#i'm like zoro in that i can't stand sanji but i would also fight to the death if it meant he lived

[theweirdhybrid]

Oh, my favorite One Piece character? Sanji! Unless he opens his mouth. Then my favorite is Ace.

[princeoftheeternalbog]

Would op boys catch you if you fell? Lets find out next time on dragonball- no sorry it just reminded me of that narrator ANYWAYS.

I only did boys because i didnt have much inspi for Nami and Robin so i decided to wait until i do cos I don't wanna half arse stuff.

So anyways I feel like I saw someone do this idea already but it might've been just one character like a law x reader? I'm not sure but I would love to tag them so if you know please tell me ! I will also try to make sure mine is different :p.

Luffy

Depends. Like if he's fighting or eating then probably not but if he thinks you might get hurt then he will 100% attempt to catch you. Key word being attempt. Poor boy probably makes the fall 10x worse, like if you trip on one step you're suddenly falling down the entire flight of stairs with a weight on top of you. He will apologise though so at least there's that.

Zoro

He always catches you. Or prevents the fall in the first place. He tells himself it's so you're not unnecessarily out of commission for a fight but really he's a huge softie. Though he always catches you really ungracefully, llike there’s no princess carrying here, he's holding you upside down by the ankle with one hand fr. He scolds you every time too like- "Why do you never watch where you're going" or "Tie your shoes next time idiot", which you should hear as "I can't stand watching you get hurt". Cutie:(

Sanji

Oh you know he does. He lives for romance and what's more romantic than saving your beloved from certain doom (tripping on a rock). Oh he also does it in the most dramatic way possible, he'd rather throw himself to the ground underneath you then let you hit the floor, he's doing twirls, picking you up with one arm, occasionally will throw you in the air first so he can rearrange what he's holding. Menace tbh, like he's just obsessed with teasing you in any way possible.

Usopp

Another one who tries his best…tries🙁. He's always so dramatic about it too, he literally screams your name like you're in a horror movie and everyone is always like "WHAT'S WRONG?!" and Usopps just "Oh they tripped on a step". He either injures one of you in his attempt to catch you OR you both end up in the most compromising positions just as someone walks past . He goes so red trying to explain the situation while also trying to check if youre okay😭.

Franky

Oh every time and it’s smooth as hell every single time. Says super cheesy lines every time like “OWWWW GUESS YOU FELL FOR ME BABE”, and he gets sparkly eyed every time, he loves romance as a genre and finds it superrrrrrrr(😚) cute when something happens that matches a trope he's read. If he didn't catch you he'd probably panic and constantly apologise but just give him a kiss and he'll forget about it soon enough.

Brook

Catches you every time, really gently and really romantically. Instead of just full on catching you, he'll purposefully slow your momentum to minimise injuries in case his attempt at grabbing you fails because then you'd both fall and he'd rather not. Like if you trip into him then he'll pull you both into a delicate spin type of dancing and you're like huh??? He thinks its a really cute trait to be honest but it also makes him really worried about your safety so he likes to keep one hand on you at all times.

Jinbei

Catches you as often as he can, like he won't sprint across the ship to stop you from falling but as long as you're in his reach you will never hit the ground. And he always catches you really gently like you barely feel the impact so sometimes you won't even notice you've tripped until later when you see the scuff on your shoe or something. He really likes holding your hand to make sure you ‘keep your balance’.

Law

He doesn't want to look soft so he tries to force himself not to catch you for just harmless falls...yeah no that doesn't work. As soon as he sees you losing balance you hear that ever familiar room, shambles and then you're in his arms. If it's later in your relationship then he's a menace, he will use this to tease you, like "Oh. Looks like an angel fell into my arms" with this stupid ass smug smirk. He's just really obsessed with you.

Kidd

Catches you most of the time unless it's gonna be really funny. Also he catches you super awkwardly, like he's so obsessed with you but he never knows where to put his hands because hes not used to giving affection so it's like just in the most ungraceful ways. You are literally being held up by his arm around your thigh or something and you're like what the fuck and he's just stood there 🧍🏻‍♀️.

Killer

Prevents the tripping and catches you if necessary. But if you're too clumsy then he just starts getting huffy and hauls you up into his arms so there's no risk of you falling whatsover...and then you bang your head against the ceiling- He probably feels so bad if you get hurt because of him to be honest, he tries so hard to make you happy yk. Anyways at some point he just starts adding cushion to all the potentially harmful areas on the ship so even if you do fall it doesn't hurt.

[gatitties]

HEYYYY I hope ur doing fine!! And that ur having a happy thanksgiving/ Christmas! I got a request for u!! I saw ur rules and saw that you can write for demon slayer too! And i wanted to ask.

Can I request a Strawhats x Teen!Tanjiro! Reader? Where the reader is a sweet, compassionate and kind kid. They have a heart of gold and they’re very responsible and respectful!! Though they can get annoyed when someone is rude or being cowardly. But they’re so sweet and encourage others so much!!! They always go around doing chores, cleaning, helping out without needing to be asked. They’re so lovable and cuddly!!! And the crew loves their youngest member!! They’re not afraid to ask for help and they know when to let others handle it without a complaint, always smiling and being gentle and sweet with others!!

Take your time with the request!!! I love your writing sm and I hope u never stop! Please and thanks!!!❤️

─Strawhats x teen!Tanjiro!reader (Platonic)

─Summary: You are the most admirable and educated person on the ship despite being the youngest person, your senses make you stand out in addition to your kindness.

─Warnings: none

I'm sorry it took me so long to answer this, but a lot of things accumulated, I hope you like it and that you had a nice Christmas 😭🫶🏻

─ You are probably the most trustworthy person on the entire ship even if you are the youngest.

─ You are so reliable and kind, you always sit and listen to Nami's problems when she gets irritated, you solve the fights between Sanji and Zoro, you have long talks with Robin about books that she recommends to you…

─ Everyone appreciates your presence because you are reassuring, no matter what problem they are in, you will always make sure that before acting, everyone thinks with their heads, at least almost everyone since it is impossible to stop Luffy's impulses.

─ You practice your sword movements with Zoro, although you have no one who can teach you or guide you better in your breathing methods.

─ Chopper is stressed when you decides to risk your health for the sake of others, which is, most of the time.

─ You are young and you still don't know many things about the world, which is why you are always hanging around the ship, asking random questions in order to learn more, Jinbe is always your trusted source when you don't know about something, Brook and Robin also help because of who are from the elders.

─ You love playing with Luffy, Chopper and Usopp with anything they propose, however you are out of pranks if you know they might bother someone, it's fine if they are innocent pranks.

─ You are willing to help with anything, Franky loves that you are his little helper even though you have no idea about the materials he asks you to give him.

─ When Sanji discovers your good sense of smell, he decides to train you in the kitchen so that you can not only smell danger, but also good food.

─ The first time they saw you hit your head on something they thought you would have a concussion later, however you got up shaking your head to remove the remains of the thing you had broken.

─ Luffy wants to launch you like a missile after seeing that, just to see how many things your hard head can break.

─ Don't worry, Nami will hit him kindly just for thinking about using you as a weapon of destruction.

─ This crew loves you, but seriously, you can't take pity on all your enemies, some will take advantage of your kindness.

─ The least they want is for you to be affected by your gentle personality, they will fight to maintain that warm smile that makes them melt as if you were the sun itself.

[snippychicke]

It's Just Business -- Four

Fandom: One Piece (LA mainly)

Rating: Teen so far

Pairing: Sanji/Reader

Warnings: No real warnings, but god, I hope you like pining

Summary: You felt like you had known Sanji forever, considering your family had been the main merchants Zeff used to supply the Baratie. You had a small crush on him, but knew it was hopeless considering you were the one woman he didn't seem to pine over. 

It was fine. Or so you thought until you ended up on the Going Merry as a bookkeeper and supply manager. Being around him 24/7 was a lot more difficult than just a few days a week.  

(Please note 》°《 denotes a scene in the past while -*- will be a regular scene break. Because yeah, I like my non-linear story telling.)

Masterpost | Ao3

Coco village was freed of Arlong after several long years. You had already talked with several of the townsfolk about restarting trade routes to help restore their village-- they did have some of the best tangerines in the region, after all. Plus, being the closest to the Baratie meant even fresher items for the restaurant, as well as a large boost to their own economy. 

Business was your trade, and one of the very few ways you could help out. You also helped Sanji prep food for the entire community as a celebration, which challenged the small set of culinary skills you did have. Still, you would take it any day over the fight had left you wondering how you were even standing. 

(You also desperately tried not to think that this might be the last time you watched him cook. To see the light in his eyes as he mentally went over his recipe, assuring everything was going to be perfect. 

Eventually the evening wore into the middle of the night and you found yourself sitting at one of the few bonfires still burning. You were nestled between Nami and Sanji (Well, closer to Sanji than Nami) with the rest of the Strawhat crew circling the fire as well. You enjoyed just listening to the others, the events of the day leaving you tired. It was probably more than okay for you to slip away to bedrolls Nami’s sister had prepared for the crew, or even trekking back to the Going Merry to crash, but you felt reluctant to leave. Even if you were struggling to keep your eyes open. 

"It'll be nice not to be the only girl onboard," Nami sighed during a lull in the conversation, making you frown as you glanced over at her. "Being surrounded by those three was hard enough, let alone Chef Flirt."

Sanji leaned forward, giving the redhead a wink. “Just want to make sure you’re aware how beautiful you are, Nami dear”

Your chest tightened. You had assumed she had known, but then again, Luffy was still insisting you were part of the crew. "Actually…I'm not staying." Your words caught the attention of everyone else, and suddenly you had five pairs of eyes staring at you, making things even worse. "I came to make sure you idiots got here safe and sound,” You insisted against the looks of disbelief that everyone was giving you. “I can't just abandon my job and become a pirate." 

Even if Sanji was doing the same thing. Even if Zeff himself had encouraged you to embrace the chance if you had found it appetizing. And… you kind of did. Even with the fighting, you enjoyed being around the Strawhat Crew and could see yourself becoming quick friends with all of them.

"But you're part of our crew," Luffy was the first to actually protest. "Even with our Navigator back, we need you at the helm! Plus you’re the bookkeeper!" 

“Your ship isn't that big that you need both a navigator and a helmsman,” You argued. “And surely between the five of you, you can manage your own supplies and ledgers." 

"We have a thief, a liar, and Luffy," Zoro of all people pointed out, opening his eye that had been closed before. "And I'm not keeping track of anything." 

Before you could argue, Sanji nudged your shoulder. "You really want to keep ferrying supplies back and forth to the Baratie the rest of your life? The same thing you've been doing since we were kids?" 

Your stomach twisted at the thought. At seeing the firelight reflected in his eyes as he gave you a pleading look. "Well, no," You admitted slowly. Especially considering he wouldn't be there anymore. You loved Zeff, Patty, and everyone else. But… No Sanji to talk and tease? It would be like the restaurant lost its heart…. 

But it was the responsible thing to do. It was good, steady, profitable work. 

"What's your dream?" Luffy asked, staring at you intently from across the fire, the flames flickering in his dark eyes. (There was just something about this boy you couldn't put your finger on that both scared yet compelled you at the same time.)

Dream? You huffed at the thought as you shook your head. You never really had a dream; just short term goals. You had been happy enough with life that you never really questioned what the future could hold. You had listened to Sanji talk about the All Blue through the years with fondness as well as envy. Nothing brought you passion like that. Nothing called you so much to daydream about it day after day, year after year. 

"I don't have one," You admitted quietly with a half-hearted shrug. 

But Luffy refused to take that as an answer. "Surely there's something you want?” he pressed. “More than anything?" 

Something you wanted more than anything? More than anything, you… just wanted to be happy. But compared to Luffy’s dream of being the King of Pirates, Zoro’s goal to be the world’s best swordsman, and Sanji’s own dream of finding the All Blue, your ‘dream’ (if it could really be called that) would likely fall flat. No matter what Nami and Usopp’s own dreams were. 

You shrugged your shoulders. “Not really? I mean, seeing new places would be fun," You offered, hoping no one could tell your cheeks were darkening in the firelight. “But I don’t know if it's enough to compel me to leave everything I know behind.” 

~*~

Sanji swore he could feel his heart drop into his stomach as you dug your heels into your refusal. The bright future he had just been daydreaming of suddenly grew dark as you faded from it. 

Were you really so against the idea of joining the crew? Of becoming a pirate? Despite pirates being the cause of your parents death, you hadn’t seemed to hold any ill-will to the so-called profession itself. Plus you had just admitted that you didn’t want to stay in the same routine for the rest of your life. 

Without thinking, Sanji placed his hand over yours, bringing your attention to him. Those wide, bright eyes that he loved so much, now filled with doubt, worry. 

“What about finding the All Blue together?” he asked softly, squeezing your hand softly. In all of his daydreams of finding the uncharted area, seeing the mixture of all the four seas together, you had been right there beside him. To the point he couldn’t  imagine the All Blue without you there, grinning ear-to-ear and just as excited as him. 

You bit your lip as you looked away, though you squeezed his hand softly. He could tell you were lost in thought, allowed you a moment to go over the pros and cons in your head as you always did, debating if it was worth the risk. 

(Please, he prayed, let him be worth the risk.) 

You sighed in defeat, leaning against him suddenly with your head on his shoulder. “Okay, fine. I’ll join your crew.” 

He heard the other cheer, but it mostly fell on deaf ears as he untangled his hand from yours so he could wrap his arm around your shoulders, squeezing you tightly as he pressed a kiss to your hair. “Thank you,” he whispered to the crown of your hair. 

"I've sailed the same stretch of water all my life,” you stated just as softly. “It'll be neat to see other places for once."

Sanji was determined to show you the world as you searched for the All Blue. Whatever it took so you didn’t regret your choice. He’d hunt down every natural and man-made wonder to make it up to you if need be.  

》°《

"Oh god, you're gonna be one of those," You swore when you found Sanji on the back deck of the Baratie that was restricted to staff only and mostly filled with crates and barrels of overstock. 

But your focus was on the thin white cigarette in his mouth, the lit tip bright in the shadow cast by the restaurant. A lot of the cooks smoked, so it wasn't surprising to see Sanji had picked up the habit. Yet you couldn't help wrinkle your nose--mainly just to give him grief. 

"Oh shut it. I've heard enough from Zeff," He grumbled as you perched yourself on the crate he was leaning on. 

"He means well." Sanji merely grunted at your defense of the older man. Silence fell and blanketed the air as you both looked out at the ocean, listening to the waves gently lap at the sides of the restaurant. 

"I guess I should break the news," You sighed, and watched his shoulder tense as he took a deep inhale of the cigarette. It had been a few weeks since the death of your parents-- since you found your way back to the Baratie where you had been accepted with open arms by the crew, proving they were every bit the family you had felt. Yet you knew you weren’t one to stay in one place, used to having the wind in your hair as you headed to the next destination. Bussing tables, waitressing, all the jobs you were qualified for on the Baratie drove you up the wall after doing it for a few days in a row. 

He knew you couldn’t stay still, and you knew he didn’t like the idea of you leaving. 

But the suppliers Zeff had reached out to proved that they did not hold to the same kind of quality that you believed the restaurant deserved. "I'm going to take over my parent's route. My vessel will be smaller, so I'll have to make more frequent trips, but like Zeff said, that just means fresher ingredients for the restaurant." 

The relief in Sanji's frame was easy to see, warming your heart. You even caught a small smile on his face as flicked away the ash into the ocean. "Aw, were you worried, lil' eggplant?" 

He rolled his eyes, though his smile didn't fade even as he looked up at you. "Didn't want to have to deal with some random idiots that don't know what they're doing. That's all." 

"Mmhmm," You hummed doubtfully as you slid down from your perch to stand beside him, nudging his shoulder with your own. (You were a little irritated that he had reached his growth spurt and was now taller than you.) "Either way you're not getting rid of me that easily. You're gonna be stuck with me forever." 

You couldn't imagine leaving the crew after everything. Just being alone the few days between the restaurant and port made you nervous enough. But you had to pull your weight, prove that while you may not serve the restaurant directly, you were vital enough to keep around. 

What you weren't expecting was Sanji suddenly wrapping an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him to the point your back was pressed against his chest as he muttered in your ear. "Is that a promise, lil' miss." 

Your heart was pounding in your chest from the near-sultry tone. You knew he was just playing, just seeing if he could get you flustered. A game of chicken. That's all this was. You pushed away the butterflies and twisted in his grip and wrapped your arms around his shoulders with a devious grin, hoping your blush didn't betray you. "It's a threat, my good sir." 

Sanji smirked, his gaze lingering on you for a long moment before he leaned in, pressing a kiss to your forehead. A friendly gesture… or so you had convinced yourself as he let you go. 

Because there was no way he saw you like the fancy ladies that visited the Baratie. Not when you had known each other for so long. You were friends. Friends that playfully flirted just like you bantered and cussed each other out. 

 Right? 

[an-au-blog]

Coffee shop au where Sanji has a cute aesthetic Cafe for all the pinterest cottage core girlies to enjoy (they all think he's gay and that's why he always giving them compliments, cuz he's so girliepop)

One day Zoro comes into the Cafe, in all his macho glory looking like a Yakuza member. And Sanji thinks 2 things. First: "Oh great, here's another "alpha male", who will order a black coffee and brood in the corner" and second: "He's going yo scare all the cute girls away".

But then he orders a cute sugary drink and it catches Sanji off guard. Then to add to that, it turns out he was waiting for his friends. Usually it's Kuina, Tashigi or Johnny and Yosaku (sometimes even Perona joins). And he looks like a different person: smiling and laughing, he's not scary, he's goofy. He came in almost every day. Turns out the Cafe is close to the dojo Zoro goes to.

What really topped the cake was what happened when he came in almost before closing. It was just Sanji wnd Zoro left. Sanji had to practically kick him out of the shop because he was just sitting there, nursing an almost empty cup.

Eventually Zoro tells him that he would like to talk to him. But Sanji really wanted to go home so he told him after he closes the Cafe they can talk thinking Zoro would flake out. But he didn't. in fact they've been talking for the past half an hour and Sanji didn't notice when he had started laughing at the other's jokes.

Sanji was locking up, Zoro just standing by him waiting, still as agitatingly patient. Then they hear a lary screaming about someone stealing her bag and before Zoro even turned around Sanji was kicking the theif's ass.

He want back to where he dropped his stuff off with Zoro. "Sorry, I can't leave a lady in need. Thanks for not, you know... stealing my stuff and running off or whatever."

Zoro, who developed a crush on the cute barista from the first time he came in, who was convinced and bullied by his friends into asking him out today, who JUST NOW found out he's not only cute and sweet but can also fight???

And in the panic of it all he just blurts out "Oh fuck i think I'm falling even harder"

And before Sanji could finish saying "What" Zoro pulls him into a kiss.

After getting over the enitial shock, Sanji started kissing back.

[pooks]

part 4 of straw hat! Ichiji and we're at the last legs of the East Blue Saga; Arlong Park and Loguetown arcs

finding Nami and encountering the Fish Men

Ichiji arrives to a new island, along with Sanji and his new captain Luffy. on the journey there, he and the others were filled in by Johnny and Yosaku about what happened previously.

Sanji is in denial that Nami would have anything to do with Arlong while Ichiji is more rational and believes that there might be blackmail involved.

when they re-encounter Nami again, Ichiji realizes that he was right in his theory but he doesn't have the whole story and he decides that he can't interfere with something he have no business with, not when Nami rejects them.

Ichiji becomes very annoyed with Sanji's lovestruck behavior and outright tells Zoro that he has his full permission to fight Sanji if it shuts him up (and Zoro took that to heart, judging of how many times he would bicker and fight with Sanji in the future XD)

"Fight him, argue with him, tie him up, kick him in the ocean-I don't care! Just make sure he doesn't make a damn fool out of himself! I need to think." - Ichiji's exact words.

Ichiji, in dire situations, is a thinker and he sense that something is wrong here. compared to his crew maters, Ichiji responds to being attacked by the Fish-Men in a rather cold, calculated way. he hates to admit it to himself, but his training at Germa never left him and he uses it to his advantage. the Fish-Men discovers the hard way that Ichiji is not a "normal human" when he takes barely a scratch or even a bruise. when asked what he is, Ichiji replies in a chilling way

"Oh, I'm no human. I'm a monster."

Arlong, upon hearing about this, decides that Ichiji could be useful for him and orders his goons to take him alive to Arlong Park.

common ground with Nami

when the straw hats re-encounter Nami during her breakdown of being betrayed by Arlong, Ichiji understands that they're not so different after all; both of them has made a deal with a "devil" to save something they love (Ichiji, for Sanji and Nami, for her village). when Luffy declares that they're moving out to Arlong Park to defeat Arlong, Ichiji extends a hand to Nami and tells her that he has, also, sacrificed like Nami.

Ichiji then parts the hair that covers his left eye and reveals to Nami and the straw hats his secret; there's a star-burst shaped burn scar on his left eye. his eye is unharmed, but he tells them this was the prize to pay for the freedom of someone he loves. Sanji is the only one who isn't surprised about this revelation, but he looks away before anyone can see he's silently crying. Zoro catches on Sanji's reaction but says nothing (because what can he possibly say in this situation?)

they walk to Arlong Park, in the badass iconic way as they do

fighting Arlong and the Fish Men

Ichiji fights with his legs, just as Sanji does, and this is where he unlocks "Sparkling Red" for the first time. his new "power" reinforces his kicks in a more powerful way. Ichiji doesn't know what's happening to him and he has a mild crisis over it until Zoro shouts at him to focus on the fight and worry about that later

it doesn't take long for him to understand that whatever Judge experimented on his during those six months of hell is now paying off; he knows that something has changed and he has a strange power, but he uses now Sparkling Red to his advantage

of course, in a very villain-esque way, Ichiji do encounter Arlong and he gets the whole speech about a human-looking non-human would belong with his midst. Ichiji coldly laughs at the idea and says "why would I align myself with someone who doesn't keep their word? a true man would always keep his word, fish-men or not."

he reflects back on Zeff's "lessons" about being a man. the third lesson was that a real man always keep his word and stands for it.

with Sparkling Red enhancing his speed and strength, Ichiji no longer holds back and defeat most Fish-Men (the force of Sparkling Red spreads across his legs, like sparkling red lines wrapped around his legs and thighs)

he gets worried about Zoro a lot (he got his wounds reopened and has a fever), but trusts that they can pull through this and they can address Zoro's injuries afterwards

Ichiji panics when he sees Arlong Park collapse and nearly assumes the worst...until Luffy emerges from the wreckage and claims victory. overwhelmed with joy, Ichiji can't resist from hugging Usopp and dances merrily with him.

the mood is nearly ruined because of corrupt Marines and Ichiji learns fast from Nami what happened to the money she had struggled to earn to buy her village back from Arlong.

now, it's already established that Ichiji hates marines, due to they always turn to the Baratie being entitled bastards and this doesn't help. he calmly walks to Nami's side when she beats up Nezumi (the corrupt marine captain) and asks for her permission to handle this. and Ichiji just gives Nezumi a real slasher smile and says "i've never liked Marines, they always come to the Baratie and acts like entitled bastards who owns the world. but i hate corrupt marines even more. how about...there is one less corrupt marine in the world?"

he doesn't really plan to kill Nezumi, btw. but he wanted to scare him shitless...which works. Usopp later remarks that he was a little scared too and it felt like Ichiji could set the whole world on fire and destroy kingdoms with just his glare.

leaving Cocoyashi and Luffy's first bounty

the straw hats spends three days on the island, which allows Zoro to get healed up and the whole island parties to celebrate their newfound freedom. Ichiji takes in all the joy around himself and he feels at ease, seeing so many people so happy.

he thinks about Germa and silently wonders that if Judge had been a half-decent person, could've Germa Kingdom become something like this? a small kingdom, but with good monarchs and happy people. he sits down and looks up in the night skies, wondering if his mother are seeing him and Sanji and if she would be happy to see them happy and free.

onboard the Merry, the straw hats are sailing towards their last stop before the Grand Line...Loguetown, which is famous for being the birthplace and deathplace of Gold Roger, the infamous Pirate King

Luffy's first wanted poster has arrived and the crew is shocked to see his head is worth 30 million berry. Usopp is especially happy to see himself in the background of the wanted poster (just the back of his head, tho) which irks at Sanji's annoyance. Luffy, Usopp and Sanji acts silly while Nami is frustrated over their lack of taking this seriously.

Ichiji is more concerned since he figured that with Luffy having a 30 million bounty on his head, stronger opponent might come after them. he goes to consult Zoro about this and Zoro reveals that he had the same mindset, having one solution; they need to become stronger and more prepared.

Ichiji says it's only a matter of time until all of them gets a bounty on their heads. Zoro smirks at this and bets that he'll get his first wanted poster before Sanji.

entering Loguetown and cursed swords

as they docks at Loguetown, Ichiji decides to accompany Zoro when he aims to find two new swords to replace his destroyed ones (by Mihawk). Ichiji, who was trained in swordmanship at Germa when he was a child, advises him to inquire a shopkeeper about the quality about the words they're potentially selling.

Zoro jokes that he didn't know he had a hidden rival regarding swordmanship on the crew. Ichiji only shakes his head and says he doesn't aim to become a swordsman, just because he knows how to fight with swords, and his dream is to chronicle their adventures. Zoro asks him if he would write a book about him becoming the world's greatest swordsman and Ichiji answers "what made you believe that I wasn't already?"

this ends up in their first meeting with Tashigi, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Zoro's deceased friend Kuina, and Ichiji senses that Zoro is agitated, trying to calm him down. he also witnesses Zoro's "test of luck" and has a panic-induced anxiety...until he sees that Zoro's luck won against Sandai Kitetsu's "curse". Zoro also obtains Yubashiri, an heirloom blade and the finest one in shop. Ichiji feels very honored of witnessing this moment and declares to Zoro that he's certain that Zoro's adventures as a swordman will become a very good book.

Ichiji doesn't have a too high opinion of Tashigi, considering his distaste for marines in general, and he's quick to counter her argument regarding pirates or bountyhunters using legacy katana swords.

"And I suppose you are the one who decides who gets to bear a sword then? A sword is a responsibility and you bear it with honor and respect. To bear a blade like Wado Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu or Yubashiri...it's a big honor and their owner treats his swords like companions, not as tools. A word of advice, my lady. Don't assume things when you don't have the full story. It'll save you the embarrassment of being wrong." - Ichiji, during his call-out to Tashigi

Luffy's "execution" and Ichiji's "rage"

Ichiji is horrified when he sees Luffy being nearly executed and he's furious at the responsible pirates behind it. he shouts at Buggy, asking who he think he is to lead someone in a trap to execute them and where is his proper honor, that he should fight like a pirate, face to face

(Buggy is visibly annoyed by Ichiji's outburst and it doesn't help that he doesn't see a new pirate face. all of sudden...he sees a replica of Shanks)

the events that unfolds is pretty quick. Luffy is rescued by a cloaked "stranger", Smoker is unnerved by Luffy being similar to Gold Roger and Buggy, Alvida and their goons are defeated

Zoro and Ichiji, along with Sanji, re-encounter Tashigi who reveals being a marine and it irks at Ichiji's temper. she accuses Zoro for "tricking" her and Zoro is more unnerved by her uncanny resemblance to Kuina.

Ichiji's temper is finally pushed when Tashigi badmouths pirates. being raised by a pirate who sacrificed his leg for him and his brother, being raised among ex-pirate turned cooks and being a pirate himself, Ichiji has nothing but respect for them. marines, however, are the scum of earth for him. he, more or less, explodes.

"Marines...more like tyrants with too much power at hand and playing demi-god! I've lived my whole life on a restaurant that doesn't discriminate pirates, marines or civilians and YET, only marines has the gall to act like spoiled, entitled and ungrateful bastards! I have heard about Axe-Hand Morgan and how he treated people like insects under his boot! And it has only strengthened my decision to never trust a marine, even if I lay dying on the ground. If you believe that you're better than anyone, just because you happened to be a marine, then lay off! Marines doesn't save pr protect people! They want to control them like puppets!"

Zoro and Sanji ends up dragging Ichiji off his feet as he's going off. Zoro subdues Ichiji by pressing on "pressure point on Ichiji's back, forcing him to become relaxed and half-conscious. Sanji whispers to Zoro that marines is pretty much a berserk button for Ichiji and vaguely mentions there was an incident at the Baratie when they were fifteen, but he have no details except Zeff told him to never mention it if he wants to keep his ass from looking like a jolly roger.

the straw hats ends up successful in their escape and realizing that they can no longer linger in the East Blue, they set course straight to the Grand Line. but not before they have a cast off ceremony and make a pledge for their dreams.

Ichiji pledges to write and chronicle the adventures of the greatest Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy.

(end. part 4)

(read part 1, part 2 and part 3 here)

[bluegalaxygirl]

Celestial Wedding (ZoLu X Reader) P18

Plot: Reader gets taken as revenge for Luffy and Zoro's defiance against the Celestial Dragons, they were just going to kill her to make an example but now theres a wedding????.

Warning: Bad language, Violence and Making out .

Thank you to @herwritingartcowboy for the suggestion. Reader is Female and a gunslinger, Zoro X Luffy X Reader, Poly relationship, established relationship.

Thank you all for the love on this series i hope you all enjoyed it. <3

P1 - P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6 - P7 - P8 - P9 - P10 - P11 - P12 - P13 - P14 - P15 - P16 - P17

On the walk up to the Sunny you go to wave at Luffy only to see he isn't where you last sore him, its not odd for him to bounce around from place to place so you didn't think much of it until a strange feeling washed over you. "You ok?" Zoro asks next to you squeezing your hand a little harder to get your attention "Y-yea, just something seems different" You state making the swordsman hum trying to use his Haki to see what you might be sensing, its only until you get onto the deck of the Sunny that Zoro lets out a chuckle, You look up at him in confusion, but he lightly brushes a hand over your cheek. "There's nothing to worry about baby" The swordsman steps closer to you placing a kiss on your forehead which you lean into "Hay there you two are" Brook calls out as he walks out of the aquarium bar and over to the two of you. Its only then you realize how empty the deck is, other than the three of you no one else is around. "I'm glad you found him Y/N, i was beginning to worry since i came up empty-handed" The skeleton stops in front of the two of you as Zoro gives Brook a nod, his own way of saying thank you without actually saying it. "Thanks for the help Brook but where is everyone?" You ask looking around the empty deck, Brook lets out his classic laugh seeming happy about something "We'll you've missed quite a bit, most of the others are still getting the ship ready but Luffy, Sanji and Robin are entertaining our guest" You raise an eyebrow at his words wondering who he's talking about "A guest?" You ask earning a nod from the skeleton "Sabo finally turned up" Your eyes widen at the name as joy fills your body.

You were so worried about Luffy's brother since he hadn't shown up yet "That's great, is he ok? is he hurt?" You ask stepping closer Brook who puts his hands but Zoro pulls you back with a laugh "I'm sure he's fine, Come on lets go and say hi" Zoro guides you up the stairs and to the kitchen letting Brook breath again, you sigh trying to calm yourself down, as you walk closer to the kitchen you can hear Luffy's laughter along with Sabo's voice. A smile forms on your face happy to hear Luffy so happy with his brother now around, Zoro opens the kitchen door letting you in first to see Luffy sitting at the head of the table with Sabo sitting next to him, luckily the blonde brother didn't have any bandages or bruises, he looked perfectly fine. Robin sits next to Sabo looking over a new paper while Sanji stands in the kitchen cutting up some vegetables. "Y/N-chan would like a cup of tea?" The cook calls out once he see's you while putting his knife down and cleaning his hands on a towel "Yes please" You smile back at him only for the smile on the cooks face drops when Zoro walks in after you. "And where the hell have you been moss head?" Sanji yells making Zoro growl about to storm over to the cook and start a fight when Luffy runs up to the two of you, the captain crashes into Zoro avoiding you since he didn't want to hurt you but he couldn't contain his excitement. "Y/N, Zoro...You found him nice job muffin, i knew you could do it" Luffy gives you a big smile happy that you could do it on your own while Zoro looks down at his captain his arms trapped by his sides but the swordsman still tried to wiggle free while also trying to breath despite the tightening of his captains arms.

You can't help but blush a little at his faith in you "Thanks Lu but i had some help" You smile but Luffy didn't seem to care as pulls away from Zoro letting the man breath normal again while pulling you into a light hug not wanting to hurt you. Wrapping your arms around him you happy hug back letting your chin rest on his shoulder "It seems I've missed quite a bit" You giggle as your captain smiles up at you, its great to see him so happy, it makes your heart flutter. You turn to look into the room seeing Sabo stand out of his seat giving you a smile "Sabo, its so good to see you" You greet as Luffy takes yours and Zoro's hands pulling you over to the table, neither of you offer up any resistance "Hay Y/N, Hay Zoro, Good to see you two, you both look great after being in such a big fight" The blonde brother smiles as Zoro nods his head as a greeting the man. Pull away from the captains grip you take a step closer to Sabo and bow a little "Thank you Sabo for saving my life, i ow you so much... I'm glad your ok, to be honest you had me worried" You state wanting to show your respect and gratitude to the man who saved you from death. Sabo's eyes widen a little at your actions but soon relaxes and rubs the back of his head with a small laugh "You don't ow me anything, You helped us out a lot with what you did" Now it was your turn to be shocked, looking up at the blonde brother you raise an eyebrow at him "We'll talk about that later, you have to see this" Luffy smiles pulling on your arm a little forcing you to follow him to the end of the table, scattered out are several wanted posters which makes your jaw drop.

Robin finally looks up from the paper she's reading while lightly giggling at your reaction as Sabo sits back in his seat letting Luffy show you the new wanted posters. Zoro grins while picking up his seeing its gone up quite a bit, the photo wasn't new but that didn't matter to him, Luffy picks put your bounty poster and hands it to you managing to snap you out of your shock. Luckily the photo hasn't changed but your bounty is now way up, more than you ever expected. "Why does it say only Alive?" You ask as your eyes scan the paper a pit forming in your stomach at the thought if being caught and sent back to them alive. Luffy's smile drops as he wraps an arm around your waist pulling you into him, he thought you would be happy but with your smile gone and worried eyes the only thing he could do was comfort you. Zoro raises an eyebrow but places an arm around your shoulder while pressing a kiss to your head, Sanji's walks over and places a cup of tea down on the table before giving you a kind smile "There's no need to worry Y/N-chan, you won't go back there" You look up at the cook finally taking your eyes off the wanted poster and managing to give him a small smile. "Yea, we won't ever let that happen." Luffy gives you a determined look before placing a kiss on your cheek his smile growing back on his face. Robin's giggle gets you to turn your attention to the black haired woman who shows you a sweet smile "I'm sorry Y/N but it looks like your stuck with us" You can't help but laugh at that, she says it like it's a bad thing but there's no where you would rather be.

Zoro hums into your ear as a small smile grows on his face happy to hear that laugh of yours "I won't let them have you... Your mine" He growls the last bit making you blush as he attacks your neck with a light bite making you squeak in surprise. Luffy can't help but laugh as you push on Zoro's chest who continues to playfully growl into your neck while giving you light bits, soon Robin lets out a laugh but Sanji's face goes red with anger. "Stupid Moss head, dont attack her" Sanji yells earning a glare from the swordsman who doesn't take his mouth off your neck, you can't help but giggle while trying to lightly push him off you since it didn't hurt "Your just jealous curly brows" The swordsman soon stops taking his head out of your neck to grin at the cook whose face goes redder with anger, as the two snarl at each other like rabid dogs Sabo manages to get your attention "I don't mean to interrupt but i don't have a lot of time to stay and i was hoping we could talk" The blonde brother smiles up at you but you could see there was some slight worry in his face, you nod before patting Zoro's shoulder getting the swordsman to take his eyes off the cook who turns and walks back to the kitchen in a huff. Luffy sits down at the head of the table before eagerly patting the chair on his other side wanting you close, walking around the table you take a seat in front of Sabo while Luffy grabs your hand his smile somehow growing bigger.

You take the cup of tea Sanji made for you and take a sip as Zoro sits down next to you looking across at Robin who slides the newspaper over to Sabo "I don't mean to rush things but its kinda hectic at HQ and i had a hard time finding this place, if it wasn't for Luffy's Vivre card i wouldn't have found you at all" Sabo sighs taking the newspaper off Robin and looking it over. You nod wanting to know what's so important but by the way Sabo is gripping the newspaper your sure it has to do with its contents. "I'm glad you found us but you missed the feasts" Luffy leans back in his chair as he watches his brother let out a small laugh "I'm sorry i missed it but i'm glad we have this chance to talk, Thanks to everyone fighting i managed to sneak in and get some valuable information." Sabo explains turning his attention to you, his hands grip the new paper harder, there was some kind of confliction going on in the blonde brothers eyes making you a little concerned. Luffy reaches over to his brother and pats his shoulder "We've missed a lot but the paper explains most of it" Robin explains trying to help Sabo along. "It talks about him. Do you want to read it?" Luffy asks after his brother sighs still unsure about handing you the paper because of Charlos, his pictures and name is on every pages talking about the wedding and the fight along with the aftermath. You take a second to think and mentally prepare yourself for what your about to see before nodding.

Letting go of Luffy's hand to take the newspaper which Sabo hands you looking over the front over before turning to the first page. "We may have missed a lot but i think it's a good thing we waited until now, a lot of good has come out of the fight, and we now have more information about everyone involved" Robin smiles at you feeling proud of what everyone has done, looking over the newspaper there was a lot to take in, the first page talked about the events leading up to the wedding and then the wedding day itself. There wasn't a lot of important info, it talked about the dress maker, the church's history and wedding traditions which you glossed over hardly taking note of what it was talking about. When it go to the fighting you started to realize the extent of what your crew went through and the extreme actions the marines took to stop them. "I can't believe you guys did all this" You whisper while scanning the page full of writing and pictures of the damages, Luffy puts his hands behind his head and let's out a laugh while Zoro chuckles next to you leaning over to have a look at the paper with you "Come on Babe, you know us, we're not going to leave everything standing" The swordsman comments making you smile while leaning into him slightly, of course you know they would do a lot of damage but it still surprises you. "It doesn't say in the paper but thanks to you we got a lot more support and new members" Sabo pipes up getting you to look up from the paper.

It takes you a minute of thinking to figure out what he's talking about, so much happened that you completely forgot about what you said and did after saying no to Charlos "Oh that... well i was mainly just buying time, more like rambling" You can't help but blush, you knew the cameras were on you and you wanted it to do some good but you didn't plan for it, you just said what ever came to mind and along with adrenaline it turned more into a ramble than a speech, in your mind at least. "No, it was perfect, you stood up to him, said things to his face that others have wanted to say for so long and after all that... You lived. It inspired so many people that we got a little overwhelmed, the slaves that managed to escape during it all also joined us after we helped them get away and some marines even quit their jobs." Your eyes widen at his words, there's no way one rambling speech could do all that. It made you proud that your actions managed to influence others, no one should be kept caged up or live in fear of someone. As proud as you are, you can't take all the credit since if it wasn't for Luffy and Zoro, Rosward would have killed you or Charlos would have beaten you to death. "We'll i'm glad but i'm sure Luffy and Zoro also helped with that, i mean punching a celestial dragon and blowing up two celestial dragons on live TV must have helped" You laugh remembering that moment with joy, at the time you didn't get to enjoy the moment but now your looking back on it you couldn't help but laugh and smile at what they did.

Zoro sneaks his hand around your waist while placing a kiss on your temple "Don't sell yourself short" he whispers to you happy that you find joy in what him and Luffy did but at the same time he didn't want you to doubt your own actions, Luffy lets out another laugh before leaning forward and taking your hand "It was fun to punch that guy in the face again" The smile on your captains face makes your own grow as you squeeze his hand. "Speaking of which you should turn the page, there's a few photos of the dragons but i think there's one you'll like" Sabo smiles pointing to the paper, you hesitate a little but soon turn the page seeing photos of the dragons and the destroyed city but the one that really caught your eye was Charlos in a hospital bed, his face almost unrecognizable if it weren't for his nose, he's on a ventilator and surrounded by wire, tubes and bags, he also has multiple casts and bandages covering his entire body, no skin was from his head down was left viable. You slap a hand over your mouth trying to control you laughter at his state, you can't believe one punch did this, it just shows how angry Luffy actually was. "It says he's going to need plastic sugary to fix his face and it'll take almost a year for him to walk again" Robin laughs happy to see your reaction, your laughing worsens at this finding it hard to catch your breath as some tears falling down your face in joy. "Fuck Luffy, you really did a number on him. You sent him flying through four buildings, a water fountain and over the edge of the red line. I'm surprised he's alive" Zoro comments with a big smile on his face.

Everyone knew how angry Luffy was but this was extreme, Charlos should be dead after all that. The captain nods looking down at the photo as you manage to calm down from your laughter and wipe away the tears in order to read a bit more of the paper "I can't believe this, you guys did such an amazing job" You praise looking around the table before turning to Luffy cupping his cheeks to make him face you "Thank you" You whisper before placing your lips on his, Luffy smiles and leans into you enjoy the long kiss before you pull away to place small ones on his lips. "Apparently Rosward and Shalria aren't in good condition either, that explosion almost killed them" Robin explains looking at Zoro who smiles to himself glad that he did some damage, letting go of Luffy you turn to the swordsman placing your hand on his cheek as you lean in placing a light kiss on his lips. Pulling away slightly you whisper against his lips "Thank you" He smiles at your words before crashing his lips onto yours, you smile into the kiss as your thumb runs over his cheek. "A bunch of marines and guards are also in the hospital but the place is on high alert now some Admirals are now stationed there to stop anyone trying to attack the place" Sabo sighs, he hoped they could launch an attack before the Admiral's turned up but by the time they regrouped it was too late, Robin places a hand on his shoulder giving him some comfort "I think we did a great job, A lot of slaves got out, and we managed to meet up with all our friends again" Luffy leans on his chair while smiling at his brother who nods in agreement.

Pulling away from the kiss you lightly peck Zoro's lips a few times before turning to the others "I still can't believe how many people showed up to help, I can't thank everyone enough" You smile as Zoro pulls you into his side letting you lay your head on his shoulder, even though you were thankful things could have gone so horribly wrong for everyone, your happy for the help but walking onto government and celestial property is a death sentence, your just glad almost everyone made it out alive. Luffy takes your hand holding it in his as Zoro flips the page wanting to read more but his eyes land on something making him raise an eyebrow "Demotions? After the battle i thought there would be premonitions" Zoro asks in confusion but Robin shakes her head "Since they lost the battle it makes sense that there would be some" The black haired woman answers as Sabo stifles a laugh, confused by Sabo's sudden laughter everyone turns to the blonde brother waiting for him to calm down, so he can explain. "Sorry, sorry. Its doesn't say it in the paper but thanks to an informant i heard that the higher ups threw a fit over the damages, It only says they were demoted but in reality they were shipped off to other areas to do grunt work as punishment" The blonde brother chuckles as Robin lets out a giggle next to him, Luffy looks over the paper trying to read the names since he didn't want his grandfather to be on there, he may not always like the old man, but he knows Garp tried his best to not fight with his full strength against Luffy and promised not to hurt his friends before they left to get you.

After a while of struggling you notice your captains angry face so you take his hand managing to snap him out of it "Garp isn't on there" You state knowing thats what Luffy was looking for, you know that they fought but you weren't told much about their battle other than Garp gave up after a while. The demotions didn't come as a surprise to anyone since most of them caused damage to celestial property but one caught your eye making you smile "Two captains where demoted after destroying a large TV screen and a mansion after fighting with a ghost girl... I'm guessing that Persona" You giggle looking over at Zoro who leans closer to see what you were talking about, "Oh yea, Usopp said something about Mihawk right?" Luffy asks trying to remember back to the fight, you nod at him but it seems there was no mention of the warlord, maybe he kept well hidden, or they didn't want it to get out that a warlord turned on them and kept his place, either way you were happy for their help. The other demotions were quite satisfying to see, a few Lieutenant Junior Grades were demoted for letting the church get destroyed and the dragons hurt, Vice admiral Strawberry was demoted for destroying the elevator, Sentomaru was demoted for the destruction of several mansions, walkways and the loss of several Pacifista's. "I'm sorry all this happened to you but to be honest i'm glad something good came out of all this" Sabo sates looking across the table at you, looking up you give him a smile feeling the same way he does, it may have been a horrible expiration but now things will change for the better.

Sabo suddenly stands making everyone look up at him "I'm sorry but i have to head off, if i don't I'll be late and get scolded again" A look of dread covers his face at the thought, Luffy pouts as he stands but hugs his brother who happily hugs back. As much as your captain wanted him to stay he know that Sabo has a life of his own and things he must do so slowly lets him go "I'll see you around, ok?" Luffy smiles placing a hand on his at as he looks up at the blonde brother, Sabo nods tilting his hat at Luffy "See you around Luffy and thanks again for everything" He states looking around at the rest of you, Robin stands with a small smile while placing a hand on his shoulder "I'll walk you to your ship, there's something I'd like to discuss" Sabo nods at her before tilting his hat at the rest of you before patting Luffy's head and walking after the black haired woman "Bye Sabo, thanks again" You call out as Luffy waves, you know the captain wants to see his brother off but Robin sounded pretty serious so its best to leave the two to talk. Once the kitchen door closes Zoro pats his lap getting Luffy's attention "Come on" The swordsman sighs knowing the captain is a little upset about his brother leaving so soon, you don't blame him for feeling this way but all you two can do is comfort him. Luffy walks over and hops onto Zoro's lap wrapping his arms around the swordsman's neck as you pull his legs to rest on your knees giving them a light rub "I'm sure we'll see him again" You state hoping to cheek your captain up who nods letting his head rest on Zoro's shoulder who wraps his arms around Luffy's waist.

Closing the paper you push it across the table not interesting in it anymore, its good to know the outcome of everything but you mainly want to focus on your crew and your future adventures. The room is silent for a while, the only noise coming form the waves outside and Sanji cooking in the kitchen. "What you thinking about?" Zoro asks hearing Luffy hum into his neck, you turn to look at the two hoping to hear an answer out of your captain who lifts his head out of the swordsman's neck "Sanji, when's dinner gonna be ready?" Luffy calls out making you laugh while covering your mouth, of course thats what he's thinking about, Sanji jumps from his place in the kitchen at the sudden loudness before getting angry at his captain "Gods Luffy i only just started plus its only 4" Luffy pouts at this turning his head away from the kitchen not liking the cook scolding him "But i'm hungry and dinners so far away" The captain whines making you laugh harder as Zoro lets out a chuckle the two of you leaning closer together trying to control your laughter. "Will you stop whining, you had a snack an hour ago" The cook yells going back to cooking and trying to ignore his captain, Luffy continues to pout but raises an eyebrow at his two lovers who are slowly starting to calm down "What?" The captain asks making Zoro chuckle again but you pat Luffy's leg "Its nothing Captain, we're just happy thats all" You smile at your captain who lightly smiles back before leaning over and placing his lips on yours "I'm happy too".

You kiss him back placing your hands on his neck letting them slide up and through his hair as he lightly bites your lip, with a hum you open your mouth for your Captain letting his tongue move with yours as his hand runs up your arms to your neck letting his thumb run over your skin. Pulling away for air you lightly kiss his lips a few times before leaning back and bringing your hands out of his hair, Zoro grins at the two of you one of his hands going around your waist while the other pulls Luffy closer to him. "Can i get one to captain?" The swordsman asks leaning closer to Luffy's lips who lets out a small laugh "You don't need to ask" He states before pulling Zoro into a kiss, the swordsman hums into it while shoving his tongue into Luffy's mouth since he already got permission for a kiss he didn't need to hold back. Their kiss was long at first you enjoyed the view but after a little while you were wondering if one of them was gonna turn blue, Zoro pulls away soon after your thought panting as he rests his forehead against Luffy's who is also panting for air. Leaning over you rest your head on Zoro's shoulder while interlocking your fingers with Luffy's "You two satisfied yet?" You joke only for the swordsman's hand to run over your cheek and to the back of your head prompting you to look up at him "I'm not" Zoro grins pulling you up to meet his lips, placing your hand on his cheek you lean into him letting the swordsman shove his tongue into your mouth, you offered up no resistance making him hum in satisfaction as his tongue roams your mouth and meets your own.

You have to pull away first since air is needed but Zoro keeps you close to his lips not wanting you to leave the kiss so soon but also not wanting to suffocate you "I love you two" He whispers against your lips so only you and Luffy can hear not wanting any prying ears to hear him say such words. The captain smiles and leans closer placing a kiss on your cheek as his hand runs up and down your back before wrapping it around your waist and placing his forehead against both of yours "I love you both too" The captain whispers back placing a kiss on the swordsman's cheek making him hum in delight at both of his lovers affections. Placing a light kiss on Zoro's lips you rest your forehead against his while slightly leaning into Luffy "I love you two and only you two" You whisper as your hands travel up into their hair not wanting them to pull away as an idea pops into your head. With your two lovers so close together you manage to press your lips against both of their at the same time, it was new and exciting something that Luffy quickly feel in love with as he kisses the both of you back, Zoro stayed shocked for a while unsure of what to do but soon joins in the rhythm you and Luffy have going. Loosening the grip on their hair you relax into it the three-way kiss since the two boys seem to be enjoying it, Luffy licks both of your lips prompting you and Zoro to join him letting your tongue tangle together before pulling away for air. "That was fun" Luffy laughs with a big smile letting his head rest on your shoulder "Yea it was" Zoro grins at the two of you before placing a kiss on your head before cuddling into the two of you.

[camels-pen]

the difference between zosopp and sanuso (romantic OR platonic) is that Usopp is Zoro's specialest little guy and Zoro is someone Usopp hangs out with and looks up to and hides behind when things get scary, but Sanji and Usopp are best friends. They horse around, they beat each other up, they confide their worst fears trying to one up each other. Usopp hides behind Sanji sometimes, sure, but idk, Sanji's weaknesses are more obvious (bugs, fighting women, etc) so there are times when Usopp has to stand in front of Sanji too, yknow?

Like, how do I say this, all the crewmates are equal- Usopp and Zoro are equals- but with Sanji it feels like more... comradery? Zoro's a rock in a terrible storm- even rocks tend to get weathered and chipped and worn down, but they overall stay strong and steady. He has trouble being vulnerable and there are times when the burden he's placed on himself to keep the crew safe is crushing his chest. Usopp would help with that and be very understanding, but the point I'm trying to get with that is that those moments are few and far between. So I feel like Usopp, especially after Water 7, would take Zoro's lead on something like that, and keep most of his worries to himself or only talk about them sparingly unless they're really bad and/or he can't hide them.

Sanji is like a tree in a storm; he can be strong, yes, but it feels like he bends and sways with the storm, and has more obvious breaking points. He can relate more to Usopp's struggles rather than resorting to blunt honesty that might border on callous like Zoro. And while, with Zosopp, I tend to think of scenarios with Zoro being blunt like that as a good thing- because sometimes when you're spiraling, it's nice to have someone say exactly what's great about you and shoot down all your worries with straight facts that you can't argue with- I can also see this as being a bad thing. Anxiety can really twist up your brain sometimes, you know? And despite the words, the tone could still mess someone up if they're already feeling like a burden on others in some way.

With Sanuso it's a lot more understanding and thoughtful words. It's distractions and comfort food and patience- the kind reserved for Usopp- until Usopp talks about whatever's troubling him. Compared to Zosopp, it doesn't take as long for Usopp to open up, since he's done the same thing to Sanji at times and it's more familiar to him to talk and commiserate with Sanji about his worries and doubts and such. However, there are times stuff like this has absolutely no effect and Sanji will end up at a loss, no idea what to do or how to help over the course of several days with Usopp being quiet and keeping his distance, and he'll end up working himself up about it which will only serve to make Usopp feel worse and. yeah. bit of a vicious cycle with them.

So it's like. Usopp can be weak with both of them, but since I see Sanji as the type of guy who'd be more open with his worries (at least compared to Zoro), there's less of a need to 'perform' and be his best self around him. He's comfortable around Zoro, yes, but he is constantly wanting to show that he won't be a problem to him. On the other hand, while he's more open with Sanji, and Sanji with him, they tend to relate a bit too much with each other and they both have issues with causing trouble for others and being 'deserving of love' so failed attempts at consoling one hurts the other and creates an unpleasant cycle of misery and avoidance before some other crewmate (Zoro) tells them to quit being stupid and just fucking talk to each other.

[beanghostprincess]

Usopp is jealous of what Zoro and Sanji have. There's nothing romantic about it, but there is passion between them. And yes, Sanji and Usopp fight but not that much and never that way and they used to do it more when they weren't dating. And it's not like fighting has anything to do with passion or love or whatever, Usopp loves the way Sanji loves and the sweetness he always offers. But- But it's- It's a dumb reason. It's stupid. But Nami mentions something about Sanji and Zoro getting a room and Robin adds something about passion also coming from hatred and arguing. So Usopp tries to make Sanji mad. Again, stupid. But he tries. He tries to do everything on the list that makes Sanji lose control because he wants him to yell and fight with him and have the same back and forth they used to have, not the same he has with Zoro, but, you know. Something more passionate. But he never manages to make him angry. It's Sanji the one who's always either apologizing or holding himself back or trying hard not to say anything hurtful. And fine, okay, that's cute. That's so sweet. He loves Usopp so much. Too much. But it's a bit frustrating. So one day Usopp yells "Why won't you get angry at me?!" / "What? Why would you ever want me to do that? Did you hit your head, mon amour?" / "No! I just- Fuck. It's stupid. Drop it. It's dumb" / "It's obviously not dumb if it's bothering you so much. Tell me" / "I don't want to" / "Usopp" / "Nope" / "For fuck's sake, Usopp! Just tell me already or I will get it out of you!" But he grabs Usopp by the shirt while saying this like he used to do when they were just friends bickering, and it does something to Usopp. His heart is doing backflips. His blood is not, uh, in his brain precisely if you know what I mean. Sanji notices this after a few seconds and goes "Wait- Shit. Does seeing me angry turn you on?" / "Nope. Not at all. But if you could do it again that would be great-" / "Jesus fucking christ, Usopp, I can't stand you" / "You know, I'm not sure if you're truly angry right now or if you're indulging me. It's a bit confusing with, uh, the whole topic-" / "I actually don't know either. Let me think".

So turns out they end up talking about it before doing anything because Sanji is a romantic and he's all respectful and even if Usopp is dying there for more of that, he'll have to wait until they have the talk. Yay. Boundaries. Consent. Whatever, Usopp is stressed. "I just don't want to hurt you-" / "Damn, calm down. I'm not telling you to beat me up, I'm telling you to, like, I dunno-" / "Why would you even want me to get angry at you? Is- Is what we do not enough or-" / "No! Yes! I mean- It's amazing, babe, really. I was just considering... Other options... And... One of the options might be, you know..." / "I actually don't know" / "You're just so sweet to me and I love that about you, but you have to know-" / "It turns you on when I get angry?" / "You're extremely hot when you're mad. I just think a bit of... Passion? Would be good for us. For me, mostly. For my dick-" / "I get it, dear, you don't need to explain it".

And one thing leads to another and when they know, they know. Usopp will tease Sanji while he's cooking. Will bother him every now and then when he's busy. Will do things he knows he isn't supposed to do that make Sanji go insane. If Luffy did those things he would end up in the bottom of the sea without hesitation. But since it's Usopp doing it, they just end up arguing (Sanji is literally incapable of not asking every fucking second if Usopp is comfortable, but whatever, good enough. He's sweet like that even when he's mad) and then they make out wherever they are. And it's messy and intimate because they're disgustingly in love.

[sillypiratelife]

The more I think about it, the more insane the first Mihawk and Zoro encounter is.

Mihawk adopted Zoro right in front of Zeff and went directly to tell Shanks about it???

No, but seriously. There's no way Zeff didn't feel a bit invested in the chaos. He saw Zoro giving his all for his dream and he knew that's how Sanji was too, it's just that Sanji gave up for some reason guilt. It was not only Luffy who convinced Zeff that he needed to kick Sanji out of the Baratie and sent him sailing with those idiots, but also freaking Zoro.

Zoro addressing Luffy as the pirate king in front of everyone??

Fever whenever I think of how you could say Mihawk proclaimed Zoro as Luffy's first mate on the spot. He really said "you two came in the same pack. good". It's like? Oh look, the kid I just adopted is besties with the kid of one of my friends. How convenient.

Mihawk's tiny baby knife. It reminds me of the knife Luffy cut his cheek with when he wanted to prove to Shanks that he was ready to sail with him. Except both Zoro and Luffy gained their mentors' respect, meaning that Shank left Luffy with a hat that identified him from there on, while Mihawk left Zoro with a giant scar all across his chest as the promise Zoro must fulfill to Mihawk.

The fact Mihawk identified Luffy from Shank's stories and he judged Luffy also based on his compatibility with Zoro??????? Sure, only the pirate king would be worthy of having the greatest swordsman in his crew.

Sanji. Sanji's reaction to the whole thing. The desperation in his voice. I still can't believe it was the way Sanji was truly introduced to Zoro. Of course they are not normal about each other. Sanji was screaming for Zoro to give up so he wouldn't die and Zoro was asking for death so he wouldn't be defeated.

"Why are the fighting all the time?" MAYBE BECAUSE THEY STAND DIRECTLY ON TWO OPPOSITE SIDES IN THAT MATTER???

There were already two swordsmen following Zoro?? Calling him big brother?? There were five young men around Zoro's age there and he absolutely didn't disappoint in guiding by example? It was a Zoro masterclass on how to be a strawhat. What a time to be alive.

I just love that everyone was losing their mind over Mihawk and his powers and Zoro just. Jumped to face him. Mihawk told him YOU ARE A KID and Zoro proceeded to impress Mihawk so hard, the man became a fan. It's? Simply?? Idk, idk!

Sanji's family remembers Zoro and Luffy like that. Do you understand what that means? Ussop was kinda there and Nami didn't make the best of first impressions, but Luffy and Zoro made a total show. At that point, Zeff was the kind of dad who almost forced his kid to befriend the other kids he thinks that will be a good influence.

Which again. Insane.

Luffy ready to throw hands over Zoro did not surprise me. The intensity of his panic? The hurt on the way he screamed Zoro's name? He was sweating, using all his willpower to control himself and not interrupt Zoro's fight, he was cursing Mihawk and going wild and— I cannot breathe whenever I remember how Luffy met Zoro, how their friendship started. No one else knows that Zoro was on a Marine base CRUCIFIED. Some freaking pulling this Jesus out of the cross and taking him with me to see the world shit going on here.

The whole Zoro basically crucified image and the whole cross imagery with Mihawk and— I'm not going that route today, sorry.

THE VOW. THE VOW. THE VOOOOOOOOW.

WERE YOU WORRIED ABOUT ME?

AND HE WAS.

The way Sanji calls back to the vow when he criticizes Zoro in Alabasta for being worried about Luffy losing. The Zoro Sanji knows is the one who raised his arm and called Luffy the pirate king, the one who vowed to never lose again to not worry Luffy. Sanji was not happy to see Zoro so out of himself and in a weird (their) way, he was reassuring Zoro. Ugh. My brain hurts.

But then again, Zoro was acting exactly how Luffy acted before. The first fight of Luffy vs Crocodile is clearly paralleling the Zoro vs Mihawk first encounter. I'll need a therapist after this.

I'm just now reading the version of the manga and not the anime and wjdnkdbfjej I just—

The end(?)

[blacklegsanjiii]

Thinking about Sanji in alabasta culture like their clothes because vivi looked gorgeous in hers

Like would he still wear tight suits or maybe also have some flowy colourfull clothes in the mix??

Also would the strawhats even know his relation with vivi?? Or are they just like 'Oh he's just a guard with a big mouth' honestly so funny with nami as well, she really doesnt get why sanjis so invested into making sure she treats vivi right but i guess its bc hes a guard??!

He absolutely would wear more clothes from his homeland. All the flowing fabrics and robes. He still wears his suits but they are definitely intermixed with clothes from what he considers his homeland.He wears the family insignia as well as his and Vivi's, just to take more of his home with him.

Luffy probably knows, Robin definitely knows that he is prince of Alabasta and second in line to the throne. Everyone else just thinks he's a guard dog with a mouth too big and for some reason Igaram only half heartedly argues with him. Nami wants to know why he's nudging her and what he's saying to Vivi to make her flush like that, she wants to make Vivi that red. It's a need basically. Also the shovel talk he gives Nami isn't that deep, but he does mention deserts are good for bleaching bones and Vivi screams at him for that.

Also you know how Vivi gets kidnapped and Cobra dies? After Sanji and Zoro fight he's still insistent on getting Vivi or he'll leave and do it himself. Everyone but Robin and maybe Luffy asking why so Sanji bows to them.

"Allow me to finally introduce myself properly, I'm Nefertari D. Sanji, first prince and second to the throne of Alabasta." Sanji grins at them as he stands straight.

"Wait, hold on-"

"No, that can't be right-"

"What the fuck-"

"Why are you second to the throne if you're older than Vivi?" Luffy asks over the rest of the crew who knew Vivi.

"Oh, I was adopted after she was born." Sanji waves off. "Judge basically sold his rights to me for nothing."

"So you're part of the thanks from Alabasta?" Usopp asks with a shaking voice.

"Oh, no. I'm here because I want to be, but I can't be here if I have to go rule Alabasta." Sanji assures him.

"Well I guess we gotta save Vivi so we still have a cook." Luffy laughs.

[notjuststardust]

One Piece Monster Trio +Law and Ace: What kind of dog breed would they be?

Monkey D. Luffy

American Pitbull Terrier

-In general terms american pitbull terriers are often misconstrued as something they aren't because people want to sugarcoat what their original purpose was, dog fighting.

-THIS IS LITERALLY LUFFY'S PLAQUE THROUGHOUT THE SERIES.

-DOESN'T MEAN THEY ARE MEAN.

-Just means their inner goofball comes out when they are doing terrier things.

-LIKE LUFFY BEING A CAPTAIN.

-Though they're silly, loyal and more intelligent than people give them credit for, a purpose driven life with people that understand that insane drive and appreciate a velcro dog are best for these dogs (ahem, Zoro, ahem)

-LOVE TO EAT.

-Also their big gaping smile reminds me of Luffy too.

-Above pictured is Dino, a dog at my local shelter who has been looking for a home all his life. I have hung out with him and can vouch he is dog friendly, people friendly and an overall great pup. He is now with a foster home to care for his very specific allergy needs. I would take him home and rename him Luffy if I could, please check out his adoption page and share so he can find a good home!

New Bern, NC - American Pit Bull Terrier. Meet Dino a Pet for Adoption - AdoptaPet.com

Roronoa Zoro

-ANATOLIAN SHEPARD

-Yall thought I'd say pitbull.

-Absolutely not because Zoro has PRESENCE and that comes with a livestock guardian breed.

-These dogs are intense.

-Bred to take on wolves and coyotes and to be willing to die for their families.

-The Anatolian shepard specifically is a very quiet livestock guardian dog hence why I chose this over the great Pyrenees.

-ALSO THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY BRED FOR THIS COLOR TO STAND OUT TO SCARE THE WOLVES OFF AND I FEEL LIKE THATS SO ZORO.

-Though they're MASSIVE they have athleticism similar to big cats because they were originally bred for the fields of Turkey.

-Y'all can't tell me that the level of athleticism Zoro maintains while being built like a tank doesn't make this match.

-Good head on their shoulders to access threats and work well within their job and independently.

Vinsmoke Sanji

-Dachshund

-HEAR ME OUT

-I'M SERIOUS.

-Dachsunds are go getters, HOUNDS.

-They're independent, drivey and WILLFUL and like who they like.

-They're meant to work alongside terriers (Luffy) to trap the badgers so the terrier can take the threat out.

-Literally the goat of hound dogs.

-EXPLORERS.

-EVERYONE SEES THEM AS SOMETHING THEY'RE NOT.

-Distinguished little velcro dogs who will recklessly fight for their person despite the threat to themselves (SANJI'S SELFLESSNESS??)

-Not actually breed specific but literally every dachshund I have ever met has a love for women.

Trafalgar Law

-Siberian husky

-I'm going to get really specific and say a husky that pulls lead on the sled.

-These dogs will work themselves until they die.

-They're so stubborn that their drive and need to work literally has altered their metabolisms to adapt.

-Thats definetely what happened to Law's brain.

-ACTUALLY (Their metabolisms are biologically different than other breeds, able to practically slow and speed up at will)

-Not to mention they are meant to be working together at all times BUT are incredibly independent unless forced to work together.(LUFFY AND LAW).

-Smarter than you.

-Also, the markings on them just look so Law to me.

-Don't do well when they aren't working.

-Will easily fall back on anxious behaviors when separated from their jobs.

-Also, I can so imagine Law doing the quiet grumbling that these dogs do when they 'complain'.

Portgas D. Ace

-ROTTWEILER

-It is in their blood to be silly (not a fact, just speculation pls don't cite me for a college paper)

-Drive for food and play is high.

-Originally bred as herding dogs but due to unforseen circumstances of their size and perception were forced to become protectors of the families of sheep they herded (ACE WITH LUFFY AND SABO).

-THEIR SMILES ARE THE SAME.

-Smart but dumb.

-CLINGY. LITERALLY JUST CLINGY.

-Threat perception and self preservation is skewed just because of the herding breed in them so it can make them a little too brave sometimes.

-Originally bred to be a family herder and fated to be an independent guardian, close to work but far from family.

[that-green-haired-swordsman]

Found this on Pinterest and it's not meant to be taken too seriously, but yeah, I get where this comes from. Usually you see Zoro being pictured as either a sex machine or as aromantic/ace, and literally never anything in between, and I personally believe that either of these takes is true. It's a manga of the shonen genre and follows the respective, genre-based rules. My interpretation of the character is that he undoubtedly puts his goal(s) on top of everything else. Luffy gets to become the pirate king. Zoro himself is going to be the world's strongest swordsman. Period. BUT. These ambitions go hand in hand with a sacrifice, at least to Zoro. This is going to be a long read and I have to digress a bit so please be patient lol.

Zoro has lost the person most important to him and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He couldn't protect Kuina. Now, we don't know his own knowledge of his parents, but I always assumed that his desire to become stronger and stronger is a direct result of the loss of his parents, something he witnessed, but couldn't do anything about it either. So he chose to follow his father's footsteps and became a swordsman, trained in Koushiro's dojo, driven by anxiety. He made friends with Kuina who died too. And then he swore to himself that never again he would anyone ever become close to him. He traveled alone and at first and kept his distance to Luffy, Nami and the others.

But there's no way to fight human nature. Slowly, he allowed himself and them to get closer and he found it comfortable to be around them, but accepting that they're his friends also multiplies his anxiety and ultimate weakness: losing someone again. He not only wants to become stronger to be the WGS, he also thinks it's the only way to protect his loved ones. When he struggles with an opponent, he can be seen training even harder afterwards. He takes the night's watch. He guards the ship. He only sleeps when someone else is awake. He tells the others to escape when it's dangerous. He tries to take incoming damage alone. He refuses that anyone sacrifices themselves and knocks them out should they try (Sanji @ Thriller Bark). He keeps things a secret. He holds back emotions to remain collected and supportive. The further along they travel, the more of his humanity he has to lose in order to keep them all safe.

Back to the original intention of this post. Zoro has kind of a soft spot for women who need help with something. They just trigger his protective instinct. But he also tries to keep away from any woman because they'd weaken him. And he can't afford to be weak. A woman by his side would mean he'd have to look after her, provide for her, protect her, make sure she's alright, take better care of himself in order to be there for her, all things he simply can't afford and which distract him from his goal (he would think that way, being a bit traditional). Maybe he doesn't trust himself to remain as determined as he was once he's in a relationship. Maybe he's afraid that his partner would try to talk him out of his goal and stand in his way. Which leads me to think how a woman has to be in order to be a good match for him?

We've covered that a woman often triggers his protective sense, I'm not sure though if that is what he finds an important trait. I like to imagine that a woman he'd be interested in has to be similar to himself - independent, strong, able to defend herself, not afraid to put him in his place, self-confident and courageous and most importantly be supportive and understand how he rolls. He wouldn't have to worry about her as much then (he'd still be worried though of course lol). So yeah, ZoTash all the way!

However, even if they'd fall in love during the series, he'd not give in to his feelings before he would have reached his goals, due to the above mentioned reasons. He'd ask her to wait or he wouldn't open up to her until he's the WGS, and then reunite with her and be like "Hey sorry you had to wait" and you know how loyal he is, he'd stay with her until the end of his days. And I think that's another reason why he's not dating a woman - he wants to make sure that she's THE ONE. He's not interested in an affair or something not serious. He's there for the long run. He doesn't give away his heart so easy. He could even play hard to get, to check if his love interest really means it. He wants to protect himself from heartbreak and loss, afraid to experience it ever again.

He wouldn't be a perfect lover, but try hard to be the best version of himself.

[melonteee]

I'm really enjoying the live-action show. It's different, but I think some changes are improvements, some changes are neutral, and some changes are for the worse. Overall, I'd say it's about as good of an adaptation as the East Blue anime is (factoring in the changes the anime made).

Syrup Village is a great example, they cut Jango (though you do see his Bounty poster, so he still exists in canon), but they also made Kaya's illness be the result of Butchie poisoning her and part of Kuro's plan. Luffy drinks the poison soup and that replaces the scene of him unconscious from hypnosis. Zoro has to climb out of a well, and that replaces him climbing up an oil-covered hill and also sets up for Mihawk saying he's a frog in a well. They also change the setting for the battle from a beach to inside the mansion, introducing a horror theme to the story which rachets up the tension a lot more. Sham is also gender-bent and super cute.

And it's not wrong to say the showrunners understand and love the characters and the world. All of the bottles of alcohol are brands in One Piece, the barrel Luffy gets into has the name of the fishmonger from his village, Garp mentions that he's turned down multiple promotions, Nami reads Noland the Liar to Zoro while he's unconscious after his fight with Mihawk, Arlong introduces Fishman discrimination.

I think it's best experienced from the perspective of "it's going to be different, and that's okay". The characters are written a little differently, but not in a bad way. They still feel like the characters at their core, Inaki's Luffy and Taz's Sanji are two stand-outs, they're fantastic.

I understand if it's just not for you, and you did watch one episode, so I can't say you didn't give it a chance at all. I just feel like you and the others are being too harsh on it. It's way better than any other live-action anime adaptation I've ever seen.

I appreciate this anon and I do think the poison change works, but there's certainly a 1 good thing for 9 bad things ratio going on. Because in all fairness, I am going to be extremely critical of a 20 year old series that's making an adaptation with a 17 million dollar budget per episode - especially from Netflix. If I'm being approached by friends who were actually excited for this series and they came out of it disappointed, somehow I don't think I'm gonna have a good time myself. I'm watching One Piece for One Piece, I don't think I should go into an adaptation thinking this is gonna be different in STORY and CHARACTER. I can accept changes for medium, of course, but there are so many absolutely bizarre changes that literally do nothing. You don't go from the manga to the anime and think "Well if I just disconnect these characters from their original selves, I can soak this in fine" because in all honesty, that probably means it's a bad adaptation if you need to work to see what you want to see.

Also the 'frog in the well' thing is exactly my point of this script just slamming you in the face with what it's trying to do, we are not meant to take that literally. The well is the east blue that Zoro lives in, not a literal well lmao. It's a nice cheeky idea to have, but the goofiness of Zoro's character is removed from the scene where he's trying to run up a greased hill like an idiot. Because yes, even THAT scene served a purpose for Zoro's character and how we view him. It's definitely subjective to say the characters are written differently but not in a bad way, because ripping away parts of a character to leave them as this Frankenstein version of themselves is personally not something I want? Why would I WANT all the goofiness and stupidness taken out of Zoro? It might be good for some, but it just feels like a total downgrade and misunderstanding of his character to me. Same goes for Sanji just being this artsy guy who's complaining cause he can't make the dishes he wants, with his over dramatic, angry, violent flare completely gone. Those changes being good or bad are completely up to you, but I am personally just made to see a hollowed out, dumbed down version of them because I liked these characters as I originally met them and that's what made them stand out.

I appreciate the time they put into the sets, I do think the visual world was made well (although it could've used a bit more style), but the little physical details mean absolutely nothing if I can't even FEEL the magic the original gave me. A set does not make a series, 1000 strawhats will not make me see Luffy unless he is written to be Luffy, and that's the problem. I don't want to watch an adaptation that removes the most emotional and impactful moments of my favourite character just to replace it with a fight or to focus on ANOTHER character they've deemed more important. I am going to be critical because these characters mean a lot to me, and I am expecting to feel from an adaptation what I felt from the original with such characters. An adaptation does not mean making things different just for differences sake. I am glad you enjoyed it anon, as many people have, but if I'm watching something that's literally called One Piece and have been told this is an adaptation of One Piece - with the producers even saying they want to put the manga on the screen, mind you - I am going to go in there expecting One Piece, from the characters to the story. I shouldn't have to do the work in my own head and go "Well, they did their best!", especially at a million dollar Netflix production...sigh

[airplanned]

WIP Wednesday

I've been reading a lot of dire and horrifying and amazing stories lately, and I wanted to write something Super Goofy.

So here's the One Piece guys trying to con Nami to win a bet, which goes exactly as well as expected and has no intro whatsoever.

...

"You bet on when we would hook up?" Zoro asks.

"Uhhh," Usopp says.

Why the fuck would they do that?  That's one of the weirdest things he's ever heard that didn't involve magic or unicycles or Luffy.

Okay, maybe it's not really that weird, but it still doesn't make any sense.

From across the room, Sanji looks so confused that he can't even speak, something that has never happened before.  He just has his stupid eyes squinted and his mouth half open about to say something.  Then a different something.  Then a different something..  Zoro's just thinking that maybe Usopp's nonsense has a silver lining after all, when Sanji eventually lands on, "...Why?"

Usopp looks back and forth between them, but doesn't answer.

"How much was the bet?" Sanji asks.

"A million berry?"  As soon as he says it, Usopp throws up his hands to defend himself.  "I was drunk!  And I don't have a million berry, so maybe if y'all could just hold out--I mean, if you could continue not making out until after midsummer, I'd really appreciate it."

"I'm not doing anything you'd appreciate right now," Zoro mutters, even though on second thought, not making out is exactly how he wants this situation to play out, so what is he even talking about?  Thankfully Usopp is too nervous to notice the stupid thing he just said, and Sanji has his head tilted as he thinks way too hard about something else.

"So Nami bet before midsummer," Sanji says.

"Yeah."

"And you bet before when?"

"I bet--Oh!  I bet never.  Because you two aren't like that.  Obviously.  See, I'm on your side."  He nods enthusiastically.

"Gonna call bullshit on that one, man," Sanji says.  "You bet even earlier."

"Whaaaat?  Meee?  That would be--That'd be the worst bet ever."

"A drunk bet," Zoro mutters.

What the fuck?  Why is the crew talking about him while they're drunk?

A smile spreads across Sanji's face.  Sharklike.  It makes Usopp back up a step.  It makes all the hair on the back of Zoro's neck stand on end.  Alarm bells go off in the back of his head.

Nothing good can come of that look.

"Usopp," Sanji says, "how would you like to make a third of a million berry?"

#

It's a bad plan.  The absolute worst kind of convoluted nonsense that's bound to go wrong and cause trouble.  At least this time no one's in danger of dying (unless Nami kills them).  And Zoro is used to going along with stupid-assed plans, resigned to his position as first mate to mitigate damage. 

He's also not gonna say no to a third of a million berries, and he'll get to get back at Nami for being too much in his business.

Honestly, he's kinda surprised the waiter came up with a plan that relies so heavily on fucking over Nami, but Zoro's not about to point that out.

"Alright, let's go through the plan one more time," Sanji says. "Usopp, your job is to patch the rip in the spare sail we've all been putting off.  She'll be pleased to see you're doing it, so when your hands are full and you ask her to go get you some more glue, she'll go get it for you."

For a brief moment, Zoro thinks maybe this whole scheme is a big double cross, intended to trick Usopp into doing the chores no one wants to do. 

"This will bring her down here to storage, where Zoro and I will wait.  We kiss once."  He holds up a single finger.  "When her footsteps reach the bottom of the stairs.  Then pull apart right after she opens the door.  She will have her evidence that the bet is won.  At this point--"  He points at Zoro.

"I say my line," he recites, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.  This is not the stupidest thing he's ever done, but it's close.

"And it is--"

"Get out."

"Good job, Mossball.  And I'll say, 'Don't speak to Nami like that!'"

"Then we fight."

"Exactly.  Win the bet and break up in one single swoop.  We can't have this charade going on any longer than it needs to.  I will defend her honor and you'll say--"

"This was a mistake."

"I am revolted that I touched you.  It must have been a moment of insanity."

"I will throw you off the front of the ship and then run you over."

"Perfect!" Sanji beams.  "Alright, let's win a million berries!"

Zoro and Usopp exchange a look.  Zoro's says, "This is fucking stupid."  Usopp's weird cringe that shows off all his bottom teeth says that he has no desire to do any part of this plan, but he's also very afraid of getting kicked in the chest.

Zoro rolls his eyes.  "Fuck it."

#

Now's the part in the brilliant plan that will supposedly fool Nami (for fuck's sake, this isn't gonna work) when they need to look like they were making out.

Ugh.

Just to be annoying, Zoro shoves at Sanji's jacket to get him to take it off.  Then tries to throw it on the floor when he's successful in getting it off, but the waiter catches it before it hits the ground.  "Hey!  Don't throw it on the floor.  That's a nice jacket!"  He sets it on top of a box so it won't wrinkle or something.

Zoro gives it a long look.

"What?"

"So we stumbled in here, tore off your jacket, and then stopped everything to gently fold it and set it down very carefully?  That's the story you're tell here?"

"Oh, and you think we should rip it in half or something?  You monster." He's going after the knot in his tie with more irritation than is probably good for it.

Zoro takes his seat on a crate chosen to be at optimal height and right in the line of sight of the door.  He shifts his swords around, but suspects they're going to be in the way no matter what. "At least throw it on the floor."

"It's dirty!"

Zoro rolls his eyes so hard his head hits the hull behind him. 

Now Sanji has his tie in his hands and is about to set it down in  tidy pile on top of his jacket before he thinks better of it.  His eyes dart to Zoro, and at his bland look, he tosses it onto a barrel in a way that Zoro guesses is supposed to make it look natural, but is actually overly-purposeful.

Sanji undoes like half the buttons on his shirt, and Zoro scruffs up his hair, and then he suddenly has a lap full of cook.  Before he can be overly-annoyed by this, Sanji's going after his hair, because apparently Zoro didn't do a good enough job making it disheveled on his own.  Zoro gets back at him by ruffling his hair, which gets way more messed up, and then tugging his shirt down one shoulder so it'll show off skin.

Zoro tries to adjust his swords again (hey, guess what, they're in the way) when Sanji tugs up Zoro's shirt by the hem until it's caught under his armpits.

"Stop touching my hair!"  Sanji swats at him and then glares from behind a lot of messed up hair.

Zoro snorts and then tries to use both hands to push it aside.

"I said stop touching it!"

"I'm not kissing you through the hair, dumbass."

"And whose fault is that?"

"All of this is your fault."

"I'll keep your cut then."

"This isn't gonna work."

"It's fine.  Shut up.  You--"

Someone's coming down the stairs.

For a second, they give each other wide-eyed looks, because fuck, they didn't not think any of this through.  And then her steps his the bottom of the stairs, and Sanji has a hand in his hair, yanking him into a kiss, that's brutal and moving and roaring.  Zoro's fist tightens on the dress shirt, pulling it further down his arm, using it to pull him closer.  Sanji's breath from his nose beats hot against his cheek, his hand splaying against Zoro's chest inside his rucked up shirt, his fingers chilly and Zoro's skin erupting in goosebumps. 

Zoro's trying to deal with the tongue in his mouth, making sure he gives back as good as he gets, so he misses the door opening, but he hears the sharp gasp.

When Sanji's head whips around, he looks appropriately shocked and terrorized.  Nami has a hand slapped over her mouth, her face red and her knuckles white where she's still holding the doorknob.

"Get out!" Zoro shouts.

"D--" Sanjis starts, but he doesn't even get the word out before Nami shouts, "Right!" spins on her heel, and slams the door behind her.

They stare at it in silence.

Neither of them breath.

From the other side of the door, Nami shouts, "Congratulations!" and then there's the sound of her running up the stairs.

Sanji's not moving at all.  Zoro thinks he might have died until he released his breath in a horrified, "Fuuuuuuck."

"Fuck," Zoro agrees.  He knew this was a bad idea.

"At least we won a million berries," he says, but then Sanji shifts his weight to cram a knee into his side.

[luckystarchild]

We all know One Piece is absolutely PHENOMENAL, but nothing is perfect, so as a writer, what would you say is your biggest pet peeve or least favorite part of One Piece as a story?

My biggest issues with One Piece are largely the same issues I have with my own work. And that makes it hard to discuss because I am hyper-aware that these critiques either make me a hypocrite OR make it seem like I'm comparing myself to Oda, which is egotistical AF and equally as obnoxious. Either way, I'm screwed.

That being said...

Narrative bloat vs. subtle foreshadowing. The story is long. That length can put people off of the story and make it feel super bloated. It's a huge barrier to entry. Some stuff that takes place over just a few days in-universe takes hundreds of chapters to convey to the reader. And I'm sorry to say that some of it doesn't feel necessary to the story (here's lookin' at you, Thriller Bark) and can be a bit of a drag.

Some people defend the length and say everything matters and that even small details become relevant later, but IMO, those details/foreshadowing pieces are often delivered in such minor ways that you can't remember the foreshadowing when the plot actually, finally drops. The length of the story and the subtlety of the story are at odds, and that's sometimes a shame.

(Also, Oda did NOT plan everything in advance. He just didn't. Some things are missing foreshadowing that would've been there if he'd planned ahead. He absolutely capitalized on early plot points and expanded them later in the story, but that's not the same as foreshadowing or planning ahead. Oda is a great storyteller, but he isn't a god, and I wish people would recognize he's fallible and stop with this whole deification shit.)

(Also as a person who has an unfinished work over a million words long, and who takes many chapters to show a single day/hour, and who puts in TINY foreshadowing no one can remember after so many words, this is what makes me a hypocrite. Either that or I'm very self-aware. Either way... sorry lmao.)

The other issue I have is the handling of the story's characters, and this once again relates to the length of the story and the problems that length causes.

Much as I love the Straw Hats and think their backstories are all pretty epic, it feels like the characters get their Shining Moment in the Sun when those backstories are introduced before being pushed to the backseat for hundreds of chapters/entire arcs at a time. Then they get pulled forward again for a little while (Sanji in Whole Cake, for instance) before getting shoved into the background yet again to make one-off remarks here and there. It sometimes feels like they get more development in their backstories than they do in the actual narrative, which is... not great, in my opinion.

Example: It feels like Zoro hasn't had anything meaningful to do except fight since he was introduced. He gets some moments here and there (like in the chapter where "nothing happened"), but it's not substantial, and I truly feel like I don't know Zoro all that well even after all this time with him. And that's sad.

Also, the forays into the side characters in other crews are INTERESTING, sure, but sometimes they're just distracting and pointless. Example: Ace's big flashback with Oars Jr. stands out to me as tear-jerker-porn that didn't add much to the story overall. "But that's how he learned to make straw hats!!" I hear people screaming but--I don't actually give a shit how he learned to make them. I'm sorry. I just don't. Take out that whole thing. It's not needed. I simply do not care about the Oars Jr. and Ace friendship that is only relevant for 5 minutes before both of them die. Similarly, Ace also feels like a giant symbol and not a person. I was sad FOR LUFFY when he died, but I shed zero tears over his death itself.

Long story short: There's just not enough narrative to go around to develop EVERYONE properly, and I have New Character Fatigue, and I wish we'd stop meeting new people at this point. (Where TF is Smoker, I ask you? Please, I need him back, it's been like three arcs without him...)

Overall, I just wish the narrative would tighten up for the sake of the plot and the characters. The live action version actually does a good job of this, which I appreciate a TON.

And again, I recognize these same issues could be said of my own work, so go easy on those tomatoes you're getting ready to throw, please!