Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first thing Sanji was aware of was an incessant buzzing ringing in his ears.

A hum of machines, he realized.

Meaning he was no longer on the Thousand Sunny, which was the last place he remembered being. He had come out from the galley carrying a tray of snacks for the crew. They were in range to dock at their next island – Lunacliff, Nami had called it. Sanji had only taken a couple steps when he noticed it was too quiet, but before he could question it, his arms and legs gave out. The tray clattered to the floor as the chef did the same, feeling like his body had been instantly turned to lead. When his head hit the floor, everything went black.  

Now, as the fog in his head lifted, the feeling in his body returning, he could feel cold metal wrapped around his wrists, which laid against his lap. Cuffs were tightly locked just beneath the sleeves of his dress shirt. He was leaned against a solid surface, sitting up, as the coolness seeped through his jacket into his sore shoulder blades. He let out a low groan as he tried to stretch away the fatigue, realizing his thighs and ankles were also restrained. That was more of a problem.

When Sanji opened his eyes, he was greeted by a massive room covered in dim, cool lighting. Stark white tiled floors connected to equally bland walls, all glowed a faint blue from the mass collection of intricate screens and whirring gadgets lining the room. Most of the machinery Sanji couldn’t even put a name to as silvery wires snaked from one monitor to the next, outlined by lines of turquoise light. Rows upon rows of elaborate levers filled multiple set-ups, with an array of buttons that blinked white and red and yellow. Counters were organized with beakers, flasks, and a variety of scopes Sanji had never seen before.

It was a pretty hi-tech laboratory, that was for sure.

At the dead center of the immaculately complex room was a large modular desk holding a single lamp. Beyond it was a medical bed encompassed by a strange, circular contraption, perfectly nestled into a colossal screen that stretched from floor to ceiling. The desk was set up to face the bed and screen, and Sanji realized – where he sat behind that main desk – that there was a glass wall separating him from the rest of the room. It hummed as if alive. A futuristic prison cell wired with some kind of current.

Beside him, Sanji noticed the rest of his crew lying or sitting in similar positions as himself, hands and legs secured. The Straw Hats were split up into groups of three, each trio shackled in their own cell, barred off from the others with what definitely looked like an electrical field. Franky, Usopp, and Robin were in the cell to his left, and beside them was Luffy, Chopper, and Brook. That meant…

Sanji glanced to his right. Chained with him was the idiot swordsman and sweet Nami.

The chef didn’t know if he was glad his crew was trapped here with him, or simply glad he knew they were alive and unharmed. Whoever brought them all here hadn’t been rough. The stretches of Nami’s bare skin seemed unmarked and as flawless as ever, thankfully. Even the patches of Zoro’s scarred skin showed no signs of fresh wounds or swelling. Well, except for the bruising crescent shape peeking just above the man’s opened collar. Sanji had placed that there himself, along with similar marks up and down that tanned body. He couldn’t help that Zoro tasted so good, even if he did have algae for brains.

Handsome brute.

It wasn’t long until the rest of the crew began to stir and groan.  

“Is everyone okay?” Sanji asked, voice gruff from disuse. Mumbles, and more groans, was the response he got, as well as a shaky thumbs-up.

“Captain Usopp’s never been better…”

“I can’t feel my legs,” said Brook. “Though, I suppose it’s because I don’t have any nerve-endings…”

“Feels like I’ve been hit by a train.” Franky let out a loud yawn.

“What happened?” mumbled Nami. She was laying on her side, straining her neck up to take in her surroundings.

“Don’t worry, Nami-Swan~! I’ll keep all harm away from you—”  

Chopper interrupted with a squeak. “Ahh! Where are we?”

"It seems to be an isolated cell within a lab,” Robin analyzed. Her smooth voice seemed stiff. She glanced down at her bound wrists and legs and realized the problem. Sea Prism Stone.

“Aww, we didn’t even get to explore the island first,” Luffy complained.

Usopp grumbled. “Right. We should ask for the tour first next time.”

“S’fine. I still have my swords,” said Zoro, peering down at his side. Only his wrists were bound, not his hands; however, the swords, too, were wrapped to Zoro’s waist so tightly that the swordsman couldn’t grip a single hilt.

“They must not see us as a big enough threat to disarm us.” Robin glanced down at her cuffs again. “Aside from our devil fruit powers, at least.”

Zoro was unphased. “That’s their mistake.” He pushed himself easily off his back into a sitting position, then used his bound legs to help Nami do the same.

“Thanks,” she muttered.

“Who do you think ‘they’ are?” Chopper asked, scanning the lab with obvious curiosity. Franky was also eyeing the impressive setup.

“There’s some crazy stuff in here,” he said.

“Doesn’t matter who they are.” Luffy brows knit together as he wormed his way over to the glass door of his cell.

Nami let out a whine. “Whatever you’re planning to do, Luffy – don’t.” Sanji recalled how much their lovely navigator hated being locked up with their captain, for reasons she had described as ‘reckless’ and ‘traumatizing’.

“The glass holds some kind of computerized current,” Sanji warned, but the rubber idiot wasn’t listening. Luffy threw his head back as far as he could, before ramming it into the glass. There were several screams as the Straw Hat was zapped backward in a flash of blue light. Luffy hit the wall and slid down, skin smoking.

“Huh,” he said.

Usopp gawked at Luffy, and then at the glass wall. “Geez, what the hell was that?”

“Most likely the same technology used for the bars at our sides,” Robin said, watching the thin lines of electric blue zig-zag from floor to ceiling between her, Franky and Usopp, and the rest of their crewmates.

“Seems a bit dramatic,” Brook murmured in a sing-song voice.

“It can’t be electricity if it affected Luffy,” said Franky. “Don’t know what the hell they’re using, though.” That revelation seemed to upset the cyborg.

Before anyone could comment further, or try another risky escape tactic, lights began clicking on throughout the lab. The Straw Hats squinted, adjusting, as the dim blue hues brightened to whites and yellows. To the far right, a set of metal doors rushed open. Three people in pristine white lab coats strolled in. Two men. One woman. Each sporting an ensemble of expensive, violet fabric beneath their buttoned-up coats. Without a word, they began flicking switches, pulling levers, and typing on keyboards without a single glance at their pirate prisoners.

“Oi, who are you people?” Luffy demanded. He got no reply, and no matter how many attempts at grabbing their attention he tried, there was no response from them. He glanced at his crew. “I don’t think their ears work.”

Then, two more men entered the room. They were talking amongst themselves.

The first was a tall scientist of a man, with hair as white as snow sticking in every direction. He was reading off the tablet he held in his black-gloved hands. His eyes – as blue and cold as ice – sat above a trimmed white beard and handlebar mustache. He wore his white lab coat buttoned up to his neck, a deep purple stripe across the chest and an odd emblem embroidered on his left breast pocket. A strange mechanical headband sat just above his hairline, goggles attached to them, connected with bulbs and gadgets. Wires cascaded down one side in loops onto his bony shoulder.

The second man wore his lab coat draped open, a dark purple dress shirt underneath and a black tie. He wore equally purple glasses atop his wide nose, so opaque Sanji couldn’t see his eyes. His dark hair was lacquered back, not a single strand out of place.

“Hey!” Luffy yelled. “I’m Monkey D. Luffy, future Pirate King! Now tell us who you are!”

The exasperation from every other Straw Hat was palpable, but Handlebar-Mustache paused. The man curiously approached Luffy’s cell. His arctic eyes widened as he observed the Straw Hat, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His gaze roamed over the rest of his captives.

“My, my!” He waved over his purple companion, excitement evident. “Look at today’s catch, Ashvin.” His orotund voice turned amused. “None other than the infamous Straw Hat Pirates! ~Teeshishishishi.”

The other man – Ashvin – seemed unimpressed.

“You mean that’s not why you captured us in the first place?” Nami asked.

“Oh, no. My specialists bring in anyone who ventures onto this side of the island. You merely happened to dock in our perimeter, rather than the side with the city. And nobody escapes our gas. ~Teeshishishi. Perhaps we will call it Fate.”

“Or a certain navigator,” Zoro grumbled.

Nami hissed at him. “Don’t put this on me!”

Luffy addressed the scientist again. “What do you want with us then?”

The unnerving scientist smiled. There was something about his too-light eyes that creeped Sanji out. It wasn’t that he seemed to see too much; rather, that he could if he wanted to.

“I am Doctor Trillian Hollowell, your esteemed captor! ~Teeshishi. Also, founder of Hollowell Mind Tech, where you have so fortuitously found yourselves. My assistant and I work tirelessly with all my specialists to further advance our mind technology here. Call it a hobby.” The creepy smile was back, showing a row of unnaturally perfect teeth that seemed to stretch too wide for his narrow face. “Many of our…guests hold little to no information of value to us. However, they make for excellent guinea pigs. ~Teeshishishi. With them, we have nearly perfected our technique to extract the information we seek from more knowledgeable visitors.”

Usopp gulped. “How do you know if a visitor is knowledgeable?”

“Fear not, young one.” Hollowell’s eyes gleamed. “Your crew is exactly what I and my specialists have been waiting for.”

“But that’s exactly what I was fearing,” the sniper squawked.

“What information could scientists possibly gain from a band of pirates?” Robin asked lightly.

Perfect distracting question, Sanji thought. Leave it to Robin-chwan~. The more information they could extract from them, the better. The snowy-haired scientist seemed eager enough to talk. He said their so-called hobby was technology. Farming for information or not, that didn't exactly put their crew high on the list for their particular interest. Except maybe Franky. Sanji frowned at the thought.

Hollowell moved on from the first cell to examine the next three prisoners more intently. Franky, Robin, and Usopp stilled under his gaze.

“Nico Robin,” said Hollowell. Everyone stiffened. “I am sure you, out of anyone here, are aware that pirates can hold a wealth of secrets. ~Teeshishishi.”

“Pirates tend to travel far beyond the ranges of average people,” Ashvin suddenly cut in, tapping away at his tablet. He wasn’t looking at anyone in particular. At least, Sanji didn’t think so. It was hard to tell what was going on behind those purple glasses. “They meet people. They see things.”

Hollowell clapped. "And it is within those memories that valuable information can be buried, waiting for the right person to dig up. ~Teeshishi." Without elaboration, Hollowell moved on to examine the last of the three cells. Each occupant glared back at him. There was nothing he could possibly see in them. They were a cook, a swordsman, and a navigator. Surely, he'd realize this was all a waste of time and let them go.

Sanji's hope faded, however, as the man seemed to linger. He tilted his head, hovering in silence, strange eyes roaming over Sanji far longer than the blonde man was comfortable with.

"See something you like, pervert?" Sanji griped.

The strange man blinked slowly. "That's quite interesting," he muttered, more to himself than anyone. Sanji had no idea what the man was talking about, what he saw. But he didn't like it. With a sudden shout, Hollowell was laughing, the gleam in his gaze wild. "And the hand of fortune strikes again! Fate, indeed. ~Teeshishishi."

Hollowell clicked his tongue at his specialists and pointed a sharp, gloved finger at the Straw Hat cook.

"We will begin with that one."

Chapter Text

In a flurry of movement, the silent specialists of Hollowell Mind Tech shuffled around the lab at top speed. Wires were unplugged and reconnected elsewhere with trained precision. Equipment began to disassemble themselves and transform into something new. Sanji’s eyes couldn’t keep track of everything that was shifting in front of him, nor could he make sense of it.

Hollowell tucked his tablet under his arm and walked to the modular desk in the center of the room. He flicked a switch as he went. The staged medical table began to erect itself, while reassembling its own parts. Compartments slid open; corners tucked themselves away. A fuck ton of restraints appeared, all of which sprouted that odd electric blue current, connecting with the strange, circular rim that hovered a meter above the now-upright table.

One of the specialists – a large man with a mop of red hair – tapped at the circular contraption. It began to glow blue, and the restraints on the medical table clicked open at certain lock points, like a flytrap waiting for its prey to land.

Sanji’s stomach twisted.

“Memo-sphere activation complete,” the brusque, red-haired man announced.

“~Teeshishi. Excellent, Loic. Thank you.” Hollowell addressed the other two specialists. “Rhys, prepare the extraction. Enver, assist Ashvin with restraining our lovely guest.”

Enver walked up to the third cell of prisoners, his pointed face scowling. Everything about the man was sharp -- jaw, nose, even the shape of his smooth, hairless scalp. He had to be broad beneath his lab coat, as his purple slacks accented thick muscle. Though his left hand wore a black glove up to his elbow, his right hand was solid metal. He reached out with his right hand. It went through the rigged glass like nothing was there.

At the same time, Ashvin pulled a remote from his breast pocket. He aimed it at the cell and a red light flashed. Nami screamed. She and Zoro slammed onto their backs. Chopper and Usopp yelled.

"Nami!" Sanji shouted. Sweat beaded on the woman's forehead, orange hair fanned beneath her. Zoro wasn't in better shape. The swordsman's teeth were gritted, neck veins straining as if he was trying to lift his head but couldn't. "Oi, what are you doing to Nami and Mosshead?"

"Keeping them at bay," responded Ashvin.

Enver, then, stepped fully through the glass and approached the bound blonde. Sanji's mind reeled. He could try to fight back, but would it be futile? He couldn't move his legs, his greatest weapons. Not to mention the sea prism stone cuffs were draining his haki.

"Oi, Curly." Sanji's eyes flew down to meet a steely gray one. "Don't do anything stupid." There was unspoken concern swimming behind the gray that Sanji didn't want to think about. There were too many emotions involved. Instead, the cook scoffed.

"Like you're one to talk, you shitty swordsman."

"Let's go." Enver snatched Sanji's upper arm and hauled him out. Sanji didn't resist. The mosshead was right for once, and besides, it was better that he was going first. Whatever was going to happen didn't matter. The others could think of a plan while he was being interrogated. Nothing he couldn't handle. There were ladies present, after all.

The Straw Hat love-cook caught sight of the female specialist, bare legs on display at the bottom of her lab coat, long teal hair pulled into a low bun at the base of her tanned, slim neck. Sanji was suddenly seeing hearts.

"If anyone is going to handle me, I'd rather it be Rhys~."

The invisible hold on Zoro and Nami was released as soon as Sanji was out of the cell. They sat up groggily, both mumbling something about 'typical cook'.

Luffy laughed. "Even about to be tortured, Sanji is funny."

Heart eyes vanishing, Sanji scowled. "Idiot rubber, don't say it like that!"

"~Teeshishishi. Torture is such a strong word." Hollowell clicked his tongue, straightening the tablets he had organized on his desk. His wiry hands held up a clear, glass ball wrapped with a single titanium lock. Where the tips of his fingers pressed, it started to emanate a blue light. In one swift motion, the empty ball was filled with glittering, blue gas. Or liquid. Or… Well, Sanji couldn't tell what the hell it was.

Chopper's awed gasp rang out. "What is that?" the little doctor asked, echoing everyone’s thoughts.

"And what's it for?" Usopp wondered, voice shaking.

Hollowell held the glowing ball proudly in front of him. It was the same icy blue shade as his eyes. "With my unique technology, I can harness my Rec Rec fruit ability in a physical way. Isn't it glorious? ~Teeshishishi."

"Rec Rec fruit?" Franky quirked an eyebrow at Robin. The archaeologist hummed.

"If I recall, it's ability is to – in fact – recall."

"Gee. That was super helpful." Usopp muttered.

"Recall what, exactly?" asked Brook.

Robin shook her head, trying to think. "They said they farm information, so…"

Sanji felt the knots in his stomach tighten as he approached the center of the room. Surrounded by test tubes and syringes and crazy technology he couldn't understand seemed all too familiar for his comfort. Sanji grunted as he was thrown against the medical table. He struggled reflexively only a second before Enver and Ashvin overpowered him. They had him locked in place quickly. Sanji's arms hung at his sides, cold clasps wrapped at wrists, elbows, and across his chest. Sanji swallowed hard. The same solid locks were wrapped around his ankles and thighs.

"He's ready for the neural headpiece," Ashvin said, stepping back.

Rhys advanced, carrying a metallic helmet covered in knobs. She placed it on Sanji's head before he had a good look at it, and as it fell heavy against him and blocked his line of sight, the cook's adrenaline ignited. He shouted, throwing his head forward. The helmet flew off and clattered to the ground, startling everyone in the room. Rhys quickly retrieved it, anger flashing across her face.

Ashvin glared at the now-panting blonde. He pressed something behind him. A manacle slid over Sanji's throat and forehead, further immobilizing him.

"Stop," Sanji pleaded, trying to hear past his heartbeat. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment at his outburst. His crew watched him with wide-eyes, and – god – he hated it. Sanji inhaled sharply, wishing for a cigarette. When he tried to move, none of the manacles so much as budged. "Is the helmet really necessary?" he spat through clenched teeth.

Hollowell stared at him curiously from his desk before resuming his typing, fingers flittering across his line of tablets. "Why, it's the most important part. ~Teeshishi. You carry something I require."

Sanji quirked an eyebrow at the man. "Like what?"

"Memories."

"You're—You're going to take Sanji's memories?" Chopper gulped.

"I won't be taking his memories from him. I will simply be rummaging through them. ~Teeshishishi."

"Why the cook?" questioned Zoro. Hollowell looked at Sanji as if he was the one who asked.

"Your memories are minefields of information. With this technology, I will be able to extract those memories. Store them. And dissect the data at my leisure. And you… You may hold exactly what I've been searching for."

Every fiber of Sanji's being was screaming for him to escape. He didn't want anyone in his memories, let alone this freak.

"What memories could Sanji possibly have that interest you so much?" Nami asked.

"Maybe a recipe," said Luffy. Nami scowled in his direction, but Hollowell laughed.

"~Teeshishishi. Something like that."

Rhys advanced again with the helmet in her hands, and Sanji balked, panicking despite himself.

"Why don't you just ask me? Maybe I'm feeling generous."

"~Teeshishi. From my experience, a Vinsmoke is never generous."

The blood in Sanji's veins froze over. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach, and he stared, wide-eyed, at the icy scientist.

Sanji could feel every member of his crew staring at him. He refused to look back. To see the recognition. To see the eyes of the people who knew just enough of Sanji's shameful ancestry to pity him. He didn't want their pity. And he didn't want their worry. Wasn't worth that. He hoped Whole Cake Island was the end of it.

He always hoped there would be an end…

"What makes you think I'm a Vinsm—"

"Vinsmokes have distinct features," Ashvin easily responded. He was getting tired of the delay. Sanji cursed.

"Look, whatever information you're looking for – I can guarantee I don't have it." He struggled helplessly as Rhys replaced the helmet and locked it at the back of his head and under his jaw. The pressure made Sanji sick. "I'm not a Vinsmoke!"

Hollowell only grinned, as his assistant and specialists sat at their designated monitors and dimmed all lights but the ones above Sanji. "Your truth will be revealed in good time, Vinsmoke Sanji. You may as well relax. ~Teeshishishi."

Sanji couldn't catch his breath. Everything was dark. The helmet strapped to him was too heavy. Images he wanted to ignore were already racing through his mind, and he didn't know how Hollowell's power worked, but he sure as hell didn't want to make it easy for him. None of this was what Sanji was expecting to happen!

"Begin the extraction!"

No! I can't do this.

Sweat collected across Sanji's brow. His breathing came in short gasps.

They can't have these memories!

A voltaic sensation rose the hairs on Sanji's arms, sweeping through his body like a rush of adrenaline. Startled by a sudden vibration against his skull, Sanji yelped. He couldn't hear his own voice anymore.

He couldn't hear anything, could he?

Was someone yelling?

Was it him?

A queasy fluttering of reservations rose like bile up Sanji's chest. He tried to clutch at it. He couldn't move. And then there was a burning deep in his head, followed by a prickling sensation of a thousand needles. It grew stronger. More needles. Large needles. Too many needles. It hurt!

And then a moth, whispering. Brushing its wings against his ear. He wanted to listen. Wanted to hear what it had to say. He didn't know why. Just felt the urge. The urge to listen. But – shit – it was telling him to remember.

To remember.

To remember…Vinsmoke Sanji. 

OoOoOoO

"Begin the extraction!"

Ashvin took the glass ball Hollowell filled with the physical manifestation of his devil fruit power and slid it into a slot along the rim of the Memo-sphere. The machine – ominous as it curved around the Straw Hat cook – hummed to life, encased in a soft blue glow like everything else in the lab.

Sanji's fists balled at his sides, knuckles whitening. Zoro worried his nails would dig into his palms and damage his hands.

A startled scream erupted from Sanji's lips, making Zoro curse, and several other Straw Hats scream with him in fear that something had happened. Luffy started yelling.

"It's okay, Sanji! We're here with you!"

"Yeah," Usopp mumbled. "Whatever good that'll do the poor guy."

Brook tilted his bony head. "Never underestimate the power of morale." The skeleton hated to see any of his crewmates possibly tortured. These were an odd bunch, to be sure. Who knew what techniques they used?

Hoping their words were a comfort no matter how slight, Robin and Franky also began to call for him.

"Be strong, Sanji."

"You got this, bro!"

Tears streamed down their doctor's face. "Be brave, Sanjiiii!"

"Oh, I can't watch this," Nami cried, peering through her splayed fingers.

Zoro didn't move. Didn't speak. Focus intense on his cook, because – fuck – why wasn't Zoro able to stop his crew from getting captured in the first place? How had he let this happen at all? And now Curly was about to have his memories torn out of his head or something. The cook was over there, shackled, having one of his panic attacks he always pretended didn't exist, in front of everyone. And Zoro couldn't do a damn thing, while the rest of the crew shouted encouragement Zoro doubted the cook could hear.

"Must they be here?" Ashvin murmured to his superior. Hollowell glanced wickedly over his shoulder at the noisy crew.

"Let them holler to their hearts' contents. Watching will give them an idea of what to expect when it's their turn. It will make them realize how very little they can hide from me! ~Teeshishishishishi."

What the hell was that crazy bastard yammering about? The first thing Zoro was going to do when they got out of here was cut Hollowell's tongue out.

Suddenly, the walls behind Sanji lit up. Giant screens blinking like the rhythm of a heart.

Hollowell signaled to his assistant, and Ashvin strode back to Sanji and spoke gently against his ear, lips touching skin. Zoro would kill him.

As soon as Ashvin pulled back, Sanji writhed. The cook's teeth snapped together, making Zoro flinch. His face scrunched in pain, and his body started shaking.

Chopper wailed, and Nami screamed at the purple man. "What did you do to him?!"

Ashvin rolled his sleeves up as he retook his seat. "Suggested he remember his time with the Vinsmokes," he said, coolly, like the indifferent asshole that he was. "If you have to know – with my Call Call fruit it becomes almost impossible to turn down my suggestions."

"Oh god," Nami groaned. This was getting worse and worse. They needed an escape plan, and fast.

"How do you know anyone is even thinking what you're telling them to—"

Franky was cut off in an instant. The screens behind Sanji beeped, spluttered into a strange static, and then…a cacophony of voices.

"Sanji was makin' some of that rat food again."

"Father… Help…"

"Why is Sanji so weak? The gap in their scores keeps increasing."

"Dad… It's scary…"

"Hey, slowpoke! Can't you run any faster?"

"What did I do wrong, Dad?"

"I think we're supposed to cross over the Red Line soon. Towards the East Blue."

"Come on, Sanji! Stop crying like a little baby!"

"Run away! Run, Sanjiiii!"

The blur of voices and colors grew louder and faster until, all at once, the screen widened into a single shot. A bowl with a whisk. And a tiny hand, attached to a tiny body, connected to a familiar, tiny face.

"Is this…"

But Luffy, for once, trailed off into silence.

The tiny blonde with the curling brows above wide, boyish ocean-blue eyes, looked excitedly down at his whisked concoction. "Looks pretty good," he said with a laugh as tiny as he was.

In united shock, the Straw Hat crew gasped.

"These are Sanji's memories!"

Chapter Text

Little Sanji — about 8 years old — donned little brown boots over white pants, and a yellow shirt with a black number '3' printed on the front. A matching yellow scarf was tied at the base of his neck. His blonde hairstyle clearly hadn't changed much over the years, but little Sanji wore it swept to the opposite side than that of his older counterpart. Signature curly eyebrows curved happily above baby fat cheeks and round, toddler-esque eyes as his tiny hands placed his panned batter into an oven that was bigger than he was. The boy pulled over a crate and plopped down on it, chin resting on his palms and elbows on his knees. Wide, ocean eyes gleamed with excitement as they watched the cake rise in the heat. They were round and happy and a toothy grin appeared beneath them.

The Straw Hats were screaming.

"HE'S SOOOOO CUUUUTE!" Nami, Usopp, Franky, Brook, and Chopper cried in unison, streaks of tears running down their faces.

"He's already cooking," Chopper sniffled. Luffy laughed.

"That's our Sanji!"

"Look at the little man go! He's super into it!"

Robin's cheeks were tinted red, her eyes wider than usual. "He's… so. soft." He must be protected at all costs, she thought fervently.

Zoro didn't want to enjoy this. He really didn't. Not while present Curlybrow was shackled and suffering. Not while strangers invaded his memories against his will. But — damn — was he a cute kid.

The memory seemed to shift forward. Little Sanji was now using the crate to reach the countertop. He unwrapped the freshly baked cake with a cheesy grin. Full of pride. "That does it!" he giggled, after adding frosting and topping it off with a strawberry.

It actually looked quite delicious from a chef his age. Not that anyone was surprised. The Straw Hats were all smiling despite themselves at the young cook's obvious joy, so much the same as the Sanji they knew today.

Suddenly, three additional colorful heads peered around the counter, sporting mischievous smirks.

"Ah," Hollowell hummed from the shadow of his desk. "Some familiar faces — huh, Ashvin? ~Teeshishishi."

Nami groaned. "Sanji's brothers." If she never saw those jerks again it would be too soon.

"Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji," Brook remembered, pointing out their respective hair colors to those who hadn't met them on Whole Cake Island. The smaller versions onscreen were dressed similarly as little Sanji, except in their own signature colors. Each also wore their own unique accessory.

Usopp cleared his throat with a quirked eyebrow. "So… Child 1, Child 2, and Child 4?"

"That explains the meaning behind Sanji's name," Franky said with a frown. Naming your children after the order they were born seemed a bit too cold to the cyborg.

Of course, what they witnessed next was colder.

In another memory shift, the numbered brothers went running out of the kitchen with Sanji's cake in their hands.

"Heyyyy!" Little Sanji was right behind them.

When they stopped, Sanji held his fists at his sides and glowered at them. "Give me that," he demanded with a pout.

Out of nowhere, the ball of Yonji's foot collided with Sanji's stomach, sending the blonde flying back.

Several Straw Hats gasped at the violent turn the memory took, seemingly out of nowhere. They watched as little Sanji smacked into the castle wall, stone cracking at impact. He slid to the ground and landed on his side.

"They're strong for children," Chopper commented quietly. But why were they hitting Sanji?

Sanji's three brothers surrounded him.

"Yep. He was in the kitchen," laughed Niji.

Yonji sneered. "Sanji was makin' some of that rat food again."

Sanji sat up with a huff. Ichiji approached his brother, holding up the cake he had been so excited about. "Royalty doesn't cook."

At those words, Sanji jumped angrily to his feet, scowling. "You shut up!"

Zoro almost smirked, but then he watched the little cook throw a punch at the red-haired kid. Never seen him use his hands. That must've come later.

Sanji's tiny fist clocked Ichiji's nose. Ichiji didn't even flinch. Sanji's hand cracked. It pulsed as he cradled it with a quiet moan. "…ouch."

"What are these kids made out of?" Franky started to question, but was cut off as Ichiji threw Sanji's cake to the floor — making Chopper offended on little Sanji's behalf.

Ichiji launched at his blonde brother, strangling him until his back hit the floor, yelling. 

"You piece of trash!"

He punched him with both fists. Sanji's head swung from side to side with each strike.

"Don't ever touch me again!"

"Geez…" mumbled Usopp, flinching, while the others watched with various expressions of disbelief and confusion. 

This was Sanji's family?

It was hard for them to comprehend that their kind cook grew up being bullied in the such a way.  

Luffy stared at the scene playing out, unblinking. When he spoke, there was a rare seriousness to his tone. "Why are they treating him differently? I thought they were brothers. Brothers don't do that."

Zoro was glaring at the screen, while Nami sighed at their captain. "Weren't you paying attention at all on Whole Cake Island?" She peeked up at the screen through her lashes with a strange sadness she'd never felt for Sanji before. Although those who had already headed for Wano knew very little about the Vinsmokes as a family, even those who had gone to bring him back to the crew hadn't asked questions. They only knew what they had witnessed with their own eyes. Which wasn't anything particularly good, Nami granted, but she never would have imagined the violence she was witnessing now. At such young ages, no less.

As little Sanji was relentlessly beaten by one, the two other boys only laughed and pointed.

"Oh man, he's so weak!" Niji chortled.

Sanji's head continued to get knocked back and forth, face getting more and more swollen.

And the Straw Hats becoming more and more sick.

"We were all born on the same day," said Ichiji, finally getting off his brother.

"Sanji's a quadruplet?!" several Straw Hats exclaimed. 

Sanji remained sprawled on his back, now with a missing tooth.

"How are we related to such a loser?"

"You're a failure," Niji agreed as if it was funny.

"I don't care if he is a kid," Zoro grumbled. "I'd deck him."

At the same time, Chopper growled, "Sanji's not a failure. Or a loser!" The reindeer doctor's eyes started watering as he watched the little boy their Sanji used to be start spilling tears of his own. Sanji shouldn't cry.

As the brothers continued to cackle, footsteps sounded from the hallways behind them. Someone was coming, and Sanji opened his fearful eyes, hope seeping in. Hope that his pain was going to stop.

He just wanted it to stop.

As the man the footsteps belonged to appeared, Hollowell laughed. "Vinsmoke Judge ~Teeshishishi." He clicked his tongue and tapped his fingers against his desk. "There is no way to directly control what our guest remembers, or in what order they remember in. There is also no way to speed up or slow down the process. However, maybe this Straw Hat's younger days will hold some information after all. ~Teeshishi."

The rest of the Straw Hats scowled at the mad man.

Onscreen, Vinsmoke Judge was followed by Sanji's pink-haired sister — Reiju, Nami noted.

"The one who sucked Luffy's poison from his lips," Chopper supplied, making Usopp and Franky sputter.

"Oh, righhhttt," chuckled Brook.

Luffy tilted his head, not remembering, while Robin laughed lightly. "Well, that sure sounds like a story for another time."

"Yeah. Like when the cook isn't getting turned into a bloody pulp by his own family," said Zoro, glooming the room again faster than he could slice a building in half.

The cackling brothers cut off and looked over at their approaching father. Sanji lifted his own head as much as he could, moaning. Vinsmoke Judge glanced over at the boys with a frown.

"Picking on Sanji again?"

Clearly, it happened often. The Straw Hats frowned.

Little Sanji rolled off his back, onto his elbows, and he reached out. "They hurt me, Father," he said, words slightly slurred from his swollen lips. Just that movement alone seemed to tire him out. He panted, falling onto his forearms. It took the child a moment to catch his breath.

Judge watched him without a flicker of emotion.

Sanji pushed himself, slowly, back up to his knees. "Please help me," he said, shaking. His wide eyes pleaded up at his father. "Can you tell them to stop?"

The giant of a man peered at his child with a cold, dark blue eye. "Why should I?"

Everyone's blood ran cold.

Fear erupted in little Sanji's eyes. Eyes that, thankfully, were a lighter blue than his father's. "What?… Father, why…"

"If you are not a fighter, and you are unable to stand up for yourself, I have no obligation to help you. I gain nothing by raising you."

Jaws dropped, and eyes narrowed.

"What a terrible thing to say to your child," Robin spat, protective of the little boy who would one day be their beloved cook.

On his hands and knees, Sanji shook, tears beginning to drip from his face to the stone floor, until they became long, endless streams down his swollen cheeks. "Why would you say that?" he asked, tender voice breaking.

Nami clutched at her heart. Chopper's sniffles intensified. Robin closed her eyes, unable to watch even though she was forced to listen. The men had shadows cast around their glares. And as they listened to Vinsmoke Judge tell the little cook that he was a disgrace to the family name, Zoro's gut clenched uneasily.

Something told him they had barely grazed the surface of the cook's past.

The King of Germa turned a blind eye to his son's abuse. Reiju's giggle lit up the dark hallway as she followed after her father without a care.

Niji was the first of the brothers to turn back on Sanji. He pulled the blonde up by his yellow shirt, grinning. "I'll toughen you up."

Sanji was scared.

Everyone in the room could see that, could feel that somehow from the way Sanji was remembering it. And why wouldn't he be frightened? He was a kid. Young and small, and just beaten and called a disgrace only to then be abandoned by the one person who was supposed to protect him no matter what.

Five other people in that family, Zoro thought darkly, and Sanji was alone.

Red-haired, scowling Ichiji approached and echoed their father's words. "You're such a disgrace." He grabbed one of Sanji's arms while Niji took hold of the other. "Alright, Yonji, have at him."

The green-haired kid trotted backward. "This is gonna be fun."

The Straw Hats realized Yonji was setting himself up for a running start. They watched, horrified, as little Sanji — in his own state of shock — hung limp, petrified, as his older brothers propped him up like a target.

At top speed, Yonji head-butted Sanji's chest, ramming him into the wall again.

Sanji struggled to breathe as his three brothers laughed above him, and Vinsmoke Judge never looked back.

The memory melted, molding into something new. The brothers' wicked cackles faded into the background.

And the room remained dead silent.

Chapter Text

Sanji's mind wove like molasses. The imagery swirled, blurring colors together and reshaping them until a new memory solidified on the screen. It was the same castle wall as before, still splintered from little Sanji's assault, although it appeared a tad more worn. Like time had passed.

As the memory panned out, Sanji — their Sanji — stood tall above it. Jaw trimmed and squared. Hands in the pockets of his black slacks and wearing a white shirt that loosened further up the chest and ruffled outward. Sanji looked not the part of a pirate; but of a prince.

"That's what he was wearing when we saw him at Whole Cake Chateau," Chopper noted.

This was a more recent remembrance.

Behind the cook was a head of glossy green hair.

"Bring back memories?" an older Yonji sneered. The blonde didn't acknowledge him, but that didn't deter the green-haired Vinsmoke. "It's good to see you. I'm surprised. I thought you would be dead by now, but look — you're scraping along as a pirate…"

Sanji didn't say a word. Didn't so much as move. But Yonji wanted a reaction.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"Get lost," responded Sanji, not a glance in his brother's direction. "I have nothing to say to any of you."

"Fine. I'll leave you alone. Once you make me!"

The swift kick directed at Sanji only blurred through him as the vision morphed again, turning the two men back into boys.

"Aww, I wanted to see Sanji beat him up," pouted Luffy.

The boys were atop a high tower, peering over the edge with their three other colorful siblings. Down below, Vinsmoke Judge stood with a group of lab-coated men carrying clipboards.

"Reiju first," a man with thick glasses called out.

The pink girl in question hopped onto the ledge and jumped. She landed on her toes with a graceful yet powerful thud, splintering the stone floor.

The Straw Hats were not expecting that kind of force from the little girl.

Reiju stepped back as her first brother was called. "Now Ichiji."

Following the same easy movements as their sister, the first and second sons of Vinsmoke Judge jumped.

Then it was Sanji's turn. But the poor boy's lips were quivering.

He didn't move.

That's interesting, Robin thought. Sanji is the only one to show a wide range of emotion.

Yonji sent an irritated look toward his older brother before foregoing waiting his turn and launching off the tower with a big smile. The Germa scientists below called on the remaining Vinsmoke again. Sanji stepped forward, cautious. Sweat dripped from his brow. He eyed the height, and his vision blurred.

"Dad… It's scary."

It was a normal reaction from an 8-year-old kid, and yet the Straw Hats had to wonder why Sanji seemed to be the only one afraid. They knew their cook could hardly be called a coward, so if he was supposedly raised the same as his siblings then shouldn't he…act more like them?

Not that any of them wanted Sanji to have turned out like the other boys. 

But still. 

For the pirate crew who knew the chef better than anyone, the facts just weren't adding up.

Unable to summon the courage to jump, little Sanji dropped to his knees, defeated, and the images shifted into a slew of training scenes.

First, was a race. A starting gunshot fired into the air and young Sanji flinched at the loud noise while the other four siblings sped away in clouds of dust. Panicked, he quickly tried to catch up. His speed, however, was no match at all, and little Sanji hated that. Hated it so much that he was falling farther and farther behind. And hated that when he pushed himself harder, he tripped and scraped his knee.

Judge and the other kids didn't even wait for him to finish. He wasn't worth it, little Sanji's thoughts echoed. And by the utter look of helplessness on the boy's face, he had no hope that he was ever catching up. He was always too weak.

That pissed Zoro off more than the swordsman expected it would. Not only watching the memories, but also hearing Little Curly's thought process as well. Part of Zoro was irritated at the cook for his lack of confidence — Zoro was a confident kid after all. Maybe too confident depending on who you asked. But the logical part of Zoro knew he couldn't blame Sanji. He didn't have to be a child development expert like Chopper -- or Robin or even Nami -- to know that if every person around him called him a failure every damn chance they had, then of course that was what he was going to believe, wasn't it?  

And the shitty cook didn't still think like that anyway.

Right?

The memory proceeded to the next session: an elaborate obstacle course constituting flaming hurdles.

Sanji was the only one who got burnt.

"Man, Sanji must've really trained hard to get as strong as he is now, huh?"

"He only seems so uncoordinated in comparison, Luffy," Nami snapped. "Are you telling me you were any better at the age of eight?"

"Haha~ yeah, I was worse! I couldn't match up to Ace and Sabo for a long time."

Nami sighed at him.

"It almost seems as if the Vinsmoke children are fitted to be stronger than an average human," Robin noted.

Usopp turned his head. "Fitted? Like altered?"

"How?" asked Chopper.

"Genetically," Franky guessed. It couldn't be cybernetically as Franky would have sensed another cyborg on board. "But little bro Sanji doesn't seem to be working – for, uh, lack of a better word." He added the last part when he caught Zoro's glare in his direction. The cook worked just fine.

"If that's the case, though…" Franky trailed off.

"Then our dear Sanji is the only one actually physically feeling anything," Brook finished, voice low. "Pain. Exhaustion. Etcetera."  

Nami frown tightened. "It's no wonder he's scared all the time."

"That's so unfair," Luffy said, trying to cross his arms before he remembered they were confined.

"You mean he's the only one who gets hurt?" Chopper watched the screen of memories with knit brows. "Poor Sanji…"

Far out in the ocean, the next exercise took place. The children were thrown into the water to test their swimming and stamina. The shore was miles away. Of course, four out of five popped out at the finish line. Sanji never made it, drowning in the current as his siblings nonchalantly wondered if he finally died.

Everyone glowered.

"Even if he is slower than they are, they don't have to be so mean!" Chopper snapped.

The Germa scientists monitoring the kids' training fished little Sanji out of the water and resuscitated him.

Nobody wanted to think how many times their cook probably nearly died as a child.

A classroom setup appeared next, and for the first time, little Sanji was smiling.

Aww , came his thoughts. A baby turtle had wandered onto his desk.

"Come here, little guy. I'm not gonna hurt you," he softly promised the tiny creature.

He giggled, pleased when the turtle trusted him. He loved animals. They were cute and nice to him and were his only friends.

"Waahh~" Tears streamed from Franky's eyes. "That's super sad, bro!"

Usopp had his face buried in the crook of his arm. "I'm not crying or anything. Captain Usopp doesn't cry…"

"I'll be your friend, Sanjiiii!" Chopper cried, making Luffy laugh because he was an animal, too.

Robin's eyes softened. She knew loneliness all too well. Did young Sanji have anybody?

What seemed to be some time later, in the same classroom, Sanji's bandaged face lit up as his turtle friend moved around him. That is, until a brown boot flew into view, kicking the animal away. Little Sanji cried out.

Along with Chopper and Luffy.

"Oh c'mon," Zoro groused. "Let the kid cook have something." He had never hated children until these three curly-browed brothers became known to him.

"Why do you keep playing with that dumb turtle for?" Yonji demanded, looking down at his brother.

Sanji's fury was lit. "Why did you do that?!" He launched himself at his brother.

Of course he became infuriated enough to fight when it was someone else who was hurt and needed defending, the Straw Hats thought. 

Yonji socked Sanji in the face before he could touch him, blood spurting at impact. The other two boys came over to watch as Yonji pounced on the blonde, smiling as their brother's grunts of pain echoed through the room.

"Sanji's just their punching bag," muttered Usopp with a glare. "They're lucky I didn't know Sanji during this period or I – the mighty Captain Usopp – would’ve called my fleet of 8,000 men to overthrow the kingdom of Germa!”

"Yeah!" Chopper enthusiastically agreed. 

"The one with green hair seems the most antagonistic," Brook said, then looked over at their swordsman, along with everyone else.

"No wonder he didn't like you," Nami told him. Luffy laughed as Zoro glowered at the witch.

Within the next second, the memory manifested a crowd of cheering Germa soldiers. They circled around Niji and Sanji as the two faced each other armed with bamboo swords. Sanji stared at his brother; his expression solemn.

Little Sanji didn't want to fight.

The Straw Hats noticed how much he was already scratched up and bruised, whereas none of his siblings had a single mark on them.

Rightfully frightened, Sanji was quaking. Still, he pushed himself forward. He closed his eyes with a deep breath and brought the bamboo stick above his head before bringing it down against Niji's. The blue-haired kid let him. Just stood there. The sword snapped to pieces, leaving no damage to its target.

"No wonder Sanji doesn't use swords," said Luffy. "He's not very good with them."

"Rubber idiot," Zoro muttered at their captain.

After Sanji lost his sword, Niji gave him an evil smirk. It was his turn.

Niji jumped into the air and swung his sword full force. He smacked Sanji over and over and over, while the little blonde cowered against the stone, defenseless and trying to surrender.

"Oww, it hurts… Gaahh! Okay, I give up…"

Niji didn't let up. Nobody stopped him.

Sanji cried as his brother beat him relentlessly with the stick.

"Please, stop it! Leave me alone, Niji…"

“Why isn’t anyone doing anything?” Nami stomped her feet in agitation.  

It wasn't until Sanji was nearly unconscious that the surrounding soldiers forcefully pulled the blue boy off the yellow one.

There was a moment of awareness for Sanji that his father was watching, unimpressed, and a memory within the memory formed. It layered over the one they had been watching. Like a filter. It was the five Vinsmoke children lined up in numerical order.

"Children!" Judge addressed the orderly row of younglings standing before his throne. "Of all the things I've built, you are the greatest. You're an incredible team of scientifically modified super-humans."

Everyone's ears perked at the information, including the creepy Hollowell Mind Tech scientists.

"You're the fruits of my extensive research. Brilliant. Unlike normal humans, you are unbound by emotion."

"Haah?" Luffy tilted his head. "They don't feel anything at all?"

"That's why they're cruel for no reason," said Zoro.

"If there is a reason to be cruel," Brook added absently.

"They don't know what pain feels like — physically or emotionally," realized Nami. "There's no guilt, because there's no remorse."

Robin nodded. "And there's no kindness, because there's no empathy."

"Vinsmoke Judge used his own offspring as experiments! ~Teeshishishi. How fascinating!"

Fascinating was not the word Zoro would use. He tried not to think about how the warmongering king did the altering, but there was no way in hell it could’ve been pleasant.

Onscreen, Judge was still spewing out his nonsense.

"Soon you'll command military forces of your own. And one day lead Germa 66 to even greater heights. All thanks to the power of science."

As the memory panned across the orderly children, Luffy pointed. "Hey, Sanji's eyebrows don't match! That's why he's special." He laughed in delight, like he always knew the man he chose as the chef to the future pirate king was special and was waiting for the physical evidence to tell everyone else. Apparently to Luffy, that evidence was the direction his eyebrows curled.

Robin smiled gently. "You're right, Luffy. They go in the opposite direction than those of his brothers and sister."

Nami noticed a certain swordsman had gone unnaturally still at their captain's observation. "Are you okay?" she quietly asked him.

Was he okay? Zoro wasn't sure. Not when all he could picture was raid-suit extraordinaire Stealth Black, brows swooping the same way as his brothers and sister… This was what the cook was afraid of when he made that oath with Zoro back in Wano, wasn't it? Zoro never really took the request too seriously. Thought Sanji might've been overreacting. He was a dramatic dartbrow, after all. But this had Zoro rethinking everything.

Was Sanji's true fear turning into his brothers? Cold and heartless and cruel?

And could it seriously happen?

Zoro closed his eye and breathed, reopening his steely gaze with sudden calm. He refused to think about that right now.

"I gave you the power," Judge was saying. "Your job is to train."

All five kids straightened like soldiers. "Yes, Father!"

Vinsmoke Judge smiled, and the filter of a memory melted back to Niji pounding mercilessly at his blonde brother with the bamboo sword. Nearly unconscious as the Germa soldiers pulled Niji off him, Sanji just knew that his father was angry. Not because his son was being beaten, but because his son was so weak.

"The gap in their scores keeps increasing," Judge was complaining to his Germa scientists when the memory shot forward in time again. The experts were scribbling madly on their clipboards. The one who seemed to oversee most things responded.

"We got the test results back, sir. Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji are making excellent progress in their training. Their exoskeletons have developed, and according to the data we've gathered their flexibility and strength are already equivalent to those of grown men. On the other hand…"

The scientist trailed off as he watched a bleeding and bruised Sanji be mercilessly beaten with bamboo sticks by all three of his brothers now.

Nami was furious. "What the hell! Why are they allowing that? They aren’t 'training' anymore!”

"I'm beginning to wonder how our Sanji survived his childhood at all," said Brook, as everyone glowered at the screen.

"It is interesting how the girl never participates," Robin said. As much as she hated it, she came to expect such violence against Sanji, and so tried to focus on other specifics.

"It pains me to tell you this," the scientist continued. "But unfortunately, Sanji has proven himself to be a failure.

There's that fucking word again, Zoro internally growled.

"We were certain that we had successfully modified the bloodline elements for each of the children. But for some unknown reason, Sanji's seem to have converted back to their original configuration."

"Through the bloodline?" Robin noted, intrigued despite herself. She watched as the Hollowell scientists furiously typed away at this new information.

"So Sanji was spared somehow." Chopper curled in on himself. "Just like we thought… But still…"

Luffy reached over and patted Chopper on the head with both hands (since they were tied together), smiling down at the reindeer. "That means Sanji's made of something special!"

Zoro, eye closed again and sitting in his meditation position, huffed quietly. "We already knew he was something special."

"Awww!" Nami nudged her shoulder into his. Realizing what he said, the swordsman sputtered, turning beet red and almost losing his balance. The others snickered.

Onscreen, Judge narrowed his eyes at the scientist's final diagnosis.

"Sanji's normal. He's…just human."

Vinsmoke Judge did not like that.

Chapter Text

OoOoOoO

Vinsmoke Sanji. Third son of Vinsmoke Judge, king of the Northern Blue's warmongering, seafaring nation — Germa. Judge focused his efforts on Germa 66's advanced military technology with aspirations of power, rule, and control. Pretty classic stuff, as far as the Straw Hats were concerned.

And that had been more or less the extent of their combined knowledge. Until now.

Now, the secret of the Vinsmoke children had been revealed. Through the bloodline, Judge had genetically mutated his own offspring, enhancing their abilities to a super-human level while diminishing their vassals of emotion. The plan was obvious, clearly aimed to turn them into the perfect soldiers — fearless in the face of death and compassionless in the face of their enemies.

Unfortunately for the power-hungry tyrant, one of his children was spared the theft of their humanity.

Sanji remained human.

And it was to the future pirate chef's misfortune that he had grown up in an environment where war and violence were all that was accepted.

Zoro had thought it multiple times in the past, but now he was certain — bad luck followed that cook everywhere.

Neither he nor the Straw Hats could fathom how such a vile upbringing had bore their kind, loving cook, though. Surely, what they were watching was a villain's origin story.

And yet…

Within the realm of Sanji's memories, a young Reiju was busy wrapping a bandage around her weakest brother's swollen head. Little Sanji never understood why she bothered.

It was the first time the Straw Hats had seen anyone taking care of the little cook.

After one final wrap around the blonde head, Reiju stepped back with pride. "There."

"Thank you," Sanji muttered. "But why'd you help?"

"What? You'd rather I didn't?"

Sad Sanji shook his head, sweat matted yellow strands falling into his solemn eyes. "I'm glad you do." He whispered, "You're nice."

Reiju didn't like that. "Nah uh. Shut up."

"Yeah, how dare he," Usopp muttered.

"I believe there's more to his sister than meets the eye," said Robin. "But all the same, 'nice' probably isn't a trait a soldier of Germa prides themselves in."

Nami and Chopper huffed at her words. A child shouldn't be considered a soldier!

In confusion, a somber Sanji looked up at her through wet lashes. "When they're mean, you laugh also. How come?"

"It's not like I have a choice," Reiju shot back. "If I try to stop them then they'll just start picking on me. No thanks."

Ah, there it is, the Straw Hats thought. The catch.

"But why does she care to help him at all if she feels nothing for him?" Nami wondered. It didn't make sense with the 'no emotions' thing.

The memory swirled into a transition. The two Vinsmokes aged gracefully. Sanji – trimmed, square jaw, cigarette at his lips – rolled his eyes at the now-grown pink-haired woman lounging behind him. He was back in his prince outfit, leaning on the ledge of a balcony.

"Why don't you go away already?" he said. He had cut ties with all of them thirteen years ago and he had wanted it to stay that way.

The scene before them seemed to fast-forward.

Reiju's beautiful blue gaze appraised her brother. "Our father's dream is to bring the North Blue under Germa's control again. What's wrong with that?" A stubborn twinkle gleamed in her expression. "Why don't you enjoy being a member of privileged royalty rather than play pirate with your silly friends?"

Sanji narrowed his eyes. "Screw you."

Reiju wasn't deterred by her brother's hostility. She continued to try to persuade him to accept his royal lineage. The gorgeous handmaids at his beck and call almost had him – much to the Straw Hats' chagrin and Luffy's amusement and Brook stating that he would've understood – but the cook cleared his throat and managed to resist.

"Ya know, it's almost like she's trying to make it easier on him," Brook commented.

"Again, why does she care?" Nami retorted.

Robin though about it for a moment. "She's the eldest of the Vinsmokes… Perhaps, being the first, she also managed to retain a sliver of humanity."

"Then why doesn't she help him more?" Chopper demanded. Robin gave him a sad, small smile.

"I did say a sliver."

"War is profitable," Reiju continued. "And our business grants us the life of luxury. Let the minions handle combat. Does that not sound appealing?

"Nah, that sounds boring!" Luffy said.

"We Vinsmokes have earned that right through the sheer power of our military science. You have that blood in your veins."

Sanji was tired of hearing that crap. "I don't give a damn."

Reiju seemingly gave up after that, though she continued watching her brother with curiosity. It truly did seem like she was trying to make things easier on him in her own way. Accept his fate and there would be no problems. No need to needlessly suffer.

That's when Vinsmoke Judge strutted through the doorway — older, grayer, just as harsh.

"Are you still in here sulking?" were his first words to his son in over a decade. "Show some respect, son."

As Older-Sanji turned his head slowly to the side to glower at the man, his face faded back into his younger self's. Softer. More innocence in his bright eyes, even with the bandages scarring his tinier body.

Little Sanji was alone - thank god. A rare moment of peace for the boy, who seemed to be in his childhood bedroom.

At least he had his own room, the Straw Hats thought. It wasn't much, but with the life they were seeing it was something.

The little cook was carrying a plate filled with food, holding back a grin. With gentle hands, he set it on a shelf and walked away, plopping down with a pile of books. He was waiting for something.

A minute later, a soft squeak was heard. A baby mouse scurried along the shelf and made its way over to the dish Sanji had left. The little boy peeked up from his book excitedly. "Oh! He's here!"

"Did he make that…specifically…for the mouse?" Brook wondered.

"Stop. That's so cute," Nami said.

Usopp mumbled, "But it's a mouse—"

"LET HIM COOK DAMMIT HE HAS NO ONE ELSE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

If they were in range, she would've knocked their heads together, and they each shimmied to the ends of their respective cells farthest from Nami's because they could sense the violence emanating from her aura.

The mouse was hesitant at first, its ears flattening and nose twitching. But with a quiet, delicate tone, Sanji urged it on.

"Go ahead. Eat."

When the tiny creature looked up at the soft voice, the little human — scraped up as he was — was smiling kindly. "I made it for you. Hope you like it."

"He's precious," Robin murmured, cheeks tinted pink again. Cute things were her weakness. Who knew Mr. Love-Cook had been such an adorable thing?

Chopper ran an arm across his watering eyes. "Even with nobody to cook for, he still didn't cook for himself."

Zoro chuckled at their doctor's observation. Even back then, Sanji was all about taking care of others. Even when he needed the most taking care of. Zoro's laugh died on his lips at the last thought.

Usopp was chuckling, too, however. "If only Sanji could see the heart eyes he was getting from the ladies now. Even from Chopper."

The reindeer sniffled. "Shut up."

The mouse dug into the food with a happy trill. Little Sanji's face moved closer, a massive grin plastered to it.

"Well?" he asked after a moment, eager. He had practiced a lot to get this recipe just right.

All the Straw Hats smiled at that. They couldn't help it. It was just like what he did now with them, no matter the meal. Eager and excited and ever passionate about his craft.

Right at that moment, however, Judge barged through the door, growling.

"SANJI!"

The boy in question — and the mouse he was feeding — jumped. Judge scowled at what he was seeing. "Gah, you're cooking for the rats again, aren't you? I thought I told you royalty doesn't serve anyone!"

Trying to block the animal and the food from view, Sanji held up his band-aid hands. "But… I just…"

Whatever Judge saw on his son's face disgusted him. His fist went flying in contact with a picture frame before Sanji could explain himself. Glass shattered. Sharp shards of what remained hung limp in front of an image of what seemed to be an even smaller Sanji. The toddler was beaming beside someone, but Judge's thick fist blocked them from view.

"She's dead!" Judge yelled.

The Straw Hats froze.

"And you know that! So stop trying to be like your mother!"

Sanji's mouth hung open in fear and sadness and shame.

Although Robin's heart wasn't the only one that ached, she at least knew what it was like to be a little kid clinging to the image of their long lost mother… But even then, it hadn't been her family who hurt her. Sanji did nothing to deserve such insensitivity.

Judge continued on in his fury. "Unlike your siblings, you were born without an ounce of talent. So, you'll train – hard! A hundred times harder than them."

"You're my son, which means you're an integral part of my plan to restore the Germa Empire to its glory. Do not disappoint me!"

Sanji shrunk in on himself as his father made his way over to him. With another shattering of glass, little Sanji screamed. Judge had thrown the food – and the baby mouse – out the window.

Chopper and Nami gasped.

Sanji watched, helpless, as they fell far below his desperate reach.

"There." Judge rubbed his hands like he had done something good. He sneered down at the pathetic boy still half-hunched out the window in a sad rescue attempt.

"Don't ever cook again," he ordered before turning to leave.

The words hung over the Straw Hats like an anvil. As they watched their small chef process everything that had just happened to him, as well as his father's vicious demand, there was nothing from them but pure hatred aimed at Vinsmoke Judge.

Nobody was allowed to try to crush their chef's dreams like that. Their only solace at this point was knowing Sanji clearly hadn't listened.

Still, watching the scene progress did little to calm the crew.

Shocked and hurt, Sanji's face contorted with tears. The broken window mirrored the broken frame of him and his mother, which mirrored the shattering of his own heart at Judge's words. And this time, Sanji started wailing. Head thrown back as he cried out his frustration. Painful tears flooding his scratched face. And as he cried and cried, the memory re-shifted back to thirteen years later when father and son reunited.

"Are you still in here sulking? Show some respect, son."

Prince Sanji glowered at his so-called father. "Don't call me son."

Chapter Text

Vinsmoke Judge challenged Sanji to a duel, already irritated with his son's disrespect.

Out in the courtyard of Germa's castle, its soldiers gathered with spirit. Excitement poured out of them for Prince Sanji's return, eager to see him in action. It was like not a single one of them remembered how fragile Sanji used to be.

Which many of the Straw Hats found interestingly odd. Maybe even a little off.

Although still as uninterested in fighting if he didn't have to, Sanji was now a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

And he didn't need a raid suit, Nami thought.

As Judge — all suited up — prepared a spear-like weapon for attack, Sanji remained calm. It wasn't until the last second did Sanji easily dodge his father's first strike, exhibiting his signature nonchalance with his hands never leaving his pockets.

"Vinsmoke Judge has a super ass-kicking headed his way!" Franky said, adding an enthusiastic 'yow!'

"Yeah, kick his ass, Sanji," Usopp and Chopper cheered.

Zoro smirked. He couldn't wait for the cook to showcase his strength to that jackass. And sure, maybe Zoro enjoyed opportunities to watch the ero-cook's obscenely long legs in action without being distracted by a sword fight of his own. He would never admit it out loud, but — damn — he loved to watch that man fight. Graceful and powerful at the same time. Capable. Insanely flexible in a way no mortal being had a right to be...

Judge clearly wasn't expecting much from Sanji and — much to the Straw Hats' shameless delight — his arrogance hindered him.

At first.

The king of Germa quickly held his own after that, and after a few spars and a couple irritated exchanges Sanji was scowling again. "Stop saying you're my father — it's getting on my nerves!"

"Like it or not you are my son."

"Then why are you trying to stab me then?!"

Luffy laughed at the same time Usopp muttered, "That's a valid argument."

Chopper nodded seriously at the sniper.

That's when Judge started to bring up the wedding to Big Mom's daughter.

Effectively eliminating any enjoyment Zoro was getting from this duel.

Sanji's mind, however, was still adamant there wasn't going to be a wedding. "I only came here to save my friends' lives," he told him.

Nami frowned, glancing over at Luffy. As if he could sense her guilt, they made eye contact. Her captain smiled reassuringly at her as if reading her thoughts, but she still felt bad for losing faith in their cook, no matter how slight it was.

Judge looked appalled. "You'd abandon your family?!"

Sanji seethed. "YOU BASTARDS WERE NEVER MY FAMILY."

"Mmm, Vinsmoke Judge sure has the audacity," said Brook.

As the dueling Vinsmokes continued, Judge switched tactics. Sanji blocked Judge's blow with his shin, which actually seemed to surprise the man that he was able to stop a blade with his bare skin.

"The feeble son I once knew wields haki now?"

Sanji's only answer was a glare.

This time when Judge backed off he told his soldiers to fetch a sword, which he then threw at Sanji's feet. "Take it."

Zoro scoffed.

Sanji didn't move.

"What's the matter? Surely you haven't forgotten my teachings."

At a blinding speed, Sanji kicked the blade back toward the king. It swept through multiple strands of his long hair before piercing into the wall behind him.

Sanji's foot was still in the air. "I'm not interested. If you knew me at all, you'd realize I never use that crap." Lighting a cigarette, he took a drag and met his biological father's malicious gaze with determination. "Get this through your skull. My hands are for cooking only."

It was clear Judge hadn't realized Sanji was still cooking after all these godforsaken years.

"Someone's offended," hummed Brook.

"Yeah — us. For having to keep looking at this asshole's smug face," Zoro griped, making Luffy cackle again. He loved a grumpy Zoro.

"For cooking, you say? That's absurd."

"Your face is absurd," Chopper cutely grumbled, taking cue from Zoro.

"Are you still making rat food? Serving is not a talent befit for royalty. It's ludicrous."

The angry heat between the two escalated.

"You're out of touch, old man."

"Why resist the merit?" Judge wondered. "Don't you know what's good for you?" When Sanji showed no sign of caring about the king's words, Judge activated the close-combat mode on his raid suit. The scene progressed with lightning speed. Sanji met Judge in an aerial attack, but Judge grabbed his leg and threw him down, yelling. "War is the catalyst for scientific progress!"

Judge hovered above Sanji, and it was clear he wasn't getting out of the way fast enough for the next blow. The rebel-chef was sent flying after an electric kick pierced him in the chest, tumbling across the ground and through walls.

Franky and Usopp winced in sympathy.

"The Germa you were once familiar with," Judge said, speaking as if his victory was imminent, "is now a relic of the past."

Sanji groaned from the ground at the over-powered kick. He was in no rush to get up. No point he felt he had to prove to this guy. He laid on his back, taking a casual drag. A cloud passed above him, and as he watched it, his thoughts echoed through the lab.

Little Sanji…I've got something I want to ask… Do you owe someone respect just because you're related by blood?

At this, the memory began its next transition, swirling backward in time once again and reminding the intrusive viewers that the hardships of Sanji's past weren't over. From this point on, Judge had promised little Sanji his training would be a hundred times harder than his siblings'.

"This is not gonna go well," Usopp groaned. The sniper felt so bad for Sanji it made him physically sick.

All at once, the memories where the little Vinsmokes had been training together instantly intensified. Not for all of them - just Sanji. Little human Sanji, already at an unfair disadvantage, was pushed harder and harder every day. With each passing memory, Judge made it clear to the overseers to stack harsher regimes on the boy to make up for his lack of skill. And as scene by scene played out, it was clear Sanji was being worn down to the very ends of his limits.

"That's too brutal," Franky said, a deep scowl etched above his pointy chin. It was never ending for this poor kid.

Nami moaned. "There's no way he can keep going like this."

"Hey, slowpoke," Yonji yelled in the next shift of memory as the siblings raced together, all save for one yellow-haired boy. "Can't you run any faster?"

Behind them, a struggling Sanji was trying his hardest not to throw up or pass out as his brother yelled about how pathetic he was.

"Imagine growing up with absolutely zero words of encouragement," Robin said sadly. It was tragic. Heartbreaking.

Zoro's fists clenched and unclenched. The real question, he thought as his gaze traced the screened memories down to their source, was how long they were going to make the cook relive this crap.

"Nothing's changed," someone was heard telling the king of Germa.

Judge didn't blink. This didn't surprise him anymore. He was a smart man, and all he needed was confirmation of what he had already realized. "He has no potential?" he asked.

"None."

"Then it seems he is simply…a waste of life."

Nobody liked that. Luffy's and Zoro's eyes darkened considerably.

"What should we do, sir?"

With that question in mind, Sanji's feelings themselves seemed to dominate the screens suddenly. There was no picture. No color. Only emptiness and an ominous sadness radiating from the darkness, followed by an anxious heartbeat.

And then the screen blinked back to life, shaping a black and white photo into existence. It was of little Sanji, with the little number 3 on his shirt and his innocent little smile.

It was draped in memorial ribbon.

The Straw Hats' hearts dropped.

They knew, rationally, that Sanji had to be alive of course. But…

Vinsmoke Judge took to a podium to explain to his people how tragic his third son's accident was. How they lost him too soon. How he'd be missed. All lies, and yet the attending Germa citizens were the only ones crying at his performance. The funeral was obviously staged, and yet no one was the wiser.

Which left the Straw Hats' minds to reel, trying to think of what that vile man actually did with Sanji.

That's when the memory slowly panned to a quivering blue eye of the little boy who was now dead to the outside world. Sanji blinked and stepped back, face coming fully into view, confused and more than a little frightened.

"What's happening? What are they going to do with him?" Nami whimpered, hands tucked into herself with worry.

Nobody had a single idea. All breaths being held in waiting.

As Sanji stared in terror at whoever was herding him backwards, his tender voice rang out in the dark room, trembling.

"Huh? Wait—"

Darkness encompassed him as his eyes were covered. A clink of metal sounded, followed by the fastening of a lock. Suddenly, Sanji was peering out through a slit of solid iron.

"What is this thing?" His voice trembled further. "It's really heavy..."

"What is that thing?" Chopper re-demanded with urgency as he watched, hooves dragging down his furry cheeks.

Little Sanji's full body came into view then as he stumbled, almost losing his balance completely.

Everyone else looked on with wide, horrified eyes.

"It's…an iron helmet—" Robin's hand flew up to cover her mouth as her voice broke. She didn't want to finish anyway. Didn't want to have to explain out loud. It was an atrocity. Vicious and cruel, and placed upon a child?!

No matter how hard Sanji pushed, the mask locked over his head and jaw never even budged. His tiny voice spiked in alarm.

"What are you guys doing to me?!"

Nobody answered the boy. Or gave him so much as any warning. A metal cell closed in around the distressed blonde until he was securely locked behind bars.

"Oh my god," Nami whispered in horror.

Luffy's face lowered until the rim of his straw hat cast a shadow upon his livid scowl.

Zoro's nails broke through skin.

Little Sanji panicked. Ran to the locked gate and gripped the steel poles with tight fists too small to even wrap fully around one. He was being locked away? He didn't understand. He wasn't a bad guy!

The two Germa soldiers who had escorted him to his fate turned to go, and Sanji cried out with a fresh wave of fear.

"Don't leave! You can't lock me up forever! Let me out!"

When the two guards showed no sign of hearing him, and began up the winding stairwell without a word or look back, Sanji's eyes filled with watery terror. "Please come back," he whimpered. "I'm scared. I'll die here!"

A mixture of bitter grief and jarring shock and anguished rage contorted each face around the room in a wave of violent emotions too strong for even the most brilliant minds to articulate.

"I want my dad," Sanji sniffled.

Such naiveté broke several composures around the room further. Surely one day in the future Sanji would be able to look back and realize the abuse, the trauma; however, this Sanji was still bonded and innocent and hopeful and...

"Dad, where are you?!" Sanji banged against the metal rods with the sides of his fists. Fists that were already covered in various degrees of scratches and bruises. "Help! They're trying to kill me!"

At that, one of the soldiers turned back to the prince with a frown. "Sorry," he said. "But your father is the one who decided this."

Sanji froze.

"My...father?… But that makes no sense." Sanji squeezed his eyes closed, continuing his fussing. "No! There has to be a mistake!"

"It is harsh," the soldier seemed to agree. "But this is not a mistake. He intends to make it as if you were never born."

Freezing again, Sanji watched the guards disappear in silence until he was alone. All alone. In the deep dredges of the Germa dungeon.

Sanji's eyes flooded with realization. His entire body started to shake - bones shivering; muscles quaking; head pounding in time with his heart. He threw his fists one last, desperate time against the cell door before sliding helplessly to the icy, stone floor of his new forever-home, wracking with sobs that spilled endlessly from the iron mask that made it difficult for him to even keep his neck supported and his head up.

His voice cracked with heartbreaking despair. "But why…? What did I do wrong, Dad?"

It's not your fault, Sanji, please.

If only you could understand.

Sanji, it's not you.

Oh, Sanji...

You did nothing wrong, cook.

Sanji...

Sanji's blue eyes peered through the iron slits with a profound fear as he whispered, "Let me out…" Then he grew louder, until he was yelling, his cries ricocheting through the abandoned hall.

"I'm sorryyyy! I'm sorry that I was born so weak! Please help me! I can't live here by myself! Dad!..."

The Straw Hats shook.

Sanji clung to the helmet like he wanted to rip it off but knew he couldn't. Nails scratching until they bled. Body deflating and rising in an anxiety induced back-and-forth state. His voice grew more and more hoarse as he cried. Cried for help. For comfort. For warmth. For safety. For another chance.

For anything and anyone.

And the Straw Hats cried with him.

Chapter Text

Darkness consumed the screens. Metal clanging. Hopeless sobs. Whimpering. Echoes of a child suffering and alone.

There was no color in little Sanji's life, yet Zoro was seeing red.

With a flash of dulled vibrancy, four children appeared on the monitors like ghostly whisps, fighting against hordes of Germa soldiers and beating them easily as Germa scientists praised their quick progress.

Vinsmoke Judge called to them with a rare smile. "You've done well," he said.

The kids — pink, red, blue, and green — grinned back, running toward their dad in a trail of laughter. Judge opened his arms wide as the four jumped into them. "I'm so proud of you all!" He laughed with them, gazing down with a kindness nobody had seen before. "My little masterpieces," he praised.

Then, in a puff of smoke, the image solidified.

There was Sanji.

Tiny, and shaking, and curled up in a ball with a metal helmet locked around his head in a cold, damp dungeon.

Alone.

Zoro's eyes trailed from the helmeted child on the screen to adult-Curly who was grimacing and strapped unceremoniously to a medical table. It was slight, but Zoro could make out the shaking of Sanji's sweat-soaked body. He remembered the way the cook had panicked when the helmet was placed on his head…

Suddenly, Zoro was moving.

"Zoro, no!" Nami screamed.

Next, Sanji was seen back at present day Germa castle after his duel with Judge sent him flying onto his back. The cook was still asking his younger self a question.

Little Sanji… I've got something I want to ask…

Zoro rammed into the clear prison wall. Just like with Luffy, it shot him back in a wave of blue light, but the pirate hunter turned pirate was on his feet again, colliding with the cell door even harder than before. Again, he was sent flying. Nami ducked with a scream, Zoro barely missing her as he soared passed.

The bald specialist with the robotic arm – Enver – stood and clicked something on his metal wrist. "What happened to his leg restraints?" The cell door buzzed brighter.

"Zoro, calm down!" Nami yelled when the swordsman pushed himself back on his feet and sprang again. "There's nothing we can do right now, please!"

"You're just going to get yourself hurt!" Usopp joined, watching Zoro fling himself just as unsuccessfully as the first two times. He almost crashed into Nami again.

"And me! You're going to get me hurt!" the navigator cried, rolling to the far ends of the containment hold. She kept her own legs pressed firmly together with the illusion they were still shackled. She had been using the scientists' distraction with Sanji's memories to pick at her and Zoro's leg restraints, with resounding success.

Leave it to the reckless mosshead to act out and draw attention to the fact his legs were free. The idiot.

Sanji's thoughts continued through the chaos.

Do you owe someone respect just because you're related by blood?

"We should sedate that one," Ashvin said, watching as the green-haired Straw Hat tried to catch his breath, his tanned skin smoking from all of Enver's electricity.

Teal-haired Rhys glanced over her shoulder at him as well. "He is in love with the sad Vinsmoke," she stated.

Zoro blushed and sputtered out a breath as he got back on his feet once again. "Who asked you?" he spat. His next words were directed at Hollowell. "Hey! It’s obvious you’re not gonna find what you're looking for. That asshole Vinsmoke obviously didn't think highly enough of the cook to let him in on anything, so take that fucking helmet off him!"

"~Teeshishishi. Men like Vinsmoke Judge oftentimes prefer to needlessly…show off their secrets." Hollowell clicked his tongue with a creepy grin and snapped his fingers at his specialists. "Let him throw his love-tantrums. There is no escaping containment even if he had faulty restraints."

Seeing as how the female Straw Hat still had her leg restraints locked, Enver nodded and retook his seat without question.

"Yes, sir," the specialists chorused, not even sparing Zoro a second glance. The swordsman was kind of offended actually. And pissed. Panting heavily and glaring at them all.

What do you say? Sanji wondered, thinking of the biological father he was currently in battle with. Any fond memories of him?

Can't think of one, can you?

If they weren't going to listen, Zoro would make them listen—

"Sit down," Nami hissed at him. When it looked like he was about to call her a 'witch' and argue, she said through gritted teeth, "Don't ruin this…" She wiggled her fingers, and his eyes traced down to see that their resident cat-burglar's wrists were free.

"Don't worry about Sanji, Zoro," Luffy said. "He can take this."

"Doesn't mean he should have to," the swordsman grumbled.

I'm sorry.

You've suffered so much…

Zoro scowled. "See? The dumbass is apologizing to himself now!" Always guilty when he didn't have to be. The shitty martyr made Zoro insane.

The Straw Hats did frown at that, but Robin tried to reason. "Our dear cook will be free soon enough." She made a pointed glance toward Nami so he knew what she was referring to without alerting their captors. "Let us remain rested until then, hm?"

Zoro met Luffy's bright, knowing gaze then. The captain smiled reassuringly, and Zoro fell to his knees in defeat. He watched Sanji stand – onscreen – as flashes of his life in the iron mask went through his mind.

["Father…let me out.]

["It's so dark in here. Please! Fatherrr!"]

I'm sure you've got nothing but anger towards him, Sanji thought. He watched the cold man who had been behind most of his suffering charge at him again, spear at the ready. Sanji poised for the attack, leg raising slowly and precisely. All the years of pent-up anger flowed through him, centering at the ball of his foot as he prepared his kick. This was a moment Sanji never knew he had been waiting for. The pain of the past mixed with the fury of the present. Vinsmoke Judge would pay. Right now.

That was something Zoro could get behind. Almost relishing the memory, wishing he had been there.

As Judge came at him, spear blazing, Sanji started to call out his attack when suddenly his father called out first.

"Wall up!"

In an instant, Germa soldiers had converged on Sanji, creating a wall of men between him and Judge. Sanji hesitated with innocent people in the way. But as Judge's spear sped closer, Sanji's eyes widened – as did the Straw Hats' – and he shouted.

"Watch out! He's heading straight for you!"

But the soldiers didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't even flinch. Sanji balked as the soldier in the middle was impaled. Judge's spear didn't stop as it went for Sanji, now smeared in the soldier's blood, and at the last second Sanji's foot came up in defense, contacting with the point of Judge's blade.

His hesitation cost him.

The impact hurt. It shot Sanji into the sky, cigarette flying free from his mouth. KO'd.

The Germa soldiers cheered.

The Straw Hats' mouths were hung open in shock as the scientists of Hollowell Mind Tech grew intrigued by such thoughtless obedience.

Luffy quickly turned angry, however. "What a lousy cheater!"

"He just used his own men as a shield," Usopp squeaked.

"What kind of person would do something like that?" Chopper rubbed at his poor eyes. He didn't think the tears would ever stop at this rate.

"A cruel one," Zoro stated. "And a coward."

"That's super uncool. Sanji had that fight in the bag before Judge pulled that nasty trick."

"To have men willing and ready to die by your own hand... For such a trivial duel, as well." Brook shook his head. "Makes my blood boil. ...At least it would if I had any veins. ~Yohoho!"

Robin agreed with the skeleton. "I wonder if Germa's soldiers are also modified."

"~Teeshishishi. You see what I meant about powerful men wanting to show off the extent of their power, Roronoa Zoro?"

The swordsman snapped at Hollowell. "Shut the hell up. I wasn't asking!"

After Reiju patched Sanji up like old times, commenting how she couldn't believe he was the same helpless brother she used to know, Judge entered the scene again, somehow more smug than before. Of course he and Sanji argued, with the cruel king reminding the cook that it was his blood that ran in Sanji's veins.

"Quite the narcissist to keep bringing that up," hummed Brook.

"You would think Judge wouldn't bring it up as often as he does considering he believes Sanji a failed Vinsmoke," Robin said. However, with Judge's next words, it was clear why he was suddenly adamant Sanji remember who sired him.

"I require Big Mom's help," Judge explained. "But unfortunately she requires a blood connection in return."

"Well, I still don't get it," muttered Usopp. "Why'd he have to bring Sanji into it if he has so many other precious masterpieces?" The sniper made a face as he imitated Vinsmoke Judge.

"Frankly, I do not relish the thought of marrying off one of my invaluable sons to someone in that demented madwoman's lineage."

Usopp instantly frowned. "Ah."

"Just a pawn in a very cold game of chess," Brook sang.

Judge eyed Sanji pointedly. "Then I remembered…years ago I had another child who was an absolute failure."

"Tell me you guys killed this asshole," grumbled Zoro.

"Well…" Nami, Chopper, and Brook all trailed off, making faces.

"Oh man, you'd have been so mad," Luffy chortled as if it was the funniest thing in the world. Zoro thought maybe he didn't want to know anymore what happened on that damn island.

"You'll be a sacrifice for the family," Judge continued. "Understood? I haven't changed my opinion of you, and I do not think of you as a worthy son. Just so we're clear."

As Sanji's eyes were reluctantly pinned on Judge, Reiju snaked her way over to him and something cold clicked against both of Sanji's wrists.

Gold bracelets?

No. Not bracelets…

Judge smirked. "You mentioned your hands are important to you. That works in my favor. You know of the collars celestial dragons put on their slaves, yes?"

The crew froze, hit with instant realization at where this was going.

"If they try to escape from their masters it detonates, removing their heads." He gestured to Sanji's new accessories. "These are rigged to work the same way. If you try to flee your hands will be blown off."

Chopper gasped. "No!"

"Geez..." Usopp winced. "Guy can't catch a break. Like, at all."

Zoro's temper was rising again. Those bastards threatened his hands on top of everything else?!

It took a moment for Luffy and Nami to process what they'd just watched. And then suddenly they both shouted, "Wait… HAAH?"

"WHEN DID HE HAVE THOSE?" Nami demanded. "Wait. He was wearing them when we first found him, wasn't he?"

"Oh yeah." Luffy nodded. "I thought they were just part of his fancy prince outfit."

Nami groaned.

"How'd you guys not know about these?" Usopp asked. Nami pouted in frustration.

"Look, a lot was happening, okay?! And he never said anything..."

"He wouldn't, though," Zoro muttered with his eye closed, trying to keep calm.

Nami sighed. "I suppose you're right. He wouldn't have wanted us to worry. And looking back at his past, I don't think Sanji thought he was worth the trouble…" The thought saddened Nami considerably. "Maybe that's why he pushed us away so hard that day."

Something about her words made Zoro's stomach clench uneasily. He always wondered how their captain brought their cook back. How it went down... Wasn't his place to ask, though. Even after he and the cook became official, he didn't feel right asking.

And the witch had another point that Zoro didn't want to consider — that Sanji probably never expected Luffy to go after him. He didn't expect the same passion that Luffy had for the rest of the crew because Sanji didn't think his worth was equal to theirs.

Bile rose in Zoro's throat. He'd never felt so much rage in his life, watching the stupid tiny cook suffer and realizing that past still haunted him to this day. And he didn't say a fucking word to anybody. What a fucking pain. How'd Dartbrow end up with such a shitty family?

Chopper noted, however, that Sanji didn't have the cuffs on when he and Luffy arrived at Bege's castle.

"Oh," Nami realized. "You're right."

"See? He got them off," Luffy grinned. "Nothing to worry about."

"Still can't believe we didn't know," the navigator mumbled.

"It had to be yet another knife they were holding above his head to keep him there," Brook said.

"And with his childhood it's no wonder the guy felt he had no choice but to go along with them," Franky added.

Robin sighed sadly. "And now they're threatening to take away the thing he prides himself in most."

"Ah, I wouldn't have let it happen anyway," Luffy said, matter-of-fact. He wasn't worried because it was in the past, and he knew how it ended. And he also knew that if he had known what was happening at the time he would've saved Sanji and his hands no matter what. Those were Sanji's treasures, and Luffy would do everything to protect them.

Onscreen, Sanji stared down with wide eyes at the gold bands only a sadist would create, and a far-off memory swirled into his head as gray brick transformed into brown wood. A gruff voice filled the room.

"Now, let me see your hands," Zeff said.

A grin stretched across Luffy's face again. "Hey, it's the old guy with the funny hat!"

"That must be Zeff," Robin guessed. Although the face was new to some, his name had been shared with all the Straw Hats at some point along their journey. He was clearly part of Sanji's better memories. She was delighted to finally put a face to the name.

Tiny, scratched palms appeared, and a now-tween Sanji was pouting up at the wiry-whiskered chef who had taken him in. Zeff took one of the kid's reddening hands and began to gently wrap it.

"It's covered in bruises," the older cook scolded.

Sanji's frown faded as he inspected the bandage. He wasn't expecting the old man to take care of it like that.

But then: "Stupid brat," Zeff said, fist suddenly knocking Sanji upside his blonde head.

Offended, Sanji shot back, "Why'd you do that, you old geezer?!"

"I've explained this before! Don't you ever use your hands for fighting!"

Young Sanji paused to consider this. He didn't quite understand it yet, but he hung onto his mentor's words until it was a part of him.

Now, as the memory focused back on the cuffs clasped around adult-Sanji's wrists, the fear in the curlybrowed cook's eyes was evident. Sanji looked up from his captive hands and glared at the two Vinsmokes in front of him.

"Screw you! Take 'em off!"

Judge scoffed at the order.

"You can't run away - cuffs or no cuffs," Judge continued after telling him only Big Mom possessed the key. "Because I have the entire Germa army to put you in your place. We will see this marriage through."

Chapter Text

The gold cuffs weren't coming off, that much Sanji was sure. His sadistic biological father didn't bother with empty threats. He had insane amounts of power and little empathy. So if Sanji wanted to keep his hands…

If Sanji wanted to continue cooking…

Forlorn, Sanji's thoughts trailed off into another memory, jumping back to a darker place. Wall to wall of solid stone filled the screen, and a little Sanji – face obscured by cruel iron – glanced up with tired eyes. It was clear he'd been in that dungeon for a while now.

"How long did they keep him in there?" Chopper worried. "Forever?!"

"Chopper, calm down. He's obviously out now." Usopp gestured to their current Sanji…strapped in an eerily similar headpiece and being assumedly tortured. "Er, not that he's doing much better," the sniper mumbled incoherently.

"Sanji always said he was raised by Zeff," Nami pointed out. "Plus, we just saw a memory with him where Sanji was at least younger than thirteen."

"Between the ages of eight and twelve? That's at least four years in the dungeon?!" the reindeer squealed.

"Yeah, soooo not forever," Brook clarified.

Zoro's scowl could pierce through metal.

Little Sanji stood as he heard someone approaching. A Germa guard appeared with a tray of food which he slid through a slot in the wall. Sanji knew the drill. He walked to the metal bars of his prison and turned so the guard could unlock the mouthpiece of the iron mask. Even then, the helmet never came off. It was a constant brutal weight on the boy's neck. Sanji picked up his tray of food and returned to the center of the cell where he had a makeshift table.

Quietly, he chewed at his little feast until he heard a sudden whimpering beside him. He peered down at the hungry little mouse watching him eat. Without hesitation Sanji placed his entire plate on the floor beside it. Sanji watched how happy the mouse became and smiled through the crumbs on his own face.

They had seen so many instances where Sanji could have become bitter. Where he could have lost his will, his heart, his kindness. And yet, here he was, at what the Straw Hats could only assume was his lowest point, still feeding anyone who was hungry before him.

While watching his new friend fill their rumbling stomach, little Sanji's smile froze as he remembered his dad scolding him for feeding the rats, for trying to be like his mother who was gone, and Sanji was silently crying again before the memory shifted once again, into something even farther back.

A smaller Sanji yelled in pain. "Ow!"

Plates clattered against the counter as Sanji stood on a crate back in the kitchen, clutching at his hand.

The palace chef came running in at the prince's cry. "What happened?"

Sanji, ever honest, held up his bleeding finger.

"Are you alright there, Master Sanji?" Sanji nodded, but the chef sighed. "His majesty ordered us not to allow you into the kitchen."

Sanji stared up at him with puppy-dog eyes. "Oh, please, I beg you! Let me stay."

"How could anyone deny that face?" Nami's eyes watered as Chopper cried, "Let him cook!"

The scene smoothly transitioned to a Sanji with many bandaged fingers and a wide smile. The chef had clearly been accommodating to the little prince. "All finished!" Sanji declared proudly only to have a sad dish in front of him consisting of a whole fish and whole bananas marinating in some questionable sauce.

The chef looked as concerned about the concoction as the Straw Hats, but little Sanji loved what he saw. He packed it up, put on his rain gear, grabbed an umbrella bigger than he was and marched out into the rain with the dish securely on his back.

Robin and Nami fangirled.

Sanji in his raincoat…

"He can't get any cuter, can he?" Nami said with heart eyes.

Usopp muttered, "There they go again."

"But he's so adorable, bro!" Franky cried, smacking Usopp's shoulder in his enthusiasm and sending the sniper flying flat on his nose.

A soldier approached the boy as he was leaving. "Where are you going all by yourself?"

"To see my mother."

The Straw Hats gasped.

"So this is before she died," Chopper said.

Luffy smiled at the screen. "I bet she's nice!"

"What makes you think that when the rest of his family isn't?" Nami questioned.

"'Cause he's bringing her food," the captain laughed.

The cook also looks happy to be going, Zoro thought. He hoped that meant Sanji got his looks and his heart from his mother's side of things. It most definitely wasn't from Judge.

"But the weather is awful," the soldier said, trailing after the prince. "And the medical ward is so far."

"I'm fine," Sanji said. "Stop following me!" The soldier let him go easily enough. As an afterthought, Sanji turned to him and added, "Don't tell my dad, okay- ah!" He slipped and flew face fist into the wet ground.

"Little Sanji loses his balance a lot," Luffy snickered.

"He was a bit of a klutz, wasn't he?" Brook said with a soft fondness. They would have never guessed watching him as he was these days.

Without a word, Sanji pushed himself up with a couple grunts and carried on. So what if he was covered in mud now. He had a mission! To bring this food to his mom.

It would definitely make her feel better, he thought. She'll be un-sick in no time!

"He's trying to cure her!" Nami and Franky cried together.

"With food!" Chopper sniffled.

Usopp wormed hurriedly away from Franky's shackled fists as the cyborg pounded into the floor with a sob. "It's. so. unfair."

As Sanji made his way through the strange military town of Germa, the storm grew worse. The wind kicked up, sometimes too strong for Sanji to move his feet, but he ignored the calls to take shelter and marched on. That's when he was cornered by a hungry dog.

"Honestly has the worst luck of anybody I've ever met," Zoro grumbled.

Sanji squared his shoulders, and a familiar look shined in his little round eyes. It was a look that the Straw Hats knew well. The one adult Sanji got when he was determined to protect. And little Sanji was going to protect that food. It was going to his mother no matter what.

"Go away, dog!" he growled. "I didn't make this food for you."

Of course, he was still Little Sanji, and as the dog charged at him, he screamed, throwing his umbrella into the air and falling flat on his face again.

Luffy laughed. "Good one, Sanji!"

Just as the dog was about to snap at his backpack, Sanji elbowed the mutt out of the way and ran. He was chased all the way to the medical ward and, exhausted and soaking wet, poor Sanji presented his dish to the nurse there with a resounding frown.

It had been destroyed.

Frowning deeper as the nurse questioned whether it would be a good idea to serve such a meal to the queen, Sanji wordlessly pushed the dish further into her hands. He knew it didn't look as good as when he first made it, but he had tried so hard…

"Give our little bro a break, damn!" Franky was still crying. Always emotional. Forehead now pressed to the floor like he was praying. Robin patted his back, though she, too, wished the universe would give their tiny cook a break.

The nurse sighed, resigning herself to try some to appease the little boy.

It did not go well.

Much to Luffy's amusement.

"I bet it still tastes good," he said. The others gave him weird looks (albeit not surprised ones).

The memory jumped forward as little Sanji poked his head through a door after pushing it open, expression still somber. He entered the room quietly. At the creak of the door, a pair of light ocean-blue eyes opened, long lashes dark against alabaster skin. They belonged to a delicate woman, who sat carefully up in her bed. Her golden hair was parted so her bangs covered one eye and the rest hung in waves down her slim frame, cascading over her medical gown.

Sanji's mother.

"Wow, she's beautiful," commented Nami, while Luffy pointed and declared, "It's girl-Sanji!"

Zoro stared. Curly definitely took after his mother.

"Oh, Sanji!" The woman smiled Sanji's smile. Her voice was as sweet and smooth as honey. "It's pouring, and you still came to see me? Your father will be so furious if he finds out."

Chopper didn't understand. "Why would Sanji not be allowed to see his own mother?"

Sanji stared at his feet, nervous to approach any further.

"Here, your majesty. He brought this for you." The nurse placed a perfect plate of food in front of the queen.

"Huh? That's not Sanji's." Luffy frowned. Sanji's mom needed to see what Sanji made. He bet she'd love it!

The blonde woman assessed the food for a moment, then turned slightly to smile at her son. "Sweetheart, did you make this food?"

Robin and Zoro smirked at the same time. She knew.

Sanji wrung his hands together, not meeting her eyes. He nodded with a grunt, fidgeting. The woman wasn't fooled. She immediately turned to the nurse. "Ebony! Don't be presumptuous! Please bring me the food Sanji really made. At once."

"Well, I would, but - you see - it got ruined on the way over here and there's no salvaging it, so I threw it away-"

"Bring it in!"

"Right!" The nurse bowed and scurried off.

"You don't throw away Sanji's food," Usopp muttered, shaking his head seriously.

Surprised, Sanji looked up and watched as his mother was presented with his real dish.

"…"

"Is it supposed to be purple now? It wasn't purple before…"

"Shush!"

Sanji's sweet mother made no reaction to the color or the clear distinction of strong odor. Instead, she happily trilled, "Look at that! There are omelet rolls, and fish, and a banana, too!"

Lower lip out, Sanji tugged at the hood of his raincoat in shame. "Ah, mom, I'm sorry. I messed it up."

"Tsk. That's why he's so nervous," Zoro said. It hadn't made sense when he was so happy to go see her before.

"He feels he messed up, so he gets shy and timid," Nami also noticed.

"He didn't mess up at all," Luffy said. "He got the food to her, didn't he?"

"He's used to being scolded for the smallest mistakes. So indoctrinated into thinking that perfection is the only acceptable outcome." Robin smiled sadly. "It must be why he overworks himself, even now."

Nobody liked that.

The crew never expected perfection from him or any one of them. Being human meant you made mistakes, and that was also why you had friends to help you out during those times (or to smack you upside the head when you're being stupid). But maybe Sanji needed to be reminded of that occasionally, so he could remember it was okay. It was okay to just be Sanji.

And the Straw Hats vowed to do just that for their cook. Whenever he needed it.

Little Sanji tugged harder on his hood, shrinking in on himself. "I was running and I tripped in the street. It got smooshed. And it's all soggy, too…"

The woman only smiled wider. "Let's try," she said, bringing a forkful up to her mouth. She laughed sweetly as she chewed, making a delighted noise before swallowing. She looked down at her perfect little cook. "Mmm, yummy!"

Sanji's sad eyes rounded in surprise, and then his bandaged, raincloud-of-a-face instantly transformed into sunshine. Cheeks rosy beneath the band-aids. Blue eyes brighter than the woman's. A smile almost too big for his face. "Really?"

"Really!" she laughed.

Sanji leapt into his mother's arms, hugging her close. "Thanks, mom!"

"Oh goodness," Robin said, tilting her head with a humored smile. "It's no wonder he thinks so highly of women."

"They're the only people who've shown him any kindness," Zoro chuckled humorlessly. Sure, the extent of the love-cook's obsession with the opposite sex had to have happened after puberty hit, but his favoritism was always clear even when he internally pined for anyone beautiful. Chivalry to an extent Zoro never understood. But perhaps there was an underlying root to it all.

"Will you cook for me some more?" the woman wondered. This was the perfect question to ask little Sanji, who eagerly nodded and gave a toothy grin. His mother loved that face, that much was obvious.

However, the lovely face of the woman faded away, replaced by a headstone.

Little Sanji mourned beside it.

The Straw Hats sunk. The small window of happiness was over.

"I m-miss you, m-mom," Sanji cried, voice fading out as his memory shifted back to the slightly older version of himself which sat quietly in the dungeon with his plate of food still on the floor for the mouse.

I miss you, mom. I miss you.

Then her voice echoed around his iron clad head. Would you cook for me some more?

"Those were probably some of her last words to him."

All the Straw Hats were on the floor with squiggles of depression above them, Usopp groaning, "Why would you say that, Robin!"

As his mother's words sank through him, Sanji stared at the food on his tray in a new way. In a way a cook would. He grabbed hold of his butter knife and carefully cut his bread into pristine pieces, as if he was dicing the loaf. And when he looked up from his plate again, that signature spark of determination and optimism were back in those blue-blue eyes of his.

"You… You want me to bring you stuff to cook with?" the guard was suddenly asking as little Sanji stood before him, hands grasping the iron rods keeping him locked away. The boy nodded eagerly.

And then, a montage of days passing painted the screen of Sanji's memories as the mini cook worked away with tiny equipment at his disposal, all set up in his cold and lonely dungeon cell.

The Straw Hats gaped.

Even so small, even in his situation, he was still the Sanji they knew and loved.

Optimistic. Resourceful. Wanting to make people happy.

And even locked away with no hope of ever seeing the light of day or another person again, Sanji remembered his mother – her kindness, her encouragement – and re-ignited his spark. His passion. Even with nothing, the cheerful, idealistic Sanji with a passion for life that they would each go to hell and back for managed to persevere. To persist. To be the light in the face of darkness. Insistent on dreaming even when dreaming within his circumstances might have seemed pointless.

Sanji never let the hatred of others dull his heart or crush his spirit.

The Straw Hats couldn't be prouder of their gracious, over-spirited love-cook.

It was during this desolate period of Sanji's life where one memory solidified among the rest.

His nose stuck in the pages of a book, his voice sighed out in wonder:

"The All Blue…"

The Straw Hats' smiles grew as they watched Sanji's eyes glitter. He had no idea the adventures his newfound discovery would send him on.

"A place with fish from all four seas?" He gasped. "Legendary waters!"

Before his newfound dream could officially manifest, however, there were footsteps approaching his cell again. Sanji knew it wasn't lunch or dinner time yet, and he glanced up just as the visitor spoke.

There were three of them.

"Look at that," the red-haired boy announced. "Told ya! It's him."

Chapter Text

Little Sanji shot up and fell backwards at the sight of his brothers, the book of the All Blue crashing to the floor as his entire body filled with a petrifying fear he hadn't felt in months.

"You're right – that is Sanji," Yonji snickered as he and the other boys moved closer to the entrance of Sanji's cell.

"He's still alive, huh?" said Niji. "But why would Dad lie about something like that?"

"Interesting that Judge let them also believe Sanji was dead," Robin commented.

"Because he wishes he was dead," Ichiji answered like it was obvious. Sanji backed as far away from them as his cell would allow.

"Hey…" A wicked gleam entered Yonji's eyes as he pressed his face against the bars. "If Sanji really did die, I wonder if Dad would be happy when he heard the news!"

The three boys laughed as Ichiji swirled the key to the cell around his finger. Sanji shrunk away from the approaching shadows, whimpering behind his iron helmet.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Zoro growled, eye blazing steel.

"Why don't they just back off," Nami retorted with a scowl. She was growing infinitely more protective of little Sanji – even if there was nothing she could do about the past – and it didn't help that every time they thought it couldn't get any worse for him – it did!

As Little Sanji's frightened cries faded out into a distant memory, his life fast-forwarded back to the reunion on Whole Cake Island, where a now-grown Ichiji and Niji – decked in their raid suits – arrived to Germa with cheers from their militarized citizens.

From a balcony far above them, Sanji watched, shivering with a cold sweat. The cheering was drowned out by the cook's rapid heartbeat. Anxiety rampant.

Chopper frowned. "He has Post Traumatic Stress, and I didn't even realize it. What kind of doctor am I?!"

"Don't put yourself down, little bro," Franky said.

"It's likely you haven't been around him when he's triggered," Robin agreed softly.

Nami nodded. "By the time we saw him on Whole Cake, all of this was already behind him."

Chopper sniffled. That didn't make him feel any better, though.

It also didn't make Zoro feel any better, because he had noticed some odd reactions from the cook. They were brief and rare, and things were always moving quickly when it happened. Looking back now, though, they started making more sense.

Sanji lit a cigarette and tried to relax. God, he didn't want to do this. Didn't want to be here. Wanted to be home.

Luffy had gotten agitated earlier by the brothers, but his eyes softened at that and he smiled. He remembered when Sanji finally admitted that to him, letting down his act. As long as that was what his chef wanted, Luffy would always bring Sanji home.

But being a Vinsmoke was his reality once again. He made his choice to come here, so he knew he had to face it head on for now and keep going no matter how much it hurt.

Just like he always did, huh?

The Straw Hats frowned at his thoughts. They never thought Sanji's inner monologue could be so depressing. He was very good at keeping things to himself, and Zoro - more so out of all of them - was wary about that fact. He didn't like the idiot hiding things that hurt him.

With a jump of memory, the entire Vinsmoke family finally reunited in what appeared to be a dining hall and throne room. It was a reunion Sanji had dreaded, and the blue-haired Vinsmoke was already antagonizing the cook.

Niji admired Sanji's wrists with a chuckle. "Shackles always did suit you. Takes you back, doesn't it?"

Okay, Zoro was getting pissed off again.

Sanji swiped his hand away with a scowl, somehow angering Niji with the aggressive reaction, like a wave of unchecked testosterone. But luckily breakfast was called before anything could get violent.

"Why are they so desperate to fight Sanji after all these years?" Chopper pouted, annoyed.

Usopp had to agree. "Seriously. Get a hobby."

However, as the five Vinsmoke children gathered at the table – Judge eating at his throne – Niji once again verbally went for his odd brother.

"It really took us by surprise when you ran away from home," he said.

Chopper gasped. "He ran away?"

This information intrigued the Straw Hats. Obviously, he had had to get out of Germa somehow to end up with Zeff, but that could've been an accident for all they knew. A freak accident, in regards to Sanji's overall tendency for bad luck rather than good. But had Sanji actually managed to escape on his own?

Niji was smirking now. "But we never forgot… Your name would come up from time to time. We all had our own speculations about you. Oh – you'll love this! We all assumed you were dead! We even played a game where we came up with all the funny ways you might've died."

Yonji's snickering turned to full on laughter.

The Straw Hats glared.

Sanji didn't react, until he looked down at Niji's barely-touched food. "There's still food on your plate. Don't waste it, Niji."

Yonji abruptly went quiet, and Niji looked down at his full dish with confusion. "This? Uh, yeah, I'm done. Not hungry."

"Uh oh," muttered Usopp. "Maybe it'd be best if he – you know – let it go just this once."

"That's not gonna happen," Zoro said, matter of fact.

Usopp couldn't watch.

Sanji narrowed his eyes as Niji sat back in his chair without a care in the world.

"I filled up on a bunch of chocolate earlier. Besides, this thick sauce looks disgusting. You see how gooey and nasty it is? It's going straight to the trash."

"Oh, he keeps saying the worst things," Usopp whined. "Sanji, don't do it—"

"Finish it."

Everyone froze.

Even the Straw Hats.

Niji's mouth fell open.

Sanji was angry. "You don't know the value of food. Or how much effort goes into cooking, you stuck up prince."

Niji slammed his hands on the table and pushed himself up. "Shut the hell up, you weakling! Watch who you're speaking to. You have no right to insult me like that." He turned from Sanji suddenly and called out, "Call the head chef! Bring me Cosette!"

"Huh? What's he want with the head chef?" Nami questioned.

A young, strawberry blonde woman with a low ponytail and a lovely face full of freckles approached nervously. Niji addressed her harshly.

"This vile looking slop you dared to serve us caused my brother to upset me!"

"Why is he taking it out on her?" Nami asked again, agitated now. This pompous jerk…

Cosette bowed low, clinging to her skirt. "Sorry! I deeply apologize, sir. I never should've offered a dish so appalling to you."

Niji picked up his full plate. "Enough. Now don't you move an inch, Cosette."

The plate was suddenly thrown across the room with blinding force. Cosette had no time to move even she could. But right before impact, Sanji's hand was there, intercepting its path with a deathly grip, plate still in mid-air. The food slid to the floor.

"He just attacked a woman with food!" Usopp cried hysterically. "Did the guy come to breakfast thinking: What two things would piss Sanji off the most? And then plan to do them?"

The Vinsmokes were once again shocked by Sanji's actions.

"You lowlife bastard," Sanji cursed. "You trying to leave a scar on a lady's face?"

"Huh? A lady? How stupid are you?" Niji grumbled. "You really gonna go to bat for a glorified kitchen wench?"

Reiju calmly spoke up from her corner of the table. "What a gentleman."

Sanji was barely listening to them now as he explained what the food actually was, while complaining that it was now on the floor. He didn't care if they cared to know or not. He was mainly doing it for sweet Cosette, to let her know that someone appreciated her dish.

Then, he scooped some up of the floor with his finger, and Cosette seemed to panic.

"Master Sanji, please! I'll clean it."

Sanji only handed her the empty plate before stating all the nutritional value of her meal choice. "I assume," he finished, "due to your noble status, this fine confit was carefully selected and prepared. It's an awfully elaborate dish to make for breakfast."

Sanji then brought the food to his lips and took a bite, much to the castle's shock and disgust.

"Woah," Niji all but gagged. "Have you lost your damn mind? That's vile!"

Sanji only looked over at Cosette as he chewed. "The flavor is impeccable."

Cosette blushed.

Robin chuckled lightly. "Our cook can be quite charming when he's…"

"Not acting like an idiot?" Nami supplied, and Robin laughed again.

"He actually is quite good with the ladies when he isn't trying," Brook hummed. "Or to certain swordsmen." He turned to Zoro. "Tell us: what line did he use to see your panties?"

Zoro sputtered. "The hell? You wanna be a pile of bones at the bottom of the ocean?"

"~Yohohoho!"

"Bold of you to assume Zoro doesn't go commando under there," Franky said.

Luffy was cackling now.

"I swear when I get my swords free…" Zoro grumbled, beet red, as the others hid their grins behind their hands.

Niji growled, sunglasses glinting. "Poverty's done a number on you, Sanji." Before he even finished talking, he rushed at his brother like a spark of lightning with a kick at the ready. When he reappeared in front of the blonde man, he yelled, "Stop tainting our bloodline!"

Just as Niji's foot was about to meet Sanji's head, Judge shouted, "Think of the wedding, Niji!"

Niji's foot halted instantly; however, not even a second after a force of electricity rushed past Sanji and sent Cosette flying into the wall.

"Woah!" Luffy's eyes glimmered, awed despite the circumstances. Nami wished she was close enough to smack him.

Franky whistled. "Damn, those raid suits are superpowered."

”That electricity looked quite similar to the minks’,” Robin observed quietly.

With a deep scowl of disgust, Niji watched as his brother helped the head chef back on her feet. "You are a blemish on the Vinsmoke name."

Sanji glared right back. "I know this is beyond your comprehension, but I'm embarrassed to be related to YOU."

"Oh yeah?"

"Disrespecting fine food is one thing," Sanji continued. "But raising your hand to a woman is sick. Just because you're born into royalty doesn't mean you can treat her like dirt!”

"Tell 'em, Sanji," Chopper cheered.

"Everything you guys represent goes against my principles."

"That's very true," nodded Robin. Sanji's family was the complete opposite of him in every way.

There was a moment of silence as the Vinsmokes processed the blonde's words.

Ichiji sighed. "Oh, Sanji, your head is poisoned by the blustering ideology of the weak. Ever since we were children your thinking has been incomprehensible."

Niji and Yonji snickered.

"Royalty abides by its own set of rules," Ichiji added. "You're the one out of touch here."

"Pft. We know plenty of royalty who doesn't think like that," Luffy said. "They're crazy."

"Your brothers are right." Judge shuffled around at his side, digging for something. "You have no idea how the world truly works. Could it be that your misguided mind was corrupted by…this man?"

Within Judge's thick grip was the photographed face of Red Leg Zeff.

Nami's hand flew up to her mouth. Chopper and Robin gasped. Zoro stiffened.

Sanji's veins ran cold. His eyes were frozen wide as dread filled him and sweat dropped down his face. His mind was trying to process what he was seeing, pleading that it wasn't real, that they didn't know about him…

"Big Mom's network of information-collectors is impressive," Judge was saying. "I understand that around two years ago you worked in his restaurant. Well, we've uncovered the location. A seafaring eatery called The Baratie."

Luffy, ever inquisitive when he wanted to be, knew the turn this was taking. His jaw clenched tight. They had this over him, too? That’s low.

"I believe this is a recent photo, is it not?"

Sanji was still speechless.

"Is something wrong?" Judge wondered with a knowing smirk. "You're turning as white as a ghost, boy."

Niji chuckled in Sanji's face. "Where'd all that chivalry go, Sanji?"

The old geezer…

A new memory filtered over the Vinsmokes' smug faces. It was The Baratie, floating in the middle of the sea as it always had. As the memory shifted inside, the crew was chanting about something quite specific.

"Women! Women! Women!"

Among the mantra, there was only a single childlike voice.

An irritated Zeff appeared. "Not a chance! I am not hiring any ladies here."

This elicited booing from the crew, young Sanji being the loudest.

"Shut the hell up! You know I punctuate my lessons with a swift kick to the face. I can't very well treat a woman that way."

Young Sanji was unimpressed by that. "And why not? If you can kick me, then you can kick a girl, too."

Kid Zoro would've loved this kid, Adult Zoro thought.

Luffy couldn't help but laugh, as it was so out of character for the Sanji they knew now.

"You little fool!" Zeff was already swinging his peg leg at the boy before he finished. Multiple hits were heard.

Sanji cried. "What did I sayyyy?!"

"Listen up! A man must never kick a lady. That's been the golden rule since the age of the dinosaurs – you understand me?"

"A little old fashioned, but I like his spirit," Nami smiled.

Robin nodded, amused as well. So much of Sanji came from this pirate chef, who was – interestingly – expanding on principals little Sanji already had.

"Alright, here's the deal," Zeff told the boy. "As a human you're gonna make mistakes – that's only natural."

Zoro watched young Sanji blink at that, and he realized it was probably the first time in that kid's life hearing it was okay to make mistakes.

"But as a man, if you ever stray from the honorable path…then I'll chop off your balls as punishment and slit my own throat while I'm at it."

Chopper was internally screaming while Luffy was rolling on the floor in a fit.

Zoro smirked. He knew he liked that old cook for a reason.

"Whaaaat?" Young Sanji was taken aback. "Why would you slit your own throat?"

"'Cause as a parent, I gotta take responsibility, too."

Franky, Usopp, Chopper, and Nami had streaks of tears down their faces.

"He called himself his parent!"

"Zeffff!"

"Sanji found his real dad!"

"It's so beautiful I'm bawling!"

Robin smiled warmly at her emotional crew. "It is nice for our cook to have found such a kindhearted man to raise him, after all he'd been through prior."

She was right, and Zoro really wanted to thank that man. Even if he is the reason for the annoying chivalry. Although, he supposed standing by one's principals wholeheartedly was one of the things he loved about that shitty cook. Figures.

Zeff towered over his boy with an air of authority. Even with the cold exterior, there was a tenderness of wanting to teach the how to do right in this world.

"Don't become the kind of person I hate – that's all I'm sayin'." He finished. Then harsher, "Now, get back to work!"

"Say something, huh."

Niji was back, the filtered flashback gone as quickly as it came.

Sanji was still frozen, mind reeling from the image in front of him. From the words his biological father was speaking against the man he truly saw as his father.

"In other words," Judge continued, "this is a safety measure in the event that you refuse to comply. Needless to say, I won't hesitate to relieve this man of his head if push comes to shove."

The Straw Hats grew silent and furious. They had just been in a positive memory of Sanji's. One he cherished. And most of those cherished memories for him involved the man who took him in as a son. However it happened, the Straw Hats didn't know, but they knew just how much that kind of care meant to that affection-starved little boy, and now Vinsmoke Judge was threatening that, too.

"Piece of shit bastard," Zoro snarled.

The Vinsmoke siblings still at the table – most smirking – all rose and started to head out, each passing Sanji's frozen state with varied expressions of amusement (and in one case, carefully hidden sympathy) as Judge continued his spiel.

"I wouldn't do anything drastic if I were you. You should know what we're capable of."

Sanji internally shivered.

"Don't resist. Forget your friends and accept your marriage to Pudding quietly. Do that, and everything will work out just fine."

Chapter Text

Sanji was walking down a cold corridor, the weight of Judge's threats heavy on his shoulders. More than anything, he wanted to flee. Coward that he was.

But Sanji was not a coward, the Straw Hats knew.

He was so, so brave, actually, Chopper thought. Vinsmoke Judge just didn't play very fair, and the doctor – along with the rest of the Whole Cake rescue squad – wished they knew then what they knew now.

Retrospect was a bitch.

As Sanji made his return to his quarters within Germa Castle, he had no idea how to proceed now that he was shackled once again to the Vinsmokes.

Before he could think more on it, however, he paused mid-step, seeing that the door to his room was gaping open. Cautious, Sanji slipped inside. He immediately froze. His unlit cigarette fell from his lips to the floor as his jaw dropped open. Cosette was there. She lied on her side in the center of his room, beaten bloody and unconscious.

"What the hell?" Usopp gasped while the others glared daggers at the sight, shocked speechless.

"That's…" Nami's hands flew to cover her mouth. "Cosette."

Sanji was at Cosette's side in an instant, mind stumbling for answers, but hands gentle as he made sure she was alive for fuck's sake. She looked terrible and in pain, and every hair on Sanji's body stood on end as a raging fury washed through him.

"This is all your fault, Sanji," came Yonji's irritating drawl.

"Them!" Nami growled. After all this, she would never understand why Sanji insisted they save these people…

"An act of retribution," Robin muttered in understanding. This had Vinsmoke Niji written all over it.

"Because Sanji stood up for her?" Luffy questioned, eyes dark.

Chopper's gaze quivered at the sight of the poor head chef who hadn't done anything wrong. The knowledge that the Vinsmoke siblings had no compassion or empathy was a tough concept to digest. Especially for the crew's young doctor, who couldn't begin to fathom a mind without a hint of care for another living being. And if they were incapable of feeling anything, why did they seem to enjoy violence? Or get angry? Was Judge's conditioning only for things that wouldn't hinder them in war? It was all so terrible Chopper wanted to puke.

Sanji glared over his shoulder toward his overly casual brother. "And why's that?"

Yonji sneered in his usual way. "You gave that lowly commoner a taste of self-confidence."

"What do you mean by that, asshole?"

"Why don't you go and take that up with Niji considering he's the guilty party here. Come on. I'll take you to him now."

Usopp squawked. "No, Sanji, it's a trap!"

Cosette gripped Sanji's shirt and his attention. Her lips parted, but no words or strength could be mustered. Sanji tenderly lowered her hands and promised her everything was going to be okay before calling for doctors and leaving her in their care.

Yonji was impatient. "You coming?"

"Yeah." Sanji was livid. "Can't wait to settle this."

Luffy nodded approvingly. "Yep. He's got this."

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Usopp moaned. "It'll be three against one like it's always been. It's a death trap!"

"The cook isn't a kid anymore," countered Zoro.

"Perhaps." Robin agreed with a sigh. "Although I do wonder if that at all matters when the opponents play dirty."

Zoro grimaced. It was true they'd yet to see any Vinsmoke fight fair. There was always some spineless trick they pulled out their ass.

Sanji followed his youngest brother in silence. They walked down a flight of endless, curling stairways until they reached a heavily vaulted door that Sanji never knew existed.

Nami's eyes sparkled despite herself. "Is that a treasure vault?"

Usopp side-eyed her. "Focus here."

"What is this place?" Sanji asked.

"You wouldn't remember. You ran away before any of us were old enough to come down here." Yonji smiled wickedly before unlocking the vault and pushing through the door.

The Straw Hats' eyes widened.

A massive science facility greeted them. Half laboratory; half factory. Imposing machinery transplanted with glass cases and heavy vines of titanium filled the space, with emblems representing Germa 66 embossed on every surface. Throughout the room were hundreds of strange structures that looked like stacked glass containers. Inside these human-sized jars were…

Actual humans.

Hollowell's interest was piqued. He and his specialists were used to sitting through the mundane, frivolous, and pitiful aspects of their guests lives, but this… It was moments like this that made it all worth it.

Sanji found himself staring far too long, brain trying to piece together what he was seeing. Every face seemed familiar, but they also looked the same. Identical. Like copies. The same features plastered together in succession, and it only took a moment longer for Sanji to realize why he recognized them.

Germa soldiers.

They were the exact same Germa soldiers from outside. In fact, they were the exact same Germa soldiers that he had always known!

"Huh?" Nami leaned forward, she and the others also trying to make sense of what they were looking at. "What does that mean?" she wondered.

"Why…are they in water?" was the first thing Sanji thought to ask. His own voice seemed distant to him.

"It's bio-culture fluid," Yonji corrected.

Franky and Robin shared a look and a shrug.

"Are they actually alive?" Sanji asked.

Yonji shook his head, as if 'alive' was such a naïve notion. "Sanji…human beings can be constructed."

Robin gasped. "Their soldiers aren't modified…"

"They're manufactured!" Franky finished.

Before them, Hollowell's eyes glinted with delight. "Marvelous… ~Teeshishishi."

"Germa has always been renowned as 'The Kingdom of Science'," explained Yonji. "He may not look it, but our old man was once hailed as a brilliant scientist back in the day. Long before we were born, he was a member of a foreign research team operating outside the law, exploring and developing hi-tech weaponry right alongside the infamous Dr. Vegapunk."

The Straw Hats gaped. "HAAH?"

Onscreen, Sanji was just as surprised.

"He worked alongside that guy?!"

"In his younger days, yeah. And the groundbreaking feat he and Vegapunk managed to pull off? The discovery of bloodline elements in living things."

"Genetic lineage," Robin nodded. "We already know he successfully altered such elements in each of his children, which must have evolved from this initial discovery with Dr. Vegapunk."

"This feels weird," Brook sang. Zoro couldn't agree more.

"In layman's terms," Yonji continued, "they had basically discovered the blueprints…to life itself!" He gestured grandly around them before turning back to Sanji with a shrug. "Of course, that's bound to ruffle some feathers. Playing God and all that. So, when the world government caught wind of things, they arrested Vegapunk, and the research team was disbanded.

"Or rather, it was absorbed into the government.

"However, Dad was able to evade their reach and secretly continue his studies here in Germa. That research being…duplicating and augmenting a life."

Chopper gaped, shaking. "Cloning?"

"The soldiers," Robin gasped. "They are constructed, but…"

Zoro's face twisted. "They're also living people."

"That's the very reason this underground facility was built! All the soldiers here are synthetic duplicates of a select few superior fighters. They're clone soldiers!"

Sanji's wide-eyed stare couldn't believe what he was seeing as listened to Yonji's incredulous tale.

"Countless nations shake and tremble at the thought of our military might, but as great as that fear is, their envy of us is greater. You can't blame them, really… Strong, fearless, and loyal soldiers – all programmed to stare death in the eye without flinching, while being eternally faithful to us, no questions asked!"

The Straw Hats thought of the wall of soldiers Judge had commanded in his duel with Sanji, and everything started to make sense.

Terrible, horrible sense.

Sanji felt sick. According to Yonji, the soldiers were blissfully unaware that they were – in fact – clones. They were programmed to not fear death, and to never turn on their masters, but there was nothing else. There were no memories for them to look back on. Or families to care about. There was no recollection of a past, and they didn't – couldn't – realize it was weird. There was no sense of humanity. No freewill.

Nobody to even care about them. If they died, they could simply be replaced. Easy.

"You're looking at our soldier storage depot!" Yonji declared, knocking on a capsule of a clone. "Check out this guy! Technically five years old, but ready for war."

Nami hugged her knees close. "It's so sick."

The air was getting too thin for Sanji as his heart rapped against his ribcage. Too loud. His stomach churned, spinning with the room. Because all he could think about was that these weren't robots – these were people. Living, breathing people, regardless of how they were 'made'. And they had no freedom. Created by Vinsmoke Judge and trapped within Germa's insidious grasp just like Sanji was.

Yonji was oblivious as he grinned up at the sleeping clone soldier. "He doesn't even realize what he's being robbed of," he laughed.

"That's enough!"

Fists clenched, Sanji shook. Yonji arched a brow at him.

"This makes me sick…" Sanji stomped away to sit and smoke. He couldn't take it anymore. Everything he learned about his family disgusted him.

"Sanji." Ichiji's cool voice was like ice as it rang through the sterile facility. He and Niji approached from the edges. "Back when we received word that you had become a pirate, we thought the little failure had maybe gotten his feet wet and grown up some."

"Turns out you're still a disaster," Niji snickered.

Zoro was getting sick of having to listen to this guy. "The only disaster will be wherever this asshole's body lands once I mutilate it."

Usopp leaned toward Robin and Franky to mumble, "Is it just me, or is Zoro getting scarier?"

Nami whined at that. "Why am I always stuck in a cell with the crazy ones?"

The sight of dark blue hair distracted Sanji enough from his panic. His family's diabolical research pushing Cosette back to the forefront of Sanji's mind. An innocent, beautiful chef harmed by the hands of his own flesh and blood.

"Niji… You sick bastard!" Sanji suddenly launched through the air. "How friggin' dare you—" he spun on his hands and the heel of his foot rammed into the side of Niji's skull "—hurt Cosette!"

There were several smirks among the Straw Hats as Niji went flying, neck cracking as he slammed into the wall.

Yonji gawked, stunned he had landed a hit.

Sanji ran forward for another blow with full resolve.

"Back off, Sanji," Ichiji said, as dispassionate as ever. Nothing ever phased him. "Remember, we're still holding a certain somebody hostage in East Blue."

Sanji faltered, – the Straw Hats sighed in aggravated unison – and Niji used that in his favor, activating stealth mode and re-appearing directly behind Sanji, locking his arms around the blonde.

"Are you mad?" Niji antagonized. "Oh, come on. Do you actually like that little cooking wench?"

Sanji's foot lit up at the thought of Cosette again, and Niji's voice was right in his ear, low and threatening. "Don't fight back." Sanji could hear the smug smile. "Make one wrong move, and someone will die."

The flame of Sanji's foot went out.

Several Straw Hats groaned, looking down, to the side, up at the ceiling – anywhere but at the screen. They couldn't keep watching this. Knew now that the reason their cook had always seemed so resilient was because he had no choice but to become it. And they especially couldn't take the fact that this specific remembrance was of their current Sanji, forced back into a position of powerlessness by exploiting his emotions with dirty threats.

Luffy didn't like it. Not at all.

And Zoro?

Zoro was learning just how much wrath he could accumulate.

Niji's own leg lit up blue, a zig-zag of electric current vibrating up to his thigh. He roared, jamming his ignited knee into Sanji's back with vicious force. Sanji's back bowed painfully, and as his head whipped backward, Niji struck the back of his head. Sanji went crashing forward.

The Straw Hats flinched.

The three Vinsmoke brothers rounded on the fourth. Yonji leaned down to meet Sanji's unfocused eyes with a laugh.

"That was the stupidest thing you could've done. Getting yourself zapped to protect a low-level servant like her. What a moron!"

Chopper had his hooves over his ears, trying to drown out the cruelty. He didn't know how Sanji could take this. Knew deep down he probably wasn't taking it well at all, but still.

Niji bent down, too. "Oh ho, why didn't you tell me? If I knew you liked her, I wouldn't have messed up her face. But oh well. Too late now, I guess."

"Yeah. Kind of a shame." Ichiji grinned. "Well, if the busted-up face isn't a dealbreaker then maybe I can make her your personal attendant."

Sanji scowled fiercely through the blood on his lips. His head pounded as he watched his amused, self-righteous ass brothers converge around him. Just like they always had.

"Look at all of us," Ichiji said, as if reading Sanji's thoughts. "Together again."

Something dark twisted deep in Sanji's gut.

"You're one of us now, Sanji," his eldest brother said. "And on that note, I think we should re-establish the hierarchy around here. As you know…you're a worthless…failure."

Robin tilted her head sadly. "I fear this resurgence of mistreatment on Whole Cake Island might've affected our cook more than he let on." She knew it wasn't their place to reach in and pry his feelings out of him even now, even after all this; yet, she was also far too aware how much those who suffered in silence craved for those hands to reach out to them.

Was there a right answer to this? 

None of them truly knew. 

As three fists came at him, Sanji's memories blurred, combining with a recall long past. The shadows of the three grown men beating down on Sanji transformed into three younger boys pushing their way through a barred iron door.

Little Sanji whined as little Niji threw him to the ground and pressed the ball of his foot into the metal helmet to keep him down. Sanji's face lined up with the uneven stones of the dungeon floor and he shivered, thinking of the creepy creatures that lived within those cracks and came up at night to bite at him. Never-ending. For days. For weeks. For months. Always there waiting for him, just like his brothers used to.

Usopp's head shot up. "That's why Sanji's afraid of bugs?" He cleared his throat to force away his guilt when his fellow crewmates gave him deliberate looks. "I…won't ever fire spiders at him again," the sniper promised. Nami, however, is fair game.

And now his brothers had found him, too. He was scared. He had nowhere to go now, nowhere to try to hide. He was locked away, and they would keep coming back. Just like the bugs.

Sanji struggled to get away.

"Let me go…" he pleaded.

Niji only laughed. "You've always been a failure, Sanji." He ground his shoe harder against the iron at Sanji's sensitive skull. "You deserve to die!"

"Zoro, no."

The swordsman – who had jumped to his feet like a demon from hell, instinctive grip on the hilt of his first un-shackled sword – braced to retaliate, meeting Luffy's stare.

Luffy evenly – in that eerie way he had sometimes – stared Zoro down.

Nami was already regretting giving the reckless brute his weapons back, but… She glanced at the distracted specialists in the room who didn't so much as peek back at them. Nobody was bothered to care about Zoro's tantrums anymore, it seemed.

Blue and green united to kick at Sanji's steel-clad head. The small cook curled up against the cold, insect-infested floor, taking the abuse as silently as he could muster.

They wouldn't really kill him, he knew. Because then they'd never get to beat him up anymore, right? So, if he just let them get it over with, then they'd go away.

They'd go away…

Adult Sanji – back in Germa's underground facility – took his abuse just as silently.

In flickers of paralleled assault, from tiny shadows to over-powered suits, Sanji's past and present collided, and he found himself right back in the fetal position, being pummeled to the ground by his brothers with no hope of defending himself.

"Luffy—" Zoro started, but the captain shook his head.

Luffy understood. He was pretty sure he knew how Zoro was feeling. He saw the looks on his crew's faces, and knew they were feeling it, too. And he felt just as sick to his rubber stomach as the next Straw Hat. He didn't understand why so many people seemed intent on making Sanji's life miserable when he was the nicest person ever, but he didn't care. He had no doubt they were getting Sanji out of here. Zoro could take care of him then.

But, to do that, his first mate needed to keep his free swords a secret – he gave his typical too-big grin – until it was time.

Chapter Text

Sanji was still being beaten by his brothers, unable to fight back with the threat of Zeff's head on the line, as well as his friends, and his own hands… All facts his brothers never failed to bring up with each pound of their knuckles against flesh and each crunch of their heels against bone.

"Please just fight back, Sanji," pleaded Usopp.

Nami cowered behind her hands. "I can't watch this anymore!"

"Be thankful you're not the one living it." Zoro's knuckles were bone white as he kept himself in place, leaving his sword sheathed and obeying his captain's orders. His body wanted to react. To slice Sanji out of that thing sucking the memories from his brain like a leech. The cook had suffered enough already.

But as Sanji was knocked around, Germa's underground facility faded away. The memory jumped back again, and little Reiju was suddenly in the dungeon cell alongside little Sanji. The brothers were nowhere to be seen. Reiju only appeared after they were through. She delicately reached through iron to place a band-aid on her brother's broken nose.

"Don't think I'm on your side just because I patched you up," she said. "I'm not involved, okay?"

"I know she doesn't want a target on her back, but what good is she doing, honestly?" Nami mumbled.

"Perhaps, even her ounce of kindness gives Sanji hope," Brook suggested. Certainly not by any purposeful intention on Reiju's part, but still.

As if needing to explain to him why she bothered at all, Reiju muttered, "Those three don't get sad. They never feel sympathy, either. Father thinks they're such great fighters because they don't have emotions. My body has physical modifications, too, but I actually have emotions."

Chopper gasped as Robin's theory was proven correct. "She does feel something."

"So, she can actually feel sympathy for her brother," Nami said, quirking an eyebrow. "But still doesn't stand up for him?"

"It could be possible that the same commands programmed into the modifications of Germa's clones are also in Judge's children," Robin said.

Realization widened Nami's eyes "As in, she wouldn't be able to disobey her father's orders?"

"Exactly. Moreso, where Sanji obviously got away somehow, Reiju probably can't turn her back on their father. If she is genetically forced to stay there, it would be prudent for her to remain unproblematic."

"She's stuck being a weapon for Germa, but also stuck feeling guilt and sadness," Chopper realized. "That's why she helped Luffy when we asked for help while Yonji just treated it like a game."

"Ugh, somehow that's an even worse fate than turning out like her brothers," Nami said. And maybe, Nami thought, she was part of the reason Sanji felt obligated to save his family from Big Mom.

Zoro couldn't care less about the damn sister. He could only have an inner crisis about one Vinsmoke at a time.

If Curly was afraid he'd activated his dormant mutations, that meant he would also be unable to disobey or turn his back on Judge. Would he seek him out? Would his purpose suddenly be to fulfill his Germa destiny? He would be nothing but a slave to the very people who made his life hell, forced to murder and destroy and enjoy it. And Judge would relish in it after Sanji had given him so much trouble for so long.

Zoro gritted his teeth at the thought.

How long had these same worries been plaguing the cook?

"Well," Reiju said after finishing his bandages, "bye."

"Um…thanks for helping me again," Sanji murmured, watching her leave.

Reiju turned back to him, as if his words reminded her of something. "Oh. I think we're supposed to cross over the Red Line soon. Towards the East Blue.

The Straw Hats perked up at that. If they were finally entering the East Blue, Sanji's escape had to be soon.

"We're going to fight in some wars."

Sanji didn't like the sound of wars. Still didn't understand why his sister cared enough to keep him informed, feelings or no feelings. What was he supposed to do with this information anyway? Maybe she hoped the battles ahead would keep her other brothers busy enough to leave Sanji alone and wanted to convey that hope on to him.

Either way, it didn't matter. Nor did it come to be.

His memories rushed through the journey over the Red Line in snippets – cannons firing; swords clanging; giant transponder-snail ships climbing over the Red Line like it was nothing – and whatever chaos was happening outside of Sanji's cell during their traveling, just as much chaos was happening within its bars.

One moment Sanji would be dicing vegetables, and the next his brothers were there slamming him with wooden clubs. And, like clockwork, Reiju was there to patch him up afterward.

His brothers broke him to pieces while his sister sewed him back together, time after time.

And that was Sanji's life for a while, as memory upon memory spun together, the poor kid never got a reprieve.

The Straw Hats couldn't wait for his escape. Wondered how it would happen, but also needed him out of there.

This was the life he waltzed right back to from Zou. He knew what was waiting for him. Knew nothing would've changed. Still he went, simply because he couldn't stand the thought of being the reason that kind of pain and suffering were brought into the lives of his nakama.

"When we get Sanji out of here I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind for not saying anything," Chopper said with a pout. Then he sniveled, eyes squiggling with streams of tears down his cheeks. "And then I'm gonna hug him so tight!"

Among the chaos, Sanji's memories began to slow again, focusing on another pivotal moment in his life as a Vinsmoke. After another round from his brothers, which left his cooking supplies and food a disaster around him as well this time, Reiju was bandaging his arm once again.

"You never learn," she said, but this time Sanji yanked his arm away. This shocked her. This was different. He wasn't as pliant as he usually was.

They could all tell his clothes were more ragged now. His hair was growing too long beneath the helmet, falling further into his sunken eyes. He was clearly tired. Tired of it all. Worn down. Sanji was resilient, but he had his limits.

And he was at one of those limits now.

He sat beside Reiju and even she could see the stiffness in his shoulders, the quaking of his breaths. He was thinking too hard about something, fists curled. Determination mixing with anger. And then…

"Reiju, I…"

The Straw Hats were tense with anticipation. Would he lash out? Would he try to attack the one person somewhat on his side?

"I want to be a cook," he declared, jumping to his feet as Reiju gasped. "No matter what it takes!"

Luffy's muscles relaxed, and he laughed, making the others laugh with him this time because it was just…so Sanji.

"I told you not to tell me stuff like that," Reiju shrieked.

Sanji couldn't hold back his tears, but he remained standing tall even as his shoulders shook. His eyes blazed behind the fear, behind the misery. He needed out, and she was the only one he could trust to help him. "If I could just…run away somehow," he choked through his sobs, "while we're in the East Blue…" His tears overflowed down his mask as he met his sister's eyes. "Then I'll be free, right?"

The Straw Hats' eyes shined, stirred by the fiery passion their little cook still managed to cling to.

"Yeah. You'll be free, Sanji," Luffy promised. It was the most important thing after all. To be free to follow his dreams, just like the rest of the crew.

As he stared at her, raw emotion pouring from his watery eyes, he inhaled and shouted, "I can live the rest of my life without ever seeing them or Dad again!"

For once, Sanji's heartbreak was too much for even Reiju, who filled with her own tears. She hated the way he made her feel. Hated that his life was so miserable. Hated that she kept caring.

Suddenly angry that she couldn't hold her emotions in, she lashed out and grabbed at the bars between her and her brother.

The Straw Hats worried she was about to turn on him.

"Back away," she commanded. In the blink of an eye, Reiju's modified arms pried the prison bars apart. "You only get one chance," she cried. "So try not to mess it up!"

Grins broke out across the room.

Franky teared up, throwing his head back. "Sanji's passion is so strong he got even his sister to act out for him," he wept.

The two tiny Vinsmokes were suddenly rushing up the spiral stairs, out of the dregs of Germa's dungeons.

"The fight just started," Reiju was saying. "Father's hiding the key to your mask in his bedroom, so you need to go in there and get it quickly. I'll check to see if it's safe enough for you to go. Okay?"

"Yeah."

"As soon as you get to Father's room," – Sanji's memories panned through the room as Reiju's voice was describing it – "look for a symbol on the wall that looks like a skull. That's where you'll find the secret door."

Armed with a sword, Sanji – battered body looking more fragile than ever – dragged a chair over to the wall with the skull on it. He climbed up and grabbed the hidden key with a wave of relief.

A booming voice ambushed him.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

Sanji froze. He hadn't heard his dad's voice in… Hadn't seen him in… How long?

"You little brat, how did you escape?" Judge demanded. "SPEAK UP!"

Sanji slipped and fell to the floor, the metal too heavy on his head. When he lifted himself up, his eyes were on fire. He stood and put the key to his helmet on display between them.

"I'm going to leave this wretched kingdom," he declared. "And no one's getting in my way – not even you!"

Zoro smirked. There's that fire.

Luffy cheered. He loved a good escape.

Judge scowled. "You've developed quite an attitude since you've been locked away." There was a pause as he considered the boy's words with obvious skepticism. "You're normal, and that makes you weak. There's not a sea in this entire world where you could survive on your own."

Little Sanji was glaring as harshly as his Straw Hat companions.

"You'll die," Judge finished.

Surprising everyone, Sanji pulled out his sword. "Yeah, so what? You still can't stop me!"

There was a united feeling of pride for their little cook. Even at his age, even after all he'd been through and all the times he was told 'no', he was risking everything he had for his dream. No matter what.

Judge was quiet a moment. When he responded, his voice remained low and precise. "I wouldn't want to."

Sanji faltered at this.

"It feels strange to admit this," Judge said. "But I suppose I am human after all. Even though my son is useless, I can't bring myself to kill him. But you're saying you'll go away voluntarily?"

"This guy loves to rub salt in wounds," Usopp muttered, disgusted.

The words coming from the man's mouth cut Sanji deeper than he was expecting. He was still supposed to be his dad, after all. Sanji knew he was weak and useless and a burden, but…

"I won't stop you then," Judge continued. "And I'll gladly let you have the key to that iron mask."

Sanji slowly lowered his sword, lip quivering as he tried to remain brave.

"Listen, Sanji. Before you and I part ways for the last time, there is something I must ask of you. A favor.

"Sanji doesn't owe you anything!" Nami shouted, frustrated.

"Vinsmoke Judge with that audacity again," Brook hummed, bony brows furrowed.

"No matter what, if anyone ever asks about your family, you must never tell them who your father is. You must know…that having you as a son is my greatest shame."

The Straw Hats were fucking livid.

All will drained from Sanji in that moment. Shoulders slumping, eyes shaking, he wondered what the point of fighting even was. No, he didn't want to be there. But he also hadn't been prepared for his father's harsh truth. Everything he had feared his father thought of him had been true. From the very beginning. No matter how hard he had tried… It hadn't mattered. He was a failure.

"I… I don't even have words…" Usopp stuttered. A whisper that mimicked the angry despair in everyone's thoughts.

Germa was where he was born, supposed to be his home, but without his mother there was nothing left for Sanji. He wasn't welcome. Just an embarrassment that his father had wanted to hide. Just a burden to everyone.

He had to leave.

It was better for everyone else if he was gone.

"Sanji…" Chopper choked on a noiseless sob.

Once the first cry broke through little Sanji's lips, he couldn't stop.

His heart hurt.

And it was too much.

Sanji let his sword fall, unable to control his weeping even as his father watched on in his shame. He walked past Vinsmoke Judge in a river of tears. The moment Sanji was finally freed from the weight of the helmet – which clanged harshly to the ground – he took off running, his painful sobs ricocheting one last time throughout the walls of his first home.

If the Straw Hats collected their combined tears, they could fill the sea.

With their combined rage, they could fill the galaxy.

Yet, nobody could find the right words for the aches in their hearts. Zoro wasn't the only one eyeing their captive chef this time. They hoped, more than anything, that he knew how much he was worth to them.

As Sanji's echoing cries faded out, the memory transitioned, and Sanji – waterworks still going – found himself ashore the island Germa had been attacking, Reiju beside him.

His sister pointed at a ship with a wine bottle figurehead that was docked at the port. It was being ignored by the carnage, and Reiju heard nobody was going to bother with it.

"You need to board that ship," she told her brother.

Sanji, hair long and disheveled but now free of grotesque iron, couldn't contain his crying. Futilely, he rubbed at his red rimmed eyes as his other hand tugged at the gold strands of his greasy hair.

"Come on, Sanji, stop crying like a little baby." Reiju grabbed her little brother and yanked his arms from his face. "Look, you can never come back here – understand?"

Sanji could only nod.

Reiju was breaking, too. "You'll be okay," she cried. "I swear!"

He managed a wet glance at her and she almost smiled at him. "The sea is really big, okay? You will meet nice people out there someday."

Everyone's eyes softened. Robin gave a light chuckle through her tears as she recalled a similar promise made to her before the buster call on her village. Saul and Reiju were both right, she thought.

The sea's a vast place, so I guarantee someday you'll find friends who won't ever leave you. No matter who you are, ain't no one born into this world to be alone!

The sea is really big, okay? You will meet nice people out there someday.

"Now goooo!" Reiju shoved Sanji toward that ship with every bit of her superhuman strength.

Tears streaking behind him, Sanji stumbled.

"Don't look back! Run awayyy!"

Sanji caught his step and ran. Ran as fast as he could. Away from the violence, away from the painful darkness, away from everything he once knew. His legs shook with terror and anxiety and adrenaline, but he never stopped.

"Run, Sanjiiii!"

Wailing the whole way, little Sanji finally escaped from Germa.

He never looked back.

At least, until he walked right back into it thirteen years later.

Warm sandy shores shifted back to the cold, gray cement of Germa's underground cloning facility. Everything was silent. Somehow darker than before.

And as footsteps faded into the distance, the Straw Hats gasped.

Balled their fists.

Covered their eyes.

Cried out.

Cursed everything to hell, because…

Although the three Vinsmoke brothers had finally ceased their assault, Sanji laid unconscious, sprawled on his back among the cracked tile slabs, face swollen beyond recognition and body drenched in his own blood.

Chapter Text

The Straw Hats, as a collective, were pissed.

More so, however, they were heartbroken. Even as the relief of little Sanji's escape was still fresh in their minds, they were devastated. Because their cook had thrown himself right back into the hell they had so desperately been rooting for him to get out of! He had needlessly suffered.

It was infuriating.

Those brothers of his... Zoro was all but growling. All he needed was one move from his arsenal. Just one. Precise and practiced. Three swords for three Vinsmokes who had it coming.

They'd better hope they never crossed paths with the swordsman after this.

Luffy stared off into space, almost like he wasn't seeing anything. But he was: Sanji and him facing off with an audience of Germa soldiers and Nami. He couldn't help but wonder how much longer it would be at this point in Sanji's memories until they reached that moment. Because something had definitely changed in Sanji's thought process from when he left Zou to when they met up with him on Whole Cake, and he wanted to know what.

Onscreen, Sanji had returned to the land of the conscious, back in his quarters in present-day Germa, face five times its natural size from all the bumps and bruises. Reiju, unsurprisingly, was beside him as caretaker.

The cook-prince wondered if this was what his life would consist of again. A back and forth between the torture from his brothers and the pity from his sister.

"How awful it must've felt for him," Robin said, "to perfectly relive his past in such a way."

Curly's thoughts, plus his crew mate's observation, did not help Zoro calm down. He tried his breathing tactics again. 

Reiju held up a microfiber facial mask in front of Sanji's puffy face, medicinal cream slick on her fingers.

"Ready? This'll hurt."

"Yeah, because how he got the injuries in the first place was painless," Usopp muttered. With Vinsmokes as family, who needed enemies?

"Just put it on already," Sanji griped.

Reiju had barely placed it on him when it suctioned to his skin.

"Barely tingles…" he started, until the mask suddenly zapped at his face, throwing his head back.

Usopp balked. "Eeee, I take back my snide comment!"

"What kind of medical procedure is that?!" Chopper screamed.

Sanji squirmed in pain. He went to grab at the electrocuting mask until Reiju reminded him of the sensitivity of his cuffs. He groaned, throwing his hands in the air, having to just deal the best he could until it was all over.

"Damn," Franky chuckled, though there was no humor in his voice. "Bro's whole body's a minefield. Talk about super bad luck."

The process took way too long, in Sanji's unbiased opinion. But finally, when the vibrations stopped and the mask became nearly invisible, Sanji could see normally out of his eyes again. Seeing his reflection, his face seemed magically back to normal.

"Witchcraft," Brook murmured in Chopper's ear with a seriousness that sent shivers up the reindeer's spine as his eyes widened in horror.

"The swelling has gone down," Sanji noted. His face still ached like a bitch, though.

Reiju explained, then, that inflammation was the only thing the mask fixed. It repressed the body's natural response to an injury. It actually slowed the recovery process, but she said it was better than Sanji showing a wounded face to his fiancée.

"How are looks better than recovery?" Chopper demanded, doctor mode suddenly activated.

Sanji studiously ignored the comment about his fiancée.

"The Charlotte family never takes their spouse's last name," Reiju said slowly. "You won't be a Vinsmoke anymore."

"Ah, she's trying to make him see how easy it could be for him again," Robin noticed.

It was true, Zoro thought, that the cook hated being a Vinsmoke. With good reason, sure. But to hell with the Charlottes, too. There were…other names Sanji could take if he wanted…

"If you get along well enough, you might live a happy life."

"Shut up."

Reiju sighed. "I don't know what you're expecting from me. You came here on your own."

Sanji's eyes trailed down to the light reflecting from the gold on his wrists.

It was true he did come here on his own; however, he hadn't come back to appease his family. Or to marry Big Mom's daughter, no matter how lovely she was. He had come to put this to a close.

He had had every intention of returning to Luffy and the others - if they wanted him back - when it was said and done. When Germa could no longer follow him to the ends of the Grand Line until they got what they wanted from him. When the Straw Hats were no longer at risk of being under Big Mom's control. When his friends were safe from being dragged into Vinsmoke Judge's war games.

Nami gasped. "Wait! He disbanded from the crew because marrying Big Mom's daughter meant his crew would become her subordinates!"

"And his captain worked under no one," Zoro said, expression steady. "The cook understood that."

Luffy tilted his head innocently, while Usopp muttered at the swordsman. "You weren't this levelheaded about it back when we first found out he left."

Zoro snapped at him, teeth sharper than usual.

"I WAS STILL PROCESSING EVERYTHING!"

"But he wasn't going to actually marry the girl," Franky noted. "We could've handled ourselves."

"Hmm." Brook scratched at his afro. "I believe he was severing anything they could possibly hang over his head… Unfortunately, he was unaware of the other factors they found to blackmail him with instead."

Robin, introspective, tapped at her chin. "The thought of that awful part of Sanji's life casting its shadow over us most likely motivated him as well. Hearing the name Vinsmoke after all that time free from them had to have dug up a lot of traumas he had buried."

"His trauma probably worsened his anxiety, also," Chopper said. "And it's not like we had time on our side." The reindeer looked down at his hooves with a frown. "But…he promised he'd come back."

Nami frowned, too. She had been so afraid Sanji was never coming back, that she'd let him get away so easily while Luffy was gone, and that she'd never see him again. The main reason she didn't like talking about Whole Cake was because it had scared her more than she was willing to admit. And they had made it through okay – right? So, there was no point to dwell on it.

Luffy didn't understand the problem. "He did come back."

The Straw Hats sighed, and then the screen had their attention again as their cook's inner thoughts shifted.

He had planned to return, yeah.

However, Sanji's reality had changed.

The longer he stayed here, the more he remembered how devastatingly lucky he had been to escape his family's clutches the first time…

Germa castle swirled away with a shift of memory, and Sanji was back in the distant past.

The Orbit.

That was the name of the ship docked at the island that was being burned down by Germa 66.

That was the vessel with the wine bottle as a figurehead.

And that was Sanji's one and only chance of escaping alive.

Little Sanji knew this. Knew — as he naturally gravitated toward the kitchen and hid among the storage crates — that he had one shot, and he couldn't miss. It was all he could think about as he waited. Just waited. And waited.

"He's shaking," Nami murmured, worried about what life would throw at little Sanji from here on out.

After what felt like ages, the absent crew started returning to their ship, rambling amongst themselves about the attack on the town and how they had better get out now while they weren't a target.

That was when a handful of them came face-to-face with a raggedy child, blonde hair as wild as the look in his eyes.

The men leaned back, shocked. "It's a kid!"

Sanji stared at his feet, trembling hands balled into fists at his sides.

"Please," he said, lips quivering. His adrenaline hadn't stopped since he confessed his dream to become a cook to Reiju in the dungeon, and now he was actually away from Germa and he couldn't screw this up. Reiju said he couldn't. Couldn't mess up. This was his one chance.

He couldn't mess it up!

"Please let me stay with you and work on your ship!" he got out in a rush. "I'll do anything you ask — I promise! I just want to be a cook! I'm begging you! I'm begging you! Please! Please…" He tugged at his hair, desperation overflowing. "Take me with you. Take me with you." Tears streamed as he pleaded. "Take me with you. Take me with you." He couldn't stop. Had to beg. Couldn't mess up. "Take me with you! Take me with you! Take me with you! Take me with you!"

"How terrifying that must've been for him," Robin sympathized.

"It's so engrained in his head that all he does is make mistakes, that that's all he can think about," Nami said sadly.

Chopper, even with watery eyes, smiled at their little Sanji. "But he's not backing down. They gotta take him."

In a flash,  the memory was gone, and Adult Sanji was back onscreen.

Yeah , he thought. He got lucky.

What made him think that this time he could do this on his own? Was he really so full of himself?

Zoro frowned. Cook's oblivious to his own self-deprecating nature, isn't he? That was why he made things harder than they had to be sometimes. Zoro's said it before and he said it again now.

"Overthinking is pointless."

Luffy agreed, nodding seriously. "That's why I never think!"

The Straw Hats pursed their lips in silence.

Well, it was too late to ask for help.

He'd already caused everyone so much grief. He didn't need to keep bringing trouble upon everyone. Trouble that followed him everywhere. Clung to him like a plague.

Even after Germa was behind him…

Memory shifting back to The Orbit in a blink, little stowaway Sanji donned a new chef outfit, blue scarf replacing his Vinsmoke yellow. The kid had grown a bit, filling back out since his days locked away, and maybe a few months older. He only recently became comfortable enough to break out of his shell. In the beginning, he had been wary and untrusting and shy; yet eager to be useful so they wouldn't throw him overboard or something.

"I can't even begin to imagine how the poor kid transitioned from life on Germa to life on that ship," Usopp said. The others agreed. It was a vast change, and a swift one at that. Surrounded by people who held so much more variety than clones and super soldiers. 

But once they stopped asking him questions – like where he came from or what happened to his family – and simply assumed they had been lost in Germa's attack, the walls Sanji had built around him slowly began to crumble, his natural spirit for life shining through.

Now, he was animated as he enchanted the crew that had pitied him enough to let him work in the kitchen with them.

"You don't know about the All Blue?" the boy was gushing.

The Straw Hats chuckled.

Dirty dishes were piled around young Sanji, obviously more chore boy rather than a certified cook. But he didn't seem to mind. Was just happy to be there.

He did mind when the crew laughed at him, though.

With a cute pout and a furrow among his curly brows, he held firm to his beliefs. "It's out there somewhere — I know it! They say it's a dream, but I'll find it. I'll show them that it's not a fairytale."

His scowl turned back into an excited grin within seconds.

"To cooks who have taken to the sea—" like himself, he thought proudly "—it's an irresistible paradise." His signature determination sparkled within the blue of his eyes.

"I'll make it someday!" 

And he would, if the Straw Hats had anything to say about it.

Sanji was the type of person who always believed wholeheartedly in their dreams with them. As passionate about his crew's ambitions as he was his own.

They would do the same for him, a hundred times over, which was a driving thought to begin with among the Whole Cake rescue team during that tough period.

Most of Sanji's days on The Orbit seemed to be about daydreaming about the All Blue, a result of his newfound freedom… A word he was still trying to wrap his head around. 

Of course, it was right after he had gotten comfortable with the crew that the ship was viciously attacked. The quarterdeck went up in flames, and the main mast was completely destroyed within minutes.

"Oh god," Nami and Usopp groaned together.

Damn that idiot's luck, Zoro cursed. Seriously. The hell was up with it?

The invaders were too powerful for that dinghy ship, clearly. And the young cook scurried through the chaos. Covered in dirt and scratches, Sanji pushed through smoke and debris and bodies, sliding onto the deck to come face-to-face with the raiders. The Cook Pirates smirked down at him, led by Red Leg Zeff.

The Straw Hats gaped.

"Zeff?!"

Luffy roared. "With two legs!"

Chapter Text

The passenger ship The Orbit was in flames, even as rain pelted the deck. Drops ran like tears down young Sanji's growling face.

Stupid pirates!

In the boy's anger, he charged at the captain of the Cooking George . Even distracted – directing his men to take everything but the ship's food – Red Leg Zeff easily knocked Sanji back with a swift kick of his infamous right leg.

"What are the odds of our young cook being attacked by cook pirates?" Brook chuckled before breaking into song. "Our world works in mysterious ways~"

Nami snapped at him. "Let's not do that!"

This was no time for musical shenanigans; even though Luffy pouted, thinking it was always a good time for musical shenanigans.

"Zeff ordered his crew to take whatever they wanted except for the ship's food," Robin noted.

"The Cook Pirates value food – what a surprise," Usopp said, his sarcasm earning him an amused glance from the archeologist.

"It's a rare form of compassion to show your enemies," Robin clarified.

Zeff turned to stare dispassionately down at the feral boy with the blonde fringe crawling back onto his feet, a frustrated snarl ripping out of him.

All little Sanji could think about as he bled from multiple wounds and struggled to stand was that he finally found a possible place to be happy. He was finally away from his father. He was finally, finally able to just cook, and to search for his dream. And then they had to show up and ruin everything!

There was no way they were taking this away from him!

Sanji – observant as he was - zeroed in on the pirate captain's fiercest weapon – his right foot. The boy pounced. His teeth sank into the leather of Zeff's booted ankle, jaw locking as he bit as hard as he could. The pirate couldn't kick him with his stupid foot if he was already attached to it, right?

"Ah, a child's logic," Brook hummed.

Luffy laughed. "Nah. I think he's onto something."

Unimpressed, the captain demanded what the little brat thought he was doing.

Voice muffled, young Sanji screamed, "I won't give up on my dream! I'll find the All Blue someday, no matter what!"

The cooks of The Orbit pleaded for him to stop; the Cook Pirates laughed.

But Zeff did not laugh.

"Sanji's intrigued him," Robin noticed with a small, knowing smirk.

"His passion strikes again," Franky wept.

The storm brewing around them surged. It was sudden when the tidal wave hit, overtaking both ships as men struggled to steady themselves, and to keep their respective vessels from capsizing. Sanji, however, lost his grip as the rushing current swept him instantly out to sea.

Something ignited in Zeff when he realized the kid whose heart held a fiery spirit had been tossed overboard. There was only a split second of hesitation before he cursed. Grumbling, "Damn brat" before diving in after him.

When Sanji's memories resurfaced from the black, stormy water, the boy was sprawled on his back, sun shining down on his battered body. Slowly, and a tad disoriented, he woke.

"So, the brat finally wakes up."

Startled, young Sanji bolted upright. "Pirate…! Ow , ow, ow…" He curled in on himself, wincing.

"I wouldn't move much if I were you." Zeff sat cross-legged before him, at the edge of a cliffside. Wherever they were looked more like one giant outcropping of rock than an actual island of any kind. "You're still pretty banged up from that beating you took. You're lucky to be alive, ya know?"

Zoro remembered Sanji saying that he had been lucky to escape Germa the first time… And now Zeff was calling him lucky to survive the storm that had dragged him into the sea.

From where Zoro was sitting, though, Curlybrows was anything but lucky.

Except…he had managed to endure it all. Problem after problem, near-death after near-death, he had managed to survive.

Was that considered luck? Or strength of will?

To Zoro, it just proved how strong the cook was. From the very beginning.

Sanji frowned down at his sore muscles, then at the pirate. "Damn geezer… Where's your ship?"

"Hell if I know. It was a terrible storm. Our ships were most likely destroyed. It seems we're the only survivors. Washed ashore on a desolate rock without so much as a coconut tree to give us food. We have no choice but to wait for help."

Zoro cursed under his breath. This was exactly what he was talking about!

Sanji gripped his stomach as he shakily sat up, glancing at the burlap sack next to him.

"Anyway, that bag over there is your share of some of the food that washed up. Should be about five days worth. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. If you ration it, it'll last longer. So use your head when you eat." He grinned humorlessly over his shoulder. "Good thing we're both cooks, huh?"

Sanji spotted the size of Zeff's bag. "Wait a second! Is that bag your share of the food? You got way more than me!"

"Of course I get more food! I'm a grown man, so I need more nutrition to survive. That should suffice for a runt like you." Zeff glanced at the boy. "Don't expect any pity from me, you little brat."

Stubborn as ever, Sanji glared at him with a pout. "You're such a greedy old pig!"

"Well, they're two peas in a pod, I'd say," Franky said.

"How long do you think they were stuck there?" Chopper wondered with a frown. "Do you think a ship really came within five days…?"

None of the Straw Hats seemed hopeful. Especially with Sanji's track record.

Zeff didn't care what the kid had to say. Told Sanji to get to the other side of the rock and watch for ships. 'Til then, he wasn't to bother moving from his post.

Sanji grumbled, now on his own side of the massive rocky terrain. "I'm not gonna let him know even if I see a ship."

"Oh, Sanji, we know that's not true," Nami sighed fondly.

The young blonde laid out his rations in front of him.

"I'm gonna survive on my own!"

"Hmm." A thought crossed Robin's mind. "Remember what Judge said before Sanji escaped?"

There's not a sea in this entire world where you could survive on your own.

"I have a feeling our cook is taking to Zeff poorly because the only other man he's known with authoritative power up to this point was his father."

"I see," said Brook. "Zeff isn't what you would call warm, either."

"He doesn't have that sense of tyrannical entitlement the way Judge does," Robin added. "But he's just as dogmatic and straightforward."

"And Sanji's too young and too conditioned to tell the difference," Chopper said. "To him, Zeff must be like Judge because there's no other category to put him in."

"So, what he's really doing is sticking it to Judge," Usopp finished, nodding.

Rations spread out before him, Sanji meticulously calculated how he could make his food last as long as possible.

Hopeful, he smiled, peering out at the horizon like he had never suffered a day in his life. Like as long as he was out of Germa, there was nothing that could be worse than that. He was certain they'd spot a ship before he got even close to running out of food.

"Sanji is a glass half-full kinda guy, isn't he?" Franky said. They had a lot of those on their crew, but it usually wasn't the self-deprecating ones. Their cook was an all-out enigma of a guy.

As he dutifully began to sit and wait, time passed in a blur. Sun and moon rising and falling in a loop of memory. Weather changing day-by-day, as young Sanji's body slowly diminished.

By day twenty-five, all Sanji had left in his small hands was a single piece of bread. It was covered in mold.

"Day twenty five?!" Chopper shrieked.

"Okay, Sanji's insistence we don't waste food makes way more sense," Nami realized.

"Well, yeah," Luffy said lightly. "When we first met him, Sanji fed that pirate from Don Krieg's crew when nobody else would, because he refused to let him starve. That's when I knew he was the cook my crew needed."

Robin, Franky, Brook, and Chopper smiled at that tidbit of information. Their captain really did know how to pick his crew members.

Then Chopper shook his head sharply, eyes squiggling with water. "But look at him! He's already so malnourished!" If there was one thing a doctor and cook saw eye-to-eye on, it was nourishment.

Zoro glared at the screen, unblinking. "We already know how this goes."

"Which is…?" Usopp prompted.

"Not good."

Onscreen, Sanji took a small bite of his moldy bread and whimpered, remembering a time when the crew of The Orbit ate the leftovers off a strangers' plate. Little Sanji thought it was so gross, and scraped the food into the trash before they forced him to do it, too.

"Why would you do that when we have plenty of fresh food, huh?"

The crew had laughed, teasing him about how he should have some. Now, on the rock, a starving Sanji began to cry silent tears. He never really thought about where his next meal would come from. Food was just always there. And if it wasn't, the ingredients were, and that was all Sanji needed. The thought of running out never crossed his mind before…

He was spoiled and stupid for thinking he'd always have food, wasn't he?

The Straw Hats frowned.

"We're all guilty of taking things for granted," Usopp muttered sadly.

"It's easy to get comfortable," Robin agreed. "However, our young chef is conditioned to think having human flaws means there is something wrong with him."

"On top of everything else, he doesn't need to be so hard on himself," said Chopper, sniffling.

Sanji rubbed at his face, the salt in his tears stinging his dry eyes, and his fingers fumbled.

The Straw Hats gasped as the boy's last piece of bread fell to the sea.

Sanji's red-rimmed eyes peered over the edge of the cliff, hand outstretched in his attempt to catch the last of his food. Now, he had nothing.

Panic set into his sad eyes as he curled back into place.

By day seventy—

Chopper wasn't the only Straw Hat who shrieked this time.

—Sanji's skin clung to the bony shape of his skeleton. His hair was a tangled mess and dulled of its color. His lips were white and chapped. Eyes sunken and nearly lifeless. The vibrant optimism that came naturally to the cook had vanished.

He was dying.

"Humans generally can't survive more than a month without food and water!" Chopper's hooves dragged down his face as he screamed. "They've been on that rock for over two months! Even subtracting the time Sanji had his rations, that still clocks him in at almost a month and a half of starvation and dehydration! That's impossible!"

"Two months without anything?!" Luffy stared at the screen like it had to be messing with him. For him, two minutes without food was already too long.

Nami couldn't believe it, either. "And here I thought we were goners when we ran out of food on our way to Whole Cake Island…"

"Really puts it into perspective, doesn't it?" Brook hummed.

Luffy waved it off. "Well, Sanji's stronger than he thinks he is. He's too stubborn to die."

"That's for sure." Zoro couldn't take his eye off the skinny kid onscreen, looking the part of a corpse without actually being one. He was the same kid who fought through anxiety before he was six. The same kid who knew the grief of depression before he was eight. And now he was the kid who learned the effects of starvation firsthand before he was even a teenager.

Yet, Sanji had remained warm despite so much cold in his life. He never turned bitter. Never took it out on others. And Zoro hadn't thought he could love that shitty cook any more than he already did. Until now.

Young Sanji felt so weak. Weaker than he'd felt his whole life. And he wondered. Wondered if he was alone. Wondered if that geezer was already dead. What more did he have to lose?

With what felt like the last of his energy, Sanji crawled back over the ridge to the other side of the rock.

There, in the exact same position he left him in, was Zeff.

"He's alive!"

Sanji's shocked eyes quickly zeroed in on the bag next to the pirate, unable to believe he still had so much food.

"That bag was never touched," Franky said, sure of it. "There's no way."

"It's the same size as when Sanji left him there," Nami agreed.

"It's like he hasn't moved at all…" Usopp gulped. "What if he's dead?!"

"You idiot, you met him!"

Usopp wasn't listening to Nami. He just mumbled, "It was Zombie Zeff the whole time…"

His stomach growled at the sight. Desperate.

Sanji was suddenly behind Zeff, moving on shaky legs, a kitchen blade he had found in his bony hands, and eyes alight with the craze of starvation.

"I came to steal your food…" He swallowed thickly. "Think you can kill me? Well…go ahead! Because it sure as hell beats starving to death!"

Zeff didn't move as Sanji descended on the bag, slicing it open with one, quick swipe.

But what spilled out, was gold.

"Haah?!" Luffy scratched his head. "The old man was eating treasure all this time?"

"He hasn't eaten anything, dummy!" If only he was close enough for Nami to smack. Then, absently she added, "I wonder what happened to that treasure—"

"Not the time, Nami," Usopp side-eyed her, as the others wondered how the hell that old man was alive if he had no food.

"Hey…" Sanji's heart dropped to his empty stomach. The knife clattered to the stone. He fell to his knees. "What is this?!"

"Didn't I tell you not to come over here?" Zeff said after a moment of letting the kid process his loss. His voice was just as tired as Sanji's. "Unless you saw a ship."

"This is all treasure!"

"Strange, isn't it? We have all this money, and we're gonna starve."

Usopp glanced conspiratorially toward the navigator who could sense his remark before he even said it.

"Taking notes, Nami?"

"The only note I'm making is to withhold your allowance at the next island—" a sinister star gleamed in her stare "—and watch you crumble."

Nope. Usopp didn't like this game anymore.

Angry now, Sanji ran over and grabbed at the pirate's coat. "What's going on?! Where's all your food, old man?"

"There's no way he only had treasure!" Chopper's doctor brain was not computing any of this. "He had to have eaten something!"

"Come on! You have to be eating something, so where is it? Answer me!"

Sanji suddenly cut off when he noticed something was off. Just below Zeff's knee, a rope tied the ends of his black pants over an obvious stump. Where his leg used to be.

There was a beat of dead silence. And then:

"KYAAAAHH!" Most Straw Hats were screaming, even as the harsh reality of what they were seeing threw every single one of them for a loop.

Sanji balked. Fell back in shock as his pupils withered in horror. "What- What happened? What happened to your leg?"

"He… He didn't." Zoro was gonna gag.

Even the mind specialists – who had been patiently silent as they extracted the memories – seemed to stir a bit uncomfortably in their seats.

"We have spied quite a bit of oddities in our research," Hollowell commented to his subordinates. "But that sure is a new one, isn't it? ~Teeshishishishi. My, what people will do on the brink of death is fascinating…"

The Straw Hats were still in their own frenzy.

"That's how he lost his leg?! That's so gross, nooooo!" Crying, Nami could've gone her whole life without needing to know that.

"He cut—cut off his own—To eat—" Usopp was stuttering.

"Wow. Ya know, in retrospect we should have seen it comin'," Franky said. They knew the guy had a peg leg, after all.

Chopper was still rolling around in terror. "That's not how the human body works! He was so, so lucky he didn't bleed out." He sat up with a gasp, nose running. "Or get an infection! Do you know what starvation and dehydration do to the immune system?! How is he still alive?" He swiped the wet from his eyes, growing instantly serious. "I need to study this man's medical history."

Robin, lips pursed but as calm as ever, nodded. "It's…remarkable he managed such a feat."

"Wait." Nami peeked through her fingers after covering her face in an attempt to restrain the images in her brain. "That means Zeff gave all the rations to Sanji, right?"

"Despite the ~gruesome circumstances," Brook crooned, serious. "This was the turning point our young Sanji needed, I'd say."

"You…gave up your leg…"

Sanji struggled to comprehend what he was seeing. What it meant.

"…in order to save me?"

Zeff didn't hesitate.

"That's right."

"I wonder how it tasted."

"LUFFY!"

"What about the food? You gave me all the food you had, didn't you?"

"That's right."

"What…?" Tears welled in Sanji's eyes as his breath caught. Nobody had ever… Why would anyone…

Zoro's thoughts softened, no longer focused on the What's done for Sanji, but the Why's.

Before, the Straw Hats had seen that Zeff would become the first person to ever tell him it was okay to make mistakes. That he didn't have to be perfect to be worth something.

Now, he was shown as the first one to sacrifice anything for him.A concept they didn't think a Sanji at that age had ever considered before – that he was put first.

"But…" Sanji's mind was reeling. "You had to have known that without that leg, you'd never be a pirate again."

"That's correct."

Face soaked with tears now, Sanji shook his head wildly. Upset. Angry. Furious .

"Why'd you help me?!" he demanded. It was too much… He gave up too much!

Sad, albeit fond, smiles graced the Straw Hats' faces.

"I would never ask for any of this!" Sanji cried.

Of course he would never ask. He's the one who did the sacrificing for others.

"I… I can't think of any reason for you to be kind to me!"

Franky was weeping again. "How can someone so small carry a weight of self-doubt so big?"

"Sanji's always been generous without a reason," Nami said. Overly so, in a lot of cases, but… "It's a little heartbreaking that he thinks someone needs a reason to be kind to him in return."

"Old fool!" Sanji wailed. "It doesn't make sense to sacrifice so much for me! So why…?!" He scrunched his eyes closed, sniffling and wringing in his haggard breaths. All the days of starvation taking its toll on him on top of seeing the price this pirate he had thought was a bad guy decided to pay. To pay in order to save him.

"Tell me why! Why did you?!"

There was a moment for a seaward breeze before Zeff's rough, weary voice responded. "Well, it's simple. For my entire life I've had the same dream…as you."

Sanji stilled. "The All Blue…?"

That didn't make sense. Nobody ever believed him. They only ever laughed.

Zoro chuckled darkly. "When laughed at, he becomes infuriatingly persistent. When someone is on his side…"

"He gets wary," Usopp finished. Because, yeah, the sniper could kind of relate to that, couldn't he? Honestly, he wondered how Sanji dealt with it.

"But they say it doesn't exist…"

"Of course it does."

His certainty shook Sanji to the core. Zeff met him eye for eye, his sharp cheeks rising as a small smile played at his cracked lips.

"Head to the Grand Line," he said, pointing out at the horizon. "The All Blue surely exists there."

And as Sanji stared beyond where the man's shaky finger pointed, the merciless ocean turned out to be just as kind as the grumpy old pirate. Because there, finally, was a ship.

The Straw Hats shared a collective sigh of relief that this particular torment for Sanji was finally over.

Chapter Text

As it turned out, not every ship that passed by bothered with the barren rock floating in the middle of the ocean. It was too small to hold anything of value, even if it was just big enough to maroon two unfortunate cooks. 

It wasn't until Zeff was unconscious from fatigue, and Sanji on the brink of following suit, when a ship finally noticed them.

They were rescued on the eighty-fifth day.

"EIGHTY-FIVE DAYS?! Are you fucking serious!"

"Chopper!" Robin admonished. She glared over at Usopp and Franky, both instantly pointing accusatory fingers at Zoro, the resident foul-mouth. 

"They actually spent fifteen more days in that nightmare," Nami said, shocked.

The innocent reindeer doctor was rolling around in hysterics again.

Luffy tracked him around the cell with a gleeful grin. "Chopper's broken," he chortled. “I told you Sanji was too stubborn to die, didn’t I?”

Recovering after being on that godforsaken rock hadn't been easy, either.

Half the crew that saved them had wanted the bounty money once they realized they'd picked up Red Leg Zeff; the other half were arguing over how to feed people as malnourished as their new passengers.

Chopper was biting at his hooves, hoping they had a doctor onboard.

Surprising everybody, it was Zeff – coming to even in his weakened state – who had all the answers. He was smart, and charismatic (if not a bit intimidating), and directed the crew on what food to prepare, how much to feed them, and for how long each new increase of food should last.

Flopping on his stomach, Chopper huffed a dramatic sigh of relief.

Zeff had to restrain Sanji multiple times from gobbling everything he could get his bony hands on, saying it would only make him sicker. The food was carefully chosen depending on what nutrients and caloric intake were needed, especially when – as their bodies filled back out – Sanji continuously caught colds. His immune system had taken a brutal hit compared to the older man, and Zeff was there every time to call him an irritating brat and spoon the appropriate nutrients into his body.

"Sanji does that with all our meals," Chopper laughed, seemingly over his fit.

Brook nodded. “He must've learned it all from his mentor."

"He also seems adamant to keep our immune health up more than anything," Robin noted. "I wouldn't be surprised if this particular devotion was due to this experience of him constantly being ill."

"Yeah, getting sick in the middle of the ocean isn't fun," Nami said. "Maybe that's why Sanji felt so guilty that time I got sick…" He blamed himself. Nami sighed. "That dummy."

Zoro had also lost count how many times the cook had yelled at him to put a coat on or get out of a body of water because he 'might catch cold'. He chuckled darkly, of course there was some traumatic reason behind it.

In the meantime, Zeff had also managed to cajole the crew itself by cooking their meals for them and introducing them to an array of delicious foods out of the barest of ingredients.

Young Sanji watched all this happen with awe. Watched the incredible, practiced skill Zeff had when he had gotten enough strength back to hold a frying pan. Watched as Zeff explained his process with confidence. Watched as the best food he'd ever tasted was served by a hard old pirate with a surprisingly soft heart. Watched as that food brought people together, and made them happy.

It was everything an aspiring chef could ever hope for, and young Sanji realized, in those moments, that he owed everything he had to Zeff.

He had promised himself, no matter how long it took, he was going to repay him.

In a flourish of memories, Adult Sanji was back in Germa castle, cursing himself for the trouble he brought to anyone unlucky enough to be associated with him.

Luffy frowned. That's not right…

Germa wasn't the problem here – he was.

It was Zoro's turn to frown.

He refused to bring down his crew because of his own problems. They had enough to deal with, going up against Kaido. One stray chef wasn't going to hinder them. They'd be fine. They had Mossy to protect them if anything happened.

The unwavering confidence didn't come as a surprise to Zoro, as it was mutual between them. Didn't mean he had to agree with everything else, though, because he sure as hell didn't.

This was his past to deal with.

That was why he had come back on his own. Alone.

Robin sighed sadly, knowing at one point in time she had similar thoughts.

Luffy and the others didn't deserve to be dragged into Vinsmoke family drama. It was bad enough that Zeff had, all because Sanji had screwed up and fell overboard that day.

He shouldn't have been saved.

The Straw Hats' hearts dropped.

Sanji's presence didn't matter.

The hell it didn't…

Zeff would still be doing what he loved, with his leg. And Luffy would still become the King of the Pirates.

Luffy's hat dipped low, shadowing his face. But then a small smile appeared. Everyone caught it, as they had glanced over at their captain to judge his reaction to Sanji's thoughts, but only Nami had a hint of a smile, too. She knew exactly what he was remembering…and what was said that day. Ironic that it was the exact direction Sanji's thoughts had gone.

Zoro narrowed his eye, curious.

A chambermaid broke through Sanji's train of thought then, announcing that it was time to depart for the engagement ceremony at the Whole Cake Chateau, and in the next memory, Sanji was exiting the castle, donned in a fresh shirt, and bombarded with cheers from Germa soldiers and a seemingly endless rain of confetti. As if this was a happy occasion.

In front of him was a coach covered in skulls, big enough for the entire Vinsmoke family to ride in. His father and brothers were already on it, and Ichiji offered Sanji his royal cloak, a red cape with gold lining that draped over one shoulder. Sanji put it on wordlessly before silently taking his seat between Niji and Yonji.

Yonji glanced over at him. "If you want to run, be my guest. Gives me the perfect excuse to chase you down and beat the crap out of you."

"Pft. Like he needs an excuse," Usopp muttered.

"You couldn't if you tried," Sanji retorted.

Much to Zoro's delight, as he watched the green Vinsmoke's veins pop out of his head.

"What'd you say?!—"

"Enough," Ichiji interrupted. "Not in public."

Yonji scowled but listened to his eldest brother.

Giant cats pulled the carriage forward, and with the cheers of the crowd bidding them farewell, Sanji lit a cigarette.

"And so begins a new era for the Vinsmoke family," Judge said to nobody in particular. "Wave to the citizens now, Sanji. Go on."

Beside him, Niji and Yonji snickered.

"They just can't help themselves, can they?" Usopp said.

Franky hoped Sanji gives them their well-deserved, super ass kicking sooner rather than later.

Sanji ignored them, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling of the cali-coach. He couldn't help it when his mind wandered, bringing up certain faces… The faces of that ragtag pirate crew he loved so goddamn much.

"Oh no, it's about to get sappy," Franky knew, a handkerchief appearing randomly out of his abdomen.

He pictured them all. Luffy at the lead with his obnoxious, endearing laugh. Zoro, dumb smirk on his face as he goaded Sanji on about something equally as dumb. Nami smiling brightly at the helm. Brook cheering everybody up with his music. Robin enjoying her book with an iced coffee in her hands. Usopp and Franky tinkering away with a tray of specially catered snacks beside them. Chopper on his swing with a freshly baked cupcake.

All so happy and free.

"Sanji…" Chopper sniffled.

"My heart has never been fuller," said Brook. "If I had a heart, that is."

He thought back to Zou, a reassuring smile thrown over his shoulder to ease sweet Nami's worries: "I'll be back for sure. So, give everyone my best, okay?"

"Nooo, I hated that," Nami whined. That smile that haunted her every day until they saw him again.

Crossing the sea with Capone Bege and the Big Mom Pirates: "There's not going to be a wedding, jackass!... These hands have one job – to cook for my crew mates as long as they'll have me. I went through hell itself to become a better cook, and it was all for them."

Everyone smiled at that, bittersweet. They could all relate, for they all had done the same. None of them ever really acknowledging it. Because it was simple. Obvious. Of course they'd go through hell for each other.

Sanji needed to know that that included for him.

Meeting Pudding for the first time: "I really would like to marry you, but I'm afraid I just can't. I want to go back to be with my friends."

Maybe what Sanji sought from the world was too much.

Maybe he didn't deserve any of it.

Not the friendship. And definitely not anything else.

He inwardly chuckled, dark and humorless, as the face of a very specific swordsman encompassed his thoughts.

Zoro stilled.

Along with the image of the bandana-clad mosshead with a devious smirk over Wado's hilt, there was a deep, aching sentiment. He would never know how Sanji truly felt. And Sanji figured it was probably for the best that he'd hidden it so well.

Sympathetic eyes turned to Zoro, whose steely gaze trembled. How far back…?!

The other Straw Hats appeared beside the swordsman then, all laughing together. A faceless new cook among them.

Sanji's eyes watered. He'd never have that back.

A somber silence overtook the crew as they watched their cook struggle to contain emotions he had never shown before.

"Sanji can't be replaced," Chopper sulked, leaning into Luffy as the captain patted his head.

Usopp covered his face. "If he starts crying, I'll start crying. Sanji never cries. I can't watch it, I won't!"

It was over now.

Sanji blew the apparition away with an exhale of smoke.

Whether they'd be better off without him or not didn't matter. He would never regret meeting his friends, even if it was selfish. At least for a few years of his life he got to experience real kindness and true freedom. He should be grateful he got that much.

"That idiot," Zoro muttered, eye closing abruptly. That heartbreaking moron.

And Zeff…who had sacrificed his own dream of finding the All Blue. Sanji remembered, before heading back to his post on the other side of that rock with a new sense of purpose even on the brink of death, what Zeff decided — that he would retire as a pirate and open his own sea restaurant…

The memory skipped back to that moment, to a young Sanji and newly peg-legged Zeff standing on the deck of a brand-new dream – The Baratie.

Young Sanji yelled in excitement, bouncing from one foot to the other. "Dang, you old fart! You really did it!"

"Sanji’s not that much older there," Robin noted, an aching solemness still pressed in her voice. 

“They must’ve worked really hard to get it going that quickly,” Chopper said. 

“Perhaps Zeff wanted a home for the aspiring little cook who reminded him of himself,” Brook suggested. “The best way to perfect the culinary skill is to be constantly cooking, after all. And what better way than growing up in a restaurant?” 

"Are you ready?" Zeff asked the boy he took in, smiling. "Because we're gonna be busy."

"We'll be just fine," Sanji promised. "Because you got me!"

Zeff's smile widened.

The Straw Hats smiled with him despite themselves. Happy-Sanji was contagious.

And then the memory vanished.

Sad Sanji was back, and he couldn't get over the fact that that man's life was on the line because of him. After all that old geezer did for him, this was how Sanji repaid him?

"None of this was his fault," Luffy objected, angry. Zoro agreed wholeheartedly with his captain.

No! He wouldn’t allow anyone to steal that old cook’s last dream. Zeff sacrificed enough for me! More than he ever had to. More than anyone ever has, and…

The cuffs fell heavier on his wrists.

It's my turn to make the sacrifice.

He was bound to the Vinsmokes now, and soon he'd be bound to Big Mom. There were no other options left for him.

Not if Luffy had anything to say about it.

It's fine , he thought. It's better this way.

He had his adventure. Now, it was time to come back to his reality.

Because the thought of Vinsmoke Judge having his grubby hands in reach of Zeff or his crew was—

"SANJIIIIIII"

Every part of Sanji's being froze.

That voice…!

The carriage chauffeur stuttered.

"Um, your majesty…something is charging towards us."

All eyes turned to a now-grinning Luffy.

Usopp mumbled, "You're making one of your entrances, aren't you?" and the Straw Hat captain curled onto his back, cackling like a hyena.

Chapter Text

Nami was not in the mood for her captain's cackling.

"I don't know why you're laughing, Luffy." If there was one thing Nami did not want to relive, it was what was coming next. She hoped that, maybe, Sanji's memory would just — she didn't know — skip over it!

But no, it was too momentous for him — wasn't it?

She groaned, head drooping.

"Is this…" Zoro started, before stopping himself. If it was what he was thinking, he knew it had to be — out of any of the godawful memories — a memory Sanji would never want the crew — especially Zoro himself — to ever see.

Nami, surprised, realized the swordsman knew what was about to happen. "You know about this?"

Even Luffy seemed shocked.

Zoro closed his eye to avoid the stares of the other Straw Hats. "Not a whole lot of it. Just that it happened."

"I thought you'd be more upset…"

"…"

Eh, maybe he was?? Nami couldn't figure out why such an idiot was so hard to read sometimes.

Before anyone could grow irritated by their cryptic conversation:

That familiar laugh rang out across the meadow, loud, cheery, and completely unbothered by anything.

" Haha, long time no see, Sanji!"

"It had been a long time," Luffy concurred, like he wasn't the one who had said it.

"That idiot!" Yonji was gaping as much as Sanji was. "He made it all the way to Whole Cake Island? And what's with that tree? It's running!"

"Yeah, why is it running?" Usopp echoed, as Nami cried.

"Oh, King Baum!"

Sanji's alarm as he watched his captain approach only escalated as a sweet, feminine voice called out.

"Hey, Sanji!" Nami waved, orange pigtails trailing behind her as she sat atop the giant tree speeding their way. "We made it!"

More panic seeped into Sanji's bones.

What were they doing here?!

Every fear he possessed washed over him like the wave that had stranded him all those years ago. He couldn't see if the others were near, but two were enough to utterly terrify him.

"How amusing," Judge muttered from the front seat, as Reiju smiled over his shoulder to get a good look at Sanji's friends.

In typical Luffy fashion, the rubber man flung himself at the carriage. He crashed into it and clambered up the side Yonji was sitting on, much to the green-haired Vinsmoke's bewilderment.

"You're gonna tip over the cali-coach, you maniac!" Yonji sputtered.

Luffy was too giddy to care, having eyes only for Sanji.

It was a look every Straw Hat knew well; Luffy loved seeing his nakama, especially after too much time apart.

But it was suddenly disturbingly clear, as they watched the expressions flicker across Sanji's face, that their chef didn't see that look the same way the rest of them did. He didn't see pure joy; he saw blissful innocence. Like Luffy saw a version of Sanji that Sanji didn't believe was actually there.

If they hadn't been privy to Sanji's thoughts through everything leading up to this point, they might not have noticed, let alone believed it. It was known, now, that the only parts of Sanji's heart that he seemed to wear on his sleeve, were the positive parts. Suddenly, there was a whole darker half of Sanji they had become aware of.

It was a little frightening.

"Let's get going!" Luffy was saying, excited. "We came here to pick you up! You said you'd be back, but I didn't want to wait. You know me!" He laughed.

Although Luffy's lips never stopped moving, Sanji could hardly hear him. His entire body pulsed with images. Islands and parties and dances accompanying the feasts he put his heart into creating for his friends were viciously mixed with Judge's constant reminders that his hands would be blown off if he stepped a single foot out of line. All his memories were suddenly tainted. Poisoned.

Laughter faded into threats. Smiles into scars.

And then Vito's whispered warning was back at his ear from that night in Bege's castle. "You know what happens if you're a no-show, lelo."

Sanji swallowed, sweat dripping down his neck.

The head of someone I loved would be…

"His anxiety…" Chopper started, fearful of the physical and psychological indications Sanji was giving off. "It's eating him alive."

The Straw Hats watched, a new perspective welded into their brains, growing more and more worried about their beloved cook the further his mind self-destructed.

"Zoro took a team and headed for the land of Wano," Luffy was still saying, completely oblivious, and Sanji's inner turmoil rampaged when hearing the swordsman's name.

Scenes of warm skin and green hair fluttered around each other. Then blended. Fighting with Zoro; fighting alongside Zoro. Laughing with Zoro; laughing at Zoro. Lingering touches he hoped Zoro wouldn't notice; the touches that lingered from Zoro's own innocent grazes…

Zoro's face heated. He thought he'd imagined those times the cook would press into his shoulder too long when shoving past him or fingers grazing as he passed him a plate of food. And he sure as hell didn't think that dumbass noticed when he did the same!

Zoro, with his head sliced at the neck and presented to him in a box—

The Straw Hats' stomachs stirred at the morbid turn.

No. No, they couldn't take Zoro. The Straw Hats needed him, and...he had his dream.

"Tsk." Zoro scowled fully now, a sudden clarity breaking through as his own memory surfaced: the idiot cook wobbling his way between Zoro and Warlord Kuma on Thriller Bark.

Don't take his life - take mine! Then, to Zoro: If you die, what'll happen to your ambition, moron?!

That day, Zoro was ready to sacrifice his own dream for Luffy's. He would've done if for any of his crew, because he had faith in all of them, and that was the job as the protector and first mate. But Sanji... Sanji was always ready to do the same, and it was because he didn't see himself as worthy. If anyone should lose their life and their dream, Sanji believed it should be him, not his nakama. And he had told the swordsman to apologize to everyone for having to find a new chef. Like the trouble was the annoyance of losing a cook rather than the friend they loved.

With a violent dread, Zoro realized that the greatest detriment to Sanji's wellbeing, from the very beginning, was Sanji himself.

Sanji's heart was pounding. After Zoro, every memory of his life ricocheted through his head at top speed, intermingling and crashing into one another. Every pivotal moment. Every sadness. Every smile. Every loss, and every gain. Every touch sped through his mind. Blurring. Losing color. Losing shape. Just sound. Echoes. Calling his name. Laughing.

And then it cleared, singling out a solitary face.

Zeff.

"Hey, Sanji."

A Sanji from two years ago had his back to him and The Baratie , sack tossed over his shoulder, about to board a boat with the three strangers who would be his new crew. He was about to set sail for an adventure to the Grand Line as their cook, just like he always wanted. Just like that old man always hoped for him. So, he paused. Braced himself as he listened to the last words the man who was rightfully, truly his dad had to say to him. Maybe call him a brat one last time. Or "little eggplant" just to embarrass him.

Instead, Zeff smiled softly.

"Take care. Don't catch cold."

Sanji's memories faded out as he came to, focusing back on the Straw Hat captain clinging to the Vinsmoke royal carriage with ignorance behind his sunny smile.

Because he didn't know. Didn't see how much risk was involved.

Luffy didn't understand!

Present-day Luffy listened intently to the thoughts in front of him. Attentive to the raw emotion his past-self would see firsthand that day.

The others were silent. Only Nami really knew what was coming, but every single one of them could sense the building tension. What they were witnessing in this moment, as trauma-induced anxiety dragged their friend deeper into the depths of his emotions, was a version of Sanji that hadn't existed in a long time. A version that could've reappeared at any given instance before Whole Cake, and could possibly resurface again in the future.

It was Little Sanji. Lost and scared and vulnerable.

And their hearts absolutely broke.

Luffy onscreen was still talking animatedly, like it was just another day on The Sunny and nothing was wrong.

"I was gonna come alone, but it turned into a whole thing. I know you just left, but you missed a lot. I'll explain more back on the boat."

Luffy was laughing, and that was when Sanji's foot connected with his face.

The Straw Hats stiffened. Some gasped. Nami closed her eyes, and Luffy didn't blink.

"Sanji!" Nami shrieked.

Sanji ignored her, still poised in his fighting stance. He stared down at his captain, eyes dark.

Masked, Zoro saw. He knew their captain had seen it that day, too — instantly. And it wasn't masking pride (like Usopp) and it wasn't masking a lack of faith in Luffy (like Robin) — two crew members who had disbanded for a short time for personal reasons. Although Zoro had never expected it to happen with Sanji, what he always assumed was that it was a hell of a lot different. It was obvious by Sanji's naturally selfless nature. It was backed by the little Sanji had confessed to Zoro in Wano. And now, actually seeing it, proved it all the more.

"What the heck's gotten into you?!" Nami demanded, voice shaking.

There was a beat of silence as Sanji straightened. He knew there was no going back, and he needed Luffy to see that, too. Whatever it took. Even if it meant becoming the very thing he swore to never become: a Vinsmoke.

"Oh, Sanji…" Robin murmured, shaking her head sadly.

Usopp tapped his feet nervously "This isn't gonna be pretty, is it?"

Sanji's glare tightened with his resolve.

"Leave my sight," he told them with all the authority of royalty. "Bunch of low class pirates."

The shock that rippled through the two Straw Hats in front of him was clear as day.

"Ouch," Franky muttered, while Chopper looked at Nami.

"No wonder you were so mad at him for awhile."

Nami groaned before sighing. "It gets so much worse…"

"It's fine," Luffy promised, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Make no mistake," Sanji said, trying to drown out the sound of his brothers laughing behind him.

Everyone glowered. Even acting as they would, his family mocked him.

"I have always been a Vinsmoke." Bile rose up Sanji's throat. "Which makes me a prince of the Germa Kingdom."

He thought of his next words carefully. Saw the look that formed in Luffy's eyes. That stubbornness that he needed to crush.

"I kept all this a secret from you, because knowing about it would make things harder for you."

"Well, he did believe that," grumbled Usopp.

"It's noble of you to come all the way here to get me, but you wasted your time. I'm not leaving." Sanji tilted his head. "I've already forgotten your name."

"Sanji's trying to be like his family, but he's never been so mean. What made him think Luffy would just accept that?" Chopper questioned.

"Doubt Sanji knows how nice of a guy he is," Franky said to the little doctor.

Luffy met Sanji's glare with one of his own. "Whatever, you liar! You think I'm gonna buy that?"

Yonji laughed in his face. "Don't worry, Sanji, I'll help you drive him off—"

Sanji's palm came up to stop him from getting up. "Don't you dare." He wouldn't allow anyone else near Luffy, and Luffy wouldn't listen to anybody else regardless. He needed to hear it from Sanji.

"I'll send him packing myself."

Zoro shifted, agitated. This was headed in a bad direction. One strike at Luffy was enough condemnation, and Curly knew that. How many more would be at play here?

"What do you mean you'll send me packing?" Luffy asked as he watched Sanji step down from the carriage and make his way over to him.

"I want you to leave. What else could I mean?"

The two scowled at each other, Sanji versus Luffy.

Nami watched quietly from her perch at the top of the sentient tree, brown eyes blown wide. Frightened.

She should be, Sanji thought, sensing her fear without even having to see her. She shouldn't be here in an emperor's territory just for a runaway cook. Luffy shouldn't have put her in harms way for him!

Nami pursed her lips. It was her decision, and she'd do it again if she had to.

"Dunno why you thought this was a good idea," Sanji said, fists clenching. "Couldn't have been easy to get here, so…I know you must want me back." Though he couldn't fathom what made them think one cook was worth the trouble.

"One of you tell him he's irreplaceable, dammit." Franky pounded his fists.

"But having said that, if you really value my happiness, don't you have all this backwards? Frankly, you guys are poor and weak. Especially compared to the Big Mom pirates who are generous enough to take me in."

"He's simply reiterating things his family has told him at some point," Robin noted quietly.

"So why would I ever choose you?"

Luffy seemed taken aback for a moment.

Zoro gritted his teeth as the cook's sharp-shooting words had their intended effect on Luffy for once. Even if he did understand Sanji's reasoning, it didn't make it any easier to watch.

Sanji appraised Luffy's falter, and, unfortunately, his recovery.

How was he supposed to get the message through the Straw Hat's unshakable tenacity? How could he truly prove he was too terrible now to risk anything for?

"These are the big leagues," Sanji said. "It's only human nature to pick the winning side, you know? You being King of the Pirates…" — everyone tensed — "…is a pipe dream."

Nami was suddenly pissed, if more than a little confused.

"You think this is funny or something, Sanji? Nothing you're saying makes any sense!"

"I imagine how startled you two must've been," Robin said, noticing how Nami was shrinking slowly into herself. "You went through so much to get to him, to bring him back, and he rejects you so coldly."

"Not at all like Sanji," Brook added. "Makes me relieved I wasn't present for this."

"Yeah…" Nami agreed, resting her chin on her knees. Somehow, it hurt even more knowing Sanji's reasoning. She couldn't understand how she had fallen right for his act. She was usually more observant than that. But even Usopp at his lowest hadn't insulted Luffy's dream. How was she supposed to take it?

Finally meeting the navigator's eyes for the first time, Sanji's own blazed a deathly cold.

As they watched the Nami onscreen shrink back from their cook's emanating hostility, everyone's brows rose high on their foreheads. They'd never thought Sanji would be capable of looking at a woman that way, let alone one from his crew.

Nami shuddered seeing that look again.

The cook couldn't allow Nami to get under his skin any more than he could allow Luffy. If he had to be the bad guy, that was fine.

"So," Luffy said calmly, bringing the attention back to him. "We were never really friends? You were fooling me all this time?"

The Straw Hats heard his skepticism loud and clear, and there was a sense of relief that he was seeing through Sanji's charade. The relief was short-lived, however, because Sanji could be just as stubborn as their captain when he fully believed something was the right choice.

Sanji didn't hesitate at Luffy's questioning. "That's right. Sorry. Never thought much of you at all." His right leg ignited into waves of orange.

Yonji was laughing again, and Niji moved to get a better view. "I'm glad we got front row seats to this."

"Ugh, they know he doesn't want to do this — they have to," Chopper said. "And they're enjoying his torment like always."

"Their mere presence is a pressure on our cook, as well," Robin added. "If he doesn't get Luffy and Nami to leave, then he knows they will."

"Nah, they wouldn't have." Luffy waved his hand dismissively. "I wasn't leaving without Sanji. No matter what."

Robin smiled gently at him. "Of course."

Sanji knew Luffy didn't believe him. Knew he wouldn't listen. Needed something to prove that he wasn't — couldn't be — a Straw Hat.

"Is it hard to accept?" Sanji asked his ex-crew mates. "I imagine you two didn't see this coming, so I'll prove it to you. Get ready." He narrowed his eyes at Luffy, who narrowed his eyes back.

The Straw Hats never thought they'd see their captain and their cook going head to head like this. The looks they were giving each other made their stomachs churn more than they already were.

Usopp idly wondered if this was how sick the others felt when he fought Luffy… Something he wasn't proud of and would really like to forget. Maybe Sanji also wanted that, and here everybody was watching it from his own mind. Usopp suddenly felt doubly sick.

"Now…"

"No, Sanji! Don't do it!" Nami screamed, but Sanji had already shot himself forward in a fiery display.

"Diable Jambe!"

Luffy didn't even try to deflect the attack. Took Sanji's flaming foot straight to his face again.

The Straw Hats flinched. This wasn't like watching Sanji fight an enemy — this was their captain. This was Luffy.

Nami screamed as Luffy soared backwards. The captain caught his landing and slid to a halt. Blood spurted from his nose, and he panted as he spat out a tooth.

"What the…? If you weren't going to dodge, why wouldn't you at least use haki?!" Usopp couldn't imagine seeing a ball of fire coming at your face and just letting it hit you. The idea hurt his nose just thinking about.

"Didn't need haki," Luffy said, low and serious, unnerving Usopp more.

Zoro side-eyed his captain quietly before returning his gaze back to the memory.

Sanji's composure faltered, if only for a split second. Then, he was angry. "I said 'get ready'! If you don't use your haki, you'll die!"

"He wants so badly not to do this…" Nami murmured. Why couldn't I see it before? Why is it so obvious now?

"What do I need haki for?" Luffy responded, just as calm as before. "I just want to talk to you. You're my friend. I'm not gonna fight you."

Usopp bit his lip. Luffy fought him…

Sanji's nostrils flared. Luffy was making this more complicated then it had to be.

"Do what you want," Luffy continued, unnaturally monotone. "I won't fight."

"You won't fight?" Frustration shook Sanji's bellowing voice. "Then go away!"

Luffy carefully watched, eyes hard as steel, as Sanji launched himself again. "Not happening. You're stuck with me."

"Selfish, as usual." Sanji's leg rose. "Alright then, have it your way!" His foot cracked against Luffy's skull, sending the rubber captain tumbling through the tall grass of the clearing. But he once again reclaimed his balance, and remained on his feet.

Both men were panting now, adrenaline pumping. The memories of their first meeting swarmed the air around them. Wide-eyed, wide-smile Luffy pestering a kindhearted cook with a cool air about him.

The men, currently, were older and more worn compared to the two boys from the past. The contrast was almost heartbreaking.

"Sanji, please stop this!"

Nami's voice snapped Sanji out of it for a moment, and he glanced up at the woman, who was now desperately trying to reach the Sanji she knew had to still be in there somewhere.

"We don't wanna fight, we just wanna help! Don't you get it? Luffy fought all night against one of Big Mom's strongest generals to get here. He's in no shape to do this—"

"Nami, cut it out," Luffy snapped. "Stay out of this, okay? It's between us. We're having a duel."

Quickly masking his onset sadness with more anger, Sanji growled. "Oh, that's what you think this is, huh?"

The sky darkened as Sanji's foot lit up even hotter. He charged. Luffy braced himself as Sanji collided with the side of his stomach, ribs snapping on impact.

Again, Luffy remained standing. Like he had something to prove. Like as long as he was on his feet, Sanji was coming home.

Sanji hated it.

He hated the stubborn asshole. Hated how he wouldn't make this easy. Sanji just wanted him to lay down and give up. Get the hell outta harms way and take Nami with him. But his captain — ex-captain, he had to keep reminding himself — wasn't having it, and it was infuriating. How was Sanji supposed to get it through his thick skull? By kicking it open?! Sanji wasn't worth all this! Luffy needed to get Nami out of here, and get back to his crew. They're the ones who needed him. They're the ones who deserved his help — not Sanji!

The Straw Hats' frowns sharpened.

This was the difference, wasn't it? Usopp thought. The sniper knew that when he left, it was because of his pride. He couldn't accept their captain's decision about Merry, and selfishly went against him for it. Challenged him to a duel himself. Sanji…? Sanji left and fought for a selfless reason. Because that was exactly the kind of person Sanji always was, and Luffy knew it wasn't the same. Knew something different had to be done. Usopp couldn't blame him for that.

With a rush of fury, Sanji leapt forward with every ounce of strength he could muster. Kick after kick, Sanji attacked. Each hit harder than the last, pleading — praying — he wouldn't have to do another one.

However, Luffy never fought back.

Took every hit without a flinch.

And Sanji… God Sanji wanted it to stop!

"Get out of my sight!" Sanji demanded, louder, the succession of his kicks speeding up. Luffy…"I'm done with you!" Please!

A kick to the stomach. The head. The shoulder.

Luffy never blocked. Never dodged.

The leg. The jaw.

"Scram!"

The nose. The ankle.

"Beat it!"

"That's enough!" Nami was yelling, but her voice was distant to them now. Just another ache in the atmosphere.

Zoro had to force himself to keep watching, steel gaze steady. Like Thriller Bark, he took it all in. If they went through it, so would he.

"I said—" Sanji's heart pounded painfully against his chest "—I don't want anything—" His blood boiled in agony with each swing of his leg "—to do with you!"

Kick after kick, hit after hit, Luffy held his stance, facing his cook and absorbing each blow. Until the bitter end.

Nami was sobbing.

"Sanji, stop! I can't take this anymore…"

The tears among the Straw Hats were silent and painful, but the break in their navigator's voice tore their hearts open further.

Everything about this was painful. From every angle. From every perspective.

Nobody was going to win, because it hurt them all, and they knew it.

On top of it all, Sanji had now made Nami cry. Hurt her to the point of tears, and he felt nauseous. Inwardly, he cursed. Luffy needed to surrender, for everyone's sake!

"I'm only gonna say this one more time… GO! AWAY!"

Sanji crouched, and his foot shot up under Luffy's jaw with incredible force. The rubber man flew the furthest yet; and yet, sandals digging into the soil, he stayed on his feet. Body broken and bruised and bloody, he met Sanji's scrutiny once again. Unwavering.

"I'm not leaving."

Ever so slightly, Sanji's eyes widened, flashing with a profound mix of rage, hurt, and confusion, because why — why?! — wouldn't Luffy let him go? Was he that important to him?

Yes! the Straw Hats wanted to yell. To strangle their love into him if they had to.

It didn't make sense. And it didn't even matter anymore. He had attacked his own captain! He couldn't go back now — he couldn't be trusted by Luffy, by the crew. Zoro wouldn't ever forgive him for this, and… Luffy shouldn't either. That was the point!

Zoro closed his eye with a quiet sigh.

Luffy needed to see that his life was not worth endangering the crew over, because he had betrayed them all by this one action.

Luffy had to get outta here! And the longer he stayed, the more Sanji saw himself in his captain — broken and bruised and bloody. Sanji's actions were his brothers', and he'd never felt sicker.

This was too hard. He didn't want to do this anymore. He needed to end it. Right now!

In a wave of frustration, another instant blow to the face had Luffy finally falling onto his back by the sheer force. He went to push himself up, but paused when he saw a new look on Sanji's face.

"Seems I can't run you off, huh? You stubborn cockroach." Sanji's face went void of all emotion. There was no passion. No tangible sentiment. It was as if he, in that moment, had broken.

The crews' hearts dropped.

"Alright, if you're not gonna buzz off on your own, you leave me no choice. I'm not holding back anymore. Don't blame me if you don't survive."

Sanji started twirling his body until he reached an absurd speed. His foot lit up as he spun, and when he was finished, coming to a swift stop, his leg erupted in the brightest flame yet.

Eyes' widened, never seeing this move before but knowing it was meant for a finale.

Nami panicked.

"Sanji, don't do this!"

"Here we go…" Sanji slowly said. So slowly. In hopes Luffy would fight back this time. Or run. Anything to not die…

Just kill him, even! Put them all out of this misery.

Zoro nearly growled, and Luffy's face darkened as his hat shadowed half his head. The captain was insulted he'd even think he would consider that.

But no, then Judge would seek revenge for ruining his plan, so…

Zoro did growl this time. Back to worrying about how losing his life would negatively impact others, and not because they were in mourning or anything! That moron!

No matter what choices Sanji made, no matter how much he tried, Sanji's life was an inevitable loss.

There was no winning.

He shot himself into the air.

And there was no going back.

Chapter Text

The island of green hills and bright treats was a sharp contrast to Sanji's turmoil as he shot himself high into the clear sky, the wind warm on his face. It was a perfect day when it shouldn't be. He air-walked higher and higher until he was a distant dot in Luffy's sight, barely feeling the breeze against his skin by the time he found a spot to hover. Everything felt numb.

"Please, Sanji, you don't have to go through with this!" Nami cried desperately from her perch, tears cascading down her terrified face. "We'll go, okay? Just don't hurt Luffy!"

Sanji locked onto his target and began to descend. Whatever the lovely navigator was saying was out of reach now.

Nami pressed her face into her knees. She wouldn't watch this – not again.

Using his air-walk technique Sanji pushed himself downward faster, flames trailing him like a meteor about to strike the earth.

Luffy growled, staring down the attack head on. "I'm not leaving."

"Tell me you're gonna use haki at least," Usopp squeaked.

Sanji gritted his teeth, tucking himself into his body to spin forward, somersaulting rapidly.

A past Luffy's voice was suddenly in his ear: Hey, Mr. Cook, care to join us? You'll be the chef on our pirate ship!

Faster and faster he spun, until he was nothing but a wheel of fire.

You're a good cook, and I need one. Obviously we should be pirates together!

The disparity between that round-faced Luffy of over two years ago and the beaten, hard-shipped one staring back at Sanji now was overwhelming. And Sanji knew, in that moment, that he had to go through with it.

He also knew that Luffy would let him.

Zoro grunted a frustrated sigh.

Something sharp pierced through Sanji's lungs as his heel came smashing down on Luffy's skull. Sparks flew. Nami screamed. And as silence fell through the clearing, so – finally – did Luffy. Face-first, the Straw Hat captain lost consciousness and laid before his chosen cook's lethal feet.

"Luffy..." Chopper's squiggly eyes flooded.

"Why..." Usopp swallowed. "I know he's Sanji, but, why didn't you fight back?"

"I already said it. He's my friend."

"Yeah, but..."

"He's my friend, and he forgot." Luffy leaned back, eyes moving to the source of the memories, strapped down and shaking. "It wasn't me he was hurting."

There was a moment of contemplation before Franky sighed.

"All the more reason to knock some sense into him, if y'ask me," he muttered. But he trusted Luffy. And, obviously, the guy had brought Sanji back.

By the carriage, Germa soldiers looked on in awe.

"What amazing strength," one of them said.

"I'd expect nothing less of a Vinsmoke," another muttered.

Sanji walked away from his ex-captain and his ex-crewmate. Nami stumbled hurriedly off the tree, yelling for Luffy as she ran over to his still form. Sanji didn't dare look back, face masked in a rage he couldn't describe. Feelings he couldn't let himself think about it.

Nami was at Luffy's side as he bled out, staining the grass. She tried to shake him awake as tears dropped helplessly onto his body. He didn't stir. Nami glanced up. Watched the prince's back as he walked away from them. Walked away from his crew. From his nakama.

The Straw Hats watched as, onscreen, something in their navigator snapped.

"Hey, Sanji..." She pushed herself up and after him.

Sanji turned just in time to see the palm of Nami's hand before it made contact with his cheek. A slap heard through all of Whole Cake.

"Well, Nami tried to knock some sense into him at least," Franky said.

"I- I shouldn't have..."

"You were upset," Robin assured the navigator. "It's an emotional experience just watching it, let alone living it with no insight into Sanji's reasoning."

"Consumed by heartbreak and betrayal is not easy," Brook added. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Curly wouldn't blame you, either," Zoro muttered, eye closed. "He knows what he did."

All her emotion stung into his skin, burning. The furious, beautiful brown eyes before him continued to collect Nami's angry tears as she scowled at him.

"I'm sorry... Sorry we ever came here!"

Sanji wouldn't look at her again. Couldn't. Knew he would break. Couldn't risk it.

Seeing that Sanji didn't even have the nerve to respond, Nami backed away, returning to her captain and not sparing another look at her ex-cook. This was how she'd remember him, Sanji knew. If she thought about him at all after this. He turned away with a frustrated flourish of his cape.

"Their ties were meaningless," he heard Judge mutter as he returned to the cali-coach, sick to his stomach. "Glad he severed them."

"Man I hate that guy," Franky muttered.

Reiju watched, expressionless.

"Thanks for waiting," Sanji mumbled when he climbed back in and took the empty seat, as far from the clearing he could get. "Let's go."

The carriage rolled off as Sanji sat. His head immediately fell in his hands, blonde hair curtaining his face.

It was over. And if Sanji was suppressing every morsel of feeling he had left, if Sanji could hardly swallow over the lump in his throat, if Sanji's breaths came out labored – well, nobody had to know. Nobody had to see. That was all his problem. The only thing that mattered was that nobody would face his shitty family because of him.

Zoro glared, and Nami sighed, wiping at her eyes.

"If there is a silver lining to any of this," she said. "It's that Sanji relies on us more now."

Robin nodded, many instances presenting themselves during their last adventure in Wano alone. Zoro, however, also thought of what Sanji relied on him to do...if he was ever not his usual self. He supposed, in a way, it did hold some comfort knowing that the cook trusted him with something so personal to his past. He was leaning on Zoro to help him deal with his greatest fear.

Chopper sighed. "At least the fighting's over. I hate to see it left like that, though–"

The reindeer instantly froze as – behind the Vinsmoke carriage onscreen – their captain teetered to his feet, a distressed Nami at his side.

Luffy struggled, clearly, as that signature determination gleamed even from a distance. He caught his breath, gulping lungfuls of air, before his voice blasted across the clearing.

"COME BACK, SANJIIII!"

Sanji's pounding heart missed several beats in that moment. His breath caught painfully. Before he could rationalize that he was simply imagining things, his brothers beside him were chortling in amusement at the pirate behind them.

That stubborn idiot was still calling out for him, even after all he did?!

"Sanji! All your excuses sounded so fake!" Luffy yelled, and Sanji grit his teeth. "I don't know why you said that crap, but do you think that's going to make me leave? Like we aren't friends?! A couple of dumb lies won't make me give up on my crew!"

The Straw Hats nodded in unified agreement.

Sanji choked.

But Luffy was far from finished.

"What do you take me for?! I'm not stupid! I know what's happening! No matter how much you kick me–"

Sanji bit his lip to keep from screaming out.

"– you're the one who's getting hurt! YOU'RE THE ONE FEELING THE PAIN!"

Tears trickled through shaking fingers. It was hopeless, now. Sanji couldn't contain it. A sob stuck in his throat, he choked. His nose ran, and his eyes wept, soaking his crumpled face in a torrent of tears. Nails dug into the sides of his forehead, fingers wrapping through strands of blonde hair, tugging, trying to hide. To hide everything. To disappear. He couldn't do this here!

"No, no, no," Usopp was chanting to himself, trying to contain his own weeping as his hands dragged down his face.

None of the other Straw Hats were having much luck themselves. There was something about watching their cook – their familiar, present-day cook – trembling in sorrow that none of them were prepared to see. Sanji loved Luffy. Loved the crew. He was actively fighting against love, and that went against everything Sanji was as a person. There was nothing more devastating than that. And it was in that moment that they all realized exactly why Luffy hadn't fought back.

"Should we stop...?" Reiju's quiet voice asked. "He's still there..."

Sanji knew she was asking him. He didn't move, but managed to get out a rushed "keep going" without his voice cracking.

Silence came from the clearing, and Sanji hoped that meant Luffy was done. He was trying so hard to keep it together, and failing miserably, because...

The memory suddenly jumped back to a little over two years ago. A young Straw Hat pirate watched from a deck above as this curly-browed chef with a crazy kick stuck an enormous plate of food in front of his starving enemy and convinced him with his genuine kindness that living was more important than pride.

Luffy had laughed, an instant sort of fondness engrossing him. "I think I just found my cook."

Scenes of Luffy pestering and pestering the annoyed blonde filtered across the screen.

The Straw Hats chuckled through their tears at that. How very Luffy.

Until...with Zeff batting for Luffy as well, Sanji finally –  finally – for one second had stopped worrying about everyone else, and reached out at a chance for himself.

"Oi, I'll join you on this journey of yours to become King of the Pirates..." He said with a sly smile. "By the way, have you ever heard of the All Blue ?"

Two giant grins stretched out, then; side-by-side onscreen. Luffy and Sanji, lit up with childlike wonder. Sharing their dreams with each other.

"Gah, why does he have to remember this right now?!" Franky cried, streams running down his face.

"It's too much. It's too much." Usopp had his face pressed against the cyborg's arm as they cried.

The others weren't in better shape; except Luffy, who was grinning at the memory. He cherished the moments he met his friends with all his heart.

The memory returned to their broken down Sanji, rattling down a path on Whole Cake Island as his beaten captain that he had disbanded from continued to try to get through to him. It was as if Luffy had had the same memory of his happy cook that Sanji had, because the Straw Hat pirate suddenly grew even more adamant.

"We're not done yet!" he yelled. "Our journey isn't over!"

"How do you always know exactly what to say...?" Nami murmured. She was always impressed by that skill of their usually harebrained captain.

Zoro couldn't help sporting a small smirk. Pride for his captain, and contented relief that his partner was also part of Luffy's crew.

And Sanji silently sobbed. He knew Luffy wasn't talking about his own dream. He was talking about Sanji's. About the All Blue. Sanji gripped tighter at his face, hoping his hands would absorb every noise that escaped him, every drop that shed from his remorse and his grief.

"I'm staying right here, and I'm not moving an inch!" Luffy promised.

Sanji didn't understand...

"I'm gonna keep waiting for you to come back!"

No...I can't –

"And if you leave me here...I'LL JUST STARVE TO DEATH!"

Sanji's breath hitched.

Chopper gasped at the declaration. "Wasn't that a bit much?" he wondered, voice muffled in sympathy.

"Not at all," Robin disagreed gently. "Intentional or not, it was the perfect thing to say to get Sanji to realize how serious Luffy was about him. Not only because Sanji had almost starved to death in the past, but also because of the unnaturally excessive way Luffy's body relies on food."

The carriage was filled with the Vinsmoke brothers' laughter, but it was distant to Sanji. Drowned out by the cries – by his own cries, and by Luffy's.

"SANJI, YOU'RE MY CHEF!" Luffy bellowed.

Sanji was making some of that rat food again.

Royalty doesn't serve anybody.

Don't ever cook again.

"To say that in front of his family means more to Sanji than Luffy realized, huh?" Brook said.

"NO ONE ELSE CAN TAKE YOUR PLACE!"

It seems he is simply a waste of life.

He intends to make it as if you were never born.

Franky nodded as he wept. "There it is." That's what he needed to hear. "Irreplaceable, bro, no matter what your old man says."

Voice exuding every ounce of his conviction, Luffy decided loudly, "I'M NOT EATING ANOTHER BITE OF ANYTHING, UNLESS YOU COOK IT!"

Sanji was shaking.

Nami was shaking.

"Even if I go hungry," Luffy continued, fists clenched and face focused. "Even if spears or swords or stones rain down on me - I'LL KEEP WAITING FOR YOUUUU! So, you better come back, you hear me?! No matter what!"

"Luffy..." Chopper whimpered again. Like the others, he didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry or cheer or wail in despair or–

"I need you on my crew, Sanji!" Luffy's eyes blazed. "Without you… Without you..."

A montage of memories spun before Sanji's heartache.

Luffy pestering him to join his crew.

Him, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp sailing down the Red Line on the Going Merry.

The four seen Straw Hats smiled, bittersweet, at the memory.

Chasing Chopper until he joined them.

Chopper laughed, rubbing the snot from his weeping nose.

The X's on their arms as they bid Vivi farewell.

The array of heart eyes as Robin joined the crew.

Robin chuckled fondly.

Launching into Skypiea.

Complaining about the loud pirates in The Baratie before spotting Nami with them and instantly appearing on his knee at her feet with a rose in hand.

Nami grinned, wiping at her eyes with a laugh. Always was a love-sick idiot, wasn't he?

Marching up to Arlong Park, his first stint as a Straw Hat.

Bidding a heartfelt farewell to Merry.

Usopp's eyes watered more at the proof Merry meant a lot to Sanji, too.

The six Straw Hats at Enies Lobby, standing strong for Robin.

It's amazing, Robin thought. Even being Sanji's memories, her own were so entangled in his.

They had all shared so much together.

Franky debuting the Thousand Sunny.

"Hell yeah," Franky grinned.

The eerie introduction of Brook.

"~Yohoho! I sure know how to make an entrance."

Sanji saving Nami from her forced marriage.

"We'll call it even, Sanji-kun," Nami saluted, as Luffy laughed at the comparison.

Him standing up to Kuma, trying to protect Zoro.

"Wait, what happened there?" Luffy questioned.

Before he could finish, Zoro was already answering, a hint of a secret smile on his face. "Nothing happened."

Him and Zoro teaming up against Foxy.

Zoro did laugh out loud at that, the prince cook suckered into being the ball. He was fond of that time, though, as it was the first time they actively worked together and found they were pretty good at it. When they wanted to be, Zoro thought with a lopsided smirk.

The memories sped, faster and faster: Everyone reuniting at Sabaody Archipelago; every day shenanigans aboard the Sunny; a collection of the endless times the Straw Hat Pirates were all together, drinking, eating, laughing...

And then, suddenly, right back to the beginning of it all, at the edge of The Baratie.

"I promised myself that one of these days, I'd go to the Grand Line."

"Let's go right now!"

Sanji pulled the onslaught of memories from his brain as he tugged harshly at his hair, folding in on himself, silent as he broke. He couldn't bear this anymore. Luffy's declaration that he needed Sanji on his crew nearly broke the prince's heart into two. He was desperate to keep the pieces together, but Luffy...

"Without you, Sanji..."

The cook's fingers dug deeper into his skull.

"Without you...I'LL NEVER BE KING OF THE PIRATES!"

The Straw Hats - as one - smiled, eyes shining behind teary gazes. Genuinely happy their cook got to hear just how much he meant to their captain.

And just like that, Sanji's heart shattered.

Chapter Text

There was too much to process in Sanji's heart. Even as his memory whirled farther along on his trek to Whole Cake Chateau, his thoughts never calmed. He had been trying exceptionally hard to convince himself that he was making the right choices here, and Luffy had to go and throw a wrench in his resolve with a few choice words. It was just like him.

Luffy's eyes scrunched closed as his grin grew too big for his face, regretting absolutely nothing.

Sanji hadn't expected he was worthy enough to be something the future King of the Pirates would reach out for.

"He knows now, though!" Chopper quipped happily, eyes still watery from the previous memory. It was such a harsh reunion, but in a way maybe it was the catalyst to get Sanji to hear what he needed to from Luffy, and that eased the little doctor's distress a bit. 

But no matter what Luffy promised, Sanji thought. Surely, he wouldn't wait for him. He had to know a lost cause when he saw one.

"Kyaah!" Chopper screeched, all previous thoughts vanishing. "You mean he doesn't even believe it?!"

"After all that?!" Franky all but shouted in dismay. "And he said Luffy had a thick skull…"

"Maybe," Robin said. "Or he might just need time to process it."

Zoro had to agree. "A lot happened there. Curly's mind's in overdrive."

"How long did you go without eating, exactly?" Usopp asked their captain, diverting from the sadness that was Sanji. "Did you really not eat anything that Sanji didn't cook?"

Luffy nodded proudly. "Yep. Not a single thing."

"He even turned onto his stomach so the syrup rain wouldn't get in his mouth," Nami mentioned with a frown.

"That's dedication," several Straw Hats said together as a bead of sweat dropped down the back of Usopp's head.

"Um…I don't think enough of us are concerned about the concept of syrup rain," the sniper muttered.

While the Vinsmoke family traveled on – thankfully in silence as Sanji tried to collect himself – the clear sky clouded into a swift darkness, pink lightning electrifying the air.

The Straw Hats knew that was Big Mom's doing.

However, the rumbling approaching the carriage wasn't thunder.

It was footsteps.

Appearing in the thousands, Big Mom's pirates — soldiers and generals alike, all different shapes, sizes, and species — were marching down the road in the opposite direction as the Vinsmokes. They paid Germa 66 no mind as they maneuvered around them without so much as a glance.

"That's, like, the entirety of Big Mom's fleet right there!" Usopp yelped.

"A whole army!" Yonji exclaimed excitedly as Sanji wiped at his wet, burning eyes to look out among the vast crowd hoarding the street.

"They're hunting down Strawhat, no doubt," Niji said, glancing at Sanji. "The rat's as good as dead now."

Franky whistled. "Big Mom doesn't play around."

"Wah? She sent all of them just for Luffy?" Chopper's eyes popped out of his head.

Usopp glanced at him. "Hey, why are you surprised? Where were you during all this anyway?"

"In the mirror world with Carrot," the reindeer answered seriously, brows furled.

Mirror world?! The hell was wrong with this place? Usopp was so glad he went on ahead to Wano.

"Wow, that's funny," Yonji added toward his blonde brother. "He won't run because he's waiting for his old pal Sanji. Good thing you said your goodbyes!"

"Please tell me you didn't try to fight all of them," Usopp said, but the look Luffy gave him wasn't promising.

Fear raked through Sanji as his brothers named off all the famed warriors they noticed with large bounties. Big Mom's children, all powerful in their own rights.

"Who am I kidding," Yonji was still saying. "Even Strawhat wouldn't be stupid enough to sit around after getting a load of that army. Hahaha!"

"~Haha, joke's on you, I am stupid enough!"

Nami groaned. "I don't want to remember that, either. That was terrifying!"

Sanji knew Luffy – knew that stubborn bastard wouldn't stray even if faced with this magnitude of opponents. But there was no way even Luffy could hope to defeat an emperor's entire army by himself! The Straw Hat captain was incredible and could defy great odds, but he wasn't invincible!

"What is he talkin' about? We did pretty good – right, Nami?"

"We were captured, you rubber moron!"

And Nami was with him! He would protect her, right? The cook had to calm himself. Of course. Of course he would. Even if it went to shit Luffy would protect his friends.

He didn't have to worry about them.

He didn't…have to worry.

He didn't.

"Oh." Brook nodded. "He's worrying."

Lightning flashed like an ill omen, and the rain began to pour.

Usopp narrowed his eyes. Syrup rain…

Before long, the Vinsmokes had arrived at their destination: Whole Cake Chateau.

The home of Emperor Big Mom.

The memory shifted to what appeared to be her dining hall, the room just as pink and edible as everything else in Big Mom's godforsaken territory. Big Mom herself arrived in the giant hall as the Vinsmokes — save for Sanji — stood at her arrival.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Germa 66. I had a little hiccup to take care of. Everything should be peachy now." As Big Mom took her seat, she glanced down at Sanji, eyeing the golden cuffs on his wrist with a smirk.

"Judge said before that only Big Mom had the keys to those," Robin noted. "I assume that means the cuffs were her idea entirely, probably a common precaution among her notoriety of arranged marriages."

"You must be the infamous Black Leg Sanji," she said. "I do hope you're excited to become the husband of my dear Pudding."

Sanji only scowled, breaking eye contact.

"Look at that," Big Mom crooned. "He's shy! How cute."

Something about the exchange made Zoro sick.

That was when Pudding herself arrived, doe-eyed and lovely as ever.

"She was Sanji's fiancée?!" Franky, Usopp, and Zoro shouted together. Zoro sputtered. Why couldn't she have looked more like Big Mom or something…

"Wow, she's quite lovely," Robin commented, earning an irritated huff from the swordsman.

"Lovely, but ~devious," said Brook, as Luffy and Nami glowered at the screen. That was when Pudding was still tricking them.

Robin didn't seem surprised by the skeleton's remark. "Well, she is a pirate emperor's daughter. It would be unwise to trust her."

Among the sudden silence, there were very specific pursed lips and avoided eye-contact.

"Oh dear," Robin sighed, a fond shake of her head.

"IT WAS LUFFY'S FAULT!" Nami and Chopper shrieked.

"Haah?! When we first met her we didn't know she was the one marrying Sanji. She was just excited we liked her chocolate. Haha, remember how good it was, Chopper? We ate, like, a whole building!"

The reindeer's eyes lit up. "Actually, yeah—"

"We're not doing this!" Nami growled.

Franky and Robin were looking over at Brook, however.

"You too, huh, bro?" Franky questioned.

Brook hummed. "She was quite the actress. And I was hoping to see her panties."

Nami was livid in her embarrassment.

"I CAN'T WITH ANY OF YOU!"

It wasn't a comfortable engagement lunch. Not by a long shot. Pudding seemed to be constantly eyeing her fiancé rather shyly, while Sanji stared despondently down at his food, never even noticing.

Which was strange to see, as the crew was used to Sanji's usual demeanor around pretty women.

No matter where his mind wandered, it kept landing back on Luffy and his crew. He didn't know how his friends made it through Big Mom's security network. Didn't know how they managed to intercept Germa 66 on their way to the chateau. What he did know was that they were a resourceful bunch, that was for sure.

Stubborn, too.

But as Sanji ate, the clinking of his gold shackles reminded him why it was too late now.

The Straw Hats sighed.

"Seriously, how did you ever get through to him?" Usopp muttered.

Luffy meant well. He always did. That was the type of guy he was. And maybe…maybe he did mean what he said. Maybe he did see something in Sanji that was worth bringing him back. It did little to negate the fact that Luffy didn't have all the information, though. There was too much at play here. Too much at risk.

"Ya know," Big Mom said, interrupting Sanji's inner turmoil. "I've heard so much about Sanji already. What a coincidence that he's a chef. Why, he's the perfect match for my Pudding."

Zoro scowled further, remembering Luffy's remark about her making chocolate. A baker? Fucking perfect. They had every advantage in the book to wrap Sanji around their fingers.

"Well, they're getting married either way. This is strictly a political arrangement." Big Mom laughed. "But it's lovely that we can find something that works to our mutual benefit, Judge."

"Indeed," the king of Germa agreed. "Though it would make me even happier if our children could share in the joy."

"What a lying liar," Chopper groused. Even Big Mom with her real plan… Why did people have to be so shady?

Judge raised his glass. "Let's give them the perfect wedding!"

"A toast! To their future," Big Mom declared.

Everyone drank, and the memory transitioned.

Sanji was suddenly in his guest room, pacing. His mind wouldn't shut off.

Predictable, Zoro inwardly griped.

The marriage was a rose among the thorns compared to everything else involved. Even if Sanji still didn't plan to go through with it, even if he was still rummaging for a way to prevent the arrangement, there was no going back to his friends after what he put them through earlier. Luffy had to know that. Nami would tell him as much, knock some sense into that crazy captain.

"Like Luffy ever listens to me," Nami grumbled.

And if he couldn't go back to them, he couldn't rely on them, either.

Luffy frowned.

Sanji had dug his own grave and built a wall up to prevent anyone from finding it. He had no help here. The fact that it was his own fault being put aside, how could he ever hope to get out of this?

The answer was clear: he couldn't.

He wasn't strong enough on his own here. He had an emperor to deal with, and his father. That wasn't even counting their subordinates or the threats they had hanging over him.

And now Big Mom's army was actively after his friends!

Sanji paused by the tall window overlooking the hills, watching the sweet rain pour. He thought back to Nami's and Luffy's final words to him. The looks on their faces. He picked up his lighter from the windowsill and lit a cigarette. He thought of the army that went after them and tried to see beyond the glass pane to where their battle should have taken place, but it was too dark and stormy to see clearly.

He knew it couldn't have just been the two of them who had entered enemy territory. Luffy had said Zoro took a team to Wano already, so they were probably split pretty evenly.

Although, it meant the mosshead wasn't there, which was probably for the best. It was hard enough that the last visions he had of Luffy and Nami were during that awful fight. He didn't need Zoro's stare – wishing a brutal death upon him – to haunt him as well.

The cook's thoughts had Zoro narrowing his eye. He wouldn't have wished that… One knock to the head would've sufficed.

In any case, wherever the crew was out there, Big Mom knew where they were. She already had a vendetta against Luffy since Fishman Island. She would have them chased down to the end of the line even if they did escape the clearing, and Sanji knew that.

Maybe… Maybe there was a way he could protect them, too, with all this. Protect them further. If they could leave peacefully somehow…

"Sanjiiii, you've done so much already," Chopper whined as a vein in Zoro's forehead throbbed.

"Seriously, what more does he have to offer?" Usopp said.

"Complete and utter cooperation," Robin supplied, making everyone groan. "Including his soul."

Usopp lowered his head. "It was rhetorical, Robin."

Sanji was already neck deep in this crap, what more did he have to lose? It only made sense to go all in. For them.

Luffy… Everyone… Please stay safe.

"That's probably when we were captured," Luffy laughed.

"I hate you," Nami said, face stoic. "So much."

Luffy only cackled harder. "Don't worry – Jinbei found us. I was more upset they made me leave the clearing after I promised Sanji I wouldn't move." He glowered now. "They're lucky I didn't miss him." 

Zoro cocked his head at Luffy's words. Did that mean...the hardheaded love-cook went back?

The memory jumped, then. It was the same room, but some time had passed. Sanji was curled up on the windowsill now, head in his hands, cigarette hanging from his frown. Being alone in that room for hours on end was doing little for his mental state.

Everyone please… Get out of here while you can.

He would handle everything else. He had to.

In fact, he already accepted it, hadn't he? That was why he had said what he did to Pudding…

With a swirl of colors, Sanji recalled a couple hours prior to his current situation, right after lunch had ended, when he had secretly met…with his fiancée.

Something inside Zoro was warning him he wasn't going to like this. But he didn't like any of it, so who the hell cared at this point?

The swordsman swallowed.

Right? Someone tell me it doesn't get worse...

Chapter Text

It was 2 o'clock that same afternoon, and Sanji was seated in Pudding's room.

"You lead my friends to this island?"

Pudding bowed her head, caramel bangs falling to her frown. "I'm sorry." Her voice was softspoken and sweet. "I gave Luffy my word that I would bring you to the southwest coast so you would be able to get away from Mama safely."

Luffy, Nami, Brook, and Chopper glowered at the screen. They couldn't believe they had fallen for that.

"But I couldn't make it happen, and now they're all in grave danger."

"Hold up. She was trying to help you guys?" Franky questioned.

Four insulted pouts formed across the cells. "No. She. Was. Not."

Then Chopper straightened, tilting his head. "Well, actually at the end she kinda did—"

"She's a no-good liar," Luffy fumed, simply remembering her confession to him and Nami in the library that had angered him.

"She set us up," Nami explained.

"And you fell for it. Tsk." Usopp shook his head in shame. One day Nami was going to manifest Luffy's stretching abilities merely out of spite so she could smack her idiot crewmates upside their idiot heads no matter how far they were from her.

"I see now," Sanji said. "I wondered how they managed to pass through all that security to get here. It was thanks to you…" He sighed. "I know you meant well. That said, I still wouldn't have gone to the coast."

Pudding gasped dramatically. "If you're worried about the invitation, you can let me take the blame. She's my mom — I'll be fine. Just don't show up at the ceremony. She's used to arranged marriages so she puts special bracelets on people who seem like they might run away. If you try to leave the island with one…"

"I know — it explodes." Sanji showed Pudding that he already had some on him. She gasped again covering her mouth with her hands.

"Interesting that she would bring up something that was quite obviously on his person already," Robin commented.

"She couldn't have missed them," Zoro agreed.

Chopper gasped. "She's feeding him information he already knows in an attempt to be seen as trying to help!"

"A classic manipulation tactic," Usopp nodded, rubbing his chin wisely.

"So, she's already gotten to you," Pudding said through her fingers, eyes watering.

"Hmm. She is good," Robin noted offhandedly. The archeologist had been through quite a few infiltration missions in her time, and she had to admit that Big Mom's daughter had her act down perfectly. There were hardly any micro-expressions that slipped past her façade, and the sincerity in her tone was calm and steady. Even Robin would have found it hard to spot had she not known ahead of time to look for it.

Sanji's eyes went to the floor as he sighed. "Sadly, yeah. She's thinking ahead. And even if that weren't the case…no one here has my back."

"He's resolved to the fact that he can't handle it alone," Brook said. "And yet…"

"He won't ask for help," frowned Chopper.

"More like, he doesn't think he's worth helping," Usopp said, making Chopper's eyes squiggle in distress. The little reindeer had to keep reminding himself that Sanji did let them help him. Eventually.

Admitting it out loud made it real to Sanji somehow. The wayward chef suddenly felt more alone than he had before.

But after hearing it was Pudding who had helped his crew try to get to him, and seeing how understanding she'd been through this whole process with him… It was making him wonder.

Yeah, Sanji was alone. Not a single person he could trust. Not a single person who cared about him. Except maybe…well, maybe this sweet, beautiful girl before him if he could give her the chance. There was no question to whether or not she could protect Zeff or defend Sanji from his family; however, that didn't mean she'd never care about him. A sliver of light in the darkness, perhaps. After all, she was helping him and his friends this much already, even going against her own mother.

Sanji could try to trust her, couldn't he?

"Oh no, he's falling right into that devil-woman's trap," Chopper squeaked.

"Can't really blame him," Franky said, still unable to see the 'devil' part in this woman they keep talking about. "Bro thinks he has nothing."

"What about Reiju?" Chopper idly wondered.

Robin shook her head. "Reiju cares about him, but she is in no position to help. Plus, he hasn't seen her in years. For all he knows, she's less likely to help now than she was back then."

"She more or less already told him it was his fault for coming back," Nami said. Which…was fair on her part.

Trusting Pudding was worth the risk, wasn't it? What else did Sanji have to lose?

Resolved, Sanji reached up and carefully peeled the healing mask from his face. Pudding's eyes widened as, suddenly, the man's face grew plump and swollen. So swollen, that he couldn't speak without slurring his words.

"Even though we're brothers," Sanji told her, "they still did this."

The concern and shock were evident on Pudding's face. "Your own family beat you that badly?"

"Honestly, the shock probably wasn't an act," Usopp mumbled.

"That's right."

"But why?"

Sanji stood. Pink lightning flashed behind them, silhouetting the window and casting them in a purple glow.

"Because to them," Sanji said. "I'm just a failure who shouldn't be allowed to live."

Zoro fidgeted, agitated. The cook shouldn't be telling her this. These were personal to him, and if what the others were saying was true then… Zoro's fists clenched.

"I've never once been happy about being born as royalty." Sanji glanced out the window, out at the dark, glittering ocean with longing. "That's the reason I went out to sea. Searching for a place I wasn't even sure was real. And now, if I try to prevent this arranged marriage…" His fist came up and slammed lightly onto the glass of his new prison. "They'll slaughter all my friends and me. On top of that, they're going to kill the man in the East Blue who saved my life. The man who I respect as my real father!"

Images of the memories of Zeff ran through the Straw Hats' minds. Sanji's fears were deeply rooted. There was no easy way to tug them loose. Zeff meant everything to Sanji, for good reason. And being able to cook was correlated, not only to his passion, but regarding his mother, and then later to his adopted father figure.

Every one of Sanji's fears were locked onto, being poked and prodded until he snapped.

On top of that, his fears weren't the only things being manipulated; his kindness was, too.

Zoro cursed every single person on this godforsaken world who had turned the cook's best qualities against him.

Sanji lowered his arm and turned slowly toward the quiet girl intently watching him. "No matter what I do at this point, there's no way out. Which is why…I've decided that I won't fight this anymore. I'm willing to accept this marriage on one condition – I want Big Mom to let my friends go unharmed."

Nami frowned. "Even if they agreed to that, how could Sanji believe them?"

"By having no other option," Brook assumed.

"Your soldiers are out there attacking as we speak."

Pudding gasped, covering her face with her hands again. "I'm so sorry. You're in such pain, and it's all because of what I did."

"How does she figure that?" Franky questioned, confused.

"She doesn't," Zoro stated quietly. Deadly. "I don't know what intel they had on the cook prior to his arrival there, but that woman's observed him enough by this point to know what buttons to push."

Nami glowered, annoyed now. "Zoro's right. She knows exactly how Sanji would react to that." Besides, Nami'd played with the emotions of plenty of men during their travels, whether it was to buy her drinks, lower their prices, or to pickpocket them. She knew the signs. And men like Sanji? Almost too easy.

It just pissed her off that it was happening to her crewmate. Her crewmate who had been through hell, and was risking more than berries!

Just as Pudding had intended, her sudden crying stunned Sanji. Suddenly, he wasn't thinking about himself anymore. He was thinking about how she could possibly blame herself.

"She turned herself into the martyr to deflect from the actual martyr," Robin said.

"Sanji would never forgive himself if he made a girl cry," Chopper grumbled with a small whine.

"Pudding!" Sanji ran over to her, palms raised to placate her. Someone so beautiful shouldn't be crying, especially because of him. "It's not your fault, I promise."

"But…" she sniffled.

Sanji shook his head adamantly, feeling the urge to explain, so she understood it wasn't her at all. "Thirteen years ago, I managed to escape Hell, only to walk right back in again. And I should try to be happy. Afterall, I was free for all of these years, right?"

"You deserve to be free, always," Luffy commented.

"The friends who helped me improve as a chef, and the companions who joined me in my travels – I'm grateful to all the people I met out there. And I can't bear to hurt them. That's why…my adventure ends here."

Sorrow surrounded the Straw Hats. What a terrible thought to have.

A tear slipped down Pudding's cheek, and Sanji was taken aback. "H-Hey, don't cry! It'll make me feel worse!"

"Ugh, now she's just going to cry more because he said that," Nami groused.

Pudding started sobbing.

The Straw Hats scowled.

"Look," Sanji soothed. "It's okay."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. But listen, Sanji, I promise…" Pudding rubbed her eyes and moved closer, staring up at him with doe-like eyes, long lashes, and rosy cheeks. "If you decide to marry me, I won't let it be hell."

"Using his own words against him," Brook muttered.

Zoro burned inside. Seething. Not only was she stringing the cook along, but the bait on the line was hope. The thing that idiot was clinging to most. A light in the darkness she only planned to snuff out when his back was turned.

Once again, Sanji was taken aback. He didn't think anybody would be on his side. Didn't think anybody would care. He took a chance telling Pudding his plan since she'd been so understanding since the beginning, but now… Maybe she was a blessing in this nightmare.

Zoro closed his eye. Time for those breathing tactics again.

Even if he'd have to have time to adapt, to accept, to mourn, and to adjust. Wouldn't that be best? Giving this girl a chance?

The Straw Hats – frustrated as they were – couldn't blame Sanji for his thinking. If they hadn't had faith that their captain would bring him back, knowing that Sanji was completely worth the trouble, then — yeah — they'd want Sanji to give even the slightest chance at happiness a try. He deserved to be happy.

But that wasn't what was in store for him here. And it hurt a little that he had been through so much in his life only to be continuously taken for granted.

Seeming taken aback herself, Pudding blushed, stepping back. "Oh dear, what am I saying? You're suffering so much and I'm making everything about me."

"No, you're exploiting his kindness on purpose," Chopper objected.

"You don't want to marry me," Pudding cried. "So of course this would be hell for you. Why am I being so insensitive at a time like this? It's awful – I'm so embarrassed!"

Usopp grumbled. "Asks why she's making it about herself and then continues to make it about herself."

"Afterall, you and I have only just met. So how could I possibly hope to fill the hole in your heart? Besides all that, you still might change your mind. So I was being presumptuous, too. Ugh."

"She's a natural at playing the victim," Brook applauded. "Not good for us, of course."

"Sanji had no chance," Usopp agreed, and Zoro grimaced harder than ever before.

The edges in Sanji's eyes softened, and his resolve fortified further. Listening to Pudding hope to care for him, and then blaming herself for his own struggles, was hard to hear. And it was in that moment that his decision solidified. Luffy and the crew would go on without him, and they'd be alright. Sanji – right now – had to make do with what he had in front of him.

Sanji walked over to Pudding and pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms. She didn't resist. Looked up at him with an innocent twinkle in her gaze. Sanji wanted her to know that if she so desperately and kindly wanted to be there for him, then he would be there for her. One hundred percent.

"Pudding… You're my…salvation."

"What are you saying?"

"If you'll have me, I want us to get married tomorrow."

"He did propose to her," Nami whispered. And in such a heartfelt, vulnerable way...

Usopp had his head down, swinging it from side to side. "It hurts. It hurts to watch."

"He truly is a romantic," Brook said. He tilted his bony head, sockets eyeing a very silent swordsman. Robin followed his line of sight, then frowned.

"You've been awfully quiet…Zoro."

Several, sympathetic eyes moved to the green-haired Straw Hat, and the man in question refused to look at anybody. Whatever they saw on his face, he didn't care. Didn't need pity, even knowing there was no hiding the fact he didn't want to see this. Didn't want to watch the cook – his cook – propose marriage to someone else. And having Sanji believing it was the only way for him somehow made it even worse. Basically coerced into a broken heart.

Sure, there were times in the past Zoro had pictured Sanji with someone else – Sanji looking at them in a way Zoro wanted to be looked at; touching them in a way Zoro wanted to be touched; or being touched by them in a way only Zoro wanted to do the touching. It made him ridiculously sick on multiple occasions, though he'd never admit it. For years he was haunted by images of pretty women hoarding the pretty chef, and when Zoro realized the cook could be just as attracted to handsome men…it had been a game changer to the same degree that it hadn't. Now, there were twice as many threats to the cook's heart that Zoro had to accept might win. Might steal that curly-browed idiot away.

Had it happened, this was what it would've been like.

It was easier for Zoro to watch the love-sick dumbass twirling around beautiful people when he was never serious about any of it. When the swordsman knew, logically, it was all surface-level and lighthearted.

This situation was too real. This Sanji was somber. Serious. Openly allowing the depths of his passionate heart out for this woman. Giving himself up to her. All of him, because the cook wasn't the type to do anything half-ass.

And that would have been hard enough for Zoro to witness without the knowledge that she was deceiving him!

He was pouring himself out to her for what?!

"Zoro?" Chopper prodded when he took too long to respond.

"M'fine."

Nobody believed him.

A love-struck pink glow electrified the air as Sanji and Pudding embraced tighter, before the memory shifted back to Sanji pacing back in his guest room.

His thoughts were still avidly unfocused even after his resolve with Pudding. It was like the closer the wedding came, the more and more anxious he got.

It's fine, dammit. Luffy and the others won't be hurt. Big Mom promised me that.

"Hmm, he must have brought up his condition to Big Mom personally at some point," Robin observed.

If I get married, The Baratie will be fine, too.

His smoking increased in speed, stress overtaking him. Puff after puff, for once, none of it seemed to help.

Of course, I don't want to leave my friends, but at least no one will die — that's all that matters!

Why can't I be grateful?

"Because you might be admitting what you don't want, but you're not admitting what you do," Chopper said. Luffy nodded.

"He can't mourn something he won't acknowledge exists," Robin agreed sadly. Subconsciously, he might not be as ready to give us up.

Frustrated with himself, Sanji glanced at his reflection in the window. The man he saw wasn't a prince nor a pirate. He was someone stuck in between, faltering. If he couldn't shroud his grief for his own sake, he knew someone he could do it for.

"Pudding is all that I've got," he told himself. He'd never be able to have his friends again, or anyone on his side. He'd never be able…to love… A quick flash of green hair and steel blades shot through his thoughts that he quickly extinguished. 

Zoro had been thought of...and, yet, he didn't know if that made it better or worse.

"No, I can't make her sad," Sanji said, determined to convince himself he'd be okay. His glass reflection mimicked him with the same masked uncertainty. "I'll put on a smile, for her! Who could hurt a sweet girl like that, after all? I'd have to be some kind of monster."

Sanji clenched his fists, picturing himself a Vinsmoke, the ultimate monster. He'd tried to be that to Luffy, and it had backfired spectacularly. He wasn't about to try it again, especially not with his fiancée.

After a moment more of contemplation, Sanji's held breath ignited.

"I'LL MAKE YOU HAPPY, PUDDING!" He trilled, shooting his arms up into the air and shouting toward the ceiling with hearts in his eyes. "Don't you worry! Just regular Sanji – you know me! The romantic chef, right?"

The Straw Hats furrowed their brows, as it was painful to watch Sanji force himself so much.

"Puddinnnng, I won't let you down!" He twirled around the room. "I'll shower you with love, my sweet bride, just you wait!"

Sanji spun to the door and then out of it with a newfound purpose.

"So, he still doesn't know Pudding's tricking him," Luffy said. "Wonder when he figures it out."

"Does he?" Usopp asked. "I mean, without you guys to tell him…or something."

"Pudding met with us while we were held captive," Nami explained. "She told us he proposed to her, but she also said they still weren't getting married because…" Her brown irises ignited like dark flames. "She was going to betray him. But Luffy said Sanji knew by the time he got close enough to warn him."

"So between now and the next few hours of Sanji's memories, something changes," Nami finished.

"Wonder what's gonna tip him off…" Franky said. He knew it couldn't be good.

They all knew it couldn't be good...

Chapter Text

OoOoOoO

Pink roses spilled from Sanji's arms when he returned to his guest bedroom. He clipped and arranged them into a perfect fan of petals before tying them together at the stems with a perfect bow. Ever the romantic.

A short, purple guard resembling an eggplant stumbled into the room, his stout arms full of bags. Sanji's face lit up.

"Thank you so much," the cook said.

"Ah, he must be planning a romantic meal for his dear fiancée," Brook said before being pierced silent by the steel of Zoro's gaze. "It is indeed a waste," he placated hurriedly.

"I do have some news," the eggplant guard said. "We're holding Strawhat and the cat-burglar captive in the library."

Sanji's smile faltered. They caught Luffy and Nami?

The anxiety-riddled chef carefully placed the flowers back on the table, hands tense.

No, don't stress out. They don't want them interfering with the wedding, so I'm sure they'll set them free as soon as it's over. Big Mom gave me her word, after all.

"I wouldn't cling too hard onto the word of Big Mom," Usopp mumbled.

The plump guard was oblivious to Sanji's turmoil as he continued. "And some of your other friends are causing trouble in the chateau. They say Soul King and Jaguar Mink are going on a rampage."

"~Yoho, I do love a good rampage. However…our beloved Pedro…"

"Pedro…," Chopper also whispered solemnly.

The Straw Hats saddened at the mention of their mink ally and friend. They all knew of his heroic sacrifice, and it hurt every time.

Sanji's eyes widened further at the onslaught of news. Brook?!

"Sweet General Smoothie and General Baritone are apparently guarding the area. Although the intruders have eluded them thus far, it's only a matter of time before they—"

Sanji quickly interrupted. "That's enough."

Brook chuckled. "We eluded them the entire time, actually."

Nami side-eyed the skeletal musician, unimpressed. "Didn't we find you in bed with Big Mom?"

Everyone sputtered, and Brook swiveled frantically between his crew mates. "That is not how she means it! That is not how she means it!" His voice dropped several octaves. "Nami, how could you say such a thing in such a way?"

"He was only sleeping with her," Chopper clarified innocently.

If Brook didn't have sea prism stone cuffs on, his soul would've poured from his mouth in humiliation.

Franky snickered. "You've been holding out on us, bro."

"Is that how you managed to get the road poneglyph tracing?"

"Robin!" Brook gasped. "You too? ~Have you no shame?"

"Can we focus here?" Zoro grumbled. "Brook can tell us all about his poor life choices another time."

Brook's head drooped as Luffy and Usopp giggled at him.

Sanji held out his hands, desperate for a distraction. "Can I have my groceries?"

"Right here, sir."

"Can I use this kitchen?"

Eggplant guard nodded. "Uh huh."

"Pudding didn't show up for dinner tonight," Sanji told him offhandedly. "I should cook her something in case she's hungry." As he said it, he pulled a tangerine from the bag and paused, the look in his eyes changing. "…She's got me really worried," he said, staring at the orange fruit like it held a hidden message nobody else could see.

"I think…who he's really worried about…is Nami," Robin surmised fondly. It was natural that Sanji might show his true feelings through subconscious measures.

Nami's eyes softened. Oh, Sanji…

"Yeah, I heard she's not feeling well," the guard said. "It's a real shame, sir."

Well, Sanji was going to fix that.

Preparing the food was Sanji's top priority. He couldn't allow himself to think about anything else as it would only distract him. Throw him off. He needed to focus on only what he knew, and what he knew was that Pudding was all he had left. She was his last hope.

He couldn't mess this up.

When had the crew heard that from him before…?

Always, it seemed.

Like a toxic mantra.

When finished preparing the food and meticulously sorting the bento into a picnic basket, however, Sanji paused once again. Did a double-take.

"Shoot. I got carried away and made way too much." The portions he was looking at could feed an entire crew. "I don't think Pudding's appetite is this big. What was I thinking?"

The crew couldn't help but smile a little knowing he was thinking about them out of habit, and Sanji was usually not so distracted in the kitchen, a clear testament to how anxious he was really feeling.

Adding wine, chocolate, and tangerines to the picnic basket, Sanji shrugged. "Oh well. If she can't finish it, then I can help." He then imagined her delighted reaction to the meal. Her complimenting his cooking while he preened, framed by pink petals. He looked so cute to her that she grew heart eyes and began to feed him.

Luffy laughed as Zoro rolled his eye. "Whatta moron."

Robin tilted her head with a small smile. "I feel less intrusive knowing our cook often wears his fantasies on his face quite well."

Brook hummed. "Sanji desires to be fed by a delicate hand – hmm, Zoro?"

The swordsman's heart skipped in his chest. "Would you knock it off already! I've never fed the cook." Didn't know he would…like that…

Zoro's thoughts abruptly faltered as Brook suddenly appeared at the edge of his cell, sockets and permanent smile peeking straight at him through the electrified bars. "Is that so?" the skeleton crooned.

"Oi, why don't you just worry about your relationship with Big Mom, you bonehead!"

Luffy cackled harder, and Nami waved innocently when Brook glared at her rather than Zoro. But then the skeleton simply shrugged. "Ah well, unlike certain members of our crew, I am blessed with thick skin. …Which is ironic considering I don't have any skin ~yohohoho."

In an excited hurry now that his fantasies were re-ignited, Sanji grabbed the basket of food and the flowers and danced from the room, singing. "Pudding, I'm on my wayyy!"

The eggplant guard was sleeping by his door now, and he stirred awake.

"Taking off, Sanji, sir?"

"Uh huh. I'm gonna enjoy the one and only beam of light that's left in my life."

Sanji's words grounded the Straw Hats from their lighthearted bickering. They were a mix of sighs and grimaces now. It wasn't boding well that their cook was betting everything he had left in him on someone they knew was planning to betray him.

Sanji made his way toward Pudding's quarters, a gentle smile on his face.

Getting caught up in his dumb ass fantasies again, Zoro figured.

When Sanji got to Pudding's door, the door itself glared down at him.

"And just what do you want, lover boy?" it asked. "State your business here."

"Why is everything alive there?" Usopp all but squawked. It wasn't normal! Were they like the toys in Dressrosa? No, actually, he didn't want to think about it.

Sanji gave the door a big, toothy smile. "I'd like to see Pudding!"

"Permission denied."

His smile faded out. "Huh? Please? You let me in earlier."

"No means no, lover boy. Pack it up."

"Why not?"

"Because Lady Pudding would like her privacy. Go away."

"What could she be doing?" Of course, as he thought about it, a blush painted his cheeks.

Several Straw Hats rolled their eyes this time. Classic cook.

Sanji shook his head to clear it, and then bowed, holding up his gifts. "Give this to her please."

"What is that, lover boy?"

Sanji smiled again. "Flowers. And some food I made for her."

"You prepared that…? How charming."

Sanji lit up at the praise. "Uh huh!"

Zoro couldn't control the warmth his stomach emanated at the sight of the cook smiling like that. Didn't help that the swordsman now knew it was the same smile only the cook's mother could pull out of him during his childhood.

Damn Curlybrows.

And damn that woman he was smiling for, because she sure as hell didn't deserve that face.

"She looked a little unwell earlier," Sanji continued. "So I figured a little food in her stomach would help her feel better."

"It's still a no, lover boy."

Sanji glowered at the sentient door. "Oh, c'mon! Is that all you can say?" He pouted. "Please just give this to her."

"Don't make me slam in your face. Hit the road."

Luffy quirked an eyebrow and scowled. "Man, that door sucks."

With an irritated scowl, Sanji gave up and sulked away. Once out of sight, he leaned against the wall for a smoke, wondering why such a simple request was proving this difficult.

"Because nothing is ever easy for you, Sanji," Usopp stated, matter-of-fact.

"Hell, I'd smoke all the time, too, if I had his knack for trouble," Franky said.

Chopper stubbornly frowned. "No! He needs proper stress relief!"

Wait a minute, the cook thought suddenly. I think there's a balcony outside her room.

He could easily sneak her her gifts. Problem solved.

Outside, the balcony was blanketed in flowerbeds, just as beautiful as the other gardens Sanji had seen around the grounds. However, it was still drenched and pouring and smelled sickly sweet from all the rain. He glanced cautiously down at the picnic basket, the wicker definitely not waterproof. But as he remembered his proposal to the girl he swore to make happy, he knew he had to do this, weather be damned. It would be quick and simple and perfect. She'd be fed and comforted, and that was all Sanji wanted.

The cook strode out, smiling with a faint blush at having someone to dote on again. Someone he could take care of and love, and – this time – who could possibly love him in return. All he ever did was yearn and long for and chase dreams that were always just out of his reach. But to finally — finally — be able to have that missing piece he'd always wanted? He'd never thought he'd be granted something so precious. And if the nightmare he was in was the reason for this random act of luck, then he'd just have to accept that.

So much confliction poured from the listening Straw Hats as they took in every one of Sanji's thoughts in a way only people who truly loved him could. Absolutely, and without judgement.

Yeah, they wanted to scream at him to stop putting his whole heart into everything he did because that risked complete destruction if it backfired, but they also didn't want him to change. Knew that exact passion was what made Sanji…well, Sanji. His thoughts and desires were so deep and so pure and, even believing he wasn't deserving of any of it, he still dared to hope that the next time would be different.

And it was absolutely crushing to know that this time would not be different, no matter how much effort or trust he put into it.

Charlotte Pudding was Sanji's angel in the darkness. The last of any hope he had. She was as forced into this as he was, and she had accepted him. All of him. Even knowing what his brothers had done to him, even knowing what his family thought of him, even knowing he couldn't offer her much…

Twirls…you're offering her you.Zoro couldn't understand how that was considered 'not much'. To the swordsman, it was everything, and Sanji was serving her himself on a silver fucking platter.

Sanji had trusted her with things he hadn't anybody else. Ever. Not his crew. Not even Zeff. When it was all said and done, Pudding still hadn't seen a pathetic failure of a man — she saw someone she believed she could love. And Sanji was going to make damn sure he lived up to that.

The Straw Hats were sickly silent, thoughts spiraling out of control, much like this situation they knew was headed for heart-wrenching disaster.

What part of Sanji's life wasn't a heart-wrenching disaster?!

They were so tired of it. They couldn't even imagine how their chef was still standing. And now — now he was setting this traitorous witch up for the ultimate final blow.

A feeling of foreboding gnawed at Zoro's gut. Even his swords shook. He tried to convince himself that it wouldn't be that bad. That in whatever way Sanji found out about Pudding it was quick.

The extravagant expanse of balcony was lit up by the light filtering through Pudding's bedroom window. An open window. A window that was perfect for passing gifts through.

Sanji thought that had to be a positive sign, right?

But he still hesitated, if only to think his fiancée could get mad if she thought he might be peeping. His blush deepened, but he shrugged it off. "What am I thinking? We're gonna be husband and wife tomorrow. I'll be seeing that sorta thing all the time. Nothing wrong with getting a sneak peek."

"The only sneak peek he'd be getting is her fist to his face," Franky knew.

"Why do I feel this isn't going to go as well as he's hoping?" Nami muttered.

As he approached the window, Pudding's soft, sweet giggle glided from the room.

Good. She's well enough to laugh, at least.

He lifted the flowers to place on the windowsill first as he peered in, ready to charm. What he saw, however, was Pudding shaking behind her hands and — diagonal from her — sat Reiju.

Reiju?

The sight of his sister baffled Sanji at first. But suddenly the air shifted. Pudding's hands dropped as she threw her head back with a laugh. A laugh that was like nothing he'd heard from the girl before.

It was arrogant and deceitful and jarring.

And…were the Straw Hats seeing things? Because there at the center of her forehead was…was clearly another…

"SHE HAS THREE EYES?!" Franky, Usopp, Robin, and Zoro exclaimed in unison.

"Oh, did we forget to mention that?" Brook wondered idly.

Luffy laughed. "Pretty weird, right?"

Sanji froze in place even as he was thrown off his axis. He was unable to comprehend, as she angled more towards him, the cruel smirk he was seeing on this gentle woman's face and the malicious gleam in her once-soft eyes.

"Wait, where'd her third eye go?" Usopp yelped. "Did he not see the third eye?!"

This…this couldn't be Pudding… The woman in that room was a completely different person.

"You can't honestly be that naïve," Pudding chortled, as if directly responding to Sanji's thoughts.

And in that moment, realization hit all the Straw Hats at once. Pudding's simple words had let it all sink in and now their bodies had promptly chilled over. Hearts constricting. Speeding up, only to falter again.

"Oh…noooo…" Nami whispered, eyes widening. "Please, no."

Pudding leaned closer to the pink-haired Vinsmoke she was entertaining, who was now very distinctly bound to the chair she was sitting on. Wrapped tight by one of Pudding's sentient subordinates — a blue jelly-like creature Sanji remembered was named Nitro. When Pudding spoke, her voice was void of any of the sugary smoothness she was associated with. She laughed in Reiju's face.

"You think I'd marry that lowlife pirate? Ha! You must be out of your freaking mind! Not a chance in hell."

Her words hit Sanji harder than a cannon ball.

Every Straw Hat fumed in disbelief.

This was how it happened? Pudding's true motives were being revealed to him…like this?!

"I'm one of Mama's favorites, you know? Especially for my acting."

Sanji was unable to move. Unable to breathe as his heart became a point of chaos. Reality crashed around him heavier than the barrage of rain.

"In fact, Mama cares for me so much it's almost overbearing," said Pudding. "But fool some stupid man from time to time and the old bag is happy. And it was almost too easy tricking the Straw Hats – hahaha!"

The fooled Straw Hats scowled in embarrassment and betrayal. And the other half glowered in their defense.

"Only my closest family knows what my true nature really is." Pudding laughed wickedly. "You people are so gullible! And Germa 66 is supposed to be an evil army? Keep living in your fantasy world, you twits. You deserve this."

Blood dripped from Reiju's leg, splattering onto the carpet as Nitro the Jelly squeezed her tighter, and the magic carpet — Rabian — hovered over her with an amused grin. Sanji wanted to wonder how hurt his sister was… Tried to remember why Reiju shouldn't be bleeding at all with her modifications, but…Sanji couldn't think straight. His mind was a mess, and nothing was making sense.

"Mama only wants two things from you," Pudding told her captured visitor, a hand on her hip. "Your vast army of clone soldiers, and your scientific technology."

"Seems Big Mom and Hollowell have something in common," Franky said. "And our poor brother Sanji keeps getting caught up in their games."

All eyes dropped from the screen to the quietly observant doctor in question and his equally vigilant mind specialists.

Hollowell had the nerve to smirk over his pointy shoulder, handlebar mustache shaking as he laughed. "~Teeshishishi. Perhaps if your friend wasn't such a weak target…"

The distinct sound of steel being unsheathed cut him off.

"The hell did you say," Zoro snarled, ready to push himself further onto his feet. But Sanji's memories were too challenging to divert from at the moment, and the screen of memories had re-captured everyone's attention.

"Do you always listen to Mommy?" Reiju had dispassionately huffed, turning away from Pudding's haughty stare.

"My, such defiance," Pudding sighed, walking back toward her couch by the window Sanji was hidden beyond. The cook's back was stiff against the wall at the edges of the windowsill.

"That is exactly why we don't need you," Pudding continued. "The entirety of the Germa Kingdom is anchored within our borders right now. Like flies drawn to rotting fruit, the political marriage was meant to entice you. It worked so well. You took the bait just as Mama planned. And a t the wedding tomorrow, the entire Vinsmoke family will be eliminated."

Pink lightning flashed, silhouetting Sanji's still form outside. His face was hidden in shadow, and the cigarette he had lit inside sizzled out from the rain.

"Oh, this is so bad," Usopp groaned.

"His whole family was duped," Franky realized.

"Germa 66 believed they were the ones playing Big Mom by tying Sanji to her in the first place," Robin said. "But it doesn't seem they were prepared for the chance she'd be playing her own game that could reach beyond their so-called sacrificial lamb. Not wise."

From his shadowed corner, Ashvin snorted at such an embarrassing display by the Germa Kingdom. He pushed his violet glasses up higher on his nose. "Germa has the brains for war and technology, but political strategy seems to be their weak point."

"~Teeshishishi. Quite the pity for them," said Hollowell.

"This was what Pudding told us about in the library," Luffy said, and Nami nodded, however she was more concerned about Sanji's mental state at the moment. She hadn't known any of this happened.

"Sanji's being punished for the sins of the family that disowned him and tortured him," Chopper sobbed. "But this is the worst way to possibly find out about Pudding!"

The Straw Hats' grimaces sharpened, and Zoro's grip around Enma's hilt strengthened.

Inside, Pudding held up a pistol in one hand, and a candy in the other, unwrapping it with her teeth.

"The formidable Germa 66 once conquered the North Blue by force," she trilled. "It's hard to believe that tomorrow your regime of terror abruptly ends with a hail of bullets." Pudding placed the candy bullet into the pistol and cocked the gun. "The wedding will be soaked red with your blood. Bang."

The impending bloodbath amused her to no end.

"By the way, I would appreciate one last favor… Can you make it a point not to create too big of a mess when you die tomorrow? Just be mindful of the splatter. If that wedding cake gets one drop of blood on it, Mama will be livid, and no one wants that."

Chopper shuddered with his own PTSD.

"She'd tear the place down out of fury."

"And she did," Chopper quipped. "But that's not important right now!" His watery eyes overflowed. "Sanji can't be okay hearing all this…"

Pudding aimed her pistol at her bedroom wall and pulled the trigger. The candy bullet penetrated the sweet stone with no resistance, whizzing past Sanji who didn't so much as blink.

Zoro zeroed in on the cook every chance he got. Watching. Waiting for the inevitable.

"See this?" Pudding said, showcasing her smoking pistol. "It's a 36 caliber walker percussion pistol. The bullets it fires are called candy jackets. They are designed to be able to penetrate through the toughest armor and shields. As you can see," she glanced at Reiju's bloody leg, "it works rather well. Even your tempered body can be pierced by these."

The Hollowell scientists were intrigued by such strange technology that was proven capable of damaging Germa 66's. Just knowing there was somebody out there who had already managed it was a promising discovery among Germa's other weaknesses.

Reiju looked away from the harassing Charlotte, which prompted Pudding to antagonize further. She smirked at the stubborn Vinsmoke, changing her tactics.

"Can you imagine Sanji's face when he sees the girl he trusted pointing a gun right between his eyes? ~Delicious."

The Straw Hats grew tense and instantly silent. Not even daring to breathe.

Nitro let out a loud laugh. "It's gonna be so good!"

"That sad sack actually believes that you have real feelings for him," Rabian joined in.

The duo cackled as Sanji – despondent and frozen – absorbed every cruel word spoken.

Pudding joined her friends. "He doesn't suspect a thing!" she chortled. "The poor fool!"

Sanji's body finally moved. His arms slowly dropped at his sides, and the flowers he had carefully collected fell to his feet, sinking into the soggy grass. He tilted his shadowed face toward the sky, frown deepening with every brutal truth. Reality splintering with every mocking laugh.

Sanji...

His memories weren't giving the Straw Hats a clear picture of their cook's face, and they struggled to get a glimpse of his expression. To get some insight as to what he was feeling, because it sure as hell couldn't be good but they felt they needed to know. Needed to see him. The ordeal was much worse than any of them imagined it could've been like. Not only was Sanji learning the truth in such an awful way, but he also had to listen to them ridicule him on top of it all?

"I wonder what kind of face he'll make…" Pudding chuckled. "Oh, I know! Maybe something like…this?" She contorted her face into one of ridiculous shock, and her friends snorted.

"You really nailed it!"

"I can see it now!"

"This is messed up…" Nami whispered, voice barely audible.

It was harsh and excessive and so completely undeserved that the crew felt a collective nausea roll through them.

"Or how about this one… Ready?"

Pudding's smirk faded as her face suddenly transformed into a mimic of the blonde prince's swollen face from after his brothers beat him to a pulp.

"P-P-Pudding my sweet," she mocked, even slurring her words.

Robin closed her eyes and turned away, seething.

Brook glared daggers, never having been more insulted in his long life.

Usopp's teeth hurt from clenching his jaw so hard, and Nami's palms were red from her nails digging into them as she shook.

Franky scowled at how super uncool this was, every muscle in his cybernetic body twitching for a fight.

"Why…" Chopper whispered, quivering. "Why are they doing this?"

Luffy's face was as shadowed as Sanji's. Pissed. Because – it didn't matter who they were to you – you didn't make fun of a person's feelings. You didn't mock people for being kind!

And Zoro…

Zoro hadn't moved an inch. Hadn't breathed. Enma still unsheathed, as sharp and solid as Zoro's good eye was on the screen. The blade rumbled in a silent raging bloodlust the same way its wielder was. Zoro felt paralyzed even as his veins burned.

Reiju refused to even look at whatever faces the heartless girl was making as her two odd friends laughed and laughed and laughed. Pudding walked back over to her with a chilling determination.

"Come on, why aren't you looking? This is hilarious!" She mock pouted. "Don't like us making fun of your brother? Ha!"

Nitro tittered, taking the cigar from his jelly mouth. "Live a little. Laughing'll take the edge off."

"You got nothing to lose," Rabian scathingly agreed.

Pudding's voice dropped as a wicked gleam entered her eyes. "You wanna know how he proposed? It was hilarious. And pretty embarrassing honestly!"

"Oh, are you kidding?" Nami sneered, wrapping her arms around herself and rocking forward. "Don't do this to him!"

"He pulled his face pack off," Pudding told her. "And his whole head was fat and bloated and ugly! Then, looking like some grotesque clown, he had the nerve to say-" she transformed her face back into a mimic of Sanji "—'To my older brothers, I'm just a failure who shouldn't be allowed to live,' or some crap like that."

Zoro's teeth snapped together, fingers twitching for a second blade.

Nitro and Rabian couldn't control their mirth.

"Ahaha! You sound exactly like that sap!"

"That's too much! That expression is on point!"

"A real tragedy," Nitro added before turning to Reiju. "Are you picking up on all this irony here, toots?"

Reiju still refused to acknowledge anything, and Pudding continued her cruel Sanji impression.

"Just about thirteen years ago I somehow managed to escape my hellish prison, only to return and walk right back into it again."

"Too funny," Rabian chortled. "That's so pathetic!"

The Straw Hats seethed. These were Sanji's hardest secrets, and she was callously ridiculing them.

"And then he gave me the biggest puppy-dog eyes," Pudding said, amused face shifting again. "'That's why my adventure will end right here.'" She switched easily back to her regular self. "Groan. Like I give two shits about that loser!"

Chopper choked on a sob, furious and anguished.

Pudding and her friends continued to laugh.

"How pathetic… It was too easy. In that moment of vulnerability, all I had to do was fake some tears and he was putty. Ah, oh well. Men are stupid creatures."

As their howling once again erupted, a bundle of pink roses drowned in the downpour beyond the open window. Sanji slowly – so slowly – pulled his lighter from his pocket. His chin was to his chest, and his blonde hair hung sopping wet across his darkened face.

The Straw Hats still strained to see him.

But Pudding wasn't done.

"And then that fool pulled me close, just like in a cliché romance novel…"

The picnic basket fell limply from Sanji's grasp.

"…and he uttered some trash in a soft whisper…"

Sanji flicked at his lighter.

"She keeps dragging this on for what?" Usopp swallowed the lump in his throat when his voice broke. "Sanji's had enough…"

"…You're my salvation, Pudding," she mocked. "So, if you'll have me, let's get married. Let's get married? Aahaha!"

The trio of tricksters burst into laughter once again, stomping their feet and wiping away tears as if the Vinsmoke prince's heartfelt confessions were the most ridiculous sappy nonsense they'd ever heard.

Sanji's fingers trembled. Flick after flick, there was no catch. Not a single spark.

"Honestly," Pudding sighed, catching her breath. "Could you imagine a more pitiful proposal?" She cackled.

Flick.

Flick.

Pudding sighed, waving her hand to dry her eyes. "Oh, what a riot!"

Flick.

Flick.

"What kind of idiot would want a colossal failure like him?"

The Straw Hats' hearts shattered thinking of their cook hearing that, and something snapped in their swordsman.

Zoro knew he snapped. He felt it in the way his veins pulsed with boiling bloodlust. He felt it in the way his muscles coiled with an overpowering fury. Felt it in the way he had a fierce instinct to tuck Sanji into his chest and slaughter anyone who dared to fucking look at him. And before anyone could register what the hell was happening, Zoro's cell was engulfed in a purple glow.

Nami yelped in surprise, but as the edges of the deadly aura that drifted as if in tumultuous waters paid her no mind, she noticed something else happening… Something odd.

Hollowell and his specialists froze, wide-eyed at the demon they had in their midst. Then, just as quickly, they eased, confident in their hold on him.

Ashvin huffed. "Should have sedated that one like I said."

Nami silently gasped, realizing they hadn't seen what she saw.

Zoro, however, was quite literally growling. If he heard the word failure come out of anyone's mouth around his cook again, it was going to be the last thing that person ever fucking said.

The Straw Hats – weeping and angry and overwhelmed – weren't sure whether to focus on their raging swordsman or the memories of their demoralized cook.

Flick.

Flick.

All eyes went back to the screen.

"Seriously!" Pudding was still chortling at all the mockery she'd thrown. "The nerve of you trying to pass him off. At least bring me a proper prince to marry."

Flick.

Flick.

Flick.

"Give him a damn smoke!" Franky sobbed.

Finally, the lighter's flame caught.

There was a brief moment, at the sight of the flame, when Sanji's fingers stopped trembling. As the tip of the drenched cigarette inched closer to the heat. But then a drop of rain smothered it out with a dramatic sizzle.

A deflated pause.

Another attempt.

Flick.

Flick.

Flick.

Staring down at the lighter now, Sanji struck at it more rapidly. Desperate. Urgent. He needed…he needed something.

FlickFlick

But whatever he needed, he wasn't getting...was he?

FlickFlickFlick

As the rain melted down Sanji's desolate face, so did his tears. Endless torrents as silent and relentless as this pain in his heart. His cigarette, unable to be lit, was clenched around an ever deepening frown that cruelly dimpled his cheeks. The curl of his brows bowed tragically as he could only stare through the glistening pools in his frightened eyes - not truly seeing - at his washed up lighter. At his washed up life. At his washed up existence.

…Flick.

Slowly, he blinked. The pools dripping in tides.

Fl—ick.

No more.

His cigarette would hang moist and unlit and that was that. Helplessness set in, for he had thought he at least had one ray of hope in this world…and it had been a ruse. Fake. It had been cruel and cold and exactly like the life he had so long ago tried to escape from. Now he finally realized that he was surrounded by the hell on all sides. Stronger than before. Unrelenting. He was completely and utterly alone. There wasn't a single ounce of happiness destined for Sanji. Not now – not ever. The world dared him to love and then laughed in his face, and Sanji couldn't take it anymore. To anyone he ever attached himself to, he was a disappointment. He'd never live up to anybody's expectations, and maybe it was finally time he accepted that. Accepted the truth. Because it was all undisputable fact at this point…

Nobody could ever…love a failure like him. He wasn't even worth the effort.

"Sanji…" Robin, Nami, and Chopper wept.

Usopp had his weeping eyes shoved into his knees, and Franky had his hidden in his hands, and Brook had his sockets closed, also solemnly calling out for his friend. There was so much heartbreak involved it would be impossible to peel through every layer.

Zoro's aura had all but vanished, and he stood there, top of his face dark with shadows as his bottom lip trembled under the sharp bite of his teeth. Luffy was watching him. But Zoro… Zoro could only think of Sanji. Because if his depressing ass thoughts had been right, Zoro wouldn't have to be affected by the shitty cook and his shitty life this fucking much.

And as the tears flowed from the crew, so did they flow from the one trapped in his memories.

Flowers – so preciously picked – drowned beneath puddles at Sanji's feet. And if the wicker soaked through and the food disintegrated…what did it matter anymore?

The rain never let up, and Sanji – without even the relief of nicotine – gave up. Forced to feel every bit of his fucking failure of a life.

Chapter Text

Sanji needed to get out of there.

Zoro stood there in shaking silence, two swords still in his hands and eye uncharacteristically wet with anger. With frustration. With – fuck – with an aching sympathy Zoro couldn't even describe, because that was his crew member these bastards had mentally slaughtered. That was his partner they had emotionally drained. Pudding and Hollowell and the Vinsmokes alike. And he had had enough of watching this shit and of making the cook relive every gut-wrenching attack on his character!

The Straw Hats as a collective were feeling agonizingly the same. They had so much they wanted to tell their cook. So much that they needed their crewmate to know. Like that he wasn't responsible for his family's actions or the Charlotte family's. Or that he didn't deserve the ways he'd been treated. Or that everything he was hearing in this excruciatingly ruthless moment wasn't true!

Sanji's life had shown him unrelenting cruelty, and he wasn't responsible for most of the crap he's had to deal with throughout his eventful life. All he was responsible for was how he dealt with it. And the crew needed him to know just how courageous and strong and resilient he was because – dammit – nobody deserved to be so viciously mocked for caring. For being human.

Especially not their goddamn cook!

Their sweet, goofy, protective, clever, reliable, hardheaded, graceful, whole-hearted, twirly master chef who took care of them. Who laughed with them and cried with them and fought alongside them. Who shared dreams with them, and advice, and comfort, and…

And they needed to get Sanji out of there. Out of his memories. Out of that crappy neural headpiece that shadowed his eyes but not the streams of tears falling from them.

Charlotte Pudding, however, just wouldn't stop.

"It must be embarrassing to have such a dimwitted brother."

Eight pairs of eyes flashed with a never-ending fury.

"Yeah — he's so dumb," Rabian snickered.

Zoro wanted to slaughter these self-righteous assholes.

Nitro interrupted their ridiculing as he inspected his confined Vinsmoke. "Hey, uh, it looks like our little hostage is gonna pass out soon."

Reiju, indeed, looked ready to collapse, left leg drenched in the blood that flowed freely and unchecked.

"Yeah," Rabian agreed, solemn that their fun was probably over. "That's a lot of blood loss. If we leave her like this, she might be dead before morning."

"Well, that would save us some trouble - wouldn't it?" Nitro shrugged. "Ya thoughts, Miss Puddin'?"

"The fun is over," Pudding replied with a sigh. "If she croaks that'll ruin our whole plan, and that won't do. We still want her to attend tomorrow's ceremony."

"Huh? Do they expect her to remain quiet about all this?" Usopp wondered grumpily.

Pudding sauntered her way over to Reiju with a wicked grin. "The whole world needs a front row seat to the Vinsmoke family execution."

Reiju could barely keep conscious.

"Listen close, dear sister-in-law… I can't have you bleeding to death on us. And I certainly don't want to risk you ratting on me for all my unladylike behavior tonight."

Before Reiju could even process what could possibly be implied by such words, Pudding's manicured nails found a spot on the side of Reiju's temple before sinking her entire hand through her skin as if she was made of fudge.

The Straw Hats' eyes widened.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" several of them yelled in shock.

"What is this?!" Reiju demanded. The Vinsmoke felt the odd feeling of fear wash over her.

"Just relax. It won't take long."

Pudding began to dig around in Reiju's mind.

"She could do that the whole time?!" Nami shrieked.

"Why didn't Sanji warn us?" cried Chopper. "That's terrifying!"

"What is she even doing?!" Usopp didn't know if he wanted to lean closer to see, or to scoot as far back from the screen as possible.

As Pudding's hand reemerged, a strip of…film came with her, the other end still attached somewhere inside Reiju's head. The pictures being portrayed on the film strip seemed to be the conversation Sanji had just overheard.

"A strip of Reiju's memories?!" Chopper squealed.

"Oh, come on." Pudding smiled. "That wasn't so bad, right? Everyone carries unpleasant memories and trauma we would rather forget. How wonderful would it be not to remember all that nonsense? This is the power of the Memo-Memo fruit."

Pudding ran her fingers over the part of the memory she was looking for and smirked, an image of her being the one who shot Reiju in the leg.

"Germa 66's technology sure is something. Despite being shot in the leg, you dragged yourself pretty far. Not that it matters – ahahaha!" Another strip appeared, separate from Reiju's. "I'll just paste this memory of a soldier who was hit by a stray bullet here… A quick edit…!"

The Straw Hats watched, mouths agape, as Pudding manipulated Reiju's memories like it was an art project.

"So not only can she gain access to someone's memories, but she can keep the snippets she alters," Robin said, a chill running down her spine.

"And add someone else's memories into another's…?" Nami added.

"How many memories has she stolen?" Usopp gulped. "How many does she have stowed away?!"

There was an immediate uneasiness among the Straw Hats, even as Hollowell clicked his tongue in intrigue. Charlotte Pudding's mind-altering devil fruit power would fit in nicely there at Hollowell Mind Tech.

When Pudding was done editing, the strange film strip slid back into Reiju's mind with a snap, and the pink woman immediately passed out.

"Call the soldiers and have them take her to the ward."

As the harsh chaos inside died down, the memory panned back outside before fading into nothingness. Outside, Sanji was already gone, slipping away just as silently as he arrived, flowers leaned delicately against the wall as a parting gift to the brutal truth.

"None of it was true, though," Nami sniffed angrily, not knowing if she wanted to continue crying or yelling, because it all seemed appropriate as far as she was concerned. Sanji shouldn't have had to deal with all this alone.

"S'just brutal," Franky agreed, more solemn than he'd ever been before.

"Please tell me he stayed long enough to witness her power," Robin prayed.

When Sanji's memory faded back in, the scene displayed was the Whole Cake Chateau medical ward. There was a single occupied bed where Reiju slowly woke, eyes fluttering. Cautious.

"Where am I?"

From the far corner of the room, a familiar flick sounded.

"Sanji!" Reiju shot up and immediately winced in pain. She glared down at her bandaged left side. "I hurt my leg…"

Sanji took a slow drag, surprisingly calm. "Do you recall how you got hurt? Or what happened?" he asked her.

"I remember…walking around the castle and then coming across some soldiers who were shouting about intruders. I must've gotten involved somehow."

"Reiju, think harder," Sanji demanded, calm façade breaking. "That's not it!" He sighed. "Your memories were overwritten…"

"That's good. Sanji did see what happened," Chopper said.

Robin nodded, before adding, "None of you were alone with her, I hope."

"Whenever Pudding was around we were with each other," Nami said, the others nodding. "But would she have just altered all our memories? Ugh!" The navigator threw her head against her knees. "Now we can't even trust our own memories?!"

"There's no way she would've been able to do anything when we were together," Luffy said, and the others were quick to agree. However…there was one person they couldn't be sure of…

Zoro gritted his teeth in worry. Did she do something to him? How would they even know if she had?

Sanji inhaled slowly, letting the nicotine calm his adrenaline once more before addressing Reiju again. "I'll fill you in. But let me warn you – the truth is damn ugly."

The memory jumped forward, information clearly relayed, and Reiju could only stare at her brother.

"Think I'm lying?" Sanji tried after a moment of silence.

Reiju's eyes softened. "I don't. I know you would never mislead me." She looked away from him, contemplative. "I was wary of Pudding, but never imagined her to be this devious."

"Indeed," Brook agreed.

"More than devious," Chopper grumbled, eyes still wet and angry.

Sanji seemed surprised. "You noticed something off?"

"I had my suspicions. She…just seemed a little too perfect for me, so I thought I should eavesdrop a bit."

Robin quite appreciated Reiju the more she learned of the woman.

Sanji glowered at the floor, shaking. "I didn't know a damn thing."

God , he was an idiot. How could he be so stupid? So blind?

"Uh oh," Usopp mumbled, eyes scrunching.

"I really screwed up."

The sniper, Franky, and Brook snapped their fingers in unison.

"There it is," they sang.

The cook's thoughts are becoming more obvious to everybody now, Zoro thought, rolling his good eye. On the plus side, he wouldn't be able to fake his feelings anymore and lie; although, he was sure the cook himself wouldn't see that as a plus.

"I assumed if I accepted the marriage, they would spare my crewmates. It turns out that was never in the cards."

Sanji threw his head in his hands.

"It was all a ploy," he spat. "Of course they were blowing smoke up my ass! I thought everything would work out if I took one for the team." His fingers tangled into his hair and tightened in anger. Anger with himself.

"I never took notice of that habit of his until seeing it so many times in his memories," Robin commented. "Hair pulling… Is he trying to hide? Relieve stress?"

"It is a common response to cope with trauma," Chopper said. Everyone in the crew had their odd quirks and habits the doctor assumed formed from whatever experiences their childhood elicited. Sanji's was the only one he was witnessing almost firsthand.

"What kind of fantasy world was I living in?!" Sanji growled at himself. "I should've known better!"

"Desperation and anxiety do crazy things to one's mind," Brook hummed. "Though of course he will blame himself."

Zoro groaned.

Reiju seemed as taken aback as his crewmates.

"They fooled our father, too," she said, blinking at him, trying to understand his thought process. "He's a wise man, but he was undone by his arrogance. He's dealing with an emperor – he should've been more cautious. And now it's far too late."

After a moment, she continued, softer.

"This still might play out for the best, though. I believe that Germa should be destroyed."

Sanji snapped out of his own self-pity.

"I'd like to pretend I'm ignorant," Reiju said. "And let Big Mom carry out her plan."

"Haah?" Luffy scratched his head. "That's stupid."

"Don't be stupid," Sanji growled. "They'll kill you tomorrow, too, Reiju."

His sister looked at him with a grin. "Aww, it my little brother concerned for me?" Then she sighed. "Leave the past where it lies – we're beyond that. You don't owe me a single thing. I only helped you once before."

"She also patched him up," Chopper noted. "And was probably going to warn him about Pudding's betrayal."

"And it's Sanji," Luffy smiled.

"Yeah," Zoro shrugged. "He already cares too much for her to let her get hurt."

The swordsman suddenly knew his cook wasn't just going to walk away from his obnoxious family if they were in danger, and he sighed.

Reiju met Sanji's eyes. Firm.

"Go find the Straw Hats and leave this island, Sanji."

"Like hell! I can't do that! What do you think would happen to The Baratie?"

"Just run. Figure that out after you've escaped. Stay here, and all of you will die."

Sanji stared at her, uncomprehending what she was asking him to do. Because to him, it wasn't even a consideration to abandon her.

"Sanji… You have to live."

"…"

"For our mother's sake."

Sanji froze.

"Why bring her up?"

"Because there's one memory I can't forget… There was a fight between our parents. I was just a child at the time, so I didn't understand the catalyst of Mother's resentment of Father until much later, but it's obvious in retrospect. While our mother was still carrying the four of you, she was quite adamant against turning quadruplets into coldblooded killing machines."

Sanji's memory converged with Reiju's words, and suddenly the scene before them was of their parents, surrounded by the dull gray of Germa.

"You're not serious?" Sanji's mother was saying as a tiny Reiju listened quietly by the open doorway.

"Of course I am," Judge scoffed.

"Never! How could you do that to them?"

"Enough…" He was running out of patience with his emotional wife. "Surgery is already arranged."

The woman grabbed pleadingly now at her husband's chest. "Don't do this! These are my children, as well. I beg you – please, Judge! They need their humanity!"

"Being human won't cut it," Judge responded, towering over the woman. "Not when monsters win wars."

The woman stepped back, realizing the true monster was standing in front of her. Perhaps he was right, but there was more to life than war and death and pain. She wanted so much more for her children than what she had received, than what she had witnessed. She'd already made the mistake with her firstborn, and if the technology had been perfected now…

"Our end goal is to reclaim North Blue by force and restore it to its former glory," Judge was saying. "Accomplishing that vision will take incredible strength. Which is the reason I give this gift to my own progeny."

"He says it like he really believes it's a blessing of some kind," Nami said.

"There is no reasoning with a madman," Brook said sadly.

At Judge's command, Germa doctors had grabbed his wife by the arms.

"Take her away."

The woman struggled, and Reiju ran to hide.

Judge wouldn't listen to his wife's crying pleas that this was their family he was sacrificing. No. Family – to the king – was meant for strengthening the bloodline. Nothing more.

"Sheesh, how'd she even wind up marrying him?" Usopp wondered.

"Doubt she had much say in it, if I were to guess," Zoro muttered. Could it be the cook also inherited his insanely bad luck, too? Zoro figured it was as possible as anything else.

"Poor Sanji's mom," Chopper whispered.

"They forced the surgery on her," Reiju's adult voice echoed across the black screen. "But…our mother took a toxin in an attempt to foil our father's plan."

Several Straw Hats gasped at this.

"Our father was furious…"

The screen blinked back to life as the beautiful blonde woman gulped down the bottle of toxin until every last drop was ingested.

It took affect quickly.

Blood was coughed up right before she collapsed.

Judge ran into the room at the sound, soldiers and doctors hot on his trail.

"No!" he shouted, spotting the empty bottle beside her prone form. "What did you just do?!"

The screen went black, and Reiju spoke:

"It was a powerful drug. Strong enough to affect the manipulated bloodline elements."

Hollowell tilted his head. "Hmm? ~Teeshishi. Of course their drugs would be advanced as well for their purposes. It will all be ours in time… ~Teeshishishishi."

What the hell did that mean? the crew collectively wondered.

"Unfortunately," Reiju's voice continued. "It wasn't enough. It didn't take long before superhuman-like abnormalities began appearing in our brothers' bodies…"

Another flashback appeared.

A Germa doctor was praising the success of the operation, and Judge was relieved that their genetic blueprints were not altered in any which way by the toxin by that soft woman.

"Soft? The chick drank poison to protect her children – that's tough as hell," Franky boasted.

"That's why she was sick…" Chopper realized with a sad gasp.

The scene changed to Sanji's mother laying in a familiar hospital bed, tears streaming silently onto her pillow, before going back to Judge and the doctor.

Just then, a yellow onesie-clad toddler waddled up to them with a bucket and garden shovel in his tiny hands.

"BabySanji!" Robin and Nami crooned without warning.

Cheeks even rounder with cute baby fat, and a bandage already taped to his chubby little forehead, baby Sanji smiled eagerly up at his father with bright, hopeful eyes that scrunched at the corners. "You wanna play?" toddler Sanji asked hopefully.

Judge and the doctor frowned at the boy.

"Master Sanji on the other hand…," the doctor told the king, "…is falling behind. We'll…uh…monitor the boy. Perhaps his development is a bit delayed."

Toddler Sanji tilted his head, unaware of what any of the words meant. He just wanted to play.

"I'd play with baby Sanji," Luffy said with a laugh.

Zoro, however, was fixated on the phrasing of his development being 'delayed'… Was it postponed, inactive until the raid suit was used, and now…? No. The cook had come out on the other side of Wano still himself. It had to be over. Nothing was changing.

The scene shifted to a slightly older Sanji being chased up a tree by a rabid dog.

"What is with Sanji and being chased by dogs?" Usopp said.

"Believe me, being chased by dogs is no fun," Brook mumbled, remembering his time with the minks. "No fun at all."

Once safely up in the tree, Sanji's cowering was abruptly halted when he heard some high-pitched. He climbed further, toward the tweeting, and found a nest of singing baby birds. His fear all but forgotten, he smiled.

"You must be hungry," was the first thing he said.

There were several chuckles.

"Just one second." Little Sanji dug around in his pockets and pulled out some seeds he had found in the yard he was saving for later. The baby birds needed them more, though, so he offered them over and the creatures started happily pecking away, much to little Sanji's delight.

The doctor had appeared below him, closely monitoring the boy as promised, and dropped his clipboard in surprise. "Wah? Master Sanji is…feeding animals."

Judge was beside him in an instant. "He was supposed to be devoid of emotions," he complained. One out of four… He growled, knowing exactly who to blame for this imperfection.

"Sora…!"

"Sora? His mother's name is Sora?" Chopper said, surprised as he realized something at the same time as Usopp.

"Isn't Sora the protagonist in those North Blue comics Sanji's family was written into as the bad guys?" the sniper questioned, rubbing his chin.

"That's funny," Luffy chortled.

"It can't be a coincident…" Robin said.

The memory returned to Whole Cake medical ward.

"You were growing," Reiju told Sanji. "But not as Father wanted. Thanks to our mother's efforts, you had compassion. Meanwhile, our mother got weaker and weaker due to the long-term effects caused by the poison."

Sanji was already sitting up straighter, horrified at all of it, because…

"She died…" he whispered. "Because of me?"

"Dammit, Sanji, no!"

Reiju took instant offense. "Nonsense! Don't think that way!"

Nami clapped her hands together. "Thank you, Reiju! Honestly, that cook of ours…" She shook her head, just as fond as she was exasperated.

Zoro also shook his head, a clear chuckled deep in his throat. That idiot dartbrow really was gonna drive him insane, wasn't he?

Reiju sighed at her brother. "Listen…"

The memory converged backwards in time again.

"Mother?"

Little Reiju poked her head into Sora's room, and the woman smiled in delight, looking better than she had in days. She brought her child into a giant hug and asked how her father was treating her.

But little Reiju frowned.

"The only thing he wants to do is make us train," she complained. "It's dumb. He's only happy when Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji get stronger."

"I see…" Sora said, her soft smile never faltering.

Reiju wondered why she was in such a good mood. Why she looked so bright. Then she noticed a tray on her bed table.

"What is that?"

"Oh!" Sora's ocean eyes sparkled. "Take a look! Sanji cooked me a meal all by himself."

"Remember when we cried when Sanji was trying to cure his mom with his food?" Franky wept dramatically. "Well maybe…" He sniffled.

Robin smiled softly, finishing the shipwright's thought. "Maybe, in a way, he did."

"Stop saying these things!" Chopper and Nami cried, bawling.

Another memory filtered in of little Reiju once again visiting her mother. Sora was petting her hair, but her words were only for Sanji. Bragging. Proud.

"Guess what Sanji told me today? That boy is so sweet." When she pulled away, her lips quivered and eyes watered. "He said, 'Get better soon.'"

This made Sora bawl.

"He's the best son ever!"

"The bar's not set very high, though, is it?" Usopp said, but was cut off by a wave of Chopper's hoof.

"Having proof of any ounce of compassion is momentous in that family," Chopper huffed.

Luffy was laughing. "He is the best son ever! He brings food!"

A bead of sweat dropped down Usopp's head. "Luffy's bar's not set very high, either."

As another memory formed, adult Reiju spoke once again.

"You brought our mother genuine happiness. Every day."

The memory solidified:

Little Reiju. In her mother's hospital ward bedroom.

"Sanji's hurt again," she was informing her mother. Sora had seemed more tired than usual, so Reiju tried to bring up Sanji. Didn't matter what it was about. "He got beat up by my brothers like he always does. That boy's so weak."

Through her exhaustion, Sora only smiled. "I see…"

After a moment of Sora staring idly out the window with that same soft, tired smile, Reiju wondered if she should call a nurse, but then her mother pulled her close.

"I'm sorry, Reiju. Your mother is very sick. I wish I could watch you grow up. Sadly, I don't think I can make it. But…"

She never continued, only smiled. Full of joy.

"Now I understand why she smiled that day," adult Reiju said, as Sora's image slowly faded away. "She didn't lament what happened to you or regret her choice to poison herself. She was content in her decision."

"Because she knew Sanji being 'weak' only meant his humanity was strong," Chopper noted.

"And that's all she ever wanted for him," Robin smiled.

Little Sanji appeared before a young Reiju. He was crying at their mother's grave.

Judge walked up behind them with the other three boys in tow.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded at the blonde.

"Huh? Dad?" Sanji whimpered, rubbing his eyes. Judge stomped over and crushed the flowers Sanji had picked for his mom under his heavy soles.

The Straw Hats were back to glaring.

"Flowers for the dead is a pointless rite," Judge said. "You're proving your uselessness."

Intense, unfathomably irritated glaring.

Little Sanji frowned, and then began to cry harder. These tears were angry. Furious in his grief. He wailed and raised his fists as he ran toward his father. Yonji kicked him back before he could land a hit.

"Stop your crying," the green-haired child said, as the other two boys knocked Sanji in his back, flinging him forward again. Sanji landed face first in the dirt of his mother's gravesite. The boys laughed, and Judge commanded the boys and Reiju follow him.

They left Sanji – useless – in his heartache.

"Our father's beliefs were completely contrary to our mother's," adult Reiju said as the memory completely dispersed. Sitting in her hospital bed, Reiju's eyes had softened tremendously. For a moment, she didn't look like the trained assassin she was created to be. "That's why he could never accept who you were, Sanji. He blamed you for everything that happened and lashed out at you as punishment."

"That's why Sanji continuously feels responsible for everything that goes wrong, even now," Robin said somberly. Trauma could do that to a person.

Reiju whispered, "Even though Mother has passed, she's still here." Reiju looked up at her brother with rare tears in her blue-blue eyes and their mother's smile on her lips. "Her kindness…lives on in you."

Sanji's breath hitched; teeth clenched down on the butt of his cigarette. His own gaze shook.

"Needless to say, you are no failure."

Luffy beamed, the Straw Hats smiled, and Zoro's tension finally relaxed.

The swordsman wouldn't be completely relaxed until the cook was safe, and part of him even felt he'd never be able to relax fully again after this. But, after their captain's declaration at the clearing of their duel, these were the words the curly-browed idiot needed to hear the most, and someone had finally said them.

"Our mother selflessly gave her life to protect you and your humanity," Reiju told Sanji. "You are the future Mother wanted to see. That's why you're more kind and tender than anyone."

There was a patent peace that washed over the Straw Hat crew.

Vinsmoke Sora did live on in Sanji.

Everything she fought for… Everything she believed in… Everything she was…

Sora had given their dear friend a chance at humanity, and Sanji had fought for it his whole life without realizing that that was what he was fighting for. He grew up with everything battling against that very humanity, and he had stuck it out and made it. He persevered and succeeded, just like he always had. Just like the Straw Hats knew he always would.

That was their Sanji Sora had sacrificed herself for, a move that Sanji would ultimately do for his nakama without hesitation. Like mother like son. She had – intentionally and not – been the reason he never quit on his dream to become a chef. When locked away in that dungeon, her words had inspired him. Her love and kindness – the never-ending affection and encouragement even in the small amounts he managed to sneak away to get – was what spared him. The courage it took to stop the mutations to his bloodline in its tracks, no matter the cost to her, had defended Sanji's humanity.

Ultimately, her compassion had protected him. A definite kindness he had absorbed and used to protect others.

Zoro and the crew had Sora to thank for saving Sanji.

They had Zeff to thank for caring for Sanji.

And now, they straightened with a unified purpose:

They would take it from here.

Chapter Text

Sanji's mind raced a mile a minute, bombarded with too much new information at once. From Pudding's deceit to Big Mom's true intentions to his mother's will and sister's words, Sanji didn't exactly know what to process first. All he'd managed to accomplish during the time Reiju was out cold was to dry off and get his damn nicotine fix before he completely fell apart.

Fuck , how could Reiju believe he wasn't a failure? Look at him! Hadn't she just witnessed his stupidity? Hadn't she suffered because of it?

"How could he think any of that was his fault?" Nami questioned, disbelieving.

"This is Sanji we're talking about," Usopp casually responded.

She was saying he wasn't a failure because of their mother?

Sanji never knew what had caused his mother's illness. Never knew her sacrifice or her secrets. All he knew of her was the love she had for him, and that even with the constant fear that he'd disappointed her in some way, she never made him feel useless or incapable.

And if his success to her was that he had retained his humanity, it didn't fix that he had fucked up this badly. Having emotions was pointless if he still couldn't do anything right. If he still couldn't protect the people he cared about!

The Straw Hats were frowning. On one hand, their cook had a terrible streak of self-worth issues; on the other, they had each felt the same way at some point or another. Humanity was a fine line to walk. Leaning too much into confidence would make you arrogant, but leaning too far away from it... The saying 'everything in moderation' truly meant everything, and the crew supposed it was those who you cherished that kept you balanced, and vise versa. Now that they were more in tune with Sanji's darker tendencies they could be better friends for him. It was what friends were for, after all.

"What is there to think about?" Reiju demanded, snapping Sanji out of his thoughts. "You know in your heart what you should do."

Sanji gulped.

"Just abandon Germa and flee to safety. It represents nothing but destruction, clinging to the glories of the past. The world would be better off without us. Listen, all Big Mom wants is our military technology. I highly doubt she's interested in taking your mentor's life."

It was a fair assessment. Not even the things Sanji cared about most in the world were important enough to his enemies. He was just a pawn. A throw-away to everybody.

"That's not true," Chopper said.

Zoro grimaced, more and more annoyed at the cook's thoughts. He wanted to know if their present-day cook still thought like this.

"After the wedding tomorrow," Reiju said, "our father and brothers will all be dead – remember? So, it's fine. They can't carry out the threat, either. Glorified murderers – that's what our family has always been."

"You know I can't stand those pretentious jerks," Sanji whispered, blonde fringe hanging low. "But why do you have to die, Reiju?"

Reiju looked softly at him. "I still have my emotions intact, but Father augmented me so I'm unable to disobey him."

"We were right," Robin said, pitying the woman.

"There's no way out, Sanji. And I have blood on my hands. I deserve death."

"But how is it her fault if she was literally forced to do it?" Nami said, brow furrowed.

"Another martyr in the family, perhaps?" Brook hummed. "Without the self-deprecation aspect."

"She also spent a lot of time with their mother," Robin said.

Luffy frowned. If he had known about Reiju, he wouldn't have left Whole Cake without her freedom set, too. There had to still be a way to get her out…

"Get rid of Judge and she doesn't have anyone to obey." Franky gave a thumbs up. "Super simple."

Sanji struggled to clear his head. To focus. There was no way Reiju deserved to die. He didn't even want to think how much she's had to witness and the things she was forced to carry out with no freewill all these years. There had to be another way—

"Sanji, don't think! Just run!"

"But—"

"Oh, and those bracelets on you? I promise that they won't explode. I swapped them out for normal ones."

Sanji's eyes widened as he glanced down. His hands were…safe?

"Oh, bless that woman," Nami sighed.

"See? Reiju even finds loopholes in her orders when she can," Chopper said. "Sanji was right – she doesn't deserve any fate like the others."

"Well, it's fine because nothing happened to them."

"Ugh, spoiler Luffy," Usopp whined.

Zoro raised an eyebrow. Nothing happened to them? If they weren't dead like they should be they still deserved to get their asses handed to 'em.

Sanji flexed his fingers. His hands weren't at risk. It was like a weight was lifted. One less thing to worry about.

A hundred more to go .

He sighed. It didn't matter if his hands were free if his destiny wasn't. If there was no way to save Reiju, then there was no way to save himself. He was doomed just the same.

Zoro narrowed his eye. "What's he planning to do? Nothing?" When Nami, Brook, and Chopper avoided his eye contact, he grimaced. "Don't tell me he's gonna walk right into that wedding knowing it's a trap."

"Not exactly," Brook chuckled to ease their easily-angered, protective swordsman. A dark aura surrounded Zoro, and a bead of sweat dropped down the skeleton's forehead. "~Yoho. You're frightening..."

Reiju huffed in annoyance now at her brother's lack of resolve. "What other reason could be keeping you here? Honestly, would you pull it together! Wake up! You need to think about what really matters!"

"Wish it was that simple," Sanji murmured, thinking about Luffy and the crew.

As if sensing his thoughts, Reiju said, "You have wonderful friends…"

Luffy smiled.

Yeah. Sanji bit his lip. Yeah, he did.

The words she left him with next hit him harder than anything.

"People like that…only come once in a lifetime."

The Straw Hats looked around at each other.

"We are pretty great," Usopp finally said, breaking their sentimental silence. "Especially me—"

"Oh, please," Nami laughed, making Chopper giggle and the others grin.

They really couldn't imagine their crew without each of their friends. The good and the bad. Their found family.

Sanji was out of the medical ward in the next shift of memory, still carrying the soggy picnic basket of forgotten food. He didn't walk very far before slumping onto a bench designed like a biscuit to smoke as he replayed Reiju's words. His family… His friends… There was too much.

But maybe…

Maybe he wasn't a complete failure.

Everyone's eyebrows shot up.

Everything Judge had shamed him for were the exact things Sora had hoped were part of him to begin with, and if it was his mother's kindness that made him such a big disappointment to the rest of his family then he could be proud of that, couldn't he?

"Yes, be proud!" Chopper fervently agreed.

It took him years to shake off whatever subconscious attachment he had to Vinsmoke Judge. To stop caring about what the vile man would think about him, even if the fear that others would think of him the same way always haunted him. But if his mother apparently only wanted him to be human, he had done that – hadn't he?! He had refused to become like his brothers. And…and he kept cooking!

Reiju might've been right after all. Sanji wasn't a total letdown. He hadn't once failed his mother! He hadn't once sacrificed any of the principles he'd learned from Zeff! He helped people the best he could because it was the right thing to do. He never struck a woman no matter how much danger he was in. He made sure that nobody knew hunger as long as he was around, friend or enemy. He might not have made it to greatest chef in the world, but he had become a master at his craft nonetheless. Sora had asked him to never stop cooking, and he didn't, no matter what life had thrown at him. That had to count for something!

"It did!" Chopper wailed.

Franky was just as weepy. "Keep talking like that, bro! Yeah!"

So…if this was all his life was – if this was all it would be –

Franky and Chopper paused mid congratulatory sob. "Wait, what?"

–he had at least accomplished something. Despite Judge's best efforts to crush his emotions and his dreams, Sanji had ventured out to sea, had discovered what it was to love people, and had cooked meals for thousands. A better life than a lot of people had the privilege of having.

Through it all so many people had lied to him, laughed at him, and threatened him and anyone he associated with…including himself.

So what if Reiju was right about his friends, too? She might have her emotions still, but she didn't understand honor. How could she? She hailed from a place where the concept didn't exist.

Sanji could never return to his captain no matter how much he wanted to. No amount of apologizing or begging would ever be good enough to atone. He had also made Nami cry – it was reprehensible! Yeah, he could admit what he truly wanted. He could admit that he missed them miserably. Luffy and Nami and Franky and Brook and Robin and Usopp and Chopper and that goddamn insufferable algae-headed idiot who sent his heart and body into a frenzy for no good reason.

Zoro, despite being irritated by this train of thoughts, had to hold back a small smirk. He preferred being the only one rooted in the cook's head enough to get crappy nicknames.

Sanji missed his crew so much his heart fucking blistered. What he wanted more than anything… Ugh, he couldn't even think it, because it was the one thing he didn't deserve after all this.

"No, say it…" Chopper groaned as everyone else sighed.

No matter Reiju's thoughts on the matter, Sanji was a walking disaster.

He was a burden, and he was alone.

And he always would be.

Every Straw Hat had to bite their protests down. It was no use talking to a screen, after all. They just…hated how their cook kept thinking these things. And still hated how they never knew his inner monologue was always this appalling.

So, wasn't this for the best for everybody?

I'm sorry, Luffy. There's no turning back now.

Luffy frowned, but knew his friend would eventually sort things out for himself. The right way!

The world would be better off wiping the name that plagued the seas off its maps entirely, and if the Vinsmokes were to be eliminated it'd be best if they all were. Of course, he'd do everything he could to keep it from happening – for Reiju's sake if nothing else, he figured. But he also couldn't just leave them all and…he didn't know why fucking not.

Zoro had to sigh. He was why his family was still alive, huh? Of course.

A walking disaster, remember?

Still deep in his thoughts, Sanji groaned, taking out the food he had made Pudding to see if it was still salvageable. When he opened the bento box, he was surprised to realize something that should've been obvious about its contents from the start if his brain hadn't been fogged over with fantasies of hopeless love.

"Hang on…" he muttered, double checking. "Did I cook this stuff for Pudding? Man, what was I thinking?"

"We know," Usopp waved it off. "You made a meal fit for a crew—"

The sniper was cut off when the memory panned over the meal, because something was definitely familiar about it.

"THE MEAT!" Luffy drooled. "It sparkles…!"

"Yow! Those hamburgers were made to please!" Franky exclaimed.

"Oh, his famous little sandwiches that I like are there," Robin smiled.

"Onigiri…"

"They're all our favorites!" Chopper realized, bawling.

Sanji blinked. "I made all their favorites out of habit…"

"Sanjiii," Chopper sniffled.

Well, at least none of it was ruined.

He put the bento away and closed the lid with a heavy hand. It was all so frustrating. Even when he wasn't trying to, he was thinking about them. He crossed his arms and leaned his head into them, grimacing. Fighting.

Forget about them – you have to!

"No, you don't!" Chopper and Usopp objected together.

I don't have to worry about Luffy and the others. They'll get away on their own.

Luffy pouted. "He's right – but still. Not without Sanji."

The evil army of Vinsmokes will die – myself included – just the way Big Mom planned it. It's for the best. If she gets what she wants, it'll put an end to this.

"Like we wouldn't have taken revenge," Zoro muttered.

Even if my life was short, at least it was a fulfilling one.

Images of his mother spun through his head, always smiling and optimistic, and now Sanji knew why. She was happy to have him as her son even if he couldn't save her…

And then Zeff appeared.

"Are you ready?" Zeff asked with a smile at the opening of The Baratie. "Because we're gonna be busy."

"We'll be just fine," young Sanji promised. "Because you got me!"

Zeff's smile widened, and the memory shifted to the same young Sanji drooling over the first pretty lady to step foot inside, a plate clattering to the floor.

"Oi." Zoro rolled his eye as the others chuckled. Why was he not surprised?

"Pay attention, brat!" Zeff knocked him in the head.

A slightly older Sanji was then struggling to sauté multiple orders at once, and Zeff was yelling again.

"You're moving too slow, brat!"

"No I'm not, old man!" the stubborn Sanji retorted, even more determined to get it done.

The memory then shifted to an older Zeff kicking a Sanji they all recognized, much older and stronger and a smoking stick of death between his lips.

"Stop fooling around with the ladies, you brat!"

The memories continued on a running loop, Sanji aging and growing and turning more and more into the Straw Hat cook he'd be one day.

"Be quiet, brat! – Stop it, you brat! – Get back to work, brat! – You little brat!"

And then, finally, a familiar straw hat led the blonde cook away from the restaurant he cherished so much, and Zeff peered from above deck, fond and bittersweet.

"Hey, Sanji. Take care. Don't catch cold."

Sanji broke, falling to his knees in tears. "Owner Zeff! Thank you for all the damn things you've done for me over all these years!... I'll never forget your kindness for the rest of my life!"

"Annoyed by him, nags at him, yet grows to love him…" Brook murmured, boney finger to his chin. "Remind you of anyone?"

Everyone looked at a certain swordsman.

Zoro turned his head, ignoring that his cheeks were suddenly too warm."S'not our fault the cook's such a pain in the ass." But he was fighting a smile.

Zeff's memories faded out like Sora's, and Luffy's giant grin took over, almost too big for the screen.

Luffy cackled at himself.

"GUM GUM BAZOOKA"

This straw hatted idiot was taking on Don Krieg. He was overpowered and outnumbered and yet…

Sanji watched on in awe as their chore boy actually seemed to be winning, and Zeff's muttering wisdom spilled beside him.

"Is it about weapons to survive or a faith that conquers the fear of death?"

Faith?

"GUM GUM GIANT GAVEL"

"If Krieg's fleet and numerous weapons are all power, then the spear that kid wields in his heart is also power." Zeff glanced over at his son. "I know an idiot who's holding back that spear for a stupid reason."

All Sanji ever thought about was others. Nobody should forgo their life if they didn't have to, if it wasn't a sure win. They didn't have to sacrifice their dreams and aspirations like that.

Except him?

The memory jumped ahead to his resolve that day, a newfound inspiration. A faith…in others, and in himself.

"I'll come along on your journey to become the King of the Pirates." Sanji smiled. "I'll be the cook for your ship!"

Luffy leapt with a holler. "I got a new friend!"

The Straw Hats couldn't help smiling warmly.

The filtered memories faded out once again, and Sanji gripped at his hair until his pining was interrupted by an unknown presence. He hadn't noticed them approaching, too occupied, drowning in the tedious feelings of his past and present. Confused and startled, Sanji blinked up at the Big Mom soldier who was…rummaging through Sanji's picnic basket.

The hell…?

"Oh boy, food!" the pirate was murmuring before he yanked out a cylindrical slab of meat, and Sanji stiffened.

"Heyyy," Luffy whined.

"Who just walks up to someone else's basket of food and starts picking through it…" Nami trailed off, catching sight of her now-pouting, clearly offended captain. She sighed in resignation, "Nevermind."

The pirate, head lifted, seemed to suddenly realize who the basket belonged to. "Oh, wait a second – are you Sanji Vinsmoke? They said you were asleep in your room."

Sanji looked from the man to the meat and back up again. This man was just going to steal and eat the food he made for…

"SANJI, YOU'RE MY CHEF!"

Sanji's skin prickled as an echo of his captain's cry pierced through him.

"I'M NOT EATING ANOTHER BITE OF ANYTHING, UNLESS YOU COOK IT!"

No… He didn't make this food for Pudding at all. He made it for…

Luffy started grinning again.

"If you leave me here…I'LL JUST STARVE TO DEATH!"

Wide blue eyes watched as the soldier grasped at the bone and raised the meat higher. Sanji gritted his teeth and growled, eyes suddenly raging. "Get your hands off."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. That food's…NOT FOR YOU!" Sanji's foot went slamming into the man's skull.

The slab of meat flew into the air as the guard went flying and Sanji caught it with lithe hands. Sanji had to catch his breath, startled by his own actions. Where did that emotion come from? He just attacked one of Big Mom's soldiers…

Zoro took a moment to close his eye in gentle satisfaction. No matter what inner conflicts Sanji went through, even from the very beginning, Zoro knew the crew would always come first to him. Sanji's heart and his resolve were reasons the swordsman never hesitated to trust the ero-cook. He would always do what he felt was right.

Whatever. It didn't matter. Reiju was right – he knew in his heart what he had to do.

In a split-second decision, Sanji snatched up the basket with the rest of the food and bolted. Suddenly, he was on a mission. Even if – logically – Sanji didn't know what the hell he was doing, he did know that he needed to feed his stubbornly faithful captain.

One last time.

Chapter Text

It was late and dark, and Sanji ran through the flooded streets of Sweet City with a wicker basket in his hand and his captain in his thoughts. The rendezvous point, where Luffy swore he would wait for Sanji to return, was far off. It would take him longer to get there on foot than riding a carriage, especially with the inclement weather. But Sanji was on a mission.

He was bringing that food to his captain no matter what.

The Straw Hats were smiling as Brook hummed.

"Hmm, this is eerily parallel to little Sanji bringing food to his mother. Sneaking out alone – going against what's expected of him in order to take care of someone important…"

"His thought process is practically exact," Robin noted in agreement.

"Even the weather's similar," Nami said.

Midway, a stray dog jumped out to bite at Sanji. He jumped back with a curse.

"Another dog, too?!" Usopp asked incredulously. This was getting out of hand…

Sanji only reiterated words he had said long ago. "I didn't make this food for you." Unlike his younger self, however, this Sanji was strong enough to simply pry the dog off and hold him back. The animal was clearly just hungry, and the kind chef's eyes softened. "I'm sorry, boy, but there's somebody really important that I gotta give this to."

There was no room for distractions. Sanji had wasted enough time if Luffy truly hadn't eaten anything since before Sanji's reunion with him, and knowing the Straw Hat had to have escaped Big Mom's captivity he was probably shriveling up somewhere in dire need of sustenance.

Luffy laughed. "Yep, I sure was!"

Usopp side-eyed him and mumbled, "Why are you proud of that?"

"So you made it back to the clearing then?" Franky questioned.

"Of course," Luffy huffed. "I said I was. Actually, at first I was trying to find Sanji at the chateau to warn him about Pudding, but I ran into his sister first. She told me Sanji already knew about the plan, so I wasn't as worried anymore." Luffy grinned easily. "I knew I just had to make it back to the rendezvous point."

Franky gave a thumbs up. "That's our captain."

Rain made the pathways sticky in most places and muddy in the rest, and the wind did nothing but push back. Sanji struggled to keep his footing as well as the food safely covered. Things were going to get messy fast if he didn't pick up the pace. His only goal was reaching the clearing with the basket still intact.

When he finally made it, his slippery feet slid to halt. The blood-soaked aftermath of a fight Luffy had clearly lost was what greeted him. The field was stained with chess piece soldiers and littered with abandoned spears, guns, and katanas. In the distance, Sanji made out the gigantic tree Nami and Luffy had rode in on uprooted and split down the middle.

"Yeesh, that looked bad," Usopp commented at the sight. Nami only grimaced at the memory of that terrible place.

The bitter chill howled in the silence as not a single standing soul was visible across the clearing.

Sanji started to worry again.

Luffy and Nami were captured by the army - Sanji already knew that. But seeing they hadn't gone quietly was a lot harder to grasp. They had clearly put up a fight.

Zoro shrugged. "When does Luffy ever go quietly?" 

"You're one to talk," Nami grumbled at him.

And hadn't Nami said Luffy was already worn from battling one of Big Mom's generals the previous night before he was then kicked apart by Sanji himself? The reminder churned dread through Sanji's stomach like butter.

Regardless of his own despicable actions, what if he was too late?

What if a tired Luffy didn't have the strength necessary to escape because Sanji had left him to starve?

"He's already blaming himself?" Chopper squeaked.

"It's a new record, isn't it?" Robin asked Usopp as she and Franky leaned over the sniper like they were having a secret meeting. Their reindeer companion flailed.

"Were you guys keeping tabs?!" 

What if Luffy did escape, only to come back here just to die of starvation instead?

What if…?

No. Sanji shook his head, concentrating. He couldn't allow himself to think these things. Had to have faith. Luffy promised him. He said he'd be waiting!

So where the hell are you?!

Sanji bolted through the battlefield, digging out any body that looked even remotely similar to a scruffy-haired pirate with a straw hat, flinging corpses around with a frenzy only the beating of his racing heart could match. With minutes past, Sanji didn't know if he was relieved he hadn't found Luffy in this graveyard yet or frustrated. The more Sanji ran, the more the rain and mud infiltrated the basket, and Sanji was feeling more and more hopeless.

Did Sanji have it all wrong? 

Maybe Luffy wasn't here. Maybe he had given up on Sanji. Sanji wouldn't blame him...

Luffy pursed his lips. "That's stupid, Sanji."

But…

If Luffy was still here…he had to be hungry.

And…

Sanji fell to his knees, cold seeping through fabric into his skin as his eyes raked over the sorry state of the wicker basket. Splintered and muddied and pathetic. In his desperation he had ruined the food. Because of course he fucking did.

The Straw Hats were frowning. It really was a parallel to his experience with his mother all those years ago.

Sanji's knuckles whitened as his fists dug into the grass. He shook with frustration.

It…it didn't matter how weak Sanji was. Or how pathetic. Or how miserably he failed at things. Luffy was the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates because no matter who you were – even if you were some tragic chef – if he made a promise to you he would keep it.

So, he had to be here!

Sanji threw his head back, and with all the might he could muster he called out.

"LUFFYYYYYY!"

The wind was his only response, and Sanji's throat burned, strained, as he sucked in another shaky breath, preparing to yell again and again and again. He'd shout over the downpour a hundred thousand times if it meant somehow his captain would—

A peculiar rumble tore through the air and through Sanji's thoughts. Angry in its softness.

The recognizable growl of an empty stomach.

Close by.

Sanji shot to his feet.

He heard it again and started to move, steps hesitant in their hope but quickly increasing in speed. Until there, just at the base of the massive fallen tree, Sanji saw him. The straw hat slung downward. Black hair disheveled and matted to his skin. Clothes and skin torn, but washed away of blood. And Sanji's heart skipped and fell in equal measures because…Luffy was here. Right where he said he'd be.

Luffy laughed. "Well, obviously."

Quivering eyes blinked away the shock. It was in that moment – nose and eyes dripping their weepy contents down the most relieved smile Sanji had ever had – that the runaway prince realized his fears were hollow remnants of his own conceptions. This was the one person he should've known he never had to question. Never had to worry about. Because when nobody else was, Luffy would always be on his side.

It wasn't a trick or a lie. Not with Luffy.

"Now you're getting it, bro," Franky said, grinning.

So, the stubborn determination Luffy always had for people had helped the idiot cook realize he had a true friend this whole time while leaving no room for his negativity to ruin it? Zoro thought, a small smile tugging at his lips. Nobody needed to know how disgustingly fond that made him of both his partner and his captain. If Zoro couldn't be the first to do it, he was glad it had been Luffy. Rubber idiot always was better at the kinda stuff anyway.

Chopper clapped cheerily, eyes streaming. "Maybe this triggered him to start trusting what he sees in the rest of us, too!" He just wanted Sanji to know he loved him, okay?!

Sanji wobbled closer to the sleeping man, trying to shake off his initial relief as he took note how starved Luffy actually looked.

"Is that…Sanji?"

Leave it to the smell of food to immediately wake Luffy from unconsciousness.

Luffy cackled at that.

"Heh. I knew you'd come back. But you sure took your time."

At the sympathetic warmth of Luffy's smile, Sanji's face fell. Transitioned right back into a bitter mask of all the things he couldn't dare show. Being here, now, and realizing just how true Luffy had always been only made Sanji think of the horrible things he had said and done to him in return.

Everyone was frowning again.

Nami clapped her palms together. "OK, when he does this in the future how are we going to smack him? Do we take turns, or--" 

"Hey." Luffy's smile faltered. "What's the matter?"

Sanji had to get his vocal chords under control before he responded. "You…moron. I didn't tell you to wait for me."

Luffy only laughed again, riling Sanji's annoyance further.

"Why did you keep such a stupid promise? Look at you." Luffy's stomach rumbled in response, and Sanji placed the torn picnic basket at his feet. "What did I expect, really? You don't like taking 'no' for an answer, do you?"

"Yeah, but," Luffy grinned wider. "You still came back."

Sanji grimaced. This was for Luffy, he reminded himself. He didn't want to get the rubber captain's hopes up, and he also wasn't going to be selfish and expect anything for himself from this. He didn't want the warmth of his friend when it was undeserved and would be gone soon anyway.

Zoro glowered at the screen. The idiot cook might have finally fully accepted Luffy as his rightful nakama, but not himself as Luffy's.  

Sanji gestured to the meal. "Eat whatever's salvageable."

Luffy didn't need to be told twice. "Dinner…!"

Sanji heard the pause in Luffy's movements after a second and knew he had seen the mess Sanji had brought him. The bento box was muddied and falling to pieces. Sanji swallowed down his shame. "I dropped it on the way here," he explained quietly. "I suppose it's crushed. It was rained on, too."

"His thoughts are saying he doesn't care, but his actions are desperately trying to explain," Usopp noted, tsk-ing. 

The meat fell apart in Luffy's hands, leaving him nothing but bone, and Sanji's head lowered further and he turned away. "It's just another failure..."

Luffy merely grabbed the soggy remains with grubby hands and went at it anyway.

"Food is food," Luffy said. "And Sanji's food?" He rubbed his stomach in a happy circle and licked his lips. "A whole new level of food!"

"Mhmm!" Chopper agreed cheerfully.

Robin smiled knowingly. "If the odd parallel is continuing, I think we know how our captain is going to react to our chef's self-proclaimed 'failure'."

"It's yummy!" Luffy announced, a big smile encompassing his face. "This is the best food ever!"

Sanji's narrowed eyes shot up at the rubber man over his shoulder.

"It's so goooood!" He gasped, munching. "Woah, it's all our favorites in one lunch box. You gotta make this for the whole crew! Oh man, yum!" He devoured it all in one sitting.

"Ugh, stop lying," Sanji grumbled, feeling like shit. He listened to Luffy lap up all the crumbs in delight, growing more and more irritated the longer he was left with his thoughts. "Are you done?"

"Uh huh," Luffy said, stretching. "Nobody makes a better lunchbox than you—"

"Good. Now leave."

Luffy froze. "Huh?"

"I'm staying here," Sanji informed him without moving.

"What do you mean? We're going back—"

"I won't repeat myself. I won't go with you."

"Why not, huh?"

Sanji tiredly plopped down on a nearby log, his back to Luffy, and held a finger up in the air. "First, the captain of my own ship came all the way here for me, and not only did I insult and try to hurt him, but he also gave me no resistance whatsoever. That alone is more than enough reason for me not to return to your crew."

Everyone pursed their lips. Normally perhaps. But in context…

"Secondly, remember the old geezer who saved my life? You know, the one I'm deeply indebted to? Well, he and The Baratie – the place I grew up – are being held hostage in case I run. That's also why I can't back out of the ceremony tomorrow."

Chopper frowned. "But Reiju said—"

"Curly is set on staying," Zoro said. "If he has another excuse, it'll help him feel like he's making the right choice." Even if his heart is split in two.

Robin nodded and glanced at their little doctor. "Even if he believes Zeff's safety is statistically valid, if he's going to stay anyway then subconsciously he is aligning his actions with his values to make it easier on himself."

"Of course," Chopper realized. "The more he thinks he's helping someone else, the easier it will be for him to keep fighting, because on some level he's aware that he cares more about the wellbeing of others over his own." The reindeer's eyes squiggled. It was so Sanji, and Sanji didn't even know it!

Sanji held up a third finger.

"Reason three, the evil family I'm related to is walking right into Big Mom's trap. They'll all be murdered in a matter of hours. Realistically, I know they're monsters. I don't owe them a thing. The thought of them makes me sick. But despite all that crap and the torment…" Sanji's frown was as sharp as it was frustrated. "I can't turn my back on those bastards!"

"Because Sanji's not like them," Chopper said, matter-of-fact, eyes still a wet mess.

"Too compassionate for his own good," Brook supposed. "But if there was any way to stick it to Vinsmoke Judge, I'd say acting off his emotions is the way to do it. ~Yoho."

"That's why…" Sanji inwardly cursed. As he said it all out loud, he couldn't help how hopeless it all still felt. He was one person. But – god – he couldn't leave. "I can't leave here with you. Sorry – I just can't. And there's no way to fix this." Irritation bubbled. "So, there you have it… Now get lost."

"Bro's stress is making him irritable again," Franky murmured.

At the last part, Luffy's eyes narrowed and he squared his feet. Without warning, he launched himself over the cook and on the other side of him so he'd be forced to face him, eyes blazing. Sanji startled. Before he could even blink, Luffy's fist collided with his cheek, arm stretching for extra velocity, pushing Sanji into the fallen tree trunk with a shattering smash.

There's that 'sense' Franky wanted knocked into him, thought Zoro. 

Specks of debris soared. Sanji groaned from the dust as he tried to push himself up. He wiped at his bleeding mouth and locked eyes with his angry friend as Luffy moved closer to him, hands still balled into fists. Sanji prepared for a rebuttal, but Luffy wasn't backing down. The rubber captain was pissed.

"How do you REALLY FEEL?!" he demanded, the harshness taking Sanji by surprise and faltering his resolve. Luffy was still seeing through him like he knew him better than anyone!

"Just SAY it!"

Sanji shook under Luffy's stare. He scrunched his eyes shut to break whatever spell he had on him, to crush down his emotion with only anger. He just wanted to be angry! Because he was – at his family, at Big Mom. Behind his eyelids, however, he couldn't find the biting words he was looking for; he could only see his nakama.

Luffy. Hey, Sanji – I'm hungryyyy!

Nami. So, Sanji, what are you gonna make us today?

Zoro. Get to cookin' already, you idiot.

"Nothin' says true love like that," Franky chortled, and Zoro chuckled.

Tears flooded the blackness.

Hey, Sanji – Usopp – I'm gonna catch us a huge score for dinner!

Chopper. Yeah! It's coming, so get readyyyy.

His lips pouted as he tried in vain to hold back whatever the hell this was. But his pain... it was getting the better of him. More so, his longing. His yearning to take care of these people. To go back to them. To be with them.

One super big portion for me – thanks, Sanji!

Look's good! Thank you, Sanji.

Sanji.

Sanji!

Sanjiiiii!

Overloaded with memories of the people he cared for most, of the best times in his life, Sanji fell to his hands and knees before the captain. Like ominous omens, Big Mom and Vinsmoke Judge swam at the edges of his vision, and Sanji squeezed his eyes shut again pushing out the pools of tears that had formed beneath his eyelids. It was all…too much. He was out of his league, wasn't he? This was all...

"FINE, Luffy," Sanji sobbed, fringe falling over his eyes, fingers digging into dirt. "I give up."

It took him a second to catch his breath in order to form any kind of coherent sentence, and Luffy watched him with uncharacteristic patience. Sanji's hands shot up to grab at his throbbing head. He was feeling way too much, and he was so sick of it. If Luffy really wanted to know this fucking badly… If the universe was going to make him fucking say it…

"I—I'll be honest! What I want—!" Sanji choked. "What I want is—"

Luffy braced himself.

"What I want—" Sanji's gaze landed on Luffy's, blue wetter than the sea and shivering harder than the tides themselves "—is to go home… To the Sunny!"

He said it, the crew thought simultaneously, faces softening.

Sanji's head dropped in defeat, shoulders shaking with each tremble of a cry that escaped his clenched teeth. He sniffed. "But I can't muster…the courage…to run away."

Because the real courage is you staying…

"Once the wedding begins, I can't…stop any of it. Especially not on my own…" He trailed off as his voice broke. He pressed his forehead to the cool grass in despair. "I despise my whole family. They've always treated me like dirt. But I…" He sniffed and raised his head to look Luffy directly in the eyes again. "I still want to save those scumbags!" he cried.

Sanji knew it was stupid. He knew. He didn't have a reason other than it didn't feel right… He just—

"I get it."

Sanji stiffened. Luffy was… Luffy was smiling. Shocked, Sanji watched as his hardened gaze softened to a warm understanding.

"That's who you are, Sanji."

The Straw Hats couldn't help but smile and nod.

Mouth agape as his breath hitched, Sanji could only stare. He searched the man in front of him for some kind of sign that he was lying. Or at the very least, confused. But…the man who looked back at him was the same one who chose him to be his chef from the very beginning – eyes so genuinely warm and smile filled so much with love that Sanji didn't know where to put it all within his own heart. He swallowed.

Then Luffy, with the utmost determination and zero hesitancy, assured Sanji with the words that flipped that self-isolated love-cook from the inside out.

"You have us, Sanji. And we'll crash that party!"

For once, Sanji could do nothing but believe him. After everything, he really didn't have to do this alone. He could...rely on his captain. His captain  —  the man he'd follow anywhere. Sanji stared up at him with one last look of disbelief before wiping his shimmering eyes and smiling incredulously through the tears. 

As if sensing the occasion, the rain ebbed. Rays of sunshine broke through the clouds, caressing the Straw Hat captain as he walked over to his chosen chef with a satisfied smile. The storm was over. And Sanji's course was set.

Chapter Text

"Sanji's gonna let us help him now!" Chopper cried, eyes streaming with joy for the first time since this whole ordeal began.

"'Bout time," Zoro said with a soft smirk.

All the Straw Hats were their first senses of relief. No matter what hardships Sanji faced next, they felt his emotional headspace could only improve from here on out. There was no doubting Luffy anymore. And even if they acknowledged that it would take time for their cook to get used to that feeling completely, as well as to see the same devotion to him from the rest of the crew, the prospect that he was finally on the right track had increased exponentially.

Teal-haired Rhys sighed, watching the rowdy pirates with bored eyes. She twirled a stylus pen in her fingers. "They're quite sentimental, aren't they? It's a pity they cherish someone so mentally unstable."

Strawhat-smiles turned to veins popping in foreheads.

Nami glared over at the woman. "We can hear you, ya know?!"

Rhys' only response was a yawn as she swiveled back to her work. Ashvin shoved his glasses up with his thumb, the purple tint turning white in the glare of the monitors. "A piteous underdog tale like this would inspire such mediocre pirates."

Zoro's lip curled. "Hey, four-eyes — wanna run that by us again?"

"Mediocre? You do know we took out an emperor of the sea, right?" Usopp said, chin raising. "Thanks to my hardy tactics and exceptional leadership."

"~Teeshishishi. And yet, here you all are – imprisoned guinea pigs." Hollowell tittered. "I do enjoy our mouthier guests, however. You sure do know how to make me laugh. ~Teeshishi."

The pirates glowered at the scientists.

Onscreen, the outskirts of Sweet City glowed orange with the fresh light of the sun. Sanji sat against the large bark corpse of King Baum, listening as Luffy filled him in on what had been happening on their end of things. He was more relieved than surprised to hear that Jinbei had come to help. Nami was in good hands, at least.

However, the thought of the lovely navigator had Sanji's head drooping. It would be hard enough to see the others who had been forced to risk their lives because of him—

"We weren't forced," Chopper pouted.

Brook put a bony hand to his chest. "It was an honor to come to your aid, Sanji."

—but Nami had also witnessed what he'd done to their captain. He was too ashamed to ever face her after this, and he told Luffy as much.

"Uh, who's gonna tell him we've all seen it now?" Usopp said, making everyone grimace. They were all so busy processing the Sanji of the past and worrying about the Sanji of the present that none of them stopped to wonder how the Sanji of the future would likely react to all this intrusion. "Welp, not it."

Curly was not going to be happy about this. Zoro frowned. Hell, none of them would have liked this.

Luffy only smiled gently at the cook. "Things'll work out. Nami and the rest have been pretty worried about you."

"I don't know…" Idly, Sanji's fingers brushed through his fringe and gripped at the strands. His revealed cheek now sporting a bruise the size of Luffy's fist. "I dragged everyone through hell and back."

"None of that was his fault," Nami sighed. "We made our own decisions. Besides, I'd barely call it hell compared to what he went through."

Luffy tilted his head at her in amusement. "Yeah? Even when I was tearing my arms off and you were about to get tortured?"

"IDIOT RUBBER, STOP REMINDING ME OF THINGS!"

Before Luffy could respond, a wayward voice interrupted them, piercing through the silent air.

"Heyyyy! Luffy!"

Both men froze.

"Hey, Luffy?! Are you there?! …By the tree?"

"Huh?" Sanji stood as Luffy's lips began to curve upward. "Is that…Chopper?"

Right back in his good spirits, Luffy bounded in the direction Chopper's voice came from. When he eventually found its source, he grinned at it like he had just asked it to join his crew and it accepted.

It was just a shard of broken glass.

"Oh, wow – we found you!" the shard spoke. "Nami was right!"

The Straw Hats who hadn't gone to Whole Cake quirked their brows in confusion. They wondered if this had to do with the 'mirror-world' Chopper had mentioned before. Because nothing else made sense.

"Um, why is Chopper's voice coming from a mirror?" Sanji asked.

"Well," Luffy rubbed the back of his head. "It's kinda a long story, but they're all in another dimension right now."

Sanji's jaw dropped. "Uh, are they safe in there?"

Zoro snorted, hit with a wave of fondness. A new dimension didn't concern him. Only their safety.

"Hey, Chopper," Luffy called. "You guys good?"

Chopper confirmed they were fine. Then Nami was suddenly in their ears.

"Luffy, was that Sanji?" she asked excitedly.

Sanji shrunk back at how happy she sounded. It had to be because Luffy had accomplished what he came for and now they could leave. Nothing to do with him personally.

Nami rolled her eyes. He was hopeless.

"Uh huh!" Luffy's eyes sparkled. "He's here with me!"

Chopper was squealing again. "It all worked out! You were able to find him, huh? Nice job!"

"We did it!" Carrot cheered.

"~Yohohohoho! Tell Sanji…"

The man in question braced himself.

"…that we're all glad he's safe."

Blue eyes shimmered in disbelief. They really were worried? About him?

"Yes, you silly goose," Brook chortled.

They were still happy to have him back after all this? Sanji exhaled a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. A new smile took the place of his frown, soft and grateful and warm. He didn't exactly know how to handle these new emotions, but for now he figured it was best not to think too much about it.

"Good call," Franky said.

But, of course, someone had to be the realist here, and it was Pedro.

"While it's great you found Sanji," the jaguar mink said from the confines of the mirrored shard. "I hope things are settled…?"

There was silence. Luffy's face shadowed.

"Being honest… Not exactly."

The shard shook. "WHAT?!"

"So, here's the deal — we're crashing Big Mom's tea party and busting up Sanji's wedding," Luffy told them. "Plus, we're gonna save his family, too! After that…he's coming home for good."

Sweat beaded at Sanji's temple. How would the others react to that? It was too much, wasn't it? It was his problem after all…

"Sanji, my guy." Usopp waved his hand downward in a calming gesture. "Relax."

Robin and Zoro chuckled.

There was nothing but stunned silence on the other end at Luffy's declaration. The quiet was eating at Sanji's nerves.

Finally, Chopper stuttered out, "B-Big Mom, huh?"

The fear in the little reindeer's voice was evident, and Sanji grimaced, hating himself. No. No way! He couldn't put Chopper through this — not for his sake.

"Uh, yeah—" Luffy managed before Sanji interrupted with a hysterical shout.

"No way! Look, she's much too strong for us. I would never risk your lives for my own problems, okay?!" The cook stepped back shakily, arms raised like he was surrendering himself.

Luffy was frowning at him but couldn't get a word out before the voices of the others were blasting through the shard.

"OKAY," they agreed unanimously. "Let's do it!"

Sanji and Luffy both fell over in shock.

"You guys really laid on the suspense there," Franky said with a snort. "Had him quakin' at the knees. You know you can't do our bro like that – he'll super overthink it."

"Big Mom is scary!" Chopper wailed as an explanation. "But if it's for Sanji," he sniffed, "then it's worth it."

Chopper was clearly bawling.

Yep. Bawling. The Straw Hats thought, watching their youngest member's lips quiver in the present day, too.

"It's fine. Whatever," the doctor blubbered. "I heard that you and Luffy got into a huge fight, Sanji, and I was so worried, you lug!"

"I'm so happy you-tia are returning!" Carrot added.

Brook's face scrunched into the piece of glass, skeletal fists rubbing at his tearful sockets. "You silly fooooool!"

Sanji was rendered speechless once again. They were more upset for making them worry about him than about risking their lives…

"Because as nakama we protect each other, Sanji," Luffy grinned. "Obviously it's a given."

"So, basically we help out Sanji and he comes back?" Nami sounded like she was smiling. "Okay!"

"…Nami?" Sanji couldn't believe what he was hearing. From the one he was afraid of the most no less.

"Oh." Nami's voice grew instantly serious, and Sanji's stomach clenched. The map-maker narrowed her eyes through the glass. "Don't think I'll let you off easy for freaking me out like that, Sanji."

Sanji gulped, the hairs on his arms raising. And then:

"I will never forgive you."

Like a shot through his chest, it was exactly what he was fearing.

"Ouch," Franky said at the same time Usopp cried, "Nami, you killed him!"

The woman tsk'd. Didn't they just tell her she had every right to be upset? And she had been! Still was on some level, honestly. But like Chopper said, Sanji was worth it. Plus, it didn't negate the fact she understood a lot better now.

Nami sighed, easing up as abruptly as she had put her heel down. "But I can forget that for a moment. We're short on time. The tea party will be starting soon, and we are not leaving without you on board, Sanji! Go that?!"

The cook's heart came back alive. One beat. Two.

She wasn't leaving without him…?

ThreeFourFive.

"Whaaa?! Is that a marriage proposal?! YES, NAMI!"

Usopp side-eyed the screen. "Ah, nevermind. You actually just brought him back to normal."

"Strangely enough his dramatics didn't get on my nerves as much during all this. Guess I missed him being our Sanji." Nami shrugged. "Honestly, though, how was that even close to a—"

"Dumbest proposal I ever heard," Zoro grumbled.

"IT WASN'T A PROPOSAL, JEALOUS MORON!"

Robin laughed as green and orange clashed in the cell next to hers. Her crew was so full of antics. Even onscreen.

Luffy stared at the wriggling love-cook with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, his words an unimpressed monotone. "Nice, Sanji. You're back to normal. That's great."

Lost in his moment of normalness, Sanji soared. Nami still wanted him back on the crew like the others. They were going to help him without Sanji even having to ask. They weren't just following Luffy's orders, either; they wanted to help him because they considered him part of their crew. He was…their nakama. So, whether he deserved their kindness or not, he had it. He was never going to take his friends for granted again.

"He was so close," Usopp wheezed.

"Progress comes in steps," Robin assured him, still smiling warmly. He only stumbled at the end.

With the new promise of his friends by his side, the memory warped into a wash of colors. Present-day Sanji's mind spun, picking out bits and pieces to present. A sporadic display of events in clipped motions. Jinbei's advice that provoking the wrath of an emperor of the sea required an alliance. The Fire Tank Pirates coming into play, and Capon Bege's castle blinking onto the screen.

Then a drawbridge. Then inside.

A bath. A meeting.

Caesar Clown?!

"Gastino," Luffy cackled. "What a funny guy!"

"That's right – you did team up with Bege and Caesar, didn't you?" Robin mused.

The latter triggered an array of emotions from Sanji that were clearly incited on Punk Hazard. A scientist experimenting on and manipulating caged children…

Shed in a new light, memories of the icy hot hellscape of Punk Hazard widened the Straw Hats' eyes.

Oh… Realizations clicked.

The circumstance they were dealing with here were dire, however. Sanji knew he had to subdue his feelings about the shit family he was resolved on saving for the sake of his crew. It was no time to be picky when it came to allies.

The spinning colors of memories continued on. Bege puffed dramatically at a cigar, and Luffy pounded a fist into his palm. Two pirate crews – plus Caesar – had planned out a near-perfect window of time for their mission, and it all rested on the main bait: Luffy.

"Your plan rested on Luffy?" Usopp gulped, watching his captain light up animatedly.

"I told Bege to hide a mirror in the wedding cake! We lured all Big Mom's homies into the mirror world and then – bam!– we came flying out of it!" Luffy cackled hysterically. "Is that the coolest way to make an entrance or what?! It was so funny!"

Nami had her forehead pressed to her curled legs. "I have no idea how we survive anything."

Now, as the memory solidified, Sanji was stood at the edges of a velvet drape, the sunlight outlining his body in a soft glow. A white coat with gold embroidery stitched down the lapel hung from his stiff shoulders, falling to the back of his knees. A cream cravat was tucked into a silk vest, the milky white fabric blending into meticulously tailored slacks. Sanji rolled at the sleeves of his matching white dress shirt as he clipped on his cuff links and took one last calming drag of nicotine before the madness.

This was it.

His wedding.

Zoro could feel his face twisting into a scowl. He wasn't a fan of that phrasing. Not without the context. And the cook looked so much like the perfect prince here that it hurt.

Well, I'll still be alive, Sanji thought. But this is an emperor we're dealing with. Any way you slice it, this isn't gonna be pretty.

The plan was set:

Sanji would go through the ceremony as normal. Once he lifted Pudding's veil, she'd shoot him square in the head. He'd dodge. While everyone was distracted, Luffy would show up and break that picture of Big Mom's mother that would make the emperor go crazy and let out her shrill haki-encased scream. Luckily, their group would all have earplugs for that part. Then, while the guests were in a panic, Sanji and the crew would get Germa out of there and send them on their crappy way. Capone Bege would attempt to assassinate Big Mom at that time, but that had nothing to do with the Straw Hats.

In any case, it would be a race against time. Any mishap could end in their demise.

Easy.

"Yeah, we were almost late," Luffy laughed.

"Because a certain rubber moron fell asleep after eating ten times his weight in food and wouldn't wake up," Nami glowered.

"Of course, the gunshot seemed delayed anyway," Brook said.

Chopper nodded as he remembered how anxious he was waiting for that awful gunshot to go off and nothing was happening. He kept fearing the pulsing of his rapidly increased heartbeat in his ears was going to make him miss the cue.

The hardest part – for Sanji himself – wasn't the bullet or Big Mom. It was Pudding. Sanji grimaced at how ridiculous he was being. This was his second time making himself presentable because his bride was so good at her job. Why the hell did she have to be so cute? How was he supposed to see past those wide doe-eyes of hers?

"You've gotta be shittin' me, Curly," Zoro groused.

It was becoming increasingly more difficult for him to act normal.

Of course, in this case perhaps 'normal' was Sanji fawning over her. Right?

"I mean, bro's got a point there," Franky acknowledged in their cook's defense.

But if he let himself get too caught up in it, he might forget it was just an act! He knew himself well enough. He constantly wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt, especially beautiful women who he believed deserved the chance to be cherished. His mind would race to understand their actions. To defend them, even.

He recalled when he first saw Pudding in her wedding gown. After being escorted to the waiting area, she had smiled at him. His heart had stuttered at the sight. He couldn't handle how beautiful she was. Couldn't process how that sweet innocence had transformed into a cold bully.

"Sanji?" Pudding had asked – voice musical – when he had been quiet too long. He had swallowed down his nerves and peered down at her. "Is something wrong?"

Sanji had forced out a laugh.

"No, nothing. Just nervous. That's all."

"Me too," she had whispered back, sparkling, and Sanji hadn't thought he was going to make it.

Through the entire waiting process – which seemed to take entirely too long as far as Sanji was concerned – he had been wrestling with himself.

Stop, stop! It doesn't matter how cute she is, you've seen the truth. Don't be fooled!

Stay cool! Stay cool! Don't fall for her charms!

Get it together, you jackass – she's just acting! She's planning to shoot you dead!

"Sanji, is something wrong?" Pudding had asked once again.

"No!" He had cleared his throat. "No no, I was… I was just thinking about our kiss." He tried to appear suave.

"And failing," Zoro grumbled incoherently. Just because.

"I thought you might be shy doing it in front of all the people here. I could just kiss you on the forehead if you want."

Pudding had winked and dragged her pinky across her bottom lip. "Kiss me on the lips."

Sanji had nearly died, nosebleed and all.

"To be fair, that was a pretty conniving move she pulled," Nami said. "Perfect execution. Sanji stood no chance."

Zoro was seething in his frustration.

And that was what had brought him behind this curtain, changing once again and mentally preparing himself for what was to come – which was marrying a beautiful, cruel seductress.

Said seductress' shadow appeared on the other side of the curtain. "Are you all ready to go, dear?"

Now she was calling him 'dear'? Zoro cursed at any higher-being that was there and listening.

Ready as I'll ever be , Sanji thought, pushing through the drapes and giving Pudding his best smile. "Now, shall we?"

"I can't wait," she said, smiling with him as he walked away. Then, quietly behind his back her third eye materialized, shimmering. Can't wait to blow your dumb brains out, it seemed to say.

Usopp and Chopper shivered.

"That's crazy disconcerting," Franky said.

"He still isn't aware she has a third eye," Robin remembered.

Zoro honestly didn't think it would be a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Hell, the kinky cook would probably just add it the list of reasons to drool over her.

As the clock struck twelve-noon, the wedding officially began, and the "happy couple" was introduced.

"The 35th daughter of Big Mom's family – Charlotte Pudding – and the 3rd prince of the Germa Kingdom – Vinsmoke Sanji – will join their hands in marriage!"

Fireworks danced across the sky as the crowd cheered. The applause only grew as the bride and groom appeared above them in a giant teacup and saucer. They floated over the mirthful guests. Sanji's brothers pointed and laughed, and Pudding clung to Sanji's arm making him acutely aware of her touch. He knew she was trying to keep him as flustered as possible. And it was working…

Why was he so damn touch-starved?! he moaned internally. And she's so soft…

"At least he's self-aware…" Franky muttered.

"Starved for touch? But I give him hugs all the time," Chopper remarked innocently. He looked up at Brook. "You think I should give him more hugs?"

The skeleton nodded. "Oh, absolutely."

Zoro pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy groan.

He couldn't handle how gentle she was with him. Couldn't handle how beautiful she looked every time she gazed up through her lashes. And, sure, she was evil – that didn't mean he couldn't look, though, right? He had fawned over plenty of women on the opposing side before. Nothing wrong with that.

As the ceremony took off, his thought process continued on its path of back-and-forth. He could barely keep up with the priest as he begged himself to keep his wits about him. He didn't want to be here. Didn't want thisto be his wedding. He'd always dreamt of a ceremony like this, but it was drastically different. Far less pink, far less Germa, and definitely didn't involve as many conspiracies.

"Ah, yes," Usopp said, nodding wisely. "Some conspiracies, surely. Just not as many."

His friends would all be there by his side, supporting him along with Zeff and the Baratie cooks. The faceless brides he imagined changed from day-to-day. There were even some tailored suits thrown in the mix eventually, but most of those faceless grooms had a head of mossy hair and…

The Straw Hats weren't entirely surprised someone like Sanji had thought of these things, but they did try to mask their amusement as a particular swordsman glowed beet red under his head of mossy hair.

The heat creeping up Sanji's neck at where his thoughts were taking him in such a crucial moment slapped him back to reality. This wasn't a real wedding, so he had to get a grip! He couldn't blow this just because a beautiful woman was in front of him and looking at him like…like that! Like there was love there and – fuck – he'd wanted someone to look at him like that for so long.

Sympathetic frowns returned. That was the real kicker here, wasn't it? In any other circumstance, this would be a dream for Sanji. Here, it was nothing short of a nightmare. Every single aspect of Whole Cake silently polluted Sanji's dreams and aspirations while he unknowingly continued to breathe them in. His only option was to suffocate.

Fake or not, what if Sanji never got a chance to see that look aimed at him again?

God, Zoro hoped Curly had seen that look again. Hoped he realized every time he locked eyes with him.

Sanji was busy hating himself – equally self-aware and ready to throw himself over to the wolves if the wolves looked like Pudding – until finally the priest said the words he'd been waiting for.

"You may lift the veil and kiss the bride."

Pudding slowly kneeled.

Usopp leaned in. "Oh, here we go…"

"He's going to see the eye…" Chopper whispered anxiously.

Brook hummed. "It's going to be a real eye-opener… ~Yoho!"

Heart pounding in his ears, Sanji reached for the hem. He lifted the tulle carefully. As its edges cleared Pudding's rosy cheeks, she smirked. And when it was completely out of the way, her eyes shot open – all three of them.

Sanji leaned back, pupils withering with a shudder at the revelation. He was expecting…a gun… Not…

Pudding watched his expression in earnest, and her grin sharpened. Her pistol clicked behind her back as she brought it forward, raising the barrel of the gun to Sanji's shocked, blushing face.

Blushing?

The crew was puzzled for a moment. Except Zoro.

Called it.

There was a swift pause as Pudding clearly waited to hear what glorious last words he had to say.

Sanji swallowed.

"To think…that you would hide such a beautiful eye."

"WHAAA?!"

All this time, there weren't merely two eyes as warm as melted milk-chocolate – but three?

"He—He likes it?!" Usopp and Chopper shrieked.

"I mean, there are weirder things out there. We've seen 'em. Just didn't think Sanji would be attracted to it," Franky muttered.

"It's just an eye," Robin chuckled. She made extra eyes all the time. Perhaps it was Pudding's toxic lean toward trickery that put them off.

Pudding's third eye blinked. All three widened. The pistol began to shake, and Sanji came back to his senses.

Was she going to shoot—

As if in slow motion, the weapon fell from her grasp. It clanged to the floor. Tears pooled within three striking eyes and Pudding's whispered voice trembled.

"What?"

Sanji backtracked. "Um, I'm sorry – I shouldn't stare! It's just… Your eyes are so pretty…" He was rambling now, confused and thrown way off guard. "Are you…okay?" he asked instead, because wasn't she supposed to shoot him?

Pudding's lips quivered. "Screw you," she hissed, suddenly falling to her knees. She sobbed into her hands.

Sanji balked. Why had he made her cry? Why did he keep making women cry?! Even his enemy, he couldn't stand to see a lady hurting like this.

"Pudding…"

"You go to hell!" she cried back. "I know I'm a freak! Is this pity, dammit?! It's beautiful? How dare you tell me that!"

"I see," Robin said. "I don't think Pudding's ever received a warm response to her third eye before."

"By her own words, it's likely she was bullied," Nami agreed.

"Sanji's tenderness threw her off guard and was exactly what she needed to hear in her life," the archeologist said, smiling knowingly. "In which case…"

"It was the cook's kindness that ended up saving him," Zoro finished calmly.

Chopper gasped. "That must be why she helps us later, too!"

"Another defected to his side?!" Franky was weeping. "Sanji's passion is unstoppable!"

Luffy smiled broadly like the proud captain that he was.

Sanji leaned towards the girl now, concerned. This wasn't like either of the two Puddings he knew – the good nor the evil. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Talk to me."

Below them, the Charlottes were scrambling to rectify Pudding's mistake. Big Mom signaled for the priest to off Sanji instead, and the man pulled his own gun out and aimed.

Sanji's senses stirred.

The shot that was fired didn't come from the priest, however, and Sanji barely stumbled back in time to dodge the strange bullet that came from the complete opposite direction. The candy jacket collided into the priest's forehead instead, and the man's gun went off into the sky, igniting the chaos.

Teacups crashed. Plates clattered. Murmuring was everywhere as panic rose and set.

"What is going on here?!" Vinsmoke Judge demanded.

The altar rumbled.

Sanji didn't know whether to leave Pudding or not, but all instincts screamed at him that she was too vulnerable right now to leave behind. That her current state of helplessness could get her injured.

As he scooped her in his arms, the wedding cake detonated. Frosting flew in every direction, and hundreds of Strawhat Luffy's sprang forth, leaping into the crowd. His antics took their natural course, and pandemonium ensued.

Luffy pumped his fist in the air. "Time to take Sanji back!"

Chapter Text

There was no turning back now.

Sanji watched his captain's chaotic entrance in awe before sky-walking Pudding off the collapsing altar. It didn't take long for the anarchy to send the ceremony into an all-out panic. Sanji looked back in time to see Jinbei facing off with Big Mom. The fishman completely unaffected by her power.

"The man who I have chosen to follow," Jinbei was saying, "will surely be King of the Pirates someday. I cannot be intimidated by a mere Emperor of the Sea!"

Sanji smiled.

As did the Straw Hats.

It was good to have Jinbei onboard. Their helmsman had been scouting the waters when the gas incapacitated their ship, so had been spared capture. If Hollowell and his specialists realized the Straw Hats were a crewmate short, they never showed any sign of it, and the crew wondered if Jinbei would somehow find them and break them out before they managed themselves – he had a way about doing that time and again.

His crew clearly had everything under control, and he figured he was far enough away from the frontlines now to land somewhere.

"Are you okay, Pudding?" he asked the still-sobbing girl in his arms. "Let's find someplace safe…"

Pudding glanced up at him as he spoke, eyes shimmering, then angry. She whipped out another pistol from her dress and fired. Sanji's head snapped back as the shot echoed.

Every muscle in each crewmember tensed automatically.

"Gah! Why did it show like that?!" Usopp whined, he and Nami clutching at their hearts. It wasn't like they didn't know Sanji dodged it. "Geez!"

Pudding fell from Sanji's arms as he dodged and scrambled back. The girl was lucky they were so low to the ground already. Sanji stumbled again as she fired two more rounds.

"Pudding, stop!"

"Be quiet," she growled. She cocked her gun again. "Look – this is the real me! See? You surprised?" She grinned her evil grin, all three eyes fluttering in shadow. "Or maybe disappointed? Not to worry, though – you won't have to live with the truth!"

She fired.

Missed.

Despite what she was saying, she was wavering. Teetering on the edge of something Sanji couldn't place. There were more than two sides to Charlotte Pudding, and Sanji didn't think even she knew which one was the real her. Had she ever been allowed to find out? Or just designed by her family…like Reiju and his brothers and even himself?

Big Mom and Judge weren't that different. Not really.

Chopper frowned. "It's sad when he puts it like that."

"Sanji is quite observant when he's paying enough attention," Brook said. "I don't suppose he's entirely wrong about her."

"There is a difference, though," Nami pointed out. "Pudding still has emotions, and she wasn't completely alone or with only bad influences. She had siblings like Chiffon and Lola and probably a lot more. I mean, there are a lot of Charlottes…"

"Plus, she was super cruel," Franky added. "Not saying she's gotta be perfect or anything. But it's not really a good excuse, either – is it?"

"Maybe not," Robin supposed. "But whatever people and circumstances influenced her the most, she either never considered there was another path or wasn't strong enough to take it."

"Maybe Pudding saw most of her siblings behaving that way and figured that was just how the world worked?" Usopp suggested. He tilted his head, face twisting, uncertain. "But then she knew how to act like good person, so she knew the difference between 'good' and 'bad'…" He shut his eyes and shook his head furiously. "Agh! This is too complicated!"

Sanji leaned away from another candy jacket aimed for his head, then straightened. With calm, determined steps, he walked toward Pudding as she fire again and again, shot after shot. The closer he got to her, the more she trembled. Panicked when she ran out of ammo, the girl switched to verbal shots.

"I've been conning idiot like you my entire life!" She laughed. "You're so easy to deceive—"

"And what about you?" Sanji interrupted, making her pause.

"What?"

"What I mean is, you've also been deceiving yourself, Pudding – haven't you?"

There was a moment of stunned silence as Pudding tried to regain her composure. Her lips quivered again, and she shook. "Don't—Don't act like you understand!"

In their distraction, Sanji almost didn't see another of Big Mom's children appear, and he barely got himself and Pudding out of the attack's radius in time. Apparently Sanji was still a main target.

"He attacked even with his sister right there?" Franky said, eyebrow quirked.

"Daifuku!" Pudding cried, reaching for the broad man with shaved blonde hair and a nasty scowl.

"You screwed this one up, Pudding," her brother scolded. "You useless twit. We don't have time to screw around like this! Things can't proceed until this chump dies."

Sanji didn't like the way he spoke to her. It was too familiar a family dynamic.

Robin smirked slightly. "You see? Our cook will always have a soft spot for abused siblings."

"Sounds like her problem," Zoro grumbled, earning an eyeroll from Nami beside him.

"Zoro, be nice," Chopper admonished.

"It's okay, man, I understand why you don't like her." Usopp nodded seriously. "Here you are with one good eye left, and she gets to have three. Life can be so unfair."

Zoro's swords flashed. "Does Long-Nose wanna become No-Nose?"

"Wha-?! Now, now – let's not get hasty!"

Luffy laughed at his crew's antics.

As Pudding shoved out of Sanji's arms and ran for the safety of her brother, a blue smoke erupted from Daifuku's belt, manifesting into a solid being with a long blade.

Usopp's and Franky's eyes bulged. "Is that a genie?!"

Sanji had to dodge a new array of attacked while Pudding pleaded for her brother to stop, swearing that she could finish the job herself.

She was trying to prove her usefulness, Sanji though with a tsk.

"You already had your chance and completely blew it," Daifuku said. "Now take a seat!" He backhanded his sister across the cheek.

Sanji's eyes widened. "Hang on, Pudding!" But as he parried with the genie, leg to blade, Vinsmoke Judge's booming voice rang out.

"HOW DARE YOU TRY SOMETHING LIKE THIS ON US!"

Back amid the action, the Vinsmoke family table was encased in purple goo and surrounded by Charlottes. The goo solidified, trapping Judge and his children in their seats. Sanji cursed.

"Dammit! This wasn't supposed to happen…"

Big Mom seemed to be in some sort of shock rather than letting out the scream she was supposed to. Nami and the others were waiting for that cue to bring the raid suits out. It was all going too slow, and now Sanji had to get over there sooner rather than later.

Judge struggled against the hardening candy, fuming. "What's the meaning of this, Big Mom?! I TRUSTED YOU!"

"Did this guy really never consider she'd double-cross him?" Franky questioned. Seemed naïve as hell for a leader.

The Vinsmoke siblings, however, remained calm and disinterested in their own seats. Four pistols were at the ready behind each of their heads.

"What about our agreement?!" Judge was demanding. "Even in the underworld we honor decency! Answer me!"

"There was nothing decent about their arrangement to being with," Luffy said, shrugging.

Beside him, his eldest son was smirking. "A little late to whine about it now, Father. We sure walked into this one, huh?" Ichiji chuckled. "This candy has us bound."

"They swiped all our weapons at the gate," Yonji added with a sneer of his own. "They even have our raid suits."

"Looks like we fell for the perfect setup," Niji said. "I guess we aim too high, huh?"

The brothers laughed.

Judge glared at his sons. "What is wrong with you?! Stop laughing!"

"Pft. Isn't he the one who made them like that?" Zoro said.

Reiju eyed her father with zero sympathy. The boys didn't fear their own death. He was the one who had made his sons hardly human. What did he expect?

Big Mom's children laughed, too, mocking the Germa King whose face grew so red it was almost purple. "You're making jokes?!" he shouted at them. "I've worked so hard! I've devoted my life to this! All for the sake of vengeance against the countries of the North Blue. I've shed blood, sweat, and tears for the Germa Empire! Big Mom, what do you have to say for yourself!"

Big Mom, however, was still in her own shock. There was no talking himself out of this.

"Please tell me…" Judge started to cry angry tears. "Tell me this is all a lie!"

"He's crying?!" Zoro, Usopp, and Franky bellowed.

The lanky first son of Big Mom – Perospero – tittered at Judge. Pistols slanted and cocked as they leveled with the captive Vinsmokes, and Sanji's white legs shimmered through the air, catching aflame, shooting his body forward like a rocket to clear his path toward his blood-family.

Judge was still bawling like a child throwing a tantrum.

"You bastard!" Judge sobbed, struggling futilely against his candy prison. "If I had my raid suit…then we would be the ones laughing at you!"

"Bro, you don't though," Franky shook his head. Guy was a super sore loser. No amount of whining was gonna save him. And he acted so high-and-mighty…

"Man, he's really nothing like Sanji," Luffy added.

Thank goodness for that, Zoro thought. Although he had to admit, watching the Germa King crumble was satisfying.

"Raid suit? What is that?" Perospero drawled. "A weapon? Do you think that would help? I don't think so. How sad – you tried to sneak a weapon into your own son's wedding and got caught."

Sanji sped toward them, almost there, eyes catching the glimmer of a gun brush close to strands of pink hair. "Leave now, Reiju!" he cried, garnering all their attention.

Daifuku's genie was hot on his tail. No matter how many times the cook knocked it back, it was on him again, aided by the speed of the wind in the air. It grabbed at Sanji desperately and slammed him face-first into the ground. The blonde forced his head up as far as he could, eyes searching for his sister. "Run…Reiju…"

But Reiju… She only smiled at him. Kind and soft.

The look of their mother. A woman who had also accepted her fate, and Sanji's heart plummeted.

"It's like she feels a sense of peace seeing her brother all grown up," Brook said. "She's ashamed to be a Vinsmoke, but Sanji's a blessing to their bloodline as his kindness confounds all reason."

"She must see Sora in him," Robin agreed. "And feels she understands how their mother must have felt when she looked at Sanji, too."

Brook hummed. "Quite poetic."

Perospero watched Sanji's display with amusement. "Look at that, Judge. He wants to rescue you. How sweet ~lick. But sadly it's over for you Vinsmokes. Now, let the lickety fun commence!"

Guns cocked. Triggers pulled back. Sanji's fear ignited through his bloodstream like a fuse.

And then, Big Mom's scream reverberated through the chaos.

Weapons fell forgotten as her shrill cry shattered eardrums, rendering every person in the vicinity immobile. Even the Vinsmokes shuddered, until three new fighters entered the fray to come to their aid.

Nami, Chopper, and Carrot arrived quietly on scene, slipping earplugs into each of the Vinsmokes' ears, sparing them from the noise.

Germa 66 had no idea what was going on anymore, and then, suddenly, a flaming wheel spun from out of the sky. A single heel shattered the purple candy that had them trapped into millions of sparkling shards. The Vinsmokes' eyes rose up to see none other than Sanji, coat billowing in the heat as fire licked up his legs, sending sparks floating around them like ash and casting the blonde in the orange glow of his own power.

Zoro wasn't even attempting to hold back his grin. Pride and satisfaction unbridled. And – damn – that was good look for Curly, too.

Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper had stars for eyes. "Wow! So cool!"

Judge's pupils shook as he stared up into the fiery, formidable gaze of his underestimated third son. The 'weak' one who was disowned until convenient. The one who had just saved Judge's sorry ass.

Franky laughed. "Alright, Sanji! Bro totally deserved that moment."

"Mhmm," Robin smiled, delighted that their cook had demanded to be seen even if it was simply a side effect of the compassion that drove him forward.

The shocked Vinsmokes were distributed their respective raid suit canisters by the Straw Hats, and somewhere in that moment, allegiances had shifted.

The memory blurred, showcasing a lot of running after that as their plan was thwarted on every account.

"Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong," Nami sighed.

Their initial escape back into the mirror world was deterred by Big Mom's scream destroying the mirror in Caesar's grasp before anyone could get to it, and Capone Bege had to turn himself into his tank castle form for their escape instead. Meanwhile, the Charlotte children had regained their composure and ascended with ferocity, including Big Mom herself. Sanji was surrounded immediately back at the Vinsmoke table as he watched his crewmates be snatched up by the Charlottes.

In the middle of his panic, five canisters were held outward, and beams of light blinded the attackers as Vinsmoke Judge and his children transformed into their raid suits in dazzling displays.

The Straw Hats stared.

"Still don't get why their change is so fancy," Franky muttered, but he was a fan of the dramatics, so whatever.

Did Curly go through that when he used his? Zoro chortled. He was sorry he missed it.

"Burn like the trash you are!" a Big Mom pirate yelled in the midst of it all, setting the table alight.

Sanji was immediately surrounded by capes. Not a single scratch or burn was inflicted on him or the siblings that surrounded him.

Definitely wasn't expecting that, Sanji thought.

But as quickly as they appeared at his side, his siblings jetted away, toward the apprehended Straw Hats. Chopper and Carrot were freed quickly, while Nami was thrown into the air as Reiju attacked her captor.

"I've got you!" Sanji cried, catching Nami in his arms and running her to the safety of Bege's castle, Chopper and Carrot flanking him on either side.

Nami smiled up at the cook. "Nice catch!"

Sanji seemed to sparkle. "It's my pleasure, I assure you."

"Crew's coming back together nicely, I see," Franky chuckled.

Luffy cleared the way for his crew, and Germa blasted through to the castle as well, just in time for the gates of Bege's body to close. Everyone had made it to their barricaded safety point, but they weren't out of the water yet. They were only protected by Bege's abilities. They needed to get out of Big Mom's territory. If Caesar could fly Bege – who held everybody inside him – to the shore, they could all escape their separate ways there.

Plans could never be that simple, though, and while arguing erupted, Sanji felt a tall presence come up behind him.

"Answer me one thing, Sanji…"

Sanji stiffened. Turned slowly to face Judge. The King of Germa glared down at him as if he was inferior still.

Zoro narrowed his eye.

"Why did you save us?" Judge asked. "We fell into that trap on our own, and we're hardly your allies."

There was a moment of silence as Sanji truly contemplated his answer. And then, with absolute transparency:

"Because my father would be disappointed in me if I didn't. That's why."

Judge balked, but Sanji persisted.

"I used to hold onto all the resentment from so many years ago…"

A dark cell. An iron weight. A little boy crying. 'What did I do wrong? I'm sorry… Sorry I was born so weak! Please help me! I can't live in here by myself!'

The Straw Hats' hearts did not like being reminded of that.

"But if I grew up to be such a coldhearted man that I would laugh at the death of my own flesh and blood, I couldn't face him. If I can't stand tall and look my father in the eyes, then I've failed him."

Sanji walked forward, remembering all the cruel words Judge had ever spoken to him as he disowned him all those years ago. He was no longer a Vinsmoke. Hadn't been for a long ass time. And he needed them to fucking know that. Right here, right now. He was Black Leg Sanji, the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates and the son of Red Leg Zeff. Nothing else mattered to him.

"Thirteen years ago, Vinsmoke Sanji escaped from the Kingdom of Germa and died at sea," Sanji told Judge. "You got exactly what you wanted that day." Sanji threw his fist back as if he was about to punch the man. His palm opened at the last second and grabbed at the edges of his cloak instead, dragging the king down to his knees. Now that Judge was eye-level with him, the cook spat, "After this – we're done. You're not my father, Vinsmoke Judge. And don't you forget that!"

The Straw Hats smiled. It took a lot of courage to face your past, to accept it, and even more to stand up to it.

"After this, I don't ever want to see your face again!"

Judge smacked Sanji's hand away and stood. He turned away quickly. "I understand. You have my word – this is the last you'll see of me. And I'll stay away from the East Blue, as well."

"Well, that was easy," Usopp mumbled.

He walked away and Sanji let him go. There was a silent moment of tension, nobody knowing quite what to do or say.

"Open the castle gate!" Judge suddenly demanded of the room. "Hear my words, Bege – until Caesar delivers you safely from here, Germa 66 will act as your guards."

Usopp blanked. "Haah?!"

Sanji stopped Luffy from offering his help as Germa 66 made their exit, Judge throwing one final thing over his shoulder.

"I don't want to be indebted to that failure any longer."

"Oh." That cleared it up for the now-unimpressed sniper.

Zoro knew he would never be able to be in a room with that pathetic excuse for a man without giving him something real to cry like a baby about.

As the memory progressed, the Vinsmokes kept their vow. Sanji and Luffy joined in the fight when Reiju was knocked into trouble, and together the two Straw Hats fought alongside the Vinsmokes, head-to-head with the Charlottes. Sanji ran forward, Reiju flying by his side. When it seemed everyone had been restrained, there was an explosion from down below and the chateau began to topple. Sanji grabbed Luffy and air-walked off the falling chateau. Nami called to them, and Ichiji and Reiju worked together to clear a path from the falling debris for them.

All of this… It was the first time Sanji had ever fought alongside them. Was this what it would've been like had Sanji turned out like them? Or perhaps if they had retained their humanity and they were all just a normal family?

Hell, it didn't matter anymore. Sanji had a family – and it wasn't them.

"That's right!" Chopper beamed, so happy in this moment his little eyes scrunched at the corners.

"Let's go!" Luffy called out when they had made it to the shore and broke off from their allies. Luffy was grinning ear-to-ear as they ran to find the Sunny. The Straw Hats had made it this far, and now Sanji could go home.

Chapter Text

Sanji wanted nothing more than to return to the Sunny. For the first time since he left Zou, he felt almost in control of his own life again.

So, of course Big Mom chose to chase after them.

Of course her Seducing Woods had to cause problems.

And of course Charlotte Pudding had to show up, her sister – and Bege's wife – Chiffon at her side as they flew alongside the Straw Hats atop Rabian. On the one hand, Sanji was ecstatic that she was unharmed and safe after that whole chateau-toppling fiasco at the tea party. On the other hand, there was no way she was here to exchange pleasantries and wish them well on their way. Hell, he still didn't know whose side of the aisle she stood on. But Chiffon at least was an ally, and they clearly had something to say.

Pudding and Luffy were growling at each other. Back and forth. Luffy demanding she fight him, and Pudding demanding he shut up and listen to what she had to say. Whenever she locked eyes with Sanji, however, she seemed to stumble over her words.

"Pft. What's her deal?" Zoro scowled.

Robin pressed her lips together, and Franky chuckled. "She's back for more Sanji, bro." The swordsman glowered at him.

"Get it together, Pudding," Chiffon told her. Pudding shook her head, pigtails flailing.

"Right. Um, Sanji…" she started again.

Did she need something from him? He smiled delicately at the girl. "Yes, Pudding?"

"You… You…" She seemed be getting redder the longer he looked at her.

Sanji frowned. "I…?"

At peak blush, she exploded. "YOU'RE USELESS! YOU DESERVE DEATH, YOU MISERABLE IDIOTS!"

Usopp gawked.

"EVEN IF YOU DO MAKE IT OUT TO SEA, MAMA WILL HUNT YOU DOWN IN COLD BLOOD AND YOU'LL ALL SINK INTO THE MURKY DEPTHS ~AHAHAHA!"

"Hey, what did you just say?!" Luffy growled at the same time Chiffon snapped at her to get a grip.

Pudding cried, "What am I saying?! You're right – I'm sorry!"

"Sheesh," Usopp muttered.

Luffy tilted his head. "Yeah, I still don't get her. It was like she wanted to be a jerk, but also wanted to help." He picked at his nose. "I wished she'd just made up her mind."

"It seems she's not sure what she wants herself," Robin surmised gently.

"Yeah, she didn't get much better as far as I saw," Nami commented with a sigh. Leave it to Sanji to attract the crazy ones (she side-eyed a pouting Zoro, knowing he'd be more than willing to snap at any given moment).

"Listen," Chiffon told them instead, "Mama believes you guys stole her big Wedding Cake. She's completely fixated on that idea right now. As it stands, Mama would chase you to the ends of the world just to get one bite of that sweet dessert."

Ah, that was why she was chasing them first then.

"Why did she think we had it to begin with?" Nami said. "It still makes no sense."

"Unless someone told her that we did," Brook countered.

"Exactly," Pudding growled and giggled at the same time. "So give up, Sanji! Come stand at my side and savor this momentous occasion with me!" Sanji stared at her, one curly eyebrow quirked up. "We'll watch your friends perish at Mama's hands! Muaha—"

"What is your deal?!" Chiffon butted in again, making Pudding scream and hide behind her hands.

Luffy glared. "If you came here to torture us you can get lost!"

"Wait a minute," Chiffon pleaded. "Pudding told me that Black Leg Sanji was really good at making sweets."

"Uh huh," Sanji nodded absently. "But I'm first class at anything I make."

Now if he could apply that confidence to the rest of his life… The Straw Hats thought.

"That's perfect, because you have to help us bake a cake. The exact one Mama wants so we can stop her. Then we'll help all of you escape in return."

"HA! Who knows if we'll survive or not," Pudding added with a wave of her hand. "But I'll make one thing clear – I'm not doing this for you. It's sheer luck that the cake I wanted to bake is the same one Mama craves. A-And I just passed by this area by coincidence! I didn't know you people would be around…"

Sanji stared at Pudding, completely confused.

"So, don't go thinking I came all the way here to stop her because I didn't wanna see you all die – you understand me, Sanjiiiii?!" Then she squealed with a blush and hid her face.

"That wasn't very convincing," Usopp mumbled. "Worst lie she's told yet."

She's all over the place , Sanji thought. Everyone could see that.

"Her impressive acting skills are rendered useless when Sanji is around," said Robin. "He's made her want to be honest, but I'm certain she doesn't quite know what that looks like for her yet. It's interesting."

"Uh, anyway, back to business…" Sanji cleared his throat. "So…where can we bake this cake?"

Chiffon told them of their plan. If she, Pudding, and Sanji headed to Chocolat Town immediately, the Straw Hats would return to the Sunny and head for Cacao Island, where the town was located. Sanji's group would sail the cake halfway to meet them, intercepting Big Mom with the dessert she was craving. While she was distracted, Sanji could board the ship with his crew and get away with them.

"Nothing short of a perfect cake will put an end to this rampage," Jinbei warned them.

Sanji chuckled. He guessed he had no choice then. "Luffy…" The cook smiled confidently at his captain. "I'll meet up with you at sea!"

Luffy smiled back. "That one's a promise, Sanji!"

During their flight to Cacao Island on the magic carpet, Pudding continued to jump back and forth from sweet to sour, unable to find the balance she obviously wanted. However, every time Sanji looked at her or smiled, her cheeks flushed and her eyes turned to hearts.

"Sanji's turned her into himself," Chopper said.

"Except a little more insane," Usopp added. "And I didn't think that was possible."

Sanji's memories spun a rapid tale of the events that transpired in the baking process. From sneaking into the kitchen, to Sanji reconstructing the perfect diagram of Big Mom's wedding cake, much to all the helping cooks' shock.

"Wait. Did he just re-create the structure of Big Mom's cake perfectly?" Nami questioned. "Is that what Chiffon is saying he did?!"

"Sanji's palate is so advanced he made an entire diagram by smell," Chopper said, awed.

"I had no idea the nose could be so powerful," Brook hummed. "Of course, I don't have a nose, so…~Yoho!"

"Alright, snap to it!" Pudding trilled, appearing with a giant ladle, a flouncing skirt, and apron with an extra-large chef hat to match. "Every minute counts!"

Sanji's heart eyes popped out of his head. "Woah! Pudding looks so cute as a cook!"

"Pft." Zoro rolled his eye. "Any woman would look 'cute as a cook' to that love-sick doofus."

Nami patted his mossy head. "Now, now."

"We could get you a chef outfit, Zoro," Robin teased.

"Yeah, bro," Franky smirked. "Frilly apron and all."

"Shut up," Zoro tsk'd at them, making everyone laugh. Poor guy couldn't catch a break, and now even Robin was making fun of him. Couldn't they see how stupid this all was?

Sanji's compliment made Pudding collapse with redness. The helpers started to praise what a good husband Sanji was, which confused him at first. This snapped Pudding back to reality and she ushered him closer to whisper at him that she edited their memories so they wouldn't know about the whole wedding fiasco. Meaning, she and Sanji would have to work like they were husband and wife.

"How convenient for her…" Zoro all but growled. Nami rubbed his shoulder this time, sympathetic despite all the teasing.

Through the snippets of their time baking, Pudding was constantly fawning over Sanji, who – although was aware enough to notice her strange behavior – didn't understand it at all. It didn't matter to him, though. Whatever she was struggling with internally he would just be kind and supportive.

Robin chuckled. "As oblivious as he is sweet."

Zoro's gaze softened. Yeah, fine. He supposed his cook kind of endeared him sometimes. Whatever.

Despite their deadline and everyone adamant the process needed to be sped up somehow, Sanji refused to cut corners for the sake of time. If he was going to do it, he was going to do it right. There were no shortcuts to perfection, and perfection was what Sanji was going to serve Big Mom. There was no doubt in his mind how happy she'd be when tasting this dessert, and the thought – despite everything – made him smile. He couldn't help it.

Here someone was on a destructive rampage for food. She was hungry and desperate, and no amount of violence could stop her. Only the strength of good food.

This was a battle Sanji knew how to fight, and one only he could take on. This was his area of expertise, after all. Like second nature. Years of perfecting his craft – a craft so many had tried to shame him for – always came back to aid him in protecting his friends.

The kitchen was his battlefield.

And he was going to win.

"Sanji was made for this moment," Chopper said with a proud little smile and stars in his eyes.

"You know, Judge spent years trying to beat Sanji's passion for cooking and his kindness out of him," Nami said, sad but intrigued. "Yet, time and time again, it's those very things that have helped him survive."

Zoro tilted his head down, a lopsided smirk appearing beneath shadowed eyes. "In a way, the cook can make allies almost as well as Luffy."

Midway through the process, however, one of the Charlotte siblings – Brûlée – called Pudding to inform her of the family's own plan. That even if the Straw Hats made it to Cacao Island, their captain most certainly would not. Luffy was currently fighting Katakuri in the mirror world. Since the mirror on their ship was shattered, they had to go to Cacao Island in hopes that Luffy would pop up there from a mirror, and the Charlottes would make sure they had the only one.

"That had been a fight for the record books, hadn't it?" Brook said, reminiscing with the Whole Cake rescue team. It wasn't a happy reminiscing, but still. They had made it, at least.

"Big brother has never lost a single fight in his whole life," Pudding was trying to tell Sanji afterward, who didn't seem as concerned as she though he should be. The curly-browed cook kept casually stirring with a small smile plastered to his face.

"Then it's a special occasion," he finally said.

"Huh?"

Sanji grinned over his shoulder. "He's about to lose for the first time."

The Straw Hats smirked knowingly, and Luffy laughed. "He was right about that!"

With only a few hiccups to be overcome, and with Sanji at the reigns, the freshly baked cake was aboard its ship and sailing smoothly forward to meet up with the Straw Hats and Big Mom.

However, Bege had other plans. He tried to convince them to add poison to the cake to take out Big Mom, and Sanji put his foot down, flaming and all. Sanji had full confidence his cake would stop her in her path, and he forced Bege to try some to prove his point.

It had worked.

Bege admittedly realized there didn't need to be a Plan B, but at the same time he had never doubted it would stop her rampage. Bege was more of a big picture type guy, which Sanji respected. Because maybe it was the wise strategy to take. Maybe sabotage when an emperor was at their most vulnerable was how everyone should think. But Sanji…

Sanji took charge, more determined than ever.

"Here's the deal – assassinate whoever you want but wait until my guest is served and the meal is complete. If someone is hungry then I feed them – that is my duty as a chef!"

Sanji wouldn't allow anyone to die by food… He just wouldn't.

Food wasn't for death. It was for life.

The Straw Hats watched their stubbornly benevolent chef with fondness in their eyes.

No one dared speak against the Straw Hat cook, and soon the cake was completed. Perfect, and the with time to spare.

Sanji, basking in the glow of being able to cook and make a difference for the first time in a while, addressed his two helpers with endearing softness. "By the way, Pudding and Chiffon…" Covered in frosting and genuinely smiling, Sanji raised his arms out in appreciation. "Couldn't have done it without you! Thanks a ton! Seriously, with this cake I'll definitely save my friends." His boyish smile came out at that.

And even the Straw Hats were fawning over him at how much he looked like his younger self in that moment.

Then of course – flustered – evil Pudding was in his face, laughing maniacally.

"There's no way you know that for sure! Yeah, the cake is finished and all, but big whoop! I hate to tell ya, but your friends might be dead already. Besides, who knows if Mama will like the cake or not. Honestly, this seems like a big waste of time bringing this SORRY ASS EXCUSE of a cake to her, Sanji."

"Can't she shut up," Zoro grumbled. "Whatever her issue is, she'll just put more negativity in the cook's head."

"Zoro, we've discussed this already," Nami sighed. "She's trying…"

"Like I give a shit."

Luffy peeked over at his extra-grumpy first mate, pursing his lips seriously. "Man, you really don't like her. Does this have to do with her three eyes again? Because we should just ask her if she'll give you one," he suggested. "She doesn't seem to like having three very much anyway—"

"That's not the issue here, dammit!" Zoro yelled, while Usopp snorted.

Chiffon yelled at her, and Pudding squealed back to herself.

"Did I just let that slip?! Oh gosh, that came out wrong!"

Sanji blinked at the chaotic girl. However, he chose to take her words very seriously regardless.

"Whatever the case is," he said, somber, pulling out a smoke and his gold lighter. "It's too late to worry now."

"Clearly worried enough to need that nicotine," Usopp commented. "But hey, he's trying!"

Sanji walked to the edge of the ship and stared out at the horizon, hoping to see the Sunny any moment now. "Big Mom doesn't know what's coming her way," he said, a surge of confidence coursing through his veins as smoke billowed around him. "The greatest cake ever made!"

This whole experience had been a whirlwind for him, and there was so much he doubted. So much he was cautious about, even now. But this… This was his duty. This was what he had always been prepared for. There was no questioning it. He knew this for a fact. Because…

"Because my friends…" His eyes sparked alive. "My friends…believe in me!"

And he wasn't about to let them down. Not ever again!

"You could never let us down, Sanjiiii!" Chopper and Usopp cried together.

Franky, with his own tears streaming down his face, rubbed at his eyes with his giant arms. "The way this guy gets to me!" he sobbed.

Luffy cackled. "~Haha Let's go, Sanji!" Whole Cake was almost behind them for good!

Chapter Text

There was one task left on Whole Cake Island before Black Leg Sanji could once again bid good riddance to Vinsmoke Sanji. The wedding cake was completed. Big Mom was intercepted. And after reuniting with his friends aboard the Sunny like he had promised, he ended up leaving them again.

"What? Why?" Usopp demanded. Sanji's memories skimmed a lot of what he assumed were specific details that made this all make sense.

"To get Luffy," Nami answered with a heavy sigh. "As much as we didn't want to keep getting split up, especially when we finally seemed to have him back, Sanji's plan was all we had."

"It was a risky situation," Brook agreed. "There were many close calls."

That was usually how their crew ended up doing things, Zoro supposed. Close calls were their specialty. Which was fine by him – kept things from getting too boring.

He was splitting up from them one more time. One last time, Sanji swore. To bring their captain home safely.

Brook, Nami, and Chopper smiled softly.

Flying aboard Rabian, deliberating all the events that had led up to this point, as well as his own ambush to retrieve Luffy, Sanji realized who he was surprisingly most grateful for in all this was Pudding.

Zoro's head lowered, an imperceptible pout on his lips he was determined to refuse existed. He didn't want to hear this crap. Just grab Luffy and leave that cracked out place. No need for thinking!

He couldn't be more grateful, honestly, for all the help she had ended up providing. Currently, the woman had binoculars pressed to her face, peering toward the courtyard filled with top officers who surrounded the one and only mirror on Cacao Island. The one and only mirror Luffy had to escape the mirror world and make it back to his crew.

It wasn't going to be easy. Not by a long shot. But then, none of this had been. The easiest parts had been because of their allies, including the one by his side now. There was no denying that.

"He's right," Chopper nodded. "It was a rough start, but she came around."

Nami shook her head. "I don't know. I still don't think I'll ever be able to forget all the terrible things she said to us and about Sanji."

Finally, the witch was talking sense! Zoro thought.

"We could forgive without forgetting, to be fair," Robin mused, but by the looks on their navigator's and swordsman's faces that forgiveness wasn't coming from that cell.

"Thank you, Pudding," Sanji said, ever gracious, as the chocolatier found a place to land. "I appreciate all the help you've given me."

A lot wouldn't have happened without her bravery. He knew better than anyone how hard it was to stand up and go against your insanely powerful family.

"Whether she's forgiven or not, I do hope Sanji's influence will help her in the future," Chopper said.

Robin gave a light laugh, eyes curving. "It's highly likely considering our cook's made such a big impact already."

"She's clearly head-over-heels for him," Brook said.

Pudding flailed at the cook's sincerity.

"Cut that crap out!" She forced her suddenly heavy breathing to calm.

Franky snickered. "I see what you mean."

"That's what that is?" Luffy raised an eyebrow, then squinted, trying to see what they thought was so obvious. A bead of sweat dropped from Usopp's head as he watched his captain struggled with normal social cues when he had a tendency to read people's deepest thoughts like nothing. Sometimes the sniper wished his eclectic crew came with decipher manuals.

"So, uh, anyway," Pudding said hurriedly, changing the subject. "You don't think this will actually work, do you?"

Sanji answered seriously. "I wish Luffy didn't have quite so many enemies waiting for him…but I'm gonna work it out. I will save my captain."

The Straw Hats smiled at his dependable determination; Zoro prouder than anyone.

The memory morphed then, planting Sanji in the middle of an alleyway in the inner city, draped in a beige cloak, checking his pocket watch as smoke curled from the corner of his lips. The clock ticked closer to the impending chaos – and their escape. There was no question as to if Luffy would come through that mirror at the predicted time.

Five more minutes.

With a small smile, Sanji glanced over at his beautiful former bride with a newfound nostalgia. "Hey, Pudding – when Luffy shows up here, this'll be it for you and me—" He suddenly balked when he realized she wasn't even next to him anymore. In a similar cloak, Pudding stared at him from the shadows at the complete opposite end of the long alley.

"Huh? Why are you all the way over there?!"

She freaked out at him. "I-I happen to like it over here, that's all!"

After a moment, Sanji chuckled at her antics. Pudding would be on her own journey from here on out, and he hoped the best for her. She had definitely made some mistakes. Made some poor choices. And…and the things she said…

No.

Sanji would try to push that aside. Didn't want to remember it. Didn't want it to taint the present.

Even seeing it a mile away, Zoro still huffed. Sure, he was exasperated, but he guessed the cook could be the compassion in their relationship. He'd be the protector of that heart of his from now on; nothing would hurt it like that again.

Everyone deserved a second chance. And hell, Sanji knew better than anyone that you couldn't choose who your family was, but if you worked hard to discover who you were, a group of loveable idiots might just claim you as their own one day, and it would all be worth it.

Said 'loveable idiots' all grinned with varying degrees of unabashed pride and playful deviousness.

"Ya know," Sanji said. "Thinking back, it sure was a strange series of events that brought us together, wasn't it? But our parting will come soon." He took a few steps forward and held out his hand to her, that boyish smile plastered to his curly face. "Thanks for everything!"

An array of emotions flickered across Pudding's face.

"Shock. Amazement. Affection. Guilt," Robin was noting quickly. "Desperation, above all else. Whatever she has to say, she knows this is her last chance."

"I mean, she tricked him, tricked his friends, tried to kill him…" Usopp ticked off his fingers. "And he's thanking her. I'd be shocked, too."

Luffy laughed. "That's our Sanji – he's always a nice guy!"

Pudding balled her fists. Then: "SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU IDIOT!"

Freaking out at her own outburst now, she shook her head wildly.

"Still needs to figure out how to calibrate those emotions, though," Franky said. "I get it – emotions are tricky!"

Sanji threw his head back and laughed, unbothered.

And clearly misinterpreting.

"Well, I guess we're still enemies at the end of the day, aren't we?" he said. "From your perspective, our marriage was just a means to an end. A trap staged from start to finish, with me walking straight toward my own death. A big show put on by the Big Mom Pirates… But in the end, if I had to fake marry someone…" he smiled brightly "…I'm glad it was you, Pudding."

I told that idiot not to think, and now he can shut up, too, Zoro inwardly growled.

Nami leaned close to him. "He would've preferred you first, ya know," she grinned knowingly. Zoro sputtered.

"Sh-shut up! I don't care who that idiot chooses to fake marry!" Besides, he would've chosen Nami or Robin first just because.

"Oh? Only real marry?" Nami blinked with wide eyes and a finger to her chin, feigning innocence.

Zoro glowed red. The swordsman needed to cut something. And soon. Franky was right – emotions were tricky, and Zoro had had enough of the stormy current that were his.

Pudding, however, began to sob furiously.

"Ah! No, I wasn't trying to insult you or anything!" Sanji jumped to his feet and tried to placate her as she rubbed furiously at her weeping eyes. "I didn't mean anything bad by it, okay? Promise! Please don't cry!"

Pudding calmed slowly. She sniffed, seeming to contemplate something serious. "H-Hey…Sanji, dear… I have a request. Can you do me a favor? One last thing before you go?" She pleaded up at the handsome chef as her lashes fluttered three eyes into existence, wet and sad and resolved in a somber desperation.

A desperation Zoro did not trust.

"I wonder what she's…" Usopp started before Pudding began moving closer to Sanji.

"Stay right there. Please."

"Hm?" Sanji didn't know what she needed from him but watched without a word as she approached. How she reached up and plucked the cigarette from his lips. How she let it fall.

A cold chill ran up Zoro's spine. He would snatch the cook's cigarettes from his mouth like that if he wanted to…

And then…

Sanji blinked. More confused than usual, he tried to focus on what was suddenly before him. Pudding's cloak trailing behind her as she ran, back facing him.

"Huh?! Pudding?!"

The Straw Hats similarly blinked.

"Wait. What?" Franky, Nami, and Usopp said at the same time.

"Where are you going?!" Sanji yelled. "Didn't you have a favor to ask of me?!"

She didn't answer. Didn't look back. Charlotte Pudding faded into the shadows and was gone.

"Um…" Usopp trailed off slowly as Zoro cut him off.

"What did she do?!" he snarled. Something had definitely happened. They all saw how her power worked, and Sanji's thoughts had jumped in a way they never had before. Like they were clipped off.

Edited.

Nobody answered the swordsman.

"What. Did. She. Do?!" Zoro demanded again, losing all patience for this devil-fruit chocolate woman.

"Well," Nami contemplated. "From a woman's perspective, it really did seem like she was about to…" She hesitated, sharing a quick, knowing look with Robin.

"About to what?" Luffy and Chopper asked together, oblivious and confused. Brook answered by pressing two fingers to his mouth and pulling them away with a smooching noise and a wink. Luffy's and Chopper's eyes widened.

"No way," Luffy said. "And then took it away?"

Chopper frowned. "But…if she did something so personal like that then why did she take that memory away from him?"

"Ugh, that doesn't leave a good feeling in my stomach," Nami complained.

"They were supposed to kiss at the wedding. Does that mean they're officially married now?" Chopper wondered. "And Sanji wouldn't even remember?!"

"I'm not sure that's how it works..." Usopp stared at Zoro's shadowed face. "Er, and we don't really know what she did, so maybe it wasn't that bad…"

"We know something happened," Franky countered. "Something big enough to make her steal it back, which is super creepy."

"We may never know what happened," Robin surmised sadly. She didn't want to admit it, but there was no sure way of ever figuring out what Pudding edited. All they had were their assumptions and – she peeked a glance at their swordsman – it might haunt some of them more than others. At that, she also looked worriedly at the blonde cook stuck to his medical table prison – breathing heavily and drenched in sweat.

Sanji sighed. Maybe what she wanted was for him to leave her alone. They were still enemies at the end of the day.

Well, he had said his piece. Now he had a captain to save and a crew to get home to.

Thank fuck. Zoro's breathing exercises could only hold him off for so much longer, and he didn't want to think about...whatever the hell just happened.

The memory shifted, ticking like the hands of a clock. Each tick a new angle. The anticipation rung in Sanji's ears and echoed from the screen. He crouched at the entrance to the alley, pocket watch dangling. The ticking hands seemed to click in slow motion, each second passing too slow, until finally: 1am.

At first, there was nothing but silence. Everyone's breath was held all through the square as ships continued to fire whatever candy cannons they had manufactured at the Sunny back on the sea. Right when Sanji could barely take the tension anymore, two figures blasted suddenly from the mirror's frame – a worn-out Luffy and a sulong-form Pekoms.

"You don't look too good, captain," Franky commented. Luffy simply grinned wide remembering the fight with Katakuri and the man's dough powers. He had for sure been worse for wear after that, but it was all good.

The Straw Hat captain leapt away from the crowd of pirates surrounding them as quick as he could, but was dangerously intercepted immediately. Luckily, and to Luffy's utter happiness, Sanji was already there.

"Win your fight?" Sanji asked.

"Uh huh," Luffy trilled before immediately falling asleep in his cook's arms now that he didn't have to worry. Sanji grinned widely.

"Knew you would."

Sanji went up into the air and the memories weaved from battle to battle, fight to fight, one Big Mom Pirate after another bombarding the cook at every opportunity and without mercy. As the recall slowed, a single point in the fray solidified. Flying in from the horizon, came a colorful collection of curly-browed assassins.

"Haah?!" Usopp squawked. "Germa 66 came back?"

"Entire snail-ship country in tow and all," Franky noted, pointing out the massive backup headed toward the Sunny. "They came to finish helping their bro! Yow!"

"'Bout time they do something useful for him," Zoro said.

Transformed into their raid suits, the Vinsmoke siblings sped through the air to the island and caught every bullet aimed at their brother before he could even think of deflecting them himself. Sanji landed hard. He stared at his four siblings as they stood between him and the fight.

What are they doing here?

Ichiji spoke, calm and to the enemy. "You owe us after that tea party. And you'll pay with interest."

"Sounds like Nami," Usopp quipped offhandedly.

"Did you…come to help us?"

"Oh, Sanji, you're here," the red-head responded to the blonde as if bored. "We stopped by to crush these fools. Can't let you have all the fun."

As if on cue, they deflected another hail of bullets and weapons with ease.

"Sanji," Ichiji addressed. "This has nothing to do with you. Take your captain and escape. We don't need you here."

"I can't tell if they're helping because they care or…" Chopper started.

"It's unlikely they feel any warmth for their brother," Robin said. "But perhaps they've grown some respect for him. As an opponent, and as someone they owe a debt to, at the very least."

"Reiju could've helped persuade them, too," Nami added.

"Whatever the case was it's good enough for us," Luffy grinned. "We could've handled it on our own, but it was nice of them to help."

Nami pursed her lips. "What are you saying? You weren't even awake during this, idiot."

"Yeah, Sanji's pulling all the weight here," Usopp said.

Luffy just laughed.

"Thought they could outsmart us," Niji was saying.

Yonji added, "We'll make them pay for that."

Reiju smiled. "And it just so happens all the enemy forces are gathered here for us to destroy. Lucky us."

Sanji glowered, unimpressed. "Is that your story?" He shot back into the air. Whatever they wanted to do was up to them. His only concern was returning Luffy to the ship.

As Sanji blasted through the sky, he had no need to fight. Where there was a fired shot aimed at them, there was a Vinsmoke.

"Don't stop, Sanji," Ichiji told him after an array of bazooka rockets soared toward him and made him hesitate, having to choose between defending and fleeing. The oncoming explosions were rebounded easily by the brothers.

"Black Foot, switch on!" they chorused, their joint kicks stopping the barrage.

"They have a kicking technique they named 'Black Foot', huh?" Zoro muttered. What were the odds there?

With Germa 66 taking care of the brunt of the fighting, Sanji had a clear, unblocked path ahead of him.

However, mirror-extraordinaire Charlotte Brûlée picked that moment to appear and announce to the entire area what had transpired between Strawhat Luffy and their dear Katakuri. At the news that their unbeatable brother had lost, the Big Mom Pirates received a fresh surge of anger.

Sanji refused to look back.

A bullet pierced straight through his shoulder, and he toppled to the ground.

"Gah! I forgot he got shot," Chopper shrieked.

"At least it wasn't a leg that got hit," Zoro said.

Sanji got back on his feet with a grunt and ran. He had been lucky it hadn't hit his legs.

Zoro almost smirked. He knew his cook. A bullet to the shoulder was nothing.

A new enemy charged behind him like a flaming bullet. The top officer Charlotte Oven, with his orange ombre hair and molten fists, the enraged brute shot forward with fiery vengeance. Sanji dodged the man's scythe just to be encompassed by a wall of fire.

Ichiji wasn't having it.

"Sanji, go!" the redhead shouted as one brother took on the heat of another.

And then another, as a long, wired arm shot out like a robotic grapple to strangle a new enemy in Sanji's way.

"Yonji?"

"You're clear!" The green-haired Vinsmoke smiled then, mocking. "Now go! I don't wanna look at you anymore, you lame ass."

"They really have a way of pissing me off," Nami commented, crossing her arms.

At least the rude taunt was something Sanji was used to. Having them protecting him… Watching his back like this… Being able to trust them with his life felt like a fever dream.

Lost in his thoughts, he was suddenly grabbed at the speed of light. Niji wrapped him and Luffy in his cape as he sped them up. Sanji coughed in surprised and looked up at the guy.

"I hate to break it to you," Niji said. "But you're a bit slow."

Niji pulled out an electric sword and sliced the way clear. One swing and a shivering blue current rocked through from one opponent to the next like a pinball.

"Woah!" Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp fanboyed. Why did the blue one have the cool powers?

"You still alive, you failure?" Niji asked offhandedly after his attacks.

Zoro narrowed his eye.

Sanji growled. "I was fine—"

"You just had to cause trouble again, didn't you?"

"I didn't ask you punks to help me!"

Niji smirked. "Gonna cry?" Before Sanji could retort, Niji pulled them back to toss. "Bye, loser. Have a nice flight!" He shot the Strawhat duo forward in a flash of light.

Sanji, regaining his composure mid-air, used the momentum to sky-walk faster, even as he cursed his middle brother to the deep depths of hell.

"It must be Reiju's turn," Brook hummed. It would be nice to see the beautiful lady one last time. You know, for Sanji…

Reiju appeared next, poison seeping from her mouth and into her opponents before they could even scream. Sanji disappeared behind her as she stood between him and the enemy. "You won't lay a finger on my little brother. Not on my watch!"

"Yay, Reiju!" Chopper beamed.

"Sister cares so much about her little bro!" Franky wailed, eyes pouring. It was too wholesome! He couldn't take it!

As a barrage of cannons found their target, Reiju cloaked them with perfectly practiced coverage.

"You're really high maintenance, aren't you?" she told Sanji with a hint of a smirk.

Zoro chuckled. That was for sure. Curly was always in some kind of trouble. Even though the cook was strong enough to get himself out of it, it was still annoying as hell. Worrying everyone like that all the time. What a pain in the ass, huh? The swordsman's smile widened.

"Reiju…"

His sister's eyes softened when she spotted the sleeping captain. "Better not let him go, alright?"

Of course he wouldn't. She had been right. He had found so many kind people in this world, and if it wasn't for her…

Suddenly, Reiju clutched the back of Sanji's vest and launched him forward. Toward his ship. Toward his freedom. Like she had when she had pushed him toward The Orbit when they were kids. This time, Sanji did look back. Head swiveling to watch his sister fade farther away.

"Stay safe," he pleaded.

"You, too."

The two smiled at each other, a tender goodbye. For the first time, neither had any regrets.

If several of the Straw Hats were suddenly crying, that was their business.

Except Franky, who made it everyone's business.

"Dammit, I can't with these two!" the cyborg sobbed, grabbing hold of Usopp who hadn't gotten away fast enough and squeezing the air out of him.

With a swift shift, Sanji and Luffy had made it back to the Sunny. A rare warmth spread from the screen as Sanji rejoiced at successfully bringing them all back together. Poor Sunny was beaten and battered like the rest of them, but here they all were. Together.

Finally home.

The Straw Hats' hearts warmed even further.

There wasn't much time to get lost in thought, however – they were still being shot at. Jinbei at the helm maneuvered them the best he could to stay out of range, and Chopper got right to work on his captain, propping Luffy into a sitting position and checking his vitals.

Sanji watched as – around them – Germa snail ships moved into a new formation, one that shielded them as they fled.

"The Germa soldiers running these ships must have been given orders on how to act," Robin noted, curious. "Which means whoever was in charge had this planned from the beginning."

"So, they weren't just there to beat up bad guys," Chopper realized. "They came to help us!"

Sanji couldn't believe what he was seeing. Couldn't believe his siblings had planned all this. It certainly hadn't been Judge's idea. Not only would he never have agreed to wasting energy on protecting them once off the chateau and his debt was paid, he had also been knocked out by Big Mom earlier. He wasn't in charge right now—

Sanji's thoughts cut off as the devil himself came into view.

The Straw Hats began passing between the last of Germa's ships, the main castle barricaded by the rest, and Vinsmoke Judge stood at the edge of it, an ominous shadow waiting for them to approach as he looked down on them in more ways than one.

Sanji – left arm stained red from his wound, freshly lit cigarette melting from the side of his scratched face, hair disheveled from air-born fighting – rolled his hurt shoulder back and stood tall. He stared straight ahead, determined not to engage.

As if enraged by being ignored, Judge began to shout. But it wasn't to Sanji; it was to the man he called his captain.

"You really think Sanji is worth all this? Are you a fool, Strawhat?!"

"Here we go with this guy again," Usopp grumbled, immediately irritated.

The others aboard glanced up at the vile man, but Sanji remained frozen, face shadowed. They were almost cleared, and this was what they had to face? His crew had to listen to Vinsmoke Judge and whatever nasty things that spewed from his mouth? Was the universe mocking him?

Nami tilted her head. "I know Sanji probably didn't want us to hear anything more Judge had to say about him, but I'm kind of glad we did." She glanced at Luffy with a soft expression.

"You've courted death coming into an emperor's territory for him!" Judge continued, grounding his teeth in disgust.

"He kept telling us stuff we already knew," Luffy laughed.

"Victory was never possible – only retreat! What could this failure possibly offer you in return?!"

"Tell me Twirly changed his mind and let you kill him here," Zoro said, grasping wholeheartedly to his wishful thinking. "Guy failed on multiple occasions and had his ass saved several times, and he's still talking trash."

"He does have that audacity," Brook said.

"At the very least cut out his tongue so he'll shut up."

"Zoro!" Chopper admonished with a flail.

"He's useless!" Judge insisted when nobody responded. "Just a failed experiment… His skin is soft! He bleeds when he's struck! Despite his royal standing, he's content to work as a lowly chef!"

The man paused as if waiting to be refuted, but Luffy only quirked an eyebrow at him and nodded. Everyone else was glaring. Sanji remained stoic. Jinbei gripped the helm tighter.

Judge glowered at them all.

"His heart is easily swayed! He sacrifices himself for the weak, even if he destroys himself in the process!" Judge spat. "A disappointment as a soldier; a disappointment as a man. WHAT WORTH DO YOU FIND IN HIM?!"

Zoro's steel eye blazed with fury.

"Someone shut this guy up," Franky muttered. After everything, he was still talking about Sanji like that? Pft!

Sanji closed his eyes. Everyone waited. When it was clear Judge was finished, Luffy sighed and raise his arm.

"Well, see ya!" the straw-hatted captain smiled and waved. "Thanks for all your help!"

"What?!" Usopp screeched.

Judge balked, infuriated. "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION STRAWHAT! ANSWER ME!"

Luffy never answered him, never even bothered with a glance back. He looked over at his cook. "Your dad's weird," he said seriously. "But he sure had a lot of nice stuff to say about you all of a sudden, huh?"

Usopp wasn't the only one who screeched this time.

"Haah?!" Sanji spun around. "What do you mean? You thought he was complimenting me?!"

Luffy shrugged, just as confused as the first time, while Brook and Nami were already giggling again.

"Judge thought he was telling you all Sanji's faults, but of course you interpreted it all as what made him a good person," Franky said with a giant smile.

Realization hit Chopper at last. "Oh… Oh!"

Robin laughed fondly. "You are the perfect captain for our cook."

Zoro huffed before laughing himself. "Leave it to Luffy…"

Luffy wasn't understanding why Sanji was so baffled by his comment.

Jinbei threw his head back and laughed. "You're such a delight – always!" he chortled happily.

"Why is that?" Luffy asked, genuinely confused now.

"Yeah, why? Tell us!" Chopper and Carrot parroted, equally puzzled.

Nami had her hands on her hips, annoyed, and Sanji had his forehead to his palm. But then the navigator sighed and giggled. Brook also started laughing, even though Luffy, Chopper, and Carrot were still oblivious.

After a moment, the back-and-forth carried a welcomed sense of normalcy for Sanji. They still weren't out of the water here yet, but perhaps – maybe – with the snail ships officially behind them and zero Vinsmokes in sight, Sanji could at least claim to have conquered one aspect of his life.

Chapter Text

Whole Cake Island was behind him.

Along with it, Sanji had hoped his relation to Germa 66 had also been left behind. It only took one fluttering WANTED poster to reveal how wrong he was.

Sure, he'd been ecstatic to see his bounty had surpassed Mosshead's.

Zoro scoffed, amused. Cute bastard could enjoy it while it lasted.

Though, the thought of that reunion sent his nerves into a frenzy . B ecause as much as reuniting with everyone else since Dressrosa excited him, he knew there was no getting around leaving half their crew behind on Zou. He'd have to face the consequences of his actions sooner or later, and Zoro was the one he feared most.

"I'm trying to remember. When did you guys reunite?" Nami asked.

"Protecting Otoko," Zoro said, reminiscing. Luffy was the first he saw arrive in Wano. Alone. He hadn't asked about the others or the cook. It wasn't because he was afraid of the answer or anything; the future greatest swordsman didn't fear answers! There'd just been plenty of distractions. And distractions were all Zoro wanted at the time… If his captain hadn't succeeded in his mission to bring back their runaway cook, he figured he'd be able to tell anyway.

"Didn't you run off with a woman right after that?" Usopp remembered.

"It was Kozuki Hiyori, correct?" Robin said. Of course, they didn't realize that until much later.

"Oh yeah…" Zoro tilted his head up. He had her to thank for Enma.

"Really pissed Sanji off big time," Franky chuckled. "Now I'm startin' to think in more ways than one."

Zoro's brows furrowed.

Then Brook chimed in. "She was the same woman I found him sleeping with. ~Yoho."

The Straw Hats' response to that shattered the air.

"WHAT?!"

"Haah?!" Zoro sputtered. "It wasn't— She was sleeping on— next to— She was sleeping next to me! For warmth! With Otoko!"

"Such a ~naughty swordsman," Brook hummed, as Usopp congratulated him and Luffy cackled.

Robin hid her laugh behind her hands. This was clearly payback for the jokes about Brook in Big Mom's bed.

"Damn, bones-for-brains," Zoro huffed as Brook '~yoho'd at him with a wink. The swordsman leaned back, closing his good eye like he was unbothered by any of it. "Pft. Doesn't matter." Besides, Curly and I made up just fine in the end, he thought with a secret smile.

But, aside from all of that, he was now a wanted pirate with a surname.

Vinsmoke.

"Oh yeah, they did add his biological name to his bounty posters right after that," Chopper said.

Sanji Vinsmoke was still alive and well, apparently. Not lost at sea all those years ago like he had told Judge. Because of course not ! And now, just to make things worse, everyone would know where he came from.

What would people think once they read who he truly was? What would the guys at The Baratie say? Zeff…? Did he know who Germa was…? If he did, would he think less of Sanji?

"No way," Luffy said easily, waving that idea off instantly.

The others sighed as their chef's anxiety spiked, while Usopp said, "Where your from doesn't define who you are, Sanji. Geez!"

Robin tilted her head. "Our dear cook probably still hasn't stopped worrying about that. Surely, there's a way to get into contact with The Baratie. Of course, he might want that particular conversation to be face-to-face."

"Sanji's gonna wear himself out until he gets that closure, for sure," Franky said.

Would he think Sanji had made the decision to add the surname?!

Groaning, Sanji squeezed his eyes closed and took a drag, blowing the billow of smoke out toward the horizon as the Sunny drifted at a steady pace toward Wano. He didn't want to think about all the gory details right now. Especially when a very distinct canister had fallen from Luffy's pocket earlier that day. Black and yellow and emblazoned with a bold number '3' on its side.

Zoro eyed Luffy incredulously. "You're how he got his raid suit?"

"What did you do – steal it?" Usopp asked as Luffy shook his head.

"It wasn't me! I found it in my pocket. One of his brothers put it there as a prank, I think."

The swordsman's eye narrowed. Of course those bastards did.

Sanji's heart had plummeted at the sight of the thing and, face shadowed, had snatched the can from his captain's curious hands. He and Chopper had been drooling over it, each wanting to take it for a 'quick spin'. Like hell Sanji would've let that happen.

"Even though I know why he was so upset about it now," Chopper said with a little pout, "I still wanted cool powers."

"Yeah, I bet we would've looked awesome as superheroes," Luffy agreed.

"I'm gonna chuck this hunk of garbage," Sanji had said, and Luffy had argued with him.

"It was in MY pocket! If you don't want it, give it back."

Brook had tilted his head at it. "I am rather curious about how it wandered into Luffy's pocket."

"Must've been Niji," Sanji had answered, still wrestling Luffy out of its reach. "He probably did it to piss me off. If I'm gonna get stronger, I'm not gonna do it by relying on this thing or some technological crap."

"Woah, woah – let's not insult technological crap," Franky said.

Nami snickered. "That's more or less what I said. But I think we can understand where he's coming from a bit better now."

Sanji had tossed it aside, and Luffy and Chopper had pounced, much to the cook's irritation. It must've been nice to be so unaware of Germa 66's horrible background. However, no matter how hard they'd tried - or how cool their poses had been - neither of the two had received their cool suit.

"Yeah, apparently it was designed to only work for Sanji," Chopper said, forlorn.

"But how would a canister like that know?" Usopp wondered, scratching his chin. The gears in his head were turning. And so were the Hollowell specialists'.

"Its surface must react to the Vinsmoke's touch," Hollowell surmised to himself. And if there were no buttons or pressure points... "Perhaps also electrical currents within certain points of his body, as he can clearly hold it without transforming, hm? ~Teeshishishi. Fascinating technology..." The scientist glanced over at the bound blonde wondering if he still had his device around for them to take.

Zoro didn't like the way the guy was looking at the cook...

His crewmates had wanted Sanji to show them how to use it, and he'd growled.

"Stop your crying! I'm not part of that goon squad, so new rules – don't say the word Vinsmoke or Germa. They're officially off limits anytime you're around me!"

Sighing a curl of smoke into the air as he remembered grabbing the stupid container back from his crewmates' grubby paws once again, Sanji figured that maybe he'd never be able to escape that part of him. Ever.

He'd decided to hold onto the raid suit for that exact reason, its presence heavy in his pocket even now. It was the logical approach, he thought, to keep it close. It was made specifically for him, after all.

And anyway, he swore he'd never use it...

The monitor went black. A single thought echoed from it.

Except, then I did.

A swirl of memory jolted the screen awake and through a colorful ward of time until, suddenly, the Flower Capital of Wano shimmered into existence. It was late in the day, sky dark and thick with dust from a very destructive rampage. A rampage due to one of Kaido's Tobiroppo members – Page One. In his ancient zoan form, he was aggressively set on finding his target – the soba cook, Sangoro.

Sanji watched from a distance, Trafalgar Law at his side along with Franosuke and Usohachi.

"Hey, it's Traffy!" Luffy grinned.

"They're baiting you," Law told the Strawhat cook. "Ignore them. Our only priority is getting out safe."

"No." Sanji's eyes flickered open with a glint of passion everyone knew well. Page One was destroying the flower capital in his wake, putting innocent people in harm's way because he was looking for him. He couldn't just walk away and leave them helpless. They knew Kaido's lackeys wouldn't show any mercy to civilians. "I have to help them!"

"Oh, let me guess – he blames himself," Usopp shrugged. "I think we know how this goes by now with this one."

Luffy waved his hand. "Ah, Sanji will always help people first. That's who he is!"

Law was insistent they couldn't blow their cover, though. That they had to get out before X-Drake and Hawkins arrived. An entire plan rested on their success and still…Sanji couldn't turn his back on these people.

"I'll…stay undercover…" Sanji promised his comrades, a harrowing idea solidifying in his mind as he said the words aloud. "I just have to beat him in an instant, right?"

There was no doubt in Sanji's mind he could take down this lizard guy, but if time was the issue, and if he needed to remain undetectable as a Straw Hat then…there was one boost of power that might actually be useful. It wasn't his first choice of tactic, but it was here with him. Available. And maybe he'd toyed with the idea of finding a use for it already, in the days leading up to more prominent battles. It was a tool, after all. A resource he had at his disposal just in case he needed it. He was thinking that time had arrived.

It couldn't hurt , right?

Zoro's stomach dropped. His body pulsed, a wary warning. Would this…really activate some dormant Vinsmoke-curse in Curlybrows?

Sanji's hand disappeared into his robe, searching. "Guys...go on without me." A black canister was pulled free. He juggled it in his hands. "I promise my identity will remain a secret."

Law glowered. "Why do you insist on making things difficult?"

"Traffy really needs to get with our program if he's going to keep allying with us," Nami said seriously.

"Indeed," Brook said. "Making things difficult is what we live for… If I was alive, anyway."

"What do you think Sangoro has planned?" Usopp wondered, inching closer to look beyond the Heart Pirate captain.

Franky eyed the cook. "He's got something in his hand… Germa tech?"

Sanji's stomach churned at the word, and his hand stilled, grip tightening on the canister. He glared at the thing. Fine, he was going to try it out, but no matter what happened here he wasn't going to rely on it.

"Now, don't go getting the wrong idea about me," he told his friends. "Just because I'm trying this doesn't mean I'm like them. "

"It's funny. At the time, we knew he didn't like the family that arranged his marriage, but not how deep it went," Franky commented. "Makes way more sense now."

" I'm willing to give this a shot, though… " Sanji said. " We're fighting an emperor of the sea. There are going to be times where we can't save a life, especially if we're too stubborn. But if I swallow my pride, then there are people I can save right here and now. If this has the power to help, then I need to use it."

"No second-guessing himself," Nami noted, a little impressed, a little hopeful.

Twirling the canister in his expert fingers, Sanji then pressed it horizontal to his waist. A beam of light shot forth, glowing yellow and blue —

"Sanji's going to do the fancy transformation!" Luffy said, eyes shining.

Zoro's amused smirk was back. This he couldn't wait to see.

The light encompassed him, and suddenly, Sangoro's striped clothes slipped from his body, revealing a muscled strip of pale skin. Sanji's back turned, the screen was swallowed by his bare chest, rippling stomach, then down his strong legs.

"Oh my," Robin said.

Zoro's jaw hung open. This was supposed to look as ridiculous as his brothers'. This was as ridiculous as his brothers'! Why were they getting a show? And why was Zoro liking it?!

Violet light crawled up his shins, transforming into solid black and gold. Distinctive Germa hover shoes manifested onto his poised feet as the swirls of purple ran further along his exposed skin. White gloves climbed up his forearms. Black cloth fitted to his thighs, his biceps, his broad shoulders. Scruffed jaw and serious lips masked in the same fabric, from his chest to the bridge of his nose. Black headphones with a gold '66' print shaped themselves over his ears as his golden hair molded itself into sharp points. As sharp as the dark tinted sunglasses that appeared over his eyes.

Sanji's body spun agilely in the power of the light as a black cape with red lining flowed from his shoulder blades and was signed off with a bold, white number '3'.

Standing gallantly on the rooftops of the flower capital, tingling with a strange sense of power, Sanji finished off with a pose.

"He just couldn't help himself after all that, could he?" Nami said.

"~Haha, I would've done it, too!" Luffy laughed.

"Who augmented that to happen, I wonder," Robin mused, charmed.

Franky and Usopp stared on in starry awe while Law's eyes widened.

"Hold up ," the Heart Captain said. " Seriously? I recognize that outfit… That's from Sora: Warrior of the Sea. He's wearing one of the villain's costumes! The third member of the Army of Evil - Germa 66 - Stealth Black!"

Law's words broke Sanji out of his moment like a sharpened knife to the back.

"How the hell do you know so much about this?!" the masked cook demanded.

"Everyone knows! That comic's huge in the North Blue. "

"Whatever, I don't care!"

"It sounds like he cares," Usopp murmured.

"Look, don't ever call me that again ," Sanji ordered. "Y ou got that?!"

"I know my stuff," Law countered , unperturbed. "I was a regular reader of the series. I rooted for Sora to kick Germa's ass time after time."

Sanji looked at the way Law was glaring at him, and he glared right back, offended. "Well, I hated them too!" So there.

Zoro snorted.

Page One interrupted with an irritated , prehistoric grunt. "Don't ignore me! Whatever you got goin' on is fishy as hell. Name yourself!"

Sanji paused. He didn't…have a name…

"You are a member of Germa 66," Law stated. "Tell him, Stealth Black."

"He doesn't know what he's saying," Chopper whined. "I wanna know what Sanji picks!"

Franky and Usopp pursed their lips. They were keeping their mouths shut on this one.

"I…am …" Not saying that crap name, that's for sure!

But he also couldn't say his real name. This was supposed to be his undercover identity! He had to come up with something – something good.

"Let's hear it!" Luffy bellowed in excitement.

"This is a superhero in the flesh!" Usopp exclaimed, setting his crewmate up for the perfect introduction.

"I am…"

"This is your badass intro, brother!" Franky yelled. "Tell 'em who you are!"

Sanji sweated. Eyes twitched. Breath struggled. Too much pressure.

Then, with a flurry of hand gestures, he decided.

"I am… Soba Mask!"

The Straw Hats recoiled. "Haah?!"

"That's what that dumbass picked—"

"A FOOD NAME?!" Luffy's starry eyes glinted, interrupting Zoro's judgement and anyone else's. "That's so cool – I wanna be a superhero named after food!"

A bead of sweat dropped down every other Straw Hats' head. The sniper side-eyed him.

"You would like that name, Luffy…"

"How about – Mighty Meat!"

"Please stop talking!"

"That name sucks," Law said , as Franky and Usopp cried tears of disappointment behind him. "And he's obviously Germa."

"Ah, he's just jealous he didn't think of it first," Luffy said.

"Somehow I doubt that's it," Nami muttered. She truly was stuck with a crew of mostly idiots, she thought with a sigh.

Sanji chose to ignore Law's comments in favor of focusing back on the fight at hand. He was Soba Mask now! But, more importantly, he didn't quite know what to expect. He'd seen his siblings in combat. Knew some basics, like their trademark hover shoes, so he figured he'd start there.

"He's finally doing something interesting," Rhys spoke up, sounding as tired as ever. "Not that it'll do him any good."

"~Teeshishishi. He is serving his purpose to us," Hollowell said in response. "That's all that matters with this one."

The Straw Hats glared, but the battle onscreen took off before anyone had a chance to voice their own opinions on how uninteresting Hollowell and his specialists were.

Onscreen, the acceleration devices built into his heels propelled Sanji's kicks into a new dimension of power. The force unmatched. His speed made it hard for his opponent to keep track of him. The dinosaur 's claws couldn't touch him as long as his iron-like cape deflected every hit, creating a rock-solid barrier around him .

Sanji was surprised at how natural it felt. He didn't have to think too hard about it. He hardly had to adapt at all.

"It's like an extension of how he already fights," Robin noted. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, however.

As Sanji backflipped out of Page One's reach, he suddenly vanished.

"Looks like he pulled it off," he heard Law say.

At first, Sanji didn't know what he was talking about, focused primarily on beating the crap out of this ancient lizard. He was relentless, and his opponent didn't seem able to fight back. His eyes never seeming to land directly on him again. Sanji realized with a bout of shock that his raid suit was reflecting his surroundings over his entire body. He was invisible!

Distracted by his newfound talents, Page One advanced on a now-visible Sanji with nearly a direct hit just as Sanji vanished once again.

"Stealth Black, no!" Law cried, Franky and Usopp stepping forward too, concerned that the giant monster's tail had crushed their cook.

Sanji re-appeared beside them.

"I literally just said my name was Soba Mask - knock it off! "

Chopper flailed. "He almost gets crushed and that's what he's concerned about?!"

"I'm not the hand of evil nor the hand of justice, okay? These hands are for cooking, and for protecting my friends. " He faced the Tobiroppo member and addressed the three men beside him more calmly. "Don't worry about me. Go on ahead. Besides…" He flexed his fingers. "This jerk's perfect for testing out how powerful this raid suit is."

And maybe…maybe it wouldn't be so bad having a raid suit up his sleeve from time to time after all. It would be beneficial to the crew, wouldn't it? Especially the stealth aspect. How could Sanji deny them that? It was Germa technology, something he never wanted to associate with, but if he had this one thing at his disposal right now…he could use it for good!

He could be in control!

If this raid suit was the final thing from his heritage left, maybe – just maybe – it could be the one thing that didn't have the power to destroy him.

Zoro, startling everyone, loudly cursed everything to hell.

Chapter Text

Sanji was not in control.

Onscreen, a singular hallway in a traditional Wano design swayed as if off balance. It was dark and filled with debris of destruction.

"That's Onigashima," Robin noted, and Zoro grew rigid. He knew this was about to answer every burning question he had about that day.

Sanji was taking a step backwards. There was someone at Sanji's feet, but the memory kept them blurred, as if Sanji himself was afraid of what he would see.

No . His thought rocked the screen further.

It wasn't…couldn't have been him.

He didn't do this…

"Huh?" Luffy tilted his head. "Didn't do what?"

None of the Straw Hats knew what was happening.

This wasn't him…

He wouldn't have…

He'd never…!

Think back , he demanded himself. Think back!

Long, spindly black legs swirled forth, transitioning the memory back through time. Black Maria strutted toward Sanji with all eight legs on display, the sexy blonde exuding all the confidence of someone who knew exactly how gorgeous they were. Well, from the waist up at least.

"A half-spider woman?!" Usopp and Chopper shrieked at the screen. In addition, the sniper's brain idly wondered, So, if an arachnid is half-woman Sanji can be distracted enough not to freak out?

"She's huge," Zoro commented offhandedly.

She had clearly been taken care of because none of the other Straw Hats – save for two – remembered ever seeing her.

"Black Maria," Brook hummed. "A spider-y seductress with a cohort of women perfect for taking advantage of a certain womanizing chef. ~Yoho! I was wondering if this particular battle would be remembered."

"This must be who he was fighting when he called out over the intercom," Nami realized. She knew it was because of a woman. But knowing Sanji's thought process better, she smiled a bit. Instead of letting himself get beaten – as he did at Enies Lobby – Sanji went and asked his friends for help.

Zoro and Luffy had no recollection of that at all, either. Must've been on the roof, Zoro figured.

Robin's expression, however, softened.

Black Maria was intent on making Sanji her pet, and Sanji was intent on letting her; if he couldn't get out of her grasp without hurting any of the ladies that surrounded him. There were worse ways to go, he figured.

Their fight had been one-sided from the start. No matter how many hits he'd taken, no matter how dire the pain got, Sanji never fought back with intent to harm a single hair on those ladies' heads. He'd even dropped his armament haki if they used their hands as their weapons. He wouldn't hurt them. Couldn't. Even on accident. He was constantly aware and in control of his strength to make sure of it.

Zoro shook his head. Still didn't make any sort of sense to him. But, once again, his cook never did anything half-assed. The dumbass really did take every precaution to uphold his beliefs. Zoro couldn't be too annoyed with him for that.

Wrapped up in the Tobiroppo member's webs, Sanji struggled against survival and principles. What he had to do versus who he wanted to be.

He'd been in this situation many times before, but not many he couldn't get out of.