One Piece Fic: Once More With Feeling
Title: Once more with feeling
Author: aviss
Pairing: Zoro/+Sanji
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Angst, Horror.
Warning: Violence, character deaths (only not)
Disclaimer: So disclaimed.
Summary: Sanji is given a second chance to set things right. And a third. And a fourth…
Word Count: ~4.800 this part
Notes: First multichaptered thing I try in aeons, let's see how it goes. I'm not sure if this is going to be slash or nakamaship yet since these things keep mutating on me. This is also the darkest thing I've done in quite sometime, and coming from me that's saying something.
Once More With Feeling
Day 0
You have seven days. Don't waste them.
Sanji looked at the vanishing figure of the strange woman and closed his eyes.
Everything hurt: his head was throbbing painfully, his right arm was twisted in an unnatural angle and he was fairly sure his left hand was shattered. His legs had been useless for the last few minutes and the dull ache of the bullet wound in his abdomen was a slow drain for his remaining energy. He didn't have much time left; perhaps minutes, perhaps mere seconds.
He didn't care, he just wanted a cigarette. He'd rather have the taste of nicotine in his mouth while he died. Defeat was a hundred times bitterer.
The water lapped at his fallen body, the Sunny sinking slowly into the ocean. Behind his closed eyelids he could see everything as it was before he fell: Robin and Nami together, beautiful even in death with their cuffed hands reaching to one another, trying to protect what they held dear. Franky, mouth open in a silent scream, speared through the chest and nailed to the main mast in an obscene display. Usopp had been the first one to die; a bullet to the head cutting off his attempts to jump overboard to save those who couldn't save themselves. Luffy, Chopper and Brooke where nowhere to be seen but Sanji could still remember the splash their bodies had made when they were tossed overboard, seastone cuffs rendering their strength useless.
And the Marimo--that had been the worst, seeing Zoro's expression as his beloved sword was snapped as easily as a toothpick, his shock and disbelief at the blasphemy. It had been unfair, so unfair seeing the strength leaving him while the shards of his own Wadou Ichimonji were thrust into his chest.
Sanji had never felt so useless in his life, his legs unable to sustain him or help any of his nakama.
Then came the shot and the blessed relief knowing he wasn't going to survive them.
That was when the old woman appeared; a pearly shape, almost translucent, her face wreathed in deep lines of sorrow and knowledge staring at him. Her mouth had been a straight line, thin and unforgiving, but her eyes were kind and filled with compassion.
You welcome Death? You welcome me?
Her voice didn't match her looks, young and sweet and loving. Sanji had smiled, his dry throat refusing to form the words.
Yes, he had thought. Yes, take me too, take me with them.
She had stared at him hard, considering. Then she nodded her head.
I see. You can't live with your soul splintered and so many fragments missing. You don't want to. But it's not your time--it wasn't theirs either."
She appeared to be considering something for a minute and her lips curled into a smile, the years falling off her like so many layers of paint, leaving a beautiful woman in her place. Sanji stared speechless.
You have one chance for each of them. Choose well for when I come back to claim you I might take your whole world or only the parts you didn't manage to take back from me. There are eight fragments, seven may stay. You have seven attempts to put things back to rights.
You have seven days. Don't waste them
And with that she was gone and Sanji was dead.
…
Day 1
The first thing Sanji saw when he opened his eyes was Zoro's face scowling down at him.
Great, not only I'm dead I'm in Hell; the circle reserved for weaklings and cowards who let their nakama die in front of their eyes.
It was that thought, so out of place in the middle of the Thousand Sunny's galley, his galley, what startled Sanji into complete wakefulness.
"Oi Cook, you fell asleep in the galley again and it's your watch now," Zoro said his voice a gruff whisper. He looked half asleep and Sanji stifled a yawn.
"Go to sleep you dumbass, I'm awake," he replied, standing up from the bench and moving to the door, the words feeling wrong in his mouth as he was saying them. Had he dreamt about this already?
He climbed to the Crow's nest without looking back, the light scuffle of boots on the deck and the sound of a door closing telling Sanji the marimo was going to sleep. He was completely alone in the middle of the night.
He was feeling strange, as if he was forgetting something important, something he needed to remember.
Sanji stared out at the ocean, the black waters reflecting the moon like a mirror--a distorted mirror rippling with minor undercurrents and giving the moon an odd reddish tint in the dark ocean.
Red Moon, a bad omen if there ever was one.
With a shrug, Sanji took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it on his lips, lighting it with an expert flick of his lighter. They were in the middle of the Florian Triangle, barely a couple of days away from Thriller Bark. It had been Moria and his ship what gave the Triangle its bad reputation, hadn't it? So there was nothing to fear from the calm ocean, there wouldn't be any strange happenings unless they managed to find another dumb Shichibukai.
With their luck it was more than probable but he had more important things to think about.
Like that stupid Zoro and his death wish.
He was still annoyed that the moron had knocked him out when he offered his life in exchange for the Crew's. That fucking shitty-swordsman and his martyr complex, he was going to kick his head in as soon as Chopper deemed the idiot fit for his normal activities again.
That was what he was going to think about in the peaceful hours of his night watch: a thousand and one ways to kick the stupid, dumb marimo after he completely recovered from his injuries.
He wasn't going to think about how he had felt when they woke up, Luffy hyper as always and bouncing completely unharmed, everyone else bruised but more or less fine as well, and he had not seen Zoro around. The way his heart had stopped seeing the discarded swords--something the bastard would never leave behind willingly--,only to start beating frantically in his chest, as if trying to escape from it, the moment he saw him standing and alive, barely but still breathing, in the middle of the blood stained destruction.
He had wanted so badly to kill the insensitive bastard for putting them through that. Instead he had lent him a shoulder to lean on while they made their way back to where their nakama waited.
It was almost funny how lately his thoughts seemed to go back to the marimo all the time. Or it would be if it wasn't so weird, Sanji wasn't used to think--and worry--so much about another man. A man he knew was strong enough to defeat Death itself in a fight.
But however weird it was, ever since they left Thriller Bark his mind had been full to burst with marimo thoughts. He'd tried to imagine what would have happened to the crew if the idiot had not survived but had been unable to get past his own reaction to it, never mind considering the rest of them.
It didn't bear thinking about.
And there was a niggling feeling at the back of his mind trying to tell him something. Something about Zoro and his white sword snap--
The first light of dawn and the sound of soft steps on the galley snapped Sanji out of his reverie. His watch was over and now it was time to prepare breakfast.
…
Sanji's favourite thing about making breakfast was the silence. A pirate crew was supposed to be rowdy and noisy but the Straw Hats took it one step further. They weren't just noisy and rowdy; their mere presence was the definition of mayhem. In the mornings Sanji took the chance to enjoy the only moments of silence during the day, his mind going idly over the day's menu and the state of his supplies.
He had made so many breakfasts, at the Baratie and with the crew, he could almost do it in his sleep. That was the reason he usually let his mind wander while he prepared the rice and the miso soup, the sweet omelette the women favoured and the grilled fish. There was always some meat for his Captain, who seemed to be unable to survive without it.
He was trying to regain that feeling he had in the Crow's nest, emptying his mind of any thoughts while his hands worked on the lavish spread he usually did for his nakama. He was sure it had been important.
But he couldn't remember it.
Well, it didn't matter; it would come to him sooner or later if it was so important.
Sanji put aside the pans and cleaned his knives, eyeing the breakfast table while the first sounds of life returning to the ship reached his ears. Right on time.
He poured a mug of strong steaming coffee and deposited it on its spot on the table at the same time the door to the galley opened, a somewhat bleary but still lovely Robin stepping in and taking her proper sit on it.
"Thank you Sanji-san," she said her voice low and husky, "last night's watch felt longer than ever."
She had been more open since their return from Ennies Lobby and tended to engage everyone more in conversations about herself, letting them see her feelings. Sanji was thrilled.
"It's too early after our last adventure, Robin-chan," he heard himself saying, something in those words making alarm bells sound inside his head. Had he said them before? He couldn't remember. Maybe it was just a déjà vu. "We are not fully recovered and we also have to do the shitty-swordsman's watches until he's recovered from his latest stunt."
Sanji blinked, confused. It was really weird getting a déjà vu like that when he couldn't even remember the dream.
"Zoro-san needs his rest after--" she began, a knowing expression on her face. Sanji wondered how much she really knew but Robin closed her mouth at the same time the door opened again, letting in said swordsman closely followed by the rest of the crew minus Fanky, who was on first watch.
"Sanjiiiiiiiiiiii, I'm starving!" Luffy whined opening his mouth in a gigantic yawn while his hands stretched to grab the first available piece of meat.
Sanji kicked him for not waiting to be seated on the table while everyone took their usual sits and began to eat, and chaos reigned in the Sunny like every other day.
…
Sanji had little time to think about that weird feeling during the rest of the day. Right after breakfast Franky's shout alerted them of a huge storm front advancing toward them, and the whole crew had more than enough entertainment for the rest of the morning trying to stay afloat to spare even a brain cell for something as useless as thinking.
If they had believed the weather was strange in the Grand Line it was nothing to what the Florian Triangle had to offer: rain, sun, thunderstorms, snow and even a tornado all in the span of a few hours. One thing was for sure, however strange it was it wasn't boring.
Sanji barely had time to put together little more than a few onigiri and some meat for Luffy to keep their energies while they worked; lunch was a quick affair where they just grabbed what they could and ate standing at their posts, ready to spring into action at Nami's shouted orders.
When the worst of the storm was over and the Sunny was finally out of danger everyone slumped on the deck, exhausted.
"Woah! This was fun!" Luffy's standard reply to anything which might kill them managed to conjure tired smiles on everyone's face.
Sanji would have gladly joined the crew for a small breather, but he had already skipped lunch and there was no way the Straw Hats went without two solid meals if it was within Sanji's power. Dinner had to be especially good--and abundant--to make up for the previous one.
He was in the kitchen, getting his ingredients out of the padlocked fridge and putting them on the counter, when the door opened and closed. The heavy sound of booted feet told Sanji, without having to look, it was Zoro. Probably for some booze to celebrate they were still alive and sailing without much damage to the ship after that hellish morning.
Sanji ignored his presence and began chopping vegetables, his mind going over the recipe for tonight's dish. The silence stretched, only the fast sound of his knife hitting the board filling the kitchen.
That was strange, why was the marimo still there? He usually just took whichever bottle was closest to him and left to drink outside. Sanji began to feel uncomfortable, Zoro's eyes fixed on the back of his head and that unnerving quietness annoying him.
"What are you doing here, Marimo?" he snapped without tuning when he couldn't stand the silence anymore, his attention focused on the vegetables he was cutting within an inch of their lives. "Don't you have anyone else to annoy?"
Zoro didn't answer and for a moment Sanji thought he might have fallen asleep. He took a quick peek over his shoulder only to find Zoro staring intently at him, a serious expression on his face and an unopened bottle next to him.
"Something bothering you, Cook?" Zoro finally said, demandingly.
Sanji frowned, the movement of his hands halting for a split second before resuming his task. "You are bothering me," he replied, looking at his chopped vegetables satisfied with his job and moving to the next step.
"No, you have been staring at me since I woke up two days ago," Zoro insisted with his usual bluntness, his eyes still fixed on Sanji. "Is there something you wanna tell me?"
Sanji turned at that, his brows rushing together in a scowl. "No," he simply said, knowing there was no way he could explain to the idiotic masochist what he really wanted to. Not if the conversation didn't involve much cursing and kicking, and Sanji was convinced Chopper wouldn't forgive him if he sent the marimo back to the infirmary so soon after last time.
Zoro frowned, observing him even more intently. He abruptly stood up, nodding his head almost to himself, and grabbed the bottle on the table. He turned to the door and Sanji allowed a small sigh of relief to escape his lips.
What actually came out, before Sanji has the chance to stop it, was different. "On second thought, what the fuck did you think you were doing?" he heard himself saying much to his chagrin; he sounded equally pissed off and concerned.
Zoro stopped at the door and turned to look at him again, "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Sanji snapped letting the anger that had been building inside of him for since they left Thriller Bark take control of his mouth and brain, "What I mean is what idiotic, completely retarded and suicidal impulse made you do--" he cut himself off at the sight of Zoro's arched eyebrow and smirk. "Forget it, I don't care."
Zoro just went to the table and sat again, his amused expression irking Sanji even more.
"You tried to do the same, Cook. Or have you already forgotten? I just was stronger and quicker than you."
Sanji narrowed his eyes and spun round, hand clenched tightly around his knife to avoid throwing it at the bastard. There was no reason to desecrate his beloved knives.
He opened his mouth to say something else when Usopp's shout from outside grabbed their attention. "Pirates!"
Sanji and Zoro rushed outside, their conversation already forgotten in the face of more entertainment for the evening. "Damn, I didn't have time to finish dinner," Sanji muttered to himself but loud enough to earn a sharp look from Zoro. "I hope they don't take too long to be defeated."
Zoro's lips quirked up, "You can always go back inside, Cook, and let us deal with the problem," he said.
"Nah, I've wanted to kick some ass for a couple of days," Sanji replied looking at him with a smirk of his own and getting a cigarette out of his pocket, "and since you are still recovering and will have to pass on this one, I guess I'll stay."
Zoro's expression turned murderous, his hands resting on the hilt of his swords, "Who says I can't fight?"
The both fell silent as the ship came into view. It was a ship made for the Florian Triangle that much was clear: black, huge and creepy. They couldn't see anyone on the deck, the wood looked half decayed and very, very old and there were no sails except for a few ripped strips of rotten cloth hanging from the mast. The only thing seemingly in good condition was the Jolly Roger, if it could be called that. For one, it wasn't jolly at all. The flag had a skull; that was where any resemblance to a pirate flag ended. The skull was very realistic, from the deranged cold grin of the lipless mouth to the black holes of the eyes. It had a hood covering it and there were no crossed bones under it. Instead there were two scythes crossed diagonally behind it.
It was the creepiest flag Sanji had ever seen.
"Ew," Nami said from her place near the railing, Robin standing next to her with a curious expression on her pretty face, "that has to be the most disgusting Jolly Roger I've seen."
Sanji couldn't agree more, and he would have said something to that respect if there weren't alarms going off in his brain. He had seen that flag before, or at least it felt as if he had.
But it had been a dream. One he couldn't fully remember but which was sending chills down his spine, a feeling of dread and foreboding making him feel strangely cold.
Something bad was about to happen.
…
When it came the attack was quicker and more savage than they would have ever imagined. The Straw Hats were used to being attacked by Marines and other pirates; it was the price of fame, and that huge bounty on their collective heads made them a sought target for everyone with a bit of skill and a lot of ambition. But at least people gave them warning. Fuck, even Marines gave warning before trying to capture them.
One instant Sanji was looking at the black ship, his mind awhirl with a thousand different premonitions of death and doom, and the next he was jumping aside, his opponent materializing in the spot he had been occupying. It was all so fast Sanji didn't get to see any movement, just the feeling something was coming and the moment he moved aside the space wasn't empty anymore.
Something similar must have happened to the rest of his nakama, the cries of outrage and plain fear ringing loud and clear in the ship. Sanji had no time to look around, too involved in his own fight to spare even a second to check how the rest were doing.
He had to trust they were strong enough to defeat whatever it was attacking them.
Sanji turned to look at his enemy and blinked in surprise: a hooded figure, completely shrouded in darkness was standing in front of him, no features visible and a long and wickedly sharp scythe in his hand. A shiver ran down his spine.
"Who are you and what do you want from us?" Sanji heard himself saying, his voice harsh and grave.
The other didn't answer, it didn't even make a move but Sanji felt a powerful blow to the ribs, the wind knocked out of him. He doubled, coughing, and dodged to the side when he felt a light stirring in the air next to his head, avoiding a blow just by a hair's breath.
Sanji looked around; the figure hadn't moved an inch. It was impossible.
All around him the sounds of the fight were escalating, shouts, screams and the explosions which characterized Franky's and Usopp's style. Sanji wanted to know how they were doing but he had the feeling that if he diverted his attention even for one second he was going to pay dearly.
Conversation was going to take him nowhere, he knew. His enemy had yet to say anything or even turn to look at him. In his head he could see scenes from his forgotten dream, and match the movements almost exactly to the ones he was performing. He could almost guess where his enemy was going to go next, but if that was the truth then the outcome of the fight was already settled, and that he wouldn't admit.
Sanji did a back flip when he felt the next blow coming, standing on his hands and launching a barrage of kicks at his immobile opponent. It felt as if kicking through air, nothing connected. Stunned for a second Sanji didn't move fast enough, the pain exploding in his right arm where it had been hit, his balance completely shot to hell.
Sanji crumpled to the deck, panting harshly. Fuck, it hurt! That had been no normal blow, it felt almost like one of his kicks and it had dealt as much damage as he usually did. He didn't need to look at his arm to know the bone was broken. Fuck.
And what made it worse what that he knew it was coming. He had seen it in his head and still had been unable to move out of the way fast enough.
On another part of the ship a pained scream tore the air and Sanji turned his head without thinking, almost an involuntary reflex. Nami was standing with her clima tact in her hands, in front of her another of those unnervingly silent and still hooded figures. She had struck with the rod, passing through her enemy as if it wasn't there. There was blood staining her clothes and dripping down her legs.
Sanji wanted to go to her and help but couldn't, that instant of distraction had cost him, a scream lodged in his throat while he felt his leg being sliced open at the thigh. Again he had not heard or felt the hit coming until he was unable to dodge it.
Shit, shit, shit. Whoever these fuckers were they were maiming them. Not killing yet, just rendering them unable to fight.
Forcing his mind to move past the pain Sanji limped away, trying to put some distance between him and his enemy; still no words had been spoken and for what he could heard, his nakama had gotten the same response. Creepy didn't even begin to describe these bastards.
He needed a cigarette. His left hand was trembling lightly when he put it in his pocket to get the stick and he forced himself to relax, taking a deep breath a lighting it. Time to get serious.
Sanji closed his eyes and inhaled, exhaling the smoke in a soft cloud in front of his face. He saw a figure shimmer faintly in the smoke and dodged, eyes widening at the realization of what had happened. The hooded one had not moved from his position but Sanji had seen something, something had stirred in front of him and he jumped back, mindful of his injured leg he swung his good one and felt it connect.
But the other one was still in the same spot.
It wasn't possible. It just wasn't--but this was the Grand Line, the Florian Triangle, anything was possible.
I got you! Sanji thought, part of the fear which had been gripping him since the beginning of the fight leaving now he knew his opponent was real and could be hit.
He was getting ready to attack when something hit his head, pain exploding inside his skull at the same time a chilling shriek filled the air. Darkness surrounded him for a second, dragging him away from victory.
When he opened his eyes again Sanji was laying on the deck, the echoes of the scream had faded to nothing and he could hear a faint sobbing close. Sanji tried to stand and felt both his legs give under him.
Shit. He couldn't have been unconscious more than a minute and in that time the fight was lost.
"Robin, Nami don't worry," Sanji heard his Captain say, voice utterly serious like he had only heard Luffy when confronted with strong opponents. "I'll defeat these guys, whoever they are."
He took stock of the situation: there were eight hooded figures standing unmoving on the deck, one facing each of the Straw Hats. Or almost--he couldn't see Franky. Robin and Nami were next to each other, hands cuffed in front of their bodies, Nami's clima tact discarded on the deck. They were both bleeding and looked the worse for wear, but they didn't seem fatally wounded. Usopp was close to them, his weapon was also on the ground, he was beaten and bloodied but still standing, hands free and head scanning his surroundings attentively. He tried to move closer to the girls and recoiled suddenly, blood spurting from his mouth.
Sanji had not seen who attacked but had seen the blow.
On the girls' other side Luffy was trying to stand, his hands were cuffed and his legs seemed to lack the strength to support him. Seastone. Brooke and Chopper were by his side, both of them sporting cuffs as well.
Sanji wanted to close his eyes, he knew what was coming.
The only one still moving on the Sunny with some normality was Zoro, but it was easy to see he was having problems with his unseen enemy. He kept attacking blindly, his willpower the only thing that kept him standing with his injuries. And he had not fully recovered from Kuma's defeat yet.
Luffy finally stood, one hand on the railing to help him keep his balance, the seastone robbing him of strength. Sanji opened his mouth to shout a warning but no words came, instead just a howl of agony ripped out of his throat when something hard and heavy fell on his left hand, the snap of bones breaking loud enough to be heard. Luffy turned to look at him horror and pain clear in his gaze, and the next instant he was falling overboard, Chopper and Brooke following him.
No! Sanji wanted to shout, his eyes going to Usopp who watched them fall and turned to jump after them. No.
He didn't get the chance, the sound of a gunshot ringing clear in the air as Usopp fell, blood flowing from his head.
And still the hooded figures had not moved.
Sanji's eyes moved on their own volition to Zoro, who was staring at him with disbelief and horror plainly written on his face before he knees gave and he fell, almost as in slow motion, his eyes never leaving Sanji, a trickle of blood running from his mouth.
Sanji had seen enough, he didn't need to see the rest. He didn't want to.
In the darkness he heard the girls crying out, heard Franky's scream and the shot that pierced him. It didn't matter, not anymore.
All that mattered was they had failed, they had lost.
You've wasted a day, do you really want to save them?
Sanji opened his eyes wearily at the voice, his breath too loud in the suddenly silent ship. The woman was there, staring sternly at him and Sanji realized how much of an idiot he had been. The clues where there, the knowledge of what was going to happen was all inside his mind. And he had been too preoccupied with their daily affairs to pay attention to them.
He had spent the day ignoring his instinct and convincing himself it had all been a dream and had wasted precious time.
"I'll save them," he whispered with al the conviction he could muster, suddenly afraid the woman would rescind her offer and he wouldn't have more chances.
Do it, she said before disappearing again.
Sanji closed his eyes again and exhaled painfully: his last breath before everything began again.
...
Day Two
Author: aviss
Pairing: Zoro/+Sanji
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Angst, Horror.
Warning: Violence, character deaths (only not)
Disclaimer: So disclaimed.
Summary: Sanji is given a second chance to set things right. And a third. And a fourth…
Word Count: ~4.800 this part
Notes: First multichaptered thing I try in aeons, let's see how it goes. I'm not sure if this is going to be slash or nakamaship yet since these things keep mutating on me. This is also the darkest thing I've done in quite sometime, and coming from me that's saying something.
Once More With Feeling
Day 0
You have seven days. Don't waste them.
Sanji looked at the vanishing figure of the strange woman and closed his eyes.
Everything hurt: his head was throbbing painfully, his right arm was twisted in an unnatural angle and he was fairly sure his left hand was shattered. His legs had been useless for the last few minutes and the dull ache of the bullet wound in his abdomen was a slow drain for his remaining energy. He didn't have much time left; perhaps minutes, perhaps mere seconds.
He didn't care, he just wanted a cigarette. He'd rather have the taste of nicotine in his mouth while he died. Defeat was a hundred times bitterer.
The water lapped at his fallen body, the Sunny sinking slowly into the ocean. Behind his closed eyelids he could see everything as it was before he fell: Robin and Nami together, beautiful even in death with their cuffed hands reaching to one another, trying to protect what they held dear. Franky, mouth open in a silent scream, speared through the chest and nailed to the main mast in an obscene display. Usopp had been the first one to die; a bullet to the head cutting off his attempts to jump overboard to save those who couldn't save themselves. Luffy, Chopper and Brooke where nowhere to be seen but Sanji could still remember the splash their bodies had made when they were tossed overboard, seastone cuffs rendering their strength useless.
And the Marimo--that had been the worst, seeing Zoro's expression as his beloved sword was snapped as easily as a toothpick, his shock and disbelief at the blasphemy. It had been unfair, so unfair seeing the strength leaving him while the shards of his own Wadou Ichimonji were thrust into his chest.
Sanji had never felt so useless in his life, his legs unable to sustain him or help any of his nakama.
Then came the shot and the blessed relief knowing he wasn't going to survive them.
That was when the old woman appeared; a pearly shape, almost translucent, her face wreathed in deep lines of sorrow and knowledge staring at him. Her mouth had been a straight line, thin and unforgiving, but her eyes were kind and filled with compassion.
You welcome Death? You welcome me?
Her voice didn't match her looks, young and sweet and loving. Sanji had smiled, his dry throat refusing to form the words.
Yes, he had thought. Yes, take me too, take me with them.
She had stared at him hard, considering. Then she nodded her head.
I see. You can't live with your soul splintered and so many fragments missing. You don't want to. But it's not your time--it wasn't theirs either."
She appeared to be considering something for a minute and her lips curled into a smile, the years falling off her like so many layers of paint, leaving a beautiful woman in her place. Sanji stared speechless.
You have one chance for each of them. Choose well for when I come back to claim you I might take your whole world or only the parts you didn't manage to take back from me. There are eight fragments, seven may stay. You have seven attempts to put things back to rights.
You have seven days. Don't waste them
And with that she was gone and Sanji was dead.
…
Day 1
The first thing Sanji saw when he opened his eyes was Zoro's face scowling down at him.
Great, not only I'm dead I'm in Hell; the circle reserved for weaklings and cowards who let their nakama die in front of their eyes.
It was that thought, so out of place in the middle of the Thousand Sunny's galley, his galley, what startled Sanji into complete wakefulness.
"Oi Cook, you fell asleep in the galley again and it's your watch now," Zoro said his voice a gruff whisper. He looked half asleep and Sanji stifled a yawn.
"Go to sleep you dumbass, I'm awake," he replied, standing up from the bench and moving to the door, the words feeling wrong in his mouth as he was saying them. Had he dreamt about this already?
He climbed to the Crow's nest without looking back, the light scuffle of boots on the deck and the sound of a door closing telling Sanji the marimo was going to sleep. He was completely alone in the middle of the night.
He was feeling strange, as if he was forgetting something important, something he needed to remember.
Sanji stared out at the ocean, the black waters reflecting the moon like a mirror--a distorted mirror rippling with minor undercurrents and giving the moon an odd reddish tint in the dark ocean.
Red Moon, a bad omen if there ever was one.
With a shrug, Sanji took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it on his lips, lighting it with an expert flick of his lighter. They were in the middle of the Florian Triangle, barely a couple of days away from Thriller Bark. It had been Moria and his ship what gave the Triangle its bad reputation, hadn't it? So there was nothing to fear from the calm ocean, there wouldn't be any strange happenings unless they managed to find another dumb Shichibukai.
With their luck it was more than probable but he had more important things to think about.
Like that stupid Zoro and his death wish.
He was still annoyed that the moron had knocked him out when he offered his life in exchange for the Crew's. That fucking shitty-swordsman and his martyr complex, he was going to kick his head in as soon as Chopper deemed the idiot fit for his normal activities again.
That was what he was going to think about in the peaceful hours of his night watch: a thousand and one ways to kick the stupid, dumb marimo after he completely recovered from his injuries.
He wasn't going to think about how he had felt when they woke up, Luffy hyper as always and bouncing completely unharmed, everyone else bruised but more or less fine as well, and he had not seen Zoro around. The way his heart had stopped seeing the discarded swords--something the bastard would never leave behind willingly--,only to start beating frantically in his chest, as if trying to escape from it, the moment he saw him standing and alive, barely but still breathing, in the middle of the blood stained destruction.
He had wanted so badly to kill the insensitive bastard for putting them through that. Instead he had lent him a shoulder to lean on while they made their way back to where their nakama waited.
It was almost funny how lately his thoughts seemed to go back to the marimo all the time. Or it would be if it wasn't so weird, Sanji wasn't used to think--and worry--so much about another man. A man he knew was strong enough to defeat Death itself in a fight.
But however weird it was, ever since they left Thriller Bark his mind had been full to burst with marimo thoughts. He'd tried to imagine what would have happened to the crew if the idiot had not survived but had been unable to get past his own reaction to it, never mind considering the rest of them.
It didn't bear thinking about.
And there was a niggling feeling at the back of his mind trying to tell him something. Something about Zoro and his white sword snap--
The first light of dawn and the sound of soft steps on the galley snapped Sanji out of his reverie. His watch was over and now it was time to prepare breakfast.
…
Sanji's favourite thing about making breakfast was the silence. A pirate crew was supposed to be rowdy and noisy but the Straw Hats took it one step further. They weren't just noisy and rowdy; their mere presence was the definition of mayhem. In the mornings Sanji took the chance to enjoy the only moments of silence during the day, his mind going idly over the day's menu and the state of his supplies.
He had made so many breakfasts, at the Baratie and with the crew, he could almost do it in his sleep. That was the reason he usually let his mind wander while he prepared the rice and the miso soup, the sweet omelette the women favoured and the grilled fish. There was always some meat for his Captain, who seemed to be unable to survive without it.
He was trying to regain that feeling he had in the Crow's nest, emptying his mind of any thoughts while his hands worked on the lavish spread he usually did for his nakama. He was sure it had been important.
But he couldn't remember it.
Well, it didn't matter; it would come to him sooner or later if it was so important.
Sanji put aside the pans and cleaned his knives, eyeing the breakfast table while the first sounds of life returning to the ship reached his ears. Right on time.
He poured a mug of strong steaming coffee and deposited it on its spot on the table at the same time the door to the galley opened, a somewhat bleary but still lovely Robin stepping in and taking her proper sit on it.
"Thank you Sanji-san," she said her voice low and husky, "last night's watch felt longer than ever."
She had been more open since their return from Ennies Lobby and tended to engage everyone more in conversations about herself, letting them see her feelings. Sanji was thrilled.
"It's too early after our last adventure, Robin-chan," he heard himself saying, something in those words making alarm bells sound inside his head. Had he said them before? He couldn't remember. Maybe it was just a déjà vu. "We are not fully recovered and we also have to do the shitty-swordsman's watches until he's recovered from his latest stunt."
Sanji blinked, confused. It was really weird getting a déjà vu like that when he couldn't even remember the dream.
"Zoro-san needs his rest after--" she began, a knowing expression on her face. Sanji wondered how much she really knew but Robin closed her mouth at the same time the door opened again, letting in said swordsman closely followed by the rest of the crew minus Fanky, who was on first watch.
"Sanjiiiiiiiiiiii, I'm starving!" Luffy whined opening his mouth in a gigantic yawn while his hands stretched to grab the first available piece of meat.
Sanji kicked him for not waiting to be seated on the table while everyone took their usual sits and began to eat, and chaos reigned in the Sunny like every other day.
…
Sanji had little time to think about that weird feeling during the rest of the day. Right after breakfast Franky's shout alerted them of a huge storm front advancing toward them, and the whole crew had more than enough entertainment for the rest of the morning trying to stay afloat to spare even a brain cell for something as useless as thinking.
If they had believed the weather was strange in the Grand Line it was nothing to what the Florian Triangle had to offer: rain, sun, thunderstorms, snow and even a tornado all in the span of a few hours. One thing was for sure, however strange it was it wasn't boring.
Sanji barely had time to put together little more than a few onigiri and some meat for Luffy to keep their energies while they worked; lunch was a quick affair where they just grabbed what they could and ate standing at their posts, ready to spring into action at Nami's shouted orders.
When the worst of the storm was over and the Sunny was finally out of danger everyone slumped on the deck, exhausted.
"Woah! This was fun!" Luffy's standard reply to anything which might kill them managed to conjure tired smiles on everyone's face.
Sanji would have gladly joined the crew for a small breather, but he had already skipped lunch and there was no way the Straw Hats went without two solid meals if it was within Sanji's power. Dinner had to be especially good--and abundant--to make up for the previous one.
He was in the kitchen, getting his ingredients out of the padlocked fridge and putting them on the counter, when the door opened and closed. The heavy sound of booted feet told Sanji, without having to look, it was Zoro. Probably for some booze to celebrate they were still alive and sailing without much damage to the ship after that hellish morning.
Sanji ignored his presence and began chopping vegetables, his mind going over the recipe for tonight's dish. The silence stretched, only the fast sound of his knife hitting the board filling the kitchen.
That was strange, why was the marimo still there? He usually just took whichever bottle was closest to him and left to drink outside. Sanji began to feel uncomfortable, Zoro's eyes fixed on the back of his head and that unnerving quietness annoying him.
"What are you doing here, Marimo?" he snapped without tuning when he couldn't stand the silence anymore, his attention focused on the vegetables he was cutting within an inch of their lives. "Don't you have anyone else to annoy?"
Zoro didn't answer and for a moment Sanji thought he might have fallen asleep. He took a quick peek over his shoulder only to find Zoro staring intently at him, a serious expression on his face and an unopened bottle next to him.
"Something bothering you, Cook?" Zoro finally said, demandingly.
Sanji frowned, the movement of his hands halting for a split second before resuming his task. "You are bothering me," he replied, looking at his chopped vegetables satisfied with his job and moving to the next step.
"No, you have been staring at me since I woke up two days ago," Zoro insisted with his usual bluntness, his eyes still fixed on Sanji. "Is there something you wanna tell me?"
Sanji turned at that, his brows rushing together in a scowl. "No," he simply said, knowing there was no way he could explain to the idiotic masochist what he really wanted to. Not if the conversation didn't involve much cursing and kicking, and Sanji was convinced Chopper wouldn't forgive him if he sent the marimo back to the infirmary so soon after last time.
Zoro frowned, observing him even more intently. He abruptly stood up, nodding his head almost to himself, and grabbed the bottle on the table. He turned to the door and Sanji allowed a small sigh of relief to escape his lips.
What actually came out, before Sanji has the chance to stop it, was different. "On second thought, what the fuck did you think you were doing?" he heard himself saying much to his chagrin; he sounded equally pissed off and concerned.
Zoro stopped at the door and turned to look at him again, "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Sanji snapped letting the anger that had been building inside of him for since they left Thriller Bark take control of his mouth and brain, "What I mean is what idiotic, completely retarded and suicidal impulse made you do--" he cut himself off at the sight of Zoro's arched eyebrow and smirk. "Forget it, I don't care."
Zoro just went to the table and sat again, his amused expression irking Sanji even more.
"You tried to do the same, Cook. Or have you already forgotten? I just was stronger and quicker than you."
Sanji narrowed his eyes and spun round, hand clenched tightly around his knife to avoid throwing it at the bastard. There was no reason to desecrate his beloved knives.
He opened his mouth to say something else when Usopp's shout from outside grabbed their attention. "Pirates!"
Sanji and Zoro rushed outside, their conversation already forgotten in the face of more entertainment for the evening. "Damn, I didn't have time to finish dinner," Sanji muttered to himself but loud enough to earn a sharp look from Zoro. "I hope they don't take too long to be defeated."
Zoro's lips quirked up, "You can always go back inside, Cook, and let us deal with the problem," he said.
"Nah, I've wanted to kick some ass for a couple of days," Sanji replied looking at him with a smirk of his own and getting a cigarette out of his pocket, "and since you are still recovering and will have to pass on this one, I guess I'll stay."
Zoro's expression turned murderous, his hands resting on the hilt of his swords, "Who says I can't fight?"
The both fell silent as the ship came into view. It was a ship made for the Florian Triangle that much was clear: black, huge and creepy. They couldn't see anyone on the deck, the wood looked half decayed and very, very old and there were no sails except for a few ripped strips of rotten cloth hanging from the mast. The only thing seemingly in good condition was the Jolly Roger, if it could be called that. For one, it wasn't jolly at all. The flag had a skull; that was where any resemblance to a pirate flag ended. The skull was very realistic, from the deranged cold grin of the lipless mouth to the black holes of the eyes. It had a hood covering it and there were no crossed bones under it. Instead there were two scythes crossed diagonally behind it.
It was the creepiest flag Sanji had ever seen.
"Ew," Nami said from her place near the railing, Robin standing next to her with a curious expression on her pretty face, "that has to be the most disgusting Jolly Roger I've seen."
Sanji couldn't agree more, and he would have said something to that respect if there weren't alarms going off in his brain. He had seen that flag before, or at least it felt as if he had.
But it had been a dream. One he couldn't fully remember but which was sending chills down his spine, a feeling of dread and foreboding making him feel strangely cold.
Something bad was about to happen.
…
When it came the attack was quicker and more savage than they would have ever imagined. The Straw Hats were used to being attacked by Marines and other pirates; it was the price of fame, and that huge bounty on their collective heads made them a sought target for everyone with a bit of skill and a lot of ambition. But at least people gave them warning. Fuck, even Marines gave warning before trying to capture them.
One instant Sanji was looking at the black ship, his mind awhirl with a thousand different premonitions of death and doom, and the next he was jumping aside, his opponent materializing in the spot he had been occupying. It was all so fast Sanji didn't get to see any movement, just the feeling something was coming and the moment he moved aside the space wasn't empty anymore.
Something similar must have happened to the rest of his nakama, the cries of outrage and plain fear ringing loud and clear in the ship. Sanji had no time to look around, too involved in his own fight to spare even a second to check how the rest were doing.
He had to trust they were strong enough to defeat whatever it was attacking them.
Sanji turned to look at his enemy and blinked in surprise: a hooded figure, completely shrouded in darkness was standing in front of him, no features visible and a long and wickedly sharp scythe in his hand. A shiver ran down his spine.
"Who are you and what do you want from us?" Sanji heard himself saying, his voice harsh and grave.
The other didn't answer, it didn't even make a move but Sanji felt a powerful blow to the ribs, the wind knocked out of him. He doubled, coughing, and dodged to the side when he felt a light stirring in the air next to his head, avoiding a blow just by a hair's breath.
Sanji looked around; the figure hadn't moved an inch. It was impossible.
All around him the sounds of the fight were escalating, shouts, screams and the explosions which characterized Franky's and Usopp's style. Sanji wanted to know how they were doing but he had the feeling that if he diverted his attention even for one second he was going to pay dearly.
Conversation was going to take him nowhere, he knew. His enemy had yet to say anything or even turn to look at him. In his head he could see scenes from his forgotten dream, and match the movements almost exactly to the ones he was performing. He could almost guess where his enemy was going to go next, but if that was the truth then the outcome of the fight was already settled, and that he wouldn't admit.
Sanji did a back flip when he felt the next blow coming, standing on his hands and launching a barrage of kicks at his immobile opponent. It felt as if kicking through air, nothing connected. Stunned for a second Sanji didn't move fast enough, the pain exploding in his right arm where it had been hit, his balance completely shot to hell.
Sanji crumpled to the deck, panting harshly. Fuck, it hurt! That had been no normal blow, it felt almost like one of his kicks and it had dealt as much damage as he usually did. He didn't need to look at his arm to know the bone was broken. Fuck.
And what made it worse what that he knew it was coming. He had seen it in his head and still had been unable to move out of the way fast enough.
On another part of the ship a pained scream tore the air and Sanji turned his head without thinking, almost an involuntary reflex. Nami was standing with her clima tact in her hands, in front of her another of those unnervingly silent and still hooded figures. She had struck with the rod, passing through her enemy as if it wasn't there. There was blood staining her clothes and dripping down her legs.
Sanji wanted to go to her and help but couldn't, that instant of distraction had cost him, a scream lodged in his throat while he felt his leg being sliced open at the thigh. Again he had not heard or felt the hit coming until he was unable to dodge it.
Shit, shit, shit. Whoever these fuckers were they were maiming them. Not killing yet, just rendering them unable to fight.
Forcing his mind to move past the pain Sanji limped away, trying to put some distance between him and his enemy; still no words had been spoken and for what he could heard, his nakama had gotten the same response. Creepy didn't even begin to describe these bastards.
He needed a cigarette. His left hand was trembling lightly when he put it in his pocket to get the stick and he forced himself to relax, taking a deep breath a lighting it. Time to get serious.
Sanji closed his eyes and inhaled, exhaling the smoke in a soft cloud in front of his face. He saw a figure shimmer faintly in the smoke and dodged, eyes widening at the realization of what had happened. The hooded one had not moved from his position but Sanji had seen something, something had stirred in front of him and he jumped back, mindful of his injured leg he swung his good one and felt it connect.
But the other one was still in the same spot.
It wasn't possible. It just wasn't--but this was the Grand Line, the Florian Triangle, anything was possible.
I got you! Sanji thought, part of the fear which had been gripping him since the beginning of the fight leaving now he knew his opponent was real and could be hit.
He was getting ready to attack when something hit his head, pain exploding inside his skull at the same time a chilling shriek filled the air. Darkness surrounded him for a second, dragging him away from victory.
When he opened his eyes again Sanji was laying on the deck, the echoes of the scream had faded to nothing and he could hear a faint sobbing close. Sanji tried to stand and felt both his legs give under him.
Shit. He couldn't have been unconscious more than a minute and in that time the fight was lost.
"Robin, Nami don't worry," Sanji heard his Captain say, voice utterly serious like he had only heard Luffy when confronted with strong opponents. "I'll defeat these guys, whoever they are."
He took stock of the situation: there were eight hooded figures standing unmoving on the deck, one facing each of the Straw Hats. Or almost--he couldn't see Franky. Robin and Nami were next to each other, hands cuffed in front of their bodies, Nami's clima tact discarded on the deck. They were both bleeding and looked the worse for wear, but they didn't seem fatally wounded. Usopp was close to them, his weapon was also on the ground, he was beaten and bloodied but still standing, hands free and head scanning his surroundings attentively. He tried to move closer to the girls and recoiled suddenly, blood spurting from his mouth.
Sanji had not seen who attacked but had seen the blow.
On the girls' other side Luffy was trying to stand, his hands were cuffed and his legs seemed to lack the strength to support him. Seastone. Brooke and Chopper were by his side, both of them sporting cuffs as well.
Sanji wanted to close his eyes, he knew what was coming.
The only one still moving on the Sunny with some normality was Zoro, but it was easy to see he was having problems with his unseen enemy. He kept attacking blindly, his willpower the only thing that kept him standing with his injuries. And he had not fully recovered from Kuma's defeat yet.
Luffy finally stood, one hand on the railing to help him keep his balance, the seastone robbing him of strength. Sanji opened his mouth to shout a warning but no words came, instead just a howl of agony ripped out of his throat when something hard and heavy fell on his left hand, the snap of bones breaking loud enough to be heard. Luffy turned to look at him horror and pain clear in his gaze, and the next instant he was falling overboard, Chopper and Brooke following him.
No! Sanji wanted to shout, his eyes going to Usopp who watched them fall and turned to jump after them. No.
He didn't get the chance, the sound of a gunshot ringing clear in the air as Usopp fell, blood flowing from his head.
And still the hooded figures had not moved.
Sanji's eyes moved on their own volition to Zoro, who was staring at him with disbelief and horror plainly written on his face before he knees gave and he fell, almost as in slow motion, his eyes never leaving Sanji, a trickle of blood running from his mouth.
Sanji had seen enough, he didn't need to see the rest. He didn't want to.
In the darkness he heard the girls crying out, heard Franky's scream and the shot that pierced him. It didn't matter, not anymore.
All that mattered was they had failed, they had lost.
You've wasted a day, do you really want to save them?
Sanji opened his eyes wearily at the voice, his breath too loud in the suddenly silent ship. The woman was there, staring sternly at him and Sanji realized how much of an idiot he had been. The clues where there, the knowledge of what was going to happen was all inside his mind. And he had been too preoccupied with their daily affairs to pay attention to them.
He had spent the day ignoring his instinct and convincing himself it had all been a dream and had wasted precious time.
"I'll save them," he whispered with al the conviction he could muster, suddenly afraid the woman would rescind her offer and he wouldn't have more chances.
Do it, she said before disappearing again.
Sanji closed his eyes again and exhaled painfully: his last breath before everything began again.
...
Day Two