#’Your beauty never ever scared me’ AGAIN LUFFY ABOUT SANJI EVEN WITH HIS PAST AND HIS MODIFICATIONS

[shima-draws]

Writes a full blown essay about why Mary On A Cross is THE Sanlu song to me ever,

[itsthemoofacewriting]

I know you’re tired (why don’t we go back home)

That’s right, I’m not done with Whole Cake Island, nor Sanji’s vulnerability, so buckle in kiddos. This is a standalone and has nothing to do with my other story involving the WCI arc.

Summary: Sanji is quiet. Far too quiet, considering his kitchen is half burned down and Nami’s having none of it.  Rating: T

Warning: This story mentions abuse and the aftereffects of that on Sanji- some very negative thoughts. So please know your limits and exit if you have to, I don’t want to upset anyone. But I will say the ending is happy, because I like to toe at the dangerous line of emotional but not too much.

The title is from the song ‘Tired’ by Astyn Turr.

Can also be found on AO3 and FFN. 

Enjoy.

Sanji’s standing in his beloved kitchen, eyes calculating as he takes in the damage and he doesn’t need to get out his abacus to know this will cost an arm and a leg to repair. The worst of the damage is centered around the stove. The countertop is now black instead of the beautiful cream and gold finish it once had. There’s also god knows what stuck to the top of the stove. At this point it looks like it’s melded to the metal grates and he knows that’s going to take some elbow grease to get out.

Unsurprisingly, the fridge is as good as new. Nami had told him it had been the first thing Luffy had saved when the fire had broken out.

There’s no salvaging the cupboards surrounding the stove though. Fire’s licked away all the colour and has eaten away at the wood- he’s slightly surprised to see the remaining cupboard doors are even still on. He hasn’t worked up the courage to look in the cupboards yet, to see whether he has any cooking equipment or utensils left. He will look, just not yet. He wants to see how much of the black soot he can get rid of and whether he can get any of the black sludge off of his stove first.

Currently, he’s on his hands and knees, cleaning the floor around the stove and has been cleaning for the last few hours. The kitchen is nowhere near clean enough but it’s a whole lot better than the eyesore from before; most of the soot is gone and the black sludge is slowly lifting- it only loosened on his third attempt and at some point, he’ll have to ask what the hell it is.

That’s how Nami finds him. He heard the door open and the distinct sound of heels clicking about the hard wood floor, which then changed to tiles, so he knows she’s making her way towards him.

He spins, ready to put on a show and fall into his Nami-swaaan~ routine but the look she’s giving him stopped him on the spot and he’s preparing for the worst. It’s rare to see that look on her face, a mixture between angry and stern. Many of the crew would say she always looked like that, but he knows her well enough, watched her for long enough, to know the small differences.

“Why aren’t you angry about your kitchen?” She demanded, crossing her arms, eyebrow raised, and he realised it’s actually a look of don’t bullshit me.

So, he shrugged and started cleaning the space between him and Nami. It’d be rude to turn his back on her and he’d never dream of doing that, but at the same time he needed to keep himself busy, he couldn’t stand the scrutiny of that look.

And she knows it. She continued to stare even though he’s trying to look busy, to politely brush off her concern and not look at her. But she’s not giving in because the silence continued to stretch in the still kitchen, and the final straw is when she started to tap her foot. It matched the seconds ticking on the clock and he started to visualise the ticking of a bomb. He’s not sure what he’s expecting when it goes off.

Doesn’t have to either because he’s giving in on the tenth foot tap.

“Well, I can imagine it was a hard journey to get here,” the ‘without me’ is unsaid but it’s there and he shrugged but all she does is continue to stare, looking expectant, so he continued, “and I couldn’t be sure of who actually did it.”

That’s weak and they both know it. Nami’s huffing and her previously crossed arms now sit at her hips as she responded, “Look around-” She pointed at the blackened walls, he hadn’t started on them yet, “-This has Luffy written all over it. You think anyone else could achieve this?”

Sanji had nothing to say to that, so he just kept cleaning, even though he’s pretty sure the spot he’s cleaning isn’t dirt anymore and is actually a scorch mark.

The foot taping started again. “Luffy wasted food,” She said bluntly, and he knows what she’s doing, she’s trying to bait him. “Cooked everything in your best pot and then tipped the pot with the food in overboard.”

He knows she’s missing out on a few key details, like the fact that the atrocious stew he made was poisonous and that had he been with them, this wouldn’t have happened. His sister had told him when she’d returned and if it wasn’t for his sister, Luffy would be dead right now. Probably the one time he’s thankful for his family’s powers, not that they ever benefitted him.

They descend back into silence and it’s suffocating, makes him want to fidget, but he stopped himself. It’s then that he realised why it’s making him so uncomfortable and itchy. It’s stifling and it screams rejection and disapproval. It reminded him of when his father would look down his nose at him, judging him and it was that silence that used to greet him back from his cell when his voice was raw from yelling.

“Well?” Her voice cut through his thoughts before they can go any further, to a much darker place when thinking about his biological family, and he flinched at the tone.

“Sanji?” The tone is soft, a stark difference to the one from before.

Briefly, he wondered why it’d changed so drastically from before when he hasn’t responded. It’s because whilst he hasn’t said anything verbally, physically he’s said enough; from the silence, to the lack of eye contact, to the flinching and belatedly, he realised he’s curled his shoulders in. To make himself look small. Something he hasn’t done since he first joined Baratie.

He’s shown his hand and to someone who’s well versed in this language.

Their pasts were fairly similar, he’d always known that, trapped in situations of abuse and it used to make him nervous. He was always waiting for her to catch on. She was so perceptive, and he was sure she was onto him in Skypiea when he’d said he was from North Blue. He’d watched her eyes narrow and her mouth had opened to voice her confusion, but they’d been interrupted, and it was never brought up again. He slightly wondered if that was on purpose, she didn’t forget the little things.

He chanced a glance at her face after he’s straightened himself and regretted it almost immediately. She looked so worried, eyes searching for something and it made him feel naked. It made him want to disappear and it’s because he’s scared that she’s going to see right through him.

Shame.

That’s what he’s feeling, and he hated it. He doesn’t want her to see all the dirt on him, all the disgusting parts of him that made his family hate him. He doesn’t want it to happen again, he can’t. Not with her. He wants her to see him as the best version of himself, always.

But he can’t anymore. Not when she’s seen where he’s come from first-hand and heard all about it from his father.

He realised he’s already naked. Laid bare before them all, against his will and it’s easier to hide away in the kitchen then let them see him for what he truly is.

His hands have stopped their idle cleaning and he’s got so lost in his self-loathing that he’s forgotten to keep his face neutral and he’s curled back in on himself. He’s laid himself bare this time and there’s no escape.

She doesn’t look disgusted though, she doesn’t sneer down at him like his family did when he was young and tell him how pathetic he was or hit him. It looked like it’s suddenly dawning on her, maybe not the full picture just yet- but the lines are in place and the drawing only needs to be coloured in.

He sees the agitation bleed out of her. Her previously tense shoulders relax; her face softened and her eyes… he doesn’t know if can continue to look directly into them just yet. They melt and there’s so much sitting in that look and it’s all for him.

Understanding. Warmth. Empathy. Affection.

For little pathetic Sanji.

He looked down again. His wall’s about to crumble and he desperately needed to leave but he has nowhere else to go. This is his safe space.

Heels click against the tiles to close the distance between them but they’re less threatening now, not so sharp and don’t send panic down his spine.

The atmosphere in the kitchen has lifted, it’s warm and he’s suddenly reminded of his mother, how he used to feel when he was around her when she was alive.

Even more so when Nami draws him in. Her hand gently pulled the dirty rag away from his blackened hands and squeezed and he thought that was going to be it. But then her arms are wrapping around his shoulders and he’s being pulled into her embrace. It’s a bit awkward, he’s still taller than her even when she’s wearing heels, so he has to slouch a bit, but he doesn’t pull away. She brings him down until his face is resting in the crease of her neck.

It’s personal and far too intimate and warm.

Like she’s protecting him.

And it’s the straw that broke the camels back.

His eyes sting because he honestly can’t remember the last time someone had hugged him like this.

That’s a lie. He can but he doesn’t let himself think about it too often because he never quite got over her death. The woman that made his childhood bearable with gentle touches and adoring looks as he showed off his latest creation; only for it to all be taken away so suddenly before he was forced into darkness.

The tears are pouring now and he’s hugging Nami back just as tightly as she is. He’d be mortified normally; that she was seeing him like this, and he was ruining her pretty dress with something he should be over by now, but he can feel matching tears running down his cheeks that aren’t his. He can feel her body shaking along with his because she’s sharing his grief with him, so he doesn’t have to do it alone.

Nami doesn’t try to sooth him or give him reassuring words, she’s just there with him in the moment. They stay like that, their hold never slackening on the other as sobs filled the quiet kitchen. Quiet ship actually, if either of them bothered to pay attention to anything other than the person in front of them.

Neither of them moved away from the embrace, but when Sanji’s arms slacken slightly, Nami took that as a sign to start running her hands up and down his back. The move brought a fresh wave of tears from his eyes but they’re silent now, just a residue of what’s left over.

They’re in his hair now and he wondered how appropriate it really was when he nuzzled into the crook of her neck, but she didn’t voice her disapproval. If anything, it encouraged her actions all the more and he could feel the rigidness wash from his body at the gesture.

With one last squeeze, he’s tentatively pulling away from her embrace. It’s time to face the music. He wasn’t expecting her to look so determined and he’s thrown for a second because he doesn’t know what to make of that look. She cupped his face and her thumbs soothe across his cheeks to wipe away the tracks of tears that remain.

“I don’t have the full picture, but I know enough. I don’t think any less of you, I want you to know that I wouldn’t- that any of us wouldn’t. If anything, I think you’re even more amazing than you already were.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

That almost brings a fresh wave of tears to his eyes because she’s so quickly and concisely got to the root of the problem. They’re words he’s never heard directly said to him and he’s slightly glad because he couldn’t imagine hearing them before now and coping with it.

Her hands are steady on his face and she doesn’t let him look down at his feet like he wanted to. As much as he wanted these words from her, the small voice in the back of his head told him otherwise.

“Judge knows nothing. For him to say all those words and believe them just proves it,” She told him fiercely, daring him to disagree. “You’re the strongest person I know, physically, mentally and emotionally. None of them are weaknesses. It’s makes you human and nothing’s worth keeping more than that.”

Nami’s words were fierce, but her expression is soft. Because the words are for Judge and the voice in the back of his head, but the softness is for him. For that dirty side of him that she now sees and apparently likes.

There’s nothing he can say. Mainly because he doesn’t trust his voice not to crack but also what could he say to that? Instead, he’s pulling her into another hug. One where he’s wrapping his arms her and trying to convey how much she means to him.

It must come across because she’s squeezing him back and he felt her breathe in deeply. What really confirmed it is the confidence in which she said, “I missed you.”

He felt like he could melt. From how adorable she’s being right now and the relief; he missed her too.

“I missed you too.”

She pulled away from him so she can see his face but stayed in his embrace, she looked serious again.

“Don’t do it again.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he uttered back softly, and his eyes drifted around her face, taking all of her in. It’s rare he got to see her up close like this and he’s savouring the moment.

And then she’s smiling at him, like he’s handed her a whole chest full of gold. Whilst Nami may seem hard and unforgiving at times, she’s also one of the softest and most understanding people he’s ever met and she’s showing that right now.

It’s a combination of everything that does it for him. The atmosphere is intimate, despite the half-burned kitchen surrounding them, they’re still holding onto each other and Nami’s eyes have gone doe-eyed, almost like she’s realised too. But she didn’t pull away, didn’t let go. Instead he watched as her gaze quickly fell to his lips before darting back up to his eyes and he copied the gesture.

They’re like magnets, slowly drawing in closer with little regard to anything else other than the person in front of them. Perhaps he’s being dramatic, but when their lips finally touch it’s like everything has fallen into place and all the wrongs in his life are suddenly right. He tilted his head to the side to find a better angle and slot himself closer to her. She hummed in agreement, like she could read his thoughts, but the action sent tingles through his lips and his new aim is to get her to do that again.

But there’s hands on his shoulders before he can fulfil that goal, they’re pushing him back and he doesn’t resist.

“Maybe now isn’t the best time to be doing this,” Nami whispered and he can feel her breath on his lips. Her hands don’t move from his shoulders, but they do relax and stroke at the fabric of his shirt.

“Why’s that?”

“I feel like I’m taking advantage, look at what we’ve just been doing,” she said, edging around the topic and he smiled because she’s trying to be delicate with him.

“If it’s you, you can take advantage whenever you want.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She snorted and pinched his side, “I’m being serious.”

“So am I.”

She gave him a bland look then, unimpressed with his joking.

“Really I am. I kissed you and I’ve wanted to for a really long time…” but then he hesitated, wondering if he’s read her wrong and maybe this was her attempting to let him down gently. “I mean, unless you don’t…?”

But then she’s firmly pressing her lips against his and, his moment of self-doubt faded into the background. He doesn’t get the chance to savour their second (second!) kiss because she’s pulling back to give him a coy smirk.

“Now, I didn’t say that.”

He smiled at her then and his hands moved to cup her jaw, his thumb stroking along it as he waited another moment for all of this to soak in.

“Can I kiss you?” He should have asked before, but he was too wrapped up in the moment, he slightly regretted that as he watched her blush prettily before him. They’ve already kissed (twice!) but somehow this embarrassed her? She’s too cute for her own good.

All she does is nod back and he brought her in closer, his lips brushing against hers, teasing her, but he doesn’t keep her waiting for much longer as he pressed his lips fully to hers. His hands move away from her jaw and into her hair, one playing with the strands whilst another stationed itself at the nape of her neck. It’s a good move on his part because she’s humming against his lips again and he felt like he could float away at the feeling.

He doesn’t though, instead he worked on keeping his cool because there’s no way he’s messing this up- he’s worked too hard to get to this point. It’s almost all thrown out of the window when Nami brushed her tongue against his lips and the sound that came from the back of his throat it definitely not something his brain preapproved, but it doesn’t stop him from opening his mouth to welcome her in.

It’s then that his brain finally registered how long they’ve been in the kitchen, in silence, alone, uninterrupted and as much as he’s focusing on her, on how soft her lips are and how good she felt, he also knew how unusual that is.

Reluctantly, he parted from the kiss but not without leaving a lingering one against her lips. When he opened his eyes, he’s met with an expression he’s never seen before on her and it makes it so much harder not to press back against her. She looked dazed and her eyes are lidded and she’s so gorgeous (Okay, so the last one isn’t new, sue him).

“Why is it so quiet?” He asked and pressed another kiss to her lips because he’s weak. Weak in the best way possible.

She blinked at him, apparently not expecting him to say that. Soon enough, her lips are curling upward, and she responded, “Luffy’s in hiding because of the state of the kitchen.”

“So he should be, what the hell was that idiot thinking?” There’s heat behind his words again but they don’t match the soft way Sanji nudged his nose against Nami’s.

“Go give him hell.” She tilted her head towards the door to encourage him.

He smiled back boyishly, his face so much lighter than before, like a burden had been lifted. He squeezed her hand in response.

“But don’t think this is over. If you ever need to talk or cry, know that you can come to me.” Nami’s face was serious as she looked at him. “Maybe even when I’m drawing maps.” Her face cracking to wink at him.

He nodded at her, leaving her with a parting kiss on the cheek but at the last second, he hesitated and looked at her longingly. Was this really more important than her?

Luckily, Nami’s well versed in Sanji.

“I’ll be here when you get back,” she breathed out, giving him a teasingly smoky look that he wanted to burn into his brain for later. That look is directed at him, him!  

That’s all he needed to hear before he’s marching out of the kitchen, footsteps heavy, kicking the door open to an empty lawn deck and shouting for Luffy to show himself.

From inside the kitchen, Nami smiled. Her work was done, for now.

----------------------------------------------

Feels like my super expensive psychology degree is finally doing something; not making me any money but helping me write fanfic- score!

I actually wasn’t going to have them kiss at first, I was only going to allude to a relationship because I didn’t want it to undermine Nami supporting Sanji, but I’m a sucker for them. Hopefully I managed to pull it off.

Please excuse any errors.

Thanks for reading.

[firefistlaw]

Ship #2 🌺

This is the second ship/match up! I hope you’re not mad that it took so long, please enjoy it and be happy; you got Snooji! Thank you for playing in the “special special”!! @musicmarble

Your partner is Snooji Sanji!

When Sanji first announced his love for you, no one was surprised, but when he started to ignore other woman and only cared for you, they knew, he got serious. He falls for your energy and for the love you have for your friends. When he first met you, he wanted nothing more than to be called one of your friends, but after some time, he wanted, no, needed more of you. He is a sucker for your voice and whenever you ask him if  he’s hungy, his heart jumps in excitement. He doesn’t care at all that you might not suit the “girly person” society has build, he is only interested in you and your personality, the rest doesn’t matter. For him, you’re the most beautiful person he has laid his eyes on, even if you say that you’re imperfect and that you have flaws, your him you’re a masterpiece. He makes sure you know your real worth, even if he has to tell you every night. Also, when he found out about your past, he realised that you both have more in common than you think. Without noticing, he found the perfect match for him and he is not ready to let you leave all too fast.

Your best friend is Chopper!

Sweet, precious and maybe a little dork; here are two perfect best friends. You and Chopper click the first second you meet each other and are not able to be without each other for too long. You both get high on each others’ spirit and never fail to make everyone else feel happy, that’s just how you both work. He is a doctor too, so he will try to help you whenever you feel a bit pain from your injury, he will notice if you’re acting different than unsual and will make sure to make you feel better. Also, if stupid Snooji ever hurts your feelings, this little cutie will beat his ass for you, believe me. Sometimes you both sit around for hours and talk about anything, sometimes you play pranks on the others and snicker behind books.

Your bounty is 80 Thousand Berry!

First, you’re a part of the strawhat crew, so let’s put some berry on your head. Second, you’re the partner of Sanji, so let’s put some more berry on your head. Third, that one time, in middle of a fight, you accidentaly kicked someone so hard, they went unconscious for a few hours, which made everyone wonder… how the hell did you do that? You don’t know, they don’t know… lets put some more berry on your mysterious head.

Your secret admirer is Usopp!

He hates himself for the way he feels, he feels so so bad! Sanji is one of his family, his brother and yet, he crushes on his partner… It was the way you laughed, the way you adapted to your friends and the way you cared so deeply for them, that he couldn’t stop himself and fell for you. You were something different in his eyes; a treasure that didn’t know it’s worth and he was swept away from it. When you went up to him and asked him if he could teach you to become a sniper, his heart stopped in his chest. You just turned more perfect by the second, but he couldn’t act on his feelings. He decides that his friendship with Sanji was more important than his feelings, so he leaves you alone. After some time, he feels himself losing his interest in you and he’s glad. But deep down, he still has a sweet spot for his brothers partner.

Worst enemy is Enel!

You both, you barely know each other, but from the short moment you saw each other, a horrible and deep enemyship was born. You hate this guy with everything you can think of and he? He thinks it’s fun, so he hates you back. Sanji and Chopper had to pull you back in skypia, so you wouldn’t run into your death, but you were harder to calm down than expected. It was the way he talked, the way he wanted so much attention and the way he treated others that made you hate him. When Luffy beat his ass, you were glad, bu still to this day; every time you hear his name, you just get grumpy. You both had some other kinds of sparks..

Who comes and saves you if you’re in danger: Jinbei! (Jinbae)

Look at this Jinbae, he will fight everyone for you! He will get all of his friends/fighters to save you, not only because you’re in the strawhat crew, nah, because you both are good friends as well. He loves the way you talk about the ocean and he will not let someone hurt you, not now and not later.

Who is secretly trying to catch you and get your bounty: Big Mom! (Spoiler)

SPOILER WARNING! When she found out that you were in a relationship with Sanji, she knew, she had to get you in her hands. There could be only one person who can have Sanji and in her eyes; it couldn’t be you. So, to everyone’s surprise, the yonko wants you. You, the 80 thousand berry person. To say that you’re shocked is not enough to explain what goes through your head.

Kitchen concert - a little drabble

Soft sounds of Sanji cutting vegetables surround your figure leaning against the kitchen counter, making you sigh in content. Today had been a quiet day, dark clouds were shielding the bright sunlight away, making everyone either hide in their rooms or relax in the kitchen. You didn’t mind though, it was nice to relax like this from time to time.

You glance at your boyfriend moving the knife faster than you ever could and lean your head back, sighing another time.

“Are you okay, my love?” The sounds of the knife turn quieter. You look at the blonde haired man and see him staring at you in amusement. “Are you so bored?”

“No…” You mumble and shift from one foot to another. “I’m just a bit tired.”

Sanji nods, turns back to his work and is about to start again, when he stops another time. “Y/N, come here.”

“Hm?” You frown and stay where you are, not knowing what he wants.

“Come here for a second, I promise, I won’t bite.” He says and winks. “Not now.”

You feel yourself blushing and slowly walk up to him, avoiding his eyes. You hear him mumble something about you being cute and then, he stands behind you, arms wrapped around your body. “What-”

“I’m scared you will fall asleep, so I’d rather have you here in my arms.” He whispers into your hair and softly pecks your cheek. You purse your lips, trying to hide the smile that tries to escape.

You stay in his warm arms for a few minutes and stare at him cutting food, still surprised at how good he actually is. Neither of you say something, both enjoying the company, when suddenly, you start to hum quietly, still shy.

Your boyfriend stops his actions- you stop. He turns his head towards you and smiles. “Ah, don’t be shy. You sound so nice, don’t hide it!” But you’re still too embarrassed, which makes Sanji sigh.

“Okay then.” He says and kisses your cheek again, making you turn your head to the side, laughing quietly. You lean back against his body and after a few seconds, Sanji starts to hum himself, quiet at first, but grows louder with every second that passes. You take another glance at him and bite your lip, slowly joining him.

You grow more and more comfortable and after a few more seconds, you start to sing quietly. Sanji makes sure to sing along, even tries to sing the instruments, which makes you laugh.

Suddenly, the door opens and a skeleton comes inside. “Is this a concert? Yohohoho, let me join!”

“I want too!” The sweet voice of your best friend echoes through the kitchen and then he appears in front of your eyes; Chopper.

You smile and turn around, about to walk to your friends, when Sanji steals a kiss from your lips, making Chopper giggle loudly. Your cheeks turn deep red, but Sanji just winks. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

[torosiken]

Question do you like WCI arc? What are your thoughts on it? What do you like or do you not like about it?

hi anon thanks for asking me this question XD *cracks fingers* hoo man this is gonna be long. To anyone, please don’t get offended on what I am going to write- just in case you get the wrong idea.

well, before I start I have to admit that I am a BIG *COUGH* Sanji *COUGH COUGH HACK* fan. And the idea of Sanji Year excited me nonetheless when it first came out, along with the Vinsmokes and marriage theme. I expected a lot of things happening during this arc. And in one side, I do am pleased with the revelation of Vinsmokes and all the new characters. I liked them, however I have to really say I am really displeased with Oda’s writing during this entire arc.

The entire arc was a disaster for me. Not because I expected big things or so. Ever since Sanji’s second backstory was mentioned briefly by the wedding invitation, I already expected this arc will full of cliches and oh-my-god I hate cliches so much. Yet I put my faith in Oda- because maybe he will pull shit out nicely like he always did. But no, we got a horrible rushed-off writing instead.

My guess it’s because Oda announced Year of Sanji back in 2016, and in result, he was rushing himself to write this arc and it ended up having a horrible writing. The idea of this arc was nice- but it was lacking execution. If you have been reading what my friend Malky wrote @sleepdepravity​ about this arc, I agree most of it with her- this arc has no point of character development. Sanji is kind, but the flaunting of that fact in this arc is only shoving that idea in the reader’s face- to make people go “Ooooh Sanji is so kind he is a salvation angel” instead of actually making this a redemption or some short.

The Straw Hats are adults, at this point- character development might not really presented and it was obvious especially ever since the timeskip. They are solid and are collected. And then suddenly this arc happens. If this arc is only going to show how harsh the New World is, it’s not. Because during the entire arc I don’t even get scared at all that Sanji or anyone is going to be killed for that matter. We had that heart attack that Law might get killed back in Dressrosa, but no. Also, apparently Law’s hand can be sewn back just nicely in the end of the arc. It makes me losing the feel that Sanji might actually lose his hands in this arc. Because, for hell if I knew- they could be sewn back just like ho Law’s hands were.

Most of people are disappointed that the SH are separating again, but for me- it’s to be expected. Especially that back in Dressrosa we got mossywara as a group with Luffy. So it’s to be expected that guruwara will be the only team presented in this arc. With addition of Pedro and Carrot in the gang, that was acceptable. I liked the minks when they were first introduced. But then, Pedro and Carrot joining SH on their trip out of nowhere is way too random. Kinemon, Bartolomeo, and Cavendish joining the war as a gang is actually more established than Pedro simply joining by -assigned-. Carrot joining the gang was written out nicely, however I am displeased on how she is portrayed after that.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked Carrot as a character. But don’t you think she is too overpowered? Hey, it’s great to get a strong, badass female character. And she is cute too. HOWEVER- CONTEXT IS she is YOUNG, and she was joining the trip RANDOMLY. She never been outside before. Yet she could stand up against BM’s troops? Dude. Remember the SH back in the early days? Remember how crazy strong Zoro depicted as? He was still struggling and BADLY too at some of low-rank enemies. This is Carrot’s first adventure out of Zou. And she could handle things NICELY without getting much injuries. Even if she is depicted as a strong character, this kind of writing is just too rushed for her character.

Next is Pudding. Oh God. PUDDING. I LOVE LOVE LOVE PUDDING SO MUCH. When she was first appeared, I already liked her cute attitude- and hell, I wouldn’t mind IF she stayed cute like that at all. And then there was EVIL PUDDING revealed with the memory powers. Dude, that really makes me into her. HOWEVER then Oda decided to fuck things up. Because one second, she was shown with a flashback with Lola and then the next second, she was evil. And then, suddenly she was crying just because a MAN calling her THIRD EYE BEAUTIFUL. The backstory was cool. But… are you SERIOUS??? Then she decided to fall in love with SANJI JUST BECAUSE THAT ONE LINE??? I wouldn’t mind if there was MORE BUILD UP between the two. Maybe like— make their exchanges longer during the pre-wedding scenes??? So Pudding can be more touched by Sanji’s gentleman-y and kindness aftermath??? But come on… the build up was so lacking it makes Pudding like an inconsistent little kid. Come on. Also, give us more screentime of that memory power won’t you Oda? What’s the use of mentioning it if you aren’t going to make Pudding USE IT???

And then there’s Big Mom herself. As many have pointed out about Big Mom, it makes ZERO SENSE that she wanted everything to live in peace BUT THEN SHE CLAIMED PUDDING’S THIRD EYE AS UGLY… WHAT??? It bugs me out especially that she is a Yonko. Strong and powerful. One second she agreed to marry her child with Capone for power, but next second she tried to murder the Vinsmokes to gain their power- I mean- dude??? that was so random????? She could’ve go along with the marriage like all the other times but she decided to go against a fucking nationality filled with assassins out of all deals??? What makes her to think of that??? Why didn’t she murder the other marriage dealers instead??? Didn’t she knew the Vinsmokes were rumored to be so strong even if they actually was clueless in this fucking arc? There was no caution to the Vinsmokes at all?????

And now here comes the Vinsmokes. BRO. You were rumored to be a strong ass kingdom and then they are… this STUPID??? I love the power rangers-esque outta them. But like… dude. You are a fucking nation with science basis. And they are apparently so stupid. Falling on BM’s trap just LIKE THAT? You are trying to make a deal with a PIRATE. Are you expecting things to go simply as that? You have troops. What kind of royalties are you? There wasn’t any soldiers at the wedding party. COME ON. YOU ARE TOO DUMB. Also if I were Judge I might as well kept Sanji for his brain and use him as the tactical commander. Or maybe at least KEEP HIM FOR A FUCKING BLOOD AND ORGAN SUPPLY IN CASE ANY OF THE FRONT ROW TRIPLETS ARE INJURED IN A FIGHT. ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TRYING TO BE AN EVIL GROUP OF PEOPLE? THEN YOU FAILED WAYS TO BE EVIL GENIUSES. YOU ARE TOO DUMB TO BE EVIL GENIUSES.

And now I am talking about the Straw Hats. Jinbei joining the SH statement was EPIC but like… then I felt nothing. There was no impact to that or whatever. The only MVP in this whole arc is Brook. And I love Luffy. At least bless the Gods that he never changed. Nami in this arc was… horrible. She is suddenly just being a whiny moody kid. She kicked ass nicely in the last chapter action but like- during the entire thing she was just…. there. We are not seeing much action from her NEW WEAPON that was actually there to be a new fighting spotlight. I mean… come on???

And now we got Sanji. Oh god oh god oh god. Why.

I am not going to comment on how he is crying and shit or beating up Luffy. I actually understand why he does all of that. My only concern here is in the WRITING ON ALL OF THOSE SCENES AND NOT HOW SANJI iS ACTING DURING THE WHOLE THING. Sanji is still Sanji, and how he acts is actually still very in-character and it was nice. Including how stupid he is to think to leave the SH. And then we suddenly got Sanji saving the Vinsmokes on the fucking table scene- like a salvation angel coming from the depths of hell. I knew it was supposed to be symbolic, but it was FAR TOO CLICHE and this fucking arc is shoving down “LOOK AT HOW KIND SANJI IIIISSSSS” in reader’s face too much and I’m hella sick of it. You could’ve done that WITHOUT THAT. YEAH SURE. EVERY OP FANS WHO FOLLOW THE ENTIRE OP SHOULD’VE KNOWN THAT SANJI IS NICE ALREADY TBH YOU DOn’T NEED TO FLAUNT IT OVER AND OVER TOO MUCH SLKGSJKGjsKGS

Also Sanji’s second backstory is suddenly changing EVERYTHING about him. It makes as if the first backstory about starvation never happened. No, of course the readers know it’s still there. But suddenly in this one arc it’s treating like it was all that was about- making him sounded like an entire new and different character instead of the Sanji we are all know all these whole time. Character revealations are good, guys. But last time it happened- it was Luffy with his second backstory(ASL). It didn’t change our view on Luffy at all. However, on Sanji- everything did change. All of sudden people are talking about “look at how weak he was! He is not weak anymore! Look at how he never had a proper family and now he does!” when in fact that past was already long gone and Vinsmoke Sanji was dead- he was already reborn as simply Sanji and he was not weak or not having a family. This arc is talking as if he was never having anyone when he actually does.

There’s also Reiju- talking that she couldn’t disobey her father. Yet she occasionally does. This mechanism was confusing in any matter. Also there was the Vinsmoke brothers showing emotions at each other… everything is too inconsistant. Sanji’s resolve to be a chef is not even as strong as I thought it would be. and especially for fucks sake he is a prince, and he is aware that he is one. The fucking kingdom’s system is too fucked up even though I have to admit I liked the kingdom’s concept…

And suddenly I fogotten what else I wanted to write and everything ended up going into a loop without clear points of what I wanted to actually point out /shot

WCI has too many characters to introduce and to be offered. The thing with BM’s head chef is also written as too sudden. I have no surprises if Sanji and that cook is going to have a battle in the future chapters. The classic countdown thing is a thing in OP battles, like in Dressrosa- the time limit existed before the birdcage closes. During this arc, there was the one day to marriage- and the runaway- and to calm down BM’s rage. Time limit wise, it was great to portray all of the characters hurrying and all however- WRITING wise, it was not good to rush things just to make everything fits in into the deadline.

Events in CP9, Marineford, Dressrosa and many many others were having time limits on them, however they were not as rushed as how WCI’s writing was. Oda could’ve managed to sort out more build ups to make this arc flows better thus fitting all of the characters backstories without making things too cliche or rushed.

New World is a harsh place. And I have to admit- I would’ve prefered Sanji to lose his hands or at least a leg. Or maybe even die to make the whole thing flow better. If Oda is trying to portray New World’s harshness with WCI war- the least he could make is to make the characters severely injured- or at least leave some mark off permanently to show how harsh this adventure is.

I am too tired with this arc’s horrible writing that my mind focuses on things to enjoy like “oh look at how uke sanji is in this arc” /shot

Thanks for reading my stupid rant and I hope none of you gets this to the wrong side… hopefully X”D

I am pretty sure i wanted to rant more about this arc but I forgotten what I am displeased with halfway to this answer wwww :”D

[forcedapotheosis-blog]

Equilibrium (One Piece Oneshot)

I really don’t have a lot to say about this one, the idea hit me yesterday and here it is. It contains some spoilers if you haven’t read the few latest chapters, but should mostly be safe to read.

Disclaimer 1: OP and its characters don’t belong to me.

Disclaimer 2 (The arguably more important one): I don’t know if this is relevant, but I need to get it out of my system. The violence towards the end of this fiction is used solely for dramatic purposes. If you ever experience that kind of violence in your life, do not hesitate for even one second to talk to someone about it. You might feel as if you deserved it, but that is not true and will never be true. Nobody has the right to violate your bodily integrity in any way, shape or form. 

That said, have fun.

Equilibrium

Time stood still.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was a little respite. Just a moment to catch his breath.

He let himself sink into one of the few chairs that weren’t broken during the final clash between the Straw Hats and the Big Mom pirates. He just had to do it. There were moments to count the cost and moments to take a deep breath. He suppressed the trembling of his hands and put a cigarette between his lips, overcoming the struggle of igniting it with sheer force of will.

It’s not over. But .. it is something.

A moment of clarity in the eye of the storm.

His final duel against Big Mom’s second son, the dreaded Charlotte Katakuri, had taken a heavy toll on his body and mind. No matter where he looked, he seemed to be covered in wounds. Many of them deep enough to incapacitate out a lesser man. Every inch of his body was shrieking out in pain, begging for it to stop. But it would stop, given enough time, as this was the nature of wounds to a still living, breathing body.

The smoke was finally hitting his lungs and he revelled in it. The nicotine made his mind slow down and numbed the pain, eased the nigh overwhelming stress step by step, little by little.

Can’t believe I’m still alive .. that all of us are still alive ..

He had every reason to be happy about that. His wedding had been crashed and for the future, he wouldn’t be forced to be a subordinate for Big Mum .. or just be dead. He got back at his father in the most ironic way imaginable, saving him and his siblings from the prospect of certain doom and finally, all of them together were actually able bring about the fall of a tyrant.

Even though his mind was slowing down by now, he contemplated the fact that it had changed during his fight with the Sweet Commander. He transcended the normal bounds of human perception and came to understand the world a little better. When his Kenbunshoku Haki awoke, the only thing he had to do, also the only thing he could do, was to look at his opponent. He understood him on a level that was so much deeper than what he had ever seen .. no, ever felt before. Every movement, every breath he took told him stories about what his foe was going to do in the nearest future. Not one single story, no precise information, but the possibilities of things to come. Watching Katakuri through the second sight of his Haki felt like dreaming of statistics.

That was the reason on why he had to take chances. And since there had been no other option, he took them head on. It was not so much a clash of titans but a battle of wits, very close to a game of chess. One that was impossible to win with his wits alone. That was when taking chances became the most important part of this fight. Him willing to take these risks was what lead to victory. A pyrrhic one, but a victory nonetheless.

He had been wounded before and taking his opponent’s attacks head on could have very well killed him, but going through wit it anyway had been made much easier by the fact that there just was no third option to take.

One overly obvious move to lure Katakuri into an attack that nearly killed him was all it took to get the single opening he needed to go all-out.  A single attack, filled with tranquil fury was what it took to get the better of him. By now he knew that he never felt wrath before, up until this moment. Pure, barely controlled ire was racing through his body and mind when he finally set fire to the shackles of his soul.

And finally, he had been able to make the shadows afraid, reborn, purified with righteous wrath.  

Kind of a shame that fighting that guy isn’t the biggest obstacle to stand in my way. Vinsmoke luck, always rotten.

He couldn’t have been more right with that. The surrounding circumstances put that particular obstacle in the background, but it was still there, waiting for the right time to crush him. And after all the fights, the tears, after being on the verge of breaking again and again, it slid from the shadows, sneaking in for a coup de grâce.

Well, it’s not like I didn’t know that it was coming. In fact, everything from the moment I broke away from my nakama had been building up to this. I was living on borrowed time.. hahaha.

He didn’t really laugh, for one it didn’t go well with smoking and his body was too bruised to make it feel any good or relieving.

His ‘greatest obstacle’ was still out of breath, sitting on the ground with her perfect Clima-tact lying next to her. Sanji vividly remembered how she had used it to knock Pudding out cold when she tried to shoot him in the back. Again.

I guess you just don’t get inbetween a Goddess and her prey., he thought and couldn’t surpress a smile. The Goddess had protected him from harm just to be able to purge him herself. Irony really did write the best stories.

Now, after all this time, either spent apart or next to each other, each of them carefully avoiding to meet the other’s gaze, their eyes finally met again.

So it begins .. no, this might be how it ends., he thought with a heavy heart, closing his eyes for just a second. It was enough to summon the wraiths that were nourished by his guilt. Two shadowy figures that he could only see in the corner of his eye. One had taken the form of his captain, bruised, bloody and beaten within an inch of his life. But .. there was a genuine smile on his face. His signature smile. Sanji could feel the hand of this great man patting his back. Even hear his voice.

“I can’t forgive you, Sanji. Because there is nothing to forgive.”

But it meant nothing, as the second wraith slowly approached. He could only make out the colour of her hair. Fiery red, seemingly moving around even if there was not a breeze to touch it. But it was her eyes that scared him the most. They rightfully accused him, saw right through him. Even through all the physical pain he felt, this one stood out. It had been a simple slap, like the ones she had given him in the past, but oh-so different this time. She had not hurt his body, but her hit resonnated with his soul.

He opened his eyes again, feeling unable to face his wraiths. Nami finally rose up and, even through the sheer exhaustion of battle, she was the living proof that silk hid steel. Her every step resounded heavily within these silent halls .. and the halls of his heart. When she reached him, there was a long silence of exchanging glances and he cursed the fact that Katakuri didn’t kill him when he had the chance to.

“I’m waiting.”, she began, her voice so cold and emotionally barren that he feared that nothing would ever be as it was again.

“Nami-san, I ..”, but she stopped him in his tracks with just a glance. The Goddess didn’t want to hear his excuses.

“I .. I cannot undo what I have done .. please, Nami-san ..”, again, she didn’t want to hear his excuses and his pleads. Sanji wished for her to be irate again, wrathful, just showing emotions. But seeing her so calm and collected made him fear for the worst.

“ .. I nearly killed Luffy. I insulted his dreams. I lied to all of you, since the beginning of our journey. I lied to you because I didn’t think that it would ever be important for anyone again .. I didn’t expect my prediction to be so terribly wrong.”, somehow, speaking hurt. Not because of his bruised and beaten body, but because judgement was upon him. And instead of speaking in his defense, he just laid down all the proof of him being guilty as charged.

“No one could have foreseen that. Go on.”, the sound of her voice chilled him to the bone. Was her intention to torment him with everything he had wronged his crew in the past? Nonetheless, he continued. If it was someone’s right to do it, it was hers.

“I will never forgive myself for the things I put you through .. not .. not the crew, not our nakama. The things I put you through, Nami-san. Not only that my actions could’ve meant death for you .. oh gods ..”, he tried to swallow with increasing difficulty as his mouth was as dry as the desert. And smoking didn’t exactly help him with that.

“If not for Jinbe and the others, you .. you .. might have died, Nami-san.”, his voice failed him. The sheer thought alone was enough to tear open his wounds again. Sanji never wanted to hurt anyone. But when it all came down, his actions nearly killed the single most beautiful woman in the entire world who had been the center of his adoration for such an incredibly long time, no matter the hardships they faced.

“Until my last breath, I will not forget this, Nami-.., not a single line of this all. Not a single moment. Through my actions, I have chosen this burden. I deserve this penance. And everything that comes with it.”, he had consciously dropped the ‘san’, being sure that this meant the end. Whatever it was that developed between these two, whatever might have been possible before all of this had happened didn’t matter anymore, all that remained was a far cry, telling of what could have been.

Oh no .. please, please, please .. no .. not now .. please!

It was in the backdrop of his mind that his Kenbunshoku Haki slowly rose to power again. It had been awakened during his fight with Katakuri because the situation was life-threatening and it regained its sovereignty over his perception because of the increasingly high stress levels that this conversation put onto him.

The deepest, darkest fear of a human was the fear of the unknown. But somehow, knowing made it even scarier.

His eyes were fixated on Nami and he swallowed heavily when his Haki showed him everything and nothing.

Shadowy wraiths, the same he had seen before, but more numerous, were born from her body. They carried different shades of darkness, different colours .. but her voice. Some of them turned away from him, others silently accused him.

“I will never forgive you for what you have done, Sanji.”

“I swore that I would bring you back to the Sunny. Now that that’s done, we’re through.”

“You’re vermin, Sanji. I don’t care for your reasoning.”

“I want to never see you again, cook. And only because of our captain’s dreams will I even consider to suffer through your mere presence.”

“Maybe it would have been better if you starved as a child. For all of us. Think about it, if you died as a child, none of this would have ever happened.”

“Don’t you dare to approach me ever again, cook. We’re done.”

“If you ever so much as think about endangering our dreams again ..”

“I accept that you have to keep on travelling with us. But you’re no longer nakama. Not for me.”

“Couldn’t you just have ..”

“I will never ..”

“Don’t ever come ..”

“Never ..”

“Never ..”

“Never ..”

PLEASE, STOP!, his mind cried out in pain from all the things his Haki flooded it with. These perceptions were partly based on his knowledge and memories, but mostly they drew their influences from his present feelings and looking at her. Her body language, her voice that was as cold as ice. And it all felt so real. Everything was possible.

It only stopped when she made the next step herself. And for a moment, the slap he received felt .. unreal. Just another trick his mind had played on him. Her voice was just so different now, trembling, barely containing her ire.

“Do you remember Enie’s Lobby?”, she asked, seemingly in need to force herself through every word. The question itself surprised him, everything just seemed to be so far away .. still, he nodded.

Another slap, with more force behind it this time. So much that he nearly lost his balance. The cigarette between his lips fell to the ground.

And more words. More wrath.

“Do you remember the fight between Luffy and Usopp?”, again, he nodded and braced himself for the next slap to come. It didn’t do him any good. This time, it wasn’t the palm of her hand that hit him, but her fist. The sheer kinetic energy behind the punch was enough to effortlessly tear him down from the chair, putting him onto the cold ground. His wounds ached, but he remained silent. That was well-deserved.

“Do .. you .. remember .. me?”, what ..?, listening to hear voice brought tears into his eyes. Of course, he remembered it. Everything. Cocoyashi, Arlong, her tears, her wanting them to believe that she was a betrayer. Every line of it. He heard sobbing and thought that it was his own.

Nami fell to her knees, next to him. He expected another slap or punch or anything else that was supposed to hurt him. Yet seeing her, a neverending flow of tears running down her cheeks, realising that the sobbing belonged to her .. that was what finally did the trick. It was what hurt him the most of all.

“We could have avoided so much pain .. Sanji-kun, so many tears .. if we were only true to each other.”, and she was Just. So. Right. If only they had played with an open hand.

Still, he was at a loss for words. What answer could she possible expect?

“You’re right, .. you’re so right .. I’m sorry, Nami-san, please .. forgive me .. please ..”, Sanji forced the words out of his mouth and took a great risk by what he did next. He took her hand. And to his utter surprise, she let it pass.

More than that. Her fingers began to intertwine with his. And oh, her voice .. it seemed like it had finally found back to its roots. When she spoke to him again, a mighty wind blew away the clouds that hid the sun for so long.

“I swear .. to everything holy, Sanji-kun, that I will remind you to be sorry. Every day. Until the end of days. As long as the both of use still breathe.”

Wha .. does .. Nami-san .. is that .. am I losing my mind?!

It surely felt like it. A wonderful dream of Spring. The smell of tangerines in the air. Hair that playfully brushed over his face. Her warm hand in his.

Lips .. that tasted salty from her tears.