A Father's Betrayal

Chapter 40

"Bepo! Shachi! Penguin! What the hell are you guys doing here!" Law said as his crew ran towards him, Bepo leaping onto him. "I told you guys to go to Wano!"

"But your Vivre card was going in the wrong direction and we got worried!" Bepo said.

"If it's not on fire then there is no need to worry," Law said. "Okay, Bepo, I'm glad to see you too."

"Bepo, I think that means get off. Or are you trying to suffocate the captain?" Shachi said.

"Sorry," Bepo replied getting off of Law.

"How did you guys get through the Calmbelt?" Penguin asked.

"That we're still unsure of," Sanji replied turning to his brothers. "The real question is how did you guys get here?"

"Our ship is a submarine. It doesn't need window or oce~" Shachi trilled off when the three Heart Pirate's spotted the four Vinsmoke siblings standing around Sanji.

"G-G-G-GERMA!!!!!" The three hollered in terror, Bepo pointing at them, Shachi and Penguin's hands fisted in their hair... well what wasn't covered by their hats anyway. THEY'RE REAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!"

Sanji face palmed. Ichiji slowly shook his head. Niji and Yonji burst out laughing. Reiju chuckled.

"Shut up!" Law said, "are you trying to let the entire island know they are here?!"

"Sorry!" The three whispered loudly.

"B-b-but, why are they here?" Penguin asked.

"Visiting our little brother," Niji said wrapping his arm around Sanji's shoulder.

"Move. Your. Arm. Or. Die!" Sanji said glaring at his older brother.

"WHAAAAAAAAAA?!!!!!!! BLACK LEG'S A MEMBER OF GER~!"

"I AAAAAM NOOOOOOT!!!!!!!!!!!" Sanji said using party table kick course to kick each of them in the face.

"Remind me to get off his bad side...," Yonji said.

The two older brothers nodded, their eyes wide as all three of them stared at the three Heart Pirates laying on the ground, faces swollen, arms and legs twitching, all three of them muttering an incoherent "sorry".

"Umm, Black Leg-ya, could you please refrain from breaking my crew?" Law said a drop of sweat on his forehead. "I'd really appreciate it."

"IF YOU EVER SAY THAT WORD IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Sanji said, who was now being held back by Usopp.

They sat up, cross-legged, and bowed, "We're sorry. We won't do it again."

"Bepo?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Are Ikkaku and the other's here as well? Or is it just you three?"

"There here. They're back at the submarine with Kin'emon."

"Good, keep it that way. I'm going to help the Straw Hat's take care of the Garuda. After words we can all get back to the New World and head for Wano."

"Aye Captain!" They stood up and walked back in the direction they came from.

Law sighed.

"I bet you're happy to see them," Robin smiled.

"I am," Law said with a partial smile. "But given the circumstance, they picked a really crappy timing to get worried over a Vivre card that wasn't burning."

"Sanji, what's the matter?" Chopper said, "You don't look good."

"I'm fine, Chopper. I just~" Sanji tried to say before falling backwards.

Zeff was behind him in an instant, "yes you're fine. Just dizzy. You know there is a reason why you're staying at an Inn and not fighting with your crew, right?"

"Shut up, Old Geezer."

"Don't be using party table kick course when you know it's going to make even you dizzy!!!"

"But they said I was... I no like Germa..." Sanji said incoherently, his head hanging like he couldn't hold it up. "Germa die...Vinsmoke die... Marimo go way... Cold...."

"WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO WITH YOUR LOUSY FAMILY!!!" Zoro yelled.

"Alright, quit talking gibberish. We better get him to an Inn before anything else," Zeff said lifting Sanji off the ground.

"I can walk on my own...," Sanji muttered under his breath.

"Stop complaining, annoying little brat."

"Stupid old geezer," Sanji quetly replied as he drifted off to sleep.

"I take the 'annoying' part back, he's a stubborn little brat."

"Why is it that not having our enhancements is affecting him worse then it's affecting us?" Niji asked.

"Not to mention, at very random moments...," Yonji added.

"We can't chalk it up to the fact that we're getting ours back and he's not because Yonji's and Reiju's aren't coming back either," Ichiji thought out loud.

"We'll figure it out later. Right now we need to get him to an Inn and in a bed to get some more rest and warmed up," Zeff said as they walked up the docks. "It seems like his fever is actually gone... but he is about froze right now."

"Umm, you guys! You might want to get up here!" Zoro said, who was walking ahead of the group with Law close behind him, hand ready to form a room to put the swordsman back on the right track if needed.

"What's the matter, Zoro?" Nami asked as most of them ran to catch up.

"Why is Zoro leading?" Sanji muttered sleepily.

"He said Zoro...," Yonji said in disbelief.

"Not Marimo...," Niji added.

"Or Moss Head...," Ichiji finished.

"Go back to sleep...," Zeff said. You sleep to lightly.

Nami gasped at the sight before her eyes. She turned back to the Vinsmokes and Zeff, who were the only ones left to catch up, "You guys are gonna want to see this!"

They hurried over to the hill everyone else was standing on. Beyond the hill was....

"We're too late...." Ichiji sighed.

Sanji forced himself out off Zeff's arms.

"Sanji...?" Sora said.

Sanji walked to the edge of the hill, fists clenched at his side.

The town was in ruins. There was nothing left but smoldering wood where houses once stood. What few buildings that were still standing had windows, walls, and roofs smashed and people working hard to put out fires, some small, some large. Women stood at the far end of town holding terrified children, while the men worked.

Sanji's body trembled uncontrollably. His expression grew darker, more angry than any of them had ever seen. "I'M GOING TO KILL HIIIIIIIMMMMMM!!!!"

"C-calm down, Sanji," Usopp said raising a hand to place it on the blond's shoulder but was pulled back by someone. He turned his head to see Niji, who's hand was still on the snipers shoulder.

"Don't touch him right now," Niji warned, pointing to Sanji's feet.

"Huh...?" Usopp looked to see smoke coming from the Cook's legs and feet.

"His enhancements are trying to come back.... Just because he uses them mostly in his legs doesn't mean the rest of his body isn't going to burn you right now."

"Eeeeeeee," Usopp squealed. "That would of hurt! Th-thanks."

"His body was almost ice cold a moment ago," Zeff muttered to himself.

"Is something wrong?" Luffy asked.

"No," Zeff replied.

"We'll find him, Sanji-kun," Nami said softly. "Come on, let's go see if we can gather some information."