🖤 Emotions♟ | angst 💔 | Zosan 💚💛

8 | Hello again.

Nami dropped her pen.

Robin dropped her book.

Usopp let go of his chess piece.

So did Franky.

Brook stopped playing the violin.

Meat fell out of Luffy's mouth.

...

All eyes were wide and looking straight at Sanji.

He wrote something in the log book and lifted it for them all to see.

Hello again.

...

There was tension. Most likely because they new about both of Sanji's attempts. Of course it would be awkward, facing a friend that nearly died because you didn't bother notice the signs? Everyone looked like they had seen a ghost, staring right at Sanji in disbelief. Sanji wanted to speak, open his mouth and tell everyone about how sorry he is. But he couldn't do that.

"Holy shit."

Nami was the first to speak, not even glancing down at the ink that she just spilt on the map she was drawing. Her jaw hung open, just like everyone else's.

"No bloody way." 

It was the first time Sanji had seen Robin look so surprised. She sure had grown even more beautiful after only one year. Her raven hair was longer than before and she seemed taller even from a sitting position.

"Oh...my...god."

Usopp didn't look too different, I guess his nose was a bit longer but that was kind of it. The chessboard beneath him was in a terrible state, pawns flying everywhere after Usopp dropped his knight piece.

Franky didn't say a word, his mechanical jaw looked as through it had broken a few circuits and it became a bit unhinged.

Brook didn't look different in the slightest, he was a skeleton after all.

"SANJI'S AWAKE!!!"

Of course the captain was the first to jump up and run to Sanji. Chopper got in his way quickly though, just to warn him of Sanji's current state. Luffy was the one who looked the most different, he looked a lot taller, maybe even taller than Sanji. He looked a lot more masculine, the baby face he always had was hardly visible now, Sanji was also proud that Luffy finally had some small black hairs on his chin.

"Sanji is still not fully healed, please be careful with him," Chopper warned. Luffy nodded before exploding and wrapping his arms around Sanji, pulling him in a tight hug. Luffy loosened his arms a bit when Chopper glared at him from a distance.

"I missed you soooo much Sanji!" Sanji could feel something wet on his shoulder. Tears. Luffy's tears. All the others started to either laugh or cry as they stood up and joined the hug. Luffy whispered in Sanji's ear.

"Sanji. I'm so glad you're okay."

...

They all sat around the table, chatting away as Nami brought the food over. Sanji was sat next to Chopper and Robin, everyone thought it was best that Chopper was seated near Sanji, just in case something happened. Sanji felt dizzy, there was so much noise, it was attacking Sanji from every side. Chopper had noticed.

"Hey Sanji, if this is too much, I can take you back to bed?"

Sanji shook his head quickly. He didn't know why, he wanted to go and sleep for another year, but he just didn't want to go for some reason.

"Okay, but don't push yourself alright?"

Sanji nodded.

"So Sanji, we have a lot of things to tell you!" Luffy said through a mouthful of meat.

"Yeah, lots of really crazy things have happened! Apart from y'know, finding the One Piece..." Usopp said, making Luffy shoot him a glare.

"I have Gear 5 now, it's pretty neat!..." 

Luffy continued on about all the journeys they had been on and all the people he's fought. Sanji had tuned out ages ago, he was too busy feeling like he was going to fall over. There was a beating sensation on both sides of his head, it didn't help that Zoro was staring at him for the entire time.

"...and then he fell into the ocean! I'm not sure if he's dead or not but I don't really care. Oh! I forgot to tell you, there were these three siblings, all different colours! They demanded to see you but looked pretty bummed after we told them that you were kinda dead. I forgot what they called themselves, I think it was... Vinsmoke?"

No.

This couldn't be happening.

Sanji wasn't in control of his body.

He was on fire, and it was terribly painful.

Memories, more and more memories.

He wanted them gone but they came back every time.

Them.

It was them.

They were looking for him.

They were going to find him, and do exactly what they did 14 years ago.

Let the soldiers rape him.

.