Ameliorate ✦ One Piece

65

The smell reached her before anything else did, rich and warm and deeply familiar. Akira had been awake for a while by then, sitting up in her infirmary bed with her knees drawn toward her chest and the IV in her arm carefully not looked at. She focused on watching the fire instead, looking around the unfamiliar stone walls and hallway beyond it through which Sanji and Luffy had disappeared with Chopper some time ago, Kureha not far behind them with final instructions to her patients to continue their rest.

The castle was quiet in a way she couldn't entirely settle into. Too large, too unknown, the sounds of it too different from the ship. And stuck to this bed, she had no chance to explore or evaluate it.

By the time the familiar scents of Sanji's cooking started wafting through the halls and reaching her, it was a much needed reprieve from her worries as it curled through the infirmary and set her at ease. And it wasn't long after that the group returned, bringing with them even more of it.

Sanji came through the halls first, carrying in his hands a large pot with Luffy and Kureha following not far behind him. The warmth of it spread through the room in the way that a good broth always did, filling corners and softening edges. Akira glanced at the bed beside her.

Sanji paused for a moment as he walked down the steps into the infirmary, face showing surprise once his eyes caught sight of her sitting up and awake. But he didn't comment on it as he kept moving a moment later, setting the pot down on one of the long tables behind Nami and Akira's beds.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, eyes glancing at her as he started setting out the bowls for the soup.

Akira watched him quietly as he worked, only offering him a small nod the second time he looked at her—more properly this time after her silence stretched too long for his liking. Though, even if she had tried to give more of an answer it would have quickly been cut off as Luffy dropped down to Nami's side a second later.

"Nami! Nami, wake up," he called out to her. "Sanji made food!" He shook her shoulder with the particular enthusiasm of someone who considered this excellent news and couldn't imagine why anyone would want to sleep through it.

Nami stirred, slowly blinking against the light as her eyes began to scan the room, looking at the group occupying it again, Luffy and Kureha dragging over chairs and chests on which they could take up their own space near her and Akira's beds.

Sanji was already moving toward them, and Akira accepted the bowl when it reached her and held it in both hands, letting the warmth work its way through her palms. The IV pulled slightly with the movement, but she didn't look at it as she sent him a small smile of gratitude before digging in while he handed Nami her own bowl.

Nami didn't hesitate in accepting the food, eagerly bringing the spoon to her lips as she began to eat while Sanji handed bowls to Kureha and Luffy next. "This is the best meal I have ever had." Nami looked up from her bowl with an expression that was almost disbelieving. "What is this?"

"It's just chicken soup." Sanji shook his head slightly, dismissing the compliment with a small chuckle at her awe. "It's a classic medicinal recipe," he explained as he finally walked back to the beds, dragging a chair of his own in one hand while carrying the fifth and final bowl for himself.

From her chair, Kureha watched them all over the rim of her own bowl, taking a couple of unhurried spoonfuls before lowering it. She looked at Sanji with an expression that was considering in the way a person looks at something they might want to keep. "Wanna stay here and live in this huge castle, blondie?" The offer came out smooth and tempting. "I'll make you my personal chef."

"Thanks." Sanji hadn't even finished the single word and his head was already shaking as he refused the offer. "I'm good."

Luffy, who had been working through his bowl at a pace that suggested he hadn't eaten in some time — which, most certainly wasn't the case — dragged the back of his hand across his chin where some soup had escaped and looked up. "Hey, doctor." He frowned slightly. "Why was that dog—"