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anotherlovefool · 1 year ago

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i'm rolling around and giggling

๑ keep safe : don't you know? "lover" outweighs "boyfriend" (13)

one piece x male reader

you push it hard, i pull away,

i'm feelin' hotter than fire

i guess that no one ever really made me that much higher

te deseo, cariño,

boy, it's you i desire

your love, your love, your love

『 prev 』

“how could you lose luffy? idiot, you were the one holding him! [name], answer me?!”

“it just happened, i don’t know!!!” [name] said, getting tired of nami’s scolding.

“you were holding his ear weren’t you?!”

“i was!!”

“and then?! where is he?!”

“hell if i know!”

“are you giving me attitude, seriously?! right now?!”

nami and [name]’s screaming was heard throughout the entire ship and the others tried their best to not meddle with their argument. the two were going to keep going back and forth no matter what.

vivi was getting exasperated with the yelling and eventually sanji stepped in. literally. he kicked [name] in the face and made sure to make him land far away from nami.

“quit yelling your head off, especially at nami!!! who taught you manners?! why are you raising your voice at such a beautiful woman?!” sanji cried out, anger and fury in his eyes as he berated [name].

the navigator walked away from the argument, rubbing her forehead to try and ease down her headache. she commanded the rest of the crew to get the ship moving, not wanting to risk sitting at the harbor for possible navies to find.

sanji and [name] were now fighting in a corner of the ship that no one dared step near. vivi was still observing them with a deadpan look on her face. she wondered how long it would take for this to feel normal. the others on the crew, even chopper, was not caring towards the chef and [name], who were actively trying to rip each other’s heads off.

as the merry was gliding across the ocean, a good distance away from the shore, there was a sudden shout as someone had spotted luffy.

[name] bruised and hair ruffled looked over the railing, “is it really him? is ace with him? do you see ace?!”

sanji kicked down on [name]’s head, making the man face plant into the wooden deck of the ship, “huh, it really is him. there’s not any other idiot who could look like that.”

“i’m baaaaack!!!”

luffy’s yells change in volume indicated that he was approaching them at a fast rate. but since [name]’s head was previously suffocated in the wooden planks, he didn’t get enough time to properly tell where luffy was. or more importantly, where he was landing.

and just as he lifted his head up, he went tumbling backwards at the weight of luffy crashing into him, sanji, and chopper.

“sorry about that, sanji, chopper, [name],” luffy said lightheartedly, not caring that [name] was still face down on the deck.

“i should have accepted ace’s offer and left, my deadbeat captain is too much,” [name] said, voice murmured as no one could understand what he said as he was speaking directly into the deck.

“do you know how much trouble you caused?” nami’s voice shouted, “try and act more like a reliable captain!”

[name] got up from his position on the floor, sitting upright with his arms crossed over his chest. with a pursed look on his face, he looked out to sea and squinted.

“oh, that’s right, ace!!” luffy exclaimed after apologizing to nami, half-ass apologizing. “well, whatever, he’ll be fine!! ace is strong anyway,”

“he’s strong?” chopper echoed.

“yeah, stronger than me. i could never beat him! tell them, [name]!”

[name] stayed silent. but then the rest of the crew began asking him all sorts of questions, which he answered easily.

“is it true? luffy never won against that guy?” nami asked, seemingly unable to believe it.

“oi, i always beat luffy, too,” [name] said nonchalantly, still ignoring his captain. “but yeah, ace is strong.”

“i guess the bigger brothers of a monster are going to be even bigger monsters,”

“ew, [name]’s not my brother,” luffy said, his face scrunching up in confusion, “who told you that?”

“what do you mean?! you said that you grew up together!!!” the crew shouted in unison, wondering what on earth luffy was even talking about.

“he’s not my brother, though,” luffy stubbornly argued, looking at his crew in bafflement, “i never said that,”

“don’t be an idiot, it’s insinuated!!!” they once again raged on luffy, who was standing there as innocent as possible.

“but, i’d win now if we fought!” luffy laughed, going back to the original discussion - thoroughly ignoring the shouts directed at him. the crew all face palmed, listening to his hearty laugh echo on the deck.

“i assume that’s another groundless claim,” zoro spoke in a bored tone.

“definitely groundless, luffy can’t even beat me,” [name] chuckled, earning a couple of snorts from people on board.

“what?! i could totally beat you and ace!!” luffy argued once more, trying to save face.

as if on cue, ace appeared from behind luffy and kicked him down from the ship’s railing.

“who…” as he landed, he smirked at the crew and looked down at luffy, “would win against who now?!”

[name]’s face immediately brightened up, making people on the crew almost shocked at the new expression. the last time they'd seen [name]’s grin that wide was on their first encounter, when he tackled luffy to the ground.

“oh, ace! this is the crew i was talking about!” luffy said, an equally large grin on his face.

“thank you for taking care of my younger brother and [name],” ace sheepishly bowed his head down to the crew, who returned it with the same level of respect uttering a, “eh? oh, no not at all,”

“he might be a bit much for you to handle, but…”

“no, not at all,” the crew once again echoed, plainly lying to ace’s face.

“and as for [name],” ace said, making the man shoot forward in joy and wrap his arms around him, “thanks for taking care of him as well,”

there was a different fondness in ace’s voice as he spoke about [name], one that the crew didn’t really pick up on. instead they replied in the same monotonous tone they’d been using for luffy, saying, “eh? oh, not at all,”

[name] laughed, hugging ace tight and bringing him to properly stand on deck, “come on, join us. sanji, could you put some tea on for ace?” [name] politely asked, as if a switch was flipped in his mind.

‘this guy’s putting on an act,’ the crew all thought with sweatdrops rolling down their heads.

“no, no, please, don’t do it on account for me,” ace said politely, bowing his head several times to not impose. his arm was still wrapped around [name]’s waist, but his other hand that was free lifted up and lit the end of sanji’s cigarette.

“i’m surprised he’s not as brash as [name] and luffy,”

“there’s no way that this sensitive person is related to luffy!”

“he’s a brother that cares for his younger brothers,”

“ah? i never said [name] was my brother,” ace said suddenly, brows furrowed, “[name]’s not my brother,”

[name] rolled his eyes, slapping ace on the head, “why do you always bring this up at the least convenient of times?”

“never a convenient time to tell the truth, you should always be telling the truth,” ace teased back, earning an annoyed grunt from [name].

“what do you mean you guys aren’t brot-”

“oh, you guys have company,” ace said, suddenly cutting off nami’s question. “i can take care of them,” he offered, earning nods from other people in the crew.

“no, i wanna beat someone up,” [name] said, a grin on his face. but he was physically held back by ace.

“you guys just relax, i’ll do it!” he shouted, jumping off of the side of the ship and onto his own transport.

“asshole,” [name] said under his breath, but he happily watched the fight go down with a grin of excitement on his face.

with ace’s destructive devil fruit and his battle awareness, the ships were ruined and discarded into the sea in seconds. all it took was one attack form ace and wood from the ships was floating in the water.

it was like they blinked and the job was finished.

ace was soon back on board the going merry and [name] was attached to his hip once more. the duo grinned back at each other. sanji broke out some of the booze they had, handing a cup of coffee to [name], and joined in the celebration of ace’s arrival.

questions were being thrown at ace from every direction, but no matter what they were talking about or who was talking to who, [name] stayed right on top of ace. almost literally.

he was hunched over ace’s back, grinning from ear to ear as ace answered all the strawhats’ questions and wonders.

“so whitebeard pirates, huh?” usopp said with a gleam in his eyes, “are they as strong as the marines say?”

“no, stronger,” ace grinned, “if there’s any pirate crew out there that’s like a family, it’s my old man’s.”

usopp and chopper had sparkles in their eyes as they listened to ace talk about his pirate crew. there was nothing but fondness in his voice. [name] played with the ends of ace’s hair as he continued on telling about whitebeard, humming a song to himself.

ace looked at him briefly once he started, but simply turned away with a smile on his face as he went back to explaining.

”so why are you around here, ace?” chopper asked.

“i’m hunting for a man, a pirate,” ace easily answered. “his name is blackbeard,”

“more beards…” [name] murmured under his breath, making ace flick him on the forehead.

“that’s the pirate that attacked drum kingdom.” vivi gasped, wondering what the connection was between the two.

“he used to be a member of the second division of the whitebeard pirates,” ace continued explaining, “but he committed the worst possible crime on a pirate ship, he killed a crewmember and jumped ship,”

[name] stiffened at the idea, eyes darkening. imagining if someone on the strawhat crew had done that, thinking back to the other pirate crews he’d ever encountered as well. it left a sweet taste in his mouth and it made him want to vomit.

“so, as the commander, i gotta find him and get rid of him.”

“so that’s why you’re chasing after him?” usopp mused.

“i came here because i caught word that blackbeard was seen in yuba,” [name] grit his teeth, imagining the ugly face that was causing ace to go out and into harm’s way. if they ever found blackbeard at alabasta, he’d make sure to do a number on him before ace finished him off.

unnecessarily taking ace away from the pirate crew he deemed a family, that selfish bastard. [name] had to hold himself back from voicing his anger, instead choosing to rest his cheek on ace’s shoulder and leaning into the inside of his neck.

“oh, that means your destination is the same as us!” nami cheered, looking relieved to know that luffy’s older, more responsible, respectful, and put together brother was going to be able to keep him in check for a little longer.

“it looks like we can travel together longer than we thought!” the navigator cheered, taking [name]’s cup of coffee and lifting it up as if it were a jug of booze, “cheers!”

“yeah! luffy’s big brother is more than welcome here!” usopp said, immediately joining in the cheers and drinking his share of liquor.

everyone joined in, slamming their cups into each others. they drank happily and [name] laughed as he saw everyone’s relieved faces.

ace kept [name] close, laughing into his h/c hair and basking in his presence. ace’s arm was resting on [name]’s shoulder and held tightly in place so they wouldn’t separate.

it was obvious to the other crewmembers that ace seemed to want to monopolize on [name]’s attention and skinship, seeing as he didn’t let go of him for even a second.

“oh, ace, when you’d get this tattoo?” [name] asked, tracing his finger tip over ace’s skin. the man almost shivered at the sensation, but just as quick as he was to shiver, he was as quick to bursting into flames - or certain parts of his exposed skin were.

right over the area of ace’s heart, in between the pectoral and his ribs, were the neatly written words, “together in chaos.” [name] recognized the words immediately, feeling flushed when he read them.

“are you serious?”

“obviously. permanently there, isn’t it? i’d say that’s pretty serious,” ace mused, rubbing the area, “oh? are you blushing? did i really flatter you that much? no, no, let me see your face, [name]!” ace teased, trying to pull [name]’s hands away from his face.

as chaos was bubbling above deck, there was a quiet conversation being had in the woman's quarters.

“i wonder when the last time they all saw each other was,” nami mused vivi as the princess sat in their quarters writing a letter to her father. “he’s real attached — ace,”

“well, the bond of brothers is a sensitive topic for both of them, i’m sure,” vivi entertained, wondering what it was like to feel like that. but a grin came onto her face as she realized she shared a similar experience with her relationship with nami. overtime, sailing with the pirates and going through different adventures together, vivi felt safe where she was.

she felt in place.

“but the thing is, ace and luffy both say [name]’s not their brother…i wonder why,” nami thought out loud.

“well, i’m not sure, but…thinking about it — has [name] told anyone his past? he could have real family members he holds close to his heart, maybe luffy and ace are being respectful to not include themselves in that,” vivi hummed, wondering where [name] was from and how he came to be such a strong individual.

another person vivi came to cherish on the crew, finding solace in him and his welcoming demeanor. in many ways, he was similiar to their captain. but she had seen him become serious, intimidating, and more aware than luffy has ever proven himself to be.

not to mention, that price on his head wasn’t put there for nothing. and the sword he carries around definitly makes her uneasy. its natural aura, she assumed.

but no matter how many times she’d hear [name] yell or see him scowl, she can’t help but think of how grateful she is to him. she’s indebted to him like she is to the rest of the crew.

her cheeks flush ever so slightly as she thinks of the major sacrifices [name] had made in order for nami to get better. how gently he was taking care of her, speaking to her in soft tones. it showed a side of vulnerability, which to vivi, was undeniably…nope! vivi wasn't going to get caught up in those thoughts, she had a whole country to be concerned over instead! she almost smacked her head to scold herself, but dialled back on the action since nami might've thought she was going insane. it was as if her mind wanted to run its own course without her permission. she had no time for thinking about [name] like that, whatever that was.

“you really think so?” nami voiced, looking at the ceiling in thought.

“really think what!? i wasn’t thinking anything, nami!” vivi shouted, shaking her head rapidly, almost knocking over the books that were on top of the desk she was working on, “i didn’t think anything!!!”

nami sweatdropped, seeing that she caught vivi in her daydreams and put her hands up in surrender, “i wasn’t talking about whatever you’re referring to, vivi. i’m talking about what you said earlier.”

vivi stilled at the realization and waved her hand, “oh, obviously!!!…sorry,”

“it’s alright,” nami chuckled, finding vivi’s flustered state entertaining, “i was saying, though, i don’t think that’s the case…there’s probably something they’re not saying, for [name]’s sake.”

nami hummed in thought, wondering if it was something very serious between the three men. and assuming that was the truth, she stepped back and decided to no longer think about it. or wonder about it, either. she wasn’t going to ask luffy or ace, seeing as she didn’t want to pry too heavily into [name]’s past.

ace or luffy, or maybe even [name], could bring it up on their own.

but one thing did bother her quite a bit.

the fact that she, and no one else on the crew really (besides luffy), knew anything about [name]. he was an enigma to them. despite being on this life threatening journey together and him saving her life, nami blanked when she tried thinking of things she knew about [name] besides the surface level.

she walked over to vivi, ruffling her hair and telling her to not burden herself too much with the letter she was writing, and then walked up the stairs to go back to the deck.

as she was walking through the ship, she saw through the kitchen window that [name], ace, usopp, and luffy were keeping sanji company. she saw the way [name] had a tight grip on ace’s bicep, the victim of his steely grip smiling in a carefree manner as he had a hand resting on [name]’s leg.

she truly did wonder who [name] really was. but she walked off, choosing to not observe the scene so heavily anymore.

after a scolding in the kitchen, thanks to sanji’s shouts and usopp and luffy’s childish antics, the ship decided to take a short break.

vivi seemed to have finished writing her letter and needed karue to deliver it to her father for her. [name] accompanied her to say goodbye to her dear friend and vivi confided into his side as she had to watch karue leave. it seemed to pain her a lot, so he gently rubbed up and down her back to comfort her.

”he’s a strong chicken, he’ll be fine,” he said reassuringly, not seeing the flash of annoyance cross her face.

she smacked his cheek with her hand, not too roughly, and shouted over the crew’s laughter, “he’s a duck, not a chicken!!”

“what did i say? i thought i said that!”

“[name], vivi, let’s go sailing already, hurry up!”

this cause the man to perk up, angrily yelling at luffy, “don’t leave us here, you baffoon!”

he held vivi by her waist and easily jumped on board, gently landing them back on deck. she thanked him quietly, watching as he nodded his head and then ran into ace’s side.

”let’s go get changed, ace,”

“mhm,” the ravenette easily answered.

“wait for me! [name], ace!!” luffy childishly shouted, jumping onto [name]’s back and getting carried the rest of the way to the boy’s room.

“you seriously never change, luffy, always running after me and ace,” [name] teased, pulling on luffy’s stretchy cheek and then letting go to snap it back to place.

“if you guys just waited for me, i wouldn’t have to run,” luffy pouted, resting his chin on top of [name]’s head.

“whatever, just learn how to keep up,” ace chimed in, throwing an arm around [name]’s shoulder, much to luffy’s annoyance (at both his words and his actions).

“oi, ace! lay off [name], will you?! you know he’s apart of my crew!” luffy shouted, jumping off of [name]’s back and slamming the door shut.

”i can do whatever i want, luffy, like hell i’d listen to my little brother,” ace shot back, seemingly winding his fist up for a fight.

”you two will be the death of me,” [name] grunted, going through the chests of clothing to find the outfit he had stowed away for alabasta desert purposes. “luffy, here wear this over your clothes.”

the boy easily obeyed, putting on the robes and securing some cloths around his hat so it wouldn’t fly away. meanwhile, ace dressed into his own robes that he had brought, pulling them from his green knapsack.

[name] grinned in glee when he finally found his. the exposed tattoo on his back was covered up and he was soon wearing (suffocating) layers of clothes to protect against the heat.

“i can already tell this trip is gonna really kill me,” [name] whined, putting a headpiece over his head to protect against the sun.

“just stick close me when night falls, [name], or else you’ll get really cold,” ace advised, making [name] hum in agreement.

luffy puffed out in annoyance, “who says [name] has to go to you? what if he wants to be with me instead?”

“when has [name] ever wanted to be with you, nasty kid?” ace said once more, seemingly wanting to always be in fights with luffy over [name]. “me and [name] are closer, don’t you know?”

“liar, [name]’s mine, always has been!” luffy shouted in return, “he doesn’t wanna be all close and mushy with you when he’s got me! isn’t that right, [name]?!”

“are you forgetting i have a natural heat because of my devil fruit, idiot?! that’s what i meant in the first place,”

“then why do you talk about it so weirdly, speak more with your chest, ace!!”

“like hell i’d take advice like that from an idiot like you!” ace shouted in fury, if it had not been for [name] physically stepping in between the two, they definitely would’ve clashed heads.

“please, shut up!!! let’s just go, the crews probably all waiting!!!” [name] said, grabbing the two of them by their hair and dragging them out of the room, “when are you two ever going to put your childish bickering aside?”

“for you, my dear, never,” ace said in a mockingly dreamy tone, he even giggled at the end to sound like a person speaking about a childish, shy crush.

“don’t ever make a sound like that again, ace, i’m serious,” [name] threatened.

luffy, despite being painfully tugged along by his hair, grinned in glee seeing [name] somewhat take his side, “yeah, stupid, ugly, rude ace! listen to what [name] says!”

“who are you calling stupid?! seriously!” ace shouted once more.

a rough tug to both of their scalps had them shutting up in an instant, instead yelling for [name] to let go and give them mercy. but the h/c haired boy kept tugging them along.

“i said enough, stop acting like children. those silly bets you guys made when we were young are also coming back — both of you not calling me your brother? seriously, what’s your guys’ issue?”

“because you’re not our brother,” ace and luffy said in unison, finally agreeing on something.

as the three came out from under deck, the crew couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the conversation.

“why do you two keep saying that?!” [name] said in annoyance, pinching both their cheeks. his own face was red, hoping to god that they really didn’t remember the words they spoke all those years ago.

but from the mischievous grin on ace’s face and the carefree smile on luffy’s it seemed they were referencing exactly what he was dreading.

“you’re my lover! / cause you’re my boyfriend!” the two shouted at the same time, making [name] drop them onto the deck in disbelief.

the crew that was trying to stealthily listen to their conversation…half of them ended up gagging in shock.

nami let out a shriek of surprise, the water usopp was drinking was spit out of his mouth, the dumbbell zoro was carrying crashed onto the wooden planks, sanji spat out his cigarette and grunted in surprise, vivi looking onward with an expression of fear, and chopper was just looking around in confusion.

“what?!” the entire crew, including [name], shouted in unison.

“what?” luffy echoed, wondering what the big deal was.

“what do you mean what?!” nami screeched, wondering if her captain even knew the weight his words held.

”[name]’s my boyfriend!” luffy grinned, pointing a thumb in [name]’s direction. “are you guys shocked? but i said he wasn’t my brother! you guys, seriously, are slow to catch up,” luffy seemed exasperated with his crew’s seemingly disability to understand his words, “i said it plain and simple,”

and the usually cheerful and smiling [name] was nothing but a mess, face red and hair sticking up in all sorts of angles due to him running his hands through it several times (in stress). it was almost like steam was coming out of his head.

”oi, luffy, don’t you know? the ranking of lover outweighs that of silly boyfriend status,” ace chimed in, causing even more chaos to come from the rest of the crew. they sincerely thought they heard wrong, but ace’s repetition of his previous sentence proved that they - unfortunately - did hear right.

“like i care!” luffy stubbornly replied, crossing his hands over his chest.

“[name], please, drink water,” vivi said, rushing over to the burning up man’s aid, “you look pale, too,”

“those idiots. plain, mindless, don’t-think-before-they-speak idiots. surrounded by idiots since childhood up until now. will i ever catch a break, vivi? be honest, don’t spare my feelings. i can take the truth.”

vivi deadpanned at [name]’s seriously troubled look on his face. she helped him up, supporting him with her shoulder, “it’s alright, it will get better, [name],” she said mindlessly, unsure of how to comfort the very obviously stressed man.

“this is going to be the longest trip of my life, isn’t it?”

just as he asked that question, luffy and ace got into another minitature argument over their (supposed) love for [name], making everyone on board go still once again.

finally, vivi spoke up, “i’m sorry, [name]-san.”

“yeah, i am too,” he sighed.

[ miniature : BONUS ]

“luffy, define the word boyfriend.” nami had to get to the bottom of this. there's no way stupid, idiotic luffy even knew what that word meant.

“boyfriend means [name]!”

“no! the definition of boyfriend, c’mon, you can't just go around saying things you don't understand,” nami scolded him.

“what? but boyfriend means a boy important to me - thats [name]! he's my boyfriend!” luffy proudly announced, an invisible spear being thrown into [name]’s already deflated body. the captain carelessly throwing around the word only made [name] more stressed.

“okay, you can't just call [name] your boyfriend because the definition definitely doesn't mean that,” nami said, hoping her words were not just going over luffy’s head, “if you care about [name] that much, then he's just your friend. boyfriend is a different level,”

“but if [name]'s a boy and my friend, doesn't that just make him my boyfriend?”

“is usopp your boyfriend too, by that logic?”

usopp made a sound of surprise, shouting at nami in anger, “don't drag me into this mess!!” and luffy, in return, made a disgusted face.

“ew, i don't want usopp as a boyfriend, only [name],”

“hey!!! that's really rude!” usopp cried out, but his shouts fell on deaf ears.

“[name] can't be your boyfriend, luffy, you're not understanding at all,” nami said, rubbing her forehead in stress, “a boyfriend is someone you really, really, really like and care about - more than normal. how can i put it so you can understand…oh! it's like if [name] was hungry and you had the last piece of meat and you were also hungry, you wouldn't give him the last piece.”

“i would,” luffy said without hesitating.

“no, you wouldn't,” nami countered, growing increasingly more annoyed.

“i would!”

“no- you're hopeless…just don't go around saying things as serious as that so casually when you don't even know what it means, idiot,”

luffy shrugged, definitely not understanding nami’s words and running off to join usopp.

[ .ᐟ ] IT MIGHT SEEM EXCESSIVE, but i doubt there'd be another chance i'd get to say EXPLICITLY, that luffy and ace do not think of [name] as a brotherly figure. THAT WOULD JUST BE WEIRD !! LMFAO that's why i just put it in there as much as i could because literally ew if they did bc then they'd feel romantically attracted to their brother....yeah, definitely not <3

[ .ᐟ ] also luffy not completely understanding the definition of boyfriend, but knowing that to him [name] is boyfriend is so fucking funny i couldn't help myself IM SORRY

[ .ᐟ ] shout out lana del rey by the way

『 prev 』 ˗ˏˋ꒰ 🌊 ꒱ 『 next . . . loading 』

taglist (lmk if u want to be tagged ! <3 :

@skullr0se , @strawberrii-tea, @triangulartriangles, @anotherlovefool

#x male reader #one piece x male reader #one piece x reader #reblog

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anotherlovefool · 1 year ago

Text

apothecary diaries

vinsmoke sanji (opla) x fem!reader

♡—you need peppermint for a salve you're making, but sanji bought all of it, and that's seriously not fair.

word count♡— 3.7k

genre♡— fluff

content notes♡— opla sanji, afab!reader runs an apothecary and likes to make things, inaccurate chemistry for the sake of the story, mentions of flames in bottles, please do not do that, no use of y/n, not fully proofread

also on♡— ao3

author's note♡— I love sanji sm he makes me cry. might be first in a series, but we'll see. please enjoy. xoxo, belle.

The third time a pirate entered your shop, you genuinely considered closing up early today.

You level him with a stare despite the man being twice your size. You cut him off before he can get a word out.

“No, I don't have anything that works against people made of rubber.” Crossing your arms over your chest, you gesture to the rest of your wares. “Now, are you going to get anything else? Or should you be on your way?”

He leaves, disgruntled, but without a fight.

A huff escapes your lips. The nerve of these people.

Ever since that outrageous bounty for that new pirate came along, suddenly every pirate and pirate hunter in the East Blue was gearing up to chase after him. All the poisons that were gathering dust in your storage were cleared out within days of those posters showing up.

It was good berry at first, but they got more aggressive, and started demanding more of everything. More doses than you were comfortable handing out. More dangerous poisons that could kill everyone in the room if the seal loosens by even a crack.

You took up this apothecary business because you wanted to help people. It wasn't exactly your dream to become a poison dealer.

The shop bell rings again. Thankfully, this time it's one of your elderly neighbors and not a pirate seeking poison.

The old lady smiles at you, the sides of her eyes crinkling. “You seem to be quite busy these days, dear.”

“If only they were paying customers like you, Ma'am.” You pick up a box of loose tea from the shelf, already knowing her usual order.

She gasps in concern. “Oh my, did they steal from you?”

“Only my time.” You grimace slightly, remembering how many pirates barged in last week.

“Would you like some honey with this? We have fresh jars from today's shipment.” You offer as you tally her order.

The lady hums in agreement. “Yes, I think some honey would be lovely.”

During slow days like these, you like to tinker with new recipes to sell. On a desk at the very back of the shop, obscured by thick curtains, is your beloved workstation.

You review your notes from the previous day. You'll need to get some peppermint for the healing salve you're developing. Taking a small jar of the experimental paste, you test a small amount on your hand.

Indeed, it needs more peppermint. Maybe you should use extract instead of crushed leaves next time, so that the texture is smoother.

The problem arises when your go-to herb supplier says he's run out of peppermint.

“Please tell me you're kidding.” You groan, looking down at your sadly empty whicker basket.

“M’sorry, lass.” The vendor shrugs, not looking very sorry at all. “You just missed the guy who bought everything. I promise I'll get you your peppermint next week, though.”

Resigned, you sigh, reading through the rest of your shopping list. The salve, at least, can wait a week as it's still a work in progress. The rest of your list, however, are crucial ingredients for your usual bestsellers.

“Fancy looking lad. He asked about spices. Told him to go to the shops down by the river.”

Your stomach drops. Everything else you need are sold by those shops.

Mentally cursing that vendor, you run as fast as your feet can take you. You're not letting some tourist get the better of you when it comes to ingredients.

You reach the river in record time. You'd feel proud if you didn't feel winded. Even so, you scan the road for anyone matching the tourist's description.

There doesn't seem to be anyone remotely fancy around. Triumphant, you go on with your shopping.

You begin to feel better as you cross more things off your list. You've almost forgotten about the peppermint incident, if only you didn't suddenly smell so much of it pass by.

A tall blond man walks by, clearly doing a lot of shopping based on the boxes of supplies he's carrying. The scent of peppermint hits you again. In a paper bag, at the very top of the boxes, you spot bunches of those leaves you've been so desperate for.

You can only clench your jaw in frustration and frown at the back of his head. He purchases a large amount of meat and fish in the next stall, and you gather that he must be some sort of chef. No normal person buys so much meat that the shopkeep offers to deliver everything. But that's what happens to this fancy looking lad. He must not be normal then.

“Yes, my ship's in the docks. You can't miss it, thank you so much for your help.” He smiles. His blue eyes wander the stall, then travel to the next stall over, where you are.

There's a moment of surprise when he finds you already looking at him, but his expression changes instantly into a suave one. It almost makes you want to back away, but you stand your ground when he approaches.

“Aren’t you stunning? I was feeling tired, but your pretty face woke me right up.”

You turn away, pointedly ignoring him. He can't flirt with you while smelling like peppermint. It's just not fair.

“Sorry for the hold up, lass. What's it you need?” The shopkeep you were waiting for shows up just in time. You continue to not pay the blond beside you any attention.

“Cinnamon and salt, please.” You respond. “Pink, if you have any.”

“I'll have the same, good sir.” Fancy pants says. “Though, my salt doesn't need to be pink.”

As the shopkeep rummages through his supplies, the blond continues to speak to you. Why does he keep speaking to you?

“Pink salt is lovely to look at, same as you,” He begins, “But other than the color, there really isn't a difference to normal salt, isn't there?”

He shrugs, his broad shoulder shifting his suit jacket slightly. “You're paying extra for the same result. It's all the same when you cook it.”

“I'm not using it for cooking.” Is your only response.

The shopkeep returns before the stranger can reply. “Here's the salt for you's.” He hands you a bag of pink rock salt, and the stranger a bag of regular salt.

The dread from the peppermint vendor returns when you realize the shopkeep is holding only one bag of cinnamon. He pats it and says, “I could split it so you both get half.”

“I was here first.” You insist desperately. “Sell it to me.”

“...My hands are tied here, lad.” The shopkeep sells you the cinnamon, and it's quickly tucked into your basket when you get your hands on it. The stranger doesn't barter for it. Good.

And with that, you cross out cinnamon and salt from your shopping list. You were able to get everything except the peppermint, which stays neat and legible at the very top of the list.

You crumple the paper and toss it into a nearby bin before making your way back to your shop.

“Are you on your way to get some peppermint?” How did the stranger catch up with you so quickly?

“No.” No matter how much you wish you were.

You try to walk faster, but his pace is steady even with a large box under one arm and several others tied up with twine held in his other hand.

“But it was on your list.” He seems to be very interested in your dealings. Is he always this dedicated when he flirts?

You cross the bridge that arches over the river together. The townsfolk who recognize you and not the man next to you begin to whisper amongst themselves.

It takes everything in you to resist rolling your eyes. After a week of pirates, you suspect your shop will be full of gossiping neighbors soon.

“A certain someone bought all the best peppermint today.” Of course the scent of it wafts over you again as you say so.

“Ah.” Understanding dawns on his face. “I see, I'm sorry if that inconvenienced you.”

It was your turn to shrug. You were about to say that it was okay, but then remember that you wouldn't be able to complete your salve until next week.

You pout before you can help it. “Did you really have to buy all of it?”

He breathes out a laugh. “I normally wouldn't, but my friends tend to have endless appetites. It always pays to have plenty of supplies.”

Even in the middle of the bustling street, a certain group of strangers stand out. They're gathered outside the tavern. You don't know any of them, but you recognize one of them as that infamous new pirate with the exorbitant bounty on his head.

“Speaking of my friends...” The blond trails off, nodding towards that particular group.

You just about stop in your tracks. He's with them? He's a pirate?

Okay. A rich, flirtatious tourist you could deal with. A random pirate crew? You would probably still be fine.

But the crew with the highest bounty in all the East Blue? That's just asking for trouble to happen.

While the stranger is distracted by his friends, you slip into an inconspicuous alleyway. You'd have to go a little further around to reach your shop, but that's alright as long as you avoid those Straw Hat pirates.

Luck seems to not be on your side, though. Because fancy pants shows up to your shop later that evening.

He grins. “You didn't tell me crossing that bridge together meant something. I would have talked about something more romantic than peppermint if I knew.”

Of course, word travels fast in a small town. You should have known someone would tell him. And that he would be able to find you easily if he wanted.

“How does the legend go, again?” He asks teasingly. “If two people cross the bridge together on the day they meet... Theirs souls are bound.”

“It's a myth.” You dismiss his charming grin and try to ignore him.

He leans his elbows on the counter that separates you. He's hunched down, but still towers over you somehow.

“It's romantic. And I'm glad it happened to us.” He smiles. “May I at least know the name of the person my soul is now bound to? Mine's Sanji.”

“Well, Sanji. Are you going to buy something?” You ask and avoid giving him your name.

Sanji, surprisingly, nods. He grabs two cans of your special handmade tea and a large jar of honey.

“I'll buy these,” He places the items on the counter. “And give you this.” He holds out several sprigs of peppermint. You blink at him in surprise.

“...Thank you.” You gingerly take it, and carefully set it to the side.

You're silent while you ring up his order. It's when you're taking out a paper bag for him that you finally cave and reveal your name.

The smile that blooms on Sanji's face isn't how you expected it would be. You expected him to look arrogant, to look proud that he was able to sway you like he did other women before.

But he looks at you sweetly, dimples showing and eyes sparkling. You wordlessly hand over the paper bag.

“A pleasure, darling.”

You would have thought that would be the last time you saw Sanji. But, be it luckily or unfortunately, he finds you the next day with the rest of the Straw Hats tagging along.

Only this time, they seem to be on the run.

You hold open the door for the Straw Hats and, one after another, they flood into your shop. Sanji smiles and says something about your hair, but you can't process the words with his friends scattering to hide.

“Sanji, what the fuck?”

“I know, I know, love. I'm sorry we had to reunite like this. We just need to lay low for a bit.” He reassures you, caressing your shoulders as he does.

“I'll make it up to you! I'll cook you a romantic, candlelit dinner.”

You frown at him, unimpressed.

Sanji kisses his teeth and sighs. “I'll give you the rest of the peppermint.”

You perk up instantly. “Deal. You can all hide in my workstation.”

“Hi, I'm Luffy!” Their captain greets you jovially. “That's Zoro,” Luffy points to the swordsman. “Nami,” The woman. “And Usopp.” The one hiding under your counter.

“Of course, you know Sanji already, being soulmates and all.”

You trip on nothing, and Sanji grabs your hand to steady you. You glare. He just smiles.

“Your shop is really cool!” Luffy exclaims, looking at all the trinkets on the shelf.

“Thanks.” You say dryly, pushing the curtain partition aside. You lead them to the back of the shop.

“Make yourselves at home.” You wave a hand towards the couch and some chairs around your desk. They should be fine here as long as they don't need to stay the night.

Through the gaps in the window blinds, flashlights and shadows stream into the room. There seems to be an active search party out for these guys. You suddenly can't believe you agreed to this for peppermint.

Zoro, whose three earrings glint in the light, shifts to scratch at his chest. You spot bandages from the gap in his shirt.

You grab the small jar of salve from your desk and toss it to him. He catches it, but looks from the jar to you and back, confused.

“It's a healing salve I made. It should help soothe your skin.” You explain.

The swordsman still looks unsure, but opens the jar anyway. Zoro sniffs its contents, and tries putting a small amount on his chest.

You beam at him, unable to help feeling proud at how his shoulders visibly relax after using it.

“Thanks.” Zoro says simply.

“No problem.” You nod back, still smiling.

Luffy looks at the jar as if it's a miraculous cure-for-all. “That's amazing.”

“It smells really good, too.” Usopp says, sniffing at the air around Zoro.

“Do you sell that here?” Nami asks.

“I will, once I make more.” You answer. You never realized how uplifting it was to share your work with new people.

Subconsciously, you turn to Sanji. But, why is he frowning? You follow your gaze to find he's looking at the jar in Zoro's hand.

Before you can ask him if anything is wrong, Luffy bursts out excitedly, "You're a doctor! You should join our crew!"

You wince. “No, I'm a chemist.”

“Cool!” Luffy's enthusiasm does not wane. “So you can heal, right?”

You're about to correct him before they assume things out of your pay grade when Usopp claps his hands in realization.

“She's even better than a doctor!” Usopp insists. “She makes the medicine that the doctors give out!”

Just as you were about to interfere with how much they were overestimating your skills, the shop bell rings. You turn to the clock. Shit, you should have locked up twenty minutes ago.

You meet everyone's eyes and they all nod, understanding that they need to be quiet. You switch off the lights in the back room for good measure.

The customer is a pirate you've never seen before. He looks angry, glaring at every possible hiding spot in your shop. Particularly the room you just came from.

You're careful to completely shut the curtain behind you.

“How can I help you, sir?” You put on your best customer service smile. “I was just about to close the shop, but if it's urgent, I'll help you find what you need.”

The pirate grunts. He's not buying what you're selling at all.

“Perhaps some calming tea? You look like a refined gentleman who would enjoy this.” You hold up a can of tea as if that will help you seem less suspicious.

“What's behind the curtain?” He points behind you accusingly.

“My work area, where I make all the fine products you see before you.”

Stomping forward, he seems to have had enough of your stalling. Fine.

Just as he's about to bash his fist down onto your counter, you grab a suspicious looking dark jar. You hold it up threateningly.

“The hell is that?!” The pirate snarls.

“Haven't you heard? I'm the go-to poison dealer in all the East Blue.” You bluff. “A whiff of this, and you'll sink like a rock, my friend.”

He freezes, but glares at you more fiercely. You pretend to twist the lid.

“Y-you'll kill yourself too, then!” He barks back. “Let's see your bullshit poison then.”

“Oh, but that's what makes me so brilliant.” You grin, laying the act on thick. “I'm immune to all the poisons I make.”

Your hand settles ominously on the lid. “Shall we test who survives?”

The pirate scrambles to leave. He's out before you can blink. Without missing a beat, you lock the front door and draw all window blinds down.

You rest your back against the door. Letting out a loud exhale, you almost let yourself slide down to the floor. How long do you have to deal with pirates like that?

Thoughts of yesterday with Sanji at the market fill your thoughts. If only all days could be like that, where the worst of your problems had been a peppermint shortage.

“You guys can come out, now.” You call out to the Straw Hats.

“Uh... Is that really poison?” Usopp asks, staying very far away from the jar.

You laugh, though it comes out airy due to your tiredness. “No, those are just some herbs I left to ferment.”

“How brilliant of you, love.” Sanji is beside you in a few strides. Him and those long legs.

“Was he the one you guys were hiding from?” You ask. The crew members shake their heads.

“No, actually.” Nami says. “We were hiding from a bunch of—”

Your shop explodes.

Sanji is quick to pull you into his arms and shield you from the debris with his own body. For a minute that feels like eternity, you can't hear anything. Your ears are ringing, and dust clouds over all your years of hard work. You sob into Sanji's arms.

“No!” You cry out.

Marines step into the shop, wood planks cracking and glass panels shattering under their feet. There are so many of them. You don't understand. Even if you hid the Straw Hats here, they shouldn't be allowed to destroy private property, right? Right?

“We got a report of illegal poisons in the area.” The leading officer states, his face stoic. “Just our luck that we run into pirates as well.”

You look to the Straw Hats, all of them are positioned to fight, save for Sanji. He's still cradling you protectively.

Taking a shaky deep breath, you lift your hand to rest it on Sanji's arm. He instantly looks down at you, silently asking if you're alright.

You're not yet, and if you're being honest, you'd rather stay in his arms until everything is over. But you nod anyway. Sanji gently lets you go and gets ready to face your new enemies.

“Get them all.”

Chaos breaks, and you run to duck behind a shelf that toppled over. The Straw Hats put up a good fight, but there are just too many Marines. Your eyes find round bottles of herbs scattered around you, and you come up with an idea.

“Guys!” You yell. “Buy me some time!”

“Anything for you, darling.” Sanji winks at you before sending a Marine flying. You gape at his audacity. The rest of them don't even react, but you notice they rotate slightly, surrounding you to keep you from being interrupted.

Grabbing as many of the bottles as you can, you stuff them with shards of wood and more dried leaves. You take rocks from the debris and strike them together.

With a few sparks, the herbs and leaves catch fire. You act fast, throwing the bottles at the Marines.

The bottles shatter, bursting into flames once they hit their mark. The Marines panic and become disoriented, giving the Straw Hats an advantage despite being outnumbered.

Eventually, the Marines run and scatter, leaving only the few bravest of them to fight. The Straw Hats make quick work of them.

When the battle is over, you watch the dust settle over the ruins of your apothecary. It's going to take years to earn enough berry to restore how everything once was. You can't help but feel heartbroken.

Sanji sits down in the rubble next to you, wrapping you in another embrace. You let yourself fall into him.

“We'll help you get everything back. I promise.” He swears, voice slightly muffled into your hair.

“Or, you could come with us! Join our crew!” Nami hits Luffy on the shoulder.

“What? It's true!” Luffy insists. “We need someone like her!”

You pull back from Sanji's embrace to look at him. He doesn't say anything, but something tells you he wishes for you to come with them. The others look at you expectantly as well.

No one speaks to persuade you further. But when you compare this rag-tag team to your ruined apothecary, your answer suddenly feels very clear. If you're to slave away to earn the berry for rebuilding your home, why not spend that time with them?

The back of the shop is less affected, even if the sight is still dreadfully sad. Your notes are thankfully intact, and you're able to find a bag and shove some extra clothes into it. It saddens you that you're so quick to pack up your life, but you'll come back. Someday.

When you return to the others, they're all smiling. Sanji more so, but you should have expected that.

He holds out his hand, and you reach out to take it.

“I change my mind,” You jest. “I'll take that romantic candlelit dinner now.”

Sanji laughs loudly while he guides you to walk over the rubble safely. You catch some of the others laughing too, but they walk a ways ahead you and Sanji.

“Like I said,” He says with his signature grin, “Anything for you, my dear.”

Your mind must be playing tricks on you, because he still smells like peppermint. Now, that's really not fair.

#MY HEART #The jumps and twirls my heart is doing #would destroy every circus act to exist #eating this up #so delicious #mwah mwah #reblog #sanji x reader #fic rec #sanji fic rec

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