No Straw Hat Left Behind! (Sanji x Fem!Reader x Zoro)
A/N: Aaaahhhh I hope this one is okay, it’s a bit rushed
Part of the Adventure is Out There! series - Series Masterlist
Type: Fic; 2,748 words
Synopsis: It’s time to get Nami back
Warnings: Blood, injuries, violence, cursing, etc.
“Sorry it’s a bit small,” Zoro said as he leaned against the doorframe. You shrugged your bag off your shoulder and set it down on the bed. “It’s no problem. I was in the crew quarters with thirty people on the Baratie.” You smiled to yourself, “It’s crazy to even have my own space again...”
Zoro nodded and moved to leave, but you put a hand out to stop him. He looked back at you, one brow raised. You dropped your hand, “Uh, sorry. I just wanted to ask- I hope it’s okay that I- I mean, I guess what I’m wondering is…” You blew a strand of hair from your face and looked down at the floor, stomach tightening reflexively as you forced yourself to ask, “How do you feel about Sanji and I joining your crew? Considering you were… not really around for that…”
Zoro turned back to fully face you, standing in the doorway. One hand resting on the hilt of his sword, he said, “I could take or leave the cook…” You suppressed a smile, and he continued, “But Luffy told me all about you when I woke up. You’re a devil fruit eater.” You bit your lip and nodded slowly, confirming what he said. “Does that bother you…?”
“Not one bit. Luffy trusts you, and I trust him, so we’re good.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that…” Something about his gaze when he said it made you look away. Then he added, “Also helps that I liked you anyway.” You sneaked a glance at him, “Really? I was just a waitress…” Your fingers absentmindedly started picking at the bedframe behind you. “Sounds like you wanna be more than that,” Zoro said as he leaned against the doorframe, “That’s why you’re here, right?”
The thought made something swell in your chest, maybe excitement, maybe anticipation for what might come next. You nodded once. “Great,” Zoro turned to leave, but he stopped short, inhaling sharply, his hand going to his chest.
You shot forward, concern washing over you. “Hey, whoa, are you sure you should be up, actually?” Your hand reached out to his shoulder, steadying him.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Zoro tried to wave you off. He straightened again, but still winced.
“Mhm, sure,” your lips pressed into a thin line, “Maybe you should rest a bit more until we get to wherever we’re going?” Zoro just shook his head. “I’m fine,” he insisted. You sighed, your hand dropping from his shoulder to rest on your hip, “So that’s how it’s gonna be?”
“Yep,” he smirked, “Welcome to the crew.” Then he stepped out of your cabin and left you to unpack. You shook your head and turned back to your bag on your bed, heavy with everything you owned.
You started unpacking, pulling out a few books and clothes that you’d managed to collect over the years. You found a place for everything. It wasn’t much, anyway, so it didn’t take long. Then you peeked your head out of your door and looked both ways down the hall. No one seemed to be around. You wondered where to go next. You were pretty sure you remembered how to get back to the galley, and then up to the top deck from there, but you wondered if it was worth it to explore the rest of the ship by yourself.
You shrugged to yourself and struck out to go look around. But you didn’t get far into the ship before you heard your name being called from a room you’d just passed. You stopped and backtracked, tentatively peeking your head into the room.
Sanji pointed, “Ah! You-” He got up from where he was sitting, “You and I need to have a talk.”
“About what?” Your brows furrowed together.
“Well, for one. About the explosions of light coming out of your hands.”
“Mmm, no, it sounds like you understand it just fine.” You put your hands behind your back, grabbing your wrist as you continued, “I ate a devil fruit. Now, glowing spheres come out of my hands. Easy.”
Sanji scoffed, “Yeah, okay, sure. Secondly, what are you doing here?” He gestured vaguely at the whole ship around you. You pursed your lips and tilted your head, “What do you mean?”
Sanji crossed his arms, “Wellll,” he drew out the word, “It kind of looks like you’re following me…” He smirked down at you. Your mouth dropped open and you laughed, “As if! Sanji, I am not following you around like some lost puppy. I told you, I was invited. By the captain. Same as you.”
“If you say so…” His smirk didn't move from his face. You threw your hands in the air and walked away, saying, “You’re not nearly that charming, you know.”
“But I am charming!”
The next morning, you went up on deck to check on how things were progressing with the clown head, whom you now knew was actually called Buggy. He was supposed to be directing you all toward Nami and Arlong’s pirates, mostly because he wanted to reconnect with his own body again, which was apparently being held captive by Arlong. So, his motives aligned with all of yours, for now.
However, when you joined Usopp by the ship’s tiller, it didn’t seem like Buggy was being as helpful as he claimed he would be.
“But you said five degrees starboard…” Usopp argued.
“Yeah, the other starboard, captain shitastic!”
“I thought clowns were supposed to be funny…” Usopp muttered under his breath. Apparently, Buggy still heard him, flipping his decapitated head around to shout back, “Why don’t you say it to my face!” You rolled your eyes and turned your back to Buggy. Facing Usopp, you mimed gagging, making him crack a smile.
“Hey! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, missy!”
You spun back around, putting on your most innocent face, “Who, me?” You gestured to yourself by splaying both hands on your chest.
“Yeah you, you little-”
Just then, Zoro sauntered up the steps to join you all and Buggy switched gears, enthusiastically greeting him. “Morning champ!”
“I know Luffy made a deal with you to find Arlong, clown,” he picked up Buggy by his hair and swung his arm over the side railing of the ship, “but if you’re even thinking about screwing us over…”
“Hey! Hey! Zoro, buddy!” Buggy pleaded, “Honor amongst pirates, right? How about I sing a nice sea shanty to pass the time?” Zoro pulled Buggy’s head back onto the ship, but as the clown started warbling a song that began disparaging Nami, Zoro opened the closest barrel and dropped the head inside. You could just hear Buggy whining about his nose as Zoro closed the lid.
“Thank. You…” you said as Zoro passed, on his way to talk to Luffy at the front of the ship. You could see Luffy conversing with Sanji while the latter attempted to catch some fish. Meanwhile, you turned to Usopp, “So, do you think we’re heading in the right direction? Or is the clown full of it?”
“I honestly have no idea… But I guess we have no other choice, right?”
“That is true. And, I mean, if he ever wants to see his body again, he can’t be too far off,” you jerked your head toward the barrel nearby. A thump and muffled sounds told you that it wasn’t entirely soundproof.
“I miss our navigator,” Usopp sighed. You lifted your hand to block the sun from your eyes as you scanned the horizon in the distance. You didn’t disagree.
Finally, you arrived at the Conomi Islands. The five of you secured the ship on one side of the island where Coco Village was located before you made your way to the village itself. However, as you walked through, you couldn’t help but notice the burned husks of buildings and flipped over huts. The village was wrecked. Inspecting some of the burned parts of a cart as you passed, you remarked, “This doesn’t look recent…”
All of you approached what remained of the main square, where you noticed the villagers huddled together around a mustachioed man holding a wooden box.
“We don’t have much time, and we’re short again this month,” he was telling the people gathered there.
“Are you sure we don’t have time to get some more?” One of the worried villagers questioned.
“No,” a cold voice called out. “You don’t.” Everyone turned and immediately stepped out of the way of… Nami.
Luffy took a step forward, but Zoro’s arm shot out and caught him, silently urging him to wait, and watch.
As Nami walked through the row of scared villagers, only one woman stepped out to meet her. The woman with blue hair and curling tattoos on her dark skin looked down at Nami and said, “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing your face here…” Her and Nami locked eyes, until the blue-haired woman leaned over slightly and spit at Nami’s feet. Then, with a furious glare, she turned away and left the village. You watched her go. It seemed like if anyone here knew Nami, she might be the one to ask…
Other than the woman in question herself, who had collected the money and then noticed the group of you standing off to the side. The dejected villagers dispersed as Nami angrily stalked up to Luffy. When she was close enough, she demanded, “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Luffy calmly responded.
“This is where I belong.”
“I don’t believe that… Nami, if you need our help-”
“No, I don’t need any of you!” Nami raised her voice, addressing all of you, “Arlong wanted the map, and I conned you into getting it for me. That’s all this ever was.” She stepped up to Luffy and looked him directly in the eye as she finished, “Now, take the rest of these clowns and sail away from here. I never want to see you again.”
With that, she spun on her heel and left.
After an awkward pause, Usopp piped up, “Sail the hell out of here? Okay, fine by me.”
“No, there’s something else going on here…” Sanji mused.
“Agreed,” you crossed your arms.
“I think she was very clear she wants us to leave,” Zoro argued.
“You don’t know women,” Sanji retorted, “They never say what they mean.”
“As the only woman currently here, I do have to disagree with that particular statement,” you cut in. Sanji spread his hands in front of him, “You mean to say you’ve never hidden your true feelings?”
“I never said that. But you can’t say that women never say what they mean either-”
“Don’t you get it?” Usopp interrupted, “She’s one of them. She’s a bad guy. The villagers are terrified of her.”
Luffy finally turned around then, “Not all of them… The girl with the blue hair wasn’t.” You straightened up, “We need to find her and ask her what she knows.”
After a brief exchange with the town’s only guard, Genzo, you all found yourselves trekking down a row of a tangerine grove, your feet sliding every few steps in the sandy earth.
“I think I got more of a boat body than a long-journey-on-foot kind of body,” Usopp said, slightly out of breath. “Anybody else missing the ocean?”
“Not particularly,” you responded, while also struggling a bit to keep up. Damn those boys and their longer legs…
Usopp kept going, “You know, I could bring the boat around if we don’t want to walk all the way back…”
You were about to maybe agree with him when you all came upon the edge of the grove very suddenly. And just as suddenly, the blue-haired woman, Nojiko, came out of a little house with her shotgun pointed at all of you. She gestured with the gun, “Turn around and leave. Now.” You all stopped short and took a step back. You put up your hands placatingly, while Usopp inched his way behind Zoro. Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji seemed frustratingly unfazed by the gun being pointed at them.
Luffy and Nojiko exchanged a few words, Luffy trying to convince her to let you all in and help you help Nami. Nojiko refused, warning you all that her sister didn’t have any friends. That prompted Sanji to speak up, “Sisters? That makes sense. Both as beautiful as each other.” He gave her one of his charming smiles. Nojiko was unfazed. From behind Sanji, you mouthed a silent apology to her. But then he offered to cook for her, which did get her attention.
“An exchange of sorts, for your valuable time and information,” Sanji suggested. “Best cook in the East Blue,” Usopp hesitantly chimed in. “You’ve never tasted anything better in your life. Usopp’s word!”
Nojiko narrowed her eyes at them and then glanced back at you. You nodded earnestly in agreement, hoping she believed you. Fortunately, she did.
“Fine,” the shotgun lowered, and you all were invited inside.
After dinner, Nojiko sat you all down and explained why Nami is the way she is. She told you all how they were both adopted by a retired Marine who took them in and settled down in Coco Village. Then the Arlong pirates came, and although Belle-Mere tried to hide them beneath the floorboards, Arlong discovered her ruse. He demanded an extra 50,000 berry for each girl, on top of the 100,000 he’d already collected for her tribute. She told him she had no more to give, so she asked Arlong if he would take the 100,000 berry as tribute for her daughters. He agreed. And then he killed her right in front of them.
Nojiko took a shuddering breath as she finished her story. You put your hand over your mouth, swallowing your horror.
“Wait,” Usopp slowly said, “Nami is working for the pirate who killed your mother…?” Nojiko nodded. Everyone sat in silence for a moment, trying to absorb this information. Luffy stood up and silently left the hut. After a minute or two, Zoro wordlessly followed him.
You let the captain and his first mate talk things out. Meanwhile, Usopp got to work at the table, building things. Unfortunately, Buggy’s head was back out of his bag and making obnoxious comments. It was clearly getting to Usopp, so you tried distracting him by asking, “What’re you making?”
Without looking up from what he was working on, Usopp replied, “These are smoke bombs…”
“Smoke bombs?” Buggy echoed, “Makes me think of how long it’s been since I’ve had any smoked fish…” He glanced at Sanji, “Please?”
“No,” Sanji answered shortly.
“Aw, screw you guys!” Buggy whined, “Arlong’s gonna bite the shit out of you anyway. You know you don’t stand a chance against him and his army!” Usopp set his tools down with a shaky breath, but Buggy kept harping on. “You ain’t gonna do anything against that stupid-” Suddenly, Sanji walked over and shoved a tangerine into Buggy’s mouth, whole. He leaned down and said, “New guy shuts up the clown head.” He winked at you and went back to the counter where he’d been preparing dinner and now dessert.
You suppressed a smile and looked away. Then you noticed someone else was missing.
“Where’s Nojiko?”
A commotion drew you outside. Luffy and Zoro climbed down from the roof of the hut, also having heard the yelling in the distance. Something felt wrong. It sounded like Nami.
Suddenly, from off in the grove, a blur ran down one of the rows, a blur with orange hair. You looked at Luffy. His face set in determination, he said, “Everyone wait here.” Then he took off in the same direction as Nami, down the row of tangerine trees.
You, Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro stood waiting at the end of the grove. It was quiet for a while, and you worried that Luffy might not have been able to catch up to Nami after all. But then you heard it. Luffy’s voice echoed over the trees, “Of course I will!”
He came striding down the row again not a minute later, and said, “Let’s go.”
“Right!” You all responded in harmony, joining your captain as he rounded the corner. Usopp noticed it first, “What’s that?”
“They’re attacking the village…” You murmured, now seeing the same thing. Smoke rising and the bright orange light of fires raging in the distance.
