my name is nana! you may know me from my kpop blog @nanawritesit 🩷 but i’ve decided to make this blog to start writing for one piece! my writing will be based on both the live action and the anime, taking inspiration from both. i’ll be writing imagines/ scenarios, reactions, blurbs, and headcanons for the following characters:
Monkey D. Luffy
Roronoa Zoro
Nami
Ussop
Vinsmoke Sanji
Nico Robin
Nefertari Vivi
Koby Pell
Buggy the Clown
Red-Haired Shanks
Dracule Mihawk
Sir Crocodile
Captain Smoker
More characters will be added as I progress through the anime!
Here are my guidelines if you would like to make a request:
1. Please specify which character(s) you would like. You may request multiple characters so long as they are all for the same piece!
2. Please specify the genre you would like your piece to be. (Fluff, Angst, Crack, or Smut.) Smut content will always be written with all characters being 18+.
3. DO NOT interact with my NSFW content if you are a minor! I put several warnings ahead of this content, if you choose to ignore them, that’s on you!
4. I will NOT write any content that glorifies or expresses subjects such as rape, noncon, incest, pedophilia, beastiality, extreme violence, gore, any type of abuse, sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, or colorism. This blog is a safe space where everyone deserves to feel welcome! I will do my best to mention every trigger warning possible for any subjects I feel deserve one.
5. I reserve the right to decline a request! Finding inspiration to write is very difficult, so I try not to overload myself with requests that don’t excite me as it leads to me not posting. I promise I will be as nice as possible, and may ask you for more details about your request. Being as detailed as possible will increase the chances of me writing your request.
That’s all! I hope you guys like my stuff :) My ask box is always open if you have any questions for me!
“Your Highness” - fem!reader (posted on my kpop blog) 💗 Part One | Part Two | Part Three
plot: you’re a runaway princess bride who finds her way into the straw hat crew. you expected one hell of an adventure, but you never expected to fall for the head chef. things get even more complicated when your father, the king, and your ex-fiancé send their troops after the going merry. now you must choose between surrendering to save your crew and being with the only man you’ve ever truly loved. but of course, the straw hat crew isn’t going to let you go without a fight. especially sanji.
Your Highness - Sanji x Reader: Part Three (Final Part)
PART ONE PART TWO
plot: you’re a runaway princess bride who finds her way into the straw hat crew. you expected one hell of an adventure, but you never expected to fall for the head chef. things get even more complicated when your father, the king, and your ex-fiancé send their troops after the going merry. now you must choose between surrendering to save your crew and being with the only man you’ve ever truly loved. but of course, the straw hat crew isn’t going to let you go without a fight. especially sanji.
—————
A singular tear rolled down your cheek and splashed onto the skirt of your new wedding gown. Although it was an exact replica of the one you wore a few months ago, it felt much more constricting this time. The corset was cinched so tight that you could hardly breath unless you stood up perfectly straight. Part of you hoped that if you slouched, one of the wires might pierce through the fabric and stab you in the stomach, causing you to bleed to death. It seemed an easier fate than the one that awaited you.
Your ladies’ maids were all scurrying about, putting the final touches on your wedding look. You tried to keep a brave face for them, but your mask was beginning to crack. You couldn’t stop thinking about how Sanji had fallen to his knees when you left him, and that helpless look on Luffy’s face. Leaving them was the hardest thing you ever had to do, but at least it was better than watching them get killed.
How wonderful it would have been to spend the rest of your life on the straw hat crew, fighting alongside your dearest friends. You could’ve spent an eternity playing their princess. But all the wishing and hoping and loving you did couldn’t keep you from being yanked back into the role you were born into. And worst of all, it cost you the only man you’d ever truly loved.
Now you were about to walk down the aisle, and it absolutely killed you that Sanji wouldn’t be waiting for you at the altar.
“Your highness?” one of your maids interrupted your thoughts. “May I place your tiara on your head?”
You flinched at the use of your title. It would never feel the same being called “your highness” ever again.
“Yes, go right ahead.” you mumbled, shifting to cross your legs. Except you couldn’t, because they were chained to the chair beneath you.
You groaned, stomping your heel on the ground. “Father is relentless, isn’t he?”
Once your maids were done getting you ready, they all exited the room and sent in your father, just as they were instructed to do. You weren’t to be left alone for even a second, even though you were literally chained to your chair.
“Ah, there’s my princess.” your father beamed as he entered the room. “You make a beautiful bride.”
You gave him a strained fake smile. “Wonderful. My only job in life is complete.”
“Don’t be silly, dear. You’ll also have to give birth to at least ten children.” he chuckled cruelly, leaning down to unlock the chains around your ankles.
You bit your tongue angrily. You wanted to kick the heel of your shoe straight through his eye. But you’d probably be thrown in the dungeon if you did, and no one would be on your side during your trial. You hated having the king as your father.
He helped you up out of your chair, then grabbed your shoulders and looked at you intensely. “I hope you understand who you belong to now. If you try to run away again…”
“You don’t have to worry about that, father.” you explained apathetically. “I have nothing else to live for now.”
“Good.” he grinned, linking his arm with yours. “Let’s go give you away.”
Your father led you down the long hallway to the doors of the chapel. As they opened for you, you could feel your soul splitting in half inside of you. Your guests all looked so happy, while you were fighting back sobs and focusing solely on placing one foot in front of the other.
As you reached the end of the aisle and your father lifted your veil off your face, you felt as if you might collapse onto the floor. But you just held your head up high, no sign of sorrow on your features. You weren’t going to let anyone see you be weak.
The priest began the service. You glanced over at your fiancé, who in contrast looked absolutely thrilled to be there next to you. You could tell he couldn’t wait to push you around and force you to be a perfect wife for him.
The priest was instructed to make the service as short as possible, in order to minimize the amount of time you could possibly run away. “Do you, Princess Y/N, take the Prince to be your lawfully wedded husband, as long as you both shall live?”
You froze. Your brain was telling you to say “I do,” but your heart was fighting against it. It felt like the air was sucked straight out of your lungs, preventing you from speaking.
“Say it.” your fiancé hissed through gritted teeth.
You gulped. “I…”
“Stop!” a voice called out, echoing against the chapel walls. Everyone immediately gasped and whipped their heads around, including you. Your heart stopped as you saw who the voice had come from. It was Sanji, power-walking up the aisle with the rest of the straw hat crew trailing in behind him.
“Sanji!” you cheered, dropping your bouquet and running to embrace him. You practically leaped into his arms, to which he caught you and twirled you around, a wide smile on his face. “What are you doing here?”
“You didn’t think I was going to lose my princess without a fight, did you?” he smirked, taking your veil off and throwing it across the room.
“Guards! Seize them!” your father ordered, standing up in his pew. In an instant, the guards were encroaching upon your crew. They all readied their weapons, attacking them upon confrontation.
“Y/N!” Zoro called out. You looked over to him, and he tossed you one of his swords. “Take this, and escape through the back. The ship is waiting in the port. We’ll be there as soon as we take care of these guys.”
You nodded, turning around to exit the chapel through the acolyte’s wing. As you exited the chapel, it was a straight shot through one long hallway out of the castle. You began sprinting down the hallway as fast as you could, picturing your freedom at the end of it.
Halfway down however, a presence emerged from the door behind you. You stopped in your tracks as you glanced behind you, gasping as you saw your father.
“I must say, your friends are better fighters than I thought.” he sneered, walking towards you with cold, calculated steps.
“Just let me go father.” you demanded, backing away from him. “I’m never going to be the person you want me to be.”
“Let you go?” he scoffed. “You belong to me. You’re either going to do as I say, or kneel in pieces.” He suddenly flipped open his cloak and revealed a sword on his hip, unsheathing it from its holder and brandishing it at you.
Without thinking, you held your sword out straight in front of you and assumed a fighting stance. In an instant, you and your father were swept up in a duel, clunking your swords against one another’s’ and spinning around the room.
“I must say, you’re a phenomenal swordsman.” your father grunted. “It is in your genetics after all.”
You scoffed. “It has nothing to do with you. I learned from Zoro.”
He furrowed his brow. “Who’s Zoro?”
“The world’s greatest swordsman.” you practically spat. In the midst of your father’s confusion, you spun around, kicking against the wall to jump up on a nearby table, landing with perfect balance. Using your high ground to your advantage, you kicked your father in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground flat on his back and drop his sword. You held the blade of your sword against his throat threateningly.
“Please, don’t… you win.” the King pleaded, holding up his hands in surrender.
“How do I know you won’t come after me again?” you demanded, pressing the blade even further to his flesh.
“You have my honor as a king.” he whimpered, trembling slightly.
“Give me your ring.” you ordered. “So that wherever I go, no one will ever bring me back here.”
He slid his ring off his finger and handed it to you. You placed it on your own finger and backed away from him slowly.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he sat up. “I suppose you’re not a princess after all.”
“I am a princess, father.” you told him with a satisfied smile. “I’m just not yours.”
And with that, you took off through the back doors of the palace, seeing the crew leaving through the front at the same time.
“Guys! Wait up!” you called out, running up to them.
They all turned around in surprise.
“Y/N? We thought you’d be back at the ship by now.” Nami questioned, an amused smile on her face.
“I had to tie up some loose ends.” you smirked, holding your hand up to showcase your fathers’ ring. Everyone’s’ eyes widened at the sight of it.
“Is that…” Sanji began, holding your hand to inspect it.
“My father’s ring.” you finished with a proud grin. “I fought him for it, and I won.”
“Yes! I knew you could do it!” Zoro beamed, patting you on the shoulder supportively. You swore it was the happiest you’d ever seen him.
You nodded excitedly. “This whole time I was worried I wasn’t going to be any good in a fight. But after taking on a king, I’m pretty confident in my skills.
“Well, now that there’s nothing standing in your way, are you reading to be our princess again?” Luffy asked with a hopeful smile.
“Of course I am, captain!” you squealed, causing everyone to enclose you in a huge group hug.
“Three cheers for the princess of the Going Merry!” Ussop cheered.
—————
Once the ship was back on the sea, you had gone into Sanji’s room with him for a moment alone.
“I can’t even begin to describe how thrilled I am to have you back.” he sighed, enveloping you in a tight embrace as soon as the door shut behind you.
“You don’t know how good it feels to be back.” you replied, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. “I was so relieved when you burst through those doors.”
Sanji smiled, leaning back to look you in the eye. “Well, it only took us about fifteen minutes to decide that we were going after you. Speaking of which, did we prove to you that we can handle ourselves in a fight?”
“Yes, you did indeed.” you giggled, wrapping your arms around his neck. “I hope I did the same?”
He nodded admiringly. “You didn’t even really need us to save you. You won your own freedom.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you.” you told him. His face broke out in a huge grin as he leaned down to kiss you. You met him halfway, and as soon as your lips connected, it felt like all was right in your world again.
“Please don’t ever leave me again.” Sanji requested in a voice barely above a whisper, his forehead still pressed against yours. He was squinting his eyes, brows furrowed in desperation.
“I promise I won’t. And this time, I mean it.” you replied. He then kissed you again, deeper this time, his hands moving up from your waist to cup your face. You brought one hand up into his golden locks for stability, then brushed your tongue against his lips. He allowed it to pass by slipping his own tongue along your lips, the two of you now fully immersed in each other.
“I love you, Y/N.” he told you breathlessly between kisses. “Every single part of you.”
“I love you too Sanji.” you told him, practically gasping for air. “More than anything else in this world.”
He began kissing down your neck. “You look beautiful in a wedding dress, you know that?”
You giggled, tightening your grip on his hair as he nipped lightly at your skin. “You always think I look beautiful.”
“Because it’s always true.” he winked, going back up to kiss your lips. He deepened it slightly, then bit your lip at the end, releasing it from between his teeth before looking you in the eye once more. “Still, it’d be a shame to waste such a beautiful dress.”
You chuckled. “What are you saying, Sanji?”
He smirked, then grabbed your hands tenderly in his. He started lowering himself to the ground, kneeling before you on one knee. Your eyes widened as you realized what was happening.
“Y/N… From the day I first met you, I have been absolutely enamored with you.” he began, happy tears pooling in his pale blue eyes. “You continue to surprise me every single day with your strength, kindness, and never ending talents. You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met, and I would be honored if…” He then pulled a box out of his pocket, opening it to reveal a ring. “If we could spend the rest of our lives together?”
You stared at him blankly for a moment, before nodding profusely. For a moment you couldn’t find any words. He just looked at you expectantly, a playful grin on his face. He gestured his hand impatiently, causing you to giggle.
“Yes, yes, of course I’ll marry you Sanji!” you finally blurted out, tackling him onto the ground.
He laughed as you did so, wrapping his arms around you tightly and kissing the top of your head. “Give me your hand, love.”
You did as he asked, and he slipped the ring onto your finger. You admired it, wincing at how beautiful it was.
“How did you even afford a ring?” you asked him, propping an elbow up to lean your head against.
“I got help from a friend.” he grinned, reaching into his pocket once again. He pulled out a letter and handed it to you. You furrowed your brow in confusion, opening it up to read it.
“To my little poetry princess,
I would like to begin by stating just how unbelievably proud of you I am. I always knew you would do great things, ever since you were a child. You had a spark in you that I knew would get you through any challenges you could ever face, and that one day you would have the great life of adventure you so desired.
While I will be sad to see you go, it brings me great comfort to know that you’ll be in the hands of someone like Sanji. I’ve only met him once, and that was to set up your rescue. But the way he spoke of you! I have never in all my years heard a man talk so fondly of a lady. He obviously cares for you tremendously. I know he’ll make a wonderful husband. This ring has been in my family for generations, and I would like you to have it, as you’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to a daughter.”
You should be incredibly proud of yourself, my dear. Not many princesses have the courage to stand up for themselves. To chase after what they truly want in this world. To say they’re not happy with the part they’ve been assigned. You are truly special, princess, and it’s been my great honor raising you these past twenty years. Should you ever find yourself in Dacovia again, I should like to receive a visit from you and your husband. Oh, and do write often!
Love,
Your Governess”
You sniffled and wiped away the stray tear that hung at the corner of your eye. “So she was the one who got you guys into the castle?”
Sanji nodded with a smirk. “I told you, your loved ones will always want the best for you.”
You jumped on him once again, catching him off guard but making him chuckle nonetheless. You began attacking his face in kisses, not being able to hold back your affection.
As you ran out of energy, you sighed and laid back down on the floor next to him, holding his hand gingerly. “I can’t wait to spend forever with you.”
He smiled that perfect smile of his, kissing the back of your hand. “I’m going to make you so happy, your highness.”
“I already am.” you told him. “As long as you’re here next to me.”
plot: you’re a runaway princess bride who finds her way into the straw hat crew. you expected one hell of an adventure, but you never expected to fall for the head chef. things get even more complicated when your father, the king, and your ex-fiancé send their troops after the going merry. now you must choose between surrendering to save your crew and being with the only man you’ve ever truly loved. but of course, the straw hat crew isn’t going to let you go without a fight. especially sanji.
—————
It was half past seven. The sunset was just beginning to pour through the windows on the sides of the ship, but you hardly noticed. All you were focused on was the clank of your sword against Zoro’s, and where you were going to place your feet next.
You began to notice that a sword fight was kind of like a dance. The two of you moved in perfect rhythm, twirling around the floor of the cabin and brandishing your weapons towards one another.
Thinking you were gaining some high ground, you jumped up on the counter. However your balance was off, and Zoro easily took your legs out from under you, causing you to flop down flat onto the counter. He held the blade of his sword against your neck, looking at you with a sympathetic smirk.
You simply rolled your eyes and sighed. “I can’t believe I lost again.”
He removed the blade from your neck and sheathed it back in its holder around his waist. “Maybe, but that’s the longest you’ve ever lasted sparring with me. And I don’t even have to hold back anymore.”
You straightened yourself up, holding your hands in your lap and slumping your shoulders defeatedly. “Yeah, but I’m still not very good at this.”
Zoro looked at you with an annoyed glare. “Don’t be stupid. You have great natural talent and raw strength.”
“Well, my father was revered as one of the best swordsmans of his time. Although, he’s nothing compared to you.”
He tried to fight the half smile that was creeping it’s way onto his expression. “Well anyway,” he coughed awkwardly, “stuff like this just takes practice. You’ve only been at this for a couple months now. So don’t beat yourself up too bad. The important thing is you can hold your own in a fight now.”
You winced. You still hadn’t actually fought anyone yet. You’d been sparring with Zoro for a little while now, but he was still the only one you’d ever fought. You didn’t quite now how you would fare in an actual brawl. The thought of attacking someone frightened you. You were about to vocalize your concerns, but were interrupted by the sound of footsteps pounding down the stairs.
“Zoro, may I please have my princess back now?” Sanji whined as he descended the staircase.
“Whatever.” Zoro rolled his eyes, pushing past Sanji to walk upstairs.
“I’ll never understand why you two don’t get along.” you chuckled, wrapping your arms around Sanji’s neck.
“He’s just jealous that there’s another handsome fighter on the crew.” Sanji mused, placing his own arms around your waist. “And that I have a beautiful princess in love with me.” He leaned down to peck your lips, and you met him halfway in a sweet kiss. “We’re almost to the village, love.”
“Okay, I’ll be up in a second. I just want to practice a couple more moves.” you responded.
He sighed and pouted his lips. “My dear, I think you’ve practiced enough today. I don’t need my girl getting all worn out. It’s not good for you.”
You gave him a sympathetic smile. “That’s very sweet Sanji, but if I’m ever going to be a good swordsman, I’ve got to practice as much as possible.”
“Fine…” he huffed, throwing his arms up defeatedly. “But don’t expect another massage from me tonight, I tried to warn you.”
—————
Once the crew had gathered all their supplies, you were all wandering the village square looking for either a place to lodge or a place to eat.
“It looks like we’re only going to be able to afford one of those.” Nami sighed, counting the rest of your guys’ money. “We sold Y/N’s last piece of jewelry to get us these supplies, and there wasn’t much leftover.”
Luffy suddenly sniffed the air and began running off wherever his nose was leading him. He finally stopped in front of a pub that looked like it had an inn upstairs. “Here.” he instructed.
“Luffy, we don’t-“ Nami tried to protest, but the captain was already bursting through the front doors. You all reluctantly followed him in, just to see him already bargaining with the owner at his podium.
“Come on, sir. We’ll pay for our rooms and then I’ll give you an IOU for dinner. I’m going to be king of the pirates one day, so I’ll be sure to pay you back.” Luffy suggested with an innocent smile.
“God, you never learn, do you, captain?” Sanji grumbled, rubbing his brow frustratedly.
“We do not accept IOUs as payment.” the owner huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I can get you three bedrooms, but that’s all, unless you can find some other way to pay for dinner.”
You all looked at each other worriedly. You had to eat, there was no way of getting back to the ship until tomorrow morning.
Suddenly, a nervous looking waiter approached the owner. “Sir, the guests are growing restless without any live singing.”
“Give them all a free dessert.” the owner suggested, trying to wave him off to go back to your conversation.
“I already did sir.” the waiter mumbled anxiously. “They said that the band is great, but it really would be better with a singer.”
The owner sighed. “Well, I don’t know what to tell them. Dahlia quit on us last night, and haven’t found another-“
“Excuse me, gentlemen…” Sanji interrupted their conversation, making all of you stare at him curiously, “But am I to understand that you’re in need of a live singer?”
The owner nodded disappointedly. “Yes, we are.”
“Well here’s your singer right here!” Sanji clapped his hands on your shoulders and jutted you forward.
“Sanji, no!” you protested, turning around to hide your face. He just flipped you back around and brandished you to the owner.
“She has the most beautiful voice. I’ve heard her sing, it’s like a choir of angels.” Sanji went on, beaming proudly as he boasted about your talents.
The owner looked you over, then shrugged. “Alright. I’m desperate. If you can sing for our pub tonight, I’ll give you and all of your party free dinners.”
Your crew members all looked at you pleadingly. You could tell they were all as starving as you were, and couldn’t stand to see the hunger in their eyes. You looked over at Sanji. His icy blue eyes were swimming with confidence and sincerity. He gave you a nod.
“Alright. I’ll do it.” you agreed, squinting your eyes shut. The crew all erupted in applause for you, besides Zoro, who just looked up the ceiling in relief.
“Wonderful.” the owner mused, flashing a pleased smile at you. “You’ll have to change clothes, but other than that, you’re good to go. You’re so beautiful that I’m sure the audience will love you, even if you’re not that good at singing.”
You chuckled awkwardly. You heard Sanji click his tongue out of jealousy next to you.
“Well she is an amazing singer, so that won’t be a possibility.” Sanji refuted. He was smiling, but his eyes were shooting daggers at the man. “Could you show us where she can get ready? I’d like to accompany her.” You could tell he meant to say there’s no way he was letting this guy take you somewhere alone.
You just pressed your lips together to avoid smiling at how cute he was when he was jealous.
Only a few minutes later, you were being ushered on stage in a dress that wasn’t yours, and all eyes were on you.
You looked like a deer in the headlights, wide eyes shifting over all the members of the audience. You were at a loss for words. No one had ever given you permission to speak in front of a crowd. You finally saw the straw hat crew sitting at a table towards the back. They were all smiling encouragingly, none more so than Sanji. You looked at him for direction, to which he just gave you a small nod. “You’ve got this, your highness.” he mouthed.
He was right. You were a princess. You could do this. You swallowed the hard lump in your throat and cleared it, stepping forward with grace and nobility. “Good evening, patrons of the pub… You’re probably all used to a different singer, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I’ll be filling in for you guys tonight.” You turned around and nodded to the band, who began playing your first song.
You bobbed your head to the beat, waiting for your cue. Everyone seemed intrigued and focused on you. Luckily, no one looked malicious or judgemental. Finally, you took a breath and began singing, the sound of your voice filling up the quiet room and bouncing off the walls.
As the song went on, and you got to showcase some of your most powerful notes, you received a couple impressed cheers from the audience. You smiled, gaining confidence, and got more into your performance.
Suddenly, your eyes locked in on Sanji’s. The way he was looking at you gave you chills. His eyes were sparkling with admiration and love, and his fingers rubbed loosely against his lips in an effort to contain the proud, enormous grin on his face. His smile was so wide it looked like it would break his face. No one had ever looked at you like that. And as your song ended, you felt as if you were the only two people in the pub.
You were snapped out of your trance by the entire pub getting to their feet and applauding you, happily giving you a standing ovation. You giggled excitedly and did a small curtesy, accepting their praise. You waved back to the crew, who looked so proud of their princess. Sanji looked like he was about to cry. You blew a kiss to him, making him laugh heartily.
You went on performing for another half hour, until the owner came out on stage between songs.
“Alright everyone, give it up for tonight’s singer!” he boomed, leading the crowd in applause. “We’re gonna give her a break, but she’ll be back soon!” You waved goodbye to everyone as he ushered you to your table with the rest of the crew.
“That was amazing. Your voice is just as beautiful as you are.” the owner smirked, brushing a strand of your hair behind your ear as you sat in your seat.
You shuddered uncomfortably, glancing at Sanji nervously. He cleared his throat to settle the anger boiling beneath his calm exterior, then resumed a playful expression.
“Mr. Owner. While I’m very grateful for the arrangement we’ve made, I’m going to have to ask you to keep your hands off Miss Y/N. Otherwise, there will be consequences.” he hissed, a dangerous smirk slithering onto his face.
The owner backed away, clearly threatened, although obviously annoyed. “Understood. I’ll go check on your dinners.” He then sauntered off into the kitchen, leaving you to your crew, who all began praising you in unison.
“That was incredible, Y/N!” Nami beamed, shaking your arm lightly.
“Yeah seriously, you could be a professional!” Luffy grinned.
“We’re gonna have you sing everytime we go somewhere! We’ll never have to pay for dinner again!” Ussop cheered, patting you on the shoulder.
“That was really good.” Zoro said flatly. However, there was a look of genuine admiration in his eyes that let you know he meant it.
“Thanks guys…” you replied bashfully. “At first. I was so nervous I thought I was going to pass out. But once I started singing, I just kind of blacked out and went for it!”
“Well, you did a wonderful job, just as I told you you would.” Sanji praised, taking your hand in his. “You were brilliant, your highness.”
You blushed with a warm smile, not knowing what to say. However, you didn’t have to say anything, because the chefs began bringing your food and drinks to your table and setting them in front of you.
Luffy stood up, raising his mug in the air. “To the princess of the Going Merry!”
“To the princess of the Going Merry!” your crew all cheered, clinking their glasses together in a toast.
You all began devouring the plates of food in front of you. While the owner was smarmy and gross, he at least didn’t skimp on the portions. You were all lost in a spirited conversation when a jovial looking older man approached you.
“Excuse me miss, I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner…” he began, an interested glint in his eyes, “But I just had to tell you what an amazing performance you just gave!”
You smiled back at him, bowing your head gratefully. “Thank you, sir!”
“And how pretty you are!” he complimented. “Has anyone ever told you that you look strikingly similar to the eldest princess of Dacovia?”
Your heart sunk. It felt like this man just punched you in the stomach, and now you were falling down a deep, dark well. For months, no one had even mentioned Dacovia to you. Now, here was the stark reminder of the life you had left behind.
“No sir, unfortunately I’ve never been to Dacovia.” you coughed nervously, eyes darting away from him.
“Really? How funny. Well, enjoy your dinner, miss!” he finished, walking back to his table.
You looked at the rest of the crew, who had the same look of panic on their faces as you did. You all sat there in silence for a moment, no one wanting to be the first one to break it.
“It’s okay.” Luffy finally spoke quietly, an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. “It’s just a coincidence.”
“We don’t know that.” you huffed, leaning forward as to make sure no one heard. “What if he’s a spy for my father?”
“We’re pretty far from Dacovia now, Y/N…” Nami tried to comfort you, placing a hand on your shoulder.
“You don’t know my father.” you retorted, shaking your head. “He sees me as his property. And if he wanted to, he’d stop at nothing to bring me back to Dacovia to resume my role as his pawn.”
“We’re not going to let that happen, okay?” Sanji reassured you, rubbing his thumb along the back of your hand. You looked into his eyes. The pale shade of cornflower calmed you instantly, causing you to release the tension in your muscles.
“He’s right.” Zoro stated. You all turned to him with a shocked expression. “What?” he asked.
“I can’t believe you just agreed with Sanji.” Ussop chuckled, causing the rest of you to erupt with laughter.
Zoro just rolled his eyes and took another swig from his mug. “Well, it’s true. We’re going to fight to keep Y/N on our crew, right?”
“Of course we are.” Luffy replied, trying to stifle his chuckles. He then looked to you with a smile. “You’re our princess after all.”
You smiled appreciatively, tears welling up in your eyes. Maybe it was foolish to believe them, but you couldn’t help it. You truly loved all of them so much that it was hard to picture leaving them without a fight. Then again, you still had yet to be in an actual fight, which you were still harboring anxiety about.
“Just remain calm and finish your performance tonight. Sanji instructed, ruffling your hair slightly. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning, just to cover our tracks.”
You nodded, going back to your plate. “Sure. Just let me finish my dinner first. Although, it’s not as good as anything you could’ve made.” you grinned cheerfully.
—————
Around midnight, you were finally curled up in a warm bed, something you had forgotten the feeling of after all your time at sea. Sanji shuffled next to you, both of you now staring up at the ceiling. The two of you decided to share a room, as you were now an item. Nami and Zoro decided they would sleep better with each other than with the talkative Luffy or Ussop, and stuck the two of them together.
“I should not have said your name.” Sanji suddenly stated regretfully.
You turned your head to face him. “What do you mean?”
“When the owner was putting his filthy hands on you.” he sneered. “I called you by your name. It was dangerous of me to act on my jealousy.”
You clicked your tongue dismissively, rolling back in place. “It’s fine. The whole crew did a toast to ‘the princess of the Going Merry.’ I’m sure everyone heard that better than you saying my name.”
“Yes, but I’m the one who suggested you sing tonight.” he grumbled, placing his hands over his eyes to rub them frustratedly. “It wasn’t smart to draw all that attention to you either.”
“Sanji, we needed to eat. I could feel my stomach beginning to digest itself.” you chuckled, rolling over to prop your elbow up and look at him. You removed his hands from his eyes, prompting him to look up at you. “This isn’t all on you, love.”
He sighed, flashing you a grateful half smile. “I just can’t bear the thought of losing you.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” you told him, brushing back the blonde strands of hair that flopped over his forehead. “I promise.” You leaned down to kiss him tenderly, connecting your lips and deepening it slightly before slowly pulling away. “Now, let’s get some sleep. We have to leave early tomorrow.”
“Alright…” he agreed, shuffling back to his sleeping position. “Goodnight, your highness.”
“Goodnight, Sanji.” you replied, curling up against your pillow.
As you tried to drift off to sleep, you began thinking too much about the situation. It was easy to make a promise to Sanji when he was worried, but would you really be able to keep it? What if your father was trying to find you? If he did, he would certainly be able to get people to bend to his will. He ruled with an iron fist, and was relentless in his conquests. Should he attack the crew, you didn’t know how well they would fare. It wasn’t that you questioned the crew’s abilities. You had watched them take down the marines like they were just a bunch of kids on the playground, and Luffy was made of rubber for god’s sake. It was just that you knew how powerful your father was. And you didn’t know if he would show any mercy.
You glanced over at Sanji next to you. It looked like he was already fast asleep. Your eyes welled with tears as you pictured him getting hurt, or worse. You leaned over and kissed his forehead gently.
“I promise to keep you safe, Sanji. Whatever it takes.”
—————
Just as Sanji had proposed, you had all left so early the next morning that the roosters weren’t even crowing yet. You docked ship as soon as you could and set back off onto the seas.
Everyone was a little bit on edge, constantly checking to see if you were being followed. Zoro had insisted on doubling down in your training, pushing you as hard as you could go. You were a little exhausted, but still grateful that he was teaching you how to fight.
Sanji was a nervous wreck. He wouldn’t leave your side for a moment, whenever you weren’t training that is. He had also insisted on moving you into his bedroom so he could protect you if something happened in the middle of the night. His cooking even tasted different. You hated seeing him like this. You wished more than anything that things could just go back to the way they were a few days ago.
As time passed, the crew began to relax a bit. All except for Sanji. He only seemed to get more anxious, more protective. It wasn’t like him to not be playful and optimistic. You started to wonder if being with you was really good for him…
The day things changed was about a week after you had left the small village with the pub. You were sitting on the deck floor with Sanji, playing a card game with him while he smoked a cigarette. It seemed to be the only thing that would calm him down lately. Nami was in the crow’s nest, and Zoro and Luffy were looking off the starboard at the ocean.
“Guys!” Ussop exclaimed from his place at the bow of the ship. “There’s a huge ship coming towards us!”
You all sprinted over to where he was standing to see it for yourselves. You gasped at the enormous boat looming over in the distance. It literally looked as if it could swallow the Going Merry whole. The bow was lined with several canons and countless soldiers looking down the barrels of their guns at you.
Panic sunk into the crew all at once. You all began scurrying around for your weapons, jumping into each other and fumbling around on the deck.
“Y/N!” Zoro called, making you turn around. He unsheathed one of his swords and tossed it to you. You caught it in the air, gripping the handle firmly. As you studied the blade, you wondered how it would feel to use it against somebody. It made your stomach turn. You glanced around at the crew, who was all standing at the ready. Luffy stood protectively in front of everyone, ready to absorb any ammo that was thrown your way.
“Attention pirates!” a deep voice bellowed from the opposing ship as it approached you. You froze as you glanced up at the speaker. It was your father, right there in front of you. “By order of the royal family of Dacovia, we command you to return the princess at once! If you do not, we will release fire!”
“How did you even find me, father?” you screeched, a deep rage boiling over the brim of your heart, threatening to explode out of your chest.
“You left us a little clue, my dear fiancée.” a new voice boasted smugly. You immediately recognized it as your former fiancé’s, the prince’s. He suddenly appeared next to your father, dangling a white heeled shoe by his finger.
You gasped. Of course. They found the shoe you lost by the docks before you boarded the Going Merry.
“And it was easy to bargain with a disgruntled small village pub owner. We showed him the smallest amount of gold and he immediately told us where you were.” The prince bragged gleefully. “Your boyfriend shouldn’t have been so jealous.”
Your father held up a hand to silence him. “This is your last chance, daughter. Surrender yourself to me now, and I won’t have to kill all your little friends.”
“We’ll never give her to you!” Sanji bellowed from his place next to you. You gulped, glancing over at him. You had never seen him look so dangerous. Almost like… he was willing to die for you. You looked around at the rest of the crew, and realized they all had that same look in their eyes. It was the same one you noticed when you first met them. The passionate determination they all had to achieve their dreams. You winced as you thought about losing them, about being the reason they never got to achieve their goals. You couldn’t bear it a second longer.
“Alright, have it your way.” your father sneered, motioning to his troops. “Soldiers! Prepare to attack!” They all stood at attention. “Ready! Aim…”
“Stop!” you screamed from the bottom of your stomach. It was so loud that even your father jumped.
He leaned forward expectantly. “Yes, daughter?”
“I’ll go with you.” you croaked, angry tears spilling from your eyes. “But you must promise to never hurt them.”
“You have my honor as a king.” he swore, brandishing his King’s ring at you as a sign of his honesty. You nodded reluctantly, and he motioned for the troops to extend the platform for you to board his ship.
“No, no, no, you can’t do this Y/N, please…” Sanji pleaded, desperately gripping onto your shoulders as if you were going to disintegrate out of his grasp. Tears were trickling down from his eyes as well. “Please, don’t go…”
You choked down the sharp sob that threatened to erupt from your throat. “Sanji, listen to me…”
“No! I don’t want to, because I know what you’re going to say.” he cried, grabbing your face and pressing his forehead against yours.
You took his hands in yours, holding them to your chest. “Sanji, I’m not good for you. I’ve been destroying you for the past week. And if I lead you to your death… I’d never forgive myself.” you sniffled, glancing down at the ground.
He shook his head, squinting his eyes. “You promised. You promised me you weren’t going anywhere.” He dropped his head into your neck and began sobbing into it. It absolutely broke your heart what you had to do, but you loved him too much not to do it.
You tilted his head up to look him in the eye, giving him a pathetic smile. “Sometimes you have to break promises to protect those you care about.” You then leaned in and gave him one last passionate kiss, letting him now how irrevocably in love with him you were despite what you were doing. “Goodbye, Sanji.”
You let him go, allowing him to fall to his knees on the deck. The rest of the crew rushed to him in an attempt to comfort him, except Luffy. He was looking at you with so much sadness that it made you want to jump into the ocean and drown.
You gave him a tiny wave and a teary smile. “Thank you for making me your princess, captain. But I have to go now. Come visit Dacovia when you’re king of the pirates.”
And with that, you ascended the platform onto your fathers’ ship, sailing back to your home country. You knew exactly what awaited you when you returned. Another wedding. And this time, your father would make sure you couldn’t run away.
—————
a/n:
hi everyone! thank you so much for the amazing response to part one :) i’m so happy it’s doing so well! i was planning on ending the series in this part but it just ended up being so long that i decided to end it here for this part. i’m sorry it’s so angsty but i PROMISE there will be a happy ending in the next part! i should be posting it very soon. i LOVE this story and can’t wait to finish it :)
plot: you’re a runaway princess bride who finds her way into the straw hat crew. you expected one hell of an adventure, but you never expected to fall for the head chef. things get even more complicated when your father, the king, and your ex-fiancé send their troops after the going merry. now you must choose between surrendering to save your crew and being with the only man you’ve ever truly loved. but of course, the straw hat crew isn’t going to let you go without a fight. especially sanji.
You panted heavily, hands gripped tightly onto your heavy white skirts as you navigated your way through the back alleys of the city. Your hair, which was previously tied up in perfect ringlets behind an intricate headdress, was now flying wildly behind you in loose waves. Suddenly, your heeled shoe snapped beneath you, and you fell to the ground with a thud. Mud splashed up onto your pristine white wedding gown, but you didn’t care. You were more focused on the march of soldiers’ footsteps that sounded off in the distance. You snapped your head around to glance behind you, then got back up on your feet to continue running away, your shoe left discarded in the alleyway. You didn’t know where you were heading, but you knew you had to get far away from the castle.
You never liked being a princess. All the rules and expectations were suffocating. Everyone was always telling you what to do, how to dress, how to act, how to feel… you had no freedom and led an extremely restricted life. You were the eldest daughter of the king, with two older brothers in line for the throne before you. Since birth, it was very clear to you that your only purpose in life was to marry a prince and produce his heirs so that your father could gain an ally. You were merely a pawn in a game that you never even got a turn in, and you were sick of it. You craved adventure. To see the wonders of the great world as they were intended to be explored. To live a life of passion that offered you fulfillment and excitement. That was your dream.
Today was supposed to be your wedding day. Your father had picked a prince for you to marry, and you were to be wed in just an hour. You were not in love with your fiancé, in fact, you’d never even spoken to him before. You only met him once, and that was when your father informed you of your betrothal. He was smug, entitled, and pompous with you the entire time he addressed you, treating you like a trophy or a pet. You decided right then and there that there was no way you were spending the rest of your life married to a man like him. So today, after your ladies’ maids had gotten you dressed and left your quarters, you took your chance to make an escape. You gathered up some gold and a few personal belongings and climbed down the ivy on the side of your ivory tower, making a run for it.
You reached the outskirts of the city along the coast, several long piers stretching out in front of you with huge, royal ships docked along the side of it. They were likely all boats full of nobles who had come as your wedding guests. You rolled your eyes as you scanned over them. Were you ever going to be able to escape the life you were born into? Was this just a foolish attempt of running away? Maybe you should just turn around and surrender to your father. Perhaps the punishment wouldn’t be to severe if you turned yourself in before the wedding.
Just as you were about to give up hope, you noticed an unfamiliar ship with a ram’s head decorating its bow. It was smaller than the other ships, and the crew didn’t look very stately at all. You saw a scrawny boy in a straw hat, a beautiful ginger girl, and a tough-looking moss-haired swordsman on deck, distracted by the map held out in front of them. Then you saw the jolly roger sail along the mast, and realized it was a pirate ship. You figured they were only here to dock ship and gather supplies, then head back out onto the seas. Seeing this as your only chance at escape, you ran towards it with unrelenting speed.
Right as you saw your fathers’ troops turning the corner, you ducked into the opening of the ship. Now in a long, empty hallway, you darted into the first open door you saw, slamming it behind you. You rested your back against the surface and sighed in relief. That was a close call. Perhaps you did have some luck on your side after all!
“I can’t make any food for you until we get more supplies, Luffy.” a man’s voice grunted from around the corner.
Shit, nevermind. You gasped, heart stopping in your chest. Cautiously, you peered around the corner and saw the most gorgeous man you had ever seen at a counter taking inventory. He had a perfect face, beautiful blonde hair, and was sharply dressed in a black suit with a pinstriped shirt and black tie underneath. His long, nimble fingers held a pen in them, swiping over the papers in front of him with quick fervor, pale blue eyes focused on his work.
When he didn’t hear a response from who he assumed was his captain, he glanced up and met your panicked gaze. His eyes widened slightly and his lips parted slightly, seemingly awestruck by you for a few seconds. Then, as if remembering himself, he blinked and clicked his tongue, a charming smile taking place on his expression.
“My my, while it’s always a pleasure to have a beautiful lady in my kitchen, might I ask what you’re doing here madam?” he asked with a flirty lilt to his voice.
You also snapped out of your daze at the sudden question, taking a few slow strides towards the stranger.
“Please sir,” you began, mustering up as much courage and diplomacy as you could. “I’m about to lose my freedom. My dream is to see the world, but I have people chasing after me to lock me back up in my gilded cage. I need to escape this kingdom without anyone knowing where I went.”
He scanned over your appearance, taking in your exquisite wedding gown and intricate jewels.
“My god… you’re a princess aren’t you?” he murmured with a contained gasp.
You nodded reluctantly. “I am Princess Y/N of Dacovia. I’m the eldest daughter of the king, and today is my wedding day. If you just allow me to board your ship, I promise I can make it worth your while.” You reached into your bag and pulled out a handful of gold. “Please captain.”
He smiled once again, putting his hands on his hips as his eyes flickered to the ground. He glanced back up at you and ran a hand through his golden locks. “While I appreciate the formalities your highness, I’m not the captain of this ship. I’m Sanji, the head chef.”
You winced, embarrassed by your groveling. You swallowed hard, then regained your confidence and met his gaze again with a polite smile. “My apologies. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Sanji.” You curtseyed to him.
“The pleasure is all mine, your highness.” he grinned, bowing at the waist. “But there’s no need to call me sir.”
You smiled appreciatively. “Then, there’s no need for you to call me your highness either. Y/N will do. I’m not particularly attached to my title as you can see.”
He chuckled heartily at your joke, cocking his hip forward and crossing his arms. “My, I’ve never met a noblewoman with such a good sense of humor.”
“You’ve met other noblewomen?” you asked perplexedly. You never expected the head chef of a pirate crew to have such connections.
“I used to work at a restaurant in the middle of the East Blue called the Baratie. It was very high class and had an extensive guest list of noblemen and commoners alike. Our motto was to never turn away anyone who was hungry.”
“That’s very admirable.” you complimented him. “Is cooking on a pirate ship your dream?” It was kind of a personal question, but conversation seemed to flow so easily between the two of you that you felt secure in asking it.
“Not exactly.” he laughed, leaning against the counter. “My dream is to find the All Blue. It’s a cook’s paradise, with a vast variety of ingredients from all four seas. I met our captain, Luffy, while working at the Baratie, and he offered me a spot on his crew. All of us are after something in this world, and Luffy wants to help us achieve our dreams.” He walked around the counter and reached for your hand. You gently placed it in his grasp, letting him squeeze it gingerly. “I’m sure if you talk to him, he’ll allow you to join as well.”
You smiled brightly, with such unbridled joy you thought you might burst. “Oh, thank you Sanji!” You couldn’t contain yourself any longer, and threw your arms around him in a tight hug.
He let out another contained gasp, then reciprocated your affections with a lighthearted chuckle. He pulled away after embracing you, putting his hands on your shoulders and looking you in the eyes.
“It’s no trouble, your highness. It’ll be nice to have another beautiful woman on board.” he grinned flirtatiously. “I’ll go fetch Captain Luffy.”
You nodded, watching him retreat into the hallway. “I told you, you don’t have to call me your highness.”
He paused in the doorway, looking over his shoulder at you. “I know. It just suits you.”
You rolled your eyes. “Being a princess doesn’t suit me at all.”
“Maybe not being a royal princess…” he proposed. “But perhaps you could be the princess of the Going Merry.”
——————
“A princess? You’re joking, right?” a female voice rang out down the hallway. You jumped in your seat at the counter, startled at the sudden break of silence.
“Oh man, I’ve gotta see this.” a gruff, sarcastic male voice commented.
“There’s no way she’s prettier than Kaya.” another, more lighthearted male voice added.
“Come now, just give her a chance.” you heard Sanji bargain with them. “You’ll like her Luffy. She’s got that certain spark, you know?”
You braced yourself for meeting the captain. You hadn’t seen any pirate captains in real life before, but the stories you read painted them as enourmous, swarthy men with long beards and dirty teeth. You gulped, gathering all of your courage to face the fearsome leader of the Going Merry.
The door swung open, and you locked eyes with the scrawny boy in the straw hat that you saw on the deck. Your eyes widened. He was the captain?
Sanji entered behind him, as well as the pretty ginger girl and the stoic swordsman you saw earlier, and a strong-looking, darker-skinned man as well.
Sanji smiled warmly as his eyes met yours. “Princess Y/N, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to the crew. This is our navigator Nami, our first-mate Zoro, warrior and storyteller Usopp, and finally… Captain Monkey D. Luffy.”
“Hi Y/N!” the captain beamed, stretching his hand out in front of him.
You just stared at it in confusion. No one had ever initiated a handshake with you. You didn’t even know how to reciprocate it. You began to panic. Were you already going to blow your chance at escaping?
Suddenly, Sanji gently picked up your arm and guided your hand towards Luffy’s. Luffy wrapped his fingers around your palm, thumb hooked with yours, and you did the same back to him. Sanji tilted your elbow up and down to shake the captain’s hand. You looked over at him, mouthing a silent thank you.
“So, I’m told you want to join the Straw Hat Crew?” Luffy asked with an excited grin. “Why’s that?”
You exhaled, collecting your thoughts before answering the captain. “Captain Luffy, as Sanji may have already told you, I am Princess Y/N, eldest daughter of the royal family of Dacovia. I’m about to be married against my will to a prince I don’t love, so I ran away from the castle. Soldiers are currently trying to hunt me back down. I know I was born into a life of immense privilege, but I don’t want to be a princess. I want to see the world and experience life as my own woman. I might not have a lot of skills that would be valuable on a pirate crew, but if you just allow me to stay with you, I can make it worth your while.” You opened up your purse and showed him all the gold that you had brought. Nami and Zoro’s eyes widened, but Luffy seemed unfazed.
“That’s very nice, but payment won’t be necessary.” Luffy smiled brightly. “The Going Merry is a ship of dreams. All of our crew is here to achieve their greatest desire.” He began to point to the members as he listed them. “Nami here wants to draw a map of the world. Zoro is gonna become the greatest swordsman in the world. Sanji will find the All Blue. Usopp there wants to be a brave warrior of the sea. And I…” He jumped up onto the counter and placed his hands on his hips dramatically. “Am gonna become King of the Pirates!” He knelt down and leaned towards you. “Do you believe in us?”
You looked between all the members of the crew. They all seemed so hopeful… so passionate… so brave… your eyes stopped on Sanji. As you looked into his icy blue eyes, you saw a certain sparkle that made you feel certain he would do anything to achieve his dream. Then you glanced back around at the rest of the crew, and saw that same optimistic glint in all of their eyes. You turned back to Luffy, meeting his determined gaze.
“Yes, I do. I believe that everyone in the Straw Hat Crew will do exactly what they set out to do.” you told him with a confident nod.
Luffy gave you the widest grin you’d ever seen, extending his arm towards you. “Then welcome aboard, your highness!”
Your face broke out in an overjoyed smile as you took Luffy’s hand. He pulled you up onto the countertop, making you gasp as he began dancing around with you. Usopp began cheering as well, while Nami let out an amused chuckle. Zoro cracked a content half-smile, which was huge for him.
Suddenly, your foot slipped off the edge of the counter, and you lost your balance. Now tumbling to the floor, your eyes widened as you envisioned your downfall. You squinted your eyes, waiting for the impact as everyone around you gasped worriedly.
Right as you expected to hit the ground, you landed softly in a cushiony embrace. Slowly creaking your eyes open, you were met by Sanji’s gorgeous blue eyes and charming smile hovering overtop of you.
“We’re gonna have to take it easy on her highness for a while guys.” he chuckled, shaking you in his arms playfully. Everyone joined the two of you in laughter, even Zoro.
“Speaking of which, we’re going to have to get you out of that gown.” Nami giggled. “Come with me, I’ll lend you some of my clothes.”
“We’ll get you some shoes when we get our supplies too.” Sanji assured you.
You glanced down at your bare feet. You didn’t know when you lost your other shoe, but you supposed it was useless without its mate anyway.
“Thank you all so very much.” you beamed, glancing between the crew members. “I am truly indebted to all of you.” You looked at Sanji again with admiration, as if to say especially you. He nodded, somehow understanding exactly what you meant.
——————
And so, you set off aboard the Going Merry as the newest member of the Straw Hat Crew!
It was a bit of an adjustment at first.
You shared a room with Nami, as she was the only other girl in the crew. She was a bit rough around the edges at first, but you were able to crack her tough exterior after a while. Deep down, she was actually very sweet and empathetic. Like you, she had just been through a lot. She was certainly glad to have another girl on board to help keep all the boys in line, and the two of you actually became quite close.
Usopp was always happy to entertain you with stories of his “grand adventures.” You had never heard tales of such whimsy and wonder with your stuffy background, and always listened intently and amazedly. Being away from Kaya, there wasn’t anyone else around who gave his stories much attention and awe. Though it wasn’t the same, he did derive a great happiness from your encounters.
Like Nami, Zoro was also pretty distant at first. You began to notice that everyone in the crew had some pretty thick trauma. However, you won him over by buying him plenty of liquor whenever you stopped somewhere with a bar. He also offered to teach you some general sword fighting moves when you expressed how worried you were about not being able to protect yourself. He acted as if it was no big deal, but you could tell he enjoyed having someone to fight with, even if it was just the basics.
Luffy was just as friendly with you as he was with everyone. He would regularly ask you about what your life was like a princess, and what kind of adventures you hoped to encounter at sea with him. You would often sit on the bow together, not having to worry about falling off, because you knew his rubber arms could stretch out and catch you no matter how far you flew. The two of you would gather up a bunch of snacks, courtesy of Sanji, and just talk through the night, staring up at the stars.
Then there was Sanji. He was definitely the member of the crew you were closest with. Not only was he the first one you met, but he was the one who understood your background the best. And, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t completely captivated by him. You knew it was silly, and that he was charming with just about every girl he met, but you couldn’t help but fall for him. It wasn’t just his perfect smile that made you melt, or his flirtatious attitude. It was his unyielding kindness and understanding. He was forever patient with you, never making you feel like a burden or an inadequate member of the crew.
You actually started out as his assistant, as the crew figured it would be the easiest thing for you to grasp as a newfound pirate. You loved hearing him talk about food and cooking. The passion and excitement in his voice was utterly captivating, and you could tell it all came from a place of genuine contentment. He was always encouraging with you in the kitchen, guiding your hands with his own as he taught you how to chop vegetables properly. You tried to ignore the way his breath blew against your neck, and how he smelled like fresh linen and tobacco, but it was kind of impossible when he was literally pressed up against your back.
Today, Sanji had given you the day off from kitchen duties, saying a pretty lady like yourself deserved to rest every once in a while. So, you were currently just sitting at the kitchen table, writing away in your journal. Finally having the freedom to dress yourself, you had traded your heels for combat boots and your ballgown for a simple white cotton dress and a black leather waist belt, your hair gathered back in one of Nami’s borrowed red bandanas. You had abandoned all of your fancy jewelry, except for a simple string of pearls and some small gold hoops in your ears.
You jumped as the door swung open, revealing a smiling blonde chef.
“Oh, Sanji!” you greeted him. “Would you like me to leave?”
“No, by all means, stay. I could use some good scenery.” he winked, going over to his counter. You couldn’t help the warm blush that crept up your cheeks. You tried to tell yourself it was just how he was, but that was proving to be a futile effort. “What are you doing anyway, my dear?”
“Oh nothing, just writing some poetry.” you explained, gesturing to your journal.
“Really? I didn’t know you wrote poetry.” he asked, beginning to boil some water. “My, you are just full of surprises, your highness.”
You laughed lightheartedly at his banter, slowly shaking off your bashfulness. “It’s just one of those princess habits I can’t seem to shake. I’ve been taught it from such a young age, it’s one of my only outlets. Sometimes I feel like it’s the only thing I’m good at.”
He frowned slightly, shaking his head. “Don’t say that, your highness. You’re good at a lot of things.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?” you fished, rolling your eyes playfully.
“Well, for starters, you make a wonderful sous chef.” he grinned, peeling some potatoes. “I don’t think I could prepare Luffy’s monstrous portions without your help.”
You giggled, closing up your journal. “Well that’s mostly just you being a great teacher.”
Now it was Sanji’s turn to feel bashful, although he was great at covering it up. “Well, you’ve also got a great sense of humor. I don’t know anyone on the crew who hasn’t cracked up at one of your jokes. You even make Zoro laugh, and he’s a major stick in the mud.”
You chuckled at him, feeling slightly embarrassed at his praise. “Oh Sanji, now you’re just trying to butter me up like I’m one of your entrees.”
“Just being honest, princess.” he shrugged with a cocky smirk. “You’re also very selfless. You’ve been willing to sell a lot of your old jewelry just to get us some extra money for supplies.”
“Eh, I don’t need any of that stuff anymore.” you huffed, waving a hand in the air dismissively.
He set down his peeler and placed both hands flat on the counter, leaning forward and looking at you with a sudden intensity that made you freeze.
“You’re one of the bravest women I’ve ever met. How many princesses have ran away from their weddings and joined a pirate crew?”
You glanced down at the ground, fighting the urge to smile. “Not many, I believe.”
“I’d wager zero.” Sanji retorted. “You know what you want in life, and you’re not afraid to go after it. You’re smart, and kind, and beautiful, so I won’t have you meandering on about your so-called inadequacies, alright?”
You nodded with a small, shy grin. “Yes, chef.”
And on the flip of a dime, his same old playful demeanor returned, and he resumed preparing dinner. He plunked the peeled potatoes into the pot of water and moved onto slicing up the steak.
“I’d love to read your poetry sometime. I’m sure it’s just as lovely as you are.” he mused, glancing up at you momentarily.
“Oh I don’t know…” you muttered, fumbling with the journal in your hands. “I’m not sure it’s any good. The only one who’s ever read it is my governess.”
“Oh? And what did she think of it?” he asked interestedly.
You smiled fondly at the memory of her. “She always told me I was gifted. She was so kind, always commending me on my creativity and passion. She used to call me her poetry princess.”
“She sounds like an amazing lady.” Sanji commented. “Were you fond of her?”
“Oh, most definitely!” you marveled, spinning around in your chair to face him. “She was more of a mother than the queen ever was to me. She was the first person in the world who made me feel like I was more than just a decorative pawn in my father’s game of conquests.”
He chuckled lightly, beginning to prepare his skillet with butter and garlic. “Do you miss her?”
Your eyes landed on your lap as you tried to find the right words. “Very much…” You started to feel a lump form in your throat. It was hard to think about how you had abandoned her. You didn’t regret leaving the kingdom, but part of you did regret leaving her behind.
Sanji seemed to sense your inner turmoil, as he removed his skillet from the stove and walked around the counter towards you. He knelt down in front of you, hooking a finger under your chin and tilting it up to prompt you to meet his eyes.
“I know how difficult it is to leave someone you care for behind.” he explained sympathetically, looking at you with such soft kindness that you felt like you could burst into tears at any moment. “But the thing you have to remember is that they want what’s best for you. They want you to chase after your dreams and live the life you deserve. It might be hard to accept that they don’t need to be a part of it, but their love and hope for you is greater than that.” He brought a thumb up to your cheek to wipe away the stray tears that you didn’t even realize had fallen. “You did what you had to do. And I’m so glad you burst into my kitchen months ago, all tattered and panicked, begging for safe passage. Because the truth is…” He then placed both hands on your cheeks, giving you the warmest smile he’d ever given anyone. “It wouldn’t be the same without you, your highness.”
You smiled through your tears, placing your hands around his and giving them a delicate squeeze. “I’m so grateful for you Sanji. You’ve been so kind to me.”
He grinned contentedly. “It’s my pleasure, your highness.”
You stayed like that for a little while, just holding onto each others hands and smiling at each other. Suddenly, the mood shifted as you noticed his eyes focused on your lips. You mirrored his actions, glancing down at his own lips. They were plump and pretty, a beautiful shade of blush that had you in a trance. His tongue darted between them momentarily.
Your eyes locked in on his for a moment. They were shining with light-blue anticipation, the kind that gave you so much confidence and courage. Both of your eyes darted back to each others lips, and what seemed to be in unison, you began slowly inching forward. You fluttered your eyelids shut in preparation for the connection of your lips…
“Hey Sanji, what are you making for dinner?” Luffy suddenly asked from the doorway.
Sanji squinted his eyes together and let you a frustrated sigh. When he opened them, you shot him a sympathetic smile, one that hid your own discomfort and disappointment extremely well.
“Hey there captain. Tonight’s dinner is grilled steak strips, garlic roasted potatoes, and parmesan crusted asparagus.” Sanji huffed as he walked over to Luffy, who had a clueless grin on his face.
“Awesome! I can’t wait!” the captain beamed, hopping up on the counter. “Oh, hi Y/N! I didn’t see you there!”
“Hi Luffy.” you smiled politely. It was hard to be mad at him when he greeted you so cheerfully. “I was just about to head out, Nami said something about teaching me how to read a map.” you lied.
Sanji shot you a small pout. “Are you sure you have to leave? I could still use some help prepping the ingredients.” He was pleading at you with his eyes to stay. However, things were now too awkward with Luffy walking in on you guys almost kissing, and you just needed to leave the kitchen.
“It’s my day off, remember?” you replied cheekily, making your way over to the exit. “I’ll see you guys at dinner.”
——————
It had been a week since your almost-kiss with Sanji. Things were undeniably tense between the two of you. You were still friendly with him, and he was as flirtatious as he always was. But you both knew you were avoiding a huge elephant in the room, and neither one of you knew how to bring it up without making things uncomfortable.
It was currently the middle of the night, and you were laying in your hammock-bed staring at the wooden ceiling of you and Nami’s shared bedroom. You were having yet another sleepless night. Every time you started to drift off, you’d immediately be reminded of how you were so close to kissing the guy of your dreams.
You glanced over to Nami’s side of the room, hoping to see her restless so you could talk to her about your dilemma. She was the only one on the crew who knew about your enormous crush on Sanji. However, she was sound asleep in her own hammock.
You exhaled a heavy breath, then threw your blankets off your legs and stood up to leave the room. You obviously weren’t going to fall asleep anytime soon, so you figured you’d stretch your legs a bit.
You ended up crawling your way up into the crow’s nest, as there was currently no one else on deck. You leaned back against the hard, cold wood and gazed up at the stars. It was amazing to think that these were the same stars you looked at from your ivory tower months ago. They seemed so much brighter over the sea.
To fill the silence, you decided to sing one of the songs your governess taught you. You formed a habit of singing it to yourself whenever you were stressed or feeling hopeless. It made you feel calm and grounded.
You tried to be quiet, as everyone else was asleep, but as the song went on you couldn’t help but put more passion into your song. You had always loved singing since you were a child.
Finally your song came to an end, and you were startled by the sound of applause. Your head snapped around to the edge of the crow’s nest. There was Sanji, clapping his hands with an admiring smile.
“You have a lovely voice, princess.” he complimented you, hopping over the barrier to sit down next to you.
“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” you asked, concerned you were singing loud enough to wake the whole crew.
“No, not at all! I was up making myself a late night snack. It helps when I’m having trouble falling asleep.” he explained.
He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up, taking a long drag before exhaling the smoke. He held one out to you. “Want one?”
You studied it, debating whether or not you wanted it. “I’m not sure, I’ve never smoked before.”
“Here, you can try a puff of mine. See if you like it.” he grinned, handing you his lit cigarette. You cautiously brought it to your lips and began to suck on it. “Just make sure you don’t-“
But he was too late. You were already coughing up a storm, hunched over and pounding on your chest.
“Inhale…” he finished with a chuckle, patting your back .
“God Sanji, how do you smoke those?” you hacked out between coughs. “It’s disgusting, I’m throwing this out!”
“No don’t!” he pleaded, reaching for the cigarette.
But you were too fast, throwing it over the edge of the crow’s nest before he could grab it.
He just looked at you with his mouth agape, the corners of his mouth tilted up in a baffled smirk. “That wasn’t very princess-like of you. I’m starting to think this pirates life is rubbing off on you.”
You laughed, rolling your eyes as he just pulled another one out of his pocket and lit it up. “So, you couldn’t sleep either hm?” you asked, tilting your head curiously.
He shook his head. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you, your highness.”
You chuckled, nudging him with your elbow. “Same here. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about what happened, but I just…”
“Couldn’t find the right words?” he finished your sentence for you.
You nodded, putting your head in your hands and laughing in disbelief at how easily he could read you. “Exactly.”
He leaned back up against the barrier to join you in looking up at the night sky, seemingly in thought. You suddenly felt brave enough to lay your head on his shoulder. You could feel him smiling down at you as you cuddled up closer to him.
“Well, who says we need words?” he asked, turning his head towards you. “Actions speak louder sometimes.”
“Hm?” you asked, sitting up to face him.
He put out his cigarette and tilted your chin up with his forefinger, prompting you to look up at him. He just looked over your features for a moment, taking in the sight before him.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” he told you in an uncharacteristically serious voice. His eyes were like cornflower pools of commendation, fixed upon you with unrelenting intensity.
You just stared back at him, mouth slightly agape at the sudden intimacy of the moment. “Thank you, Sanji…”
“I mean it.” he told you, looking you straight in the eye. “But your beauty is only a fraction of what makes you special. I mean, you’re a talented writer, a beautiful singer, an amazing aspiring chef and swordsman, a good joke-teller, and a selfless, loyal pirate… Is there anything you can’t do, your highness?”
At that moment, it was like a cupid’s arrow had shot you straight through the heart. As a princess, you were always taught that the most important thing for you to be was beautiful. Not smart, not kind, not creative. Your only job was to sit still and look pretty. But with Sanji, all of that was thrown out the window. You got to express every part of your personality that you’d had to hold back for so many years. It was freeing, and it made you feel like your existence was truly meaningful to someone.
Before anyone could possibly interrupt you, you took your chance and pulled him towards you by his black neck tie, crashing your lips against his with everything you had. There was an element of softness to it, but it was just intense enough that he could feel how long you had desired to press your lips to his.
He was frozen for only a second or two, then he gingerly placed a hand upon your cheek, gripping onto it slightly to deepen the kiss.
After a while he pulled back to catch his breath, forehead pressed against yours as you both panted heavily.
“You can add amazing kisser to the list of things you’re good at.” he smirked, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear.
You giggled, placing your hand over his. “With you around, my list will become a mile long.”
“As it should be.” he told you, going back in for another kiss. This one was more passionate, his free hand moving to your waist to hold you in place. Your hands went up to his shoulders, gripping onto them tightly as if you could fly away at any second.
His tongue brushed against the parting of your lips as if asking for safe passage, which you granted him by sliding your own under his. He tasted like rum and vanilla, equal parts bitter and sweet with a touch of tobacco, and you couldn’t get enough of it.
“I really like you, Sanji.” you suddenly confessed, not being able to hold it back any longer.
He held your face in his hands, looking at you in pure amazement, searching for any possible sign that you might be joking. “Do you mean it, your highness?”
You nodded, swallowing the lump that was beginning to form in your throat. This was it. This was the part where he would either refuse or accept your feelings.
“I like you a lot too, Y/N.” he smiled warmly, pulling you into his lap. He began frantically kissing you all over your face and neck, making you giggle and feign resistance.
For the remainder of the night, the seagulls and pelicans were the only ones who heard the laughter of two pirates exchanging kisses from the crows nest. They both ended up falling asleep curled up in each others arms, causing the rest of the crew to tease them lovingly in the morning.
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