#also. Zosan? perhaps

[kruxton]

that one scene of lila and diego fighting in episode i think 2? or 3? about who should go kill the people shooting at them is everything to me

[e-flo]

for zoro, "you're my rival" means "i love you"

[agreekdemigod]

The aesthetic of a Cinderella AU fits Zosan sm (those sharp crystal heels about to become weapons of mass destruction on Sanji's feet lmao plus,,, the skyblue dress that matches his eyes) but im trying to figure out how it would work out plotwise 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[the-music-maniac]

Thrill of First Love from Falsettos is very Sanzo/Zosan coded tbh

[operationfruit]

Everyone share your Zosan headcanons here please I need them ALL.

Also because I maybe perhaps wanna draw some of them…. SHARE NOW!!!!

[inoreuct]

zosan with abba's super trouper.

is this essentially a pop star au? yes. bear with me anyway.

so the entire vinsmoke family are pop stars and they're perfect in the public eye but actually toxic as HELL, and sanji's sick and tired of it— so he breaks away from them and joins another agency, and zoro's assigned as his bodyguard.

they fight SO MUCH at first. i'm talking screaming and yelling and throwing things across the room (mostly sanji) and being stubborn and straight-up refusing to talk after a certain point (also mostly sanji) and then apologising with food and gifts and not words (mostly, well, both of them). they're like flint and steel; putting them together is just asking for trouble, but the years pass, and somehow through the endless bickering they end up best friends. who would've thought? their sharp edges have softened just enough and they're both too old and too tired and too busy to have cold wars anymore. they know more about each other than perhaps anyone else, and they care.

(they're also both in love and refuse to admit it. idiots.)

and then sanji goes on tour, and zoro has to leave for a training refresher course thing, and sanji's MISERABLE. luffy's with him as a bodyguard instead and it's fine, he's great, sanji loves him— just not the way he loves zoro. he feels fucking homesick in a way he never has because he's never really had a proper home and he knows, he knows it's because zoro isn't here with him. sanji turns around to tell him something and is met with empty air. he keeps trying to order double portions of food and booze before he catches himself and maybe he's being dramatic, but it feels like he's missing a fucking limb.

nami, his manager, has to yell at him to stop moping because all he's doing is eating chocolate and binging french soap operas in his hotel room and huddling up in the big leather jacket that zoro left behind. he just wants to get back to his tiny apartment and curl up on his shitty couch to eat pizza and watch Mean Girls for the hundredth time as zoro complains and gets invested in the drama all over again anyway.

he's nearly dead on his feet as finishes yet another exhausting show, trying to take comfort in the fact that it's his second last; his shoes are kicked off to the corner, his makeup barely removed, and just when he's about to turn in for the night his phone rings and when he sees the caller ID he SCRAMBLES to pick up.

"hey," zoro says, low and rumbly and so achingly familiar that sanji doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice," he breathes, and he means it. he means it more than he even knew he did and it hits him all at once as soon as the words leave his mouth. he misses his best friend, no matter everything else that zoro is to him.

zoro's chuckle is a balm to his soul. "i'm coming to see you tomorrow."

sanji sits bolt upright from where he'd been laid back against the pillows, eyes going wide. "are you serious?" he can't help the hope and excitement that unspools in his gut, the warm rush in his blood as zoro laughs.

"yeah. i'm done with the course. speedran the fucking thing and scored so well they had no choice but to let me go. couldn't miss the last chance i had to see you on tour, could i?" sanji can hear his grin through the phone. "i'm flying in tomorrow morning."

"i'll come pick you up from the airport."

"like hell you will," zoro retorts immediately. "you have a press conference at ten."

shit, he'd forgotten about that. "how'd you know, huh?" sanji counters, faux-petty and reclining back against his plush bedding. god, if there was one good thing about being on tour, it was the fancy hotels.

"been talking to nami," comes the reply, amused and teasing, and sanji groans. "what's this i hear about you acting like a widowed husband?"

"you fucking wish, you moron," he snaps, curling up on his side and hugging a pillow to his chest. the bed is awfully big and awfully cold.

zoro sighs, and there's the sound of something zipping up briskly. "missed you too, curls. look, listen— i gotta get to the airport. see you tomorrow night?"

"...yeah," sanji says, because there's so much he wants to tell zoro and no idea how. he doesn't know where he'd start. he doesn't even know what he wants to say. "yeah, i'll see you. you'll be in the crowd, right?"

"mhm," zoro confirms, accompanied by what sounds like the chirp of an electronic lock. "you just sit tight, curly. i'm coming home."

they exchange a few more words before the line cuts off, but sanji's mind is stuck on three specific words and the possible space for three more after. i'm coming home. but he isn't home right now; he's in a foreign country, in a bed that isn't his, and zoro's flying to him. this isn't home to either of them. unless... and that silence afterwards, like zoro had wanted to say something that would have fit right in. something that would have been a natural end to that string of syllables.

sanji takes a deep breath and does his best to push all thoughts of i love you, spoken or not, to the back of his mind.

still, he can't help but let it all boost him up like a buoy bobbing merrily on the sea. one call from zoro, one short conversation, and he's fucking effervescent; he wakes up smiling and breezes through the press conference with effortless charm. he's bouncing on the toes of his heeled boots even before he steps onto the stage, thrilled by the thought of zoro being in the audience. thousands of eyes on him, thousands of people screaming his name, and he only cares about one. he takes a deep breath as the lights change and the platform he's on begins to rise, fingers tightening around his mic. it's his last night here. he's doing it all for zoro.

it turns out to be the best performance of his life, if he does say so himself. he powers through the entire two hours with ease and hits every note perfectly. he enjoys himself for the first time in a long time, soaks up the glitter and glamour and blinding lights, lets the atmosphere wrap him up and tousle his hair, and he wonders just how it's possible that one person's presence could change so much.

(he doesn't need to wonder. he already knows.)

when he says his final goodbyes for the night he's breathless, heart pounding, anticipatory. the hands patting at his back in congratulation backstage are superficial compared to who he knows is here, and he spares nami a few seconds for a rare squeeze, pausing for a few more when she whispers i'm proud of you in his ear.

and then sanji sees him, and nothing, nothing else fucking matters.

he sprints forward and they crash together and something slams into place inside of him. zoro sweeps him off his feet, squeezing him tight enough that he laughs, bright and merry and real as they spin around and around and he's so dizzy when he's set back down, light-headed and his heart full. he doesn't care where he is, he's home.

zoro takes his weight as easily as anything, tucking sanji to his chest. "god, fuck, you were amazing up there," he says breathlessly, the words pressed into sanji's bejewelled hair. "you were incredible."

the words rumble through his chest and sanji clings tighter, holding zoro desperately around the waist and taking in deep lungfuls of laundry detergent and the fancy pine-and-sandalwood body wash he'd given zoro for christmas. "you're here."

"'course i am," zoro replies, matter-of-fact. "said i'd be here, so i'm here."

his earrings press against sanji's cheek. "can we go get pizza?" he asks meekly.

zoro's answering laugh pours into the horrible aching pit that's been gnawing away at him, fills it up with liquid sunlight as he answers, "we can do whatever the hell you want."

they get pizza. sanji lets zoro pull him around town swearing at the Google Maps on his phone before he finally takes pity and steers them towards the little pizzeria he'd found when he'd snuck out with luffy on their first night here. the tongue-lashing from nami had been worth it, but even so the experience back then had been dull. muted, at best.

now it's like he's seeing the whole world through a whole different lens; the fluorescent sign in the window beams charmingly as the bell above the door chimes, and sanji doesn't even care about the raised eyebrow zoro gives him when he wiggles into the booth seat with undisguised glee. between them they put away a large four-cheese pizza and a frankly massive slice of apple pie à la mode, and sanji's feeling pleasantly stuffed as he finishes up his vanilla milkshake and successfully fends zoro off from stealing sips when he isn't looking. he has plenty of experience with that, after all.

the walk back is filled with comfortable silence. sanji doesn't need anything else— zoro here with him is more than he could ask for. scary dog privilege aside, the man next to him is sanji's best friend, and he loves zoro more than he can, or will, ever say.

zoro drops him off at his room and hugs him goodnight. sanji strips down, blasts the shower as hot as it can go, and scrubs the gel out of his hair along with any of the remaining dregs of emptiness he resolutely tells himself are not there right down the drain.

it can't stop him from thinking, though. of zoro. of compression shirts and cargo pants and worn black boots. of the nights zoro had taught him self-defense and the time sanji nearly broken his jaw with a roundhouse kick neither of them had known he was capable of; the other had grinned up with him with blood all over his teeth, proud and raring to go, barking again! and sanji had glowed. his mind swims with it all even as he towels off and slips into his silk pyjamas— memories of late-night talks with wine and beer, sometimes tea, quips all around, beds shared back-to-back under unspoken agreements when neither of them wanted to sleep alone.

three knocks sound on his door.

sanji hates the way he rushes to the peephole and yanks it open as soon as he confirms who it is. zoro stands there, one hand on the back of his neck, looking bored yet unsettled in his baggy tee with his damp hair sticking up everywhere. "jetlag?" sanji asks, raising an eyebrow as zoro grunts.

"you could say that."

he steps aside in a silent invitation, and zoro looks around as he goes in. sanji topples onto the bed with a sigh of relief and crawls under the blankets, patting the space beside him as he switches on the television. "mean girls?"

"god, i fucking hate you," zoro groans, but he settles in anyways, and sanji grins triumphantly.

it's still not his apartment or his shitty couch— but zoro's here, so it's the next best thing.

they make it through the movie without incident. zoro parrots the dialogue and cheers when regina gets hit by the bus like he does without fail every time. sanji knees him in the thigh for it with a scowl like he always does and it starts a fierce kicking battle under the sheets that results in zoro dangling half off the mattress and sanji laughing so hard he can't breathe.

when they've mostly calmed down, sanji sighs out one final chuckle and sinks back into the pillows. "think you can fall asleep now?" he murmurs, turning to look at where zoro has his head propped in one hand.

"maybe," the other allows, and sanji swallows before he smiles.

"goodnight, marimo."

"goodnight."

the flick of the light switch feels like finality. in regards to what, sanji doesn't know, but now that they're in the darkness and zoro begins to get comfortable behind him he cannot deny that he wants.

he wants those arms around him. wants to sleep even better than he does when they're back to back, wants to fit within the circle of zoro's embrace like he belongs there. wants to belong there. wants zoro as his best friend and everything more. it manifests as a tight ache in the centre of his chest, a knot around his heart that he knows he cannot untangle by himself. sanji curls up into a ball and hugs a pillow to his chest, biting his lip— because zoro is right next to him instead of thousands of miles away, and he's still untouchable all the same.

he's on the cusp of restless sleep when he feels zoro shift, and he prays that the hitch in his breath is unnoticeable. he forces the rise and fall of his chest to stay even as the blankets are smoothed securely around his shoulders, a callused palm brushing his hair away from his face; a soft kiss is pressed to his forehead, a hand cupping his face tenderly and trailing away with the brush of a thumb over his cheekbone. "sweet dreams, curls," zoro whispers, before light cracks in from the hallway as his room door opens and shuts.

the electronic lock beeps, and sanji's eyes fly open. the white ceiling swims as he stares at it, unseeing, and the sheets on the right side of the bed are still warm. there's an indent where zoro's body was and sanji gasps as he drags himself into it, huddling down and pulling the covers over his head until all he can smell is zoro.

his heart stutters, mind racing, fingers tightening in the plush duvet. he's confused, so confused. hopeful. a little mad, if he's being honest, and his next breath trembles out of his lungs. mostly still confused, though, because what the fuck did that mean?

he'll find out, he swears. he will. he'll storm his way to zoro's room and break the damn door down if he has to. but for now, if he hides for a little while until he stops feeling like he's about to cry—

well, that's a secret for his hotel room to keep.

[sashi-ya]

[ 𝐑𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐚 𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐨 ✦ +𝟏𝟖 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭 ]

✦ requested by Anonymous for the free requests ➜ SASHII WE NEED ZORO, ANY TYPE OF NSF.W HEADCANON PLEASEEE! ➜ and I totally agree with you. Please enjoy the alphabet since more people requested for this after I posted Law's version. ✦ alphabet template by @the-coldest-goodbye ✦ tw: mentions of kinks. toys. masturbation. minors dni. some ZoSan implied (it's up to you to indulge or not in the fantasy :P) ✦ masterlist

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex) Zoro will share some sake with you, while both rest completely naked on a -almost broken- bed or any surface in which he demonically just fucked you. I think both would indulge in more primal type of sex so no fancy after care might be needed. I think our marimo would go for something more feral, specially if your session took place somewhere outside the bedroom; such as the woods, the beach, or something in the wild. He will swim with you if there is any type of pond or water nearby. Kisses, grunts, and the start of a new round until both fall asleep.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s) YOUR ASS. Imagine his veiny strong calloused hands gripping tightly to your glutes while he fucks you. PLEASE, AND THANK YOU. Him? I believe is either his arms or back. He loves to flex his muscles (perhaps not intentionally) while topping you before burying raw and deep into you. Bonus point if you happen to have a mirror over your head to see such huge back about to crush you.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically) Inside you. Stuffed. Dripping. His cum is meant to be inside you. Even if sometimes he likes the view of those milky drops drizzled on the small of your back and ass cheeks.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs) Sanji. Sanji is his dirty secret.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?) None, he is just feral and follows his instincts. He founds himself hard for you, he knows how to relieve that pressure. He is not an expert, and yet, he knows exactly where and how to touch. Zoro might be a stray moss but not exactly when it comes to find your clit/erogenous zones.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying) Him on top of you. You against any type of surface where he can make you bend and leave your legs trembling. You on top -sometimes if he is the one helping you jump on his dick. If sleepy sex, from behind lifting your leg up to go even deeper, breathing on your neck and sometimes biting cause why not, sweetheart?

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.) No goofy at all. No time to. He is too serious, and it won’t change during sex. But some smirks when you are shaking from pleasure underneath him could be seen on his face.

H = Hair (how well-groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.) He is actually a pretty hairless dude. He has some type of tiny green bush but not very prominent (or maybe is the size of his dick what makes it look tiny ha). He has been told how to groom while in the boys bathroom “MARIMO YOU ARE GONNA SCARE THAT POOR ---- AWAY!”

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect) Maybe you might think he isn’t very romantic while being as feral as he is, however he has his moments; You will notice, specially when he is about to come his steel eye fixes on yours, and the way his lips part… he is completely in heaven and it’s all because of the person he is sharing something so very personal with. Is difficult for Zoro to trust others to such extent, in fact, he usually never communicates how he feels, so by him having this alone time with you it shows how much he trusts and loves you. Sometimes love isn’t in sweet nothings whispered, but eyes that burn for the other.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon) Been doing it since he felt that little tingling sensation in his guts. He used to feel a little guilty, the bushido says to be totally focused in your goal and succumbing to lust should be left aside… but there is something demonic inside him eating his guts, some type of strength he can’t fully unleash yet… it has to be a way to tame it, right?

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks) - Drinking sake from you. Obviously. - Anal. He craves for it, he wants to try. - PAIN, blood, dripping blood he could lick off you or you off him. He likes the acrid taste, what can I say. - A sword fight completely naked. He wants that and there is nothing you could say to change his mind. He is a simple man, give him sake, a hole -or two-, some violent murderous fighting and he’ll be pleased to try anything you want.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do) Anywhere, anytime. There is a special spot he REALLY likes; SANJI’S KITCHEN. Either because he likes to mess with his stuff or mess his stuff. You get it, right?

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going) Violence. The smell of blood, he loves LOVES blood; If you have periods, he won’t have any type of problem with it). Being woken up with some kisses around his belly button (yes, the only one he would forgive for waking him up is you)

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs) There aren't many things that could turn him off. Perhaps he wouldn’t want to be turned on while training hard after a fight in which he believes he wasn’t as strong as expected. Whenever he is focused in his ultimate goal he won’t be needed further distractions.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.) Giving and receiving he loves it equally. When he gives, he goes hard. He can eat you out in the most violent way possible, lifting your legs up so them rest on his wide shoulders. He won’t be ever kneeling, you will be lifted up for the king of hell. Same if you happen to be on all fours, HE LOVES TO EAT YOU OUT FROM BEHIND. Oh, and if your lips surround his hardness… prepare to listen the most unholy symphony of grunts coming from his throat as his huge heavy hand pushes your head against him. Choke on it, make his sun kissed skin bumpy when he hears you gag. And drink for the King of Hell, there is nothing he enjoys the most.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.) R o u g h. But he can go slow, painfully slow, deep until you feel like breaking in two. And while he does, he usually likes to carve his strong fingers around your neck or face. Specially if you two are fucking in the Sunny, he will like to cover your mouth… “shhh or do you want them to hear us?”

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.) Not a very quickie type of man, when he fucks you he can’t only go with just one round.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.) Please, if you happen to be a swordsman/woman like him or someone with a reasonable strength that could match his, he WILL LOVE to fuck with a blade lingering on his neck. We could add knife play to his kinks, maybe.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?) HA! IT’S ZORO. How much you want him to last? His mind could go in sleep mode, but that muscle mass could move on its own all night long.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?) The more raw and natural the better. However, we can’t rule out the hilt of your sword used in uh… some… holes. That is, of course, if you use a sword. His are sacred, not for fucking, or at least not to be inserted anywhere. Probably the edge against your neck, yes.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

King of hell and teasing. But he isn’t conscious of it. He exists, he trains, drinks and sleeps. And during all of those activities, he usually goes shirtless. And oh hell, do I have to explain? The little drops of sweat pooling on his prominent collar bones or in between the indentations of his abs… the grunts when he lifts weight, the “ugh... more, I need to train more”s he repeats while stretching that testosterone container that’s his body… oh lord.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.) Panting, grunting, growling. Little fucks and even sometimes some whimpers here and there. Zoro is exceptionally vocal but not in terms of words. However, he likes to give you swift directions like “spread”, “crawl on top”, “turn around” with breathy tone too. He, as much feral as he is, makes sure you are ok asking you too. And ultimately when he is ready to fill you up he makes sure you are ok with it (he knows where babies come from if it’s the case) by telling you “ready to be filled with cum? Or “Get ready to be my cum dump sweet bitch” -very romantic, marimo-

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character) Hickies. Such a silly swordsman. But he loves hickies since a very young age (around 19 y/o after the Baratie). Giving or receiving. He won’t tell you, but he has always loved them, just don’t leave them on his back.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes) You could go with the usual med scale of 9% of the body is approximately the size of the genitalia area. It’s not really accurate, since it takes in consideration the whole surface. But approximately, 9% of 181cm is 16.29cm. Now, for most accuracy in terms of length, using my mathematical equation. Let me see… Sashi’s Method for Dick Estimated Length: So,I will use my BWFC Super Master Stars Piece “The Roronoa Zoro” for the calculation. Zoro is 181cm tall, and the figure is 28cm in total length. So:  if 1/1 – 181cm, then 1/14 – 28cm,. Approximately Zoro’s crotch in the figure is about 3 cm. So if: (1/14 scale) 28cm – 3 cm (1/1 scale) 181cm —x = 19,39cm Then, Zoro’s dick is about ± 19cm Not surprised, honestly. Not surprised and hungry, too.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?) Healthy, as they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away.. well, in his case a fuck per day keeps the demon tamed. However, if he is in that focus/training mood, he won’t care much for sex.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards) Almost instantly. He isn’t really tired, but it’s Zoro. He loves to sleep. It’s part of the pleasure of being with you sleeping over his huge tits after a good fuck.

[garfunklefield]

Still crave your kiss

Sanji/Zoro Roronoa Warnings: Ambiguously pre-time skip, oblivious Zoro, gay denial, fluff, miscommunication, chopper being a cute little doctor, chopper also being a therapist, Zoro is really bad at cooking, love confessions, kind of ambiguous and open ending, humor Word count: 5187 DESC: Sanji never liked that stupid brute, or how big he was. Or well... he thought he didn't.

Ok last zosan for today its 4 AM

NOTES: I started writing this at 7 AM before class with no direction!! I didn't really know where this was going to end up but I thought the premise was cute enough. I just like the idea of Zoro being so stupid yet so brooding, nothing goes on up there. And I also liked the idea of Sanji being kind of oblivious of his own feelings like he doesn't even know they've turned romantic! All of this though, was inspired by my reading of Not Quite Right by DamianFinch! I'm gonna be honest I read that like twice it was so good, and it's something I always think about when writing Zoro romantically. It's just SO ACCURATE. Give them some love!! And yes Mr. Tony Tony himself made an appearance. I just started One Piece though so my characterization is better on Zoro than Sanji or Chopper :/

It was hard to discern if Zoro was oblivious or acting like it on purpose. How could he fight like no one was watching, then the cook would ask a simple task of him and he was all bark and no bite? Of course, when someone says, “Can you take over look out for me while I shower tonight?” That’s what you mean! There was always so much explanation with him rather than a simple statement or question. Which was why interacting with the mosshead was all the more frustrating. Why should he have to explain why he wanted to shower now when he could wait until the dead of night, or god forbid the morning?

The swordsman had to have been suffering some sort of brain injury from all that fighting. Perhaps he got hurt and never had Chopper bandaged the wound, so it seeped into his brain and made him stupid. But no … he was always this level of idiotic. Even when he tried to be careful, late at night when gathering his daily dose of alcohol to binge, he managed to screw it up being so- so huge! Not like Sanji was even paying attention to how ginormous he was all the time, no, it was a fact. Marimo was just that, gigantic. His arms bumped into everything he tried to squeeze past and, god, his chest was abhorrently big. He would be envious if he cared, which he didn’t. 

On a day like this, well night actually, Sanji was tasked with watching the ship. It was a boring task but led him to be able to smoke in peace, without someone bothering him before he was able to snub his cigarette and pull out a new one. Well, it was, until he heard that thumping. Even when Zoro tried to quiet his footsteps, he could still hear him. 

“Those are bad for you,” he said, as he always did, trying to be charming but sounding like a total ass to the cook's ears. How could someone fuck up such a classic line? I mean, he’d heard it in movies and TV shows but really, he nailed it [and that of course was sarcastic].

“What is it.” Vinsmoke didn’t even look up from his post, which was a barrel he pushed to the edge of the ship to look out across the black water. It was pretty, especially when it was a foggy night like this. The moon was hazily cast over the water, rippling with each crash of the waves. Kind of romantic, maybe if Nami had approached him instead of that beast. Where was she anyway? Probably asleep in some cute pajamas, or combing her lustrous hair. Why couldn’t Zoro be more like her? Pretty and assertive, without being a total jackass. 

It was silent for a moment as the swordsman approached the cook, standing beside him in the dark. It was kind of illuminated, A by the moon, and B by some lanterns hung up around the entrance to the boat's innards. When he didn’t speak, or breathe loudly, he was nice company. Sanji had to admit when they would do dishes together or even sit in the same vicinity, it was nice to feel the warmth radiating off his body. He was like a damn bear, or better yet a heating pad. That’s all his body mass was good for, heat. If he opened his mouth, it would ruin the small moment they were about to share. And knowing him, he would within seconds.

“Made you something,” Roronoa gruffed, with that tone he always used. Maybe he didn’t realize, well if he was stupid he most definitely didn’t realize [and Sanji was beginning to clearly doubt his neurological standings], but that tone was completely condescending. It was like he was too proud to show emotions, so he hid behind this caveman mask of grunting and scoffing. Pissed him off entirely he barely registered the words, before he did. 

Made him something? Why would that dense guy make him anything? When all they did was yell back and forth, fighting like little girls? Well, very muscular and blood-lusting little girls. Sanji blinked a few times and glanced to his side, finally making eye contact with that damn swordsman. His eyes were already on him, staring with that same indifference he always had. God! Show emotions like a normal person! Why was he so hard to read, and why did it always piss the blonde off? Even Usopp was easier to read [let’s face it anyone is easier to read]. 

Without speaking, the man lifted his hand to show a plate- a plate? The cook’s brow furrowed as he stared at it. It was a piece of the worst food he had ever seen prepared in his life. It looked utterly burnt, completely undercooked also[??], and somehow oozing. It appeared to be bread with some kind of eggs misshapen-ly forced on top, then layered with cheese. The sight was enough to bring any chef of 20 years into tears. 

“Marimo,” Sanji let out a breath, “What the hell is that?” That was all he could say without bursting into flames. Why the hell would Zoro prepare him such crap? Was this some kind of joke to make him mad on purpose? Okay fine! Where are the cameras then? 

Yet, Zoro … flushed? He seemed a bit, well, oddly enough, embarrassed. A weird yet subtle expression formed on his face as he motioned to the burnt catastrophe, “On that island, I found a recipe book. I thought you’d like a snack. It’s toast with eggs and cheese.” 

I thought you’d like a snack. 

…

Thwunk.

Thwunk Thwunk Thwunk.

The cook's heart was beating, that’s all he could focus on, the beating. It was beating incredibly fast, faster than it ever had when interacting with that stupid plant. But why was it beating? Why the hell would it be beating especially when seeing this disaster of a dish? He had to have been angry, that had to be the feelings overtaking his very body, sending a chill down his spine and making his cheeks all prickly. 

“You…” He hesitated, trying to find the words. The man wasn’t entirely sure what he was feeling, so he wasn’t sure how to form any words to say thank you. He had said thank you to Zoro in the past, so why was it so hard now? “Didn’t have to… Moss … head.” That was all Sanji ended up mustering out, an awkward smile gracing his lips. 

“It’s shit. I know.” Zoro replied, without giving him a chance to respond, “I’m not a cook, but can’t say I didn’t try, curly.” He pressed his lips together in something the blonde hadn’t seen before either. Was this disappointment? This was the most emotion he had seen from that stupid bastard and it was one of the negative ones! He didn’t mean to be that big of a dick, I mean it was a nice gesture after all. The least he could say was thank you, so why was it so hard to get out?

“Moss-” He tried but was cut short when the swordsman turned, taking the plate with him back inside. “I’ll go throw it out.” Was what Sanji’s words were spoken over with. God, well this stunk. He never meant to hurt his feelings. None of their bickering ever got to him, and he surely didn’t think it got to Zoro. So why was this the thing that made him actually upset? Was he really trying? Was he making a gesture? Oh god- was this some early birthday present?

What Sanji had failed to even consider was that maybe this was a romantic gesture! When it crossed his mind he shook it away, but it continued to linger. What if that brute was trying to confess something? I mean, he always had a softer gaze when they would talk [when he wasn’t being a total pain in the ass]. And he always had the cooks back in a fight. But everyone had each other's backs in a fight so that couldn’t count. He cleaned his plate every time he ate, even if it was a dish he hated. No matter what, it was bone try, and neatly placed in the sink. For being a total dunce, he had some manners when it came to food. 

Vinsmoke admired that. He never wasted a meal and that was something that meant a lot to him. I mean, he was always trying to get the cook's attention, too. To the point where it was aggravatingly annoy- oh my god he has a crush on me.

And oh my god I just crushed his heart.

The realization was prematurely about to make the man sick. Well, at least he thought he was going to be sick. His heart, which never stopped roaring in his ears, was thrumming profusely in his chest, and there was a strange feeling building in the back of his throat. It was a dry, hoarse feeling, with a lump forming too. God- what the hell! Figuring out a woman had a crush on him was never this damning, never this depressing! At least, he assumed this had to be depression. Or maybe an ailment. Maybe he was dying! Because there was no way in hell he liked that man back.

Well, [aside from the obvious facts that Sanji was not gay and if he was he would have taste] he was in a bit of shit. He didn’t want to hurt the man's feelings with his reaction but it was somewhat involuntary. I mean the food truly looked awful, how else was he supposed to react? Besides, it wasn’t like the stupid moss always did nice things for him, or him to the moss. They always poked at each other, what was different? Romance was in play, or at least he highly suspected it.

He frowned. He just hated to make anyone upset, even if it was Zoro. The cook got up from his barrel and followed the plant inside to find him standing over the sink with a gloomy aura permeating his mere existence. Now this was depressing, not whatever he was feeling a few moments ago. The man really did it. He was the big asshole who hurt his friend [even though it pained him to admit it, they were friends], without even trying. 

“Zoro…” Sanji breathed out, staring at him. What could he say that would make a difference? I’m sorry it was shit and also I’m not into you like that but you tried? That was too mean. Maybe: I’m not gay but you slayed- That feels homophobic. 

The swordsman looked over at him, a different look on his face. This was an emotion he knew all too well on Zoro. It was the look of shame or mere defeat. It was something he sported when he’d lose a fight and have to slump down in the corner while the rest of the crew fought mercilessly for him, in his honor. He hated anyone ever risking their lives for him, and he hated having to watch it. Vinsmoke assumed that this was in the same vein. Being rejected was the same kind of feeling as being defeated in a humiliating way. 

“I…” He hesitated. The truth or something much sweeter? Well, he would have gone with something sweeter if he hadn’t said the first thing that came to his mind, “I’m not gay.” 

. 

..

…

The moss blinked a few times before furrowing his brow ever slightly as he always did when a puzzle would arise, “Huh?” Well now you did it Sanji, his voice echoed into his cranium, you’ve totally embarrassed yourself in front of your friend. At this point he was beginning to fill with such embarrassment he didn’t even recoil at the thought of calling Zoro his friend, what character development! The cook shuddered and stared at him incredulously as if the other was the one who spouted such weird bullshit. One hand searched before dramatically clutching the collar of his shirt. Well, if he wasn’t in shit then he was in shit now. 

Just to recap all of Sanji Vinsmoke’s current fuck ups: Insulting a man's food when he was trying to confess [or at least he’s under the assumption it was a confession], then instead of apologizing- he stated he wasn’t gay; Which is an insult to Zoro, implying he was hitting on the cook with no evidence to back this up. Overall, this was looking utterly awful for the blonde, and he was feeling it.

“Cook did you think I was-” Zoro began but it was cut off by a strangled noise from the other. Whatever he did, he could not have that dunce say it out loud. Then he’d be the real jackass. Clearly, he had misread or something. How could the great Roronoa Zoro also like dick? I mean, he kind of looked zesty if he squinted … and he always had a thing for very muscular swordsmen. To the cook, he just kind of assumed. But wrongly so! [Apparently] Because he wasn’t gay and he had just made his assumption very known. Great. 

“No-no-no … no.” Sanji placed another hand on his hair, lightly patting it a few times before putting his hand down. Something, anything would be better than this. And he had a few tortuous places in mind he’d rather be in than ever publicly assuming a manly man's sexuality in front of him. 

Marimo’s eyebrows were down to his eyelids, squinting and scowling back at the blonde as he was trying to wrap his head around this almost foreign concept. Had he never even thought about romance or was he just playing stupid? God!! He was stupid! I mean, everyone on that boat had thought about each other in one way or another while being trapped for months at a time, with no one else to socialize with but… well, each other! Of course, even as a straight male, Sanji had to admit he had thought about his friend a few times late at night. But everyone had to, right? It was totally normal to picture your bro oiled up, right?

“Why did you think I was being romantic, curly?” Roronoa finally spoke, rasping it from the base of his throat as if it was physically paining him to talk. It was strained and delicate, almost above a whisper. Did he not know? Did he really not know what would lead him to think like that? Maybe he really was concussed, or seriously injured. He’d have to have Chopper look him over soon. 

The cook pressed his lips together before the other cut him off again, “Did you want me to?” Now Sanji’s mouth was hanging open. 

“Why do you think I want you to?!?” His voice was taking on a higher tone as he desperately tried not to scream, or worse faint. 

Want him to? Why in the history of ever would Vinsmoke ever want that plant to make moves on him? Why in the history of ever would he ask for that? He was straight!!! He was so very straight! The last thing he wanted was those burly arms wrapped around his torso as they lay together on a hammock. Or his body warmth keeping him cozy late at night. Or his light snoring rumbling in his chest as Sanji would lay upon it, dreaming soundly knowing Zoro was there to pro- woah. 

“Well you thought I was being romantic,” Zoro spoke in an obvious tone, almost as if to say ‘duh’. 

“You were trying to make me food!!” He pointed one wobbly finger in the swordsman’s direction which was shot down by the bigger man’s hand. The green-haired male pushed the cook's hand down and gave him a look. It was … different. Out of all the things the narrator hasn’t unpacked yet, this would be the first. The look was soft and mature, almost nurturing. It was to say, ‘It's okay you don’t have to do all that for me’. Or more on the nose, ‘You dumb fucking shit let me explain.’

Before though, can we just as a collective take in what the hell Sanji’s fantasy was? His mind had been trying desperately not to think about what led him down such a domestic path, but he couldn’t figure out why. I mean, he already knew Zoro’s body warmth was inviting. So maybe it was normal to have his mind wander to laying on his plush chest and having his rough hands play with his hair? That had to be normal, either way, he was having Chopper check him out in the morning.

“You haven’t eaten all day,” he spoke lightly, but god was it condescending, “I was trying to make sure our damn cook wouldn’t die out here without something to eat.” Oh. So it … wasn’t actually … romantic… Vinsmoke found himself swallowing the harsh reality slowly, his heartbeat fading from his ears and the thrumming in his chest coming to a stop. Oh. That’s exactly what he wanted right? For it not to be gay so he could have a peaceful night, right?

“Then why did you,” he trailed off quietly, “Look upset?” 

“Because you were being an asshole, idiot!” Zoro raised his hand and promptly hit the cook upside the head, “Sheesh! Did no one teach you manners?” So he had completely misread the entire scenario. That would be fine, that would be amazing actually, if it didn’t stop him from thinking. Why was it that this was making a hollow pit form in his stomach? I mean, he had the scare and his body started going insane, but now that the threat had vacated the premises… he was lonely. Or at least, his bodily reactions were telling him so. In his brain, Sanji wasn’t sure what to think. He never wanted to hurt Zoro. And to see him defeated and then hear the chance that this was all due to some kind of romantic interest? It was … kind of interesting. 

-

The next morning he knew where he was going to go. Sanji could barely sleep, tossing and turning with his mind buzzing. Why did he somewhat wish Zoro had actually been interested in him? Why was there some part of him that was interested in the whole affair, even though up until now he had only been interested in women? Well, that part wasn’t entirely true. There had been a few men growing up who caught his eye, but he attributed it to liking their fashion sense more than liking their face. Even when he thought about them domestically, he never thought it was anything short of, ‘everyone fantasizes about their bros!’ Apparently not! Now it was something else, something medical.

So there he set off to find Chopper, who was deep inside the ship teetering away on a book. He was just scribbling down on it as he referenced other books, all sprawled out on the floor. From the looks of it, he was deep in whatever he was working on, so the cook partially felt a bit bad coming up and interrupting it. 

“Uh, Chopper?” He tilted his head to the side, watching as the small deer perked up and grinned at him as he always did. He was so happy to see anyone, and it warmed his heart a bit. 

“Hi, Sanji!” The kid replied, sitting up and putting his pen down, “What’s wrong?” Of course, he knew something was up. He typically came to the little doctor if something was bothering him physically, but he’s a doctor so mental stuff is … probably the same thing!

“I have a … predicament.” The cook knelt, before plopping down on his backside and leaning his head back, “It’s kind of personal.” The deer nodded his head and looked from left to right to ensure no one else was looking, before letting him continue. How was he even to begin? 

“I think I have a brain-eating parasite who’s making me go insane.”

…

Chopper shot up, screaming out, “WHAT!? SANJI TELL ME EVERYTHING!!” He ran to his little medical bag, pulling out a thermometer to check the man’s temperature with haste. Well, that was the conclusion Sanji had gotten to. There was no way he was actually gay, or even liked Zoro for that matter, but something was making him act up. If he could figure it out, it would solve all his issues. Maybe then he’d be able to relax and stop thinking about him in those ways. 

It wasn’t even in a perverted manner, which was stranger than usual. All he could think about was Zoro and his face, how it would contort into a pleased yet content smile. Or how he was such a big idiot who finished all his food, even when he hated it, just for Sanji. Or how he was really wondering if those big pecs made for good pillows as he had suspected. 

“When did this start!?” The doctor prodded, pushing the thermometer into the cook's mouth. 

“Last night,” he spoke muffled, “I was talking to Zoro and I thought he was hitting on me-” Chopper took the thermometer out of his mouth and pulled out a small sleeve, and a little hand pump to check his blood pressure, slinging it around Sanji’s arm, “-and my body started acting up. When he told me he wasn’t, it started acting up even more.” 

The deer began to squeeze the bump quickly, before he let go and narrowed his eyes at the man, “Acting up how?” 

“Well, my heartbeat was super loud and my face was red. I couldn’t really speak and my throat was dry,” Vinsmoke explained, watching the little one pull off the sleeve to measure his blood pressure and instead go to rummage in his bag. He rummaged for a moment, before pulling out a small clipboard and a pair of thin, boxy black glasses. Perfect, just for his small face. 

“And this was when you thought Zoro was hitting on you? How about afterward?” He raised a small eyebrow, looking from the clipboard to the blonde. This was a pretty normal ritual of getting diagnosed with Chopper, although it had fewer clipboards and more medical equipment. Either way, he didn’t think too much about what was going on, instead thinking about how he felt. 

Well, he felt empty when he realized Zoro didn’t like him and wasn’t, in fact, hitting on him. That’s what Sanji told the doctor. He explained how he felt a hollow pit in his stomach as if all of his senses stopped and poured into that pit. It was a show that had stopped mid-frame on a VHS, glitching with some static. All you could see was the one frame as it glitched over and over. It was a hollow feeling, something that a brain-eating cancer was most definitely causing. Maybe it caused that other feeling, too. The overly intense heartbeat, a rush of heat to his face, and the fact his hands couldn’t focus. They were in his hair or perhaps his pant pocket, anywhere but idle. 

Chopper listened as the cook described it, letting him go into detail and even more detail. It was nice to have someone to listen to him ramble, even if it was about a hypothetical parasite. Once he was done describing, the little doctor sighed and tapped his clipboard, “Well, Sanji. You have a really bad case…” Sanji’s expression fell, “...Of a crush on Zoro!” What.

Sanji blinked once. Then twice. Then three times. Then seven. Then maybe fifteen? He couldn’t stop blinking and staring. No. There was no way he had a crush on Zoro and there was no way he had just confessed that to the little blabbermouth, the swordsman was closest to. 

“I .. do not,” the blonde-haired male forced out through a gritted awkward smile, “I think it’s just cancer.” 

“No, it’s a crush.” Chopper smiled cheerfully, “Chin up! I prescribed him the same medicine!” 

“Oh what, like he also has a crush on me?” I do not but hypothetically if I do. The deer looked up from the clipboard with a wide-eyed expression. Oh, he had said too much hadn’t he? 

“Um! No…?” He looked away and put the clipboard on the ground, trying his best to avoid eye contact. So … Zoro had a crush on Sanji? He lied about his romantic advances toward him, what, so as not to get hurt? Well, it would make sense, he couldn’t deny that look of shame and disappointment Marimo was donning when he was seemingly rejected. That meant he made him that crap salad for more than just a simple reason of ‘I didn’t want you to starve’. He made it with some romantic inclination involved, hoping that the cook would have a heartfelt moment with him. Clearly, that didn’t happen.

What was that going to mean now? From what he told Chopper it was clear he was feeling some type of way too [although if he could help it, it would be the brain-eating parasite], and knowing the little thing he’d be telling the moss soon enough. What would his reaction be, to finding out Sanji was secretly some gay fiend who rejected him with such poor word choices? And god! Just that! Sanji had rejected him, calling him out in the worst way possible because he couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut. 

Now he had so much to think about because he had to say something soon or it would be ruined by the little twerp of a deer doctor. The blonde wanted to tell Zoro how he felt even if he wasn’t too sure himself. Clearly, it was affection, and clearly, it was of the romantic kind. Maybe it was admiration that turned romantic, with an insatiable urge to just … get closer. Sanji wasn’t even sure when his friendly comradery turned into something more delicate. None of his other feelings had changed, I mean he still really hated him. But now that he thought about it, he looked at the moss differently and with more care than anyone else. And after a fight, he’d always bring him something as a peace offering, like some orange juice. 

God, he was obvious. Did Marimo think he had a chance and then was it ruined by his stupid mouth? That had to be it. Of course that was it! Vinsmoke was just an asshole who was ruining his only shot at being somewhat domestic on this pirate ship. 

He had to have a plan of some kind to get Zoro to see he was actually reciprocating his feelings. Something to lure him in and get trapped with emotions. What Sanji ended up deciding on was walking up to him and handing him a letter, enclosed in an envelope and sealed with wax on the outside. Inside it wrote, ‘My room right now.’ The cook had about five minutes to get to his actual room and clean it up a bit before he heard the door open [because why would Marimo even bother knocking?]

“Curly,” Zoro spoke, blinking a few times in greeting as he stepped inside. The man turned around and tried to smile at him, but it looked too awkward. He felt too awkward. How did people even propose their feelings to one another anyway? Sanji had seen some TV but it was too dramatic. Nothing ever felt right or even natural when he would watch it. He could have started with some lines, but it wasn’t right. 

“Moss,” he greeted back, pressing his lips together before ending the awkward tension [or making it worse], “I’m actually not, not gay.” And he was already fucking it up again. A searing burn of embarrassment flowed through the cook's face, making a home on his cheeks. They were red, he could sense it. Especially from his friend's face, he could definitely sense it. 

Roronoa looked a bit confused, but also somewhat smug? It was hard to describe the vibes he was getting from the stone-carved male. It was kind of an ‘I was right’ smug smirk, although his brows were furrowed in a bit of confusion. He wasn’t sure what was happening but he was on the right track for once, or at least it appeared that way. 

“You’re … not, not gay?” He raised one brow as he spoke slowly, almost enunciating every word. Just in a way that pissed him off. God, when Sanji was done confessing to that moss-head, he was going to kick his ass. 

He nodded, “But I know that… for some of us, that’s a shock, like me. I wasn’t … aware I was into men until earlier today.” Trying to keep some kind of semblance of a nonchalant aura, Vinsmoke put two of his hands into his pants pockets, looking away as he continued, “And I think I’m into you.” There it was. There was the sentence he had been practicing time and time again in the mirror until he got it right and damn, he got it right. Well, he was pretty sure he did. The cook was trying his hardest not to look at the swordsman, fearing it would make him want to jump off the side of the boat. 

It was silent for a few more moments before he looked at the moss, watching him with a wary eye. Zoro’s expression was new. It was shock. It was pure unadulterated shock. Something he had never seen from him, even when fighting terrifying beasts and annoying villains. Nothing really shocked him … as much as this? Was it really that shocking to believe that he had reciprocated feelings for a man he spent almost every second of every day with? A man that he, well to be fair, outwardly hated. 

“Sanji…” He breathed out, looking at him with wide eyes. Sanji wanted to speak, to laugh and tell him it was real, but he was stuck in the pool of his eyes. They were … they were big and dark, filled with emotion. Emotion he hadn’t seen in so long, or practically ever. He reached his hand out, just inching it toward the man before him. Roronoa didn’t even notice the slender man’s fingers on his wrist, walking toward him. 

“Zoro…” The cook whispered back, trying to maintain eye contact. No one ever told him what came after this. What came after the confessions or when you asked women out on dates? Presumably the date and presumably a kiss … right? Maybe that’s what the stupid Marimo was waiting for. Sanji was clearly more experienced [not really but you know whatever], so he should have been the one taking the lead and kissing him! He should have been the one biting the bullet and pressing their lips together. So why was he stuck staring into the other man's eyes? To be frank, it felt more intimate than kissing ever could’ve been.

This was the beginning of something special.

[goddessofroyalty]

Fandom: One Piece

I wanted to play around with Luffy’s relationship with ZoSan in omegaverse and kept coming back to this idea of him being really invested in them bonding because it means people know they are taken and nobody could take either of them away. This is basically that.

Pairings: Zoro/Sanji, (you can also definitively read Zoro/Sanji/Luffy into this but Luffy's relationship to them can also be read platonically)

Tags: omegaverse

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

Their captain apparently has an uncanny ability to know the exact moment they formalized their mate bond.

Maybe it’s a result of that sense of smell of his that is far sharper than any beta’s should be. Or perhaps it’s just part of the seemingly unconscious awareness he has of when exactly his crew need him. But they have only just settled in the afterglow of proper mated sex, pressed against each other with a dull ache of a fresh bite on their necks and the warmth of heat still under Sanji’s skin when knuckles knock against the door in a hurried song.

“Are you guys done? Let me in!” Luffy calls from the other side.

Zoro shares a look with Sanji. It’s pointless trying to deter him they both know.

Sanji roots around to reach for where he left his cigarettes by the makeshift nest as Zoro gets up to let their captain in. Slipping on pants on his way like modesty is something they might care about now.

Luffy practically launches himself over to Sanji once the door is open. Wrapping stretchy limbs all around him as he twists Sanji’s head to the side to give him a better a better look at the fresh bite on the gland on Sanji’s neck. One they hadn’t even known they were planning to do until they were in the moment and the weight of everything suddenly hit them and made them finally realize they had been dragging it out for no good reason.

“Oh, wow,” Luffy says, prodding against the tender flesh. “You can see each of Zoro’s teeth.”

Zoro grunts at it, pacing along the borders of the room moving stuff around. If asked he’d likely claim he’s looking for something to drink but from where Sanji’s sitting it looks more like an alpha marking the border of their mate’s nest.

Sanji should probably be annoyed at the implication that he needs to be protected, or worse, guarded over like some stolen treasure.

He’s not because it’s not. They trust in each other’s strengths but watch each other’s backs.

Luffy demands Sanji’s attention back onto him by nuzzling against Sanji’s neck as if he’s trying to rub his beta scent over that of an alpha’s fresh mating. If anyone could it would be Luffy.

Zoro watches it with more patience than could expect of an alpha as someone else paws over their mate. Especially when said mate is still in the middle of a heat and the bite is so fresh. Even if the person in question is his pack head. Zoro’s trust and loyalty in his captain stronger than instinct.

“Everyone will know you’re Zoro’s now,” Luffy chatters happily as he continues to examine the bite like it’s more interesting than just teeth and flesh. “They can’t take you from us now.”

Sanji swallows his guilt at the words. Tries not to think of how comforted what is a rather possessive declaration from their captain makes him.

“How will they know they can’t take Zoro though?” Luffy asks. Twisting his head to look over at where Zoro is pacing.

“He has a bite too,” Sanji assures their captain. There was no way he was going to let this be a one-way claim.

“Really!? Let me see!” Luffy stretches out an arm to tug Zoro over to sit next to them on the nest. Untangling himself from Sanji only so much so he can press and twist Zoro to better see the bit on his neck as well.

Zoro glares weakly at them both for it. But he lets Luffy do as he pleases.

“Oh! Zoro’s bite is deeper than Sanji’s!” Luffy says with a laugh.

“What!?” Sanji says the same time as his new mate.

Luffy grabs hold of Sanji’s head to twist it so he can see his neck and bite better. Eyes darting between the two bites.

“Yeah. It’s definitively deeper. Sanji really didn’t want anyone taking Zoro,” Luffy confirms with a laugh.

Sanji hadn’t thought he had bitten down any harder than Zoro had him. He had only been returning what he had been given.”

“Hey captain,” Zoro says, his gaze locked on Sanji, eyes darkening by the moment. “Can you leave us for a bit?”

“Huh?” Luffy asks, his nostrils suddenly flaring. “Oh, you need to bite him some more now?”

“Something like that,” Zoro agrees. And Snaji is very glad he’s still wrapped up in the nest, because he doesn’t want Luffy knowing how much of an effect that tone in Zoro’s voice has on him.

“Right,” Luffy says with a nod. Detangling where he has his limbs wrapped around the two of them so he can leave.

“Have fun,” he says before slipping out of the room but Sanji isn’t really paying attention to him anymore. Much more focused on how Zoro is climbing on top of him, alpha-scent thick in the air.

“Don’t want anyone else taking me?” Zoro asks, all teeth.

“Shut up,” Sanji says, pulling him closer for a kiss.

[uniquetosmbody]

Howdy i love your art and i was curious what are the characters roles in you recent zosan au. Sanji and nami are dancers, zoro some important client of some kind, but like who are ace and luffy in this

I imagine this au like this:

The reference (base of the story) was a very famous TV series (magnificent century), so if you know it, you can immediately understand a lot:

Sanji, Nami, Vivi and others are dancers, concubines in the possession of an influential person (I do not know who from the characters lol)

Crocodile is their mentor, gives instructions, and hires all concubines. Everything goes by his order

Zoro is an influential traveler, a bounty hunter. He came to visit a friend (?) or just an honorable person.

Luffy and Ace are ones of the many employees of this house. Cleaning, laundry, training, guards, hunting, etc is their job.

I don't think I'm going to continue this au (I actually created it for fun and didn't think there would be anything further than the first couple arts)

But for the sake of just expanding a lil bit the universe of this au:

1. I wanted to add Usopp as Sanji's best friend. He with Nami and Vivi could dissuade /insist on continuing the relationship with Zoro/ Ace

2. Among the readers' ideas, I liked that Crocodile has feelings for Sanji. (He may be hiding it, but he is secretly jealous Sanji to any guest he need to spend time with)

3. I'm sure Sanji is not the only guy among the dancers. Who are the others? Maybe you can find out in the future.

4. The seed for the next chapter: Hiyori is waiting for Zoro around the corner, and when she encounters him "accidentally" asks to take her to the concubines' room. Zoro agrees to let the situation with Sanji out of his head, but he can't do it. Along the way, he doesn't even listen to the conversation. They run into Sanji at the door. Hiyori does not miss the chance to openly flirt with Zoro in front of Sanji. Sanji immediately runs into the room, being in shock.

5. Double jealousy? Perhaps... hehe

6. From the very beginning, I wanted to add Doflamingo, Law and other characters, but they need suitable roles. So far, I have neither ideas nor the desire to add them.

So that's how it is~

Thank you so much for the support🫶 I really appreciate it

maybe one day I’ll continue this au, but I need time for plot cause atm it doesn’t have it 😂

That’s the most recent part of the dancer au im talking about, in case someone doesn’t know what I’m talking about, there’s also a link in it to other parts 🫂

[tarteeee]

ive recently been playing Detroit become human again just to feel something and it's just so happened to coincide with my obsession with one piece and my brain is going places. zosan places.

so perhaps...DBH zosan au? long post under the cut

Im imagining that Judge is some main engineer at CyberLife and created a line of prototype military androids. he starts off with Reiju, perfects the tech then in one fell swoop creates 1234ji. BUT, as per canon, Sanji is defective. Against all protocol and logic, Sanji has somehow had a caretaker (cooking, cleaning, babysitting) android program installed and it Just. Won't. Delete. It's Sora, Judge's wife and fellow engineer who hates that part of her work is going to be used to harm people rather than help them.

Judge can't fix whatever the hell's wrong with Sanji so he sends him to some local police station, figuring that it's way too expensive (and sort of illegal) to destroy property that's technically not his and the rest of his programming dedicated to stealth, reconnaissance, and data gathering could be put to use. 124ji gets instead shipped to do military work.

What neither Judge nor Sora know is that Sanji deviated, he'd deviated from the beginning. The program won't be deleted from his code because he doesn't let it. He wants to try helping people, He's relieved he's being sent away but really would rather just settle down with some family and at least get to try some of the things he knows how to do now. Cooking at least looks like fun...

At the police station he gets partnered up with Zoro, a gruff young upstart that has put away so many criminals people think he's some sort of demon. Zoro has his own beliefs on androids, doesn't like that despite the fact that they look human, they're cold and unfeeling. He can't shake off the fact that they're just machines after his childhood best friend fell down the stairs in the middle of the night and a glitch in their household androids code made it unable to alert emergency services despite the fact that she fell right in front of it. Nothing quite sparks a hatred for androids like knowing that a normal human would have immediately jumped in to help, no program necessary.

Needless to say he's not the happiest about being saddled with the android, and gets even more pissed off when it tries to tell him how bad his self-care habits are. Sanji doesn't actually care, its only programmed to. He's not human, it's even numbered for fuck's sake.

I imagine they'd have a lot of tension, with Sanji trying his hardest to both take care of the people around him but also not act too far out of what he's supposed to do because he doesn't want others to find out he's deviated. And he really doesn't understand Zoro, who despises any help or attempt to get closer from him but only barely manages to hide a smirk and stifle laughter when Sanji accidentally lets out some snide comment about an annoying coworker. In his mind palace, zen garden area, the person who meets him switches from Sora to Judge, depending on what issues are at the forefront of his task list and he gets along well with Robin, a crime analyst and her husband Franky, who works in the precincts' IT and tech department.

For the other androids obviously Luffy would take Markus' place, wanting to gain legal freedom and rights for androids. He's inspired from the freedom he saw in his previous owner, Shanks, and even got to have his straw hat after Shanks told him to run and chase his dreams. His revolution is backed by other androids he finds along the way. Koby, who wants to have a peaceful revolution and not be shunned by human society, Trafalgar Law, who urges him that humans won't listen to reason and that a bloody battle is inevitable. Usopp, despite being afraid of being deactivated follows Luffy and says that he trusts his judgement and knows that there are understanding humans out there, like his previous owner Kaya. Brook and Chopper join Luffy as well, they were androids who were a model skeleton and an animatronic made to have kids feel at ease at a doctors' office, respectively. The three of them are not water proof models ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Nami, I feel, would take Kara's place. She comes to at a CyberLife store and is taken home by Arlong who uses her for housekeeping. At Arlong's place she finds Vivi, a girlfriend that he's obviously abusing. She deviates the same night that she find him hitting Vivi. They run away together and the less that's said about the state they left Arlong in, the better. They try to take refuge at Crocodile's place but find out that he scraps down androids for parts and sells them. There they find Jinbei, a strong android whose model was originally made for carrying heavy loads at docks and stuff, and escape together. They later find out that Vivi was an android girlfriend that Arlong had bought a while ago.

[beanghostprincess]

well since you asked so nicely, what are all your straw hats sexuality (and gender identity?) headcanons :D

ps you dont have to explain them all if it's too much for you ^^

I love you so much for this mwah mwah /p I love when people send me asks like this <33

: ̗̀➛ [Luffy] Sexuality: Aspec. I'm very, very specific with this so I would have to write a whole paragraph to explain it well, but I'll try to do it in fewer words. I used to headcanon Luffy as asexual but the demi-sexual headcanon is growing on me. Only sexual with Zoro, though. Like- I ship Luffy with more people but imo he only feels sexually attracted to Zoro. Something something 'the bond between a captain and his first mate'. Romantic attraction: I can see him being demi-romantic (once again only romantic with Zoro. Or Sanji, even) but I personally see their relationship very Aroaspec QPR. Aromantic and Demi-sexual with a very deep bond with his first mate and his cook. Gender: Transmasc. Demi-boy. He/They. I think he, like, resonates more with being a boy but still doesn't fit the binary enough to be one. And transmasc because. Well. Have you seen him?

: ̗̀➛ [Zoro] Sexuality: Homosexual. Gay. The gayest man you've ever seen. I think he's demi-sexual too in the sense that only Luffy or Sanji would make him go insane and aroused, but he would sleep with other men just because. Like fr, just because he can. Idk. Homosexual behavior everywhere. He's so fucking gay. If there was a gay contest between OP characters he would probably win or end up in a tie with Nami, Law, and Kid. Romantic attraction: Demi-romantic. This dude is obsessed with his captain only. First mate things. I seriously believe that being a first mate makes you inherently unable to fall in love with somebody else. Well, perhaps Sanji too, but I'm not that much of a Zosan so I don't think about how they would work. And still, he'd be Demiro anyway. Gender: Transmasc guy because, once again, have you seen him? Dude even has a scar on his chest. Man tits. Love him. He/Him.

: ̗̀➛ [Nami] Sexuality: Graysexual Lesbian. Some might argue with me on this because she has a different girlfriend every arc, but I honestly think that she only feels genuine sexual attraction sometimes and it's not often. Playfully flirting doesn't equal genuine sexual attraction. Romantic attraction: Grayromantic Lesbian. Because, once again, people might not agree with me, but I think she doesn't have crushes often and she falls into more of a romantic gray area. Never with men, though. God forbid. Never with men. That much is clear, I hope. Gender: Demi-girl. She/They. My babygirl. My girlboss. Like I said with Luffy, I think she embraces being a girl but still doesn't fall into that term exactly and doesn't mind They/Them or more androgynous looks/terms at all. In fact, she loves them.

: ̗̀➛ [Usopp] Sexuality: Bisexual. I love him. He be pulling blonde bitches everywhere and by blonde bitches I mean Kaya and Sanji. Something that always makes me and my BFF laugh is the fact that he's canonically very normal about women's bodies, unlike Brook or Sanji or even Franky. Like, he's pretty decent and respectful and he's, well, a normal human being. I appreciate the bare minimum when half of the characters are perverts sometimes. Romantic attraction: Birromantic. Pretty much the same thing I just said. Simple guy. So true, king. Although I like the Demi-romantic headcanon and I think he doesn't really get love at first sight and would be bothered by Sanji's view on this. I think Usopp is somebody who needs intimacy to develop a romantic crush on someone. So, yeah, I also like the demi-romantic thing but this could be just me trying to make everyone Arospec for no reason other than projecting. Gender: Non-binary. He/They but prefers They/Them, he just doesn't expect people to use those pronouns, and it isn't that big of a deal. Also transmasc. I'm obsessed with that, honestly. However, I think he wouldn't use the term Non-binary? I think he'd just use Unlabeled, perhaps.

: ̗̀➛ [Sanji] Sexuality: Bisexual with a high preference for girls. For obvious reasons. Romantic attraction: Birromantic too. He's a hopeless romantic. Believes in love at first sight and everything. Gender: Transfem. Genderfluid. Any pronouns. I love you, Sanji. You're real to me. And I'm not explaining my reasons for these headcanons because watching the show is enough for you to understand this, but between his trauma and Momoiro Island... Like... I know what you are, girly pop. The closet is glass and the egg is hatching and you need to come out. Oda, please, let her ou-

: ̗̀➛ [Chopper] This one's just, like, Chopper. Chopper is Chopper. I don't think about this much. He canonically likes female reindeer. I have nothing else to say. Gender? Little guy. Sexuality? Honestly, if somebody gives him a reindeer boyfriend I support that. So bisexual and birromantic, I guess. I don't know how it works for him. I don't think he cares. It's not that he's too young because he's canonically a teenager already, I just don't think they've encountered enough reindeer for me to form an opinion on this. Why the hell am I writing so much to say something so fucking stupid. I'm sorry. Let's move on.

: ̗̀➛ [Vivi] Sexuality: Demi-sexual Lesbian. I don't think she's ever thought about sex as something she wants or feels attracted to. At least not until Nami shows up. Romantic attraction: Lesbiab. Lebanese. Dyke. Bollera in Spanish. Girl kisser. Woman liker. Homosexual. No men allowed between her legs and her heart. Friend of Ellen, as Annie Edison would say. Gender: I think she's a cis girl. She/Her. Would literally punch violently anyone who misgendered somebody from the crew. My princess. My girlfriend, actually. Her pronouns are loveof/mylife.

: ̗̀➛ [Robin] Sexuality: Bisexual but also probably Graysexual because I don't think she feels attraction often and doesn't really get aroused if it doesn't come with other emotions. Preference for big, and gentle men. By big, gentle men I mean Franky and Jinbe. And by gentle I mean Brook. The four of them together, btw. Romantic attraction: Birromantic. I think she's just, like, vibing. Learning to love. She has so much trauma she deserves to be in a tender relationship and she just happens to be with four men but she knows how to appreciate a woman. Gender: Transfem. She/Her. You know those older trans women who give the most comforting, calm, mature energy in the world? That's Nico Robin. Gonna keep it SFW but she tops Franky 100%. And also helped Sanji with her transition. I love this. Please adopt me, Robin. She's perfect.

: ̗̀➛ [Franky] Sexuality: Bisexual. If a man doesn't know how to appreciate another man's beauty, then he isn't manly enough. Women are perfect. Men are perfect. He's wonderful. I love him. Romantic attraction: Birromantic. I swear to fucking god he has something going on with Jinbe and Brook and Robin. I am so not normal about them- Gender: Cis man but he'd probably consider being a cyborg a third, secret gender, so I'm gonna let him have that too. He/Him.

: ̗̀➛ [Brook] Sexuality: Bisexual classy grandpa. The fact that he's a gentle grandpa has a lot to do with his sexuality (no it doesn't). He might be a pervert around women but at least he supports consent, so, he's better than Sanji here. Romantic attraction: Grayromantic because I feel he doesn't get real crushes easily. Especially since his boyfriend (his former captain) died. The trauma he probably has around romance now, damn. Gender: Hear me out he's the most Unlabeled thing ever. He/They. He's just bones and most people don't even know how to tell the difference between sexes when it comes to bones. Robin is actually the only one who knows his AGAB and she doesn't care anyway, so. Gender norms are bullshit and he's just the Soul King.

: ̗̀➛ [Jinbe] Sexuality: Graysexual and Bi. He's somewhere there in the Ace spectrum. I just don't know where. I think he's, like, not that interested in bodies and sex? He would only have sex with somebody he loves and it wouldn't even be for the arousal and the attraction. Romantic attraction: Demi-romantic, which is not the same as gray. Because I think he'd need, like, to spend time with Robin/Franky/Brook to form a deep bond and then he'd slowly and gently start falling for them individually. I swear I am so normal. Please, they should adopt me. I want the four of them to be my parents. Gender: Cis man. He/Him. Biggest trans supporter in the whole fucking world.

The Going Merry is actually called the Going Liberal and the Thousand Sunny is technically the Theysand Sunny and with the help of their ships the straw hats are trying to find the Woke Piece.

[three-writing-corner]

Part of That World

Characters/Pairings: ZoSan

Rating/Warnings: G

Prince Sanji falls in love with a sea monster lurking off of Baratie's shores, and is determined to prove he means them no harm. When he finds a shipwrecked sailor, he also finds an ally in his quest - and perhaps something more.

Happy mermay friends and neighbors! To celebrate here is a sea monster Zoro au based on @8balldoodles art!

[reineydraws]

Hello, I am the anon who theorized about Zoro's background. Now I'm thinking about the rest of the strawhats! But I understand if this is outside of your interests, since most of your op art is about akataka family

Today I got Sanji. (I expect him to be really good at figure skating, considering his fighting style!).

Childhood: Judge decided the boys would go into hockey and Reiju into figure skating. Sanji, however, did not perform well thanks to his father "teaching style". He actually favored figure skating and would practice it with his mom - Sora being a retired athlete. The rest of his family reacted badly to him liking a "girly" sport, but Reiju trained with him in secret.

Teen: under the guidance of Zeff, Sanji learns to love hockey. However, he started denying any love for figure skating after leaving his birth family. The rest of his brother all went into different winter sports

I imagine the pirates suffer a heavy loss, and everyone goes into specialized training (the time skip, if you will).

There comes the Kamabakka, which I imagine is an organized group of gender non-conforming people who are either:

A) Figure skaters

B) Hockey players with strong figure skating backgrounds

After training with them, his skating style gains much more speed (sky walking)

hello again anon!!! i am always interested in strawhat content haha, and zosan was actually my entering point (i just ended up latching hard onto akataka lol) so im totally happy to talk about this!

(btw this is anon's prev ask about zoro's bg in the op hockey au.)

i actually love the idea that sanji struggles with the gender stereotypes of it all, and how he starts with loving figure skating but ends up getting into hockey anyways! and i love the B option for the kamabakka!!! sanji learning to skate so fast it's like he's walking on the sky!!! 🤩 also the idea that they might do a drag-on-ice show... love.

and now im just thinking about a pirates team for-charity show put on with the help of the cross guild, where mihawk performs, but also gets zoro to do something and zoro finds out sanji also used to do figure skating and they end up doing a pairs thing together. also, sanji in a dress and figure skates... 💘

re: the "heavy loss" i've said before that ace probably ends up suffering a career-ending something bc of shitty ref akainu during a pirates vs whitebeards game, so i suppose i'm imagining less of a specialized training, and more of like an existential "what does this mean for our careers" sort of thing for the players, and the guilt they must feel.

and then rayleigh (or maybe kuma? who can be a sports counselor? who perhaps had trouble with some higher-ups trying to manipulate him into falsifying some health records so some players can keeo going even tho it wasn't recommended? idk) encourages them on the off-season to seek something else besides just hockey training, and luff goes with rayleigh, zoro ends up moving back in with his dad (mihawk) for the summer, and sanji discovers the kamabakka, etc etc etc.

but ye, love the food for thought! thanks for the ask!!!

[the-music-maniac]

I think what drives me a little crazy (in a good way) about zosan as a ship is - ironically - that they're willing to do the worst possible thing, to sacrifice, for a necessary goal unrelated to their relationship. By that I mean that a common romance trope is an individual being willing to sacrifice the world, anything and anyone else, for their lover, and zosan is...not that. And for some reason that drives me more feral than that other romance trope ever possibly could. I find that more romantic than "I would burn the world for you" and I'll explain why.

The root of their specific willingness to sacrifice isn't a shortage of love or care by any means, but a complete trust and understanding of each other. To the absolute core of who they are. I'm going to refer specifically to that agreement between zosan (that I got spoiled on, so apologies if I get details wrong, I haven't gotten there in the story yet - ALSO spoiler warning if you haven't gotten to around Wano, so click away).

.

.

.

I'm referring to Sanji telling Zoro to kill him if he changes after his stint in Germa, and Zoro agreeing without need for an explanation, telling Sanji to survive until then - that is so fucking romantic to me, and people hold it up as proof that they don't care about each other but to me, it's anything but.

There is a burden of duty to being the wings of the pirate king, and they both take that responsibility seriously. They're both devoted to their captain and to their crew, and to the dreams of their crew. Zoro perhaps more outwardly unwaveringly so, but Sanji is devoted too, different from Zoro but equal in intensity. There are moments when you can TELL they're on the same wavelength, moments where Zoro gives a rare speech on the dynamics of their crew and Sanji is silent because he agrees. Sanji is terrified of hurting his found family, and he's terrified of becoming like his brothers and father. He loves his nakama and so he's willing to sacrifice his own life to prevent from turning into that type of monster.

Zoro is similar. He is willing to die for his nakama, and their dreams. They are in complete understanding of that point. Death itself is not something that scares either of them, there are some things that are worth the price. Potentially for different reasons ahem self worth issues ahem Sanji ahem but that's still something they both understand. Zoro would sacrifice himself in a heartbeat to save Sanji (he already has at Thriller bark), Sanji would do the same (again. Thriller bark), so it's not remotely because they don't care or love each other. They are absolutely willing to give all they are to keep each other from outside harm.

But what happens if the threat to the crew is Sanji himself?

Sanji asks Zoro to be the one to kill him, because Zoro is the only one on the crew who he trusts 100% to do so, to fulfill the promise, who understands. I personally think Luffy would try to save his nakama, even beyond what is possible, at his own detriment. The other crew members would probably do the same (then again I'm still not through the show so feel free to disagree with my interpretation).

But Zoro could do it if it came to that. It would be awful, and it would shatter and change him, irreversibly, heartbreakingly so - I don't agree with people who say Zoro would kill his nakama without hesitation and be fine with it out of loyalty to his captain, Zoro has a heart y'all and he loves his crew - but he could grit his teeth and do it if he realizes it is necessary, that there is no other option. Sanji trusts him to keep his word, to protect the rest of their family. Do you know how telling it is about the level of regard you have for your partner, to trust them to the point where you can easily place the well being of almost all you both treasure into their hands, once you realize you can't be the one to protect it anymore, and know without a shadow of a doubt that it'll be safe as long as it's with them? With knowing they're strong enough to accept the heavy burden of having your blood stain their hands for the rest of their life, the blame for your death on their shoulders, the shadow of you in every single thing they do, inescapable and marking every facet of their life forever? And to trust that they'll not only accept those consequences without hesitation because it's what you asked of them, but will also protect what you both treasure until their last breath, without you even needing to EXPLAIN that that's what you're asking to them to do, because it's the obvious, it's what you've both been doing all this time, it's something you both know so well that no words need to be exchanged, no reassurances need to be given.

And the implication of Sanji wanting Zoro to do this task too, of being okay dying by Zoro's hands because they're equals in every way. Especially since their fighting dynamic is mostly a competitive, I'm stronger than you, I'll never lose to someone as weak as you, blah blah. This is proof that that's not what Sanji and Zoro actually think of each other. Sanji knows that they could kill each other if either of them truly tried for one - wouldn't have asked Zoro to kill him otherwise. Sanji is also fine with Zoro being the one to defeat him. There is an inherent (kinda fucked up) romance to that notion. 'If I have to die, let it be by your hands.'

And on Zoro's part, there's an inherent fucked up romance to keeping your lover close forever because your fingers are stained with the necessity of their blood.

fUCK.

(here is a caveat that I'm viewing this in a scenario where Sanji and Zoro have established that they love each other and are potentially in a relationship. If it's before that you could also flavour it with Sanji's "I love him but I think it's unrequited, actually I think he may hate me, so it would hurt him the least to be the one to kill me" which is JUICY, but just for this post I'm viewing it where they've already established that they're valuable to each other, that they care)

How am I supposed to look at that and not fucking die. It's so much more nuanced and romantic to me personally than "I would burn the world for you" because that trope at its core is a selfish sort of protection. I can 100% see how people find it romantic, don't get me wrong, I'm not judging you if you like that trope, that's so valid. It's "I can't live without you" and "I would choose you above all others" which is romantic, but it's romantic in a different way. Depending on the characters, it's also, I would go to extremes to make sure you're alive, even if there's nothing else left after the carnage except for each other, even if everything else that makes life worth living has been destroyed for survival, and we can only ever rely on each other for the rest of time. I only care about you but not anything else you care about. I won't try to save it, even if you tell me to, even if you want me to, and won't forgive me for all I've done because I can't bear the burden of you not being alive and around anymore.

I get why it's compelling, but that trope could ignore (depending on how it's written) everything else that person could hold dear. Ignores potentially, the agency of the person being protected, a character who could have accepted the consequences and have not wanted the world to burn for their sake, who is strong enough for that burden. And true, maybe the character isn't like that, maybe they just want simply to live a life (valid of them, people are allowed to want happy endings for themselves), but my point is, it's a different archetype of romance for a different archetype of character, but it seems to be more accepted as a romantic trope then zosan's dynamic and I think it shouldn't be that way.

Zosan is the opposite. It suits their character type perfectly. For them, it's "there are things that are worth more than even you and me. I love you, knowing who you are and how you view the world and what other things you value. I love you everyday on purpose, not hopelessly or illogically or blindly, even knowing you may not always choose me. I'm willing to accept the pain of that, just to be next to you. The time we share isn't any less valuable for being fleeting and impermanent. I care about the things you care about and our lives are also worth living because of those things. It would tear me apart irreversibly to hurt you, but I would do it if you asked it of me, I would do it if that's what this life demands of us. I know you can protect what we both love, even if I'm not beside you. I respect your choices. In this, we understand each other perfectly."

THAT is my shit. That's the fucking deranged ass bs that has me staring at my ceiling at 3 am, pacing the floors at 6 in the morning, gnawing on conkcrete like a rabid dog. Brain rot brain rot brain rot.

[goldenblu]

hold your fire (by the throat) - chapter 6

One Piece | Zosan | Post-Wano AU where Sanji slowly loses his emotions

Chapter 6: a word you’ve never heard

Beside him, Sanji taps his cigarette against the wood, ash crumbling and falling into the roiling seafoam below. Jinbe tries to guess what exactly he’s thinking but is ultimately unsuccessful. In a jarring sort of contradiction, despite how Sanji seems to wear his heart on his sleeve, he can also be an extremely hard man to read.

Preview:

Although they leave Quarry Island behind them the next morning, it lingers in Jinbe’s mind. In everyone’s minds, really. It’s apparent enough that they’re all worried for Sanji. Chopper spends all his time working on a cure, Robin watches from a distance with concern, and Usopp even eats his mushrooms without complaint. Sanji himself tries hard to pretend like everything’s fine, but he can’t hide the occasional moments where something changes and he acts just a touch colder than usual, his smile lacking its typical warmth.

The next two days pass by in this fashion. On the third day, when Jinbe goes out onto the covered deck behind the aquarium, he finds Sanji glaring at the ashtray like it’s personally offended him.

“Sanji,” Jinbe ventures, stepping closer. Sanji twitches under his scrutinizing gaze. “Is everything okay?”

“Don’t be stupid, what do you think?” Sanji snaps, an edge of a growl in his voice. Then he reins in his temper, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. The end of his cigarette glows brighter, then dims. “What are you doing here?”

To be honest, Jinbe had been looking for a bit of peace and quiet away from the antics of the rest of the crew. Not that he has anything against it or anything, it’s just not quite the environment he’s used to yet. Then he’d seen Sanji through the portholes of the aquarium bar, smoking his way through a pack of cigarettes, looking contemplative and morose and so, so alone.

Jinbe had felt compelled to join him out here and perhaps extend a listening ear if welcomed, even despite the fact that he’s now feeling a little out of his depth. He still hasn’t fully grasped the dynamics of the crew, unsure of how he integrates into this odd tapestry of mismatched yet extraordinary threads. Someone else would be better for this, someone more familiar with the twists and turns of Sanji’s moods. But it’s just Jinbe here, and well, he has to start somewhere, doesn’t he?

“It’s quiet here,” is what he settles on.

“Yeah.” Sanji throws an indecipherable glance at him, leaning against the wooden rail. “It is. Guess that’s also why I’m here.”

Jinbe attempts to figure out if that’s an unsubtle hint for him to shut up and leave Sanji be. It must show on his face, because Sanji takes one look and smirks briefly. “Stop looking so awkward, I’m not going to kick you out. This is your ship now, too.”

That’s—that’s not quite the response Jinbe was expecting. “Ah. I appreciate it. The others can be overwhelming sometimes, so this is a nice spot to get away from it all for a second.”

Sanji nods and blows out a puff of smoke. He stares at the ocean, that singular lock of black hair stark against the blond of his bangs. Jinbe wonders what he’s looking at—the orange cast to the water from the setting sun, the white crests of the rolling waves, perhaps the sunlight shining through sea spray to form little prisms of color?

“Would you like to know something interesting?” Jinbe asks. “A bit of Fishman philosophy.”

Sanji hums noncommittally and Jinbe takes that as a sign to continue. “Most people believe that water has no memory. They think that because water flows and reforms, always in flux, it cannot hold a shape permanently.”

“But…?”

Distantly, Jinbe hears a loud crash, followed by Luffy’s high-pitched laughing. As secluded as they are, the sound is muted and half-covered by the sound of waves crashing and breaking against the ship.

“At Fishman Island, we have a saying. Every wave leaves a mark, a memory. The surface of the ocean is constantly shifting, constantly changing. The tides, the currents—all of it. But even when a wave rises, falls, and is then returned back into the vastness of the ocean, the water persists. It remembers. It carries with it the experience of its journey, the imprint of its essence, even if it can no longer take that form.”

“Huh.” Sanji flips his cigarette through his fingers, heedless of the risk of burns. “I’ve heard something like that before.”

(continue on AO3)