#it is /not/ a reflection on how much he trusts luffy

[edens-serigala]

i don't know how to express how fundamentally i do not understand how people can blame sanji for the events of whole cake island.

[cozage]

Hi! Can I request Luffy fluff (of literally any sort I love him so much)

I have a joke for you also-

Where do bad rainbows go?

Prism. It's a light sentence and gives them time to reflect.

Take care 😘

AN: Anon you are literally a gem. Thank you for the little laugh, it makes my day every time I read it :) Characters: gn reader(with longer hair) x Luffy - platonic or romantic :) Cw: none :) Total word count: 650

Braids

“Everything okay, Lu?” He had been stealing glances over at you for the past few minutes, and you were starting to get nervous. 

“How do you make your hair look like that?” His fingers twitched at his side as he spoke. 

“The braid?” Your fingers danced over the pattern in your hair. “I can teach you.”

“Yes!” Luffy jumped to his feet and bounded over to you, already reaching for your hard. You barely had time to slap his hand away before he began undoing it. 

“We’ll practice on ropes first.” You gave him a reassuring smile, and you walked across the ship to gather spare rope. “It’s better to get the technique down first.”

“I don’t understand how tying a knot will help me learn how to do a cool hairstyle.”

You couldn’t resist laughing at his commentary, but you were certain that trying to explain it would only confuse him more. So instead, you settled with: “It will all come together, Luffy. Just trust me.”

He gave you a sharp nod and turned to his three pieces of rope, full of determination. 

Carefully, you guided him through the steps. Right to middle, left to middle, repeat indefinitely. Once he started to get the hang of it, you let him practice as you watched, only speaking to offer tips on when to tighten the twists or loosen his hold. 

It took about half the afternoon before you felt confident enough to let him try it on your hair. Practicing on the rope was a good start, but hair was an entirely different medium. When he finished the braid and held it up for your inspection, you handed him your hair tie. 

“Now try it on me,” you said, sitting down in front of him. “Split it into three parts and just pretend they’re the pieces of rope.”

He was eager. You could tell by how quickly he began parting your hair. But when he accidentally pulled on a stray hair and caused you to stiffen, he began to slow down and put more care into his actions. You could feel the chunks of hair were uneven, but he was more focused on the movements than the perfection.

His fingers became softer and more nimble over time. As he crossed over and pulled each piece, he checked to make sure it wasn’t too tight or too loose. And only after you confirmed it was okay did he continue onto the next step. 

His second and third attempts were more smooth, and you barely felt any pain by his fourth attempt. 

He was so proud of his fifth attempt, you decided to leave it in. The hair appeared to be evenly split. You couldn’t feel any stray hairs or tight strands. As far as you were concerned, it was as good as you would’ve done. 

Luffy loved to braid. And it turned out that he was pretty good at it. He would braid anything or anyone that would let him. Ropes, strips of cloth, your crewmate's hair; nobody was safe from your captain’s urge to practice what he had learned. 

One day, you found him off in the corner, focusing hard on trying to do what he could with his own hair. He must’ve been practicing for a while because his hair was riddled with tiny braids that stuck out against his tousled, loose strands. 

“Luffy?”

It was always easy to startle him when he was practicing. But once he realized it was you, he broke out in a grin. “Hey!”

“You can practice on my hair if you’d like.”

His eyes lit up at the offer. “I can?!”

You laid down in front of him, letting your hair fan out on the deck. You closed your eyes, feeling the sun warm your face. Yes, you could stay here for a while. Especially with Luffy. 

“You can practice for as long as you’d like.”

[latanyalove]

Happy Times

Pairing: Vinsmoke Sanji x Y/N

Content: Starvation, fluff, Sanji's shy (my favourite part) and Y/N's sad past.

Anon: hello!!!! i love your recent fics and i want to request one for you 🥹 one where reader does happy dances every time she eats sanji’s food? and it’s so natural for her that she makes him shy ((in a good way for doing it

A/n: I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing this! <3

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First of all, thank you for requesting! This is my first time making a request so I hope this story is to your expectations!

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After the Strawhat crew saved your poor country from its terrible leader, you were unexpectedly welcomed aboard as a new addition to the crew.

Despite your lack of devil fruit powers, Luffy saw potential in you and believed that your unique skills and determination would make you a valuable member of the crew. He admired your bravery during the fight and knew that together, you could accomplish even greater things.

He also might have gotten some persuading from a certain cook.

"Cheers to our new nakama, Y/N!" Luffy exclaimed, raising his cup in a toast.

"Cheers!" the crew chorused in unison, their cups clinking together. Each member of the Strawhat crew expressed their excitement for having you on board, promising to support and protect you as one of their own.

From Nami's approving nod to Zoro's subtle smirk, it was clear that you had earned their trust and had become an integral part of their pirate family.

As the celebration continued, you looked around the room and realized that the cook was nowhere to be found. Curiosity piqued, you excused yourself from the crew and made your way to the kitchen, where you found Sanji preparing a feast fit for a king.

You admired Sanji's culinary skills for a while, marveling at how effortlessly he would slice through vegetables and handle the sizzling oil without hesitation. As you watched him prepare the feast, you couldn't help but be in awe of his culinary prowess.

It was no wonder that he was known as the "Black Leg" and hailed as one of the greatest chefs on the Grand Line.

You decided to slip away quietly, not wanting to interrupt Sanji's cooking or draw attention to yourself.

Finding a peaceful spot on the ship, you took a moment to reflect on the incredible turn of events that led you to become a member of the Strawhat crew.

The memories of your past struggles and the newfound sense of belonging filled your heart with gratitude and determination for the adventures that lay ahead.

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It was hard to believe that just a few days ago, you were living in a country oppressed by an unjust ruler. The people had been stripped of their wealth, forced to give all of their money as a gift to the ruler on the 10th anniversary of their reign.

You were once a part of an orphanage that suffered greatly under the ruler's oppressive regime. The orphanage struggled to provide basic necessities for the children, and you witnessed firsthand the hardships faced by the people.

As one of the oldest children in the orphanage, you were burdened with responsibilities beyond your years. From the age of 10, you were expected to take care of the younger children, ensuring they were fed, clothed, and safe. It was a heavy weight to bear, but it taught you resilience and compassion at a young age.

You often found yourself questioning the quality and safety of the food made from the meager rations provided by the adults. However, you had no other choice but to eat it yourself and feed it to the younger children, hoping it would sustain them.

Surviving each day became a delicate balance between fulfilling your responsibilities and ensuring everyone's survival.

But one day, the Straw Hat crew, led by the fearless Monkey D. Luffy, arrived in the country with a mission to liberate the oppressed people. With their extraordinary abilities and unwavering determination, they fought against the unjust ruler and his forces, bringing hope and freedom to the once-struggling nation.

As they defeated the ruler and his regime, the people rejoiced, and a new era of peace and prosperity began to unfold.

Everyone thought it was the right decision for you to go with them. . .

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"Y/N?" A voice called you from behind, belonging to Nami.

You turned around to face Nami, a wide smile spreading across your face. "Yes, Nami?" you replied, gratitude filling your voice.

"Sanji said that the food is ready," Nami informed you, her eyes sparkling with excitement. The aroma of the freshly cooked meal wafted through the air, a stark contrast to the meager rations you were accustomed to.

Your stomach growled in response to Nami's news, reminding you of the constant hunger you had endured in the orphanage. The thought of a properly cooked meal filled with nourishment made your mouth water.

As you followed Nami into the kitchen, you noticed that everyone was there, engaged in lively conversation, yet no one touched their food. It seemed as if they were waiting for someone, and curiosity piqued within you.

"Finally! There you are, Y/N!" Luffy exclaimed, his mouth drooling as he resisted from touching the meat in front of him.

You sat beside Nami, a sense of guilt washing over you as you apologized for being gone for so long.

"Now Y/N-san, why don't you taste the food first?" Sanji asked from the kitchen, prepping the last pieces of dessert.

You hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether you deserved to be the first one to taste the food.

Usually you were the last unless you had to taste if it was edible or not.

Everyone looked at you as you scooped a spoonful of one of the dishes, but you paused. The memory of the starving children back in the orphanage flashed in your mind, and you couldn't help but feel that they deserved this meal more than you did.

"It's alright," Sanji's voice said as he was now behind you, his warm hand resting on your shoulder.

It was as if he could read your mind and understand the guilt that was consuming you.

You nodded before placing the spoon inside your mouth and swallowing it. The flavors exploded on your taste buds, a symphony of perfectly balanced spices and textures.

It was a moment of pure bliss, and as you savored each bite, you couldn't help but feel grateful that you were able to experience such a meal after years of deprivation.

The taste of the food was so exquisite that you couldn't help but let out a little dance, your body moving to the rhythm of the flavors. It was as if the nourishment had not only satisfied your hunger but also awakened a dormant joy within you.

As you twirled and swayed, the room erupted in laughter and applause, everyone delighting in your infectious happiness.

"Y/N is doing a happy dance!" Luffy exclaimed, laughing.

The meal had not only filled your stomach but also filled your soul with a newfound appreciation for the simple joys of life.

With the biggest smile on your face, you turned to Sanji, gratitude shining in your eyes, and whispered, "Thank you, Sanji. This meal is beyond anything I could have imagined."

Sanji's cheeks went from a light tint of pink to his whole face being red, dropping his cigarette in the process. He couldn't help but feel a surge of pride and happiness at seeing you enjoy his food so much.

It was moments like these that reminded him why he loved cooking and why he put so much passion into every dish.

"I'm glad that you like it Y/N-san," Sanji answered, his eyes filled with pure love. Shyly, he added, "I put my heart and soul into creating this meal, and seeing you enjoy it brings me immeasurable joy."

You smiled in return, completely unaware of the effect you had on Sanji. The genuine happiness that radiated from you was enough to make his heart skip a beat, and he couldn't help but feel a newfound sense of purpose in his culinary endeavors.

Though it didn't go unnoticed.

"Looks like Love Cook can get shy around women," Zoro teased.

Sanji's face turned even redder as Zoro's teasing words reached his ears.

"Shut up, Mosshead!" Sanji fired back, trying to hide his embarrassment. But deep down, he couldn't deny that there was some truth to Zoro's words.

Your presence had ignited a spark within him, and he couldn't wait to continue creating culinary masterpieces that would bring joy to your heart. . . .

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Continue?

[hyperlinkdaddy]

Snowfall on the Grand Line: A Pirate’s Love

Characters - Luffy x GN! Reader (would say leans small chested female/male)

Usopp, Nami, Zoro, and Sanji (most just mentioned)

Word Count - 3,259

Warnings - slight angst, otherwise hard core fluff, & I think one curse word

Notes: wrote this at work, with my roommate encouraging me in the background. She was amazing and named this for me.

I wanted a cute confession to love, and Luffy was who it just so happened to be

The night is cold, freezing almost. You were near a winter island, and the temperature and snow reflected that. You had been a part of the Straw Hats for a while now, but most of the places have been warm enough. You should have trusted Nami, getting more winter clothes, but as someone who grew up on a summer island, you didn’t think it would be nearly this bad.

Saying you were underprepared was an understatement, you had no true winter clothes, mostly just a few sweaters. This means you were left with just mooching off your crewmates to avoid dying from the cold. You were currently borrowing from Luffy, he was about your size, and the length was extremely appealing to you.

You were currently on watch and had been for a while. You walked the deck, barely staying still to help keep your blood moving. You took a moment, looking out the front of the ship into the distance. This was a big mistake, you were about to go back to walking the deck, however, it was starting to feel like your bones were frozen. You blew on your hands, watching your breath, rubbing them together, at about that time you felt someone approach behind you, reaching around to hold your hands.

You jolt a bit, however when you turn all you see is Luffy, smile bright as ever. You sigh, worried for a moment the second you took a break that something happened. He nuzzled into your neck when you relaxed into his touch. “Looks like you need help keeping warm,” he said nuzzling closer, seeing the warmth of your body under the coat you had on.

You smile, looking down at your hands, moving your fingers apart so he can slide his fingers between the cracks. You were about to thank him, but as you opened your mouth, he let go of you. You looked at your hands, it felt empty and cold. He chuckled, now obviously up to something, the look in his eyes as he sized you up told you that you should hold back any thanks you had.

You give Luffy a confused look, as he crouches close to the ground. This only confused you more, looking down at the man below you. You were about to take a step back as he grabbed the hem of the coat. He pulled it closer, then tried to force his way up inside with you.

“Hey wait! This is a coat for one, not whatever this is!”

By the time you finished yelling at you, he managed to make himself fit, barely. He couldn’t fit his head through the neck and didn’t think ahead to undo the top of the coat. This left you looking down at his smiling face squished against your chest. A hissy chuckle escaped him, clearly unbothered by any of this. His arms wrapped around your waist, wiggling, attempting to get a bit more comfortable. The coat went from slightly big, to uncomfortably tight.

“ahhhh, much better! You know, you’re much warmer than you looked.”

He nuzzled in closer, getting an annoyed response from you.

“I could have come inside if you asked. I would have just given you the coat back.”

He looked up at you, eyes innocent as ever “Nah, I think I like this better, now if only”

The biggest shit eating grin you have seen crossed his face. You instantly grew worried, how could he make this worse than it already was? He kicked off the ground wrapping his legs around

You under the coat. You let out a shrill as his freezing legs and feet enter the only warm sanctum you had. Luffy laughs loudly, you struggling to not topple over into the snow.

Luffy was always a bit clingy with everyone, but you have noticed he was more with you than most people. The Capin was loving with everyone, however the last few weeks he had become almost inseparable from you in particular. You didn't notice at first, but even Nami brought it up, that he was almost always seen around you lately. He would sit next to you at meals, take naps with you on the deck, and always come running to hug you the moment you came into view. This was all cute, but alone time became more of a dream, and now even on watch, he made this time for the both of you.

You grasp the edge of the railing, Luffy laughing, hanging on like an animal to your now ridged body. You move part of the coat to see your overjoyed captain, proud of what he has done to you.

“hehe, you're not just pretty, but also warm and soft!” He exclaimed with full confidence.

You feel the heat rising to your face, your heart starting to pick up as his words ring in your head. “I-” he is quick to cut you off before you can get another word out

“Are you feeling, ok? Your heart is going crazy, and you got really red.”

You wanted to hide your face, push him away then just curl into a ball. He was so close to your chest you couldn’t hide it, good thing he wasn’t super bright, otherwise he would absolutely be bringing it up!

You wanted to fight him off you, crawl away in bed, and just die of embarrassment, but you were in a sticky position. You couldn’t fight him much, the coat was so tight your arms hurt to move, and your oh so happy captain was tightly wound against your body. You were only left looking away from him, beet red pouting at his behavior.

He looked at you curiously and slowly stretched his arms up your back. Your body was instantly covered in goosebumps as you felt his cold hands clump up the back of your shirt. He popped his hands out of the back with a bit of resistance from the tight fabric. His hands reach up to your face, moving you to look down at him. He wanted you to look at him, the blush on your skin looked cut to him, regardless of the cause.

“no fun! It’s not fun when you pull away!” he said loudly in protest

You sigh ‘How could I pull away when you are attached to me” you thought

You decided you had been tormented enough, attempting to push him out of the coat you shared. “Luffy, please” you groaned, trying to forcefully push him away

He unwrapped his legs from you, standing up, making you wince again at the overly stretched-out coat that was supposed to be only for one.

“Your watch is done now,” he said climbing out from under the coat.

You were free now, rolling your shoulders to help with some of the pain that built up in your shoulders.

“I still have watch; I wouldn’t want to leave Sanji alone to keep an eye on things”

He grabbed you in a hug, lifting you off the ground with ease. You looked down, shocked as he started to walk away with you.

“Hey! Luffy, are you even listening to me?”

“Yep! You said Sanji has an eye on things!” he said happily

That was absolutely the opposite of what you meant. Yes, he was watching, but the Sunny was a big ship.

He walked you both inside, and he put you down, flicking his legs to kick off the snow gathered on his feet. You will never understand why he still wears those sandals even if this snows.

“You’re driving me crazy,” you said looking at your captain, still looking down at his freezing feet

“A good crazy?” he said looking back with a smile

‘What do you mean a good crazy? You said, tilting your head to the side, looking at him confused.

Luffy walked closer, and without thinking you backed away, making room for whatever mission he was on. Before you knew it you backed into the wall, him looking down at you. You looked off to the side, breaking the intense eye contact you had with him.

“hehe, looks like we found the wall” you chucked out nervously. He had never been so bold with you before; you didn’t know what to make of it.

He was serious, and you felt like his eyes were eating you alive. Luffy placed his hand on your cheek moving your head, forcing you to look over at him. He softened up, giving you a small smile. You noticed that even with his smile he was more serious than when he was climbing you outside.

His hands are cold against your warm face, you subconsciously nuzzle into his hand soothing your flushed face.

“I was talking with Robin, and she pointed out a few things that I hadn't realized. I think I might like you more than just a crew member. I want to be with you always and want to touch you. She said she thinks I might love you, and she said it wasn’t like how I loved them”

You stared at him, noticing the blush that creeped up his face as he examined you, seeking out a reaction he desired. You couldn’t take looking at his flustered face anymore, adverting your eyes while still facing him, seeking anything in the hallway to look at, anything besides Luffy’s face. You knew the two of you were close, but he was with everyone despite how he made you feel.

Yeah, you liked Luffy, but you had already moved past the crush you had. He was now here, confessing? He seemed confused by his feelings, yet here he was, attempting to tell you of his love. You were uncomfortable, he could have tried to do this anyway, any other time. He had no sense of time or digression, and you were far too stunned to do anything about this.

Luffy moved forward, his other hand now moving up to your side, lightly gripping your waist, the other still on your face.

“Say something, please don’t stay silent,” he said, hints of sadness and desperation in his voice. Luffy had been told no before, sure, but never had his heartbroken trying to confess his feelings. He hadn’t felt this way for anyone before.

“Luffy, I don’t know what to say that is the problem. I wasn’t expecting this, you are putting a lot on me all at once, while expecting a response right now.” You said, hands shaking and heart going haywire from nerves still unable to look Luffy in the eyes.

His hand leaves your face, pulling away. He finally gives you a moment to catch your breath.

“Okay, I understand” He takes a few steps back, looking at you disheveled against the wall. Your breath is heavy and shaking slightly.

“Luffy, I’m S-”

“Don’t be! I understand!” He smiled brightly. Luffy is hurt, but just figuring everything out for himself, and while you might have recoiled from him a bit, he still has you in his life, and this is enough for him.

You watched Luffy walk away from you, back to his room, leaving you confused and hurting yourself.

You walk to the kitchen, head spinning to grab a cup of hot tea when you see Sanji. He was getting a drink himself before returning to watch. He already had himself a cup, and the second cup catches your eye. He heard everything that just went down outside.

“You look like a mess,” he said handing you the second cup of tea.

You looked at him sharply, rubbing the stress on your forehead “Thanks, I needed that”

He chuckled, putting the cup in your hand “The statement about your appearance, or the tea?”

“Both, but mostly the tea,” you said with a soft smile taking a sip of your tea. “Sanji, what would you do if someone you once had feelings for suddenly started showing you interest?”

He raised an eyebrow “If Nami-Swan said she loved me, I would be overjoyed, I don’t think I could ever give up on a girl as stunning as her! ~”

‘Pointless’ you thought taking another drink of your tea, giving him a look “Thanks, you’re a wealth of wisdom.”

He put his now empty cup down in the sink and walked to the door. “Don’t overthink it, I don’t want to see wrinkles on your gorgeous skin” he said softly before shutting the door, leaving you alone with a cup of tea and your thoughts.

____

Two days have passed since he confessed his feelings for you. Luffy has taken a few steps back compared to before. He still touched you, and hugged you like the rest of the crew; however, he certainly wasn’t like your shadow anymore.

The day after you understood, he was within his rights to want to stay away from you. This day he barely even looked at you, he talked to you when needed, but otherwise he barely even stayed long in the same room as you. You turned his feelings down, and now you were suffering with the consequences of that while he figured everything out.

The second day he came around you more, he would stay around you, not leaving shortly after you arrived. Luffy even hugged you early in the day. You were talking with Nami about the weather upcoming island. He launched himself around the corner, hugging both you and Nami together. You missed his warmth and smile, but it was short lived as Nami hit him for about knocking the two of you over with his reckless behavior on the icy deck. The captain just laughed, running over to Zoro, and jumping into his arms. You grew hot, annoyed, and flustered at this act. The first time he came at you in two days he was hit for, then moved on so fast to someone else. You were jealous of Zoro, jealous of the attention the captain was giving him instead of you.

You are now officially on day 3, with minimal interaction from your captain, and it was horrible. You were being eaten alive by this and had started getting snippy with the rest of the crew. Luffy never ignored you, coming anytime you asked, but is quicker, while before he would force conversations, touching you the whole time.

You were almost on the island and knew the moment you landed you would lose your opportunity to talk with him. You didn’t know before, however you do now. You strongly miss his lack of touch, his smile, and his love. You regret pushing him away, you wish you could have told him you felt the same.

You had spent the night before trying to get Luffy alone but were embarrassed to ask someone for help. Whenever you would find him, he was always with someone else. You think at about the 6th time seeing him alone with Usopp you were about to strangle him for something he knew nothing about.

You had given up on this game, deciding to seek him out the next morning. Luffy was still in his room for the morning, and this was the perfect opportunity to catch him for a talk.

You knock on the door, waiting for an invitation to come in, however, it never comes. You crack open the door to see him bundled up, out cold still. You might have come a bit early, but you weren’t about to wait for him to get up on his own.

You slowly enter his room, sitting next to his bed, looking over at your sleeping captain, drool leaving his mouth as he snores. You reach over, poking his cheek

“Luffy, wake up, we need to talk,” you say in almost a whisper as he twitches.

He cracked his eye slightly, barely even awake but enough for him to see the disturbance. He wrinkled his nose, closing his eyes again. His arms reach over to you and drag you into the bed from under your arms.

“Hey Luffy!” You yell out at him, only for him to wrap his arms around you tightly, nuzzling into you.

“Just a few more minutes (Y/N), it’s not breakfast time yet,” he said, already falling back asleep.

You just relaxed, knowing you had no point in fighting. Honestly, you were just happy he was holding you. You put an arm under his head, and the other wrapped around to play with his hair. You hold onto him, combing through his hair, listening as he snores, drooling into your chest and arm. You didn’t last long, it was warm under the covers, and with how soft Luffy was you found yourself drifting off as well.

You were out for a while, becoming a mess of tangled limbs when you felt something move under you. You stirred awake only to see Luffy attempting to pull away while letting you sleep. He noticed you were awake, and just attempted to get up.

You were not about to let him run away this time, you finally had him. You reached out, grabbing him by the waist as he sat up on the bed. You grabbed, squeezing him tightly, a deep blush forming on your face. You looked up at him, desperation in your eyes. He was surprised by your actions but didn’t fight.

“It’s almost breakfast, I don’t want to miss it. I can smell it cooking” he said, looking you directly in the eye and pouting at the grip you had on him.

“I know, I won’t let you miss your meal. I just wanted to talk with you” you said softly, barely letting up on your hold.

He looked at the door but knew he was a while off from the meal, Sanji had just started cooking with the smell waking him. He slid back in the bed, his moment as he came closer giving you enough confidence to let up on him.

Luffy didn’t look you in the face, but a soft shade of pink grew as you lay in bed together. “I get your portion of breakfast,” he said barely able to look you in the eyes.

You smiled, grabbing both of his cheeks in your hands, forcing him to look at you directly. He looked you in the eyes, face smushed a bit in your tight grip “I’m sorry” you said this quickly before kissing him deeply.

Luffy was shocked at first and tensed up, but soon closed his eyes, muscles relaxing as you pulled away. Him moving you rest his forehead on your own.

You reached up, combing through his hair with your fingers. “I was surprised, you threw a lot at me all at once. I wasn’t ready, and got scared,” you said, breaking eye contact with him

“I like you as well, but I wasn’t ready until-” He cut you off, kissing you repeatedly with little pecks anywhere he could laughing with joy.

“Luffy! That tickles” you said laughing as he covered you in thousands of little kisses, chucking and smiling as he did.

He finally pulled away, now that you were crying from laughter as well. He sat up, getting out of bed. Stopping at the edge to simply smile at you brightly grabbing your hand to help you get out of bed

“let’s go eat Y/N! We can continue this later,” he said, fingers intertwining with your own as you crawled out of the bed.

“yeah,” you said softly, gasping for air, wiping your tears away.

[innerfare]

Random Sabo Headcanons

Summary: A collection of random Sabo headcanons

Genre: Fluff

CW: None // SFW

———

Never really gave up on his dream of writing a book about his adventures. He keeps a journal and wants to assemble it all into a manuscript, but he has a lot of self doubt regarding his abilities as a writer. A lot of his journal entries are reflecting on the inequality, injustice, and even outright war crimes he has witnessed the World Government commit. When he publishes it, it will 100% be banned by the Government. Also wants to publish some comics based on his childhood with Luffy and Ace, actually has a knack for it. 

Has a few habits from his aristocratic upbringing that not even his time in the woods with Ace and Luffy broke him of. He holds his teacup and eating utensils a certain way, he makes at least some effort to adhere to dress codes, etcetera. Most of these habits are in regards to women, whom he treats with the utmost respect; very chivalrous. 

That being said, he definitely keeps a switchblade in his boot. He’s a very dirty fighter, won’t hesitate to pull it. 

Also cheats at monopoly. And nobody ever suspects him because he benefits from pretty privilege.

Has argued with Koala until his voice is hoarse that dragon claw is way better than fishman karate. Could also write an entire book on the merits of fighting with a lead pipe over any sort of fancy sword or spear. Also used to talk serious smack about devil fruit users before he ate his fruit, expects every devil fruit user in the Revolutionary Army to disregard his previous taunts after the fact.

Secretly such a cuddle bug, craves the affection he never received in his childhood. Except it’s not really a secret because he once fell asleep in a meeting and woke up to everyone laughing at him because he snuggled into Dragon’s side.

A pretty good cook, but weirdly enough, can only make a meal in the wilderness. If it’s over a campfire, he’s a chef, but he always causes some sort of accident when he tries to recreate these dishes in an actual kitchen. Credit a childhood in the woods for this one.

Can be a little clumsy, can’t really be trusted around breakable valuables. Makes it all the more insane how agile he is during a fight.

His scars aren’t just on his face. He has them on his body and hands, too, even down to his ankles, and he doesn’t actually like showing them off (thus the reason he’s basically the only character in this universe who is fully clothed) because they symbolize his traumatic past/leaving Ace and Luffy, which feeds into him blaming himself for Ace’s death. Actually spent a fortune on scar creams in an effort to make the scars fade but none of them worked. Is trying to make peace with that part of his appearance.

Has a skincare routine. Nothing fancy, but he exfoliates and applies moisturizer to his face, and he has a special hand cream. Also always has chapstick on, and he carries it around with him. Has multiple extras scattered around. It has a slight pink tint to it that he pretends not to notice. He makes kissy lips at Koala if she tries to tease him about it. Low key the sort of guy to go through your purse in search of hand cream or concealer.

Speaking of, it’s pretty much impossible to tease him/get under his skin. He takes everything in stride, hardly ever gets pouty. He’s also the only person in the Revolutionary Army who is brave enough to tease Dragon and even argue with him, which is one of the reasons he became Dragon’s second in command. 

Doesn’t do anything special to his hair. It falls like that naturally. Could literally wash his hair with a bar of soap and it still dries as though he had it blown out by a professional.

He doesn’t know how to read palms, but he pretends he does to flirt with people. He’ll make things up about the lines in their palms, using it as an excuse to initiate skin to skin contact. He’s a shameless flirt. Members of the Revolutionary Army often joke about their Chief of Staff being a honeypot. Some Army communications about the matter were even intercepted, and the World Government, not knowing the RA was joking around, actually has it in their file on the Chief of Staff that he will use seduction to get what he wants. When an RA spy find this out and fed it back to the Army, the entire base keeled over in laughter, Sabo included.

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[kaizokuniichan]

Attention - Part 1: Mossy Musings

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro/Afab Reader (referred to as she/her)/Trafalgar Law

Summary: There’s something going on with you and Law. But there’s also something going on with you and Zoro.

• This chapter is very tame and just kind of sets up the plot. Supposed to take place after Dressrosa so Law is onboard the Sunny. Everyone is pining.

CW: none for this chapter

Word Count: 2k

Next Chapters: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

*This specific chapter doesn’t have any inappropriate material but the rest of the story will so MDNI

(Divider by @cafekitsune Banner by @/eelnoise)

Zoro knew you had a thing for Law. For someone as perceptive as him, he’d especially mastered reading you. Normally you were very precious with which parts of yourself you revealed, but when you liked something, that preciousness began to slip away.

He wasn’t jealous of Law, far from it actually. He respected the hell out of him, respected his strength and how formidable of a fighter he was, and respected how much he trusted Luffy as an ally despite how tentative that allyship was. But he was curious as to what exactly attracted you to him. He knew objectively he was a good-looking guy, he was older, and he had an underlying angst that seemed to appeal to you. But he was just as guarded as you were, and if your walls were a chain link fence, needing to be rattled to shake off little nuggets of your innermost self, his walls were a 20 foot tall, thick slab of concrete.

Maybe it was the mystery of wanting to figure him out and getting him to open up, something that seemed impossible given the incompatibility of his personality with the raucousness of your crew. But you did have a disarming air, and a penchant for making people comfortable enough to reveal their vulnerabilities. So maybe throughout the time Law spent on the ship you’d began chipping away at that concrete slab.

Law was even harder to read, though not impossible. Zoro saw the way his eyes lingered, intrigue pooling in his irises. How he seemed to anticipate your needs, wordlessly filling your plate with more vegetables and rice during meals; always at the right place and the right time to catch you whenever your clumsiness tripped your feet. How his scowl softened when you came to him with a question about an ailment you’d been plagued with since Chopper wasn’t available. It was subtle, but the tension in his shoulders, and the grit in his teeth (irritated by Strawhat antics) would dissipate as you followed him to extract yourselves from the chaos any time your social batteries depleted. Just like Robin, you were someone he seemed to have found comfort in, but it was different with you. He was different with you.

Zoro observed the two of you, tucked away in your favorite corner of the deck overlooking the glittering reflection of the setting sun. Law sat next to you at an appropriate distance, back against the railing and arms rested on bent knees. He didn’t face you but his body was positioned in a way that suggested he was actively engaged with your presence. A subtle movement of his mouth made you giggle, obviously in relation to something he’d said. Law didn’t say things that were intended to be funny, but sometimes his dry platitudes were so dramatic one could find them quite amusing. Your laughter pulled his attention back to you, eyes shifting to your face and lips curling into a barely perceptible smile. It took him several moments to drag his gaze away from yours to look down at his hands.

You must’ve complimented his tattoos, something you’d not so subtly alluded to liking on more than one occasion, though not to Law directly. To Zoro’s mild surprise Law held his hand out for you to trace your fingers over the ink. He watched as you gushed, biting your lip in concentration as you admired the intricate shapes and patterns. Law’s eyes never left your face, heated pride radiating from his skin. A hint of pink dusted his cheeks as you placed his palm on top of yours, curling and threading your fingers to you compare the sizes of your hands. Zoro snickered; this was your classic move. He’d seen you do it countless times in a local bar with some nameless patron; hell, you’d even done it to him. It always turned the person into putty, and the effect on Law was no different.

Zoro’s snort caught your attention as both your heads snapped over to him. Law discreetly snatched his hand from yours, subtly shifting further away. Zoro took pity on the man, obviously not realizing he’d had an audience, and raised his jug of sake in acknowledgment. While the two of you waffled about, trying to put some space between you, a workout in the crow’s nest suddenly felt very appealing as Zoro took his katanas and made his way back inside. As he approached the door leading to the kitchen he caught sight of Robin sitting at her little table, sipping on a cup of tea. She greeted him with a serene smile and a friendly wave which Zoro returned with another lift of his jug. Just as he was about to pass she turned to him, tinkling voice lilting over the lip of her teacup.

“Does that bother you?” She asked, eyes drifting over to you and Law still pretending to not have been canoodling on the other side of the deck.

Zoro knew it was pointless playing dumb about what she was implying. She was always in tune with everything going on aboard the ship.

“No, not really,” he huffed, already knowing where this was going.

“Just curious?”

Zoro looked back over his shoulder at you, still dragging your fingers along Law’s arm.

“Doesn’t matter,” he sighed, continuing on his journey and ignoring the amused glint in her eye.

“She seems to have a type, handsome and powerful swordsmen.”

Zoro stopped in his tracks as he shook his head, laughing to himself.

“Seems like her attention span is fleeting since there’s a new boy toy around.”

“Are you saying you’re also her boy toy?” Robin prodded, eyebrows raised in mock surprise and still infuriatingly calm and collected as she flustered him.

“I’m not saying I’m anything,” he muttered, grinding his teeth as his ears burned. Robin had a knack for zeroing in on the most humiliating parts of himself. It was why he avoided her as much as he could.

He started to stomp away, but she reeled him back with one final jab.

“If it does bother you, you should act fast. Something tells me he’s feeling more bold the closer we get to Zou. He might want to snatch her up before you get to her first.”

A niggling sense of dread ate at the center of his chest as he pictured you leaving the crew to join the Heart Pirates. To be with him. He knew there was no way that would happen, but the thought still shook him, ice filling his veins. He wasn’t going to let Robin’s predictably dark musings rattle him; he was fine. It’s not like he had anything going on with you anyway, save for some fleeting glances here and there, a lingering touch in passing. You two hadn’t even kissed. Neither of you were the type to commit to anything on a romantic scale, and Zoro wasn’t the type to delude himself into believing that any of it actually meant something. There was too much on the line with him working to achieve his goals, and your relationship as crew mates. A little mutual attraction was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

After a few hours of blowing steam in the gym, Zoro collapsed onto the bench, muscles groaning with relief. He’d brought the jug of sake with him upstairs, and took a healthy swig, gulping down as if it were water.

As trails of escaped sake ran down the sides of his face, your head suddenly appeared above the ladder, eyes meeting his and face blooming into a smile. As more of your body lifted up into the space he smirked. You’d donned an old sweatshirt of his, worn and fraying hem falling halfway to your knees. His mouth betrayed him as he grinned, feeling slightly gleeful that you’d chosen a piece of him to adorn yourself with.

You walked over to where he sat, the sound of your slides slapping your heels echoing against the walls. As you stood in front of him, you thrust your hand out and made grabby motions at his jug.

“Use your words,” he tsked, clutching the sake to his chest.

“Gimme some of that,” you pouted, still offering your hand to him.

He grasped your hand, pulling you down to collapse next to him, dragging you closer.

“You smell horrible,” you huffed, wrinkling your nose.

“You knew that when you came here.”

“I didn’t know you were gonna be here,” you grumbled, finally snatching the sake from him.

“But you knew it was a 50/50 chance.”

“Hm. Don’t flatter yourself.”

He snickered as he watched you take a sip, gagging at the taste. He’d busted your balls enough times about how you couldn’t actually handle it, so he’d let it slide just this once.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

“No, I’ve hardly been able to at all this week.”

“Too busy thinking about Tall Broody Sideburns?” He couldn’t help himself.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you mumbled, lip poking out in another pout. Normally you wore an armor of stoicism when you felt exposed but now you weren’t even trying.

“You sure weren’t shy when you were making googly eyes at him earlier.”

“Don’t be jealous,” you rebounded, mushing his face with your hand. He caught your wrist in a loose hold, looking into your eyes.

“You know it’s not a good idea to fraternize with the enemy.”

Your shriek of laughter caught him off guard, but he buzzed with satisfaction for making you smile.

“You’re so annoying you know that?”

He let go of your wrist, stretching his arm along the back of the bench. You shifted closer, resting your head on his shoulder.

“I thought you said I smelled.”

“You do but I’m getting used to it. Color me shocked.”

His hand came down to grasp your shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

“You know it’s fine with me right? It’s no pressure you know.”

You turned to look at him, an unreadable expression on your face.

“No pressure about what? There’s nothing going on.”

Zoro knew he’d said something wrong, your body pulling away from his grasp. You stood up preparing to leave when reached for your hand.

“You know how complicated this is though, right? He’s technically our enemy when all of this shit is over with.”

Still standing, you turned back to throw him a conflicted look.

“Yeah I know I just…I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You wanna be greedy and have us both?”

You pulled your hand from his, shaking your head.

“I just want to feel wanted, you know? I can’t help that I like…who I like,” you sighed, briefly catching his eye. “I just. I know none of this, any of this, can become anything. It’s all so fucked.”

Zoro grunted as he straightened up in his seat, wrapping an arm around your waist to plop you back down at his side.

“If you’re worried that this will put a damper on…whatever’s going on, don’t worry about it. It’s up to you to determine what you want. I’m obviously not going anywhere.

“Obviously?”

“You know that.”

His words seemed to melt the tension as you settled back into his side.

“Why are you being so accommodating?”

He nuzzled the side of your face and pulled you closer against him.

“Because. We live together stupid.”

You scoffed, playfully flicking his forehead.

“And because I respect you. And at the end of the day I do care about you.”

You turned in your seat to look at him, curiosity painting your face.

“You know, you’re a lot cuter than you give yourself credit for.”

He rolled his eye but couldn’t wipe the smirk tugging at his lips.

“Being cute isn’t something I strive to be.”

“So you just can’t help it. That makes it cuter.”

Refusing to argue any further, he squeezed your sides, eliciting another one of those banshee shrieks he always teased you about.

You were both unaware of the man at the bottom of the ladder, listening intently and brimming with a new resolve.

[missmugiwara]

What A Relief

Summary: fem!reader x Sanji // You convince Sanji to have a friends-with-benefits relationship with you, but it's not like you want to actually date him, right? Right? Warning: 18+, NSFW, smut, unprotected sex, implied sex, very suggestive, friends-with-benefits thing going on Note: I am weak for Sanji! Please enjoy!

It was so stupid.

You knew there was indeed a possibility that this could happen, but you still went ahead and did it. You got too presumptuous. Too confident. You flew too close to the sun. And then you got burned.

But how did it all start?

If you reflected back on it, you weren't entirely sure yourself. It was surprising especially in the way that everything had just blurred together. To put it into filthy words, Sanji became the answer to your booty calls. Okay, well… if you put it more eloquently, you somehow had managed to develop some sort of friends-with-benefits relationship with none other than the cook himself. If you put it even more simply, Sanji became a weekly event - as in, the person whom you could have sex with without any strings attached.

A while back, you set out to sea with the Straw Hat Pirates. They were a wonderful group of friends - they protected you, made treasurable memories with you, and truly accepted you for who you were. You had no complaints whatsoever. As of late, you were becoming a bit bored. A bit needy. Needy in the ways that required a certain relief in the form of pleasure. The thought of having a romantic relationship crossed your mind once or twice, but being a pirate and constantly moving about meant there was no room for that. You accepted that wholeheartedly, but could you somehow attain the romance you sought out?

So a crazy idea crossed your mind.

Could you get one of these fine Straw Hat men into bed? You flustered at the thought of it, and you could tell it was a wild idea when you felt hot and checked the nearest mirror to see your ridiculous expression. How about Luffy? No, he was your captain! He saved your butt on your hometown of Dressrosa. That would have felt too awkward. Then Zoro? Hm, well, he definitely seemed like the kind of guy who wouldn't mind doing that and could keep it a secret… but you were too damn nervous to insinuate such an idea to him without feeling utterly humiliated. Franky? He seemed the most mature - wait. Never mind. Him, Luffy, and Zoro were definitely not mature. Usopp, then? No, an instant no. He still struggled to be brave time to time. How could he possibly not chicken out if you asked him?

Hmm.

What about Sanji?

He was so sweet. A good friend. Very good-looking. You never felt embarrassed in front of him. He would treat you so well, and he already did. Plus, he always made goo goo eyes at Nami, Robin, and literally any other woman. It was perfect. Knowing this, he wouldn't get attached to you, and you wouldn't get attached to him… because that's not what you were looking for, right? Exactly!

So when you finally mustered up the courage to ask Sanji, he really was shocked. You stayed behind one evening to help him clean up dishes after dinner. When everyone left you two to complete your chores, that's when you asked. Naturally, you were nervous, face on fire, and averting his gaze. There was a range of emotions mostly on Sanji's part. His jaw dropped. Then after a few seconds (when you were afraid you had broke him), he had launched himself across the room due to the sheer force of a nosebleed. After tending to this nosebleed and him sputtering over and over how he really did not deserve you - the goddess, the angel, etc. - he agreed.

"Oh, I know I'm asking for a lot… but, I would really love if it were you. I trust you so much."

It was kind of cute in the way his eyes sparkled at your words, and a blush fluttered over his cheeks while he had tissues sticking out of his bloody nostrils. To be honest, you wouldn't have had it any other way. It was quite comical. It took a moment longer for him to respond. You gently smiled and held him in your arms as he laid on the floor after his great lift-off.

Finally, Sanji sat himself up. Grabbing your hand, he said, "I am honored, my sweet, and I promise to make you feel like an absolute queen."

Those words were enough to send your heart racing. Sanji was the best. As you two sat there on the floor of the kitchen, faces flustered and having Sanji's head in your lap - you had reminded yourself again that this was simply fun between two friends. That's it. No romance.

You already knew Sanji was a man of his word, but he sure delivered. The first night together was akin to something out of a romance novel, and it was absolute bliss. Sanji removed your clothes slowly and gently, never allowing a single wrinkle to form as he laid them down. He always asked for permission before he did anything, and he always reminded you that if you changed your mind then you could stop at any time. He truly was a gentleman and kept his promise through and through. He whispered soft, sultry things into your ears. When he got more cocky, he'd whisper more sensuous things - things like how he was going to make you sing, make you moan, make you sigh out his name. And every time he did get you to moan, he'd whisper how your noises brought him to heaven. Your heart beat against your ribcage as if it was trying to break free, but you kept ignoring it because all you could focus on was just being his friend.

However, it was such a sweet, addicting high.

His touch was sensual and soft on your skin, the way his hands held you gently as if you were made from glass. Years in the kitchen must have been why his expert hands were so graceful when they roamed, and when they roamed to more inmate areas on your body, you would let out a gentle gasp against his mouth. You had never been held the way Sanji held you.

Kisses were sweet and never done without feeling. They could have brought you to your knees if you already weren't rolling around in bed. Sanji's mouth tasted like cigarettes, but you could care less as the delicious noises of your lips smacking whenever they met or parted took over your brain. Such sweet, velvety kisses were exchanged all night long between pants, between moans, between soft words you and Sanji murmured to each other, between thrusts of Sanji's hips. That incredible high wreaked havoc in your brain when Sanji thrusted over and over into your hips. Your toes curled, you wrapped your arms tightly around him and dug your nails into his back. You begged for him to go faster and harder, but in response you only got a low chuckle from the cook that embarrassed you and exhilirated you deeply.

"I couldn't," he smirked against your skin, "I don't want to be rough and hurt you."

You grit your teeth, taking a moment to wipe the sweat from your forehead with the back of your hand. You let out a low growl as your hand grabbed his hair. This teasing from Sanji was so unexpected - you didn't know there was this side of him.

"Please!" you breathed out, "Just… for me? Please!" you whined.

"Well, who am I to deny such a lady's request?"

Sanji seemed to really enjoy your whining because with that, he catered to your whim and every one after that. He was such a great listener. Sanji continued on and on until you had reached your final high of that evening and climaxed. The room spun, your body feeling hot and heavy. The two of you collapsed onto the bed in the girls' room, taking a few moments of peaceful silence to catch your breaths until you both had relaxed a bit more. You were incredibly thankful your crewmates had gone into town and left you and Sanji to guard the ship alone because you two had laid for a long time in bed after that. Just talking about your dreams, about life, anything really. It felt like hours, and in actuality it really was.

When you finally told Sanji you wanted to get dressed, he got up before you could even fling the sheets over your body. With a wave of his hand, he promptly stated he would make you a pot of tea. He got dressed and then was out the door. You waited until he was completely out of the room before your smile faded into a frown.

So stupid.

You should have known you were going to fall hard for the cook. This kept up for some time. Once a week turned into a couple times a week and then several times a week. You and Sanji kept it secret pretty well. It was something to look forward to as hard as it was to find the privacy. Soon, these little flirty instances were beginning to appear - like a secret signal. You'd sneak past Sanji to cup your hand to his ass to give him a hint you were hungry. He would smirk at you more often.

But hold on - what in the world was wrong with you?

The plan was not to become romantically attached. And the exact opposite of that was happening! You were head over heels. Sanji made you feel so special, and he geninely enjoyed the time spent with you. You were learning all sorts of things about each other and forming a closer bond.

You know what was even more stupid? You literally could not act like a normal person in front of Sanji anymore. Sometimes you dodged him and walked the other way if you ran into him, which was quite often as you were stuck on a ship for most of the time. Your confident vixen attitude was shaken - you couldn't dare touch his cute butt again. You would avoid his gaze. When he passed you a plate at dinner and your fingers accidentally brushed, you would mentally scream in your mind. It took all the strength not to fall apart.

Oh, but why was this happening?!

What were you afraid of? Being emotionally hurt? Afraid of how much of a ladies man he was if you wanted to start a relationship? You could tell Sanji was becoming concerned because you asked for him less and less until it just stopped one day. Everyone could tell you weren't acting normal as you would coop yourself up in the girls room - denying Luffy if he asked you to come play, taking your meals by yourself amongst other little things. Everyone came to check on you. Even Chopper was the most concerned, thinking you were sick. And Chopper was right, but it was lovesickness, and there was nothing he could do to help. It took everything to shoo everyone away.

Oh, but that Robin - who was too smart for her own good sometimes - had finally found you sneaking off to the kitchen one night for a late snack. She could not have been sleeping if she noticed you left the room and then somehow notify Sanji. It wasn't a surprise that she knew. Initially you would have been mortified, but if it had to be Robin then you felt at ease.

So you were digging around in the fridge, not even noticing Sanji entered the room until he called your name. This caused you to flinch and, in attempts to stand up suddenly, you hit your head on the nearest shelf in the fridge. Promplty, you slammed the door shut and gave him a forced grin. Sanji was no fool though. As you reluctantly greeted him and made a mad dash for the door, he swiftly stepped over to block it as you bumped headfirst into him. Sanji looped one arm around your waist as the other caught your wrist when you pressed your arms up to his chest to push him off.

You could feel your face heating up and your heart thundering in your ears. For a few seconds, you both stood there in awkward sielnce, waiting for somebody to do something.

"Are you… avoiding me?"

Sanji wasted no time in getting to the point. You didn't like how he asked that question - he sounded so hurt. Your lips trembled, and you felt so damn frustrated that you could cry then and there. You never wanted to hurt him! But it's not like you had anywhere special to go, so… you realized you probably should explain yourself.

"Yes." you answered quietly.

Sanji let out a deep sigh, and he moved so that he could grab both your arms. Gently, he pulled you away from him to stare into your eyes. He gasped when he saw you actually were crying. You sniffled and frowned at him, brows furrowed together in dismay as you waited for him to speak. It was as if he instantly knew. As soon as Sanji spoke, he was referring to the current status of your relationship.

"Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you, my angel?"

"No!" you responded immediately, "No… you've been perfect. I just…" Sanji leaned forward, using his finger to gently wipe the tears collecting at your lower eyelid. It was cheesy, it was cute, it was freaking great! You grabbed his hand and turned your head from him.

"This!" you squeezed his hand, "This… stuff you do. I can't keep lying to myself anymore."

Were you making sense? It was all garbled. You finally let go of Sanji's hand, only to have him move his hands to the base of where your jaw met your neck. He tilted your head upwards to look at him. You knew you were making no sense, but Sanji stayed calm and cool.

"What do you mean? You know you can tell me anything."

You let out a sigh, mustering up the courage to look him straight in the eye.

"Look, I really, really like you. I said no strings attached… but I changed my mind. I want more. I want us to go on a date. I want us to actually be together."

With that you snapped your eyes shut, fearing of how he might respond. Would he be okay with that? This man who craved any woman? You waited for what seemed like an eternity, but when you felt his hand cup the side of your face and motion you to look up at him… you realized there was such a look in his eyes that was indescribable.

"I would love nothing more than to be yours."

A smile lit up your tear-stricken face as you clapped your hands over his - still gently caressing your face, "Really?"

Sanji gently pulled your face closer, a smirk playing at his lips.

"Really."

There was a pause.

"What a relief!"

And Sanji gasped when you suddenly grabbed the back of his head to smash your lips against his. He melted into the kiss, but when you released him after a few seconds - he had the biggest grin. You just stared at him so sweetly, brushing a strand of his golden locks from his face as he stood in awe like a lovesick fool.

"So… can we…? You know? I mean, unless you don't want to!"

You stroked his cheek with your thumb and let out a sigh after a roll of your eyes. Oh, Sanji - the poor thing. You had him on a leash, and he worshipped the ground you walked on. As you gently grabbed his hand and led him to the door, you smirked.

"You're lucky I like you so much."

[madwomansapologist]

when the lights go out | usopp x strawhat!reader

with loguetown ahead of the crew, usopp finds comfort on your shared moments. talking, working or in complete silence: he loves them all.

cw: just fluff! friendship, love and fabrication of guns. usopp being his usual insecure being.

an: this is slightly east blue policule. i just love those guys so much everything i write for them becomes a bit romantic. pre-loguetown. reader described to have lilac hair and golden eyes. do y'll wanna see the art i have for this strawhat?

"And just like that eight thousand warriors submit to my inexplicable talent", Usopp chanted, glaring at his reflected image on the mirror. "I know, I know, it was so nice of me to allow them to fight for me."

Usopp brushed his sniper goggles, cleaning what wasn't even dirt. He flexed a few times, imagining a few muscles on his slim body. Was that brown overall the best one he had?

He wanted to look like himself. Like his best self. Someone that could be a warrior of the sea. That could led eight thousand warriors. Usopp hoped to be someone that would impress others.

Usopp doesn't lie: he dreams. Except from all times when he does lie, of course.

During all his life, the only thing Usopp really wanted was to entertain others with his stories. Once the people in Syrup Village grew tired of them, Usopp had only a few friends left interested on the tales he had to tell. Not that he would ever stop being himself just because a dozen villagers chased him down the island.

But this crew is something else. How can everyone be so interesting? Not only that, but how can they all be so interested on one another? It still surprises Usopp. How everyone wants to hear what the other has to say, to teach. Even more what the other wants to hide.

It could be because, well, it's food, but he knows when Luffy asks Sanji about the All Blue is because he wants to hear the cook's voice. Sanji says he only competes with Zoro to proof that he's better than the swordsman, but that's not the truth. Not entirely, at least.

He once watched as Nami babbled on and on about cartography. Zoro stood there, quiet as a rock until the moment he complained, but nothing will change the fact he was wide awake the whole time. And there are all the late nights you spend studying architectural plants or ergonomic treaties, only awake because Nami makes sure to keep your cup warm.

And there is the way you ask Usopp about his trinckets.

You listen. An inventor, able to create motors and pulleys with the most worthless piece of metal, listen to him. At first Usopp thought you would judge him, who knows how many times your brain saved them all, but he saw only interest in your eyes. About what his trinckets could do, what inspires him, how he learn how aim.

Soon Usopp found notes with your calligraphy near his drafts. He found himself asking for your help to deal with metal. And yesterday Usopp couldn't believe his ears when you asked him if you both could work together. Great inventors must help one another, you said as if it meant nothing.

You thought he was great.

And Usopp wants be great. To feel great. To look great. Not only you're interest on what Usopp has to say, but you also think about him the same way he thinks about you. How could Usopp not overthink about every little thing on him?

Admiring his overall, now blue out of his indecisive nature, Usopp noticed how long it took him to get ready. It's already way pass the time you told him to meet you!

Running through Going Merry, Usopp felt his heartbeat increasing. You had understand, he really couldn't help but being late! Well, he could, but you don't need to know that part of the story.

"Zoro would be dead if it wasn't for me", Usopp explained himself, opening the door of your room in his usual exasperated way. Hands on his hair to make sure he looked great, Usopp put on a charming smile. "That man can't be trusted to walk alone..."

As the sunlight invaded your room from the open door, Usopp saw your working table filled with notes and gadgets covering the wood. And besided your organized mess, was your head. Bend over the chair in a position that couldn't be comfortable, lilac hair glued to your forehead, you were deep asleep.

Usopp sighed. There goes his chance of spending more time with you. All because he took too long to get ready. "No lie can save me from this one", Usopp whispered to himself.

He closed the door for the sunlight not to wake you up. Trying to be as careful as someone like him could, Usopp took the gadgets from the table. He put them inside your wardrobe, trying to respect the weird way you placed them.

If he was strong like Zoro or Sanji, he would've carried you to your bed. Since he isn't, he took the blanket for it and silently covered you. It wasn't cold, but climate was weird lately. Better to prevent than to remend.

Usopp would rather work with you, tell you all his stories, but still Usopp found himself smiling. So cute. His fingers played with your hair, the sweet perfume of tangerine reaching his long nose as he tucked it behind your ears.

"Usopp", you murmured, voice leaking tiredness. Your golden eyes met his, and Usopp jerked away from you. Slowly, you moved your body to a more natural position. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"D-Don't worry", Usopp could feel his cheeks burning. Did you noticed he was playing with your hair? "Are you feeling alright, o esteemed inventor?"

Your whole body was sore, but still your smile was natural. Usopp always comes up with the best nicknames. Cute. "No, I'm fine. Just still not used to sleep on a ship. You wanna start? I was working on a prototype, a machine to operate the helm and spare Sanji's back."

Usopp sat on the chair beside you, his arm resting on the back of yours. "That reminds me of one of my many adventures!"

You looked at him. Between those yellow eyes, all he saw was interest. Like always. "Tell me all about it."

And of couse Usopp did. He made sure to create an amazing story, with a great hero and a great danger. As his words reached your ears, more and more relaxed you felt. When your eyes first started to wander, Usopp knew his plan worked perfectly.

Slowly, you allowed sleep to envelop you once again. Your body was warm, his words were soothing, and for the first time in a while the movement of the waves felt welcoming.

Usopp gagged when your head fell on his shoulder, but quickly went back to the history. His body was burning again. After a while, he stopped talking. The only thing he could hear was your breathing.

For next hour, Usopp didn't move from his place besides you. His shoulder throbbed, Sanji almost fought him for the right of holding you, and his stomach ached for completion.

It was a perfect day.

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[thetempleofthemasaigoddess]

Your boyfriend Zoro being transformed into a girl would involve…

Roronoa Zoro x reader. NSFW!!

*****

💚 You and Zoro have been together for a while. He’s not the most affectionate of men, but he makes sure you’re aware how important you are to him, and you enjoy a solid relationship, built on love, trust and reciprocal support.

💚 One day, in the course of one of your adventures, the crew decides to split: Zoro, Luffy and Nami leave, while you remain on the Merry with Usopp and Sanji. You soundly kiss your boyfriend goodbye, vaguely melancholic at the thought of having to spend more than a few hours apart for the first time since you both joined the crew, and he whispers in your ear that he’ll miss you, but you are both otherwise unconcerned, reasonably sure you’ll see each other soon, safe and sound, him with a good story to tell and you with his favourite meal -that you asked Sanji to teach you to prepare- ready to celebrate his return. Zoro and the others will be gone for two or three days at the most, what can go wrong in so little time?

💚 You will later reflect that this is the sort of thing one should never even think, let alone say it out loud like you did, lest destiny find a way to punish your optimism with some terrible accident or misfortune. And this is exactly what happens to your boyfriend - or at least, that’s how he sees it.

💚 You, Usopp and Sanji have spent the last three days harboured at a peaceful little town, waiting for your friends to return; bored, but mostly relaxed and confident Zoro will be back soon, you leave the Sunny to go buy a few things your chef had forgotten when shopping for supplies. When you return, you’re immediately excited to see Luffy and Nami talking to the others on the deck, which means your boyfriend must be back as well! “Where is Zoro?” you ask happily after greeting your friends, and they exchange a look; no one answers, but a sudden tenseness envelops your little gathering. Nami and Luffy look particularly nervous, as if they had something unpleasant to tell you “What is wrong? Hasn’t he come back with you?” “Zoro is fine, (name).” Nami tells you in the end, which is much less reassuring than she probably intended - rather, it fills your heart with dread. “What do you mean? Why shouldn’t he be fine?” you ask, your words not making proper sense given how suddenly alarmed you are “Is he sick? Wounded? Where is he?!” You’re informed Zoro has locked himself up in his cabin as soon as he and the others returned; you’re welcome to go see him, even though he might not want to come out. “He is safe and sound, truly; just… he’s not exactly the m-the person you knew anymore.”

💚 You’re informed that on that very morning Luffy was attacked by a trio of bounty hunters who had recognised him from his bounty poster; Zoro immediately came to your captain’s rescue, and one of the opponents hit him, not with a weapon or a simple punch, but with a single finger pressed against your boyfriend’s forehead. “We… think that man had eaten a Devil Fruit, and that he just meant to distract Zoro and escape, because he wasn’t hurt; rather… he changed.” “What does it mean, changed? What happened to Zoro?” you ask anxiously, your mind already filled with catastrophic images in which your boyfriend has been transformed into an animal, or a monster, or aged to the point he could die any moment; whatever happened to him you know you will remain by his side, your feelings deep and steadfast enough not to change whatever modification his appearance might have been subjected to, but you’re scared he is now in some kind of danger, longing but unable to return to normal. 

💚 Your friends seem unable to explain what happened, so they simply ask you to go talk to Zoro, to see it for yourself; you do, almost running below deck until you reach the door of your boyfriend’s cabin, that you know almost as well as you do yours. “Zoro, are you there? Please, open up!” you call him, knocking with increasing energy “Whatever happened to you it’s fine, we can deal with it together, I just want to make sure you’re alright!” You receive no answer for a while, until a slip of paper appears in front of your feet from under the door. I’m fine. Please leave me alone, the short message says, which not only is not reassuring in the slightest, but wounds you deeply: even though you and Zoro don’t talk often about your feelings you thought you would always support each other in times of need, making the other’s problems and fears your own. If Zoro prefers to deal with whatever misfortune happened to him alone, does it mean he wouldn’t help if something bad happened to you? Hurt, you still insist, demanding to see him or at least that he explains his situation to you; you even threaten to break the door down and enter, whether he wants it or not. At that point, finally, the door opens, and after three days you finally find yourself face to face with your boyfriend - because it’s still substantially him, just a version you never thought you would get to meet. 

💚 You hadn’t stopped to wonder why Zoro had written you a message instead of talking to you through the door; if you had, the reason would have been immediately clear as you stare at each other, him tense and embarrassed and you who need a minute to realise what actually happened to him. He’s still human, the same age as before, but his body has somehow changed, shrinked a little bit. His arms are still muscled but slenderer, his hips narrower, his hair appear to have grown in a day as much as yours would do in five years, and his chest… his chest… 

💚 For a whole minute neither speaks. “You’re a girl.” you observe in the end, and Zoro nods, clearly unhappy with his current predicament. “I look ridiculous, I know.” he complains, and you would beg to differ, since Zoro is an extremely attractive woman, like he was an uncommonly handsome man the last time the two of you saw each other, but you have more pressing matters to deal with. “Are you alright? Do you… I mean, does it hurt?” you inquire as you enter and close the door behind yourself, and after a moment of reflection Zoro admits he feels no pain, his gaze lowered to contemplate that body he doesn’t feel as his own. “Mainly it’s… strange; as if I were wearing clothes of the wrong shape and size for my body, or if I had to move with a different set of limbs. I mean, it’s not the end of the world, I can move and talk and fight, but this is… I don’t even know what to call it, but it’s wrong! Listen to my voice, look at me, this is not me, and I don’t want to be a girl! No offence, but I want my body back as soon as possible.”

💚 Zoro’s worst fear, since he didn’t get the chance to question his attacker -If I find that guy I’ll cut him into sashimi for what he did to me!- before the man escaped, is that the transformation the bounty hunter subjected him to is irreversible, or that only the man can return him to normal, since Zoro doesn’t even know his opponent’s name. Fortunately, on that at least you can help him, since you are the daughter of a scholar who has spent all his life studying and cataloguing Devil Fruits, and knows more on them than most people in the world; you quickly call him with your Den Den Mushi to ask for his help, and your father immediately recognises the fruit that caused Zoro’s transformation. The change, he tells you, lasts proportionately to the length of the physical contact between the user and the victim: since the bounty hunter only touched Zoro for a couple of seconds before taking advantage of his confusion to escape, your boyfriend should have his body back within a few weeks - a month at most. “Oh, thank goodness.” you comment relieved, while “A month?! Are you shitting me? I can’t remain a girl for a whole month!” Zoro cries out; when your father admits there is no way to hasten his return to normal, he sighs, thanks him for his help, and lets himself fall on the bed, his face in his hands.

💚 A moment later you’re by his side once more. “Don’t look at me, (name), I look horrible.” he asks you as he avoids your gaze, but you still circle his -now marginally less wide- shoulders with your arm to pull him close. “Horrible is the last word I would ever use; to be honest I might be jealous, because you must be one of the prettiest girls I have ever met.” you sincerely tell him “I know it’s weird and uncomfortable, but at least we know you’ll be back to yourself soon… -ish. That’s what you were worried about the most, right?” “Yeah, but…” “No buts, Zoro. I’m sorry if you are upset and ill at ease, but you scared me half to death! Did you plan on remaining in your cabin until your body returned to normal, without even knowing if it ever would? And why wouldn’t you tell me about it? I’m your girlfriend, didn’t you think I would want to help? Wouldn’t you help me if something was wrong and I didn’t know how to deal with it?”

💚 Zoro quickly, confidently nods, and you heave a sigh as you are confirmed you weren’t the problem, rather your boyfriend was simply embarrassed of what had happened to him and couldn’t bear to see your reaction. You kiss him on the cheek, and “I’m glad you came back; I missed you terribly.” you murmur, and Zoro smiles faintly. “You really don’t mind?” he asks, his voice now less deep but perfectly recognisable, the timbre and the cadence still those of the young man you spend as much time as you can with, and who understands you like no one has ever done. “Well, it is a bit odd to see you as a girl.” you admit “But I’m mainly happy to know you’re fine, and that you’ll return to normal in a short while. Luckily for you I have a long experience in being a girl, so I can help you with that and teach you everything you need to know.” Zoro grins, and then he hugs you tight, and you hug him, and everything is alright once more. 

💚 Resigned to not spend the next month locked up in his cabin, Zoro follows you to the ship’s kitchen, where the others are gathered; both Usopp and Sanji -who had already been informed of what had transpired, but there’s a difference between knowing and seeing- stare at him, mouth hanging open, and your chef has the time to point out “You look lovely today darling, did something with your hair?”  before Zoro stares at them with such ferocity neither of the two has the courage to utter another word. “A month, eh? Well, it could be worse.” Luffy comments with a shrug; clearly the fact that his first officer is a girl changes absolutely nothing for your captain, and, you reflect, why should it? “They’ll have to call you Pirate Huntress now. Hey, you guys want to eat? I’m starving!”

💚 After dinner, you and Zoro share a bottle of saké as you look at the stars on the deck; you hold hands, content with each other’s presence, a pillow behind your backs, until your boyfriend feels the call of nature. Realising this must be the first time he has to deal with the most intimate part of his new anatomy, you delicately ask him whether he wants you to -err- assist him, since the experience might be new for him, but your boyfriend mumbles that he doesn’t need to be potty-trained like a three-year-old and the mechanics of the feat shouldn’t be an issue despite his lack of experience. He leaves, returns ten minutes later, and silently sits back next to you. “It’s the second I have ever seen.” he mentions, and you turn to look at him. “And whose was the first?” you ask innocently; Zoro grins and throws the pillow in your face, making you both laugh.

💚 The next thing to do, you decide on the next morning, is to find some suitable clothes for Zoro’s new body, since neither your nor Nami’s things fit him. Your boyfriend insists there is no need to waste berry on it, since those very clothes would become useless in a month and he can easily make do binding his chest and tightening his belt, but you’ve finally found a way to convince him to come shopping with you, and so that very afternoon you drag him to a large shopping centre to play dress-up. Zoro is clearly ill at ease, or indifferent in the best of cases, as the two of you move among the various stores, and asks you to pick clothes he can train and fight comfortably in; you obey, but insist on also buying things that compliment his figure and look, as well as feel, good on him. You also help him choose new underwear, to try on which Zoro remains in the dressing room for a long time. “Is everything alright in there?” you ask from the outside, and you hear him utter a very unladylike grunt. “How do you fasten this damn thing?!” he mumbles, frustrated.

💚 Having received his permission, you join him in the dressing room; Zoro is only wearing a pair of panties, a bra in his hands, and this is the first time you get to actually observe his new body. You look at him, really look at him, and for a whole minute words completely fail you. You’ve always known he looked beautiful, ever since you found yourself shily stealing glances after he had discarded his shirt to train or unconcernedly changed his clothes in front of the others, long before you realised your feelings went way beyond simple physical admiration and the two of you got together. He still looks good, you quickly decide -toned abs and arms and shoulders, and then his chest soft and perky, his legs long and shapely, his buttocks round and firm- no, he looks amazing, and for some reason you find yourself blushing as you observe him, half wishing that elegant, athletic figure was yours and half…

💚 “So? Are you going to help me or not?” Zoro asks impatiently as he hands you the bra, which you quickly take and help him fasten; an hour later you’re back at the Sunny, both carrying bags with your purchases, and your boyfriend says this was a wasted afternoon, but then smiles at you, kisses you on the cheek, and thanks you for the help. Later, you’ll find out he took advantage of a moment you were distracted to also buy a shirt you had liked and chosen for him in your size, so that you can wear them together. 

💚 On another occasion, you and your boyfriend go out for a date on your own, as you regularly do; you visit the town’s most picturesque neighbourhood, and then sit in a bar for a drink. It is then, as you chat pleasantly, that a man approaches your table from behind and “Hello, pretty thing; can I buy you a drink?” he asks. Zoro, who knows how uncomfortable that sort of approach makes you, immediately turns to shoo the man away… and remains completely flabbergasted as he realises that the person the man is leering at, unashamedly staring at their chest… is him. “I’m not interested.” he states in the end, but his admirer is not deterred. “Come on, darling, I can buy one for your friend as well…” “I’m not your darling; and she’s my girlfriend, not my friend; I’m on a date with her and we’re not looking for more company, so back off!”

💚 The situation quickly degenerates; Zoro tries to intimidate the man making sure he sees the three swords your boyfriend carries with him, but his assailant just laughs, and it takes a well-aimed fist to the face, as well as the intervention of the bar’s owner, to make him leave. “Is everything alright?” you ask a few minutes later, as Zoro stares at his drink, shoulders hunched and a dark expression on his handsome -beautiful?- face. He nods, and “I’m fine.” he reassures you, and then hesitatingly, as if unsure of how to express his thoughts “Is it always like this when it happens? So… unpleasant. I know being approached like this bothers you, but I felt… dirty. Like, I could imagine the sort of things that man was thinking about me, about my body; it felt horrible. And why the hell didn’t he back off when he realised I was armed? Usually it works.”

💚 “It was probably because you’re a girl now. That man couldn’t know you’re a formidable swordsman, but he probably felt less threatened by you now than the men you usually defend me from. I know, it’s humiliating.” you add gently noticing Zoro’s despondent, almost ashamed expression, as if the fact he can no longer intimidate other men made him feel guilty “There are so many powerful female pirates and fighters in the world, but many men still things women are delicate, innocuous creatures whose only place is in the kitchen and who have been created expressly to take care of men and indulge their every whim.” “I never thought that. Never.” “I know, Zoro; I wouldn’t be your girlfriend otherwise. Thank the Gods some men are different… and I fell for one of them.” You smile at him, and he smiles back, but your boyfriend is still unsure. “I have never made you feel like that, have I? I mean, I love the way you look, but there is so much more…” “Zoro, no; you’re my boyfriend, I like it that you find me pretty and flirt with me. I’m sorry if that man made you uncomfortable… and if it happens again, I promise I will intervene to defend you, like you do for me. Deal?” Your boyfriend finally smiles, and the two of you can return to your date. 

💚 The next day, Zoro comes to you with his long hair tied in a ponytail and a large pair of scissors in his hand. “Can you cut it for me? I tried to do it by myself but I can’t reach it.” he explains, and you insist on doing things properly, washing his hair before cutting it. “I guess I should feel relieved you didn’t try using your sword to do it.” you mention as Zoro joins you in your cabin returning from the bathroom, rubbing his long, thick mane of hair with a towel. “No self-respecting swordsman would use their weapons as mere working tools, unless it’s a life-or-death situation.” he points out seriously “Cut it as short as you can, please, the way I wore it before.”

💚 You end up haggling about it for a while. You, envious of the lush, velvety hair your boyfriend has been blessed with after his transformation, beg him to leave it long, or at least to let you try to cut it in a way that valorises it and him; you could braid it, or arrange it high on his head, and you don’t know if he ever wondered how he would look with blonde or black hair, but you could buy a product to dye it! You bet he would look amazing, and in any case in a month he will have his short green hair back, what harm could it do to experiment a bit? Zoro is much less enthusiastic. Long hair would need to be groomed, which would only mean wasting time he would rather spend training -or with you- he has no interest in seeing how other colours would look on his head and most importantly, he doesn’t want his hair to get in the way as he fights. Don’t many women keep their hair short? Why shouldn’t it be the same for him?

💚 In the end you acquiesce, since after all it’s your boyfriend’s hair and not yours, and decide for a haircut similar to Nami’s, without bangs or a fringe that might bother him. Zoro sits perfectly still as you work, using a comb and a smaller pair of scissors, apparently not at all worried you could end up making a mess of it. “My sword teacher had all the girls’ mothers cut their hair short before they started training at the dojo.” he mentions after a while. “That sounds… wrong; couldn’t they tie it up or make sure it didn’t bother them in some other way?” you ask, not wanting to criticise a man you have never met but finding the order improper nonetheless. “He said it meant renouncing vanity and other feminine weaknesses to embrace the way of the sword with humility and abnegation.” Zoro explains “I did always think it was excessive… especially since the sensei himself had longer hair.”

💚 You feel quite a bit trepidant as, having used a towel to rub your boyfriend’s hair, take a mirror so that he can have a look. “I hope it doesn’t, err, look too terrible; if you don’t like it we can find a salon in the next town we dock at…” “I like it; I like it very much.” he assures you as he looks at his own reflection “It’s different from what I had before, but… yeah, it’s good. You did good, where did you learn to cut hair?” You admit it was your mother who taught you, first cutting your hair and then so that you could help her do the same to your -several- younger siblings. “Maybe one day, after we have found the One Piece, I could become a professional hairstylist and open a salon.” you joke, and Zoro grins before kissing your cheek. “Thank you.” he murmurs and you smile at him. “Don’t mention it; it was fun.”

💚 Speaking of kisses. It takes you a while -five days, to be exact- to realise you haven’t kissed Zoro since his transformation, if you don’t count the sweet but chaste, quick pecks on the cheek you often exchange when parting or greeting each other. You wouldn’t know how to explain it: your relationship has always been loving, even though neither of you enjoys public displays of affection, and while it’s still odd to have a boyfriend, a version of Zoro, who has to wear a bra and whose voice is suddenly much less deep than what you were used to, you wouldn’t say you are upset, let alone repulsed, by his new appearance, and physical contact between the two of you, be it as you cuddle in bed, walk with his arm around your waist or sit with you between Zoro’s open legs, still feels perfectly natural, without uneasiness or embarrassment. Still, he catches you a little off guard when he does kiss you properly for the first time since his return. 

💚 You have just fought a brief but bloody battle against a band of enemies, who had boarded the Merry to chase you away and steal it from you; two members are sword users who immediately confront Zoro. Even outnumbered, you and your friends emerge victorious, and as the others spread on the ship to check it wasn’t damaged during the battle, you reach your boyfriend, noticing his arm is bleeding profusely. “You’re wounded!” you cry, alarmed, as you tear a piece of cloth from your skirt and use it to bandage the cut “We need to stop the bleeding, Gods, I hope it doesn’t…” Zoro interrupts you mid-sentence, not ordering you to shut up -he never would- but pressing his lips to yours in a kiss, intense and desperate and hungry, while his good arm holds you close by the waist; it lasts only for a few seconds, too short for you to have the time to reciprocate, but it’s enough to make your heart soar and a pleasant, well-known but still exciting warmth fill your belly, especially when you feel Zoro’s tongue slip past your lips to caress yours. When you’re finally about to return the kiss and circle Zoro’s shoulders with your arms, he suddenly steps away, using the hand of his good arm to cover his mouth as if to forbid himself to kiss you again. “I’m so sorry.” he murmurs, inexplicably ashamed “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to, I just…”

💚 You can’t begin to understand why he looks so upset and regretful -it was a lovely kiss, and he’s your boyfriend; why would he need to apologise?- but decide to wait before asking for an explanation, since Zoro’s arm is still bleeding on the Merry’s deck. You don’t have a ship doctor yet, but thank all the Gods the wound is not as severe as the one Zoro had received during his fight with Dracule Mihawk; you clean and bandage it, while your boyfriend sits quietly in front of you, almost not daring to meet your eyes. “You want to tell me why you felt the need to apologise after you kissed me?” you ask in the end, taking advantage of the privacy of the moment, since the others have preceded you in the ship’s kitchen for dinner “Did I ever give you the impression I disliked kissing you, since the first time?” Zoro remains silent for a while; in the end, he bites his lip and “I just thought… you could dislike it now.” he murmurs “You told me you’re not attracted to girls, and I know I just have the body of one and you know I’m still me, but… I don’t know, I thought it might make you uncomfortable now that I look different.”

💚 “Oh, Gods, Zoro…” you murmur, as shame fills your heart; how could you not realise your boyfriend was uncomfortable and felt insecure about your relationship? Still completely focused on the novelty of his transformation, you haven’t even realised this had been your first kiss in five days! “I am so sorry…” “It’s not your fault…” “Yes, it is! I can’t explain it, there is nothing I love more than kissing you, but I sort of… forgot we did that? It doesn’t make sense, but please believe me, this changes nothing between the two of us! I’ve never been attracted to a woman before, but I really enjoyed kissing you, no matter what body you’re in… and I’d really like to do it again. After all we have five days to make up for.” Zoro grins as he stands to close the distance between the two of you, and a moment later you’re locked in an embrace, kissing each other senselessly, and feeling a feminine body pressed against yours and under your caresses is still a little odd, but it’s still Zoro’s body, your beloved, headstrong and impulsive but generous and protective boyfriend, and you didn’t exaggerate when you said that kissing him is the best, most amazing thing in the world. It still is. 

💚 When you finally part, several minutes later, you’re both out of breath, and smiling warmly to each other. “Good?” your boyfriend inquires, still a little insecure, and “More than good; it was amazing, as usual.” you immediately reassure him, as you still keep his hands in yours “And you can still kiss me every time you want.”

💚 One day, after the Merry has docked at a new island, you and your friends are visiting a town together when you hear your name called: it is an old family friend you haven’t seen for years. You’re about to introduce him to Zoro, but you can only say “And this is…” before stopping, not knowing how to continue, how to describe him and what name to use, and your boyfriend is quick to interject. “I am (name)’s girlfriend… Roronoa Kuina. Good to meet you.” he introduces himself shaking your friend’s hand, who clearly doesn’t suspect anything. You smile gratefully at your boyfriend, who grins and wink at you; from that day on, Kuina is the name you and the others use when having to call Zoro in public, mainly after he has wandered off in the opposite direction to the one he had to take.

💚 You know about Kuina, of course; Zoro told you all about her, how knowing, and losing, her has shaped him into the man he is today, and how one of the reasons he intends to become the world’s strongest swordsman is to honour her. You’re not surprised your boyfriend chose the name of his late friend as his own to use until the Devil Fruit’s effects disappear, but you hadn’t realised how Kuina’s memory is affecting Zoro now that he also has a woman’s body until one afternoon, as you keep him company while he trains, you see him stop, and swear, and abruptly leave his swords on a nearby crate, almost shaking with frustration. “I feel weak.” he exclaims helplessly when you ask him if he’s alright “Much weaker than before, and I hate this.”

💚 You easily understand the reason for his bitterness. No matter how deadly and capable as a warrior he still is, Zoro’s feminine body is smaller than before, his muscles less developed, his lunge shorter, all of which makes him a less formidable fighter; your boyfriend has also noticed that, as he trains his body with push-ups and other exercises, he tires earlier than usual. “It’s not your fault; after all, women are on average smaller than men, it is natural that your body can no longer perform as it once did.” you comfort him after bringing Zoro a towel and a water bottle “You at least don’t have to worry, since you’ll be back to yourself in a matter of a few weeks.” He sighs, admitting that he doesn’t have much to complain about, but… “It’s unfair.” You rest your cheek against his shoulder, and “You’re thinking about Kuina, are you not?”, and Zoro admits he is.

💚 “She was a great fighter, you know? She had beaten me two-thousand times, and many pupils of our dojo had never been able to best her. She could have become the strongest swordsman in the world, I’m sure of it - or at least I was; but maybe she was right, and her father, because no matter how determined and talented and devoted to their training one is, our bodies are built differently and men have a natural advantage. I used to think the tragedy of Kuina’s life was that no one had faith in her abilities and in what she could grow to become, but maybe she had been unlucky from the beginning, because she had been born in a body too small and feeble to match the strength of her spirit.”

💚 You both remain silent for a while, lulled by the gentle waves the Merry is confidently sailing over, the quiet murmuring of the sea surrounding you. “Listen, I’ve never met Kuina, so I can’t pretend to know what she felt.” you begin in the end “And yes, the fact that most women cannot hope to match men physically is unfair; what I’m sure of is that Kuina appreciated you having faith in her and in her strength, since apparently no one else did. And I’m sure that when you do finally become the world’s strongest swordsman, no one will be happier for you than her - and me, of course.” The smile your boyfriend gives you in response is faint but sincere; he doesn’t speak, but he holds you close by the waist, close enough you can rest your cheek against his shoulder and enjoy the warmth of his body.

💚 One day, after a peaceful night spent sharing your bed with Zoro like you often do, you wake up to the sound of your boyfriend swearing out loud. “What’s wrong?” you ask sitting up on the bed, and he looks at you: he is standing in the middle of the cabin, his back turned, the shorts he wears at night discarded on the floor “Zoro? Are you ok?” He nods silently, embarrassment having turned his cheeks pink. “It’s my time of the moon.” he mutters, and you blink, still only half-awake. “Your what?” “This is what the women of my village called it. The blood. Do you have something I can use?”

💚 Of all the perks of being a woman you wish Zoro could have experienced so that the two of you could talk about it, you would have gladly spared him this, you think regretfully as you open the drawer in which you keep your menstrual products. Your boyfriend refuses to even try to use a tampon, so you pass him a package of pads, and see him leave towards the bathroom, hoping no one sees him. He’s in a bad mood for the rest of the day, doesn’t train at all for the first time since you’ve met him and remains in bed for hours, alone until you bring him a few well-tested remedies against period pain, as passed down through the women of your family: a hot water bottle, chocolate -that you asked Sanji to keep in store for you, expressly for cases like this- and your hands, which your use to massage his lower abdomen and ease his cramps. “I know it’s bad.” you murmur soothingly as Zoro avoids looking at you, his face hidden it’s pillow “But it’ll pass, and soon you’ll feel better.”

💚 “I feel terrible.” Zoro admits “Fat and weak and useless; Mihawk would laugh if he saw me in this state. How do you deal with it, (name)? A few times I’ve known when you had your things, and you never looked… well, the way I feel.” You admit the side effects you experience because of your cycle are not as dramatic as those other women have to deal with; you regularly suffer from cramps, but it’s nothing a hot water bottle can’t help you soothe, and you sometimes feel more irritable than usual, or irrationally angry… “Really? I never noticed.” Zoro jokes, momentarily distracted from his plight, and you elbow him in the stomach, relieved to have improved his mood. You end up cuddling a bit, and sharing a chocolate bar, and in the end your boyfriend rests his cheek against your chest, allowing you to pet his hair - something you know he actually likes, even though he would never admit it. “I can’t believe all the women in the world deal with this every month, for decades of their life.” he mutters “I can barely stand myself now, and I’ll only have to experience this once!” “Well, there are various remedies, both home methods and drugs a doctor can prescribe, but menstruation does affect your quality of life; I don’t think any woman is ever happy to find out they got their period… unless they feared they were pregnant.” Zoro looks at you. “Did it ever…?” “Once, a long time ago.” you quickly answer; you want there to be no secrets between your boyfriend and you, but that is not a memory you enjoy discussing “Long before I met you. Thank the Gods my period was simply late, and that experience taught me to be more careful.” Your boyfriend doesn’t comment, but he shifts to face you and takes you in his arms, the hot water bottle pressed between your bodies. “If something were to happen… or if you feel bad and need to be comforted, you can tell me; because of your blood, or even just if something bad has happened or you feel sad for any reason.” he murmurs “I don’t want you to think you have to keep these things from me.” You assure him you never thought you had to, but appreciate him reassuring you; you and Zoro share a smile, and hold each other for a little while.

💚 “Zoro, it’s been two weeks; it’s time to wax your legs.” “And why should I? My legs were hairy before, I never heard you complaining.” “Don’t be such a child! Come here, it will only take a moment…” “What the f- ...aaaAAARRRRGGGGHHHH…!

💚 Intimacy has never represented a problem with you and Zoro. You have started sharing a bed to cuddle early in your relationship, and a few weeks later you had sex for the first time, a slightly awkward but nonetheless loving and passionate affair; you know your boyfriend had never had a partner before meeting you, but what he lacked in experience he made up for with enthusiasm and determination to learn and please, and since then you have both learned how to share your pleasure and to explore each other’s bodies. You have thought Zoro was attractive since the day you first met, long before you started developing feelings for him, and you know the love you share has made sex between you more amazing, passionate and intimate. Nothing of this must necessarily change now that your boyfriend has the body of a woman… but what if it does? You do enjoy kissing him, very much indeed, and never felt there was something weird in sharing your bed with him after the transformation, given how pleasant it still is to feel Zoro’s warm body spooning yours, one of his arms protectively curled around your waist, or to snuggle against him, listening to his breathing with your cheek against his chest. Sex, on the other hand, is a different matter, or at least you think it could be; you’ve never been interested in women sexually, and while your love for Zoro hasn’t faded or dwindled since his transformation, you fear dealing with his, err, lady parts could turn out to be difficult. You would only have to be patient for a few more days before things return to normal and the two of you are free to spend the whole night making love, but it’s been more than two weeks since he become a girl, longer than it’s ever been since the last time you did it, and you’re starting to feel frustrated to use an euphemism. You could propose Zoro to try, but you don’t want him to feel disappointed if you do get started and then you decide you’re not into it and want to stop; your boyfriend is smart enough to understand your reasons without doubting of your affection, but still, it would be the first time your desires don’t align, and that is an experience you’d like to postpone for as long as possible.

💚 What to do, what to do? Propose an activity that doesn’t require an intimate contact, so that you can both find your relief without you having to discover what Zoro looks like under the panties you bought for him? Resign yourself to remain chaste until your boyfriend is back in his own body and you can jump his bones? Neither of those options seem appropriate, nor satisfying. Zoro, on his part, has never asked you to spend your nights together doing something other than sleeping, but you’re sure he’s thinking about it, both because it’s never been so long since your previous time and because you can feel his gaze linger on you, on your body, when you wear your bikini on deck to sunbathe or take a swim, or when his pelvis presses against your buttocks as he spoons you in bed. The poor man deserves to be pampered given everything he’s been through, but you know without the need to ask that he wouldn’t want you to do something you’re not sure about or that makes you uncomfortable, and the last thing you want is for him to see you recoil from him or admit you’re not attracted to the body he’s in…

💚 You spend several days agonising over the problem, which then solves itself when you stop thinking too much and let your instincts, and your heart, decide for you. The crew has gathered in a club to celebrate Luffy’s birthday; a toast to your captain -and future King of the pirates!- becomes two and then three and four and in the end, more than a little inebriated, you take Zoro’s hand to pull him towards the dancefloor. Your boyfriend, who swears he was born with two left feet and only submits himself to that torture for love of you, this time doesn’t even complain, which suggests he is also at least a bit inebriated. A minute later the two of you are dancing, locked in an embrace, the sensual tune of the music making your hands daring as you naturally, instinctively begin touching each other - something you have always avoided doing in public, even though none of the other dancers pay attention to you. “You look beautiful tonight.” Zoro murmurs, and there is something in his eyes as his hands, until now resting on your hips, slip downwards to grab at your buttocks, that makes you tremble, a hunger and desperation only barely kept under control; it’s not the first time that he looks at you like that, quite the opposite in fact, but it’s one of those things that never fails to have an effect on you, no matter how many times you experience them. You sigh as, moving with a grace you never thought him capable of, Zoro gently circles your waist with his arm to keep you close; your pelvis presses against his, and then a moan escapes your lips, drowned by the deafening music but loud enough your boyfriend can still hear it. You blush. He smiles. You kiss him. He licks your lips with his tongue. You press your knee between his legs. He moans. You grin. He raises a hand to caress your breast through your shirt. “You wanna go back to the ship?” you ask. He takes your hand. A minute, and a hurried conversation with your friends, later the two of you leave the club together.

💚 You start kissing furiously while you’re still on the deck, laughing as you almost trip on your own feet in the rush of reaching the closest cabin. As you finally close the door behind you, already panting as Zoro’s hands finally slip under your skirt, he suddenly stops and looks you in the eyes. “I don’t want you to…” “Shut up and kiss me.” “Yes ma’am.” In the end, everything is vaguely awkward but easy; after all you are a woman, you know your body and what makes it tick, and so it feels surprisingly natural to gently, carefully do the same to Zoro. He is unexpectedly shy as he takes his clothes off, and “It looks normal, right?” he stammers “I mean, I had never… seen another naked woman, apart from you…” You reassure him that he looks beautiful, and he really does, he is amazing and attractive and precious, and you are grateful, once more, he has chosen to share this part of him with you, especially now that he doesn’t recognise his body as his own. “Let’s take it easy, alright? No pressure, no rush.” you suggest, and your boyfriend nods silently. 

💚 You begin kissing each other again, and then caressing, and then stimulating, and things develop naturally from there; at the end of a few hours of slightly awkward but nonetheless passionate lovemaking, you fall asleep, peacefully holding each other. During the night Zoro spoons you from behind, and when you wake up on the next morning, the first light of the day coming through the tiny windows to fill the cabin, you remain still as you wake up, content as you enjoy the intimacy of your lover’s embrace, as you have done countless times already. That state of things is so natural and ordinary, in fact, that it takes you a while to realise something is not as it should be - at least, compared to what you had slowly started to consider normal in the last few weeks. “Zoro?” you ask, your eyes still closed, and “Mmmggh?” your boyfriend grumbles from behind you, still half-asleep. “Is that your cock I feel against my butt?” You feel him jump, and then the rustling of a sheet, and then a relieved, triumphant laugh. “I’m back to myself!” Zoro exclaims, and as you sit and turn on the bed you can see it with your own eyes: your boyfriend is back in his own body, gloriously naked and deliciously masculine, and half-hard as it is sometimes the case when he wakes up. He seems to have returned to the exact state he was in when the Devil Fruit user touched him: his hair in a masculine cut, his legs a little hairy - but not much: for a man your boyfriend is relatively glabrous. You smile at each other. “You feel alright?” “I feel great. Twenty-eight days; it took less than I thought. Now…” he adds as he slowly advances towards you, a wolfish smile on his handsome face “Not to say that last night wasn’t very pleasant, but you want to celebrate having your man back?”

💚 You do, and when you finally leave your cabin, two hours later, your friends are happy and relieved to see Zoro back to himself. Later, he makes a pile of all the clothes he no longer needs, and since they don’t fit you nor Nami, he decides to keep them aside until he finds a use for them. “What did it feel like? Now that it’s over, was it so terrible being a girl?” you ask him later, as you enjoy a moment of peace together, standing against the side of the ship; Zoro, his arms to his now flat chest, thinks about it for a while before answering. “It was weird, obviously, and… difficult. I mean, I never realised how hard it is to be a woman. It’s like… well, I can’t blame you if you sometimes feel as if the whole world were out to get you. Your very body makes things more difficult.” he then ponders thoughtfully “I’ve never considered women weak, but if I had this last month would have changed my mind.” He smiles at you, his fingers intertwined with yours “Thanks for being with me these past weeks; I don’t know what I would have done without you, what with the clothes and the period stuff. If you think about it… this made it a little easier for me to understand what you feel. So it was kinda useful.” You tell him you’re glad to hear him say that; you never had reason to think Zoro didn’t care for you and your feelings, but it is indeed a good thing if this experience made it easier for him to understand you a little better. It made you closer, which you can only be happy about.

💚 “Was sex good?” “Of course it was; I mean, it was a little strange, but when it’s the two of us it can only be good, right?” Zoro mentions, and smiles “Do you think you like girls too, now?” “I… don’t think so; as you said, last night was good because it was the two of us, I liked it because I was having sex with you, not because I was touching a girl.” you reflect, and then, thoughtfully: “Maybe we could find this person who transformed you, and ask him to turn me into a man for a short time. You know, so that I can experience both things as well… and then maybe we can have sex as two men. Would you like that?” “Err... ” “Maybe I can do to you what you did to me this morning.” you suggest, making your boyfriend blush. “Thank you, I think I’ll pass…” “Pity, I wouldn’t have minded…”

💚 You share a grin, and a laugh; Zoro’s arm circles your shoulders, and you rest your cheek against his chest. Man, woman or whatever else, his very presence and closeness comforts you, and you know in your heart Zoro is your life mate, the other part of you, your bond stronger and deeper than any other; the last month has been an experience that will not happen again, an accident that you overcame without too much of an hassle, but you know in your heart that if the transformation had been permanent, if Zoro were stuck in a woman’s body for the rest in his life, you would have kept loving him like you love him now, and he would have done the same if you had been turned into a man. You don’t need to ask him; you know for sure.

💚 Zoro sighs, holding you against him. “I’m glad I’m back.” he murmurs, and you smile as you return his hug. “You never left, darling.”

[tae-rambles]

Luffy vs. Usopp: Luffy's Turmoil

The fight between Luffy and Usopp in Water 7 is one of many iconic moments in One Piece and the fact that it's been analyzed to hell and back is a testament to that. However, what is usually discussed about it are Usopp's actions and why he reacted to Luffy telling him they have to get a new ship the way he did. But rarely do I see people talk about Luffy's side of things and why he snapped at Usopp so hard Sanji had to kick him. And that's a shame. So I decided to do just that. This is an analysis of Luffy's POV of the whole ordeal.

When Luffy hears that the Merry is beyond repair from the shipwrights, he reacts with anger and denial - just like Usopp later that day, although not as aggressive as he is willing to listen to the shipwrights' explanation. He clearly cares about the Merry; that is his nakama and they are telling him to abandon her? No way! He would never do that! (see: Nami, Robin, Sanji.) He actually raises the same points in objection as Usopp later.

But then Iceburg reminds him that he's the captain and would be putting the rest of his nakama in danger if he doesn't pull himself together.

And Luffy takes that to heart for Iceburg is right.

So, after taking out his pent up feelings on the Franky Family, he makes the hard decision as the captain, because as much as the Merry is their nakama, unlike the rest of the crew, she is not a living being (he doesn't know about the Klabautermann at this point but the point stands even if he knew). But he is still grieving for her! His nakama is at the end of her life and there's nothing he can do about it. So when it's time to tell Usopp the sad news, he deals with it like ripping off a band aid. He goes straight to the point, no feelings, just the cold hard truth. Because thats how he deals with delivering sad news that deeply affect him as well (as seen in Wano when he tells Tama about Ace's death) because he is grieving and it's hard for him, too. Luffy doesn't like complicated things and dealing with his own grief is complicated. So he simplifies it. To appear calm and steady, because he is the captain and must show his resolve - no weakness allowed, he delivers the news with a smile.

But he overdoes it. Luffy is hurting so he wants to move on from this painful topic as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that is not the way to go about it. Usopp's already been in distress after losing the money and getting beaten up and now Luffy's telling him they are abandoning the Merry like it's no big deal. Usopp can only interpret Luffy's actions as cold-hearted. But that can't be, this is Luffy we're talking about! He cares about his nakama, right? So Usopp demands an explanation. But Luffy is hurting and just wants to move on so please Usopp just stop questioning his decision he is the captain and has the final word!

And so they shout; unable to listen to the other over their own feelings.

Until it culminates in Luffy finally shouting the painful truth that he's been avoiding this entire time. Their nakama is at the end of her life and there is nothing that can be done. A catharsis.

Luffy visibly calms down after that. But only for a little bit. Usually, this would be the end of the misunderstanding and thus the end of the argument and both parties would go on to support each other in their shared grief. But that would require both parties to get their catharsis. While Luffy got his catharsis by finally confronting the harrowing truth of the Merry's impending demise which reflects his deep fear of loneliness and losing loved ones, Usopp's true deepest anxieties lie somewhere else - the feeling of his own inadequacy and the fear of being abandoned for not being enough which he projects on the state of the Merry. And so the argument continues.

Usopp starts questioning Luffy's judgment (calling him dumb for trusting some strange guys and doubting the shipwrights' integrity) his captaincy, and, most importantly, he starts questioning whether Luffy even cares for the Merry, whether he actually cares about his nakama. And that hurts. We as the audience know the extent to which Luffy is willing to go for his nakama. We know how deeply and freely Luffy loves. And his nakama know it, too. That's one of the reasons they stand by him. Or at least they should know that. Usopp is too blinded by his own fears and insecurities that, in that moment, he forgets this undeniable truth. He accuses Luffy of turning his back on an injured comrade, of only pretending to care. Usopp's words hit like a gut punch. Luffy snaps.

"Don't think you're the only one taking this hard! Everyone on this ship feels the same way!"

That includes Luffy as well. If Luffy wasn't dealing with his own pain, I'm sure he would have noticed the hidden meaning behind Usopp's hurtful words or at least realized that Usopp was just lashing out and doesn't actually mean what he is saying, that he is actually crying out in pain, wallowing in his own anxiety, because Luffy is an excellent judge of character. But at this moment, his judgment is clouded. How dare Usopp accuse him of such a horrible thing! Usopp is his nakama and should know that Luffy does care! How dare he! And just like Usopp, in his anger that stems from hurt, Luffy (almost) says something so hurtful that Sanji rightfully kicks him. But it's too late. It doesn't matter that Luffy didn't actually mean it and apologizes after realizing what he said. The damage's been done. Usopp's fears have been confirmed. And so he leaves and challenges Luffy to a duel. If Luffy were to refuse or fight him half-heartedly, it would only add insult to Usopp's injury by hurting even the little pride Usopp has. So Luffy accepts and fights with his whole chest.

It is a hollow victory.

In one single day, he learns one of his nakama is too badly damaged to accompany them on their journey any longer, pushes another nakama away in his grief and anger, and Robin is still nowhere to be found. Luffy is the captain and it's his duty to be the steady rock for his crew in tumultuous times. But when he is torn between dealing with his emotions and being a captain that his crew can rely on, Luffy is on the verge of breaking.

However, Zoro says it best:

And so, Luffy hides his tears under the brim of his hat.

[pseudopigeons]

I came up with maybe not a theory but more of just an observation that the east blue 5 seem to parallel the 5 love languages and it's kinda reframed all of their actions and behaviours towards each other so much for me on my watchthrough. Got brainworms from that one oda interview where he said zoro doesn't like verbally expressing gratitude and prefers to show appreciation through actions and it got me thinking

The 5 languages:

Physical touch - Luffy

Acts of service - Zoro

Quality time - Usopp

Receiving / giving gifts - Nami

Words of affirmation - Sanji

Funnily enough in OPLA we definitely see a lot of physical touch Luffy. He's always playfully punching or hugging crewmates, despite having known the crew for such a short time he's just instantly clingy and physically present around them in east blue.

Zoro is very much an actions person. He's a little emotionally constipated and doesn't verbalise his feelings very much, in fact that seems like the last thing he wants to do, but he will always be looking out for any member of the crew silently, and is almost always the first to spring into action when it's called for. He shows he cares through acts of service and being there for his captain and crew.

Usopps language being quality time is shown pretty well in syrup village with his relationship with Kaya. Kaya is a girl who has everything she could wish for financially, but ussop provides her with a much needed friend, someone to support her and just physically be present and talk to her. He risks so much just to make her smile because being there for his friends is such a crucial and important thing for him.

Nami's love language being giving/recieving gifts means so much to me because it is so often seen as the most shallow of the love languages and I have seen so many poor analysis and digs at Nami's character, reducing her to just being greedy and money hungry. Did they watch Arlong park with their eyes closed??? For Nami, gold or money is a means for her to provide for the people she cares about, to ensure their financial stability and freedom and to keep her crewmates fed and afloat. She spent so long scorned and alone and (believed she was) hated because she created this money hungry persona to save her village and to best Arlong. Every piece of gold she bled to get was meant for that end goal. Nami deserves the financial freedom and gold that being a strawhat pirate could give because for years and years every bit she earned was tucked away for the well-being of others and was then stolen from under her nose. (This paragraph got very long but I'm not sorry I am the captain of the Nami defense squad.)

And finally Sanji reflects words of praise as a love language. I think it's the most clear to see with how Sanji is so quick to praise any female character he comes into contact with, especially Nami, but I think it also reflects his strained relationship with zef while working at the baratie. Zeff is always verbally critical of Sanji as a way to rile him up and to encourage him to leave the restaurant. Zef weaponises what makes Sanji tick to antagonise him and tries to get him to leave that way, but Sanji is far too stubborn and feels too great a debt to leave.

I think east blue definitely shows the 5 dynamics in a pretty clear way and kinda helped me understand what makes the characters tick. Also why some of the characters end up butting heads or getting into arguments. They all show and recieve love in different way, sometimes there are misunderstandings or clashes but at the end of the day they all trust each other with their lives and it's such a strong bond.

Anyways I'll eventually draw some more OP but I'd love to hear any thoughts or other people's ideas if they have any on the matter. Sometimes I get analysis brainworms, and I first shared the idea on discord, but figured why not post it to Tumblr too

ALSO please if anyone has examples from the series that fit the love languages PLEASE share it, makes my heart oougggghhghg.

[moongothic]

We all know how a lot of Luffy's opponents have been in some ways premonitions of the type of person Luffy could end up as if something went wrong in his life. For example Moria is what Luffy could've become had he truly lost his entire crew at Sabaody if Kuma had not saved them

And we know Crocodile is what Luffy maybe could've become had Luffy given up on his dreams and become jaded after losing to him. But like, when you think about it, that's not the only dark reflection of Luffy in Crocodile, is it

'Cause Crocodile, despite employing people for Baroque Works, did not trust anyone around him and did not considder anyone to be anything else but an employee to him. And we know he had been planning on taking over Alabasta for like 14 years (at the very least), BW being a thing for only the past four (pre-timeskip)

So like. Did Crocodile spend the last 14 years alone

Like yes he had his workers at the Casino and Robin etc, so he was like, around people, he wasn't like Brook who was in Total Isolation. But on an emotional level, has he not spent the last 14 years all by himself, completely detached from anyone, unable to trust or rely on anyone else?

That is sad as fucking shit, holy hell

'Cause then you compare him to like Luffy and like

Our sweet baby boy was so afraid of being alone that Luffy literally went through hell just to gain Ace's approval despite Ace trying to signal to him he wasn't interested befriending him

And through out the whole series Luffy reiterates time and time again how he needs and wants his friends around because he literally can't live without them, both on a literal "he can't cook or navigate or have fun by himself" level but also on that emotional level

And Crocodile just. Spent 14 years of his life, if not longer, alone.

Sweet jesus what happened to this man

And that just makes me further wonder, what the absolute fuck were Crocodile's Rookie Pirate days like?? Like did he have a crew or was he just yolo'ing it by himself???

Like. Mihawk's never been on a crew as far as we know. Kuma was a Revolutionary, not a pirate, but he wasn't like alone still. Doflaming, Hancock, Jinbei and Moria however have/had crews of their own. So what was Crocodile's deal? Did he have a crew before? Was he a captain or was he on someone else's ship? (Although surely the Government wouldn't offer the position of a Shichibukai to a cabin boy or the first mate, right)

And if he did have a crew, the hell happened to them??

Like we know Crocodile got his ass kicked by Whitebeard, I just find it unlikely Whitebeard would've pulled a Kaidou on Crocodile's crew and slaughtered them, that's not a very Whitebeard-y thing do, right?? ...Unless Whitebeard was just different 20+ years ago and was willing to annihilate entire crews. We don't know. Or maybe Crocodile and his entire crew were like Turbo Rotten from the beginning and Whitebeard figured they deserved to get wiped out, much like how we saw Shanks wipe out Kid's crew at Elbaf. Or maybe Whitebeard saw no reason to have mercy on someone affiliated with the World Government.

That all said, if we wanted to assume Crocodile had somekind of trauma that lead to him viewing people not only as disposable but also untrustworthy, then maybe losing people dear to him like that wouldn't lead to that mindset. Like Moria witnessed his beloved crew die and that caused him to want to create a crew he couldn't die, so he wouldn't go through that emotional trauma again.

Which leaves me to wonder. If something caused him to lose his ability to (emotionally) trust people, and if Whitebeard broke his dreams... Maybe Crocodile had a crew. And maybe they abandoned him when he lost to Whitebeard. Figuring they didn't need a weak captain who was probably going to bleed to death anyways. Or maybe the crew tried to take his head (after Whitebeard kicked his ass), after all, he was already a Shichibukai, anybody who took Crocodile's head could maybe attempt to take that title for themselves if the Government allowed it, and if not, at least gain more fame for themselves.

Either of these scenarios would certainly result in you losing your ability to rely on others. And leave you willing to spend the rest of your life alone. Who would have in them to go through that again.

Or maybe he came out of the womb unable to trust people and he was just yolo'ing it by himself like Mihawk right from the begining, who knows

Regardless I'm just

[bobauthorman]

The Luffy-Kid Connection

With the recent chapter of One Piece being released, I thought I should talk more about Eustass Kid This isn’t an in-depth analysis of his character and motivations, but instead delves into how he parallels our main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy.

From the very beginning, Kid is introduced as a dark reflection to Luffy, from having roughly the same bounty (Albeit a little higher) and having a Number 2 with a 9-digit bounty of his own. They even want the same thing, to be Pirate King. Hell, when they are first seen fighting together, they unveil the thematically same technique.

However, while Luffy and his crew have saved numerous nations from destruction and freed them from tyranny, Kid is infamous in-universe for wreaking havoc on the common folk. It could be easy to write this off as propaganda or exaggeration, but as we see in chapter 594, Kid has no problem with crucifying people he’s beaten. This is a level of viciousness we’ve only seen on the worst of enemies, and a sign that whatever’s said about Kid may not be entirely fabricated. And while Luffy has always been concern about non-coms getting caught in the crossfire, Kid makes it clear he doesn’t care who gets hurt outside of his crew.

Furthermore, there is the matter of humility. Luffy always had people question or mock his dream of being Pirate King, but he just shrugs them off, only throwing down with those who plan on trying to get his way of that. Kid, on the other hand, admits to killing people who laughed at him. Remember the time in Mock Town when neither Luffy or Zoro bothered to fight back against the Bellamy Pirates for mocking the concept of dreams? I sincerely doubt neither Kid or Killer would be so restrained.

When the story brings Kid back into the spotlight, we see he is trying to form an alliance among his fellow pirates…just like Luffy, at the time, went into an alliance with Law to take down one of the Four Emperors. And while Luffy made it clear at the time that he wanted to beat the Emperors except for Shanks (Or, more accurately, that Shanks not be the first), Kid’s prospective alliance was made for the explicit purpose of beating Shanks. And while Luffy’s alliance works out, Kid ends up betrayed and cheated by the pirates he tried to trust.

In Wano, where both men are beaten and captured by Kaido, Luffy and Kid end up in competition over who can do the most labor (And, I am deeply impressed that Kid can carry just as much as Luffy with one arm). But while Luffy helps Old Man Hyo and learns a new Haki technique, Kid walks out as soon as he can, and doesn’t.

And finally, we reach Elbaf, where Kid finds himself in a rematch with Shanks. A very short rematch, to be precise (I was rooting for Shanks, btw), but it’s here that we see two more old friends, Dorry and Broggy from Little Garden. The same technique that once cleared the path for the Straw Hats to sail on their way, it is used to sink Kid’s ship. And speaking of this fight, recollect back to Alabasta, when the Straw Hats saw the Barogue Works fleet but chose not to attack, not wanting to waist their time on small-fry. Kid, on the other hand, made the choice to attack the lesser pirates in Shanks’ fleet…which played a big part in why Shanks waisted no time stomping Kid.

In short, Kid’s role is in part how integral Luffy’s natural kindness and empathy is to his becoming Pirate King…by showing how screwed he’d be without it.

[general-cyno]

Sitting here thinking about Luffy's blind faith in Zoro. I can tell a thousand reasons why Zoro's devotion makes even more sense, I mean, it's not like Luffy doesn't spend every moment unintentionally proving that Zoro was right to trust him. But Luffy's faith? Is it entirely based on the strength of Zoro's spirit? And I find that amazing. Crazy. Insane. Because Luffy canonically has no interest in those who don't have dreams but the only thing Zoro had when Luffy met him was his own dream and the conviction to hold on to it? And that was what struck Luffy the most, even before he knew that Zoro was actually a good person? And that Zoro is, for Luffy, probably the definition of invincible. Because he never gives up on his dream, because his way of joining the Straw Hats or sacrificing himself is to never give up on his dream but to make other dreams (Luffy's dream) part of his? I-

sorry for the late-ish reply anon! and hmmm. it may sound like I'm arguing semantics here but I don't really think luffy's faith in zoro (or anyone, for that matter) is blind per se. huge? heartfelt? intense? yeah, just not necessarily blind. for all that he's very trusting and prone to falling for tricks/underhanded methods, luffy is usually a very good judge of character and if he ever extends his trust or faith to someone it's bc he's got a reason for it or simply believes in their potential. if they fail to meet his expectations, it's their loss, not luffy's. he can take care of himself, and even if he's in danger he relies on his crew to back him up.

now curiously enough I've seen the "it doesn't make sense" argument for both zoro and luffy wrt each other, also that their relationship isn't very reciprocal from luffy's side and it's not something I really agree with. while their relationship does rely on more subtlety than people would think at first glance, I'd argue that as early as zoro's recruitment into the crew we can see why luffy trusts and believes in him as much he does. it's not solely about strength (mental or physical) because as interested as he may have been in zoro's reputation, luffy himself said he'd only ask zoro to join him if he turned out to be a good guy. though zoro had a cool dream, luffy wasn't exactly happy about how dismissive he seemed to be about pirates at first. ultimately, what persuaded him was witnessing first hand that zoro's the kind of person who'd eat dirt if it meant repaying someone's kindness, that he places great value in honor and is a man of his word even if those around him (like helmeppo back then) don't give him the same courtesy or mock him behind his back.

a dreamer just like luffy, someone who stays true to what he promises, who protected luffy, called him captain, became his first crewmate and long lasting companion, regarded him as his friend right away, pledged his dream to luffy's etc etc, how could luffy not have faith in him? not to mention zoro proved to be on luffy's crazy wavelength (to the point he understands luffy's reasoning and motivations to do xy without having to voice them out loud) and that he's as much of a dork too, on top of all that. if luffy's demonstrated why he's earned zoro's trust with his actions, either towards zoro or in general, zoro's also shown why luffy's had plenty of reasons from the beginning to have that much faith in him in turn, and those have only fortified with time, sometimes without luffy being aware of it (ie thriller bark). I've also mentioned it before and this kind of applies to his overall relationship with each member of the crew, but luffy's belief in zoro's strength, dream and so on is a reflection of zoro's in him. it's one of the many reasons I don't really see their mutual respect/devotion/loyalty as blind in either case. I love that about these two so much! everything about their relationship is so intentional, built brick by brick, sprinkled all over the story and their characters. so good.

[the-furthest-city-light]

This post is relates to the current chapters in my Fem!Luffy AU, so read if you want but feel free to scroll.

Sanji has this thing about masculinity and machismo born from a combination of a childhood spent being ridiculed for having emotions and being a Normal Human, and then being raised on the Baratie, which is full of guys who are kind but similarly gruff. He doesn't express vulnerability easily, and he's used to showing he cares in indirect ways that avoids the mortifying ordeal of being known so to speak, especially in relation to other men, and especially men his own age.

I think Sanji by nature of his weird chauvinism would view Luffy as a figure of respect much more quickly than he does Lucy. While he likes her and is probably kinder to her than he was Luffy to start, it’s probably not until around the end of Arlong Park in my fic where Sanji really gets it in his head that Lucy’s in charge and worthy of following, as opposed to the fight on the Baratie in canon. He's just never in his life experienced and trusted himself to a capable female authority figure before, and Luffy, being a guy, would be a much easier and more natural model of leadership for Sanji, regardless of Luffy/Lucy's similarities in personality.

By the time Whole Cake Island comes around, Sanji is on board with Lucy's leadership 100%. He's exactly as loyal to her as he is to Luffy. But since Sanji's conflict in Whole Cake Island centers around his emotional turmoil and his own long-buried trauma and fear, I think Lucy would have a distinct advantage in dealing with it from Luffy. By virtue of Luffy being a guy, Sanji puts on a pretty strong front throughout their various interactions in the arc. He’s not someone who likes to be vulnerable in general, but around other guys (especially Zoro) it’s really obvious that he’s someone who fronts with machismo and aims for stoicism he doesn’t actually feel.

I’m convinced that when confronted with the same emotional turmoil before Lucy, he would actually express that emotion more honestly and openly.  She's his captain and his friend yes, so he still feels that sense of loyalty and need for honesty, but she's also a girl. The need to front masculinity isn't there. For Sanji, women have always been sources of emotional comfort and a safe place to express himself, and I don’t think that would change just because she’s a kind of authority figure, especially when they have so much history proving Lucy's trustworthiness.

I do think Lucy's position as a female authority figure/friend in Sanji's life would do interesting things to his psyche following Whole Cake Island. I think he'd probably view her more fraternally than he was previously, or than he does with Nami and Robin, who are decidedly Women to Sanji, though of course the three of them are friends. I don't think his behavior would necessarily change much, but the way he thinks about her, possibly.

I initially started writing this AU because I was interested in how Luffy/Lucy's gender would affect their personal development, and to reflect more severely/honestly some of the dangers depicted in the one piece world. Sanji and Usopp have always been the characters I have the hardest time dealing with in this fic for different reasons, but with Sanji specifically it's because he's so weird about women that it's hard to imagine him respecting one enough to follow her the way he does Luffy. It's been fun to write scenes depicting why Lucy's gender is an advantage to her leadership rather than a hindrance, especially when it features Sanji.

New chapter to be posted in a bit :)

[cheswirls]

i reread the kuma flashback in entirety at some point this week and consuming it all at once is such a trip. it's so grimdark. especially at the beginning!!! like don't get me wrong it gets sadder later as more emotional investment occurs but there is no light at the end of the tunnel at the start up until a certain point

anyway!! it hit me during this 2nd read what i didn't fully take in the first time and i can't believe oda had to spell it out this late for it to click but uh

luffy's line. about being strong enough to protect his friends so they won't get taken away from him?? that hit hard because it shows just how deeply sabo affected luffy. he was 16 at this point and it wasn't a nod to the future but instead a reflection of past inadequacies. sabo was the first and luffy is determined not to let it happen again

and when you put that into context with everything in the series thus far.... yea it rly got to me. luffy being hell-bent on getting robin and sanji back when he finds they're not acting of their own free will. to a lesser extent this applies to nami too, because once he finds out she's essentially trapped herself in arlong's clutches, he is not willing to leave without her

it can apply to jinbe too!! not as on the nose as the others, but he did take issue w leaving jinbe behind and insisted jinbe return to him and get out alive. it speaks to luffy's trust in them all too. he tells jinbe "even if you die, don't die!!" and then allows jinbe to make a selfish decision. he's not concerned with sanji being at wci bc sanji left a note saying he'd be back after dealing with this himself, until it becomes clear sanji has been manipulated into a lose-lose situation and then he is dead set on dragging his cook back to the sunny.

the asl flashback is the end of the first half of the series, and yet i didn't understand how deeply sabo leaving him and ace affected him until that scene when he's 16. but it does make so much sense in hindsight