A Father's Betrayal

Chapter 23

"We did just enter the dining hall, right?" Usopp asked as the crew stared into the candle lit room.

"I-i thought so," Nami answered.

"There's people in here," Law said.

"I sense then too," Zoro replied reading himself for a fight.

"Zoro don't. It's Sanji!" Luffy said running in to the room.

Nami and the others followed.

******

"Sanji, you better not be sleeping," Reiju said softly, to weak to talk in a normal tone.

"Hmm...?"

"She said, wake up," Yonji replied.

"I am awake."

"No you're not! Now come here," Niji said gabbing Sanji's arm and forcing him to sit up. "Damn it, you friggin failure."

"Niji," Sanji whined tiredly.

"Shut up. I'm still strong enough to hold you up and keep you awake, for now anyway. Have I ever told you you're a weakling"

"You might have mentioned it a few times."

"It's Sanji!" someone yelled running towards them.

"Lu-ffy." Sanji muttered.

"Sanji-kun!" Nami yelled running ahead of Luffy. She knelt down on the platform and pulled Sanji away from Niji and held him in her arms. "Sanji-kun, are you okay? What's the matter? What is this room? What is this thing?"

"Na-mi-san. I'll. Be. Fine," Sanji forced out.

"You liar!" his brothers replied.

"This room is a hidden room overlapping the dining hall, kind of like an alternate dimension," Ichiji began.

"The five of you look terrible," Zoro implied.

"That would be because this machine is draining our powers and giving them to Judge," Reiju replied.

"And it's killing Sanji." Niji added.

"Not to mention a force field around it so the five of us can't get out," Yonji stated.

"So if he's truly your friend, I suggest you figure out how to turn it off," Niji weakly pointed to the control panel.

Ni-ji." Sanji complained.

"Wait it's what?!" Luffy said.

"Well, Dad said it may kill all of us but it's definitely killing Sanji," Yonji answered.

"Franky, Usopp, start figuring out how to turn this thing off!" Luffy ordered.

"We're already one step ahead of you, bro."

"Sanji-kun! Open your eyes right now!"

"Why are you so worried about me?"

"What kind of question is that?!"

"I'm a Vinsmoke. The son of the devil and prince of the demon kingdom.... Every last one of us deserves to die.... So just let this machine do what it's supposed to and go after our father and destroy him."

"Sanji-kun..."

"WE'RE NOT GONNA LET THAT HAPPEN! YOU'RE OUR FRIEND!"

"How could you want to be friends with someone like me?"

"Sanji-kun! Stop talking like that! We need you! After all this time how could you not understand that! Do you not see how much we care about you?! How much we love you?!"

"Nope it not that one," Usopp muttered flipping a switch.

"Whatever the hell button you just pushed, turn it the hell off!" Ichiji growled.

"Oops. Supper sorry about that, Bro. Guess that controls how fast it drains you powers."

"Who in their right mind could possibly care about or love me, Nami-san?"

"Damn it Sanji! How can someone be so blind! We do! We love you! We care about you! We ne...." She stopped mid sentence, realizing something she never thought she'd ever admit, but if now wasn't the time to admit it, not just her friends, but to herself as well, then she didn't know when it would be. "I need you, Sanji-kun. I care about you. I... I love you."

Sanji stared at her. He wasn't sure if he heard her right. No, he didn't, he couldn't have. For Nami of all people to have said what he thought she just said.... That would be a miracle. A one in a trillion miracle. His mind went completely blank. He had forgot what he had just been thinking about. Nor could he remember were he was or what was going on....

He was dreaming... No he died, and somehow, despite who he was and who he was related to, had gone to heaven.... I mean what else could explain why his breath was just completely taken away by this beautiful red haired angel's sweet, loving kiss? It was absolutely impossible for this to be hell.... After all he was born in hell and got sent back to hell for two years so this absolutely just had to be heaven.

"I love you, Sanji-kun," Nami repeated after breaking away from Sanji. "You've always been mine. My servant. My bodyguard. My friend. Please, stop talking so little about yourself and let us help you.... That way I can be yours for ones.... In every sense of the phrase you ever wanted. Just say the word and we'll help you. Please, Sanji-kun, let us save you this once.... You sacrificed yourself enough for our sake."

"Nami's right! Tell us what you really want!"

Tears began to weld up in the cooks visible eye. "Can I?" he muttered so low he could scarcely be heard.

"Sanji," Robin said sitting next to him and Nami. "If I was aloud to say what I really wanted that day at Enies Lobby then you can say what you really want right now, even if you are in the place of your worst nightmares."

"Lu-ffy, I... I want to go home to the Sunny." Sanji sobbed. "But despite everything they did... I want to help my siblings too.... I want to... as my first and final act as a Prince of Germa... I want to stop Judge.... I want to save the North Blue... the ocean my ancestors once ruled over.... So it citizens never have to live with another Vinsmoke as its ruler ever again.... But I'll never be able to do it on my own...... Please.... Help me...."

"Of course you do. You wouldn't be Sanji if you didn't," Luffy smiled his all to contagious grin. "We're friends. Aren't we, Sanji?"

"Mmhmm," Sanji humed trying to whip away his tears.

"Which means that no matter what, we fight together. You are not alone anymore.... That said..... I'M GOING TO KILL THAT BASTARD!

******

 Can't wait to hear what you thought of this chapter.

It's official! Sanji x Nami! I know some of you have been hoping for that. I may have another ship surprise in store for you as well but that won't be for another couple chapters.... So let's play a game... try guessing which ship it's going to be! Winner gets the satisfaction of being right.

Thanks so much for the wonderful comments and votes!