swordsman raised his brow at the empty chair, taking a new bottle of wine from Mihawk’s collection.
“Oi, Zoro! Who are you talking to?” Luffy’s voice popped from the door.
“Oh, no one. Just getting more wine.”
“Let’s go! We can’t party without the celebrant!” The king of the pirates dragged him out, and Zoro gave one last look at the empty chair, smiling.
* * *
“His heart rate is going down. We’re losing him!” That was all Zoro could hear along with the beeping sounds coming from the machines surrounding him. He couldn’t feel a thing anymore. He felt cold. His wrinkly skin felt chills as an electric current ran through his nerves, in the attempt of doctors to revive him.
However, Zoro’s eyelids felt heavy. He felt like it was the end of the road, but he was satisfied. He lived a good life like Sanji wanted. He got back on his feet. He made up with the crew. He followed everything he said. His 85 years of life wasn’t too shabby. Even without Sanji in it, even if he couldn't be next to him, his memory was his ecstasy. He survived a life without him.
“Mosshead!”
He heard a voice. An all too familiar voice, but Zoro couldn’t see a thing due to the blinding lights.
“Oiiii! Mosshead!”
There was that voice again, and he knew who it was from. It was a voice he would never forget no matter how many decades have passed. It was a voice embedded in his brain and his heart. It was a voice he longed to hear again.
As the lights began to fade, Zoro found himself in a dandelion field with his body back to when he was 21, a person standing a few meters across him. He knew that person well. His white dress shirt. His blinding smile. His blond hair. His swirly brows. His face. Oh, how he missed him so much.
“My mosshead!” The blond spread his arms, and Zoro ran. He ran as fast as he could to close the gap between him and his beloved. His arms immediately wrapped around the shorter’s body, and Zoro was overwhelmed with emotions.
He missed him. He missed his cook. He missed Sanji. His Sanji.
“Did you miss me, you stupid swordsman?” Sanji chuckled as he returned Zoro’s embrace. He was happy that Zoro was finally with him after waiting for six decades. He was happy that Zoro lived his life for him. He savored that moment.
The swordsman was the first to break the hug, cupping Sanji’s face with a smile on his face. Sanji is so beautiful, he thought. He leaned in to close the gap between their lips, kissing him slowly in the middle of that dandelion field. It was the first kiss they shared after a long time of being separated, and Zoro couldn’t ask for more.
“I missed you more than life.”