I'm so sorry that was me it is a bit too fucked up.
Let's go back to the idea of an adorable pudgy baby waddling the Sunny's deck holding hands with Marco and Mihawk.
Or cutely playing and clapping his hands at the strawhats antics.
I'm so sorry it was so cute and innocent before the pain.
No, I love the pain. You made your bed and now you have to lie in it. I love angst. My favorite tropes are angst based. But I'll bust this out so you can have your fluff. It's always good to have a fluffy break.
Toddler!Sanji walking around the deck with his brother and uncle, being set in the grass and watching all the rough housing with giggles and claps. Marco finally convincing Mihawk to give the baby cook just one tiny toss into the air and the pure astonishment the swordsman has he caught the boy and the amount of laughter it produces. Marco considers it a win.
Marco probably lays out a blanket on deck and just naps with the baby, Luffy probably joins them and Nami is taking so many photos while Robin is having severe cuteness aggression and has broken a pencil every time she looks over. It's brutal. She does kidnap the cook for some one on one time away from the other hats and his family. Just reading to the sleeping babe in her arms. She is absolutely barricading the door with her devil fruit so no one can break in to the aquarium bar while she does this.
And maybe when Sanji is big too she still does it.
Maybe the devil fruit power doesn't just make Sanji ya toddle it either randomizes his age to some time younger every 2-5 days or it works so he ages some time every 2-5 days until he’s 21 again.
So they get to see and spend time with all ages of baby Sanji.
The first time it hits they are left with a 3 month old. I just picture all the stawhats laying on their stomach in a circle watching a baby having tummy time. They notice Sanji is a lot less fussy when they wrap him around Zoro since he’s the warmest.
Then they have a six month old for a few days then a 1 yr old. I can imagine Robin reading him stories while Choper and Luffy make the sound effects. Usopp and Franky making him building blocks and a small play kitchen.
When he’s 5 he starts insisting on cooking, he has his memories, he can do it, but gets put in air jail on Franky’s or Jimbe’s shoulders when he insists on overextending himself.
He still has the emotional regulation of a toddler even if he does have his memories, so when Zoro assumes he can just argue with him like normal the tiny cook bursts into frustrated tears midway through .
Things get a lot less fun when he starts aging with bruises, he has cracked ribs and a black eye at 6 Choper almost loses his mind. At 7 there's a still fresh and bleeding Y shaped wond on his chest, the conqueror's haki wave luffy lets out when he sees it makes sure Sanji is passed out when they have to dress it.
He plays and cooks despite the bruises, until one day they have an emaciated child to deal with on the sunny, at least it’s far away enough from the rock that they don’t have to worry about refeeding syndrome.
Things get better and they get Sanji growing up into a spunky teenager, Chopper refuses to let him smoke until he’s at least 18, they all have a laugh at the voice cracks.
19 yr old Sanji is nostalgic for everyone, when they finally get their 21 yr old cook back everyone is very happy.
Picturing Mihack and Marco getting really emotional and clingy with seeing the little boy from their memories again.
I’m sorry this is so long
Man that's fucked up. Except i head canon Sanji being vivisected at 6 and then locked on the dungeon. So like also imagine Mihawk and Marco witnessing Marco, who knows more than everyone else and getting questioned? Peak. Angst galore. Like Marco having to defend his reasoning to Mihawk? Perfect.
So yeah, the Hats just dealing with a baby who can't fucking, literally 3 month olds have almost no sight, and just watching Robin give the cook some formula that Marco brought because she's not afraid to do it and won't accidentally feed the cook too fast. Marco brought it and explained softly how to everyone but it is him and Robin feeding the baby. Mihawk holds infant Sanji once. Afraid to break his nephew. Luffy loves doing tummy time with Sanji, so does Nami and Usopp. Zoro is designated carrier of 3 month old Sanji when Marco isn't available. Which is quite often.
Then a few days later Sanji is six months old. More active, eating his first solids and he's so small in Jimbe's hands. Sanji can sit by himself and hes playing with the toys Usopp and Franky made. He still does tummy time. He kind of recognizes the crew. Mihawk is kind of envious of how easily Marco handles Sanji at any age. Luffy too. They handle the change so easily and he feels stuck like Jimbe.
Then Sanji is about one, then two. Sanji knows them all, isn't that great at talking, but they can all usually get him to a yea or no phase for what he wants. He raises his arms at Marco for uppies all the time because he knows his older brother will grant him the sacred uppies. Marco rolls his eyes but always smiles. Considering how they met? He'll take it.
Then Sanji is four and the bruises start. A dark blue on his cheek and some of his ribs that make him hide from the doctors. From Mihawk's fury. Sanji knows, logically, he's not in trouble. Luffy convinces him to come out after a while and holds him while Mihawk cooks. Sanji keeps pushing Luffy's jaw up to keep him from sneaking bites. Nami and Marco try to convince Sanji to let them ice his cheek before Izou being called is threatened. When Sanji listens after that it confuses almost all of them. Apparently Izou was the best one to catch Sanji given he can swim.
At five he's covered more in bruises. Arguing with Zoro until he cries from frustration because he's five and Sanji hates it. And air jail. He knows how to cook! Let him! Mihawk puts Sanji to bed easily when that happens.
Six makes the blond boy collapse like he was darted as blood starts pouring from the kid's chest. Sanji is rushed off by the doctors while they wait. Marco looked panicked.
Marco is rarely panicked. Chopper seemed so as well. Luffy's wave of King's haki certainly didn't help, making Chopper stumble after Marco while Jimbe grabbed the young man and told him to control himself. Robin speculates, Franky asks what the blood could be from. Brook mutters about what they saw in Tottoland. Mihawk mentions the government contracts Germa has had over the years. When Marco comes back he's bombarded with questions he doesn't want to answer because Sanji does have all his adult memories technically making him an adult.
"The hell did that bastard do, Marco." Mihawk demands while Marco is still in scrubs, just coming to relay that Sanji is stitched up and resting.
"I would hazard a guess for a vivisection. The way the blood formed is remarkably close to the scar on his chest." Robin hums, clearly hiding her anger. It makes Jimbe's obvious, as well as Mihawk's while Franky demands answers for why Judge isnt dead for doing that to Sanji.
"Trust me, there's nothing more than we wanted for years, even again now after all that shit. Sanji never did, still doesn't." Marco sighs.
"Ugh, whats a vivisection?" Usopp asks carefully.
"It's... An exploratory surgery. Usually only done when you can't find out why someone is sick." Robin answers for Marco. "Or in our cook's case, why he wasn't born like his siblings."
"And you knew, the entire time!" Mihawk growls at Marco who glares back.
"You think he wants us to know? Wanted me to know? He used to run from me every chance he got!" Marco exclaims back. "He's my baby brother, what makes you think I haven't wanted that bastard's head since I found out!"
"Sanji asked me to save them after all that dumb stuff at his wedding." Luffy interrupts the stare off between the men. "When did he meet Zeff?" It's curious. But still concerned, serious.
"Nine. He met Zeff at nine. The rest of us at ten." Marco is quiet when he answers. It makes the room heavy that they barely know what in-between six year old Sanji and the boy on the rock. They all visit the boy in the infirmary. Izou calls and talks to the boy for a few hours. Mihawk's fallen asleep a few times sitting beside the cot. Sanji basically sleeps through all of six.
Seven and eight they have to pick a metal helmet off the boy. It's too quiet on the Sunny, Sanji is clearly dissociating during it. Mihawk watches Marco leave to the island proper and come back later with scabs on his knuckles. Ruffle Sanji's hair and act like nothing is wrong. Maybe they both need it. Especially because of how everyone is acting like Sanji is made of porcelain. Marco might be acting like Sanji is younger, and having a couple quiet conversations that Mihawk can't hear but the way the blonds carry themselves, it's heavy. Marco asks him not to tell Zeff one night. Sanji doesn't want him to know. Then he tells the crew and convinces them Sanji is of sound mind. Sanji will tell them in his own time.
Nine has a Sanji a few months off the rock, too thin and wiry, moreso than when Mihawk or Marco met him. But Chopper is relieved there's no refeeding syndrome to be found, no NG tube needed. But the starvation takes a lot out of Sanji who tires easily during arguments with Zoro and Luffy. You know how Marco hogged baby Sanji for co sleeping? Yeah, he's doing it again. That's the baby of the family. Fuck off, guys! No! He will fly off with the kid! Watch him!
Also just imagine how long this takes? There's like almost a solid like month, month and a half this is going on and Marco and Mihawk being nostalgic for the boy they helped raise, who took on as family. The puberty voice cracks kill Zoro when they're fighting even if a fourteen year old Sanji still kicks like a mule. Sanji at sixteen is almost a foot shorter it seems like than when he shoots up at seventeen/eighteen. It pisses Zoro off to no end that's how Sanji got so tall originally. Never mind what Nami is saying about the asshole's height.
Twenty year old Sanji in a dress puzzles all but Marco. Izou used to dress Sanji up so it tracks. Sure. The long hair is what gets him mostly.
"And I didn't let Izou come? Holy shit he's missing out." Marco grins while Sanji glares at him. Crossing his arms while Mihawk says the cut is atrocious to Nami and Robin's nod. Sanji stares blankly at them all before the girls pull him away to play more dress up. They don't talk about anything from before Sanji was with Zeff. Sanji will turn and walk away, clearly not ready to face what his crew saw of his past. Even Mihawk and Marco are dodged when the guy older, back to his normal height and speed and the ability to blue walk to avoid Marco. The brat.
No one can shake it though. The horrors they witnessed, the way Sanji jumps now. Skittish again just like when Mihawk and Marco first met him. Scared the crew will judge him for what he perceives as weakness. Despite their assurances, old wounds bleed hard and fast sometimes. Take a while to scar back over, no matter the love and care shown.
Your Young!Sanji au has done irreparable damage to my brain, but in the good way. I have recently come to the realization that young!Sanji was *two* when he was put in the cell, and now I want to see the crews reaction to that piece of information. But I've also now thought about the idea of mixing young!Sanji and gol!Sanji. People only find out about both his age and the dungeon thing after the failed execution and they all immediately start crashing out. Everyone is concerned, angry, and frothing at the mouth at the thought of killing Judge. Especially Rayleigh, Buggy, and the Strawhats.
Horrific. Also imagine what that would do to Marco? When he finds out? The biggest take down of Germa in this blogs history. It would also mean he likely doesn't have many memories of Sora or her stories of her crew and family.
Because yeah, just imagine it's going as the first Gol!Sanji. Maybe while he's missing before his execution. Rayleigh is arguing with someone or other about after getting Sanji going to get his sibling from that fucking monster who claims to be Sanji's father. Buggy agreeing despite others hesitancy. Shanks wants to know why they would save the kids for all the bad they've done while Marco is just absolutely ready to smash Judge's skull in with Luffy.
Just during the meeting someone points out how old Judge says the kids are, how old Sanji's bounty says he is and has said since everything in Tottoland. The Hats are shocked because they never noticed his age on it. Sanji always acted around the same age as he looked. Maybe sometimes looking at a toy or stuffed animal longingly in the markets but only briefly enough for the others to not take enough notice to talk about it with him.
And it breaks everyone who knew Sora that she suffered greater than thought originally. That the poison wrecked her faster. That Judge had masterminded a way to keep to himself, experiment on her children. Then it turns out Sanji was on a cruiseliner at four, with Zeff at five. It churns their stomachs. Buggy gives out a bit more. What he witnessed at Baratie, how much Zeff hid Sanji and him.
Then after the execution, Sanji is healing from his surprise amputation when someone asks how old he is and the cook just freezes. Sanji has always been the age he looked. Never his actual age and it clicks for Marco and the other adults as Buggy steps away despite Sanji's look of desperation to the only uncle he knew growing as everyone descends on him.
Maybe later, after most of them have calmed down they get a bit more information, about the cook's supposed death, his time in the cell from two to four, the cruise liner and rock. Buggy keeps a close eye on his nephew, probably closer than he needs to when Shanks comes to ask him questions, like why didn't he call? They could have helped.
Buggy just shrugs before setting Richie onto the cook and curling up with them to sleep like the early days of Baratie. And maybe Shanks and them and Marco go after Germa to get the kids. Maybe the Hats start to try to give Sanji the childhood denied. Maybe Sanji's new arm has Gol D. carved into it.
HC for the shirohige Sanji and stepfather white beard. All the commanders refer to Sanji as "the baby" in conversation, so more than once have people heard about "a baby" coming to the function only to be presented with a 13 yr that definitely doesn't need the high chair that was prepared.
Rayleigh hearing about the baby of the whitebeard pirates and being presented with the hottest young man he has seen in years and felling like the dirtiest old man possible.
Shanks being told "we'll bring the baby next time" , and next time a 17 yr old Sanji shows up.
The other warlords being told to please be careful with the haki because the Whitebeard pirates brought "the baby" with them, then realised said baby is a very capable 15 yr old when Sanji rolls in the best snacks they ever had for the meeting.
I just love the idea of "our adorable and precious baby brother" is a grown man that curses 24/7 and can kick landmarks in half.
This is hilarious. Like Sanji is probably so tired of being called the baby. Especially in a Shirohige!Zeff and Sanji situation where they're in the New World. Half the world is confused that the White Beard fleet having a literal infant aboard is wild but they could see it. It sounds like Newgate. Sure.
Then when Rayleigh is being introduced to this so called "baby" Shakky is laughing at him. That's not a baby, that's a siren and Rayleigh is trying his best to not get yelled at for fantasizing about Zeff's kid because fucking shit he's hot. He's hot like Zeff was and still is.
Maybe when Sanji is with the Hats he's grinning slyly at the Dark King and Rayleigh is genuinely flustered while his wife laughs at him. Maybe they have a three way. Maybe they don't. Funny either way.
There's some alliance meeting and Marco waving something off and mentioning bringing the baby so the crew is scrambling for a high chair before the meeting. Then there's a smoking teenager being introduced to him as said baby and Yasopp is debating if they could still use the high chair. Then Sanji lights a cigarette with his leg. Beck's sigh could fill their sails.
They have a meeting with several warlords because Garp needs Zeff to broker peace between them for a fucking day and they keep getting warned about some child and to be careful with the armorment and observation only to then see said child wrestling with Izou for fun? They're losing it. They're done! Fuck you, Garp! Oh, Zeff is catering? Sure they could stay and work things out.
Also the Hats seeing the fleet and Zeff and just how much they spoil their baby and brag about him? Adorable. Amazing. 10/10