From now on ~•~ is Timeskip and *** means the POV has changed. It's only ever gonna switch from first person pov and second person pov.
——————
I sweat dropped at the scolding Luffy was getting for eating all the food while Karoo, Usopp, and Chopper tried finishing the food in their mouth.
Maybe I shouldn't have given him that snack?
Sanji sauntered over to the three after asking Nami for a lockable fridge. "Have you guys managed to catch anything?"
The three tried to nervously get him off their backs in which Sanji just ended up smashing all three of their heads together.
~•~
"Nami! We have a problem! Come quick!" Vivi spoke with urgency as she opened the door to the kitchen.
We all walked out as Nami began to explain how hotspots worked as we all listened intently.
Sanji interlocked his fingers and held it close to his face as his eyes turned to hearts. "You're so cool, Nami-swan!"
I sweatdropped at the blonde boy.
He really is for everyone...
Luffy asked Sanji for food—even though he ate the rest of it—and the cook let out a big sigh saying he'd go check the storage thoroughly for anything to eat.
I followed shortly after as I felt bad that the cook had to deal with Luffy and the other's shinanegans.
The wooden door let out a creak along with the floorboards as it opened, alerting the blonde.
"Y/n-swan?!" He immediately dropped what he was doing and tornadoed over towards me.
"Hi Sanji." I gave him a polite smile, closing the door behind me. "I felt bad that Luffy ate all the food and it's causing you stress. So um..."
He watched curiously as I attempted to get something out my pocket, but was struggling due to the awkwardness.
"Well as you know, I am a former princess from a pretty wealthy kingdom...and I overheard you talking about wanting to buy a lockable fridge."
His eyes enlarged ever so slightly as I pulled some Berrys out my pocket.
"I know it's not that much, but I figured since Nami's very stingy with the money it's kinda hard to get what you want so I wanted to give you some of the money I brought with me."
I tried to hand him the money but he blew the situation out of proportion by screaming stuff about how a woman shouldn't be paying a man and how I'm too precious and his eyes are burning from my light.
"S-sanji?" I asked cautiously, trying to defuse the situation not really seeing how any of this could elicit such a reaction.
He stopped spinning all over the room to push my hand full of money away as he shook his head with a soft smile. "Seriously though Y/n-swan, I cant accept this. It would go against everything I stand for and plus I've dealt with these idiots long enough to know this would happen."
"Are you sure Sanji?"
"Yes Y/n-swan!"
My lips were directed to the side as I narrowed my eyes with a pout. I hummed suspiciously, not wanting to accept his answer, but nonetheless I accepted it. "At least let me help you make something."
His eyes shifted towards the storage room with unease. "But Y/n-swan we barely have anything..."
"Well let's see the damage!"
He was right. We really did barley have anything...
How much did they eat in one night...
My brain scanned the potential ingredients as a lightbulb went turned on in my brain. "We can make this work!"
Sanji turned to me confused, not seeing anything he'd be able to make with the leftover food in front of us. "We can?"
I nodded before rolling up my sleeves and grabbing a few stuff. "There's a traditional Sinthaya dish that we used to make when our kingdom was very poor."
He watched me work silently with an unreadable expression, not allowing me to know what he was thinking.
"Back then we didn't have a lot of ingredients due to the money shortage so my mother came up with a delicious dish that could feed us using the little ingredients we had."
An impressed look appeared on his face as he listened to the story. "She sounds amazing."
The thought of her made me slow down my cutting as a bittersweet smile appeared on my lips. "Yeah she was..." I shake my head, not wanting the conversation to turn depressing. I let out a chuckle, glancing up at him. "My father would always remind me that I'm her daughter, but she was more of a woman and warrior than I could ever dream to be."
The soft tapping of Sanji's shoes coming closer to me filled the air along with the tapping of the knife to the cutting board.
He gently placed his hand on my hand that was chopping and he took the knife from me and began chopping the same as I was. "Like this right?"
An unfamiliar glint was present in the man's eyes as he looked at the chopping board, making sure he was doing it perfectly right.
"Yes." I managed to breathe out, not sure how to react to the man's tactics. Trying to get my mind off of it, I finished prepping the rest of the ingredients as he chopped the onions.
"For the record," Sanji spoke once more breaking the comfortable silence between us. "I think you're a plenty good warrior."
I turned to look at him, not really expecting a compliment out of the blue like that.
He was smiling at the cutting board like a fool with hearts in his eyes, though they weren't as intense as they usually are.
"And, of course, you're as much of a beautiful woman as you are a warrior."
~•~
I cant believe we missed all that...
Thinking to myself as I fidget with the white cloth on my wrist, I couldn't help but sweatdrop at how oblivious we were to what was happening outside.
"Okay listen guys, since we've reached Nanohana we have to establish some ground rules." Nami spoke, but really we all knew who she was talking to. "No attracting any attention. We need to get the stuff we need and go so you all need to be on your best behaviors."
The boy who the warning was directed to was leaned over the railing, eyes swirling and mouth drooling at the thought of food as he stared at the not-so-distant Nanohana.
"Did you hear me Luffy?"
Luffy waved his hand towards Nami dismissively. "Yeah, yeah I'll make sure to attract attention or whatever you said."
Nami's fist hit Luffy's head with a thud making a bump immediately form on his head.
The navigator stuck her pointer finger in the air with her eyes closing alongside the action, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone. "Listen Luffy, the reason why we can't bring attention to ourselves is because-"
"Um Nami?"
"Not now Y/n. Luffy has to know the importance of why we can't cause trouble."
"But he's, um, he's gone..."
Nami's eyes shot open as some of the other crew members shook their heads in disapproval at the boy's disappearance while some sweatdropped.
"Luffy!"
~•~
I blew a raspberry as I walked around the town, boredom the only thing I was feeling.
Where could he have gone?
Nami trusted me enough to be able to go into town by myself while also keeping a look out for the boy.
I sighed trying to think of places my captain would be or somehow end up in. My thoughts were interrupted as I accidentally bumped shoulders with a taller more muscular figure.
"My apologies." I bowed my head slightly out of habit before seeing a familiar white jacket with an oh so familiar blue lettering on it and panicking.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Marines.
The man seemed to stop and look at me but I didn't dare raise my head anymore, afraid my hood would reveal my face and they would recognize me, whoever they were.
"It's not a problem." A deep and gruff voice spoke in a suspicious tone. "In a rush somewhere?"
I shook my head momentarily before trying to walk past him only for him to grab my shoulder roughly.
"Take off your hood."
Trying to keep my cool, I speak in a nonchalant voice as I tap my fingers against the pen sitting in my pocket. "Is that necessary, Sir?"
He grunted in response, letting go of my shoulder after clearly hearing my voice. "I need to know if you're a pirate looking to cause trouble. It is my job."
I sighed at the reasonable answer before putting on my acting skills once more as I take off the hood to look at the Marine who had been suspicious of me.
"Princess Y/n?" The man spoke in a surprised tone, probably not expecting royalty to show up in a random town near the heart of Alabasta.
Similarly, I was also surprised to see the man as well in a place like this, a place—last time I checked—outside of his jurisdiction. The man had been someone I've known for years, just like I have Vivi. "Smoker?"
His eyebrows—or the skin that's supposed to be where his eyebrows are—furrow in confusion with a huff of smoke coming out of his mouth as he crossed his arms, looking down at me. "What are you doing here, princess?"
The label was used as, exactly what it's supposed to be used as, a label and not a mocking nickname like how Zoro uses it.
My brain quickly sends me a lie as it travels through my body and easily slips out my mouth. "I'm here to see my friend, Vivi. You remember us being very close right?"
Smoker nodded his head in realization. "Ah, I see. I guess that makes sense. I would escort you to the palace, but I'm currently chasing after a dangerous pirate right now."
"Is that why you're not in Lougetown anymore?"
He nodded to confirm my assumption with a low hum.
I smiled teasingly at him as I leaned up to his face. "They must be something else if they made you come all the way over here. Is it perhaps a girl?"
The captain pushed my head away with his palm on my forehead before blowing out of his cigar once more. "No, you know I have no interest in that right now. My job comes first."
A pout possesses my smile as it was my turn to cross my arms. "Not even a little?"
The man just ruffled my hair, his rough hand covering the top of my head. "You're still as childish as you've always been."
"I'm hoping that's a good thing?" I raise my brows and give him a weak smile, hoping that he doesn't insult me.
"I guess it is what makes you, you."
A grin plastered on my face as I nodded my head approvingly. "A win is a win."
***
Smoker eyed you curiously, something had changed. You seemed to carry yourself with less effort than before and it seemed a lot easier for you to laugh or joke around.
In the past you always seemed like you hid something away from him, which was something he always hated, but now you seem a lot more...lighter? Brighter? How could he explain it?
The way your eyes seemed less empty or how your shoulders didn't seem as tense. You looked so much more like...yourself.
He liked it. Well, by this he means that he liked seeing you like this.
He hated seeing you always putting up a front. He wasn't stupid, but he knew how you were. You'd shut away if he mentioned anything.
So seeing you in such a different light felt like a breath of fresh air, something he's been needing.
He fought the urge to let the corner of his lips rise into a smile as he didn't want the girl to tease him about it.
And not before long, the conversation ended between the two and you put your hood back on and continued walking in the direction you were originally going to.
Smoker's eyes lingered on your form as you disappeared into the crowd before scouting the area for the teenage boy he had been looking for, ignoring the feeling of wanting to talk to you more.