The Thousand Sunny dropped anchor at the island of Anthropophagus, two weeks’ sail from Wano Country. The island wasn’t on their log pose, but Brook had spotted it while on watch and Nami made the decision they could stop after much begging from Luffy. No one knew much about the island. As no marine or world government flags were on display, Nami thought it would be all right.

They docked outside the small port near lunchtime and took the Mini Merry II to shore. The Sunny was too big to dock at the pier that extended from the beach. A warehouse that had seen better days stood dockside, and a gravel road led toward town. The plan was to remain on the island for a couple days, to have a break from sailing, as long as the island was nice, Luffy didn’t start another revolution, and the marines didn’t show up. It was up to the crew if they stayed on the ship or on the island at night. Franky set up security measures so the Sunny couldn’t be hijacked, Nami passed out Beli, and the crew disembarked.

The weather was pleasant, if a little cool. The gravel road led to a decent-sized town filled with gray stone and weathered wood houses, stores, and storehouses. Massive street lights stood every ten feet along the roads interwoven between the buildings. There were no trees or flowers within town. Information gathered indicated the west side of the island was dedicated to agriculture. A tall stone wall divided the island in half, the other side hidden from view. 

The locals were welcoming and friendly. Visitors to the island were rare, due to their small port. They were happy to ply the Straw Hat crew with food, drink, and entertainment. Bland but hearty cuisine paired with music heavy on the drums. The locally distilled alcohol packed a punch. The island did have guest rooms above the bar and various shops.

The crew split up after lunch, to shop and sightsee. Dressed in his long coat, haramaki, and sash, Zoro wandered aimlessly for a while, poking his nose down alleys, seeing what may be hidden where. He found a schoolhouse, a church, and a cemetery further away from town. The cemetery caught Zoro’s eye, as it had few gravestones and a wall of names chipped in white stone. 

Eventually, Zoro realized he was lost. It wasn’t usual. He knew he’d find his way back at some point, or someone would come looking for him. He traveled along a path he’d found near the agricultural fields. Crops and trees lined in neat rows, stretching as far as Zoro could see.

The path led him to a massive wall of stacked stone. Symbols of warning were painted on it at regular intervals. Bright street lamps stood sentry along it, lit even though it was still daytime. The locals had mentioned staying away from the wall but hadn’t said why. Zoro was curious. He followed the wall for a while, searching for an archway or a break. What he found was Sanji.

“What’re you doing here, cook?” Despite his question, Zoro wasn’t surprised to see him. He’d given Zoro a look when the bar owner mentioned guest rooms and figured Sanji’d come to find him for a roll in the sheets. 

Their thing was still new, even though it felt sometimes like they’d been together all along. The thought of Sanji possibly getting married had irritated the hell out of Zoro, and when Sanji had returned still single, Zoro had staked a claim. The damned cook was his damned cook and no one else could have him. 

Sanji pushed off the wall, where he’d been leaning while smoking a cigarette. He wore a black suit, his yellow shirt unbuttoned at the collar. “Looking for you, mossbrain. I figured you’d gotten lost, but would eventually find the wall and follow it. I was right.”

“Hn.” Zoro looked up at the top of the wall, two times higher than his head. “I’m trying to find a way through it.”

“The locals said to stay away.” Sanji turned, standing beside him, also looking up. 

“Makes you wonder why.” Restricted places made Zoro’s hackles raise after Punk Hazard. His observation haki didn’t read any danger but it had a limited reach.

Sanji tapped his fingers against his thigh for a moment. “Promise you won’t wander off without me, shithead.”

“Yeah, yeah. Stupid love cook. Give me a boost.” Zoro crouched, and when Sanji started to move, Zoro jumped up, landed on Sanji’s leg, and was kicked to the top of the wall. He grabbed onto the edge and hoisted himself on top. Sanji air walked to join him.

Beyond the fence, as far as they could see, was a forest made up of thick trees with wide leaves. Unseen animals skittered through the branches. The forest floor appeared to be littered with detritus, fallen branches, and rocks. No structures were visible from the top of the wall. 

“They have a tree farm,” Zoro said. “Why do they need a tree farm if all these trees are right here?”

“Good question. I’m surprised you thought of it, with your brain.” 

“Tch.” Zoro hopped down on the far side of the wall. Sanji landed nimbly beside him. The sunlight dimmed due to the canopy as they made their way into the forest. 

They walked for a while, not seeing much of anything but trees and more trees. The sounds of nature were the usual ones for the types of trees and climate. They found a river cutting across their path, which explained how the town got water. A few small fish swam past as they hopped over it. Nothing eventful or out of the ordinary was spotted by either of them. Conversation was sparse until they started fighting about whether or not jumping over the fence had been worthwhile. 

“These trees, very dangerous,” Sanji jibed, hands in his pockets. A cigarette dangled from between his lips. 

“There could be something hidden beyond them,” Zoro countered, though he had stopped scanning for danger a while ago. There really only seemed to be trees, trees, and more trees beyond the wall. 

“We should’ve taken the Shark Submersible and circled the island then.”

“You wanted to come. I would’ve done this by myself.”

“And have you lost for months? Nami-san said a couple days, and I would like to actually have you during that time.”

Zoro cut him a glance, interest - and other things - aroused. “No one’s around. We could do it right here.” He didn't do public displays of any kind but he'd be okay out here, in the middle of nowhere.

Sanji wrinkled his nose. “I’m not so uncivilized that I want to roll around in the dirt like animals.”

“I don’t know. I’d kinda like to see you dirty.” Zoro shot him a rotten grin. 

Sanji arched his eyebrow. “Oh, really? You’re into that kind of thing?”

Zoro flustered, which amused Sanji. He had actually meant seeing Sanji's usually tidy self get messed up. Sanji could make Zoro both lustful and self-conscious with only a few words. It was a new facet to himself that he’d only learned after they got together. Sex talk like that hadn’t factored into his life before.

Sanji took the opportunity to corral Zoro against a tree. “I suppose that the only ones out here are you and me–”

Both their observation haki alerted simultaneously, and Zoro shoved Sanji aside, drawing a katana and slicing through what appeared to be a coconut flying at them. His blade cut the projectile in two and it exploded in a cloud of foul-smelling gas right in front of them. 

“Fuck,” was all Zoro could say before the gas overwhelmed him and he passed out. 

A steady dripping sound accompanied Zoro’s return to consciousness. His head felt heavy, muzzy. For a moment, he didn’t know why. Then he remembered succumbing to the noxious gas that had exploded in front of them. He pushed out his observation haki but there didn’t appear to be any immediate danger. He cursed himself for letting his guard drop in the forest.

Zoro took stock of his body. He was in serious amounts of pain and his fingers and toes felt numb. He moved both his fingers and toes and red-hot agony shot through him. He grabbed the pain and shoved it away; he’d deal with it later. He tried to move his ankles and wrists next but found he couldn’t. 

He opened his eye. Torchlight provided illumination from above him. His arms were crossed at the forearms and bound. His wrists were limp and flat-looking. Though his knees pointed upright, his feet had fallen to the sides and his boots looked less full. Whomever captured them had shattered his wrists and ankles. Smart thinking, to prevent escape and retaliation. He wondered what the hell was in that gas to keep him unconscious while they did it.

Suppressing the pain, Zoro’s gaze traveled around his prison. Torchlight flickered against stalactites and stalagmites reaching for each other like teeth in a closing mouth. Water dripped from a stalactite into a puddle on the ground. The damp, cold ground beneath him seeped through his black trousers. The cavern seemed small, but Zoro couldn’t see far even with the torch. 

Zoro turned his head. He was both relieved and not to see that Sanji was nearby, slumped against the cavern wall but not close enough to touch. He would’ve preferred Sanji not to have gotten caught up in whatever mess Zoro’s trip had caused, especially once he saw Sanji’s condition. Sanji was bound similarly to Zoro and his wrists and ankles also appeared shattered. Unlike Zoro, he wore what appeared to be a half-coconut strapped over his nose and mouth. Zoro saw the steady rise and fall of his chest. Unconscious, but not dead. 

“Oi, cook,” Zoro called, then had to clear the rasp from his throat. “Cook!”

Sanji didn’t stir. 

Frustrated, Zoro searched in the other direction. He spotted his weapons, discarded with a pile of others near the far wall. He also spotted a corpse next to him, or what was left of one. There was only a head and torso leaning against the wall. Dried blood pooled around it. Poor guy must’ve bled out. Zoro noted that there was blood around where he sat, as well.

Now what? Zoro figured he had two choices: reach his weapons, or reach Sanji. His weapons were a lot farther than Sanji, but Sanji was unconscious and had shattered limbs as well. He really wanted to hear the cook’s voice, though, even if it was to bitch at him for going over the wall. 

Zoro attempted to get his feet under him, but the excruciating pain prevented it. He wasn’t going to walk on these ankles. Instead, once he finished swearing, he scooted on his ass until he reached Sanji’s side. He couldn’t reach the coconut-mask with his arms bound and his butt on the floor. That left his mouth.

Zoro got as close as he could, leaned in, and grasped the cord securing the mask with his teeth. He yanked repeatedly, as hard as he dared, until the mask came free. It clattered onto the stone ground. The torchlight let Zoro see that the inside was coated with a yellowish slime. Some of it clung to Sanji’s nose and around his mouth. Zoro leaned in and sniffed. His head immediately spun. He jerked away. More knockout stuff. He could only imagine that Sanji had come around too quickly and they’d stuck this on his face. 

Maybe with the mask off, Sanji would regain consciousness, even with some goop still on him. Zoro eyed his katanas again. He didn’t know what he’d do with them once he had them. Though it nearly caused tears to come to his eye, he could open and close his hands. But couldn’t move them in any direction. He could get up on his knees and get over there. It would hurt like hell, but he knew he could do it. He could put a katana in each hand and the third in his mouth and… do what? Wait, he guessed.

Plan in mind, Zoro set about getting up onto his knees. The pain caused black spots to dance in his vision but he shook it off. He’d been injured worse. Once upright, he kneel-walked to the pile of weapons, dragging feet behind him. Each move sent bolts of agony through him. He remained persistent and eventually reached the weapons. 

His three katanas were at the top of the pile. With pained effort, he grabbed Enma and Sandai Kitetsu in each hand, then bent forward and picked up Wado with his teeth. Despite how much he hurt, he felt better now that he had his katanas back.

He traversed the distance back to Sanji’s side, spreading his knees so he could sit back without resting on his heels. If Sanji didn’t wake up soon, Zoro would figure out a way to wipe the gook off his face. 

Zoro looked around the cavern again, searching for a way out. The torchlight simply wasn’t strong enough to penetrate the darkness. He wondered why there was a torch at all. Or where other ones were located. Shouldn’t there be a hallway or branching tunnel off wherever they were? If so, shouldn’t he be able to see at least a faint light.

Zoro spared a thought for whomever captured them. They were cunning enough to use a distance projectile to render their victims unconscious. Shattering limbs added to their shrewdness. Zoro could still fight, but he’d bet most people couldn’t. He was limited to one or two no-sword strikes, possibly aided by supreme king haki. At least now he knew why there was a wall, to protect the town. He wondered if that list of names he’d seen in the cemetery were the victims of whoever or whatever had captured him and Sanji. No one would venture past the wall to retrieve any bodies.

Sanji stirred with a sound of annoyance. He dropped his chin and wiped his face on his shoulder before opening his eyes. He blinked several times, clearing the effects of the knockout slime. He looked at the stalactites and stalagmites, looked down at his body, and finally looked over at Zoro. 

“‘Bout time you woke up,” Zoro said past Wado.

Sanji shook out of his stupor with an “Ow.” 

“Yeah.” Zoro didn’t beat around the bush. “They smashed our wrists and ankles.”

“Is that all?” Sanji murmured, looking at his hands. Zoro winced when Sanji shook his wrist hard, waiting for the yelp of pain. Only there was none. 

“What the…?” Zoro stared at Sanji’s wrists, as he rotated them in circles. They were no longer crushed. 

Sanji bent forward, grabbed a foot, and jerked it into place. He did the same with the other one. Then he rotated both in circles. Zoro could hear faint pops of bone snapping into place. “That’s better.”

Zoro might’ve gaped, dumbfounded, at Sanji if he wasn’t holding Wado in his teeth. “Did you just fix your broken bones?”

“I wasn’t going to leave them like that, numbnuts,” Sanji said. 

Zoro noticed that Sanji’s eyebrow curled in the opposite direction. Maybe he was hallucinating. Or he was still unconscious and this was a freaky dream. “Since when can you do that? And why is your eyebrow weird?”

“Huh?” Sanji touched his face with the side of a finger. “What’s wrong with my eyebrow?”

“It’s going the wrong way!”

“Oh. I didn’t know it did that. Fuck.” Sanji patted his breast pocket for his cigarettes. Arms still bound, he managed to get one out, light it, and took a deep drag. He looked pained, but not physically.

“Oi, cook. Explain.” 

Sanji exhaled a smoke as he sighed. “Remember that I wanted you to kill me?”

Zoro scowled, hiding the ache the memory brought. He’d been in the middle of the fight with King and had pushed the request aside, but the moment he’d awoken from his injuries he’d remembered. And it had made his heart scream. “How can I forget? But you said it didn’t matter anymore.”

“I don’t think it does. I don’t know for sure.” Sanji took another drag on his cigarette. The exhaled smoke curled upward toward the stalactites above them. “The activation of these genetic modifications are still too new to be sure.”

It was like Sanji was speaking a different language. Zoro was getting annoyed. “What genetic modifications?”

“Hn? Didn’t I tell you?” Sanji frowned as he thought. “I guess not. You and Luffy were unconscious when I talked about it to the crew.”

“If you don’t tell me in the next five seconds, I’m going to kick your ass.”

“I’d like to see you t- oh, fuck, Zoro!” Sanji apparently just realized Zoro was injured. He scrambled to his knees, reaching gently for Zoro’s arms with his bound hands. He lifted Zoro’s arms carefully, to better see in the light. “Fuck. Why didn’t you say something, dumbass? Why are you holding your damned katanas? You’re hurting yourself more.”

Sanji carefully took Enma and Sandai Kitetsu from him and then Wado. He leaned them against the wall beside them. “How bad is it?” he asked.

“Same as you,” Zoro snapped, at the end of his patience. His constant fighting off the pain wasn’t helping.  Only I can’t magically snap my bones back into place.”

“Fuck. Okay.” Sanji looked around them again, his movements jerky. Zoro thought he might be panicking. “Okay. We have to get you out of here, back to Chopper.”

“No shit.”

Sanji pulled Wado from its sheath and captured the hilt between his knees. He used the sharp blade to cut through the bonds around his crossed forearms. The blade bit through his suit and into his skin, causing him to bleed, but he didn’t seem to care.

Zoro did. “Hey, be careful. You’re hurting yourself.”

“I’ll be fine.” Sanji finished cutting through the rope. He wiped Wado on his knee before resheathing the blade. He rubbed his cut arms against his sides. “Rapid healing.”

“This part of whatever you haven’t told me yet?”

Sanji nodded, unbound Zoro’s arms, and stood. He spotted the corpse, made a face, then went over to the pile of weapons. He withdrew another sword, then went over to the corpse and cut off some of its shirt. He wrapped the shirt around the sword hilt and then lit it with the torch. He’d created their own lightsource.

“Stay still. I’m going to check around,” Sanji told him. 

Zoro didn’t protest, but he did say, “Watch yourself. You got knocked out as easily as I did.”

Sanji nodded and walked off, as if he hadn’t had shattered body parts two minutes ago. 

Zoro watched Sanji’s light as it disappeared around a curve out of the cavern they were in. He itched to move, but Sanji had said to stay still. Zoro rested his broken wrists on his lap, shut his eyes, and meditated to control the pain. His ears were still on alert, though, and eventually he heard the distinctive tread of Sanji’s shoes against the stone ground. He opened his eye. “Well?”

“We’re in a cave system of some sort,” Sanji told him. He stuck the torch upright in the weapons pile, then gathered Zoro’s katanas and slid them in their loop at Zoro’s side. “The room we’re in is the refrigerator. Next door is the kitchen.”

Zoro’s brows furrowed. “Refrigerator? Why would we be in- oh.” Disgust curled his lip, as he glanced at the limbless corpse beside him. “They’re eating people?”

Sanji nodded. “Apparently, the second half of this island is populated by cannibals.”

Rage filled Zoro. He wanted to kill them all. He could imagine the terror the villagers must be feeling on a daily basis. It explained the wall and the many streetlights. No dark places for the cannibals to hide. Still, they must have raiding parties in the town or the list of names in the cemetery wouldn’t be so long and the cannibals would’ve died out. 

“We’ll come back and kill them.” Sanji read Zoro’s mind. “Right now, we have to get you out of here, to Chopper.”

Zoro cursed, but he wasn’t stupid. He was in no condition to fight. If Sanji hadn’t had magic bones or whatever he’d called it, they’d both be lunch. Suddenly, he felt sick in the pit of his stomach. Sanji would’ve been eaten. “You’d probably taste stringy.”

Sanji cupped Zoro’s cheek. It was tender and reassuring. Another facet to Sanji’s personality Zoro hadn’t known about until recently. One that made Zoro feel cared about beyond being nakama. “And they’d wonder why your skull had no brain in it.” He pressed a brief kiss to Zoro’s forehead. More caring and reassurance. “C’mon. Let’s get you out of here. Kneel up.”

Sanji turned around and crouched, as Zoro did as told. Zoro draped his arms over Sanji’s shoulders. Sanji positioned himself as close to Zoro as possible, wrapped his hand back behind Zoro’s ass, and lifted as he stood. Zoro grit his teeth against the agonizing pain as he was jostled into a piggyback. 

“Oof, you’re heavy. I’m going to have to put you on a diet.” Sanji turned his head slightly, to speak over his shoulder. “You okay back there, shit swordsman?”

“Yes,” Zoro ground out, sublimating the pain. “Just go- wait. What about the light? Don’t tell me you have see-in-the-dark eyes now.”

Sanji chuckled. “No, though that would be great. There are more lit torches in the various side caverns. I’ll be able to see well enough. It’s only truly dark until we get out of here.”

“You didn’t see any of these cannibals, did you?” Zoro asked, as Sanji began walking out toward the exit to the ‘refrigerator.’ He had a hard time containing his grunts of pain as every step jolted his wrists and ankles. 

“No, but I’m sure that won’t last,” Sanji replied. He paused to glance around the curve in the cave wall before proceeding forward. Zoro could see faint torchlight ahead, spilling from a side cavern.

Sanji seemed to have a route picked out as he unerringly navigated several natural corridors through the underground cavern. Zoro spotted the ‘kitchen’ as they walked past and his lips curled again. He was going to kill them. Or his namaka would, since he was likely out of commission for a week or two. He’d had broken bones before, which Chopper had fixed up. It never took him long to heal from that type of injury. Then again, it had been the big bones, not the small ones in his wrists and ankles that had been broken.

Torches provided enough light for Zoro to see into other rooms as they passed. He saw what appeared to be a dining room, with a long table and benches; a storage room filled with boxes; and maybe a laundry. He’d glimpsed piles of clothing on the floor as they’d passed the opening. 

The murmur of voices at a distance alerted them both to the presence of the cannibals. Sanji detoured into a side passage that led to a communal bedroom. Six single beds spaced apart by overturned crates filled most of the oddly shaped cavern, fitted between tall stalagmites and low hanging stalactites. Crude shelves created a nook in a crooked corner. A torch hung on the wall beside the entry. 

Sanji carried Zoro to a spot farthest away from the entry and carefully set him on the floor. Zoro bit his lip to prevent his involuntary yelp of pain from escaping. “Don’t move.”

It was obvious Sanji was going to leave him there. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to find out how many there are and if there’s a way past them without being spotted,” Sanji said. He bunched up the covers on the bed beside Zoro and moved the pillow to better hide him. Zoro must’ve had a worried look, because Sanji squeezed Zoro’s shoulder. “They won’t know I’m there.”

Zoro trusted Sanji’s words, but still he said sarcastically, “Right, because you can turn invisible.”

Sanji smiled enigmatically, used another blanket to smother the torch, and left.

“Son of a bitch,” Zoro muttered. Sanji could turn invisible. When they got out of here, Sanji wasn’t leaving Zoro’s side until he explained all this new shit he could suddenly do. The few times they talked post-sex, lazing indulgently because they actually had privacy, had been about Sanji’s near-marriage and the shit that went down on Whole Cake Island. Zoro could tell Sanji was still hurting mentally over what had happened, even though he played it off like it was no big deal. Zoro had known for a long time that Sanji didn’t like people seeing him troubled; he liked being the caregiver, not the other way around. Considering Zoro sucked at showing that he cared, they fit together well. 

He still felt anxious, though, and other emotions even if he kept them to himself. Sitting in the pitch black of the bedroom cavern, effectively blind and maimed, put his teeth on edge. He could fight without needing to see his opponent but he’d be hard-pressed to do so effectively with broken bones. He wasn’t worried about Sanji, not really. The cook could handle himself. There was the gas to consider, though, and the fact that Sanji was susceptible to it. But Sanji knew to be aware of it. However, if there was a woman out there…

Zoro shook off the thought. Sanji was fine. The woman-thing was stupid, but it was a part of Sanji’s character. He wouldn’t hurt women, period. He also never saw a woman he didn’t go heart-eyed over or caused him to get a bloody nose. Zoro was all right with Sanji looking and showering that ludicrous behavior on women. He’d punch Sanji if Sanji acted like an overdramatic romantic nitwit with him. Zoro put his foot down on touching, though, which, when he’d made the declaration, seemed to both amuse and outrage Sanji. Then he’d given Zoro a blowjob, which Zoro took as an agreement.

Sanji’s familiar footsteps sounded on the stone ground. “Found a way to get around them,” he whispered. Zoro felt a gentle bump against the bed as Sanji maneuvered his way through the dark. 

“How many are there?” Zoro asked, equally as quiet.

“Seven in the closest chamber, about forty more scattered throughout the cave system.” Sanji touched Zoro’s shoulder again to indicate his proximity. Zoro could tell when he crouched, even as Sanji said, “Arms on.” 

Zoro knelt up and draped his arms over Sanji’s shoulders again. He bit the inside of his cheek this time but a sound of pain still managed to escape when Sanji lifted him. He opted to shove it away by threatening Sanji in a low voice. “You’re going to explain about this invisible thing. Don’t think I’m going to forget.”

“Not really invisible, not without the suit,” Sanji said. “Now shut your mouth, marimo. I can’t move fast without hurting you.”

“Do it if you have to,” Zoro said. “I can take it.”

“Only as a last resort,” Sanji told him firmly. “That body of yours doesn’t belong to you anymore.”

Zoro felt his cheeks heat and other parts of himself get aroused even though he was in pain. Damned love cook. 

Sanji walked cautiously through the cave, taking a circuitous route that led them away from the torchlight into the darkness. They heard voices but saw no one. Sanji must’ve memorized the path, and might be using observation haki, as he didn’t bump into any stalactites, stalagmites, or cavern walls. Zoro wondered how much of the cave Sanji had scouted. He hadn’t been gone that long. 

They rounded back toward the torchlight and Sanji slowed even more. He paused in the shadows of the branching tunnel. There was a large room beyond that had varying natural levels in the cavern floor. A bonfire was lit in the center. Smoke spiraled upward toward a fissure in the cave’s ceiling. Cannibals dressed in the same clothing as the villagers, looking no different than Sanji or Zoro, gathered in clumps around the bonfire, mugs in hand, holding conversation. Their civilization caused Zoro to feel even more disgusted. These appeared to be regular people. 

“Take them out,” Zoro told Sanji softly, but with an edge to his tone.

“Gladly,” Sanji murmured. “Once you’re safe.”

Zoro didn’t like the answer. He was currently an anchor preventing Sanji from kicking ass. “Put me down.”

“No.” Even spoken quietly, Sanji’s tone was sharp, hard, brooking no argument. Zoro was irritated but ceased protesting. Sanji was putting his safety over ending these assholes’ lives. He knew it, but he didn’t have to like it. 

Sanji took a deep breath, then began inching his way into the room, keeping to the sides and behind the natural formations as best as he could. The bonfire cast more light in the area than solely torches. Torches, too, were present, hanging from metal supports from the rock walls. Zoro used all his willpower to squash even the slightest sound of pain. He was already tired of his broken bones.

He and Sanji were partway through the cavern when they were spotted. One of the cannibals raised the alarm, and about twenty people turned toward them. 

“Sorry, love,” Sanji said, and before Zoro could question it he was in so much pain he came close to blacking out.

Sanji was running. So fast that the air resistance nearly tore Zoro from his back. Zoro’s broken limbs bounced with every step and the excruciating pain stole Zoro’s breath. He held on as tightly as he could with his arms around Sanji’s neck. Sanji’s fingers were digging into his ass. 

Sanji didn’t stop, either, once they burst from the cave into the forest. He flew through the wooded area, jumping falling logs, dodging branches, running for the wall. They had walked for over an hour before they’d been gassed; the return trip seemed like it was over in a blink. An extremely torturous, nearly unendurable, agonizing blink.

It wasn’t until Sanji airwalked over the wall and landed on the other side that he stopped. His heels skid in the gravel, leaving ruts. He immediately set Zoro down on the nearest step in front of a storehouse and crouched in front of him. He touched Zoro’s shoulders and face worriedly. “You okay?”

“Your eyebrow’s weird again,” Zoro said. And now that they were safe, he promptly passed out.

Zoro regained consciousness slowly, feeling muzzy headed again. This time, however, when he opened his eye, he found himself in the Sunny’s infirmary. 

Nestled behind the galley, with two doors opposite each other - one to the galley, and one to the wraparound deck - the infirmary was big enough for one patient. Chopper could treat others in the galley if necessary. Chopper’s desk, supply cabinets, and medical equipment took up one half of the room. A patient bed with monitoring and drip hangers filled the other half. 

Chopper must have heard him stir, because he turned on his swivel chair, putting down his pen on the notes he’d been writing. “Zoro! You’re awake!” He hopped off the chair and climbed onto his step stool beside the bed. He checked Zoro’s vitals. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” Zoro admitted. He usually downplayed his injuries, mostly because he didn’t want them to best him. Being injured was a sign of weakness. 

“That’s the anesthetic sedative I gave you to keep you out while I did surgery on your wrists and ankles,” Chopper said. He wrapped the stethoscope around his neck and used the lift Franky had installed to raise the head of the patient bed.

Zoro glanced down at his wrists and ankles. His feet peeked out from the bottom of the sheet draped over his lower body. All four limbs were wrapped in layers of bandages, immobilizing them. “How bad?”

“I replaced most of your small bones with Franky-grade material and had to wire the rest in place so they’ll heal correctly.”

Zoro felt horrified. “I don’t have cannon wrists now or some shit like that, do I?”

Chopper giggled. “No. Franky suggested it, and Sanji got this contemplative look, but I knew you wouldn’t want that. You just have more metal in you now, adding to your internal collection.”

Zoro did have a lot of metal in him, holding his bones or joints together while he’d healed. Chopper didn’t remove stuff like that unless necessary. And he figured Franky would suggest turning him into Cyborg-Zoro-Bro, but Sanji? Why would he… 

A fierce blush stole over Zoro’s face. Chopper suddenly fretted. “Oh no! Are you getting a fever?” He put his paw on Zoro’s brow.

“No,” Zoro said swiftly, shifting in the bed. He willed his arousal to go away. “I’m fine. I could use a drink.”

“Oh! Of course!” Chopper hopped off his stool and hustled into the galley, giving Zoro a moment to awkwardly bunch the sheet over his lap. It was difficult to do with his hands bound in fat bandages that went halfway up his forearms. 

Chopper returned with a giant glass of milk. He got back on the stool and offered Zoro the straw. “Milk will help your bones heal faster.” 

Zoro would’ve preferred alcohol, but he accepted the offering. He drank about half of it before allowing Chopper to set it aside. “How long do I have to stay like this?” he asked, lifting his hands.

“About a week, maybe more.” Chopper gave him a stern look. “And I don’t want you taking the bandages off early!”

“I take them off early because you’re such a good doctor that I don’t need them anymore.”

Chopper started to dance and clap. “Your flattery doesn’t do anything for me, jerk!”

Zoro hid his amusement and glanced through the open galley-side door. He didn’t know what time it was, but he still expected to see Sanji in the galley. “Where is everyone?”

“They went to take care of the cannibals.” Chopper returned to his swivel chair, in front of his desk. 

Zoro frowned. “Didn’t you say I was out for five hours?” They shouldn’t have been gone this long, not for about fifty lousy humans. 

“Yes.” Chopper knew what Zoro was really asking, though. “Sanji had to go and find everyone, and then Franky took time to craft masks to protect everyone from the gas. They left about an hour ago.”

Zoro nodded. He had no idea what time, or day, it was. He didn’t think they’d been knocked out too long at the cave or one of them might have been snacked on. He also hated being left out of the fight. He looked around for his katanas. He spotted them by the end of the bed, near the door to the galley.

“Do you need anything?” Chopper asked. “Sanji left some food for you when you woke up, if you’re hungry.”

Zoro lifted his bandaged hands. “Kinda hard to eat, and I don’t want you feeding me.”

“We’d thought of that.” Chopper hopped off his chair again and went into the galley. He came back a moment later carrying a tray of bite-sized sandwiches. The mountain of sandwiches hid Chopper’s face. He set the tray on his desk, then flipped up the table that folded across the patient bed. He moved the tray to the table, climbed onto his stool, and brandished a fork. “It’ll be awkward because you’ll have to move your whole arm, but you should be able to use the fork.”

Chopper slid the fork, tines down, into the bandages on his left hand. “There you go. Franky said he’ll make a longer straw when he gets back, but if you’re careful I’ll put the milk here on the tray so you can lean forward and drink.”

“Thanks, Chopper,” Zoro said, and meant it. He was ashamed enough about being hurt. He didn’t want to be fed like a child. 

“I don’t need your thanks, asshole!” Chopper said, as he danced and clapped. He grabbed the milk and set it on the tray on Zoro’s right side, so he wouldn’t accidentally knock it off while eating. “Let me know when you want more. I’ll let you have alcohol later, after I’m sure the sedative has worn off.”

Zoro nodded and began eating. Chopper had been right that it was awkward. He had to sort-of spear the tiny sandwich at an angle with his elbow in the air before bringing it to his mouth. The thick bandages prevented movement of his wrists, though he still felt some pain while eating. He craned forward to drink his milk in between bites. Sanji had made him meat and cheese sandwiches without any of the vegetables he normally piled on top, to keep them small. Zoro could taste the tangy mustard he’d smeared on the bread. They were good. Then again, everything Sanji made was good.

Chopper had gone back to his desk to continue writing his notes, letting Zoro eat without conversation. Zoro tried to think of the positives in the situation. It was possible he couldn’t break his wrists or ankles any longer, now that they were stuffed with metal. He wouldn’t be laid up for long. The pain wasn’t that bad, though he was starting to suspect Chopper had slipped something into the milk. He knew Zoro didn’t like pain medication, even though the little doctor insisted he needed it. Chopper could be devious when he wanted to be. 

He requested a refill of milk twice as he polished off the sandwiches. He was pleasantly full by the end. Sanji had made just enough, like he’d known exactly how much Zoro wanted to eat. It was possible Sanji did know. He was crazy-obsessive about not wasting food. Zoro wouldn’t put it past him to have a log of exactly how much food each of the crew ate, under what circumstances and injury level. 

Chopper cleared the empty tray and glass, and folded down the table. Zoro yawned as he did so. “I’m going to take a nap.” He always slept a lot when injured. 

Chopper nodded. “Okay. I’ll be here when you wake up.” 

Chopper wasn’t there when Zoro awoke, but Sanji was. The blond cook was seated at Chopper’s desk, scratching in a journal-type book. Probably creating recipes or writing a shopping list. He was wearing different clothing than when Zoro had last seen him, dressed instead in a dark blue button down tucked into dark gray trousers. “How’d it go?” Zoro asked after clearing his throat of naptime fog.

“Wiped ‘em out.” Sanji put his pencil in the book and closed it before turning on Chopper’s chair. “They had kids. Not to eat–,” he quickly corrected, “–their offspring. Robin and Usopp brought them to town. The babies should be fine, but the older ones grew up dining on flesh. Not sure how that’s going to affect them.”

Zoro grunted. He hoped those kids had a chance. They slaughtered those kids’ parents, though. “We may have made a future enemy.” 

“The alternative is unacceptable.”

Zoro agreed. “Anyone hurt?”

“Only you, marimo.” Sanji wheeled closer. “How’s the pain?”

“Tolerable.” Chopper’s sneaky pain meds had worn off during Zoro’s nap. The doctor must be taking a break, or Sanji had told him that he’d watch over Zoro. 

“You’d say that even if your guts were hanging outside of your body.”

“Heh. True.” Zoro gestured toward the galley with his chin. “Got any more of those sandwiches? And some booze?”

“Knew you’d be hungry. I have it in the fridge.” Sanji rose and left the infirmary. When he returned, he had another tray piled high with more bite-sized sandwiches and a bottle of sake with a crazy-long straw that looped the word Bro in it. Zoro was surprised it didn’t say Super. Maybe Franky ran out of straw material.

Sanji set up the folding table, moved the tray and drink to it, and with more gentleness than even Chopper had shown, slid the fork into Zoro’s bandages. He had a fierce frown on his face, though. “What’s that face for, dartbrow?” Zoro said. The nickname choice had his gaze shifting to Sanji’s eyebrow. It was curling in the right direction again. 

“Those fuckers hurt you.” Sanji’s tone was black, and if they weren’t already dead, Zoro might feel sorry for them - if they weren’t cannibals terrorizing the town. Instead, Zoro felt oddly squishy inside. He blamed it on hunger and started shoveling food into his mouth. 

“Slow down, asshole. Food is supposed to be enjoyed, not inhaled.”

Zoro slowed down. He used his chin to gesture at Sanji’s face. “Your eyebrow’s normal again. You gonna explain all that?”

“Hn.” Sanji pulled his pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, and lit it. The pack and lighter went back into the breast pocket of his shirt. “Must be a side-effect.”

“Of what, dipshit?”

Sanji narrowed his eyes. “Watch it.”

Zoro modulated his tone. He wanted to know what the hell was up with Sanji’s body. “What the hell is up with your body that I don’t know about?” he said, around another sandwich.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Sanji shifted on Chopper’s chair, clearly uncomfortable, though not with the seat. Zoro knew Sanji really didn’t like talking about himself. “My loving father,” the words dripped with acid, “wanted to create the perfect soldiers, so he genetically modified us in the womb.”

Zoro chewed and swallowed before speaking. “Who’s us?”

“My brothers and I,” Sanji said. "I have a sister, too. Older. She was modified differently."

“I didn’t know you had siblings.” Zoro hadn’t known Sanji had a father who was still alive, either. He thought Sanji’s family was Zeff. 

“I don’t want to be associated with those psychopaths.” Sanji took a long drag on his cigarette. He exhaled the smoke as he spoke. “Anyway, my modifications didn’t kick in until that fight with Queen. I spent twenty-one years being a normal human before turning into a freak.”

Zoro frowned. “You’re not a freak.”

“You didn’t think snapping my bones back into place was abnormal?” Sanji said pointedly. “Or the fact that I can run faster now than most people can see?”

“It’s pretty cool, actually,” Zoro said. He held up his bandaged hands, one with a fork sticking out of it. “Wouldn’t mind magic bones, myself.”

Sanji gave Zoro a thin-lipped smile. “You can have them.” 

“I don’t get it. What’s so bad about what your body can do now?” 

Sanji didn’t answer. He smoked his cigarette with a pensive frown. Zoro continued eating. He didn’t push. Sometimes, he wished Sanji was more outright with what he was thinking, but Zoro didn’t like emotional sharing either. Or emotions themselves. Or sharing.

Sanji eventually sighed, a puff of smoke appearing in front of his face. “I don’t want to be like them.”

“Then don’t. Be like you.”

Sanji stared at Zoro for a moment, then he laughed quietly. A soft smile appeared on his lips. “You always know how to cut through the bullshit.”

Zoro shrugged. There was a simple answer for everything. People thought too much. He took a sip of his sake from the Bro-straw. “So what can your body actually do?”

“I have an exoskeleton, which makes me hard to hurt, and a constitution that may be on par with yours,” Sanji told him. “I can run faster than can be seen by most, as I said. I have rapid healing for the times I do get hurt. And apparently my eyebrow shifts back and forth if I use these things.”

“Nothing else changed?” Zoro looked pointedly at Sanji’s crotch.

Sanji took offense. “I’ve always been that size, perverted swordsman.”

Zoro grinned around another bite of food. Sanji kicked him in the head. He swallowed quickly before saying, “Oi!”

“Shut up. You know you deserved it.” Sanji turned to Chopper’s desk to stab out the stub of his cigarette. “How long did Chopper say you had to wear those bandages?”

“About a week, more or less,” Zoro replied. “I’ll probably take them off earlier.”

“No, you won’t.” Sanji gave him a look. “Your wrists are too important as a swordsman to abuse them. You know that.”

Zoro did know that, but he hated being bandaged. He groused, “I don’t like bandages.”

“Big baby.” Sanji stood. “I have some things to do in the galley. Call if you want more sake.”

Zoro sighed, displeased, as Sanji left. He went back to eating. It looked like he’d be stuck with his bandages until Chopper said otherwise.

There was a hidden bathroom between the infirmary and dry storage. Chopper had to help Zoro to use it, much to Zoro’s discomfort. Chopper changed to human sized, which gave him enough strength to transfer Zoro to it after pulling down Zoro’s boxer to his knees. Chopper left Zoro alone after that, shutting the door behind him.

It sucked being injured.

Jinbe came in next and politely said, “If it does not offend you, I shall transfer you to the table for breakfast. Otherwise, Sanji said he shall bring your food in here.”

Zoro felt embarrassed, but he also didn’t want to stay cooped up in the infirmary with the others next door. He sucked it up. “I’ll take the lift.”

Jinbe nodded, removed the sheet covering Zoro, and easily lifted him under the knees and behind the back. Jinbe did not appear to think anything of having to carry Zoro. He brought Zoro into the galley and set him in his spot at the table. “Thanks,” Zoro grumbled, appreciative but still not happy. 

Jinbe inclined his head and took his own seat at the fully set table. Sanji was in the kitchen area, finishing the preparations for breakfast. The others hadn’t come into the galley yet, which meant Zoro’s being carried wasn’t witnessed. He likely had Sanji to thank for that, the caring bastard.

The galley was divided in half by a serving counter with bar seating in front of it. Prep space ran along the counter at a lower height, along with a sink. In the kitchen, there was a giant oven, a multi-burner cooktop, an enormous refrigerator with a lock, and plenty of storage. A service elevator to the Aquarium Bar stood outside the kitchen area between the serving counter and the ladder to the upper deck. A dining table with enough seating for the Straw Hat crew plus friends, as well as a couch with a table beside it, where their den den mushi was kept, filled the remainder of the space. Portholes as well as sconces provided lighting in the room. 

Sanji began bringing plates and serving dishes stacked high with food to the table. He was fully suited again today, with a different blue shirt, navy suit coat and trousers. He had foregone the tie and his collar was unbuttoned. Zoro wore only black boxers. It didn’t bother him. 

“You want milk or orange juice, mosshead?” Sanji asked, setting a giant stack of chocolate waffles down near Chopper’s end of the table.

Zoro wanted to say booze but he knew better. “Milk.”

Sanji nodded and returned to the kitchen for more food. Once the dining table was filled with various meats, breads, eggs, condiments, and other breakfast items, Sanji brought over Zoro’s milk with a normal straw stuck in it, since Zoro was closer to the table. Then, he gingerly placed the fork in Zoro’s bandaged left hand. “Let me know what looks good so I can stack your plate before I ring the bell.”

Zoro told him, and Sanji deftly cut everything into small pieces like it was an everyday thing. He didn’t make a deal out of it, or tease Zoro. Zoro hated the fact that Sanji needed to do this, but was grateful for Sanji’s lack of attitude. 

When Sanji was done, he placed his hand on the nape of Zoro’s neck. It felt warm and comforting. “Anything else?”

“No, I’m good.” 

“Jinbe, go ahead and help yourself before Luffy slings in here,” Sanji said, as he walked over to the meal bell. Jinbe had learned quickly not to hesitate even if manners dictated otherwise and served himself. Sanji rang the bell.

Luffy burst through the door as if he’d been waiting outside of it. “Meat!” Sanji had placed a gigantic plate of meat solely for Luffy at Luffy’s spot, to give others the chance to take from the other serving dishes before Luffy devoured it all. “Zoro, you’re up!” he said and began stuffing his face.

Zoro grunted in affirmation, as the rest of the crew came in. He acknowledged the others’ greetings and pleasantries with his usual aplomb, by mostly ignoring them. He ate his food while trying to ignore the pain he felt using that arm. Conversation flowed around the townspeople and their gratitude for ridding them of the cannibals. There was going to be a celebration that night in the main square. 

“I can’t wait!” Luffy declared, mouth stuffed full of food. “There’s gonna be more meat!”

“Stop talking with your mouth full!” Sanji scolded, as he reached over Franky’s shoulder to refill his cola.

“I believe I am going to bring my guitar,” Brook said, stirring his coffee cup with a spoon. “I wouldn’t mind joining the local musicians.”

“I’ll bring mine, too,” Franky said.

“Should we arrange for rooms?” Robin asked Nami. The two were seated beside each other, their plates filled with a variety of fruit, muffins, and eggs. 

Nami nodded. “It would be smart. We didn’t get to take advantage of it last night.”

Sanji rounded the table to Usopp and Chopper’s seats, topping off their drinks and pulling a plate of pastries closer to Chopper. “I am certain there will be wonderful local cuisine for us to dine on.”

“Maybe you can help them, Sanji,” Luffy suggested. “Make sure they make a lot of meat.”

“Perhaps,” Sanji said. Zoro knew he would, because Sanji couldn’t resist the call of cooking. Cooking wasn’t something he did because he had to or because he was good at it, it was something he truly enjoyed. 

Usopp turned toward Franky. “We have those fireworks we haven’t used. We should bring them.”

“Great idea,” Franky said, raising his cola to Usopp. “I’ll get them out of storage.”

Chopper wiggled with glee on his chair. “Fireworks! I don’t like those at all!” 

Zoro held up his end of the conversation by not speaking, like usual. He continued eating and drinking his milk. He didn’t want to admit it, but the pain was getting worse. Using his left arm as much as he had last night and this morning was aggravating it. He could feel the tightness bracketing his mouth and eye as he fought the pain. 

Sanji must’ve noticed. He came up behind Zoro and rested his hand on Zoro’s shirtless back. There was no excuse for refilling Zoro’s milk, he simply did it. He rubbed his thumb gently along the nape of Zoro’s neck, back and forth. It felt soothing. 

But soon, refills were needed and Robin asked for one of the pastries near Chopper. Sanji danced away. Since they started sailing together, Sanji had never sat at the table to eat with them. His own plate of food sat on the serving bar, and in between refills on drinks, dishing items, and hovering around the girls, he’d take a bite or two of his own meal. Zoro hadn’t paid it any mind before, but today it bothered him. He wanted to shove Brook out of his seat beside Zoro and manhandle Sanji into it. Zoro glared at his bandaged hands.

Zoro managed to finish his meal, but by then he was tired and grumpy. The others trickled out one-by-one until it was only Sanji and Zoro left in the galley. Sanji came over and turned Zoro’s swivel chair, which was bolted to the floor beside the table, and crouched in front of him. “How much pain are you in? Don’t lie.”

Zoro would have been dismissive if it were anyone else, even Chopper. But this thing with Sanji caused him to do things he never would’ve done in the past. “Can’t ignore it.”

Sanji nodded and squeezed his knee. “I’ll tell Chopper. Let’s get you back to bed.” He moved to slide his arm under Zoro’s knees. Zoro draped his arm over Sanji’s shoulder and held on while he lifted with a grunt. “Diet.”

Zoro scowled. “I’ve seen you lift bags of rice that weigh more than me.”

“I don’t have to worry about hurting a bag of rice.” 

Sometimes, Sanji said things that made Zoro feel both stupid and warm inside. “I’m not going to break, idiot,” he grumbled.

“Only if I drop you on your head,” Sanji said, as he carried Zoro into the infirmary. “Your thick skull, plus the rocks inside, will protect it.”

“I’m going to crack your head when I get these stupid bandages off.”

“Promises, promises.” Sanji set him carefully on the infirmary bed. Zoro could tell Chopper had changed the sheets. He had been one of the first to leave the galley. Sanji unfolded the top sheet from the metal footboard and draped it across Zoro’s legs and lap. Zoro felt like an invalid.

“I hate this,” Zoro grouched. 

“So do I.”

“Why do you hate it? You’re not incapacitated.”

Sanji gave him a look, like Zoro really had rocks in his head. “You are such a moron,” he said, confirming it.

Zoro scowled. “I am not. You’re doing that thing where you don’t tell me what you mean and expect me to guess. I don’t like that shit.”

“Your being hurt hurts me, dumbass,” Sanji told him bluntly. “I hate it. I’d take your pain and your broken bones if I could.”

Zoro was a moron. “Oh.”

“Yeah, ‘oh.’” Sanji shook his head in disgust. “I’m supposed to protect you and I failed, and now you’re hurt, and I’m both pissed at myself and unhappy about it.”

“You’re not supposed to protect me. I can protect myself.” Zoro didn’t do the best job of it with the cannibals, but he would’ve figured it out. 

The rocks-look returned. “Knowing that you can take care of yourself and my wanting to protect what’s mine aren’t mutually exclusive.”

Zoro felt his ears heat. Sanji had a talent of saying romantic shit without saying romantic shit to him. “Just… fucking kiss me already and go away. I want a nap.”

A fond smile played over Sanji’s lips. “Idiot marimo.” He leaned in and pressed a firm, possessive kiss on Zoro’s lips. “I’ll get Chopper to give you the pain medicine.”

Zoro grunted in acknowledgement. He rubbed his lips together from the lingering kiss, as Sanji walked out of the room. 

After Chopper dosed him with pain medicine, Zoro slept through lunch and into the early afternoon. Sanji had left pre-cut sandwiches for him again, which Chopper brought in as Sanji had gone into town to shop for local cooking supplies. Zoro and Chopper chatted while he ate, about the preparations being made for the party in town that evening. Apparently, everyone was going all out. 

“It’s going to be so much fun!” Chopper declared.

Zoro thought it sounded like hell with booze, which might have made it tolerable if he wasn’t bandaged hand and foot. He sure as fuck wasn’t going into town like this. The townsfolk wanted to celebrate with their saviors. All Zoro did was nearly become lunch.

Zoro was pretending he wasn’t sulking when Sanji ambled back into the infirmary a while later. Sanji saw right through him. “Stop brooding.”

It was on the tip of Zoro’s tongue to say I can if I want to, but that sounded childish. Inside, he huffed in annoyance. “Why are you here?”

“Shower time.” 

That perked Zoro up. The infirmary had an outdoor shower outside the door that led to the wraparound aft deck on the Sunny. He was feeling grungy. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d used the infirmary shower when the ladder up to the bathroom was too difficult to climb. Chopper’d had Franky install it for that reason. There was even a chair bolted to the deck beneath the showerhead. 

With Sanji’s help, Zoro was stripped, lifted, and carried out the opened rear door. He set Zoro on the chair. Sanji put bags over Zoro’s bandaged hands and feet designed specifically for this purpose. They formed a seal at the top to prevent water from going inside. 

Sanji stripped down, leaving his clothing inside the infirmary. Now, Zoro was definitely into shower time. He grinned at Sanji when Sanji rejoined him. “We gonna fuck?”

“No. I don’t trust you not to hurt yourself by moving.” Sanji bit Zoro’s lower lip when Zoro admittedly started to pout. “Stay still, and maybe I’ll reward you.”

“I can do that,” Zoro readily agreed. His cock agreed, too, already hardening. 

“Tch,” Sanji exhaled a chuckle. He pulled the shower cord, turning on the sun-warmed water, over Zoro’s head. Once wet, Sanji soaped Zoro’s green hair, scrubbing with strong fingers. It felt surprisingly good. Zoro never had anyone wash his hair before, even when previously injured. If he couldn’t do it himself, he skipped it. Showering outside the infirmary tended to be a brief soap-down with Chopper within earshot. He shut his eye and let himself enjoy it.

Sanji stopped all too soon and rinsed the soap from Zoro’s hair. Then he soaped up a rag and washed Zoro down, thoroughly but briskly, carefully adjusting him on the chair so everything could be reached. Zoro was going to protest when Sanji spent no time on Zoro’s erection, but Sanji drowned him with shower water again. 

Sanji grabbed a big, fluffy towel that he’d hung over the ship’s railing and dropped it over Zoro’s head. Zoro thought he’d get dried off, but Sanji said, “Don’t move.” 

Sight hidden in the darkness beneath the towel, Zoro had no idea what Sanji was doing until he felt Sanji’s hands on his bare thighs. Sanji lifted Zoro’s knees and draped them over his shoulders, elevating Zoro’s feet off the ground, pulling him to the edge of the seat. Then Sanji’s warm breath blew against his damp erection before Sanji’s mouth closed around him. 

“Fuck.” Zoro reflexively pushed down with his feet, which stung slightly but not as much as if they’d still been on the ground. Sanji’s mouth was hot and tight around his hard cock. It felt fantastic. Zoro let his arms hang by his sides, his head covered with the towel, and allowed himself to thoroughly appreciate Sanji’s talent at giving head. 

Sanji’s fingers joined in on the fun, fucking him opposite Sanji’s suck him down. Sanji could take him deep, his nose bumping Zoro’s pelvis each time he went down. Zoro wanted to grab Sanji by the hair, but he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, move. All he could do was sit there helplessly in the dark and revel in the sensations.

“You’re so good at this,” Zoro mumbled, and Sanji hummed around him. Sanji’s fingers manipulated that sweet spot inside him, creating tingles of pleasure that intensified until a lightning bolt shot through him. All his muscles clenched and then relaxed, only for it to begin again. Sanji kept it up until Zoro’s entire being was focused on the need to come. He tried to not to move, but he couldn’t stop from shifting on the edge of the chair, pressing down with the backs of his knees on Sanji’s shoulders. 

Sanji caught on, and he started to move his mouth faster over Zoro’s length. His tongue licked repeatedly against the underside of Zoro’s shaft. Zoro could feel orgasm building at the base of his spine and he dropped his head back on the chair. The towel still covered his face. Zoro desperately wanted to clench his fists and point his toes as climax struck. The bandages prevented him from turning this awesome orgasm into a painful flop. 

Zoro came down slowly from his high. Sanji kissed Zoro’s inner thigh, and then he was toweling Zoro’s hair. He pulled the towel off and Zoro had a great view of Sanji’s hard-on bobbing right in front of him. He wanted to lean forward and return the favor, but he’d managed to regain a hold on himself again. “Want me to get that for you?” Zoro asked with a lazy, post-orgasmic grin.

“No. I told you, don’t move.” 

Zoro’s brow raised. “You don’t want to get off?”

“Who said I wasn’t going to?” Sanji finished toweling Zoro dry, then draped the towel around Zoro’s shoulder. He then crossed the short distance to the rail, leaned back against the second towel draped there, and slowly began stroking his own cock.

It was the hottest thing Zoro’d ever seen. He could only sit there and watch as Sanji pleasured himself, staring back at Zoro with half-lidded eyes. The late afternoon sun had drifted lower in the sky behind the ship, causing Sanji’s damp, pale skin to take on a rosy glow. His muscles flexed in his arm, his strong physique on full display. His hand slid up and down his turgid shaft, which was flushed darker than his skin tone. Not modified, Zoro recalled their conversation, and his mouth salivated. 

Zoro watched hungrily as Sanji got himself off. He didn’t hurry, either. When he finally did come, he dropped his head back, exposing the long line of his throat, his hand working faster over his hardness. With a sharp inhale of breath, his come spattered on the wooden deck between their bare feet.

Sanji lowered his chin, opened his eyes, and gave Zoro a satisfied smile. He sauntered over and gave Zoro a thorough, breath-stealing kiss. “You can move now.”

Zoro wanted to pounce on Sanji, or wrestle him onto Zoro’s lap. Since he couldn’t do either in his condition, he settled with wrapping his arms around Sanji’s bare waist, careful not to jostle his wrists. He rested his cheek against Sanji’s stomach. “I can’t wait to get these stupid bandages off.”

“I know.” Sanji thread his fingers through Zoro’s damp hair, and admitted quietly, “I miss your touch already.”

Zoro’s chest tightened, and he squeezed Sanji a little harder with his arms. 

Zoro was ensconced in the Aquarium Bar, sitting comfortably sideways on the curved couch that ran beneath the large aquarium. The sconce lights burned on the service elevator in the center of the room. Floor-mounted chairs encircled the elevator. A rolling tray that could swing over Zoro’s lap had several alcohol bottles on it, one with the Bro-straw, the other two with normal ones. His katanas rested on the couch near his feet. He couldn’t use them, but he still wanted them nearby.

Dressed solely in clean boxers, Zoro watched the fish in the aquarium swim in patterned circles. The smaller fish darted to hide whenever a bigger one swam by. He had a book open on the back of the couch. Sanji had stuck a thin skewer-type thing in Zoro’s bandages on his right hand, to help him turn the pages. It worked rather well. 

The Straw Hat crew had left for town a while ago, to join in the celebration in their honor. Zoro had tried to get Sanji to let him wait it out in the crow’s nest, claiming he could be on watch. Sanji had given Zoro one of his looks. “You are not getting within twenty feet of your weights.”

Zoro had thought about seeing if he could do some lifting, like with his mouth. He cursed his luck that one of Sanji’s talents was reading him so well. He instead had chosen the Aquarium Bar, not wanting to be locked up in the infirmary any longer. Sanji had settled him in with the book, booze, and the promise not to stay out too long. Zoro had nixed that, telling Sanji to enjoy himself. “You helped these villagers. Let them thank you.”

None of the Straw Hat crew did anything for the thanks or reward, although Nami was happy when there was one. They did things because it was right. Other pirate crews may not care, focused solely on the goal of obtaining the One Piece, but they did. They weren’t going to ignore the bad shit along the way to reaching Luffy’s dream.

Zoro watched as a small, bright red eel poked its head out of the top window of a fake tower in the aquarium. He didn’t spend a lot of time sitting and thinking. If he had idle time, he used it to train more or take a nap. Being injured previously hadn’t stopped those things, but he also didn’t have Sanji before. Nestled on the couch in the Aquarium Bar, with everyone gone, he’d read his book for a while before his thoughts drifted to the party, the crew, Sanji, and himself. It was right for him not to be there for the celebration; he hadn’t helped. The townspeople might look upon his injuries as a sign of a fierce battle on their behalf when he hadn’t done anything. 

He always went at things head on without worry of death. Though he’d been injured many times in the past, that had been during fighting. He knew what he might be walking into. This time, he’d been captured and injured badly without a fight. It reminded him that he wasn’t infallible. He also now had someone he didn’t want to leave behind. 

He hadn’t thought he’d ever feel this way about someone. He’d never been interested in romantic crap. His focus had been on training to become the world’s greatest swordsman. Zoro had a couple of notches on his scabbard from before he’d met Luffy. He knew he wasn’t that easy to approach, which was fine by him. He didn’t like women, and the men brave enough to try got lucky depending on his mood. Before Sanji, sex wasn’t something he sought out because it simply didn’t matter. It felt good, but he didn’t need it like he needed to train.

He hadn’t been thinking about sex when he’d told Sanji that he wanted the cook in his life. He just wanted Sanji with him, to know that Sanji would always challenge him and be by his side. He wanted Sanji to know that he was wanted and valued for who he was, not what he could do. When he imagined the future, before they even got together, Sanji was always there. 

He’d taken the chance with Sanji for something he never thought he’d want. And though he’d basically told Sanji they were going to be together from then on, in Amigasa Village, he had still put himself out there. Sanji could have rejected him, could have kicked him in the face for even suggesting the cook might like men. But Sanji had given him this look that was a combination of disbelief and relief, like maybe he’d been wanting the same thing but never did anything about it. And when he agreed, Zoro was filled with a joy he’d never experienced before, and he knew right then that this would be his forever. 

Sanji seemed to become a different person with Zoro, but also not at the same time. He still was abrasive and gave Zoro crap, but there were so many more facets to his personality that Zoro had never seen - or at least never paid attention to until they got together. Sanji was tender, caring, possessive, protective, sheltering, and domineering. He put Zoro’s needs first, even when Zoro didn’t do it for himself. Zoro felt treasured, which was weird but also kinda nice. Zoro couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt taken care of, he’d been on his own for so long. Having someone looking out for him beyond the physical was something Zoro would not take for granted.

Zoro found himself also acting differently. He wanted to touch Sanji, even outside of sex, and he’d never been big on touching. He listened to what Sanji said; allowed him to take charge. Zoro didn’t know what the hell he was doing with this emotional-romantic-caring shit, and didn’t know how to act. It was a relief that Sanji would just tell him what he wanted or what to do, and it made Sanji happy. Zoro was all for it. 

Zoro liked it when they were loud and aggressive toward each other, and he liked the quiet times they carved out alone. These past weeks they’d been together had created a calmness within Zoro that no amount of meditation had succeeded in doing. It made his body and mind sharper. That was why he was so disappointed in himself for being caught and injured. Granted, Sanji hadn’t been on alert, either, and he was more attuned toward that sort of thing. It just went to show that neither of them was perfect. And it turned out okay, since Sanji had magic bones.

A giant sea bass swam lazily past Zoro in the aquarium. That whole deal with Sanji having monster-genes or whatever he’d called it was strange, but Luffy could turn himself into a balloon to repel cannonfire, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary. Zoro was just glad Sanji had the ability to fix himself and get them out of the dicey situation with the cannibals. It also meant that Sanji couldn’t get hurt as easily, which Zoro liked. The crew went all in during their battles and if one of them came out less scathed, he was for it. Plus, Zoro didn’t know how to be the one doing the worried-caretaker thing and he’d probably suck at it. Better that Sanji be the one less injured of the two of them. Zoro might also get another show like the one earlier today. That had been damned hot.

Sex with Sanji was better than the lays Zoro’d had in the past. Probably because he wasn’t a stranger. Also, Zoro wanted Sanji to touch him without reservation, however Sanji wanted. Their lives were also busy, between training, cooking, fighting each other, and raiding countries. Getting time alone, away from their shipmates, took effort. When they found it, even if it was for a short amount of time, it was great.

Thinking about it was arousing Zoro, which was another difference in himself than previously. Arousal had been a deliberate thing for him. He was in control of his body, not the other way around. Now, thinking about sex with Sanji stirred his boxers with no input from him. It would be annoying to sit in the Aquarium Bar with a hard on, with no way and no one to take care of it.

Zoro went back to his book. Reading about the history of swordcraft was a surefire way to fix it.

Zoro was sleeping on the couch when Sanji came in, late that night. He roused when Sanji moved the drinks tray, blinking his eye open sleepily. “You’re back,” he said around a yawn.

“Hn.” Sanji took the book, set it aside, and removed the page turner from Zoro’s bandage. He smelled like smoke, alcohol, and spicy food. “It’s late. Let’s get you to bed.”

Zoro really didn’t want to go back to the infirmary. “I want to sleep here.”

Sanji arched his brow, but then shrugged. “I’ll grab a blanket.” He wasn’t gone long. He returned to the Aquarium Bar carrying a blanket and pillow. 

“Was it a good party?” Zoro asked, as Sanji tucked the pillow behind him. 

“Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves,” Sanji replied. 

“What about you?” Zoro said. Sanji put others first and might not have had a chance to relax. 

Sanji draped the blanket over Zoro, then sat down on the edge of the couch beside him. “The townspeople were gracious and generous hosts. I enjoyed sampling the food.”

“That couldn’t have been all you did. You’ve been gone for a while.”

Sanji fiddled with the lay of the blanket. “I… may have passed out for a bit after the fifth woman hugged me.”

Zoro barked a laugh. “Of course you did.”

Sanji scowled. “I could have had more! I finally had all these women throwing themselves at me and I wasn’t conscious to enjoy it.”

“You wouldn’t have known what to do anyway.” Zoro knew Sanji wouldn’t touch the women sexually. They had an agreement.

“Breasts, marimo.” Sanji sighed. “I missed out on so many breasts pressing against me.”

Zoro rolled his eyes. “I do not understand your fascination with those things. They’re bags of flesh.”

“Bags of flesh!” Sanji sounded appalled. “They are the perfect embodiment of the beauty of women. Supple, round, with a little bounce…”

“If you bleed on me, I’m going to deck you, broken wrist or not.”

Sanji snapped out of it. “An ape like you wouldn’t understand.”

“I just said that.” Zoro shook his head. “If there’d been a bunch of guys hugging me–”

He didn’t get to complete his sentence. Sanji pinned him to the couch by the shoulders, his face inches from Zoro’s, his expression steel. “No one touches you but me, got it?”

Zoro felt a perverse thrill at Sanji’s display of possessiveness. He had been about to say that he wouldn’t have been aroused by other guys, but it didn’t matter now. He nodded. “Yes.”

“Good.” Sanji seared a kiss on Zoro’s mouth before getting up. “I’m going to clean up. Then I’m going to grab my pillow and sleep in here.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Zoro said. Sanji had a comfortable bunk, and the couch wasn’t wide enough for two. 

“Maybe my presence will remind you who you belong to,” Sanji said pointedly. 

Zoro felt his ears heat and arousal tickle his groin. “Okay.”

Sanji pivoted on his heel and left the Aquarium Bar. Zoro could’ve sworn he heard Sanji mutter about hordes of handsy men as he went. 

Zoro was still awake when Sanji returned, though sleepiness tugged at his eye. Sanji wore the bottoms of his pajama pants and carried another pillow and blanket with him. Sanji moved Zoro’s katanas and spread his blanket out on the couch near Zoro’s covered feet. “You’re gonna sleep down there?”

“M’not gonna sleep on the floor, idiot,” Sanji said. He went to shut off the lights. In a moment, the Aquarium Bar was plunged into darkness. Faint moonlight could be seen through the portholes in the doors.

Zoro received another kiss, a short, tender one. Sanji smelled like soap and mint now. “Sleep, marimo,” he murmured against Zoro’s lips. 

Zoro had thought maybe they’d have some sort of sex again, but this was fine, too. He was rather tired. “All right.”

He heard Sanji settle on the couch. Within moments, he drifted safely off to sleep.

The Sunny stayed at Anthropophagus a few more days. The crew accompanied teams of townspeople into the woods beyond the fence. Sanji and Franky returned to the cave to clean it out. They returned the weapons, jewelry, and personal items they found to the town. The townspeople held a ceremony commemorating the departed and buried the items in the cemetery. 

For Zoro’s part, he got more and more anxious to have his bandages removed as the days went on. The pain had stopped and he could bump them without any problems. He nearly got caught by Chopper walking to the hidden head in the infirmary. He wanted to get back to training, cut his own food, and not drink out of a Bro-straw. 

The Sunny set sail on a cloudless morning, waving goodbye across the distance to the villagers who’d gathered to see them off. Jinbe set the helm at Nami’s direction. The Straw Hat crew resettled back into routine aboard a ship. Sanji was in the galley, Luffy lazed on the figurehead, Usopp and Franky disappeared to their workshops. Robin read while Brook wrote music. Chopper updated his medical supplies. Zoro sulked. 

It wasn’t for another two days that Chopper finally acquiesced to Zoro’s imploring. “You don’t appear to be in any pain. As long as my examination goes well, I’ll remove them. But no lifting weights until I say so! You can practice with your katanas as long as you take it slow, to make sure everything has set. You have to promise to tell me immediately if something feels off.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro agreed. Sanji would make him do it anyway. “Let’s get these things off me.”

Chopper removed the thick bandages from his hands first. Neat stitching on Zoro’s wrists indicated where he’d operated. Zoro knew from experience there’d be no scars. Chopper carefully bent and flexed Zoro’s wrists. “These have healed nicely. In a few more days, I’ll take out the stitches. You’re lucky you have such a superior constitution. The average human would take about six times as long to recover.”

Zoro imagined having to be stuck in bandages for that long and shuddered. “Are my wrists all metal now?”

“The bones, yes.” Chopper began removing the bandages around Zoro’s feet and ankles. “I was able to save several in your ankles, so those are a mix.”

Zoro nodded. He was sitting in his boxer shorts on the infirmary bed and he looked down at his ankles as they were revealed. Stitches decorated the fronts of his ankles above the scar lines. Chopper gently pointed and flexed Zoro’s feet. Zoro felt discomfort when he did so, but not pain. 

Chopper nodded to himself. He picked up the socks he’d brought with him and slid them over Zoro’s feet. Then he put medical boots on Zoro that wrapped around rather than slid on. The boots had thick soles with two metal supports on the sides and a thicker metal support on the back. The boots were secured with straps over Zoro’s foot and his calf. “I want you to stay off your feet as much as possible. You can go where you want, but then you should sit down again. And no fighting!”

Zoro itched to move. “Can I go?”

“You’d better let me know if you’re in any pain,” Chopper warned. 

“I will.” The words were barely out of Zoro’s mouth before he made his escape from the infirmary. The boots clomped heavier than his normal ones. He’d gone through the connecting door to the galley and made a beeline for Sanji, where he was standing in front of the stove. Zoro immediately wrapped his arms around the cook.

“Watch the hot flames, dumbass,” Sanji told him, but he tilted his head when Zoro kissed him on the side of the neck. Four pans sizzled with food on the various lit burners.

Zoro rucked up Sanji’s shirt, untucking it from his trousers, to slide his hands underneath. Sanji’s warm skin greeted his palms. He made a pleased sound. “You feel good.”

“Hn.” Sanji removed the cigarette from his mouth and tapped the ash in the nearby ashtray. “What did Chopper say?”

“That I’m healing well.” Zoro mouthed another kiss on the side of Sanji’s neck.

“And?”

“That I can use my katanas, but I have to be slow.”

“To ensure you don’t knock something loose,” Sanji commented. “What else?”

Zoro slid a hand partially down the front of Sanji’s trousers. “I’m not supposed to stay on my feet. I can go from here to there, but that’s it.” 

“Then why are you still on your feet?” Sanji said.

“I went from there to here. I’m not moving.” Zoro leaned his chin on Sanji’s shoulder and admitted quietly, “I just wanted to touch you again.”

Sanji exhaled a soft sound of affection. “Idiot. I would have come to you.”

“Hn.” Zoro embraced Sanji more tightly against him. “What are you making?”

“I’m trying a new dish using some of the peppers from Anthropophagus.” Sanji stirred some sort of sauce in one of the pans. “Go and sit down.”

“I want to get cleaned up first,” Zoro told him.

“That’s fine, but then do as you’re told. I’d rather not have you stuck in the infirmary again.”

Zoro huffed. “Fine.” He kissed Sanji’s neck again before letting him go.

“And I know Chopper didn’t say you could lift weights again.”

Zoro grumbled as he left. He swung back through the infirmary for his katanas before making his way up the ladder to the Sunny’s bathroom. 

The bathroom had a wall dividing it from the entry hatch and the water closet. It contained a shower, a bench to place their belongings, and a large onsen-style tub. The floor had a bubble mosaic. Mid-morning sunlight cast dust motes in the air as it shined through the window above the tub. The arched ceiling held vents to let the heat escape. 

Zoro shucked his boxers, set his katanas aside, and removed the medical boots. Knowing he’d get bitched at if he wasn’t careful, he sat on the bench beneath the shower to use it. Once clean, he snagged a towel to wrap around his waist, picked up Wado, and climbed into the tub.

Tub duty was a chore on the Sunny and it was cleaned and refilled daily when they were on the ship. The crew rotated through all the chores, though sometimes Luffy needed supervision because he got distracted by a stray thought or navel lint. Zoro hadn’t done any chores while incapacitated and Chopper might keep him on limited duty until he was out of the boots. Zoro didn’t mind chores; they were a part of sailing life. As long as they all pitched in, it made for short work.

The water was pleasantly warm, bordering on hot. Zoro opened the window before taking a seat on the bench that ran around the full lengths of the tub. The salty smell of the ocean and a breeze slid into the bathroom. Zoro grabbed another towel from the short pile that was within reach. He pillowed the towel behind his head against the side of the tub, unsheathed Wado, and set the sheath aside.

Wado gleamed in the sunlight, casting a bright glow on the ceiling in reflection. Zoro held the blade extended in front of him in his left hand, then slowly turned his wrist back and forth. He didn’t feel any pulls, pangs, or twinges. He switched hands and repeated the action. His right wrist did pull, so he switched back to his left. He’d give the right side another day and see what happened.  

“How did I know you’d be playing with your swords?” Sanji said as he came into the bathroom. He shut and locked the door behind him. He had a plate balanced on one hand. 

“Chopper said I could!” Zoro defended reflexively before he remembered Sanji already knew that. “Shut up.”

Sanji chuckled, removed his shoes and socks, and walked over to the tub. He sat on the edge and held out the dish to Zoro. A spicy scent greeted Zoro’s nose from the small portion of food. It looked like a pile of meat, peppers, and beans, covered in a dark sauce. A fork sat on the plate ready to be picked up. “Try it.”

Zoro resheathed Wado and set it behind him before picking up the fork. It was great to be able to hold silverware again. He took a bite of the new dish. The food was hot and spicy without being overbearing. It reminded him of some of the meals they had in Arabasta. “It’s good.”

“Not too strong?” 

Zoro shook his head, taking another bite. He swallowed before speaking. “No. I like the kick. Chopper might not, though.”

“Hn.” Sanji took the fork from Zoro and had a bite himself. Zoro knew he’d tasted it in the kitchen as was coming for a second opinion. “I should be able to create a sweeter sauce and use the less-hot peppers. The base ingredients would be the same. It wouldn’t be much of a problem to make both.”

Together, they finished the plate, and Sanji set it on the bench away from the tub. He started stripping off his clothes. Zoro grinned. “Food and sex? You’re a good date.”

Sanji snorted. “You wouldn’t know what constitutes a good date if I gave you explicit instructions on paper.”

“Hey! I could give a good date if I wanted to,” Zoro protested. 

“The fact that you just said ‘give a good date’ answers that question.”

Zoro harrumphed. “I don’t like romantic shit anyway.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Sanji responded dryly. He used the shower, washing off quickly. He grabbed a towel, but didn’t bother wrapping it around his waist. Instead, he laid it on the side of the tub before stepping into the water. 

The water in the onsen-tub was waist high when standing and came up near the shoulders when seated. Sanji waded to where Zoro was seated, pushed his knees apart, and leaned in to kiss him. Zoro immediately reached up to tangle his hands in Sanji’s wet hair. Fuck, he’d missed touching Sanji.

Sanji kissed Zoro until his lips tingled and let Zoro’s hands roam where they wanted. Zoro couldn’t stop touching him. Zoro’s fingers slid from Sanji’s hair, down his neck to his shoulders. He clutched at Sanji’s arms, his back, his sides. Sanji wasn’t as muscular as Zoro, but he was still solid, strong. Zoro’s hands dropped to Sanji’s powerful hips, roved over his thighs, found the prize hanging heavily between his legs. 

Sanji sucked in a sharp breath, watching Zoro with a heavy-lidded gaze as Zoro played. He stood there, hands resting on Zoro’s shoulders, Zoro’s knees bracketing his thighs. Zoro’s palm ran over the silky-feeling skin covering the steel of Sanji’s erection. He’d done this before, having gotten Sanji ready, during a blowjob, or jacking him off. This time, though, he was fully aware of the sensation and feel of holding Sanji’s cock in his hands. With both palms closing around Sanji, Zoro began to jack him slowly, watching as he did through the distortion of the water. 

When Sanji finally moved, he did so with a purpose. He kissed Zoro again, hard and hungry. The sex oil came out of nowhere, or Sanji had simply known that Zoro would be up here today, and Zoro was prepped and taken without any words. Sanji’s mouth found Zoro’s once more. He began to move unhurriedly, pulling far back before sliding slowly home. The water buoyed Zoro’s legs, which he’d draped over Sanji’s hips. His head rested on the folded towel on the edge of the tub. Sanji’s hands were braced on either side of Zoro’s broad shoulders against the tub. 

Zoro’s hands roved again, sliding along Sanji’s strong abs, his chest. He let himself give over to the sensations of sex, of being stretched and filled over and over. Sanji claimed him slowly, as if this was all he planned to do today. His control was astronomical. Zoro’s erection bobbed in the water between them, aching to be touched. When he could not stand it any longer, he reached for himself, only for Sanji to murmur, “Don’t.”

Exquisite tension raised, lust biting sharply at Zoro’s balls. He licked his lower lip, watching Sanji watching him. Sanji’s skin was flushed from arousal and the heat from the water. Zoro felt equally as flushed. Desire was evident in Sanji’s blue eyes, his wet hair brushed back from his face. His pace started to stutter, his breathing became shallow, and Zoro watched and felt him fall over into orgasm. It was hot, and Zoro was desperate to find his own release. 

Sanji caught his breath, kissed Zoro lazily, and pulled out. Zoro felt immediately empty. He clutched at Sanji’s sides. With strength Zoro always forgot Sanji possessed in his upper body, Sanji lifted Zoro suddenly onto the towel on the side of the tub. Then he bent his head over Zoro’s lap and took Zoro’s hard length into his mouth.

Zoro made a sharp sound of pleasure, hands grasping at Sanji’s hair. The long fuck and being unable to touch himself caused release to be almost immediate. He spilled down Sanji’s throat with a body-wracking shudder. 

Sanji gave the tip of Zoro’s cock a kiss before standing upright. He wrapped his arms around Zoro loosely, a satisfied smile curving his lips. Zoro came down from his climax and smiled in return. “Good date.”

Sanji’s laugh filled the bathroom, and made Zoro’s heart sing.

Clomping around the Sunny in medical boots wasn’t much fun when the temperature dropped and snow began falling. They had sailed into a winter climate which brought with it freezing winds that chilled to the bone. Zoro wore several pairs of socks under the exposed boots. He notices that his wrists and ankles were chillier with the metal inside of him. He bundled in layers when moving from place to place on the Sunny.

Chopper had released him to lift weights as long as he stayed off his feet. Franky built Zoro a movable bench to use in the crow’s nest. Zoro was happy to get back into the routine of training. The Sunny had heat vents in all living spaces, operated by cola from a central furnace in the hold. Zoro could control how much heat pumped out in the crow’s nest. It made exercising when it was freezing cold doable.

Sanji served two versions of the new dish he’d created to rousing success. Because of the change in temperature, soup and chili were now on the menu. Zoro had left Sanji in the galley a few hours ago, pots bubbling on the burner. 

In the crow’s nest, shirtless, Zoro lifted weights and worked through katas while seated on the bench. He hadn’t taken Enma out of its sheath yet. While his wrists were fine now, he wanted to be certain he was fully healed so the named sword didn’t try to take advantage of his lingering weakness. Chopper wanted to give him a few more days in the boots, especially with the snow on deck, to ensure nothing went wrong. Zoro had groused but agreed.

The crew did what they normally did when the weather turned cold. They holed up in various spaces, working on personal projects, playing games, or reading. Jinbe kept them on course despite the rough waves. But the winter storms kept getting harsher, the wind fiercer, and Jinbe had to call for them to furl the sails. 

Luffy was the one who noticed the giant warm eddy ahead of them, and he and Sanji noticed someone was trapped inside. Zoro finally got to fight again, even though it was against water, and he sliced the eddy in two. Chopper blew off the deck in the wind as a child fell out of the eddy. Luffy’s quick, rubber arms went to save them when he was blown off the ship as well. Jinbe dove into the water after them.

Before the remaining crew on the ship could do anything more, a giant shark made of metal attacked them. It capsized the Sunny, sending them all plummeting beneath the waves. Zoro held his breath and onto his katanas. He hadn’t put his shirt back on when Jinbe called for action. The frigid water tried to freeze his blood. He needed to move, he needed to help his nakama. 

Help came before he could act in the guise of an iron giant. The giant rescued the crew and the Sunny. It was piloted by a Vegapunk, named Lilith, whom Sanji immediately went tongue-tied over. Zoro still saw her as a threat, especially with the name. He took charge in Luffy’s absence as second-in-command and ensured the crew’s safety. 

Then they were flying in the hands of a jet-powered robot, getting the rundown on Vegapunk, his satellites, and other shit Zoro couldn’t be bothered with listening to. He wanted to find Jinbe, Chopper, and Luffy. He was certain Jinbe had rescued them. Egghead Island, the government island where the giant was heading, was the closest island to where they’d gone overboard.

Once they arrived, Zoro was ready to get off the ship, but Sanji gave a pointed look at the medical boots. Irritated, Zoro volunteered to remain on watch on the ship. Brook opted to join him. It was frustrating. 

The weather on Egghead was technology-controlled, which made it feel tropical. It was a big difference from the freezing winter climate on the ocean. Zoro and Brook took advantage of it to sit on the main deck, having a drink while talking about the island. Brook abruptly remembered that they had another passenger and released him from the barrel he’d been kept in the entire time. Sanji certainly kept him fed, as the blond cook would never let anyone starve. Zoro had completely forgotten Caribou was on board. “I heard you helped the captain out,” Zoro told him. “Appreciate it. See ya around.”

Caribou left, Brook and Zoro finished their drinks, and Zoro went to take a nap. He was awoken a few hours later by an attack on the Sunny. That fucking guy Kaku, whom Zoro had fought and defeated before years ago, dared to show his face again. And Zoro had been itching for a fight for weeks. 

Then Stussy went and took his fun away before it really started. She knocked out Kaku and a surprised Lucci, who’d accompanied her to the Sunny. Apparently, she was a mole for Vegapunk, but Zoro didn’t care. He was annoyed that she’d stolen his fight. Then, four weird-assed, familiar-looking kids showed up to engage them in battle, and Zoro amped up to start fighting again. 

And then some damned robot showed up along with Lilith, commanded the kids to stop, got a laser beam or something to the face, and was rescued by Sanji. But the kids listened and stopped, and Zoro still hadn’t gotten to fight. He was livid. He snarled at Sanji, “Why the fuck are you here?”

Sanji appeared surprised, then his eyes narrowed. “Watch your fucking tone, shithead. Nami-san sent me to help your stupid ass.”

“I don’t need any fucking help, especially from you,” Zoro snapped. He saw what Sanji had on. “And what the hell are you wearing? You look like a florist vomited on you.”

Sanji’s expression darkened. Without a word, he lifted his leg, obviously preparing to launch into a fight, but aborted his kick after a glance at Zoro’s medical boots. This pissed Zoro off even more. “Get the hell away from me, you shitty-assed cook.”

“Whatever your problem is, you’d better get over it fast,” Sanji hissed at him before storming off. 

Brook glanced at Lilith and smiled widely. “Yo-ho-ho! Where shall we go?” He offered Lilith his elbow.

Lilith appeared briefly confused, then she shrugged at Edison, the small robot, and took Brook’s arm. “Let’s get you two some better clothes.”

They headed off. Zoro clomped after them, in a foul mood. It got even worse with the outfit he was given: a form-fitting black jumpsuit that came with a lightweight jacket. He hated it. But he wore it anyway because it gave him the excuse to dump the medical boots and put on the tall ones the locals wore. His ankles didn’t hurt anymore. He got a strap to hold his katanas on his back. 

Lilith and Edison told he and Brook the plan to take Stella Vegapunk and the satellites off the island while they changed. When they joined the rest of the crew in the monitoring room, Zoro saw that everyone was dressed as stupidly as him. He wanted to leave this stupid island already.

But Stella was missing, Sanji was acting like a love-sick pervert around the Vegapunk women satellites, and Zoro wanted to punch something. He volunteered to go looking for the old man, only to be grabbed by Sanji. “Hold up, mosshead. You’re going out to find someone? But who’s gonna find you when you’re done?”

Before Zoro could take a swing at Sanji, Chopper and Robin both spoke up. “He’s right, Zoro, you stay,” Chopper said.

“Just be a dear and wait, okay?” Robin added.

Temper at a boiling point, Zoro threw himself onto the couch in the room they were in beside Luffy. Locked in special cuffs, Lucci and Kaku's unconscious bodies were sprawled on the floor in front of them. The others broke up into search parties. Sanji threw himself at Stussy to go with her. It disgusted Zoro. 

The lounge located off the control room was a domed room with metal walls that branched off in several directions. Fancy technology filled the space, along with a handful of seating options. Zoro, Luffy, and Shaka, a Vegapunk satellite who wore a helmet, were the only ones who’d stayed behind. Shaka remained in the control room, monitoring the search parties.

“What a damn pain,” Zoro bitched once the others had left. “At least they formed search parties, so they should be fine.” Luffy was panting heavily still from whatever he’d been doing before Zoro’d arrived. He wore a SSG coat, boots, and maybe shorts but Zoro couldn’t see them. “You must’ve been running all out, huh?”

“I always go all out for everything,” Luffy said between breaths. He motioned at Lucci and Kaku. “I can’t believe we bumped into these guys again.” He inhaled deeply, puffed his cheeks, then blew out a long breath. “Takes me back to Water 7. I wonder how Ice-boss is doing?”

Before Zoro could respond, Luffy stood abruptly and held his hand over the headphone he wore that covered one ear. “What’s up?”

“Hush,” Luffy told him, as he listened. He walked toward the control room. “Hey, helmet guy, is something wrong with this thing? Everyone’s voices suddenly cut off.”

Zoro didn’t have any headphones, so he had no idea what was going on. He heard something else though. Rising to his feet, he walked to the other entry into the lounge. His observation haki alerted him to the danger moments before two of the kids from earlier struck. But they didn’t go after Zoro, they were aiming from Kaku and Lucci.

Zoro drew Sandai Kitetsu and Enma and defended the cuffed CP0 members from the first attack. The two brats were strong! Luffy and Shaka rushed into the room as he deflected another strike. “S-Hawk, S-Bear, stop this immediately! Who ordered you to move?” Shaka commanded.

“Good, you can stop them, right?” Zoro said. “They were gunning for CP0. Letting them die in cuffs would leave a bad taste in my mouth.”

S-Hawk launched himself at Zoro, sword raised, as S-Bear opened his mouth to shoot another laser beam, causing the room to explode. Luffy grabbed Lucci as Zoro grabbed Kaku, and they dove out of the way of the explosion of flying rubble. The explosion roused both CP0 members from unconsciousness. 

Shaka found his footing, looking at the brats. “If they won’t take my orders, they must already be acting on a command issued by Vegapunk.”

“What?!” Luffy exclaimed.

“Between the communications blackout, and the barrier sealing us in, this is beginning to seem like an elaborate plan,” Shaka said. “Somebody’s trying to kill us all!”

“Hey Straw Hat, Roronoa,” Kaku spoke up, coughing after the explosion. “How about we let bygones be bygones for now?”

“We could form a temporary alliance,” Lucci said. “The two of us would be much more useful out of these cuffs.”

Zoro hated the idea. Luffy didn’t look pleased, either. “Let’s say we free you guys,” Zoro said, “I can’t see you letting us cuff you again later.”

“That’s not true,” Kaku said. “When we’re out of danger, we’ll put these restraints back on without a fight.”

“Really? In that case, sure!” Luffy said.

“He’s obviously lying!” Zoro shouted at Luffy.

S-Hawk took the distraction as a chance to strike. His leg cleaved an energy beam between all of them, sending a shockwave through the room. Zoro, Luffy, and the others were blown off their feet again. Zoro recognized the attack. It was the Supa Supa no Mi devil’s fruit power. It was Mr. 1’s power. 

Zoro grabbed Kaku again to protect him, and they landed safely. “See, Roronoa?” Kaku said. “You keep having to save us. You won’t get anywhere like this.”

“CP0, let me ask, what was your mission here?” Shaka said as they regrouped.

“Eliminating all seven Vegapunks,” Lucci told him.

“Lucci! Don’t just blurt it out like that!” Kaku scolded.

“And I take it you won’t let Stussy off the hook for her betrayal?” Shaka asked.

“That’s right. I won’t show her any mercy,” Lucci said.

“Are you trying to convince them not to save us?!” Kaku exclaimed.

A scream Zoro recognized resounded from elsewhere in the building. “That was Nami! All four of those things must be running wild. How’re we meant to protect everyone on top of the seven Vegapunks?” Fuck, they were in trouble.

“Hey, helmet! Give me the cuff keys,” Luffy instructed, holding out his hand.

Shaka tossed them to Luffy. “I’ll leave the decision in your hands. Just please protect the Stella at all costs.”

“When those four guys are out of the way and you realize you can’t beat me, you won’t be a sore loser and go after my friends and the Vegapunks, right?” Luffy taunted Lucci.

“You idiot. These guys won’t fall for a taunt like that–” Zoro started to say, but Lucci proved him wrong.

“Fat chance! You’re the priority on my hit list, you Straw Hat bastard! I won’t go out of order, but your friends won’t outlive you for long!”

Zoro stared in disbelief. “He took the bait.”

Luffy freed both the CP0 agents, as S-Bear and S-Hawk launched another attack. But this time, with the four of them, the tides turned. And Zoro finally got his fight.

Only he couldn’t seem to do any damage. The brats kept getting back up, unharmed. As they caught their breath, Luffy got pissed. “They’re getting up way too easily! Do they think they’re Kaidou or something? Cut it out already!”

“Now that you mention it, they remind me of King. That guy I fought on Wano,” Zoro said.

Shaka was surprised. “A lunarian on Kaidou’s crew?”

“I never caught what his people were called.”

“I see,” Shaka said. “That must’ve been Alber, the test subject who long ago escaped Punk Hazard with Kaidou. The seraphims owe their toughness to his lunarian blood.”

“No kidding,” Zoro said. “In that case, pay attention to the flames on their backs. Our attacks will only be effective when they go out.”

“Really?” Luffy said.

“King was practically invincible when he was on fire.” Zoro shook his head. “My bad. If I’d clocked it sooner, I could’ve saved us some stamina.”

“No matter,” Lucci said. “With this intel, we can finally make some progress.”

“Yeah. There wasn’t much about King to clue me in. He only had a couple of unique features: white hair, brown skin, black wings, and the flames on his back,” Zoro said.

Everyone looked at S-Hawk, who matched Zoro’s description exactly, and they shouted at him, “You should have put it together sooner!”

Zoro scowled. He had been too busy fighting to pay attention to looks. And now they were fighting again. S-Hawk attacked as Shaka went to leave and Zoro blocked him. The battle was back on.

Zoro was starting to feel like himself again, instead of the idiot who’d gotten his wrists and ankles broken. He noted, though, that the brats’ flames weren’t extinguishing, which meant their attacks were useless. He was useless. It infuriated him.

Luffy noticed that S-Hawk disappeared while Zoro was fighting the mini-Kuma, S-Bear. Lucci pointed out that S-Hawk probably ran off to kill the weaker members of the Straw Hat crew. “Hell no!” Zoro wasn’t about to let a mini-King hurt his nakama. “Leave it to me! I’ll go after him!”

Zoro never found S-Hawk, though. He mostly ran around random hallways, searching for the brat or his crew with Kaku at his heels. The want to fight still ate at him. S-Hawk and S-Bear had been a short-lived challenge. With S-Hawk running off, his fighting had been cut short again. At least they’d proved to be difficult opponents, which was a small balm. 

Kaku was the one who found the others, safe and sound. The seraphims had been captured by seastone-coated bubbles, something that Zoro had no part of. Part of him was glad they were out of the way, the other part was pissed he didn’t get to finish the fight. He didn’t even look at Sanji once they were all together again. He was still angry at Sanji for not engaging with him earlier. 

It turned out York, one of the satellites, had betrayed them to the World Government, who’d sent the CP0 agents to kill them. They used York to call the World Government to find out what was going on, before Luffy took over and basically invited a war to their doorstep. Admiral Kizaru took him up on the invitation, suddenly appearing in the room. 

Using the distraction, Lucci attacked. Zoro knew it was going to happen at some point. Stussy acted first, jumping between Lucci’s blade and Vegapunk, saving him. Sanji grabbed the bubble gun and captured Kaku before he could get involved. Zoro blocked Lucci’s next attack, seriously angry. “You waited til you heard backup was coming to grow a spine!” he shouted at Lucci.

“You’re all as good as dead, now that Kizaru and I are working together,” Lucci taunted. “You should know by now not to underestimate us.”

Zoro responded by tackling Lucci out the third story window. They crashed to the ground. In the distance, Zoro could hear a marine invasion. He couldn’t let it distract him. He needed to focus on Lucci while the crew dealt with Kizaru and made their escape with the Vegapunks. 

Lucci transformed into his roan form, a muscular leopard-type creature. They guy was brutal. Speed and claws against Zoro’s three-sword style. They fought in the street outside of Punk Records. Zoro spun, blocked, and struck without being hampered by his previously broken wrists. He felt a twinge in his left ankle and Enma tried to snatch his haki, but Zoro fought back. He cursed at himself for not being fully healed.

Zoro heard laughter from above him. “Ha-ha-ha! Oh, Zoro! You guys are really going at it down there!” Luffy shouted from the broken window. “Need a hand?”

“You just focus on Kizaru,” Zoro shouted back. He wasn’t going to let his ankle stop him from fighting. “If this is the best he’s got, it shouldn’t fall to the captain to handle him.”

“Is that so?” Lucci said, rising to the taunt. “Then I suppose the head of an emperor’s number two is still a decent consolation prize.”

The clash of claws against steel rang on the street. Lucci was nimble and strong. It was almost like fighting Sanji with the way he leapt and danced around Zoro’s strikes. Zoro pressed the attack, not letting up. He mustered his strength, coating his blades with armament haki. He ducked, parried, and lashed out with a powerful blow. Lucci skid backwards, slightly injured but not down. They were evenly matched at this point, and Zoro could feel his left ankle growing more aggravated with every passing second.

Zoro slid Wado into its sheath on his back. “You’re pretty tough, but I’m in a hurry,” Zoro said it as a taunt, but he needed to end this before he was stuck in bandages again. “It’s time to wrap this up.”

“Only the winner gets to talk like that Roronoa!” Lucci swung his claws at Zoro’s face. Zoro blocked with two swords. “Your crew’s waiting for you, right? You’re just a burden at this point.”

Lucci couldn’t know it, but he’d struck a direct hit. Zoro’s injuries at the hands of the cannibals had put him out of commission for two weeks and he still wasn’t fully healed. 

“Those fools will never make it if they can’t cut off the arm to save the body,” Lucci taunted. “Giving up now would be doing them a favor! Waiting for a corpse is pointless, after all.”

“It almost sounds like you think you’re in control of this fight, Lucci!” Zoro doubled his efforts, countering Lucci’s blows, dealing heavy strikes of his own. He wasn’t going to let a fucking ankle dictate his capabilities. 

Lucci blocked another strike, sending one of his katanas flying out of his hand. At the same time Zoro felt powerful haki popping up on the island surrounding them. “Isn’t it tempting to go find the source of all of this strong haki?” Lucci said, feeling it too.

“It’s cropping up everywhere,” Zoro acknowledged, and blocked another of Lucci’s claw-strikes. He could hear someone thundering in their direction and cut a glance to the right. Jinbe ran through the street coming toward him. Jinbe had a radio clipped to his belt. Someone must’ve sent him to find Zoro.

Zoro leapt backwards and caught the katana that had been sent flying before it hit the ground. The action made his ankle left twist funnily, almost knocking him off balance. His crossed swords clanged loudly when Lucci pounced. 

“There they are,” Jinbe called, speaking to someone unseen, as he got close to Zoro and Lucci’s position. “They’re still at it.”

“Damned mosshead! He’s putting everyone in danger!” Sanji’s voice came loud and clear over the radio as Jinbe approached. “What a burden!”

Zoro felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He grit his teeth, redrew Wado, and clamped her between his teeth. He allowed the pain and anger he felt to take over, coating his blades with armament haki. With a leap, he ended the fight with Lucci by putting all his power in a single definitive blow.

Lucci was gravely injured, coughing up blood, but he didn’t fall. Before Zoro could attack again, Jinbe was yelling for him. “Fight’s over, Zoro! Let’s move!”

“No!” Zoro yelled back. “He’s still standing!”

“Jinbe, have you got him yet?” Sanji called over the radio.

“I’m on it!” Jinbe grabbed Zoro bodily in a chokehold, preventing Zoro from striking. “Come on, Zoro. You already won.”

Zoro was pissed. How fucking dare he. 

“Sorry about this Rob Lucci,” Jinbe said. “Fishman karate: 5000 Brick Fist!” Jinbe punched the ground in front of them, causing an explosion that sent rubble and smoke into the air.

Pivoting on his heel, Jinbe used the cover to make their escape. He tossed Zoro over his shoulder like he weighed nothing, and without asking. Zoro felt like an invalid again. A useless crewmember. A burden. 

They ran, presumably heading for the Sunny. The island around them sounded like an all out war was happening. Zoro could only hang from Jinbe’s shoulder, holding onto one of his kantanas. The others he’d managed to get into the straps on his back. 

Old man Vegapunk’s voice came over the radio. He started talking about the end of the world. “How much longer, Jinbe?” Nami’s voice interrupted. 

“My apologies! We’re almost there,” Jinbe replied.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Zoro growled. “We were busy.”

“Is that you, Zoro? You’re gonna get it later!” Nami shouted at him. “Now hurry up! They’re moving their ships to blockade the northeast coast. I’ll never forgive you if we get blasted out of the water after all this!”

All Zoro heard was fucking burden.

Jinbe ran, Zoro clung to his shirt with one hand, and they sped through the streets of Egghead heading for the port. Zoro shut off his emotions, refusing to deal with them right now. A weird skeletal horse-type creature that appeared to be on fire burst from a side-street in front of them. It was running toward the port. 

When Nami checked their distance, Jinbe mentioned the creature. It was heading right for the ship. The creature leapt, drawing a sword from its sheath, planning to attack the Sunny. Chopper, Usopp, and Lilith’s voices yelled out, “An elder?!”

Jinbe reached the harbor and prepared a strike. “Fishman jujutsu…” Zoro jumped up onto his large hand. “Kata gurama!” When Jinbe swung, Zoro shot off like a bullet, adding speed and power to his own two-sword style strike at the elder. “Two sword style: Sukhavati’s bliss rashomon!”

The elder blocked Zoro, his two blades ringing against another kitetsu blade. The impact of the three swords meeting sent a shockwave slamming through the air. Zoro flew in one direction and the elder in another. Jinbe caught Zoro before he crashed to the ground. Jinbe yelled to the radio for the Sunny to get moving.

Chaos continued to erupt around them. More elders attacked. Giant Warrior Pirates had joined into the fray. Jinbe and Zoro made it to the ship. Atlas sacrificed herself to save the Sunny and Lilith. The ship made it from its berth back to the sea. Another explosion from an iron giant saved them and the Giant Warrior Pirates from the elders and marines. The battle was over; the Thousand Sunny was on its way toward Elbaph. 

Zoro disappeared up into the crow’s nest, not wanting to be bothered for a while. Now that everyone was safe, there was no reason to be around people. The Sunny had tied up to the Great Eirik, with plans to sail with the giants to Elbaph. He put the island jacket on the bench seat, retrieved one of his cleaning kits from the storage under the seat and folded himself into a sitting position on the floor. His jumpsuit had long sleeves, keeping him warm. 

The crow’s nest perched on the main mast of the Sunny. It was shaped as a circular dome, with mullioned windows that pointed in all four directions. A telescope and binoculars stood at the ready to be used on watch. Bench seating ran beneath the windows, with storage beneath. The crow’s nest doubled as Zoro’s training room, so it also held Zoro’s barbells, a barbell rack, a shelf of dumbbells, and the recently made weight bench. 

Zoro began cleaning his katanas. He tried to use the ritual to ignore the ache in his chest but it didn’t work. His left ankle also throbbed in the island-boot. Alone with his thoughts, Zoro couldn’t help but hear Lucci and Sanji’s words repeat in his mind. You’re just a burden at this point. What a burden!

Zoro dragged a hand over his face, trying to shove the thoughts away. But they wouldn’t go. Jinbe had carried him, Nami had blamed him for their departure. They, too, thought he was a burden. Feelings of inadequacy crept into his mind. He needed to get better, be better, than the pathetic person he was right now.

He shifted his legs, and his ankle reminded him of his failings. He yanked off the boot and threw it hard across the room. The other one followed. He hated being injured. Hated the way it made him feel less than a man. He was supposed to be tough, damn it. He was the one who needed to be strong enough to protect the crew. And he’d been barely holding his own against Lucci. 

There had to be something he could do. More training would help, but would it be enough? Maybe he should talk to Franky, upgrade his body like the cyborg’s to prevent him from injury. He already had a lot of metal in him. What’s a bit more?

A blast of cold air from outside accompanied the hatch opening. Sanji climbed into the crow’s nest. He was still wearing that stupid island outfit. “Thought I might find you here.”

Zoro folded his arms. “Piss off. I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Tough shit. I want to talk to you.” Sanji closed the hatch behind him. He glanced over at where Zoro had thrown the boots. “Do your ankles hurt?”

“Fuck you.”

“I take it that’s a yes.” Sanji pulled off his own boots, tossing them aside. 

“Don’t make yourself comfortable! I want you to leave.” Zoro glared at him.

“No,” Sanji responded simply. He padded in sock-clad feet over to Zoro and sank gracefully onto the floor in front of him. “Now tell me what crawled up your ass and died.”

“No. I don’t want to burden you with anything,” Zoro’s tone dripped acid.

Sanji frowned at him. “What the hell does that mean?”

Zoro started cleaning the katana in his lap. “It means I don’t want to talk to you, shithead.”

Sanji covered his hands, stopping him. “That’s enough of this crap. Tell me what the fuck is going on with you. You’ve been more of an asshole than normal since we landed at Egghead.”

Zoro jerked his hands away. “When was that? When you made me stay on the ship like I’m damaged goods? Or was it when you refused to kick me because you think I’m an invalid?”

“Is that what this is about? You’re being injured?”

“I’m not injured!”

“The fuck you aren’t!” Sanji grabbed Zoro’s ankles and Zoro sucked in a sharp breath of pain. “See? Don’t fucking lie to me. I won’t tolerate it.”

“Fuck you! I don’t have to tell you shit. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

“The hell I don’t! You’re mine, asshat. And that means you have to be fucking honest with me.”

“Then you have to be honest with me, too!” Zoro jabbed a finger at Sanji. “You think I’m a burden. That you have to carry me. Take care of me. Protect me like I’m gonna break.”

“You think that makes you a burden?” Sanji said, removing his hands from Zoro. “That’s a privilege that you’re allowing me to do. You don’t like anything romantic or caring or domineering, and yet you’re letting me do these things. You could stop it at any time. The fact that you permit me to continue makes me believe it’s what you want, and I will bend over backwards to give you everything you need.”

Zoro felt the anger and hurt leaving him as Sanj’s words hit home. He’d never once told Sanji to stop, that he didn’t like it. In fact, he liked bossy, possessive, take-charge Sanji. Sanji was such a doormat with women, kowtowing to their every whim and wiggle. He was the complete opposite with Zoro. Zoro would despise it if Sanji acted like he did with women toward him. Their relationship would have been over faster than Luffy grabbing meat off the dinner table. 

“Then why did you call me a burden?” Zoro asked, his voice quiet.

Sanji’s brow furrowed. “On the radio? Because you were holding up our departure.” His expression turned to understanding. “Is this why you’re upset? That you believed you were an actual burden?”

“Maybe.” Zoro dropped his chin. He was beginning to feel embarrassed by his reaction. “Lucci had said the same thing, and my ankle was hurting, and then I heard you say it. Then Jinbe carried me and Nami said it’d be my fault if the ship were destroyed. Add the fact that you wouldn’t kick me and I was starting to think I was pulling everyone down because I got hurt.”

“You’re always hurt. What made it different this time?”

Zoro sighed. “Because I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t use my hands. All I could do was sit there. All the other times I’ve been hurt, I could still move and do things.”

“Even though you weren’t supposed to be,” Sanji said.

“I thought I was fine when we got to Egghead, that I’d healed, but this stupid ankle started hurting while I was fighting Lucci.” Zoro gestured irritably at his left ankle. “It reminded me that I was weak. That I let this happen.”

“Idiot.” Sanji shook his head. “You didn’t let anything happen. I got caught with my pants almost down the same as you.”

“Yeah, but you’re fine.” 

“Because I have a sick bastard for a father who experimented on his unborn children to create the perfect, emotionless soldiers,” Sanji said flatly. “I’d rather have the broken bones than what I got.”

“Then we’d both would’ve been lunch,” Zoro said.

“Tch. We’d have figured a way out of it.” Sanji laid a hand on Zoro’s knee, his tone serious. “Do you want me to stop?”

Zoro knew what he was asking. Did he want Sanji’s behavior toward him to change? Did he want Sanji to stop being either tender, caring, possessive, protective, sheltering, or domineering towards him? The answer was easy. “No.”

“Okay.” Sanji climbed to his feet and pressed a kiss to Zoro’s forehead. “I’m going to get some pain medicine, an ice pack, and Chopper’s medical boots. They were delivered to the ship after you changed, along with your other clothes.”

“Bring those clothes, too.” Zoro plucked at the long-sleeved jumpsuit. “This thing is ridiculous.”

“No.” Sanji bent down again and gave Zoro a ravishing kiss. His eyes were smoldering when he met Zoro’s gaze afterward. “You look fucking hot.”

Zoro found out quickly that the material did nothing to hide an erection.

Sanji returned with medicine, drinks, medical boots, and one of Chopper’s cloth ice packs. Sanji made Zoro take the medicine while he secured the ice pack around his ankle using the cloth ties. Then he moved Zoro’s katanas and cleaning kit, pushed him down, and proceeded to tease him through the jumpsuit until Zoro thought he would explode. 

The bastard stopped before Zoro made a mess and took his own fulfillment. Shorts unbuttoned and erection freed, he kneeled over Zoro’s face. Zoro eagerly took Sanji between his lips, sucking him down, giving Sanji pleasure. He palmed Sanji’s hips, urging him on, until Sanji lost himself in the rhythm. Zoro’s mouth stretched wide, sloppy with saliva, taking what he could. Sanji’s climax arrived with a sharp intake of breath and a shudder, and spilled down Zoro’s throat.

Zoro’s lips felt sore, bruised. His hard-on begged for contact again. Sanji obliged after he’d tucked his spent cock away, settling next to Zoro on his side, hand and elbow propping up his head, watching Zoro’s face as he grasped Zoro’s erection through the jumpsuit and stroked him to completion. Zoro came hard, spurting on his own belly and inside the clothing. Sanji kept stroking him until he started to squirm. Then Sanji gave him a little pat on his cock through the material before leaning up and over to kiss him.

“You’re so hot when you come for me,” Sanji murmured against Zoro’s lips. A frisson of lust slid down Zoro’s spine even though he was spent. 

Sanji propped his head against his hand again, elbow on the floor, lying next to Zoro. His other hand rested above Zoro’s damp belly. “How’s your ankle?”

“Between the pain meds, the ice pack, and the orgasm, I forgot about it,” Zoro admitted with a half-grin. 

“Good,” Sanji said. “Chopper said he’ll check on it when you come down.”

Zoro pulled a face. “He better not bandage me up again.”

“He may have to.” Sanji stroked his thumb on Zoro’s stomach, a soothing back and forth. “But you know you’ll be fine, even if it takes longer than you want.”

Zoro grunted unhappily, but knew Sanji was right. Maybe he could put off going down the rigging indefinitely. He eyed the drinks Sanji had brought up with him, but he was too comfortable to move. “What happened with the Vegapunks?” He realized he had no idea what happened, other than Atlas punching Lilith before blowing up. 

“They’re dead.” Sanji’s face grew pensive. “Lilith’s the only one left, and she’s unconscious still.”

“Shit.” Zoro knew the plan had been to rescue all of them. Sanji and Luffy were probably taking it the hardest. Of the crew, they cared the most about the people they tried to help. “You okay?”

Sanji gave him a small smile that told him that his asking was appreciated. “Yes, love, I’m okay,” he said. “The old man told me he knew he was going to die, that I needed to let it happen to set something in motion. It must’ve been the message we heard over the radio. It started playing the moment he died.”

“That must’ve been freaky, to hear his voice knowing he was dead,” Zoro said.

“Hn.” Sanji pulled a cigarette from the pack in his floral shirt pocket but didn’t light it. He played with it between his fingers. “Before he died, Vegapunk told me he wanted us to be the ones to find the One Piece.”

“I have no doubt that Luffy will.”

Sanji smiled again, this one bigger. “Yeah.” He tapped the cigarette on Zoro’s chest. “We’re invited over to the Great Eirik later. They want to have a party, even though we’re not in the best partying mood. You can hide up here if you want.”

“You can hide up here, too.” Zoro tried to be romantic, to let Sanji know how much he cared. “I’m okay with your company.”

The fond amusement in Sanji’s eyes meant Zoro had succeeded. Sanji leaned over to kiss him again. “Maybe I will.”

Zoro did eventually go down the rigging to clean up, change, and visit Chopper. Chopper poked, prodded, plied him with a different medicine, and told him to wear the boots and stay off his feet. “And no fighting!” Chopper told him. “If you have a choice.” The acknowledgement that his fighting on Egghead was warranted made him feel a little better about his ankle hurting. He opted not to talk to Franky about cyborg-enhancements. Plus, when he’d brought it up to Sanji, Sanji had leeringly stated all the perverted upgrades he wanted and that was a hard no. 

Sanji went to the party with the Giant Warrior Pirates for one drink before joining Zoro in the crow’s nest that night. He brought food, wine, and a bunch of extra blankets. They argued about random things. Sanji let Zoro lift some weights. They made a nest on the floor and took advantage of the privacy before curling around each other to sleep.

The next few days were uneventful. The crew spent time with the Giant Warrior Pirates. Zoro trained and stayed off his feet. Lilith regained consciousness, informed them she had a mind full of Vegapunks, and a bigger party was held. Zoro went to that one, got involved in a drinking contest with a giant named Torvid, and sloppily kissed Sanji in front of everyone. Sanji went red-faced and promised to kick his ass later, but instead they had wild sex in the Aquarium Bar that left Zoro happily sore and unable to sleep on his butt.

The watchman for the Great Eirik spotted the island first and passed the word down. It wasn’t Elbaph, but one of the many smaller islands that dotted the route along the way. An agreement was made to stop. Franky had noted a minor leak that he wanted to fix, likely from the capsizing, and the giants were happy to help.

Frosttide was a snowy, mountainous island thrice the size of Anthropophagus. A-frame chalets dotted the mountainside. Funiculars ran up and down the steep slopes. Skis and sleds were a primary form of transportation for getting down the mountains. The island was frequented by nobles from elsewhere who wanted to enjoy snow sports. 

Bundled in winter gear, the Straw Hat crew disembarked at the crowded port. Franky stayed behind to work on the ship. Zoro wore several layers of socks beneath his medical boots, since they weren’t true boots and his feet were exposed to the cold. Robin volunteered to tail Luffy and Jinbe went with her. Nami broke off on her own. Chopper and Brook wanted to ski and they dragged Usopp with them. Sanji opted to stick with Zoro.

“Don’t want you falling down a mountain,” Sanji said, wearing a heavy parka with fur around the raised hood. Gloves covered his hands.

“I’m not going to fall down a mountain!” Zoro scowled, but Sanji only grinned at him. Zoro wore his Walpol coat from Drum Island, which had seen better days. It was warm, though, and he also wore gloves to protect his hands. His katana were strapped to his back. The wind tinkled his earrings and ruffled his green hair.

Sanji lit a cigarette, and they joined the line for the funicular. The visiting nobles were easy to spot by their fancy winter gear. The locals wore practical leathers and furs. Hunting was permitted on the island as there was a large population of winter wildlife that provided food and clothing. Polar bears, grizzlies, mountain goats and sheep, elk, moose, caribou - not to be confused with Caribou the pirate - lynx, cougars, and coyotes could be found on the island as well as a large variety of ravens and seabirds. 

Sanji bought their tickets after checking the stops posted on a sign. Zoro didn’t care where they went as long as they served booze. 

They followed the throng of people inside the funicular, taking a seat near the back of the pill-shaped carriage. Quiet conversation flowed around them as the funicular began its ascent. Zoro watched out the window as the carriage climbed the steep tracks lending up the mountainside. He could see skiers and sledders on the snowy landscape dotted by evergreen trees. The funicular stopped at small stations along the way to the top.

Sanji’s tickets took them all the way to the top of the mountain, where they disembarked with about half the crowd. Sanji put out his cigarette and led the way from the station into the bitter cold. The top of the mountain was chillier, the air thinner. Zoro shoved his hands in his pockets and wished he had a hood. He clomped behind Sanji on a salted, well-trod path to a large ski chalet. 

The A-frame chalet boasted an enormous circular stone fireplace in the center of the main floor with a cheery fire glowing within. Skiers and patrons gathered around high tables and low leather couches throughout the room. A carved wood bar stretched along one side of the A-frame with stools in front of it. There was a rental counter for skis and sleds near the back door. The scents of cinnamon, cider, and cocoa filled the air.

Sanji chose a seat at the bar - a wise decision in Zoro’s opinion - and shed his coat and gloves. Zoro did the same, making the coat into a pillow to sit on the stool. He put his katanas in the loop at his side. His medical boots didn’t look too odd with the number of people wearing stiff ski boots. There were three bartenders working harmoniously behind the bar, two men and a woman who looked like she could bench press them both. Sanji went heart-eyed over her when she slapped two menus in front of them. She wasn’t impressed. 

Sanji wore a neatly pressed, full suit with a light pink shirt and a darker pink tie. He looked like one of the nobles. Zoro had thrown on a black t-shirt that had a hole under the arm. His ratty green haramaki sat warmly around his waist. He stuck a pinky in his ear and rubbed at the itch as he studied the menu. 

The waitress came back, took their order, and went away again. Sanji struck up a conversation with the nicely dressed noble gentleman who’d taken a seat on the other side of him. Zoro looked down the bar. He spotted a handful of pirates but most of the patrons appeared to be locals or nobles.

The food and drinks came, and the waitress gave Zoro a wink as she set his plate in front of him. Zoro ignored her. The food looked good and he dug in immediately. He listened to the conversation flowing around him, keeping an ear out for mention of Luffy starting a revolution or a marine invasion. They’d been on the island for about an hour, including the funicular ride. Plenty of time for either to happen.

The food tasted good, and the alcohol was hoppy. Zoro thought about ordering a second round of both. He was about to ask Sanji if they had the funds when he heard a surprised squeak. He glanced to his left to find Sanji clenching his silverware and another man’s hand in his lap. 

Zoro saw red. He was on his feet in an instant, spinning the noble around on his stool. He yanked the noble to his feet and snarled, “That’s mine.” Then he decked the noble so hard teeth went flying and his face was rearranged. He went to punch the bastard again when he felt a sting on his ass. The world began to spin. He let go of the noble, who crashed to the floor. He heard shouting and screaming around him. 

The last thing he saw was Sanji fighting several strangers before everything went dark.

A steady dripping sound accompanied Zoro’s return to consciousness. His head felt heavy, muzzy. For a moment, he didn’t know why. Then he remembered the sting on his ass. He must’ve been drugged. He sent out his observation haki but didn’t alert to any immediate danger. A check of his body revealed no pain. He opened his eye.

He appeared to be in some sort of basement dungeon, chained to the wall with his arms above his head. The drip came from an icicle hanging in the corner of the stone room. A single, thick wooden door with barred slats locked him in. The only light source came through the slats from the hall. There were no windows, and the stone floor was freezing under his butt. He had goosebumps on his arms. He didn’t have his coat or his katanas.

He immediately looked around for Sanji but found he was alone. “Oi, love cook!” he called out, listening for his voice, perhaps in a neighboring cell. He got no response.

Zoro pushed to his feet. They hadn’t taken his medical boots. Though the cuffs and chains were seastone, Zoro was able to rip the anchors from the stone wall. He wasn’t a devil’s fruit user, which meant the seastone didn’t affect him but it wasn’t something he could break. He’d have to find the key or have Franky cut him out. In the meantime, he had a new pair of bracelets.

With the chains dangling from the cuffs on his wrists, Zoro used a no sword strike to cut the cell door in half. He stepped into the stone corridor. Lights lined the hallway filled with other cell doors. Zoro was somewhere in the middle. He could see a set of stairs leading up at one end of the corridor. The other way had stairs leading further down. 

Zoro picked a direction and started walking. He peered into each cell he passed, looking for Sanji. When he reached the stairs going up without success, he turned around and went the other way. There were a handful of people in the cells he passed, chained to the wall. He had no idea what their crimes were, but he might let them out once he found Sanji.

In the last cell before the stairs that led down Zoro spotted a giant coil of chains on the ground. He was going to ignore it, but the coil started moving from side to side. Suspicion caused him to break open the door. The coil went still. Zoro approached cautiously, in case it was some sort of chain-monster, but nothing happened. He found where the chain ended and began uncoiling it. 

Sanji’s head appeared first and he took in a giant gasp of breath. “Thank fuck. Get these fucking things off me. It’s crushing my chest.”

Relief flooded Zoro. He started uncoiling faster. “Why are you wrapped in chains? I was only chained to the wall.”

“They could only knock me out for a minute at a time. This is how they got me here.” Sanji’s shoulders were revealed, then his chest. He took several deep breaths of air. Zoro could hear bones snapping into place. He suddenly hunched forward over the chains and his face paled. “Ow, fuck. I think something’s been punctured.”

“Shit. We gotta get you to Chopper.” Zoro hurried. The rest of Sanji’s upper body, then his lower body were freed. The combination of weight and tight wrapping broke more bones. Sanji snapped himself back into shape.

Zoro helped him to stand, and he wobbled on his feet. He looked even paler. “You’re not walking. Climb on.” Zoro crouched in front of Sanji.

“Your ankles–”

“They’re fine. And even if they’re not, you’re not, so get on.” 

Sanji hesitated a moment longer and then climbed onto Zoro’s back. He hissed as he did so, which sent a frisson of worry through Zoro. Zoro’s katanas had better be easily spotted on their way out, or he’d have to come back.

Zoro tried not to jostle Sanji too much as they left the cell. He took the path that led up the stairs and found himself in an identical corridor. More people occupied more cells. “Wonder why they’re here?” Sanji commented. 

“Don’t know. Don’t care right now.” Zoro kept going. Two more flights leading to two more prison corridors before the third flight led to a hall with guards. They hadn’t noticed Zoro and Sanji. There were four of them, playing cards at a table. A room behind them was stacked with weapons, including a barrel full of katanas. He could see the familiar hilts of his own.

Zoro set Sanji down on his feet. He needed to take out the guards before they went for whatever dart gun that had taken Zoro out at the ski chalet. Centering himself, he pulled on his inner strength to launch a no sword style attack that blew through the hallway with a force that caused the guards, their table and chairs, their cards, and a portion of the weapons in the side room to go flying. The guards crashed into the stone walls, collapsed onto the floor, and didn't get up.

“Show off,” Sanji muttered, leaning heavily against the wall. His pale face had turned an ashy color. He was holding an arm around his midsection. 

Zoro rushed to get his katanas from the barrel, stuck them in the loop at his side, and picked Sanji up in a piggyback again. “I’m not stopping to find our coats.”

“Okay.” Sanji rested his forehead on the back of Zoro’s neck. “Try not to get lost.”

There was no way in hell Zoro was going to get lost. He kicked the next door open, which led to some sort of empty antechamber with rooms and hallways leading from it. Straight ahead was another closed door. Zoro took it and he found himself outside the jail house. There was another guard, but Zoro took him out with a punch. Nearby, he spotted a sled with rails and a curled front. Zoro deposited Sanji onto it, took the rope lead, and pulled the sled.

Zoro shivered. The biting cold stung Zoro’s bare arms. He could see a funicular station but that was a good way to get caught. He opted to go the fastest route, and that was straight down.

Zoro could see the port from the part of the mountain they were on. All he had to do was line the sled up with it. When looked back at Sanji to tell him the plan, he found the cook slumped unconscious on the sled. “Fuck.” 

Zoro didn’t hesitate. His medical boots clomped through the snow until he was near enough to the funicular tracks that he had a clear line to the port. He moved the sled into position, climbed onto the seat behind Sanji, and used his body weight to thrust them over the edge. 

“Shiiiiiiit!” Zoro yelled as the sled sped at crazy speed straight down the mountain. He did his best to keep them straight. Trees whipped past them on one side, the funicular tracks on the other. The cold slapped his face and stung his eye. 

They had almost reached the port when Zoro realized he didn’t know how to stop. The clear path along the tracks ended at a wall outside the port’s funicular station. Zoro waited as long as he dared before throwing himself and Sanji off the sled. They tumbled down the rest of the mountain behind the sled, which slammed into the wall and cracked the curled wood front. Zoro and Sanji slid to a stop several feet behind it.

Zoro got up quickly. The tumble had probably hurt Sanji worse. He scooped Sanji into his arms and tromped as quickly as he could through the snow toward the docks. He knew Chopper carried a mini den den mushi on him in case of emergencies. Zoro could call him from the ship. 

No one stopped him or called the guard as he made his way to where the Sunny was tied up. He could see the distinguished crow’s nest sticking up amongst the various ship masts. He went up the gangplank and took Sanji directly to the infirmary. Franky emerged to see who’d returned while Zoro was on the den den mushi.

“Hey, bro, what’s up? Back already?” Franky asked when Zoro disconnected.

“The cook’s hurt.” Zoro put the den den mushi down and went back to the infirmary. He removed Sanji’s shoes and then covered him with blankets to help him warm up. 

“Damn. Anything I can do?” Franky said from the doorway.

Zoro shook his head. “Chopper’s on his way.”

“I’ll go and watch for him.”

Franky left, and Zoro took an extra blanket to wrap around himself before pulling Chopper’s swivel chair over to the bedside. He found Sanji’s cold hand beneath the blankets and captured it between his own. “I’m not good at this stuff, Sanji, so you’d better be fine. I’ll kick your ass if you’re not.”

Sanji didn’t respond, but Zoro hadn’t expected it. He sat there, waiting with worry, until Chopper ran through the door. “I’m here! What happened?”

Zoro moved out of the way so Chopper could bring his stool over and reach Sanji. “He was wrapped in chains that crushed his chest. He said something was punctured.”

Chopper nodded, removing the blankets. He handed them to Zoro. “Here. Put those on my desk and then help me get him undressed.”

Zoro did as instructed. Together, they removed Sanji’s clothing, leaving him in his boxers. A ugly, discolored bruise wrapped around one side of his chest beneath his ribs. “It looks like he’s bleeding internally,” Chopper said, tenderly pressing on the area. “I’m going to have to operate. You’ll have to leave.”

Zoro didn’t want to, but he also didn’t want to see Sanji cut open, even under Chopper’s expert hands. He nodded. “Call if you need anything. I’ll be in the galley.” 

Chopper was already hurrying to wash and put on a protective gown. Zoro left the infirmary, closing the door behind him. He sunk onto the sofa in the galley and buried his face in his hands. Sanji had better be all right. Zoro didn’t know what he’d do if he lost Sanji. 

Surgery didn’t take long. Chopper opened the door and joined Zoro in the galley. “Is he okay?” Zoro asked immediately, worriedly. Usually, Chopper was in surgery for hours. It had barely been thirty minutes. 

“He’s okay, Zoro,” Chopper reassured. “His regenerative healing ability works fast. He was already partially healed when I opened him up. I added two stitches to the puncture in his spleen to speed it along. He’ll probably be fine by morning.”

Zoro remembered Sanji mentioning about the healing factor as part of his monster-gene-thing. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.”

“You can sit with him,” Chopper said. “I sedated him, but it won’t last long. His body recovers from that fast, too.”

Probably why Sanji had been coiled up in chains and had that knockout gas coconut strapped to his face back on Anthropophagus. Zoro nodded and was about to move when Chopper asked, “How is your ankle?”

Zoro hadn’t even thought about it. He glanced down at his left foot, which was the one that had been giving him problems. He felt no aches or twinges. “It feels fine.”

Chopper nodded. “You can take off the boots tomorrow, then. Just let me know if anything changes.”

“I will.” Zoro stood and went into the infirmary. Sanji lay under a sheet, eyes closed, expression lax. A healthy color had returned to his skin. Zoro pulled the swivel stool beside the bed and sat down. The furnace pumped warm air into the room. 

Zoro found Sanji’s hand again beneath the sheet. He sat quietly, thinking about getting to wear normal boots again. He’d finally get to do a full workout routine, too. He could also jump Sanji if he wanted without getting yelled at. He could get into fights again.

His mind drifted into a daydream of him and Sanji fighting on the deck, katanas clashing against the hard soles of Sanji’s shoes. They danced around each other, dodging and striking, using all surfaces to propel themselves to and away from each other. Maybe Sanji would light his leg on fire and give their fighting a dangerous edge. 

“You’re imagining us fighting, aren’t you?” Sanji murmured, pulling Zoro back into the now. 

Zoro squeezed Sanji’s hand, glad he was awake. He didn’t have to say it out loud. “How did you know?”

“Only you look like you’re having a wet dream when you’re thinking about fighting.”

Zoro sputtered. “I do not!”

“You do.” Sanji grinned. “How long did Chopper say I had to stay here?”

“He didn’t, but he said you’d probably be fine by morning,” Zoro replied with a grumble. 

“What about your ankle?” 

Trust Sanji to be worried about Zoro when he was laid up in the infirmary. “My ankle’s fine. Chopper said I can remove the boots tomorrow and I should let him know if anything changes.”

“Good. Glad I didn’t hurt you,” Sanji said. “I have plans for that body once you get those boots off and I don’t want to have to keep delaying them.”

Zoro felt his face heat. “You better not be thinking of something kinky, perverted cook.”

“I wasn’t, but now I’m thinking that you are.” Sanji smiled rottenly. “Tell me what you want me to do to you, you deviant.”

Zoro sputtered again, and Sanji laughed. 

Zoro did not share any deviant thoughts with Sanji, but Sanji managed to come up with several on his own that had Zoro blushing the color of a ripe tomato. None of them were enacted in the infirmary. Although, that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Zoro had sneaked back into the room, locked the doors, and did whatever Sanji wanted that wouldn’t hurt him.

Sanji was on his feet the next day, and Zoro got to get rid of the medical boots. Sanji shooed him off to the crow’s nest to train and Zoro didn’t protest. He spent the entire day alternating training and napping, content to get back into his regular routine. It was great to be at one-hundred percent again.

The Sunny rode the waves toward Elbaph tied with the Great Eirik. The sun had come out, melting the snow on the Sunny’s decks. The winter wind had died down. Half the crew was hanging out with the Giant Warrior Pirates on their ship, along with Lilith. The others were scattered around the Sunny. 

Zoro tied his bandana around his head. Sanji tapped his toe on the brown grass. Three days had passed since Sanji had gotten hurt and he showed no signs of injury. Zoro’s ankle was still fine. Chopper had given the go ahead. It was time to fight.

Zoro drew two katanas from their sheathes, his heart speeding up in his chest. Sanji lit a cigarette and shot him a casual grin. “You ready, shit swordsman?”

Zoro felt like he’d been waiting for this day forever. “You think you’re up for this, cook?”

“It’s been a while since we talked in your love language, but I’m sure I can handle you.” 

Zoro grinned. “Then let’s go.”

As Sanji leapt at him and they began to fight, Zoro made sure to show Sanji how much he was loved.

And later, in private, Zoro told him so.

End