One Piece: Sea Devil Sanji

Sitting on the front deck while sailing through the river.

"So Sanji talked to Mr. 0...!?" asked Vivi.

"And now he thinks we're all dead!?" added Nami.

"Right" Robin nodded "To his knowledge, Mr. 3 has accomplished his mission and is on his way to Alabasta to deliver him the captured princess"

"That's good thinking from Sanji" commented Usopp "Now, we won't have to worry about getting ambushed along the way"

"That's only if we don't attract trouble ourselves courtesy of our resident trouble magnet" said Zoro as he pointed at Luffy.

They all looked at the latter. He was playing around riding on Carue's back and running circles around the main mast, making Mr. 3's head spin "Faster! Faster!" he cheered loudly.

"*Quack*!" the super spot-billed duck happily obliged.

"Fufu, he's a lively one isn't he" Robin chuckled lightly as the rest sighed helplessly.

"Ah! It's the giants!" shouted Usopp suddenly as he pointed ahead to the river mouth where it debouches into the sea.

"What're they doing there?" wondered Zoro when he saw them too.

The two giants stood on each end of the river bank facing the sea. They were both over 20 meters tall and wore blue capes that fluttered in the air behind them.

One is called Brogy. He had a round body, a blond beard shaped like an axe's blade, beady eyes and a pig-like nose. He wore a red overall with golden button straps, yellow pants with black stripes, yellow shoes and a red helmet with two horns. He was holding a shield on his left forearm and a battle axe in his right hand.

The other Dorry, a well-built barec.h.e.s.ted giant with a long beard. He wore green pants, black shoes and a golden helmet that goes over his eyes. He was also holding a shield on his left forearm and a long sword in his right hand.

"What do you think happened here?" asked Brogy scratching his beard.

"I have no idea ..." answered Dorry as he slung his sword on his shoulder.

"Hey, master Brogy! Master Dorry!" Usopp called for them. He walked to the bow of the ship when it closed in on the two.

"Mhm? Ah, it's the little ones again" Brogy and Dorry turned towards them.

"Mr. Round! Mr.Giant!" Luffy came alongside Carue to the front deck "Are you here to see us off?"

"You guys treated us to some rum so we came here to help you out..." explained Brogy.

"Though it doesn't seem that we're needed here..." added Dorry.

"What do you mean?" asked Vivi as she stood behind Usopp.

"What's that!?" exclaimed Nami pointing at the ocean.

The rest followed her finger and were surprised to find the sea, red in color for miles on end stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Is that blood!?" Vivi was shocked.

"There is a Sea King called the Island Eater that lives in these waters" Dorry pointed at a pink mountain range jutting from the water surface in the distance "That's its dorsal fin"

"That's huge!" Luffy jumped on the bow and put his right hand on his forehead looking far away.

"That's a fin!?" Usopp was horrified "How big is that thing!?"

"So does that mean we're heading straight for it!?" Nami was alarmed.

"Don't worry little girl. We were planning to kill it so you can leave the island safely but..." Dorry stroked his beard "As you can see, it appears to be already dead. Something must have brutally killed it painting the ocean red with its blood"

"B-but what could kill something like that!?" Usopp paled as he felt his legs turn to jelly.

Zoro put his hand on the handle of one of his swords and said "Something even bigger..."

"Does that mean there's another monster still lurking around!" Vivi nervously leaned over the railing trying to spot any strange movement in the water.

"That's what we believe too" said the giants at the same time. They held the Going Merry back so it doesn't continue further into the sea.

"Fufu, there is a monster indeed" spoke Robin suddenly bringing everyone intention to her.

"What're you talking about?" Zoro looked at her warily, still not completely trusting her.

"Do you know what caused this, Robin-neechan?" Nami asked her with some apprehension.

"Yes..." she smiled at them "I know where it's hiding too"

"I-is it nearby?" Usopp hugged Carue who was trembling too.

"Closer than you think" she smirked at them.

"Stop playing around, woman!" Zoro snarled at her uncheathing his sword "I don't know what you're playing at here but you better tell us now before I force you to. You're still walking on thin ice with us, so don't test your luck"

"Fufufu, no need to get so riled up..." Robin crossed her arms "So don't point that dangerous thing at me"

"Wha!?" he exclaimed as his sword was slapped away from his grasp. He looked down and saw an extra arm growing on his midsection "What the hell is this!?" he watched as it disappeared into flower petals.

"I ate the Flower Flower Devil Fruit (Hana Hana no mi)" answered Robin "It allows me to replicate and sprout pieces of my body from the surface of any object or living thing. Even on myself" she demonstrated by blossoming multiple arms from her shoulders then made them disappear again.

"That's so cool!" Luffy had stars in his eyes. Robin smiled at him and he started laughing suddenly as a flutter of disembodied hands sprouted from the bow and started tickling him.

"She easily handled Zoro and Luffy!" Nami covered her mouth in dismay.

"What's the meaning of this, Miss All-Sunday?" Vivi looked at her a little tense.

"My beautiful maidens!" at that moment came Sanji carrying food and beverages "I brought you some Petit Fours and drinks to sweeten your day-" he stopped in place as he noticed the strained atmosphere. That is except for luffy who is now enthralled in a game of rock-paper-scissors with the hands "Hm? What's going on here?

"Hello, Mr. monster" Sanji lifted his eyebrow at Robin as that's the first time she called him by such a nickname in his two lifetimes. She approached him and took a glass "Your crewmates were looking for you" she sent them a wink as she sipped from her drink.

"Do you mean..." they all looked at her with questioning eyes. Robin nodded at them.

Sanji was startled as everyone turned their heads towards him at the same time, including the giants "Hm, is there something wrong... Nami-san?" he looked at her for some explanation.

"Sanji-kun!" Nami scuttered towards him "Did you do that?" she pointed at the red ocean.

"Eh?" he took a glance at the sea seeing the conspicious giant fin in the distance "Oh, I totally forgot about that!"

"So you really took down that creature?" asked Vivi.

"Well, yeah..." he scratched his head awkwardly.

"What the hell Sanji!?" jumped Usopp letting go of Carue after finding his nerves again "I didn't know you could defeat something like that! It's as big as an island!"

"It's not that big of a deal, really" he shrugged his shoulders in a carefree manner "It's just a giant fish"

"No big deal.../Just a fish..." Nami and Vivi mumbled incredulously.

Zoro picked his fallen sword and sheathed it back "Hmph, I can do that too..." he grumbled under his breath and left for the stern of the ship.

"Gababababa! You're quite strong, little one" laughed Brogy.

"Gegyagyagya! Looks like we got worried for nothing" followed Dorry.

Sanji looked at them "Hello there, Brogy, Dorry" he greeted them.

"Oh, you know of us? I don't think we've met before"

Sanji pulled a very old looking wanted poster from his jacket and displayed it out for them. It has a split picture of the two giants' faces. Brogy's on the right and Dorry's on the left "I recognize you from this. The Red and Blue Orgres, captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates. You were once very infamous 100 years ago"

"It's been a long time since someone called us by those names" Dorry leaned down taking a closer look at the poster "I had completely forgotten about those bounties. I'm surprised it's still circulating around"

"Wow, 100 milion Beli bounty each!" exclaimed Luffy as he extended his arm and snatched the wanted poster from Sanji "That's almost three times mine's!"

Sanji pointed at Mr. 3 chained to the mast "I got it from him. I think he was planning to capture you both for the rewards on your heads"

"Gababababa! So you helped us out then. Is there anything we can do to repay you?" asked Brogy heartily.

"There is no need for that" Sanji shook his head "I didn't even do it on purpose. I'm sure you could have dealt with him easily"

"No need to decline out of modesty. If there is anything we can help you with, please feel free to ask" said Dorry "As the greatest warriors of Elbaf, it'll tarnish our pride if you we can't repay our benefactor"

"Well if you put it like that..." Sanji rubbed his chin in thought 'I don't really need anything from them. Though in the event that the same devastating war takes place in the future even with me messing things up, they would be a great ally to have if they were present for it unlike the last time around...' he made up his mind and looked at them "Hmm, so if I asked you to return to Elbaf will you two listen to me?"

The giant duo looked at each other then back at him "And how would that help you with anything?"

"I have my reasons..." Sanji puffed on his cigarette "So will you accept?"

"You can't do that Sanji!" interjected Usopp after listening in on their conversation.

"Why?" Sanji looked at him oddly "I didn't ask for anything inappropriate of them"

"They'll be forced to stop their 100 years old duel that way!" Usopp explained vehemently "It'll hurt their pride as warriors. You can't do that to them!"

"Huh? But that's not what I asked. I just want them to return to their home. They can do whatever they want once there" Sanji turned back to them "I only ask that you stay on Elbaf for the next 2.5 to 3 years at most. It's of no consequence where you continue your duel, right?"

Dorry nodded "I don't see why not if that's what you really want" he turned to his compatriot "Don't you long for our home, Brogy?"

"Gababababa!" laughed Brogy "I sure am!"

"So it really doesn't matter..." Usopp looked at them "Then why did you choose this island for your duel? Doesn't it have any special meaning?"

"Gababababa! It was just the closest place to us at that time. It could have literarily been anywhere else"

Everyone sweatdropped at his answer.

"Allright then, since you two made your decision, there's something you need to know" said Sanji "Oimo and Cashi are two of your former crewmates, right?"

"Yes" they looked at him curiously "Why do you ask?"

"Well I don't know how to tell you this but..." Sanji took a long drag of his cigarette "About fifty years ago, they were captured by the Marines"

"What!?" the two giants felt like they were hit by a thunderbolt "Are you sure!?"

"One hundred percent" Sanji nodded his head.

"So what became of them!?" inquired Usopp.

"Are they in prison now!? Or were they executed!?" asked the giants in agitation.

"No" they sighed in relief but when they heard what he said next they felt like a bomb exploding in their head "However... they suffered under extreme torture in captivity and are now being forced to became the guardians of Enies Lobby's front gates" well the first thing wasn't exactly true but Sanji didn't care. He just wants to instill enmity for the World Government in their hearts.

"How dare they!!!?" Brogy roared in utter rage, gone the jovial giant from before.

"We'll make them pay for what they did to our comrades!" Dorry's was seething as his beard started to wildly writhe around "We'll bring Elbaf's wrath on their heads!"

They needed a way to release their anger and frustration so they faced the sea at the same time clutching their weapons in their hands "Behold the mightiest Spear of Elbaf...!" they shouted in unison.

*Hakoku (Warrior Nation)*

Putting all of their strength into it, Dorry and Brogy slashed their rusty weapons with enough power to cause them to shatter to pieces, creating two compressed air beams that sliced through the ocean itself for several miles straight.

"What... power..." Usopp was baffled by what he just witnessed "So this is the strenght of Elbaf's warriors...!"

"They are just so... freaking strong!" Luffy smiled as he put his hand on top of his hat so it doesn't fly away from the residual winds of the attack.

The two halfs of the ocean fell back on each other creating turbulent waves that roughly rocked the ship around.

Sanji balanced the plate he came with on his head and used his free hands to grab Nami and Vivi by the waist so they won't fall on the floor. Robin to the side used her power to support herself and the others.

The sea eventually subsided.

The two giants turned back to Sanji "Thank you for telling us little one" they were noticeably calmer now but you can still sense from their tight expression the bellowing wrath bubbling underneath the surface that's waiting to be unleached "We'll surely not forget this favor"

Sanji nodded at them then asked "So are you going to save your friends?"

"Ofcourse we will!"

"Then I advice you to rest a while first on Little Garden to regain your strength or you'll also get captured as well" Sanji lifted his hand to stop them from retorting "I'm not doubting your strength, but Enies Lobby has at least 10.000 men from the finest of the Marines and the World Government. So don't act recklessly..." he looked them deeply in their eyes "Don't make me regret telling you"

They nodded reluctantly as they knew he had a point..

"I guess it's farewell then" said Brogy "We won't hold you back any longer and be on our way. I wish you luck on your future adventures"

"Thanks" Luffy nodded at them "I hope you find your friends too"

"We will. Take care little ones. I hope we'll meet again" Dorry joined in with his companion and headed back into the island.

"Master Brogy! Master Dorry!" shouted Usopp as he waved at them "We'll definetly come to Elbaf to see you in the future!"

"We'll be looking for it" the two giants waved back "We'll be waiting for you"

Sanji watched them until they disappeared into the sea of trees then looked at his long-nose crewmate "Why do you call them Master, Usopp? Did you become their disciple or something?"

"No. I just admire their warrior spirit and pride" Usopp smiled as he looked at their direction reverently "I made them my goal. I want to become just like them one day"

"A gaint?" Sanji looked at him strangely.

"I want to be a giant too, Usopp!" Luffy punched his hands in the air.

"No, that's not what I mean, idiots!!" he shouted at them with shark teeth. He calmed down and faced the direction of the giants again "What I want is to become a brave warrior of the seas. To live proud and honourable, just like the warriors of Elbaf!" he clenched the railing in determination.

Sanji smiled at him remembering how valiantly he fought before he died in his past life "Well I believe in you, Usopp" he extended his fist for him "You'll become one hell of a warrior"

Usopp looked at him then grinned back "You bet!" he fist bumped him

"Now then" Sanji looked at the girls and presented them the plate "I brought your drinks and snacks ladies, please enjoy"

"Thanks, Sanji-kun/Sanji/Cook-san" they each reached out and helped themselves to some.

Luffy alongside Carue and Usopp looked at Sanji with drool falling from their mouths.

"What are you!? dogs!" said Sanji in exasperation "Your shares are in the kitchen!"

"Woohoo!/*Quack*!" they dashed happily towards the galley.

***

Late in the afternoon, having finally departed from Little Garden, the ship sails calmly along.

*Huff* *Huff*

"2603...!! 2604...!!" Zoro was training on the stern of the ship.

*Huff* *Huff*

"Must... Get... Stronger..." repeatedly swinging one huge dumbbell that weighs half a ton in a downward slash with his two hands. He was determined to not be outdone by the cook.

Luffy, Usopp and Carue were fooling around drawing lines on Mr. 3' face. The latter was crying anime tears on how he's being treated, he couldn't even shout injustice as he's gagged.

Meanwhile, on the balcony in front of the kitchen.

"Huh?" Nami looked at Sanji strangely as he put his hand on her forehead "What're you doing?"

"Just checking..." he smiled as he took his hand away 'Good, she doesn't have any fever. It looks like she didn't get sick'

"Jeez, you're weird..." she reddened a bit from the skin contact. She turned away from him and looked at the Eternal Pose. She inspected the log's needle "Looks like we're heading in the right direction-Mhm? Strange..." she lifted her head to the sky "The atmosphere changed..."

"Hm? But the sea is calm and the weather has been clear all day" Sanji exhaled smoke as he stood to her side.

"Wind..." she looked in the distance "I have a feeling there's going to be a strong wind from ahead"

"A feeling you say..." he looked at her in interest then smiled in comprehension "I see..."

"Please call everyone here, will you?" she looked back at him a little urgently "I don't know what could it be but it seems different from a normal storm..."

"Alright" he nodded and yelled for the males of the crew "Hey, you bastards! We've got work to do, come now!" he looked at Nami again "Is there something else I need to do, Nami-san?"

"Take the helm and steer to the south. We have to turn around quickly"

"Got it" he rushed to the helm.

"What is it, Nami?" came Luffy running followed by the other two "Is something wrong?"

"We're changing the ship's course" she explained then pointed them around "Don't waste time, go get the ropes and lower the sails so we can catch wind from portside"

"Roger!" they were bewildered by the seriousness in her tone but still worked fast trusting in her judgement.

"What's the matter, Navigator-san?" came Robin with Vivi to the middle deck from the girl's room "What's all the commotion about?"

"I have a bad feeling about the weather..." her intuition was screaming at her at this point warning her about a danger ahead. She felt her heart about to leap from her c.h.e.s.t.

"Are you sure, Nami?" asked Vivi as she looked at the clear sky "Everything looks normal to me"

"I hope so..." Nami said, the feeling in her stomach becoming stronger by the moment, forcing her body to shudder in nervousness "We'll know for certain soon enough"

Couple of minutes later the Going Merry was sailing the opposite direction.

"Ahhh!" exclaimed Luffy pointing to the direction of the stern of the ship "What is thaaat!?"

"!!!?" the sky suddenly darkened as the wind picked up pace.

"It's... It's a cyclone!" stammered Usopp.

"It's huuuge!" Luffy climbed the mast to have a better view on it. It was a large scale air mass as wide as an island that rotates around reaching far high into the sky.

"Wait a minute... That direction is..." sweatted Vivi.

"That's exactly where we were headed until just a moment ago..." said Zoro crossing his arms "If we had sailed straight, we'd have crashed right into it!"

"Perhaps we'd have been shredded to pieces by now" Robin said cooly.

"Please don't say that!" Usopp was freaked out by her comment.

As everyone was focusing on the disaster that they just avoided, Sanji on the other hand kept his eye on Nami the whole time.

The latter sighed in relief "Talk about a close call" though her heart still continued to beat very fast not allowing her to calm down even a bit.

"Incredible... A cyclone on the Grand Line is said to be impossible to predict...! How did you know about it, Nami!?" Vivi looked at her incredolously.

"I don't know how to describe it..." Nami looked at her shivering hands "It's as if my body's directly connected to the minute happenings of the climate itself... It's... It's overwhelming!" she started to panic once she took notice of her condition and leaned her back against the wall "W-what's happening to me!"

Sanji immediately jumped to her side when he saw her begin to freak out.

Everyone else was surprised seeing her sudden state. They hurried to her side as well.

"What's wrong, Nami? Are you alright?" asked Vivi.

"The world around me! It's presence... Everything! I can sense it...! Ugh! I can't switsh it off!" she clasped her head and slid down the wall to a crouching position "It's unbearable! Make it stop, please!"

"I never heard of such a thing before. Is it some kind of rare illness?" wondered Usopp.

"Is Nami sick?" asked Luffy.

"Maybe she have a stomach flu or something" said Zoro.

"It must be the climate change of the Grand Line starting to affect her..." added Robin.

Sanji ignored everyone's comments and kneeled infront of her "Nami-san, I'm here. You're going to be fine. Just look at me, ok" he gently coaxed her.

Tears trickled down her face as she lifted her head and looked at him "Please help... It's too much, I can't take it anymore!"

Carue felt bad for her and started to nuzzle against her.

Sanji smiled reassuringly at her and wiped her tears away "Shhhh, it's ok. Just look into my eye, nothing is going to hurt you"

"Do you know what's wrong with her, Cook-san?" asked Robin.

"Nothing to worry about" he said calmly then focused his mind on Nami as she made eye contact with him, mildly unleaching his Conqueror's Haki on her. Her eyes instantly widened at the foreign sensation invading her as she felt the world still around her, becoming very quiet. Everything that was assulting her senses began to fade away in the background, leaving only Sanji's serene blue eye in her view.

Gradually her body started to relax as her arms fell limp to her sides. She felt lightheaded as she smiled weakly at the blond "Thank you Sanji-kun..." that was the last thing she said before exhaustion overtook her and passed out with her head on his shoulder.

Sanji caught her and rubbed her back soothingly "Rest well, Nami-san"

The rest looked on with awe at him "What did you do to her, Sanji?" Usopp asked the question that's on everyone's mind.

Sanji carefully slid one of Nami's arms around his shoulders and picked her up in his arms and turned to the others "I put her to sleep, that's all"

"But how? I didn't see you do anything to her. You just looked at her once and she-"

"Let me take her to her room first" Sanji interrupted him and started walking away "I'll explain later"

"Tell us what happened to her a least? You can't leave us hanging like that"

"He's right, Sanji. We're very worried about her" they all look at him for an explanation.

He stopped then said "Haki..."

"Haki?" they looked at each other with question marks on their heads.

"She just unlocked her Haki" he added and looked down at Nami. She was leaning softly on his c.h.e.s.t in deep slumber 'Observation Haki... though hers is a bit special. The last time around she was sick and passed out for more than a day, so she didn't fully experience its drawbacks when awakening it. However this time around, she got the full brunt of it'

He looked back at the rest "I'll tell you all about it. Let's get her to bed first"

***

One day passed since Nami fainted and the weather continued to change constantly, settling eventually into a snowfall.

Early in the evening, everyone convened in the girls room as she finally woke up.

Robin and Vivi were sitting on the ground by the bed, calmly drinking hot chocolate for warmth and watching the discussion in front of them.

"I what now?" asked Nami sitting on her bed.

"That's not fair, Nami!" w.h.i.n.ed Luffy as he pointed at her "Sanji said, you have mystery power. I want one too!"

"Leave her be, dumbass!" Sanji brought down his foot on his head dropping him on the ground "And it's Haki! How many times do I have to explain it to you to get it through your thick skull!"

"To be fair Sanji, I still don't fully get it either" said Usopp "It sounded too much like magic to me"

Carue was nodding his head in affirmation by his side.

"He's right, shit-cook" said Zoro leaning on the wall with hands in his pockets "Though maybe you're just bad at explaining things"

"No, you two are just idiots!" Sanji yelled at the two with shark teeth.

"Sanji-kun..." Nami called for him, bringing his attention back to her "What's this Haki you're talking about?" she looked at him questionally "I never heard of it before?"

"That's not surprising" he puffed on his cigarette "Most people do not notice it or fail to awaken it for their whole lives. Only a small number of population can actually use it"

"So, you're saying I'm one of them now?" he nodded at her "What is it then? And what can I do with it?"

"Well basically it's something that lies dormant in all the world's creatures. It is not that different from your typical five senses" he said then lifted three finger to her "Haki has three facets to it. Spirit, life force and will power. Respectively each responsible for three Haki abilties. Observation, Armament and last but not least Intimidation or better explained as Domination"

"Three... So which one did I get?"

"The first type, Observation. You can think of it as intuition or a sixth sense that gives you cognitive abilities according to your level of skill. In simple terms, it's an ability that allows you to sense and predict. Ranging from the presence of living things to even inanimate objects, the future to the past, auras to souls, thought to intent etc... Everyone has different affinities for different things but you can train it to encompass most of them. Though there are some special cases that you either have or you don't... Like the one you got, Nami-san. Your connection with the weather... I suspect you were born with it. You just weren't aware of it before"

"Really!?" she lifted her eyebrow at him.

"Think about it. Back in the East Blue, have you ever had an similar exprience with predicting the weather? Because I'm sure you did many times before, you just didn't give it any real importance"

"... Now that you mention it, I did. Many times actually. But I always thought it was thanks to my knowledge in cartography, navigation and meteorology. I didn't think it was thanks to some super power I have..." eventhough she knew that she should be happy with this power, she couldn't help but feel a little down as she realised that her efforts all those years ago to learn those subjects may have been for nothing and unnessary.

Sanji knew when she was thinking about so he petted her head and smiled at her "Don't beat yourself down, Nami-san. Believe me when i say, your expertise on those fields certainly helped in elevating your ability. You're just a little special, that's all" some red appeared in her ears at the compliment.

She remembered something so she asked him "What about yesterday then? I've never experienced anything like that before. I still shudder just thinking about it" she paled a bit.

He hummed a bit then said "Well, I suspected it's must have something to do with the unpredictable climate in the Grand Line. As you know Nami-san, in terms of climate, the islands of Gand Line can be classified into four types. Spring, summer, autumn and winter islands. Each having four seasons of their own. Which means there are 16 types of seasons in the Grand Line, from summer of a summer island to a winter of a winter island. And that's not counting the exceptions of the unknown climates in some islands" he exhaled some smoke then continued "You just weren't used to such chaotic weather back in East Blue. It was so sudden of a change for you that it completely overwhelmed your senses and forcefully amplified your Haki in order to help you accomodate to it. Rest easy though, it won't happen to you again"

"I see... Well that's good at least" she sighed in relief then looked at him "So... what happens now? I get the gist of this power but how am I going to use it?"

"No need to strain yourself, Nami-san. I'm quite the expert when it comes to Observation Haki if I say so myself" he grinned pointing at himself "I'm sure I can give you sufficient guidance about it. However, on the weather aspect of it, I'm afraid I won't be of much help as it's something unique to you. I'll still offer some advice if I can though"

"What about me, Sanjiiii!!!" Luffy suddenly crawled to him and hugged his feet "I want Ha- Hu- Hag... I want mystery power too!"

"At least remember it's name first, you piece of shit! And let go of me!" he kicked him away.

"Ow, that hurts!" Luffy rubbed his head in pain then stood back up and looked at Sanji "You used that power on me now didn't you. It's the same one you used on that smoke guy, right?"

"Oh! So you do get it after all" Sanji was a little surprised by him, though he didn't find it strange as he knew he possessed a great intuition about these things.

"You have to teach it to me" Luffy gave him one of his rare earnest looks "Back then, as much as tried I couldn't beat him up at all. He kept changing to smoke whenever I tried to hit him. And my punches were going right through him without hurting him. But with it, I know I can... I don't want to feel that helpless again"

Sanji smiled at him and patted his shoulder "You know you can always count on me on those situations, right? I'll always have your back"

"Don't forget about me, curly-brow" Zoro walked up to them "I may acknowledge that you're a bit stronger that me at the moment but-"

"Just a bit, moss-head?" Sanji smirked at him.

Zoro growled at him "Don't patronize me, stupid cook!" he huffed then continued "Anyway, I'll be the First to support Luffy whatever comes our way, or how am I going to be the World's Strongest Swordsman"

Nami and Usopp also looked at their captain "Don't forget about us, Luffy! We'll always be with you!"

"Shishishi, I know" Luffy grinned at them then he removed his straw hat from his head and looked at it "But I'm the captain and I'm going to be the Pirate King... so I'm supposed to be the one to protect my crew" he said then looked back at Sanji "After seeing the power of those giants I realised how weak I'm. I have to get stronger, Sanji"

Sanji took a thoughtful drag of his cigarette 'Well, I wasn't going to refuse him as I was planning to teach him anyway, but this might be as good of an excuse as any other I had in mind...' he exhaled smoke "Alright Luffy, I'll teach you. But on one condition..."

"I'll do it, whaterver it is"

Sanji looked at him seriously "You can't eat meat for a whole month"

"What!?" Luffy had his mouth hit the floor and his eyes popping out from his sockets.

The rest were surprised too and felt pity for Luffy. They knew that was the greatest torture for him. They looked at Sanji and thought at the same time 'He's the devil'

Luffy picked his jaws up "N-no meat?" he looked at Sanji pitifully.

Sanji wasn't deterred by his sympathy play "Yes, no meat. Or forget about it"

"N-no, no, I-I can't..." Luffy began to speake incoherently "But mystery power... no meat... mystery power... Meat... mystery Po- MEat... myst- MEAT POWER!!" he cried and jumped at the feet of the blond cook again "I'm sorry, Sanji!!! I can't live without meat!!! But I want mystery power too!"

The rest sweatdropped at his priorities in life.

Sanji face palmed "Sigh, so meat wins in the end, huh? Well, I can't say I expected any differently" he shook his head at him "I was kidding, idiot. I can't believe you actually believed that"

Luffy on the other hand recovered quickly and stood back up "Phew, you scared me there Sanji" he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Anyway, what I actually want from you is to fullfill your promise to me back at Nami's village"

"Huh? What promise?"

"Remember when the idiot swordsman got himself seriously injured and I had to take him to the hospital to get him fixed up. Do you remember what you promised me back then?"

"Hmmm... Ah! A doctor! You wanted me to find a doctor for the crew"

"Right, a doctor. We're about to face a Shichibukai and his organization in Alabasta, so we'll surely end up with many injuries. A doctor would be of great help to us" Sanji turned towards the navigator "Nami-san, you were asleep so you didn't know, but the climate outside has stabilized into a snowfall since this morning. That's a sign that an island is nearby in the Grand Line, right?"

"That's true..." she answered then frowned looking at him "Sanji-kun... Don't tell me you want us to dock at that island so Luffy can find a doctor for us?" he nodded "I can see the benefit in that, Sanji-kun, but we can't at the moment. Have you forgotten about Vivi!? If we want to stop the rebellion in her kingdom as soon as possible, we can't waste any time on anything anymore"

"I realize that Nami-san" he turned to the blue haired princess "Vivi-chan. Robin-chan had told you about the ambush plan that I came up with her help. That's ten nights from now. And Alabasta is at most seven from here. Meaning, we'll have a full three days of respite in between that we can afford to recruit a doctor before resuming our journey again. I hope that's ok with you, Vivi-chan?"

"It's not my place to make any demands to you, Sanji. Or to any of you" said Vivi as she looked at the rest "I'm already indebted to all of you for saving me from Baroque Works and allowing me in your ship even when I was your enemy at first... You're even willing to fight for me and aid me in stopping a conspiracy against my kingdom that could lead to the loss of a million Alabastian lives... If getting a doctor is something that will help you survive and defeat Crocodile and his men, then who am I to stop you. I just hope that you continue to offer me your help to save Alabasta" she bowed to them. Carue mimicked her gesture and bowed beside her.

"Of course! Just like we promised you, Vivi!" Nami grinned at her.

"You bet!" added Luffy "We never go back on our promises!"

"That's right, Vivi!" Usopp puffed his c.h.e.s.t with his hands on his waist "I'm not afraid of any Crocodile. You see, I once fought a giant crocodile that could eat Sea kings in one bite and~"

"I'm itching for a good fight!" Zoro patting his swords with a feral grin.

"Rest assured Vivi-chan, we're with you to the end" Sanji gave her a thumbs up.

Vivi raised her head and looked at them with a smile of grattitude as tears wetted her face.

"So, what's your decision, captain?" Sanji turned towards Luffy.

"Allright guys, lets look for a doctor then hurry it up to Alabasta!" he cheered pumping his fist in the air.

"Yeah!" they all cheered back.

Robin continued to calmly sip on her cup of hot chocolate as she looked at them "What an interesting bunch..." she said softly with a small smile on her lips.

***

Meanwhile, back at the deck, Mr. 3 was shivering to death in his bounds from the cold temperature 'Someone help me, pleeeease! Anybodyyyy!' he was crying ice cubes down his cheeks.