#at some point sanji did get nervous so he had to ask (luffy knew whats up)

[tinukis]

i was going to reblog a post talking about aroace luffy and being COMPLETELY WRONG about it (let it be known that aroace luffy is merely a headcanon that happens to be universally accepted. coded characters =/= canon.)

but !! i decided not to waste my energy and instead thought about a sanji headcanon so

fuck you, heres aromantic sanji !! (lithromantic specifically)

what is lithromantic? lithromantic is a romantic attraction without the desire for reciprocation. in other words: someone who has a crush on another but doesn't want that same feelings back.

for a small explanation on why lithromantic!sanji... simply put sanji is overall a romantic guy and loves doing romantic/loving gestures for the people he appreciates

but to me, because of the environment he was born in. it made it hard for sanji to desire a committed relationship. so when someone reciprocates feelings for him or has feelings for him, he won't notice or that attraction slowly fades. he does eventually learns that not all committed relationships are bad and that they can be good. in fact, he'd be very happy for healthy relationships. but to him, he cannot desire it for himself and finds it discomforting.

now, sanji can still date or possibly be in relationships! it's just very unlikely or that he wont have the same desires as his partner.

he'll always have a lot of love and gestures to give, but he simply cannot take. (also yes he accepts affection just not relationships)

OKAY ADDING ONTO THIS BC MOOT ON TWT MENTIONED IT: sanji being lithromantic makes a LOT of sense because when characters like pudding showed interest, sanji was completely normal. and in a wano filler, there was a woman that clearly had interest in sanji. but instead he focused on her pet mouse while getting close in proximity with her. and when he notices shes anxious/something, all he asks is "hm? whats wrong?"

and honestly, i hc that if he does act weird around ppl showing interest but it's at the wrong time, he'd act as he usually does when being romantic

[onepiece-fics]

Sanji x picky eater!Reader

Description: Reader is a picky eater and doesn’t dare to tell Sanji. The chef, however, needs to get to the bottom of why you’re giving Luffy all your shrimp. Gender-neutral reader.

Word Count: 1187 

Warnings: Slight angst (mostly fluff though), Sanji is very flirty, mentions of difficult food habits.

Requested by anon<3

You feel bad about it, but as you sit by the dinner table you can’t help but pick at some of the food on your plate. Dinner for tonight was shrimp paella, cooked by the amazing chef himself. Of course, anyone who knew of Sanji knew how amazing he was at cooking, there was no question about it, but having been born a picky eater you felt immense guilt with how you felt about some of his food. You hadn’t even told him the things that you can’t bring yourself to eat, scared that he would take offense, or maybe even try to force you to eat it like so many other people had tried in the past. 

You tried to pick away the shrimp on your plate and focus on the rice and vegetables instead, but of course, knowing that it had touched the shrimp was enough to put you off. 

“Ah? Y/N? Are you not having your shrimp? Can I have it?” the enthusiastic captain asks you from across the table. You nod and with a blush on your face, you shovel off the shrimp from your plate to his. You notice Sanji looking at the two of you from afar, and not being able to read his face makes you nervous. Is he taking offense? Do you look silly? Is he gonna think you’re being childish? You sigh and continue trying to eat the rice and veggies on your plate. 

When dinner was done Sanji came to pick up everyone’s plates like he usually did but when he came over to you he gave you a look.

“Could you please stay for a while Y/N? I’d like to talk to you for a minute” he says, a slight smile on his lip but a confusing look in his eyes. You nod and stay in your chair as everyone else leaves. When you notice he’s moving to wash the dishes you rush up and silently offer him your help. He starts handing you the wet dishes to dry off and stack neatly. 

“Do you not like shrimp?” he says suddenly, breaking the silence between you. You tense up a little, unsure what to say.

“Uhm, yeah, sorry, I’m not really that big on seafood in general…” you say quietly. He stops what he’s doing and looks at you, eyebrows raised.

“Why haven't you told me, Y/N? I don't want to make you food that you won’t enjoy… I’ll happily modify your dinner for your tastes!” he gives you a big smile and your face heats up. “Wait… Do you also not like eggs? And… Broccoli? Oh, and the spinach!” he says, his fist hitting his palm like he finally understood something. Your face is fully flushed and it’s so warm you swear Sanji could actually cook a full meal on it at this point.

“I- I’m so sorry Sanji. I know I should’ve told you a while ago but-! I can be really picky with food sometimes and it’s like super embarrassing and I don’t want to be rude or insult your cooking- and I don’t want you to think I’m childish or something either. It’s just how my tastebuds work! I can’t help it but I’m really so sorry, I’ll try to learn to eat those things, I promise!” You ramble suddenly, catching the chef off-guard. He looks at you with big eyes and moves to put his hand on your shoulder.

“Y/N…” he starts. “You don’t have to worry my dear, I know you would never intentionally be rude or anything. I have been worrying for a while that maybe my cooking skills had gone downhill… But this explains it all!” his hand moves from your shoulder to cup your cheek.

“Don’t worry sweetheart, everyone’s tastebuds are different and I totally get that. We all have things that we can’t stand to eat, if you just write me a list of things you don’t like I promise to make you the best food you can imagine, alright?” he smiles at you. You just stare at him in shock, a single teardrop falling from your eye which he quickly catches with his thumb. 

“S-Sanji… Are you sure it’s alright?” you ask him and he chuckles. 

“I’d much rather cook you food that you genuinely enjoy than keep feeding you things you just hand off to Luffy” he teases you. He pulls you in for a hug and kisses the top of your head. “I could never judge you Y/N, you’re way too kind to me for that” he whispers as you put your arms around him. 

Your emotions suddenly sweep over you and before you know it, you’re staining his suit with your tears. Even though you knew how kind Sanji was, a part of you thought that he was going to react the same way people had in the past. Far from everyone is kind to those who struggle with picky eating, no matter the reason for it happening in the first place. The fact that he was even offering to cook you your own personalized meals… You pull away from him, cringing as you see the wet spot on his shoulder from your tears.

“I’m sorry about that…” you sniffle and it makes him laugh. The sound of it brings you to a smile and you giggle with him. He takes one of your hands in his and raises your chin with the other one. 

“Now. No more being shy about food habits, alright?” his smile is dazzling and it leaves you breathless. You nod for a response and he smiles and leans closer to you. “I really mean it Y/N. If I get to cook extra food for such a beauty as you… It only brings me joy” he whispers. You bite your lip when you realize the position you’re both in. You leaning against the kitchen counter with him in front of you, leaning into you more and more. A blush spreads across your cheeks again and you gulp. You’re just about to lean up when– 

“Y/N!!!!” Chopper barges into the kitchen, opening the door wide open, scaring both you and Sanji shitless. He jumps off of you, hastily moving to do the dishes once again. “Usopp needs you! He’s convincing Luffy not to prank call the Marines! Please help us!” Chopper begs you. With your hand covering your blush the best you can, you look back at Sanji, a blush spread over his cheeks too, before giving a nod to the doctor.

“I- I’ll be right there Chopper! Steal the den den mushi if you have to!” you tell him. Chopper nods and runs back to wherever the captain is.

You look back at Sanji who’s shaking with laughter as he’s rinsing out a plate. 

“I’m expecting a note with all your least favorite foods by tomorrow” he tells you and winks. You nod and awkwardly move to leave the kitchen.

“Oh, and that note better include your favorite foods too, by the way. I want to make you only your favorite meals from now”. 

[noproofread]

A little Luffy fluff

I've never written fanfic on tumblr before so pls bear with me. Also I'm so used to writing smut but I started this one and it was just so fluffy i didnt wanna taint it so maybe there'll be a part 2, who knows.

Word count: 1,425

Nothing but cute fluff, first kiss, feelings, all the soft stuff

‘Luffy!” you shout, spotting your captain in a restaurant. You have only been on this island for 15 minutes and already Luffy found a place to eat. He turns to face you “Hey Y/N!” Luffy says, crumbs of food spilling out of his mouth as he grins at you.

“You gotta try these potatoes! They’re so good!” The young captain shouts, making you giggle. “I believe you. We have to go to the ship though, Nami sent me to get you” you state, taking a seat next to him. He doesn’t look at you, too focused on scarfing down the hot food while he can. “Hmmm but I’m eating right now.” A whine comes out of Luffy. “We’ll just go back when you finish then” you smile at him. You won’t admit it to the rest of the crew but you developed a little crush on your captain in the time you’ve spent with the Straw Hats.

He had come into your village and beat up some guys that were giving you trouble as you were going back home from shopping for gardening supplies. He asked you to join the crew, per Nami’s request, as she saw the way you tended to the garden. She wanted someone who knew what they were doing when it came to green life, especially for her tangerine trees. You graciously accepted the invitation, mostly because of the young rubber pirate that helped you.

You were good at hiding your feelings for the most part. Nobody questioned your unwavering loyalty to the group of pirates you had only known for a couple of weeks. Nor did they notice all the times you stared at Luffy, studying his face. Appreciating the way he always smiled even when faced with scary situations. Nobody saw the way you blushed whenever he complimented the way the lawn on the Sunny looked.

You never expected him to feel the same way towards you so you never did anything about your feelings. After all, this is the future King of the Pirates. The man that will find the one piece. You were perfectly content just being close to him as his friend. Perfectly okay with simply admiring him from afar.

“Aaahh I’m all done now! Ready to go back to the ship then?” Luffy’s words snapped you out of your thoughts. You nodded at him and got up from your seat. “We have to hurry though, Nami says there’s going to be a storm soon and I don’t wanna get caught in the rain.” Without thinking, you grab Luffy’s hand and start heading back to the Sunny. Luffy looks down at your hand, confused but he allows it.

As you approach the ship, Luffy speaks. “Hey Y/N, what’s with this hand holding thing anyway?” He looks at you and grins. That signature wide grin he always has on his face. “Not that I mind, just curious.”

“Oh! I uh… I hadn’t noticed haha” You pull your hand away, hoping you didn’t sound nervous. Luffy shrugs it off and jumps up on the ship. You climb your way up and see Nami “See! I found him” you tell her. She smiles and looks at Luffy “Don’t run off without telling us! We almost left you until Y/N pointed out you weren’t on the ship” She nods disapprovingly at him and chuckles lightly. “NAMI-SWAAANN” you hear Sanji yell from the kitchen “Please oh PLEASE taste this tangerine tart I made just for you.” Nami rolls her eyes and walks towards the kitchen, leaving you and Luffy alone as the sun starts to set.

You are standing a little close to Luffy, who looks towards you. You notice a faint blush on his cheeks briefly before his voice cuts through your thoughts again. “Hey, why do you always make my face feel warm?” He smiles.

“What?” You stand shocked, looking at Luffy. “I don’t know, I just feel warm whenever you’re close to me. It’s weird.” Your eyes widen at Luffy’s sudden confession. “Good weird or bad weird?” you ask.

“I… I’m not sure. I honestly don’t know what to think about it.” The blush on Luffy’s cheeks deepens slightly. “I think it’s good though.” You smile to yourself and let out a sigh “That’s good…” You say softly. Looking out at the blue water past the ship, you make your way towards the railing. You feel your heart flutter at Luffy’s words. He catches up to you and looks at you, slightly confused. “Why is it good?” he smiles. “Just… I would never want to make you feel bad weird," your gaze still looking at the crashing waves. “Haha! Well you sure don’t make me feel bad weird so you’re good!” Luffy says, looking at your face as a small blush forms. “What about me? Do I ever make you feel… weird?” He leans against the railing of the Sunny, right next to you. You feel the air change as you process his question.

“Yeah… good weird too” You laugh, avoiding his gaze as you try to ignore the feeling of your heart dropping to your stomach. You can feel Luffy’s eyes on you, you wonder if he can see the blush on your face. If he can sense your nervousness. You feel a warm sensation on your hand and look down to see Luffy’s on top of yours. You look at him and he smiles “I mean… you are something else Y/N.” You feel your face grow hotter and you bite your lip. “Haha… So are you. Captain Luffy… Future King of the Pirates.” You look down once again, trying to focus on the sound of the waves to ease up the tension. It doesn’t work.

“Can I maybe… I don’t know…” Luffy says awkwardly, as his voice trails off. You look at him and notice the deep pink hue that washes over his face. His eyes meet yours and you see them trail down to your lips. You feel your stomach do a flip as you realize what he is thinking. “C-Can you maybe… what?” You speak but your voice is barely a whisper. Luffy leans in closer to you. “Maybe…” His voice is soft and low.

“I… I think I want to…” He continues to hold your hand as he inches closer to your face. Your brain cannot process what’s happening “You… you want to…?” You echo his words as you hear your heart pounding in your chest. He looks back up into your eyes “You… you don’t mind… do you?” Luffy asks quietly, his face is so close you feel his breath on your lips. You can’t find the voice to speak anymore and you simply shake your head no. Everything feels like it’s happening in slow motion. You can’t hear the crashing of the waves anymore, or the sound of your crew mates’ banter. You have never felt more present and yet so far away. Luffy’s hand is still on yours as he leans in further. You close your eyes and notice your shallow breathing. You feel his lips press against yours. They’re soft and light. It was only a quick second but it was enough to make you gasp.

You open your eyes to see Luffy smile. His face is a deep shade of red and you assume yours also is. You bite your lip to hold back an impulse, but it fails. You grab Luffy’s face once again and kiss him. You feel him relax into the kiss, which is already longer than the previous one. Your heart is racing as you feel Luffy cup your cheek with his hand. As you both pull away you’re both breathing heavily. “That…” Luffy begins but his words trail off. “I don’t know what to say…” You simply smile and bite your lip. “What do you feel, Luffy?” You finally find it within you to speak. “It’s.. It’s hard to describe um..” He begins. You see his eyes scan your face, trying to find the words.

“It’s like a strange sensation in my mind and my body… I feel um… I feel like these warm tingles and it’s hard to think sometimes.” He speaks softly. You simply smile and pull him in for a hug. He gasps at the sudden embrace and soon you feel his arms wrap around you. You can hear his heart beating in his chest. You close your eyes and sigh, feeling yourself be present in this moment. A moment you really never thought would happen.

[fivedayslater]

Part 14: Kitchen

Dinner and a Murder: A Mr. Prince Mystery Masterpost

“How about the kitchen?” Sanji says as he follows after Luffy, “It’s as good a place to start as any.”

“Alright,” Zoro follows dutifully after him, but sends him a knowing look, “I bet you just want to ask Nami why she sent Luffy to the library.”

Sanji laughs, his gaze warm as it lands on Zoro, “Maybe. You’ve got the makings of a pretty good detective if you keep this up.”

Zoro chuckles too, “I learned from the best.”

That warm feeling spreads through him, and he gets the urge to reach out and grab Zoro’s hand.

Before he can act on it, a scream echoes across the house, stopping them in their tracks.

Luffy comes racing around the corner, his face pale and his eyes darting everywhere before landing on them.

“Sanji, quick, I need you,” Luffy grabs his wrist and pulls him away, then almost immediately stops short and glances over his shoulder, “But I didn’t do it.”

Sanji frowns, the unease in his stomach spreading, “Do what?”

Luffy bites his lip, then takes off running again, dragging Sanji along with him, Zoro not far behind.

They arrive at the kitchen only to find Nami’s lifeless body on the floor.

Sanji stares in shock, hardly able to believe it. He had thought they were safe, that the killer wouldn’t dare strike again while they were all on high alert, but he’d been wrong, and it cost Nami her life.

He glances over at Zoro, who is looking just as distraught as Sanji feels, his face pale and his fists shaking as he clenches them at his sides.

Sanji steps forward and kneels next to her, his fingers on her neck to try and find a pulse, but comes up with nothing. A check of her mouth and nose for breathing produces the same results.

By this time Usopp, Law, and some of the household staff arrive at the scene, no doubt drawn out by the screaming.

Sanji shakes his head as he looks back at them, “She’s dead.”

“I knew it!” Usopp is the first to shout, pointing a shaking finger at Luffy as he backs up until he hits the wall, “You’re the killer!”

“What? No!” Luffy shouts, “I didn’t kill her!”

“We split into pairs specifically to prevent this from happening!” Usopp shrieks, “Sanji was with Zoro the whole time, I was with Law, and you were with Nami! Therefore you were the only one who could have killed her!”

“No, I wasn’t,” Luffy growls as he takes a threatening step forward, “Take that back!”

Sanji steps in to intervene before the situation gets worse, but before he can Zoro wraps an arm around his waist to hold him back.

“Calm down,” he says in a soft but demanding tone, “We don’t know what happened yet, and fighting each other is only going to make things worse.”

Sanji lights a cigarette as he surveys the scene. What Usopp said is true, since Zoro was with him, Sanji knows he didn’t kill Nami, and if Usopp and Law were together, that would rule them out too, which means the only one who had the opportunity was Luffy.

“What do you mean,” Law frowns as his gaze turns to Usopp, “we split into pairs?”

Usopp freezes, then lets out a nervous chuckle, “Haha, you’re such a kidder, Law.” He throws an arm over his shoulder, “Remember? That’s why I found you in the study? Sanji said we should split into pairs to keep an eye on each other?”

Law’s face darkens, “You didn’t find me in the study. I haven’t seen you – or anyone – since we parted after finding Ace’s body.”

The room goes silent. Sanji feels a headache coming on as he turns to Usopp.

“I’m going to ask you a question,” he says carefully, “And I need an honest answer. When we all split up after finding Ace’s body, did you go to the study with Law like you said you would?”

Usopp laughs again, flinching a little as Law shakes off his touch, “I…well, of course I…” He gulps, his eyes darting between all the angry glares pointing his way, “I…”

He sighs, and finally admits, “I went to hide in the lounge.”

Sanji growls as he rubs his temples, “So. You don’t have an alibi for Nami’s murder?”

“Wait, what?” Usopp gasps and waves his hands in front of him, “No no. No, I’m not a suspect, remember? I was with you during Ace’s murder! I’m the only one who couldn’t have done it!”

“That’s for Ace’s murder,” Sanji gestures towards Nami, “This is a whole new murder. There’s no indication that these murders were committed by the same person, and I haven't seen you since I last saw Nami.”

“And you’re the one who failed to pair up,” Law states as he crosses his arms, “Highly suspicious.”

“You weren’t paired up either,” Zoro points out, releasing Luffy now that he’s calmed down.

“I didn’t know we were pairing up,” he shrugs, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have left my partner.”

“The household staff was all together too,” Bon-Chan chimes in, “Not a single one of us was out of sight of someone else while we completed the search of the house.”

Sanji takes a deep breath, inhaling as much smoke as his lungs can hold before releasing it slowly.

“Since we all saw Nami alive when we found Ace, it’s obvious she died after we split up.” He reasons, then points at Usopp, Law, and Luffy, “Since Zoro and I were together the whole time, I need to know what you three have been up to since then.”

“Well, I was searching the kitchen like I told you,” Luffy says, looking up as he recalls his movements, “Then Nami came and said you said you wanted to get into the library, so I left to look for Bon-Chan to get the key.”

Sanji turns to Bon-Chan, “Is this true?”

“Yes,” Bon-Chan nods, “Luffy found me upstairs…I suppose about twenty minutes after we all split up, and asked for the library key.”

“I was searching with them,” Iva nods, “So I can confirm.”

“Yeah,” Luffy nods too, “Then I met you and Zoro just outside the library, and we talked for a bit.” His face falls, his gaze darting to Nami, “Then I went back to the kitchen, and found Nami…”

Sanji frowns as he mulls that over. With the timeline laid out, it would be hard but not impossible for Luffy to have killed Nami. But since Luffy was apparently the last to see Nami alive, there’s no guarantee that he didn’t kill her, then go to find the library key to establish an alibi.

Sanji turns to Usopp, “And you? The truth this time.”

He smiles shakily at Sanji, but it falls quickly under his stern look. Instead he rubs the back of his head, and at least has the decency to look sheepish, “I was going to go to the study…but I started thinking about murder and dying, and I just…” He sighs as he shakes his head, “I got scared. I went to the lounge to hide instead. I had a drink in there, and only came out when I heard the screaming.”

“And did anyone see you? Or did you see anyone?”

His eyes dart away, “No.”

Perfectly believable, but also completely unprovable. Usopp easily could have slipped out of the lounge and to the kitchen to kill Nami.

But Usopp is right; he does have an alibi for Ace’s murder. If he did kill Nami, that means Sanji is no closer to figuring out who killed Ace.

“Okay,” Sanji turns to Law, “And what about you?”

“I was in the study the whole time,” Law states, tapping his foot on the ground, “I didn’t know we were supposed to be partnered up. I haven’t seen anyone since we first found Ace. I only left the study when I heard the screaming over here.”

“Did you find anything in the study?” Zoro asks, and Sanji’s a little impressed with how quickly he’s picking this up.

“No,” Law sighs, his eyes darting away.

Sanji hums as he considers that. The study is on the opposite side of the house from the kitchen, so Law would have had to pass by him and Zoro in the billiard room or Usopp in the lounge, and would most likely have met Luffy fetching the library key sometime in the middle.

“Okay,” Sanji sighs as he lets out a stream of smoke, then turns towards Bon-Chan, “Have you finished searching the house?”

“Not yet,” they shake their head, “We still have a few rooms upstairs and the basement to search, but we’re just about done.”

“Good,” he nods, “Thank you. You keep at it.”

“Right,” they nod, and leave with the rest of the staff.

“As for you three,” he points his cigarette at Luffy, Usopp, and Law, “You need to stay together this time. No running off.” He gestures towards the dining room, “Wait in there while Zoro and I search the kitchen.”

“Aw,” Luffy pouts, “Why does Zoro get to help?”

“Because he’s the only one I know didn’t kill Nami,” Sanji growls, then glances at Zoro and blushes a little, “Also…he’s proven to be a good investigation partner.”

Zoro blushes too at his words, and can’t seem to fight the shy smile on his face.

“Investigation partner, huh?” Usopp shakes his head, but grabs Luffy’s arm and drags him to the dining room, “Okay, we’ll let you lovebirds get investigating.”

“It’s not like that,” Sanji growls, but he’s completely ignored as Law chuckles and follows after them, “It’s not!”

“Sure,” Law shrugs as he closes the door behind him, “you can call it whatever you want.”

Sanji grumbles under his breath as he turns back to Zoro. His face is still red, looking everywhere but Sanji, the small smile still on his face, making Sanji’s heart flutter.

Then his eye lands on Nami, and his face falls.

He looks back to Sanji, “So I’m not a suspect anymore?”

“For Nami’s murder,” he points his cigarette at him, “You’re still not in the clear for Ace’s.”

“Wow,” he shakes his head, “You really don’t trust anyone, huh?”

“Yeah, well,” he shrugs awkwardly as he leans against the counter, “Once you find out your then-fiancee only seduced you to try and hide her multiple murders, you start to lose faith in people.”

“Wait, what?” Zoro’s eye widens, his mouth falling open, “Shit, Curls, what happened?”

Sanji scowls, his gaze firmly on the floor. He really doesn’t want to talk about this, especially with Zoro, it had just slipped out. But now that it had, he couldn’t very well ignore it.

So he sighs and glances back at Zoro’s incredibly concerned expression, “I’d been investigating the Totland Killings, she found out and seduced me to try and throw me off her trail.” 

“Wait,” Zoro’s brow furrows, and he gasps when he makes the connection, “You were engaged to the Chocolate Killer?”

“Pudding Charlotte, yeah,” he rubs his temple, “The worst part is, it worked. I was madly in love with her and didn’t suspect her at all. She had me completely wrapped around her finger, and was using me the whole time.”

Zoro’s hand lands on his clenched fist, and he finds comfort in the warm contact.

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” he says as he rubs his thumb across his knuckles, “No one deserves to go through that. Especially you.”

“Yeah, well,” he’s blushing again, and he looks away, as if he can somehow hide it from Zoro, “I did catch her in the end, but only because she targeted my sister. If she hadn’t we’d probably be married by now.”

“Well,” Zoro leans in just a hair closer, but to Sanji it feels much closer, like his whole world suddenly became Zoro, “Can’t say I hate that outcome.”

Sanji swallows, and Zoro’s eyes dart down to his lips a moment before he slowly, almost reluctantly, pulls away.

“So,” Zoro gestures around the kitchen, “Where are we investigating?”

Sanji glances around the kitchen too. The last time he visited everything was neatly tucked away, but now one of the cabinets, one of the drawers, and the fridge are all slightly ajar, as if someone was rifling through them.

They seem like as good of places as any to start.

[akwolfgrl]

Part 18 LFT

Zoro left the box of cat stuff in the boys' room before he headed towards the galley where he knew Sanji was. He had heard the blond singing. He didn't know Sanji could sing… unless you count those sexy moans as singing. The cat was curled around his neck, purring loudly, reminding him of what was at hand now. Zoro thought cats were supposed to be aloof, but this one had walked right up to him and climbed up his leg. The damn thing had rubbed its head against his own before batting at his earrings. Zoro had gotten lucky. He had stumbled into a book store where the lady working there had been of great help. He was nervous. He didn't give people gifts, but he was just following Nami’s advice.

Zoro watched from the galley window as Sanji moved things in his cabinet around. Zoro opened the door and stepped inside.

A mighty tempest grew

The banshee cried "turn back!"

But our resolve was true

And pointed bow ahead and shouted

"We'll break threw"

The jaws of hell can't hold us back

There's nothing that can keep us from The Shadow

Zoro leaned against the wall, his hand coming to scratch the cat perched along his shoulders. He watched and listened as the cook sang a smile upon his face, a new large strange pot sat upon the stove.

“I didn't know you sang, you should do it more often,” Zoro wasn't here to rile him up this time. His voice was softer than normal, trying to prove he wasn’t here to cause chaos.

“Wow! You're back early! I thought for sure you'd be in a bar getting drunk somewhere,” The blond didn't bother turning around, but Zoro could see his ear turn pink. “Ah well, I did grow up with a pirate, Ussop bought it up, and I realized how much I miss singing with everyone,” Curly closed the cabinet gently before turning towards him. With one raised curly brow, he asked, “What's with the cat?”

“He’s for you, I figured since you're busy guarding against Luffy you could use help guarding against the smaller pests,” Zoro reached behind him and slid a hand under the cat's belly, its claws sticking to his shirt. “Oi, will let go of me.” Sanji laughed, Zoro didn't think he had ever heard the other man laugh before he wanted to hear it again. He turned back around and dug through the fridge.

“Need some help Marmio? We had a ship cat on the braite, she used to keep the mice and rats at bay. She had died of old age a week before I met all of you. She would sleep with the old geezer,” Sanji shut the fridge door and turned back around with a small fish in his hand. He made a tounge clicking noise and tapped the counter with his fingers. That cat left him for Sanji. “Here you go kitty,” Sanji knelt down to feed the cat, letting it sniff his fingers before getting a head butt then deciding the fish in his hand was more interesting.

“What were you singing? I never heard that one before,” Zoro asked.

“It's one that Zeff and his crew made up, it's based on a ship they ran across in the grandline, it's a ghost ship with ragged black sails,” Sanji spoke while petting the cat.

“Speaking of the Grand Line… I got you a gift,” Zoro took the book out of his haramaki.

Sanji looked up at him, a blush spreading across his cheeks as he stared at him in confusion. “A gift? A gift for Me? Why would you get me a gift?”

“Because I like you dumbass, why else would I get you a gift? Here take it,” Zoro held out the book. What was wrong with Sanji that he couldn't just accept a gift, was this the first time someone gave him a gift? Blondie finally stood up and took the book from him.

“Gathering in the Grand Line,” Sanji read the title out loud before flipping through the book. “Thank you Zoro.”

“Your welcome Sanji,” he says rubbing the back of his neck a bit flustered.

“I don't feel like a thank you is enough, how about I show you my appreciation instead,” Sanji smirked at him before putting the book down and stepping closer. “I think I should finish that blow job from the other night that you so rudely interrupted~”

***

Zoro stumbled out of the galley, his legs still shaky from Sanji’s blow job skills. They were absolutely repeating that experience at a later time.

“Well I see someone did a good job at gift giving,” Nami was smirking at him from where she sat on the railing, right on Sanji's spot. “Now go take a shower there’s clothes waiting for you on the coach along with roses, I couldn't get Sanji's favorite followers because they only grow in the north sea. You have a reservation at ADKT so hurry up. You are so lucky I'm so nice, Zoro!” Zoro glared at her and resisted the urge to say something back, because she was unfortunately correct. “So what did you even get him?”

“A cat and a book about gathering in the Grand Line,” Zoro wasn't about to admit that he had some help in picking out the gifts.

“A cat? Really?” Nami sighed. “Let me guess he loved both gifts. I guess you're secretly a big softy under that scary muscle mass.”

“Hey!” Zoro complained about being called soft.

“Just a big ole teddy bear,” Nami teased him with a wicked grin. “Does Sanji know what a big ole softy you are?”

“Shut up!” Zoro yelled before stomping away to shower, Namis laughter trailing behind him.

[portgasairlines]

Seasonal Romance

Tw: Foul Language

Chapter One: Roller Skating and Crushes

Zoro didn't realize he was in love until a month later. Maybe it was because his feelings started to grow for him. That's why he realized. His heart would beat faster with the smallest touch, he would get nervous over things he used to never give a second thought to. All because of his best friend, Monkey D. Luffy.

He realized when they went roller skating with all their friends. Luffy was good at many random things, but roller skating wasn't one of them. As soon as he put them on he almost fell, catching himself with the railing.

Zoro was decent, so he had volunteered to teach him. After a few minutes, he was able to stand up on his own.

"Look Zoro I'm doing it!"

Zoro just smiled. He was a little proud that he managed to teach the male.

"Now you just have to learn how to actually use them."

"But it took so long to stand! How long will it take for me to do that?"

"However long you decide to take."

"Hmph! Okay let's do this!"

After a while he finally mastered the all the basics, at least he thought he did. Zoro would stand behind him just in case he fell. And eventually he did. He had gotten a little too confident, and started speeding up, before he realized he didn't know how to turn. He was about to run straight into a wall.

"Zoro how do you turn?! Or even stop!?!"

Zoro panicked. How could he have forgotten to teach him that? He quickly raced to get in front of him. Once he reached that point, Luffy ran straight into him. If Zoro had normal shoes on, he would have still been standing. Unfortunately he didn't have his boots on, so they both fell.

Their friends quickly ran to their sides. Usopp and Sanji were making fun of Zoro, while the rest of them were actually checking up on them. Usually Zoro would yell or chase them down, but this time he didn't. He wasn't even paying attention to them, or anyone that wasn't Luffy. He was currently resting his head on Zoro's chest. When he looked up at Zoro, their faces were inches apart.

"You okay Zoro?"

His face turned red. He felt more nervous than ever. He quickly turned away and nodded. Franky helped Luffy off of Zoro. Eventually they decided that they had enough fun for the day and went to have lunch.

Zoro walked behind the the group, still processing what occurred. After a few minutes he realized he was no longer with his friends. They always went the wrong way.

"Zoro you're always straying off."

He turned around and saw the only person that he could think about for the past hour.

"Oh, Luffy."

Luffy put his hands behind his back.

"Sorry about earlier. I don't think I've apologized yet."

"Oh it's fine. Where is everyone anyways?"

"Zoro we're at the park right now. We're supposed to be getting lunch at a cafe. You got lost again!"

Zoro turned a shade of pink from embarrassment. Which was unusually because when he was accused of getting lost he'd usually brush it off.

"Did I?"

"Shishishi, oh Zoro, don't worry no one minds anymore. Actually I think Sanji and Nami do, but I don't."

This made Zoro feel some kind of way. It wasn't embarrassment this time, it felt different. Something he hadn't felt before. He had no clue what it could be though. Actually, he did have an idea, he just didn't want to admit it.

He was broken out of his trance when Luffy grabbed his wrist, and started pulling him towards the cafe. He let himself get dragged by the shorter male.

They both arrived to see a visibly upset Nami.

"Where the hell were you two? Do you know how long we've been waiting?"

Luffy laughed.

"I didn't think we went that far. I was surprised too."

She looked over at Zoro.

"You got lost right?"

"I did not."

"Liar!"

Zoro yawned. Nami knew she'd get no where with the two, so she just sighed and got in line. That's when Zoro decided to pulled Sanji aside to ask him about the feeling he had.

"What do you want marimo? I was about to ask Robin Chan on a date!"

"Like she'd ever say yes to you swirly brow."

"Tch."

Zoro rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing how to ask. He then realized he'd probably be made fun of if he told Sanji.

"...nevermind."

"I'm already here, might as well tell me."

Zoro took a deep breath, his face turning a light shade of pink.

"Then, how do you know when your in love?"

Sanji stood there, flabbergasted. There's no way Zoro, Roronoa Zoro, just said that.

"Are you serous?"

"Never mind, I knew I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it's fine! It's just unexpected. Like, Luffy might as well share his food, that's how crazy this is."

"Okay I get it, so are you going to tell me?"

"Well, I'll tell you if you tell me who it is. It isn't Nami-san, is it?"

He glared at Zoro as he said that.

"No...it's Luffy."

He mumbled the last part, but Sanji still heard. Sanji thought the world might end, he hadn't even gotten a date with Nami yet.

"Holy shit. Luffy? Did you just say Luffy!?!"

"Oi you're too fucking loud!"

They both quickly turned to see if they heard. However, they were all just listening to Luffy, who was probably telling them about something dumb that happened.

"Sorry, but oh my god. I have to tell Nami-san."

"Could it just stay between us?"

Sanji sighed.

"Fine, so how exactly does he make you feel?"

"Nervous. Like I have to watch everything I do now when he's around."

"Nervous? Then-

"Zoro! Sanji!"

Luffy ran in between the two, clinging onto Zoro's arm. His face immediately turned red. Sanji watched the interaction and concluded that he was, in fact, in love with Luffy.

"What is it Luffy?"

"What do you two want to order? We're about to reach the front of the line."

"Oh then just get me a salad. Zoro what do you want?"

He just stood there, still processing what was happening. Sanji sighed.

"Marimo!"

That seemed to do the trick. He glared at Sanji before turning back to Luffy, his blush mostly gone now.

"I'll get a sandwich."

Luffy stared at Zoro intently for a few seconds, which clearly made Zoro a little nervous. Then he let go like he'd never done a thing.

"Okay, then we'll be at the table over there."

He pointed to a table where some of their friends had already taken a seat. Then he headed over to the line.

"Yeah, you're definitely in love."

"It couldn't have been that obvious."

It was that obvious, even Zoro himself knew that. He sighed and Sanji just patted his shoulder.

"Cheer up, on the bright side, maybe you have a chance."

"We're talking about Luffy, the guy who turned Boa Hancock down in high school."

Sanji shrugged.

"Maybe he doesn't swing that way."

"Didn't some guy confess to him too?"

"Did that happen? I doubt it. Let's just go sit down before they get suspicious."

Zoro reluctantly followed. When they arrived everyone was already at the table, Usopp was in the middle of saying something before Nami stepped on his foot with her heel.

"And then you'll sm- ow! Nami that hurt! Why would you do that- oh Zoro, Sanji, you're back."

Sanji raised and eyebrow, but ignored it as soon as he saw a free seat next to Nami.

"Nami-san, did you save this seat for me?"

Nami just smiled, making Sanji have hearts in his eyes. He sat down without a second thought. Zoro was still wondering what was going on with Usopp.

"You okay? That looked like it hurt."

Usopp just laughed.

"What? No way! Didn't hurt at all."

Zoro just nodded and sat down. He pulled his phone out and scrolled through his social media, not noticing who he sat down next to. Until a hand was on top of his. He turned and saw Robin.

"Oh Robin. What is it?"

Robin just stared, smiling afterwards.

"Nothing, just thought I saw an eyelash on your cheek."

Zoro just nodded, a little confused.

Ever since then, he'd been spending more time with Luffy, sometimes with Sanji helping set up their meetups. He was currently getting ready to go to the park, nothing too obvious. They're going with Sanji as well, who was going to leave halfway through to go to work.

It was currently February, so it was still winter. He slipped his jean jacket over his grey hoodie, and tied his shoes. Once he was done he left.

[luxwritings]

Okay so I sent in the request about their s/o getting hurt, sorry for being unspecific 😅. Could it be monster trio accidentally saying something that hurts their fem s/o then they realise that she’s ignoring them or they like catch her crying. Angsty to fluffy by the end if possible. Ty and sorry again x

No need to apologize! If I didn’t get clarification I would’ve wrote it as physically hurt. I’m really glad you sent another request because now I know I could write it the way you actually wanted me to:D

Monster trio saying something that hurts their s/o

Reader: fem

Zoro

Zoro would probably say something to you as a joke but comes off as serious, since sometimes its really hard to read his tone. An instance comes where he makes fun of you the exact way he does for Sanji and you are absolutely not having it. Your day was already not going well since you were already insecure about some stuff, and because of that you took Zoro’s messing with you as malicious intent. But, can you be blamed? It’s hard to tell, and was rude in the first place.

Pissed from his comments, you started to distance yourself a bit since it kind of bothered you that he didn’t really notice the weight of his words. Tired from the stressful day, you go into the birds nest for some time to yourself, not even noticing the tears that carelessly streamed down your face.

Zoros return to the nest startles you, and you quickly wipe your tears before he can say anything that could hurt your feelings anymore. He has a slightly tired look on his face, as always, but a bit more sincerity in his eyes.

“Were you crying?” he asks in a bit of a soft voice

You let out a bit of a soft sob “No.” You cover a bit of your face with your sleeve, lowkey accepting the fact that it’s hard to cover up crying so abruptly.

He took a seat next to your on the floor, staying silent for a little bit before trying to figure out what to say to you to make the tension relieve a bit. Zoro wasn’t visibly nervous, but he definitely was internally freaking out.

“Did you have a bad day?” he asks, in an even softer tone than before. You glance at him and nod in response.

“I didn’t like what you said.”

He responds almost instantly, “I know, I’m sorry.”

A pause of silence fills the room again until he continues, “I should’ve known better. Do you forgive me?”

It’s hard to bite back a smile when he talks to you like that. Sometimes you’re convinced that your boyfriend is seriously an airhead.

“Why would I forgive you so fast?” you ask, the last part of the sentence almost breaking into a laugh the moment you saw his neck hung down, seeming to be asleep. ‘That’s a good way to get out of confrontation, I guess’ you think to yourself.

You’re still a bit hurt, and you decided you’ll talk about it more the day after when things have relieved a bit. For now though, you cuddle up to Zoro on the birds nest floor and fall asleep with him. What an adorable idiot

Sanji

It would be so unintentional, oh my god. If it had to be something hurtful, in this case it would be more.. jealously based. After you began dating, Sanji doesn’t really pay as much attention as he used to to other women, yet particularly today, he was on your nerves. He compared you to another girl, putting you down in the process.

Sanji gets distracted quite easily, so he didn’t really see your reaction when he said it. You were thankful for that, and decided to storm off to your shared room where you can let out your feelings and cry

The tears felt like they were flowing endlessly, your head was so buried in your knees that Sanji’s sudden gentle touch on the top of your head startled you. You must’ve been so caught up in your sobbing that you didnt hear him come inside. You slowly bring your head up to meet his face above you, face flushed from crying.

His face is filled with so much concern and sadness when he looks at you, that he cant help but to kneel down next to you and bring you into a tight hug. You didn’t protest, deciding that he was probably really sorry and didn’t fully understand what he said meant to you.  Unlike Zoro or Luffy, Sanji realizes what he did wrong the second he sees your reaction.

“I can never forgive myself for making you cry, [Name]-chwan. I’m so sorry”

You sob more into his shoulder, “Sanjiiiii” you drag out, and mumble “I hate you”

“I love you, darling” 

A short moment of silent passes, “Did you mean it?”, you mutter, face still buried in his shoulder that still faintly smelled like cigarettes and cologne

“What I said? No! Of course not! I would never even think for a second that there’s a girl as amazing as you, [Name]-chwan”

You hum in response, deciding to hug him tighter. You’d let it slide this time.

Luffy

We all know Luffy has a tendency to be blunt, and you let it pass of course since it’s apart of him. Though, a time comes around where Luffy is so caught up in other things like helping nakamas, fighting, trying to become the pirate king that it feels like you’re totally being neglected for days. You understand hes busy, hes a captain with a high bounty after all. So, to spend easy time with him you offer to help him in some way, whether its fighting or just being by his side with whatever hes doing

For whatever reason, Luffy does not respond nicely to this, but doesn’t even realize the bluntness of it. Before you could even say anything back, hes already launching himself to go ask Sanji for food. You sigh in response and try to take it lightly. You knew Luffy’s nature to act this way but it was hard to not be hurt by his words nonetheless.

Your tears seem to flow without your permission, and you didn’t even notice you were crying until you heard Nami shuffle behind you, asking whats wrong. When you explained to her, she insisted that you confront Luffy nonetheless, even though you were almost sure there was no point to doing so.

You didn’t even have time to collect yourself before Luffy found you, your cheeks and eyes still puffy from your previous crying session. As he was about to speak, Nami slowly walked away to give you two alone time to talk.

“What’s wrong, [Name]? Why are you crying? Want me to make a funny face?” 

Before you can even answer he’s stretching and pulling his face like crazy, putting it into knots, twisting it, and such. Oh, you’re mad at him but you definitely can’t resist smiling when he does those stupid things. Curse that rubber human

You collect yourself and finally speak, “Luffy. You said something today that was rude. That’s why I’m crying.”

“What? What did I say? When?!”, and you of course try to explain where and when in simple terms so he would remember

He laughs a bit as a reaction before continuing, “I didn’t mean it like that, [Name]! You’re super strong and cool, you can always help me out during adventures. That’s why you’re on the crew, right?”

You happily nod in response. “So we can hang out more now, right?” you ask, trying for some reassurance

“Of course!”

[holykillercake]

Barrels, Bets and Balls

pairing: Zoro x Drunk!Reader

word count: 1.9k

summary: The Straw hats are presented with millenary rum from an Ancient Giant Tribe and, well, no one is giving you that anymore. 

higlight:  ¨And then you said ¨maybe I should wear your underwear.¨

warning: Don´t read and drive. 

notes: HOLD MY BEER! Hi, guys! This was a lovely request from @roronoatrash for a drunk s/o! I have to say this is my first time writing a drunk character so I´m a bit nervous hahaha I really really hope you like it! Have fun and drink responsibly! <3 @vemuabhi​

𝕷𝖊𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘, 𝖗𝖊𝖖𝖚𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖘, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊!

¨Agh!¨ you mumbled when you tried to lift your head from the pillow. It felt like the Thousand Sunny had run over you a thousand times. 

¨Hm?¨

¨Regret ... mhbeh ... thing...¨ your mouth was so dry that talking became almost impossible.  

¨What´s that?¨ Zoro asked, definitely amused by your deplorable state.

¨Hmmm... I don´t... regret... anything.¨

¨Of course you don´t. You don´t remember anything.¨ he shifted on the bed, making it look like a black hole was opening in the mattress. ¨Here, take this.¨ He handed you something.

¨I don´t need your pity... ma-marimo.¨

¨This is not pity, Y/N. This is a painkiller. Come on, you´re gonna feel better.¨

When he helped you to sit on the bed, you noticed something stuck to the window, preventing the sun from entering and blinding you. The greenette removed a few locks of hair that laid plastered across your face before helping you with the herculean task of taking the pill.  

¨If the stupid cook is not dead he must have made coffee.¨ he stood up, grabbing your slippers and placing them in front of you. 

In the meantime, your mind tried to gather whatever useful information you had to understand what had happened, but everything was a void blank. 

¨You ok?¨ he asked, hand on the doorknob. ¨Do you want me to bring it to you?¨

¨No, it´s ok...¨ you pinched the bridge of your nose, making one last effort to remember at least a crumb of the previous hours. You were fast to give up, though. ¨What happened?¨ 

¨Uhhh, you got drunk and passed out.¨ he said like it was no big deal. 

¨Hmm, ok...¨ you took a few seconds to digest his words ¨but when you say ´you´ you mean ´you me´ or ´you guys´?¨

A chuckle left his mouth ¨Come and you´ll see.¨ 

The sun shone high in the sky, forcing you to wince back into your room like the time you had your shadow stolen. You stumbled and lowered yourself to the floor, crawling away from the light. 

¨You go!¨ you said dramatically, covering your eyes ¨Run away and leave me! Tell everyone... that I fought until the last moment!¨

Zoro scoffed at your poorly performed scene, walking closer to you and squatting, back turned to you. ¨Hop, soldier. We don´t leave nakamas behind, right?¨

Your cheeks reddened with his gesture, and you hid your hungover smitten smile on the crook of his neck. ¨Hold tight, Y//N.¨

Oh, I will. Ouch, my head!

As soon as you reached the main deck, your eyes widened, ignoring the bright sun, and your mouth fell in a perfect O. 

¨Oh my freaking... what happened here?¨

If it weren't for the countless barrels, you would have easily thought that you had been chewed up by a sea king. 

The Straw Hats were scattered across the deck, mixed with garbage, blankets, and rolls of toilet paper. Their unorthodox positions would definitely grant them a stiff neck.

Zoro carried you to the kitchen where you found Usopp and Chopper talking at the kitchen table.

¨... like I fasted in a desert for forty nights, and then I survived... a buster call. And like... all of the battleships were pointed at me. And I was catching fire before that.¨ you heard Usopp whine to the doctor, who wrapped some bandages on him. 

¨Oi, who made coffee?¨ Zoro asked purposely loud.

¨SHHHH!¨ you and the sniper hissed at him.

¨Sanji did.¨ Chopper answered ¨Oh, Y/N, how are you feeling?¨

¨Like my heart is beating in my head.¨

¨At least there´s a heartbeat.¨ the swordsman replied, putting you close to a chair so you could take a seat. ¨Hm, Chopper, I saw the cook dead outside.¨

¨Yeah, he made coffee and then passed out again.¨ Chopper discreetly pointed at Usopp´s bandages. 

¨He passed out and spilled hot coffee on me!¨ he roared, stopping midway to whine. 

¨But you two look pretty good, though.¨ You referred to Chopper and Zoro. 

Not Usopp, definitely not Usopp. 

¨Night watch. I didn´t drink last night.¨ the doctor sighed, relieved. 

¨And I can handle my alcohol.¨ the greenette bragged, placing a steaming cup of coffee in front of you. 

¨What happened anyway?¨ 

¨Oh! You don´t remember too, Y/N? That millenary rum was really strong!¨ Chopper asked, fascinated by the effects of the beverage. 

¨Millenary rum?¨ 

¨Yeah! It was a gift from an Ancient Giant Tribe!¨ 

¨Giant tribe?¨ you kept repeating every word he said, double-checking to see if you were not hearing things. 

¨Y/N, what´s the last thing you remember?¨

¨Hmm, let me see...¨ you rested your elbows on the table, hands covering your eyes. Wow, even thinking hurts.

                                                <~>

¨I swear to God, Tony! When Luffy falls into the water, you can not jump after him!¨ you yelled, panting from climbing back to the ship and soaking wet of salty water. 

He pouted and whined. You only called him ¨Tony¨ when you were upset with him. 

¨So-Sorry Y/N... AaaAgh...¨ his voice trembled, and you couldn´t help but soften a little. 

¨Ugh, forget it.¨ you laid down on the grass and sighed, the reindeer on your belly ¨Are you alright, Chopper?¨

¨Y-Yeah...¨

Zoro emerged a few seconds later, carrying Luffy on his shoulder. 

You had engaged in a fight against some bandits who were causing trouble on an island called Gran Brabados. From what you could understand, they were descendants of the Ancient Giant Tribe who emancipated from Elbaf after years of conflict. 

¨I don´t wanna be rude, but¨ Usopp spoke to one of them ¨I thought giants were warriors. Like Broggy and Dory. Those guys fought for over 100 years!¨

¨Well, most of us are, but some are not. That's why we left Elbaf.¨ the giant said ¨We're not interested in war, we're interested in rum!¨

All of you stopped for a second, wondering if you heard the same thing.

¨Eh?¨ you spoke.

¨We don´t make war! We make rum!¨ he threw his huge hands in the air, chest puffing out of pride.

¨Oi, really? Give us some!¨ Zoro immediately threw Luffy on the floor and ran towards the giant. Next thing you knew, the giant burst into laughter. 

¨Gabababa!¨ he hunched as he laughed ¨Sorry, but tiny people like you can't handle it! Gababababa!¨

You were not sure what offended you the most, he calling you all, who just saved their asses, weak or having to dodge the huge drops of saliva that came out of his mouth. 

After insisting a lot, he ended up giving in, presenting the straw hats with barrels and barrels of millenary rum. Yeah, millenary. Rum distilled for one thousand years, or at least that is what he said. 

The celebration didn´t take long to begin. Because Luffy had decided to set sail that same day, you would all be bathed with a pleasant sunset as you partied.

¨Wow!¨ you shouted after chugging the first tankard. ¨Oooohh, this is good booze!¨ you shook your head, already feeling the kick. 

¨Girl, you should go easy on this. It´s super strong.¨ Franky said, making you scoff at him, possessed by some waspish Viking demon.

¨And here I thought you were hard-boiled.¨ 

¨What?¨ 

¨O-Oi, Y/N...¨ Usopp said, worried, sipping his drink. 

¨Haven´t you learned anything with Tom-san?¨ you clicked your tongue ¨Meh, I guess I´ll be the one making things with a DON around here!¨ you chugged more of the rum. 

The shipwright glared at you with a red beam coming out of his left eye. You remember questioning yourself for a second. Maybe you had said too much, but it was just for a brief second before you insulted someone else. 

Back at the kitchen table, flashes of the events from the last night began to pop in your mind. Guilt and embarrassment gushed over you, making you twist and cringe. 

¨And then you said ¨maybe I should wear your underwear.¨ Chopper shivered as he quoted your words.

¨Nooo...¨ you cried out.

¨It gets worse, Y/N.¨

¨What?! How?!¨

¨Because after that,¨ Zoro started to speak, and you saw him struggle to stop a smile from cracking. That was not a good sign. ¨you said "your balls are so small Robin could have grabbed them with one hand!¨ 

The men laughed and slapped the table as you looked for a place to bury your head or a knife to stab yourself in the heart. 

¨WHY DIDN´T YOU STOP ME?¨ you yelled, pulling your boyfriend by the collar and shaking him. 

He placed a hand on your forehead, a silly thing he did every time you got too nervous. ¨Oi, you´re a big girl. You know what you´re doing.¨ 

¨Noo, obviously I don´t!¨ He smiled. 

He would not be the one to tell you, but he did have to stop Franky from Radical Beam-ing the hell out of you several times. For some reason, you were very keen on insulting the cyborg's masculinity. 

Another thing he wouldn´t tell you was that he didn´t touch the rum in the last night. He decided to remain sober and look after you, making sure you would not kill someone or get yourself killed. 

However, despite all the trouble you gave him, he recognized your strength. Straw hat after straw hat, you managed to defeat everyone in a stupid drinking contest. 

The biggest achievement was to drag Luffy into the game since he dislikes the taste of alcohol. When he denied being part of it, you teased him by saying,¨I think you are just scared, Luffy. You know what, maybe I should be the Captain of this ship! Maybe, I will be the Pirate King!¨

That was about the sixth punch Zoro took for you. Or because of you. 

The darker the night fell, the wilder you all got. And then insults began to come from every direction to every direction. You were arguing, then laughing, then crying and apologizing. If it wasn´t for Zoro, Chopper would have had a heart attack. 

¨Nami, you thief! Give me back my queen, or I´ll be forced to shoot a Bidori Moshi at you!¨ Usopp yelled, holding a bunch of cards in his hands. 

¨Oi, Usopp! How dare you speak with a lady like that?! I´ll kick you in the face!¨

¨Bring it on, Sanji! I eat eggplants like you for breakfast every day! AND IT´S GOD USOPP FOR YOU!¨

¨Zoro...¨ Chopper cried, falling close to where the swordsman was sitting. ¨W-What are we going to do?¨

¨Uh? Ah, sit back and relax. You know these guys, they are ju-¨

¨Y/N-san, may I see your panties?¨

¨Well, too bad for you I´m not weari-¨

¨OI! Y/N!¨ Zoro dashed over, throwing you on his shoulder. 

That was about the first punch Brook took for you. Or, again, because of you. 

And then, as the number of biological hazards began to decline, managing the situation became easier and easier. Chopper took care of the fallen drunken, and Zoro threw blankets over them.

In the end, it was you and Luffy. You were still arguing about the things you said earlier. Both of you were exhausted but didn´t want to give in. The argument only ended when you withdrew your words, saying that he would be the one to become King of the Pirates.

Luffy fell dead asleep immediately, and Zoro took the cue to approach you. ¨Hey, Y/N. Our time, let´s go?¨

You turned to him and nodded, red cheeks and tired eyes. He had to scoop you up and carry you back to your room since your legs were not part of the equation anymore, and you would let go and fall every time he tried to carry you on his back. 

¨Heeey, you´re not drunk!¨ you whined, almost falling asleep. ¨Why aren´t you drunk?¨

¨Cause you drank everything.¨

¨Noo, I can find s´more.¨ you uncovered yourself, trying to get out of bed.

¨I bet you can.¨ he said, covering you again and pulling you closer.

The warmth of his body, altogether with his hand gently rubbing your back, made your system shut down. 

¨You know... I can kick your ass... in a drinking contest...¨

¨Yeah,¨ he chuckled ¨I bet you can.¨

That was definitely not true, but for you, well, for you he could pretend it was.

[unknown-writing]

When you Proposed First...

Summary: You and your boyfriend have been together for a really long time. You couldn’t handle just being “Boyfriend and Girlfriend” anymore. So, you took matters into your own hands...And Proposed first!

Warning(s): Fluff, spoilers for Sanji’s past

A/N: Had a thought of how Sanji would react to me proposing to him and giggled lol.

     Luffy isn’t one for getting the Hint for specific moods in the air. He’s pretty dense when it comes to stuff like that. So, despite being alone together on this very romantic outing on the Island your crew had been staying at for a small vacation after a recent battle. He missed a lot of subtle details you kept bringing up.

“---Luffy! Earth to Luffy! Hello!?” You shouted while hitting his head a few times, wondering why he was spacing out. You panicked a bit because you thought he was angry with you for your question.....You asked him to marry you.

Luffy never expected to find a girlfriend(or boyfriend) while traveling at Sea. Not that he’d ever planned on getting with somebody any time soon. His life was WAY too dangerous for anything romantic anyways. But even so...Meeting you, befriending you, and then falling for you...It all just.../Happened/. it wasn’t planned or expected, he never met somebody as strong as you were, even without devil fruit powers. You just kept surprising him with every day that you woke up.

You stood there while awkwardly holding the box with something /other/ than a ring in it. It was actually a small charm-like Pin that he could pin to his hat or shirt instead. You knew that he wouldn’t wear the ring because it’d easily break with his stretching abilities, he wouldn’t want to break such a valuable gift from his beloved s/o that he loved so much. “Is...Everything alright Luffy? Did I do something wrong?” You asked while tilting your head. Asking that question made him snap back to reality again.

    Before you could respond though, he had pounced you. Clinging to you for dear life with this big dopey grin going from ear to ear. His face was blushing a pink hue as well. Pausing to grab your face and give you a big smooch, he chuckled, “Do you have any idea how amazing you are y/n!?” He asked, making you blink, but then blush as well. “I don’t know how you managed to read my mind but, I wanted to marry you too!” (He didn’t fully know what he was talking about here). Your blush got redder, he paused and blinked, “Y/n....Your face is red....” he commented, making you flinch then glare up at him

“S-Shut up...I just didn’t expect you to know what was going on is all!” You lied...He chuckled as he started giving your face kisses as he still clung to you tightly. You watched him put the pin right in the front of his precious hat. The sun was hitting him perfectly, so you watched a gentle ray glow on the pin.

You kept staring until he pulled out a small box himself that he’d been hiding for the past three weeks, nervous to give it to you as he’d never done something so big before...You held the box in your hand. and he’d gotten you the typical ring as well but, it wasn’t gold or silver. It was oddly enough...Purple? Purple was your favorite color after all, so seeing that he got you a purple colored wedding ring of all things, you knew he was the one for you.

       Zoro was actually pretty quick when he realized he wanted you as his Wife. Each day passed when you two were dating for more than a few years now, would be met with “Please be my wife” as a small joke despite being pretty serious about it.

Today was no exception. At first he woke up pretty angry because one of his swords had gone missing...His childhood sword wasn’t with him this morning. About to scold you for taking it, he noticed that you were with Franky and Usopp helping fix it after a recent battle, since you couldn’t go on the island due to being sick, you thought these two could help fix it.

“---Hopefully this does the trick. The metal on the handle has been worn out for a while...It may need to be completely replaced when we reach the next Island in a few days.” Franky comments, while pointing to the dents in the golden handle. You picked it up to get a closer look at it. “It doesn’t just look like the metal part is busted either....It’s the cloth too. Which is something that I can easily fix myself.” You comment out loud, unaware that Zoro was listening in on the conversation.

Eventually leaving to go grab some food and booze, now that he didn’t have to worry on who stole his sword, Zoro sighed as he sat down in his secret drinking spot (that he shares with you of course). “Damn...I want her to be my Wife” he mutters to himself before taking a sip of the drink he was holding.

Later that same day, you had brought back the sword that you had “borrowed to try and get it fixed” for Zoro. before heading back from putting it back, you felt an arm grab your leg. And before you knew it, you were sitting right on his lap again as he hugged you tightly. You giggled as he pressed his face against your neck, his grip getting tighter, “You trying to hug me, or strangle me?” You teased before planting a kiss on his hair. “I want you to be my Wife” He asked again, which just made you chuckle because he’s been doing this for the last week now.

     A brief silence filled the room, you squirmed a bit while you tried reaching in your pockets to grab something. A small box. You held it out awkwardly while blushing a deep crimson red from ear to ear. “....W-Why not...You become my husband?” You asked. That caught his attention real quick. He blinked as he started at the small box in front of his face, he reached out to open it and see two rings in it (one for each of you of course)

A big sheepish grin started to form as he ignored the pink hue on his own cheeks. “...I love you y/n...” He simply says while putting the ring on his finger, and then puts your ring on your finger. You giggled before reaching up again to give him a proper smooch that started turning to a passionate kiss. “I’m happy that your finally my wife now~” He jokes as he nuzzles into again and the two of you just cuddled together before dinner time.

     You knew about the Political marriage between him and Pudding from Big Mom’s family. You figured out that something had happened when you saw that Pudding and Sanji had “broken up” when you two had started getting more serious in the relationship. You were Pissed Off knowing that he might have been cheating on his Fiance with you, but the crew later explained the full context of what happened (Usopp had to tell you the details that Pudding erased from Sanji’s memory so it didn’t traumatize him again).

After a rocky start to your steady relationship. Sanji has been nothing but honest with you for anything that you may have wanted to know about. He even offered to tell you his childhood at some point but you declined, saying “Sanji-kun...Tell me when you feel emotionally ready ok? Don’t force yourself if your not ready.” And after he heard that, he /knew/ the girl he had to be with was with you. No ands ifs or buts about it. You were the one he was going to Marry for Real one day.

Today was a special day for the two of you, and thankfully, you were on an Island to be able to celebrate it. This was your third year Anniversary together after the time skip of being apart. Sanji had surprised you with a /very/ romantic date to the local festival that was happening nearby since he knew that fancy restaurants weren’t your thing as you were too used to /his cooking/. You two had spent the majority of the festival with the crew, but after a while, you two had gone off to have your own little private date on your own. Sneaking off to the nearby forest for some privacy.

You knew that he was a Romantic Sap when it came to dates. You were the type to just stay home and chill there but, this was a special day so, you thought that you’d amuse him this time. By the time you two had managed to sit down and start eating the delicious meal he had prepared for the two of you (which included some of your favorites). Sanji was telling a big story that happened when you weren’t part of his life, doing silly poses whenever he’d quote his other crewmates, making you have a hearty giggle fit throughout his story.

Before he turned around, you got on one knee and held the Ring box in your hands and stayed quiet. You grinned when he turned around to see you but, completely /froze/ at the sight of you on one knee with the Ring box in your hands. A pink hue started to form as you started to get flustered, “Sanji-kun.....” You started, which made him gulp, anxious of what’s gonna happen despite knowing what it may be. “...Even though we’ve only been together for a few years without the Time skip included...” You paused again so you could pull out the ring, which was a nice silver ring with a very small diamond in the middle. he recognized this ring as you used to wear it on your chain. “Y-Y/n...You can’t...” he starts off, making you nervous, “That ring is yours...” he finishes while avoiding eye contact due to being nervous himself

You giggled, “Sanji-kun....I love you....I want you to have this. I’m willing to gift you something precious...Because your more precious than a silly ring.”

     That did him in. That tiny speech of you claiming he’s more precious than one of your rings was what got him to cry. He cursed, flustered with himself, “D-Dammit....I-I should be proposing t-to you...Not the other way a-around” He complains with a dopey grin that showed his true feelings towards this. “...Will you Marry Me?” You finally asked, holding out a hand so that way you can put the ring on his finger if he said yes.

He didn’t technically say /yes/. But he did nod his head as the awkward crying turned into sobs. After putting the ring on his finger, he fell down to tightly hug you. He’d never been given something so precious in his life without it being taken away from him right after. You knew this though, and just allowed him to cry as you pat his head gently and giggled every now and again

“I love you y/n-san! I love you so fucking much!” He’d repeat, making /you/ get flustered with his chanting declaration of love to you. You hugged him tighter, “I know. I love you too Sanji...After all that you’ve been through...I knew that you were perfect for me, as both a boyfriend, and a Husband.”

Hearing those words just made him sob even longer. He’s never had somebody love him /like this/ in a very long time. And he can’t wait to continue to be loved by y/n for the rest of his life.

[alexoreality]

Chapter 1

Hints

As the tearful reunion between sisters began. The younger, who had orange hair and a knack for navigation, Nami the official Straw Hat Navigator. Nojiko the older sister, who had light purple hair and a darker skin tone than the orange-haired girl.

It was obvious they weren't really related but blood doesn't mean everything.

Zoro sat up and looked at his captain's paralyzed form. His only opened eye widened, he was having another one of those episodes.

Koala had warned him of these things, The girl was also an orange-head with blue eyes, she's skilled in merfolk karate.

Ever since his first encounter with the two, he noticed Luffy would get migraines when it came to seeing or witnessing siblings. Siblings love, siblings fight, siblings everything.

Adding to the fact he had burn marks on him, seriously, what happened to his captain?

"Oi, Luffy. You okay?" Sanji asked, but before he knew it Luffy's knees buckled and he was heading straight to the ground. Zoro, even though he has injuries and had to take it easy, dashes forward from his sitting position againts the wall.

"Luffy!" Nami turned around, Nojiko offered and went off to find the Town's doctor, Sanji placed a hand on top of his captain's forehead and immediately snapping it away.

"Did he just fight a fish man while he was having a fever?!" Usopp stared at his struggling captain, fatigue catching up to him "Wait... I nee-", he was shushed softly by Nami, with one last smile of reassurence from his crew. Luffy slid his eyes shut for a good and well-deserved rest.

--On the Ship--

Usopp made his way to the den den mushi Koala, Luffy's outsider-nakama, gave to them. Zoro ordered him to inform the other red-head of today's events, including the fact that Luffy was running on a high-fever.

Dialing the unknown(for Usopp) woman's number, a 'purr purr purr'. She finally answered.

"Hi, this is Koala. I'm guessing it's one of Luffy-kun's crew members?" Damn, straight to the point and spot-on as well. Usopp made a hum of clarification, "I am Captain Usopp-sama! The sniper king! Luffy has fallen ill and i'd like to know what type of medicine he usually takes." Well the introduction was a bit extra but he likes to humor people with his lies, the medicine part is true.

Koala sputtered on the other end of the line, some 'Wait, what?!' and a 'HE GOT SICK?!' later. She told him some vitamins and medicine that Luffy usually takes during and after his episodes. Usopp wrote it all down, and read through it. Had to recite it to the woman so she knew what she said had been properly listed.

"Alright then, thanks for telling me this. On the behalf of my boss and i, thank you for also taking care of Arlong. He was a real pain-in-the-ass." She growled at the last part, making Usopp a bit nervous. "It wasn't a problem, really, Luffy took care of him and destroyed his mansion and park." The long-nosed sniper spoke with pride in his voice, This is what it means to follow a great captain, eh Tou-san?

Turning to take his leave. He thought of what was the reason why his captain was suddenly like this, and how does he know a woman who was atleast 3 years older than him?

Who really is Monkey D. Luffy?

I didn't know i would do it like this LOL XD

[sashi-ya]

{+18} – Cherry Blossom & Tangerines – Trafalgar Law x Y/n – Part 2

Modern AU. Living in Seoul, Sk. Trip to Jeju Do (Island). Everybody is alive. No spoilers. Female reader. No physical descriptions. Everybody is +18, canon ages. Chopper is human.

Tw: anxiety, fear of flying. No further tw warnings. Mostly SFW. Nami x Vivi & and some ZoSan.

A/N: The AU is inspired on Jeju Island, SK. I've made some research on cute places from there, such as touristic attractions and coffee shops. Even though, it may not be 100% accurate, so keep in mind is mostly inspired♥

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31059467

Word Count: 4K

» List of parts: {P1} {P2} {P3} {P4} {P5} {P6}«

Chapter 2. “Law?!...” I said surprised. “Y/n-ya?...” he asked, also surprised, but before I could say anything else, Luffy came running through the aisle and hugged Law, and I came to the conclusion that he was, indeed, Zoro and Luffy’s friend.

I moved my stuff out of the way, and after he got rid of Luffy, Law helped me to put my backpack on the overhead locker and then sat next to me.

I remained silent for a little bit, waiting perhaps for him to talk, but he didn’t. The flight attendant announced the takeoff was about to happen, so we fasten our seatbelts as the plane started moving. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, and I could see how he seemed a little bit nervous. I thought it was my imagination, but when the plane gathered a little more speed through the runway, he began to breathe faster.

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut and I had to ask, “Law, are you ok? Are you feeling bad?”. He directed his gaze at me with blushing cheeks, and after a few seconds, he said “Y-Yes. I just tend to get a little nervous during the take off, but I’m… ok”. Poor thing, he was trying to cover his heavy breathing… “Don’t worry, it's completely normal, would you like me to hold your hand? You can squeeze it as much as you can”, I said kindly, keeping my cool just for him to see how it wasn’t a big deal, and nothing to get embarrassed of. I placed my hand, palm up, over the armrest that separated our seats and waited for him to hold it. He doubted a little bit, but he finally did it, first softly, still ashamed, but then firmly. “Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon, try to focus on your breathing”, I guided him, with a calm speech, and looking directly into his deep grey eyes, smiling kindly. He slowly calmed his respiratory frequency, and a few minutes after the plane was already flying at cruise level, he sweetly let go of my hand. Our palms were a little sweaty, but I couldn’t care less.

“T-Th- Thanks…” He said, looking at the floor. “Don’t worry, you saved me three times the other day, now I owe you only two” I said, winking an eye at him. Law smiled a little, but kept looking at the floor. I was about to point out the fact that he was Zoro’s friend when Nami peaked through our seat backs saying “Oi Torao, you finally decided to come with us!! You normally don’t go anywhere, I’m glad you separated from your books for good!... Oh, and you two must know each other, right Y/n?” she said pointing at us, “Both of you study at the same U and are becoming doctors soon”. Vivi who was next to Nami began to giggle covering his mouth. Suddenly I realized that both of my friends already knew who Law was, and began to suspect that for some reason they wanted to perhaps pair us up.

“I know him from other circumstances”, I said smirking at them, but with an underhand expression of “I’m gonna kill both of you for not telling me”. Law smiled at them, but didn’t say much, and the girls returned to their seats.

“So, your surname must be Trafalgar, right? I thought you were a Donquixote…”, I asked him. “Yeah, is a long story…”, he said with no emotion at all, and I realized it wasn’t a good topic, so I changed the curse of the conversation. “Oh, you were the one who was complemented by Dr. Marco? You are amazing, doc!”.

“Uhum, but I’m not that good. Dr. Phoenix is just an amazing teacher”, he replied. “Indeed, he is”, I said. The small talk came to an end when the flight attendant offered us something to drink. I opted for a glass of plain water, and so did Law. He then grabbed a manga from his little bag, and began to read. “Maybe he doesn’t wanna talk to me…” I thought, put my air pods on and turned on the music. Some minutes after I regretted not having any sleep last night, as my eyes were trying to close...

The voice of the captain announced over the speakers that we will be arriving on Jeju Island in a few minutes. I was being lazy to open my eyes, as I felt extremely comfy sleeping in that position… until I realized I had my head - and almost the right side of my body - over Law’s shoulder. “Oh my… I’m sorry!” I said gaining composure and sitting properly on my spot. Law gave me a smile with kind eyes, and said “Don’t worry, I was asleep too, I used your head as a pillow, I didn’t want to wake you up, though”. Behind us a few laughs from the girls were heard, and I asked, confused, “You… what?. But the landing was already happening and the cabin crew asked us to prepare, so I decided to shut my mouth. I gazed at Law to see if he needed any help with the landing, but he didn’t seem as scared as he was with the taking off.

We all descended the plane, waited for our luggage and headed to the car rental picking point. I’ve booked three cars, so we distributed perfectly on each one. Franky picked the blue Hyundai Venue. Usopp, Chopper and Brook went with him. Law chose a yellow Hyundai Sonata, of course he would, he looks so cool… Zoro, Sanji, and of course Luffy followed him. I chose the white Tucson, for me and the girls.

We left the airport and drove through the streets of Jeju, admiring the beauty of the cherry blossom trees and the yellow flowers on the side of the road. Law’s car was behind us, and sometimes I spied through the rear mirror, just to see his face fully concentrated on the road.

I asked Nami to put the GPS for me, because our Airbnb was a little bit remote from the center and I was afraid of getting lost. The girls and I sang the whole drive to the songs the radio was playing.

We finally reached the house. It was just as the photos, a white two-story house, big enough for all of us. The beach was next to our patio, the typical style of grey rocks of Jeju Do garnished the entrance and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore with a few seagulls squawking made the whole atmosphere unique.

I gave the entrance code to Robin and she opened the door. Luffy entered first running excited and went directly to the garden to see the beach. We followed him, pretty excited too. Inside, the house had a minimalistic style, everything was white and the floor and furniture was made of light wood.

There were four rooms, so the guys distributed in two of them, Robin and I went to another and we let Nami and Vivi have a room for them. We took turns to use the shower and got ready to explore the island right away.

Sanji suggested that we should go first to Dongmun traditional market to buy fresh ingredients for him to cook for us. He became a professional chef a few years ago and works with his father Zeff, on his well-known restaurant, “The Baratie”. His cooking skills are heavenly, and he loves to cook for us, so we agreed immediately.

We arrived after a 10 minute drive, the market was extremely busy, the food stalls offered a variety of typical korean dishes, kimbap, tteokbokki, tteokgalbi and fresh and canned ingredients, such as typical fishes from the island and the famous kimchi.

Luffy, as always, drove by the smell of the delicious food, ran desperately inside and tasted every single sample the sellers offered to him. Nami, Vivi and I, decided to try the famed tangerines of the island. Nami, who is an expert on tangerines, would give us the final verdict on if they are good as people say. The juicy mandarin slices we tried were exquisite, the sweetness mixed with a little bit of tartness made us want to buy bags of them.

I saw Law approaching us, he had separated from Zoro’s group who were trying the variety of Sojus. I called him with a big smile and some tangerine slices on my hands, “Law!! Come here, you should try this!”. He came closer also with a little grin. I stood on tiptoes and said, “Open your mouth!” and without any shame I offered him a big juicy slice of mandarin. He opened his mouth surprised, but accepted the fruit and while taking it, his lips softly touched the point of my fingers. It felt almost as if he was kissing them, or for a moment I wished it was the case… A little drop of juice ran from his mouth through the commissure of his lips, so I immediately rubbed my thumb over it to clean it. He fixed his eyes on mine, and for a few seconds it seemed as if the rest of the world stopped existing around us. He swallowed up the fruit and thanked me still without taking his gaze off me. The moment broke when the old lady at the tangerine selling stall asked us if we wanted a box or a bag for the fruits. I turned to her, and saw Nami and Vivi looking at the lady wanting her to shut her mouth. My cheeks thanked the interruption, though, because they couldn’t get any more flushed.

“A box would be great, thanks!” I told the seller. Law carried the box himself, and we reunited with the rest of the group.

Sanji had already gathered everything he needed, Zoro had bought his alcohol provision for the next few days, Luffy had his face completely stuffed with some meat, Franky had a cola on his hands, Brook a milkshake, Robin a bag of tangerine tea, Chopper of course some candy cotton on both of his hands and Usopp was eating some type of ramyon. We left the market and headed to our temporary house to leave the provisions and decide the plans for the afternoon and night.

“I want to go to Bomnal Cafe, I heard they serve delicious pastries! Can we go there?” suggested Chopper. “We can go there for the afternoon, and then have a picnic with a bonfire at the beach for the night. What do you think, guys?”, I proposed. “BONFIRE! BONFIRE! Sanji, you could also make some barbecue!!” screamed Luffy, excited, and everyone agreed that it would be a great idea.

Some of us headed to the coffee shop, while Sanji, Zoro, Law, Usopp and Franky stayed at home to prepare everything for the night.

The little coffee shop had a minimalistic, all white and grey, and maybe a little vintage atmosphere. We ordered a few pastries, puddings and lattes that tasted exquisite. We sat by a big window that let us admire the beauty of a little garden with cherry trees and a little pond with some fishies swimming peacefully. We were making stories for Instagram, taking photos, having fun. “Oi, Y/n, pose for me!” said Nami and took a photo of me with her iPhone. I didn’t have time to pose properly, so it was a pretty casual photo of me drinking a matcha latte. Brook insisted on me posting it, because he said it was cute. Chopper and the girls agreed with him, so I uploaded it to my Instagram.

Suddenly, a new notification popped up on my screen, “@DrHeartSteeler liked and commented on your photo”. “Hey guys, do you know who is @DrHeart…” I was asking them while opening the notification and realized it was no other than Law. “@DrHeartSteeler > Beautiful… place. Can you bring me one of those when you come back home?”. I hadn’t had the chance to say anything else when my friends began to make a fuss about the comment. “WHEN YOU COME BACK HOME?, Torao what the fuck?” said Nami laughing out loud. Chopper who was a little innocent, started asking why everyone was laughing, and it only fanned up the flames that were blushing my cheeks. “Yohoho… I guess you have to bring him “home” a matcha latte, Y/n, he probably misses you already…” mocked me Brook. Robin, who is the most mature of all of us, simply laughed and looked at me with kind eyes.

“Stop it guys, he is just asking for a latte…” I said, fanning my face with my hand. “Oh, yes, of course. He wasn’t even following your account. Before we left home, he asked Vivi for your user, right babe?…” said Nami and Vivi nodded with her mouth full of chocolate cake. I didn’t want to show the excitement I was feeling on my insides, so I simply replied that he probably wanted to follow me because he was already following everybody in the group. We decided to come back before the sun set, so we could see it on the beach and after buying Law his tea, and some pastries for the guys we left the pretty tea room and drove home.

“Guys, we are home! we brought you some pastries!!” I said, while carrying the papers bags, and Law’s latte on the other hand. Everyone came running to me and grabbed the bags, while Law, who was sitting on the couch reading, looked at me above his manga, as if he was waiting for me to say something. I tried to act cool, so I said “And oh, uhm, Law your matcha Latte. I hope it’s the right size for you”. He smiled at me, left the book on the armchair and stood up. He walked towards me slowly, I didn’t know if he was trying to be sexy or it was just how he was… Because he certainly was, only using black with yellow spots, swim shorts and a yellow open shirt, that let me admire his tattooed chest and abs.

“Thanks, Y/n-ya. When I saw your picture, I craved for…” he made a little pause, and continued while grabbing the plastic cup, “some matcha latte”. Well, now I crave... you… I thought. I gave him a look from head to toe, and said smirking “It’s nothing, now I only owe you only one favor, so, you tell me if you need something more”. “Mh... I’ll keep it in mind”, he said with his low sexy voice and a little side smirk. I smiled at him and went upstairs.

I threw myself on the bed and sighed loudly. My heart was racing, my lower parts were feeling funny and the sexual tension I’ve just experienced was too much to handle for me. “How hot he is, damn it”, I expressed out loud covering my eyes. “Who is hot, Y/n?” asked Zoro, who apparently was entering my bedroom to ask me something. I almost had a heart attack, but calmed myself down and asked him what he needed. He told me that we were getting ready to go to the beach to prepare the picnic and watch the sunset and if I could bring some blankets. I told him ok and he left my room laughing.

“I came here to rest, and I’m getting more stressed than during finals”, I thought, annoyed, while gathering for a few blankets and pillows to bring to the beach. I headed downstairs. Everybody has already left the house and I could see them walking towards the beach from our patio. I was about to leave and closed the door trying not to throw the blankets I had in my hand, when someone scared the hell out of me. “Oi, you almost let me locked in..., let me help you with that”, said Law who was still inside. “God… Law, you scared me… what are you doing? I thought I was alone…”. “Sanji forgot the salt shaker, I returned to bring it to him”, he calmly answered. “Oh, I see… Well let’s go” I said, still breathing fast from getting scared, and handed him a few blankets to help me carry them.

The chilly sea breeze kissed our cheeks, and the sound of the beach began to fill my ears. I was wearing a long silky dress that danced with the wind, as well as my hair. The sun was going down, everything was golden. Oranges, violets, reds, were the colours that tinted the clouds above the sea. Law was walking right by my side, and both were admiring the beauty of the evening lights that bathed the cliffs. I decided to stop, and take a picture with my analog camera, and as I did, Law kept walking a few steps more until he realized I had stopped. He turned around and looked at me, just when I pressed the shutter. “I’m sorry, I… didn’t know…” Law excused himself for appearing in the photo, but I wasn’t mad at all. I gave him a smile and told him, “It’s ok, you are part of the trip, I’ll give you a copy when I develop the film if you want”. “Thanks…”, he said, and we kept on walking admiring the beauty of the sun setting.

We finally arrived at where everybody else was. Law gave the salt to Sanji and helped him with the barbecue. I started to set up the blankets with the girls and told Brook to play some music with his guitar. The boys had already put up the bonfire and some torchlights that lit up our night.

The night was lovely, it was a little cold, but a few beers after I was dancing with the girls barefoot on the sand to “A lovely night” from the movie Lalaland. Suddenly, Robin said to me “Hey, Y/n… it seems that Torao-kun can’t take his eyes off from you tonight”. “Huh?” I told Robin, confused. She pointed to where the boys were cooking and I turned my face to them. Law was indeed looking at me, with a beer in his hand. I smiled gazing at him over my shoulder, and he did too. I turned back at the girls and kept on dancing covering my mouth, giggling a little. Vivi, Nami and Robin also giggled and gave me a complicit smile.

“Dinner is ready, everybody! “announced Sanji and we gathered all around the grill to receive the plates that surprisingly Zoro helped Sanji to serve. I guess alcohol and food made them somehow get along, at least for a few hours. I wonder when they are going to stop the fighting and begin the kissing… fufufu…

The brochettes were heavenly, we ate them sitting around the bonfire while singing “Binks no Sake”, one of Brooks classics. He is the musician of the group, and even started his professional career a few years ago as “Soul King”. He is such a talented guy.

As the night passed Law and I sometimes interlocked eyes, or exchanged little smiles. I took some more photos during the picnic and we kept on dancing until 3 am, when we decided to raise camps and head to our beds.

I was exhausted, yet, the idea of stalking Law on Instagram was on my head and didn’t let me sleep. I covered myself completely with the sheets and searched for his user on my phone. He has no more than 5 photos posted. One of them was with Luffy and Zoro, after training, another one of him and Rosinante -he called him “Cora-san” on the image caption, how cute - when he was a little boy. The rest of the photos were with some friends dressed up as pirates for Halloween and in the comment section they called themselves the “Heart pirates”, ha-ha funny.

I suspired whenever I zoomed the photos over his eyes. I was starting to like this man, way too much... I tossed and turned in bed trying to fall asleep, but I simply couldn’t, so I thought drinking some tea would help me. I went downstairs, trying not to wake anybody up and got to the kitchen. From the big glass door that looked at the beach I saw how the moonlight lit up the waves crashing on the cliffs and the whole kitchen. The scenery and the chamomile tea were slowly fading away the image of Law’s eyes, until I felt someone placing a hand over my shoulder. I slightly gazed at it, and it only took me a few seconds to know it was the tattooed hand of the guy who was keeping me awake. He was wearing black shorts, and a loose white shirt. His hair was more disheveled than ever. What is it with this guy that looks so good no matter what he looks?...

“I see I’m not the only one who can’t sleep”, Law whispered. “Yeah, I’m exhausted but somehow I can’t fall asleep… I guess it must be the bed, I don’t know. Do you want some tea?”, I offered him. “Yes, that would be great”, he accepted.

I was turning on the electric kettle when we heard some noises coming from the living room. I looked at Law and both of us peaked through the kitchen entrance to see what was going on…

“Shitty cook… we shouldn’t….”, “What? are you afraid, idiot Marimo?”. Sanji and Zoro seemed a little drunk and were somehow hugging and walking at the same time. At first I thought they were trying to help each other to go upstairs, so I started walking towards them to help. I couldn’t walk any further because immediately Law grabbed me by my waist, and pulled me back into the kitchen covering my mouth. “Shh… just wait”, he whispered into my ear and let go of me. What I saw next was something we’ve all been waiting for. Finally, Zoro and Sanji accepted how much they loved each other, and went upstairs kissing as two teenagers in love.

I opened my mouth and looked at Law with a surprised expression, that soon turned into a happy face. I started making little jumps in my place. “I knew it!!” I said and Law giggled almost without making any sound. With the excitement I didn’t notice how near we were from each other, until Law softly caressed my face with one of his soft hands. He, of course had the hands of a surgeon, long fingers, soft skin, perfectly cut nails. “Why don’t we do the same as them?” he asked me, and I gasped and stood still in front of him. He slowly approached his face to mine until the point of our noses were almost touching. I got lost into his grey eyes, my mouth was ready to receive his lips. The sweet torture of the moments before a first kiss, I wished I could make it last as much as I could, but at the same time, I wanted him to kiss me, passionately, now, right now.

My eyes probably showed how desperately I was for him to kiss me, that he smirked and finally planted his luscious lips against mine. He explored my mouth with his tongue, with no modesty at all, and as we were passionately kissing he lifted me up and sited me over the kitchen counter.

Without stopping the kissing, I open my legs to allow him to come further and as he did, he slid a hand to my sex…

Part 3

PT1

[itsthemoofacewriting]

Amongst the trees

So. I’ve been having horrible writers block, the worst I’ve ever had, but then I saw b00giewara’s art on twitter. It’s so soft and pretty that finally, my mind and fingers ran. (Also, just the thought of post time skip Sanji in Water 7 outfit has me foaming at the mouth).

This sits in the same universe as Potato Peeling, for no reason other than I want it to.

Summary: On a lazy afternoon, there was nothing Sanji would rather be doing than helping Nami with her trees. Rating: T. Slightly suggestive. 

This can also be found on AO3 and FFN. 

Enjoy!

Sanji had been in the kitchen for a few hours already. Everyone had been fed for breakfast and lunch (Luffy a few more times since between then) and he’d used the lulls in-between to do his weekly inventory. He’d made more progress after lunch, only pausing to serve drinks.

The pantry was done, which took the most amount of time, and he was just about to wrap up with the fridge. As much as he didn’t mind doing the inventory, sometimes it was a nice quiet task, today he felt a bit restless. It was a beautiful day, sunny with the occasional soft breeze that took the edge off from the heat and he’d much rather be out there for once than in the kitchen counting supplies. It was his own fault really; he’d decided to do this.

However he quickly found a good reason to leave when he noticed the mikans were starting to look a bit low.

And thinking about mikans, naturally his mind drifted over to Nami. Which then lead to him thinking about how he hadn’t seen or heard Nami for a few hours either. It wasn’t overly unusual, during the day they both had things that had to be done but considering the lull- it was strange.

Poking his head out of the kitchen door and looking out onto the deck, there was no sign of her. Luffy, Chopper and Usopp were fishing, Franky was tinkering with something, Brook was down for his afternoon nap, he could hear Mosshead’s obnoxiously loud weights from the crow’s nest and Robin was sunbathing. But the sun lounger next to her was empty.

Nami’d mentioned in the morning that she’d wanted to catch up on her maps. Perhaps she was using the quiet afternoon to do that. He’d give her a tiny bit longer so that he didn’t distract her from her maps, but if she hadn’t appeared by the time he was finished, he would take a drink to her and coax her into a break.

With that in mind, he grabbed an empty wicker basket from the pantry and climbed up the ladder to the upper deck.

It was peaceful up there, only the soft wind and distant sound of the crew from the lawn deck could be heard. At first, he’d thought the humming sound was from the crew, it sounded far away, but the closer he got to the mikan trees, the louder it got, and he was starting to piece together where Nami actually was.

It was confirmed when he reached the trees and turned to see Nami bent over and doing something with the soil on the furthest tree from him. She hadn’t seen him yet, too engrossed, and angled away from him. He may have used the opportunity to gawk at her a bit. He may have also taken a few quiet steps to the side so he could get a good view of her behind. But they were together now, so it was acceptable.

“Taking in the view?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder at him and belatedly he realised the humming had stopped. Of course he couldn’t sneak up on the cat thief herself.

“It’d be rude not to.” And even though he’d been caught red handed, he still tilted his head like he hadn’t.

She shook her head at his antics, and his view was cruelly taken away from him as she stood to walk over to him. He could hardly sulk when it was replaced with her sunny smile.

“What brings you into my neck of the woods then?” She asked, taking off a gardening glove to brush a piece of hair out of the way. He wasn’t quite sure why she ever bothered with gloves, she always ended up covered in soil, something that was proven now with the stains on her dungarees.

“We’re getting low on mikans, so I thought I’d take advantage of the good weather to come pick some.” He caught her bare hand in his to press a kiss on the back in greeting, lingering for a second being letting her hand go.

Her cheeks pinked. “Great minds think alike. The weather’s perfect for taking a bit of time out for the trees,” she explained fondly. It was no secret amongst any of them how much they meant to her or how much she enjoyed doing this.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Well, Usopp gave me some compost for the soil, so with that done I’m moving onto pruning.” She’d turned to face the trees, already pinpointing branches and leaves that needed to be taken off. “Want to help? I think I saw Usopp’s shears somewhere around here.”

That was the last thing he’d expected her to ask him, and he was a bit stunned by it, so all he could muster up was a nod as he went in search for the shears.

It wasn’t entirely new territory. He’d helped her with her tress countless times. Held the basket, pointed out fruit she may have missed or perhaps a bad twig that needed to go; it was always assistant work.

Having his own set of shears was a whole new playing field.  

As far as he was aware, no one helped with cutting her trees, not even Usopp or Robin and they were the other green thumbs on board. He’d never been bitter or offended by it, it was no secret how much these trees meant to her and he’d respected that.

But this. This new ground made him a bit giddy, how far they’d come since knowing each other and especially since they’d got together. How much she was trusting him. He was more than aware of how big this was.

He quickly found the extra set of shears from where she’d said they’d be and joined her back at the trees, his basket long forgotten.

“Show me what to do, I don’t want to mess this up.” Whilst he was still giddy, he was gradually getting more and more nervous. This was important and he didn’t want to screw it up. He felt like he was keeping his cool on the outside though as he stood next to her, even if he felt like he was about to have a meltdown internally.

Perhaps he wasn’t being that smooth with the knowing look Nami gave him, but she soon eyed his jacket instead. “Firstly, I think you need to look more the part. Let’s lose the jacket, you don’t want to mess that up.”

He followed her command, taking off his jacket and draping it across the railing. It was a pleasant enough day that he wasn’t worried about it being lost to the sea.

“Let’s leave the waistcoat on,” she said, trying to look innocent but he saw straight through it, although he was more than happy to let her have her way. “And the tie, it might come in handy later. But we could roll up the sleeves.”

Before he could do that himself, her hands were at his wrists, nimbly undoing the button and rolling the fabric up to his elbows. Despite the warm weather, goosebumps erupted along his forearms as her fingers grazed along the skin. They’d been together for a few months now, so touch was nothing new between them, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to the casual touches he shared with her now. Don’t get him wrong, everything about their relationship was exciting to him, but it was the simplest touches and how comfortable she was around him that pleased him the most.

“That’s better.” She nodded to herself, hands lingering on his arms before pulling away and taking the shears out from one of her pockets.

“Thank you.” He smiled down at her tenderly and the flush she’d just managed to get rid of bloomed across her cheeks again. He found it adorable how the softest gestures flustered her the most.

“Right,” Nami said, clearing her throat and focusing back on the trees, “it’s quite simple actually. Cut any branches that are damaged, unhealthy or crossing over one another.”

“Like this one?” He pointed out a withered branch.

“Yes!” She confirmed brightly. “If in doubt, it probably needs to go, otherwise you wouldn’t have noticed it.”

He nodded in understanding and with that, they both started pruning. Nami had left him to have a tree all to himself as she worked on the one beside his. She moved confidently, barely batting an eyelid as she snipped away. He, on the other hand, moved more cautiously, considering each branch before cutting it off. She said not to overthink it, but he couldn’t not. He wanted to do a good job; he’d been entrusted with a whole tree.  

A few branches in and his free hand was becoming full of branches he’d cut off. He glanced to the side, wondering where Nami was putting hers. She must have read his mind, because she met his curious gaze, smiled, and moved a basket between the trees they were both working on.

“Throw anything you chop off into the basket. Usopp likes them so he can add it to the compost he makes,” she informed him.  

Sanji snorted at that, of course Usopp did. He wondered if the three green thumbs on board traded tips.

“Which, by the way, I’m pretty sure he’s sneaking coffee out of the pantry to use for his plants and to add to the compost,” she breezily informed him, already knowing what reaction she’d get from him.

“I knew it!” He said, outraged. His inventory checks had been off for ages and he’d been trying to figure out where the extra coffee had been going. “Now I have to fight Luffy off from the fridge and Usopp from the pantry. The one place I thought was safe.”

Nami laughed at his turmoil. “I’ll adjust the budget.”

He smiled at her gratefully for that.

They descended back into silence after that, and it was nice. It was just as relaxing as some of his tasks in the kitchen, but with the added bonus of fresh air and the sun warming his skin. He’d also say the company, but she spent a fair amount of time in there with him now anyway. But it was a nice change of pace to partake in one of her activities together for a change.

Nami’s hands didn’t falter as she softly broke the silence, “The first few weeks after leaving Cocoyasi village, I thought I was going to lose the trees, the constant change in weather made it hard to look after them.”

Sanji was silent as he let the information wash over him, it’d never crossed him mind before, but now he thought about it, it made perfect sense. “I never thought of that,” he said in awe.  

Nami hummed in agreement and shook her head. “Me either! Normally in the winter they need more care and, in the summer, less, but with the fluctuating weather they were all over the place.”

He cut away another branch, throwing it into the basket before moving around the tree. He tilted his head to indicate he was still listening.

Nami continued, “It took a bit of figuring out and by the time I could get a book on it, I’d already figured it out. They’re like temperamental children, I just had to keep my eye on them a bit more than normal.”

Of course she’d figured it out, she was one of the smartest people he knew. “I’m glad you worked it out, the ship would look empty without them.”

“Me too, I don’t think I would’ve dealt with it very well back then if I’d lost them. Everything’d changed so suddenly back then but they were a constant for me, it helped having them.”

He frowned at that; he could only imagine how stressful that must’ve been, but she’d never said anything.

“Not to worry though, it resolved itself and now look at us,” she said, trying to ease the look of concern on his face and changed the topic swiftly, “You’ve done a good job.” She looked at the tree critically but nodded to herself.

She stepped forward and cut off a few additional branches that he’d hesitated over. “Maybe a bit overly cautious, but I knew you would be, that’s why I let you have the shears.”

He beamed at her praise and they moved onto the final tree, working on opposite sides until whatever they could reach was done. They both stepped back, proudly taking in the much neater trees, until they looked up.

“Any chance you’re tall enough to reach the top?”

He wanted to say yes so badly but as he eyed the height, he knew he wouldn’t be able to without actually scaling the tree. “Sorry Nami-san, I don’t think so.”

“Don’t worry, I knew it was a stretch.” She put her hand on his arm in understanding and looked up at the trees. “Bell-mère used to stand us on her shoulders to reach the higher branches she wanted to prune or pick off the fruit. She said it was good for us to learn, but I’m convinced she just didn’t want to haul the stool around with her.”

He laughed with her at that and briefly imagined how adorable the sight would have been until an idea came to mind. He crouched down in front of her and when all she did was blink at him, confusion written all over her face, he elaborated, “I can’t offer to stand you on my shoulders, but I can do this.” He patted a shoulder, trying to encourage her.

She was silent for a moment, stunned at the offer. “As much as I trust you and don’t doubt your strength whatsoever, are you sure you’re up for this?” She asked cautiously.

“Huh?” He blinked at her.

“My thighs are about to be either side of your head. I don’t want to brain myself on the deck when you go down like a sack of potatoes,” she deadpanned, eyebrow raised as she looked down at him.

“It wouldn’t be the first time my head’s been there,” he quipped, leering up at her, eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

She barked a laugh, hand slapping his shoulder half-heartedly in retribution but overall, she was too amused to be angry.

It took a bit of more reassurance to convince her, but as soon as he’d convinced her, he positioned himself and helped her get onto his shoulders. He smoothly rose to his feet, barely wobbling.

Hands down it was the best decision he’d never made. If he could assure Nami’s safety, he could die happily right now. There was so much of her everywhere. Her thighs snuggly sat either side of his head, he could feel the slightest brush of her breasts against the top of his head and her hands were in his hair whilst she adjusted to the new position.

“You okay down there?” She asked, half amused and half cautious, testing the waters to make sure he was okay.

“More than okay,” he replied happily, tilting his head to the side to pillow into her thigh. She was so soft; he was in heaven.

Nami snorted above him, shaking her head and tentatively removed her hands from his hair. When he stood solid, she reclaimed the shears from her pocket and started to snip again.

Before they could dip into silence, he asked, “How often did you tend to the trees together when you were younger?” He loved hearing about her childhood with Bell-mère and took any opportunity to ask about it.

Nami was more than happy to share. “We had a big orchard, so it was almost daily. It could be pruning, picking fruit, or tending to the soil. Although, me and Nojiko spent more time running through it playing games, not so much helping.”

His hand stroked up and down her calf absently, encouraging her to continue whilst he listened. He moved to the side after noticing she’d finished with a section before she had to ask.

“We definitely over pruned when we did help, but she never scolded us,” she continued, throwing a branch down into the basket at Sanji’s feet. “After that she just kept a sharper eye on us.

“Sounds nice.”

“It was,” Nami agreed, “I always ended up covered in dust and dirt. Kind of like now actually, not a lot has changed it seems.”

“It suits you.” And it was the truth. Whether she was in skimpy bikinis or dirtied dungarees, she was the most attractive person he’d ever laid eyes on.

They moved onto the last tree and by now the bucket was almost overflowing with branches and leaves. Usopp would be thrilled, no doubt.

“She sounded like an amazing woman,” he said after a moment, letting the stories Nami had told him of her Mum play in a loop in his head. In a different world, he wished he could’ve met her, to see how similar they both were and see that part of her life.

She didn’t need any prompting to understand what he was talking about. “She was,” Nami agreed, voice filled with warmth. “She’d have loved you -little to the left-” and he took a step to the left, “-she would’ve seen your smooth talk coming a mile away, mind you, but she’d have found it amusing.”

“Like Mother like daughter,” he quipped, squeezing her calf teasingly. Nami gave a snort above him and muttered something he didn’t catch, but continued, “I’d have loved to cook with her.”

“She never would’ve let you leave.”

“I have no complaints about that.” Her home sounded like it held so much warmth, Sanji thought to himself.  

“What about you?” She asked, trying to sound confident but there was a waver in her voice. Sanji found it sweet, after all this time she didn’t want to bring up that part of his life. He didn’t mind, especially with her.

“Well, Zeff you’ll win over easily. He tries to deny it, but he has a soft spot for women too. He’ll just spend his time trying to embarrass me instead.” The day would come, he knew it, but for now he was safe. “I don’t remember a great deal of my Mum; I was too young. But I have no doubt that she would’ve loved you too. She was kind like you.”

“See, it’s that smooth talk that would’ve won you brownie points.”

“Even with you?”

“How do you think we got here?”

He couldn’t see her, but he knew she had that smart look on her face that he adored, and he rested his head back on her stomach. If she hadn’t been on his shoulders right now, he definitely would’ve pulled her into a hug.

“Okay, I’m done.” Her hands were back in his hair, shears stowed away in her pocket.

In a similar fashion to convincing her to get on his shoulders, it also took some persuasion on how to get her back down. They went back and forth, until Nami finally agreed (“If you drop me” “Never, Nami-san”) and then she was sliding over his one shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck, and falling into his outstretched arms. To his credit, he stood solid.

“Reminds you of old times, huh?” He cheeked, beaming down at her in his arms.

“At least I didn’t have to fall through the air this time.”

He let her down onto her feet and he expected her to move away, onto the next task but she didn’t move. Instead, her hands dusted over his shoulders, trying to take off any soil that had transferred from her dungarees.

“It’s been a while since you’ve worn this shirt. I like it.” Her hands smoothed across his shoulders, feeling the texture of his orange pinstripe shirt and the way it fit him snugly. He’d filled out in the crew’s two-year gap, so where it used to fit loosely, it sat tighter across his shoulders. He would throw it away, because really, he knew he was pushing his luck getting into it, but when she reacted like that, he was more tempted to never take it off.

“I like your dungarees,” he said softly, his hand fingered the denim straps as hers rested at his waist. There were dirt stains littered across them, but there was something quite charming about that. Although that might just be because of the person wearing them more than anything.

His hand moved from the strap of her dungaree and swept an errant lock away from her neck, his hand filling the empty space, thumb soothing across her pale skin. The quiet, the rustling of the trees and their afternoon spent together all added to the atmosphere until it had them leaning in closer.

They’d done this so many times before that they read each other like a well-oiled machine. Her hands tightened on his waistcoat and he was going left as she went right until their lips met in the middle. It was slow, unhurried, like they had all the time in the world and really, they did. It felt like they did anyway as they embraced, with only the gentle breeze accompanying them on the upper deck.

They parted slowly, and in his case reluctantly, but the feeling soon passed when he opened his eyes to the sight before him. Nami looked truly relaxed, face nothing but content, half lidded eyes looking back at him and wind playing with her orange hair.

That soon changed when he leaned back into kiss her and was promptly denied. Gone was the serene expression, in its place were alluring, teasing eyes. The sudden shift would give anyone else whiplash, but Sanji knew what that look meant- it would only end well for him.

Her hand was on his tie, taking a step out of his embrace and promptly turning on her heel. She pulled him after her, which she didn’t really need to do because he was glued to her back in an instead, but he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t a turn on.

They didn’t go very far, only walking around the trees to occupy the gap between the trees and the main mast. In all honestly, Sanji had never really taken notice of it before, but he was glad for its existence when she pressed him up against the mast and heavily leaned into him. His body pinned between it and hers.

It was intimate and if anybody wondered up there, they’d be hard to spot. She positioned herself between his legs, something he more than encouraged as he made more space for her there.

If Sanji thought she looked breath-taking before, it was nothing compared to the angelic beauty before him now. The sun filtering through the trees casted her in a golden halo and her hair looked like molten gold, oozing around her, and making her look otherworldly. She was surrounded by orange blossoms and it was the perfect backdrop to encapsulate her, she belonged there.

Sanji wanted to burn the moment into his brain but Nami had other ideas.

Their next kiss was anything but slow, it was full of purpose. It was the kind of kiss they usually shared in private, not for someone to stumble upon by accident, but he definitely wasn’t going to complain. He matched her enthusiasm, lips sliding against each other’s and his hands found themselves in the back pocket of her dungarees as hers burrowed themselves into his hair.

“Good spot, right?” She murmured, not waiting for a response before reconnecting their lips.

If he’d had the chance the response, he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to actually verbalize his agreement. He was dazed, head spinning, trying to keep up, and although they’d done this a million times before and more, he didn’t think he’d ever be over it.

Although they couldn’t start anything out here, his body didn’t seem to know that as he shifted, ready to roll his hips into hers and hopefully progress to the bedroom if they could make it there undetected, until he felt something press into thigh.

“Is that shears in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

It was a stupid joke, and it ruined the mood, but it was worth is when Nami broke into peeling laughter. Instead of throwing her head back, she burrowed into the crease of his neck, smothering her laughter so they didn’t attract attention. His arms left her back pockets, winding around her waist, pulling her into a hug instead. It wasn’t what he wanted, but they wind this down.  

“That was such a stupid joke,” she said as she started to calm down.

“Yeah, it was,” he said fondly, still soaking in the warmth of her laugh.

“Although I suppose we should stop, otherwise you’ll be in a similar predicament and I still have things to do.”

“Me too.” He looked up at the sky and from the way it was starting to descend, he knew he should really start thinking about dinner. Except neither of them moved, but Nami did rest her hands more causally around his shoulders, matching his hold on her.  

“Didn’t pick much fruit in the end, huh?” She joked, looking off to the side at the empty, abandoned basket.

He’d completely forgotten why he’d gone up there in the first place. “This is much better than what I’d expected.”

“Because you had your head between my legs?”

His eyes lit up and his grip tightened on her hips. “One of the perks, of course.”

“Maybe we could do something similar in my room later,” she suggested, in a provocative whisper, leaning closer.  

This woman. She was everything he ever wanted. He didn’t give a verbal answer, he was pretty sure he couldn’t without wheezing a few times, but his enthusiastic nodding got the point across well enough, and it made her grin.

She rewarded him for his candour with a slow kiss that was over far too quickly for his liking.

“You free tomorrow? I can probably pencil you in for some fruit picking.”

“You’re too kind, Nami-san. Making time for lowly me in your busy schedule.”

“I’m nothing if not kind, Sanju-kun,” she agreed, winking at him. “Right, I really do have to go, see you after dinner?”

She was out of his arms and walking away before he could reply, grabbing the basket full of branches to sit at her hip as she went.

She knew the answer anyway- it was potato peeling night after all.

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

Urrrrrrrrrgh. I am so soft for these two, they’re so much fun to write being all soft and in love. This was so self-indulgent, and the story doubled in length because of it.

Usopp, Robin and Nami definitely get together to talk about plants/flowers.

I based my research on orange trees, so if there’s some differences, don’t come at me.

For some reason, my writers block has really exaggerated my imposters syndrome, so if this wasn’t your cup of tea, please keep it to yourself. Not sure I could handle it right now.

Also, just to tease because I’m definitely going to finish them, I had two other pieces planned for SaNami week before the writer’s block, they’ll be on the way.

As always, please excuse any errors.

Thanks for reading.

[victorie552onepiecespeedrun]

Reading One Piece pt 188: New Bounties

Chapter 435

Thoughts:

- Fpos/cs: “I’m ashamed but I survived!” aww, what a funny little guy Enel blasted just now! I think he’s a soldier, with that helm and gun. He’s so tiny

- FRANKY! IS! MAKING! THE SHIP!

- Awwww, Iceberg and Galley-ga (remaining Three of The Big Five) will help him! (Good, he needs to go faster, marines won’t ignore Straw Hats forever)

- (hey, do you think Kaku will come back to Water Seven and become a shipwright for real? I wouldn’t mind reading Fpos/cs about that, drama and all)

- Newspaper! Frankies wait in anticipation!

- Lol, they wrote about Enies Lobby and Straw Hats but nothing about Frankies. They’re kind of relieved but kind of disappointed too :D you know, no life on the run BUT also no fame for them

- Sanji: “Yo, did your Grandpa tweak the info so Galley-ga and Frankies would be safe?”

  Luffy and everyone: “Nope, not that guy”

- Well, Robin thinks it was Aokiji. I think so too but it’s also possible News Guys just didn’t find Frankies interesting enough for their newspaper :D Media are fickle like that :D

- (why is Sanji so pretty here. He’s not even drawn to be pretty right now, he’s just a background figure)

- Oh, Zoro is reading the newspaper too!

- “They did write some horrible things about us! It said that we declared war against the World Government, and that we were the reason that the island got burned down.” Well, it’s true. Plus points for good journalism, One Piece media

- “This means our bounties will rise again” YES THEY WILL :D :D :D

- (I’m making the same face Zoro is making right now :D We are both children inside)

- Everyone is happy about it too! (except Nami but I guess someone has to be a party pooper and it went to Nami to do the honors)

- Oh look, Straw Hats spend their 100M Beri on the feast in the last chapter (I knew it was super big). They’re poor again :D Nami is having an aneurysm

- Lol

- Straw Hats got five days of vacation :D

- (lol, Zoro tried to “buy” a new sword like last time in Logue Town but got yelled at instead. Remember to get Tashigi and go with her next time. We all know he would get new sword for free then :D)

- Usopp!

- …ok, first I yelled at his panel, then I actually read what he’s saying. Usopp, just say sorry like a normal person and that you miss them, Luffy would say the same (he could be a little more obnoxious tho)

- Oh! No, he’s practicing his speech to Straw Hats on the beach! Yeah, that situation is very anxiety inducing, I would be nervous about asking my friends to take me back too. I don’t envy you, Usopp, not one bit

- Still, you should just be honest, man. You’re all good eggs, you get each other

- (Sanji is watching Usopp being stupid :D)

- (ok, but how will that actually go down, I’m a little nervous myself)

- The log pose is ready. Now they’re just waiting for the ship

- Oh, the next island is Fishman Island!

- Nami has mixed feeling, because of her past with Arlong gang and stuff

- SANJI! WANTS! TO SEE! MERMAIDS!

- Lol

- Sanji, calm down, not all mermaids look like Kokoro :D

- Huh?

- “Florian Triangle” oh? It’s One Piece’s version of Bermuda Triangle! Straw Hats will have to sail there to get to Fishman Island!

- (It’s where they’ll meet Brook, right? The walking serenading skeleton?)

- Haha, there’s a skeleton on the next panel :D world’s most unsubtle foreshadowing :D

- There are also ghosts on that sea but I’m all about our skeleton grandpa and I don’t exactly care right now

- (Franky nakama WHEN)

- “I can meet living skeletons?” “What kind of thought is that?” Oh Zoro, thou of little faith :D

- “Bring on the disasters” YEAH, ALL OF THEM

- (“treasure ships… maybe they’ll have swords” Zoro really has a one track mind. I approve)

- !!!!!!

- SHIP IS DONE!

- BUT FIRST! THEY GOT WANTED POSTERS! ALL OF THEM!

- Ok, they’re all on one panel! You’re getting… ok, no, I’ll just put it here

- Woooooo!

- Ok, comments now:

300M Beri? Luffy, you dog :D I’m so proud

Zoro got 120M Beri, twice as much as before! Somehow I think he’ll want more :D

They finally updated Robin’s photo! That only took them, what, 20 years? But who’s counting, not me, nosir 

(And she finally got a round number of 80M Beri. Her past 79M was annoying)

“Cat thief” Nami. How did they get such a sexy photo of her? Is that even what she was wearing on Enies Lobby? Can’t lie, she looks superhot

They got Sogeking, not Usopp :D 30M Beri? That’s what Luffy started at, bright future for you, Usopp :D

…Why is Chopper a PET HERE. And 50 Beri? 50 BERI!!??

Not to talk about elephant in the room but what the **** is Sanji’s poster.

…At least you’re worth 77M Beri, Sanji.

…May it let you sleep at night

- Straw Hats’ reaction: 3 happy, 3 in hell :D (Usopp’s not here)

- Sanji and Chopper are hilarious, they really did them dirty :D But I don’t know why Nami is despairing, her poster and bounty are great

- That’s not all?

- FRANKY GOT A BOUNTY TOO!

- I FINALLY KNOW HOW THEY GOT HIM TO JOIN! HE HAD TO GO ON THE RUN! SO HE WENT WITH THEM! THAT’S AWESOME!

- (that’s really awesome. I use too much Caps Lock but it really is)

- “Strawhat-san, please!!! Please take him out to sea!!!” YOOOOOO

This is so great :D  

rOP 187  rOP 189

[animequeen122]

A New Dream Chapter 3

                                                  Chapter 3

             Everything felt hazy and my body felt heavy. I was cold and tired. I did not want to die but I was happy. I got to live, even for just a brief time, in the same world as the Straw Hats and even see Zoro in the flesh. I wanted to do more. If I survived this, I was going to pursue Zoro and be strong enough to make Luffy King of the Pirates.

             Suddenly I was coughing up water and I could hear people around get excited about something. I opened my eyes and saw I was once again in the infirmary. I really need to stop ending up here. I was getting pissed at myself.

             “I am so happy you’re alive.” Chopper said crying and hugging me. I smiled at the reindeer. It seems like I made it. That made me stop. Oh shit. I remember the promise I made to myself. Note: Never make promises when you think you’re dying unless you are certain you will die.

             “I think that proves you have a devil fruit unless you don’t know how to swim?” Brook asked sipping on some tea.

             “I love swimming. It was the closest thing I could get to flying. I always dreamed of growing wings and flying.” I replied looking up at the ceiling. Chopper was doing an exam on me while I was talking.

             “You seem to be doing okay but I think you should rest for the day. Sanji can you make her some broth. Everyone has to leave.” Chopper says shooing away the crew.

             “Wait!” I yelled being louder than I meant to. The crew all looked at me and waited. “Which one of you saved me? I want to thank them.” I say looking at their faces to see any indication.

             “Zoro did.” Nami stated smirking just a bit to let me know that she knew about my feelings for the green-haired swordsman. Zoro was slightly turned towards me with his resting ‘don’t fuck with me’ face on.

             “Thank you so much Zoro. I would have died if you hadn’t saved me.” I say doing my very best to look I am not sure what the word is. But I wanted to be subtle that I wanted his attention.

             “Don’t mention it.” Zoro replied exiting the room. It seems like I was unsuccessful in my first attempt at flirting. Than again the rest of the crew was still in the room, so I don’t think I could have been subtle without alerting them. Nami knew and I am pretty sure that Robin knew as well. Everyone left except for Chopper.

             “Get some sleep Sam. I will wake you up when Sanji brings you the broth.” Chopper tells me doing his best to make me feel better. I nodded and turned to face the wall. I had never slept on a ship and barely been on one. So it was strange laying still but moving at the same time. I closed my eyes and started to imagine things that would make me happy. It was the only way I could go to sleep especially since I did not have my iPad to watch videos on.

           When I woke up I had noticed that the sun was much further down in the sky. I looked around the cabin and noticed that Chopper was gone but there was a bowl of broth sitting on his desk. I took the cover off and went over to the table. Sitting down I started drinking the broth. I almost thought this was all of this was a dream but the room I was in proved me wrong. I finished the broth and I hear the door open. Turning around I to see Chopper coming in.

             “I was just coming in to check on you but it seems you are doing well.” Chopper says as he sees that I drank the broth.

             “Yeah I think I just overwhelmed by self today with everything.” I reply getting up from the chair.

             “If you are feeling better you can come with me. I can show you around the Sunny.” Chopper says becoming very excited.

             “Sure. I mean I saw some of it before but wouldn’t mind a tour to familiarize myself.” I reply smiling. Honestly I was just as excited as Chopper. I will get to see the Sunny through my own eyes. Chopper motions me to follow him. When we left the doctor’s office, I could only see Luffy on the Sunny’s head, Nami reading in a sun chair, and Brook playing his violin. I assumed the others were doing other things. I knew where Zoro was.

             “This way Sam!” Chopper scurries ahead of me. Chopper gave me an amazing tour of the ship. I got to see where the other crew members were at and what they did in their spaces. Chopper than took me to the crow’s nest. We go up and open the door. There we saw a half-naked Zoro working out. I could feel my heart just beat so much faster. My imagination was nothing compared to the real thing. Zoro noticed our presence and set the weights down.

           “Hey Zoro I am showing Sam around the Sunny!” Chopper exclaimed being extremely excited I have seen him. I knew Chopper was like the kid of the crew and everyone treated him like their own child.

             “It’s been so unreal seeing the Sunny in person. Again I can’t thank you enough Zoro for saving me.” I smile brightly at him. From where I was it looked like he wasn’t reacting at all.

             “Don’t mention it. The only one I wouldn’t save is that stupid cook.” Zoro replied grabbing a towel drying himself off. I was once again made very aware of Zoro’s body. At this point I wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that I was checking him out. I was still nervous about my “dying promise” and was still unsure of how to proceed.

             “Would it be okay if I just stay here and watch you? I promise I won’t bother you.” I asked doing my best to be polite as possible. I though that if I started to spend more time with Zoro, I might be able to get on friendly terms with him. I remembered that he was very wary of Robin when she first joined.

             “Me too! I want to spend more time with Sam.” Chopper said raising his hand like he wanted to answer a question in class.

             “Suit yourself.” Zoro replied going back to his weights. Chopper and I took a seat on the bench next to the window. I took a moment to look outside the window. The sea looked like blue crystal shining across the horizon. The view made me happy. Just thinking about the journey ahead of me was exciting. I moved my attention back to Zoro. Zoro was now doing push ups which gave me a wonderful view of his whole back and let me tell you it is my new favorite view. It brough me back to my new goal. But how would I do that? I was not naturally flirty or outgoing. Though even if I was Zoro was one of the most dense person out there. My only option would be to outright tell him. But how will he react? I sighed heavily. First I am going to have to become courageous.

             After about an hour or so of just staring at Zoro, I decided to go back down to deck of the Sunny. As soon I got down I was swarmed by Nami and Robin who than proceeded to the girls’ room.

             “Now that we got you alone, we want to know why you like Zoro so much.” Nami inquired crossing her legs and arms giving me the look that she was not letting me get away. I could feel my nerves bubbling to the surface. But at the same time I could feel like I could trust them. I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts.

             “It is not like, it is love. I am in love with Zoro.” I whispered hoping by not saying too loud that only Nami and Robin would hear.

             “Well to most of the crew knew that. You aren’t the best at keeping your emotions hidden.” Robin commented smiling at me.

             “Are you going to do anything about it?” Nami asked.

             “Yeah but whenever I think about it I get too scared to say anything or do anything.” I countered.

             “What do you love about Zoro?” Robin queried giving me her kind smile.

             “His kindness. He doesn’t show it often but the way he is with Chopper makes me smile. His loyalty. Zoro is so loyal to the crew and especially to Luffy. I feel safe whenever I am near him. Zoro may act tough but I know he cares about everyone and wants to protect you all.” I said smiling and trying to think of all the things I love about Zoro. To be honest there were too many for me to tell them.  Nami and Robin both looked at each other and than back at me smiling.

             “I’m going to do it.” I exclaimed standing up.

[deathlikesdeep-dish]

The Razr (Zoro AU Scenario)

Hi guys!

I’m so flattered that I’ve had some people join me here on this fun writing journey!! I truly truly do a little happy dance every time I get a follow. :D 

I keep meaning to just sit down and write a quick lil somethin somethin, but it always ends up longer than I intend 😅

This is a headcanon I came up with about Zoro having a crazy outdated flip phone that he refused to get rid of and his friends finally forced him to get a smartphone so he could use GPS. 

It turned out a little more serious and emotional than I originally intended, but I’m pretty pleased with it!! Would love to get y’alls feedback. 

xx

Warnings: obscene amounts of fluff, language 

Word Count: 1862

“Zoro, where the fuck are you??” Nami yelled on the other end of the phone. He could hear the irritation in her voice.

He groaned and rubbed his hand over his face in frustration. “I really don’t know, Nami. I think I made a wrong turn,” He paused and sighed. “Or two? Shit, I don’t know.”

Zoro could hear Nami yelling on the other end of the line, and he placed his phone in the cup holder, knowing that this might be a while. He hit his head a few times on the steering wheel of his car, closing his eyes as he waited for her to finish screeching. He was used to this. He knew that he wasn’t the most directionally adept member of his friend group, but he got by….when others were around.

What made matters worse is that Zoro absolutely refused to get rid of his ancient, bulky flip phone, a fact that Nami never failed to bring up in situations just like this. He didn’t see a point in getting a new phone when his old one worked just fine. He thought back to a conversation he’d had about it just the other day with his friends.

-

“Bro, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” Their newest friend Franky said upon seeing Zoro pull his phone out of his pocket. “A fucking Motorola Razr? That thing has gotta be 10 years old!”

“It’s actually 12 years old,” Luffy chimed in with a laugh. “It was Kuina’s before it was Zoro’s.”

“Kuina? Who’s Kuina?” Franky asked. Zoro tensed up at the mention of her name, and the room went silent. Even Luffy noticed that he’d made a mistake in bringing her up. Zoro squeezed the phone tightly in his pocket.

Kuina was Zoro’s older sister. Five years his senior, Kuina had used the phone as her own for several years before she upgraded and passed it to Zoro. At first, he resented that she always got the newest stuff, and that he got the hand-me-downs. Now, he wouldn’t dream of letting it go. Kuina had died in a tragic accident just a couple years back. She was only 25. This phone was one of the only things that she had ever given him that was hers, along with the family katana that had been passed down for generations.

“Sorry, Zoro,” Luffy murmured, stuffing a bite of food into his mouth uncomfortably. Zoro simply grumbled in response with a shrug.

“Still,” Nami ventured tentatively. “Maybe it would be helpful for you to get a smartphone sometime soon. They all come with GPS systems built in.”

“And what’s wrong with a map?” Zoro snapped back.

“Well, nothing…” Nami said.

“Unless you can’t actually read it!” Luffy shouted out, not able to help himself. He cackled. Zoro shot him a glare, and he laughed even more. He crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“Yeah, well whatever. Next time I get lost, I’ll get a fucking smartphone. Deal?” Zoro said, to get them off his back more than anything.

Nami’s eyes lit up conspiratorially. “Don’t say stuff like that unless you mean it, Zoro.”

Zoro waved her off. They all knew that he certainly wasn’t going to purchase his own phone, so it was a moot point. It worked perfectly fine. Plus, it was hers. He’d keep it as long as it worked.

-

He was pulled from his reverie by Nami yelling his name.

“ZORO,” She yelled. He picked his phone back up and placed it at his ear.

“Goddamn it, Nami. I fucking know I suck at directions, please stop bitching at me,” He growled.

She started to say something, but stopped herself with a sigh. “Ugh. You exhaust me.” She replied.

“What else is new?” He snapped back.

“Whatever, Zoro. I just can’t believe you got lost on the way to your own birthday party.”

“Like I even care about this shit anyway,” He said. “It’s you and Luffy that always insist on throwing a party in the first place.”

“Hey man, don’t pretend like you don’t like eating food and getting shit-faced.”

He rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything. He knew he didn’t have an argument there.

“Can you see a street sign anywhere?” Nami finally asked after a few moments when there was no reply.

Zoro looked up towards the streetlight and squinted at a sign in the distance. “Yeah, it looks like I’m at the corner of Alabasta and Logue Town drive.”

“Thank Christ,” Nami sighed. “You’re not that far. I’ll send Franky and Sanji to go get you.”

Zoro groaned. “Why does Sanji have to come? Doesn’t he have a fucking cake to bake or something?”

“They need to go out and get a few things from the store,” Nami said. “Listen, you’re the one that’s lost. Suck it up.”

“Ugh. Fine. See you soon.” He hung up, not wanting to hear anything else.

It took Franky and Sanji about 10 minutes to get to him.Thankfully, they just decided to have Zoro follow behind them in his car rather than ride together. Zoro wasn’t sure he could stop himself from punching that jackass directly in the face if he said anything to him.

They finally got back to Robin’s house where they were having the party. Robin was for sure the most adult out of any of them. She’d already bought this crazy historic home and had a job at an archeology firm while everybody else was living in shitty, thrown-together apartment complexes, eating pizza rolls and beer for every meal.

Sanji had looked like he was going to start some shit when they got out of the car, but decided against it when Zoro gave him a look. Plus, Sanji thought, it’s the guy’s birthday. Probably should lay off for one night.

Everyone was pleased to see him, and only gave him a moderately hard time about getting lost on the way to his own party. And despite himself, Zoro gave in to the jovial atmosphere. A few beers certainly helped. By the time he and Luffy had teamed up to play beer pong against Law and Usopp (“Sniper-king, my ass,” Zoro had thought to himself on Usopp’s third consecutive loss), Zoro was feeling pretty damn good. These were his people. They’d been the ones that were there for him. Even when new friends were added to the group, they’d always fit in. Luffy was the usual recruiter, and he somehow managed to find some cool-ass people.

The best time to give Zoro any gifts, Nami had discovered, was when he was sufficiently plastered enough to not object to them. Zoro was always more affectionate and willing to be the recipient of attention when he was drunk.

“Alright!” Nami announced over the blare of the music. “It’s present time, you degenerates! Sit your asses down!”

Franky turned the music down from his smartwatch, lowering it to a dull roar. Zoro was feeling warm and smiley, so he didn’t object when Robin lead him to the couch in the middle of the living room to receive his gift.

“What did y’all fuckers get me this time?” Zoro laughed, slurring a bit as he talked.

Nami rolled her eyes and Luffy just bounced excitedly from the armchair across the room. No matter how much he had to drink, it would seem, Luffy was always one big ball of energy.

“Remember,” Nami said, handing him a small, delicately wrapped box. “You promised.”

Zoro furrowed his brow, confusedly. “I promised?” He started to open the box, a bit nervous all of a sudden about what he would find under the shiny paper.

When he finally finished unwrapping the box, he froze. In his hand, he found a brand new iPhone. He looked up at his friends, knowing how much something like this cost.

“Guys, this is ridiculous,” He said, not knowing exactly how he felt.

“Stop,” Nami said, holding a hand up.

“Yeah, we all pitched in! Even Sanji!” Luffy grinned from his chair. “So no take backsies!”

He looked up at the room full of expectant faces, flushed from the alcohol and the good company. There was a pit in his stomach. On the one hand, he was angry. They knew how he felt about his phone. They knew what it meant to him. It wasn’t just a stupid phone. On the other hand, he was touched. Touched that his friends had come together to help him out. He found himself putting his hand in his pocket, thumbing over the ancient flip-phone that had once been hers.

“Guys, my phone works perfectly well,” He managed after swallowing. “This is completely unnecessary.”

“C’mon man,” Usopp clapped his hand on his shoulder. “You know it isn’t unnecessary. Do you need a reminder that you got lost on the way to your own party tonight?” He laughed.

Zoro remained silent, one hand gripping the new phone, and the other deep in the pocket of his pants.

“So, of course, we figured that you’d feel this way,” Robin chimed in. “So, that’s only one part of the gift.”

Zoro snapped his head towards Robin, the crease in his brow deepening. She pulled out another box from behind her back and handed it to him. This one was slightly larger, and a bit heavier. He peeled back the wrapping paper.

“It’s a shadow box,” Franky said. “So you can still keep your old phone, too.”

“Just on display on the shelf,” Nami said. “Instead of in your pocket.”

“We know how much it means to you, mosshead,” Sanji grumbled from the doorway. “You don’t have to get rid of the old phone. So, just accept the gift already.”

Zoro felt himself get teary-eyed. He told himself it was the alcohol as he wiped his hand over his eyes before tears could fall down his cheeks. “Thanks guys,” Was all he could manage.

Knowing that he needed the attention off of him, his friends just laughed and cheered, turning the music up to get back to the party. Franky spent the rest of the evening helping set up Zoro’s phone and showing him all of the functions that he would have access to. Zoro was still so overwhelmed, but he tried to make himself pay attention. Finally, and most importantly, Franky downloaded Google Maps and showed him how to use it. Zoro pocketed the phone with a slight smile and a ‘thank you.’ It felt heavy and big in the back pocket of his jeans. His heart felt heavy too. He couldn’t help but feel like this was the end of something. But somewhere, he knew that Kuina would be looking down on him, so happy that he had found such thoughtful friends.

Luffy raised his glass for a toast. “To Zoro! And never getting lost again!”

The rest of them raised their glasses, looking over to Zoro expectantly as they waited for him to raise his glass too. He reached for his beer and raised it slightly with a smirk.

“You motherfuckers are gonna regret this,” He grinned finally. “Getting lost was my only character defect. Now I’ll be unstoppable.”

[anubislover]

Welcome to the Heart Pirates, Nami-ya chapter 10: Heated Discussions

Nami wasn’t sure how long or how far she’d run through the winding backstreets of Grimm, but she didn’t stop until her legs literally gave out from under her, forcing her down onto the hard pavement of a dark alley.

Panic gripped her vital organs like a meaty fist. Her body was on fire, sweat dripped down her spine, and every inhalation was agony as her lungs struggled to draw in the barest amount of oxygen needed to keep up with the blood rushing through her veins. The Heart Pirate jumpsuit was suffocating her, holding in the unbearable heat and chafing her hyper-sensitive skin, but she was too weak and exhausted to take it off, forced to broil alive in the heavy canvas.

For a few minutes she just lay there, her sole thought a silent plea for her heart to stop trying to beating against her ribcage like Luffy’s angry punches. Orange hair darkened with sweat, tears streaked down her face, and the only sounds she could make were ragged sobs.

“Miss? Are you alright?” came a deep, authoritative voice from above her, and she trembled. Was it Arlong? Had he found her? Was he going to beat her for running away? Kill Nojiko and Mr. Genzo? Destroy some innocent villager’s house as a display of his “superior” species’ power?

Please, please don’t hurt them! I’ll be good, I swear! Nami thought, squeezing her eyes closed and drawing her legs against her torso to protect herself. It would hurt, but if she had to choose between getting hit and seeing the people she loved suffer, she’d take the blows every time.

“Miss, speak to me—are you hurt? Were you attacked? Do you need a doctor?”

Did she need a doctor? Dr. Nako had fixed up fevers, scraped knees, and stomach aches since she was a child. But no, Arlong would find out and make an example of him. Nami managed the barest shake of her head, curling even more tightly into a ball, mentally begging the stranger to just leave her alone before he got himself killed. People who tried to help her always died the most horrible deaths. Memories of Bellemere’s final moments, of blood and skull fragments splattering as Arlong shot her point-blank, made Nami start hyperventilating. She couldn’t see that again, not even to a stranger, no no no no nononononononono…

Large, strong hands rested on her back and legs, gently straightening her out. “I know you’re scared, but you need to stop pressing your knees into your stomach—it’s keeping your lungs from expanding fully, so you’re not getting the air you need.”

The voice was steady and knowing, at just the right octave to cut through the heavy pounding of blood in her ears. Unconsciously she obeyed, knees lowering, and her lungs swelled as she took several deep breaths.

“There you go. Just focus on breathing. In. Out. Here.” Nami flinched as she heard fabric rustling, trying to draw into herself again as she imagined her mystery man drawing a weapon, but she immediately relaxed as her nose was greeted by the clean, familiar aroma of oranges and mikans. “Breathe this in. Citrus scents reduce stress and anxiety.”

Like an ocean wave, the thought of Bellemere’s grove washed over her. She remembered the safety of her mother’s arms, how her hands always smelled like mikans no matter how many times she washed them. She remembered Nojiko making mikan shampoo for the first time, giving her a bottle before going off to rob more pirates. She remembered the delicious fruit dishes Sanji would make her, the times she’d find Zoro napping under the trees, the iced tea she’d share with Robin, watching Chopper try a fresh mikan for the first time, and knocking Luffy over the head when she caught him pilfering her fruit.

The smell made her feel safe. Like she was home, with her family and nakama.

After a few minutes her heart rate began to slow, aided by the hand on her back rubbing deliberate, soothing circles between her shoulder blades. “That’s better. Miss, can you sit up? I want to make sure you’re not injured.”

Nodding mutely, she allowed the man to help her sit upright and lean against the hard brick wall. She could breathe again, but she was still miserably hot. Lethargic fingers clumsily tried to unzip the top of her jumpsuit, desperate to vent the heat that had built up inside the thick fabric. Her hands were halted by a larger pair quickly grabbing them, however, as the voice shouted, “Whoa, whoa! Miss! There’s no need to get undressed!”

Her eyes finally opened enough to see a blushing, wide-eyed man around thirty years old staring down at her in shock and embarrassment.

“Please,” she whimpered, struggling weakly against his grip. “I’m burning up.”

His cheeks turned a dangerous shade of scarlet at her needy tone, and he looked away, clearly uncomfortable. “Are you at least wearing something underneath?” he choked out.

A tiny smile lifted the corner of her lips. It seemed her savior was either a gentleman or just incredibly shy. Good thing she’d had the foresight to wear a sports bra and shorts under the jumpsuit. “Uh huh. Please, I just…I need it off.”

“Ok. I’ll…help you undress, then.”

She audibly moaned in relief when the cool air touched her sweaty skin. Invigorated, she managed to peel the whole uniform off, a satisfied smile coming to her face as her temperature finally dropped. It was like jumping into a cool lagoon on the hottest day of the year, banishing the wretched layer of stifling humidity that had trapped her.

No longer panicking or burning up, Nami’s mind at last cleared enough to realize what she’d done. She’d managed to disobey every order Law’d given her—she ran off on her own, ditched her companions, and removed the uniform. She was in so much trouble when he found her.

She didn’t disillusion herself with the idea that he wouldn’t. Law’s abilities could let him scan the whole island and teleport her back to his ship in an instant if he wanted. It’s not like she could escape Grimm, either—she had no boat, no crew, and no real idea where to go, and she was smart enough to know he’d still probably spend his days searching for her, if for no other reason than she’d attacked his crew.

Oh, damn, I hope they’re alright, she thought, burying her face in her hands. Her wind attacks weren’t deadly, but accidents happened, and she really couldn’t remember exactly what she’d done in her panic. What if it had been strong enough to trip Ikkaku and crack her skull open on the street? What if it knocked Shachi over and re-broke his arm? What if it sent Bepo stumbling back into a stray, sharp piece of wood, impaling a vital organ? Nami might have been scared, but she’d never forgive herself if she’d brought any harm to them.

An awkward cough caught her attention, and forcing the dark possibilities that she’d killed her friends from her mind, Nami distracted herself by finally giving her savior a proper look.

Even sitting down, the man was large. About Bepo’s height by her estimate and as muscular as Smoker, he had a hooked nose, X-shaped scar across his chin, and blue eyes that stood out starkly against the black domino mask and the shadow cast by his pointed, plumed hat. His ginger hair was a few shades darker than hers, with thick sideburns framing his chiseled, lantern jaw. Nearly his entire outfit was made of midnight blue leather, from his gloves to his thigh-high boots to his bolero. Clipped to his broad shoulders was a long cape, also blue but lined with burgundy red on the inside. His chest was exposed, showcasing the enormous X tattoo adorning his torso, and at his side were two massive weapons—a saber and what appeared to be the lovechild of a mace and an axe.

That’s “Red Flag” X Drake, Nami realized, the Supernova’s wanted poster instantly popping into her head. He wasn’t quite as notoriously sadistic or infamously violent as Law or Eustass Kid, but it was easy to remember a pirate who’d defected from the Marines. She’d assumed he’d headed off to the New World like the others, but perhaps he was like Law and thought it better to wait things out?

“Are you feeling better?” he asked, deliberately keeping his eyes on her face.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Th-thanks for the h-help,” she replied with a stammer, desperately trying to convince her heart there was no need to panic again. Of course, her instincts knew better; X Drake was a pirate on the Grand Line and a Supernova at that. His bounty was even higher than Law’s, and probably for good reason. She was alone with him in a back alley with no crew to back her up, whether Straw Hat or Heart Pirate. A woman with her limited combat prowess stood a snowball’s chance in hell against him in a fight, and he was big enough to crush her throat with one hand if he wanted to.

Yet…he seemed nervous. The redness had faded from his face, but there was still a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. His posture seemed casual at first glance, but she could see the subtle tension in his neck and shoulders. Most noticeably, he was doing his damnedest not to look anywhere below her chin, even though his greater height gave him an excellent view of her exposed cleavage.

Drake was a rival pirate and former rear-admiral of the Navy, but she got the feeling that if she really needed to, she could easily escape by flashing him.

“Good to hear, though I really don’t think you should be stripping around here, and especially not asking strange men to help you. Most might consider it an…invitation,” he said, awkwardly scratching his jaw as he glanced away, blushing harder at the thought.

A small smile curved her lips. Yup, he was definitely trying not to stare at her half-naked body. Who would have thought a man as infamous as X Drake would be so bashful? “But not you?”

“I prefer my invitations to be enthusiastic and explicit,” was his stiff reply as he leaned against the wall beside her. Nami didn’t miss the brief, almost guilty glances he stole at her from the corner of his eye, though. “And certainly not from a woman in the midst of a panic attack.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said with a wink. She was feeling much more clear-headed and like her normal self now that her brain wasn’t being cooked, and the knowledge that X Drake had such an easily exploited weakness to her body made her relax. “Why do you carry around mikan perfume, anyway?”

The pink tips of his ears deepened. “It’s not perfume; it’s orange extract. During my time in the Marines, I had many comrades who suffered PTSD or panic attacks, and aromatherapy has been proven to be good for reducing anxiety—particularly citrus scents. I rarely experience them myself anymore, but it’s still useful during periods of extreme stress. Seemed to be rather effective on you,” he said with a raised eyebrow before quickly glancing away.

Taking pity on him, Nami drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them so he wasn’t given such a shameless view of her bountiful chest. “I grew up in a mikan grove. The smell reminds me of home.”

The corner of his mouth lifted, a look of understanding softening his stern features. “Does it? No wonder, then.” He handed her the bottle. “Dab a little under your nose and rub some on your hands—better safe than sorry.”

Gratefully she did so, relishing the refreshing, familiar scent of her favorite fruit. “Thanks. Guess I’m lucky you’re the one who stumbled across me, huh?”

“I’ll say. I was passing by when I saw you running like the Devil himself was after you. Piqued my curiosity, and I suppose not all of my Marine training has left me; simply had to help a damsel in distress.”

She chuckled, though it turned into a soft moan of relief as the bare skin of her back pressed against the cool brick behind her.

Drake’s brow furrowed as he looked her over critically. “You really shouldn’t sit around half-dressed out here, you know.”

“Because of men without invitations?”

“Because it’s far too cold to be walking around in so little, and with the sheen of sweat on your skin, you’re at a high risk of getting hypothermia.”

Nami stubbornly shook her head, though she frowned at the feeling of the damp ends of her hair against her bare shoulders. “Honestly, that damn jumpsuit was so hot, freezing to death sounds like a dream come true right now.”

“Yes, but I’m sure your crew would be quite distraught to find out you’d died in such an ignoble way.”

She stiffened at the mention of her crew. Was he talking about the Heart Pirates or Straw Hats? “Yeah, fair enough. I just really don’t want to get back in that thing,” she replied, toe nudging the boiler suit disdainfully.

Drake scoffed in agreement. “Considering whose emblem is on it, I don’t blame you.” Standing, he hoisted her to her feet as if she weighed nothing. Now Nami could see just how tall he was, completely towering over her. She thought he might get all flustered again as her cleavage was once more on display, but his intense blue eyes were fixed upon the swirling tattoo on her shoulder. “I must say, I’m surprised—I didn’t believe the outlandish rumors that Cat Thief Nami had joined the Heart Pirates, even after Jinzo started babbling about why he didn’t have my money. I figured he was just making excuses. And yet, here you are.”

She stiffened. Well, now she knew who the broker’s next appointment was supposed to have been. “Ah. I’m guessing he was mad?”

A red eyebrow quirked, and his lips twitched upwards in amusement. “He was quite vocal about what he hoped to do to you for costing him so much belli. You’re lucky I found you instead of any of his men. A woman by herself is already taking a great risk wandering around in these back alleys—even more so when she’s made an enemy of the island’s most unscrupulous black market broker.”

She gulped at the implication. Damn, Law really was right, wasn’t he? If someone other than Drake had come across her while she was helpless on the ground…

“Well, I appreciate the rescue,” she squeaked, deciding it was time to head back to the Polar Tang. Glancing up and down the alley, she tried to recall her steps. She’d pretty much run blindly through the alleyways, but she was certain her natural sense of direction could get her back to the docks. Sure, Law would be mad at her for running off, but he was a hell of a lot safer than Jinzo. She shivered at the memory of the man’s hateful stare as Law had led her away, certain she’d be in a hell of a lot of trouble if she ran into him in the grungy alley.

Mistaking her shiver for the cold finally getting to her, Drake unclipped his cape, wrapping it around her shoulders with a flourish, bundling her in tightly. “There. It would be a shame for you to die of exposure before I got you back to the ship.”

A small whine escaped the back of her throat as she was engulfed by the thick fabric, once more feeling stifled and too hot. She struggled to escape the long cloak, but he only wrapped her up tighter.

“Let me go,” so moaned pathetically, face once more flushing as her heart sped up. The material was softer than the boiler suit, but it was still heavy and suffocating, and Drake’s lingering body heat in the fibers made it worse. “It’s too hot!”

“Miss Nami, unless you’ve recently eaten some sort of fire-based Devil Fruit, I can’t imagine how you could be anything but freezing,” he said with a stern frown. “I understand you’re afraid of me, and with good reason, but I won’t hurt you if you come quietly. I’m not in the business of harming hostages unless absolutely necessary.”

“Hostages?”

A hint of a sly smirk tugged at his lips. “I confess, I am a bit miffed at you for causing Jinzo to reschedule on me—he owes me a lot of belli, and I was hoping to be off this damn island by now. Kidnapping you is not only cathartic, but profitable; your bounty’s hardly worth turning you in for, but perhaps Jinzo might make me a better offer. Or I could put your skills to use in exchange for your eventual freedom. After all, your thieving skills are quite notorious, and Trafalgar must have recruited you for a reason.”

Oh no. The last thing she needed was to be the slave of another pirate captain. “Um, how about you ransom me to Law?” she suggested hopefully. “I’m sure he could pay whatever you were going to ask Jinzo, and then some!” Angry as the Surgeon of Death might be about her running off and getting kidnapped, surely he’d be able to rescue her if he knew X Drake had her, right? It’d be easy with his powers, and there’d be no need to buy her back when he could snatch her away with a flick of his fingers.

There was a brief, angry flash of sharp fangs as he growled, “Because the less I have to interact with that smarmy bastard, the happier I’ll be. Don’t think I don’t see through your little scheme; why would he pay when his powers can easily steal you back? Besides that, I’ll be damned if I let that ingrate gain an extra advantage by poaching Straw Hat’s thief.”

“Let me go!” she cried. Drake’s sudden switch from surprisingly helpful to a legitimate threat to her well-being demanded she pull together what little energy she had and escape. The problem was she was running on fumes and in the clutches of an eight-foot-tall former Marine whose bicep was thicker than her waist and could probably crush her skull with one hand like a rotten apple if he desired. Fighting was definitely out, and with the way he’d swaddled her in his cloak, she couldn’t even flash him like she’d planned.

Desperate, Nami attempted to wiggle out of the heavy fabric, but he grabbed the collar and tugged her close, looming over her threateningly.

“Don’t bother trying to run—even if you did somehow get away, you’re covered in both my scent and the citrus oil.” For a moment, his eyes shifted, harsh, reptilian yellow overtaking the blue, and he took a deep breath through his nose. “In a rancid cesspool like this, I’d hunt you down easily. If you come quietly, I promise you will be treated well; perhaps even invited to join my crew, if you play your cards right. If you resist, I’ll have to switch the orange extract for chloroform, and the next time you wake up, you’ll be in Jinzo’s possession.”

Once more, her heart began to race, but thankfully her mind wasn’t overcome yet with memories and panic. “Look, I…I’m sorry if I accidentally caused you trouble, but Jinzo’s a cheapskate who’d rather kill you to get me than actually pay. And if what you’re worried about is my alliance with Law, it’s just a temporary partnership! I don’t even like the guy!”

“Nobody likes Trafalgar; he’s a sadistic asshole.” A massive arm wrapped around her tiny waist and he hoisted her up so her feet dangled above the ground, pressing her against his scorching chest. “And if that’s truly the case, then you have even less reason to resist—think of it as a rescue.”

“From the way things look, the only one she needs to be saved from is you, Drake-ya.”

A blue aura surrounded them, and in an instant Nami was out of Drake’s grasp and firmly in Law’s, one tattooed arm wrapping possessively around her bare midriff while the other leaned Kikoku casually on his shoulder. Hard plains of muscle pressed against her back, and she could feel his sharp chin rest on the top of her head.

Nami’s body was tense, but not as much as it had been with Drake. Some of it had to do with the essential oil keeping her calm and the cool air once more regulating her temperature, but it was mostly because, dangerous as he was, Law was the devil she knew. No matter how pissed he might be at her disobedience, he would protect her; she was his property, right? Arlong had certainly punished her for her misdeeds against him, but he’d never allowed anyone not on his crew lay so much as a hand on her.

Pirates didn’t like other people touching their things, after all.

“Been a while, Drake-ya,” Law’s smooth voice caressed her ears. “Making a move on my Cat Thief, I see. How’s that going so far? Have you told her how many people you’ve killed? I’m sure that always impresses the ladies.”

“Trafalgar,” Drake spat, glaring disdainfully between the empty cape in his hand and the man standing ten feet away. “I’m quite certain the woman belongs to Straw Hat, not you.”

“Hmmm, normally, but since I was nice enough to save his life, I thought it was only fair that he let me borrow her while he trains.” Law chuckled and Nami felt his nose playfully nuzzle her temple as his hand slid up to splay just beneath her breast. “You know I’ve got a thing for feisty gingers.”

The former Marine snorted in response as he donned his cloak. “Well, since she’s apparently the reason Jinzo had to reschedule our appointment, I think it’s only fair that I ‘borrow’ her for a while as recompense.”

“Sorry, she and I have dinner plans tonight. Besides, I did you a favor—he’s not as good as Kimo when it comes to honoring deals. Had the nerve to try and give me less than a third of our agreed-on price. If it hadn’t been for my little kitten here, you’d be trying to negotiate with a corpse.”

Hearing Law call her “kitten” made Nami shudder, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. It felt disturbingly familiar somehow and made the hairs on the back of her neck rise as goosebumps rippled across her skin.

Drake crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Jinzo’s unscrupulous scum, but he owes me money. Money that your ‘little kitten’ managed to swindle from him, the way he tells it.”

“If he’d brought the amount Kimo had agreed to pay me, I wouldn’t have needed her uncanny haggling skills.” Law cocked his head to the side. “Out of curiosity, how much does he owe you?”

“600 million belli.”

“He only had 725 million on him for his four scheduled deals, and he only planned to pay me 200 million. So even if his other clients were working for free, he had no intention of paying your asking price.” He let out a wry chuckle. “The man must have a death wish, looking to cheat two Supernovas in one day.”

Drake swore under his breath. “Fine. If he won’t pay me properly, I’ll just have to wring his neck and take the money from him. But considering how you still ruined my plans to leave this wretched place on schedule, I’m ruining your dinner plans. Now hand the Cat Thief over,” he growled, gripping the hilt of his saber. “I have a greater need for her than you.”

The nodachi on Law’s shoulder shifted in response. “Look, not that I’m opposed to you getting laid—anything to get the stick out of your ass—but Nami-ya’s mine.” The woman in question could practically hear Law’s smirk as he continued, “Why don’t you try the brothel the next street over? I’m sure the lovely ladies there will be happy to service your ‘needs’ for the right price.”

Drake gaped for a moment before sputtering, “I’m not looking to sleep with her!”

“Now don’t be bashful, Drake-ya! Sexual urges are completely healthy and natural, and I certainly don’t blame you for wanting a sexy redhead. Hell, maybe she can finally help you ditch your V-card.”

“You know I’m not a virgin!” he snapped, face flushing dark red in humiliation a second later as he realized precisely what he’d said.

Law’s grin widened, more than happy to take advantage of the slip. “Oh yeah—I do, don’t I? Never imagined I’d get to tame a dinosaur, but anything’s possible on the Grand Line, right?”

Nami’s jaw dropped as her cheeks heated. Holy crap, Law and Drake? Together?! She had so many questions.

“You didn’t ‘tame’ me,” Drake growled as he forced himself to calm down, though his ears still burned to match his ginger hair.

“Oh? So you’d let any man ride you? Slut.”

Maybe it was her imagination, but Nami swore she could feel Law’s erection against her lower back. Was he seriously getting turned on by this? She began to feel warm again as her own arousal spiked, much to her irritation. Could anyone blame her, though? Drake was not an unattractive man, and the mental image of him and Law battling for dominance in the bedroom was certainly titillating.

“Trafalgar,” he snarled, eyes morphing into their yellow, reptilian state, “either you hand over the woman right now or—”

“Or what? You’ll take her from me? Sorry, Drake-ya, but you know what a possessive bastard I am. I found her first, so she’s mine.”

“I don’t see your name on her,” he said petulantly.

Law spared the woman in his arms a small glare. “She’s a crafty kitten that likes to slip her leash sometimes, but I’m happy to stake my claim here and now.” A tattooed hand cupped her breast as her rolled his hips against her ass. There was no mistake what he had in mind. “Feel free to watch—you might learn something.”

There he went calling her “kitten” again, and his shameless groping nearly made Nami choke. She’d grown used to his flirting and suggestive touches, but he’d never been this blatant! Hell, compared to this, he’d been downright chaste when they’d made out in the mansion hall and when he’d given her that hickey! Was it his weird form of punishing her for running off? Or was it just to mess with Drake? Law certainly seemed to enjoy riling the other pirate up, but did he need to go so far as to threaten to fuck her in front of him to scare Drake away?

More importantly, would that even work? Law’d basically been putting her scantily clad figure on display for him throughout the entire conversation, but Drake didn’t seem nearly as flustered as he’d been when it had just been the two of them. Maybe Law’s insults and innuendos had distracted him enough to look past Nami’s full breasts and sensual curves before, but the way he was looking at her now…

It was similar to the hungry gaze Law sometimes gave her, only more feral. Animalistic. And she wasn’t fully sure if it was directed at her, the Surgeon of Death, or both.

Whichever it was, Law was playing a dangerous game of chicken, and if Drake snapped, she was the one caught in the middle.

The idea that the argument might morph into a violent, sexual brawl made Nami renew her struggles. “Will you both quit fucking talking about me like I’m some stupid toy you’re fighting over?!” she snapped, twisting and writhing in Law’s arms. “If you want to measure dicks, go ahead; just leave me out of it!”

Both men seemed momentarily taken aback by her outburst, though Law recovered quickly enough to tighten his arm around her waist. The sheathed nodachi pressed threateningly to her bare throat, saying without words that she was dancing on thin ice, and Nami reluctantly stilled. Out of the corner of her eye she saw gold eyes narrow at her defiance before his expression morphed back into a cocky smirk. “See, Drake-ya? This little kitten’s way too feisty for you to handle.”

“I only hope she scratches your eyes out,” he countered, though he did back off slightly, his eyes returning to normal. Ignoring his rival, he addressed the Cat Thief directly, though it was obvious her bare skin distracted him. “Miss Nami, I’m sure with Straw Hat missing you’re only associating yourself with Trafalgar out of desperation. However, I can assure you that you can do far better than this psychopath.”

Before she could answer, the alley was once more engulfed in blue, and Nami groaned as she found herself redressed in the Heart Pirate uniform. Behind her, Law sneered, “Maybe she can, but she’s paying off Straw Hat’s life debt to me, so she’s mine until her contract is up. I might be willing to lend her to you in exchange for a few favors, but that’s something you negotiate with me—not her.”

The jumpsuit was hot, uncomfortably damp with sweat, and combined with Law’s arms wrapped tightly around her, even more suffocating than before. Nami’s heart was once more beginning to race, chest rising and falling hard as she fought to draw breath. It wasn’t as bad as before due to the essential oil still lingering under her nose, but her body was slowly reverting back into fight or flight mode.

Tension rose as the two pirates glared at each other, neither noticing nor caring about the woman’s distress.

Pulling off a leather glove, Drake’s hand shifted into a reptilian claw before their eyes. Flexing his talons menacingly, he growled, “A debt, huh? Well, if I kill you right now, that should clear any debt away and she’ll be free to do as she pleases. How about it, Miss Nami? Agree to help me strip Jinzo of every last belli he’s ever earned, and I’ll be happy to tear Trafalgar’s head off.”

“You threaten that every time, Drake-ya, and yet the only ‘head’ you’ve ever gotten—”

“Law, please, let me go,” Nami cut in, desperate to gain some breathing space and shed the jumpsuit like a snake would its skin. His body heat made it even worse, managing to seep through the dense canvas into her back, and his hot breath at her ear sizzled the damp skin. Despite the lingering smell of citrus, her pulse fluttered, anxiety strumming her veins like guitar strings.

“Stay right there,” the dark doctor rasped, Kikoku dropping to press against her waist while his free hand slid up to wrap threateningly around her throat, “or I really will put a collar on you.” Glancing back up at the former Marine, Law flashed a dangerous smile. “You know, Drake-ya, there’s no reason we can’t all get along. Hell, why don’t you join my crew? The pay’s good, and I wouldn’t mind my very own pet Allosaurus.”

Drake’s mouth twisted in a deep scowl, though Nami didn’t miss the way his eyes briefly dropped to Law’s hand as it trailed down to trace the Heart Pirate logo on her chest. “I’m no one’s pet, least of all yours.”

“You say that now, but I think you’d enjoy it—I know I would. Two sexy, fiery redheads, naked in my bed is pretty much my ultimate fantasy. I’d even let you help me train Nami-ya—she needs to learn obedience, but I know you’ve got no trouble following orders, eh, Navy-boy?”

For a moment, Drake’s eyes lingered on them, and she swore it looked like he was considering it, especially when Law nipped her ear, making her gasp, her chest expanding upwards as her cheeks deepened to an obscene shade of scarlet. She could imagine she looked like a wet dream; sweaty hair tousled, face flushed, cleavage peeking out of the jumpsuit’s opening, lips parted as she panted lightly. Law probably looked just as tempting, with his inviting golden stare, dexterous fingers, and wicked smirk.

Law was absolutely giving an enthusiastic and explicit invitation, and both pirates had shown that Nami’s opinion on the matter was a mere afterthought.

The man behind her shifted, and this time she was positive she could feel the Dark Doctor’s cock straining against her. “Law, please,” she whimpered, sweat breaking out across her brow.

“Mmm, much as I love hearing you beg, Nami-ya, you’re just going to have to be patient. Unless you want to put on a show for Drake-ya?” Long fingers pinched the tab of her zipper, slowly pulling it down to expose more of her cleavage. “Give him a taste of what he could have if he joins us?”

That seemed to snap Drake out of whatever lustful trance Law had lured him into, as his face went bright red and his scowl returned. “Ugh, you’re a disgusting cretin, Trafalgar. I’m not subjecting myself to your presence any longer.” Tipping his plumed hat, he spun on his heel. “If you ever come to your senses and decide to ditch this sadistic bastard, Miss Nami, feel free to seek me out.”

“Damn. I was hoping he’d try to call my bluff,” Law chuckled as the tall redhead disappeared down an alley. “I’d love to show him how I discipline disobedient kittens when they run off.”

“You’ve got the weirdest kinks!” she snapped, struggling desperately in his arms. The moist jumpsuit rubbed unpleasantly against her bare skin like wet sandpaper. The sensation finally brought to light why Law’s new nickname made her so uncomfortable—Arlong had often referred to her as a kitten. Usually as a term of affection, but also a way to further show how little he thought of her species, that he regarded animals typically kept as pets as more worthy of his respect than humans. “Let me go—I’m not your kitten!”

Law released her long enough to spin her around and start walking her backwards with slow, sure strides, gold eyes drilling into hers. “And yet it’s the most accurate description I can think of—you’re a clueless little kitten who has no self-preservation skills likely to get ripped apart by wild dogs!” With a thump her back hit the rough brick wall, but any relief the cool stone might have provided was short-lived as Law pressed his entire body against her front to trap her. “Ditching the uniform was bad enough, but running off on your own? Making a scene in public and attacking your crew? If you were even half as smart as you claim to be, you never would have taken such a stupid risk.”

“I wasn’t thinking—”

“Damn right you weren’t thinking!” he snapped. “I don’t care if you think the uniform’s ugly or uncomfortable, when I give you an order, you obey it!”

“It’s just clothes!”

“If it were just clothes, you wouldn’t have been the one to make it such a huge fucking deal! The fact that you couldn’t follow such a basic order proves you can’t be trusted.” Without breaking eye contact, he reached down, dragging the zipper up to her neck and buttoning the collar so not an inch of flesh south of her chin was exposed. “Now, unless you want me to make good on my threat to discipline you, you’re going to leave that as it is. You managed to punt any leniency I had for your bratty antics right out the window. We’re going back to the ship, where you will be confined for the foreseeable future. If I have to, I’ll chain you to a desk where you’ll spend the rest of the year drawing maps and sea charts for me.”

Her eyes widened at the threat. It was far too much like her dream; like what she’d gone through with Arlong. Panic made her adrenalin spike, and with ever less ventilation than before, the temperature inside the suit rose further. “Please, Law, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t—”

Furious that she was still trying to argue, his voice was as hard and biting as ice as he said, “I’m not interested in excuses, Nami-ya. You disobeyed me, and even more damning, you attacked my crew. I told you when we first met that I’d make you suffer if you brought any harm to them, and I intend to keep that promise.”

“I didn’t mean to! They were threatening me!” she simpered, trying to pull away, but like the man pressed to her front, the wall at her back wasn’t going to relent for the sake of a small, terrified woman.

“Threatening you? Ikkaku, Bepo, and Shachi? If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable,” he snorted, grabbing her left arm in a bruising grip when she tried to unzip the uniform.

“They wanted to tattoo me! To brand me as your property!” Unconsciously she clutched her shoulder, fingers digging into the scars left by her old tattoo. “I couldn’t let them do that to me. Not again.”

“And why would they want to do that?” he asked sarcastically. “Convince me before I cut out your slanderous tongue.”

“So that I couldn’t escape. So that no matter where I went or how I tried to hide, everyone would see that I’m yours,” she whispered, eyes dulling as she recalled the judgmental glares the villagers would give her every time they saw Arlong’s tattoo. Even if it had all been an act, they had cut deeply at the time, and even now she felt overwhelming shame.

Tsking in irritation, he finally gave her a few inches of space. “You make it sound like I’ve enslaved you—you’re the one who came to me, demanding the I let you settle Mugiwara’s debt. What we have is a deal; join my crew until it’s paid off. But it’s pretty hard to do that if Drake-ya or others make off with you, isn’t it? So if I have to make you wear a uniform or even tattoo my mark onto you, so be it.”

Nami’s mind clouded, fear firmly taking hold. She and Arlong had had a deal, too, and he’d used every dirty trick imaginable to deny his cartographer her freedom. What made Law any different? How did she know he’d keep his word and let her leave at the end of the year? What was stopping him from chaining her up and keeping her as a pet, from basically enslaving her even as he called her a valued shipmate?

It was too hot, her flesh felt like it was melting off her bones, blood was pounding in her ears, her scars throbbed, and her vision grew hazy as she began to hyperventilate. In her mind, Law and Arlong shifted and blended together, and trapped and scared against her monstrous captain, panic finally overwhelmed her.

“I’m not your fucking property!” she screeched, slamming her fists against his chest, nails attempting to claw at his face like a caged animal. Unwilling to let her gouge his eyes out, he grabbed her by the wrists, pinning her to the wall with his full body weight. “Get off of me! I’m not your fucking shipmate, or your kitten, or anything! I’d sooner die than let you use me again! I hate you!”

“Will you calm the fuck down?! What is your problem—” Law snapped, but his anger shifted to concern as he felt just how sweltering her skin had become and how erratic her pulse was. The last dregs of irritation vanished as he finally allowed himself to carefully study her, taking in her flushed and sweaty face, unfocused gaze, and shallow wheezes.

His brow furrowed as he stepped back, surrounding her with his Room and quickly Scanning her.

“Fuck,” her bit out under his breath. “So that’s your problem. Nami-ya, close your eyes.”

“Why the fuck should I do that?!” she screamed, attempting to dart to the side, but her escape route was swiftly blocked.

“Because this’ll be a lot less traumatizing if you don’t watch what I’m about to do.” When her eyes widened further, he smacked his forehead, annoyed at himself for his poor wording. “It’s the birth control medication I injected you with—you’re having a bad reaction to it. The chemical imbalance is giving you a massive panic attack, and the stress is causing you to overheat, which is slowly frying your brain. I need to remove the drug from your system, and considering how squeamish you are, I can promise, you’re not going to want to see how.”

“I…”

His expression turned desperate as he beseeched, “Nami-ya, please, I know it goes against your every instinct right now, but I need you to trust me.”

Swallowing hard, she nodded, forcing herself to close her eyes as tightly as possible and hold still despite her legs trembling with the urge to run. He was right; she needed to trust him. Law wasn’t asking as her captain, but as her doctor. He wouldn’t hurt her any more than Chopper would. He was trying to save her, and she needed to have faith that anything he did was for her own good.

“Room. Shambles.”

A strange sensation overcame her. It was almost like she was floating, and while she could still feel her individual body parts, it was…dull and disjointed, almost numbed, like when your foot falls asleep and you wiggle your toes.

Then came another odd feeling. The closest she could compare it to was what she imagined it would feel like to be a sugar cube slowly dissolving in a glass of water, but the heat and adrenaline slowly vanished, and bit by bit, her heart began to slow to a normal pace.

When she opened her eyes, she was sitting on the ground, the sweaty uniform in a neat pile by her leg. Law knelt before her, studying her face and body intently. His mouth was a hard line and his gold eyes cautious as he asked, “How are you feeling?”

“…cold.”

With a relieved chuckle, he pulled off his hoodie and carefully slipped it over her head. “Well, better than heat stroke and cardiac arrest.” He sighed, giving an apologetic frown. “I’m sorry the drug fucked you up so badly. I must have gotten the ratio off. I can’t even remember if I’d informed you of the potential side effects. At the very least, I shouldn’t have administered it when I was functioning on so little sleep—it was irresponsible of me as a doctor.”

Gratefully, Nami slipped her arms into the long sleeves, soaking in the residual body heat in the soft fabric. The sweatshirt was long enough to be a mini-dress on her, and she very nearly tucked her legs inside to block out the chilly air. Her skin was slick with sweat, and the cold air and stone beneath her was leeching the heat from her body. Now she understood why Drake had been so concerned about her lack of clothes. “It’s my own fault. I should have told you I was feeling weird. I just figured it was my body needing time to adapt and me being stressed about…stuff.”

The skin beneath the DEATH tattoos went white as Law gripped Kikoku harder. “No, it isn’t alright—I should have demanded a follow-up appointment to check how you were doing instead of putting my focus on fucking fertilizer. And I definitely should have noticed there was something wrong with you—you were literally having a panic attack in front of me, but I was too stubborn to acknowledge it.”

“Law, I know my body—I should have realized there was something wrong with me. And you were a little…distracted.”

“So, we’re both idiots, then?”

Nami couldn’t help the wry smile that tugged at her lips. “Guess so.” She glanced over at the jumpsuit. Part of her was nearly tempted to put it on due to how cold she suddenly felt, but one touch of the sweat-sodden fabric quickly changed her mind. “Look, I get that I don’t have much of a right to ask, but do I still have to wear this?”

Law frowned at the damp uniform. “Not until it’s been laundered and properly dried, at least. I’m taking you back to the ship regardless—I want to run some tests to be sure the birth control is completely out of your system, and you’re staying in the infirmary overnight for observation.”

“Yeah, makes sense,” she said sadly as the familiar blue aura overtook them. In a blink they were in the Polar Tang’s infirmary, their sudden appearance making Penguin jump from his place at the desk.

“Law! You found her!”

He tossed Kikoku to the first mate before hoisting Nami onto the examination table. “Yeah, but I’m going to need you to run some blood tests for me and fetch some clothes and toiletries from her room—she’s sleeping in here tonight for observation.”

Penguin nodded before rushing out the door, barely giving the navigator’s lack of uniform a second glance. Meanwhile, Law strode over to the cabinets, pulling out blankets, pillows, and towels. “What other symptoms have you been having?”

Rubbing her arms, Nami replied, “Nightmares and trouble sleeping, but that’s it.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to sleep tonight?”

“I should.”

“Good, then I won’t give you a sedative. I’m not risking putting anything else in your bloodstream until I’m 100% sure what caused your reaction.”

“Thank you,” she said softly, “for removing the drug. And…not making me watch how you did it.” Law was sadistic and cruel, but that moment of compassion spoke volumes of how much he cared about a patient’s well-being. It was a fascinating juxtaposition—the doctor and the pirate. One that made her respect for him rise a little.

“You’re welcome. Thank you for trusting me.” He gave a small smirk as he handed her the supplies. “Assuming there are no lingering side effects I should be able to declare you well enough to go to dinner with me tomorrow night.”

Her head shot up in surprise. “You still want to do that? Even after I attacked your crew? After I tried to claw your eyes out?” Good God, she expected Luffy to be that forgiving, not the Surgeon of Death!

“You did it under the effects of a drug that I improperly administered—I have no one to blame but myself. Plus, I already made reservations.” At her disbelieving expression, he shrugged. “Honestly, Ikkaku, Shachi, and Bepo weren’t even mad; they were more scared something would happen to you.”  

“Really?”

“Really. I was the one who was pissed.”

Draping a blanket over her cold legs, she snorted. “Clearly. Would you have really made good on your threat?”

“Which one?”

Unconsciously, her hand fisted the blanket. “Chaining me to a desk and forcing me to make maps for you.”

“That’s the one you’re most worried about?” he asked, bewildered.

“Let’s just say it’s something that would have happened to me if Luffy hadn’t intervened.”

Law’s brow furrowed when she didn’t elaborate, and he crossed his arms in irritation. “You’re welcome to your secrets and privacy, Nami-ya, but considering how you very nearly clawed my eyes out over it, you’re going to have to give a better answer than that. I can’t know what will trigger you if you don’t tell me.”

“Maybe I’m not comfortable with someone like you knowing my weaknesses.” She shot him a glare. “You seemed to take a lot of creepy pleasure in threatening to put a collar on me, among other things.”

The brim of his hat cast a shadow across his eyes as he scowled. “I’m a sadistic bastard—I’ve never hidden this. But I was trying to scare you into compliance, not give you a panic attack.”

“Either way, it doesn’t exactly inspire me to trust you.”

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. In the harsh light of the infirmary, the circles under his eyes seemed even more pronounced. “Nami-ya, I’m sorry I went too far. I was angry and keyed up from dealing with Drake-ya.”

A scoff and a roll of her eyes was Nami’s immediate response. “Yeah, sure, ‘keyed up’. Personally, I would have gone with ‘horny as hell’.” She blushed slightly at the thought. Looking back on it, that moment had felt like something from one of her raunchier novels. And she really needed to not imagine what the two Supernovas would be like together. Who would top? Drake was certainly the larger man, but she had a hard time picturing Law being submissive, control freak that he was….

She shook herself from her musings as Law responded, removing his hat to run a hand through his dark hair, “We have…history. Generally when we meet, we either try to kill each other or fuck. In such close quarters and with you as a liability, I didn’t trust my chances if it came to a fight, so yeah, I fully leaned into the sexual tension.”

After the day she’d had, Nami should have been immune, but she couldn’t help but appreciate how hot he looked when he mussed his hair like that. Her blush deepened as she glanced away. “Well, you should have left me out of it.”

“Drake-ya’s shy with women. I knew he’d turn tail and run if I got you involved.”

Much as she wanted to, she couldn’t quite argue his logic, mostly because it was completely fucked up. “Bullshit; you were totally hoping for a threesome. You are seriously such a freak. Next time, just teleport us out of there.”

“He was talking about kidnapping you,” Law countered, leaning in and resting his hands on either side of her thighs. His breath tickled her face as he continued, “I needed to make sure he knew you were completely off-limits.”

Her eyes narrowed as she leaned back slightly. “I thought we established that I’m not your property?”

“Nami-ya, that’s the way it is—if you’re not strong enough to protect yourself, you’re the property of someone who was strong enough to claim you.” For a brief moment, his eyes softened, getting a faraway look as he lifted his hand to gently brush his knuckles across her jaw. “I know you hate it, but for now, accept that it’s the only way to protect you from the monsters of the world. Because believe me; there are men far worse than me who’d love to get their hands on you. Men who don’t have my limits.”

Her breath caught at his gentle action, and Law seemed to snap out of his reverie, quickly pulling away to grab her chart from the filing cabinet. “Penguin should be back soon to draw some blood and examine you. I need to tell the rest of the crew you’re back, safe and sound. You’re still confined to the ship until dinner tomorrow as punishment for worrying everyone.” Without looking at her, he tossed her chart on the desk and left, all but slamming the door behind him.

Wide, brown eyes stared at the metal barricade in shock. What was that about? Where had that flash of softness come from? Was he seriously running off because of a moment of…what? Kindness? Affection? Concern?

It seemed like every time she thought she had Trafalgar Law figured out, he had to do something to completely throw her.

Her thoughts were disturbed by a brisk knock on the door.

“Come in,” she called hesitantly.

Penguin stuck his head inside, little stuffed bird on his hat bobbing slightly. “You ok?”

Tugging at the black sleeves of Law’s sweatshirt, she sighed. “Fine, I guess. Managed to not get kidnapped by X Drake, thanks to your captain.”

“You ran into Drake? My condolences.”

“He was actually pretty nice up until he decided to take me hostage.”

Penguin chuckled as he tugged on a pair of latex gloves, grabbing her chart and the medical supplies he needed. “No, the condolences are for having to watch him and Law interact. It’s been going on since we were terrorizing the North Blue, back when Drake was tasked with bringing us down. The boss is not subtle when he hits on him, and Drake’s usually a coin flip between trying to kill him and pinning him against a wall. Makes things super uncomfortable for the rest of us.”

His look of exasperation drew an easy laugh from the redhead. “Yeah, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife. Law all but proposed a threesome.”

“Unfortunately, I believe it,” he groused as he rolled up the sleeve of the hoodie to expose Nami’s arm. Swabbing a patch of skin with a sterilized cotton ball, he continued, “I’m not sure if Drake brings out his kinky side or if he just did it to mess with you two. Probably both. Boss has a thing for gingers.”

“Then why doesn’t he hit on Shachi?”

“Oh, he did, briefly, when we were teens, but once he realized Shachi wasn’t into dudes, he backed off.”

“Dare I ask how Law found out Drake was interested?”

Penguin threw her a teasing wink. “You’re gonna have to get me seriously drunk to tell that story; I’ve worked damn hard to repress it.”

Nami had to laugh. Though he could be an awkward flirt and sometimes a bit too hard on his crewmates, Penguin was an easy guy to like. He was definitely the big brother of the ship, bullying Shachi and Bepo during downtime but quickly stepping up and making sure they were alright when things got serious.

His mouth turned down in a reluctant frown. “Look, I hate to bring down the mood, but as first mate, I have to know; why’d you run off?”

Averting her eyes, she nervously twisted the blanket in her hands. “What, Shachi didn’t tell you?”

Carefully inserting the syringe into her vein, he began drawing blood. “Figured I’d hear your side of the story before I made my judgement. Law gave me a quick run-down on how the medication gave you a panic attack, but something had to trigger it.”

“You mean besides nearly being cooked to death in that hideous jumpsuit?”

As he removed the needle and taped some gauze to her arm, he gave her a serious, but not unsympathetic, look. “Heat stroke can certainly cause a person to be unreasonable, but Bepo said you were yelling about not being ‘that monster’s property’. I know Law’s not the nicest guy around, especially when compared to Straw Hat, but he hasn’t done anything that would warrant that kind of reaction from you, has he?” he asked, eyebrows furrowing with genuine concern.

Blunt white teeth worried her lower lip. Part of her wanted to say he had—killing Harpin, threatening her, all the things he’d done to earn his reputation—but in reality, she’d seen much worse from other pirates, and he’d done enough halfway decent things—giving money to the jewelry seller, saving her from the Baron, his kindness towards his crew—that she couldn’t even bring herself to lie. “Well, no…”

“You don’t have to spill your life story, Nami; everybody has baggage and things that set them off. Everyone on board cares about you enough that we want you to feel happy and safe, but you need to trust us enough to tell us if we’ve done something to make you uncomfortable.”

She sighed. She may have been able to avoid this talk with Law, but it was clear Penguin wouldn’t be distracted by snarky jabs or petty fights. It was hard to argue with him, too, when it came from a genuine place of concern. And someone should know, right? At least a little bit? Enough to set some boundaries between her and the rest of the Heart Pirates. “Look, I admit, I was being a brat about the uniform, and Law’s stupid medication made things a hundred times worse, but when they started talking about tattooing your Jolly Roger on me…I snapped, ok?”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not one of you. You guys aren’t bad—better than most pirates, at least—but you’re not my crew.”

“What’s wrong with getting along with your allies?” he asked as he labeled the vial of blood and jotted a few things onto her chart. Most might think he wasn’t really paying attention to her, but Nami knew by now it was his way of giving her a small bit of space; putting her at ease by not making her feel like she was being scrutinized and judged.

Smoothing the blanket over her legs, she replied, “Nothing. The problem is when they refer to Luffy as my ‘old captain’ and act like I defected from the Straw Hats. I’m here for Luffy’s sake, and in two years, I’m going to be his navigator in the New World. Nothing is going to change that.”

“You’re pretty loyal to him, huh?”

She caught his eye, and with a look that left no room for argument, stated, “If it weren’t for him, my entire village would be dead and I’d still be forced to work for my mother’s murderer. I owe him everything, Penguin. He didn’t recruit me—he freed me.”

The first mate nodded in understanding. “Kind of like how Law freed Jean Bart?”

“You could say that.” She rubbed the spot where Arlong’s mark once lay, fingers absently tracing the scars. “Look, I’m sorry I ran off and worried everyone. I’m really sorry I attacked them. But—I was forced to join a pirate crew when I was ten. They pinned me down and branded me with their Jolly Roger so the whole world would know who I belonged to. I can’t…”

He held up his hand to cut her off. “I get it. Even if it was just a joke, they triggered some bad memories. I’ll tell the crew to ease up on calling you a Heart Pirate, and absolutely no talk of tattooing against your will. But it’s still ok to consider you our shipmate, right? At least for now?”

She gave a watery smile, using Law’s sleeve to wipe moisture from her eyes. Funny, she hadn’t even realized tears had formed. “Yeah. I can live with that.”

Jotting a few more things on her chart, he handed her the fresh set of pajamas and one of the towels. “Good. I’ve gotta go run these tests; go grab a shower in the meantime. I’ll be back in an hour with dinner and to take your vitals, and then you’re going to get a good night’s sleep. Those circles under your eyes don’t make you any less hot, but this ship isn’t big enough for two sleep-deprived, stubborn pirates.”

Despite his light tone, Nami frowned. “You’re going to tell everyone about my past, aren’t you?”

A warm, gentle hand rested on her shoulder, covering up Arlong’s scar. “Not if you don’t want me to; it’s not my place. What you went through…I’m not gonna lie and say I don’t want to murder the bastards who did that to you.” Nami could feel the tension in his fingers and heard his teeth grit in anger. It was clear he’d connected the dots between the scars and her story. “I mean, to brand a fucking child…”

“I’m ok,” she said softly, as much to herself as Penguin. “Luffy freed me. It’ll never happen again.”

“Damn right it won’t.” Taking a deep breath, he pulled away, once more composing himself. “I’ll just tell the crew that you’ve been through some shit in your life, and because of it, you wouldn’t leave Straw Hat any more than we’d leave Law, so we should ease up. They’ll understand.”

“Thank you.”

He gave her hand a quick, comforting squeeze. “You really should tell Law all this, though. You’ve seen how intense he gets, but if he knows he’s opening old wounds, he’ll back off. Guy’s got demons even I’m not privy to, so he’ll respect there are certain lines he shouldn’t cross.”

With a smile, Nami returned the gesture. “You’re probably right. You really are everyone’s big brother around here, huh?”

“I’m the first mate; it’s my job to keep things running smoothly and take care of disputes between shipmates.”

“In that case, could you do me a favor?”

XXX

The next morning Nami was rested, physically feeling better than she had all week, but worried about facing the crew. Despite the affirmations that nobody was upset that she had run off, at least not once they learned it was in response to improperly administered medication, she still felt nervous. Penguin had told them to ease up on treating her like she was part of the crew, but was that a good thing? Would they now treat her like an enemy, or hold her at arm’s length? Was the easy camaraderie she’d started to share with them over, sacrificed for the sake of maintaining her status as a Straw Hat?

However, despite her nerves, she had no reason to skip out on breakfast in the galley. Law had stopped by the infirmary long enough to Scan her and give her a clean bill of health (and also steal back his sweatshirt) while Penguin had come through with her request.

“Think these’ll smooth things over?” she asked the first mate, holding up three wrapped gifts.

Penguin shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t think you even needed to go this far—none of them were really angry, and you didn’t injure anybody. But it can’t hurt…though I can’t promise Ikkaku won’t still make you suffer just a little bit; in a way, it shows she cares. It’s when she goes completely cold with a person that you know you’ve fucked up.”

“You know this from experience?”

“When we went to Amazon Lily and most of us went gaga over the women there. I think the fact that we acted like we’d never even seen a woman before really hurt her pride. She’s a tomboy, but she’s still a girl, you know? Probably sucks when every guy on board forgets that. Flat-out wouldn’t talk to anyone but Bepo for a week—hell, the silent treatment ended only a day before you got here!”

The mention of Amazon Lily piqued her interest. Hadn’t Law mentioned they’d been there once? And apparently, it hadn’t been too long before she’d arrived. “Wait, Bepo was the only one she’d talk to? Did Law act like a lovesick idiot, too?” It was hard to imagine, but if the women of the island were as beautiful as stories said, anything was possible.

“No, but he made a pretty stupid comment that rubbed salt in the wound.”

Though Nami was curious as to what Law could have possibly said to piss off Ikkaku, she was forced to push that mystery aside as they’d arrived at the galley.

“Ready?” Penguin asked, watching for any sign of distress from the navigator out of the corner of his eye. Though he honestly felt she had no reason to worry about his crew’s reaction, he wouldn’t force her to confront them if she wasn’t ready.

Taking a deep breath and adjusting the packages in her arms, she nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”

The door opened to reveal the rest of the crew sitting at the various tables, sipping coffee and chatting quietly, a few catching up on what they’d missed over the past few weeks from the pile of newspapers. Several of them looked up and greeted her with sleepy hellos, and Nami nodded in acknowledgement, though her attention was mostly focused on the fact that, though there was bacon and eggs and a few rolls, breakfast seemed to mostly consist of assorted fruits.

From his spot at the table Law glanced over his shoulder at her and chuckled at bemused expression. “Morning, Nami-ya. Care for an apple? Winter melon? Kiwi? Apricot? Pomegranate?”

Her brow furrowed at his casual greeting. After he’d disappeared last night, she’d assumed things would be awkward between them. His brisk visit that morning had only reinforced that belief, but here he was, making cheeky comments with that smug grin of his.

Before she could question him, or the fruit, Penguin lightly nudged her shoulder. “You didn’t hurt anybody, but that gust of yours did upend a few fruit stands, so Ikkaku had to buy it all to keep the vendors from causing a scene. You never know who might be a spy for Jinzo in this town, and from what I heard, you earned yourself a place on his shit list.”

“Which is another reason you’re not to leave the sub until dinner tonight,” Law added as he took a bite of a bright red apple. He met her gaze as he chewed before saying with a smirk, “That’s an order, by the way. One you won’t have a problem following, right?”

Swallowing down her instinct to argue with him, she nodded stiffly. “Right.” Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the table, bowing deeply as she held two of her packages out to Shachi and Bepo. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you yesterday. Please take these as a sign of my sincerity.”

“You didn’t have to, Nami,” the bear said, twiddling his claws. Despite his fur, one could almost see a pink blush on his cheeks. “Penguin explained what we did to set you off, and we weren’t upset at you.”

“Did Law get mad at you for losing me, though?”

His ears drooped. “Well, a little, at least at first—”

“Then I owe you an apology. I promised wouldn’t do anything to get Law mad at you, and I broke that within four hours of making it. You’re getting an apology gift.”

“Well, to be fair, you said you’d never intentionally get me in trouble…”

“Just take it, Bepo,” Law said, taking another bite of his apple. “You managed to get the greediest pirate on the Grand Line to willingly spend money on you; if you keep arguing, she’ll change her mind and charge you double for it.”

Nami glared at him, though it faltered when he threw her a conspiratorial wink.

“Well, ok,” the Mink agreed, taking the parcel at his captain’s encouraging nod. Shachi followed suit, though he appeared more suspicious than apprehensive.

“When exactly did you have time to get these?” he asked, eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses, “Because I sure didn’t see you buy anything that could be for us yesterday.”

Nami pointed at the first mate. “I made Penguin do the actual purchasing, but I told him what to get and it was my money he used to buy them. I never left the ship.”

Mollified, Shachi ripped off the wrapping paper, laughing heartily at the orca-shaped hat. “Oh, this is fucking perfect!”

“She asked me to get the ugliest, dumbest hat I could find,” Penguin said with a snort. “The local hat shop practically paid me take it of their hands. It’s like it was made for you.”

“Yup, and now you have to suffer for it!” he crowed, tossing away the green and pink and pink hat and replacing it with the killer whale.

Meanwhile, Bepo happily tucked into the enormous salmon, fresh from the Grimm fish market. He spared a thumbs-up, declaring his approval of the gift, and Nami giggled. He was like Luffy, in a way; buy him lunch, and you were friends for life.

“Take it easy, Bepo; you’ll choke on a bone,” Ikkaku said from behind her. Nami turned to find the older woman shaking her head. “You really don’t have to do this; we’re all just glad that you’re safe. Honestly, I’d settle for an explanation,” she said with a meaningful frown, “but I also get opening up isn’t easy, especially to people who aren’t your crew.”

“Yeah, but given time, I might be willing to open up to a friend.” With a nervous smile, Nami held out a box. “I kind of owe you this anyway, so you’re taking it whether you like it or not.”

Without a word the engineer opened the box, eyes widening at the slinky, silver dress that glimmered back at her.

“Thanks, Nami,” Ikkaku said with a small smile. “This’ll be perfect for when we go out tonight.”

“You still wanna go?” Nami gave Law a sideways glance. “Assuming I’m even allowed.”

Ikkaku scoffed. “You’re my only female friend on this ship; like hell I’m giving that up over a little freak-out. And of course the captain’ll let you join me for Ladies Night,” she said, raising an eyebrow at the Dark Doctor in challenge. “Right, Boss?”

Law held up his hands in surrender. “So long as she stays with you and you’re both on your best behavior, I’ll allow it. After she has dinner with me.”

Beaming in triumph, Ikkaku bumped her hip into Nami’s. “See? We can do each other’s hair, and you can complain about whatever stupid thing Law says or does tonight over drinks.”

A bright grin lit up the redhead’s face. Penguin had been right—they really weren’t mad. “Sounds perfect. And I’ll pay you back for the fruit, too, since that was my fault.” Whatever the cost had been, it was well worth keeping Ikkaku’s friendship.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Just meant we got our produce shopping done a little early. But if you’re that worried,” she said as she strolled over to her table, grabbed a plain white box, and sauntered back, handing it over to Nami with a grin, “here. A peace offering of my own.”

Brow furrowing in confusion, Nami peeked in the box, only to immediately slam the lid back down, face a brilliant scarlet.

“You. Bitch,” she ground out. Ikkaku was so lucky she hadn’t really opened it in front of everyone—what was she thinking? Dear God, what if Law had seen what was inside?!

“Just a little something to help you out when those trashy novels can’t get the job done,” Ikkaku cackled, ducking away as the blushing thief attempted to smack her over the head. “And now we’re even!”

“What’s in it, Nami?” Shachi asked, shit-eating grin telling her he already knew. “What’s in the box?”

“A severed head,” she lied, glaring at him, white-knuckled grip crushing the corners of the package.

“Is it one of mine? I think I misplaced one,” Law chuckled from his seat. He reached for the box, grin stretching his face. “Let me check.”

“Hands off!” she snapped, yanking it away. “It’s none of your damn business!”

“Room.”

“Fuck you, Trafalgar!” she shrieked as the box vanished and reappeared on Law’s lap, replacing the apple he’d been munching on. Her attempt to retrieve the damming parcel was thwarted by Ikkaku grabbing her around the waist and spinning her around, laughing as she shrieked indignantly.

Opening the box, Law pulled out a pair of fuzzy black handcuffs. “Strangest looking head I’ve ever seen,” he said, twirling them around on one long finger. “Though full marks to whoever sculpted the dildo. Even got the veins right.”

The whole galley cackled as the blushing navigator buried her face in her hands, mortified. Part of her wanted to rip their tongues out, but another part accepted that she deserved this. Penguin hadn’t been kidding when he said she’d suffer, but she could also feel the mood lighten significantly.

“So, still up for Ladies Night after your dinner with the captain?” Ikkaku asked as she set her down, grin wide and unrelentingly smug as she threw an arm around her shoulders, playfully mussing her hair. “Or would Miss Straw Hat rather stay in and play with her new toys?”

Despite her humiliation, Nami felt a smile pull at her lips. “You’re an absolute bitch, Miss Heart Pirate, but yeah, I’m in. And for what you just put me through, you’re buying the first round.”