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. Now taking One Piece requests (see HERE for details)
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
Please be kind and patient. I work and have responsibilities, so I won't always have time to post regularly.
Masterlists:
Tenth Doctor
Twelfth Doctor
Sam Flynn
Jack Mercer
One Piece
Post divider credit: anitalenia
I don't use AI for my fics in any way, shape, or form. No feeding anything of mine into AI or I will start biting ☺️
I really wanted reader to develop some flavor of Haki but it didn't make much sense (no mentor to teach her) so I went with a devil fruit. It's based on one of my favorite X-Men and the fruit itself is kind of a hint. If anyone wants to guess 😆
When the Straw Hats are sent away from Sabaody, you find yourself on a familiar island
OPLA!Straw Hats x isekaied!reader (f!reader, no y/n)
Warnings: None
Notes: The Straw Hats don't actually appear for obvious reasons, but they're mentioned a lot
Word count: 2.4k
All parts are linked HERE
The trip to Sabaody had started pretty well. You rode the rollercoaster, shared cotton candy with Chopper, broke the tea cup ride with Luffy, and generally had a nice time at the park.
But then Camie got kidnapped, and things went downhill from there.
This time, the crew was outmatched. Luffy's strength and willpower were nothing against an admiral or Kuma. He couldn't stop his friends or himself from disappearing. None of you could.
You weren't sure exactly how long you'd been soaring through the air when you finally felt a dull impact. Whatever it was that surrounded you had protected you from damage, but now that the shield was gone, there was a bitter cold biting at your bare skin.
“Isn't she one of the Straw Hats?”
“What are they doing back here?”
“I'll go get Dalton.”
Your eyes blinked open, meeting the grey sky and the figures who stood above you. “What the hell?” You sat up and looked at your surroundings, wrapping your arms around yourself. The cold wasn't a great match for someone dressed for Sabaody. Goosebumps covered your bare legs and arms as you began to shiver. “Where am I?”
The question was answered by the appearance of a familiar man, wearing a long, dark green coat, a large spade strapped across his back.
It took a moment to sink in. After everything you'd been through with the crew, why were you all the way back on Drum Island?
“Um, I'm sorry. I don't remember your name,” you said through chattering teeth.
“Dalton.” He reached out his hand to help you up, which you gratefully took. An older woman handed him a blanket, and he draped it over your shoulders. “I don't blame you for not remembering. You were in rough shape the last time you were here. Let's go inside where it's warm.”
He led you away, but you spared one look behind you. Where you'd landed, there was a large paw shape pressed into the snow.
Dalton sat you down in front of a crackling fire, and you pulled the blanket tighter around your body.
“How did you get here? Where's the rest of your crew?”
“I don't know,” you said truthfully. “We were on the Sabaody Archipelago. There was a battle, and the warlord Kuma, he…he made us all disappear one by one. He sent me here, but I'm not sure where everyone else has gone.”
You knew he wasn't killing them, since the Straw Hats had many adventures ahead, but fear had still gripped at your heart as you watched Kuma take your friends away. Hopefully they had all lucked out like you did and ended up somewhere safe.
“We were supposed to meet back at the Sunny in three days. I'm pretty sure it's been longer than that by now.”
Dalton nodded, taking in your explanation. “I will contact Princess Vivi of Alabasta. I'm sure she'll be willing and able to help you return to Sabaody.”
“Vivi? That would be amazing. Thank you, Dalton.”
“Quite a stunt your captain pulled yesterday,” Kureha said, tossing a newspaper down onto the table in front of you.
She'd been convinced to let you stay in the castle until you set off to Alabasta, the one condition–besides staying out of her way–being that you would cook for her. You were no Sanji, but it was something at least.
“Luffy?” You put down your fork full of noodles and picked up the paper, eyes immediately going to the photo on the front page.
It was Luffy, hat over his chest and head bowed. But that wasn't what caught your eye. On his upper arm, there were markings. A crossed out ‘3D’ and a ‘2Y’ underneath.
To the average person, that wouldn't have meant anything. But you knew it right away.
“He's sending us a message. See?” You pointed to his arm, showing her the marks. “We were supposed to meet back at the Sunny in three days. 3D. But he crossed it out and wrote 2Y. So…he wants us to meet again in two years.”
Kureha smirked. “Clever.” She took the other seat at the table and began to dig into her lunch.
Two years. Two years without your dear friends. Two years away from the Sunny.
You'd been so eager to send word to Vivi and get back to Sabaody, especially after reading about Ace's death a few days ago. What were you supposed to do now? How were you supposed to continue your studies without Chopper?
You looked up at Kureha, and she noticed your eyes on her pretty quickly. “What are you staring at?”
“Do you think you could teach me everything you know in two years?”
Kureha knew that you were a doctor in training, that Chopper had been teaching you everything he could between adventures. But that didn't mean she had to. “Why would I do that? Why would I teach you anything?”
Yeah, you didn't think she'd be as willing as Chopper.
“As we are now, my crew is too weak for the New World. All of us together couldn't even handle an admiral.” You glanced at Luffy's photo again. “I think that's why he wants to meet in two years. So we can all get stronger. And there has to be a reason I ended up here and not somewhere else.” You put the paper back down on the table. “I need to take this time to become a doctor, and a better fighter. So I can help my friends when they need it. Help Chopper when he can't help himself.”
Kureha's expression softened the tiniest bit at the mention of Chopper, though she would never admit that.
“You and Chopper saved my life and Nami's. You took care of Luffy and Sanji. That still means so much to me.” You sat up straighter. “I know two years isn't a long time to train, but I promise I'll work hard. I'll do whatever you tell me to do. I'll dedicate myself day and night to become worthy of being called a doctor. I want to be a great one, like you.”
She looked at you for a long moment, eyes narrowed. You reminded her a bit of a little reindeer she knew, so determined to learn and become a healer. “I'm not going to take it easy on you just because you're trying to flatter me.”
“Good thing I don't want you to.” You smirked.
“Fine,” she finally said. “We'll start after lunch.” She pointed her fork to your axe, which leaned against the wall near the window. “But when it comes to training to fight with that thing, you'll have to talk to Dalton.”
“I'll ask him about it later.” The grin on your face could've lit up the room. “Thank you, Doctorine. I won't let you down.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
The castle was eerily quiet so early in the morning.
You sat in the kitchen alone, a textbook spread out on the table as water boiled for your coffee. Kureha wasn't usually up this early, so it was always just you studying in the silence.
Kureha and Dalton had been putting you through your paces the last few months. When you weren't training with one, you were training with the other. You liked it that way though. It kept you from thinking too much about your crew and the heartache from missing them.
In times like this, when it was dark and still, your thoughts did wander to them. The mornings in particular had you missing a certain someone.
You sighed as you poured heated water over a carafe, just as you'd watched Sanji do countless times. It didn't feel right, not having him there at the start of the day. You missed his kindness, his warmth…
You shook the thought away. There was no use dwelling on all of that. You needed to keep focusing on becoming stronger and more capable than you'd ever been. Someone worthy to be called a Straw Hat.
Once your coffee was ready, you sat at the table once again and went back to your book. You took a sip of the coffee and frowned.
Still not as good as his.
An hour later, dawn had barely broken as you stood in a clearing just outside of Big Horn, weapon in hand and leaning up against one of the tall trees. Luffy would've loved to climb it, you thought briefly before pulling Kureha's old coat tighter around your body. Twigs cracked behind you, and you smiled.
“Good morning, your highness.”
“Didn't I ask you not to call me that?”
You turned back towards Dalton, looking the same as he ever did. “You're the king now, aren't you? I'm surprised you still have time to meet me like this.”
Just a few days ago, the people of the kingdom had officially elected Dalton as the new king, and voted to change from Drum Kingdom to Sakura Kingdom. Both decisions were unanimous. It didn't come as much of a surprise, seeing as Dalton had already guided the people through such trying times.
“Nothing's changed for me besides having a title.” It was true. Dalton still refused to live in the castle even after the election, preferring to be among his fellow citizens. Not wanting to be above anyone. His respect for the people and the way he took responsibility for leading them was something you really admired about him.
“For now, at least.”
“For now, we keep training. Are you ready?” he asked, taking the spade from the sheath on his back.
You gripped the handle of your axe a little tighter and gave him a smirk. “Of course I am.”
Months ago, when you asked Dalton to train you, he'd been more than happy to do it. The Straw Hats had freed the kingdom from the tyrant Wapol and given the people hope again. It was something he could never repay. But he could at least try by doing whatever he could to make one of them stronger.
And you were definitely improving. Getting faster, hitting harder. As much as you admired Dalton, he was impressed by you as well, with your determination to be able to help your friends once you reunited. You hadn't missed a single day of training with him, and you were undergoing vigorous medical training with Kureha as well.
You were taking advantage of every moment of these two years, that was for sure.
His spade and your axe made contact, the sound echoing through the woods…
Snow crunched under your boots as you trekked through the forest, bag slung over your shoulder.
Every few days, Kureha had you foraging for ingredients and supplies. You didn't mind it at all, the quiet solitude of the woods. And having the opportunity to put some of your studies into practice was nice. After a year of this, you'd become very good at identifying plants.
Beneath a dusting of snow, you spotted a white mushroom peeking out at the base of a tree.
“Hello there.”
You knelt down and plucked it from the dirt, giving the end a little dust with your gloved fingers before putting it in your bag. It wasn't exactly good for medicine, but it was edible, so it was good for something.
The snow crunched softly from the other side of the tree and you looked around it, expecting to see an animal of some sort.
There stood two reindeer, eating whatever they could find beneath the snow. The reminder of your friend made you smile for a moment. Then...
“Hey,” you called to them with a scowl. The creatures froze in place, wide eyes on you. “If either of you were ever mean to a little reindeer with a blue nose, we're enemies.”
The reindeer looked at each other and took off to find food somewhere else.
“Jerks,” you muttered, continuing on your search.
A few minutes later, a bright green shade caught your eye. It wasn't common to see that in a cold climate like the Sakura Kingdom. You knelt down to check it out, brushing the snow away to get a better look.
The green was connected to something hot pink. It must have been a stem. You pulled it from the snow, finding a strange, spiky fruit with little swirls covering the surface.
A devil fruit.
You'd heard of them countless times by now, and you'd read about them in your studies, but you'd never actually seen one.
“Wow…”
You looked around before shoving it into your bag.
“Doctorine, I'm back!” You called out as you entered the former throne room, shrugging off your coat.
She, of course, was deep in a bottle of booze, sitting at the table. “Did you find everything we need?”
“Yes. And then some.” You reached into your bag and pulled out the fruit, placing it on the table in front of her.
Kureha was considerably less interested than you had been. “So? You gonna eat it or what?”
“W-what?” You spluttered.
“You're trying to get stronger for your friends, aren't you? A devil fruit power would go a long way towards that. Though, I never really understood pirates giving up their ability to swim…”
“But what if it's not a good one? What if it's like a spider-spider fruit or something?” You shivered just thinking about it.
Kureha nodded in the general direction of where she kept all of her books. “I have the encyclopedia if you want to take a look.”
You looked through every page, but you didn't find anything that looked like the fruit in front of you. To your relief though, it wasn't the spider-spider fruit.
Disappointed with the results, you shut the book and picked up the fruit. “Should I do it anyway?”
“That's up to you, girly. I don't care one way or the other.”
You ran your fingertips over the swirled surface.
Whatever power it held could be totally useless. Or it could be something amazing. Something that could make you a better pirate. It would come at the cost of your ability to swim, but that didn't seem to be a problem for your friends.
“...Okay.”
You breathed deep and took a big bite of the fruit. Underneath the surface, the texture was soft, almost like paste. You grimaced at the taste, forcing yourself to chew and swallow until the fruit was gone.
For a moment, you just sat there, the awful flavor still lingering in your mouth.
And then you felt it. Somehow, your body just knew the fruit. Knew what it could do. What it was called.
Lovely!! I wanna read the part where the straw hat flag got taken away and the crew successfully tracked down the thieves, battled to get the Jolly Roger back, and put it back in place before Luffy ever noticed it was missing.
Since the live action adapts the manga and not the anime, I've been leaving out anime filler (even my beloved G-8 🥲). And I assume that story is filler because I did not see it (I watch the One Pace fan edit which cuts the anime to match the manga. But I do sometimes go over to the actual anime and watch the well liked filler arcs and episodes). The story you're talking about is familiar though because I've seen some clips of it online.
The Straw Hats sail for Fishman Island and pick up a new crewmate on the way.
OPLA!Straw Hats x isekaied!reader (f!reader, no y/n)
Warnings: Nami teases reader about Sanji 🤭
Notes: Brook my beloved 💕 I know the live action probably won't make it to Thriller Bark but a gal can dream
Word count: 3.1k
All parts are linked HERE
The Thousand Sunny was absolutely perfect.
After escaping the Marines again, the very first thing everyone did was run around and really check her out. The lawn, the gym, the library, the aquarium, the workshop, and the kitchen that you'd listened to Sanji gush over for at least an hour. She had everything the crew needed, and plenty of space for more.
And the best part? Somehow, she felt like the Merry. Like a little piece of her spirit was still with her crew.
You'd settled into your bed—yes, you had an actual bed now—not too long ago, but something was a little off. Worries about leaving your friends behind were a thing of the past, so it wasn't that that had you staring at the wall and unable to sleep. It took a while, but eventually you realized…
Nami
You'd spent so long sharing the women's quarters with her, as well as Vivi and Robin, that being all alone in your new room was a little bit of a shock to the system. Usually, you'd hear her light snores, or the random words she'd say in her sleep. But it was eerily quiet.
You sat up and threw off your blanket, stepping into your slippers. Nami was just next door. Maybe she wouldn't mind if you slept in there for the first night, just to ease into this new setup. Quietly, you stepped out into the hall and closed your door. You knocked lightly on hers, hoping you weren't waking her.
Moments later, Nami opened up, glasses on and a book in her hand. The bedside lamp was on and casting a gentle glow. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, it's just…” you rubbed the back of your neck nervously. “It feels kind of weird in there all by myself. Would you mind if I–?”
This was a terrible idea. You should've just sucked it up and tried to sleep, or sat in the aquarium staring at fish until you couldn't keep your eyes open anymore. But before you could leave, Nami stepped aside.
“Come in.”
You took the invitation.
Nami had already gotten everything set up and organized, and even managed to decorate the walls. Your clothes were still in a duffle bag at the end of your bed and everything else was equally unpacked. The contrast made you chuckle.
Nami took the spot closest to the lamp and sat up against the headboard. You curled up at her side, facing her.
“I only have a few pages left in this chapter, then I'll be done,” she said, opening the book up again.
You smiled up at her as you pulled the blanket up over you. “It's okay, you're not bothering me.”
She smiled back at you and patted your head before turning her attention back to her novel.
Her pillows were soft and fluffy, easy to settle into under the down comforter. You let out a little sigh and shut your eyes, letting the sound of turning pages lull you into a sleepy state.
A few minutes later, Nami shifted. The book thumped softly against the bedside table, and the lamp clicked as it sent the room into darkness. She shuffled down in the bed, resting her head on the other pillow and joining you under the warmth of the blanket.
“Should we cuddle?” You were only half joking.
“Do you want to?” she asked. “I don't mind.”
“It is kind of cold tonight.” You closed the already small amount of space between you and slung your arm over her stomach. She wrapped her arm around you and tucked you against her side.
Nami laughed softly. “This was your plan the whole time, wasn't it?”
“Not really. But I do remember how nice it was when we cuddled with Vivi in Alabasta.” Nami's heart sped up under your ear. And you knew why. “I miss her, too.”
Nami didn't say anything. Just remembered Vivi's soft skin. The flowery scent of her hair. The sweetness of her voice when she said her name.
“But you'll see her again once we sail The Grand Line. I just know she's waiting for you. How could she not be?”
Wait…
“When did you figure it out?”
You smiled, thinking of how oblivious you'd been for so long. “We all miss Vivi, but you seemed to miss her a lot more. And when I thought about it, it just hit me. You probably think I'm a total idiot since we all shared a room.”
“You're not an idiot. We were just sneaky. It helped that you had your coffee dates with Sanji every morning.”
“Not dates.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“I meant it, though. You'll see her again. And they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.” In your eyes, Nami was the best navigator in the world. Once the Straw Hats ended their adventures, she'd find her way back to Vivi with no problem. “I'd better be invited to the wedding.”
Nami's eyes went wide, and you could hear her heart pounding again. “Who said anything about a wedding? She'll probably have to marry some prince anyway.” That wasn't true, since Vivi had once told her that she could marry for love and not political reasons. But she wasn't going to tell you that and add fuel to the fire.
“Princes are boring. Now hot pirates…”
If you were going to keep on this, Nami knew just what to do. “Fine, I'll invite you. But only if I'm invited to your and Sanji's wedding.”
That got you to look up at her, though you could barely make her out in the darkness. “Nami! Don't start with that again.”
You could hear the smirk in her voice. “Now can we stop talking about weddings?”
“Yes, please.”
The weather was lovely as the Sunny made her way towards Fishman Island.
Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp chased each other around the lawn as Zoro napped in the grass, oblivious to all the noise the others were making. Nami sunbathed on one of the lawn chairs, while you and Robin quietly read in chairs of your own. Franky was down in the workshop doing who knows what. And Sanji, naturally, was in the kitchen whipping up some drinks and snacks.
Or he had been at least, until you found him standing over you with a tray in hand. “For you, my angel, your favorite flavor of macarons and an iced coffee just the way you like it,” he explained with a smile as he placed them down on the small table between you and Robin. He'd even given you a few extra cookies because he noticed a while back how you liked to sneakily share your sweets with Chopper, and he always wanted to make sure you still had enough yourself.
“Ooo!” you sat your book down on your lap and picked up the small plate of cookies, admiring how perfectly baked they were and how beautifully he'd decorated them. You almost didn't want to eat them, but you took a bite anyway. Like always, the flavor was just as impressive as the presentation. “You're amazing, Sanji. Thank you.”
Sanji smiled even bigger and bowed his head slightly. “Anything for you, sweetheart.” He moved between Nami and Robin, putting two drinks and two small plates on their table as he gave them a little rundown, similar to what he'd done for you.
“Thank you, Sanji,” Robin said, as did Nami.
But Robin's words were the ones that made you smile as Sanji left the three of you to your relaxation.
Since she joined, she hadn't once called any of you by your real names. Just ‘nurse’ or ‘sniper’ or ‘navigator’. Nothing more familiar than that. But ever since escaping Enies Lobby, things had changed. Robin was finally allowing herself to stop holding you all at arm's length.
She knew she was safe.
She knew she was home.
Luffy's voice broke you out of your thoughts. “Hey, those cookies look good! Where's my plate?!”
“Those are just for the ladies, Luffy.” Sanji gestured towards the galley. “Come on, I've got your snacks in the kitchen.”
The three boys began following Sanji to the galley.
“Why do the girls get all the good stuff?” Usopp grumbled. “Oh, right. It's Sanji we're talking about here.”
Chopper was at the back of the group, and you whisper-yelled to him.
“Psst! Chop! Come here!”
Chopper's ears perked up and he came over to you. “What is it?”
You looked around, making sure none of the guys were watching before you took two cookies and put them in his hoof.
He grinned and quickly pocketed them, giggling. “Thanks! These are the best flavor!”
“I know, right?!” You patted his head and sent him off before any of the guys could get suspicious. Robin was smirking when you sat back in your seat. “What? I can't help it that he's my favorite.”
Though, they'd all been called your favorite multiple times, and it was always true. How could you not love your whole crew to bits?
You let out a content sigh as you nibbled at the remaining cookies and sipped your ice coffee. The weather was probably not going to stay this sunny and perfect, and the crew was about due to run into some trouble eventually. Best to enjoy the calm while it lasted.
By the time the boys had finished their snacking, your nose was deep in your book again. After realizing you were in this world for the long haul, you'd doubled your studying efforts–which was saying something, considering how much time you'd been pouring into it before.
One day, you were going to be a doctor. Someone who could heal the sick and wounded, who could help your crew when they needed it. Just a few months ago, you never could've imagined amounting to anything at all. You couldn't have imagined joining a pirate crew either. But this was your life now, and you wouldn't have it any other way.
That feeling didn't change even as Luffy came out of the galley yelling your name. He launched himself into the air and landed a few feet from your chair. “Let's play hide and seek!”
He was giving you a little pout when you looked up from your book. “Luffy, I'm trying to memorize all of the cranial nerves.”
“The what nerves?”
“Brain stuff.”
“Ohhh,” he said as if that explained everything. “Well, what if you came and played with us for a while?”
Usopp and Chopper finally caught up with him.
“Please please please,” begged Chopper, and Usopp had his hands pressed together with a hopeful look.
“Hm…” you put your finger to your chin and pretended to think about it. But really, it sounded nice to stretch your legs a bit. “You get one minute to hide, okay?”
Luffy threw his arms up in celebration and all three ran off across the lawn. You covered your eyes, a huge smile on your face as you started counting.
Robin chuckled, turning the page of her book.
Nami didn't even open her eyes, still soaking up the sun. “What do you wanna bet you find Chopper first?”
It was a bet that Nami would've won, because it didn't take long for you to find Chopper hiding the wrong way behind a barrel of ale. Next was Usopp, who you'd spotted diving in the aquarium tank. And now, you were searching for Luffy. He was always the trickiest to find, considering that he could squeeze into spaces that would be physically impossible for anyone else his size that didn't have a rubber body.
You approached Franky's workshop, but the sign on the door stopped you for a moment.
KEEP OUT!
Still, you lightly knocked and cracked the door a little. “Franky? I read your sign, but our captain has a serious case of selective reading. Did he come in here?”
“I didn't see him, but you can come in and check. I don't think he's sneaky enough to get past me though!”
You laughed at that as you pushed the door open. But your face dropped when you saw that he was messing around with the waver.
“Uh, Franky? You should probably put that back the way you found it. It belongs to Nami.”
He grinned up at you, giving you a thumbs up. “Don't worry, she'll love the upgrade. This thing's gonna be super by the time I'm done with it!”
You started looking in any space that you thought might catch Luffy's eye. “It was nice knowing you, Franky. I'll be sure to say something really cool at your funeral.”
“Jeez, you think she'll be that mad?” Franky rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“She's very protective of her things.” You opened up a barrel, half expecting to see Luffy inside. But it was just some cola. “Maybe she'll forgive you. She's nice like that.”
“I hope so. I'm not ready to die yet.”
It was a bit later when you finally found Luffy, body squished between two crates.
And sound asleep.
You'd kind of suspected it considering how soon it was after he ate, and the fact that he hadn't gotten bored waiting and given himself away yet.
Drool ran down Luffy's chin as you reached into the gap and gave his cheek a little poke. “Luffy?”
His eyes blinked open. “You found me!”
“Took a little longer than I thought, but yeah.” You held out your hand to help pull him out. “Come on, time for Chopper to be the seeker.”
“Found him first, huh?”
“Of course.”
Getting to Fishman Island wasn't exactly going to be a cakewalk. The Sunny had to pass a notoriously dangerous part of the Grand Line to even get close.
Luckily, the Straw Hats did their best work when things got dangerous.
Sailing through the darkness of the Florian Triangle, the Sunny came across another pirate ship. One that looked abandoned and decrepit, but had a voice coming from it. A voice that seemed to belong to a skeleton.
“Did you see that?!” Luffy's eyes were sparkling with excitement. “There's a singing skeleton on that ship!”
It had to be him.
You were as excited as Luffy to climb onto the other ship with Nami and Sanji, who were not nearly as enthused.
“Don't worry, angel. I'll keep you and Nami safe,” Sanji called from below.
“Who said I'm worried?” You grinned over at Luffy, who smiled right back.
On deck, the singing skeleton showed himself fully. His top hat and cravat and glorious afro, a teacup held in his hand. There was no mistaking it.
“Luffy, it's him! Skeleton guy!”
Luffy laughed as you put your arm around his shoulders, and the two of you started cheering. “Skeleton guy! Skeleton guy!”
“Will you two cut it out?” Nami said, though her voice shook slightly.
“Why, good afternoon,” the skeleton said, ending with a very unique laugh. “Thank you for stopping by. You must excuse me for not greeting you properly before. I really was quite surprised. I've spent so many years wandering these waters all alone. I'm so used to ghost ships that seeing humans frightened me! Quite ironic, isn't it? Ah, please, come inside and take a seat. I'm sure you have many tales to share.”
All four of you were quiet for several seconds, until Luffy pointed at him. “It can talk, too! A singing, talking, afro skeleton!”
“Well, I'll be damned,” Sanji said, cigarette long having fallen from his lips and onto the deck.
You were still beaming. “He's even cooler than I thought he'd be. I've been waiting for this for months!”
The skeleton's empty sockets seemed to focus on you. “Oh, my. You've been waiting to meet me? It's been so many years since such a beautiful young lady was excited to see me. It really warms my heart. Or it would, if I had a heart! Yo-hohoho!”
Luffy quickly interrupted. “Enough about that. I have a question! Do skeletons poop?”
Nami smacked his arm. “Luffy!"
“We have more important questions to ask him right now.” Sanji lit up another cigarette and took a drag. “Like, how is it that you can sing and talk when you're nothing but bones? Why are you here? And what the hell happened to this ship? We need answers.”
The skeleton sipped at his tea before answering. “First of all, yes. I poop.”
“Interesting,” you said as Luffy cried, “AWESOME!”
“We really didn't need to know that.” Nami muttered, arms crossed over her chest.
“I have a better question,” Luffy proclaimed, stepping forward. “Will you join our crew?”
The skeleton didn't hesitate to answer.
“Yes. Certainly.”
Late afternoon on the Sunny was much like it had been before Thriller Bark. Reading and naps and yard games. But now, the air was filled with the lovely sound of the violin courtesy of the newest Straw Hat.
Brook's skeletal face showed no emotion, but somehow, you could tell he was smiling. Watching his bony fingers on the strings, you wondered how he could even do that. Literally everything Brook did made no sense. But that kind of stuff pretty much stopped bothering you a while ago.
You came up next to him, leaning up against the railing and looking out over the lawn. Luffy and Chopper seemed to be wrestling, and you couldn't help chuckling at them before addressing Brook. “You play beautifully, Brook.”
Brook stopped playing and looked over at you. The compliment would've made him blush, if he could still do that. “Why thank you. I spent so much time all alone…it's nice to have people to play for again. Especially such a lively crew.”
“You'll never feel alone again with this bunch, that's for sure. Take it from me.” Brook's loneliness was much different than yours had been, enduring decades of total isolation in the darkness of the Florian Triangle, but you could still understand. “There's always something happening.”
Brook observed the same scene that you were, only now Nami was scolding Luffy and Chopper for nearly getting her wrapped up in their roughhousing. “I don't doubt that. The captain seems to have endless energy!”
“You've got that right. If only we could bottle it up and sell it, we'd make a fortune.”
Brook put a hand to his ribcage. “Yo-hohoho!”
You were laughing too when the door to the galley opened up.
“Dinner's ready! Come and get it!” Sanji called.
Soon, everyone was gathered at the dining table, plates piled with all the delicious foods that Sanji had prepared that evening. And, of course, all the commotion that came with any meal the crew shared.
You gave Brook a smile as if to say ‘See?’, then took a bite of your food before Luffy had a chance to sneak some from your plate.
You never would've suspected that meals like these would be coming to a years long end very soon…
It's just funny thinking about Sanji only being 100% agreeable to medical care if you're the one doing it. Injuries that he considers minor and would usually shrug Chopper off about have him coming to you right away 😆
The Straw Hats spend a week in Water 7, and you get some good news courtesy of Luffy's grandpa.
OPLA!Straw Hats x isekaied!reader (f!reader, no use of y/n)
Warnings: Going Merry funeral 😞
Notes: Sorry but I can't control myself so this one makes it very obvious (to everyone but reader apparently) that Sanji's in love. Now whether the feelings will ever be mutual is up to you 💕
Word count: 2.8k
All parts are linked HERE
Robin and Franky were saved.
The crew made it out of Enies Lobby alive and well, all thanks to the Going Merry. She had appeared when you needed her most, her voice in all of your hearts telling you to jump in the water. And she caught you, like she always did.
It was her last act of love for all of you.
Because she couldn't continue on, no matter how much she wanted to.
So, you all bid her goodbye and watched her burn. A funeral worthy of a member of the Straw Hats.
Tears flooded your face as the flames took her. The ship that had felt like a home from the moment you appeared on it. The ship that was so loved by her crew that she came to life.
“I'm sorry.”
It was that voice again. Her. Merry.
“I wanted to carry everyone just a little bit further. I had so much fun. I wish our adventures would never end.”
You could hear Usopp sobbing underneath the stoic face of his Sniper King mask. Silently, you reached for his hand and gave it a firm squeeze.
“Merry!” Chopper cried, the fur on his cheeks soaked with tears.
“I'm sorry–”
Luffy was as choked up as you as he yelled to her. “No, Merry! If anyone should be sorry, it's us! I'm no good at steering! I ran you into icebergs and all kinds of stuff! I ripped your sails!” Tears covered his face as well as he gestured back to all of you. “Zoro and Sanji were breaking your stuff all the time! Usopp tried to fix you, but he wasn't any good at it!” He sobbed softly before yelling even louder. “IF ANYONE'S SORRY, IT'S US!”
Luffy fell to his knees, crying loudly and unashamed. For his ship. For his friend.
“I don't mind. I was happy. I know you always treated me with love. Thank you,” she said. “Even if our time together was short, I'm glad that I could spend it with you…”
Even though a few of you didn't shed tears, you all took the words to heart. Despite the chaos and mess of life with the Straw Hats, Merry had loved you all as much as you loved her. Like a true pirate, she lived with no regrets.
The crew watched until the last of the flames died and the Merry was no more.
You were still crying as everyone boarded the Galley-La ship to head back to Water 7.
Already emotional, you couldn't help following Usopp as he went to look out over the edge of the ship, towards where the Merry had been laid to rest.
“Hi.”
“Hey–” Usopp quickly remembered himself and put on the voice, despite knowing you'd figured him out earlier. “Uh, I mean, hello, young lady.”
Usopp was wearing that mask and hiding himself for a reason, and you weren't going to force him out of it. Even if everyone but Luffy and Chopper had instantly known it was him.
“You said you know Usopp, right?”
“Yes, Usopp is a close, personal friend of mine. Why do you ask?”
You turned to him, fresh tears escaping from your eyes. “If you see him, can you tell him that we miss him? And that it's not the same without him here?”
Usopp's shoulders dropped, and he couldn't bear to look at you even with the mask on. “I'll, um, pass on the message!”
“Thanks.” You sighed and looked back out on the water. “He told me once that we'd figure out how to be brave and strong together. I'm going to hold him to that.”
Two days after the battle at Enies Lobby, the Marines arrived.
You'd been shocked to learn that one of the Marines, a Vice Admiral, in fact, was Luffy's grandfather. As it turned out, most of the crew had already known.
But he dropped another bomb that was new to everyone, even Luffy. The fact that Luffy's father was the leader of the Revolutionary Army. Monkey D. Dragon.
Apparently, Garp wasn't finished as he hammered at the wall he'd broken down earlier. “You've been keeping some interesting company, Luffy.”
“Yeah, my crew's pretty awesome,” Luffy said, turning back to all of you with a proud grin.
“You know, girl,” Garp said, looking at…you? “You're not the only one in your…peculiar situation.”
You were so caught off guard, you didn't even notice the way that Sanji moved closer to you. “My situation?”
“Well, you're not from here, are you?” He turned back to hammer in another nail.
How did he know that? You wondered…you'd spent days in Water 7 unknowingly surrounded by CP9 agents. Could you have given yourself away somehow?
“Once every few years, someone from your world ends up here. We don't know how or why it happens, or if there's any real rhyme or reason to who it happens to. But they always know too much.”
So you weren't the only one who had ever woken up here. There were others like you.
You held your hands up. “Look, I barely know anything. Those people were probably fans. I'm not.”
He continued on as if you hadn't spoken. “People like you are dangerous. Either they join us, or they're executed.”
The energy of the room shifted.
Sanji put himself in front of you, Robin crossed her arms, Zoro popped a sword from its sheath, Nami grabbed her Climatact, and you even heard Chopper growl, ready to turn into Big Chopper at a moment's notice. Little did any of you know, Usopp was listening at one of the windows, slingshot gripped tight in his hand.
Luffy's fists clenched at his side, willing to fight his own grandpa for you without a thought. “Neither of those things are gonna happen.”
Garp laughed as he took in everyone's defensive stances. “I have no intention of taking you in or harming you. Not today, at least. I'm simply warning you about the reality of your situation. Things will get dangerous for you.”
You moved out from behind Sanji, keeping a hand on his arm. “I'm not worried about the Marines or the government. This crew literally just showed you all what we'll do if you try to take one of us.”
“It's not just the World Government. There are plenty of people out there who might find you useful.”
“I'm not worried about them either. My captain will kick their asses.”
Luffy smiled over at you. “That's right!”
Garp finished the wall, and all of you followed as he went outside to have a goodbye with Luffy. But before he could leave, you called out to him.
“Luffy's grandpa, wait! You said that the option for people like me is to join the Marines or die. So does that mean we can't be sent back?”
Garp almost looked like he felt bad. “Like I said, we don't know how or why it happens. We don't know how to reverse or stop it either.”
“And the people that have joined the Marines? They've never just…disappeared, have they?”
Everyone was confused by the question. Everyone but Robin, who was watching silently.
“No. One's been with us for almost three decades, in fact. I'm sorry to tell you, but you have no way to go back home.”
You probably should've been sad. Had even a flicker of longing for the world you came from.
But all you could do was smile.
There was a comfortable silence in the Galley-La kitchen as you and Sanji took care of the dishes from lunch. He would wash and rinse, then pass them over for you to dry. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, even though, like always, he'd insisted that your hands shouldn't have to do any work.
But you helped anyway, and he could never be upset about time spent with someone so lovely.
Something was different though. Pure joy radiated from you. You hadn't stopped smiling since Garp came by. And as beautiful as your happiness was, Sanji couldn't help wondering why.
Garp told you you couldn't go back home, yet you didn't seem bothered at all…
Sanji passed a plate to you, finally interrupting the quiet. “Why did you smile?”
“Hm?” You took the dish, thoroughly wiping it dry.
“When Garp said there was no way for you to go back home, you smiled. You've been smiling ever since. I thought you'd be upset.”
“Well, Sanji, truth be told, I didn't want to go back there.” Finally, you could say it freely. Knowing you didn't have to go was like a weight off of your shoulders.
Sanji paused what he was doing, looking at you with wide blue eyes. “You didn't?”
“Not at all. I've actually been worrying myself sick about it since we left Drum Kingdom.”
And then it hit him. The restlessness you'd been suffering, the exhaustion you tried to hide from him and everyone else. His gaze softened. “You didn't have to go through that on your own. You could've told us.”
You fiddled with the edge of the dish towel. “I know, it's just…I didn't know if I'd have a choice. If I told you guys I wanted to stay, then just up and disappeared, it would've hurt. But if you thought I wanted to leave–”
“It still would've hurt,” he finished.
“Not in the same way.” That pretty smile graced your lips again. “But none of that matters anymore. I'm here to stay.”
Sanji smiled back. “And I'm glad for it. I can't imagine not seein’ my angel every day.”
“Oh stop it.” You nudged him playfully with your elbow. “You still would've had Nami and Robin. You'd be just fine without me.”
“I can promise you, I would've been heartbroken to see you go.” It wouldn't have been a lie to tell you that he'd worried more than once about you disappearing without a chance for him to say goodbye. Not that he would tell you that. “But aren't there things you'll miss?”
“Sure. I mean, the music is definitely better there. And I'll never get to watch my favorite movie again. But none of that matters, because I'd miss you and everyone else so much more. I didn't really have anyone back there, but here I have you guys. And I wouldn't trade that for anything.”
Sanji's heart swelled at your words as he dried his hands and pulled you into a side hug. You leaned your head against his shoulder and wrapped your arm around his back.
“You know…I think I would've missed you the most.”
Your softly spoken words hit him right in the chest, and he couldn't bring himself to do anything besides squeeze you just a little bit tighter.
A few moments later, you took your arm back, and Sanji read that as his cue to pull away and go back to washing the dishes, the pink dusting still visible on his cheeks.
“Now I have to think long term,” you said, watching as he scrubbed at a particularly stubborn spot. “What will I do when the adventure's over? What's my 'open a restaurant in the All Blue'?”
“You've got plenty of time to figure it out.” Sanji didn't look at you, focusing on the plate in his hands. “But you're always welcome wherever I go. I'm sure they need doctors in the All Blue.”
“You're inviting me to join you in the All Blue?” You shook your head, chuckling. “You know, Sanji. One day you're going to meet someone that you really like, and she's not going to take you seriously because you do this stuff with every woman.”
It was just supposed to be a silly joke, but you noticed the way he stopped moving.
“Sanji? I didn't mean–”
Sanji turned to you with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, passing you the plate to dry. “No, it's alright, love. You've actually given me somethin’ to think about.”
You carefully took the plate from him. “Oh.”
And in burst Luffy.
“Sanji, I'm hungry again! Make me a snack!”
You sat out in front of the Galley-La Company later that evening, exhausted from hours of shopping with Nami and Robin. One of the medical books you'd found during your outing sat open on your lap as you gave it a look.
Luffy's voice came from behind as he dropped down next to you, legs criss crossed. “More studying?”
“Yep,” you said, putting a bookmark in and giving him a smile. “Being a doctor is gonna take a lot of that. But I've got time.”
“About that…I'm sorry I can't keep my promise.”
“Your promise?”
“To get you back home. Remember?”
It felt like a long time since then, but of course you remembered. “Luffy, it's okay.”
Luffy's brow scrunched. “But isn't it your dream to get back there?”
“Maybe it was, but…” You really thought about it for a moment and shook your head. “No, I don't think it ever was. But you actually have made a dream of mine come true, Luffy.”
“I have?” He tried to think of anything special he'd done for you lately, but he drew a blank.
“I always wanted to have a real family. Somewhere that I fit in. Somewhere I belong, you know? And I found that on your crew.” You gave him a smile, eyes shining with unshed tears. “So yeah, I'm living the dream already.”
Those tears came flooding down your cheeks the moment he beamed and wrapped his arms around you several times in a tight hug. “I didn't really want you to leave,” he admitted, his voice muffled by your neck. “We have so much fun together.”
“We'll keep having fun. Because another important part of my dream is to be standing by your side when you become the King of the Pirates.”
Luffy pulled away just enough to give you an even bigger grin.
“You will be. And that's a promise I'll keep!”
Declaring war on the government was a guaranteed way to earn a bounty (or an increase, for some of you), so there was an air of excitement when the Franky Family started handing out the posters.
Luffy cheered. “300 million! It went up!”
Zoro smirked at his. “Not bad.”
“Hey, that guy said he was with the local newspaper,” Nami said, scowling at the poster.
You peeked at the photo on her bounty, whistling at the sight of her posing just like a model in a fashion magazine. “You look amazing, Nami.”
Her annoyed face turned much happier. “Thank you.”
“50 berry?!” Chopper yelled, nearly crying. “Why's it so low?!”
Robin patted his head as she smiled at her own bounty.
You were practically bouncing as you received yours. The picture wasn't as stunning as Nami's, but at least it was badass. Axe Wielder, it said. “Guess axes are my thing now. That's cool. But 60 million seems a little high for someone like me.”
Chopper grinned up at you, momentarily forgetting how upset he was over his own amount. “The government says you're really dangerous, remember?”
Robin leaned in towards you with a little smirk. “Welcome to the club.”
Someone was being suspiciously quiet.
Sanji stood a few feet away, paper clutched tightly in his hand and eyes locked on it.
“Not as high as you were expecting?”
He didn't look at you or move at all. “The number isn't the problem.”
Frowning, you walked over to him and had a glimpse of his photo.
Only it wasn't a photo, it was a drawing. One that, beyond the blond hair and cigarette, did not look like him at all. This person had bushy, curled eyebrows and very full lips, with frizzy hair framing a rounded face. You didn't know who the hell they were trying to capture, but it wasn't Sanji.
“Oh, Sanji,” you said from behind your hand, holding back a giggle. You placed the other hand on his shoulder. “At least your bounty isn't 50 berry.”
“Hey!” Chopper pouted from next to Robin, his arms crossed over his chest.
Sanji finally looked over at you, and you could see the disappointment in his eyes. “It doesn't even look like me.”
There was no use in lying. “No, it doesn't. It's really bad. I hate to tell you, but it's gonna hurt your chances with the ladies.”
As if things couldn't get worse, Zoro came over and plucked the poster from Sanji's hand. He stared at the drawing for a moment and said in a deadpan voice, “What are you talking about? It looks just like you.”
Sanji ripped the poster out of his hands. “You take that back, you mossheaded ass! That's not me!”
“He's just as ugly as you, so what's the difference?”
You took the chance to head back over to the rest of your friends, letting out the laughter you'd been keeping in for Sanji's sake.
But hey, with how often the crew got into trouble, he was certain to have plenty of chances to get his picture taken one day.
The Straw Hats survive Skypiea, and you confess something to Robin
OPLA!Straw Hats x isekaied!reader
Warnings: angst in the last part, a little suggestive, more bi!reader hints (if you wanna read it that way)
Notes: I've realized that I found Skypiea very meh so we're pretty much skipping over it
Word Count: 2.4k
All parts are linked HERE
If you had thought Reverse Mountain was scary and completely impossible, the Knock Up Stream had it beat.
The Straw Hats all held on for dear life as the Merry sailed up to the sky, Sea Kings and the remnants of failed trips falling from above. But Nami's skills got everyone through safely, just to end up attacked by Sea Kings and some guerilla warrior. Luckily, a weird old knight came to the rescue.
Gan Fall flew away on his pegasus, bidding you all farewell for now as you watched him go.
Sanji was the first to speak. “Am I the only one that finds that bizarre?”
“I don't know,” you said, eyes finally leaving Gan Fall and Pierre's exit. “With all the weird stuff in this world, a pink polka-dotted pegasus actually seems pretty normal to me.”
“So, where are we supposed to go from here?” Zoro asked.
“Oh, I know! Let's call the old guy back for help!” Luffy lunged for the whistle that Gan Fall had gifted the crew.
“This is for emergencies only,” Nami said, taking it from his hand before he could blow into it. “For now, we keep moving. We're bound to find an island eventually.”
“Guys, I see something,” Chopper called as he looked out through a pair of binoculars. “Look over here!”
Robin did just as he said. “It looks like a waterfall.”
And it did. A tall waterfall surrounded by even fluffier clouds. Just as impossible and beautiful as everything else that surrounded you.
“Okay, that settles it. Let's go that way,” Zoro said.
“Should we really be followin’ mosshead's directions? We could end up all the way back in the East Blue.”
Your hand flew up to your mouth to cover up a laugh and Sanji smiled.
Before Zoro could counter him, Nami spoke. “Normally, I'd agree. But we don't really have much else to go on right now. We're heading for the waterfall.”
That plan got quite literally stopped in its tracks when those fluffy clouds turned out to be much more solid that they looked, making the route impossible. Luffy's punch deflected right off of one, so naturally…
Luffy was bouncing on top of the cloud, laughing and cheering with each jump. “It's so fluffy and bouncy! This is great! You guys need to try this!”
Usopp and Chopper joined him, but you were a little more cautious this time after Usopp had fallen through the clouds. One wrong jump, and you could end up the same way.
Luffy had a different idea.
“Hey! You'll love this!” Luffy stretched his arm out and grabbed you around the waist, pulling you up onto the cloud next to him.
“Oh, what the hell,” you said, jumping and giggling with the other three.
That didn't last long, because the new vantage point helped Usopp spot a path for the Merry to take.
The four of you made it back to the deck to inform Nami.
“A gate?”
Usopp pointed forward. “Right up ahead, underneath that waterfall.”
In spite of the thin air, Sanji took a drag from a cigarette. “There's a man-made structure in the middle of the clouds?”
A few minutes later, the rest of you were able to see it for yourselves. At the bottom of the waterfall was a white and gold structure bearing a sign.
Heaven's Gate
Usopp's brow furrowed. “‘Heaven's Gate’? Am I reading that right? Sounds like a place you go when you die.”
A small smile appeared on Zoro's face. “Now that you mention it, maybe we are dead. Ever think about that?”
Usopp's eyes went wide and his voice pitched up. “Don't joke about that!”
“Heaven, huh?” Sanji smirked over at you. “You'll fit right in.”
You playfully nudged his arm. “Alright, loverboy. Save some charm for all the beautiful sky ladies we're about to meet.”
The Merry was finally back in the Blue Sea.
Everyone made it back safely, more or less, but the ship herself was in need of a little TLC. Nami already had a course set for the next island, and the hope was that there would be shipwrights to help repair the damage.
In the meantime, it was business as usual for the most part.
“You sure I'm ready for this, Chopper?” you asked as you came to stand next to Usopp, who sat at the galley table.
“Yeah,” the reindeer said with a grin as he hopped up to sit on the bench. “You've already watched me a few times. I know you can do it. I'll be right here observing.”
“You've got this.” Usopp gave you a thumbs up. “All you have to do is not make my injuries worse.”
“Why'd you have to go and say that?” You mumbled, pulling on a pair of rubber gloves.
Several members of the crew had been electrocuted by Enel, but Usopp and Sanji had gotten it the worst out of everyone. They'd both ended up with burns that would require a little extra care.
So you gently pulled back the bandage on one of Usopp's burns and got to work, following exactly what you'd seen Chopper do. Check for signs of infection, apply burn salve, redress, repeat. By the time you were at his last, you'd entered a flow state almost, finding confidence in the fact that Chopper hadn't corrected you yet.
You were listening intently as Usopp went on about how he'd singlehandedly saved Nami from Enel. Until a voice interrupted from the doorway.
“I remember it a little differently.”
Usopp rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly at Sanji. “Oh, yeah. You were there, too. And you might have helped a little.”
Sanji shook his head, more amused than annoyed. Typical Usopp.
Then, it hit him.
It wasn't Chopper that was diligently caring for Usopp's wounds as usual. It was you.
He smiled as he came closer, standing at the other end of the table near Chopper. “I see you're finally getting some hands-on experience.”
“Mhm,” you replied, singularly focused on what you were doing. You always looked pretty cute that way, Sanji thought.
“I suppose I'm up next then. Right, love?”
“What happened to not needing treatment?” Chopper said, recalling the last time he'd cared for the wounds Sanji suffered in Skypiea. It only happened because you'd been able to convince him. But now, he was asking and eager for it.
“I changed my mind,” he said with a shrug. "I'm having some pain.”
“If it's that serious, I can get started right now!” Chopper offered, already beginning to slide off of the bench.
“No, no. I'll wait for her. I'm allergic to raccoons anyway.”
“I'm not a raccoon!”
You and Usopp looked at each other.
“Not very subtle, is he?” Usopp muttered.
You could never even imagine using the word to describe the Straw Hats’ resident cook. “Nope.”
It wasn't long before Sanji took Usopp's place, the former taking the seat next to Chopper and continuing to work on making more ammo.
“I've never been treated by such a beautiful doctor,” Sanji said as he got comfortable in the chair, eyes on you as you disposed of everything you'd used while caring for Usopp.
You washed your hands at the sink. “I'm not a doctor, Sanji.”
“You will be.”
Those three simple words, said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, made you smile.
And he was beaming as you sat in the chair next to him, slipping on a fresh pair of gloves.
Normally, Sanji hated being fussed over. He'd rather be the one doing the fussing. But the idea of being treated by a goddess like you wasn't something he could just pass up.
“Unbutton your shirt.”
“Have I ever mentioned how much I like it when you tell me what to do?”
“A few times, yeah.”
Usopp shook his head as Sanji unbuttoned his dress shirt.
You got started, being just as gentle as you were before. “You said you're having pain?”
“It's not that bad.” Just the usual stinging of a burn. Nothing out of the ordinary. “I'm a cook and a smoker. I've been burned more times than I can count.”
“Yeah, I guess you wouldn't be much of a chef if you were afraid of fire.” Visually inspecting the first burn, you nodded. “Looks good.”
You couldn't help noticing the tensing of his muscles, which you realized were quite toned. Unlike Zoro, Sanji never really walked around shirtless.
“Sanji, are you seriously flexing right now?”
That caused a laugh that Usopp couldn't hold back, and Chopper joined in. “He totally is!”
Sanji's cheeks tinted pink. He'd only expected you to notice, not to call him out so bluntly. “Well, it must have worked. You were lookin', weren't you?”
“I'm only human. I look at everyone on the crew. Besides Chopper, obviously.”
“Even me?” Usopp asked.
“You've got nice arms,” you said.
A cute, shy little smile spread over Usopp's face as he looked back down at his tools.
Sanji cleared his throat. “What about me? Anything you'd like to compliment?”
You smirked. "I'll keep that to myself."
“I don't understand this at all,” Chopper added.
Usopp gave his hoof a pat. “Don't worry about it, Chopper. You'll get it when you're older.”
You laughed, shaking your head as you went back to working on Sanji.
Who, naturally, had not stopped flexing.
Later that night, the ocean gently swayed the ship as you laid in your hammock, hands propped behind your head. Eyes focused on the ceiling and the shadows cast on it from the window.
Nami snored softly in her bed, and you'd been trying hard to think about that instead of the twist in your stomach that you'd been feeling for weeks.
It didn't work.
Sighing, you climbed out of the hammock and stepped into your pair of fluffy slippers, your joints cracking as you stretched.
The kitchen was out of the question this late. Sanji had been electrocuted multiple times on Skypiea, so he needed to get his rest. And if you went to sit in the galley, you knew he wouldn't be far behind.
So you headed out for the deck, ready to get some fresh air and a view of the night sky.
You came to stand at a railing, resting your chin on your hand as you looked up at the glittering stars. To think there were more islands in that sky…
“Beautiful night, isn't it?”
Robin came to stand beside you, book tucked in her arm. You hadn't seen Robin in the women's room, but her appearance still surprised you. If anyone, you'd expected to see Zoro, being that it was his usual time to serve as lookout.
“It's lovely,” you said, giving her a smile. “What are you reading?”
“It's a book on Alabasta's history,” she said, finger gently touching the spine. “It's quite interesting.”
Vivi must have snuck that one in with all the medical texts. “I'll have to check it out.”
“I'll be sure to give it to you when I'm finished.”
“Sounds good to me.” You flashed her another smile before turning your gaze back to the sky.
But her eyes stayed on you with that intense look you'd notice early on. As if she was studying you like some historical text or ancient fossil. If it were anyone else, it would've been unnerving, but you'd found that there was something oddly comforting about the former assassin, despite the fact that she'd tried to kill you at one point.
“Something's troubling you.”
Her tone was so matter-of-fact, so sure, that you couldn't really argue. Not when she was right.
“Yeah…”
Robin was quiet, the silence inviting you to continue if you wished. Though she was trying to keep a certain distance between herself and the crew, she couldn't help her curiosity about the woman who had apparently appeared out of nowhere.
You'd been wanting to talk to someone, but even when they asked like Sanji had, something stopped you. Robin, though. You hadn't known her as long, didn't have the same relationship yet.
“You know that I'm not from here…I came from a totally different world. One moment, I was walking home from work, and the next, I was lying here on the deck.” The corner of your mouth ticked up slightly as you recalled that day. “At first, I was ready to go back there one day, but I started really bonding with everyone and getting used to this strange world.”
You took a deep breath and admitted what you'd been holding in. “Ever since Drum Island, ever since my friends saved my life and refused to leave me behind…I've been terrified to go back. Because I don't have much back in my world, no friends or family that really give a damn about me, nothing that makes me truly happy. But here…here I have them. I have this crew, and a home on the Merry. I don't want to leave.”
Tears flooded down your face, your voice shaking. You scrubbed at your cheeks with your sleeve, but more tears replaced those that had been wiped away.
Robin could understand what you meant, in a way. The Straw Hats had a talent for worming their way into people's hearts it seemed, at least when they weren't making enemies. She already suspected that the Going Merry could be a place she called home one day, assuming she stuck around long enough.
“During the day, it's easier not to think about it, but at night…all that goes through my head is worry. Worry that I'm going to disappear as quickly as I appeared. That I won't have a choice, and I won't ever be able to come back. I'm so scared that I'll go to sleep here and wake up back there without even a chance to say goodbye. The thought of never hearing another one of Usopp's stories, never playing another silly game with Luffy, never having another coffee with Sanji…it breaks my heart.”
“You should tell your captain. He thinks you want to return.”
You shook your head immediately. “No. I can't do that. If…if it does happen suddenly like it did before, if I have no choice in the matter, it'll be better if they think I'm happy about it.”
“I see…”
“I don't want to hurt them even more.” You turned to Robin again, eyes puffy and shining. “Please don't tell anyone else.”
Seeing Sanji do G-8 level 'make a whole meal out of random scraps' shit for the first time and being like "You would kill it on Chopped". He doesn't know what that is, but you're clearly complimenting him so he's all ☺️
Notes: Briefly interrupting my One Piece spiral because someone just reblogged the previous part to this and it reminded me that this has been sitting in my drafts totally finished since January 🫣
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"How much time do we have?"
"That's not funny," you sighed, crossing your arms and using a glare to hide the pain in your chest. "You told me you were sending an intern to work with me. You never mentioned that it was her." You punctuated the word with a point towards the door of your office, where Quorra stood on the other side after you'd very politely asked her to wait there so you could talk to Sam alone. "By the way, not a great idea to get the ex and the new girl together."
Sam groaned. This was not going the way he'd hoped. "I told you, there's nothing going on between me and Quorra. She's basically my sister!"
"You said that before, but what the hell does it mean? Did your dad have a second family or something?"
"No! It's-" He quickly stopped himself. "It's nothing like that, I just...I need you to trust me."
The glare on your face faltered a bit, but your arms stayed right where they were. "And I need you to tell me the truth. If you can't do that, this is never going to work."
Sam wanted to tell you everything, but he also knew how insane it would sound. Hell, if not for Quorra being living, breathing proof of his time on The Grid, he would think he'd lost it, too. But, even after everything, you'd given him another chance to be in your life, and he couldn't just throw that away.
He held out his pinky finger. "Promise you won't have me committed. Because this is going to sound crazy."
In spite of his words, your shoulders relaxed in relief knowing you were finally going to get some answers. "Oh boy," you muttered as you linked your pinky with his.
"And promise you won't tell anyone else. Not even your parents."
"Okay! I promise."
Sam hesitantly let go of your pinky and sighed. "Remember a few weeks ago when I pranked the board? Your dad came to my place that night and told me that he got a page from my dad's old office at the arcade. I went to check it out and found a hidden office in the basement. My dad had a computer and one of your mom's lasers down there. And, well, I ended up on The Grid."
You'd been with him up until that last sentence. "You-I'm sorry, what?"
"My dad had been going there for years, building a world with Clu and Tron. But Clu went crazy...and dad got stuck. That's where he was all that time. Trapped on The Grid to keep Clu from getting out." Sam nodded his head in Quorra's general direction. "There were these special programs called ISOs. Clu thought they didn't belong in his 'perfect system', so he killed them all. Except for Quorra. My dad mentored her, protected her for years, so yeah, in a way, she's my sister."
The room was silent for several moments before you reached your hand up to gently touch his temple. The most soft and tender you'd been towards him in a long time. He could hear the tinge of concern in your voice. "Sam, you jumped off of ENCOM Tower that night. Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"
"I don't have brain damage, okay?" Sam carefully moved your hand from his face and took it in his own. "I get it if you don't believe me, but I swear to you, it's the truth. My dad thought Quorra's existence would change the world, but...I don't want to put her in danger. I need to protect her, and I can't do it alone."
Your gaze flicked down to your joined hands, then back to his pleading eyes. Sam was a lot of things, but you'd never known him to be a liar. Especially not to you. As unbelievable as it all sounded, you couldn't completely write off the possibility that Kevin Flynn had actually realized his dream of a digital frontier. That Sam really had gone to The Grid.
"I...I don't know how much I believe in all of that...but I do believe in you, Sam. Always have. I'll do whatever I can to help."
Your words smacked him right in the face, and he was once again reminded of how much of an idiot he'd been. Of just how much he'd missed having you in his corner. He gave your hand a little squeeze. "Thank you..."
You cleared your throat and let go of his hand. "I guess we should–"
"Right, let's–"
You opened the door again, and Quorra's attention quickly turned to you. Her bright blue eyes burned into you even more than Sam's did. "Is everything alright?" She asked.
"Yeah, it's fine. Sam was just...filling me in on how you two met." You took a step towards her, intending to follow through on your promise. "Um...I was actually just about to grab some lunch. Wanna come with?"
Quorra smiled so big that it reached all the way to her eyes. "I'd love that!" She waited as you grabbed your bag and headed out of the office, gesturing her to follow.
Sam watched the two of you walk away, catching the beginnings of a conversation.
"So, do you like tacos? There's a great truck on the corner."
I love Quorra so much 🥹🥹 This is amazing, I can actually picture the characters inside their world by the way you write them! Kudos, kudos and more kudos
My God, after reading your fics I came up with some ideas for my own, I'll see if I actually write them someday...
This is like, my favorite movie ever, I was so excited I got the opportunity to buy it again but this time on full quality with improved CGI after Tron Ares came out!
This is so sweet thank you 💕 I'm so happy that you enjoyed them and got some ideas!
It's my favorite movie too tbh. Seeing it in IMAX 3D as a kid blew my mind and is such a formative memory. As divisive as Ares is, I'm so glad it put a spotlight on the other two movies for a while.
We're all stories in the end @obsidianimagines - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
