#nami's currently yelling at him for being a creep

[dkettchen]

thoughts so far on returning to one piece anime and like it's not all the shots but *most of them for sure are in denial of the supposed muscle mass x'D alas time to get used to questionable oda anatomy again I GUESS

[oneprompt]

If I may, I'd like to make a request please. I was thinking something where Luffy and Reader find an abandoned puppy on the island they're docked on. Her and Luffy both wanna keep it, even beg to keep it, but Nami tells them no, so they spend the whole day looking for someone to take care of it before they have to leave. I thought it'd be cute. <3

authors note : what a cute idea ! i hope this may suffice <3 enjoy to the fullest , i hope i served your vision justice ;; my apologies if this isn’t too good , im incredibly sleepy

Luffy x Fem! Reader , Finding a Puppy Drabble

You couldn’t hold back the frown that stuck itself on your face. Being denied by Nami so many times meant serious business, you couldn’t even bribe her..!

“We can’t have a puppy, Y/n, Luffy! We already have Chopper.. a puppy is too much.” You could recall her exact words that made a sigh exit your body, one that was full of disappointment. You and Luffy had been given the task of finding the puppy a new home before sunset, which would be when you all left the sanctuary of the island the Merry was currently docked at.

“Y/n, do you think they want the puppy?” Luffy cheered excitedly as he pointed at a couple. You watched as they looked at the two of you before their eyes darted away, the pair speed walking away.

Being wanted pirates made this task so hard.. People just kept looking at you two as if you were crazy. Was it that odd to see two pirates trying to find a puppy a home? You had no clue. You truly saw nothing wrong with such a kind act.

“Not from us, they don’t.” Your frown deepened as the clock creeped closer to the departure time. You couldn’t just leave this puppy to be alone, to possibly perish. It deserved a home, regardless of the fact it was being assisted by pirates.

“Oi, don’t be so sad, Y/n!” Luffy slapped a hand onto your back before letting it stay in place, resting upon your back. “We’ll find him a home... we’ll get him the best home ever!” The young man snickered with joy, grinning at you.

You couldn’t help but smile, the corners of your lips tugging upwards as you nodded. “Mhm, we will.” You giggled at the sight of Luffy’s oversized smile. He was so kind hearted, so warm... You loved that about him.

It was the same rinse and repeat as you two wandered the town, trying your very best to find somebody to take in the poor little animal. But still, no one did. You couldn’t help but feel a tinge if guilt spark up within your heart. If only the Marines had found this puppy, they would’ve found people willing to accept it much faster then pirates could.

You and Luffy took a break from walking to sit along the marble fountain that was present in the middle of the small town. Wel, you needed a break. Luffy could run around for hours easy, he was a pure ball of energy, or more so chaos. You lent against Luffy, the puppy curled up in the safety of your lap.

It had been an hour or so by now, and time was not getting any slower. Not at all. Sure, you two could just leave it loose but that wasn’t safe at all, and you knew that.

You jumped at the sudden barking that came from the tiny dog. What was upsetting it to such an extent? You looked around only to be met face to face by a young girl. Was she interested?

“Onee-san,” The little girl said before laying her head on your lap to get closer to the baby dog. You blushed nervously as Luffy laughed loudly. This kid... how did she have no shame doing such a thing?

“Um- yes..?” You said, looking down at the child that cradled it’s head in your lap. You didn’t know what you were supposed to do, you were never too good with kids.

“Is this puppy yours?” She asked softly, curiosity filling her vocals to the brim. In response, you merely shook your head. You noticed the way the girls eyes widened in excitement.

You smiled lightly. Had you and Luffy finally found someone to help the dog?

“Do you think your parents would mind if you came home with it?” You asked the girl.

“Not at all..! Papa would love a dog!” With that line, you couldn’t be so sure if the child’s father would approve. But regardless, you would hand the puppy to her, not like you had much time to find another willing person.

You picked up the dog carefully, being as delicate as possible, almost like the puppy was made of porcelain. “There you go,” You hummed with a smile as the child stood before you. “Take good care of him for us, okay?”

“And feed him lots of meat!” Luffy chimed in, “he loves it!” You couldn’t help but laugh softly at his comments. You smiled warmly at the young girl as she giggled at Luffy as well. How cute.

“I will, mister and misses straw hat!” The girl beamed innocently, having zero disregard for the red that overpowered your face, making you burn up with pure embarrassment.

Did she really believe the two of you were married? Did- did every citizen perceive you and Luffy as a married couple? Or just even a normal couple?

You shuddered at the thought of what that love struck empress would do to you if she had just heard that... but you couldn’t be bothered right now. No, not that easily.

“Bye! Feed him looooots, kid!” Luffy yelled at the girl as she walked away, holding the puppy in her arms. “And i mean it! He needs lots of meat!”

You looked at Luffy and sighed, smiling to yourself. He really didn’t register what she had called you two, did he?

You raised to your feet, brushing off the skirt you wore, feeling the evening breeze flush over your exposed legs.

“Luffy, we should return to the sunny. Nami is probably getting sick of waiting,” You said, looking down at him as the sky turned pastel behind you, shifting shades of orange and purples.

“Right! Let’s go, miss Straw Hat!” Luffy got up, linking arms with you.

“Huh?” Your eyes widened as he said that, your face going beet red once more, almost as red as Luffy’s voice.

What was he going on about...?

[xxrat-bastardxx]

mind if i slide in the first three parts of my zoro x reader fanfiction in here, its posted on archive of our own and wattpad too but i might just switch over to here so ppl can request one piece oneshots and drabbles n’ stuff anyway here it is:

Stargazer: A Roronoa Zoro x Reader

     I've been looking up recently. Not that I don't look up ever, as it is kinda my unspoken job on this ship. However instead of looking up to navigate the stars at night, lately I have been fascinated with looking at the crow's nest in the daytime, wondering what a certain swordsman was doing in there all day. Since I joined the crew the green haired hunk intrigued me. His cold personality strange to me as it was so different than everyone else on the ship. Although I found him interesting we never really had conversations, only short small talk here and there and common courtesy. A part of me wanted to get closer to him and find out all of his little secrets. The sane part telling me to leave him alone and find another person to bother.

    "(Y/N)!" Luffy yelled, pulling me out of my daydream, "FOOD!"

    "Go get Zoro while you're at it too," Nami followed.

    I got up from my spot on the grass and started my ascent. A sudden wave of excitement and nervousness washing over me. Finally I would learn the secrets of the crows nest. I unlatch the door and pull myself up, sitting myself up with my legs dangling out of the door.

    "Oh, that's boring," I say accidentally, quickly covering my mouth when I realized I actually said that out loud. Zoro drops his weight and looks at me, a puzzled expression on his face.

    "Excuse me? What did you say?" He questions even though he obviously understood what I said.

    "Shit, I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that. I was just expecting...Well I don't know what I was expecting, something different I guess." I answer not wanting to lie to the poor man I just insulted.

    Don't get me wrong walking in on a buff man working out is not necessarily boring. Just the obvious thing a buff man would be doing with his time. I guess I was hoping he would turn out to be a mad scientist or delicately painting the ocean from the perfect view the windows give.

    "Um...Anyway. It's dinner time, Nami wanted me to come get you," I say trying to change the topic and quickly make my escape. "I'll be going now, sorry I interrupted your workout."

    "Wait," Zoro says, stopping me before I leap down to the safety of the deck, "I'll walk with you." Weird. I just insulted him and now he wants to walk with me. It's not even that far of a walk either...

    I wait for him to grab a towel and dry off his sweat before heading down to the deck. Waiting for him at the bottom I listen to the commotion ensuing in the kitchen. If we don't hurry our damn captain will eat all the food. I hear a soft thump as the swordsman lands next to me. Looking up at him I shudder slightly just now realizing our hight difference. I quickly take in all of his features, never being this close for so long. Short green hair, did it always look that soft? Tan skin, was it always that smooth? Thick scar running across his chest, do you think he would let me touch it, I wonder how it feels? Damnit (y/n), why are you such a creep! I shake my head and start the short journey to the kitchen. Zoro following silently. I turn open the door to the kitchen with a smile and offer Zoro the chance to go in first. He nods to me in thanks and takes his seat at the table.

    "There you are (y/n)-swan! I thought that marimo brute kidnapped you, I was about to go save you myself," Sanji swoons carrying plates of delicious looking food. I laugh making his face light up as I sit down. The mentioned brute becoming visibly annoyed at the cook.

    "Don't worry Sanji he couldn't kidnap me even if he tried. Everyone knows I'm too quick to get caught," I reply teasing Zoro as I point my chopsticks at him.

    "Tch, how do you know...I wouldn't even want to kidnap you." Zoro grumbles poking at his food.

    "Did I make the moss head sad?" I jab, enjoying the thrill of making fun of such a powerful person. If I wasn't able to find his hidden talent, annoying him would be the next best thing. I wanted to know how far I could take it. I swear a slight tinge of red now dusted his cheeks and ears. Cute. He didn't respond but ate the rest of his meal obviously fuming.

"Luffy?" I question making the captain pause for a moment, "Who's on night shift with me tonight?" Since I navigated the ship most nights with the stars so Nami could relax, I usually asked for a helper to be on deck so I wouldn't drop dead the next day because of pulling all nighters every night. After asking it became apparent that Luffy hadn't thought of it one bit during the day. Which was typical of the airhead.

"Ussop!" Luffy smiles. It was obvious this was the first name to come to his head.

"Hey! I've done it 3 times this week already, why not someone else?!" Ussop retaliates. Ouch. I laugh it off understanding that for a normal person that was too much time to be awake.

"I'll do it," Zoro growls "I did it most of the time before she joined so its fine." This shocked me a little, he had never offered before and just after I've insulted him this much he wants to hang out with me? Or maybe he'll through me overboard as revenge. I guess if I survive the night I'll be able to learn more about him so maybe this is my dream come true.

After dinner I go to the back of the ship and watch the sunset, It was my nightly ritual so to say. Something calm to end the hectic days on the Sunny. I take in the salty ocean air and lean my head into my hand. The ocean was so peaceful today, a gentle current pulling the ship along gentle waves. So lost in the moment I didn't realize the person coming up behind me until I felt a strong pair of hands on my shoulders. I yelp in surprise and whip around to face my attacker.

"You say you're too fast to catch, yet you don't even hear me coming," Zoro scoffs.

"Hey, that's not fair, I wasn't paying attention," I pout crossing my arms over my chest. Now this guy was touching me? What the heck did I do to get all this attention, I thought teasing him would do the opposite! I guess I'm in for a long night.

2

    We sat in an awkward silence for the next hour, I still had no idea why this man wanted to give me so much attention all of a sudden. I had been on the ship for almost 2 months now and had never gotten any recognition from him before. Most of my time was spent with Nami talking about maps and directions, or with Ussop and Franky trying to make bigger better telescopes to research the huge sky above us. And if I wasn't with them I was usually sleeping, preparing myself for the night ahead.

    I look over to the man sitting a couple feet away, bottle in hand. Aha! Conversation starter, please let this awkward silence end!

    "So, you like sake?" Damnit he wouldn't be drinking if he didn't like it. Why did you ask something so obvious.

    "Yeah, I guess so." He replied taking another swig. Come on (y/n) think of something better. A few more excruciating minutes passed, nothing came to mind of what I could do to fix the situation.

"I don't really drink, I don't like the taste," I say, another awkward sentence for another awkward situation.

Zoro snickers, "I guess you just haven't had the right alcohol then," He reaches the bottle out towards me, "Try it," He says. Carefully I reach out and take the bottle in my hands. I shrug and take a sip. Nope still awful! I scrunch my face as the swordsman laughs. Wiping my mouth I pass back the bottle.

"Nope, definitely not for me," I mutter, earning another chuckle from Zoro.

"It seems like you don't like anything I do huh," Zoro says.

"Huh! No no no, its not like that I promise!" I quickly jab. I sigh and look up at the stars. Zoro softly punches my shoulder.

"I know I'm joking. You're different, I like that," He reassures me. At least now I know he isn't planning on throwing me overboard.

    "Wait what do you mean I'm different?" I say, the phrase finally hitting.

    "You aren't in awe of me, I respect that." Zoro says softly. A blush creeps onto my face, I didn't expect something like this from the guy. He seemed so cold and distant most of the time, it was quite intimidating. I look down at my lap, trying to hide the redness of my face. It was reassuring to know that the scariest person on the ship thought of me with respect. With those words the atmosphere seemed to lighten up. Instead of excruciating silence it was calm, like my moments with the sunset. I lie down looking at the stars, the spring constellations jumping out at me. The grand line may have the strangest seasons, but the sky remains the same throughout the years, on a cycle you could count on. Reliable as always, beautiful as always.

I hadn't noticed Zoro lying next to me until he spoke. "What are you looking at?" I turn to him our faces closer now.

"The constellations," I reply, "They help me figure out where we need to go, and what time of the year it is."

"Hmm, I never thought of it that way," Zoro says turning back to the sky, hands behind his head like a pillow. I daringly scoot closer to the man. Leaning closer to him I point to a collection of stars.

"Look over there is the Big Dipper, that one you probably already know. Oh, and over there is Virgo!" I explain excitedly. I continue to gush over the stars pointing out more constellations and going into some of the stories behind them. This goes on for a while, I spit out random star facts while Zoro nods and quietly takes in the information I shove at him. By the time my rant is over we are sitting up again, much closer than last time. When we first sat down it was as ship mates who barely knew each other, now it was like friends, who still, barely knew each other.

"You see, I grew up on a small, but well developed island. There was a lot of light pollution so I could hardly see the stars. Definitely not how we can see them tonight. My parents were just business people, nothing special, but my grandmother was an astrologer. She taught me almost everything I know about the sky now." I slow down, "Before she passed she told me that the only place I could truly see the sky in its glory is the sea. There no one can pollute the sky with bright lights and you'll be the freest you'll ever be. So that's what brought me to the Grand Line I guess. My parents weren't so happy about it but I didn't care what they thought." I hadn't noticed my tears until a calloused hand wiped them away. A small gasp escapes my mouth as I look up at Zoro, our faces much closer than I ever thought they would be. His hand remains on my face as he looks at me, the gears in his head turning. He moves a stray (h/c) strand out of my face.

I don't know what drives me to do it but I wrap my arms around the man's waist and pull him into a hug. My ear against his chest. It takes a few moments but he soon returns the gesture sliding his strong arms around me. My heart skips a beat as he gently caresses my hair, running his fingers through it. I feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breaths, the beating of his heart echoing in my ear. I knew he was just as nervous as me, even if he refused to show it. I slowly pulled away and our eyes met, locked in to each other for what seemed like hours. A delicate smile was painted on his lips and I smile back at him. What were once cold eyes showed a new formed warmth and fondness. New feelings sparked in me as I looked at his expression and got lost into his gaze. Bravery flooded through me and I hoped he felt the same spark I did as slowly leaned towards him again. I closed the distance putting my forehead against his, eyes closed. I hesitate for a moment putting my hands on his warm cheeks, then softly place a kiss onto his lips. I pull back hands still cupping his face. I look at him, a blush dusted onto his face. He places a hand on my waist and closes the distance once more, returning the kiss with more force than the last. My hands move to his hair as he gently leans me back to the floor. I look into his eyes again when we come up for air.

"I don't hate everything you do, I definitely like this," I say bringing him into another kiss.

3

A few days had passed since the exciting night watch with Zoro. After getting caught with Zoro straddling me by Luffy we were too embarrassed to really talk to each other. Especially when the stupid captain brought it up during breakfast the next morning. Who knew the kid would expose us like that,

"Zoro why were you wrestling with (y/n) last night? I thought you didn't like playing, you never wrestle with me," Luffy pouts reaching for another piece of toast. This alerts Sanji instantly,

"You brute! Why would you lay a finger on my precious princess?! Explain yourself swordsman!"

Me and Zoro both turn red like a tomato and look away from each other quickly. Nami and Robin snicker both knowing what was going on.

"Um..w-well you see, Its not like you think Sanji. We weren't fighting its f-fine," I manage to blurt out before Sanji went completely apeshit on Zoro.

"But why was he on top of you (y/n)?" Luffy asks. At this point Zoro was just about ready to bolt out of the kitchen and I was just about ready to melt into a puddle of embarrassment. With Luffy's new statement it seemed to have clicked with our ero—cook what was really going on...

I shudder as I recall the events of that awful breakfast and rest my forehead on the chart I had been working on in the aquarium bar. Robin pats my head as she reads her book.

"(y/n), you're going to have to talk to Zoro again. You can't just keep ignoring him like this,"

"I'd rather die than have that awkward conversation. Plus he probably is totally over me now, he's avoiding me too you know," I mumble into the paper.

"I'm sure that's not the case (y/n). I bet he feels the same as you do right now," Robin reassures me, flipping the page.

"I think I'm going to go take a nap to clear my head," I say softly closing the lid to my ink and rolling the chart back up.

"Have fun," Robin replies, lost in her book like always.

I start my walk to the girl's room remembering how gentle Zoro was when we kissed. It was a nice surprise, I didn't realize how caring he could be. His smile flashed in my mind, how genuine it was, how deeply he listened to everything I said, truly interested in every story I told about the stars. Everything that night felt right after we took down our guard walls. God I hope that's not the last time I see his smile.

Hmm, tomorrow is my night off, I wonder what I should do. Sleeping that whole time sounds like a waste, maybe I'll pamper myself extra and take a longer bath. Yeah that sounds like it will be perfect.

I turn the corner and suddenly trip over something on the floor.

"Ack! What the hell was that?!" I yell, rudely pulled out of planning my night off. I turn around to see who tripped me to yell at them some more but stopped once I saw who it was. "Zoro?! W-what are you doing napping in the hallway?"

He blushes slightly and turns his head away from me, "I was waiting for you so I could talk to you."

"Oh, umm what did you want to talk about?" I ask sitting up,

"I wanted to apologize. For the other night," He says looking in his lap.

"What would you have to apologize for? You didn't do anything wrong" I reply

"If it wasn't for me taking things too far then Luffy wouldn't have embarrassed you in front of the whole crew like that. I'm sorry that I was the cause of that," Zoro says starting to get up. Before he could walk away I grab his arm and pull him back down. I look him in the eyes making sure he listens to what I have to say.

"Zoro, you have nothing to be sorry about, I don't think you took things to far. I'm glad you did what you did and no amount of embarrassment is going to change that," I start, "Look, I'm just glad you don't hate me. I really like you, you know."  

Those seemed to be the magic words as Zoro face lights up, the same beautiful smile he gave me that night resurfacing. He leans closer and kisses my cheek. "Meet me in the crows nest tomorrow night," He says, turning back into his confident self. He kisses me before getting up, "I really like you too," He says before turning and leaving me sitting in the hallway.

It didn't register what I got myself into until a few moments later.

"Holy shit, I just confessed to Zoro. AND HE LIKES ME BACK!" I yell to no one in particular. I jump up and run the rest of the way to the girls room like a 15 year old who just met their celebrity crush. Not my best moment but it was so good to know how Zoro felt about me. It was even better that he felt the same way about me as I felt about him. I was to excited after that to get a nap in but that was fine by me.

\ \ \

Nami came in to get me for dinner a few hours later. I was surprised she didn't ask me about what had happened between me and the swordsman, I'm sure everyone on the ship could hear my squeal of excitement earlier. I'm sure her pestering would come soon enough.

We make our way to the kitchen quickly not wanting Luffy to eat everything before we get there. I was going to sit in my normal spot next to Nami but before I could get there a familiar hand grabbed mine,

"Sit next to me," Zoro says gently tugging at my hand. I smile and sit next to him mouthing a quick sorry to Nami. The new seating arrangement did not go unnoticed by anyone. Everyone was either shocked or weirded out by how physical Zoro had become with you. His embarrassment was obviously gone as he shamelessly had his hand on my knee the entire meal and kissed my cheek every once in a while. Sanji was fuming the entire meal as well, and Zoro shot him his normal icy glares. It was almost as he was making fun of the cook at times or maybe just making sure that Sanji knew his place.

It actually wasn't long before the meal felt like just an average dinner on the Sunny. Brook singing and joking with Franky, Nami being annoyed with Sanji as Robin laughs at his antics, Luffy eating all the food while Chopper and Ussop try and match his impossible pace. Time seemed to slow down every time I ate with the rowdy crew, just having a good time.

After dinner I head to the back of the ship again to watch the sunset like normal. It was the perfect day for a nice sunset, just enough clouds to make the light shine just right, caressing the sky with beautiful pinks and oranges. I smile, stretch, and head to the grass to sit with Franky to start the night shift. We had planned to set up the telescope so I could do some extra research for my chart.

It was getting late and only a few of the crew members were still on the deck. I saw the light in the crows nest go out and Zoro heading down to the deck. I tell Franky I'd be back and went to go say goodnight to the moss head. I get to the bottom of the ladder just as Zoro does.

"You off to bed?" I ask.

"Yeah, I have to be up early for training tomorrow." He says yawning.

"Ok sleepy head, get some good rest. I'll see you in the morning,"

"Goodnight (y/n)," He smiles and leans down to gently kiss my lips. I watch him disappear into the ship before I go back to Franky and the telescope, a grin plastered on my face.

I love the whole "Zoro is actually a cuddle bug" head cannon so i sorta ran with it in this oops. anywhoo lmk how you like it or if u want more, i’ll be taking requests for x reader stuff and writing more so yeah

[the-devil-fruit-tree]

"Go with me." "As long as you hold my hand." FOR ZORO PLEASE NOW CATCH UP WITH MY DRINKING

I’M WORKING ON IT! Tried a Modern!Au with this.

***************************************

Cliff Diving (ZoLu)

When Zoro pulled up to the bottom of the trail, he was over twenty minutes late, but in his defense, the city must have moved the roads around again. Everyone else’s cars were already there, so he grabbed his stuff, locked his truck, and went to meet up with his friends.

They were still waiting at the top of the cliff completely dry, and at Zoro’s questioning look, Nami pointed over to where Ace and Sabo were still trying to force Luffy into an inner tube and water wings. Despite being nineteen, the dark haired boy was incapable of swimming, so his brothers refused to let him jump without floaties. Luffy’s eyes landed on Zoro and got distracted enough for Sabo to slide the last wing up his arm.

Forcing himself free from his loving, but overbearing brothers, Luffy ran over and tackled Zoro, nearly knocking them both to the ground.

“Zoro!” He pulled back to grin at his older friend. “Go with me!” Ace and Sabo’s second rule of cliff diving was that Luffy couldn’t jump if there wasn’t someone already in the river, but since he insists on being first, they’re content as long as someone jumps with him.

“As long as you hold my hand,” Zoro sighed, hoping he sounded disinterested but knowing the heat creeping up his neck from Luffy’s wide grin would have given him away to anyone even slightly more observant than the teen. As if realizing what his answer sounded like, he quickly shouted, “We don’t need you getting washed away with the current,” and felt his face burn red.

Luffy exclaimed that it was time to start while Zoro dumped his things next to the others and pulled off his shirt. He met Luffy at the cliff’s edge where the teen adjusted his inner tube before grabbing Zoro’s hand. There was barely a second of warning before they were flying through the air. Luffy’s excited scream was contagious, and Zoro let loose his own wild man yell.

Their hands were ripped apart when they hit the water, and Zoro had to resurface to find out it was because Luffy, in a way only the strawhat boy could, had landed upside down. His legs were kicking wildly in the air since the inner tube prevented him from easily turning back over. Admittedly, Zoro took a moment to sigh and shake his head before braving the swinging limbs to set Luffy back up right.

Even though he’d just been drowning, the teen was laughing the moment he broke the surface. He shook his head, spraying droplets everywhere, and grinned. “Thanks for saving me, Zoro!”

Zoro had to shut his eyes to avoid the brightness radiating from Luffy’s smile and said, “Yeah, whatever.” Or he would have, if a sudden pressure against his lips hadn’t cut him off and sent him sputtering. His eyes shot open, but Luffy was already leaning back and kicking his legs to move about the river, succeeding more in splashing Zoro than actually moving.

If given the time, Zoro might have grabbed Luffy’s ankle and pulled him closer. Unfortunately, before he had the chance, two very overprotective brothers crashed into the water beside him.

*********************************

Prompt List

[sanjisock]

the thought that counts

ao3

Law finds Zoro walking out of the market carrying an ugly statue of a fox in one hand.

The odd sight catches him off guard, and he blinks. Law would like to think he’s getting used to the antics pulled off by the Straw Hats, but clearly that whirlwind of a crew still has more tricks up their sleeves, because what the hell is that fox statue.

Zoro notices Law’s presence and walks up to him. “Oi,” he greets.

We’re leaving for Wano soon, Law wants to say, but the statue proves to be more distracting than he expects, because the words die in his lips as he stares at it.

Zoro follows Law’s line of sight, looks at the statue, and looks back at Law.

‘It’s for the cook,” Zoro says, and doesn’t elaborate, as if it was enough of an explanation.

“Right,” Law says, unsure how to respond. He thinks of Black Leg, who meticulously decorates his food and pointedly ensures the patterns of his tie matches the color of his shoes every day, and stares at the statue. It’s dirty, chipped at the edges, and its crooked, uneven eyes stare back at Law. “Is this supposed to be a prank?”

“What? No,” Zoro says. “This thing made me think of him.”

Law narrows his eyes at the weird patterns on the fox’s skin that must’ve been its fur. They look more like blisters instead, and look nothing like Sanji. “Black Leg-ya is going to kill you for that,” he points out.

If Zoro heard that comment, he didn’t show it, because he was too busy taking the wrong turn at the intersection. Law has to call out for him to turn towards the right street, ugly fox statue forgotten.

-

The fox statue makes its reappearance in Wano, when all is said and done and the Straw Hats have reunited.

Law watches Zoro and Sanji quietly retreat from the commotion. He’s learned, over the months spent on Straw Hat’s ship, that this is a thing they simply do. They think they’re being subtle, but Law can see how their crew members share knowing glances as the two disappear into a corner of the ship. For such a rowdy, tight-knitted crew, the Straw Hats are surprisingly good at giving each other space whenever they need it.

Law was planning to let them do whatever it is they do whenever they’re alone (Law has some guesses, but his mind isn’t really interested in going into the details, no thank you). but he catches a glimpse of the fox statue, and curiosity got the best of him.

He pretends to take a sip of his drink as he leans against the wall, listening in to the conversation.

“--for you,” he hears Zoro say.

There is sound of cloth rustling as Zoro takes out the statue from its container. Law closes his eyes and waits for the inevitable fight — Sanji will surely get offended, and they’ll start yelling at each other, and the usual fight will break out in three, two, one…

Except, no fight breaks out.

At all.

Law leans to the side to take a peek of the two, just as Zoro pulls Sanji into a kiss and slips his tongue into Sanji’s mouth and — yeah, that’s it, Law did not need to see that. He walks away before he feels like taking out his eyesight.

-

Sanji hums to himself as he washes the dishes, clearly in good mood. The fox statue is sitting by the sink in all its terrible glory. Sometime during the fights with Kaido, Zoro must’ve accidentally broken one of its legs, and now the fox looks more like a deformed sea monster instead.

Law tilts his head to the side, trying to look at it from a new angle. Maybe if he turns his head a couple degrees more, the fox would actually look like a majestic bird —

“All right, that’s it,” Sanji suddenly says. “You’ve been staring at me since dinner started. What is it?”

Law straightens himself. “It’s nothing,” he says, but Sanji narrows his eyes at that, clearly believing none of his lies. Law sighs and concedes. “I was simply...curious of what you see in the statue.”

“Statue?” Sanji looks genuinely confused for a few seconds, before realization seems to dawn on his expression. “Oh, that shitty statue.”

“‘Shitty’ statue,” Law echoes. “You don’t think it’s a good one.”

Sanji scoffs. “In case you didn’t notice, that oaf knows nothing about aesthetic.” He puts the last dish on the drying rack and turns to face Law. “I, on the other hand, have eyes .”

“But…” Law pauses, trying to form the right words. Surely he isn’t imagining things — the way Sanji hums to himself, pleased, a little smile ever-present in his face. “You like the gift,” he points out.

Sanji’s hand, halfway to his pocket to take out a cigarette, stills. Law watches the red tint of a blush slowly creep up his neck and across his cheeks.

“Well, it’s — I didn’t —” Sanji sputters, clearly surprised. Law watches the way his blush reaches the tips of his ears. “It’s just, it’s kind of,” he mumbles the last part, “romantic.”

Law doesn’t think they’re even talking about the same thing anymore. “What?”

“If you tell that mosshead about this, I’m going to kill you and feed you to my crew with zero remorse, you hear me,” Sanji growls, but the threats feel empty considering how red his face currently is. “It’s just, it’s kind of romantic, isn’t it? Just,” he shrugs helplessly. “It shows that he thought of me even when we weren’t together. The statue’s shitty, but the rest — isn’t.”

“...romantic,” Law tries, tasting the word on his tongue. This is all new, to him, and he kind of wants to ask more questions, but Black Leg looks like he’s uncomfortable by the entire conversation.

“Sanji-kun? Is the desserts done?” Nami suddenly calls out from outside.

“Right away, Nami-san!” Sanji replies, and practically flees the galley with plates of fondue in his hand.

 -

“Torao!”

Law looks up just in time to see Luffy dumping a bag of oddly-shaped stones on his lap. Law watches them clatter messily, some spilling onto the deck, and when he looks up again, Luffy simply smiles at him, offering him zero explanation.

He picks up one of the stones. It’s… nothing out of the ordinary, as far as he can see. Probably some pebbles Luffy must’ve picked from a river bank.

“What do I do with these?” He asks.

Luffy tilts his head to the side, like Law is the confusing one here. “I don’t know,” he shrugs as he plops down on the deck, right across Law. “How would I know what to do with stones?”

Law stares incredulously at the mess of stones on his lap. “Why did you give them to me, then?”

“They reminded me of you,” Luffy says with a grin on his face, eyes glinting under the brim of his straw hat. “They look like those things on your hat,” he points out. “It’s okay if you want to throw them away. I just wanted to show them to you.”

Luffy stares up at him, and it always surprises Law, the way Luffy looks at him. Like the world narrows down into just the two of them, and Law’s opinion on some random pebbles he picked up by the street is more important than the rest of the world. Like Law actually matters .

Law thinks of his conversation with Sanji, the way his eyes soften as he says, it’s kind of romantic, isn’t it?

It was never about the statue, Law realizes. It was never about the pebbles.

“No,” he says, and wraps his hands around the stone It’s not quite night yet, the horizon an uneven scratch of color bleeding red into the sky, and Luffy’s smile seems to glow brighter than the sun. “I’ll keep the stones.”

“Okay,” Luffy says, and slides towards his side. Law feels the way Luffy’s shoulder presses against his side, and lets him.