Chapter Text
Sanji has made quite a few dumb decisions in his life. He can admit that he has a tendency of being temperamental, that he pushes his luck just a bit too far. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken his old life for granted. Not his past, he would run from that family as many times as he had too, push that shit down until it was long forgotten under the deepest fold of his brain, never to show it the light of day again.
He has been a part of the Straw Hat Pirate crew for less than three days, and he already thinks he’s regretting his decisions. Regretting leaving Zeff and the comfort of the only real home he’s ever known.
These people are fucking weird.
He can appreciate his new captain’s ambition, his compassion, and his courage. Usopp is endless entertainment on his own, sure of himself in word only. Always appreciates Sanji’s listening ear to offer up stories that Sanji would bet the finest knife in his arsenal are completely fiction. And Nami, he wouldn’t be able to come up with words befitting her beauty and charm alone. That being said, they were all fucking weird.
Sanji found it charming at first, when he’d been able to enjoy their company at the Baratie. New faces and appreciative bellies to share his food with. They’d crashed in (literally) overnight, poor Zeff, but for the first time in a long time Sanji had felt that warming feeling in his chest. The longing to know and be known. He did love Zeff, and appreciated all the man had done for him, but Sanji knew he’d be leaving on the Straw Hat’s ship the night he first sat in that kitchen and watched Luffy scrub at dishes with soapy hands.
But then Arlong Park happened.
He still didn’t really understand what happened if he was honest. Sanji was bred to fight and he knows it, it’s what he was made for, but Sanji did not have the same emotionless disposition his siblings had. Maybe if he did, he never would have been the odd one out. He didn’t expect to fit in with his new crew straight away either, but after their joint effort to rescue Nami and Coco Village, he thought maybe they all had a story under their belt to share.
It wasn’t until they were packed and boarded, sailing away and continuing their journey across the blue sea that Sanji once again felt out of place in his life.
It had been a long day, emotionally for Nami, so Sanji thought of whipping up something citrusy and homey for dinner. He didn’t know the navigator well enough yet, but hoped to provide her a comfort after all she’d been dealt.
Only minutes ago Luffy had been begging for dinner, Nami had been studying their Grand Line map at the table, and Usopp tossing popcorn across the room at Luffy’s back. Now the kitchen was empty besides Sanji and his dinner prep.
He could hear them whispering behind the door down the hall, laughing and shushing each other. Sanji felt the sink in his stomach before he could rationalize it, tell himself not to feel left out.
Sanji never really had been good at containing his own emotions though.
That night, cigarette lit and leaned against the railing of the Going Merry, Sanji let himself think back to Arlong Park. What had been bothering him since they’d left port, hell, since mid battle.
Sanji's eyes could just barely keep up with it in Arlong park. Luffy’s rubber arm tossing a slip of green parchment through the air, the pulsating of a cracking streak of green light through the air. He'd thought he’d imagined it at first, a trick of the light with all the commotion and action everywhere.
The second time he could make no mistake, no excuse, because he seen it there, the slice of a sword he knew Luffy didn’t carry, the fall of a fishman Luffy doesn’t touch, and the sliver of a sharp canine through curled lips.
Sanji had fallen out of step, let himself be knocked to the ground. His eyes scrambled to chase whatever sight he almost believed he’d completely made up. It didn’t sit right with him, this idea of a secret he was yet to be in on.
Sanji took the last drag of his cigarette, stamping it out and tossing it to the sea. What a miserable thing it was to feel left out. Sanji could let it go though, blame it on the movement of battle or the glint of light against a blade.
But as he wrestled himself to sleep that night, he couldn’t help but hold on to the image of clamped teeth and wicked canines.
——
Sanji could not let it go.
He could not handle another day of scrambling and interrupted voices when he entered a room. He could not handle Usopp’s nervous scittering eyes and awkward tight smile, of Nami’s need to pinch Luffy’s mouth shut till he stopped squirming.
Sanji placed the tray of snacks he’d been carrying between the group of them, all huddled on the floor of the front deck, before placing a cigarette between his lips and folding his arms.
“What is wrong with all of you” He asked, failing to hide the irritation in his voice.
“Uh, what do you mean man?” Usopp laughed, voice containing more nervousness than mirth.
“Food! Thank you Sanji!” Luffy clapped, reaching out to grab for the tray.
“You can have these,” Sanji huffed, navigating the pile of treats away from Luffy’s grabbing paws. “After someone explains to me why everyone’s been so secretive.”
Sanji takes in the way Nami shifts uncomfortably, how Usopp’s eyes damn near shoot out of his skull.
“Aw come on Sanji, pleaseee! I’m so hungryyy!” Luffy whines, stretching his arm to reach around Sanji’s back, only for Sanji to kick his arm away.
“Then it shouldn’t be hard for you to come up with some answers, Captain.”
Luffy puts a thoughtful finger to his lips before nodding his head eagerly. “Okay! But I want food first.”
“Luffy.” Nami scolds, almost as if Luffy were a disobedient child. “Don’t you think maybe we should let Sanji settle in a bit longer before we tell him?”
Luffy thinks for a moment longer, shaking his head before grabbing the plate once again. “No. Sanji is one of us now, and friends share secrets with each other.”
Nami and Usopp share a concerned look before she sighs, leaning back against the stern behind her. “Don’t act surprised when Sanji jumps overboard to swim himself back to the Baratie then.”
“Let me tell you a story Sanji” Luffy states, his voice taking that serious tone he’d used back when they’d found Nami trying to carve into her own shoulder.
Sanji glances at Nami then Usopp, both of them leaned almost against each other on the stern. He doesn’t know why they won’t meet his eyes. How bad could it possibly be? He feels all at once out of place, missing out, on his own.
“When Nami and I met, and we were on the Marine base island, we were both looking for a safe that was supposed to hold our map. We stole it from Axe-Man’s office.” Luffy stares at him, eyes pinning him like he needs to know Sanji is listening. “When we opened the safe, we found more than just the map.”
Sanji watched as Luffy reached around to dig into the back pocket of his shorts and pulled out a folded up piece of shiny dark green cloth. Is this what Sanji had seen in Arlong Park?
What Sanji had thought was a piece of paper sailing through the wind during their fight against the Arlong pirates had been a piece of cloth. Now presented to him, Sanji could see the shiny silky green fabric. Sanji watched as Luffy’s finger, almost tenderly, flicked back and forth over the corner of the fabric in his hand.
Luffy went on to explain their battle against the marines, how they snuck through the base as Nami disguised herself as a marine and Luffy her prisoner.
“So you found a piece of silk? What importance would a piece of silk be to a marine? Did you steal a roll of silverware or something?” Sanji laughed.
Really, Sanji was just confused. He didn’t know these people or who they were yet, but every question he asked led him to further confusion. He was starting to grow irritated.
“Just show him luffy, you know Zoro gets grumpy when he’s cooped up too long.” Nami had said, but Sanji could barely hear her over the growing ring in his ears. Zoro? He hadn’t met any Zoro.
He watches as Luffy delicately unfolds the piece of thin, silky looking fabric. It reminds Sanji of a bandanna, really. Which is why he doesn’t quite understand where the name Zoro is coming from. Did they have another crewmate hidden away somewhere aboard? Where was he during their battle for Nami’s village?
“This is very special to me, that you understand, Sanji.” Luffy says cautiously while smoothing the creases with his fingers, as if Sanji could understand what the hell he was sapping over a piece of cloth for. But just as he opens his mouth the question what the hell Luffy is talking about, Sanji watches as he lets the piece of fabric float to the floor.
It’s quicker than his eyes can keep up with this time, the disappearing of the fabric, the flash that’s just nearly there. The flash of a sage green, of a grey so dark it’s almost black.
There is nothing he can say, nothing that quite makes sense really, because Sanji can’t even comprehend what just happened. Did he sign himself up to be the cook for a crew of magicians?
“That would be awesome! Way cooler than Binky and his circus.”
“Luffy be serious, I think Sanji might be going into shock.”
Bless Nami, because he thinks she might be right. What the hell was wrong with these people? Is this a normal thing they do, party tricks?
The Zoro(Thing?) pushes itself into a stand, legs spread wide and his hand falling into place atop his swords. Like he’s preparing himself for Sanji’s attack. His eyes never fall from Sanji’s own though, gaze harsh and eyebrows drawn in a curious scowl.
“Why’s the waiter here?” Zoro drawls, as if Sanji didn’t have the right to be on their ship.
That’s when Sanji tunes back into everything else really. What the fuck was this thing? What had he walked himself into and how the hell did he get his ass out.
“I’m not a fucking waiter.” Sanji replies, but not with as much force as he’d have liked. He can hear it in his own voice, the dumbfounded confusion he guards within himself. “Who the hell are you people?”
“We’re pirates!” Luffy says with a wide smile, and Sanji contemplates punching him in the teeth before Nami reaches out and smacks Luffy’s straw hat clean off his head. “Hey!”
“He’s obviously confused you idiot, I think he knows we’re pirates.” Nami says, pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation.
“If it makes you feel better Sanji, I was pretty weirded out the first time too.” Usopp says, offering Sanji a timid smile before reaching out to pat his shoulder. “This is all a very real thing happening before you man.”
Zoro gives Sanji a once over before removing his hand from his blades and rolling his shoulders. Grabbing his hands above his head, he begins stretching from side to side before taking a seat on the deck.
“What the fuck are you.”
“I’m a Pirate Hunter.” Zoro replies, leaning himself back to splay across the ground.
“News flash asshole, you’re on a pirate ship.” Sanji scoffs, this was getting old fast. Sanji thought he was irritated before, but Zoro’s spreading himself out like a fat house cat and he’s not sure he can handle another minute of this.
“Okay, since no one else here seems to have a helpful bone in their damn body,” Nami begins, pushing herself off the stern into a proper upright position. “I’ll tell you what we know, but Zoro’s not been much help in terms of really understanding the predicament he’s in.”
“When Luffy and I got away from the Marines, we dragged Axe-Hand Morgan’s safe with us. When I finally cracked it open it was pretty empty. All that was in there was some shit we didn’t care about and the map to the Grand Line we’d been looking for.”
Nami took a pause, eyebrows pulling together as if she was uncertain. “It all happened so fast I don’t really know how to explain it. One second Luffy was tossing Zoro’s headband over his shoulder behind us into the wind, the next ‘Hey here’s Zoro’ y’know.”
“No, I really don’t think I do know.” Sanji grumbled quietly, afraid that he’d fall victim to Nami’s wicked fists if he quipped too loudly. He watched as a smirk spread across Zoro’s face instead and decided that was even worse. “Seriously though, what are you? Are you cursed? Damned to be a moss colored place setting for all eternity?”
He watched as Zoro sat up, rolling his eyes with a huff.
“Something like that. There are worse things though.”
”Like what?”
”A waiter, for starters.”
”I’m not a God damn waiter you incompetent asshole.” Sanji raised his fist in what he thought would probably be a punch if he’d gotten that far, but he stopped himself before reaching out.
What was wrong with him? He’d never even thought about hitting someone with his hands in his life, let alone someone he’d just met. Something was seriously wrong with this ship, maybe even this crew. Less than a week aboard the Straw Hat’s ship and all the morals he’d built up across his lifespan were flying out the window. This whole situation had stirred up things, emotions, within him that he’d let go of years ago.
“Apologies, I don’t know what’s come over me recently. I never act like this.” Sanji began, but before he could regain his composure and continue, Zoro cut him off.
”You probably couldn’t hit me if you tried.”
”What the hell is your problem? I was apologizing to Nami, why would I give two fucks what you think, you Moss Headed Asshole.”
”You seem to have a real fascination with my hair, Dart brow.”
”Guys, Please!” Nami shouted. Her cheeks flushed a sweet shade of pink. She was clearly irritated herself, which made Sanji sigh. “Look, I’m really sorry Sanji, I knew it’d be a bad idea to tell you so soon. I thought maybe it would be easier on you if we kept Zoro away for a while.”
”You mean locked away.” Zoro shot at her, more searing than Sanji had heard from him yet. He could tell Zoro was trying to look unaffected by the thought, but the evidence was written all over his furrowed eyebrows and the snarl that pulled at his lips.
Sanji froze then, eyes fixed on them God damn teeth. Of course, Sanji knew he couldn’t deny it. Of course this was the same man he’d seen slice so many fishmen in half. He could see it in the pull of his lips, the same way he’d seen that feverish bloodlust as Zoro moved with his sword like water, he could see now that same temper spark within his eyes.
”No. It’s alright dear Nami.” Sanji sighed, trying to let his own uneasiness follow along with it. “If we are to be a true decent crew, it’s probably best I know the truth. Even if I don’t really know what that is.”
“We’re not just the truest crew, but the truest friends! And friends always look out for each other.” Luffy chimed in before dragging his finger through the remaining strawberry jam on the plate and popping it into his mouth.
”Luffy, you could have shared some with the rest of us.” Usopp whined, gazing longingly at the bare plate that now sat in Luffy’s lap, causing Sanji to laugh.
”Don’t worry Usopp, I have some extra sat out in the kitchen. I figured Luffy wouldn’t share any.”
”I share secrets, food is where I draw the line.”
Sanji watched as Luffy and Nami followed after Usopp to the kitchen. Sanji wiped his clammy hands off against his slacks before making to follow after them, meaning to get a jump start on his dinner prep for the night, but was cut off by an arm stretched out before his chest.
Sanji glances up, not only perplexed at the interruption, but the strange emotion etched across Zoro’s face. Their eyes don’t meet, Zoro won't look him in the eye, but his arm never falls from Sanji’s chest.
“What is it Moss Head.” Sanji quips, trying to keep it light, but judging by the other man’s expression, it comes off as anything but.
“I saw you, in Coco Village.” Zoro finally turns his head, meets Sanji’s eyes as he speaks, slow and serious. Sanji feels uncomfortable and small under his gaze and doesn’t know how to feel about it if he’s honest. “I saw you fight for Nami’s home, her family, I respect you for it.”
Sanji makes to step back, to speak for himself despite the nervousness vibrating from within him, but Zoro moves closer. He turns himself to fully stand before Sanji, arms now caging Sanji between himself and the stern of the ship Nami and Usopp had leaned up against just minutes ago.
”I will only say this once, so be sure to listen Cook.” His eyes didn’t waver now, nor did the tone of his voice as Sanji recoiled as far back as the wood behind his back would let him. “You may be part of the crew now, but I don’t know who you are or what you’re made of. I can feel it, radiating off you, the power they don’t see. If you so much as think about hurting any of them, make the wrong move and I will remove you from this ship myself.”
Sanji felt his teeth clench, the strings of his heart cinching tighter. How could he possibly know what Sanji was? The short answer was that he couldn’t. It wasn’t possible. Nobody had ever been able to tie him back to that wretched family, and they wouldn’t anytime soon.
Before he could think better of it, Sanji was raising his leg and stamping it into the center of Zoro’s chest with about as much force as he had within himself. He watched as Zoro slide back on his heels, anchoring himself to the planks beneath them and reaching for the blade at his hip.
”I will only speak this to you once too, Swordsman. So you better hope your brain is tuned in enough to understand. I am going to find the All Blue, and I am going to follow our idiot of a Captain to the Grand Line and beyond it, so hear me when I say it’ll take a lot more than some shitty scare tactics to throw me off. I will do my damn best to make sure I’m worth something here because this is it for me. The first leap toward my dream lies with that man in there, so I implore you to take your best shot.”
Zoro stares up at him from his half crouch on the floor, never letting go of his priming fighting stance, face expressionless and vacant. Sanji sees it there, a simple flash of recognition, an understanding before those damn canines are peeking out at him in another wicked smile.
“Don’t worry, I intend to do just that.”
He watches as Zoro gives him one more look over, one more slight nod of his head, and then he’s making his way into the galley after their crew.
Sanji let’s go of the balloon of air that’s been inflating in his chest and sinks down to the floor beneath him. He pulls out another cigarette and pulls the smoke down deep into his lungs.
God, he was so screwed. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He still had no idea who these people really were, let alone what the hell Zoro was. What was he gonna do? What if they found out just who Sanji truly was and cast him out just like everyone else.
Sanji knew two things for sure. He would follow Luffy and this crew to the Grandline and beyond, as far as their Captain would go and as far as they would let him. He would prove Zoro wrong, that he was not weak and pliant and fragile, that he was strong and sure and true to his Captain.
He stood then, pushing himself off the wood behind him and stubbing out his cigarette. He had dinner to cook, plans to make, and a crew to serve.
But the one thing he knew for certain, was that none of them could ever know who he really was or where he’d come from. He would never be a weapon, he would not be a mistake here.
And if he had to prove it with blood, sweat, and tears…
Well, so be it.