Chapter Text
“Uh, hey, Doc? Are you gonna eat us?”
Chopper shrieked, “What?!”
Luffy snickered unhelpfully, “Shishishi, we don’t mind if you eat us, tanuki!”
“I mind! I very much mind! Please don’t eat me!”
Usopp went ignored as Chopper looked down shyly, “I won’t eat you .”
“So what will you eat? It says you’re a carnival in one of Usopp’s Magic books.”
“He means cannibal.”
Chopper blushed and his form flickered between cute reindeer and creature that would eat your soul in less than five minutes. His eyes darted to Sanji, currently in his masculine form, seeking comfort from just the sight of him.
“I, um, I eat a lot of bone marrow. Or-or the yucky bits of meat that nobody else eats. Sanji saves them for me and he makes them taste great!”
“That’s because Cook’s the best cook, shishishi!”
“Cook’s the best, full-stop!”
Chopper giggled, “Thanks for not thinking of me any differently, guys!”
“Dude, Luffy inhales his food in less than five seconds. You have manners. I’m definitely more scared of Luffy’s eating habits than yours.”
Luffy snickered before gasping, “Oi, Doc, do you know if Cook has any strange eating habitats?”
“Habits, Luffy.”
“That’s what I said.”
“Um, well, he can technically eat spirits?”
“What.”
“That’s so cool!”
“I would let him eat me.”
Nami shrieked from across the boat, “Usopp, my Usopp-is-simping-over-Cook senses just went off! Don’t taint our Doctor with your thoughts!”
“But, Nami !”
“ No! ”
“Shuddup, all of you!”
“You did not just tell me to shut up, Roronoa Zoro!”
Chopper was so thankful he’d found his crew. They may be a bit chaotic and loud and didn’t really understand personal space. But they were home.
—
When they first met Ace, most of the Straw Hats agreed to keep him as far away as possible from their Cook. Luffy, however, didn’t seem to get the memo.
“Hey, Cook, this is my brother, Ace!”
Ace’s eyes widened as they took the sight of Sanji in before he grinned and tipped his hat, pressing a kiss to Sanji’s hand, “Well, aren’t you a pretty thing. What’s your name, beautiful?”
“None of your business, flames for brains.”
“Ooh, feisty, I like that in a lover.”
“Unfortunately for you, you’re not my type.”
“I could be.”
“You couldn’t if you tried .”
Usopp loudly cleared his throat before grabbing Sanji by the wrist, “Hey, Cook, need you for somethin’.”
Ace whistled under his breath as he watched Sanji walk away. He nudged Luffy and jerked his chin in the Cook’s direction.
“Seriously, what’s his name? Might invite him to be my cook, if you know what I mean.”
“Oi! You can’t have him! He’s mine!”
“And you can’t have his name.”
“Why not?”
“Take a guess.”
Ace blinked before his eyes widened, “ Really, now? Well, my, I’m real interested in ‘im now.”
Zoro glared at him, “Don’t be.”
“What, he yours? We could share.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“Nope, just horny.”
—
The Straw Hats really couldn’t catch a break.
They had just had a tearful goodbye with Vivi, ending with Sanji throwing a charm at her, telling her to remember them, that she always had a friend with them. Of course, being in such an emotional state, the magic-users had let their glamorous slip.
Meaning Miss All Sunday was greeted by pure power within a humanoid shape when she revealed herself. Sanji didn’t take his eyes off her once.
In an eerie reflection of their first meeting with Vivi, Miss All Sunday took a tentative step towards Sanji.
“Hello, there. Didn’t think I’d ever meet one of you. Especially not in this part of the ocean.”
Her voice was smooth and controlled but her eyes told a different story. Cold, cold eyes with a horrifying glint that promised a torturous death. Yet, Sanji didn’t flinch.
“Demon Child.” He spoke in a hundred voices, “You are a rarity yourself. What are your intentions?”
“I merely wish for a debt to be repaid. You’d know what that’s like, wouldn’t you? I can practically smell him on you.”
“And you reek of corpses. Tell me, Demon Child, do you wish for blood or bandage?”
Miss All Sunday chuckled, lowly, “How naive of you to think bandage is even a choice.”
“How naive of you to think we are not powerful enough to carve our own choices.”
“I will not interfere with your spirit. I ask you do not interfere with mine.”
Sanji hummed, “Are you sure? She seems rather lonely.”
“She is fine .” Miss All Sunday snapped.
There was a moment of silence between them. The rest of the Straw Hats looked cautiously between them. Chopper inched his way towards Sanji and Luffy didn’t take his eyes off of Miss All Sunday.
“Would she wish to join me in the moon ritual?”
“She does not wish to interfere.”
“Hm. How about this, I give you my name and you give me yours. Then we will be on the same footing. And you can join me for my rituals.”
Miss All Sunday sucked in a breath, “Are you mad? Do you have a death wish, perhaps?”
“I merely want to help her where I can. You understand that , don’t you?”
“We are not alike.”
Sanji smiled and there were too many teeth in his mouth, all too sharp and gleaming dangerously, “Aren’t we?”
Miss All Sunday glared, “I will not do the exchange here.”
“Fine with me.”
The two go into the kitchen of the ship and the Straw Hats try to restrain their curiosity. They come to know Miss All Sunday a little more as the days go by.
However, everyone is aware of the fact that their Cook is the only one able to get her to show emotion. Their Doctor manages to get a smile, the rest of the Straw Hats a nod at most .
But Sanji?
Sanji makes her laugh. He makes her grin and clap her hands in delight, he makes space for her in his heart and forces his way into hers. They didn’t know how he managed it but he did.
It was common for them to find the two discussing magic and spirits in depth or reading the same book, shoulder-to-shoulder. He lets her trace the runes on his arms and she lets her glamour slip the tiniest bit around him.
The others don’t trust her - apart from Luffy and, at times, Chopper - and she doesn’t trust them either.
One day, in the heat of the afternoon, while Sanji is still in the kitchen, Miss All Sunday sits all of the crew down with her. She looks them each in the eye before beginning to speak.
“I understand that you do not trust me. I do not trust you either. But I want you to know that I would never hurt Sanji and if it came down to it I would lay my life down for him.”
“Why do you trust him so much?” Nami asks.
She stares at her for a while before answering, “You do not know what he is, do you?”
“Do you?” Usopp asks, suddenly a lot more interested.
“I do. I will not tell you, as that is his story to tell, but I assure you, you are lucky to have something, someone, like him on your ship.”
“What are you ?” Zoro asks gruffly.
She smiles, “Me? I’m surprised none of you have figured it out yet. I’m a Djinn.”
“You’re a chin?”
“No, Luffy, Djinn . J-I-N.”
“That is definitely not how you spell Djinn.”
“Well, why don’t you try it, Mr Knows-Everything-About-Magic!”
“Usopp, what did we say about getting jealous of Zoro?”
“To not be because he’s too smelly to ever get someone like Cook, I know, I know.”
“Hey! I am not too smelly! I could totally get Cook!”
“Yeah, okay, sure.”
“. . . That sounded sarcastic.”
“Genius, you are. You guys hearing this?”
“Oh yeah, he’s so smart.”
“Wha- I am !”
“Why you getting mad, thats what they’re saying?”
“Luffy, you idiot, they don’t actually mean it!”
“. . . Huh?”
“I should’ve stayed with Doctor Kureha.”
–
Robin finds Sanji in the late hours of darkness and curls herself into his side. He doesn’t even blink, merely opening his arms for her to have easier access. She sighs as she settles down properly and feels the hum of his spirit in her own chest.
“I don’t understand them.”
Sanji chuckles, “Me neither.”
“You said they saw your unglamoured form but they still don’t know what you are?”
“They only saw me partially unglamoured. But it doesn’t matter because to them, it doesn’t matter what you are but who you are.”
“Aren’t you scared they’ll die with such a mindset.”
“Oh, they terrify me. But they’re home. I-I think some of them might even start shifting at some point.”
“Really?”
“Mhm. Its only happened with two other people before and they were the first chefs we hired back when me and my old man first built the Baratie. They were able to exchange names and could even weave small taste charms.
“That was from the old man mostly but from me. . . I think I turned them a little more beast than man. They would snap their teeth at whoever pissed them off and I swear they grew fangs. And their eyes. . . like a sharks.”
Robin hummed, “I don’t think Longnose would mind if he began shifting.”
Sanji blushed, “Why-why do you say that?”
Robin blinked, “He’s so ridiculously in love with you that its kind of pathetic.”
“Robin!”
“What, its not like I’m lying!”
“You know, one day, you’re going to fall in love and I’m going to make fun of you so much.”
“Then I just won’t fall in love.”
“Come on, who’s your type?”
“. . . Well, I do like. . . a taller man. Someone bigger than me. Powerful.”
“Oh, you’re a freak . You just wanna see a big man cry for you, don’t you?”
“I mean, its a benefit -”
Sanji cut her off with a laugh. Robin giggled slightly. Here, now, in the dark, they were just two souls who’d found each other. It didn’t matter what they were or where they came from, simply that they were laughing together.
“I’m glad I met you, Robin. Even if you were kind of a bitch when we first met.”
“I still am.”
“Yeah but I like that about you.”
“Sanji. . . Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being kind .”
Sanji smiled sadly and pulled her closer, “For you, Robin? Always.”
“Longnose is going to get jealous.”
Sanji huffed, “Shuddup and go to bed.”
Robin hummed.
“. . . Hey, Robin?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“. . . I love you too, Sanji.”