#would zoro just chill in the rain???? i think so

[luxcruor]

[ POUR ]  for our muses to have a passionate reunion kiss in the rain.  / shori

.* DIFFERENT KINDS OF KISSES ; @kaizokugaris

being thrown to the winds years before had hardened the kunoichi once again to only her own presence. ( back to the lonely life ) the endless forest of an island that had been her home for those few years taught survival. most of her time had been spent training alone or with the herd of deer that called the island their home ass well with a short-sword, a blade any good assassin needs, something compact and quick. piles of wood had fallen to the blade by the time she had to protect herself. ( afterwords giving the hilt an extra caress to remind herself of him. )

At long last pieces of her crew had found themselves on her island and she’d forced a full smile once she realized the swordsman wasn’t among them. They had a new destination though, Wano. The passage was smooth ( agonizing in length without anyone she felt fully comfortable with..) shori glances up from her own reflection, gazing back from the metal of her dagger while the crew above shout orders and holler out with joy. Creeping over to the nearest port-hole Shori spots the huge cliffs along the shores of Wano.

She went out alone the moment he was mentioned to be on the island. It was the most frantic she had felt in some time… Her heart was racing as she combed through the main market to no results. this was zoro… shori figured a change of strategy was in order. Perhaps she could just… walk around randomly until she spotted him? Since when did he remember locations? Might as well go to where she was more at home, in the company of a gentle forest breeze. Well, so much for a quaint walk, the moment she was on the trail cool droplets of rain sprinkle over her skin. Her hair sticks to her cheeks as she navigates the woods. Moving aside yet another branch the kunoichi comes to an open valley. A shape catches her eye, a tree ??? No, not large enough but still an imposing height. Three branches reaching out from the back... no.. not branches those were... swords. Hands shake as she opens her mouth but speaks silence. " Z--zor--- " shori's breath hitches as tears run down her face, invisible in the rain. Legs stagger across the ground as her body reacts before her voice. Her movements are excited and she tumbles to the dirt without care, eyes still focused on him. " ZORO !!!!!!!!!!! " she cries out over the winds and rain, hands reaching towards him after years of being alone.. she crumbles to her knees as she throws her arms around him. Eyes brimming with concern as her finger glides over a new scar over his eye.

" Zoro..my Zoro it's you.. it's really you!! " she beams up at him before practically leaping up to close the distance between their faces. cradling his face for the first time in three years.. she'd almost forgotten the curves and angles unique to his visage, the careful hand that always found it's way to her lower back to press her closer and the undeniable feeling of absolute safety in his arms. After three long years, Shori was home.

[midnightlazule]

{NSFW} Frottage [Sanji x AMAB!reader] (2023 KT)

Summary | You decide to tease the cook all throughout the evening, it doesn't end up going the way you hoped it would.

CW | AMAB reader / he/him pronouns / Dry humping / Frottage / Sanji comes in his pants

It was early in the evening on the Thousand Sunny, standing on the deck with everyone else, you shivered. The winds were chilly, and the clouds promised the possibility of rain, which was nothing short of strange when you were in the grand line.

Nami had been keeping a close eye on the patterns of the clouds, keeping Zoro and Usopp close at hand incase the sails needed to be hoisted. Robin sat in her chair, laid back and reading a book, paying no mind to the biting chill that left everyone shivering.

Franky was off somewhere, while Chopper stayed in the medical office. Brook sat and hummed short tunes while he watched the waves, and Luffy sat up above, hand on his hat as he watched the weather grow increasingly worse.

And then there was Sanji, who was sitting in the kitchen, humming a low tune as he swayed every which way. You had decided to sneak in, sitting at the table while you watched. He hadn't noticed you yet, too engrossed in doing the one thing he loved.

Your eyes followed the curves of his body, the way he moved his hips, the way his arm muscles flexed as he cut into vegetables. But your favorite sight of all, was the way he stretched himself, muscles straining against skin, bones cracking, and the content sigh that left his lips.

"How long are you going to sit there and watch me?" Sanji's smooth voice rang out, you smirked, "so you knew I was here the whole time yet said nothing? I'm hurt" you feigned offense. "It's hard to ignore you when I can feel you staring, and not to mention how loud you're breathing" he looked back at you, beautiful blue eye glinting with mirth.

"I am not breathing loud" you rolled your eyes, "I'm just.. breathing heavily."

"It's the same thing" Sanji chuckled, scooping up some diced onion and putting it into a pot of boiling stew. "What did you want anyways? You're usually rather patient when it comes to waiting" he questioned, you shrugged, "It's cold outside and I wanted to see you." You knew that wasn't the whole truth, ever since you came into the kitchen you'd been feeling rather warm.

"Wanted to see me? That's a new one" Sanji snorted, "you're usually busy outside with that shitty swordsman" you could almost hear the jealousy dripping from his words, knowing exactly how he felt when you talked with Zoro, you sighed. "I've told you plenty of times I'm not interested in him, nor do I like him in that way."

Getting up from the table, you walked up behind Sanji, curling your arms around him you rested your chin against his shoulder. "Besides, you're the one that makes me feel such dirty things" you rasped in his ear, grinding yourself against his backside.

Sanji hissed, "really? I'm busy trying to make dinner and all you can think about is fucking me?!" he whisper yelled, not wanting to attract any attention. You cracked a smile, "aww come on, you know you like the excitement of possibly being caught" winking at him, you left a kiss on the side of his neck before pulling away.

Scoffing, Sanji said nothing as he went back to cutting up vegetables. He refused to admit that the idea of nearly getting caught turned him on, not wanting you to get all smug about being right. But images swirled in his mind, the feeling of you against him, and the thoughts of trying to keep up with making dinner while you sat below him and deep throated his cock were enticing.

Swallowing hard, Sanji wiped away some collecting sweat, pretending he couldn't feel your knowing gaze on the back of his head. Concentrating was getting harder, but trying to keep himself under control was becoming increasingly difficult. He could feel heat build up around his groin, his semi-hard dick pressed against his finely ironed pants.

Time passed, and you continued to tease Sanji while he prepared plates and bowls; giving him suggestive looks, reaching out and running your hands across his hip or ass. Your constant bothering him didn't even stop when he notified everyone of dinner being ready.

Once everyone crowded in, Nami was of course upset that you had been in the kitchen the whole time, being cozy and not helping with any of the sails or strapping down any barrels. You apologized, stating that Sanji needed your help with a few things.

What a bold faced lie that was.

Sanji had even given you a look of annoyance, he was lucky he got dinner prepared on time despite your constant bothering him. With everyone getting seated, Sanji found himself having to decide on sitting next to you, or sitting across from you.

Sitting across from you meant having to sit next to Zoro, but sitting next to you meant getting teased twice as much. Swallowing his pride, Sanji took a seat next to Zoro, keeping his head down as the table went silent

Everyone's eyes watched Sanji except for Luffy, who was busy stealing off of plates.

"Are you feeling alright, Sanji?" Robin questioned, resting her cheek on her hand, she had a knowing smile. "He's alright, we just got into a little quarrel while I was helping him, and he didn't want to sit next to me" you snickered, winking at Sanji who glared at you.

"That's not-" Sanji started

"Well I hope the both of you are able to work it out" she smiled sweetly, knowing how close you and Sanji were. You focused back on your bowl of soup, taking a small piece of bread and soaking it in the broth, you held eye contact with Sanji while you placed it in your mouth.

A low hum sounded in your throat, "dinner is really delicious, Sanji, you did a wonderful job like always" you could see his jaw visibly tighten, a small vein popping up on his temple. "Thanks" he growled, frowning at you.

Your predatory gaze never left Sanji, stretching your leg forwards you placed your shoe against his. He gave you a warning glare, tightening his fists as he mouthed 'don't you dare'. He was struggling to not make a scene, not wanting anyone to catch on and realize what was really happening.

Ignoring his glare, and his warning, you lifted your foot, dragging it against his leg. Watching his body stiffen, you continued to act completely natural, lifting a spoon of soup broth to your mouth before slurping it.

You stopped your foot right at his inner thigh, rubbing the area for a moment, you pressed forwards. Sanji flinched, hitting his hand on the table, gaining the attention of everyone, including Zoro.

The green haired man looked at Sanji, annoyed with how strange he was acting he opened his mouth to say something. "S-sorry, just burnt myself is all" Sanji stammered quickly, keeping his eyes trained on his bowl of soup. He was seething, not only had you teased him all throughout dinner prep, but now you were teasing him while everyone was in the room.

So much for sitting across from you to try and escape it.

Zoro raised an eyebrow, looking down he caught a quick glimpse of your foot heavy against Sanji's crotch. Casting a glance your way, you put up a finger to your lips, winking. Shaking his head, he chose to mind his own business this time around, whatever kinky stuff Sanji was into, he didn't wanna know.

-----

It was a while after dinner, everyone had cleared, leaving both you and Sanji alone to clean up. You had left him alone, no touches, no suggestive glances, nothing. Silently, you helped with cleaning off the table and dishes.

He was positively fuming at this point, you had gone through all that work since dinner prep to get him all pent up, and now you were done? It wasn't fair, and Sanji wasn't going to allow you to get away with pulling such acts.

Waiting until the kitchen was cleaned, he watched you dry your hands, "where do you think you're going?" Sanji asked while you turned to leave the kitchen. You glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow, "Cleaning is done, I'm going to go shower then head to sleep, why?" you asked, confused.

Grinding his teeth, sanji frowned. He was clearly upset by your complete switch in demeanor, the way you dismissed his feelings and practically pushed him away after you were done having your fun.

"Is there a problem with that, Sanji?" you asked him, giving him an impish smile. You were playing him like a fiddle, leading him to believe that you were only there to play with him like a doll, then throw him aside, never to be touched again.

It was pure evil, but so terribly worth it.

Sanji remained quiet as he approached you with a dark glint in his eyes, he wasn't going to let you get away. Grabbing your wrist, he pulled you towards him rather harshly, twisting you around, your back landed against the wooden countertops. You groaned in pain, feeling the wood dig into your spine, but he didn't care.

"Look at me" Sanji seethed, his entire body a line of tension. You quirked a smile, looking him in the eye as it twitched with anger. Your hard work was finally paying off, getting the cook all angry and pent up. Arousal sparked along your body, sending heat down to your groin, you felt yourself harden in your pants.

You knew Sanji could feel it, with the way he glanced down for a moment, his frown deepening. "Is this what you want?" he growled, his breath hot on your face as he lifted you onto his hips. Not sparing you even a minute to prepare, Sanji started a brutal rhythm of grinding himself against your cock.

You hissed, grabbing hold of his shoulders to find balance as he continued with his brutal pace. "What? nothing to say now?" Sanji smirked, "you really are all bark and no bite" he groaned, his cock growing harder and harder with each thrust. "C-come on Sanji, I'm - fuck, I was just messing around" you whimpered, "at least let me take off my pants" you wiggled against him.

Sanji clicked his tongue, ignoring your request, instead he dropped your legs, twisting you around and bending you over the counter. "You don't get to make demands, not after all the shit you pulled, so stop bitching and take it" he growled, not faltering for a moment he began rutting against you again.

A tight moan left Sanji's lips, he was growing closer and closer to his release. Fuck, he didn't want to cum inside his pants, but it was too late. He felt that familiar warmth swirling in his abdomen, tension rippled through his body. His rhythm faltered, growing unsteady as he fucked against your clothed ass.

"Fuck, ___!" Sanji moaned high in his throat, calling out your name as he rode out his orgasm against you, his vision going blank for a moment. Breathing heavily, he stepped away, feeling the uncomfortable wetness of his own cum against his softening cock.

"Clean yourself up, grab your shit, and go" Sanji grabbed the pack of cigarette's out from his back pocket, placing one to his lips. You turned and stared at him, still high and dry. Your cock throbbed uncomfortably against the fabric of your jeans. "You're not going to help?" you asked, crossing your arms.

A cruel laugh left Sanji's lips, "really? you expect me to help you get off after everything you did today? go fuck your hand, I'm not helping" Sanji sneered, "to think you even had the audacity to ask" he muttered, lighting his cigarette, he left the kitchen.

You watched as he left, feeling humiliation and arousal bubble inside your chest, you grit your teeth.

It wasn't worth it in the end, your own actions had completely backfired leaving you horny and yearning for more. You knew no matter how hard you tried to convince the cook, that he wouldn't give in. Deciding to accept your fate that you cast upon yourself, you angrily grabbed whatever you left in the kitchen and made your way to your room.

Sanji watched from a little ways away, taking a drag from his cigarette, he smirked. "You look like you had fun" Zoro appeared, crawling down from the crows nest. "You could say that" he blew out the smoke, turning to face the swordsman.

A smirk was on his lips, "you teach him a lesson?" Zoro asked, referring to you. "Of course I did, he was getting too far ahead of himself, even though he's rather pissed I left him with nothing" he chuckled. Zoro snorted, "it was painful watching how much he was tormenting you, I was surprised you didn't drag him away, nearly everyone there knew what was going on."

A sigh left Sanji, "I'm not surprised, ___ isn't very subtle" he was partially annoyed, but there was nothing he could do about it now. "Whaddya say we both teach him a lesson, I think stuffing him full to the point it breaks his limits is enough to knock him down a few pegs" Zoro crossed his arms, watching the cooks' reactions.

Despite the fact that Sanji could be overly jealous, the thought of having Zoro help with teaching you a thing or two about respect really had his gears turning. So much so that he felt a lick of arousal spark in his groin.

"Well, I'm spent, so not tonight" dropping his cigarette to the ground, he ground his foot against it, smothering the flames. "Just let me know when, I'll have everything ready" Zoro winked, waving goodbye as he made his way back up to the crows nest.

Blinking and turning back to face the dark, vast sea, Sanji crossed his arms. He hoped you were prepared for what was coming, because neither he or Zoro would be soft and gentle. Heading back to his own room, he shivered, suddenly remembering his cum that had begun to dry in his pants.

[cyborg-franky]

Rainy Morning - Zoro x GN Reader

A k0fi com! [click here for one]

Zoro x GN Reader SFW Word Count: 556

Lazy mornings hardly ever graced you in your new life at sea with an incredibly active and lively group of people. So when the chance to lay in bed, surrounded by the big strong arms of your partner without a foreboding list of chores came up, you grabbed it and didn’t let go.

You sighed and adjusted, feeling Zoro’s arm draped over you, keeping you close to his chest, his soft snores in your ear as you wriggled again, wanting to turn and face him, see his handsome face, see how happy and at peace he was as he slept by your side.

Sounds of rain greeted your ears, mixing in with the snores, the pitter-patter against the porthole, you glanced up with half-lidded eyes and saw the grey world outside, the clouds thick with rain. The morning had brought with it rain and a fresh chill that remained outside, but the gloomy weather made you feel the shiver in your bones regardless.

The rain started to hit the glass harder, drops chasing one another down the window. You forgot how much you loved the sound of rain, how soft it sounded, how cozy you felt in bed under blankets and tucked under Zoro’s chin.

You stared at the window a little longer before cuddling closer to him, closing your eyes and focusing on the rhythmic calming sounds of rain. You heard a grumble, and a huff, and glanced back up, seeing Zoro yawn and feeling his body stretch out before his arms returned to holding you close.

A calloused hand made its way up the back of your shirt, rubbing you, feeling your warmth, a small show of intimacy you could never get enough of, the roughness of his hands brought comfort.

“Did my snores wake you again?” He asked, voice deep and rumbly, thick and heavy with sleep as he blinked and adjusted to the morning light.

“No, I think it was the rain, honestly.” You placed your hand against his chest, feeling the warmth and enjoying how his chest would rise and fall with his breathing as he got used to being awake.

“Raining huh?” He looked over at the window, seeing the cascading water and he was now aware of the light storm the new day had ushered in.

“I don’t want to go to breakfast, I just want to stay in bed.” You said with a sigh and nuzzled your head under his chin, feeling his hand rest on your backside as he hummed in thought.

“Day off right? Means we don’t have to.” He nodded, already deciding he wasn’t going to move, enjoying the feeling of your limbs tangled with his under the sheets.

“I guess so.. What about breakfast?” Zoro pulled his gaze away from the window and looked down at you. “Shitty brows will keep something by for us, don’t worry about it, come back to sleep yeah?” Zoro said with a tired sigh, closing his eye and letting his sleepy mind start to sink back into the seas of dreams, the hand on your back starting to go slack.

“Sounds good, I love you, Zoro.” You adjusted enough to kiss his chin, hearing the happy sound from the swordsman as he mumbled a soft “I love you too.”

A perfect rainy morning with the man you loved.

[bluewonderer]

heat

For the 7days7sentences writing challenge I issued!

Prompt: heat Fandom: One Piece Character(s): Nami (plus some Zoro and Luffy)

The chill snakes into her blankets and settles into her skin until she’s gasping between dreaming and waking and dreaming again. She rolls in the covers like rolling in a current, feeling her own cold skin even as she dreams of all the notes she wants to add to a map she hasn’t even started. She’s awake enough to feel the wind and hear the nearby crash of waves, but she’s also running over the old wooden floors of Bell-mère’s house, running from a childhood nightmare only to freeze on the threshold, staring wide-eyed into the gaping dark void of a bedroom she no longer remembers—

Her eyes fly open as she chokes on panic, nails scraping into her shoulder as she tries to will the rush of blood in her head to shut up so she can hear where Arlong might be, if he’s seen her yet—

And then, between one blink and the next, she’s finally awake and knows that she’s away from Arlong (but still not free). She’s on a little island with two scrappy boats and two scrappier boys with a burnt-out fire and a full belly, the souring taste of the wine she stole coating her teeth, salty wind in her nose, and the promise of morning rain prickling at the nape of her neck—far off, but coming all the same. 

She looks to Luffy’s blanket—he didn’t seem to acknowledge the chill earlier in the night, but he’d been the one to build their fire big and roaring, insisting that they dance and sing and eat and drink around it like they were just kids sneaking away from their village—like they were pirates. But his spot is empty, his blankets gone, and she swallows back the he left me, they left me, did they take my money? that grips her throat. She hasn’t known them long but knows that they would never do that because they’re both kind of terrible at being pirates. 

(At least, they’re terrible for her definition of being pirates. As long as they’re sailing toward the horizon, Luffy seems to think that they’re doing pretty well for themselves.) 

But no, Zoro’s here—she finds him easily by following his snores. Squinting in the starlight, she finds Luffy curled up against Zoro’s side, his blanket wrapped around him. 

That lazy ass had woken up cold but hadn’t fixed the fire, leeching off of Zoro’s heat and leaving her to freeze. She shivers again and stands up, hesitating at how she doesn’t hesitate at stalking over with her own blankets. She crawls over the boys, uncaring about her knees and elbows waking them up as she burrows into their warmth. It doesn’t bother them, anyway—Luffy’s body gives in a way that’d be disconcertedly uncanny if it wasn’t so damn convenient. Zoro’s body—already so tough and strong despite the boyhood clinging to his gangly limbs and rounded cheeks—doesn’t give at all. 

The cold doesn’t leave her right away, but she sighs as their warmth seeps into her skin and pulls her easily back into sleepy depths. 

In her dream, she stands at Bell-mère’s door and stares at the yawning darkness, surprised to find herself unafraid. 

Note: yeeeaaahhh... this is more than seven sentences. But I found myself being late writing and posting because I kept struggling to find something to write with just seven sentences because I wanted THIS to be it. So. I figured it was better to write than not write at all??

Anyway! I love the Romance Dawn Trio! My babies!

[oneprompt]

Hi! How u doing? It me again uwu

Loving ur fics really, they making my day better 😄💕💕💕

Can I have Zoro with propmts #3 and #9 ? Preferable with female reader!

Thank u for ur time

authors note : hello once again ! <3 im so very glad you’re enjoying my work ;; and sure can do ! i hope this is alright enough , it takes place during drum island <3 + sorry im replying so late ..! also i couldn’t think of a way for the reader to ask to borrow a sweater , so .. i just used the ‘ it’s huge on me ‘ prompt , mainly ;; but i hope it’s okay , still !

Zoro x F! Reader ,

“ Wow! It’s huge on me. “

You couldn’t help but jitter from the frost that bit at your skin. Even with such a thick sweater on, you couldn’t help but jitter. It was an odd change of pace. As of late, you and the crew had been in warm climates, places that don’t even rain too often. So, suddenly being dumped into the abyss of a purely snow and iced over island was effective, to say the least.

Your breath fanned out infront of you, each pant that escaped your lips puffing into a visible cloud, thanks to the freezing air. You hated this scene of endless cold but it was for Nami.. You’d endure anything for her, she was your friend.

“Are you okay?” A raspy voice struck your thoughts, cutting off the ties within your head. It was Zoro’s voice. You, him, Usopp and Vivi had been trying to assist the locals and what not, doing the best you could to contribute to the island and overall journey. Yet, you and Zoro were outside in your lonesome, as Vivi and Usopp were fetching you all some things to assist with the cold climate.

You gave Zoro a small smile, your teeth almost chattering from the chills that spiked your skin.

“I’m okay, no need to worry about me, Zoro-kun.” Your lips stayed shaped out into a smile but it didn’t help hide too much. Your nose was nearly stained red from the cool air that was consistently being thrown into your faces. You sniffles ever so slightly. Hopefully you wouldn’t come down with a cold... with Nami being sick, you’d hate to fall ill as well, further interfering the voyage to Alabasta.

Zoro gave you a rather skeptical glare, one of his moss shaded brows throwing itself upwards, his permanent frown full of questioning. You were bad at lying. No person who’s ‘fine’ within weather would be shaking as badly, arms wrapped tight around yourself.

With a sigh, he removed his large parka, revealing his usual white shirt. The blue hue of the parka stayed within his tan hands but only for a moment before Zoro propped the thick jacket onto your shoulders, draping it over you.

“Wait, Zoro-“ You wanted to object, warn him about the risk of a cold or the possibility of frost bite. But Zoro was an ignorant man, one who didn’t listen to the orders of others often.

“ ‘M fine. You clearly need it more then me. We don’t need two sick women on our ship.” Zoro sighed, clipping up the sewn buttons of the parka, letting the pink sweater you were wearing vanish as the large jacket Zoro had gifted you hid it away.

You looked up at him as he finished buttoning the jacket. Your cold features crisped with a harsh blush, but with how red you were to begin with, it was unnoticeable. He was so close... It was strange to see Zoro being so upfront when it came to caring, you never took him as a care taker type.

“Well, i suppose i cant refuse your gracious offer..” You muttered before giving Zoro a goofy smile, giggling weakly. “It’s so big on me.. i look silly.”

Zoro rolled his eyes, his cheeks growing red to the point of resembling a ripe apple. Why were you always so cute? You were definitely the cutest woman Zoro had ever met..

“I’d rather you look like a dumbass over you getting frost bite,” Zoro sighed heavily before averting his gaze, “And i don’t think you look silly, it’s cute, almost.”

Your eyes glistened in amusement from the sudden praise. You were in shock, staying as still as a block of ice. Did the Roronoa Zoro call you cute? What a shock! You never expected to hear such a thing from a stone faced man like him...

You offered him a coy smile and reached downward, taking Zoro’s large hands within your own, twirling your fingers together to interlock.

“Would you mind if i helped you warm up your hands?” You gave him the brightest smile you could muster.

If your smile was the sun, it would be beaming enough light to melt the harsh snow that laid upon the fields of Drum Island.

[greyskyflowers]

One Piece Headcanons: Zoro and Chronic Pain

Zoro probably has chronic pain and I wish to discuss it.

Like Luffy probably does too but I think maybe the whole being rubber thing would help with that? Maybe? I do like the thought of his chest scar causing problems occassionally though.

Zoro and chronic pain though... that just hits me.

I mean, Zoro is destructive and reckless in some of the best and worst ways.

How many times has he broken the same bone or ripped open the same piece of skin? How many times has it been different?

Do his hands lock up on cold islands? The chill settling in cartilage and bone and holding like concrete?

Maybe he moves the slightest bit slower when a storm moves in. Sits down a little heavier and lets out more of a sigh after getting inside from the rain.

Scars, both silvery white with age and jagged red with healing, that itch some nights. Not letting up no matter how much he digs dull nails into the skin.

Days where he disappears from the deck, leaving the noise and sunlight to hide away deep in the ship with a headache that feels like it's splitting him open. Tucking himself away in the dark and laying on the cool floor like an animal going off to die in peace.

Times where taking a deep breath feels more like drowning. Muscles aching and protesting each movement, even the necessary ones.

Where his bones ache in his body like the pain was always there and spilled out the first chance it got. It feels like it will never stop, settled in his soul with the intention of staying.

How much of him was born broken? How much was broken before ever actually being broke?

Sometimes it just hurts and he can't hide it as well.

Feeling eyes on him as he makes himself stand up and walk away in order to take ragged breathes.

Or times where they come in on his blind side and he startles slightly, how sometimes he moves like he forgets that he's missing something.

Or when his fingers are stiff first thing in the morning and curling them around a cup of coffee feels like it's own battle.

Or how sometimes Sanji hits him in just the right place during a brawl and he can't help but flinch away.

So maybe some herbal teas make their way into the kitchen pantry for long nights.

And some bath salts get tucked away in the bathroom.

Books on the body and recovery get placed on shelves next to old maps and they start steering clear of cold or stormy islands.

Creams and braces are packed away in a small cabinet next to bandages and other medical equipment.

Harsh drops and steps around the ship are repaired for a gentler descent or approach to wherever you plan on going.

And Zoro's not stupid, he knows that something has changed. But he feels a little better now and well... it's really nice.

[aliresix]

 I’m watching One Piece

Episodes 1-50

In the very first scenes, Nami doesn’t have such an exaggerated body. But as time goes by it gets worse.

For some reason I think Usopp and Hanji (from snk) would get along well??? Just… I don’t know, science buddies and major nonbinary vibes.

I’m dying they’re spelling Luffy as “Rufy”. H e l p

How does Zoro talk in an understandable way so casually while having a fucking sword in his mouth????????

I can’t look at the tag for this fandom and I won’t be able to for 3 to 5 months. I don’t think I’ll resist that long.

Ep. 45 was just everyone going “awww baby’s first wanted poster”

Now that I think about it, how is taking several trees with you on a boat a good choice, Nami?

I want to appreciate all the voice actors

Luffy is the master of sleeping when he’s in danger/has almost died.

Zoro was straight up ready to lose an arm just to get a good sword. And they don’t have - yet - a doctor with them? What

Fuckin hell ep 50 gave me a dejavu but I love my lying son Usopp so worth it

Episodes 50-100

MY BABY SANJI FOUND THE ALL BLUE. Good for him, good for him.

Luffy. Luffy I love you. But how did you survive after getting struck by lightning and falling from something so tall??????

The marine trying to set the Merry Going on fire while it rains: yeah we brought gunpowder but we need more cause it got wet VS That one guy from Buggy’s crew: trying to light a match under the rain.

Every time someone learns they are pirates they’re super scared. then they get to know them and they’re like “ah”.

Please tell me at some point Luffy has/will come back to the whale. The poor thing deserves it.

LUFFY WHAT MAKES YOU THINK EATING WORMS IS A GOOD IDEA

Oh my god Luffy sleep-talked and the others anwered I can’t

Zoro: * is about to get turned into a wax statue*. Also Zoro: gotta look good while I’m at it 

Luffy went up a vertical mountain, in the snow, barely dressed and barefoot. While carrying two people. My boy is strong as fuck.

Me: no I won’t cry. Chopper’s whole backstory: hi.

Only Luffy’s brother could not be bother by Luffy having a reindeer in his cruise.

I want one of those turtle-seal things. I’ll keep it with me and cherish it forever.

Episodes 100-150

Places Luffy has fallen asleep at: a pit he created, the middle of a square, a beach after falling from a cliff.

Luffy, insulting a crocodile by calling it a “damned banana”. Gotta love him.

Luffy: almost dies. Also Luffy: M E A T

The lesbian energy just radiating from every interaction between Nami and Vivi is killing me (the bath scene??? help)

Love that despite them risking their own life, Nami still puts her maps first.

 They just keep rescuing people they find in the sea and help them out

This time they’re just chilling around in the boat of the people trying to catch them (also I kinda want to cook/eat curry rn)

Their reactions when Luffy was interested in a book were priceless

I can’t believe this old man  defeated the marine with GOATS

Hey remember that one time the Merry Going came out of a rainbow mist flying?

hOW IS KEEPING A CIGARETTE WHEN YOU’RE IN A DIVING SUIT A GOOD IDEA, SANJI??????’

Mh so falling asleep in critical situations runs in the family, right, Ace?

Episodes 150-200

The only other reaction to the straw hats is "these idiots are dumb and therefore weak" and then getting your ass beaten.

THEY JUST GOT YEETED IN THE SKY BY WATER AND LUFFY'S LIKE "FUNNY". WHAT?

What the actual fuck is happening in the clouds I'm very concerned

They said a lot of money but Sanji converted it in rice I’m dying over here

Single parent Usopp having to deal with all the problem children (expect Robin. In this house we stan Robin.) is a mood

Same thing goes for Nami hitting that dude in the face with a boat cause the price was too high

BIg brain time and it’s just “what if Robin knew how to fight with a sword”. She’d be even more unstoppable. Also woman with sword so

Luffy: gets attacked by dangerous wild animal. Luffy’s first thought: Hey Sanji can we eat it?

Once again, Luffy’s priority are well set: throw that golden necklace away, look for meat instead.

Fellas is it gay to trust a man you never met with the lives of your whole village, get mad at him and then forgive him while running in the water and telling him you’ll wait for him, and protect your land thinking that you need to be there for when he'll return? Asking for a friend.

WHY DID THAT ONE TELL THAT NORLAND WAS A LIAR FUCK THAT ONE IN PARTICULAR

I did some calculations (that are probably worng but shhh nobody needs to know that) and anyways remember the big golden ball attached to Luff’s arm for, like, 5 episodes? Well, it should weight somewhere between 140-150 kg and 200 kg. WHAT. Luffy supremacy, once again.

Pfft look at those idiots trying to escape with the gold while the citizens run after them to give them more.

How isn't anyone in Navarone recognizing them istg it doesn't make sense they are wanted by the law

Chopper decided to risk his life for the lives of complete strangers. What a good doctor.

[creative-type]

wake from death (and return to life) chapter ii

AO3 Previous Chapter AN: Huge shout out to @codedredalert for doing art for this chapter. We Kuina stans gotta stick together, and she did a fantastic job. Please consider giving her a commission, I promise it’ll be money well spent

Kuina walked into Ipponmatsu’s shop sopping wet and chilled to her very bones. At the entranceway she shook herself like a dog, spraying drops of water all over the store. It was a childlike indulgence, something she never would have considered just that morning. But at that moment nothing seemed to matter. Not the shop, not her manners, nothing.

She heard Ipponmatsu before she saw him hurl a towel in her direction. Kuina caught it one handed, keeping the other clenched tightly around her sword. It was still nameless after all these years. It didn’t seem right to bestow it with such an honor when her birthright was still at Shimotsuki Village.  

Except Wado wasn’t with her father. Zoro wore it at his waist, because... why? Had he taken it? Had Father given it to him?

Kuina dried her face and hair before turning to face Ipponmatsu properly. The commotion had drawn his wife from the storeroom, Ipponume standing by his side with an arm wrapped protectively around his waist. Twin looks of concern broke through Kuina’s distracted thoughts. She blinked once. Twice.

“I’m leaving.”

What would have been a grand pronouncement moments ago came out strained and creaking. She was leaving the people she’d come to love as family, possibly forever. Kuina’s vision went fuzzy, and even though she’d just dried her face she could still feel the wetness on her cheeks.

Kuina wiped them with the back of her hand. She hated crying, had ever since she was a little girl.

“Kuina, what’s going on?” Ipponmatsu said. “I saw the pirates in the square, and then you come running in here like the devil himself was on your heels before running back out again! They’re saying on the den-den mushi that Smoker’s put the whole city on lockdown!”

Smoker . Somehow, Kuina had forgotten about him. She put her mask on hurriedly, not that it’d do much good now that Tashigi knew who she was. “Sorry, I don’t have time to explain.”

Not waiting for their reply she hurried to her room and began shoving clothes into a pack as fast as she could. It was the same one her father had sent her with years ago. The material was faded and worn, but it suited her, sturdy enough to fit her needs without drawing attention to itself.

“You can’t leave now!” Ipponume exclaimed. “Even without Smoker’s crackdown there’s not a ship on the island that’ll sail in this kind of weather!”

“I’ll worry about that later.” Kuina dug her small bundle of savings out from under her mattress. She’d offered to hand over her earnings as a bounty hunter for rent, but neither Ipponmatsu nor his wife ever allowed it. In exchange, Kuina didn’t let them pay her for the work she did for the store. She supposed it more or less balanced out in the end, except she owed them so much more than money. Kuina had to blink back more tears, which had been joined by an uncomfortable tightness in her throat.

“If anyone asks, you never saw me,” she said, willing her voice not to waver. “You didn’t know about my mask, and I was just some village kid you picked up on a whim. I’m...I’m sorry if I get you into trouble.”

Kuina got back to her feet, and without looking at either Ipponmatsu or Ipponume bowed deeply at the waist, deeper than she ever had for anyone she didn’t call Father. “I know words alone cannot convey the gratitude I owe you, but thank you. Thank you for opening your door to me that night.”

Still bowed, Kuina heard Ipponmatsu turn sharply on his heel and march out of her room. Surprised and hurt, she rose jerkily and stilted. Even if there was anything else to say, Kuina didn’t trust herself to speak. Turning her back so she didn’t have to see Ipponume’s reaction, Kuina resumed her packing, willing her facial features into a stoic expression more befitting of a swordsman.  

Suddenly, her nose was assailed with the smell of Ipponume’s cooking. Kuina stiffened at the sound of Ipponmatsu’s wooden geta clacking softly against the hardwood floors. Against her better judgement she turned to see Ipponmatsu tying a plastic sack around a box of bento. He handed it over to Kuina, an eyebrow raised. “I suppose this is about that green-haired swordsman?”

"Zoro? You met him?”

“Met him?” Ipponmatsu snorted. “Girl, I gave him two swords free of charge.”

Kuina accepted the offered bento, too shocked to say anything else.

“He’s the second person I ever met whose luck matched Sandai Kitetsu’s curse.” A faraway, awed look came over him. “Bet an arm on it, in fact.”

“You gave him Yubashiri, too,” Kuina said, remembering the other sword she’d seen hanging at his waist. She’d been too focused on Wado to even wonder about it. She looked up at Ipponmatsu’s face, searching. “Why?”

It wasn’t because of any connection to Kuina. She’d made a point not to talk about her past before Loguetown, preferring to make as fresh a start as possible. It was easier, in some ways, not to reminisce.

“Because I saw something in him. He’s the real deal, a true swordsman.”

“Oh, honey, please,” Ipponume said. “What does this have to do about—”

“And I see that same look in you, Kuina,” Ipponmatsu interrupted forcibly. He crossed his arms across his chest and tilted his chin, looking like a rooster that had just finished his morning preen. Kuina knew him well enough to know when he was bluffing, and to her astonishment...he wasn’t.

“We knew we couldn’t keep you here forever,” he continued. “A cage as small as this isn’t near enough for you to spread your wings. I look forward to seeing how high you can go.”

Ipponmatsu lifted the blue oni mask from Kuina’s face, pinching her cheek like he used to when she was young, knowing how much it annoyed her. He offered a grin that couldn’t quite hide the extra shine in his eyes.

“Knock ‘em dead, kid.”

Kuina managed a wobbly smile of her own. “The marines will be here any second. Remember, you had no idea. About any of this!”

She tried to bow again, but with the single most derisive snort Kuina had ever heard in her life, Ipponume wrapped her in a hug strong enough to crush a bear. “I have no idea what’s gotten into you all. Swordsmen .”

But Kuina heard the pride in her voice, and she fixed it into her mind, hoping to remember it forever. Pausing only to grab an oiled cloak, Kuina plunged herself back into the streets of Loguetown for the final time.

If there was one ship stupid enough to leave port in the middle of a raging storm against the orders of Captain Smoker, it was Zoro’s. Kuina didn’t hold out any hope that he would still be on the island by the time she made it back to the coast, and even if it did, her pride rankled at the idea of riding his coattails to the Grand Line. She’d always imagined them setting out together. As equals . But that was before knowing that he’d spent the better part of a decade thinking she was dead, before learning he’d become a pirate, and before Kuina threw away nine years of secrecy to attack one of the few marines who knew who she really was.

So much had changed since just that morning, and in it all Zoro had found his way. Now it was up to Kuina to find hers.

It was a sentiment that was much easier said than done. Kuina stayed close to the alleys and side streets she knew like the back of her hand, having to duck back into the shadows more than once as clusters of marines ran down the rainy streets. The usual crowds had vanished, and despite the rain and the thunder, the absence of the human element made Loguetown feel like a ghost town.

Kuina guessed by the direction the marines were running that they were still busy at the square. Buggy the Clown had snuck an incredible amount of pirates into the city under Smoker’s very nose, and that wasn’t something he would take lightly.

With their paint and their ruffles, Buggy’s troupe stuck out like a sore thumb, and at the moment, so did she. For the first time Kuina wasn’t sure whether or not to wear her mask. It didn’t seem right to be seen with her sword without it. The two had always gone hand in hand, the familiar weight on her face a comfort that protected her more than any shield. Without the demon mask Kuina felt a little like she was going out to battle naked; there was no rule saying she couldn’t fight without it, but she had absolutely no desire to do so.

If she stuck to the shadows the dark of the storm should be enough to keep her hidden. All Kuina had to do was make it to the docks and stow away on a ship, and if not stow away use her reputation as the Demon of Loguetown to get what she wanted, hopefully before the marines put out a warrant for her arrest.

It was a risk. The mask was conspicuous, and in the past Kuina had always gone out with her chest bound. She knew—she knew —that everyone and their dog assumed the Demon was a man. In a pinch she might be able to bully her way onto a ship, the shapeless silhouette of her cloak enough to disguise her gender, but she didn’t feel confident enough in her acting ability to pretend to be a man for however long it took to reach the Grand Line. Without the duplicity she could easily see a ship’s captain brushing her aside as an imposter or kicking up a fuss. Or both, if she was especially unlucky.

A crack of thunder broke through her jumbled thoughts, and Kuina bit back a curse. Time . She was running out of time, each wasted second dwindling her already-limited options . There was no point trying to figure out what would happen out at sea if she couldn’t get off the damn island.

Father always said a true swordsman would never allow themselves to be swayed by emotion or sentimentality, and logic dictated that stowing away was the safest option, assuming she could find a ship setting sail at all. And stowing away meant stealth, and stealth meant not walking around dressed up as one of Loguetown’s most feared bounty hunters.

Gritting her teeth, Kuina slid the mask off her face and stuffed it into her pack, irritation burying like ants under her skin. Now the only thing conspicuous about her was her sword, and that wasn’t so easily hidden even within the bulky confines of her cloak. A thousand warnings echoed in her mind in a voice that sounded suspiciously like her father’s.

She stuffed that down as well and resumed her journey. With Captain Smoker effectively shutting the city down, there was a chance it could be days before she could actually make her escape. Smoker’s control over Loguetown was too tight for anything to escape his grasp, his men too well trained to let anybody slip through once they set up a perimeter.

Unless, of course, she hitched her ride to freedom someplace other than Loguetown.

Kuina came to an abrupt halt, suppressing the urge to smack herself upside the head for not thinking of it sooner. There was a cove just outside the city favored by pirates, smugglers, and merchants too cheap to pay the docking fee in town. Every couple months Smoker and his men went on expeditions to clear the place out, but as it turned out scum was an infinitely renewable resource, and the criminal population that called Canary Cove home always came back twice as strong as before.

Kuina herself had ventured to the cove on occasion to collect bounties. A shantytown sprung up from the mire, grown around every sort of illicit trade like a tumor. And like a tumor, it sucked life and resources from Loguetown proper. Cleverly nestled at the base of a shallow cliff, it was close enough to Loguetown for easy access, but almost impossible to find unless you knew what you were looking for. Any ships that dropped anchor were hidden from view by the sheltering arms of the cove.

She would be safe from the marines, but it would be a trick and a half to convince someone to let her aboard one of their ships, let alone to get to the Grand Line. The people who lived at Canary Cove were damnably insular, with lookouts posted every hour of every day and a dozen bolt holes hidden in the cliffside for people to scatter through once an alarm was sounded. Kuina always hated when a hunt took her here. For every trick and secret she discovered it seemed like there were a dozen she didn’t know about, and anyone found ratting out an accepted member of the community would quickly find themselves with a knife in the back for their troubles.

An exception was made for those who could afford it, the exchange of money for goods and services a universal language understood by both lawmen and the lawless.  Maybe she wouldn’t need to stow away at all. With enough coin in the right hands Kuina could buy her way into the Grand Line.

That was an awful lot of maybes , but she was at the point where a bad plan was better than no plan at all. Kuina was confident about her ability to go up against any of Smoker’s men, but his Devil Fruit was another story entirely. It was best to avoid any chance of a confrontation, and to that end Canary Cove was her best bet.

By the time Kuina snuck out of the city and made it to the bluffs, the sky had faded from dark grey to pitch, starless black. Wind howled, and without anything to cut its teeth, Kuina bore the full brunt of the storm’s ire. Guided by sporadic flashes of lightning and the unpleasant memory of previous excursions, she carefully picked her way down the rocky slope. There wasn’t a proper trail as much as a zigzagging path that looked like it had been intended for a group of particularly athletic goats. The footing was loose and slick, and Kuina was forced to use her katana like a walking stick just to keep from tumbling into the sea below.  

About halfway down Kuina slipped on a patch of crumbling stone. Her feet slid from under her, jagged edges of limestone tearing holes in her cloak. She didn’t have time to scream as she plummeted down…

down…

down…

Reflex alone made her keep her hold on her katana, and when a jutting edge of rock sent Kuina airborne she was able to regather her senses enough to twist her body, stabbing her blade into the cliffside and praying she could hold on long enough to arrest her momentum even as her shoulder threatened to wrench out of socket. She slammed back against the cliff, stars flashing across her vision brighter than lightning, but somehow Kuina was able to maintain her grip.

Kuina slowed herself enough not to snap her ankles in half at the base of the bluffs. She tumbled into a boneless heap, gasping for air and not entirely sure she was still alive. Chunks of wet sand clung to her cheek, stinging as it grated against an abrasion that ran from temple to jaw. Kuina felt blood trickle down her leg, a dozen other aches and pains vying for the rest of her attention.

So much for her glorious entrance to the Grand Line.

With a grunt of effort Kuina forced herself upright, shaking as the surge of adrenaline left her as suddenly as it had come. Another bolt of lightning revealed that her sword was still stuck in the slide of the cliff. With as much dignity as she could muster, Kuina retrieved it before leaning back against the rockface.

Ow.

It was the only coherent thought she could manage at that moment. Sinking back to the ground, Kuina decided that finding a ship could wait the five minutes it took for her to catch her breath.

At least she was out of the wind. The storm had only grown stronger in the time it took for her to reach the cove. Each raindrop was an icy needle that penetrated her now-useless cloak. Kuina wiped strands of wet hair from her eyes, ignoring the blood and the grime on her face as she peered out into the darkness. The torches that usually illuminated the shantytown had fizzled out, leaving only a few specks of lantern light to show the blocky outline of shacks made of rough wooden planks, held together with bits of twine and waterproofed with oakum and tar. The town jutted over the edge of the water, standing on stilts that swayed haphazard with the waves and the wind. To Kuina’s surprise, two great warships were anchored just offshore. More lightning revealed that one bore the mark of Buggy the Clown, while the other didn’t have a flag at all.

Curious.

What was more curious were the dots of light clustered by the wharf nearest the second ship. The dim light was just enough to see a cluster of people hurrying up and down the gangplank. Kuina grinned. Maybe someone was crazy enough to depart tonight after all.

“Oi, who goes there?”

A vague mass of humanity emerged from the darkness. Kuina struggled to her feet, shrugging her pack higher on her back and keeping a hand wrapped around the hilt of her sword. One of the figures lifted a lantern, illuminating a hard-faced woman flanked by two bulky men with swords. Underneath their raincoats they wore the mismatched, ragged clothing typical of the people who called Canary Cove home. Lookouts, most likely, who’d seen or heard her tumble down the cliff and come out to investigate.

Kuina didn’t relax her stance. “I don’t mean any trouble. I’m just looking to hitch a ride, and it looks like you’ve got the only ships setting sail.”

The woman peered at her suspiciously. “Who are you—”

Her eyes widened in recognition before ever finishing the question. An unholy shriek pierced over the whipping wind, and she screamed, “Marines! The marines are coming!”

“What, no!”

Kuina barely had time to draw her sword before one of the thugs was on top of her, the clash of blades sending sparks into the night sky. She shoved him aside and met the second man before he could decapitate her, the weight of his strike making Kuina’s injured leg buckle.

The woman continued to shout the alarm, waving her lantern high above her head. Kuina let out a string of curses as she batted the second man’s blade out of his hands before smashing the hilt of her sword against his temple. He crumpled instantly, and Kuina prayed that she hadn’t killed him.

“Listen, this is a big misunderstanding. I’m not a marine!” Kuina shouted as men and women poured out of Canary Cove like wasps from a kicked over nest. Most fled for the cliffs, but enough came charging at her for Kuina to know she was in trouble.

“You think I wouldn’t recognize the face of the bitch who killed my boy?” the woman snarled. “I’ve seen you yipping at the heels of that dog Smoker often enough, praying for the day I’d do to you what you Government bastards did to him!”

From the depths of her robes the woman pulled a gun, but Kuina was already moving. The first shot went wide right, and Kuina rammed her shoulder into her abdomen before she could get off another. The woman screamed as she fell, firing wildly into the growing throng of people.

Kuina felt the bullet whizz by her ear, and the person in front of her doubled over clutching their ribs. She dove between two others and somersaulted back to her feet before they could turn around. This time she didn’t waste time using the back of her blade. Two quick strokes and they were down, her sword slick with their blood.

“It’s just one girl! Don’t let her get away!”

“For fuck’s sake , ” Kuina muttered irritably. “I’m not a marine!”

It didn’t matter, and Kuina couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of her current situation. She ran toward the shantytown, dodging bullets and ducking under swords. The crowded housing and narrow walkways lessened the advantage of numbers, and she was still determined to force her way onto the unmarked ship. Sand shifted to rickety planks of wood underfoot, the docks made entirely of salvage and held together with little more than some rope and a prayer.

Kuina’s grin widened. Hardly breaking stride, she swung her sword behind her, the keen blade cutting through the half-rotted wood like warm butter. She ducked behind a house and listened for the screams of those following her to fall through to the sea below.

Amateurs.  

Wood creaked overhead. Kuina looked up in time to see a teenage girl standing on the top of the house to hurl a rock at her head, dodging to the side before it hit the walkway.

“Missed!” Kuina yelled.

But the girl had already thrown herself off the other side of the roof. Puzzled, Kuina glanced back and saw that the girl hadn’t thrown a rock at all.

“Oh shit—” Kuina flung herself backward as the bomb exploded. Her heel caught on a post, and she fell into the water. Brilliant light flashed, the blast tearing the dock to pieces. Slivers of wood longer than her hand shot through the water, any one of them enough to pierce her through at close distance. Kuina swam as far and as fast as she could, until her lungs burned for lack of air. In the confusion she couldn’t remember which way was up, the weight of her clothes and sword making it hard to fight against the pull of the water.

Turning wildly, Kuina panicked until she saw the orange glow of fire through the murky water. Blackness ate at the edges of her vision as she used the last of her strength to breach the surface, gasping for air.

“There she is!”

Swallowing a curse and a lungful of air, Kuina dove back under the water, pistol fire flashing like fireflies in the dark of the storm. With her bearings it was easier to swim back to the docks, diving deep enough to avoid being shot.

She came up directly under their feet. The swell was rising every minute, and Kuina had scant inches of air between the sea and the rickety slats they stood on. She willed her heartbeat to slow, ignored the sting of salt in her wounds. Her hands searched until they found a bit of wire latching two planks together. Fingers numb with cold held on with whatever strength she had left.

She was in trouble if they had explosives that could detonate underwater. She was in trouble anyway, injured and fighting and a dozen enemies that she could hardly see. But now that she could think, Kuina refused to panic. Each breath came out slow and steady as she weighed her options. Overhead, the people of Canary Cove began to argue.

“She’s dead. Ain’t no one that could survive a barrage like that.”

“Do you see a body? ‘Cause I’m not gonna rest easy until I see a fucking body.”

“I can’t see shit . C���mon, guys, I’m going home.”

“I would, except one of you idiots blew it to smithereens!”

Someone stomped their foot, sending drops of water through a crack nearly an inch wide onto Kuina’s face. Slowly, carefully, she adjusted her hold on the wire, positioning herself more squarely under the squabble. The people paid less and less attention to the water as they argued, yelling about the fire and the supposed marine attack. Kuina felt the rumbling of bootsteps up and down the length of the dock, but couldn’t tell if that meant people were leaving or if more were joining the fight.

“What’s the meaning of this?”  a new voice exclaimed. “What’s going on here?”

“This doesn't concern you, stranger,” the man who’d complained about his house said. “If you were smart, you’d walk back to that fancy boat of yours and get on your merry way. Ten to one says it was you people who brought the marines here in the first place.”

“Marines? Here? But our intelligence says—”

“Well you can take your intelligence and shove it up your—”

Using the wire for leverage, Kuina thrust her sword through the crack. The man screamed as he tried unsuccessfully to jerk his foot off her katana. There was a sickening squelch as Kuina pulled free, immediately stabbing a second time.

This time she missed the opening between the planks, but it hardly mattered. There were more screams as people hurled themselves away from her sword, many falling into the sea. The few that kept their wits fired back, thrusting swords and shooting blindly to the space Kuina had occupied just moments before.

They were too slow. After her second thrust she bit down on the hilt of her sword and swam to the other side of the docks, cutting through the water as if she herself was a blade. Kuina pulled herself out of the sea while they were distracted, their backs turned.

Kuina’s grin turned razor sharp as she raised her sword. She hadn’t wanted this fight, but she would gladly finish it. Her pulse thundered in her ears, her muscles coiling. All it would take is one strike…

A hand clasped around her wrist and squeezed. Kuina suppressed a yelp as the bones of her wrist ground against each other, pain shooting up her arm. She fought against the hold, but the more she struggled the tighter the grip became until Kuina had no choice but to drop her katana.

Anger boiled over into fury. Without thinking, Kuina twisted her body to its breaking point and caught her sword with her off hand before it could hit the ground. Her grip was awkward, but she didn’t care, slashing wildly at the person who held her.

Her arm made it about halfway through its swing before it jolted to a stop, as if Kuina had hit some invisible metal wall. She barely had time to register what had happened before she was thrown backward, slamming into the back of one of the men who had been trying to kill her.

The blow knocked all the wind out of her, and the man staggered into the person next to him before falling. People began to shout as that man then fell on top of Kuina , burying her in a pile of thrashing limbs and blades.

There was so much noise and so much confusion that she almost didn’t hear the telltale crack of wood beneath her, and before Kuina knew what was going on she was plunged back into the cold, dark, unforgiving sea.

By the time Kuina woke the rain had eased from a torrential downpour to a mere thunderstorm. Every inch of her ached, and for as heavy as her limbs felt she wouldn’t have been surprised if her blood had been replaced with rivers of lead.

Blinking grit and salt from her eyes, Kuina struggled to sit up. In a brief moment of panic she realized that her scabbard was no longer at her hip, only to find that it, and her sword, had been laid out beside her.

“She lives!”

“G’wah?”

A cloaked figure squatted down beside her. Smaller, Kuina realized, than the person who’d knocked her out cold. And a woman. A woman with one of the deepest voices Kuina had ever heard, but a woman nonetheless.

“Who’re...who’re you?” Kuina asked, her words slurring together like she were drunk. Her head pounded as she tried to sit up once more.

“I was wondering the same thing.” The woman paused to light a cigarette, the hood of her cloak protecting it from the rain. Kuina squinted to see her better, the ember of the cigarette illuminating a pleasant round face, dark eyes, and lips that had been painted the color of fresh blood.

The woman exhaled, the smell of smoke briefly cutting through the ocean brine. “How did you find us, little marine?”

“‘m not a marine,” Kuina mumbled.

“Folk around here seem to think you are.”

Kuina told her in anatomically-improbable detail just what she thought of Canary Cove’s opinions.

The woman laughed, took another drag and said, “You have to admit the resemblance is rather striking. If the boss hadn’t seen you two together I might not have believed it. In fact, I still have my doubts.”

She reached beneath her cloak and pulled out Kuina’s mask. “I mean, who would have thought that the good Captain’s right-hand man would have a doppelganger moonlighting as Loguetown’s most feared monster. There are operas with more convincing plotlines than that.”

“Give it back,” Kuina said through gritted teeth. “It’s mine .”

“Oh ho, so you admit to being the Demon of Loguetown?”

Kuina clenched her jaw and didn’t answer.

“Thought so.” The woman flipped Kuina’s mask in the air like it was a frisbee, catching it again before it could hit the ground. “So what brings a bounty hunter here, and on today of all days? Hmn? Was there a hunt you couldn’t refuse? Did someone tell you about a certain ship coming into port?”

She tossed the mask again, but this time Kuina was ready. Quick as a snake she plucked it out of the air, bringing her katana up in the same motion. Kuina was so close she could feel the heat from the woman’s cigarette, the edge of her blade against her neck.

“I said. Give it back .”

From within the depths of her hood, Kuina could see the woman’s eyebrows raise, red lips curling in an amused smile. She was completely relaxed, and that gave Kuina pause.

“I’m a firm believer in letting people do things for themselves,” she said. Without seeming the least bit threatened, she arching her head back, turning her attention somewhere behind her. “Well, boss, what do you think? Should I kill her?”

A second figure emerged from the gloom, and it was a testament to how out of sorts Kuina was that she hadn’t noticed his hulking figure until the moment he decided to reveal himself. It took her confused mind precious moments to recognize him as the man who grabbed her. Kuina scrambled backward, but the woman only laughed, pushing aside her sword with one hand and giving Kuina a hard shove with the other, knocking her flat on the ground.

“That wasn’t necessary,” the man grumbled in a low voice that rumbled like thunder.

His massive shadow fell over Kuina. She knew she should be afraid, but all she could feel within her was anger. She stared into the impenetrable depths of his hood, defiant even in weakness. If they wanted to kill her, the future greatest swordsman in the world, then they were in for a fight.

“Who are you?” Kuina demanded just as a bolt of lightning flashed overhead, as bright and bold as the one that had taken out the execution tower. For that brief moment she could see the face of the man strong enough to throw her like a ragdoll, a man so strong her blade failed to even reach him.

Kuina saw his long, beaky nose, the mass of black hair that fell down past his shoulders and the piercing eyes that seemed to bypass all her defenses. But most of all she noticed the red tattoos criss-crossed down the left side of his face, instantly recognizable even to someone who refused to read the paper.

“ Dragon ,” Kuina said dumbly. “You’re...I don’t...What’s the Revolution doing here? ”

The woman got to her feet to stand by Dragon’s side. “You mean you didn’t know? Then what are you doing stirring up trouble on a night like this? Don’t tell me you were looking for that buffoon with the red nose.”

“ You were the ones who attacked me, ” Kuina said. She pushed herself upright, using her sword clamber to her feet. The motion made the world spin for a moment or two, or maybe that was just her mind trying to catch up with the momentous revelation she just learned.

“That’s not what it looked like from where I stood,” the woman said. She flicked the remnants of her cigarette behind her in disgust. “You would have killed—”

“Betty.”

That one word was enough to stop her rant dead. Dragon took another step forward, and Kuina had to force herself not to step back to accommodate him. Before he could say any more, she pointed out to sea.

“Is that your ship?”

Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army and the most wanted man in the world, tilted his head. It was a strangely human gesture for someone most were convinced was some kind of monster. A real one, not a girl who dressed the part while she was out working.

“Why do you ask?”

Kuina jutted her chin out defiantly. “You do most your business out on the Grand Line, right? I need a ride.”

Betty laughed to her face, but Dragon merely nodded. “All right.”

“I can’t very well ask the idiots here after the fight they started, and Smoker’s got all of Loguetown locked tight. You owe me–wait.” Kuina startled as his words sank in. “You’re serious? I can go with you?”

“The Army doesn’t owe you anything ,” Betty snapped, before imploring her boss, “I know you saw her with that marine girl, but I don’t trust her. She’s a bounty hunter , for god’s sake. It’s bad enough she saw our faces, think of the breach in security—”

“The World Government nearly cut me in half because of you,” Kuina said coldly. “You probably don’t remember, but nine years ago my father gave you aid. I hope it was worth it, because the Government decided to punish us for your crimes.” Her gaze never wavered from his, daring him to try and contradict what she knew to be true. “So before you get all uppity about me ending a fight I didn’t even start, maybe you should ask yourself how much innocent blood you’ve got on your hands first.”

Betty fell silent while Dragon continued to peer down at her. Kuina’s cheeks flushed as years of pent-up resentment and anger and helplessness bubbled to the surface, and no amount of swordsmen training was able to push it back down again. The Revolution was just as bad as the Government as far as she was concerned, fighting in an endless war that hurt more than it helped.

She didn’t care about any of it. She’d spent countless nights wondering what would have happened if her father had just left well enough alone, what it would have looked like if a simple moment of altruism hadn’t torn her life and family apart.

All that mattered now was her ambition. And if Kuina was ever going to become the greatest swordsman in the world she needed to get to the Grand Line, and if she was ever to get to the Grand Line she needed a boat. It didn’t matter to her where that boat came from, as long as she was on it.

Ignoring her long itinerary of aches and pains, Kuina sheathed her sword and picked her tattered backpack off of the ground. “I’m ready to go when you are.”

Dragon inclined his head, and without any further deliberation started walking to his ship, Kuina limping closely behind.

[misc-headcanons]

Katakuri or Grimmjow? One Piece or Bleach? Vivi or Rebecca? One Piece or BNHA? Chocolate or Caramel? Pineapples on pizza or without pineapples? Cats or dogs? Disney world or Orlando studios? Kenpachi or Byakuya? Tea or coffee? Cloudy day or sunny day? Subbed anime or dubbed anime? Tottoland or Dressrosa? Zanpakuto or Quirks? Zoro or Mihawk? Is that too many??

Katakuri or Grimmjow? Grimmjow was there first, but I really love Kata.

One Piece or Bleach? I'll always love Bleach, but I think that One Piece is a much better written story. A lot of my issues with Bleach though comes with Kubo's mistreatment at the hands of Shonen Jump, and I don't fault him for those issues. It just makes me sad that whenever I think about the series, I'm usually lamenting about what could have been.

Vivi or Rebecca? Vivi's arc throughout Alabasta made her one of my favorite characters pre-timeskip, and I'm so eager to get back to the Reverie so I can find out how she's doing.

One Piece or BNHA? BNHA's great but I have to turn my brain off and stop overanalyzing every little thing so I can enjoy it. One Piece also fulfills my inner lore whore a LOT, so there's bias there as well lol. Also I'm still salty about Jin being killed and haven't had as much time to be sad and buttmad about it like I did with Ace.

Chocolate or Caramel? AAAAAA I CAN'T DECIDE. I'm more inclined to choose caramel over chocolate, but you haven't lived until you've eaten a vanilla-caramel swirl ice cream dipped in chocolate.

Pineapples on pizza or without pineapples? I respect people's differing tastes, and pineapple-pizza fans have every right to eat their concoction a million miles away from my pizza. To me the pineapple-pizza combo tastes like vomit to me, lol

Cats or dogs? I have more experience with dogs, so I'm inclined to pick dogs. Cats are just as affectionate and sweet as dogs, just in a different way lol. Plus I associate bad experiences with the smell of litter boxes, even if they're clean.

Disney world or Orlando studios? I've spend literal decades going to Disney World, and while I love Orlando Studios, most of my favorite rides are from their previous eras and are no longer around. The Simpsons area and Wizarding World areas though are fantastically built, and I could spend all day at JUST those two locations.

Kenpachi or Byakuya? FFFFUCK WHY WOULD YOU MAKE ME CHOOSE. Byakuya's a more interesting character, even if I do love Kenny; I like his development through the Soul Society arc as he tries to reconcile his duties to the Soul Society and as a Captain, to his familial obligation to take care of Hisana's only living relative (and the genuine love he has for Rukia as his sister). Plus his fight with Ichigo is one of my favorite battles in the fucking series.

Tea or coffee? I like both but if I have the choice, I prefer tea.

Cloudy day or sunny day? If it's not hot, then sunny. If it's just cloudy and not raining, then also sunny.

Subbed anime or dubbed anime? With barely any exceptions, subbed!

Tottoland or Dressrosa? This is a close tie, but I love Big Mom as a villain and her family dynamic (as well as the Sanji character backstory and development we get, which broke me), Katakuri's character and role as an antagonist, planning an assassination/heist, and the tragic backstory of her past without even realizing what she had done. I love very similar things about Dressrosa, but I just vibed with Tottland more

Zanpakuto or Quirks? I AIN'T LETTING NO GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRAT TELL ME NOT TO USE MY POWERS UNLESS I BECOME ONE OF THEIR LICENSED BOOTLICKERS, THE HSC AND ALL OF HERO SOCIETY CAN SUCK IT! If I had a Quirk and I didn't wanna be labeled a criminal, I'd have to become a Hero to be able to use it legally. Fuck that, I'm joining my boyfriend Twice and we're gonna dismantle that AND the sense of Quirk superiority, AND the bias against people with Mutant Quirks. Also, I like the idea of your weapon and its abilities being not just a reflection of your soul, but an actual part of it lol.

Zoro or Mihawk? The responsible, mature, much older man-lover in me says Mihawk. The part of me that loves himbos and thicc beefy men who are much softer than they think they are says Zoro. I want him to push me and motivate me while I exercise (and I'd do the same for hom), help his stupid ass with directions, drink sake and chill, and have daily naps while cuddling on the Sunny. What can I say, I'm only human.

[your-iron-lung]

Mixed Up 9 | Anyone Can Play Guitar |

Chapter Word Count: 4018

Pairings: Zoro/Sanji

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Chapter Warning: Strong Language

Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

Next Chapter: 10

When Monday came around, Sanji found himself at a loss with what he was supposed to do. He'd half expected Zoro to either send him an e-mail asking him to hang out or for the oaf to drop by on his own while on his way to work to harass him, but when the day came and went without a single word or irritating action from the punk, he became confused, and then became confused as to why he felt confused.

They weren't friends, and only became acquaintances through awkward and forced interaction. Still, being brushed off so completely left him feeling abandoned, and he wasn't sure why he felt he should feel that way exactly. Just the other day he'd been wishing for contact with Zoro to come to an end, and yet today he found himself wondering why his wish had come true.

He kept an ear out to listen for when Zoro came and went, but even though he heard him loudly coming and going, Sanji didn't make a move to engage him in the stairwell. He wasn't sure what he even wanted to say to him, and wasn't sure when Chopper was or wasn't with him and certainly didn't want to cause a scene involving the monstrous dog.

Confused, (and still confused about that), he spent the day cooking and smoking and watching tv alone. If Usopp's art show was Wednesday, and Zoro had promised to take him along, then surely the punk would at least try to contact him by Tuesday to work out the details. The man was an idiot, but surely he wasn't stupid enough to think that Sanji was some kind of a mind-reader who could anticipate what was expected of him. Hell, Sanji didn't even know where the gallery was, and he sure as shit wasn't going to be pleased with him if Zoro came down to get him with only a four minute warning before they were wanted at the show.

With this logic in mind, he relented himself to sleep and waited to see what Tuesday brought him, though it became increasingly clear to him as he made himself breakfast that morning that Zoro wasn't going to initiate anything with him if he didn't have to, and maybe, just maybe, he really was that dull. Scowling down fiercely into his plate of pancakes, Sanji wished he'd gotten Nami's number when he'd had the chance. If Zoro wasn't going to follow up on his promise by giving him details about what they were meant to do tomorrow, Sanji bet Nami at least would give him the specifics.

As he ate, he noted that his mood was interfering with what should have been a very sweet breakfast, but was instead leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He rolled his eyes, admiring how much Zoro was able to piss him off without even having to be around to do it. As he spread some syrup over his pancakes, he put his troubles with Zoro aside and tried to enjoy his own cooking before the punk could completely ruin his morning.

After he'd finished eating and cleaned his station, he continued the rest of his morning routine to bathe and shave and dress himself for the day, though as he stood before the bathroom mirror- adjusting his tie and appreciating his form- he gradually came to realize he had nowhere to go.

He was still becoming used to the idea that he no longer had to go to work, and became annoyed that there was nowhere he was needed so the could show himself off. Feeling that this was all somehow Zoro's fault (even though it was rightly all Zeff's), Sanji grabbed his coat and cigarettes and stepped outside for a smoke.

The rain that had afflicted the area over the last couple days had finally passed by, but the weather was still dreadfully chilled. The clouds remained cluttered and grey in the sky, and held in the unpleasantness the rain had brought with it. Stepping out onto the sidewalk, he looked around for one of his usual smoking partners but found himself alone with the threatening atmosphere. He pulled out his pack regardless and withdrew a cigarette that he then struggled to to get lit in the wind, and while he stood there, he wondered if he was going to spend his day as productively as he'd spent the last.

Finally having won the battle to light his cigarette, he bared his teeth at the wind and tried to enjoy his smoke as best he could given the circumstances. Alone, time that usually passed by quickly for him when shared with other smokers seemed to drag now. He quickly became bored, but had no desire to stub his cigarette out early now that he'd gone through all the hassle of trying to light it.

Slipping his pack back into his pocket, his hand brushed up against his phone, igniting an interest within him. Deciding it might be worthwhile to check, he withdrew it to see if he'd either received some word from Zoro or an apology from Zeff, but found himself the recipient of neither.

Unlocking the screen, he navigated to his email window anyway and refreshed it, hoping to see some new message that his phone had failed to alert him to. There was nothing new amidst the filtered inbox, causing his mood to descend further into annoyed territory that made his eyebrow twitch. He even checked through his spam folder, but didn't see Zoro's name anywhere between the emails advertising free viagra and other genital aids.

Huffing angrily on his cigarette, Sanji brought up the window to compose a new email and addressed it to Zoro's ridiculous address, but paused when he got to the subject line and the message body boxes, wondering what exactly it was he wanted to say. Blowing out smoke through his nostrils, he was about to put his phone away when an idea struck him that would both alleviate him of his boredom and give him an excuse to talk to Zoro face to face.

He left the subject line blank as he typed out, 'where do you work?', and hit send. Satisfied, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and remained standing outside alone until he'd finished his smoke.

When he went back inside, he checked his phone again to see if Zoro had a reply, but saw nothing as he took his coat off and hung it on the coatrack by the door. Anticipation built up within him as he waited for Zoro to reply, though he wouldn't get one until thirty minutes later. When his phone finally buzzed with the response, he excitedly checked but quickly found himself disappointed when he read Zoro's curt answer.

'dont even think about it'

"Well, I am," he said to himself lamely in retort.

He stared down at the message and made several attempts at creating a suitable reply to send back that would illustrate why exactly they needed to talk, but found that any excuse to meet Zoro at his place of employment that he tried to come up with seemed faked and awkward, and so he left it alone. Dejected, he dropped onto his sofa and tossed his phone onto the cushion at the other end, almost missing the way the screen lit up to alert him to a new message.

Sanji looked at it crossly and let out a loud, exaggerated sigh as he leaned over to grab and check it. He stayed stretched belly down on the couch as he saw that he'd gotten another message from Zoro.

Wondering what insult the bastard had forgotten to add on to his reply, he pulled open the email and was surprised to see that the message was from Nami instead.

'We work at Super-Star! Guitars downtown. Google it; there's directions to the store on the website.

And bring us some lunch! Zoro wouldn't share your food last time, and it smelled delicious! I'd love to try some :p

(heart) Nami'

Her voice read the message to him three times over in his mind as his eyes scanned over each line of text. Elated, he swooned and rolled off the sofa, hearts in his eyes as he landed on the floor, clutching the phone tightly to his chest like the lovestruck fool he felt he was. She wanted to see him, even if Zoro didn't! Oh, her beauty and kindness knew no bounds. His mood elevated him off the floor, and he all but floated into the kitchen as he set about preparing meals to bring along with him, as per Nami's request.

Still spurned by Zoro's comment of how his cooking had been just 'okay' the last time he'd shared it with him, he created a boring, chilled meat sandwich for the tasteless bassist and was then left wondering what sort of food would impress the gracious Nami.

Mentally stocked with the Baratie's entire menu, he tried to pick something off of it that would be quick to make and suit her tastes, even though he knew absolutely nothing in terms of what she liked to eat and what she didn't. Not knowing her on a personal level made making decisions about what to make for her difficult, and as he looked around his kitchen for ideas, his eye landed on a piece of fruit he thought she may have made mention of the other day.

"A-ha!" he exclaimed, picking up the orange he'd found and set about creating a simple, yet elegant, tasteful fruit salad he was certain Nami would appreciate.

While he pulled up directions to the store on his phone, he packed the lunches and some disposable silverware into spare tupperware containers and then put on his coat and left. Locking his apartment after him, he hurried out to his car and excitedly began the drive to Super-Star! Guitars.

The packaged meals sat in the passenger seat as he drove, and he noticed on the way that the guitar shop was relatively close to the Baratie. He kept an eye on the navigation as it lead him along, a growing sense of anticipation brewing within him as he imagined Nami's reaction to his food, becoming so caught up in his fantasy that he nearly drove past the store once he turned onto the street.

He recognized Zoro's motorcycle parked on the sidewalk, attached to the bicycle rack and rolled his eyes at the way the green-haired idiot was crass enough to believe himself above basic road regulations. Coasting slowly and looking for a place to park, he found that every store-front spot was taken, leading him to drive down to the end of the street to an advertised public lot. Parking as close to the entrance as he could, he quickly got out of the car and grabbed up the lunches he'd prepared and then swiftly locked his car to make his way back down the street as casually and quickly as he could, hardly able to suppress his grin as he walked to the store.

Super-Star! Guitars was bigger than it'd looked from his car, such that he was momentarily overwhelmed when he finally approached it. Ignoring that it was as big as a Best Buy (and apparently just as popular), Sanji opened the glass door and stepped inside, and even though he knew it was a place that sold guitars, he still found himself surprised by the sheer amount of instruments that littered the sales floor and hung displayed on the walls. He stood in place as he looked around, taking in everything he saw until Nami caught his attention.

"Sanjay!" she exclaimed from behind her position at the counter, grinning cheerily and waving him over.

"Sanji, actually," he politely corrected, smiling as he skirted past a few exiting customers and placed the containers of food in front of her. He glanced around briefly, looking around for Zoro, but didn't see him anywhere in the immediate vicinity.

"Sorry, I was watching Sanjay and Craig before work," she said sheepishly as she stood up and looked at the containers hungrily. "Oh man, did you really bring us lunch?"

"Of course!" he declared, turning his attention back around to dote on her. "I can't resist fulfilling the desires of a woman as beautiful as you."

Much to his delight, she laughed as he picked out which tupperware container held her salad. He pulled the top off and presented it to her, garnering a smile of delight as she looked down at what he'd made for her.

"Oh wow, it looks delicious," she said as he provided her with a fork. She wasted no time in digging in, puncturing as much lettuce and fruits onto the end of her fork as she could before shoving it all in her mouth.

Sanji watched as her face morphed into an expression of ecstasy and admiration and felt his heartbeat quicken in response.

"Holy shit, this is good; how did you make a salad taste so good? You really are a five-star chef!"

Pleased, he grinned but didn't reply so as to let her enjoy her lunch. He glanced around for Zoro again as he picked up the container holding his sandwich and then asked, "So, where's moss for brains?"

"Oh, mm, he's, ah, hang on."

Putting the fork down, Nami wiped her mouth clean of the dressing that had smeared across it and then leaned forward to point across the store.

"See that banner that says lessons? He's back there doing that," she said, and though she sounded serious, Sanji couldn't help but snort and quirk his brow.

"Lessons? The guys a music teacher?" he asked incredulously.

Nami laughed as she recognized his expression and nodded earnestly, grabbing her salad and sitting back in her chair.

"Well, he doesn't teach theory or anything like that, but he's damn good at all kinds of guitar," she remarked with a wink. "He looks scary, but he's really good at what he does. He's in a lesson right now, but if you talk to Brook back there he'll let you wait around 'till he's done."

"Thank you, my beautiful darling! I'll come back and see you on my way out," Sanji said with a flourish, bowing a bit before heading in the direction Nami had pointed out to him.

He took great care in avoiding the instruments on display as he made his way towards the large lessons banner. Peering down the hallway, he saw the oddly decorated waiting room and a small office with a man inside that he assumed was Brook.

Walking forward, Sanji took his time in progressing down the length of the hallway to admire all the various portraits of musicians that were hung along the walls. The sounds of patrons trying out guitars followed him as he moved along, thanking Zeff and his older taste in music that he was able to recognize most of the classic rock guitarists that gazed back at him. As he reached the end of the hall, he noticed that a few punk musicians had made their way onto the wall as well, and Sanji sarcastically wondered who they had to thank for that.

Criticizing the taste in tack, outdated waiting room decor, Sanji quickly walked through it to knock on the office door. Brook looked up from the computer he'd been typing into and gave Sanji a smile before he stood up to open the door.

"Hello!" he greeted, smiling broadly. "What can I help you with?"

"I'm here for Zoro," Sanji said, holding out the sandwich container to explain himself.

Brook cocked his head pleasantly and stared down at him quietly for a moment before he let out an odd laugh and beckoned Sanji to follow him back into his office.

Hesitantly, Sanji followed after him, looking back over his shoulder to the waiting room he thought he'd be sitting in. Brook sat back down in front of his computer and began typing and pulling up various windows that left Sanji to look around at the photographs he had scattered on his desk.

"What's your name?" Brook asked, causing Sanji to look back at what he was doing.

"Er, Sanji?" he replied, watching as Brook typed it into the window he had open.

"Last name?"

Shaking his head in an attempt to clear his confusion, Sanji floundered before saying, "It's Black, but, uh, why do you need that? Is this protocol for every visitor he has?"

"Well, you're a new student, aren't you?" Brook replied as he entered in his surname, swiveling around in his chair to look up at him expectantly when he'd finished. "I'm merely putting you in the system, is all."

Sanji's mouth formed an 'o' as he realized that Brook had mistaken him as one of Zoro's potential clients.

"Oh, no, no, I'm just here to drop off his lunch, I'm not signing up for lessons-" he tried to clarify, when Brook cut him off.

"You simply must! I've already input your name and created a student profile for you, it's only a matter of picking a day and time now," Brook said, chuckling. "And trust me, it's much easier to put you in than to take you out."

"I don't… I don't even have an instrument to learn how to play," Sanji tried to explain, though his argument seemed to be falling on indifferent ears. "I'm really only here to leave him some food at Nami's request."

"Ah! You're one of Nami's friends, are you? Well, then she can vouch for Zoro as well! You don't even need an instrument; you can pick anything out here and bring it into the lesson with you."

"I-"

"I know Zoro would appreciate it. He could always use the business, and you wouldn't regret it either! Music is wonderful, and knowing how to create it is a gift for all ages."

Brook's speech was enthusiastic and encouraging, but Sanji shook his head no all the same. He was about to turn out of the office and rejoin Nami at the front to leave Zoro's food with her when his eye caught sight of one of the framed photographs on Brook's desk. Taken by surprise with what he saw, he stepped further into the office instead and leaned in close to examine the picture.

"Is this you with Jimi Hendrix?" he asked, turning towards Brook with a look of awe on his face.

Brook laughed loudly and nodded, picking up the photograph and handing it over to Sanji so he could look it over closer.

"Indeed it is! We performed at Woodstock together back in '69; we were very good friends."

"Holy shit," Sanji breathed, admiration gripping him like a vice. "Wait, did you say 'performed'?"

Handing the picture back, Brook took it and looked at it fondly.

"Ah, yes, in the days of my prime I was once called the Soul King. Jimi and I toured together frequently, and playing those festivals with him was truly an honour."

"Soul King?" Sanji asked skeptically, giving the older man a scrutinizing look. "You're the Soul King? I thought the Soul King died back in the 80's."

"Yes, well, sometimes it really is better to burn out than to fade away," Brook said thoughtfully, wistfully looking away to some of the other photographs that were aligned on his desk, immersing himself in his past. "Rust never sleeps, you know."

Taking in his words, Sanji silently looked at the other photos and saw that Brook really must have been the fabled Soul King. The appearance of the tall, thin, afroed man in the pictures was certainly younger than the man he was talking to, but age did little to deter from his more recognizable features.

"My old man loves you," Sanji commented quietly, earning a chuckle from the somber-faced has-been. "You were really famous, what're you doing working here?"

"Sharing my talent!" Brook suddenly exclaimed, standing upright with such gusto that Sanji was taken by surprise and almost knocked his head back against the wall as he scampered backwards to escape his enthusiasm. "I give lessons here, of course! The Soul King may be dead, but that does not mean his spirit can't keep sharing his gift and knowledge of music!"

"That's, very uh, noble of you," Sanji said. "But I thought Zoro was…?"

"Oh, Zoro and I teach different things! He covers guitar, bass, and some other things, while I cover other classical instruments and basic music theory, but make no mistake! If you were thinking of switching from Zoro to me, I won't have it! I already have you listed as one of Zoro's pupils."

Brook gave him a suspicious leer as Sanji started to say, "Hang on, I never said I agreed to that-!" just as the double doors opened and Zoro stepped out, guitar in hand, with a young boy.

"See you next week, Momonosuke," Zoro said, pulling on the kids ponytail affectionately, earning him an angry fist to the stomach in return.

Sanji laughed as the punk wheezed with surprise, alerting Zoro to his presence. He froze like a deer caught in the headlights, hand on his stomach as he then gave Brook a confused look before exclaiming, "What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"Zoro! Language!" Brook chided sharply, which made the kid laugh as Zoro grit his teeth and tried again.

"What the hell-"

"Zoro!"

"What are you doing here?! Are you stalking me now?!"

"That's much better, but still no way to talk to your new student!" Brook said, and then laughed at the disgusted face Zoro made as both he and Sanji said in unison, "No way!"

"You can go on now, Momonosuke, I heard your father playing around on the floor." Smiling, Brook waved the child off, though Momonosuke didn't depart until he'd stuck his tongue out at Zoro, who sneered and responded by flipping him the middle finger. "Now, Sanji, I've schedule you in for Thursday, as that's the only day Zoro has free, but is that alright with you?"

Brought back to the issue of taking lessons, Sanji floundered for a moment and was about to decline Brook yet again, when he caught sight of how angry Zoro looked at the prospect of having him for a student. And, well, when he thought about it, what else did he really have to do? He had no life outside of the Baratie; no friends to hang out with, and no reason to even leave his apartment. But above all that, he knew Zeff would question what he'd done with his time off and would certainly cause a fuss if he learned Sanji hadn't at least picked up a productive hobby of some sort. Zeff wouldn't approve of him becoming a punk, but Sanji was certain that learning to play an instrument would classify as a hobby he would approve of.

Zoro's brow was furrowed, and he looked about ready to tell Brook off himself when Sanji intervened and said, "Actually, yeah, Thursdays are good for me."

"Wonderful!" Brook exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air in celebration as Zoro's face fell sheer through to the floor.

"What!" he shouted, holding his guitar up to point it accusingly between the two of them. "I said no!"

"What time best works for you?" Brook said, ignoring Zoro as he put a hand on Sanji's shoulder to lead him back into his office. "Zoro has a few openings around 5 and 6, depending on if you want to take hour long or thirty minute lessons."

"I can do hour long lessons," Sanji replied, glancing back over his shoulder to snicker evilly at Zoro who still stood frozen in a pose of accusatory rage. "6 is fine by me."

Brook laughed aloud again and then shut the door to his office before Zoro regained his senses and began trying to shout them out of finalizing their arrangements.

"You bastards! Quit making decisions without consulting me first!"

[soulcrowvi]

40 questions because why not.

1.do you prefer to shower when you wake up or before you go to sleep?. Can I have both? I like to shower in the morning because I can clean off any  sweat I may have produced when I slept and it also helps me start my day. Before bed helps me unwind and clean off the germs of the day… but I may sweat in the middle of the night… hmmmmm I guess morning showers LOL 

2. does it bother you to sleep with the lights on. Yes, I really cant sleep with any type of light in the room. I always find myself waking up if I see light.

3. cigarettes, marijuana, or neither? Neither fam.  

4. beer, liquor, or neither? Liquor, I hate the taste of beer 5. what is the biggest impact you hope to make throughout your lifetime?  Probably being able to help someone with their journey get through the darkness of mental diseases. This is a part of the reason why i want to go into the field of psychiatry.  

6. what’s your favourite movie genres.  Uhhh, romantic comedies, animation, horror, fantasy, and anime (if that’s a thing) 7. puns or dirty jokes? Dirty jokes boiiiii. My pun game needs work 8. bubble bath, bath bomb, or bath salts. Probably bubble bath. I haven’t tried the other two. 9. you wake up to find you’ve traded places with a celebrity – who is it? Hmmm I don’t pay too much attention to many celebrities lives so I cant really answer 10. you wake up to find you’ve traded places with a fictional character – who is it? Probably Monkey D. Luffy from one piece. Hes always carefree, does what he wants, eats all day, goes on these dope adventures with his crew and will beat someone’s ass if they step to him wrong. I wouldn’t mind living a life like that for a day or two. Although Zoro is my favorite character I prefer luffys lifestyle a little more.

11. what are you wearing? A grey shirt and blue joggers? WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW HUH? 12. what is your earliest memory?. Crawling on my mom’s bed and she picking me up with a big smile while making  some kind of going up sound. I know I was a baby because even to this day she does that when she plays with other small children.   13. moon or stars? Stars because I like to lay down and count them. Also having sex under the stars is on my bucket list LOLOL 14. sunrise or sunset?. Sunrise.  I love the crisp air and quiet atmosphere of everything being asleep.  During times like that it feels the world is at a stand-still and I can take a second and breathe maybe even go for a jog. Oh and you cant forget the colors of the sky: they so purrrrdy . 15. what’s the best present you’ve ever received? The gift of life boiiiiii. Nah but for a material gift, I hate to say this but, probably a hand written piece of poetry my ex gave me. It a cheesy love poem that made my heart flutter at time. no one has ever done something that for me before so it was something special.  I haven’t looked at it in years and don’t plan on doing it any time soon. That bridge was burned  many years ago cuz fuck my ex lmaooo 

16. what’s your favourite scent? Vanilla or lavender. I use to use candles with those scents as a way to calm myself during a time of depression. In a sense, I associate them both with calmness 17. what do you think about when you need to be in a calm state of mind?  Thinking of myself as a flowing river. This concept came to me after witnessing a small stream on street carry away a twig during the rain. The way I saw it was that twig representing a problem of any sort and the water being my conscious. Basically my conscious developed the habit of analyzing the given problem and determines if it needs to be addressed now, later, or not even be addressed at all. It’s a way I practice mindfulness lol 18. what do you think about when you need motivation? “I know I can fucking do this, so let me stop being a bum and do it” sounds a little harsh but that’s how I get myself moving lmaoo

19. list 5 things you like most about yourself.

My personality

The melanin in ma skin

Dance abilities

Being able to push through most of my anxiety and depression

Kinky af 20. do you have many friends or do you prefer to keep a close circle? I have a small circle of true friends mostly because I dread small talk with new people because ive never been too interested in it with strangers and you know small talk is the best way to start friendships soooooo. I can say this though I have a large number of acquaintances and I probably wouldn’t mind building deeper friendships with them. 21. if you had the chance to be immortal exactly as you are now, would you take that opportunity? Although it’s a tempting offer, im going to say nah to immortality.  Sure, it would be nice to witness how the rest of history will unfold and being able to live forever but it comes at a high cost. The cost being that youll out live everything and everyone you love and cherish. Plus there will come a time when everything ends and you’ll be the only one left, wandering endlessly in the hallowed shell of what you once called home…. That got dark LOL #PessimismOnFleek

22. what do you think of when you wake up? I think of three things in this order:

“….need food”

“I wonder how kn is doing”

“what the fuck do I need to do today?”

23. what’s your favourite word? Breathe. This word helps me calm and recollect myself in time of anxiety and also allows me to take a second and appreciate life.   24. if you could change your name, what would you change it to? I would keep my name the same, I love it actually lmaooo

25. what would your name be if you were the opposite/another gender?  I asked my mom about this before and apparently I would have been a Diana lmaooo 26. turn ons? I have turn ons for both physical and personality

Physical: freckles or small moles on the face. Glasses (bring yo blind ass here girlll) a nice warm smile, long hair although I don’t mind short hair. Ticklish. Has a nice style

Personality: Really kindhearted, loves animals, willing to sit down and talk about finding a solution to our problem if we fight, motivated by a dream,  passionate about her craft or hobby, doesn’t mind carrying the convo at times, is comfortable with silence at times. Knowledgeable about things she finds interesting, does little things for me like buying me my favorite snack as a surprise for when she sees me.  Is comfortable with my level of kinkiness and sexual expression through words. Keeps up with and feeds off my dark, sexual, awkward humor. Not afraid to speak her mind.

27. turn offs? A girl that tries to have “the best of both worlds” basically flirting with multiple dudes at once. Has a history of cheating.  Completely selfish(only concerned with what I can offer her and no “what can I do for them”). The “im fine” text when we both KNOW something is wrong. Goes ghost out of nowhere. Liars. thinks relationships are temporary  and not looking for something long term (I hate wasting time). Treating other people like shit, fake (talks shit about someone then next thing you know they’re the best of  friends) entertains other dudes KNOWING damn well they have a thing for her.  Says “My feelings changed” (three words I despise)

28. kinks? Bondage, neck bites, ear nibbles, lip biting while kissing, biting any part of my body really lmao.(those three areas will rev me up real quick ) letting me pull her hair, licking/ kissing random spots on her body. heaving breathing….lots of it pls. dark colored knee socks/thigh highs if she wears those.. LAWDDDDD *nose bleed*(this could be a slight fetish).  Lap dances and strip teases (both combined as well)   29. what’s your “type”? Uhhh, never really had to think about it until now but glasses, long hair, older, the “social butterfly that’s lowkey and introvert” woke, wants to help me grow, supportive, caring will call me out on my shit, intelligent, high ass gpa (why is that relevant? Idk )

30. give a piece of advice. Everything happens for a reason. Whether you believe in a higher power or not, certain things occur in your life as a way to prepare you for the future, teach you something about yourself, or aid in your growth. You just have to stop and look at the positive in the situation. 31. do you fear death? Nah, but I do want to live my live to the fullest and live to be at least 96.   32. do you believe there is anything that exists after death? Ive juggled the idea around in my head and, similar to the person I snagged this questionnaire from, I definitely  love the idea of reuniting with lost loved ones in some kind of after live. I also like to believe reincarnation is a thing only because it would be dope to die and come back as a giant octopus lmaoooo, but seriously the idea of coming back to life as a different creature is fascinating 33. what expectations do you set for yourself? do you live up to them? Honesty, trying my best at whatever I do, always stay true to myself,  not being pressured ny others. I think I live up to these pretty well but recently ive decided to stop being passive of things that bother me so I guess im still working on that 34. are you a good friend? would you want to be friends with the type of friend that you are? I think im a pretty good friend. Im always down to listen and support my friends with whatever their endeavors may be. Im very chill, understanding, and mature so you don’t have to worry about me  creating drama of any sort. Yeah I would befriend myself if possible 35. dinosaurs or space? Dinosaurs because I’ve always found archaeology to be interesting and I actually love learning about history. I loved T-rexes ever since the first Jurassic park  film I saw. 36. do you believe in aliens?  If we as a species could evolve from particles who’s to say creatures on a distant planet couldn’t do the same? So I guess you could say I don’t deny the existence of them. 37. do you believe in ghosts? Not really but you’ll never catch me messing with an oujia board or casually exploring a proclaimed haunted house. Aint nobody got time for that (similar to the previous question I don’t deny their existence) 38. describe your style? Uses a LOT of dark colors. Its very simple and classy but nothing over the top. I love to wear beaded bracelets because I like fidgeting with them when im bored or anxious. Oh I like flannels as well. Idk if that paints a decent picture lmao 39. send me your name, I’ll post what I think your aesthetic would be. Bish whet? 40. post a photo of yourself? Look at my tumblr default lmao