True Desire: A One Piece Fanfiction

Chapter 4: Curly

Zoro told the crew over breakfast everything that happened since morning. Chopper said, 'So yesterday Sanji saw Nami and Robin before falling into the water. When we found him, he had already changed. Today he changed once more after he saw them enter the kitchen. We don't know at what time he changed back last night.'

'Going by the information we have at hand let's say that this is a bigger complication than the nosebleeds Sanji has from time to time. It seems like Nami and Robin are the trigger. For now we have to prevent Sanji from looking at Nami and Robin directly next time he becomes an adult', said Chopper firmly. Everyone agreed to this.

After eating everyone went about their own work.

Zoro sat Sanji on his shoulder and was about to leave when Robin asked, 'Where are you going swordsman san?'

'I am taking him to look around the island', replied Zoro.

Zoro walked for some time through the market. Sanji looked around excitedly everywhere.

Zoro finally stopped at a shoe store. There he bought new shoes for Sanji. They were a pair of bright azure shoes. Zoro had expected the chibi cook to be excited but the boy seemed a bit sad and this puzzled the swordsman. As Zoro tied the shoes to Sanji's feet the chibi cook asked nervously, 'Zoro onii san am I very heavy?'

'Huh! What do you mean? Even when you grow to your present age I can carry you just fine in one hand!', replied a confused Zoro.

Sanji mumbled in a tiny voice, 'Then why?'

' Chooper doesn't wear shoes so he didn't give you any. As a result yesterday you had to walk all day on bare feet. Also I hadn't given you a gift in the party. That's why', replied Zoro.

Sanji's face brightened up again and the child smiled widely at the swordsman. Zoro tousled the boy's hair and smiled.

They came out of the shop, Zoro still carrying Sanji. After a while they came across an ice cream stall and Zoro noticed the look of longing in the chibi cook's eyes.

'Want me to buy you one?', Zoro asked. 'Yes!', said an excited Sanji.

Zoro bought Sanji a double scoop ice cream and continued to walk carrying him with one hand.

Sanji looked at his ice cream and then held it near Zoro's mouth.

'You want me to have a bite?', asked Zoro. The child nodded happily.

'Don't cry if your share becomes too small!', said Zoro and took a big bite from the top scoop.

'I won't!', said the chibi Sanji angrily with puffed cheeks and then he started licking the ice cream happily.

Zoro stared at the boy for some time.

Zoro's POV:

'You are so devoted to me, you even share ice cream with me!'

'We aren't fighting or quarrelling in the least anymore!'

'You are nervous, awkward and cry easily but you cheer up whenever you see me!'

'I hate seeing your crying face!'

'When you smile it feels like the world is so much of a better place!'

'You feel so special to me that I just want to get everything I can together and give them to you just to see you smile!'

'It feels so nice! These warm, happy moments that I share with you! And yet it feels so empty!'

'When you become like this you never once call me "marimo" or "moss head" or "shitty swordsman"!'

'Heck I never once imagined that I would miss being called those names or your kicks!'

Zoro smiled to himself at his thoughts. Sanji noticed and asked, 'What happened Zoro onii san?'

'Nothing let's go!', replied Zoro and kept walking.

They came near a crowd and the people bustling around, pushed Sanji who was about to drop his ice cream. Zoro caught the boy in time and sat him on his neck with both his legs dangling from either side of Zoro's head.

'I have got your legs so you won't fall, now have your ice cream peacefully', said Zoro to the confused child.

They had walked away from the crowd when Sanji leaned down pointing his ice cream towards Zoro. Zoro took another bite and Sanji sat straight enjoying his treat once more.

All of a sudden Sanji asked, 'Zoro onii san why don't you ever call me by my name?'

Zoro: (in a distant voice) 'Because I never called you by your name even when you were big'

Sanji: 'Um'

Zoro: (softy) 'Do you want me to call you by your name?'

Sanji: (excited) 'Yess!'

Zoro: (stubbornly) 'Then you have to call me by my name first!'

Sanji: (confused) 'But I do call you by your name, "Zoro onii san"!'

Zoro: (angry tone) 'You have to call me ''marimo" or I won't call you by your name!'

Sanji: (puzzled) 'Marimo onii san?'

Zoro: (angry) 'Huh! What's with the "onii san"? You can call me that in front of others but when we're alone call me just "marimo"!'

Sanji: (sheepishly) 'M ...marimo!'

'That's better!', said Zoro and both of them burst out laughing.

Sanji: 'Marimo now call my name!'

Zoro: (thinks for awhile) 'Curly!'

Sanji: (confused) 'But Zo ....I mean marimo that is not my name!'

Zoro: (adamantly) 'I call the bigger you "curly eyebrows' but that's too big a name for a squirt like you. So I decided to call you just "curly"!'

Sanji: (meekly) 'Okay'

Sanji had been talking without looking at the ice cream for some time. As a result some of it melted and dropped on the swordsman's head.

Sanji: (almost in tears) 'Onii saaa ....I mean Marimo I dropped ice cream on your marimo!!'

Zoro: (playfully) 'Oh so you're not afraid to use the name like that even though you were scared to say the word moments ago you cheeky brat!'

Sanji flinched as he thought Zoro was terribly mad at him. Zoro looked up at the boy's face and said smiling, 'Let's take a bath together once we get back to the Sunny okay?'

The nervousness in the child's eyes immediately went away and he happily hugged Zoro's face with both hands. 'Oi Curly now you're completely covering me up in ice cream!', said Zoro smiling.

Zoro hadn't noticed that they had come into a dark, almost empty alley when suddenly someone called out to him.

'Where do you think you're going Otou san?'

A group of people had blocked the entrance of the blind alley.

'Why don't you leave all your money here if you don't want your son to be harmed?', snickered another one of the thugs.

Zoro felt Sanji's grip on his hair tighten.