A Father's Betrayal

Chapter 38

"Sanji-kun?! What are you doing out of bed?!"

Nami walked into the kitchen the next day to find Sanji cooking.

"We're going to reach the Island soon.... I'm not staying behind...."

Nami sighed, "Sanji-kun, I understand how you feel... but you're in no condition to fight!"

"I DON'T CARE!"

Nami stared at him with wide eyes. Sanji had just yelled at her! Sanji! Her sweet prince, her gentlecook, who's never so much as raised a finger to a girl before actually yelled at her!"

Sanji's expression changed from anger to shock and guilt, "N-nami-san.... I-I'm sorry.... I-I didn't mean to...."

"I know.... But... if you fight in this condition you could get killed."

"But if I don't...." He stopped turning his gaze to the floor.

"If you don't what?"

A tear welled up in his visible eye as he continued to watch the floor.

"Sanji-kun?"

"If I don't... I'll... I'll only prove him right.... I-I can't... I can't give him that satisfaction! And as soon as they go back to normal.... They'll just rub it in my face... and... a-and...."

Nami walked up to Sanji and wrapped her arms around him. Burying her face in his neck she said, "It's okay.... It's going to be okay.... Sanji-kun, you won't be proving anything! What he thinks of you... it doesn't matter! What matters is what we think! You know what we think... don't you?"

"Mmhmm," he nodded once.

"Then promise me that you won't do anything stupid. Promise me that if you do go to the island with us... you won't get involved in the fight."

"O-okay."

"I'll go to the town and get a room at an Inn for you to rest in."

"But that costs money!" Sanji replied pulling away from her.

"That's okay. I'll just add it to your debt."

Sanji sighed, "no mercy even for the guy you're dating."

"Hey I never said how much you'll owe me," she smiled. "Not to mention you can't really say that we're dating when we haven't even gone on our first date yet."

"Oh and how much do I owe you?"

She stood on her toes so she could reach his ear. "How about dinner for two when we're done here?"

Sanji's face lit up like a child who just walked into a candy store with all you can eat free samples (That store is going to go out of business real fast!), "Really!"

"And if it's to my liking, you won't owe me a single berry."

"I can do that!"

"I'm sure you can," she smiled before giving him a kiss and leaving the kitchen.

******

Ichiji stared out the window of the crow's nest waiting impatiently for an island to come into sight. He woke up about an hour before the sun rose but didn't feel like going down to the deck yet. He turned around when he heard some movement behind him. Niji had woken up and was sitting up stretching.

"Morning, Ichi," he said before throwing a pillow at Yonji, waking him up. "I guess we're finally almost there, huh?"

"Hey!" Yonji said. "Stop throwing things you two!"