Nami sat on the floor in chains beside Chopper, Brook, and Caesar inside Capone Bege’s body castle. The room looked like some twisted dining hall, with a checkered floor, art and weapons on the walls, a long table draped in white cloth, and several of Bege’s men standing guard.
She was scared. Bege had shown up on Zou to capture Caesar – and them. She’d seen him shoot one of his own men in the back without hesitation. He wasn’t bluffing. If they didn’t play this right, they were all going to end up delivered to Big Mom, who already had a vendetta thanks to Luffy’s declarations back on Fish-Man Island.
Her only hope right now was Sanji.
He wasn’t chained like the rest of them. He was seated at the table, untethered and strangely calm. She didn’t know why. But Sanji was the strongest among them at the moment, and if anyone could get them out, it was him.
For all his womanizing and over-the-top romantic nonsense, Sanji always came through. He protected the crew. He protected her. He wouldn’t let anything happen to them – she was sure of it.
A soft whoosh interrupted her thoughts as Bege appeared in the chair across from Sanji. The man was rotund, dressed in a striped suit and black hat, smoke already curling from the cigar in his mouth.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Bege said casually. “Would you care for something to eat?”
“Keep your stinking food,” Sanji snapped.
“How about some wine?”
“I said no! Hurry up and tell us what you want.”
Bege chuckled. “What an obstinate man.”
He pulled a card from his pocket and tossed it across the table. “This is an invitation card I’ve been holding onto. For a tea party Mama’s throwing. The main event this time is gonna be a wedding ceremony. The bridegroom – third son of the Vinsmoke family, Sanji. The bride – thirty-fifth daughter of the Charlotte family, Pudding.”
Nami blinked. What? That couldn’t be right. Sanji’s last name was Black Leg. He never mentioned anything else.
“At the tea party, Sanji’s gonna get married?!” Chopper blurted.
Sanji’s shoulders tensed. “Why now of all times?”
“Like I’m supposed to know what the hell’s going on in your family,” Bege said.
“Vinsmoke? That’s Sanji’s last name?” Brook asked, shaken. “That name sends a chill down my spine. No, it can’t be…”
Nami glanced at Brook, worry deepening. If he looked that unsettled, something was seriously wrong. “Hey, Sanji-kun! What’s the meaning of all this?”
“Are you really going to get married?!” Chopper asked.
Sanji ignored them. “Who in the world is behind this harebrained scheme?”
“Your family, dumbass,” Bege said. “For a son of the Vinsmokes, you sure weren’t groomed properly.” He laughed.
Nami frowned, recalling something. “Sanji’s family…” Nami had always assumed Zeff was his dad, but she recalled him saying he’d been born in the North Blue. “Brook, even though we met Sanji in the East Blue, he said he was born in the North Blue.”
“Wait a second, Nami, that’s a big deal,” Brook said. “To go from North Blue to East Blue, you must cross the Red Line. That’s not your average family’s relocation. That’s a full-blown voyage.”
“Exactly!” Nami couldn’t believe she hadn’t asked about it before. Though, Luffy’s general rule was that the past didn’t matter. Now, she regretted going along with that. Her heart sank. How much had Sanji kept hidden from them? What had he been running from all this time?
“Sanji, how in the world were you raised?” Brook asked softly.
Beside Brook, Caesar started speaking. “More importantly, if you knuckleheads haven’t realized it yet, Charlotte is Big Mom’s last name! Don’t tell me that this jerk’s bride is one of Big Mom’s daughters!”
“What?!” Chopper cried. “Sanji! Does this mean you’re going to become family to one of the Emperors of the Sea?”
“What’s more, if this guy becomes Big Mom’s relative through marriage, that means you lot become de facto underlings on her crew,” Caesar sneered.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Sanji said coldly. “I have no obligation to go to this tea party whatsoever. First of all, I’m already married. Secondly, Luffy’s the man who will become the Pirate King, and no ridiculous plot to scoop up the Straw Hats is going to prevent that.”
Everyone froze.
“You’re already married?!” Chopper shouted.
Sanji whipped his head around to glare. “Yes.”
Nami caught on and let out a shaky laugh. “Ha-ha. He’s kidding. He’s been joking about Sanji getting married, so he thought it’d be funny to take it further.”
Bege narrowed his eyes. “You’re married.”
Sanji glanced at Brook and then Nami, troubled, before turning back. “Yes.”
“To who? And for how long?” Bege asked suspiciously.
“Zoro. Few months,” Sanji said with a flick of his hand.
Nami, Chopper, and Brook’s jaws dropped. She shot a quick look at Brook, who looked at her, and both clamped their mouths shut.
Zoro? Out of everyone, Sanji chose Zoro? Why not her? Or Robin? Or any other woman they knew?
The answer was obvious. Sanji would never endanger a woman. Nami was here, and if she confirmed the lie, Bege could shoot her. Robin was out of the question. And with Big Mom’s reach, naming another woman would be a death sentence. Zoro, on the other hand, was strong enough to take the heat and loyal enough to play along. Even if he hated Sanji.
Part of her wanted to feel insulted. But mostly, she was afraid. If Sanji was going this far, then things were worse than she thought.
“Sanji and Zoro are married?” Chopper whispered. Nami kicked him sharply and gave him a glare.
“Of course they are. For a few months now,” she said smoothly. “They just don’t like advertising it, as you well know.”
Chopper gulped. “Y-Yes, of course! Heh-heh… It’s supposed to be a secret.”
“Now that our little talk is over, you can keep Caesar. Let us go,” Sanji said.
“What?!” Caesar screeched.
“There’s a grave misunderstanding,” Bege said, puffing smoke. “I haven’t asked for a yes or no. You’re already captured, and we’re inside my castle. You probably didn’t notice, but we’ve started moving.”
Nami’s pulse spiked. “What?!” They were already en route? Time was running out faster than she thought.
“Gyaaah! They’re going to kill me!” Caesar cried. “Let me go!”
“If it’s a fight you want, be my guest,” Bege said coolly. The furniture started shifting around them. “Keep in mind, I have complete control inside this castle.”
The floor beneath Nami suddenly softened and she began to sink. “Kyaaaaahh!”
“Nami’s sinking!” Chopper cried.
Sanji turned, horrified, but couldn’t move to help.
“Everything in this castle bends to my whim,” Bege said. “Besides, even if you decide to put up a fight here, you cannot escape Mama’s tea party. Everyone in the New World knows this except for you, apparently.”
Nami was abruptly pushed back to the surface. Her heart thudded in her chest. She had no idea what would’ve happened if she’d fully sunk.
“That’s right, Mama hates two things,” a strange man named Vito chimed in. “Bitter treats and tea party no-showeros. A tea party invitation from Mama-rero is really nothing more than a summons order. After all, they say that even the demons of hell come when called to Mama’s tea party.”
He strolled around the table. “Of course, at the end of the day, whether or not you go is totally up to you. But allow me to share something with you-rero.” He leaned down next to Sanji and whispered something in his ear.
Nami watched Sanji freeze. What did they just tell him? What was so bad that even Sanji reacted like that?
Sanji slowly pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “How the hell did you find that out?”
“A foolish question,” Bege said. “One of the Emperors of the pirate world herself, Big Mom, is our boss. If she tells you to die, you die. Do everything she tells you as if your life depends on it. You better be prepared to do that much, if you don’t want to end up being anyone's underling.”
“Sanji, are you okay?” Brook asked. “What did that man whisper in your ear?”
Sanji didn’t answer. “Get me a pen and paper.”
Bege chuckled. “A note for Straw Hat, eh?” He gestured for Vito to fetch them.
Nami stared at Sanji’s back. But the subtle slump of his shoulder, he appeared resigned. She turned her attention to Bege, throwing herself into the lie to hopefully save the situation, and themselves. “How can you do this? He said he’s already married! It won’t make a difference!”
Bege scoffed. “Obviously a lie. He doesn’t even have a ring.”
Vito returned with paper and pen. Sanji scribbled a quick note, stood, and walked to Nami.
He crouched down, tucking the note into the chains at her waist. “Nami-san, Chopper, Brook… please believe me. It wasn’t my intent to keep things hidden from you. I honestly never expected to have to face this part of my past ever again. And now I have no choice but to go and put an end to it.”
“What?” Brook asked. “I? Not we?”
Sanji smiled weakly. “Nami-san, please give that note to Zoro.”
Then, with a sudden kick, he launched them all outside, ejecting them through Bege’s chest door.
Nami hit the ground hard, bruising her shoulder. “Ow!”
Around her, Chopper and Brook groaned. They were in front of Pekoms, partially bandaged, alongside Wanda and a few other Minks. Bege and Pekoms engaged in sharp words. Nami quickly pushed to her feet and screamed into the open door in Bege’s chest. “Sanji-kun! Come out! Why are you still in there?”
Chopper jumped up and shouted, “What in the world is going on? Talk to us, Sanji!”
Brook shoved to his feet and began yelling, too. “Let’s wait for Luffy and the others! Sanji-san, quickly, come out here while you still can!”
“This is my problem,” came Sanji’s quiet voice. “I promise I’ll be back. Tell everyone I said hi.”
Bege shouted, “Castle tank!” His body transformed, slamming shut and rolling away.
“Sanji!” Chopper wailed.
“Sanji-kun!” Nami screamed. Her voice cracked with emotion. Why? Why hadn’t he escaped?
“Nami, Chopper, do you want us to chase that thing?” Wanda asked urgently.
“No, it’s useless,” Brook said. “Even if we catch him, Sanji-san has no intention of returning. Not now.”
Chopper sniffled. “They must’ve threatened someone important. He wouldn’t just abandon us. And he’s already married! Why do they still want him?!”
“It was a lie,” Brook murmured. “To protect us.”
“We should’ve backed him up better. We could have made up a story about the wedding,” Nami whispered. “Maybe if we had, he’d be safe right now.”
The Minks began removing their chains. Once freed, Nami wiped her tears and picked up the note from where it had fallen. She quickly unrolled it. Sanji had told her to give it to Zoro, so it was probably about the pretend marriage, just in case someone came asking. He was likely hoping the lie might still be enough to put an end to all this.
Vinsmokes trying to marry me off. Told them we were married. Didn’t believe it. Will deal with this shit and meet you in Wano. Don’t do anything stupid. -Three.
“Hm.” Nami frowned. It was just what she’d assumed. And odd, the way he signed it, but probably a thing between him and Zoro. They always called each other ridiculous names.
She tucked the note into her bodice. “We need to wait for Luffy and the others. Then we’re getting Sanji back.”
“And then we waited for you,” Nami finished, recounting everything that had happened with Sanji. It had been two days since he disappeared. They were on their way back to the Sunny aboard a transport. She had already given Zoro the note – he’d read it with a deep frown, then tucked it into his haramaki. Since then, he’d folded his hands behind his head and stared silently at the sky, not moving or saying a word.
“Sanji’s getting married twice?” Luffy asked, clearly confused.
“The first one was a lie, Luffy-san,” Brook explained. “The one with Zoro. Sanji didn’t want to go with them, but then they said something that forced him to change his mind.”
Nami clenched her fists in her lap. Why didn’t he tell them? She wished Sanji had trusted them with the truth about his family. Wished he’d let them help instead of acting like he had to bear it alone. Sanji always put everyone else first, even if it was his own life on the line. She knew he thought protecting them meant leaving them behind. The fact that he’d sounded so final when he left still rang in her ears.
“We’ve got to trust Sanji-kun,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady, “but we also have to go after him. He may be strong, but he’s still just one man. And this is Big Mom we’re talking about.”
“But what about Traffy and the alliance?” Usopp asked. “What about Kin’emon and Momonosuke?”
“We are on a relatively fast course to a collision with Kaidou,” Robin pointed out. “We’ve already destroyed his factories on Punk Hazard and Dressrosa. He will not take that lightly.”
“It’s probably not super to mess with Big Mom right now,” Franky added. “She’s already pissed at Luffy. Walking into her territory demanding Sanji back could start something ugly.”
“What are we going to do?” Chopper asked, wringing his hands. “Sanji could be in serious danger!”
Nami turned to Brook. “You were scared of the name Vinsmoke. That’s Sanji’s family. Why?”
“The Vinsmokes I’ve heard of are terrors from the North Blue. Their name was synonymous with evil,” Brook said. “Warmongers. They command Germa 66.”
Even Nami had heard of Germa 66. “What? That fairy-tale evil army from the comic strips? That’s just some made-up story!”
Brook shook his head solemnly. “No, Nami-san. Germa 66 is real. And the Vinsmokes lead them.”
A knot twisted in Nami’s stomach. If even Brook was afraid of them… Just how bad was Sanji’s family? Her chest ached with a terrible thought – Sanji didn’t just leave to protect them from Big Mom. He left to protect them from his own blood.
Pekoms, the large lion Mink who had traveled with them, spoke up. “Your friend, Black Leg, could not refuse the tea party invitation, even with that family name. Mama would have sent him a gift box within days: the head of someone he cared about. Someone from your crew, or the Baratie, or even the Kamabakka Kingdom.”
“That must’ve been what that weird tongue guy whispered to Sanji-kun,” Nami said, heart sinking. “A threat. One that made him go.”
“Furthermore,” Pekoms continued, “once Black Leg is married to a Charlotte, he will no longer be part of your crew.”
That made Luffy explode. “Sanji is my crewmate!” he shouted. “There’s no way Sanji would agree to some marriage and just leave!”
Pekoms shook his head. “Right in front of Mama and the brutal Vinsmoke family? If he refuses, he risks death.”
Silence settled thick around them. The knot in Nami’s gut tightened until it was almost hard to breathe. Sanji was walking into a trap. And he was doing it alone.
Robin spoke quietly. “None of this changes the fact that people are relying on us in Wano. If we detour now, we may start a war on two fronts.”
“We can’t leave him,” Franky said. “If we do, we might lose him forever.”
“It will be dangerous,” Pekoms warned. “There are many in Totto Land who would gladly take your head at a single word from Mama.”
“I’ll go get him,” Zoro said at last, quiet but firm, brooking no argument. “The rest of you go on to Wano.” He exhaled sharply, a dark look on his face. “He’s my husband, after all.”
Everyone stared at him. Usopp blinked. “Uh. That’s great, Zoro. Nice dry humor, too.”
“I’m going with you,” Nami said immediately. “You’ll get lost without me.” But more than that, she needed to go. She couldn’t sit by again, powerless, while one of their own disappeared into danger.
“I shall assist,” Brook added. “You’ll need more than two people to sail there and back. Besides, it’s said Big Mom has a Road Poneglyph. If we are sneaking in, we may as well get a copy of it.”
“That’s settled then,” Luffy said with conviction. “Zoro, Nami, and Brook will go get Sanji. The rest of us will continue on to Wano.”
It took almost a week to reach Totto Land aboard the Thousand Sunny. Pekoms, Pedro, and Carrot had joined Zoro, Nami, and Brook for the journey. They endured a fierce thunderstorm that tested every bit of their sailing skill, only to sail straight into a winter snowstorm that quickly turned surreal – cotton candy snow falling from the sky.
“Everything’s made of sweets,” Pekoms said with a hearty laugh. “Occasionally, even the people.”
Nami leaned over the railing, watching the pink snow melt on the Sunny’s deck. The whole place was insane, but somehow, it felt exactly like the kind of nightmare Sanji would never drag them into unless he had no choice.
“Hey, what’s that?” Carrot asked, pointing through the thick swirl of pink.
A massive ship emerged from the storm. Nami’s breath caught as she stepped toward the bow. The vessel was shaped like a giant snail, a castle perched on its back. A huge black sail rippled in the air, emblazoned with a stark white “66.”
“Germa 66,” she whispered. Her stomach dropped. Brook wasn’t lying. It was real. Sanji really was a prince in this... this monster army.
The ship bore down on them fast – too fast. “It’s going to hit us!” Nami shouted, panic flaring.
“Take evasive action!” Pekoms roared.
Brook sprinted to the helm, spinning the wheel hard. But the Germa ship was massive, and there was no space to maneuver.
Nami braced herself, heart hammering. Sanji, I’m sorry. I should’ve stopped you. I should’ve found a way. She shut her eyes.
No impact came.
Slowly, she opened one eye. The Germa ship had stopped, mere feet from the Sunny. The snail blinked at them lazily with its massive eyes.
Her relief evaporated as someone floated down from the Germa ship, landing on the deck with a faint thud. He wore a black cape and a green militarish uniform. It looked like something from out of the comics. Nami and the others rushed to the lawn deck. Pedro stood ready, arms folded. Zoro, unsurprisingly, was nowhere to be seen. Probably in the crow’s nest. Or snoring through all of this.
“Who are you? And what do you want?” Pedro demanded.
The man pushed back his hood. Slicked green hair, a headset clamped to his ears. He looked uncannily like Sanji. Just... blockier. And greener.
“My name is Yonji,” the stranger sneered. “And you must be the Straw Hats that my pathetic brother’s been wasting his time with.”
Nami blinked. Brother? She recalled the invitation had said third son. She crossed her arms. “That’s right. Now give Sanji-kun back.”
Yonji turned to her, his expression changing in an instant. Hearts replaced his pupils, tongue hanging out. “Whoa! What a babe!”
Definitely Sanji’s brother.
“What have you done with Sanji-san?” Brook asked.
Yonji rolled his tongue back in and scoffed. “Sanji should be preparing for his wedding. He’s got no time to play pirate with you. Turn around and go.”
“We’re not leaving without him!” Nami snapped, stamping her foot.
Yonji smirked. “And what exactly are you going to do? Take on the whole Germa 66 army?”
The door to the men’s quarters creaked open behind her. Nami glanced over her shoulder and saw Zoro stepping out, casual as ever. Nami was relieved. He may be infuriating, but he was the strongest one here.
“Zoro-kun, this is Yonji, Sanji-kun’s brother—”
“I know who it is,” Zoro interrupted, walking across the deck with chilling calm.
He didn’t stop.
He didn’t speak.
He simply drew his katana and plunged the black haki-coated blade through Yonji’s chest.
Nami gasped, hand flying to her mouth. Brook made a strangled sound.
Yonji choked, blood bubbling on his lips. “You stabbed me…”
“You deserve it,” Zoro said coolly, twisting the blade. “Where’s my husband?”
Yonji blinked at him. “H-husband?”
“That’s right! Husband!” Nami jumped in without hesitation. If she sold this, maybe they could get Sanji back easily. “Sanji-kun is already married! This wedding is invalid. But Bege didn’t care and dragged him here anyway!”
A woman in a pink uniform landed gracefully beside them. She bore a striking resemblance to Sanji – softer features, warm eyes. “Yonji, you appear to be in a predicament.”
She turned to Nami and smiled politely. “Hello. I’m Reiju, Sanji’s sister. Thank you for looking after him for a time.”
Nami, momentarily stunned by her poise and kindness, found her voice. “Reiju-san, it’s an honor.”
“May I see your panties?” Brook asked.
“Not the time!” Nami hissed, smacking him.
Reiju laughed softly. “What a lively crew.”
Zoro fixed her with a sharp look. “Where is he?”
“Sanji? I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “He could be with Big Mom or our father. We came to find him, but instead, it seems we found you.” Her gaze flicked to Yonji, who was still hanging awkwardly from Zoro’s sword. “Yonji, stop clinging to that man’s blade. We’ll pretend we didn’t see any of this. A scene here could ruin the wedding and Father would be furious.”
Yonji activated his boots and shot backward, sliding off Zoro’s katana with a wet sound. He clutched his bleeding side. “He said he’s Sanji’s husband.”
Reiju’s brow arched. “Oh-ho? That’s new. Does Father know?”
“He should!” Nami declared quickly. “Sanji’s been telling people, but nobody believes him. His husband came all this way to get him back.”
Reiju smiled slyly. “Well. In that case, I’m pleased. Come, Yonji. Let’s confirm this story for ourselves.”
With that, she launched herself back to the Germa ship. Yonji glared at them. “You haven’t seen the last of me!” he shouted before flying off in a trail of blood.
Moments later, the Germa ship pulled away, the giant snail gliding peacefully across the candy-colored sea.
Zoro stood rigid, hand clenched around his katana. Blood streaked the blade. Without a word, he turned and stalked back inside, slamming the men’s quarters door behind him.
Brook exchanged a glance with Nami. “That went… well.”
The Minks scattered, leaving Nami and Brook a quiet moment.
“Maybe Sanji’s siblings will tell their father he’s already married,” Nami murmured, staring at the closed door. “Maybe this could actually work.”
Brook nodded. “Zoro-san sold it very well.”
Nami gave a quiet laugh. “He did. A little too well.” Her eyes narrowed, half-curious, half-teasing. Zoro had been furious in a way she hadn’t expected. Too sharp. Too fast. Like it was personal.
“You don’t think…” Brook trailed off.
They stared at the door. They looked at each other. Then burst into laughter.
“Not a chance!” Nami said between giggles.
Brook wiped a tear from his skull. “Could you imagine? Those two? When would they even find time for marital relations between all the fighting?”
“Zoro doesn’t even call Sanji-kun by name. It’s ridiculous,” Nami said, still laughing. “At most, they’re secretly friends who like to beat each other senseless.”
Brook chuckled. “Just imagine the uproar if it were true.”
Nami smirked. “Well, we know it’s impossible. Still...” She glanced again at the door. “It’s funny.”
She sighed and turned to the helm. “Come on. Let’s get the ship back on course. We’ve got a groom to rescue.”
They landed at an island called Cacao, in a town named Chocolate Town. According to Pekoms, Totto Land was made up of 34 individual islands, each with its own name and chancellor. Big Mom ruled over them all.
Nami stared out at the streets in wonder. The buildings, signs, and even the light posts were all made from sweets. Everything was edible, if someone had the nerve to nibble. It was eerie and enchanting, like a dream that might turn sour if not careful.
They’d stopped so Pekoms could grab a disguise. As a member of Big Mom’s crew turned traitor, he didn’t want to be recognized. While he was gone, the rest of them found a café to grab a bite. Cafe Caramel, a warm bakery that also served drinks. It felt good to be off the ship for a bit. Cooking in Sanji’s kitchen had felt too sacred, too personal, like they were trespassing.
They found a table, ordered food, and passed the time talking about what they’d seen. Zoro glowered silently at the decor, arms crossed like he was offended by the pastries.
A customer entered and bowed low to a young woman behind the counter. “Lady Pudding! Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. The ceremony is just around the corner. I’m surprised to see you working instead of resting up.”
The woman smiled politely. Her blond hair was pinned neatly, and she had a soft, welcoming presence. “You’re too kind. Today is my last day. I’ll be heading to Whole Cake Island after closing.”
Zoro’s posture shifted. Nami’s eyes snapped to Brook’s. Carrot tilted her head. “They’re talking about a wedding,” she said. “Do you think…”
Nami nodded. “I definitely think. That man said her name was Lady Pudding. Charlotte Pudding – that’s the name on the invitation.”
“This is fortuitous,” Brook said. “If we can speak with the bride-to-be, perhaps we can put an end to this before it begins.” He scanned the room. “Though I don’t see Sanji-san anywhere.”
“Maybe they haven’t met yet?” Carrot offered. “Isn’t it bad luck to see the groom before the wedding?”
“Three days out? No,” Nami said. “They’ve met. I can feel it.”
When the customer finally left, Nami approached the counter. “Excuse me. I couldn’t help but overhear – are you Charlotte Pudding, the one who’s supposed to marry Sanji-kun?”
Pudding brightened. “Yes! Are you here for the wedding? I’m so excited!”
Zoro stood abruptly, his chair scraping back hard against the floor. “There isn’t going to be a wedding.”
Pudding flinched in alarm.
Nami forced a laugh, stepping in quickly. “Ha-ha! What my dumbass friend is trying to say is that Sanji-kun is already married. So, technically, a wedding can’t happen.”
Pudding blinked. “Wait… he wasn’t lying?”
Brook joined them. “Sanji-san told you he was married?”
“Yes,” she said. “We met yesterday. Oh, he was so dreamy and kind – and such a gentleman! His eyebrows were too curly and his eyes were shaped like hearts, and he drooled a bit, but we had so much in common! We like the same things! And he’s strong, and romantic, and—” she sighed, hands clasped at her chest.
Zoro scoffed. “Of course he charmed her. Idiot cook.”
Pudding sighed again. “I always dreamed about what kind of man I would marry if I could choose my own husband. And then along came Sanji. He was so wonderful, it swept me off my feet. But the truth is, in the end, he shared something with me. He told me as lovely as it would be to marry me, he couldn’t. He was already married and he needed to return to his friends.”
Nami blinked, surprised. He really was sticking to it. Considering how Pudding looked, she would’ve thought Sanji was a goner.
“I’m honestly shocked,” Brook murmured, echoing her thoughts. “She’s quite beautiful.”
Nami kicked his shinbone. “It’s true. He’s married. And that’s his husband.” She pointed at Zoro.
Zoro didn’t react.
Pudding’s lips parted. “Oh. Oh no… I had no idea. I would never steal him away now that I know the truth.” She pulled a slip of paper and began sketching. “This is a map to Whole Cake Island. It’s a special route that only Mama’s children know. If you follow it, you’ll arrive quickly. Sanji is supposed to meet Mama with his family tomorrow. Germa will be docked here, on this shore. I’ll bring Sanji to you – here.” She marked a bold X on the southern beach.
Nami looked over the crude drawing with a trained eye. It wasn’t perfect, but nothing jumped out as false. Still, she’d show it to Pekoms. He knew the islands. He would be able to tell if it was a trick.
“Thank you, Pudding,” she said, slipping the map into her pocket. “You don’t know how much this helps.”
“I feel a little sad,” Pudding admitted with a small smile. “Sanji was a dream come true. But who knows – maybe the next groom Mama picks for me will be even better.”
Another customer entered, pulling Pudding away.
Nami and Brook returned to the table. Zoro was already halfway to the door.
“Let’s go,” he muttered. “The sooner we get the curly-browed idiot, the sooner we can leave this freakshow.”
“Don’t go running off without us, Zoro! You’ll get lost!” Nami called, snatching up her bag and hurrying after him. Even when he was pretending, he played the part a little too well. She wasn’t sure if that made her more worried, or amused.
Brook, Carrot, and Pedro followed behind. She glanced at her friends. “If Pudding really is on our side, we might actually have a chance.”
Pekoms met them aboard the Sunny, checked the map, and nodded. “It’s accurate. I have other matters to attend to. Bege is here, and I owe him for shooting me in the back. I shall depart, and hopefully meet you again. If not, this is farewell.”
With that, Pekoms departed in his disguise. Nami, Brook, Carrot, and Pedro made a quick plan for their next steps, while Zoro stood nearby, scowling. Once they arrived at Whole Cake Island, home to Big Mom’s castle, Brook and Pedro would search for the Road Poneglyph. Nami and Zoro would look for Sanji if Pudding didn’t show. Carrot would remain on the Sunny to guard it.
They set sail immediately, navigating the hazardous candy waters, teeming with sea beasts, ants, and strange creatures. Zoro got a workout fending them off with Brook’s musical support. Nami kept them on course. Day shifted into night, then back into morning, and finally Whole Cake Island loomed on the horizon.
“The entire island is a cake!” Carrot gasped in awe.
“And it’s a castle too,” Pedro added. “The upper layers are Big Mom’s domain.”
“We’d best be off, Pedro-san,” Brook said, donning his hat. “We’ll take the Shark Submersible.”
They disappeared below deck, and a moment later, the faint rumble of the docking mechanism was heard as the Shark Submersible deployed. Nami guided the Sunny toward the X on the map. Zoro stood at the bow, coat tails flicking in the breeze, frowning toward the land ahead. Nami studied his back.
Was he annoyed to be here, or was he actually worried about Sanji? Probably both. Zoro wasn’t exactly known for sharing his feelings, unless it was about booze. But he cared about the crew. He always put their safety first when it mattered. And she wouldn’t be surprised if he was secretly looking forward to rubbing a dramatic rescue in Sanji’s face forever.
They reached the designated shoreline and dropped anchor. The beach was soft, white, and spongy like a marshmallow but didn’t stick. Nami waved to Carrot as the gangplank was raised. “We’ll be back soon, with Sanji-kun!”
Zoro was already stomping away, heading toward the forest of towering, leafy green trees. Nami hurried after him. “Don’t go running off! We’re supposed to wait for Pudding at the beach.”
“She’s not coming,” Zoro said flatly. “Even if she doesn’t want to marry the cook, she’s Big Mom’s kid. She’ll do what she’s told.”
Nami sighed. “You’re right. I was hoping the lie about you two already being married might make this easy. But when does anything ever go easy for us?”
Zoro snorted. “Be no fun otherwise.”
Nami rolled her eyes. “You and Luffy, always craving danger. Some of us actually like to keep our limbs.”
They entered the woods. The ground underfoot crunched like cereal and smelled faintly of oats. Ferns were made of puff pastry, flowers of delicate macarons, and licorice vines coiled up nearby. Birds chirped above, and unseen animals scurried in the underbrush.
Nami checked the sun’s position through the colored canopy, glancing at her watch. “If Pudding was telling the truth, Germa should be docked at the eastern shore. We’ll check there first and follow the road toward the castle. If he’s going to the meeting, they’ll travel it in either direction.”
Zoro gave a grunt of agreement and let her take the lead.
For a while, the walk was almost pleasant. The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold, and the quiet wasn’t awkward. Nami realized she rarely spent time with Zoro. He mostly kept to himself, training, eating, drinking, napping. Occasionally he fished or helped Franky. Once in a while, he’d get caught up in Luffy and Chopper’s antics. But his most consistent hobby? Fighting with Sanji. Their deck clashes were legendary. Franky built the ship tough, and Nami fined them both when they broke things. Sanji always paid. Zoro would be in debt until he was 500 years old.
She glanced at him. He was wearing his usual scowl, but he looked thoughtful. She wondered what went on in his head. He wasn’t the brain of the crew, but he was brutally honest and rarely swayed by emotion. That’s what made this fake marriage thing so ridiculous. Zoro wouldn’t know love if it knocked him out cold. And Sanji… well, he was a walking romance novel, minus the actual follow-through.
When would it have even happened? Sure, she didn’t monitor them constantly. She had her own work, her sunbathing, her sleep. But she should’ve noticed something. A change in tone. A look. Anything. Either they were the most private men alive, or the whole thing was just a cover to buy time.
Not that it mattered. They were getting Sanji back, no matter what. “It shouldn’t be much longer until we reach the eastern side,” she said aloud.
The second the words were out of her mouth, the forest attacked.
Trees moved. A Charlotte emerged. Birds dive-bombed from the sky. Even mirror versions of themselves joined in the assault. Nami screamed, and used her Clima-Tact. Zoro looked more annoyed than threatened and cut everything down with terrifying efficiency. When his mirror double appeared, he used a whirlwind attack so powerful it leveled the nearby trees and nearly sent Nami flying. Fortunately, she was clinging to his leg like a limpet and merely flapped in the wind like a screaming windsock.
The path toward the eastern shore was clear, now that half the trees had run off. Zoro sheathed his blades, shook Nami off, and continued walking. Up ahead, on the open road, a black-and-white carriage decorated in skulls was pulled by a giant cat in a Germa helmet. A second wagon with soldiers followed behind.
Nami scrambled to her feet and ran to catch up. “Do you think that’s them?” she asked, shading her eyes. “The Vinsmokes? With Sanji-kun?”
Zoro tied his bandana around his head. “Yes. Don’t get in my way.”
Nami hesitated. “What are you going to do?”
“Get my fucking husband back,” Zoro growled, drawing Wado and striding toward the road.
Nami’s eyes widened. They weren’t around anyone else. Did that mean...?
Zoro walked into the middle of the road and planted his feet. His blade angled in front of him. His presence seemed to grow, his aura stretching outward like something deathly and inevitable. The carriage rolled to a stop. The armored cat meowed and sat.
Nami hung back, close enough to see and hear but out of the way. Her heart thudded in her chest. She hoped Sanji was in there, that this could all be over now. Lie or not, Zoro was here, making a statement no one could ignore.
In the lead carriage, she spotted six figures. Five wore matching white dress shirts with red capes. At the front stood a tall, imposing man with a blond mane, sharp mustache, and terrifying aura. Looking at him made Nami shiver. He spoke, too quietly for Nami to hear.
The second carriage lurched forward. Horses rode ahead, lances ready. Soldiers jumped down, loading guns. But a single sharp word halted them. The riders pulled back, the weapons lowered. The door to the lead carriage creaked open.
Sanji stepped out.
Nami felt her eyes sting faintly with tears, relief washing over her. She’d imagined all sorts of horrible things on the journey to Totto Land, but Sanji looked okay. He wore a crisp white shirt, black trousers, and a red cape. A pair of gold bracelets adorned his wrists.
“Sanji-kun!” she called, though she stayed back. “We came for you!”
His expression was tight, but it softened for a moment at her voice. “You shouldn’t have,” he said, then slid his hands into his pockets and walked toward Zoro.
Nami swallowed. That didn’t sound right. Why wouldn’t he be glad to see them?
“Marimo,” Sanji said simply, once he reached Zoro.
Zoro didn’t look at him, eyes still on the carriage. “Cook.”
Sanji pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag. Smoke curled into the air as he looked past Zoro’s shoulder. “They don’t buy that we’re married.”
“Don’t care.” Zoro’s fingers tightened on his katana. “Bringing you home.”
Nami glanced at the carriage. Only the tall man at the front and Reiju, peeking from the back with a faint smile, seemed to care about Zoro and Sanji. The three in back – one green-haired, one blue, one red – were ogling her with heart eyes and lolling tongues. She grimaced. Great. More brothers.
“Can’t,” Sanji said, taking another drag. “They threatened to kill the old geezer. And I’ve got these stupid bracelets on. They’ll explode if I try to leave.”
Zoro’s gaze flickered to the bracelets. His aura darkened. “They threatened your hands?”
Sanji’s face tightened. Anger and despair crossed it, too fast to fully catch.
Zoro turned to him, expression hard. “Wrists. Now.”
“Marimo—”
“Now.”
With a sigh, Sanji extended both hands. Zoro glanced at the bracelets, then at Sanji. “I’ll cut. You kick.”
“Fine. Doesn’t change the fact I still can’t go.”
Zoro grunted. Then, in a flash, he moved, katana slicing downward.
Nami gasped, hands flying to her face. She peeked between her fingers, expecting blood—
—but the gold bracelets clattered apart, severed cleanly.
Sanji spun, kicked them high into the air. A second later, they exploded with a loud boom, showering metal and smoke across the sky.
Sanji stared up, jaw tight. “Fucker.”
Zoro turned back to the carriage. “I’m going to kill them all. Zeff’ll be safe. Then we go.”
“Won’t work. They’re modified, remember?”
“Stabbed the green one. He bled.”
Sanji smirked. “Yeah. I heard. Got my head cracked for it.”
Zoro’s nostrils flared. “They hurt you?”
Sanji shrugged. “Expected it. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before. You know that.”
Nami’s stomach twisted. They hurt him. His own family.
Zoro drew his second sword. His fury radiated. “Oi, assholes!” he snarled at the carriage. “That’s my husband you laid your fucking hands on. No one touches what’s mine.”
Nami’s breath caught. Zoro was really going for it. She looked at the tall man in the carriage, hoping he believed the bluff. That they could take Sanji and leave.
“You sound like a caveman,” Sanji muttered.
“Cook. Shut up.”
The carriage shifted. The tall man stepped onto the road. In full view, he was even more intimidating. Nami shrank back. That had to be Sanji’s father.
He strode over, arms crossed, staring down at the pair. “This is the man you claim is your husband?”
Sanji’s voice was flat with annoyance. “Yes. This is Roronoa Zoro.”
Zoro glared up at him. “Don’t need an introduction, Asshole Father of the Century. I should cut you down where you stand.”
Sanji cut off a laugh. “I told you, it’s not worth the polish.”
Zoro knew, Nami realized. Knew about Sanji’s past. His family. Everything. And he was furious.
“Where did you marry?” the man asked.
Zoro didn’t answer. Sanji drew on his cigarette and said, “Fish-Man Island. Marimo got jealous of the mermaids.”
“You nearly bled to death over them,” Zoro muttered.
“They were mermaids,” Sanji replied, as if that justified it all.
“Tch. Perverted love cook.”
“Jealous shitty swordsman.” Sanji paused, then murmured, ”Three.”
Zoro flashed a smile – quick, bright. Nami’s heart stuttered. If she hadn’t been watching closely, she’d have missed it. And there was the number three again. It had to be some sort of nickname, or inside joke.
Sanji turned back to his father, gaze sharp. “Believe it or not, I’m married. Going through with this wedding will end in disaster. For you.”
His father stared him down. “This is an inconvenience.”
“Should’ve thought of that before you started screwing with my life,” Sanji said flatly.
“Get back in the carriage. We still must meet with Charlotte Linlin,” the man said. Then he called out: “Reiju!”
She emerged, elegant in red, black, and white. “Yes, Father?”
“Escort these two to Germa. Put them in Sanji’s room.”
Reiju looked at Zoro and Nami, then nodded. “Very well.”
“Meet us at the castle when you’re done.” With that, he turned and marched back to the carriage.
Sanji looked warily at his sister, but she smiled gently. “I’m not going to harm your friends.”
“I know.” Sanji turned to Zoro. “Go with her, marimo. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.”
Zoro still gripped his swords. “I still say I end them now.”
“No. I’m not that person.”
“I am.”
Sanji ground out his cigarette beneath his heel. “Go with Reiju, dipshit. I’ve got things to do. Then maybe we can leave.”
Zoro hesitated, then slowly sheathed his swords. “I don’t like this.”
Sanji snorted. “And it’s all wine and roses for me.” He gave Nami a brief nod, then returned to the carriage.
The driver snapped the reins. The giant cat stood and began to walk. Zoro stepped aside, fuming as it passed.
Once the carriage disappeared over the rise, Zoro turned to Reiju. “If this ends badly, I will scour the earth of Vinsmoke blood.”
Reiju laughed, delighted. “So my kind, gentle baby brother married a protector. How wonderful.”
“He doesn’t need protecting,” Zoro said shortly, as Nami joined them. “But he doesn’t need your family’s shit again, either.”
Reiju smiled. “Come along. I’ll take you to Germa.”
Germa was a floating nation with no island to call its own. It consisted of massive, interlocking ships, each powered by giant snails. Sections of a walled castle sprawled across the connected vessels, with grassy courtyards, trees, and scattered outbuildings like stables and workshops dotting the landscape. The central focus was a towering castle, housing most of Germa’s citizens. As they moved through it, Nami noticed mainly scientists, soldiers, and servants.
She also got her answer to one long-standing question: how Sanji had made it from the North Blue to the East Blue. The answer was as outrageous as it was easy. The snails had simply climbed over the Red Line.
Sanji’s room in the castle was large, cold, and uninviting. An enormous portrait of Generalissimo Vinsmoke Judge – Sanji’s father – towered over the room, depicting him standing triumphantly on the severed heads of fallen North Blue kings. Beneath it sat a table and a single armchair, because apparently that was the ideal view for relaxing. A king-sized bed, a wardrobe, and a scrolled writing desk completed the space. Through the balcony, Nami could see a courtyard where soldiers were drilling in perfect formation.
Zoro stood by the desk, arms folded, looking like a thousand miles of bad seas.
Nami stepped in from the balcony with a sigh. “This place is… unhappy.”
Zoro snorted. “You don’t know the half of it.”
“I don’t know any of it,” Nami said, eyeing the armchair beneath the portrait and deciding against it. She took the chair beside Zoro instead. “So how do you know?”
“He told me,” Zoro said simply.
Nami rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I figured that much. But when? Why? And how did you two manage not to fight long enough for a civil conversation?”
“We don’t always fight.”
“Yes, you do,” she said. “Things I can always count on from the crew: Usopp’s lies, Luffy’s idiocy, and you two constantly fighting.”
Zoro shrugged. “Well, we don’t.”
Nami tapped her finger on the desk. “So when did he tell you? About his family? About this?” She waved a hand at the room. “I can’t believe Sanji-kun is a real, castle-living, royal Prince. Must’ve been nice, if a bit gloomy, growing up with all this.”
Zoro’s expression darkened. “This isn’t one of your romance books. This place is a science lab. And the cook was the rat.”
Dread crept into Nami’s chest. “Explain.”
“No. It’s not your business,” Zoro said, firm. “If he wanted you to know, he’d tell you.”
“But he told you.”
“Yeah.” Zoro’s jaw tightened. “The sooner we can get him out of here, the better.”
That answer filled her with cold, creeping horror. “They… hurt him?”
Zoro didn’t respond. And that was answer enough. Nami clenched her fists. She knew what pain like that felt like – Arlong, years of enslavement, fighting to save her sister, her town. To imagine Sanji enduring something like that made her stomach churn.
She shifted the topic. Zoro was right, the sooner they could leave, the better. “Do you think they’ll believe it now? The marriage? You sold it really well out on the road.”
“Don’t know. Don’t care.” Zoro glowered in the direction of the balcony. “They’re threatening Zeff’s life. Cook’s not going to risk him.”
“I always thought Zeff was his father,” she murmured. The memory of Red-Leg Zeff – tall, gruff, peg-legged, with a bark like a cannon – rose in her mind. The way he had knocked Sanji down... she hadn’t liked it, but it felt like a real relationship.
“He is.”
“But Sanji is a Vinsmoke. We just met his father.”
Zoro snorted. “That man isn’t a father. He’s a despotic psychopath who didn’t think twice about hurting a little kid.”
Nami hadn’t needed the verification of abuse. The bile rose in her throat. “How do we get Sanji-kun out without them going after Zeff?”
Zoro’s jaw flexed. “Don’t know.”
They sat in a heavy silence. Nami fiddled with things on the desk. An inkwell and quill. Writing parchment. A few books about war tactics. The room was spotless, but everything looked untouched. She wondered if this bedroom had stood empty during the years Sanji was gone. “When did he leave Germa?” she asked.
“When he was eight.”
Nami’s heart broke. When Zoro had said little kid, he’d meant little. “Why would they want him back? He has three brothers. Any one of them could marry Charlotte Pudding.”
“Expendable,” Zoro said flatly.
Nami’s lip curled. “The more I learn about the Vinsmokes, the more I hate them.”
Zoro gave a dark laugh. “Get in line.”
She glanced sideways at him. “Should I be worried about your family?”
“No. They’re dead.” Zoro shifted, his first sign of discomfort. “Long time now.”
Nami knew that feeling firsthand, too. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
He shrugged.
Nami fiddled with the quill, running the soft feather between her fingers. “Do you think they’ll try to kill you? So Sanji-kun’s free to marry?”
“Probably.” Zoro grinned, shark-like. “Gives me an excuse to end them.”
“Can’t say I’d be sorry about that,” Nami said, “though Sanji-kun seems determined not to kill them.”
“Cook’s an idiot.”
Nami laughed. “Glad to see this ‘marriage’ hasn’t softened your opinion of him.”
Zoro glanced at her. “Why would it?”
“If it were real, wouldn’t you be all lovey-dovey?” Nami said. “All kissy-face and touchy-feely?”
Zoro snorted. “Can you really picture me doing that kind of shit?”
“Yes. And it’s very amusing.” Nami smirked.
Zoro gave her a dry look. That only made her grin wider.
“Sanji-kun loves love. Doting. Hearts and flowers. Falling all over himself to please women.”
“I’m not a woman.”
“Obviously. The muscles on your muscles cringe at the thought.”
Zoro rolled his eye. “Are you done yet?”
“Nope.” Nami leaned back with a grin. “The idea of you and Sanji together is so ludicrous, it’s fun figuring out how it could ever work.”
Zoro exhaled a long-suffering sigh. “Whatever.”
Nami studied him, her smile lingering. “Kind of sweet, though, if it were true. You almost had me going back on the road.”
Zoro grunted but didn’t respond.
She shook her head with a light laugh. “Sanji-kun’s way too in love with breasts for it to be real. Still surprised he didn’t drop the lie the moment he saw Pudding. She’s really pretty.”
Zoro did his best impersonation of a post.
“You don’t think she’s pretty?” Nami dipped the quill in the inkwell, eyebrows raising slightly at how full it was. She scribbled her name across a piece of parchment, then added Sanji’s. Then Zoro’s.
“No,” he said, blunt as ever.
Nami smiled slyly. “Do you think Sanji-kun is pretty?”
Zoro scowled. “I don’t think anyone is pretty.”
Nami snorted. “Of course you don’t. You’re probably only attracted to your swords.”
Zoro gave her an irritated look, which only made her grin grow wider. “Bet you’ve never even kissed anyone.”
She watched, utterly delighted, as red crept up his neck, staining his cheeks, then flushing to the tips of his ears. He jerked his gaze away, jaw tight. “None of your business.”
Nami didn’t know if that meant yes or no, but either way it was adorable. “Is Zoro-kun shy?”
“Shut up.”
This was gold. “I’ve never seen you with a woman. Or a man. Or anyone outside the lines,” she teased, eyes alight. “So does anybody float your boat?”
Zoro glowered at her. “Still not your business.”
“Oh, but it’s so fun.” Nami leaned her chin into her hand, delighting in every second. “The Sex Life of Roronoa Zoro. I could write a whole book.”
Zoro turned even redder. Absolutely fantastic. “I don’t ask you about your… your…” he fumbled, “...stuff.”
Oh no. He was stammering. Nami was about to combust. “You can fight sea monsters and marine battalions without blinking, but the word ‘sex’ has you stuttering?”
Zoro looked anywhere but at her. “Shut up,” he mumbled again, clearly uncomfortable and growing more agitated.
Nami laughed, a warm sound, touched with fondness. “Okay, okay. I’ll drop it.” She softened. “But it’s cute.”
Zoro scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck, face still burning. “Gonna get some air,” he muttered, before stomping out onto the balcony like it had personally offended him.
Nami grinned at his retreat, utterly satisfied. She turned back to the desk, twirling the quill once between her fingers before bending to the parchment. With quick, practiced strokes, she began doodling a rough map of Germa, marking ships, turrets, and towers, letting her thoughts settle into lines and ink.
Outside, she heard the soft clang of swords in the courtyard below and the distant hum of work being done. But inside, for the moment, it was only the scratch of her quill on parchment.
Sanji returned nearly an hour later, looking worn and agitated. He swept his red cloak off and tossed it over the back of the chair beneath the portrait, where Judge loomed, triumphant over severed heads.
Nami had long since finished her map and had gone on to sketch familiar places – Little Garden, Thriller Bark, Punk Hazard – half from memory, half from habit. Zoro had paced the room like a caged tiger after shaking off his earlier embarrassment. The longer Sanji was gone, the worse he got.
Zoro stepped up immediately, his eye scanning Sanji from head to toe. “Well?”
Sanji exhaled, shoulders tight. “Big Mom wasn’t thrilled. Judge offered her half his clone army, for free, in compensation. Pudding looked disappointed. I’m officially on everyone’s shit list.”
“So we can go?” Zoro asked, straight to the point.
“No.” Sanji dragged a hand through his hair and yanked at it. “Big Mom hasn’t decided whether to release me from the deal.”
Zoro grabbed his wrist and jerked his hand down. “Stop hurting yourself.”
Sanji shot him a glare. Zoro returned it, unmoved. Sanji scowled, lit a cigarette, and stalked out to the open balcony to smoke.
Nami looked between the two before turning to Sanji. “So what do we do now?”
“We wait,” Sanji said, weary. He offered her a strained smile. “Someone will probably try to kill the idiot here before the wedding tomorrow.”
Zoro snorted. “Like to see them try.”
Nami rose and went to Sanji’s side. “There has to be another way.”
“You can go through with the wedding,” came a new voice.
All three turned to see Reiju slip into the room. Her red cape was gone. She walked with her usual grace, stopping beneath the looming portrait of their father. Her expression didn’t shift as she looked up at it.
“I always hated this portrait,” she said blandly. Then she looked back at them. “Capone Bege informed me of Big Mom’s plan. She intends to have the entire Vinsmoke family assassinated at the ceremony’s conclusion. In the chaos, Bege will attempt a coup. I’ve been cultivating him as a source, to fruitful results. He warned me so I could avoid the wedding altogether.”
“She plans to kill everyone?” Sanji asked, stricken.
Reiju nodded. “Even you. She wants the Germa science and the clone army. With the Vinsmokes dead, she’ll take it all.”
Sanji dragged deeply on his cigarette, pacing. “I can’t let that happen.”
“You can, and you should,” Reiju said. She smiled at Sanji. “The Vinsmokes have been a blight on the world for too long. It’s time we disappear.”
Sanji paced toward the balcony, tense. He flicked his spent cigarette butt over the rail. Zoro watched him like a hawk. Nami turned to Reiju. “Will there even be a way to escape?”
Reiju nodded. “I have two of Big Mom’s servant uniforms prepared for the wedding. You and Zoro will wear them. When the moment comes, you’ll grab Sanj and leave. Since he’s already married, the ceremony will be invalid even if completed. Sanji just has to survive the attempt on his life at the altar.”
“Uh, about that marriage…” Nami began, but Sanji cut her off.
“I’m not letting you die when I can do something,” he snapped. His voice cracked with strain. “I’m not that kind of person.”
Reiju smiled softly. “My sweet baby brother. Still so kind. I’m glad they didn’t take that from you. Mother would be so happy.”
Sanji stilled. Pain flickered across his face. “She wouldn’t want you dead.”
“I don’t know.” Reiju’s voice was calm, almost clinical. “I might have emotions, but I’ve been altered. I can’t disobey our father. I’ve done many terrible things for him.” She glanced at Zoro. “In fact, I’m supposed to kill him before the night is through.”
“Don’t touch him,” Sanji snapped – sharp, fast, furious.
Nami blinked, surprised by how fierce he sounded.
Reiju chuckled. “Don’t worry. Father was sloppy with the wording. I can fake your husband’s death and smuggle him into Big Mom’s castle without anyone noticing.”
Zoro raised a brow. “So all the cook has to do is avoid getting killed at the altar and we’re good? What about Zeff?”
“Big Mom has no interest in him. She only cares that Sanji shows up for the tea party and wedding,” Reiju said. “It’s Father who holds the sword over Zeff. And if he dies, that threat dies with him.”
“I told you, I can’t let that happen," Sanji muttered, digging a hand in his scalp again. “There has to be another way.”
Zoro stalked forward, grabbed his wrist, and yanked it down again. “Stop.”
They locked eyes, tension crackling like flint and steel.
“If I can save them, I will,” Sanji bit out.
“You hate them.”
“Doesn’t mean I want them dead.”
“Doesn’t mean they should be allowed to live.”
Their foreheads almost touched. Sparks flared.
Reiju looked to Nami. “Do they do this often?”
Nami sighed. “Constantly. Wouldn’t be them otherwise.”
“They’re not going to die, asshole,” Sanji snapped. “Not on my watch.”
“Then close your eyes.”
“Say something helpful, you moss-headed bastard.”
“Don’t die with them.”
They glared, breathing hard.
Nami stepped in before they could start brawling. “Enough, both of you. We’ll figure it out.” She turned back to Reiju. “Do you know how Big Mom’s planning the assassination?”
“Bege didn’t say,” Reiju replied. “But it would have to involve immobilization of some kind. Gunfire won’t harm us, and if we’re free, we’ll simply decimate the place before escaping.”
Nami thought it over. “Whole Cake Island and Cacao Island are made of candy and confections. We can probably assume they’d use something like that to trap you. Syrup, maybe. Something that hardens.”
Reiju nodded. “A wise assumption.”
“If we can get you free from whatever’s holding you, will you be able to escape?” Nami asked.
“Of course. I’ll make sure my brothers bring their Raid Suits, just in case.”
“Sanji-kun, if we can help, we will,” Nami said, turning to him. “But you can’t finish the ceremony. If you do, you’ll be officially married into the Charlotte family and sucked into Big Mom’s crew. We can’t take her on.”
Reiju looked puzzled. “But Sanji is already married. There should be a certificate on file somewhere.”
Nami let out a sigh. “That’s what I tried to tell you earlier. It was a lie. He and Zoro aren’t actually married. Sanji-kun was just trying to dodge the wedding without causing problems. Right, Sanji-kun?”
Sanji didn’t respond.
Neither did Zoro.
Nami slowly turned to look at them. They were still standing beside each other from their earlier argument. “Sanji-kun. Tell your sister the truth. You were bluffing. You made it up. You and Zoro aren’t married.”
“Ah, Nami-san…” Sanji gave her a faint, tight smile. “It’s, uh… not a lie.”
Nami blinked. Then blinked again. And a third time, just to be sure. “You… and Zoro… are married?”
Zoro folded his arms and lifted his chin, defensive. “You got a problem with that?”
Nami opened her mouth, snapped it shut. Blinked again. “When? How? Why?”
“I believe you overheard me telling Judge,” Sanji said, fiddling with a button at his collar. “Fish-Man Island. Zoro got jealous over the mermaids.”
“Married you so you remember who you belong to, even when you flirt like an idiot,” Zoro added, grumpy.
“I do not flirt like an idiot,” Sanji snapped.
“What do you call all the hearts and noodling and the stupid prattle?” Zoro growled. “‘Oh, my darling darling darling, I adore your darlingness!’”
“I do not sound like that!” Sanji kicked at him.
Zoro drew a katana and blocked it. “You do! It’s disgusting! No woman would take you seriously.”
“It’s not disgusting!” Sanji aimed another kick at his side. “A woman appreciates being worshipped like the goddess she is!”
“It’s not worship – it’s gross!”
“Not everyone’s an aromantic moss!”
Nami stared. Then stared harder. They were exactly the same as always. How the hell could these two actually be married?
“Romance is stupid,” Zoro said, blocking another kick and striking back. “It serves no purpose.”
“It makes people happy,” Sanji countered, dodging easily.
“How can anyone feel happy with you bleeding all over them?”
Reiju laughed, delighted. “They’re very funny together.”
“Yes… funny.” Nami looked utterly dumbfounded.
Zoro and Sanji kept bickering and trading blows. Nami stared at them, increasingly convinced she had to be dreaming. Any minute now, they'd start making out, and she’d realize she’d just read too many romance novels, too late at night.
Then a thought struck her – something from earlier when she’d teased Zoro. Her eyes lit up. “Oh! This means you guys have kissed!”
Zoro froze mid-motion, and took a kick to the head for his trouble. He staggered back, face erupting in flames. “That’s none of your business!”
Sanji calmly straightened his shirt cuffs and brushed a hand through his hair, visibly flustered. A faint blush pinked his nose. “A gentleman does not kiss and tell.”
“So you did kiss!” Nami crowed.
Zoro made a strangled noise and stalked out onto the balcony.
Sanji watched him go, then chuckled quietly. “Zoro’s… painfully shy when it comes to anything soft. He’s not really wired for affection. But he tries, in his own way.”
Nami’s heart squeezed. The way Sanji looked after him, the softness in his voice – it was nothing she’d ever seen from him before. “You guys hid this well.”
Sanji shrugged, offering a crooked smile. “Some things you do for your partner… because they matter.”
“You know,” Nami said gently, “the whole crew should know it’s not a lie. I can keep it a secret if you want. But you know we’d celebrate this, right?”
“I do. I’ve talked about it with Zoro before. He doesn’t get why everyone else needs to be part of it,” Sanji said.
Reiju perched lightly on the armrest of the chair. “How long have you two been together?” she asked curiously.
“Quite a while. Though we were apart for two years, through no fault of our own,” Sanji said. He glanced at Nami, offering her a clearer reference. “It started in Little Garden.”
Nami’s eyes widened. “That long? But you… and he…” She trailed off, unable to put her disbelief into words.
Sanji chuckled. “It’s not like it happened all at once. We started talking when I was changing his bandages after he tried to cut off his own feet, the idiot. Turns out he’s not a brainless pile of seaweed. It kinda just… went from there.”
Nami was fascinated, and genuinely happy he was opening up. “But I thought you liked girls?”
“I do,” Sanji said easily. “But sometimes your person comes in the wrong package, and you have to decide what to do about it. I decided.” He smirked, a bit self-deprecating. “Helps that he doesn’t care if I still lose my mind over women. Except for the mermaids.”
“You were rather extreme about the mermaids,” Nami said with a chuckle. “You shouldn’t need a blood transfusion because of a pair of breasts.”
“Mermaid breasts,” Sanji said dreamily, eyes going hazy with memory. A faint trickle of blood welled at the edge of his nose.
Nami gave Reiju a pointed look – a classic see what I have to deal with expression. Reiju giggled.
Zoro stalked back inside, his scowl sweeping over the room. “Are we done talking about this shit? I want to know how Reiju plans to fake my death.”
Sanji rolled his eyes. “Yes, mosshead, we’re done. I’m curious about that too.”
“I was going to poison him,” Reiju said matter-of-factly. “Then suck the poison out once we’re off Germa.”
“You can do that?” Nami asked. “Without killing him?”
Reiju nodded. “They don’t call me Poison Pink for nothing.”
Zoro shrugged. “Fine by me. When do you want to do this?”
“Father won’t inform Sanji of your death until morning, likely not until we’re already at the castle,” Reiju said. “I’ll come back later and take Zoro for an evening stroll.”
“Considering Zoro’s penchant for getting lost, Sanji wouldn’t think anything of it if he didn’t come back,” Nami said with a nod. “But what about me?”
“I can take you to your ship and pick you up in the morning,” Reiju offered. “It’s safer. My brothers aren’t known for keeping their hands to themselves.”
Nami’s expression darkened. She patted her Clima-Tact. “They try anything, they’ll get a lightning bolt to the balls.”
Reiju chuckled. “That would be amusing. But I’m afraid you wouldn’t get the chance.” She turned to Sanji. “Sanji, you should remove the mask. Let your face heal before tomorrow.”
“Mask?” Zoro’s gaze snapped to Sanji, sharp and suspicious.
Sanji scowled at Reiju. “You had to say something.”
Reiju gave an elegant shrug. “It’s not good to keep it on so long.”
She stood and turned to Nami. “Shall we?”
Nami was burning with curiosity about this mask situation, but Sanji’s clear discomfort made her pause. He was fidgeting again, which meant it was time for her to bow out.
“Don’t do anything stupider than usual, you two,” she said, gathering her drawings. “I’ll see you both tomorrow at the wedding.”
Sanji offered a small, tired smile. “Have a good night, Nami-san.”
Zoro didn’t even acknowledge her. He was too busy glaring at Sanji, waiting for answers.
Nami shook her head with a fond sigh and turned to Reiju. “Let’s go.”
Nami stood in the middle of an overcrowded wedding hall, disguised as a serving girl. A large bow obscured part of her face, completing the illusion. Round tables covered in white tablecloths and set with fine china filled the space, all surrounding a towering, multi-tiered cake that doubled as the altar. The officiant was already stationed at the top, waiting. What looked like hundreds of guests milled around, drinking, laughing, and chatting in elegant attire.
Weaving through the crowd with a tray of hors d'oeuvres, Nami kept her head down and eyes sharp. She’d already checked in with Zoro, stationed at a serving table near the one bearing placards for the Vinsmokes. His broad frame was awkwardly crammed into a tight black button-down, short white pants, and a white bandana knotted at his neck. A chef’s toque sat on his head, mostly hiding his green hair. Nami had spotted the hilts of his swords tucked beneath the tablecloth at his station.
She hadn’t seen Sanji again. When she’d asked how he was, Zoro had only grunted a clipped, “Fine.” She could see right through the lie. His fists had clenched so tightly his knuckles went white. Nami decided she was better off not knowing what the mask had been hiding.
She recognized a few of the guests from Wanted posters and newspaper articles. Big Mom’s tea parties were infamous for drawing the elite and underworld alike. Every single one of them was in her pocket. Nami skirted past a decorated Marine, offering her tray to a well-known actress. She kept half an eye on the time. She just wanted this wedding to start already.
At five minutes to the hour, the Vinsmokes arrived and were escorted to their table. Nami drifted in their direction, and Reiju spotted her. Slipping away under the pretense of selecting an hors d'oeuvre, Reiju murmured, “Our weapons and Raid Suits were confiscated at the door.”
Nami gave her a sly smile. “Not for long.”
If there was one thing she excelled at, it was retrieving things that didn’t belong to her. Her Wanted poster said Cat Burglar for a reason.
Sliding back into the crowd, Nami discreetly deposited her tray on a side table. The main entrance was flanked by two of Big Mom’s men, but with a flick of her wrist, she launched a cracker topped with pâté at a nearby matron. It smacked into her gown. The woman shrieked, causing a scene that drew the guards' attention.
Nami darted away.
She’d been watching the arrivals earlier and had clocked the coat check area – a likely stash spot for confiscated weapons. She slipped into the side room, ducked beneath the check-in counter, and padded toward the back door. Pulling the bow from her hair, she used its pins to pick the lock with swift expertise. With the ceremony moments from starting, most guests were already inside. It gave her the privacy she needed.
The door clicked open, and Nami stepped in. The room was packed – rows upon rows of coats, cloaks, hats, umbrellas, and bags lined the shelves. She spotted the check-in girl at the front and quickly scanned the rows. She wasn’t here to browse. She knew what she was after. Raid Suits came in canisters. Reiju had talked about it while escorting Nami back to the Sunny, in her own pink uniform.
The music began to swell from the main hall. The ceremony was beginning.
Moving fast, Nami searched each shelf until she spotted the cluster of canisters tucked into a cubby. She grabbed them all, then snatched a roomy purse from another cubby. Tossing the canisters inside, plus the weapons she’d found with the canisters, she paused only to fish out a lipstick tube. It would come in handy.
She eased back down the hallway, staying close to the wall. The guards were back at their posts, focused on the ceremony. With careful aim, she tossed the lipstick low and to the side. It bounced off the hip of the guard on the left and smacked into a woman’s rear. She gasped, spun around, and accused the man of swatting her. As she made a fuss, one guard stepped forward to calm her down.
Nami slipped back inside, the bag hidden behind her.
Once she was safely away from the entrance, she snagged a new serving tray, slipped the purse beneath it, and resumed her cover. She roamed toward the Vinsmoke table.
Zoro remained at his station, arms crossed, glowering at the cake-top altar. Nami followed his gaze. Sanji and Pudding had arrived.
Sanji stood resplendent in white, beside Pudding in her veil and wedding dress. Nami’s thoughts drifted. What had his real wedding been like? The one with Zoro? Had there been a ceremony? Or just paperwork and a notary? Zoro didn’t seem like the fanfare type, but Sanji was a romantic. He’d have wanted something beautiful, even if Zoro didn’t understand it.
Maybe they needed another wedding. One with the crew. One worth remembering. She’d have to plant that seed with Sanji – once he made it home.
The minister droned on. Nami drifted past Reiju and offered her the tray, subtly dropping the bag. Nami moved on, keeping up appearances as she offered the tray to nearby guests. Tension coiled in her shoulders, in her gut. They couldn’t make a move until the ceremony ended. Until Big Mom made hers. It was nerve-wracking, knowing Sanji was in danger, knowing they couldn’t simply whisk him away. That he’d agreed to this charade, all to save a family that hurt him, spoke volumes. He despised them all – except Reiju – but still, he risked everything.
It attested to the type of person he was. Strong. Kind. Deeply loyal. Zoro was a lucky man. She wondered if he knew it.
From the corner of her eye, Nami caught a man in a rainbow hat rising from a nearby table. He carried a staff shaped like a giant rainbow lollipop. Quietly, he walked up behind Sanji’s father's chair. Nami flicked her gaze to Zoro. He’d seen it too, but his attention quickly returned to the top of the cake. It had to be hard, seeing his husband marry someone else. Unless Zoro really didn’t care, knowing the truth.
Nami set her tray down on a serving table, ducked behind a pillar, and pulled her Clima-Tact from the garter on her thigh. She screwed it together quickly. Her main job was to keep Zoro from getting lost. Her second: to create enough chaos for them to escape. She had Zeus now, bribed into servitude after the forest fight – but he feared Big Mom. She wouldn’t use him unless absolutely necessary.
“Then you may lift the veil and kiss the bride,” the minister intoned.
Nami peeked out from behind the pillar. Sanji gently lifted Pudding’s veil, said something too quiet to hear. Pudding dropped to her knees and began to cry.
At the same moment, a man with a heavy scarf wrapped around half his face rose from a different table. He flicked something toward Sanji. Sanji dodged suddenly, and the minister’s head flew backwards with the impact sound of a bullet. He collapsed over the altar.
Screams erupted. That was the signal.
The man with the lollipop staff slammed it into the table. A shimmering wave of candy exploded outward, coating the Vinsmokes in a hard, glossy shell.
Zoro dove for his swords beneath the serving station, shoved them into his belt, drew two, and lunged toward the scarfed sniper.
Sanji leapt high off the cake using Sky Walk, igniting his leg midair. He kicked through a tier support, the flames crackling along his heel.
Nami raised her Clima-Tact and alternated bursts of heat and cold into the air, setting the stage for a thunderstorm. A good soaking would send wedding guests scrambling.
Around the Vinsmoke table, men and women jumped to their feet, pulling firearms and aiming directly at their heads.
“What is the meaning of this, Big Mom?!” Judge shouted, livid. “We trusted you! There should be honor among thieves!”
“Not now, Father,” Ichiji said flatly. “You just look pathetic.”
“No one’s coming to save us,” added Niji. “Time for some candy-sized bullet holes.”
“They took our weapons,” Yonji said with a chuckle. “And our Raid Suits.”
“Looks like we fell for it, hook, line, and sinker,” Ichiji laughed. “Aimed our sights too high, huh? Hahaha.”
The brothers chuckled, hollow and sharp.
“Something’s wrong with you three,” Judge spat, disgusted.
The lollipop man leaned in, grinning wide. “Looks like you’re in it now. This isn’t an assassination. This is a massacre! Right, Judge? Kukukuku...”
“You think this is funny?!” Judge roared.
Big Mom just smiled, all teeth and cruelty.
Sanji landed in the middle of the Vinsmoke table, flames licking up both legs. The candy coating melted instantly beneath the heat. He stared his father down, contempt gleaming in his eyes. “Consider this my final gift,” he said. “If you ever come after Zeff, my crew will hunt you to the ends of the sea.”
He turned to go, then paused, looking at his father one last time.
“The name’s Roronoa Sanji now.”
“Kill them!” Big Mom roared.
“Catch!” Reiju shouted, tossing the Raid Suit canisters. They landed in her brothers’ and father’s laps.
Zoro clashed with the scarfed Charlotte, swords ringing. “Nigiri: Maguma!”
Nami released one final charge. The storm cloud overhead cracked with thunder and lightning, rolling ominously across the ceiling.
Sanji spun, flames trailing, kicking back attackers from all directions. They went flying, smoke pouring from their suits and faces.
The Raid Suits burst open. The five Vinsmokes emerged transformed, armor gleaming.
“Destroy them all!” Judge bellowed.
“Attack!” Capone Bege cried, bursting out of a mirror with a missile launcher. His Fire Tank Pirates followed, weapons drawn, pouring through reflections.
Rain exploded from the thunderclouds above, soaking everything. Guests screamed. The hall dissolved into chaos.
Big Mom’s children rushed to attack, clashing with the Fire Tank Pirates and the newly armored Vinsmokes. Sanji and Zoro fought side by side, striking down anyone in their way.
Nami bolted for the double doors behind the wedding cake, toward the kitchen, dodging flying bodies and flailing limbs. Lightning struck the altar, and the top tier of the cake detonated in a sugary explosion. She was soaked, her heart hammering, limbs burning with adrenaline.
“MY CAKE!” Big Mom shrieked. The giantess barreled forward.
Zoro sent his opponent flying just as Sanji grabbed Zoro around the waist, hauling him up and sprinting through the air. They landed beside Nami at the kitchen doors, where Sanji dropped Zoro to his feet.
Nami glanced back. The Vinsmokes tore through the chaos, powers blazing, cutting down anyone in their path. Bullets flew from all directions. Charlotte’s forces weren’t holding back. Blood marked the marble floor where some shots found their mark, even as the Vinsmokes kept fighting.
“Let’s go!” Sanji yelled.
Nami shoved the doors open. They fled through the kitchen, dodging panicked chefs and servers, skidding on rain-slicked tiles.
They burst out into the courtyard, drenched and breathless, hearts racing, fear and exhilaration coursing through their veins. Nami laughed as they ran from the castle. With Reiju’s help, they’d hidden two saddled horses behind the outer wall. They were still there, tied and ready.
Nami slid her Clima-Tact down the back of her blouse and climbed onto one. Sanji helped Zoro up behind her, then mounted the second horse himself.
With a snap of the reins, they galloped off – fast and free – down the cobbled road toward the Sunny.
The sea was calm, the night quiet. The shores of Wano were behind them. The Thousand Sunny bobbed gently on the waves. Lanterns glowed with golden light, spreading warmth across the main deck. Food and drink covered the tables. Brook’s violin stood at the ready.
Seven members of the crew sat scattered among the chairs, all eyes turned toward the mast.
Luffy stood at the front, beaming, straw hat tilted back on his head. Sanji, dressed in a black suit, stood in front of Zoro, who wore his usual long coat and swords at his hip. Sanji’s smile was huge, glowing, beautiful. Zoro, red as a tomato, kept shifting on his feet.
Luffy had made it through most of the ceremony, skipping some parts, ad-libbing others. Only one thing remained: personal vows.
Sanji held Zoro’s hands in his, mostly to keep him from bolting. “Three,” was all he said, his voice low and intimate.
Zoro’s face cracked into a smile – joyous, breathtaking. “Yeah. Same.”
Some of the crew exchanged confused glances. But Nami understood now. Three earrings. Three swords. The three in Sanji’s name.
Three little words that meant everything.
“I guess that’s it,” Luffy declared. “That means I pronounce you husbands. Again! You can kiss now.”
“Oh, hell no,” Zoro barked, yanking his hands free and fleeing across the deck, beelining for the booze.
Sanji laughed. Everyone clapped. Brook kicked into a tune.
Nami waited until the others had congratulated Sanji. Zoro, still blushing, fended them off with gruff scowls and a hand on his sword.
She stepped beside Sanji as the party swelled behind them, her smile warm. “Did you think this was how it’d turn out when you got Big Mom’s wedding invitation?”
Sanji shook his head. “No. I imagined it’d go very differently. Seeing my family again… it brought up a lot of things I thought I’d buried. If Zoro hadn’t been there, pushing me through it… I’d probably be a self-loathing wreck when I returned. If I returned at all.”
Nami glanced over at Zoro, who had an entire beer keg tilted to his lips. She chuckled softly. “Who would’ve thought Zoro would be the one to capture your heart?”
Sanji’s gaze softened. “He really can be an asshole. But once you figure out all the in-betweens? He’s pretty amazing.”
Nami nudged him. “You’re pretty amazing too.”
Sanji threw his arms in the air, eyes heart-shaped. “Nami-san is wonderful for saying so!”
Nami snorted. “I take it back. You’re still an ass.”
Sanji spun and noodled. “Mellorine! Mellorine!”
Nami shook her head and rejoined the others, slipping into the rhythm of the celebration. They partied long into the night, honoring Sanji and Zoro’s second wedding.
Much later, past when she’d normally be asleep, Nami slipped out of the women’s quarters to use the head tucked beneath the stairs. The alcohol had caught up with her. The first traces of dawn stretched across the horizon.
She froze when she saw Sanji and Zoro standing at the rail. Sanji was smoking a cigarette, dressed in a different suit. Zoro was yawning, rubbing sleepily at his eye.
Sanji said something, and Zoro laughed – a rusty, bright sound Nami had never heard before.
Then Zoro dipped in, kissed Sanji’s cheek in a blink-and-miss-it motion, and turned away so fast he nearly tripped. His hand went to the back of his neck, rubbing self-consciously, as he scurried toward the men’s quarters. His blush was vivid, visible even in the early light. He didn’t look up. He didn’t notice her. Neither of them did.
She stood still, unmoving, letting the quiet sweetness of the moment settle around her.
Sanji flicked his cigarette butt into the sea and turned, heading toward the galley to start breakfast.
This must be their time, Nami thought. One waking up, one going to bed. A quiet space to talk. To fall in love. No wonder no one had seen it happening.
Only once Sanji disappeared behind the galley door did Nami continue toward the restroom. As she passed the men’s quarters, a grin curled on her lips.
The Sex Life of Roronoa Zoro, indeed.
End