Here, I will be writing imagines about different characters that I love.
A few notes:
I won't be taking requests as that can be stressful. You can send ideas in for fun, and I may write them if they really interest me, but there will be no guarantees.
I try to keep stories as neutral as possible to allow more people to enjoy them (like skin, hair, body type, etc). If you notice a physical description I might have accidentally included, you can let me know.
They/them pronouns will be used mostly, but some stories may have a female reader if I decide to write it that way. This will be specified in the story info.
Smut will mostly use neutral pronouns, but reader descriptions may end up more specific depending on how graphic things get in the story. This will also be specified in story info.
Any smut or posts about adult themes will be clearly labeled/tagged. Minors, please don't interact with posts labeled MINORS DNI or tagged #minors dni
I'm an American without anyone to Britpick, so if you notice anything obviously American in any Doctor Who stories, let me know!
Please be kind and patient. I work and have responsibilities, so I won't always have time to post regularly.
As the crew spends a night at Whiskey Peak, you finally get some one on one time with Zoro
OPLA!Straw Hats x isekaied!reader (f!reader, no use of Y/N)
Warnings: violence, a little bit of jealous Sanji (how dare mosshead get to spend time with a beautiful lady 😤), a few suggestive lines
Notes: I guess you can read the Sanji stuff as romantic if you want but he's also just Like That (I'm not really intending on this story being explicitly romantic)
Part One - Part Two - Part Three - *Part Four*
Whiskey Peak seemed a little too good to be true.
Why would an island welcome pirates? Why would they give them all of their food and drink? Why would they open themselves up to the possibility of pirates doing what pirates do, pillaging the town in spite of its hospitality? It wasn't like they knew that the Straw Hats weren't the average pirates.
In spite of the explanations the mayor had given, it just didn't sit right in your gut. Years of experience had taught you to listen to it, especially in strange situations. And it was telling you to leave. Run.
But no one else seemed bothered once the partying started.
Luffy was eating everything he could get his hands on, Usopp charmed a group of locals with his stories, Nami was in the middle of a drinking contest with a nun, Zoro sat at a table all on his own, surrounded by several empty beer bottles, and Sanji, of course, had found himself behind the bar.
He leaned on the counter in front of you, ignoring everyone else who sat at the bar for just a moment.
"What would you like, love? Somethin' sweet? Or maybe somethin' spicy?" He winked.
As tempting as it was, you shook your head. "No, thank you. I'm alright."
Usually, you were happy to try any food or drink he made for you, so it threw him off momentarily. "Are you sure?"
You gave him a smile. "Yeah."
Sanji wasn't entirely convinced, but he let you be as he went to go take orders from other ladies at the bar. Or he tried to at least. Except that he found himself glancing over at you every so often, concern tickling at the back of his mind.
Meanwhile, you were watching as he made drink after drink with a showmanship that was very much in character for him, occasionally looking out at the rest of the saloon.
You jumped slightly in your seat as Sanji came to you again, the calls from the other ladies at the bar going unheard. You spoke before he could. "I promise I'm good. I'd just like to keep my wits about me."
Oh, was that what it was? "I can make you something non-alcoholic," he offered.
"I just don't trust it," you muttered.
You noticed his smile drop just a fraction. "You know I'd never serve you anythin' that would hurt you, right?"
"It's not you I'm worried about." You leaned in closer to him, side-eyeing the others at the bar as you whispered. "Doesn't this place seem weird to you? People don't usually welcome pirates with open arms." Not that pirates were really still a thing where you came from, but you'd seen enough pirate media to know that this was not how regular people reacted to them.
"Things are different on the Grand Line," he repeated his words from earlier with a shrug. "I don't think there's anythin' to worry about here. You should take the opportunity to enjoy yourself before we head to the next island. That's what the rest of us are doin'."
A pretty redhead called for Sanji again, and that was when it hit you.
Everyone was way too distracted. They had just what they wanted. Women, meat, money, an audience. If you were right and not just being paranoid, they probably wouldn't figure it out until it was too late.
Except for the one person who always kept watch–unless he was taking a nap, of course.
"Go tend to the ladies, Sanji. I'll talk to you later."
Sanji called out for you, you were already out of your seat.
Zoro still sat all on his own, silently enjoying another beer. You'd noticed a few people coming up to him at one point, but they'd gotten the message that he had no interest in conversation. You had to hope that he was more open to you.
And that he was clear headed enough to see the same red flags you were seeing.
Zoro didn't react as you slid into the booth with him.
"Hi," you said.
Out of the crew, Zoro was the one you'd spent the least real time with. Sure, there were times where everyone was together, but it was never just the two of you. So you did feel just a little awkward at that moment.
"Finally get bored of the cook? I don't blame you," he said with a smirk, which grew when he noticed that said cook was looking right over at the two of you in surprise.
"Not really. I just...um." You lowered your voice. "Do you also have a bad feeling about this place?"
"Yeah," was all he said before taking another swig of his beer.
Your shoulders relaxed and you let out a breath. It was nice to have some confirmation. "So what are we gonna do?"
"We let the others have their fun. And if something goes down, I'll take care of it."
"And...that's it?"
Zoro looked over at you with a little smile. "Pretty much, yeah."
You scooted a bit closer. "I'm gonna stick with you until we leave. If you don't mind."
"Sure." He wouldn't have really cared anyway, but he just knew that the cook's blood was boiling at the fact that you had left him to go sit with his least favorite person on the ship. And that gave Zoro quite a bit of satisfaction. "Want one?" he said, popping the top off of a beer with his thumb and offering it to you.
"I'm a little worried about eating or drinking anything from this place. They could've done something to it. I know they're drinking it too, but they could have an immunity built up or something." Maybe it sounded ridiculous, but drugs or poison in the food and drink would be an easy way to take care of all of you, if that was their plan.
"The beer's fine." He nodded to all of the bottles he'd emptied. "I'm still alive."
The beers were sealed. It would make sense for them to be safe. "Hm...okay." You took the beer from him and had a sip of it.
The sound of glass breaking startled you, and you looked over at the bar to see Sanji, his face pink with embarassment as he began to clean up the mess he'd just made.
Zoro scoffed. "Some bartender he is. Can't even manage not to break the damn bottles."
"Flair bartending is harder than it looks, you know."
He raised an eyebrow. "What could be so hard about slinging bottles of booze around like an idiot?"
"Yeah, I guess it wouldn't be that impressive to a guy who uses three swords at once." You leaned back in your seat and got comfortable. "Speaking of the three sword thing, how do you do that? Your teeth must be insanely strong..."
It didn't take too much longer for your gut to be proven right.
Zoro had stumbled out of one of the back doors to take care of some business, leaving you all alone in the main room of the saloon.
A wave of panic hit when you noticed a group of men coming towards you, not looking nearly as friendly as they had with Usopp just a while ago.
"The swordsman left you all alone, huh?"
"Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll make it quick."
You looked around frantically for anything within arm's reach to use against them.
Of course they waited for Zoro to leave.
Of course they were going for you first.
You were the easiest to get out of the way.
The weakest.
But you weren't going to just lie down and die.
You balled up your fists, and the men's laughter at the action was quickly cut short by two of their number being tossed through the doors like ragdolls.
And in walked Zoro, cool and controlled, hands resting on the hilts of his swords. "Gonna need more than two to take me down."
He dispatched two more before you could even blink, and a clapping sounded from the upper level.
The crown-wearing jerk from before, Mr. 9. "Quite an entrance. Unfortunately, what you failed to understand is–"
"You're all Baroque Works. And this whole town is a ruse to get pirates drunk and kill them?"
Mr. 9 laughed. "We also steal their loot."
"For your costume budget?"
"For Baroque Works!"
The assassins cheered, and Mr. 9 addressed them all directly. "The man before you felled our dearly departed Mr. 7. A stroke of dumb luck, no doubt. But I have it on good authority that whoever kills Roronoa Zoro will be fast tracked to frontier agent!"
And that was when the weapons came out.
"Oh man," you said, backing away from the guys who had finally turned their attention away from you.
"There are a hundred of us, and only one of you. I like our odds."
Zoro showed no sign of concern as he pulled out his bandana and tied it on. He locked eyes with you. "I'll take care of this. Just stay out of the way."
You gave him a thumbs up. "Got it."
Getting out of the saloon probably would've been the best thing to do, but you didn't know exactly where anyone else on the crew was. And if you went outside, you could end up running into more agents. If that happened and you had no help, you would be absolutely screwed.
So you pressed yourself back against the nearest wall and just watched. It wasn't like they would bother you anyway, seeing as Zoro was the way to secure a promotion.
"This will be a great workout for my new swords."
The moment Mr. 9 said the word, every agent in the bar went right for Zoro.
The swordsman's movements were lightning fast as he sliced at the agents with ease, taking down at least five before you even realized what happened. Your eyes could barely keep up with him.
This was different than the fight in Loguetown. It seemed he was really letting loose against these guys, as opposed to Buggy and Alvida's crew.
Even though he was literally killing people in front of you, your jaw hung open watching the grace and skill that he did it with.
"Holy shit."
Being blinded by a fake nun, or even facing a huge guy with a mace several times the size of your head, didn't stop him. Zoro fought hard, and you stayed on the edge of things. Until...
"The idiots are upstairs. Go with them back to the Merry," he called to you before disappearing through the back.
Right. You should probably do something besides stand there.
Dodging all of the bodies left in Zoro's wake, you rushed up the steps to the second level. "Usopp?! Sanji?!"
"We're in here!" You heard them call from a few doors away.
When you got there, you found Usopp sitting tied up as Sanji used a dagger to saw at the rope on his own wrists. He paused for a moment, looking up at you with the relief of seeing you alive. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"No, Zoro was looking out for me." You scanned the room and found another knife lying next to one of the assassins. Grabbing it, you used it to start cutting Usopp free. "He's kicking so much ass right now. I've never seen anything like it in real life."
As happy as Sanji was that you were okay, he also found himself a little irritated that mosshead was the one protecting you while he and Usopp were tied up and helpless. But it was the guilt that caused him to speak. "You were right about this place. I'm sorry I didn't believe you."
"It's fine, Sanji."
"It's really n–"
Usopp's wrists were finally freed, and he rubbed at them. "Thanks. But for the record, I also knew this town was weird. I had a whole plan and everything."
"Did that plan involve getting tied up and stabbed?" you asked with a raised brow.
"Actually, yes it did. Let me walk you through it–"
Because of the chaos of escaping Whiskey Peak and finally heading for the next island, you didn't get a chance to talk with Zoro again until the morning.
He stood on the deck, looking out from the side of the ship as he had his post-morning nap beer.
You stepped up next to him and rested your arms on the railing. "You doing okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You fought 100 assassins last night. Or did you forget that already?"
"I'm fine. Booze cures everything," he said, taking a swig from his bottle.
"Hm, sure." You rested your chin on your hands. "That fight was amazing, by the way. Coolest thing I've ever seen."
Zoro wanted to take pride in it, but there was still that voice in his head that sounded very much like Dracule Mihawk, telling him that it had been less than nothing. That you didn't know enough about the world to realize that he had a long way to go on his journey. So he just gave an uninterested grunt.
"So, I was wanting to ask you something else."
Zoro finally turned his head towards you, draining the last of his drink. "What's that?"
"Can I train with you? It doesn't have to be swords since that's kind of your thing. I just want to get stronger. I have no clue how long I'll be here, so I want to have a better chance at defending myself..."
You were never going to get anywhere close to his level, or even to the others, but in spite of Nami's assurance that you weren't dead weight, the last thing you wanted was to be a liability like you were in Whiskey Peak. And you were willing to put in the work to change that.
Zoro's face was unreadable as he pushed himself from the railing and began to walk away.
"Meet me back here in five minutes. Be ready to train."
After practically running to the girl's room to change into the closest thing you had to gym clothes, you made it back to the deck in record time.
Zoro was already there setting up some weights. Weights which you noticed were quite large, almost comically so.
"Um..." You started stretching your arms and shoulders as you spoke. "I think those are gonna be too heavy for me."
"I use those to warm up. They should work," he said, nodding towards some smaller dumbbells and plates. "You ever lifted weights before?"
"Never."
Zoro had his work cut out for him, but if you were committed, so was he.
You were almost questioning things a while later when you found yourself lying on a bench, pressing a weight that had your arms shaking and chest aching.
Zoro stood above you, and if you weren't so focused on the bar that could easily crush your throat, you might have been distracted by the view.
"One more," he said.
"O-okay."
Despite the protests of your muscles, you dug deep inside and found the will to push the bar up again and slowly lower it back down.
Before you could even worry about it, Zoro already had a hold of the bar, casually taking it in one hand and allowing you to let go. He placed it down on the deck and you sat up, breathing heavier, sweat trickling down your temple.
"I thought you'd be weaker." He'd only expected you to do one or two reps your first time, but he'd been pleasantly surprised.
"I wait tables," you said, wiping your heated face. "Carrying around heavy trays full of food and drinks kinda helps with strength."
He nudged you to get up from the bench, then started loading more weight onto the bar for himself.
"Rest for a minute. Then we keep going."
"Sanji, could I trouble you for something cold to drink?"
The cook stopped the lunch prep that he was doing the moment he heard your request. "It's no trouble at all, love."
"Thank you."
But the moment he saw the state of you as you walked further into the galley, he paused. Because your skin was glistening with a sheen of sweat that had him thinking some not so gentlemanly thoughts. He cleared his throat, moving to grab a few lemons. "Ah, how about some freshly-squeezed lemonade?"
"That sounds amazing," you said, collapsing on one of the stools. You could barely feel your legs from all the lifts Zoro had you doing, so it was nice to finally sit. "Zoro really wore me out."
Sanji fumbled a lemon and it hit the counter with a thump, making him recall how he'd shattered an entire bottle of booze the night before when he saw you accept a drink from the swordsman. "He what?"
Your cheeks warmed, realizing how that might have sounded. "I asked him if he'd train me. We started this morning."
"He wasn't too hard on you was he?" Sanji asked seriously. "If I need to have words with him, I will."
"Believe me, I know." Surprisingly, they hadn't been in a argument yet that day. You weren't about to be the reason it happened. "It was fine, really. I feel great. Sore, but great."
"You know, if you wanted to train, you could've asked me," he said as he got to juicing the lemons. "I'd be happy to show you a few moves."
"You'd take it too easy on me."
"No, I wouldn't."
You couldn't help laughing. "The first thing you asked when I mentioned training with Zoro was if he was too hard on me."
"That's different."
"Not really." You leaned into the counter, smiling up at him. "I wouldn't mind learning some cool kicks, though."
Sanji smiled back, knowing Zoro could never help with that. "I suppose someone has to make sure you can fight with style. That's not exactly mosshead's strong suit."
"I don't know. He was pretty stylish when he beat 100 assassins all by himself."
"I could've done that, too. Easily," Sanji claimed, still bothered about how the previous night had gone. He couldn't believe Zoro got to do all the fighting while he was tied up.
"You and Usopp couldn't even take two of them," you teased. You were well aware that they had been distracted, and that Sanji refused to fight women anyway.
"I wasn't really thinkin' clearly last night."
"You were, just not with your brain." You rested your face in your palm. "By the way, you really shouldn't let a woman tie you up unless you know her."
As if things couldn't get any weirder, the Going Merry sails up a mountain and ends up in the belly of a whale!
OPLA!Straw Hats x isekaied!reader (f!reader, no use of Y/N)
Warnings: None
Notes: Part 2 reminded me of how much I hate rewriting canon scenes, so I'm trying to limit that from here on out. This part is shorter but the next will be Zoro heavy so hopefully that makes up for it 😄
Part One - Part Two - *Part Three* - Part Four
Monkey D. Luffy was unlike anyone you'd ever met.
You'd never encountered someone with so much joy. With such a sense of adventure and freedom. His energy made it effortless for him to get you to loosen up and let out your inner playfulness.
Not having to worry about your shit job, or your rent, or having to choose between groceries and the light bill, meant you could relax. Sure, there were even bigger dangers now that you were traveling with a pirate crew, but somehow that felt...easier. Like, in spite of everything, you were safer and more secure than you'd ever been before.
So, whenever Luffy got bored with whatever else he was doing and asked you to do something with him, and often Usopp, you obliged.
That day, the two of you had started with a very chaotic game of two person charades, which eventually devolved into doing impressions of the rest of the crew.
"Okay, check this out!" said Luffy. His grinning face quickly turned serious, left arm hanging at his side, and the other bent as if resting on something attached to his belt. His voice lowered to match his expression. "My name is Roronoa Zoro, and I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman."
You let out a little giggle. "That's pretty good. But wait 'til you see mine!"
Sitting down on the deck, you rested your back against the side of the ship and crossed your arms over your chest. You put on a neutral expression and closed your eyes.
You stayed like that for a moment, then opened them again as if you'd just woken up.
"Where's the booze?" you said in a deep monotone.
Luffy burst out laughing and slapped his knee. "That's exactly what he sounds like!"
You couldn't help laughing with him as you got to your feet. "Let's do Usopp next."
But the fun was interrupted when Nami announced that the Merry should be coming up on its destination any minute now.
You and Luffy joined her and Usopp where they leaned up against the railing, Sanji and Zoro down on the lower deck.
It didn't take long to spot the mountain in the distance. "Guys look!" Luffy said.
Nami smiled. "We made it."
"Is that-?" Usopp began.
"Reverse Mountain. The entrance to the Grand Line."
"Our journey gets a lot harder from here," said Sanji
Zoro looked over at him. "Harder than warlords?"
"Killer sharks?" Nami added.
"Whoever that lady with the mace was?" Usopp said, making you smile.
"Yeah. But there's nothing we can't take on together! Grand Line, here we come!" Luffy cheered.
You'd been just as skeptical as Zoro was about the possibility of sailing up a mountain.
But somehow, against all the laws of nature, the Going Merry made it up Reverse Mountain in one piece.
Considering how fantastical this place was, should you really have been surprised?
No, because it somehow got stranger.
The ship made it up the mountain, and you had succeeded in your trial by fire, using what Usopp taught you to help the crew. Everything seemed just fine.
Until a giant whale ended up in the ship's path as it went down the other side of the mountain.
And swallowed it–and everyone but Luffy–whole.
"Anyone else getting Pinnochio vibes?" You asked as you carefully walked between Usopp and Sanji, holding up a lantern to light your way.
Sanji frowned. "What's that?"
Right.
"Oh, it's a story where I'm from." You stepped over what you were pretty sure was a human femur, but you quickly ignored that. "This old guy Geppetto makes a wooden puppet and wishes for him to be a real boy. But the wish just brings him to life as is, so Pinocchio has to go on this journey to prove that he's brave and selfless so he can become human. At one point, Geppetto goes to help him, but his boat gets eaten by a whale. Pinnochio gets eaten by the whale too, and he saves Geppetto and turns into a real boy in the end."
"How did they get out of the whale?" Usopp asked. He'd have to get the whole story from you later, since a journey to become brave was pretty relatable for him.
"They made it sneeze. But there's no way that would actually work, right? Do whales even sneeze?"
"We can mention it to Nami when we get back to the Merry. Can't be any worse than whatever that mossheaded idiot comes up with," Sanji said. "So, do the stories from your world get any weirder than a walkin', talkin' puppet?"
"Oh, yeah." You looked back at him and smirked, giving a conspiratorial wink. "I'll have to tell you guys all about the one with the aliens that lay their eggs in your mouth and the babies violently burst out of your chest."
You'd wondered at one point why you couldn't have ended up in a futuristic space-traveling universe. But you quickly realized that you could've easily been stuck in something more like Alien than Star Trek. And that sounded much less pleasant than a life on the ocean.
Usopp agreed.
He stopped suddenly, swearing he felt a pain in his chest. "I do not wanna hear that one! Sanji's already got me thinking about ghosts."
Sanji smiled as he put a gentle hand on your back and led you to walk past Usopp with him. If you wanted to mess with Usopp, he was more than happy help. He would've done it anyway. "Did you know ghosts that haunt shipwrecks are the most vengeful?"
"Yeah, right...Where'd you hear that? Was it in a book? Who wrote the book? Was it well researched?"
You pressed your lips together, barely hiding a laugh as Sanji returned your wink.
"What is a rowle anyway?" He asked.
Usopp looked to you with a smile. "Do you remember this one?"
You took a second to think back, and snapped your fingers when it hit you. "It connects the whipstaff to the...tiller, right? We need it to be able to move the rudder."
"That's Professor Usopp's star student." Usopp raised his hand for a high five, which you gave him with a proud grin.
Sanji remembered you talking about some sailing lessons with Usopp. And clearly they were paying off based on your ability to help with the trip up Reverse Mountain. "We'll have to get you started on some cookin' lessons next," he said with a smirk.
You quirked an eyebrow at him. "We both know you'd do more sweet talking than teaching."
"Can you blame me, love?"
Usopp shook his head. "Let's just find a rowle and get back to the Merry. You guys can flirt later."
One jump scare, a fight with a tackily dressed assassin, and a close call for Usopp later, the whale–Laboon–spit the Merry out and set you free.
And after a lunch with Crocus, the journey continued, albeit with a few extra passengers tied up in the galley.
You laid in your hammock, looking up at the ceiling and thinking as Nami readied for bed, softly humming a tune you didn't recognize.
Laboon wasn't anything like the whale in Pinnochio.
He wasn't bad, he wasn't an enemy. He was just hurting. And the more you dwelled on it, the more it made your chest ache. Tears pricked at your eyes, and you tried to blink them away.
"If you keep staring like that, you'll put a hole in the ceiling." You turned your head towards Nami, finding her sitting on the bed, dressed in a tank top and sleep shorts. Her face softened a bit when she noticed the red rimming your eyes. "You okay?"
"I'm just thinking about Laboon. The whole thing is so sad."
"Yeah," she said, laying down on her side and facing you. "But Luffy did what he does best. He helped him."
"I know, but his friends still left him and never came back. He's waited for 50 years. I...I can't imagine how lonely that's been." You'd been lonely your whole life, but to even think about living through what he had...
"They didn't come back for him, but we will," Nami said without a hint of uncertainty.
"How do you know? I mean, you guys can kick ass, but you've only been doing this for a month or so. And it sounds like even experienced pirates haven't been able to make it to the end like Gold Roger did...."
You had a pretty good feeling that they would make it through the other end of the Grand Line. After all, they were the protagonists of an epic adventure, and what epic story ended without the hero achieving their goal? But Nami didn't have the context that you had, yet she was still so confident.
"This crew may be a little green, but of all the pirates out there searching for the One Piece, I know who I'm betting on. You'll see it one day, too." A little smile formed on her face as she thought about Luffy, and about everything that had gone down since they met at Shell's Town.
"Luffy will keep his promise to Laboon. And his promise to you..."
"Good morning, Sanji," you greeted as you entered the galley just before the break of dawn, softly smiling and rubbing sleep from your eyes.
But Sanji was wide awake as he momentarily stopped his prep and turned to you, a grin on his lips and his blue eyes sparkling. "Good mornin', love."
As you took a seat at the counter, he grabbed the carafe and poured fresh coffee into an already prepared mug. And he gave it a little stir with a spoon before sliding it in front of you.
You picked up the warm mug and took a breath of the scent before giving it a careful sip.
Still perfect.
You'd been honest with Sanji about not being a morning person before, but something had changed. You didn't know whether it was your body clock being out of whack with this new world, or if it was knowing you had pleasant company to look forward to. Either way, you found yourself in the galley early each morning, drinking coffee with Sanji and watching him make breakfast as you chatted about different things.
This day was no different.
"Thank you," you said happily, placing the mug down on the table, yet keeping it wrapped in your hands.
"My pleasure," he went back to his work as he continued, "but I should be thankin' you. Ever since you came along, I've had the privilege of starting every mornin' with that gorgeous smile of yours."
There wasn't even an opportunity for you to say anything in return before Miss Wednesday scoffed from over in the corner where Mr. 9 slept next to her. "I'd much rather be thrown overboard than be forced to listen to this."
"That's too bad. I think you're stuck with us for a while," you said, punctuating it with another sip. You turned your attention back to Sanji. "So, what's for breakfast?"
"I can make you whatever you'd like."
"Hm...pancakes?"
Sanji smiled, already thinking of how well those would pair with the berries he'd bought back in Loguetown. "Pancakes for our lady from the stars, comin' right up."
"From the stars?" Miss Wednesday asked.
You cleared your throat, thinking it probably wasn't great for the scary assassin lady to know that you weren't from around there. Instead, you pivoted. "Hey, I've actually been meaning to say thank you for helping us save Usopp. I've grown fond of him already, so I appreciate it."
Miss Wednesday looked away from you, keeping a straight face. "I thought that all of you staying alive would help our chances of escaping that disgusting whale. That's all it was."
"Right." Your eyes lingered on her for a moment before you faced Sanji again.
And he was smirking.
"So, anyone else you've grown fond of?"
You rubbed your chin, pretending to think. "...Nami. And Luffy."
"You wound me," he said, placing a hand over his heart.
I was listening to Black Jack Davey (White Stripes version) just now and it made me wonder which of our guys would seduce reader away from their husband to join their life of piracy 🤔
I need Sanji with a devil fruit reader who has powers like Rogue that they can't control yet. If they're not careful, he could have his life force taken and end up in a coma, but he's still so down bad it's crazy.
I'm probably going to do something with this actually. Just the idea of reader being really really hesitant about him because of their power and Sanji basically does a version of Gambit's "some things are deeper than skin" line 🥺
I need Sanji with a devil fruit reader who has powers like Rogue that they can't control yet. If they're not careful, he could have his life force taken and end up in a coma, but he's still so down bad it's crazy.
Whenever the 'reader comes from a world where the Straw Hats are fictional' thing is actually confirmed for them, I think it would be funny for Sanji to ask what stories reader does like since she wasn't into theirs. And he ends up on the receiving end of an info dump about Doctor Who or something.
An eventful stop in Loguetown gives you a real taste of life with the Straw Hat Pirates
OPLA!Straw Hats x isekaied!reader (f!reader, no use of Y/N)
Warnings: the usual violence, injury, blood, harassment
Notes: Some Usopp and Nami as promised 😄
Part One - *Part Two* - Part Three - Part Four
It had been just over three days since you found yourself on a ship of pirates.
And not just any pirates. The Straw Hat Pirates, who, until a few days ago, were merely fiction to you.
Something that you were quick to tell them all was just shock from whatever brought you to their ship. They had seemingly believed that, but you still stuck with the truth of being from another world. Your ignorance for how things worked there wouldn't have made that lie very convincing.
Thankfully, things had been pretty uneventful so far, save for Sanji and Zoro being at each other's throats half the time. You spent as much time as you could out on the deck, often sitting by Nami's tangerine trees and watching the waves ripple across the seemingly endless sea. Being without modern technology was taking some getting used to, but it actually felt nice to not be doomscrolling and wasting your time.
Sometimes, you would quietly hang with Nami herself, or let Luffy pull you into some kind of game like hide and seek, or, admittedly, go watch Zoro train. Which he seemed to always be doing whenever he wasn't taking naps all over the place.
But mostly you just enjoyed the ocean view as the Going Merry plugged along.
That morning, you sat at the steps that led up to...well, you didn't know what it was called, actually. The big stick thing. Hot mug of coffee in your hands–the second of the day, after the one you'd drank in the galley as Sanji made breakfast–and the scent of tangerines surrounding you.
Behind you, you caught a series of plinking noises, and you immediately recognized that it was Usopp. You got to your feet and walked over, looking out across the lower deck.
There was the man himself, slingshot in hand as he loosed another projectile, and your eyes followed as it bounced off of several surfaces, eventually ending on his makeshift target. It wasn't the first time you'd observed his marksman abilities, as he had been practicing daily.
"How do you even do that?"
Usopp nearly jumped out of his skin, letting out a started little noise. But at the sight of you, he smoothed a hand back over his bandana and tried to play it cool. "Just natural talent and skill. No big deal."
"Right..." There was no way he should've been able to hit the bullseye like that, but was anything impossible when the captain was a rubber man?
"Wanna give it a try?" He asked, holding the slingshot up.
You laughed. "And put someone's eye out? No, thanks."
"Suit yourself. But you're missing out. Captain Usopp is a great teacher," he said, pointing his thumb towards himself.
"Really?" Taking a sip of your coffee, you continued, fingertips playing at the textured surface of the mug. "Because there are some things I've been thinking that I should know." You quickly added, "Not about slingshots, not unless you want one of us getting hurt. I mean about the ship."
"Like what?" Usopp asked. "I know all there is to know about this baby," he said, patting the nearest surface.
"Um, everything? I've never been on a ship or on the ocean at all before this. But if I'm going to be here, I should probably know the basics. And I see how much you take care of the ship."
"If you wanna know about sailing, you're talking to the right guy." Usopp stowed the slingshot away and walked up the steps to meet you. "Is there anything you know? What am I working with?"
"Well, a ship has sails. And an anchor. And starboard is a thing, right?"
Usopp looked at you for a long moment, realizing you weren't going to continue. Maybe your claim about being from another world was actually true. Your lack of knowledge was unusual. "Okay. Wow. I guess we'll start with the simple stuff." He cleared his throat. "Starboard is a thing. When you're facing this way," he gestured to the right, "starboard," to the left, "port," to the front, "bow," and finally, to the rear, "stern."
"Starboard, port, bow, and stern," you muttered to yourself. "Okay, I got it."
"Fore means in the direction of the bow, and aft is towards the stern," he added.
"Makes sense."
"So, you know what sails are, but do you know how they work?"
You looked up at the largest sail, plastered with a strawhatted skull and crossbones. "They catch the wind and keep the ship moving forward, right?"
"Exactly! I can show you how to actually work with the sails later." That was something better learned hands on, he thought. Because clearly you were going to need a lot of practice.
By the time Nami came across the two of you, Usopp was quizzing you.
"And what's used to steer the ship?"
"The whipstaff!" AKA the big stick thing.
"That's right."
"What are you guys doing?" Nami asked.
"She asked me to teach her about sailing. She's catching on fast." Usopp placed his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest. "I may just be the greatest teacher in the world."
"He's not bad," you added.
Nami smirked. "Did you tell her the most important rule about sailing?"
Usopp's shoulders fell, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Um..."
She turned her gaze to you. "When your navigator tells you to do something, you do it."
"Oh, right. That rule." Usopp looked back to you as he gestured to Nami. "What she said."
You nodded. "Always listen to Nami. Got it."
"You're right. She is catching on fast."
It was about noon as you stood near Nami, who was looking over the Grand Line map. She had explained all of that to you during your first full day on the ship. The four Blues, and the Grand and Red Lines. It was so much different than the world you knew, and something that would take a lot of getting used to.
Zoro was training on the lower deck, and Luffy sat on his 'special seat', or, as you had learned earlier, the figurehead.
Usopp was in the galley tinkering with some new ammo he'd mentioned earlier as Sanji worked on lunch.
Well, they had been until Sanji came out with Usopp in tow, carrying two plates of food.
He placed a plate on the table in front of each of you. "My lovely ladies, for lunch today, we have a sautéed black pepper octopus."
"Thank you, Sanji," Nami said with a smile as she went for a bite.
You took a moment to appreciate his plating before eating as well. "Thanks. It's delicious."
"You have octopus. I had an egg sandwich," Usopp muttered.
You nudged your plate towards him. "Do you want to try some? I can share."
Usopp very nearly took you up on that offer. Until he caught the look on Sanji's face.
He decided he'd rather not be punted all the way back to Syrup Village by a pissed off cook.
"Uh, no, thanks. That egg sandwich was great. I'm stuffed!" He said with a pat to his belly.
"You have outdone yourself as always, Sanji," Nami said.
"I aim to please."
"Although, for black pepper octopus, I don't taste very much pepper."
"Same, but it's still really good," you added on, taking another bite. You weren't used to eating things like octopus, but you'd been enjoying it. It helped that Sanji was a hell of a cook.
"So I think I've found our best route into the Grand Line. We're not too far off, but there's dangerous traversal ahead." Nami showed a spot on the map. "Looks like this waterway here cuts right through the Red Line."
"I'm not the navigator," Usopp said, pointing to another area, "but doesn't this open ocean seem like a way safer option than sailing through a mountain? It connects right to the Grand Line."
You had asked Nami the same question not too long before, so you already had an idea of what she would say...
"Well, good thing you're not the navigator, or we would all be screwed. This is the Calm Belt."
"I'm guessin' it's not named that for it's easy travel," said Sanji.
"No. It's named for its still water and lack of wind. You enter the Calm Belt, and your sails instantly hang limp. No way to move. Becalmed and dead in the water." She gave Usopp a little smile. "Also a breeding ground for sea kings."
"Oh, yeah. Let's not go there. I killed a bunch of them once. We've got a lot of bad blood, so it's–"
"Why don't we go to Loguetown?" Sanji interrupted, because all three of you knew where that was headed.
You noticed Nami's face fall right away as Usopp added, "That sounds like a perfectly safe, non-dangerous place to visit. I like this."
"Loguetown is the largest Marine hub in all of the East Blue."
Sanji had already explained to you at one point that Marines were the enemy, so you weren't surprised when Usopp pivoted. "Yeah, let's not go there. You know what? I changed my mind. Let's go straight for the Grand Line."
"There's got to be some safer islands around here," Nami said, looking elsewhere on the map.
"It doesn't seem like it," said Sanji. "We're low on food, and pretty much everything. This could be our last chance to stock up before we get into the Grand Line."
Nami was considering it, because it didn't seem like there was another option. "It is dangerous to enter the Grand Line underprepared, and we're not that far away. Maybe we could–"
"You're free for the first time in your life. Haven't you earned the right to buy yourself a little somethin' nice?" Sanji moved closer to Nami, smiling as he put an arm around her shoulder. But the words weren't just to convince her, he meant it. After being stuck with Arlong for years, Nami deserved so much.
"No, no. Don't you fall for it."
Nami was already smiling. She didn't need much of a push, but Sanji leaned in just a little more. "I could do with a little shopping. And so could she."
Sanji cheered, a contrast to Usopp as he went, "What?! Curse you, Sanji." He pointed at the cook. "Curse you. And your charm, and your chiseled jawline. Your ocean eyes."
Usopp looked to you as you smiled in amusement at his reaction, hoping you would say something. Not that you really had a vote, being that you were just a guest, but if you agreed with him, he'd argue for you to get one for sure.
But you didn't like that you had to borrow clothes from the others just to wash the single outfit of work clothes you now owned. "She's right. I came here with nothing but the clothes on my back."
Usopp quickly turned around, looking for Luffy or Zoro. "We need someone who can talk some sense into–ZORO!"
The swordsman wasn't much help to him, and neither was Luffy, who was convinced by the promise of food and seeing the place where Gold Roger was executed.
It was over, he lost.
Because when the captain decided he wanted to do something, he did it.
When the Going Merry finally docked at Loguetown, you found yourself a little nervous. You didn't know what to expect from your very first island in this world. What strange things would you see and find?
And most importantly, what trouble was the crew going to get into?
Sanji stayed close by you as you followed the crew from the ship to the entrance of the city, knowing that you were a fish out of water and should have someone looking out for you. You were already pretty distracted looking around at every little thing, all the buildings and people that passed. There was something endearing about the curiousity in your eyes that he couldn't quite shake.
Nami read the plaque on the statue as the six of you approached. "Loguetown. The town of the Beginning and the End."
Luffy stepped closer, the grin on his face more infectious than you expected. "This is where it all started. The hunt for the One Piece. HISTORY HAPPENED HERE!" he yelled, throwing his arms out and everything.
So much for being low key.
Your eyes landed on one of the banners that hung between buildings. "Marine Victory Day?"
"It looks like they're having some kind of festival," said Sanji. Hopefully that meant they'd have even more variety at their market.
"For Gold Roger's execution," said Zoro.
A little convenient that you all just so happened to arrive on the exact anniversary of the execution, when the town just so happened to be having a big event.
Almost as if you were in a story.
You smirked to yourself.
After some discussion, the group split up. Sanji and Luffy went for food and to see the platform, Zoro was on a mission for new swords, and you, Usopp, and Nami headed for the fashion district.
All the shops and market stalls were a little overwhelming, seeing as you were somewhere completely unfamiliar. Nami noticed this and hooked her arm through yours. "Anything catch your eye?"
"Not yet." A lot of the shops so far seemed a little too fancy for you. You were looking for practical clothes. "This all looks pricy. I'm hoping to get a little more bang for my buck, you know." Especially when you were buying said clothes on a loan with 150% interest. Which you figured was a deal considering that she'd hit Zoro with twice that much.
Nami's eyebrows raised in surprised. "Wow, we've finally got someone else on the ship who isn't completely irresponsible with money."
"Hey! I'm great with money," Usopp said, and Nami immediately gave you a look that said he absolutely wasn't.
"Let's try this one." Nami pointed at a store as you passed, the outfits in the window not looking too flashy. "I'm sure we'll find something."
"Okay."
"I'm gonna check out a few of these stalls. I'll stay close by and keep you two safe!" Usopp reassured.
Nami led you inside, and she immediately gravitated to a rack of dresses. You, on the other hand, went for the shirts. When you looked at the tags, it just stressed you out more. The sizing was different, and you didn't really understand berry either. You assumed it was similar to Japanese yen, but it probably wasn't all that safe to assume anything here.
"Nami, I need your help."
She looked up from the pretty green dress she considering. "With what?"
"The currency is different here, and I'm not sure what size I even am..."
Nami scanned her eyes over you and walked over to you like a woman on a mission. She pulled a few hangers off of that rack, and even moved between a few others, ending up with an arm full that she brought back to you.
"Here, try these on."
A fashion show was the last thing you had expected to be doing after appearing in this world. But there you were, stepping out of the changing room in a blue down coat, lined pants, and fur boots. The other outfits you'd tried on so far felt right at home in the warm weather that you'd experienced so far. This one though?
"That's a good color on you," Nami said from her seat, the items you had decided to buy covering one of the arm rests. She'd been critiquing every look, grabbing different sizes and alternate colors when needed. It seemed she enjoyed the act of clothes shopping a lot more than you did.
"Thanks," you said, toying with the hem at the bottom of the coat. "Seems a little warm though, doesn't it?"
"I hear that the weather on the Grand Line can be unpredictable. You'll need some winter clothes just in case."
"The Grand Line..." you whispered. The area of the sea full of danger and adventure, and likely death. Not exactly a place for a waitress from the city. "Are you sure you guys want me with you?"
Nami uncrossed her arms, clocking the uncertainty in your eyes. "Do you not want to go?"
"No, it's not that. I..." You unzipped the coat and shrugged it off, feeling a tad too overheated. "In my situation, sticking with you guys would be the best thing. I want to. But I don't want to be dead weight either."
"What makes you think you're dead weight?"
Sitting down next to her, you sighed. "I'm not a fighter, and I don't have any special skills like navigating. There's nothing I can really contribute."
"You're willing to learn. That's a big deal." She squeezed your shoulder, smiling. "And Luffy likes you. He's not worried about bringing you along."
You cracked a smile. The captain was incredibly friendly to you, and he was always so happy whenever you agreed to a game of tag or whatever else he thought up.
Nami dropped her hand back to her thigh. "I'm also really enjoying having another girl around."
"Yeah, I'm sure it was rough being stuck on a ship with four guys." Especially when two of those guys were Zoro and Sanji, constantly butting heads with each other.
"You have no idea."
Trouble finally appeared in the form of a troupe of circus pirates, who you later learned were led by Buggy the Clown and Alvida.
When the rest of you ran to the execution platform to find Luffy, you'd anticipated some kind of fight. But watching Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and even Usopp in battle left you stunned.
Of course they could fight. You knew that. It was just unreal to see them with your own two eyes. To see Zoro, with all three of his swords, move with a skillful grace. And to see Sanji flip through the air and deliver devastating kicks. Not to mention Nami with her bowstaff.
You didn't have much time to be in awe of the Straw Hats, not when enemies started directing their attentions at you.
Two men with colorful clothing and wild hair looked you up and down like a piece of meat, one gripping a sword, the other with a giant hammer. You backed up as they approached, and you ended up against one of the booths.
"You should join up with us, sweetheart. We could use a pretty thing like you on the crew."
"I doubt the captain would mind. It would be a nice morale boost for the men, don't you think?"
"Despite what my dating history might suggest, I'm not into clowns!" You climbed over the counter and thankfully found that you'd backed into a sort of booth you recognized. One where the player threw rings and tried to land them on glass bottles. Nice, solid glass bottles.
You grabbed one and lobbed it right at the sword guy's head, hitting him in the nose.
He cried out, and blood poured from his face. "You bitch!"
"I've heard that one before." You launched a few more bottles at the guy as he charged at you. But he swiped them out of the way with his sword, and he raised it over his head once he reached you. "Uh oh."
He swung it down, but it never touched you.
When you looked over, you saw Zoro blocking the other man's sword with his, not showing any effort at all.
"You call yourself a swordsman?"
At the same time, the hammer guy lunged at you, jumping over the counter and smashing the table of bottles with a swing of his hammer.
No more projectiles.
So you did the only thing you could do.
"Back off, creep!" Your fist met the man's nose, causing a sickening crunch and a yelp of pain as he hit the ground unconscious.
Zoro gave you a small smirk as he sliced the other man, finding himself a little impressed that you hadn't just run away and hid from the fight.
Maybe you had some potential.
Later, after safely getting away from the storm in Loguetown, the six of you entered the galley, ready for a meal after all the fighting.
And as you sat down on the couch, knuckles bruised and throbbing, you couldn't stop yourself from laughing.
"Uh, are you okay?" Usopp asked as he dropped into one of the chairs across from you.
"Yeah, I'm fine," you said, still grinning as Sanji gently pressed an ice pack into your palm so you could ice your knuckles with it. You knew you should've been freaked out the moment you had to start fighting for your life, but you hadn't. The adrenaline hit, and you felt more alive than ever. "Is it crazy that I thought that was kind of fun?"
Luffy was beaming just as big as you were, the others looking at each other with little smiles.
After waking up on a ship with five somewhat familiar pirates, you realize that you're a long way from home. Luffy promises to help you get back, but as you spend time with the Straw Hats, you find yourself more and more uncertain that you even want to return...
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Black Leg Sanji
☆ Oblivious 💕❤️
With a little help from Nami and Zoro, you and Sanji finally realize that your interest in each other is mutual
Usopp
☆ Inspiration 💕❤️
Usopp finds out just how much you enjoy the stories he tells
Warnings: Parental death, a crying and very very upset Jack 😟
Notes: This has been sitting in my drafts for several months and I did intend to add more to it at some point, but I decided just to post this little drabble for the Jack lovers anyway 💕 Also I finally gave them a cat 🥺
The chime of Jack's cell phone pulled the both of you out of sleep.
He cracked an eye open, and when he didn't see even a hint of sunlight filtering through the curtain, he groaned into his pillow. "Fuck, who's calling me this early?"
"Your other girlfriend?" You mumbled from where you were happily tucked against his chest, your arm slung over his middle. Siouxsie had wedged herself between the two of you, her gentle purring letting you know that she was quite unbothered. She always liked to sleep with you and Jack, but she stayed even closer in the chillier months.
Jack let out a dry laugh as he carefully sat up and moved to sit on the side of the bed, leaving you and Siouxsie to keep cuddling without him. He ran a hand back through his messy hair and picked up the phone, squinting his eyes against the backlight to see who the hell was calling.
Jerry.
A weight settled in his chest at the sight of his brother's name. They didn't talk all that much, just like all of his brothers, so the fact that he was calling out of the blue was just a little odd. And to call him this early...
"It's Jerry," he said to you, pressing the answer button and putting it to his ear. You gave a little grumble in response. You'd worked a double shift the night before, so he couldn't blame you for not being as alert as he was.
Jack didn't even have the chance to say anything.
"Jack...Mom was killed last night. Cops said it was a robbery gone wrong."
The weight in his chest dropped clear into his stomach, and his entire body went cold. Jerry kept talking, but Jack only caught one word over the ringing in his ears.
Funeral.
A funeral for their Mom.
A light thump and the clatter of plastic against wood startled both you and Siouxsie out of your light sleep, and you could just barely make out Jack's silhouette sitting at the edge of the bed. "J?" Your fingertips brushed against his lower back as you reached out to him, but there was no reaction at all. "Jack?"
Gently nudging your little companion, you got up and crawled over next to Jack, turning on his lamp as you did.
Jack stared forward, his eyes rimmed red and glossy with unshed tears. His body was completely stiff and tense aside from the slight tremor in his hands. On the floor, you noticed his phone lying on the rug, the back plate and battery scattered in different directions as they always did whenever he dropped it.
You placed an arm around his shoulder and cupped his cheek with your other hand. "Baby, what is it?"
Nothing.
Jack had only gotten like this a handful of times in the last three years you'd known each other, and all you knew was that for this to happen, that phone call had to have been bad.
Even in your groggy brain, it wasn't very hard to put together. Jerry, his brother that still lived in Detroit, called before the sun came up and told Jack something that would make him totally shut down.
"Jack...Is something going on with your Mom?"
Your gently spoken question broke the dam.
Jack's body began to shake, and a heartwrenching cry escaped from his chest. Tears flooded his cheeks as you pulled him in close to you. "Shh I've got you baby."
You started crying too as he sobbed, barely catching his breath in between. He held onto you, his face buried in your shoulder. Your embrace and Siouxsie's purring as she rubbed her face against his thigh were all that kept him grounded as he completely fell apart.
"S-she's...she's dead," he managed to choke out between sobs.
You held him even tighter and stayed there with him until he had no more tears left...
After waking up on a ship with five somewhat familiar pirates, you realize that you're a long way from home
OPLA!Straw Hats x isekaied!reader (f!reader, no use of Y/N)
Warnings: Mention of kidnapping, reader's life is kinda depressing, mention of them being too broke to eat properly
Notes: Based on my posts about reader who just has basic knowledge of One Piece ending up in the OPLA world. Lots of Sanji in this one, but the next is more Usopp and Nami centered. The beginning takes place shortly after the season one finale.
*Part One* - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four
The first thing you noticed was gentle rocking motion beneath you.
Then the salty scent of the air.
Then...voices?
"Is she from Coco Village?"
"I've never seen her before."
"She wasn't there. I'd remember seeing a beauty like that."
"She probably stowed away while we were at the Baratie."
"Why does it matter how she got here? If she's a bounty hunter, we need to deal with her."
"Let's just talk to her first, okay?"
Your eyes fluttered open, blinking against the bright sunlight. It was supposed to be night time, so why was there a clear blue sky above you?
"Hey, you're awake!" One of the voices dropped down and leaned over you, his face getting a little too close to yours. He had dark, curly hair covered by a straw hat, and a scar beneath his left eye. "So, are you a bounty hunter? Because if you're trying to kill us, you're not doing a very good job!"
"Bounty hunter?" You frowned, your brain still trying to catch up. "Why would I be a bounty hunter?" Was that even a thing anymore?
"Because we're pirates," said another, quieter voice from above. He had vibrant green hair, and a sword at his hip.
.....
A sword?!
That got your brain and body moving. You pushed yourself up, ignoring the pounding in your head as you scrambled backwards a few feet, giving yourself a better view of your situation.
In front of you stood the two guys you'd already seen, but there was also a man wearing a bandana and another smoking a cigarette. And along with them, a woman with bright orange hair.
At the sight of them, there was something scratching at the back of your brain. A familiarity of sorts. But you were more concerned with the scene around you. Not only was it daytime now, but somehow, you were on the deck of a ship.
Your knees buckled a bit as you got to your feet, looking over the railing at the expanse of the ocean. No land, just sparkling blue as far as the eye could see. If there weren't a horrible weight settling in your chest at the realization that you had been kidnapped, you would've enjoyed your very first view of the ocean. Tears started to sting at your eyes, and your heartbeat pounded in your ears.
Quickly, you reached into your bag for your phone, not seeing how the green haired man smoothly popped his sword from the sheath with his thumb, or how the straw hat guy gestured for him to wait. But instead of the promise of contacting someone, you found nothing but a cracked, melted piece of junk, reeking of burning plastic.
What the hell?
"Fuck!" You turned back to the strangers, the one in the hat looking quite concerned. Like he cared about the fact that you were clearly terrified. Like he figured out at that exact moment that you weren't a threat, and certainly not a bounty hunter.
"We're good pirates! You don't have to be scared, I promise." He said with a big smile. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm gonna find the One Piece and become King of the Pirates!"
Wait.
Luffy.
Straw hat.
One Piece.
"Oh my god...I've been kidnapped by lunatic cosplayers." You could almost laugh, if it weren't for being stuck on some ship god knows where. "Are you some anime cult pretending that you're that guy Luffy and his pirate crew?"
"Anime? What's that?" Asked the bandana guy. The smoker shrugged as he ashed his cigarette.
"Hey, we're not pretending! I'm the real deal. See?" 'Luffy' hooked his finger in his cheek and pulled.
And pulled.
And pulled.
He let go of the flesh and it snapped right back into place, leaving a wide grin.
The deck seemed to be pulled out from under you, your legs giving out, but before you could hit the wood, you found yourself cradled in a pair of arms. It was the blond man, cigarette no longer at his lips.
Luffy had stretched his own face like a rubber band. These weren't cosplayers at all. "So, I'm dreaming. Okay."
"I may be the man of your dreams, but trust me, you're awake."
The orange haired girl rolled her eyes, as did the swordsman.
"No, this is definitely some weird dream. I must have fallen and hit my head when I was walking home from work, and I'm unconscious. Or..." Your voice got softer. "I got hit by a car or something, and these are the last electrical impulses of my dying brain."
"That got dark," the orange haired girl said.
"But if this is all in my head, where's the skeleton guy, or the cute little reindeer with the top hat? I feel like they would be here."
"Did you say a skeleton guy? I wish we had a skeleton guy," said Luffy with a little too much enthusiasm.
The bandana guy's voice got smaller. "I don't..."
"Wait..." you looked back up at the blond man. The black suit, the cigarette... "Aren't you the perverted one? Let go of me."
The swordsman snickered, and the blond glared at him as he moved his arms away, letting you sit up on your own. "I only meant to catch you and make sure you were alright. Nothin' improper, I assure you."
"Yeah, okay," you said. Right on cue, your stomach grumbled. "Aren't you the chef, too?"
His mouth curved into a smile. "I am. You hungry, love? I was just in the middle of makin' dinner."
"Sanji's the best cook in the world!" Luffy said. "You should join us!"
If you were dreaming so vividly, why not take advantage? "Okay, you've convinced me," you said, taking the hand he offered to help you up.
The orange haired girl pulled Luffy aside, but not quite far enough to keep you from overhearing. "Luffy, are you sure about this?"
"It's fine. She's not here to hurt us, I know it."
Sanji gestured towards what you assumed was the kitchen. "There's a couch in the galley. You can relax while I finish up dinner, alright?"
He led you that way, all but the swordsman following as well. The bandana guy came up beside you, smiling big.
"My name's Usopp. But you can call me Captain Usopp." He pointed towards the orange haired girl. "That's Nami, our navigator, and the really serious guy back on deck is Zoro. I guess you already know Luffy and Sanji. So what's your name?"
You told him your first name.
"Beautiful name for a beautiful lady," said Sanji.
You pointed to Luffy. "Isn't he the captain?"
"Yes," Nami and Sanji said in unison, as Usopp answered, "Technically..."
A little while later, you didn't hesitate to dig in when Sanji placed a plate of some sort of seafood pasta in front of you. It looked and smelled divine, and you were certain it would taste even better. You might as well enjoy it, considering you didn't often get good food when you were awake.
Slowly, you chewed and savored the flavor and the nice bite of the noodles. The perfectly cooked seafood. As you swallowed, you noticed that the cook seemed to be looking for your reaction as he continued serving the others.
"This has to be the best food I've ever eaten. Another point for 'this is a dream'."
Sanji smiled at that. "I'm glad you like it so much."
Luffy spoke, though his mouth was full of noodles. "I don't get it. Why do you think this is a dream?"
"Because all of this is literally impossible. Because you people don't actually exist." You said casually, taking a sip of your drink. Luffy didn't seem fazed as he continued shoveling food down his throat, but the other four looked at each other concerned.
Nami was the first to speak. "We...don't exist?"
"You're characters from a show. A really popular one, just not one I watch. I don't get why I'm not dreaming about something I actually like, but brains are strange. At least you're all hot, I guess," you added with a shrug.
Luffy swallowed his food and laughed loud. "You're kind of weird, you know that?"
Coming from him, it somehow felt more like a compliment than an insult.
You didn't doubt your whole 'this is a dream' attitude until you woke up in the girl's quarters, the moonlight shining on Nami's form sprawled out across the hanging bed just a few feet away.
When you went to sleep the night before, you were sure you would wake up in reality. Whether that was the usual lumpy mattress in your shitty apartment, or a hospital bed.
But there you were, smelling salt and wood, swaying softly in the hammock that Usopp had put up for you.
No fucking way.
You tried to get out of the hammock like a normal person, but you ended up spilling out of it, hitting the floor with a thump.
"Ow."
The lamp clicked on, illuminating the room and Nami's face as she peeked over the side of the bed. "You okay down there?"
"Uh huh," you groaned, rubbing the elbow that would surely be bruised later. "I'm just...I don't know, actually."
Nami watched as you sat up. Even though Luffy had told all of them that you weren't a threat, that he had a good feeling about you, that didn't stop her from being a little worried. You talked like they weren't real people, and that wasn't very comforting at all. But Luffy was confident that you needed their help to get back to wherever you came from.
"There has to be a way to be sure," you muttered, reaching back into your brain, through all the shows you've watched or books you've read, for something. Some idea of how to test this. To confirm that you somehow really were in the world of an anime....
"Nami, do you mind if I look at one of your books?"
"Go ahead," she said, not quite sure what you were getting at as you stood.
Her eyes followed you as you walked over to her desk. You picked up a book and flipped through it, finding nothing but various maps. And then another book with the same. You put it back down and turned to her. "Do you have anything with more words, like a novel?"
Nami got up from the bed and came to stand beside you. She spotted a certain book, one that she really should return to Sanji at some point, and pressed it into your hands. "Here, this should work. But what exactly are you doing?"
You ran your fingers over the cover, which read 'Noland the Liar'. "In dreams, text doesn't work the same way as it does when you're awake. So if I were really dreaming, this book would be total gibberish, right?"
"Uh...right." That sounded logical. In a way.
Opening the cover, you found that it was a picture book, like a fairy tale. Not quite what you had in mind, but close enough. You cleared your throat. "'In a certain country in the northern seas, there was a man named Mont Blanc Noland. Noland the Explorer's stories were always grand adventures that sounded like lies. But the people of the village could never tell if they were true or not.' Sounds familiar."
Nami smirked. Because of course Usopp hadn't missed the opportunity to tell you some tales at dinner.
You read on, eyes following each line and looking for inconsistencies as you spoke aloud. For anything that didn't make sense.
You didn't find it.
"'...Nobody believed Noland anymore, but he never stopped lying until he was dead.'" Slowly, you closed the book and put it back on her desk.
"Did you get what you needed?" Nami asked.
"Yeah..." you said softly, scrubbing a hand over your face. "I'm gonna go get some air...Sorry I said you weren't real."
Nami kept an eye on you as you left the room. Because even with Luffy's insistence that you were good, she was still a skeptic and protective of her treasure.
You padded across the wooden floors of the Going Merry, making your way back to the deck. The very same place where you'd woken up and found yourself in the most impossible situation. As soon as you made it topside, you took a deep breath of the ocean air, letting it fill your lungs.
Holy shit.
You were really in a world of pirates and adventure. You. The most average, unimportant person in the world.
This wasn't where someone like you belonged. But then again, you never really felt like you belonged anywhere.
You walked up to the railing and leaned against it, looking out over the ocean. It was somehow even more beautiful in the dark, the moonlight and the tiny hint of sunrise reflecting off the gentle waves. Surely there were times where the tide wasn't so serene, but not right then. It was calming to watch as you spiraled inside. "Wow."
"I was gonna say the same thing, only not about the sea."
A lighter clicked closed behind you.
You turned your head and spotted Sanji, already dressed for the day with a lit cigarette in his mouth. "Early bird, are you?"
He made his way over and rested against the railing as well, leaving a healthy space between you. "I have to be. Who else is gonna make breakfast?"
"Yeah, I guess with someone who eats as much as Luffy, you kind of have to get up at the crack of dawn to cook." Thinking back on dinner, it floored you realizing how much food the captain had put away. Being a rubber man must burn a lot of calories. "You must not get much sleep then."
"It's enough," he said before taking a drag. He'd gotten used to running on little sleep years ago. "What about you? Usually an early riser?"
"No, but the last 12 hours have been really strange." You fully turned to face him, your hip pressing into the side of the ship where you leaned. "I didn't think I was going to be here when I woke up."
"Disappointed?"
"Freaked out. I was so convinced this was a dream, now I'm pretty sure it's not." You looked back out over the sea, but Sanji's eyes remained on you. "None of this is supposed to be r–" Now that you were fairly certain this was reality, it probably wasn't the best idea to keep saying that they were fictional. That wasn't going to fly. Except with Luffy apparently, because he'd found it hilarious. "I'm not from this world. This shouldn't be happening. Especially not to someone like me."
Your whole situation was throwing him off, but there was something about you. Something that told him that you really weren't from his world. That you were being truthful, as strange as it seemed. And it wasn't just because you were beautiful. "Someone like you?" he asked.
"Normal, boring, unimpressive. Take your pick." You sighed heavily. "I'm a waitress at the snobbiest restaurant in town, who lives in a crappy apartment the size of a closet. I don't have a social life to speak of, or any real hobbies. I'm not special."
"I wouldn't say that." He took his cigarette from his lips and ashed it over the side of the ship. "If you're here, it must be for a reason."
You laughed, but there wasn't any humor in it. "Well, if you figure out what that reason is, you let me know."
He leaned in just a little closer, putting a hand on yours. There was a gentle sincerity in it that kept you from pulling away. "I may not fully understand all of this, but what I do know is that you ended up on the right ship. If there's a way to get you back home, Luffy'll find it."
"I hope so. I'm not cut out for pirate life."
"You might be surprised," Sanji said with a smile, pushing himself away from the railing. "You like coffee, love?"
His question made you perk up. "Like it? I practically live off of it."
Sanji flicked the cigarette away and headed for the galley, waving you to follow. "I've got a kettle goin'. I'll make you a cup."
Moments later, you sat on a stool at the kitchen counter, watching as Sanji took out another coffee mug and added more ground coffee to the filter. You'd noticed as he was cooking dinner the night before that there was something calming about his ease in the kitchen. Maybe a warm, steady presence was just what you'd needed after your realization. Your shoulders had already relaxed without you realizing it. "So, what are you making for breakfast?"
"Usually, I'd say whatever you'd like, but we're runnin' pretty low on supplies right now. I'll have to make fish porridge again today." Not his favorite, but it was a dish that stretched rice very well. And he needed to stretch everything he could until the Merry reached an island.
"Oh..." Guilt twisted your gut. "I probably screwed up your rationing, huh?"
Sanji noticed your face falling slightly and betrayed no concern. You had enough to worry about, being as far from home as you were. However far away that was, anyway. "It'll be alright, love. I'm a resourceful cook," he smiled as he put the filter over a carafe and started on a pour over. "I promise I'll make you somethin' nice whenever we stop on a island and restock the pantry."
"If everything else you cook is even half as good as that pasta last night, I'll be very happy." You tried not to think too much about last night's dinner, just so your mouth wouldn't start watering.
"You liked it that much, did you?" Sanji had gotten plenty of compliments on his cooking in the past, but they were always nicest when spoken by a lovely woman.
"Yeah. But it probably doesn't mean a lot coming from me. I have to have sleep for dinner more often than not, so I'm easy to please."
'Sleep for dinner'? Oh that wouldn't do at all. Sanji got quite serious for a moment. "As long as you're with this crew, you won't have to worry about skippin' meals."
"Right. I'm guessing Luffy requires three square meals a day on this ship."
"Five. Plus snacks."
"Not surprising," you said with a smile. "How long have you been a pirate cook anyway?"
"A little over a week." Sometimes, especially when moss head was around, it felt like much longer than that.
Your eyes went wide. "Wow, really? So you're new to this. That makes me feel a little better."
"Happy to help," he smiled. "How do you take your coffee, gorgeous?"
You described your usual order, and Sanji followed it exactly, pouring coffee into your mug once it was ready and giving it a stir for you.
Finally, you had a steaming hot cup of coffee in your hands, made just the way you liked it. The warmth of the mug was soothing against your palms, and just the smell of it did wonders already. "Thanks, Sanji."
"My pleasure," he said, pouring his own cup. "I can brew you some whenever you'd like. All you have to do is ask."
"That's a dangerous offer. Unless you're really okay with doing it several times a day."
"I don't mind makin' coffee for an otherworldly beauty such as your yourself."
"Do you ever run out of those ridiculous lines?" You took a sip, giving him a raised eyebrow over the rim of the cup.
"Not when I have such lovely inspiration." He stirred his coffee, finding himself reminded of the previous day. He'd been called a lot of things over the years, but never a pervert. It had stung a bit in the moment, if he was being honest. Moss head's amusement only made it worse. "Though it's probably not helpin' your opinion of me, is it?"
It took you a second to realize what he meant. "Sorry about yesterday. At this point, I'm pretty sure you're not a pervert. You didn't set off my creep radar." And after years of being a waitress and dealing with the general public, your sense was pretty spot on. It helped that his nose hadn't started gushing blood at the sight of you or Nami. "I think you're just a terrible flirt."
"Says the one who called me hot." Sanji said with the cockiest smirk you'd probably ever seen.
Your cheeks suddenly began to burn. "I said the whole crew was hot. And I thought I was dreaming. That doesn't count."
"It does."
"Ugh." You hid your face behind your hand. "Don't you have breakfast to make? Go do that."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, chuckling as he went for the pantry.
As you took another sip of coffee, you wondered once again why–and how–the universe had put you where it did.
But if you had to mysteriously appear somewhere, the Going Merry seemed a good place to be...
