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Published:
2025-09-19
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2025-10-03
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The North Blue Advance Scam

Summary:

The lost prince of Germa, Stealth Black, finds himself on the Thousand Sunny, stating that if the Straw Hats give him a 1000 beli advance, he'll give them half a million once they help bring him to the nearest island.

Sanji, naturally, is pissed when the scam artist knows a worrying amount of information about Germa.

Notes:

Thank you, Jedi_Days_and_Jedi_Nights, for giving me this idea! This one is relatively shorter compared to my other works, but I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you like the little plot bunny you let me adopt. You've been incredible support over the years that I have been writing, and it is just wonderful getting to know you in little bits and pieces in the comment sections of all my stories.

Sincerely,
Acetaminophen_Only

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Sanji sighed to himself when he splashed his face with warm water, then methodically added shaving foam to the lower part of his face. He looked past his shoulder in the mirror as he slowly brought the razor down his cheek, finding Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy watching him from the large onsen-style bath.

 

“What?” Sanji paused the razor so he could hear past the rough shhk of the blades cutting off his stubble.

 

“Why do you even do that? You barely even have a beard.” Usopp asked, glancing sideways as Luffy started laughing when Sanji puffed up his chest defensively.

 

“I’ve got a goatee to maintain!” Sanji explained, and he resumed his motions with a renewed vigor when Luffy threw his head back to the edge of the tub with a petulant whine. “When are the snacks gonna come?” Luffy asked, his eyes becoming rounder as he watched Sanji expectantly.

 

Sanji groaned underneath his breath as he pressed in his aftershave. “It’s on its way. I can’t believe you convinced everyone to have a spa-day just because the girls had one.”

 

He re-fastened the towel around his waist, walking barefoot past Zoro, who was sitting half-submerged on the shallow end of the onsen. The man had bandages covering the full upper-half of his body, and he kept them carefully above the level of the water.

 

“Brook, do you even need to bathe?” Sanji asked, watching with surprise as the skeleton and Franky prepared their own towels as they readied themselves to join in on the party within the Sunny’s bathroom.

 

“Yohoho, it’s so nice to join in with everyone! I have no flesh to clean, but it is quite nice to learn more about this crew.” Brook genuinely answered, and Franky nodded to himself appreciatively.

 

“It’ll be nice to learn more about you, bro! We weren’t able to speak much back on Thriller Bark.” Franky said, and Sanji nodded in agreement as he put his dress shirt loosely over his shoulders, leaving the dampened cloth open in his rush.

 

“Let me get everyone some food, I’ll rejoin in a second.” Sanji took off into a half-run away from the bathroom, smiling to himself as the loud laughter and conversations died down as he made his way to the galley.

 

“..llo? … Hello, can anyone hear me, please?”

 

Sanji stopped in his tracks when he heard a faraway voice. It sounded rough and desperate, and before Sanji could think twice about it, he sidestepped towards the railing and looked over it.

 

“Shit. There’s a man in the water!” Sanji hollered over his shoulder, before he turned back to get a rope hanging off the deck’s nearby wall. He threw one of the ends down, watching carefully as the stranger clung onto it and wrapped it around their fists a couple of times.

 

The water was rough, and the man had some trouble as he was sloshed against the hull of the Sunny, but Sanji was able to haul the man out of the water and pull him onto the deck without much difficulty. By the time the man was gasping for air with his back to the wooden floorboards, Robin and Nami had made their way towards the commotion.

 

“What’s going on, Sanji-kun? Weren’t you boys having a spa-night?” Nami asked before her eyes pulled towards the man struggling to breathe on the deck. 

 

“I suppose it was cut short. We might have our hands full unless he suffocates to death right now.” Robin mused, not seeming the slightest bit worried about the well being of the stranger. Sanji followed her gaze, joining her in observing the man. Nami ran off, presumably towards the bathroom.

 

He had jet black hair clinging to the sides of his face, his blue eyes a stark contrast against them, the color matching Sanji’s. Water dripped freely from his hair and clothes, creating a large puddle where he laid.

 

“Thanks.” He sputtered out between coughs, “I’ve been drifting for a good couple of hours.”

 

Robin’s eyes narrowed slightly, but her voice softened into faux concern. “How did you get here?”

 

“My boat sank.” He answered immediately, “I was on my way back home.”

 

Nami ran back towards the group, this time with a towel in her hands and Luffy and Zoro in tow. She handed him the towel, stepping back when the man slowly got to his feet. The rest of the crew stood around the deck in various levels of undress, each watching the man with interest.

 

“Who’re you?” Usopp asked, peeking out from Luffy’s shoulder, a safe distance away from the stranger.

 

The man straightened out to full height, and he rolled his shoulders back before exclaiming proudly, “I’m Stealth Black, Third Prince of the Germa Kingdom.”

Chapter 2

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Bullshit.” The word flew out of Sanji’s mouth before the chef even fully processed what the man was saying. When it finally did, a dry chuckle followed with a flabbergasted, “What the fuck?”

 

“I know,” Stealth Black put his arms out placatingly, his voice becoming airy, “It’s hard to believe that you would meet royalty like this, but it is what it is. You could call me SB if you prefer, you did save my life, after all.”

 

“Woah, royalty?” Chopper and Usopp gasped in unison, and when Sanji took another glance around the deck, Nami’s eyes had already turned into Beli signs and Luffy had already lost interest.

 

“Stay back.” Robin’s cold voice cut through Sanji’s wandering thoughts and the whispers amongst the crew, and the archeologist pulled Chopper behind her. Her wary eyes pierced through SB with more vigor than before. “Germa 66, the notorious military force from the North Blue? I thought they were just legends.”

 

SB shook his head lightly, “We’re very much real, and our home base is closeby! I was just on my way back to them.” He gestured to the log pose on his wrist, which was showing a trajectory slightly off where Nami had the ship headed.

 

What?! Sanji’s heart skipped a beat, and he shifted on his feet unsteadily as he tried to regain his bearings. While it was possible for Germa’s fleet to be in the Grand Line, he’d always thought it would be highly improbable to run into them. 

 

It felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him. After not sparing a single thought about Germa for the past decade, he was suddenly facing the possibility of seeing his renounced family again. The impossibility of it was like a slap to the face, and Sanji simply stood there dumbfounded. 

 

But what about the man standing in front of him? He obviously wasn’t Stealth Black. There was still a possibility of him lying about the whole thing.

 

What if Germa replaced him? What if he really was Stealth Black? Sanji’s eyes raked down SB’s body, looking for weak points which would have definitely been exploited. 

 

Sanji opened his mouth to speak, but he held his tongue when Robin took a decisive step forward.

 

Robin looked just as displeased with the information as Sanji did. “Having worked for Baroque Works recently, and knowing the negative influence Germa has, even as a work of fiction, I recognize that we have a moral obligation to kill you where you stand, seeing as you are a real assassin.” Her mouth curved into a cruel frown, “I happen to be an avid reader of Sora, Warrior of the Sea, and I have never once agreed with Germa’s side.”

 

The Straw Hats seemed alarmed by Robin’s sudden seriousness, but no one made any move to get in her way. Sanji took a moment to sift through her words, then internally shrugged. He agreed with her wholeheartedly, but still the unintentional rejection of his true identity stung a little. He supposed there could be an exception-

 

“Surely you could make an exception for my case?” SB looked both astounded and fearful when Robin crossed her arms, replying with a decisive “No.”

 

Ah, Robin-chan is so beautiful when she is decisive~. Sanji pushed down his growing concern for his well-being.

 

“Wait! Wait! Please!” SB shouted before he crashed onto his knees, begging the crew with tears forming in his eyes, “I was abused and forced into that life by my father. And I can get you hundreds of thousands of Beli, I promise.” He clasped his hands in front of him and banged his forehead against the floorboards, sobbing pathetically into the ground.

 

Robin’s hands faltered at the pitiable display, ultimately putting her hands down when Nami stepped in front of her with interest. “What did you mean by ‘getting us Beli’?” She asked pointedly, and SB stopped begging immediately, tilting his head away from the floor.

 

“Ah. Well, there’s a reward for returning me, obviously. Half a million Beli, to be exact. I can give you direction there, as long as you give me…” He sat up, placing a hand underneath his chin in thought, “A thousand Beli advance! I get money from you, and you get money from my kingdom, it’s a win-win deal!”

 

Nami’s eyes turned back into Beli signs, but the ridiculousness of the words jarred Sanji out of his stupor. “No one is actually believing this, right? He’s obviously not a prince of Germa.”

 

Sanji’s incredulous tone carried more weight than he had originally intended, but no one seemed eager to back him up. Nami was still calculating profit margins behind her wide grin, Chopper clutched the towel to his chest uncertainly as he looked at Zoro to see what he thought, and Usopp tilted his head as though he couldn’t quite decide whether SB was a lunatic or the most exciting thing to happen for the past week.

 

“It would explain how he knows so much.” Robin’s voice was quiet, but it carried a surety that the rest of the crew appreciated. “Perhaps it isn’t impossible.”

 

Sanji’s heart gave an unsteady thud, though his face twisted into a sneer before anyone could notice. “I’m with Robin on this.” Zoro added, and Sanji veered towards him at the man’s laid back attitude.

 

“Tch. Come on, Marimo, don’t tell me you’re falling for this idiot’s act. I grew up in the North, too, so if he’s really Germa, then I’d know a thing or two about it, wouldn’t I?” He let the words hang there, and he smiled deliberately smug, even as the inside of his chest burned.

 

Robin tilted her head at the confession, and for a moment Sanji swore she was studying him instead of SB. That faint, knowing glimmer in her eyes made his throat tighten. But she remained silent, only stepping back with her arms folded.

 

The pressure in Sanji’s lungs eased a little.

 

“I think he’s funny!” Luffy announced, breaking the tension as he grinned widely. He crouched down to SB’s level and poked at the man’s soaked shirt. “If he says he’s a prince, then he’s a prince. We’ll just beat up his old man if he was mean to him!”

 

SB blinked at Luffy in wonder before clapping his wet hands together, bowing his head quickly. “Th-thank you, stranger! I swear you won’t regret this.”

 

Nami's eyes practically sparkled as she edged closer to him. “Half a million Beli, huh? Then it’s settled. If he gets us that payout, it’s worth it.” She squinted at him and poked a finger in his direction. “But you won’t get a single Beli from me until after you give the reward money.”

 

“That’s… not how an advance works.” SB muttered under his breath, but he didn’t look ready to argue with anyone just yet.

 

Sanji dragged a hand down his face and exhaled sharply through his teeth. He wanted to continue his disagreement, but all eyes had already shifted back to the stranger dripping seawater across the deck. The crew had accepted the story- whether out of curiosity, profit, or sheer stupidity- and Sanji could feel the decision slipping from his grasp.

 

He shoved his hands into his pockets and forced out a dismissive laugh, though his shoulders felt heavier than they had been before. “Fine, but don’t cry to me when he turns out to be some cheap con. I’ll keep an eye on him; North Blue scams aren’t new to me.”

 

The words bought him cover, and they gave him the excuse he needed. However, beneath his casual smile, Sanji’s mind ran circles around itself.

 

If SB was a liar, then he was a damn convincing one.

 

But what if he wasn’t a liar?

 

Sanji’s grip on his lighter tightened imperceptively from beneath the fabric of his shirt.

Notes:

Sorry for falling off the Earth for so long! I got swamped with work and lost a bunch of time.

Chapter 3

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The table was loud as everyone fell into their normal routine of clamoring over each other over the clattering of plates and bowls. Sanji set plates down one after another, starting with the ladies, careful not to let his annoyance show as SB dug into his food like a starving stray, pieces of food flying everywhere past his mouth and onto the surrounding tabletop.

 

“Yohoho! He eats just like me and Luffy,” Brook laughed at the state of the man, which only encouraged him to shovel down another bowl-full of rice and stew.

 

“Oi, slow down or you’ll choke.” Sanji’s words came out sharper than he meant, and he caught himself before he pressed into the ceramic of the plate he was holding too hard. His smile slipped back into place when Chopper peered up at him curiously above his shoulder. “Can’t have the guest dropping dead before he pays up, right?”

 

That drew a ripple of laughter from the table, easing the tension in the air for everyone except Sanji himself. His hand twitched for a cigarette, so he picked one out of his pack and held it unlit in his left hand. He'd promised Nami not to light one during meals.

 

“So,” Sanji began lightly, sliding into the empty chair across from SB, “if you’re really Germa royalty, you wouldn’t mind a few questions. I know the North, after all. A prince like you should have no problem proving himself.”

 

SB swallowed noisily, then smirked through his most recent mouthful of food. “Of course, ask away!”

 

The others around the table leaned in, eager for more entertainment. Usopp elbowed Chopper lightly, changing the reindeer's attention away from his bowl, Luffy leaned over the edge of the table, and even Robin tilted her chin towards the two with faint amusement.

 

Sanji’s smirk didn’t reach his eyes. “Fine. What was Germa’s flag after its redesign?”

 

“Black backdrop and skull in the center with a lightning strike diagonal,” SB answered instantly. “Though most people only know the older one, without the lightning, from Warriors of Sora.”

 

Sanji’s fingers curled against the dark wood of the table. That was right.

 

“Okay,” Sanji pressed, keeping his voice casual, “what’s the name of the port town Germa used to control before the war with Minion Island?”

 

“Dochien. It was a small place, famous for its doctors.”

 

Again, correct.

 

Sanji let out a short laugh, though it came out as a harsh bark from somewhere in the back of his throat. His chest felt tight. He wanted SB to get it wrong- wanted to prove him a fraud so he could shove the whole thing away and never think about it again, but each perfect answer was a nail hammered deeper into the coffin Sanji thought he’d buried years ago.

 

He shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Alright then, Prince.” He spat out the word like it personally offended him, then leveled him a glare, “If your father really treated you the way you said- abused you, ‘forced you into that life’- why the hell were you on your way back to him? It makes no sense.”

 

The question was sharp, and Sanji leaned back and crossed his arms in a clear challenge. 

 

SB froze with his cup halfway to his lips, then lowered it slowly. His smile faded into something almost bitter. “Because he’s still my father.” His voice lowered in pitch, and he pushed his food aside with one hand. “I hate him sometimes- he’s cruel and controlling. But, he’s strong, he made me strong. And… maybe that’s love, in his way. You don’t run from that, not if it’s in your blood. You go back, even if it hurts.”

 

He turned to Luffy this time, with nothing but sincerity in his eyes, “So, I appreciate your offer to beat him up, but I’ll have to pass on that. You’ll still get your money, though.”

 

Sanji blinked twice, his body rigid as the words fully seeped into him. Something twisted deep in his stomach as nausea built slowly in the back of his throat. He forced his expression into a mask of disdain, but inside, the sharp truth of it rattled him.

 

It was exactly what he’d once told himself about Judge.

 

His throat tightened as the same old ache flared inside of him- the desperate boy who had once wanted acknowledgment and thought strength and cruelty might be love if he trained hard enough. He’d buried that part of himself, locked back in that dungeon he’d grown up in.

 

And now this stranger was speaking it out loud with fondness in his eyes.

 

Robin’s eyes flicked towards him with interest, so Sanji grabbed his water glass and drained it in one go just to have something to do with his shaking hand. He'd done it so quickly that the cigarette he was holding bent in the crux between his fingers and the glass pressed against it.

 

“Lucky guesses,” He rasped as he slammed the cup down, “Anyone could know that.”

 

“Anyone from the North, maybe,” Robin murmured to herself.

 

Sanji ignored her, turning back to SB. His voice came out quieter and with a dangerous edge. “What was Judge’s motto for the royal guard?”

 

“Strength over all and mercy for none. Easy.”

 

The galley seemed to fall mostly silent, though he could still faintly hear laughter and conversation from some of his crew, somewhere down the table. Sanji sighed to himself, then shook his head slowly. “Well, congratulations. You’ve read your fair share of bedtime stories. Doesn’t make you a prince.”

 

The part of the crew who was listening in took the jab as a joke, laughing it off, but Sanji’s gaze stayed fixed on the table. His hands were tight around his glass, holding fast as if it were the only thing tethering him to the present.

 

For a moment, he thought about telling Luffy- blurting out the truth, right here, over the crew’s half-eaten plates of food. But, when he glanced at his captain, laughing whole-heartedly with rice and meat stuck to his cheek, Sanji’s tongue froze in his mouth and his throat went dry.

 

He didn’t want to. Maybe it was cowardice, shame, or selfishness, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment. He didn’t want to unbury his past for some scam artist.

 

Yet, the Straw Hats had long since adjusted their course to follow SB’s, and Sanji had no idea what they were walking into.

 

He needed a plan, and quickly.

Notes:

Has anyone watched the infinity castle demon slayer movie?? I absolutely LOVE it!

Chapter 4

Summary:

Sanji reveals his hand.

Notes:

This is a double update!! Make sure you read the last chapter before continuing on with this one! Thank you :)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Sanji waited until it was dark to find SB alone at the railing, leaning over the dark water and staring blankly into its depths. The lantern light Sanji was holding announced his arrival by engulfing the area in a warm light, but SB didn't take his eyes off the water. Sanji planned to take full advantage of their time alone.

 

“You’ve got guts,” He muttered around the cigarette in his mouth, his footsteps tapping lightly on the deck. “Playing pretend in front of this crew- either you’re an idiot or you’re the best liar I’ve ever met.” Sanji clicked his tongue before continuing, “And I know a pretty good liar, myself.”

 

SB turned his head just enough to show that same irritating smirk from before. “Why can’t I be both?”

 

Sanji’s jaw worked as he pulled in a breath of smoke, exhaling softly through his nose. The bastard was too calm. “You’re not Germa royalty. You can’t be, because if you were-” His voice dipped lower in volume to a whisper, “If you were, I’d know.”

 

“Would you?” SB asked back just as quietly, turning around and leaning his back against the railing. The light now reflected off his eyes, “You quiz me, I answer. You want holes in my story, but you haven’t found any. Maybe you’re looking in the wrong place.” He looked proud of himself when he added, “Maybe, you’re jealous.”

 

Sanji’s teeth ground together automatically in response, so he took out the cigarette in his mouth, worried it would tear in half with the newfound pressure. “You don’t know a damn thing about me. You don’t even know what the hell you’re talking about.”

 

SB tilted his head, his smirk faltering for a second. “Then why does it bother you so much?”

 

Sanji felt his breath catch, heat crawling up the back of his neck as his temper flared for the second time that day. “Because I-” His voice broke when his heart pounded faster against his chest, and he snapped back into anger, “Because I am the third prince of Germa, alright?! Stealth Black, Prince Vinsmoke Sanji, that’s me!”

 

The silence afterwards was suffocating. SB stared at him blankly as the sea lapped against Sunny’s hull, the only sound filling the empty air between them. Finally, his eyes widened, and his mouth fell wide open, “What?!”

 

He searched Sanji for a semblance of any lack of sincerity, finding none.

 

“WHAT?!” SB shouted again over the railing after a moment, the loudness of his outburst making Sanji’s eyes flick nervously across the deck. “The one guy in all the blues that I was supposed to impersonate and I end up in his ship?! What the fuck?!” SB continued shouting, and Sanji put his hands up in an attempt to hush him.

 

“You… you mean it?” SB whispered, and he leaned forwards urgently with a twinge of hope behind his eyes. “You’re really him? Then- then maybe-” He stopped, running a hand through his hair, words now spilling out in a rush. “Maybe you could get me out. You and your captain- he’s strong, I can see it- maybe he could release me from Ryu’s grip.”

 

Sanji’s brows furrowed. “Ryu?”

 

SB’s expression twisted, fear flickering in his eyes for the first time. “The man I work for. He’s obsessed with Germa and Judge. I think he used to be one of your guards- one of the ones who watched you rot in that cell. He thinks he’s just like your father, carrying on his legacy all the way out here. And I-” He pressed a hand hard against his chest, his voice shaking. “He won’t let me go. I’m not here because I want to be! I’m here because he sent me. If I disobey, I won't live long enough to regret it.”

 

Sanji’s stomach turned at the mention of the dungeon, and the image of a faceless guard keeping him caged like an animal flashed through his mind. Sanji crushed the butt of his cigarette between his fingers.

 

“So that’s it, huh? You run your scam, lead us into his little trap, and if you don’t, you pay the price.”

 

SB dropped his head, then after a moment, muttered, “…Yeah.”

 

For the first time since hauling the bastard out of the sea, Sanji felt his anger give way to something uglier. It felt similar to pity, but it wasn’t entirely for SB. He knew what it meant to live under Judge’s shadow.

 

Now, some guy named Ryu had built his own legacy in the Grand Line.

 

Sanji took a slow breath, steadying himself. “Then tell the truth to Luffy. Stop dancing around it- if Ryu’s got this much pull, all of us need to know what we’re walking into.”

 

SB’s eyes flickered hesitantly, but then he gave a short laugh. “Fine. But, you should know- it would be terrible for Ryu to find out who you really are. If he knew the third prince himself was right here, on this ship-” He swallowed hard, looking away. “It would feed the obsession. You think he’s dangerous now? Give him your name and he’ll never let you go.”

 

Sanji internally shrugged. He hadn’t planned on it.

 

The silence made SB turn back toward him, his eyebrows knitting as he recalled their conversation at dinner. “The crew doesn’t know, do they?”

 

Sanji’s stomach clenched, the back of his throat tightening. “No,” He muttered between a tight jaw. “They don’t.”

 

“Why?”

 

Sanji hesitated for a second, but for once, there was no anger to hide behind, nor any sarcasm he could use to shield him. He frowned, “Because everything Ryu pretends to be is true. I was abused and hated.” Sanji’s lips curled with distaste, “And it’s not a can of worms I want to open for the crew. I don’t want their pity. I don’t want them to look at me and see some broken little prince crawling out from under his father’s heel.”

 

His hands curled into fists against the railing. “I want them to see me as Sanji. Just Sanji and nothing else.”

 

SB’s curiosity was replaced with understanding. Sanji exhaled, and after a moment of silence, he asked, “What’s your name?”

 

The man blinked, as if surprised by the question, before looking back down at the shifting dark water. His voice was small when he answered. “Aaron.”

 

Sanji nodded once, slow and deliberate, “Alright, Aaron. Let’s tell Luffy what we’re walking into.”

Notes:

uh oh. I wonder what'll happen. lol

Notes:

Thank you for reading! Feel free to check out my other works ;)