May we have some more of Sanji and the white beard pirates?
Maybe they go on a first picnic when he is a kid ?
Idk why I fell like he wold be really exited being on grass for a change.
Hey, that's really fucked up. His first time touching grass with the Shirohige? You're a menace. (THIS IS ALL TEASING)
Okay, so like Sanji, new to the Shirohige and now the baby of the family is in Izou's arms as they make land for the day. A much needed supply stop and they need a few things for the new baby of the family. Sanji stares at the island from Izou's arms as Thatch and Marco chat around them, Izou chiming in as they carry Sanji off ship and into the island. Sanji is too small in Izou's arms, too light and skeletal to be alive seemingly. But That h is smiling, a huge pack on his back.
They hike for a while after getting a few things in the town. Sanji hasn't really been off ship, maybe once to get some clothes and then back to the ship. It's his longest record now. Sanji enjoys it. Enjoys the sun and the wind. Marco takes him after a while, putting Sanji on his shoulders. They until they find a meadow. Bright and green and flowers all over. Sanji is getting excited and Marco chuckles and sets him on the ground and they all watch him run around.
Sanji rolls around in the grass and laughs while his brothers set up the picnic. Watching him fondly as they set up the food and drinks on the blanket Thatch brought. Then Marco goes to get the baby, and Sanji looks at hime wide eyed with a bright smile.
"I haven't felt grass in so long." Sanji tells him and it makes Marco's hand stutter as he reaches out.
"Oh?" Marco asks, moving to sit now instead of collecting the boy. Sanji nods as he stretches like a cat in the sun. "When was the last time?" He keeps his voice carefully light, not betraying how upset it makes him.
"Years, since i was six." Sanji answers. Marco takes that and tucks it away for now, a suggestion to add a grass patch to the feck of Moby now rattling in his head.
"Well, we don't need to go back anytime soon." Marco tells Sanji. "But we do need to eat, come on." Marco finishes and Sanji gets up and bolts to Izou and Thatch. Izou easily catches him with a laugh and plants a kiss to Sanji's cheek while Thatch ruffles his hair.
They eat and run around, playing with Sanji in the grass until he's nodding off in Thatch's arms while Marco packs up and they leave the meadow as the sun is setting. Marco tells them on the way back after Sanji is asleep and about the idea of adding a grass patch to the deck. Izou and Thatch immediately agree and say Pops will do it soon as they say Sanji hasn't touched grass for three years.
Pops does agree. Immediately. They didn't even mention what Sanji said. The baby gets his grass! It takes a few weeks before they can actually do it. Sanji is off the ship with Thatch while they get the area set up and planted. Lush clover and a tree planted in a corner of the deck that's heavily monitored for the boy's safety. It takes hours before it's done and when Sanji sees it the joy is immediate. He runs straight to it and rolls around.
Pops laughs at his youngest and the utter delight in his son's soul. When he asks Sanji he hears the same thing Marco did. His baby didn't get to touch grass for nearly three years, and it breaks his heart. Often times Sanji can be found napping in the grass in the sun.
And when Ace joins? Starts dating Sanji? They're both cat napping in the sun. There's several photos of the way Ace has sprawled out and Sanji has wrapped around him. Or Ace has limbs laid over the blond while they both sleep. All they know is it's torture for a child to not be allowed in the sun, in the fresh air. Feeling grass and smelling flowers and eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
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.