Musings on a type of devil fruit that would work kind of like a curse
💭
The girl manages to touch skin on Sanji and say something along the lines of you'll ruin everything you touch.
Which sounds kind of ominous but nothing happens, so they put the incident and the island behind them. Chopper insists on looking him over but doesn't find anything, sniffling and rubbing at his nose the whole time.
But then Sanji messes up dinner for the first time in years. He's burned it somehow but he doesn't know what exactly he burned or how he missed it.
The others aren't upset, more worried as they keep sending him looks out of the corner of their eyes. He imagines he looks as anxious as he feels.
They write it off as a bad day and eat leftovers. And that would have been it, nothing other than just a bad day... But it happens again.
And again.
And again.
Until things keep getting worse and they finally put everything together.
Grey dust sticks to his suit and skin
All the food tastes burnt and smokey
Everywhere he goes he leaves a sooty hand prints and ashy footprints
He smells like smoke and dirt
Chopper can't be too close because his nose hurts from all the ash in the air.
Luffy goes a little wild eyed when the burning smell gets too strong.
Sanji tries not to let it bother him that they're all avoiding him. He understands they're worried about making him more upset somehow, he understands, but it doesn't help the emotional side of him that's angry and scared.
⚫️
Zoro, Brook, and Robin handle the situation the best.
Zoro eats whatever he's given with the same grunts as always, finishing everything and demanding more booze.
He's around more, not hovering but there in a way he usually isn't. He's stepping in where Luffy can't and they're all grateful for it. He doesn't budge, doesn't flinch, doesn't do anything besides be Zoro and it's so welcoming.
Sanji briefly remembers something about a muddy rice ball and his chest burns from something other than the fucking devil fruit.
Brook doesn't get irritated by the smell or taste - he doesn't have a nose after all yohohoho. It's also hard to feel too bad for yourself sitting next to a skeleton, and he's good company.
Robin is Robin. She smiles at him like nothing is different and she drinks her tea stonefaced, not even flinching at the burnt taste he knows is there. She finishes it and asks for another cup please Sanji.
⚫️
They go back and find the devil fruit user. She's young and scared, her eyes going big when she sees Sanji.
She hunches her shoulders when Nami starts yelling at her, her eyes getting bigger and wetter with each word.
She didn't know and they know that's the truth, which actually makes things more frustrating because they had hoped they'd be able to work out their anger on someone.
She immediately takes the curse back, a small black dot like a ink splatter appears on Sanji's skin where she originally touched him days ago. She sets her hand against the dot and it slides over her fingers and settles against her wrist before fading away.
She says sorry again, briefly saying something about still getting familiar with the devil fruit but they don't really care. They got what they wanted and they leave the island behind them.
⚫️
Luffy clings for a few days, like he's trying to make up for when he couldn't.
Sanji cooks and cooks and cooks. They have a feast and his face hurts from smiling so much.
The others disperse after eating, leaving Sanji alone to reflect.
Zoro doesn't linger in the kitchen with the excuse of wanting more booze, Robin doesn't ask for tea before going to settle down and read, and Brook has been dragged off by Luffy.
It's quiet.
The kitchen smells like food, not smoke. There's no ash on the floor or soot on the counters. His clothes are clean and he can smell only himself when he takes a sniff.
He cleans up, his mind going through everything as he brews some tea.
Robin smiles when he delivers the cup of tea and she takes a sip with a pleased hum.
He ends up sitting down with Luffy and listening to Brook play for a little while, the breeze carrying the notes out over the water. He eventually gets up and heads back to the kitchen.
He happens to pass Zoro napping and tosses a bottle onto his lap, ignoring the lazy grey eye that he knows opens to look at him as he walks back to the kitchen.
