The Writings On Our Bodies

Inklings

Disclaimer: This story won't really follow the normal flow of arcs in one piece. Also, the crew's appearances are those of after the timeskip but the timeskip never happened and Ace never died. Okay, happy reading!

The straw hats were coming to find out that there was no way for them to predict anything in the new world. Just when they thought they'd seen all the crazy they possibly could encounter in all their lives, they came upon an island made out of paper or one where rain came from under the ground before forming a layer of water a few thousand feet above the island making the whole island full of mirages. Refraction or something Nami said in between sobs. Right now the Sunny was docked at the beach of an island where a pirate crew called the Sung pirates had been terrorizing the islanders. They had formed a base there and the crew was working under one of the Underworld Kings dealing in human trafficking. The captain was a real pain to deal with because of his devil fruit power, the snake-snake fruit,that enabled him to turn into a poison serpent with a blade rattle. Luffy had been poisoned quite a few times in their battle and his skin melted by the venom that came out of his fangs but he never quit and in the end he had won.

The crew now sat at the beach partying with the islanders who couldn't stop thanking them for what they had done. Zoro would have been really pissed off but they came with beer in plenty and that was enough for him. Surprisingly Ace had been on the island as well, along with some of his crewmates and Marco as they had come to get one of their crew members who'd been taken by the human traffickers. He was obviously with Luffy, his brother who he loved to death and would gladly lay down his life for. Sanji had made a feast and was finishing up serving the last of the islanders before serving himself and sitting down on a log a little far off from the commotion. He observed Ace and Luffy as Luffy struggled to put out a fire Ace had lit on his butt. He smiled genuinely before adopting a sad look on his face.
"Oi shit cook, what's with that ugly look on your face?"Zoro said as he sat close to Sanji with Sanji's special seasoned turkey leg in his left hand and a beer in his right.
"I smelled you coming and remembered that only one monkey I know can smell worse than it looks," Sanji replied not really taking his eye off Ace and Luffy. Zoro just got ticked off by that comment but didn't really show any sign of leaving or starting up a fight. They sat in silence for a few seconds before Sanji started the conversation again.
"Have you ever had someone for you like Ace and Luffy have each other?" His tone was low and serious so Zoro knew it wasn't a time to start a stupid contest. He lightly tapped at the Wado Ichimonji at his waist, an action that Sanji noticed, before beginning
"I wouldn't say it was like Ace and Luffy. I had a rival when I was a kid. We promised that one of us would be the greatest swordsman in the world but she died the day after we made the vow"
"That sword was hers?"
"What? Oh kind of. It was her family's but she wanted to use it to fight me in a battle I'd requested without wooden sword. 2001 battles and I never could beat her. She died falling down the stairs going to get the sharpening stone. So I decided to live out our dream for her and be the greatest swordsman"
"Aaw that's adorable. I'm sorry that happened."
Zoro just 'tched' and continued chugging the beer he had in his hand. Sanji had stopped eating and had placed his right elbow on his knee and his right hand cupped his cheek.
"I've only ever had the old man. He was a cunt but a good one. He saved me when I was about to die. I'd been living on my own fending for myself, working on ships as a busboy from a very young age. Once, his pirate crew attacked a ship I was in and I fell in the water and sunk. He jumped in to save me and lost his leg in the process. We were stranded on an island for months. He gave me all the food we had and starved himself"
Zoro was speechless. He had had no idea that Sanji had had such an undesirable childhood. He looked at the cook pitifully before asking,
"What about your family? Didn't you have any siblings?" and Sanji stiffened. He could tell that this was a topic that held very deep scars and didn't push it. They remained in silence for a minute before Sanji started again
"Looking at Ace and Luffy just reassures me that there are good families out there. People that love each other truly and who would die for each other without hesitation"
Zoro placed his hand on Sanji's knee and looked him dead in the eye.
"I'd die for you,"he said and kept eye contact for a few seconds before noticing how that sounded, "we'd all die for you I mean. We're a family." Sanji had a shocked expression on his face first but then began to beam smiling toothily at Zoro. Zoro blushed a little before turning away quickly and stuffing his face with the turkey leg. Sanji was happy to hear that Zoro cared despite what he would always say even though he knew it was all jokes. Hearing it come from his mouth was everything for him at that moment. "I'd die for you too," he whispered, looking down at his shuffling feet.
"Eh, what did you say?"
"I said that if you don't stop drinking beer while eating like that you'll get a beer gut, beer-for-brains"
"What did you just say Ero-cook"
"Eeh Marimo"
"I can kill you right now if you want you yellow mop"
They started fighting while everyone sweatdropped.

Off to a slow start but it's all good