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licorice-tea · 3 months

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The Bane of My Existence

Pairing:Trafalgar Law x reader

Content: some spoilers for Sabaody arc (nothing major), enemies to lovers! strawhat reader, reader and law are both stubborn and argumentative smh, reader is more optimistic though, law is awkward and not great at understanding his own feelings <3

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: part 1/2 for a little enemies to lovers fic! one of my favorite tropes but I almost never write about it... also I've been rewatching bridgerton and was very inspired by the relationship between Kate and Anthony, which is where the title comes from too! (can you guess what part 2 will be called?) anyway, enjoy and lmk your thoughts! :)

Part 2

Sabaody Archipelago is easily one of the coolest places you’ve visited so far. Not that Alabasta, Skypiea, Water 7, Thriller Bark weren’t cool too… but you’re a people person! And to get to see such a diverse mix of groups from all over the world converging here, on one island Archipelago, brings a genuine smile to your face. It truly does remind you of a theme park: from the attractions to the oversized trees and bubbles.

In fact, you’re so caught up in all the splendors of the carnival-esque grove that you don’t realize you’re being watched. Or, followed, rather.

The Heart Pirates, yet another crew from some vague corner of the world, have been tracking you for the better part of an hour now. Except, they’re only following their captain, who happens to be following you.

Hes not entirely discreet about it though, because at one point Bepo asks, “Um… Captain, why are we following them?”

Shachi responds unprompted, “Yeah, I’ve never seen their bounty poster so… what’s up?”

Law scowls, “I’m not following anyone.”

Though he is low-key following you, Law couldn’t give a good reason as to why. You walked past him and his crew on your way to meet up with the rest of your crew- the Strawhat Pirates- and he’d just sort of trailed after you once you’d gotten a safe distance ahead.

“Really? Because every time they stop for directions, we slow down. And we’ve turned at all the same spots, too… So it really does seem like we’re follo-“

“I am NOT following them.” He lies through (literally) gritted teeth.

Now, Trafalgar Law is in now way shape or form a believer in love at first sight. He’s never been in love period… but the feeling he gets from seeing you is something new and foreign. Like, he really wants to talk to you… he just doesn’t know what for. Law is still trying his best to come up with reasons to stop you and ask for your name when you overhear the brief argument between him and his friends.

With a quick glance over your shoulder, you spot a group of at least 10 on your trail. They’re in the middle of conversation, so they don’t notice you taking notice of them.

Your first instinct is to look around for your crew; but of course, they’re scattered across the groves of Sabaody Archipelago by now - as are you. “Sigh. I might just have to handle this in my own.” But, wait- who said they wanted to fight you? Maybe you should just approach them first, wouldn’t that give you the upper hand in some way? (It wouldn’t, but you can’t think of anything better than to try and charm your way out of a possible jumping with your friendliness and perfect smile.) So, you roll back your shoulders and take a breath before strolling back over the grass to your pursuers.

“Why would I be following some rand-“

“Because you have a crush on them!”

“Oh they’re cute, Captain, you should ask them to join!”

“Gasp! Yeah, then you can get to know-“

They all go silent (save for some quiet gasps) as you step toward the semi circle they’ve formed around one man- the only one not wearing a white uniform, who they call “Captain.” You tap him on the shoulder and he whips his head around.

“Excuse me, I was wondering if you could help me?”

The man just stares at you for a moment with a frown. You fear that you might’ve been wrong about his intentions, until he blinks and mumbles, “Uh… Sure.”

Your smile returns- of course you weren’t wrong! Plus, he’s kind of hot, but you’d catalog that thought and come back to it on some lonely night in the future. “Great! I’m looking for grove 41, it’s where some of my friends are.”

You’d learned back in Water 7 that sometimes, it was best not to disclose who exactly you’re traveling with, nor the location of your ship. (At least, not when you’re infamous pirates.)

“Grove 41? I’m headed there too.”

The polar bear wearing who is also wearing a white uniform clears his throat.

“I thought we were heading to Grove 1, Captain?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to get in y’all’s way then-“

“Nah, I think Captain would love to show you the way.”

“Shachi!” The captain sneers. “We’ll meet back up at Grove 1 after I show them the way." Then, he looks you up and down. It's quick and analytical rather than flirtatious or intimidating. "Don’t cause me any trouble.”

You smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it. I’m y/n, by the way.”

“Trafalgar Law, and this is my crew, the Heart Pirates.” He gestures around the semi circle, then turns to face them, “You guys go take a break or something. I’ll be back shortly.”

“But Captain, we want to go with you!”

One of the men with red hair- Shachi, you’re pretty sure, elbows the polar bear.

“Hey!…” He looks down at Shachi then gasps like he suddenly had a revelation; “Ohhh. Sorry Captain, we’ll see you later!”

Law rolls his eyes. “See you soon.”

There's something about his dark hair and grey eyes that charms you, right off the bat. Or maybe it's his relaxed, confident demeanor. Possibly even his idiosyncratic style of clothing, and how he (and all of his crew) wore the same logo; so very organized and professional. But no matter the exact reason as to why, you find yourself quite happy to be in his company.

Alas, he’s not a very talkative man, so you make up most of the conversation with questions and your own introductory information. “-and that’s how I got here, to Sabaody!”

“Uh huh. And who did you say your crew was again?”

“I, ahem, I don’t travel with a crew.”

“Right.” He laughs dryly.

“What is it?”

“You’re a bad liar.”

“I- I’m not lying!”

“Look, you don’t have to tell me what crew you’re a part of,” Law explains, “but don’t lie and say you’re not a pirate at all.”

“Well… it’s generally not a good idea to tell strangers that you’re a pirate. Not even nice ones, like you."

Ignoring the butterflies in his stomach that unexpectedly appear when you call him nice, Law's burning curiosity is fed by your roundabout half-answer. “Ah, so you are one? What’s your bounty?”

“That’s not really any of your business.” Though you believe his intentions to be purely based in curiosity, you're second guessing allowing this man to lead you away on an island grove that you have never visited, nor know anything about. Still, your crew is nowhere in sight or hearing range, which worries you given just how loud they usually are.

“I’m paying you a favor by leaving my crew to escort you to where I’m assuming your ship is located- it’s the least you could do.” Law’s tone is more prickly than before.

“Well, I don’t need an escort, and you’ve already walked me halfway there and pointed me in the right direction.”

“Fine- then I’ll leave.”

His sudden change in mood from what you interpreted as shy to borderline aggressive throws you off. And so, having a similar moody temperament and stubbornness (though you’d never admit it after seeing it so clearly in him), you return the sentiment. “Fine by me.”

You continue walking forward while Law turns back, until he calls over his shoulder. “And by the way; you’ll need to find your way through the lawless zone up ahead if you want to get to Grove 41.” If condescending was a person, it would be him. You’re sure of it. “That, or I could’ve shown you a much safer shortcut.”

You pause, turn to face him, roll your eyes, and continue walking.

“What, you’re still not going to ask for my help?”

“Don’t need it!” Which, you really don’t. You’re plenty strong, but your bounty is small enough to not be worried. “I’m not scared of a law-less zone, if anything I think I’d welcome it.”

Your mocking words hurt his ego in a way he hasn't felt in years, taking him down several pegs.

You don't even stick around long enough to listen to him rebuke everything about you, from your high and mighty tone to your vain attempts at lying, ending his one sided argument with a very classy middle finger your way. So, Law grumbles all the way back to Grove 1 to find his crew, and hopes to never see you again. Meanwhile, you find your way to the other Strawhats. Your adventure with them continues, and you don’t have much time to think of your earlier encounter with a handsome pirate and possible-friend turned enemy (if you could even call him that.)

Law doesn't know if his ego (or wildly beating heart) could take another second in your presence- it just might burst if it had to endure any more of your witty comments or sly looks. It would, however, be an interesting theory to test further, should you ever meet again.

The prospect is both horrifying and thrilling to him at the same time.

#fanfic #one piece x reader #one piece #one piece x you #x reader #law x reader #law x you #law fluff #straw hat pirates #trafalgar law #law

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eos-headcanon-station · 7 months

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Sanji Absolutely Dotes on Zoro in French

-He does so in an insulting tone so the marimo doesn't get any ideas

-It starts around Lodetown, when he can't quite keep his feelings in check. It's not like the swordsman will ever understand him anyways.

-Sanji knew it probably wasn't the best way to pack off his feelings, but since when did he believe in healthy ways of dealing with his problems?

-Nami, Robin, and Brook pick up on it (Nami knows enough French to get through a conversation if she has to, Robin knows like 6 languages so that's a given, and Brooke only knows romantic phrases in French, not that he uses it)

-Brook almost asks Sanji about it but he sidesteps the shit out of that conversation (He saw what happened at Thriller Bark, he doesn't need more information)

-Post Thriller Bark with Sanji and Zoro getting on a little better he absolutely triples down on the compliments. He doesn't tell Zoro what the words mean because at this point? It would be too embarrassing to tell him. He's been at it too long.

-During the timeskip though to give him something to surprise Sanji with, Zoro decides to try to pick up French so he can hurl the insults back at him.

-Mihawk begrudgingly agrees to help him with the basics and any insults he can think to teach him. Perona starts chiming in later with "useless" French words.

-He catches so much shit from Perona when he starts piecing together that most of what Sanji has been calling him aren't in fact insults. It's mostly gushy pet names and compliments.

-When they meet up on Saobody again, he waits till they bicker to tease him with it.

-Sanji starts muttering sweet things in French under his breath as he usually does, then Zoro responds by needling back with compliments of his own.

-This catches Sanji totally off guard. His face goes deep red and he starts stringing actual insults out in French. He covers his face with one of his hands, but it doesn't stop a sheepish, bashful smile from creeping up his face.

- "So you can learn new tricks that don't have to do with swords, eh Marimo?" He'd say, eventually grabbing Zoro's hand.

-Later, Zoro gets Sanji to keep teaching him French since he'd lose the practice if not.

#eos thinks #one piece #zosan #roronoa zoro #sanji #black leg sanji #I just think it would be sweet and silly okay

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thirstydiglett · 2 months

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@pinkished ITS HERE

Love is Poisonous

Summary: Zoro has been in love with Sanji for a long time. When Sanji is poisoned in a fight and truly needs him, will it be enough for their love to come to fruition?

Pacing: After Water 7, before Thriller Bark

Pairings: Zosan!

Warnings: Near death of a major character, seizures, vomiting, other symptoms of poisoning, kissing

Word count: 3k (I am incapable of short stories lol)

Author’s Note: First time writing Zosan and I’m so fucking excited!! These two are just so perfect together. A small disclaimer: in the story Sanji is poisoned by death-stalker scorpion venom. I have taken extreme liberties with the symptoms. If you get stung by a death-stalker scorpion and you use this fic instead of going to a hospital you will probably die. So don’t do that. Thanks to pinkished for requesting, this was so much fun to write. Anyway, onto the story!!

“Luffy, you idiot! Be more careful!”

Zoro watched as his captain was knocked back, the blow he’d sustained catapulting him high into a nearby tree. But with a glance upward, Zoro caught the dark-haired man’s signature smile. Luffy was going to be fine.

“Sorry Zoro! Let me just get myself down from here…”

Zoro was not normally the type to worry when it came to battles with rival crews. But this group was tough. Tougher than Lucci and CP-0, even.

The Death-stalker Pirates. The captain had eaten the Death-stalker Scorpion Model Zoan Fruit, giving him the lower body and sharp pincers of a massive yellow scorpion. And his crew was as tough as he was.

A burly bearded man was taking on Franky and Robin in hand to hand (to hand to hand to hand) combat. A pair of twins with perfect balance was expertly dodging Usopp’s stars. Chopper had had to transform into his Monster Point form and was indiscriminately kicking the shit out of the lesser crew members. Over his shoulder Zoro caught a young woman with bright blonde hair and long, sharp nails challenging Nami. Sanji, of course, was simping over her in between fending off blows from the captain—

Oh shit. The captain.

Zoro never should have let his guard down. The captain’s long scorpion tail wrenched Zoro’s swords from his grasp before he even realized he was behind him, bending the steel as if it was foil.

“Shit! My swords!”

He turned for a split second to watch as his precious damaged swords were tossed far out of reach. But a split second was all it took. In a heartbeat, the scorpion captain’s tail was plunging through the air, drops of some sort of venom oozing from the tip.

There was no time to dodge.

“Marimo!” A sudden flash of black suit and golden hair, and Sanji was in front of him, shoving him out of the way. Zoro could only watch, as if in slow motion, as the venomous tail stabbed deeply into the cook’s leg.

Zoro tried to shout, but no words came out. He stood motionless, his heart racing, his stomach turning.

Please, no… Anyone but the cook.

He’d kept his feelings about the young man silent for a long time—since the East Blue, really. Talented, smart, loyal. Handsome. God, so handsome…

How the fuck do you tell someone you’re in love with him when he’s clearly straight, when he annoys the shit out of you just for fun, when you fight every other day? When you know your feelings won’t be returned?

You do it with your actions, Zoro had always supposed. So he defended the cook when the cook needed defending (not often), he ate every bite of every dish the man made, and on the best days he would simply stand in silence next to him, listening to the waves hit the ship and gazing out at the moon.

Would he ever be able to do that again?

In a flash, he was moving, wrenching the scorpion tail out of Sanji’s leg. Holding tight, he mustered every inch of his strength and flung the man hard into the trunk of a nearby tree. A sickening crrrack reverberated through the area as the captain’s back bent unnaturally. Hopefully that would keep him down for a while.

“You idiot cook! Why the fuck did you do that?” He shouted, putting Sanji’s arm around his shoulders to help him up even as he did so.

“Dunno…” Sanji managed. Already his speech was beginning to slur.

“Sanji!” Luffy had made it down from the tree. “What happened?”

Robin, leaving Franky to take over their fight, came running over. “This doesn’t look good. That’s some of the most poisonous venom in the world.”

Luffy swallowed, for once seeming uncertain. “So what do we do?”

“I think Chopper has some antivenom in the sick bay. But he can’t administer it like that…” she gestured to Chopper, who was 30 feet tall and in the process of stomping all over a couple of lackeys. “Someone else would have to do it.”

“I’ll do it,” Zoro grumbled, trying to sound annoyed instead of terrified. “The motherfucker bent my swords, I’m useless out here anyway.”

Luffy nodded, his mind made up. “Zoro… don’t let Sanji die, ok?”

Zoro smirked a bit despite himself. “I couldn’t if I tried. Someone has to keep this idiot alive.”

“YOU’RE A IDIOT, MARIO!” Sanji grunted.

“You mean Marimo?”

“Heh. You admitted you’re a marimo.”

Robin turned to Zoro, her expression serious. “You don’t have long. First, the neurotoxins will start affecting his thinking—he’s going to act like he’s drunk. In fact, he most likely won’t have any memory of anything after getting poisoned. Then he’ll start seizing, vomiting and coughing up blood. If he experiences paralysis in his feet, you’ll know you’ve got only minutes left before it kills him. Find the antivenom and use it fast.”

Zoro nodded. “Come on, love-cook. Let’s go save your stupid life.”

“YOUR life is stupid!”

*****

The pair hurried through the woods. Thankfully Sanji was still coherent enough to give directions back to the ship, because Zoro would have been totally lost otherwise.

“Turn lef’ at that boulder..” the cook, now on Zoro’s back, commanded. “This’s fun… ridin’ you like a horse…”

Zoro flushed at the sudden thought of Sanji atop him, riding him in a very different manner. “Shut up! Fucking dumbass… getting yourself poisoned…”

A moment of silence passed.

“Why’d you… why’d you do that anyway?” Zoro continued. “I could’ve handled it as well as you can.”

Sanji didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, he spoke.

“‘Cuz we need you.”

Zoro’s cheeks reddened, and it took everything in his power not to look back at the man on his back.

“Yeah, well—we need you too.”

“Awwwwww!!! Little baby mosshead needs me!” Sanji teased. And with that, he promptly vomited the entire contents of his lunch onto Zoro’s shoulder.

“Fucking disgusting, dude! What’s wrong with you?” Zoro nearly dropped Sanji in his attempt to take off his shirt, forcing the blond to lean against a tree for a moment as Zoro threw the shirt to the ground and revealed his muscular brown physique.

“‘M poisoned, remember?” slurred Sanji. “Think we go left here…”

“You are going to owe me so hard when you’re better,” Zoro growled, picking Sanji back up and taking the turn.

“Damn, your skin is so warm. I’m really cold allasudden so that’s nice…” Sanji continued to ramble. Glancing down at Sanji’s arms wrapped around his shoulders, Zoro felt his stomach turn. The chef was slowly turning blue.

“Jesus Christ, Curly, we gotta get you back. Are we close to the ship?”

“Almost there. Jus’ past the tree line up here,” Sanji murmured, but his voice was softer now, and his grip weaker.

“Just hold on, ok? You’re gonna be ok.” As the words escaped Zoro’s mouth, a spasm wracked Sanji’s body, causing the man to cry out in pain. Zoro held him tighter against his back, willing himself to move faster. Please, please, please…

And then, like an answer from God, they broke through the tree line to reveal the rocky coast and the Sunny moored only about 100 yards away.

With a burst of strength, Zoro sprinted for the ship, holding onto Sanji for dear life. They cleared the gangway in record time and made it to the sick bay, Zoro dropping Sanji on the bed to rummage frantically through Chopper’s cupboards.

“Hey, be gentle, dumbass!” Sanji said weakly, unable to put any real force behind the insult.

“You can argue with me when you’re better, how does that sound?” Zoro said distractedly, reading the names on the vials and jars. Lyfitol, Wormwood, Queensblood… nothing even resembling an antivenom so far.

Sanji seized again on the bed, coughing hard. “Marimo…”

“What?”

“I’m sorry.”

Zoro paused, his heart pounding in his ears. “What do you mean you’re sorry?”

“‘M sorry you hafta go to all this trouble cuz I did something stupid. I’m not worth it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You could find a way better chef than me if you knew where to look. And a better fighter. Looks like you’re gonna get that chance…”

“Sanji!”

Zoro turned to the bed and grabbed Sanji’s shoulders, leaning over him to look him directly in the eyes.

“We don’t want anyone else. We want you. Just…stay alive for me, ok? Even if you don’t think you’re worth it. I do, you fucking idiot. I need you to stay alive, cook. Even if you annoy the shit out of me sometimes.”

Sanji was silent, his unfocused eyes attempting to take Zoro in. Finally, he managed to whisper. “Heh. You like me.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Zoro returned to the cupboards. After another silent moment of rummaging, his hand brushed a vial containing a silvery liquid. Turning it to reveal the label, Zoro’s heart leaped. The print was clear as day.

All-purpose antivenom. To be injected diluted with water at a 2:1 ratio.

Fuck, more to do. He grabbed a needle quickly and ran to the sink, getting some fresh water. His hands shook as he measured the correct amounts in the first small container he could find. Fuck, too much water. Better try agai—

“Zoro.”

He turned his head, annoyed at the distraction. “What?”

“I can’t move my feet.”

Zoro’s blood ran cold. Robin’s words echoed in his head. If he experiences paralysis in his feet, you’ll know you’ve got only minutes left before it kills him.

“I’m gonna save you, Curly, ok? You’re gonna be fine.” His voice broke even as he tried to comfort his friend, and he could feel tears streaming down his cheeks. God, he couldn’t lose Sanji. Anyone but Sanji.

Finally, blessedly, he managed to figure out the ratio. Drawing it into the needle, he ran to Sanji’s side, grabbed his arm. Finding a vein was easy—they were bulging all over Sanji’s body as the venom pulsed through him.

Taking a deep breath, Zoro leaned down, brushed his hand against the cook’s paling face, squeezed his arm

And

Injected.

*****

After Sanji’s color had evened out and the seizing had stopped, Zoro found himself sitting on the bed. He was somehow unable to take his eyes off the man. Near death’s door less than ten minutes ago, now as rosy-cheeked and handsome as he ever was.

Sanji’s eyes were closed, his sweaty hair swept back from his face, but he was breathing steadily. Zoro wasn’t sure he was even conscious until the blond suddenly spoke.

“I embarrassed m’self in front of Nami-swan and Robin-chan, actin’ all stupid like this, didn’t I?”

Zoro snorted despite himself. “That’s what you’re worried about right now?”

�� ‘fcourse. My beautiful ladies needa see me as a proteccor. Not some kinda loser that gets poisoned an’ acts like a drunk moron.”

Zoro couldn’t help himself. Their usual casual animosity had boiled down into something entirely different in the last hour, and maybe…

He touched Sanji’s leg.

“You’re not a moron, curly. No one on the crew thinks you’re a moron.”

“‘Cept you.”

Zoro swallowed. “Nah. I’m no exception.”

Sanji opened one eye, appraising the situation. “What the hell do you think of me then?”

Zoro looked away, removing his hand. Why was it suddenly so hard to speak? “I told you, cook. We need you.”

A long silence floated pregnant in the air.

Finally, Sanji was the one to break it. “If I get married ta Nami I think it’ll be unner those tangerine trees on ‘er home island.” The chef smiled at the thought, closing his eyes. “Errything’ll be so expensive, bes’ of the best, jus’ how Nami-swan likes it…”

Zoro had no response. Sanji’s intellect was obviously still dulled from the poison, but why the fuck had he suddenly started talking about weddings?

“An’ if I get married ta Robin-chan, we’ll hold tha reception inna library, an’ all the guests’ll get books as wedding favors, an’ I’ll serve a hunned million types of sandwiches cuz that’s ‘er favorite…”

“Yeah, dream on,” Zoro managed, attempting to sound aloof, like he wasn’t bothered by the thought of the man he loved at the altar with someone else.

“But that’s never gonna happen.” Sanji suddenly propped himself up to look Zoro dead in the eyes. Zoro had the distinct impression of having been dipped in something very warm, feeling it drip over his body and seep into his bones.

“I’m gonna marry you.”

The earth stopped turning.

Zoro looked away to hide his reddening face, but he was aware of the chef’s serene smile boring into his being.

“Gods, cook, that poison did a fuckin’ number on you.”

“No.” So confident, so sure of himself. “Gonna kill ten different sea kings for a buffet jus’ cuz you like it. You wear a black tux, I’ll wear a white one. An’ we’ll exchange rings on the tip of your sword.”

Zoro turned back to meet Sanji’s gaze. “You’ve really thought about this?”

“ ‘f course. Isn’t that what you do when yer in love with someone?”

Zoro’s heart was pounding mercilessly in his ears again, his skin was flushing, his stomach flipping like an acrobat. And the chef was leaning closer, and Zoro should have stopped him but he wasn’t, and their gazes met like fire and water.

“You’re… you’re really in love with me?” Zoro breathed.

A small smile, and Sanji closed the distance between them.

The kiss was soft, gentle, but as unyielding as Sanji ever was. He brought his hand to Zoro’s cheek as their lips touched, the other snaking around to stroke the hair at the nape of his neck. Zoro was amazed by the sheer confidence in it, as if Sanji had been waiting an awfully long time to do this, as if every fight between them was just an overture to this moment.

And he knew it was wrong. He knew Sanji wasn’t in his right mind, knew the effects of the poison were far from wearing off. Knew he should pull away.

He couldn’t.

Finally, Sanji broke the kiss, his grey-blue eyes piercing into Zoro’s as he pulled away. “I gotta sleep.”

“….You just kissed me and that’s what you have to say?”

“Sleep with me, marimo.” That confidence again, that soft smile.

“Look, love-cook, that was…nice (amazing incredible otherworldly heavenly perfect), but you’re not even gonna remember this tomorrow. I’m not gonna fuck you when you’re like this.”

“Then just cuddle with me?”

Zoro should have said no.

But he always did make one hell of a big spoon.

*****

The morning sunlight, fresh and crisp, shone in Zoro’s eyes. He blinked for a moment, deliciously warm and comfortable, before he noticed it. The smell of good tobacco. The warmth of another body pressed close to his own. The blond hair tickling his face.

The events from the previous night came flooding back into his mind all at once. The poison, the antivenom, the talk about marriage, the…

The kiss.

“Mmm… Nami-swan, you’re so big and strong…” The cook, still snuggled closely into Zoro’s arms, was murmuring. Then he turned his head to look back.

“MARIMO!”

Zoro was shoved unceremoniously out of bed and hit the floor with a thud. Above him, Sanji had sat up and was regarding him with a mixture of confusion and disgust.

“What kind of freak are you, sleeping in my bed with me? Who—wait, why are we in the sick bay?”

“Christ dude, don’t be such an asshole! I saved your life yesterday, after all!”

“What the hell are you talking about?!” There was no spark of recognition in Sanji’s eyes, and Zoro could feel the disappointment washing over him. He really didn’t remember…

“SANJIIIIII!”

A voice from outside the door, and suddenly Luffy burst in, all but throwing himself onto the bed beside Sanji and flinging his arms around him.

“Sanji, we thought you were gonna die!”

“Ok, seriously. What the fuck is everyone talking about.” Sanji’s voice was serious but still confused.

“You really don’t remember anything, do you, cook?” Zoro asked, still rubbing his shoulder from where he’d hit the floor.

The rest of the Straw Hats poured into the room, each of them eager to tell Sanji about the battle, the venom, the way Zoro had saved his life. Sanji sat in silence and listened to everyone in turn, amazed that such a significant event had occurred. One that he had no memory of whatsoever.

Finally, he climbed out of bed. “Let me make you all breakfast then, as thanks for keeping me alive. I’ll meet you all in the kitchen in five minutes. How do omelets sound?”

“Yahoooooo!” Luffy cheered, leading the crew out of the sick bay and leaving Sanji and Zoro alone together again.

Sanji turned to face him, and Zoro prepared for a fight. After all, they’d woken up in a bed together—Sanji was doubtless going to be furious now that he was sober.

But instead, the man did something that took Zoro by surprise. Closing the distance between them, Sanji suddenly pulled him into a brief but heartfelt embrace.

When he pulled away, both of their faces were red.

“Thanks, Zoro. For saving my life.”

Zoro opened his mouth, but no words came out.

As the chef turned away and headed to the kitchen, Zoro stared after him. Maybe, after all this time, maybe there was a chance.

He moved to follow his nakama, and as he did so his foot brushed something on the floor. The vial of antivenom, empty and discarded. Not knowing exactly why, Zoro picked it up. On the back of the peeling-off label, the side effects were listed. One sentence in particular caught his eye.

Patients will lose their memory of the events that happened after their poisoning, but may recall them weeks or months after the event.

Please, Zoro thought as he left the sick bay, headed for the best omelets on the Grand Line.

Please.

__________________________________________

If you’d like, I can tag you the next time I write a story! Just send me a message!

#sanji #black leg sanji #zoro #roronoa zoro #zosan #sanzo #one piece #one piece fanfic #Diglett writes

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biscuitboba · 7 months

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Zoro being the only one present when both of luffy's brothers asked for the crew to take care of their baby brother, im just-

Thinking about the way oda placed the (!) text bubble so close to zoro's head compared to the rest? Im pretty sure it means something, like zoro is the first mate. Taking good care of his captain (and the crew), that's his number one job. Anything else comes second. And zoro literally proved that during the thriller bark arc:

But anyway, back to the whole taking care of luffy thing... I just love how sabo chose to give luffy's vivre card to zoro even though sabo's closer to robin, and zoro's basically a stranger to him sabo, probably: yeah let me just leave luffy's vivre card to his first mate and go

After hearing out sabo's request, (notice the (!) text bubble above zoro's head? but this time with a few dots?? kinda reminds me a lil bit of his response back then) zoro couldn't help but to let out a smile while saying "he sounds just like ace did", meaning zoro still remembers ace's words clearly even though a few years have passed (mind you zoro can be pretty forgetful at times) he is not playing when it comes to things relating to luffy!

Excuse me while i cry over the fact that ace and sabo both entrusted their baby brother to the SHC, but especially zoro cuz he was always there when they entrusted their brother to the crew

#zolu #luzo #one piece #monkey d. luffy #roronoa zoro #alabasta arc #thriller bark arc #dressrosa arc #my zolu brainrot is very messy and not in order pls dont mind me #2 zolu posts in a day? u bet #one piece manga #uhh...#portgas d ace #sabo #asl my beloved #straw hat pirates #straw hat crew #ok i dont need to tag every single one of them

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bidisastersanji · 5 months

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It's Sunday night so why not read part 3/3 of "Zoro gets lost because he uses the red string of fate like a compass" ? Part 1 here, part 2 here, ao3 here Hope you guys like it ;)

Sanji is being weird. Ever since that day on Thriller Bark, he’s definitely been avoiding him, only interacting with him when strictly necessary (to feed him), never making eye contact for too long, and leaving as quickly as he came.

Shitty cook. What’s his fuckin’ deal?

Zoro lets it sit for a couple of days, too injured to move out of the infirmary or to do anything about it anyways, before he comes up with a potential reason for the cook’s strange behaviour. It must be because of the self-sacrifice thing. It can’t be because of that... other thing, he muses.

Back at the Baratie, when they’d first met, Zoro could immediately tell that Sanji didn’t know. The blonde couldn’t see it, or feel it...nothin’. It was painfully obvious. (It didn’t make him feel hollow at all!) So, he hadn’t said anything- what would’ve been the point? It wasn’t like it mattered to him either way: his goal was already fixed. Become the world’s greatest swordsman. Then, maybe look for the person tied to his soul.

He didn’t expect to meet them so soon.

He also didn’t expect for him to come aboard and join the crew. Sure, the ridiculous moron grew on him much faster than he expected, and he took great satisfaction from having someone of comparable strength look over their crew with him, someone who could handle him, his power, his ambition, his rough edges and biting words. He wouldn’t deny that. But he also hated how the proximity made his little...navigation problem way worse.

Learning that Sanji grew up on a moving restaurant in the East Blue certainly explained why the thread moved around so much. Being on the same boat, however, brought the realisation that the closer they were to each other, the more the thread moved- and when living in such close quarters, stuck on a ship, the thread was constantly bobbing around as the cook moved around his kitchen, the pantry, the bridge, happily serving freshly prepared meals and snacks to his crewmates.

If there was one good use that he got out of this, it's that he could always find the best time to sneak some booze from the kitchen- the red string a reliable indicator of Sanji being busy elsewhere. The downside was, of course, all the teasing his nakama, especially that witch Nami, made him endure. And it’s not like he could even reciprocate the teasing the day her tattoo turned the exact shade of a certain Miss Wednesday’s hair. He couldn’t risk his debt going up.

Even when off the ship, Zoro’s sense of direction had never been as comically bad before. Using the red thread to move around was like breathing to him, and it constantly caught his eye, getting him lost- even in the midst of battle- going up the wrong stairs, running off in the wrong direction, finding himself in the most unlikely of places because the damn cook wouldn’t. stop. moving. Around. (Somewhere in his mind, Zoro was aware that he couldn’t expect Sanji to not move- he just was oh so tired of getting lost.)

He noticed that Sanji never had problems finding him. Zoro’s chest felt light whenever he did. He didn’t linger on it.

His chest feels anything but light now that Sanji is avoiding him like the plague.

Strong enough to stand after a few days’ rest, Zoro follows the red thread to the galley. He pushes the door open and catches the sweet smell of Sanji’s stress baking. Of course.

“I’m not giving you booze, marimo.” Sanji doesn’t look up from behind the counter, hands meticulously working to decorate whatever baked goods he’s whipped up today.

“’m not here for booze, cook.”

“Then get the hell out of my kitchen, it’s not lunchtime yet.”

Zoro regards him cooly, standing between the counter and the dining table, and waits for him to look up. He has time.

“...You gonna stand here all day, shithead?”

“Mn.”

Sanji sighs and meets his gaze with an affronted look, hands finally stilling in his decorating.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” Zoro’s not one to beat around the bush. “Is this about what happened with Kuma?”

Sanji stays silent, absentmindedly worrying his lower lip.

“Look, I’m never gonna apologise for knockin’ you out and doing what I did- especially since everything turned out ok in the end. The crew couldn’t lose you, curls. This was my burden to bear. How can we move past this-”

His blue eyes look furious, like burning ice. “We can’t,” he bites out. Sanji reaches for his cigarettes, soothing himself with the familiar motion of placing it between his lips. It wobbles as he speaks. “And the fuck do you even mean, they couldn’t lose me- they can’t lose you, dumbass. You still have to beat Mihawk and become the greatest, right?”

Zoro sighs, tuning the cook out a bit as he nags him. Why Sanji can never see his own value, his importance to the crew, to him, he doesn’t know. He knows it’s not something he can fix with just a few words.

“Why would you even,” Sanji starts losing his words from his frustration. His thumb and forefinger pinch his cigarette and he waves it around angrily. “you silly moss- I can’t understand you!”

“That’s my line. Why did you try to take my place? Spoutin’ all that bullshit about finding another cook, huh?”

Sanji blanches, mouthing silent words as he looks for a way to answer Zoro’s question. His visible eye flits to Zoro’s hand on his chest. The swordsman notices.

“Y-you wouldn’t understand...” his face contorts painfully, brow furrowed.

Zoro takes it all in. Where he’s looking, the way he’s been acting strange...it was more than what happened on Thriller Bark, then. “Oh yeah? Wanna bet?”

“Not really, no.”

“All right. Then why don’t I let you in on a little secret.”

Zoro’s face is impassible as ever, and the cook seems intrigued.

“...sure, why the hell not.” Then, to break the tension, “You gonna tell me the secret to your ridiculous hair colour?”

“Better. ‘m gonna tell you why I get lost all the time.”

“...so you are self-aware. Good job, marimo. Maybe next you’ll figure out basic hygiene.” Sanji’s jeer doesn’t mask how intently he’s waiting for Zoro to reveal his secret.

The swordsman comes closer to the counter, placing his forearms and hands on the cool granite. Sanji’s eye follows the movement and seems to linger on the thread before returning to meet his own. This helps steel the swordsman in his decision.

“You see, the reason I get turned around and lost is ‘cause I don’t navigate like most folk do. Growing up, I relied on my inner compass, and it worked just fine- I could always tell where North was, back then. No matter where I was.”

“What changed?”

“My north started movin’ around,” he huffs.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Yeah, didn’t make sense to me either. But then my friend told me that the red string on my finger wasn’t a compass.”

From how close they’re standing; Zoro hears Sanji’s breath hitch. He grins and brings his hand up from the counter, wiggling his pinky.

“Y-you can see it?” Sanji’s face is twisted with shock and confusion.

“Always have.”

“But then why- why didn’t you say anything?”

“Could tell that you didn’t see it too. Didn’t wanna make a fuss.”

Sanji’s mouth opens on an inhale- ready to retort, but Zoro cuts him off before he gets the chance. “Think, cook. How would’ve you had reacted if I’d told you?”

That shuts him up. Head slightly hanging, his unlit cigarette is in pieces, wrung out by his nervous hands.

Always a contrarian, Zoro feels calm, his chest now warm and light like bread fresh from the oven. He can feel his lips stretch into a lazy smile despite himself. The shitty cook can see it. He can see the thread. It’s a start.

“Sanji.”

His blue eyes are cloudy, distant, deep in thought, and it takes him a few seconds to realise that swordsman said his name. His actual name. Zoro’s chest feels a little tight at the cute blush that dusts his cheeks, spreading to his ears. Tempers the urge to tease him about it, watch it deepen. He should probably say the important stuff first, do what he came here to do in the first place.

“I won’t apologise for Thriller Bark because I'm selfish. I couldn’t bear to lose you.” Zoro prefers to speak with actions, not words, and he hopes that this action was loud enough.

Listen, cook. Please listen.

Sanji ponders his words for a moment, eyes searching his face with an intensity that keeps Zoro rooted to the spot. Under his crisp white button up, his chest rises and falls with a deep, deep sigh. He seems to come to a decision, and Zoro can’t deny his sweaty palms are itching to fidget with his earrings as he watches Sanji join him on his side of the counter. His footsteps suddenly feel quite loud, the light a bit too bright- but Zoro keeps his face schooled in a neutral expression and turns to face his crewmate.

The thread is short, now, their bodies, close.

“You won’t apologise.”

Zoro shakes his head no.

“Then you better be ready to make it up to me your whole life, you shitty marimo.”

I hear you.

Zoro’s heart beats like war drums, victorious and bold and indomitable, blood racing, making his body sizzle with restless energy. He watches in awe as Sanji’s hand- the one with a delicately corded red rope tied to the pinky- reaches for his own, interlocking their hands between them. It looks nice, the red string bright and proud against their skins’ neutral tones. Evidence of their unique bond.

His face must be saying something because Sanji looks handsomely mischievious, pearly whites peeking out from an idiotic grin.

“So, you’re gonna kiss me or what?”

Zoro doesn’t need to be asked twice, and for once, does as Sanji says.

#saying sanji's name can actually be something so personal #i love these two idiots so much #zoro choosing to reveal he knows in the most dramatic way possible #because he is that bitch #he's that i t g i r l #you know he is that girl #zoro roronoa #black leg sanji #zoro x sanji #zosan #one piece zosan #zosan fanfiction #zosan fic #zosan fanfic #zosan soulmate au #red string of fate

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general-cyno · 5 months

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apparently it's the 15th anniversary of zoro's sacrifice in thriller bark (not sure if manga or anime though) so yknow. time for more zolu of course

one of the many things about zoro and luffy is that despite how their approach to certain situations might differ at times, they're still pretty similar at their core, sometimes to a comical degree (see: their definition of what a hero is back in fish man island arc). and this understanding of how the other works is what leads to moments like jaya,

this little one in water 7/enies lobby,

and follows consistently all the way to wano arc.

and I was thinking the other day about how their childhoods too kinda mirror or parallel each other's in a way that emphasizes (to me, at least) how special zoro's particular protectiveness toward luffy is, and why luffy relying on zoro that way is just as special.

the specifics of their childhood stories are different but both luffy and zoro have a turning point of sorts that's marked with the grief and loss of sabo and kuina, respectively, which leads them to say these:

(I cropped the panels, but luffy's also crying here)

it's important to note zoro and luffy had dreams/aspirations before this, to become the greatest swordsman and luffy's secret thing that we've yet to learn about (that ace, sabo and the crew now know). however, losing kuina and sabo is what prompts them to, on top of that, strive to become stronger for other people's sake. for zoro, it's his way to honor his friend and fulfill their shared dream. for luffy, it's to avoid losing the people he loves.

throughout the story, zoro and luffy end up expressing similar frustration and sentiments due to this. there's zoro innerly chiding himself for being too weak as he trains in the aftermath of arcs like little garden, alabasta and thriller bark, where the crew get stuck in situations in which zoro isn't able to help as he wishes he could (the wax cake, the sea prism stone cell, kuma). there's luffy swearing he won't lose a single member of his crew even if it kills him (the davy back fight) and reproaching himself for not being able to save any of the straw hats in sabaody, with the worst of it right after losing ace in marineford.

(and man do I have thoughts about bon turning into zoro, out of all the straw hats, back in impel down.)

anyway. as to why all of this is meaningful - when zoro agrees to join luffy, he mentions that his goal to become the greatest swordsman is all he has. yet as the straw hats go from journey to journey, and with a certain emphasis in luffy, you can see how zoro's view slowly shifts. he's now driving himself to become strong to protect them as well, to the point he's willing to set aside his ambition and offer his own head in exchange for luffy's, if it means he can ensure luffy's life and safety. that's huge. as mihawk inwardly points out, zoro has something, someone he values even more than his ambitions and pride. and it's through his adventures with luffy and the crew that he becomes closer to achieving that initial dream of his.

whenever people wonder why zoro's as loyal as he is to luffy, aside from all the reasons why luffy as a character has earned that loyalty through his actions, I also remember that one line koushiro said to zoro in a flashback: "the pinnacle of swordsmanship is the power to protect what one wishes to protect and cut what one wishes to cut. a blade that injures all that it touches isn't really a sword." while sure, it works in the context of later power ups like haki, imo it perfectly captures zoro's character growth too and what luffy's given him. the current zoro isn't lost or directionless with only one purpose in mind or to live for, bounty hunting as a means to survive. he has a home to return to, people to cherish, to protect and keep getting stronger for, people who nurture him in turn. kuina's death is something zoro couldn't have prevented, and losing people in accidents like those is something that could happen again, but still within the limits of what's preventable - zoro can protect his friends now.

as for luffy... zoro kinda steals the spotlight when it comes to grand gestures of loyalty/devotion and being the MC of the story means luffy fights for different people (both crew and non crew), carrying their wishes and hopes as if they were his own. he gets help and learns from others as well and all members of the crew are important for luffy to achieve his dream one way or the other, but the way he relies on zoro specifically is so subtly meaningful to me. we don't get as much insight on luffy's inner thoughts, still, we do have context.

for someone like luffy, who is at his innermost genuinely terrified of being alone and losing the people he loves, the fact that he trusts zoro to protect and keep everyone safe (even luffy himself) is so good. as shown above, luffy vowed to become strong in the first place to ensure he'd never go through loss like sabo's again and this vow is all the more renewed after ace's death. luffy has to be strong for everyone but... the fact that he can trust zoro to follow his lead even when others might not understand his reasons to do x or y, that he's so unwavering in his faith that zoro will protect the others when luffy can't, entrusting the people he cares about to zoro, whom luffy also cherishes - it's all pretty special. everyone in the crew has their strengths and zoro may not be the only fighter, but all of them, including sanji, fall under his protection whenever it's needed.

it's not only about raw strength though. zoro's also there to set luffy straight and remind him of what's important when the circumstances arise, like in water 7 or punk hazard. and even when they don't necessarily agree, like wrt vivi's situation after the reverie in marijoa, luffy knows when zoro's right and acquiesces (albeit grumbling a little) because, once again, he's also aware that zoro wouldn't just risk everyone's safety. luffy listens to him. and their reunion in wano too, luffy's sheer happiness at the sight of him again, is a very clear example of how much luffy adores zoro even beyond all that.

although luffy isn't aware of what happened in thriller bark (that we know of), zoro's actions are proof of why luffy trusts, has faith in, and relies on zoro as much as he does and why it's so important for luffy to have him by his side, considering how afraid he is of being unable to keep his loved ones safe. this is more on a speculative note, but I can imagine how comforting that must be for luffy - to not shoulder that on his own.

happy anniversary!

#zolu #tp #long post #yeah it's me. again #happy anniversary to zoro reinventing love and devotion for luffy y'all #I meant to add but I would've gone on a longer tangent if I had AJSJ #that yeah you could count whiskey peak as the one time luffy didn't trust zoro but eh it's like #1) I'm not sure how much of it was meant to be serious 2) their chemistry is so ridiculous they can't even fight properly #without falling into sync with one another and 3) luffy doesn't doubt zoro's intentions after that again #aaand you could argue this whole unwavering faith in zoro may have its drawbacks (sabaody) but #within the story it's not really something he holds against luffy but it is something that at least motivates him #to tell luffy to get his shit together. which is tasty imo #jay reads op

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zoroslost · 3 months

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Pining!Zoro takes up smoking while away on Gloom island because he misses Sanji and the smoke smells like him.

Zoro recognizes the signs of missing his crew as soon as they're separated. And he feels the pull to be together with his Nakama again as soon as he sees Luffy's declaration in the paper but he doesn't realize that he's feeling the cook's absence differently until he finds Mihawk smoking one day about 3 months into his stay on Gloom Island.

He's not oblivious to the effect the cook has on him. Zoro's known that his feelings for the cook were different from his feelings toward the rest of his nakama since the beginning. He'd recognized that the feelings he had toward the airheaded blonde were romantic since Thriller Bark, when he couldn't stand the thought of the other being gone. He was, however, shocked to realize just how much influence Sanji's presence had on him.

The instant he registered the heavy scent of the cigarette, he felt his body and mind relax as a feeling of warmth washed over him. It smelled like home. He wanted to be surrounded by it. Zoro sank down against the wall and started cleaning his swords to remain in the feeling for just a bit longer.

When Zoro prepared to sleep that night, he was surprised to find the scent had woven itself into his clothes. Not wanting to separate from the smell, he pulled his robe over himself when he laid down. Blanked in the smell, he could almost feel the rocking of the hammocks as he drifted off to the most restful sleep he'd had since he was last on the Sunny.

He feels lighter and more focused when training for the next few weeks, but he can feel that fading away as the heady scent fades from his robe, leaving a hollow chasm in his chest. He thought he'd been doing a decent job of keeping his emotions internal but he's proven wrong when Perona snaps at him while they're all eating silently, "What the hell crawled up your ass and died. I'm already stuck here with you two depressing guys don't make it any worse than it needs to be."

"I'm not doing anything," Zoro growls back at her.

"Yes you are!" she complains, "You're just being all-" she gestures vaguely to the way he's sitting at the table. He raises an eyebrow at her."

"You're morose," Mihawk clarifies unhelpfully.

"Exactly!" she points at him in accusation, "You're sulking! You've been more bearable recently what happened?"

"I'm just tired of being stuck with your annoying ass," he snipes back.

"I'm a fucking joy," the ghost girl shouts at him, before settling down as she ponders. "Anyway, that's not it. Your mood changed abruptly about 2 weeks ago and you've been tolerable. What happened 2 weeks ago..."

"If I remember correctly," Mihawk interjects boredly, "the only thing unusual that happened was that I was smoking." Zoro stiffens, waiting for the girl to put the pieces together.

"You smoke?" she asks with visible confusion. Zoro rolls his eyes. She chews the information over in her mind and can see the exact moment she figures it out, a grin overtaking her face. "You don't have a nicotine addiction, you just like someone that does."

"Shut up," he growls in warning.

Her grin stretches wider, "Oh-ho I was right. There was a smoker on your crew right?"

"Shut up," he repeats, louder this time.

"It's that blonde guy isn't it, the one with the weird eyebrow?"

"Fuck off!" he slams his fist down on the table hard as he stands.

"Hororororo~"

"If it keeps you focused, you can just have some," Mihawk says dryly as he slides a pack of cigarettes and a lighter toward him on the table.

He snatches them up and storms off, ignoring the obnoxious laughter coming through the door behind him.

The cigarettes sit forgotten in Zoro's room for a while before he remembers that he has them.

He doesn’t really like smoking but he takes to carrying around a pack of cigarettes just to light one just to let the scent hang in the air. After a while, he starts taking one or two inhales of the cigarette just to imagine what Sanji tastes like. He hates how pathetic it makes him feel.

He’s not addicted but it becomes a comfort mechanism and he knows he won’t be able to stop the habit once the crew is back together. He also would rather die than admit the reason he started so he has no choice but to keep it secret. Sanji's constant smoking keeps him from engaging in the bad habit for the most part but on the nights he’s alone on watch and feeling lonely, he takes to lighting one and taking a few breaths to

He never intends for anyone to find out but after the cook leaves for Whole Cake, the habit starts up again in full force to the point that everyone notices. No one says anything but he can tell by the way they look at him that they know why the habit started.

Sanji doesn't find out until the celebration of the defeat of Kaido. He must've run out of cigarettes at some point because he complains to the other straw hats that he wishes that he had a damn cigarette.

"Why don't you just ask Zoro for one?" Ussop pipes up and Zoro goes still, silently cursing the other in his head for ignoring the fact that they haven't been bringing it up for a reason damn it.

Sanji's eyes flick to Zoro before settling on Ussop, eyebrow raised in confusion, "Why the hell would the shitty swordsman have any cigarettes? He doesn't smoke."

Ussop must feel the murderous vibes that Zoro is sending his way because he starts sweating nervously and quickly starts to run away, "Whoops, I hear someone calling for me, bye." They both stare after him in silence as he dashes toward the Sunny.

'Fucking idiot aren't you supposed to be a master liar or whatever, cover your ass better than that,' Zoro thinks bitterly. He can feel the cook's eyes on him, 'Fuck!'

"What the hell was that about? You take up smoking to fill the void I left in your heart or something Mosshead?" Sanji teased with a smirk on his face, subconsciously reaching into his pocket for a cigarette before remembering that he didn't have any.

Zoro grounded his teeth together, 'If I don't tell him now and he finds out later he'll bitch about this forever.' Tensely, he pulled the half-empty packet out of his pocket and held it out to the cook without looking at him as he grumbled, "'or something."

The cook didn't move for a few beats, just staring at the swordsman. Zoro could feel his face heating up as he kept his eyes firmly downcast, as he waited for the shitty cook to take them, "Are you gonna take 'em or not shit cook."

His rough tone must've broken Sanji out of his stupor because he jumped slightly before reaching out and taking the pack from Zoro's outstretched hand, fingertips barely brushing the other's palm in a way that made Zoro's heart flutter annoyingly. He silently removed one from the pack and fished his lighter out of his pocket, lighting the end and taking a deep breath of nicotine. Zoro let his eye fall shut as he felt his body relax unwillingly with the cook's exhale causing the smell of smoke to settle around them.

They sat in silence for a while, Zoro content to let the other think he was asleep while he listened to the sounds of the cook preparing their food. He was jolted out of his meditative state as a cold bottle was pressed against his cheek. He opened his good eye lazily to look up at the cook who was pressing a nice bottle of booze against his cheek and holding a freshly prepared batch of onigiri.

Sanji's head was turned away but Zoro was transfixed at the slight flush that was climbing up the other's neck. He took the other's offerings gently and Sanji walked back to the kitchen to keep working.

"'s nice to know that I was missed," Sanji said so quietly that Zoro barely heard him over the sounds of the kitchen and the party outside. He didn't say anything more, but Zoro could hear what the cook was really trying to say: 'thanks...'

Zoro smiled to himself, taking a deep drink, "don't let it happen again."

Sanji hummed his agreement.

#I wrote this like 3 months ago and refuse to leave it in my drafts any longer #im only on dressrosa but i have vague knowledge of wci and wano so i hope it is compliant ish #im a big sucker for pining!zoro #one piece #ronoroa zoro #sanji #vinsmoke sanji #black leg sanji #zosan #homegrown worms #my writing

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taizi · 4 months

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in the mouth of the world

one piece word count: 1k written for @op-secret-santa 2023 and my giftee was @viktorclawthorne ! viktor, two of your favorite characters are zoro and sanji, and one of your favorite pairings is platonic zolu, so this is what i came up with. i really, really hope you like it !

read on ao3

Sanji is in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hair tied back with one of Usopp’s scrunchies, trying to remember if the raspberry or the pistachio macarons went over better last time. His friends inhaled them all in a matter of minutes, but Sanji can’t recall which ones went first.

In the end, he goes with mango. The fruits are ripe, cheerful orange, and their color pings as appropriate in his mind.

These pastries are finicky at best, and a punishment from god at worst, so leveling the battlefield by removing extra heat and moisture from his workstation is always step one. As a result, the room is very cool, the door propped open to let in the crisp winter air, a fan borrowed from Franky’s workshop whirring away in the corner.

Zoro and Luffy are in the galley, sitting around the scarred kitchen table—ostensibly to keep Sanji company while he works, but more likely just waiting around to see if they get tossed any scraps.

As Sanji whips meringue, he finds his attention wandering back to the two of them in time to pick up part of their conversation.

“—be anything,” Luffy is saying, spreading his arms out wide as if to encompass the full scope of just how big the concept is he’s talking about. “There are no rules and it can be as weird or funny as you want! What would you pick?”

Zoro hums, giving it some thought. A stranger might be surprised to learn it, Sanji thinks, given how severe and forbidding their first mate appears at a glance, but he is generally the first to fold when it comes to catering to their captain’s whims. This terror of a swordsman, this nightmare of a pirate, simply follows Luffy’s every step without even looking to see where it might lead, like a no-nonsense Belgian Shepherd plodding along behind a bouncy border collie.

That’s true for battle and danger as much as it’s true for shenanigans. Zoro is worth millions, is as much a killer and a criminal as any of those other Wanted men his posters are displayed beside, but he isn’t afraid to look silly. Not if it’s Luffy reaching back for him, sunny grin amped up to eleven, calling Zoro, you too! Come with me!

Zoro says, “Time, then.”

Luffy rocks up in his seat, eyes round and impressed, and says, “Time travel? Like the Fruit that Momonosuke’s mom ate, that sends you forward?”

“Mm. But mine would go backwards,” Zoro explains, leaning into the game of make-believe. “It would only work one time and it would start me back at the very beginning.”

Zoro’s birthday was a month ago, and Sanji made a dark chocolate truffle cake infused with enough liqueur that he guiltily baked a lighter version for the younger half of the crew. But Zoro had taken one bite of the boozy dessert and his eyebrows flew up to his hairline. He doesn’t usually go in for sweets, but the bitterness of the chocolate paired with the velvet smoothness of the liqueur seemed to win him over instantly.

It isn’t in their nature to thank each other openly. From as far back as Thriller Bark, the best things they know about each other are secrets kept from everyone else. But Zoro took a second piece when Robin’s extra hands offered him one, which said much more than any effusive praise would have anyway.

Just last week, it was Chopper’s birthday, and Sanji whipped up about a hundred triple-strawberry cupcakes, filled with ganache, topped with cloud-like icing and sugared fruit and sprinkles, and it was worth it for the way his little brother’s face went slack with awe when he took in the spread.

Until Robin and Vivi’s birthdays in February, there are no specialized desserts Sanji needs to prepare. His nakama will sometimes have a craving, and he tends to keep sweet things on deck for those nights when sleep is not forthcoming, for those cloudy days when it’s hard to see the sun waiting for them beyond the storm, but he rarely makes macarons just for fun.

The timing, the temperature, the moisture, all of it has to be exact, or the shells will crack, or the feet will spread, or they’ll come out hollow. It’s not a hard recipe, it’s just annoying. It’s the last thing he learned from Zeff, because he perfected every other dish on the menu well before he made a halfway decent batch of macarons.

No one asked for these. Sanji is well-aware that he doesn’t have to be standing here, sacrificing the bulk of his day to this thankless task, but he’s already in it now. The buttercream and mango curd are ready, and the shells are about to go in the oven.

“A one-time Fruit!” Luffy exclaims. Zoro could have said he would pick a Fruit that would turn his hair a different color every day and Luffy would have sounded equally as fascinated. “You would go all the way back? Do you want to change that much?”

“My Fruit wouldn’t work that way,” Zoro explains simply. “I wouldn’t be able to change anything or the future I was from where I used the Fruit wouldn’t exist, would it? It would have to stay exactly the same for me to get back there.”

Zoro doesn’t want a Fruit—neither does Sanji. They spend half their lives dragging their nakama who are already anchors out of the sea.

Besides that, Sanji wants to meet All Blue properly the day he finds her. He’s going to swim for hours and hours and barely remember to come up for air. A Fruit would only take from him more than it could ever give.

And Zoro has never cut corners when it comes to his own strength. But there’s something in his tone that makes Sanji wonder if he’s thought about this before.

“What if you wanted to, though?” Luffy asks. “Or what if you had the chance to stop something bad before it happened?”

“No changes,” Zoro says adamantly. “No diversions. I would have to live it all over again.”

Sanji remembers all the stories Luffy tells his crew about the trouble he and his brothers got into when they were children. He said there was a pâtisserie in High Town where chefs and bakers created decadent desserts catered only to the nobles. When they snuck around that part of the kingdom, a brightly-colored dessert in the display window there would always catch Ace’s eye.

Once, Sabo and Luffy broke into that pastry shop in the dead of night at the end of December, and made off with as many of those colorful macarons as they could carry.

“Ace was angry,” Luffy laughed through his retelling. “He told Sabo we were lucky we didn’t get caught and have our hands chopped off. But he hugged me for a long time after he yelled at me. The cookies were for him, you know? For his birthday! You have to have your favorite on your birthday.” Luffy had smiled as if it didn’t hurt at all when he added, “Even back then, Ace was bad at being loved. Sabo said he just needed more practice. He said that’s what Ace had us for.”

“And then at the end,” Zoro says, “when I catch up to the future, and I’m back where I started, I would have more time.”

“How much more time?” Luffy asks.

“Not much,” Zoro admits. “Maybe a few minutes. The time I took to use the Fruit before would be free for me to use differently.”

“You’d relive your whole adventure for a few extra minutes at the end?” their captain says, brow furrowing while he makes sense of it. “Would it be worth it?”

Zoro sits back in his chair, his dark eye fixed on his captain the same way sailors follow Polaris relentlessly across the fathomless sea, and says, “Yes.”

The final baking tray goes into the oven. The macarons will be ready for tomorrow night, for the party they’re going to throw at the close of the year. At midnight, Sanji will cart them out—bright orange, each of them painted with whimsical little whorls of red—and they’ll wish Ace a happy birthday, wherever he is. They’ll wish he was still here to scold his baby brother and eat stolen pastries at midnight with the people who loved him best. They’ll resolve to protect Luffy and enjoy sweets in his name.

It’ll be a good night. Luffy will be surrounded by his nakama and the open arms of the sea. If the macarons make him remember something sad, he won’t be alone. Luffy—unlike his brothers—is very good at being loved.

Sanji washes his hands, sets the timer, and then calls over, “Hey, idiots, what do you want for dinner?”

Luffy appears beside him as if summoned by a magic spell, hopping up to sit on the counter before Sanji has a chance to wipe it down, sending up a little cloud of almond flour.

“Beef!” he declares predictably.

“That stew you made with red wine that one time,” comes Zoro’s contribution from where he’s still lounging at the table.

Beef burgundy it is, Sanji thinks, hauling out his biggest soup pot. He nudges Luffy’s knee out of the way so he can close the cabinet door but otherwise leaves the young captain where he is.

“Sanji,” Luffy asks brightly, “if you could have any Devil’s Fruit in the whole world, what would you choose?”

“One that would make me a better swimmer,” Sanji replies without missing a beat, and turns his head to hide his smile when Luffy bursts into loud, ringing peals of laughter.

But that strange, tricky, highly specific Fruit that Zoro dreamed up—one that would make him relive his life and everything he’s ever done, everything he’s endured, all the pain and fear and joy and breathless wonder, all for the sake of an extra minute at the end—a minute he could use to look up at Polaris one last time and say thanks for taking me with you. You didn’t have to do that. I hope I was everything to you that you were to me—

That wouldn’t be so bad, either.

#op-secret-santa-2023 #op #opfic #black leg sanji #roronoa zoro #monkey d luffy #my writing #viktorclawthorne #title borrowed from 'cold solace' by anna belle kaufman #just in case u needed a good cry lol

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