A Father's Betrayal

Chapter 12

Sanji woke up early the next morning, his internal clock telling him 'it's time to start breakfast'. He temporarily forgot where he was until a burning pain shot through his side and all memories of the previous day came flooding back.

He got out of bed, walked to the bathroom, and looked in the mirror. Most of his burns seemed to have healed overnight. He lifted his shirt to examine the one in his side. It was obviously smaller than the previous night but it still a good size and hurt like hell.

"Bastard's," he muttered as he let his shirt fall.

He left the bathroom and found Chopper sleeping curled up in the chair. He sighed before walking over to the sleeping reindeer.

"Such a worrywart," he whispered placing a hand on the reindeer's forehead.

He picked Chopper up and laid him on the bed where he could sleep more comfortably before heading to the closet. After changing, he walked out to the balcony and lit a cigarette.

"Sanji, how are your burns? Do you still feel dehydrated?" Chopper asked coming out to the balcony a half hour later.

"They're fine, Chopper. No, I don't," He answered before going back inside. "Come on, let's go wake the others."

******

"SANJI?!," Luffy hollered in excitement after breakfast.

"What do you want Luffy?"

"Tour! Give us a tour of the castle!"

"No. I really don't feel like walking around this place," he answered, walking to the dining hall doors.

"Oi, pirates, if you want a tour of the castle, we'll be more than happy to take you," Niji said.

"Yeah! We'll show you where all our favorite memories of that weakling, you like so much, took place," Yonji added with a laugh.

"On second thought, Luffy, if you must have a tour, let's go," Sanji answered.

"YAY!"

"Sanji."

"What do you want, Judge?"

"Excuse me?"

"I am not calling you 'Father'. That title belongs to another man."

"Whatever. I was just going to remind you to stay out of that room."

"Tch. I really could care less."

******

"You guys realize that there really isn't much to see here. Just a bunch of brick walls," Sanji said as they walked the corridors of the castle.

"We figured it would be easier for me to investigate without getting caught," Robin said.

Sanji thought for a moment, "Yeah, I guess that does makes sense."

"What did he mean when he said 'that room'?" Nami asked.

"There's this one room that we were never allowed to go in. We always tried to sneak in but got caught and yelled at every time. That was the only time my siblings got into trouble."

"Do you think the keys might be in that room?"

"I doubt it. But I wouldn't put it past him to do so either. I do know he had them on him last night after dinner."

"Maybe he keeps them with him," Nami thought out loud.

"No, he wouldn't do that. He may be a bastard but he's not stupid. He is a scientist who worked with Dr. Vagepunk, after all."

Franky grabbed Sanji by the shoulders and pulled him back, "Wow, bro! Are you telling me that your father worked for none other than the Dr. Vagepunk?!"

"No, he didn't work for Vagepunk, he worked with Vagepunk. Yes, but it was long before my siblings and I were born. The two of them figured out how to genetically modify living creatures. The government, found out about some of the things Vagepunk was studying and thought it 'too dangerous', so they arrested him. Judge, however, escaped that day, only to use that information to..." Sanji stopped walking.

"Genetically modified, you and your siblings...?" Carrot finish for him in a question, although she already knew the answer.

Sanji turned to the hallway on the right, that led down a set of stairs.

Nami placed a hand on his shoulder, "Sanji-kun? Are you okay?"

Sanji didn't answer and continued walking. His friends looked at each other and shrugged before going after him.

Sanji led the Straw Hats down the flight of stairs in silence. The room they led to was dark and cold. Sanji let his leg catch fire for light. The room was lined with iron barred prison cells.

Sanji walked over to the first cell on the right. He place his hands on two of the bars that were bint out of place. As he crawled through the two bars he noticed the femailur cell was exactly how it was when he left it. He straightened up as he looked around. His hands clenched into fists as the memories came flooding back. Before he realized what he was doing, he walked over to the old oven on a stand in the corner of the cell. He put his hands behind it and flung it off the stand. Everyone jumped back at Sanji's unexpected rage as the oven crashed to the floor. He broke the small table in half with his leg and sent the books on the floor flying into the bars with one kick. He pulled the blanket and pillow off of the bed before flipping it upside down with another kick. He quickly turned around and spotted a stand that he didn't remember, the round object on top of it, however, he remembered all to well. He picked up the iron mask and examined it. "DAMN BASTARDS!" he yelled, throwing it through the two bint bars. He removed the yellow cape he was wearing, wadded it in a ball and dropped it on the floor before kicking it, setting it on fire.

He fell to his knees and hung his head as his anger and frustration turned to tears.

Nami, feeling it was now safe, walked through the two bars, followed by the others after Zoro cut the door down.

Nami sat on her knees in front of Sanji and pulled him into a tight hug. "Shhh," she said rubbing his back. "It's going to be okay. We're here. Your friends are here, Sanji-kun." She looked up at Luffy, who very much like the previous day, placed his prized straw hat on Sanji's head, confirming Nami's words.

Much to everyone's surprise, Zoro sat down next to the two. "Hey, Co~ ...Sanji?" He said. "About yesterday.... I... I'm sorry about what I said.... About you possibly being a spy or something.... I would never have said something like that about the others.... And I shouldn't have said it about you.... But don't think that means I'm going to stop thinking of you as an Idiot Cook."

Sanji mutter something into Nami's shoulder.

"What?"

Sanji lifted his head just enough to be understood and tried to keep his voice steady, "I wouldn't have it any other way, Stupid Marimo."

"So is it safe to assume that apology's excepted?"

"Yes, now go back to being a jerk. I don't like nice Marimo," Sanji teased.

"Thank God, because I think I'm coming down with 'if-I-be-nice-to-this-idiot-much-longer-I'm-going-to-die' disease," He teased back while glancing up at Usopp.

"Den go a'ed an' jus' die al'eady," Sanji said into Nami's shoulder.

"Yeah, don't feel like it."

"I'w kick you."

"Not if I cut you first. Would you stop talking into Nami's shoulder!"

Sanji looked at Zoro, "I don't feel like it."

Nami chuckled as Sanji buried his face in her hair.

"She's warm, her skin and hair is so soft, and she smells like heaven. I am not moving until Robin and Reiju find the keys to these."