I'm going to be king of the pirates!

Luffy was the light of your life, the sun in the sky, the one who danced in your mind every day and every night. He was the ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds on a dark day. No matter what issue you had, what problem you couldn’t solve, he was there for you. He was there with a stupid grin under that straw hat of his. You adored Luffy; every part of your body yearned for him. You wanted to be close, close enough to hear his little jokes, his muffled giggles and his loud yawns.

You liked to think you knew Luffy pretty well. You had been a part of the crew since Skypeia, having travelled to a nearby island when you saw commotion in the sky. When you witnessed Luffy’s silhouette in the clouds, so joyous and carefree, you knew you wanted to be a part of his crew. And so you did.

Cut to your two years apart; your heart had solidified its want for Luffy, its need to have him close by. Though you missed all your friends, well, family, you missed Luffy the most. When you met up again at Sabaody, everyone was smiling and laughing, rejoicing in being with one another. You had welcomed everyone with open arms, being one of the last to make it back to the ship. Everyone had changed so much; they grew older and stronger. And there stood Luffy. As free-spirited and chaotic as always.

He grabbed you with stretchy limbs, enveloping you in his arms. Your face was mushed to his chest; you could barely get a word out. Luffy was so overwhelmed with joy and unbridled happiness, his eyes tearing up the moment he saw his crew back together. All that time spent apart was worth it in the end. And seeing you, well, Luffy was ecstatic. He didn’t play favourites, never did, never will. But you had this energy about you, something that sparked when he grabbed your hand.

Those two years apart gave Luffy a perfect time to think, to turn his feelings into thoughts, thoughts that he planned to carry out. Besides continuing on with his dream of becoming king of the pirates, Luffy wanted to hold you under the stars, share Sanji’s cooking with you; he wanted you all to himself.

So when he saw you approaching the Sunny in Sabaody, Luffy nearly lost his mind. You looked different but also like you hadn’t left. Your smile still crinkled the corners of your eyes, your hair still followed majestically in the breeze, and your skin was still as soft as he remembered. Luffy would be lying if he said he didn’t stare at you for a good few minutes before he approached you.

Neither of you had come to share these feelings; instead, you opted to just be around one another, usually doing things that bordered on just being friends. You would often spend time with him under the stars, Luffy wrapping a blanket around you to keep you warm. When you explored new islands, Luffy was right by your side, grabbing your hand and dragging you into the nearest market.

Maybe that’s why when you approached the land of Wano, things felt a little more serious for you both. With the stakes raised, a more permanent injury was likely on the table for anyone on the crew. I mean, going up against Kaido was no easy goal. Before entering Onigashima, you pulled Luffy aside. He looked good in his disguise, but it probably wasn’t the best time for that thought. Luffy stared at you with curious eyes, his lips spreading into a grin.

“Hey, it's going to be okay,” he whispered. He must have been able to see the worry evident on your face. You looked past his shoulder at the hell you were about to walk into, “Luffy, I-” you stuttered, face going red. You could feel Luffy squeeze your hands, his lips warm and inviting, “We’re going to be okay, I promise. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

You wanted to believe him; how could you not? This was your captain; you had followed him into countless battles that you definitely should not have survived. You looked up at Luffy’s face, a smile of your own creeping onto your lips, “You promise?” Luffy shook his head, a laugh slipping through his teethy grin.

That same teethy grin that now stared down at you through the roof of Kaido’s fortress. You thought it was Luffy, but you couldn’t properly see him from where you were stood. You could hear his boisterous laugh; you could feel the echo of said laugh through the halls you fought in. While everyone else froze, staring up at the ceiling as though a new evil had been unleashed, you only saw your captain. He looked happy and free.

Once the fight was over, relief washed over you, your body tiring as you limped across the fortress to the others. Your crew stood in a circle, all staring at something in front of them. When you finally approached, you pushed past Zoro and Franky, finally seeing what all the commotion was about. Floating a few meters from the ground was your captain, covered in white clothing. His hair was flowing freely around his face, his feet kicked up in the air, and his hand resting on his stomach as though he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

“Luffy?” You whispered out, barely audible. But he heard you; Luffy always heard you. His attention shifted straight to you, his feet dropping to the ground before he bounced up again. His smile widened, if that was even possible; just seeing you made this fight worth it. Luffy shot straight towards you, your eyes widening in fear of being tackled. Luffy skidded to a halt in front of you, dust circling you both from prying eyes.

Luffy grabbed your cheeks with both hands, inspecting your face, obnoxiously close, you might add. When he deemed you fit and well he let go but didn’t move away. You stared at him, taking in his new form, “You look…” You trailed off, trying to find the right words. Luffy puffed out his chest, thumb pointed to himself with a proud grin on his face, “Awesome?” he mused.

You shook your head in agreement, “S-so awesome!” Luffy floated on his back, cackling into the air. You were watching him with curious eyes, “So is Kaido…Y’know?”

Luffy stopped laughing, landing back on his feet, “Yeah, he’s done. I got him.” You breathed a sigh of relief, your hand holding your chest as your heart fluttered, “Thank god,” you huffed out. Luffy pulled your hand away from your chest, taking it in his, “Well, I made a promise, didn’t I?”

You smiled up at him, “Luffy about earlier, before all of…this,” you spoke, eyes trailing the features of his face. For once, Luffy was paying attention; his entire focus was on you, “I wanted to tell you something. I-I was scared I wouldn’t be able to tell you after-”

“(Y/N),” Luffy mumbled out; his eyes were filled with nothing but love. Your thought died on the tip of your tongue; you couldn’t process anything that was happening. Luffy’s head dipped lower, his nose brushing against yours, he didn’t want to commit yet; he needed to hear you say it.

“Please,” you begged, his lips then finally crashed down onto yours. The kiss was filled with sparks, or maybe the sparks were happening around you; you definitely swore you saw cartoony love hearts though. Luffy’s hands embraced your cheeks, squeezing them enough to elicit a small laugh from you. Luffy loved your laugh; it was music to his ears, his personal pick-me-up on a bad day. You eventually pulled away, all breathless and red.

Luffy was smiling ear-to-ear, his cheeks dusted with a light shade of pink. His thumb trailed along your cheek down to the curve of your chin, pulling gently at the bottom of your lips, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m glad you’re-” before you could finish your sentence, Luffy pushed his lips to yours once more. This time the kiss lasted a little longer; a sense of power and energy flowed through your conjoined lips. Luffy’s arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to his chest. You could faintly hear his heartbeat; it sounded like drums?

You managed to pull your lips away from his; a wet popping sound was definitely audible. There was a cough from behind you; turning your head slightly, you could see your crew, everyone visibly uncomfortable. Your head dipped down between your shoulders, while Luffy started cackling again. He slapped your back, projecting you a few steps ahead, “Let’s party!” he cheered out, much to the awkward relief of everyone around them.

Luffy was the light of your life, the sun in the sky, the one who danced in your mind every day and every night. And as you watched him shake hands with the samurai and stuff copious amounts of meat into his mouth, you smiled. There was no one else like Luffy; he was simply one of a kind.

Luffy was sitting in a bar surrounded by people; the air was thick as bodies pressed against each other. Everyone wanted to celebrate with the Straw Hat Pirates after today’s victory. The bar was overflowing; Luffy assumed half of the town must have squeezed into the small pub. The pirate captain sat back in his chair, hidden away in the corner of the room. He was quiet, for once. He chose to observe everyone and let his social battery recharge; it was a long fight, after all.

Pint after pint was placed in his hand, the drink going down smoothly. Luffy wasn’t really a big drinker, but when it was free, who could complain? He tried locating his crew, his eyes dipping and diving to spot everyone. Zoro was sitting by the bar, empty glasses surrounding him. Nami and Brook were by the stage, the former in an arm wrestling match to see who could win the most berries. Usopp and Chopper were dancing and cheering with the children of the town. Sanji was surrounded by women, a huge smile on his face. Robin, Franky and Jinbe were sitting by the exit, all chatting to one another.

Luffy kept searching around the room, trying to find you in particular. He was growing a little frantic; had you left? Then he spotted you, (H/C) hair shining under the crummy bar lighting. Even from this distance, you were beautiful. Luffy sipped his drink tentatively, his eyes never leaving your form. You were surrounded by people, all of them laughing at something you had said. You looked happy, and that’s what Luffy liked to see.

Luffy loved your smile; he loved the way it stretched across your face, like you put your whole being into being happy. There were a lot of things Luffy liked about you: your kindness, your looks, your dreams and loyalty to the crew. It hit him like bricks: one day you were just a friend, and then next you were the missing piece from his dream. He doubted he could do anything without you by his side.

He watched as you moved animatedly among the townsfolk, heading to the bar to buy another drink. He wanted nothing more than to approach you and tell you how he felt. It was scary, the realisation. How could he possibly tell you that he loved you? There was never a good time. There was always some big fight going on, some motive or mission. He couldn’t just sit down with you and confess. Maybe now was the right time? He mused the thought; it was calm even if people were loud and rowdy. This was their calm. Luffy slumped against his chair, watching as another man approached you from behind, acting all friendly; his hands smoothing over your back.

Luffy stood up and marched over there, his hat covering his eyes. How dare some drunk bastard touch you? And the worst part was you didn’t bat him away; didn’t you know how much Luffy loved you? Didn’t you know Luffy would do anything for you?

You felt a presence behind your back, something dark. You could figure out who it was from the vague look of fear on the man’s eyes in front of you. He made some excuse to leave, rather quickly too. With a small sigh, you turned to see your captain.

“Hiya, (Y/N)!” He beamed, as though he didn’t look like a literal demon just a second ago. Luffy pulled a chair out next to you, his arm loosely wrapping around the back of your chair, pulling you closer. You sipped your drink, a small smile on your lips, “And what do I owe the pleasure, dear captain?” you laughed. Luffy avoided your eyes for a brief moment, “Just wanted to make sure you were doing okay, that guy wasn’t bothering you, was he?”

You shook your head. Luffy watched in awe as your hair twirled around you at the motion, “No, Captain, he wasn’t. But I think you scared him enough to not do it either way.” Luffy laughed at that, a proud, boistrous laugh. People turned their heads, scoffing at him, but Luffy didn’t care. His laugh brought a smile to your lips, “I like your laugh,” you said, absentmindedly. Luffy blushed at that, not used to you complimenting him, “I like your laugh too!” he beamed. You turned your attention to Luffy; the rusted swivel chair was hard to turn. Luffy helped you out, grabbing your chair and turning it himself.

“Thank you,” you whispered out. Luffy’s face erupted with a warm smile, “Anything for you.”

“Do you mean that?” You asked, rather suddenly. Luffy was caught off guard by your question, but he still nodded enthusiastically, “Of course, I’d do anything for anyone on my crew.”

You thought over what he said, your fingers tickling the rim of your glass, “Would you kill for me?”

Luffy was sweating; he didn’t think in a million years this would be where the conversation went. But he still found himself mulling the question, “It depends-”

“On?” you pushed. Luffy swallowed, “Whether or not they deserve it. If they hurt you or do something bad, then yes. But if they were innocent, then it gets more complicated.”

You seemed to like his answer, choosing to change the topic entirely, “What will you do after you achieve your dream?” This was something Luffy had thought deeply about too; it seemed his dream was quickly becoming reality. And though the thought scared him, he was excited too; excited to see what new things were out there for him. He’d be free from a shackle he put on himself.

“I have another dream; it’s probably waaay more important than finding the One Piece!” he gloated, arms folded across his chest. You quirked an eyebrow up at him, becoming interested, “You have another dream?”

“Of course, you always should have more than one dream!”

“Then what’s your second dream, Captain?” you asked, leaning closer to the rubber boy. Luffy’s eyes flickered from your lips then back to your eyes, “You won’t laugh?”

“Pinky promise!” You stuck out a pinky, wrapping it around Luffy’s hand. He smiled, feeling a little bolder, “My second dream, once I become king of the pirates-” he clarified, “-is to marry the love of my life and start a family.”

You pulled away from him, a little surprised, “You want to start a family? You?” He looked rather offended by the insinuation, “What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, nothing is wrong!” You quickly apologised, staring at him with wide eyes, “It’s actually rather nice; I just didn’t think you’d be the person who’d want a life like that.”

Luffy picked up your glass, much to your protests, and swirled the liquid around. He kept his eyes on the drink, “I’ve always liked the idea of raising a mini me. I could teach them how to be the best pirate in the world.”

“Only problem is you’d have to find someone to have your kid. Is there anyone out there crazy enough to do that?” You laughed; it wasn’t meant to be horrible, more chiding than anything. Luffy smirked, side-eyeing you, “I think I found someone crazy enough.”

You caught Luffy’s gaze, your cheeks blushing a deep red, “And why would I ever marry you?” You questioned, your tone light and teasing. Luffy leant closer to you, his nose practically brushing yours, “Because I’m crazy for you, and I’d like to think you’re crazy for me.” Your breath fanned across his lips, your eyes scanning across his face, desperate to remember this moment, “I’m absolutely nutty for you, Captain.”

Luffy pushed his lips to yours in an instant, your surprised gasp being muffled. You stifled a moan, Luffy’s hands quickly moving to hold your waist as he pushed further into you. Pulling away from air, your pants mingled, “Luffy, I love-”

“-You listening to me? Oi, Luffy!” Zoro waved his hand in front of Luffy’s face; the poor captain jumped back in surprise. His eyes widened as he took in the scene, “Zoro? What are you doing here?”

The swordsman huffed, “We’re leaving. Are you coming or staying here?”

Luffy looked around; the bar was now barren. The atmosphere had changed; the lively music was gone, and the warm lighting turned cold. Luffy looked to the bar, where you had been sitting, but you were gone. Luffy thought deeply, “It was all a dream…” he mumbled out. Zoro raised a brow, “Huh? What are you on about?”

A few days later you were eating a cheese toastie; you had asked Sanji specifically for cheese on his next food outing, and he ended up bringing back half the store with him. He said it wasn’t a big deal, his cheeks going red, “It’s really nothing, I’d do anything to make you happy!”

You felt awful ten minutes after the toastie, but it couldn’t have gone bad; Sanji had only just brought it. Maybe he got it from a dodgy seller? But Sanji has an eye for these things; he’d never buy food from someone who looked untrustworthy. After another dinner where you held your stomach and winced while you ate, Chopper stood on his chair, “That’s it, I’m going to do some tests on you!” He commanded; how could you say no?

So, that’s why you’re here now. Chopper had taken your blood on that faithful day, and here you were reporting back for the results. Chopper had gone into detail on all the possible things you could have; some sounded far less promising than others. The printer started making a loud ruckus in the corner of the room; Chopper dashed to it instantly and threaded the paper through his hooves.

“Hmmmm, interesting…” Chopper hummed. Your fingers were starting to cramp along your stomach after having held it for so long, “Am I dying, doc?” You mused, but part of you was serious. Chopper shook his head, “No, fortunately you’re A-okay!” he grinned. You looked at him, confused, “If I’m okay, then why am I getting such bad aches?”

Chopper pulled up a chair in front of you, his hoof tracing the edge of his chin, “Have you eaten anything weird or bad this week?”

“No, everything has been great!” You hummed, thinking back to all the delicious meals Sanji had made you. Chopper looked to be in deep thought, “What kind of foods have you eaten?”

“Oh, y’know, just the usual stuff.” You mumbled, listing off some of the meals you had consumed. It was all coming together for Chopper, “What was the last thing you had before this current stomach ache?”

“Ermmm, a pancake?” you questioned, trying to recall breakfast. Sanji had made pancakes; they were decorated beautifully with knobs of butter and fresh fruit. Chopper jumped from his chair and ran to a bookshelf; he read the spines carefully before pulling out a light blue book, “I know what you have, (Y/N)!” he cheered, feeling accomplished. He handed you the book; on the front was a picture of a cow surrounded by dairy products.

“Life with intolerances? Chopper, what is this?” You flipped the book around in your hands, flicking through the thin pages and skimming every other sentence. Chopper jumped up and sat next to you, “You have a dairy intolerance, (Y/N)! It means your small intestine doesn't produce enough of the enzyme lactase to digest the sugar in milk. It’s really common and nothing to be worried about; you just need to cut out dairy and find alternatives.”

“No more dairy?” you asked, a sadness in your heart. Chopper shook his head, “I’m sure Sanji won’t mind accommodating your intolerance.”

You left Chopper’s office that day a little deflated, sure it was great knowing what the issue was, but now everything was going to change. Okay, maybe a little dramatic. But you liked eating diary! You loved ice cream and chocolate and cheese! And having to get special treatment from Sanji sounded nice in theory, but you didn’t want to force him into making separate meals for you because of your stupid intestines.

Breakfast had soon turned into lunch, and with the time shifting to one o’clock, Sanji rang a small bell by the door of the kitchen indicating lunch was ready. You shuffled through the door last, taking your seat amongst Robin and Sanji, once he had finally sat down. In front of you sat a creamy mushroom soup, you tapped Sanji on the shoulder, as politely as possible, “What’s in this, Sanji?”

His eyes lit up upon being asked, “Well, thank you for asking, (Y/N)! It’s mushrooms, chives-” he went on for a while, talking about all the different spices and herbs he added. You listened to him go on, intrigued but also deeply disappointed, “Is there any dairy in this?” You asked, wincing at his answer.

Sanji thought for a moment, but nodded his head, “I used heavy double cream. Why? Is that a problem?” You shook your head rapidly, “No, it’s not. It sounds great, I’m just…I’m just not hungry.”

Sanji stared at you for a moment; you really hoped you hadn’t offended him. He went to take your bowl, “I can save it for later or- or I can make you something else if you don’t want this?”

“I’LL HAVE IT!” Luffy shouted from the other end of the table; three bowls were already piled up in front of him. Sanji snarled at the boy, “Absolutely not! This is (Y/N)’s soup; have some class!”

“I’m fine, Sanji. I promise! I’m just not that hungry right now,” you huffed out, staring down at the table. Sanji frowned at that; no one should go hungry, especially on his ship as long as he was the cook. Sanji took your bowl and headed back to the kitchen to start on the dishes, but he kept looking over his shoulder at you, a concerned look plastered across his face.

After everyone had cleared out, Sanji stopped Chopper, he offered him a seat while Sanji leant against the counter opposite him. Sanji lit his cigarette, perching the small cylinder against his lips, “Why isn’t (Y/N) eating? She was in your office today, no?” He questioned. Sanji was highly suspicious of the reindeer; if he had said anything to you about your weight, he would use Chopper as emergency food without any hesitation.

Chopper shook his head, “It’s patient-doctor confidentiality; I’m afraid,” he shrugged his shoulders. Sanji took a puff of his cigarette, the smoke clouding in front of Chopper’s face. He took a step closer to Chopper, squatting down to be level with the doctor, “Let me be clear, Chopper. If (Y/N) isn’t eating, I’m not doing my job as the ship’s chef right. If she isn’t eating because of what I’m cooking, I can’t change it to help her. So, what was (Y/N) doing in your office today?”

Chopper was sweating; he’d never seen Sanji act like this to anyone on the crew, except maybe Zoro. Chopper finally relented, “She’s got a dairy intolerance!” Sanji stepped back; he looked like he had been stabbed in the heart, “How could I have been so stupid? Mushroom soup! I tried to give her mushroom soup!”

He gripped the counter, holding his weight on it in case he fainted, “Oi, Sanji! You need to sit down before you pass out!” Chopper worried, circling the man. But Sanji pushed away from the counter, hearts replacing his eyes, “But (Y/N)-chan rejected my offer in such a polite way as to not hurt my feelings!”

“Oh, brother,” Chopper huffed out, stepping away and slowly walking to the exit. Dinner came too quickly for your liking; the annoying thing was you were starving. You had avoided the kitchen all day; you couldn’t face Sanji right now, knowing he’d offer you anything you ever wanted. Once again, you were the last one in the room and the last one to sit down. Sanji brought everyone’s meal out, a beautiful pink piece of salmon,  with veggies and a cream based sauce covering everything on the plate. It looked amazing; you could feel your mouth watering.

Sanji slowly approached you; your plate was the last to go down. You couldn’t bear to look at him; you kept your full attention on the table and how the cutlery shone in the ship’s lighting. Sanji placed the plate down in front of you; it was the same meal as everyone else's, except the sauce was different. You looked up at Sanji, a sultry smile on his lips. You turned back to your meal and took tentative bites. You had to eat; your stomach was going to start eating your insides if you didn’t. You would just have to scoff it down then excuse yourself to live out the pain in the privacy of your room.

But after a few minutes, the pain never came. Once everyone was done, you helped clear the dishes until you were left alone with Sanji. He had his back facing you, his hands deep into the soapy sink water. His sleeves were rolled up past his elbows; you felt your cheeks darken at the sight- something about how homely he looked. You continued to wipe the counter, trying to act nonchalant, “Thank you for dinner tonight; it was very nice.”

“I’m glad your appetite came back,” he hummed, washing the soap off of a plate. You bit your lip, your teeth chewing the soft flesh; you were full of nerves. You started wiping in larger circles, slowly approaching the man by the sink, “I do have a question though,” you mused. Sanji hummed lowly for you to continue, “I noticed that my sauce was totally different to everyone else’s. Do you know why?”

Sanji stalled; the cup he was holding was lost under the bubbles. He grabbed the tea towel next to him and started wiping his hands, throwing the rag onto his shoulder once he was done. He turned around to face you, his ass leaning against the edge of the counter, a cocky smile on his lips, “I was wondering if you would notice or not; I made it especially for you.”

“Why? Why am I special?” you huffed, a little annoyed. You didn’t want to be treated differently; you didn’t want to cause any more hassle to his already busy schedule. Cooking a meal for nine people was already challenging enough, but now he has to cook a special separate portion for you? It wasn’t fair.

“You know why you’re special,” he simply replied, moving closer to you. You squeezed the rag in your hand, a little bit of the cleaning solution dribbling across your fingers from the tension, “Oh, because of the intolerance thing? I don’t want you treating me differently; it’s not fair on you. I’ll get over it, or I’ll cook my own mea-”

Sanji snatched the cloth from your hands, pushing you back into the countertop. He grabbed your waist with ease and lifted you up; you had just cleaned this too.

“You’re special because I like you, so you get special treatment.”Your mouth was wide open, “You could have told me about your allergy; it’s no trouble at all.”

“But- But I don’t want to be a pain.”

“You’re being a pain by not letting me help you. Everyone on this ship gets fed, everyone. Got it?” You nodded your head. Sanji was so close to you, his breath fanning across your lips.

“Besides, you were getting special treatment from me way before this intolerance thing,” you gasped as he rushed in to kiss you. Sparks flew from your body, your mind completely buzzing. The dishes were left undone, so was the rest of the cleaning. All that mattered was Sanji and how he pressed up against you. He pulled away slowly, his eyes darting to yours.

The morning started off as any other: the Sunny approaching a new island and the crew onboard excited to feel land beneath their feet. Usopp, Chopper and Luffy were particularly rowdy as they disembarked from the ship. Usopp held a newspaper in his hands, stretching it out to smooth the creases, “I can’t wait to find this lady; it’s gonna be awesome!” he mused. (Y/N) walked alongside the trio, completely unamused, “I don’t get what’s so great about this fortune teller anyway.”

“She’s meant to be the best fortune teller in the Grand Line!” Chopper beamed, his small frame perched on top of Luffy’s shoulders, “Yeah, she’s like a psycho or something!” Luffy grinned. Nami rolled her eyes from behind your group while Robin held back a laugh, “I believe you mean psychic, Captain.”

“Yeah, that one!” Luffy laughed. As you got further into the small island, a market came into view. Luffy’s nose flicked up, his attention halting as he spun around to track the smell. Chopper held on tightly to Luffy’s head, worried he would fly off, “Woah, Luffy! Hey, stop moving so fast!”

“Oh, sorry, Chopper,” Luffy slowed, forgetting his furry friend was even on his shoulders to begin with, “I smell food, c’mon, let’s go!” he marched forward. Usopp kept on walking, “Sorry, Luffy, but I want to find this fortune teller.”

Luffy shrugged his shoulders, jostling Chopper once more, “Oh well, more for me! Shishishishi!” he beamed. Luffy then made a mad dash for the market, as though it would disappear in the blink of an eye. You carried on with Nami, Robin and Usopp, following the ship’s sniper as he took you around all the market stalls. One in particular did catch your eye: some old books and journals, “Oi, Robin!” You called out as you had drifted behind the others.

Robin approached you, her eyes wide when she caught the collection. You turned back to Nami, letting her know you’d stay with Robin at the market. The navigator grumbled but continued on with a beaming Usopp. Eventually, the two found the fortune teller, “Aunt Maggie's mystic arts?” Nami read the banner aloud. This so-called fortune teller resided in a purple tent; big banners and flags adorned the outside. Usopp turned to Nami with a wide smile, “This is gonna be great!” he hummed, strolling into the tent.

“Yeah, a great waste of my time,” Nami moaned, following in after him. The tent itself was quite small, the inside dark and rustic. A foul smell plagued the air; Nami debated whether or not it was the old herbs that swung from the tent’s ceiling or the old woman sat rotting away in the chair behind the crystal ball.

“Welcome to those who seek knowledge of the future. How may I serve you today?” the old woman spoke, her voice projecting across the small space. Usopp took a seat immediately, “We’re here to get our fortune read!”

“Ah, I see. You have travelled far to visit me; you must have heard about my magic abilities.”

“We saw your ad in the newspaper,” Nami groaned, sliding her seat out, completely unimpressed. Aunt Maggie ignored her, choosing to focus on Usopp instead; she could definitely haggle more money out of him. Aunt Maggie raised her hands over the crystal ball, “Ah, I’m seeing something…” she hummed.

“What? What is it? Is it me? Is it my future?” Usopp nagged. Aunt Maggie shook her head, “The vision is fading; I need more…” she moaned. Usopp tilted his head to the side in confusion, “More what?”

“I need…more berries.”

“Fat chance!” Nami shouted out, standing up from her seat. Usopp grabbed her arm, begging her to stay, “Please, Nami! How will I know what my future is? What if I do something really stupid or embarrassing?”

“And you’re not counting this as that moment?” she huffed, but the pathetic look on Usopp’s face won her over; so she paid the woman. Aunt Maggie sat back in her chair, her hands once again waving over the crystal ball, “Ahh, it’s all coming back now.” Nami shot Usopp a glare, though it went completely unnoticed.

“I see someone with (H/C) hair and (E/C) eyes…” she muttered out. Nami sat up a little, “That sounds like (Y/N), but it could be anyone,” she tried to argue. Usopp slumped back into his chair, “Man, we pay to hear about the future, and it’s not even my future we’re hearing.”

“They are in grave danger!” Aunt Maggie continued, to the shock of the others. Usopp’s frown shifted into panic, “Danger? Does that mean we’re all in danger?” Nami shushed him, asking Maggie for more details.

“I cannot say what, for it is unclear in the ball, but something horrible will happen…today!” Aunt Maggie shouted, slouching back into her chair. She quickly rushed Nami and Usopp out of their seats, “That’s all for today; come back tomorrow with more berries for your fortune.”

A little deflated and nervous, Nami and Usopp stared at each other once they exited the tent, “What should we do?” Usopp doubted. Nami shook her head, “We don’t need to do anything; it was probably all fake. Just another scam to get tourists like you to hand over a bunch of berries.”

“But she got (Y/N)’s hair and eye colour right,” Usopp stated. Nami huffed, “That could be anyone; that old bat just made that stuff up.”

“But she’s meant to be the best fortune teller in the Grandline; it said so in the paper-” Usopp reached around his pockets to try and grab the newspaper, but it was gone, “-Wha- hey, where’d my paper go?”

“Whatever, can we go shopping now? You owe me some new clothes after you made me waste my berries on that.” Nami started walking away.

“Should we tell (Y/N)?” Usopp asked, a little worried for your safety. Usopp didn’t particularly believe in that sort of stuff, but after being out at sea for as long as he has, he’s seen a lot of things happen. So, yeah, maybe that old lady was telling the truth.

“No, we don’t need to worry them.” Nami sighed, “Oh, and definitely don’t tell Luffy. He’ll freak out more than (Y/N) will.” Usopp nodded in agreement, and the two walked back to the market to join the others.

The rest of the day went pretty smoothly for the most part; the crew were all together again and wandering around the island in hopes of finding someplace to have dinner. Though neither wanted to admit it, Usopp and Nami had been keeping a close eye on you all day. Nothing bad had happened, as of yet.

Sanji eventually found a place he deemed worthy, much to the relief of a starving Luffy. As the crew took their seats around the table, Usopp noticed the knife where you were sitting had spun around when Luffy had virtually collapsed onto the table. Before you sat down, Usopp launched at your side, correcting the knife, “What are you doing?” You asked him. Usopp, who was sprawled over your chair and the table, stood up straight, “Nothing, I mean, I saw a bug on your chair is all.”

“Oooh, what kinda bug?” Luffy asked, mouth full of breadsticks. Usopp began sweating, “Erm, just a spider. Nothing special.” You side-eyed him, but took your seat without much hesitation. The food came in waves; plates as high as mountains were piled up in front of you, though it soon went down with your crew. You had noticed Nami and Usopp had been looking at each other all night; it was weird, but no one else had said anything, so you kept your thoughts to yourself.

As the night progressed, more and more drinks were served to the crew by the locals; they were probably just trying to increase the bill without anyone really noticing. Usopp, Luffy and Chopper all danced around with glasses in their hands, cheering loudly. Zoro and Franky were laughing at some stupid joke Franky told, while Nami, Robin and Sanji all sat back with wide smiles. You were watching Luffy, a grin of your own plastered proudly on your face.

Nami shuffled next to you, her glass clinking next to yours. Her cheeks were a deep red, her pupils dilated and hazy, “Heeeyyy~” she moaned out. You laughed a little; drunk Nami was always a treat. You sipped your drink, your eyes tracing Luffy’s outline. Nami followed your gaze, a lazy smile forming on her lips, “Oh, I see~” she keened.

“W-what?” you questioned, your own brain buzzed from the drinks; drinks that never seemed to end. Nami laughed hysterically, “You want him, like bad!”

“N-no! T-that’s not it at all! You don’t even know who I’m looking at! It-it could be the bartender!”

“That guy?” Nami said with a face full of disgust, “He’s like 50, and not even in a hot way!” She slumped next to you, her shoulder pressed against yours, “C’mon, yo-you can tell me~” she beamed. When you remained silent, she shrugged her shoulders, a small pout forming, “Well, it’s not like you have all night anyway.”

You looked at her, confused, “What do you mean by that?” Her eyes widened a little bit, her brain playing catch-up. Nami looked suddenly alarmed. “Forget it! I’m just rambling!” She tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. “Sooooo, are those new shoes?”

Usopp had drunk the most out of everyone, which was a surprise considering there were some in the crew who could out-drink a whale. Luffy’s arms were wrapped around Usopp’s shoulders, his whole body mainly being held up by the sniper.

“Oi, Usopp! We should do this every night!” Luffy cheered, forgetting that hangovers were a thing. Usopp looked enlightened by the idea, “Oi, Luffy! You’re right! T-that’s a great idea!” The two continued to dance and party obnoxiously around the others. Luffy’s eyes caught yours amongst the fuss, a small smile developing across his face, Usopp caught this and tapped his pint glass against Luffy’s chest.

“You should go for it, y’know? What could go wrong?” Luffy smiled at that, but fear ate at him from the inside. Luffy considered himself a very confident man, but when it came to you and feelings? He didn’t know his right from his left.

“I don’t know; it would be nice, but how do I know if they would feel the same?” he felt out of his element. Usopp shook his head, “Well, you need to do it tonight. Y’know, because of the fortune and stuff!” Usopp cheered again when the waiter brought another round of drinks to the table. Luffy looked at him, puzzled, “What fortune?”

“Oh yeah, you left before we went to the crazy future lady!” Usopp paused, thinking over what the old bag had said, “Something something (Y/N)’s life is in danger.”

“WHAT!” Luffy bellowed; everyone in the restaurant stopped to look at him before promptly resuming whatever it was they were doing. Luffy began sweating, hanging onto Usopp, waiting for his every word.

“Calm down, it’s like Nami said-” Usopp paused, blanking on what Nami said. He looked like a statue frozen in time. Luffy shook his head, his eyes quickly trying to find you, but when he made it to your seat, you were gone. Panic began to set in for Luffy; he had to find you quickly. Just as he set his drink down, a familiar hand splayed across his shoulder, “Are you okay, Captain?”

Your voice set his mind at ease; his body relaxed, “I was looking for you, s’all,” he mumbled out, a little embarrassed. You smiled; it was warm Luffy remembered, “C’mon, everyone’s heading back to the Sunny.”

The night sky was inky black; to combat this, the island was covered in small spheres of light. It was beautiful; everything was illuminated in a soft hue; it was peaceful. Zoro and Sanji were having small competitions between each other on the way back: who could run to the dock the fastest, who could hold their breath the longest, etc. Robin was sitting in Franky’s arms as he carried her back to the ship, Chopper resting on his large shoulder. Brook and Jinbe were waiting on board, choosing to guard the ship and rest. Nami and Usopp were trying and failing to hold each other up, both walking in zig-zag patterns across the cobbled street; it seemed they were arguing about something.

You and Luffy were walking a fair distance behind everyone else, content in the silence between the two of you. Luffy kept flicking his gaze from his crew to you, his eyes trailing over your red cheeks. Every so often you caught his gaze, his head swiftly turning away whenever your eyes met. You thought it was cute, how obnoxiously obvious he was. You had always liked Luffy; everyone on the crew knew that too. It was usually why you were both paired up so often; always sitting together during meals, your cabins opposite one another.

“Luffy,” you whispered into the quiet air. He turned to you, “Do you like anyone?” you asked innocently. He swallowed, “I like you, and I like everyone on the crew too.” A small laugh fell from your lips, “No, silly. I mean, like like anyone? You know, a more than friends type of feeling.” Alcohol flowed through your veins at this point; the drunken haze your brain was clawing through was altering your words. There was never going to be a sober moment where you spoke to Luffy about your feelings, and maybe your brain knew that?

Luffy, on the other hand, was all over the place mentally; now knowing some horrible thing was meant to happen to you today kept him on edge. He barely drank anything, and although he ate the most, he knew he could have eaten more, but he felt sick to the stomach. On one hand, he was thankful Usopp was so clumsy with his thoughts after a few drinks, but now he had to deal with this added stress.

But here you were, the two of you, and you were asking him who he liked? It took everything in him to focus. To focus on the light pink tint of your cheeks, the swell of your lips, the fluttering of your eyelashes.

“I-I think I feel like that sometimes,” You mumbled out, looking towards the Sunny. Luffy’s attention snapped back to you in an instant, “You do?” he questioned, his heart pounding out of his chest. You nodded your head, “It’s-”

“IT’S THE STRAW HATS! GET ‘EM!” Came a booming voice. Marines. A lot of them. Luffy stood in front of you, shielding you from the bullets that shot through the air. All of a sudden, it was like everyone was suddenly sober again with how quickly they responded. Jinbe and Brook jumped down from the Sunny, running the short distance to jump into the fray.

You tried to run around Luffy to join in the fight, but he wasn’t having any of that. He kept leaping in front of you, shielding you from blows and pulling you away from fights with his stretchy arms. You were growing annoyed; it wasn’t like he was helping you in any way, and while you would normally appreciate the assist, he wasn’t letting you get into the fight. Did he suddenly not think you were strong enough to protect yourself? Sure, you had had a few drinks, but so did everyone else, and they were doing just fine.

“Oi, Luffy!” You yelled when he, once again, pulled you from a fist fight. He turned his head over his shoulder to see you, “Yeah?”

“What are you doing?” You questioned, a grimace on your face. Luffy shrugged his shoulders, as though he was doing nothing wrong, “Just fightin’.”

“Well, can I fight?” you huffed, arms folded over your chest. Luffy now fully turned to face you, “Are- are you not fighting now?” You groaned aloud, “You’re stopping me, why?” Luffy swallowed and looked to the side; the violence continuing around you. But the crew could deal with that. Luffy shuffled around on his feet; you huffed and pushed past him, “Fine.”

Luffy began to panic, his arm reaching out to grab your shoulder and turn you back to him, “I just don’t want anything bad happening to you!” he rushed out. You quirked a brow at him and took a deep breath in and out before responding. You placed your hands on both of his shoulders, a small smile on your lips, “Nothing bad is going to happen to m-”

Pain. That was the first thing you felt. A whole lot of pain. You could see Luffy’s face too; his eyes were wide, and his mouth was stretching open. You thought he was calling your name? Your hand pulled away from your stomach; that’s where the pain was coming from, you knew that much. Slowly your head moved down, and your eyes caught the red ink that flowed from behind your hand, “Oh.”

Then you felt like you were falling; the sky, although high up, felt like it was getting further and further away from you. The next thing you remember is the feeling of the cold cobbles on your back, your head hitting the ground, and your gaze faltering. But Luffy was there, his whole being taking up the expanse of your view. He had tears in his eyes; you hated when he was sad. It was silent; the makeshift battlefield was silent as you layed there. Zoro had launched at the of the last marines, Sanji not far behind him.

“CHOPPER!” Luffy screamed out, his voice going hoarse. His arms slipped under you, slowly and carefully bringing you to his chest. Chopper was by your side within seconds, commanding everyone on what to do. Hands popped up from beside you, putting pressure on your wound; flower petals fluttering to the ground around your frame. You could hear people calling out your name, incoherent shouting, something about the ship; you weren’t sure.

Luffy took your attention once more, his eyes never leaving your face. Chopper was working overtime, “This is going to hurt,” you remember him saying to you. Your face scrunched up in pain; whatever it was he was doing hurt like hell. Luffy’s hand smoothed over your hair, probably in an attempt to soothe you. But everything hurt; it hurt so bad. You didn’t know how much longer you could take the pain.

You had been hurt before, but nothing like this. Was it normal to keep going, to endure the pain? The idea of losing didn’t hurt so much; letting go would make the pain stop. Your face broke out into a large grin, blood trailing past your lips; it tasted like copper.

“It’s you,” you mumbled out, your eyes stuck on Luffy. He held your hand in a vice grip, “W-what?” his voice tired. Your eyes were glossy, tears streaming down your cheeks, “T-the one I like more than a friend, it’s you, Captain.”

Luffy was at a loss for words; this was everything he ever wanted to hear, but considering the circumstances, he wasn’t very thrilled.

“Don’t say that, not now. Tell me when you wake up, okay?” He pleaded. You turned your head back to face the sky. The darkness of the night wasn’t as scary to you anymore; it was calming.

“We’re losing them!” Chopper cried out, doing everything he could possibly think of. Then you were lifted up into Luffy’s arms, your face pressed against his chest. You could tell he was running, “Stay with me, (Y/N). Okay? Don’t go anywhere!”

Maybe there would be bigger adventures where you were going, somewhere grand and insanely better than finding the One Piece. Oh, the One Piece. Luffy’s dream. Maybe that will hurt more than anything, not being able to see the boy you love reach his dream. But at least you could say you were there for a while, to see the boy that would become King of the Pirates grow.

You could feel plushness under you, better than the hard cobbles. Your fingertips were going numb; the same was happening to your toes. You couldn’t feel your ears; was that normal? The room had cleared out; all but Luffy and Chopper remained. Luffy refused to leave your side; he remained, holding your hand. Chopper was running around like a psychopath, grabbing everything he could think of before coming back to you.

“Please, don’t go (Y/N)! I can’t do this without you; I can’t reach my dream without you!” Luffy begged, but he could feel the pressure of your hand loosening. Luffy was heaving, his chest falling rapidly with each deep breath, “I like you more than a friend too, (Y/N)! I do, I always have! Please don’t go!”

The light in Chopper’s office was getting dimmer, or maybe that was your vision? You were unsure. You felt cold, your lips turning blue. The darkness pulled at you, and it felt comforting; it felt right. You were fading in and out of the dark cloud; it still hurt, your body was still in agony. Luffy squeezed your hand one more time, teardrops hitting your skin and rolling off with ease. Your fingers gave Luffy one final tug, then the pressure relented, and your hand slumped to your side.

“(Y/N)?” Luffy stood up from his seat, grabbing your hand tighter, but you didn’t move. You didn’t react to anything. Chopper checked your pulse, when he pulled away, he turned around quickly, he couldn’t stomach looking at Luffy. Chopper whailed loudly, his hooves digging into his eyes to try and stop the tears. Luffy’s face dropped, realisation kicking in. He looked at you, his eyes trailing over your body; the bloody sheets, the needles and bandages by your side. But when he got to your face, he only saw peace. You looked serene, like you were just resting.

His fingers trailed down your cheek, your skin quickly becoming cold to the touch. He kissed your hand before gently laying it back down. He moved to the door, walking past a distraught Chopper. Everyone was waiting on the other side, nervous and emotional. Luffy didn’t say a word; he just looked down, and everyone knew.

You had always loved food, eating it, making it, whatever it was. You loved being in the kitchen, hearing the sounds of something sizzling in a pan, the smell of fresh bread coming out of the oven. You loved it all. So when you had met the Straw Hats and had a harrowing adventure, you joined their crew with a bit of reluctance. But once you saw their kitchen and the chef who operated it, you thought you had died and gone to heaven.

Sanji was a cook; he was a great cook, amazing even. You were drawn to him from the very first moment. You stumbled over your words, constantly broke glasses and plates whenever he was around, and, overall, became very clumsy in the kitchen. After the milkshake incident, you had sworn yourself to stop loitering around the kitchen and bothering the poor chef. But you just had so many questions about how he did stuff.

Sanji could see this: the longing in your eyes and the way your hands itched to do something. He liked it, liked seeing someone with the same ambition as him, the same dream as his. Sanji often saw you peeking your head through the crack in the kitchen door; you probably thought you were being really stealthy, but he always knew you were there, and it always brought a small smile to his lips.

It was a routine after a short period of time; you just hanging around at a distance, while he prepped for dinner. Eventually, Sanji had had enough of you just lingering behind him, the smell of your perfume vaguely hitting his nose. He wanted more; he wanted to see you in his kitchen, wanted to feel you. On one particular afternoon, Sanji had spotted your (H/C) hair peeking out from behind the kitchen door.

“Well, don’t just stand there!” he shouted over his shoulder, “Come and help me prep!” You waddled into the kitchen, a little embarrassed for being caught. Sanji turned to face you, his smile widening. He handed you a knife and pointed to the chopping board on the counter, “Would you do me the honour of cutting these carrots?” he mused. You nodded your head furiously, excited to finally get the chance to work with the man you admired and adored for months now.

“Oh, wait, just a moment!” Sanji jumped, running into the pantry to grab something, “Don’t start yet!” he called out. After a few minutes, he came back with an apron and tied it around you, his fingers brushing against your skin; it felt like small electric shocks hitting your system.

“We wouldn’t want your beautiful outfit being ruined now, would we?” he was a real good smooth talker. You had seen him flirt and whoo over women, and you so desperately wished he would do the same to you. And even though Sanji seemed to not have a type, the women always had one thing in common. They were skinny, and you were not. You had a little extra weight, extra meat on your bones, Luffy had once told you. You tried to take it as a compliment, but you were pretty sure he was just hungry at the time.

The apron around your waist was tight; it wasn’t like it was made for someone of your size. It’s not like you didn’t train or exercise, and you ate very healthy; you were just born that way, always a little thicker than the rest. Truth be told, you never really felt bad about it until you joined your crew; of course, it wasn’t their fault; they would never do anything to make you feel bad about yourself. But you saw the outfits Robin and Nami wore, saw the way the men hollered at the skinny woman on the streets.

“(Y/N)-chan?” Sanji’s voice broke through your thoughts. You tilted your head to look at him; he took the knife from your hand. It was only in that moment that you noticed the carrot on the board had been hacked and chopped haphazardly, “Are you alright?” Sanji asked again; you must not have heard him the first time.

He studied your face; he really studied it. He saw the way your eyes screamed in pain, the way your lips trembled, and your brows furrowed. Sanji sighed, taking your hand in his, “Pretty ladies like yourself shouldn’t be worried about anything so insignificant.”

“W-what?” You mumbled out; the feeling of his warm hand against yours was messing with your brain. Sanji turned to the mutilated carrot, “It shows in your cooking when your mind isn’t all there,” he continued. You followed his gaze, “Sorry, I just- I don’t know.” You sighed. Sanji’s eyes bounced between you and the carrot, “Will you help me cook everyone lunch today? I could use an extra pair of hands.”

“Me? Did you see what I did to the carrot?” You questioned, your jaw dropping. Sanji shrugged it off, “You’ll pay attention this time. Besides, hands like these will only go on to create miracles in the kitchen,” he mused, causing your cheeks to blush. When his hands left yours, the warmth left too. But Sanji soon came back; he positioned himself behind you, holding your hands and puppeteering you. His breath fanned across the back of your neck; the compliments that fell from his lips ghosted past the shell of your ear.

You stayed like that until all the veg was prepped, “Thank you,” You spoke quietly. Sanji hummed, “Cooking can fix anything; a good meal can go a long way. That’s what Zeff taught me, the old fool.”

“Well, he was right.” You chuckled, a little sad now that Sanji had stepped away to pour the veg into a bubbling broth on the stove. He walked back over to you with confidence you could only dream of having; he stood behind you once more, and slowly untied the apron. He caught the marks left around your waist from the strings, “You could have told me if I tied it too tight,” he huffed. You turned to face him, fanning away his distress, “It’s fine, really. I’m used to stuff like that.”

His hands absentmindedly rubbed over the red skin, his eyes furrowed, “Well, I’ll get you a new apron, one that won’t hurt you.”

“Oh, Sanji, you don’t need to do that. It’s fine, really.” You were as red as Franky’s Hawaiian shirt, your skin burning wherever his touch lingered.

“Nonsense! I would do anything for you, no matter what.” You stared into Sanji’s eyes; all you could see was love. A timer rang out from somewhere in the kitchen, Sanji dashed off to the cooker, “Go take a seat; lunch will be served shortly.”

As you approached the bench, Sanji rushed to your side to pull the chair out for you, a bowl of soup in his other hand. You thanked him and stared at the bowl in front of you. It smelt amazing. Sanji called out to the others, the room soon filling up with crew members. The quiet atmosphere from before was completely shattered as loud cheers and laughter filled the room.

“Hmm, Sanji, this soup is delicious,” Robin hummed, a chorus of cheers agreed with her. Sanji pulled a cigeratte out of his pocket, lighting it away from the table, “Thank you, Robin-chan. But I also had the help of my beautiful assistant.” he looked at you from across the table, your cheeks turing pink.

There had been another big celebration on the ship; streamers hung from the mast, confetti coated the grass of the deck, and everyone had headed to bed or were passed out somewhere on the Sunny. You had drunk a little too much, as usual, and had adamantly protested Luffy picking you up and carrying you to your room. At some point he had relented and put you down; he already missed the warmth that spread through his chest when you were pressed up against him.

You bumped your way into the cabin walls as you tried to remember where your room was. Luffy was behind you, snickering as you continued to walk into stuff. His hands hovered over your waist from time to time to protect you from doing any real damage. It felt nice having him care for you in such an intimate way.

Sure, the other Straw Hats would have done the same, but they wouldn’t have held your waist; they wouldn’t have been so close to you that you could feel their breath ghosting the shell of your ear. Your cheeks were red every time Luffy’s hands made contact with your skin; luckily, the mist of booze across your face covered your tracks.

You had eventually found your room, your arm no doubt covered in bruises. Luffy had led you to the bed, helping you lie down before standing back to admire his work. Your eyes were shut before your head hit the pillow, revelling in the comfort that the mattress topper you brought provided, and Usopp said it would be a waste of money.

Luffy turned around, ready to hit the hay himself, but your fingers grabbed at his shirt, tugging aggressively until he turned back around.

“Luffy,” you whispered out, “Yeah?” his voice was soft, a smile teasing his lips. You hummed, “Thank you for walking me home.” he laughed at that, a quiet chuckle that dissipated into the air. He took your hand in his and placed it back on the bed, “Anytime,” he mused, walking back slowly so as not to disturb you. Luffy shut your door quietly, a huge grin on his face as he skipped back to his room. Yep, a good night indeed.

Hours had passed, and as the night grew deeper, so did everyone’s dreams. The ship was as dead as a doornail, the deck as solitary as an oyster. Fog had rolled in, and along with the awful weather came another ship. It was unbranded, except for the Jolly Roger; a skull in a purple hat and piano keys for teeth.

Members of that crew snuck onto the Sunny easily; there was no one on watch tonight; everyone far too drunk to even think about it. The pirates rummaged through the kitchen, the map room, anywhere they could get. They stashed anything that was shiny or looked like it would bring in a good chunk of berries.

“Yes, Luffy, I will marry you-” you mumbled out, drool seeping from your lips. Your body was teetering on the edge of the bed, and all it took was one final turn before you ended up on the floor with a bang.

“HUH, WHAT!” You jumped up, eyes barely open. You looked around and saw everything as it was, you glanced down and saw the bundle of bed sheets and blankets and huffed, “Man, that is the last time I am drinking,” you grumbled. A loud bang from the hallway caught your attention; you walked closer to your door, pressing your ear up against it.

You could hear someone rummaging through the kitchen; the distinctive sound of dishes and utensils shuffling around clocked you in on who it could be. Well, you were always excited for a little one-on-one time with your captain.

You left your room and sauntered down the halls to the kitchen; it wasn’t far from your room, so the trip was short. You swung the door open, expecting to see your captain shovelling food down his throat, “Oi, Luffy, what are you-” your words died in your mouth.

In front of you were eight or so men dressed in purple and yellow disco suits, each wearing the same ski mask with some small variations. You had no weapons, but pulled your first back, ready to take a swing. You needed to alert the others; honestly, you were surprised the sound of you going over the counter and crashing into the bin wasn’t loud enough.

These disco freaks weren’t as easy as they looked; they dodged you with dance moves, making a mockery of your fight.

“Would you stay stil- HEY! Let go of me!” You shouted as one of the men grabbed your leg, the other wrapping his arms around your waist and flipping you over his shoulder. Your fists pounded on his back, but being upside down in your state made you incredibly nauseous- enough to pass out.

“Y-you guys are NOT going to l-like my c-captain,” you grumbled out; the feeling of your blood rushing to your head was numbing your brain. When you next looked up, you were outside on the main deck, still upside down and still feeling very much sick.

“What the hell is this?” One of the men moaned; your guy shrugged, “Boss is always looking for new talent.” The previous man huffed, pointing his finger back to their boat, “Fine, but I’m not looking after them if they puke.”

“LUFFY!” You shouted weakly, your world spinning around you; seriously, you were never drinking again after this. The man holding you jostled you around, “Shut up!” You nearly puked then and there. As the pirate crew started retreating back onto their ship, the kitchen door opened widely and out walked Luffy. His arms were stretched behind his head as he coughed out a yawn; his eyes were closed and slowly blinking open.

“D-did you call me, (Y/N)?” he made out through another yawn. Your captor had bound your arms and legs together and thrown you down on the deck of their ship.

“Luffy!” you cried out, your plea cut short when a gag was placed over your lips. Luffy’s eyes were now fully open, his vision morphing from inky blots to 4K imagery. His eyes flicked from the men jumping off of his ship, to the bags of berries they had, and then finally to you, bound and gagged on their ship.

“Wha-” he cut himself off, stretching his fist to punch one of the men. Another pirate did a hand signal, and with that the ship set sail through the fog. Luffy ran to the head of the Sunny; he was going to attempt to launch himself, but a hand grabbed his shoulder.

“(Y/N)!” he screamed, tears brimming in his eyes as he watched the boat fizzle away into the fog. Luffy slumped back down onto the deck, his head in his hands. Robin stepped forward, watching the ship disappear. She crouched down to be level with Luffy, “We’ll get them back, Captain.”

When you woke up, you were surrounded by people; you screamed, startling them all. You lurched back, bound by the chains around your ankles. You tugged on them while the crowd stared at you; your cheeks burned with embarrassment; you hated when people stared. Trumpets blasted your eardrums, the crowd splitting apart like the red sea. Through the middle walked a rounded man in a purple fluffy coat. On top of his balding head sat a gold crown with obnoxiously large jewels. He stood before you, proud and arrogant; you already could figure out this guy’s deal just from looks alone.

“Ahem,” he coughed, gaining your attention; he smirked at that. He clapped his hands, and you were instantly pulled up to your feet by two men in roller skates and what looked like Elvis costumes, their arms looped around yours. The man in front of you shoved his hand into your face, each finger adorned with a ring. When you didn’t react, he shook his hand slightly, “His Highness wants you to kiss his rings,” said one of the men next to him in a snooty tone.

You looked from the king to his hand; what stood out most to you was the giant ring of a microphone; it was gold-plated. You shook your head, digging your feet into the ground, “I’m not doing that,” you huffed. The man beside the king looked alarmed, his face in a state of pure shock. As was the crowd; the moment you spoke back, they gasped collectively; you cringed at the reaction.

The man stepped forward, almost pleading with you, “Y-you don’t understand you have to do as-”

“That’s enough, Tristram. I do not need you to speak for me.” His voice was bellowing and gruff. The man, Tristram, bowed and retreated back into the crowd, “Of course, sir.”

He grabbed your face, his fingers scrunching your cheeks together, “You’ll do well here, I reckon. What do you think, Tristram? Another star in the making or a background dancer?” he mused, eyeing you cautiously.

“Oh, a star, sir. Definitely a star.” Tristram nodded furiously. The king clapped his hands, “Perfect, get them ready for the big show on Friday.” You suddenly felt the chains around your ankles unclasp. The small drip of freedom drained away when the grip on your arms tightened, and you were pulled down countless corridors. You didn’t say a single thing; you couldn’t even fathom what was going on right now. You just hoped Luffy and the others would find you, and soon.

Back on the Sunny

“Taken? Just like that?” Sanji cried out, “Who was on guard last night?” he pointed an accusing finger at Zoro, “It was you, wasn’t it! You let (Y/N) get captured!”

“It wasn’t me!” Zoro rebutted, bashing his head against Sanji. Nami pulled the two away from each other, “Would you both quit it, no one was on guard last night.”

“Man, I can’t believe we got raided, and no one knew. It must have been some party we had last night, huh?” Usopp chuckled, but the guilt of you being captured made his laugh sound nervous. Chopper looked over to a solemn Luffy; their captain had spent the entire night and morning sitting on the Sunny’s lion head, searching for the ship that took you.

“Luffy was awake last night,” he mumbled out, he hated seeing Luffy like this; they all did. Everyone was watching Luffy with worried eyes, Nami sighed, “We have to figure out who did this and get (Y/N) and our berries back.”

“Is that all you care about right now, a couple of berries?” Zoro huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Nami blew up at him, “Of course not, moron! I care about getting (Y/N) back. Buuut, if we can also reclaim our stolen berries too, then it’s a win-win.”

“Unbelievable,” Zoro muttered.

Robin, who had been absent from the crew’s morning meeting, burst onto the deck with a newspaper from the other day. She marched straight to Luffy, ignoring everyone’s weird looks.

“Look, Captain, I think I know where (Y/N) is.” She held the paper out to Luffy; he didn’t turn around. Luffy stretched his arms and grabbed the paper from Robin; he studied it for a brief moment before turning to face her, “I don’t get it?”

Robin took the paper back, at this point everyone had gathered around, “I knew I had seen that Jolly Rodger before, see, here-” she pointed to an article about an eccentric king who made his fortune from all the music stars that played exclusively on his island.

“The Island of Mousikí is known for their musical starpower,” Robin carried on reading the article, “Every well-known singer from the West Blue to the North was born and raised here and are sent out around the world to spread the joys of music.”

“So every citizen is a music star? Yohohoho, sounds like quite a place to visit.” Brook chimed in; the idea of a music-themed island thrilled him down to the bone.

“Whoa, and look at that, they’re having a talent show in two days! That could be our ticket in!” Usopp pointed out, Franky posed, “What a super idea!”

Nami stepped closer to Robin, looking over her arm to see the paper, “And you think that’s where (Y/N) is?”

“I’m almost certain of it,” she nodded, Luffy smiled, “Well then, let’s get going! (Y/N)’s waiting for me- I mean, us. (Y/N)’s waiting for us.” Luffy corrected. He turned around to face the sea, ignoring the burning of his cheeks. His crew didn’t say anything; it was stupid to point out the obvious.

The Straw Hat crew had finally arrived at Mousikí, the island of music. It was colourful and noisy; instruments could be heard from somewhere on the island, the melody carried via the wind.

“If I had eyes, they would be popping out of my head, but I am a skeleton, so I have no eyes. YOHOOHOHO!” Brook laughed, while the others took in the sights. Robin led the way, “We must make it to the show on time; we only have a day to prepare,” she rushed.

“So we’re really doing this? A talent show, pathetic.” Zoro huffed out, unimpressed. Sanji swatted the back of Zoro’s head, “Of course, we’re doing this! It’s to get (Y/N) back, you ungrateful oaf!”

“Oi!” Chopper shouted, already some distance away from the others, “I see the sign-up booth!” He pointed to a lonely man sitting by the gates of the kingdom. Luffy marched over straight away, “We’re here to sign up!” he demanded.

The man just sighed and handed them over a form, “Fill this in, please.”

Nami took the sheet and filled in the details, “Wait a minute, what’s this about an entry fee?”

“It’s 20 berries for entry; everyone has to pay it, or they won’t be in the competition.” The man moaned.

“20 berries? That’s outrageous!” Nami screamed, eyes filled with flames. Luffy slapped Nami on the back, a wide smile on his face, “Well, what are you waiting for? Pay the man, Nami.”

Nami sighed but did as she was told, “Well, I guess when we win we’ll get a prize,” she grumbled.

“What is the prize, might I ask?” Brook questioned. The man wheezed and pointed to a poster behind him, “You perform in front of the king and his new rising star, and if he likes you, you get an exclusive contract to perform on an island of the king’s choice.”

“New rising star?” Chopper questioned, “What happened to the old one?”

The man looked nervous for once, “We don’t talk about Kyoku; our new rising star is much better.”

Robin studied the poster behind the man; there were two faces drawn above the stage. One, she assumed, was the king, and the other looked like you. Your face was covered in face paint, but Robin could still recognise your features. She nudged Luffy’s arm and pointed at the poster, once his eyes found your inky ones, he smiled.

The man took the form and the berries, “Okay, I just need your band name, and then you’re done.”

“Band name?” Usopp questioned. The man sighed again “Yeah, band name? We need it to announce you to the crowd.”

Zoro groaned, “I don’t have time for this,” he grabbed the sheet and scribbled down a name and shoved it back into the guy's hand; he waltzed off through the kingdom's gates. Everyone watched with wide eyes but reluctantly followed him. The man behind the booth groaned, “Pirates,” he muttered.

It was the day of the talent show; everyone in the castle had been going crazy preparing for the event. Although you were a prisoner here, they treated you well. They gave you dinner and breakfast, new clothes, even if they were tacky. Every article of clothing gracing your body was covered in sequins and flares; your hair was curled and sprayed to stand stiff. Your face was bedazzled in gemstones and make-up; you could hardly recognise yourself. A huge yellow star was painted over your right eye.

The lady putting the finishing touches on your makeup was shaking; she was tense to say the least, “Hey, are you okay?” You whispered; she didn’t reply. You pursed your lips, “What’s up with this place anyway? What’s wrong with that king of yours?”

“We do not speak ill of our king,” she stated, stepping away for a brief moment. You followed after her, “What does he want with me? Why am I here?”

She took a deep breath in, “You are his new rising star.” You rolled your eyes, “Yeah, people have been calling me that all night; what does it mean?”

“The rising star in our culture means one of God’s angels; our king is our god. You will earn him money, and once he is done with you, he sells you off to the highest bidder. That is how he makes his fortune; it’s not through music like he would like you to think.”

“So, what’s this talent show for? Is that all an act too?”

“Our king holds these shows once a month to find new talent. Whoever he signs on, he forces them to perform every day until the public gets bored of them. When they start losing him money, they’re gone.”

“Gone where?” You begged. She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes, “I’ve said too much already.”

“How’s my rising star doing?” the king barged through into your room; the lady turned away from him and made herself look busy. You gave her a side-eye. Looking back to the king, you shuffled around in your new outfit, “I want to go back to my crew,” you stated, your face showing no emotion. The king swatted away the idea with his hand, “You are my new rising star; forget about that crew of yours. You’ll never see them again.”

He wrapped his arm around your shoulder, dragging you to the doorway with him, “Come, it’s time for the show to start. Once they announce me, they’ll pan to you. You just need to smile and wave; do that, and I’ll let you free to explore the island.”  

Soon enough, you were shoved into your seat in the royal circle. You were above the ground level, able to see every single thing on the stage, down to the band in the front row. If you weren’t being held against your will, you would say this was quite nice. As the talent show started, a large beam of light was draped over your form. The king was right; they introduced him, and the crowd roared; it all felt so fake. Then the announcer moved on to you, and the crowd erupted into cheers; they didn’t even know you.

Time seemed to move fairly slowly as you watched each performer go through their routine. It was all the same, and quite tiring. You couldn’t focus on any of the acts, too busy formulating a plan to escape. Well, you were, until the announcer called out the next band.

“Welcome to the stage, The Jolly Rogers!” The crowd clapped as the curtain drew back to reveal nine silhouettes and the music started playing.

“YOU ARE THE ONE we hold onto; no one can replace you as our friend!” They all sang in unison, though you still weren’t paying attention, still too deep into your own thoughts.

“YOU ARE THE ONE you really are!” They carried on; the crowd were loving it, all clapping along and swaying to the melody.

“The night sky's moon is sprawled out, this sea in the wake of opportunity,” Deep voices sung out; you finally looked up to see your crew on stage, singing their hearts out. What the hell were they doing here? Why were they taking part in this ridiculous show? Your eyes trailed over everyone, their focus on the crowd, except for one member.

Luffy’s eyes were on you and hadn’t left, no matter what. His smile widened when you finally noticed him. The flashing lights from the stage shone over you, illuminating your sparkly outfit.

“I want to believe since I suspect we'll fill in the blank tomorrow. Everyone laughing, this continuing dream,” Nami, Chopper and Robin sang together in harmony, laughing and dancing around the stage. Man, everyone was really having fun with this; even Zoro. Little did you know, Zoro was heavily drunk to get through this.

Luffy stood in the middle of the stage, his straw hat hanging loosely from his neck, “The dream we pictured continues; it's inevitable.”

“YOU ARE THE ONE we hold onto, the reality is only that we will become strong!” They all sang together again. The king seemed to be enjoying himself too, completely unaware that your crew had returned.

“YOU ARE THE ONE we hold onto, no one can replace you as our friend! YOU ARE THE ONE! You really are, we believe...Wherever we meet, let's go!”

Luffy opened his mouth and pointed directly at you, “YOU'RE THE ONE!” He kept repeating it, a stupid love-struck expression on his face. Your heart melted at the insinuation; you had always suspected Luffy had a thing for you, but then, he sometimes acted that way with everyone. But right now, in this moment, he was telling you something. You were the only one for him, and he was the only one for you.

As the music slowed and the lights faded, Nami held up her Clima-Tact and covered the room in fog. The guards instantly rushed to protect the king; that’s when hands grew from the ground and grabbed the men’s ankles.

“What the hell is going on!” the king roared out, the citizens below scrambling around in panic. Luffy slingshot himself off of Franky, perching on the railing of the royal circle, “Missed me?” he mused. You sighed in relief, “More than you’ll ever know, rubberboy.” he smiled at that. Luffy extended his hand for you to take, an invitation to join them like you did so many years before.

The king saw this interaction and quickly reached to grab you, his hefty size slamming you back into your chair. Luffy’s attention snapped to the king, “Gum gum-”

“Oi, Luffy!” Zoro shouted, two of his three swords nestled in his hands. Sanji was beside him, already leaping into the air, “We’ve got this, get (Y/N) out of here!”

Luffy nodded to the boys in thanks; he then turned to you and wrapped his arms around your waist, dragging your body closer to his. He smiled down at you, honoured to feel the warmth spread through his chest now that you were pressed up against him, “What’s with the make-up?” he asked, jumping down from the royal circle and back onto the stage with the others.

You sighed and rolled your eyes, “Don’t ask,” you huffed out. Luffy shrugged, “Well, I think it looks nice.” His arms were still wrapped around your waist, and you were still impossibly close to him. Usopp in an attempt to stop some guards, launched some seeds towards the stage; they bloomed into giant flowers. They grew so big that they hit the stage lights, knocking them back on and lazily swinging to illuminate you and Luffy. The flower petals wilted from the damage and fluttered around you both like you were in a fairytale.

While destruction was going on around you, you couldn’t seem to care. Your senses were overwhelmed by Luffy. He leant closer to your face, his eyes unable to leave your own, “Did you like the song? We wrote it for you.”

You giggled innocently, “I loved the song, especially your solo.” He perked up at that, “Really?”

“Really,” you confirmed, closing the distance between the two of you. When your lips collided with Luffy’s, he didn’t know what to do. It all felt so foreign, but at the same time so right; it felt like you were both made for each other.

“Okay, break it up, lovebirds! Did you forget we’re in a fight right now?” Nami moaned, hitting a guard. You pulled away from Luffy with a smile, your pupils fully dilated. Your hand slid down his arm and interlocked with his; you gave him one final smile, “Oi Luffy,” you started, “Thank you for bringing me home.”

It was hot, too hot. The Sunny was stuck in a windless sea, the sun a consistent thorn in what would have been a nice sail. There were no islands in sight, no oasis for you to cool down in. It was just you, your crew and the unbearable heat that burned you.

You and the girls had stripped off as much as you could, just bikinis and large sun hats. Sanji, of course, was hovering over you with iced drinks and cold fruit. Jinbe would often just jump into the ocean, trying to find comfort in the water, but he’d soon come up again, saying it was just as warm down there.

Even Nami had tried convincing Zeus to create a thunderstorm, but with no clouds to fuel his hunger, he refused. There truly was no cure for this heat; you just had to wait until it passed over.

Luffy was flat out in his usual seat on the Sunny, though you kept warning him he would burn all over. He didn’t listen, though; he never really did when it came to mundane stuff like that. You tried your best to ignore him; you didn’t want to waste any energy constantly worrying over him, but you couldn’t bring yourself to look away. Luffy only had on his signature straw hat and some shredded denim shorts, what he usually wears minus the shirt. But something about the heat made you go feral, and to you, this was the best he had ever looked.

Your cheeks burned red, “You’re staring~” Robin sung, flipping through pages of her book. You shook your head, your own novel in your hands temporarily forgotten.

“I am not staring, I’m just worried he’s going to burn.” You huffed, pulling the book up to cover your eyes. Nami let out a small laugh, “So what? He always burns. You’re just oogling him.”

“Who’s oogling who?” Sanji asked, waltzing up with another round of drinks. Robin didn’t even look up from her book, “(Y/N) here finds our captain rather appetising,” she teased. You swatted her with the back of your hand, “No, I do not! Why’d you even phrase it that way!”

Sanji shifted; he put down the drinks and knelt next to you, “I can take my shirt off if that will help to distract you?”

You were flustered to say the least, “Oi, cook! No one wants to see that!” Zoro shouted from across the deck. Sanji swivelled around to face the green-haired fool, “I wasn’t talking to you, Mosshead! I was talking to the beautiful women sat before me!” This went on for a while…

As the hours passed, the night air eventually cooled. It was a temporary fix; you were worried you’d soon become addicted to the cold.

You had all enjoyed the meal Sanji had prepared for you all, mainly pasta dishes and side salads. However, the entire time, Luffy’s whaling interrupted the set mood.

“Everything hurts!” He cried out, his skin burned red. You huffed, shuffling your fork around your plate, “I told you to stay out of the sun, but you ignored me.”

“I didn’t ignore you; I just didn’t think it was important!” He tried to limply lift his fork from his plate, hissing at the way his skin crackled when he moved. Your mind had drifted back to earlier that day with your captain completely shirtless and basking in the light like an angel; your cheeks bloomed.

“Looks like Luffy’s not the only person red today,” Franky laughed, nudging Brook’s bony arm. You ignored his comment, trying your best to avoid the very obvious stares coming from everyone at the table. Luffy was oblivious to it all; he instead resumed complaining about the pain, begging Chopper to do more.

“I can give you an ice bath to relieve the pain, but it’s only a temporary fix. Once the water is absorbed, we can put some aloe vera on you to ease the stinging.” Chopper explained, giving Luffy a worried look. Although the doctor sounded a little annoyed, you could see the concern on his face. This wasn’t the first time Luffy had got sunburnt, and you highly doubted it would be the last. But every time it happened, your heart hurt knowing he was in some sort of pain.

“(Y/N), will you help me put aloe vera on Luffy after the ice bath?” Chopper asked, his voice breaking you from your thoughts. Your cheeks burned again, “W-why me?” you stuttered out. Nami had a huge shit-eating grin on her face, “Well, you are the one that seems the most concerned about Luffy’s sunburns.”

“Plus I have hooves, I’m not great at spreading creams into small areas!” Chopper stated, lifting up his arms to show you that he did indeed have hooves; a fact you had known for a very long time. You sighed, holding in your frustration so Nami didn’t have anything to tease you over later, “Fine, I’ll help.”

After dinner, Luffy had practically dove into the ice bath. Chopper had watched over him, making sure he didn’t drown in the minuscule amount of water in the tub; it had been known to happen. When Chopper called you into his office, Luffy was standing there, wrapped in a towel, with a small puddle on the floor beneath him.

“Okay, Luffy, now it’s time to apply the aloe vera,” Chopper stated, handing you the small bottle. You squirted some in your hands, still not fully understanding how you could even say yes to something like this.

“It’s going to sting a little,” you simply said, rather more confidently than you could have imagined. Luffy wrapped the towel around his waist in one swift movement; he held his arms wide open, awaiting salvation. As you approached, you could still see the water droplets trickle down his chest. You shook your head; this was no time to…to…to oogle your captain. Not when he needed help.

“Lay it on me, (Y/N)!” He beamed, not knowing the amount of pain he was about to be in. You almost laughed at how obnoxious he was about the whole thing; did his body just forget the pain that comes with sunburns? Just like how women’s bodies forget about the pain of childbirth, you mused.

As you applied the first dollop of cream, you could see Luffy’s smile fade into a grimace, “Wait, this feels-”

Luffy let out a loud yell, pulling away from you instantly, “Luffy, get back here! I’m not done yet!” You tried chasing him around the small office, but Luffy was quick and kept dodging your attacks. The cream on his skin had barely been rubbed in, just pale blobs dotting his red chest. Chopper had been sat to the side, watching this debacle. He rubbed his fuzzy chin in deep thought, what would make Luffy calm down?

“Oh, food!” Chopper whispered to himself, “I’ll be right back, (Y/N)!” he called out, already out of the room. You didn’t hear him, too busy chasing Luffy. You eventually stopped when your lungs begged for air, your knees giving up on you as you collapsed onto the floor; it was too damn hot for this sort of energy.

Luffy registered you had stopped chasing him and squatted down in front of you with an obnoxious grin on his face, “What? Too fast for you, (Y/N)?” he laughed. You huffed in annoyance, choosing this moment to poke his burnt arm in retaliation. Luffy let out a rackety yell, trying to rub his arm better…only for the action to make the pain worse.

“Luffy?” You tried getting his attention, but all he kept doing was wailing about the burns. And that’s when you just did it, completely involuntary. Your body moved before your brain could even think. One minute you’re sat back on your heels watching Luffy bite his arm like a dog, and the next your lips are on his. The captain had ceased all movement, practically going limp at the mouth-to-mouth contact.

Coming to your senses, you pulled away, embarrassed. Luffy’s eyes followed your lips, his tongue subconsciously licking the seam of his lips, “Why’d you do that?” he asked. His tone wasn’t harsh, just curious. You shrugged your shoulders, toying with the bottle of cream in your hands, “Because you wouldn’t shut up.”

Your heart had never pumped blood around your body so fast; it felt like everything was on fire all at once. But your heart was living on cloud nine, content in just the taste of affection you could ever get with this man. Offence crossed Luffy’s features briefly before being replaced with a cheeky grin, “Can we do that again?”

You hummed, content that he enjoyed the kiss just as much as you did, “Does it still hurt?” you asked, taking his hand in yours. Your fingers left white marks on his crimson skin, Luffy, for once, looked like he was in deep thought; he scratched his head before replying, “Ummmmmm, yeah?” He sounded unsure.

There he goes again, another girl catching his attention while you just sat here, like what? Chopped liver? You told yourself that this is just what he was like: his attention span too small that he has to jump around from one woman to another in the span of a second.

You thought you had already gotten over the worst of it on Fishman Island; you had practically buried yourself on the Sunny while everyone else explored. You just couldn’t stand walking around with someone who clearly had so little respect for what was right in front of him.

The crew would wince too; they knew of your peculiar crush on the ship’s cook. They tried to help where they could; Nami would scold him when he flirted with women at bars. And you once saw Zoro grab him by the collar when he floated, literally floated, after a woman.

But it was never enough for him; you weren’t enough for him. You looked at yourself in the mirror, the lonely walls of your cabin giving you privacy while you listed everything wrong with your looks. Nami and Robin always said you were gorgeous; even Franky would flirt with you from time to time. So why didn’t Sanji ever bat an eye at you?

He used to flirt with you when you first joined the crew, many moons ago. So what had changed? Did you put on weight? Age too quickly?

There was a knock at your door; you looked away from the mirror. Your heart was practically crying out while your brain was suffocating from the imaginary scenarios you had conjured up. Nami held a solemn expression as you opened the door, the corner of her lips tilting into a smile before soon disappearing.

“So I have good news and bad news,” she started, “Good news is we're almost to our next island.”

“What’s the bad news?” You sighed. Nami looked uncomfortable, “We’re going to Amazon Lily.”

“What! Are you kidding me?” You rushed back to your bed, grabbing a pillow and screaming into it. Nami soon joined you; she placed a comforting hand on your back, slowly rubbing it in circles. She shuffled her feet on the floor, “I know, it wasn’t my choice either. But Luffy got an invite from Boa, and it mentioned free food, and you know how he is so…” she drifted off.

“This is going to be unbearable. Can I just stay on the ship?” you huffed, voice muffled by the pillow. Nami shook her head, “Maybe you should try letting go? I know it wouldn’t be straight away, but if it hurts this much? You know? A-and if this crush is affecting you this much, it’s not healthy.”

“I know, Nami. I’ve thought about it a lot. And yeah, it’s shitty. But then he’ll do something so nice for me, my feelings keep flipping around. I don’t know what to do. It’s not like I can avoid him, and I don’t want to make anything awkward either.”

“I can…I can have a word with Sanji if you want? Tell him to calm it down a bit? I can probably make something up and say it’s a crime to flirt with a woman there.” You laughed at Nami’s idea, although you did consider it. You sat up, shaking your head, “No, it’s okay. I think I just have to suck it up and accept it.”

Nami sucked in a breath, standing up to leave, “Oookay, if you say so. But if you need to talk, or want me to hit him, you know where to find me.” You nodded your head, watching as Nami’s smile fell from her lips as she left. You sat back in miserable silence; Amazon Lily was going to be a nightmare. Sanji in Amazon Lily was going to be a nightmare.

An hour or so later, you had finally emerged from your cabin. You had done a lot of thinking in there, and you had come to the decision to give up on Sanji. You were jealous, plain and simple. You were jealous of the women he flirted with because he never gave you that attention, something which you so deeply craved. And Brook had told you once that “Jealousy can lead to worlds ending.”

You don’t think he necessarily meant for it to sound so life-threatening, but he was right in a way. Jealousy would consume you, and you didn’t want that to happen. As you approached the main deck, you could see Nami and Robin lounging in the sun, Sanji hovering over them.

“Would you fine ladies care for any drinks or light snacks before dinner?” he mused, cigarette propped against his lips. Robin gave out a light chuckle, “No thank you, but perhaps another fine lady would like something?”

“Oh, Nami?” Sanji turned to face the navigator, Nami shook her head, “Nope, not me!”

Sanji stood back, a little confused, until Nami pointed to your meek form behind them. When Sanji’s attention turned to you, you almost shrank. He looked you up and down, then shrugged, “I’m sure she’s fine.” With that, he quickly walked back to the kitchen.

Rage bubbled up in you, your face going red with anger. Nami and Robin could see your emotions taking over; Nami, in an attempt to calm you down, spoke: “Hey, remember when I said that you should forget about him? Maybe we should start doing that now?”

“Forget that; I’m giving that cook a piece of my mind!” You stomped in after him, nails buried into your palms. You snapped the door open, the sunlight invading the kitchen quicker than Luffy could eat a piece of meat. Sanji didn’t react; he just kept his back to you while he stirred something in a pan.

“What the hell is wrong with you!” you started, marching towards the counter. Sanji didn’t say a word; he just kept on stirring. Your mouth was agape, frustration on the tip of your tongue, “Are you really not going to say anything? Nothing at all?”

All you could hear was the wooden spoon scraping against the bottom of the metal pot. Steam puffed out of your nose; you were so angry.

“Fine, I’ll start!” You smacked your fist against the counter, “Why are you always ignoring me? What have I done to you to deserve this? Did I- Did I say something to offend you, or did I…Did I do something?” You were starting to tear up, your voice cracking.

“Why do you suddenly hate me? Please just tell me. I wan- I want to fix it, whatever- ever it takes…” Tears started pooling onto the counter; your sniffles were getting louder and louder. You sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes, just the sizzling of onions breaking up the silence.

“I- I don’t hate you,” he whispered out, his head hanging low. He dropped the wooden spoon onto the counter with a loud bang, “I could never hate you, (Y/N).”

“Then why- wh- why are you ig- ignoring me!” You rubbed your eyes with the back of your hand. Sanji stood up straight, his back still towards you.

“I didn’t mean to ignore you, I was just trying to-” he cut himself off, “I-”

“You flirt with so many women, right in front of me too! It hurts to see that!” you blurted out, your mind was numb; you were just saying anything and everything at this point. Sanji stuttered for a brief moment, his arms stretched out on the counter holding up his body weight.

“W-what?” he questioned. You only whimpered in response, “Every island we go to, every market we visit or restaurant we eat in, you flirt with someone. A-and it drives me crazy! You never do that to me; you do it to everyone, even Nami and Robin…But not- not me!”

“I can’t- I can’t flirt with you (Y/N),” he calmly stated.

“W-why?” Your voice was a mess; you felt like you were coming in and out of consciousness.

“Because you’re not the same as other girls. With other girls I can say whatever I want and not have to think about it. I don’t care about them because I’ll never see them again. But with you…” Sanji turned around, slamming his hands against the counter you sat at. Tears were streaming down his face, eyes red; he had been crying for a while.

“But with you it’s different! I have to think about what I’m going to say, I have to see you every day, I can’t ruin this.”

“Ruin what?” you sniffled. Sanji took your hand in his, looking you in the eyes, “I thought for the longest time that you and Franky liked each other; he was always flirting with you, and you never told him to stop. So I took a step back. I thought you were happy and I didn’t want to ruin that for you. I kept my distancing, hoping what I felt for you would go away.”

“Did it go away?” you asked meekly. Sanji shook his head, “No.”

You leant over the counter, encapsulating Sanji in a big hug. You pushed your face into his shoulder, crying harder, “You’re such a dumb asshole, you know that right?”

“(Y/N)-” Sanji pulled away, “I don’t deserve this, I don’t deserve your kindness, not after what I did.”

🍖Luffy🍖:

Doesn’t fully understand the term “PDA”, he just knows he likes kissing you and holding you, and he doesn’t really care who sees it. It often leaves you a blubbering mess in front of the other Straw Hats, repeatedly apologising after a particularly long kiss from Luffy.

“Oi, (Y/N), why are you apologising? I liked it!” Nami gave him a bonk on the head for that one.

You frequently wonder what Luffy considers a relationship to be; most of the time he just treats you like everyone else. Which is fine; you obviously weren’t dating him to get any special privileges. But to know he values you differently from the others would be nice.

That moment comes unexpectedly too, during dinner one night on the Sunny. You sat by Luffy, like always; your meal quite small. You hadn’t been feeling so great this past week and had asked Sanji to shrink your meal down for your low appetite. Luffy, however, didn’t like the sight of such a sad plate and, without hesitation, offered you some meat.

The entire room went quiet; Usopp and Chopper had their jaws on the ground.

“What’s everyone lookin’ at?” he huffed, still holding the meat in his hand.

On nights where you’re on guard, he sometimes joins you. He wraps his arms around you to keep you warm, often falling asleep first and using you as his pillow.

And when he’s wide awake in the morning, jumping for joy when a new island comes into view, he’s grabbing your hand first and jumping straight to land.

He keeps your hands intertwined, holding you close in case anything were to jump at you.

If you’re in an uninhabitable jungle, he fends off all the bugs and monsters. But if you’re in a nice village or city, he drags you over to all the market stalls, drooling at the food and umming and awing at the trinkets.

You laugh at his goofiness, his own grin warming your soul.

“You have a nice smile, Luffy.”

“Thanks, you have a nice face!” he beams, your cheeks blushing in response.

⚔️Zoro⚔️:

Isn’t big on PDA; the most he will do in front of the crew is seek you out when he naps. Anything to do with kissing or hugs is strictly private. Sanji is pretty sure Zoro is incapable of doing those things, truth be told.

Zoro’s way of affection is in how he protects you and trains you to protect yourself. You weren’t weak by any means, but Zoro likes to be prepared for anything. He doesn’t want to relive Sabaody.

Zoro likes to join you when you’re on night duty; you both sit and watch the stars, enjoying the silence.

When you’re both alone, he acts a lot more like a romcom boyfriend. He yawns while putting his arm around your shoulders, holds your waist when you’re coming down the last few steps on the ladder, lets you walk through doorways first.

Like previously stated, his affection comes through his training. Once he thinks you’re ready, he allows you to train with swords.

“Just in case you ever need to use them.”

“Can I use yours?”

“No.”

Be prepared to sit and watch him train for hours, too. But you don’t mind that; you love watching him work on new techniques and practising forms.

A lot of your relationship is Usopp and Nami begging you to get Zoro to take a bath more than once a week. But what they don’t know is that Zoro regularly showers.

You had once brought him some nice soap from a small shop; he was at first outraged and offended by the notion. But he soon started using it and fell in love with the scent because it was the same as what you used.

During battles, he knows he can’t protect you forever. But even when separated, he keeps his eye on you. And whoever hurts you should pray to God, as Zoro will ravage them until they can no longer move. No one hurts you and gets away with it.

He stays close to you if you are injured, even when back on the Sunny. If you are bed-bound, he won’t leave your side, doing everything he can to make you feel better.

“I need to be stronger, I need to train-”

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up, who’s going to look after me if you do?” You mused, a weak smile gracing your lips. Zoro only huffed in response, but you soon found his hand intertwined with yours.

🍊Nami🍊:

Nami is still sometimes a very secretive and private person, although not as bad as before her time on the crew. She still prefers to keep some moments private, and that includes you.

She’s not big on showing PDA unless it’s after an intense battle or she’s completely drunk.

During big celebrations, she’s usually all over you, lying on your lap, playing with your fingers or her head on your shoulder. It was well known that if you couldn’t find Nami at one of these events, find you and she wouldn’t be too far away.

During big battles, when the opposing side has finally lost, she’ll search for you straight away. Running over to you and check for any injuries. During Whole Cake Island, you both got separated, having to deal with your own demons.

“Oi, Nami!” you shouted, seeing that ginger hair a mile away. Before you knew it, Nami had crushed her lips onto yours. Her full body weight nearly toppled you over, “Don’t ever leave me again!” she scolded.

Be prepared to be scolded a lot, not as much as the boys do, but enough. It’s not that she’s mean, but she cares deeply about you; she doesn’t want to see you doing anything stupid. And you’re not going to be given any special treatment.

When you arrive at a new island, expect to follow Nami’s lead; she has everything planned out for the perfect day. She’ll take you through little markets, find cute clothing stores and cafes and end the trip with a sunset on a beach or hillside.

Although Nami is known to be a little cheap with her berries, she will sometimes splurge when she sees something has caught your eye. Buuuut, it is still Nami we’re talking about here; she’s still a pirate who will not pay ridiculous prices.

“Did you steal that?”

“Yeah, but I stole it for you, so it’s cute and romantic.”

🎯Usopp🎯:

Usopp still gets a little embarrassed during PDA; it’s not that he hates it, he’s just not used to someone like you giving someone like him any attention.

So whenever you give him a peck on the cheek, or wrap your arms around him, he’s a blushing, mumbling mess.

He loves to play pranks with you; he learnt the hard way to include you in his hijinks.

“I said I was sorry!”

“You covered me in cola and feathers!” Definitely learnt his lesson.

Usopp loves exploring new islands with you, particularly if they have any cool plant life. He will hold your hand and drag you along if anything catches his eye.

On slower days aboard the Sunny, Usopp will sit and beg you to play some board games with him, which you usually do; who could say no to a face like that?

When it’s your birthday, he plans a party with the whole crew. He takes charge and becomes erratic if something isn’t going to plan. You still love it anyway, even if the cake has a few bite marks in it.

It’s during your birthday that Usopp reveals his secret project. He’d been working on it for months without you ever figuring it out; he had to thank Franky for the most part.

It was a new weapon for you to try out. It was everything you could have ever dreamed of, all in one! Usopp was going through it with you, pointing at buttons and dials, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck; a habit of his when he was nervous.

“I’m still figuring out the kinks; it’s not exactly perfect-”

“I love it!”

🍽️Sanji🍽️:

Loves PDA, will happily smother you in kisses in front of the others, much to their displeasure.

Sanji would do almost anything for you, no matter how embarrassing or stupid. You want your drink with a tiny pink umbrella; he’ll dig through an entire box just to find one for you.

He often cooks your favourite meals, even if you’ve had the same thing for three days.

“Cook, do something else; this food is boring.”

“Absolutely not! If (Y/N) is enjoying it, I will keep cooking it! Go and make your own meal, Mosshead!”

During night shifts, Sanji will join you on the crowsnest. He wraps a blanket around you, basking in the warmth your buddy emits next to him.

While you’re watching the stars, you can feel his eyes on you.

“The stars are beautiful, aren’t they?”

“They sure are.” He’s definitely not looking at the stars right now.

Once a week, Sanji will ask Brook to play a slow song on his violin and will offer his hand to you. When you gladly accept, he swings you around to the rhythm. Your bodies are pressed close, your breath fanning across his lips.

Even if you’re not that great at dancing, Sanji takes the lead. He doesn’t say a single thing when you step on his toes.

If you ever get sick or injured, Sanji is right there to help. He’ll make you soup for your colds, ice cream for your fevers and demand Chopper when you’re hurt.

“CHOPPER, YOU DAMN REINDEER, WHERE ARE YOU!”

“Sanji, I’m right here.”

“Oh.”

The news of Luffy's death was foreign to you, your brain not quite grasping it. The bellowing voice of Kaido struck fear into you; he was gone.

Nami's scream rang out, her body cradling O-Tama. That's when you felt it, your own tears stinging your eyes. Your knees buckled below you, the force of you hitting the ground alerting the other Straw Hats.

You couldn't fathom any words, just staring at your blood-stained hands; trying to figure out where you went wrong. Luffy had been defeated before, but he always came back. He was always there to have the last laugh. But now?

Sure, there were bigger things to deal with. But that didn't matter to you. The love of your life, your sun...had been extinguished.

Anger bubbled up inside of you, almost as though your heart was bouncing with rage. Tears poured freely down your face as your voice growled.

"LUFFY ISN'T DEAD, YOU ASSHOLE! HE WOULD NEVER LOSE TO YOU!"

Kaido turned to face you, the entirety of his body squished through the ceiling. He laughed, cackled actually.

"You are more than welcome to check." He looked around at all the Straw Hats and comrades Luffy had managed to pull together. He was impressed, to say the least, "Straw Hat Luffy is gone." He stated.

"And anyone who sided with him will now be killed." He simply remarked. Chopper wailed from downstairs; the entire fortress was filled with sniffles and whines.

Not Luffy, you thought.

You stood on shaky knees, balling your fists together by your sides. You rubbed your nose with the back of your hand, trying your best to hold back tears, "LUFFY IS NOT GONE! YOU JUST WAIT, HE'S GOING TO COME BACK ANY MINUTE AND KICK YOUR ASS!"

"Feeling brave are we?" Kaido chuckled; you only growled in response. You could see Nami staring at you from the corner of your eye, her mouth agape.

"I KNOW MY CAPTAIN WILL WIN, HE'S GOING TO BEAT YOU AND SAVE WANO. AND I KNOW HE CAN DO IT CAUSE LUFFY’S GOING TO BE KING OF THE PIRATES!" You screamed, your voice going hoarse.

Kaido growled, "Luffy is dead, and now it's time for the rest of you to go too." He opened his mouth like a vice, all sharp teeth and slime. His throat glowed a deep orange, getting brighter as the pain grew closer.

You continued to stare him down, your eyes refusing to leave Kaido; you no longer feared him. Your one biggest nightmare came true; there was nothing scarier to you anymore.

Sanji and Zoro rushed towards you, trying to help in any way they could. Nami screamed your name, her arm stretched out in an attempt to grab you, but you refused. You couldn't leave your captain. You couldn't let him be on his own. You just wanted to be with Luffy.

DUM DUM

What was that?

You thought you were going insane; all you could hear were loud heartbeats, most likely your own. But these ones had a rhythm to them, almost like a drum. And there was this energy in the air, far different from anything that Nami could conjure up.

DUM DUM

Kaido sensed it too, snapping his mouth shut, eyes darting around the room. Something was happening on the roof, but what?

Boisterous laughter rang on from the roof, the moonlight going dim, casting the fortress into darkness for a brief period of time. The bubbling heat from Kaido's "almost" attack fading away.

Kaido's eyes practically popped out of his dragon-shaped head when something took hold of him. He was yanked back to the outside, the roof crumbling down, allowing the moonlight to naturally illuminate the room once again.

You tried your best to dodge the falling tiles, only cutting your leg a few times in the escape. You collapsed into Sanji's arms; both Sanji and Zoro had finally managed to get to you. All the Straw Hats, no matter what level they were on, stared into the open hole of the sky.

"Luffy?" You whispered out, fresh tears cascading down your cheeks.

“HAHAHAHA! SHISHISHISHISHI!” You could hear some sort of impact from up above, and glimpses of bright colours illuminated the dark, cloudy sky. Everyone stood still; the fighting had long since stopped since the initial announcement of Luffy’s demise.

“Joyboy?” Momo muttered out in disbelief. He shook his head, you gave him a quick glance over. It was still weird to see him as an adult, as if he wasn’t clinging to you a few weeks ago because he was scared of the dark. He looked to be in deep thought, or more likely in conversation with someone. Whatever he was doing, he looked scared. But if Luffy was back, what was there to be scared of?

“HAHAHAHA!” Came another cackle. Your attention went back to the wide hole in the ceiling; the bright colourful lights had stopped; a deafening silence took over.

“Luffy, please be okay.” You whispered out, Sanji’s grip on your arm tightening in an attempt to comfort you. All of a sudden, two giant arms grabbed either side of the hole. You all stumbled back at the sight.

“WOOOOOOOOOOW!” Luffy’s head burst through what remained of the ceiling; he was huge. His hair was glowing white, strands clumped together like clouds, floating around his head. His pupils had changed colour too, you noted, no longer a deep brown but a vibrant pink.

“You guys look so small down there!” he laughed, a big grin on his face.

“LUFFY!” Everyone hollered, their jaws on the floor, eyes as wide as saucers. Luffy only cackled in response, his laughter echoing around the ruined bastion.

You stepped forward, breaking out of Sanji’s grip. Luffy’s eyes darted to you the minute you moved, “Luffy? Is that really you?”

He smiled, “Sure is!” he gave you a cheeky wink. A pink hue developed on your cheeks, “W-What happened to you? Why are you-”

“This is my PEAK!” He roared in excitement; yellow cartoony stars burst out of nowhere, flooding the room. You let out a laugh of disbelief; you couldn’t even fathom what you were seeing right now. Your captain, the size of a mountain, with white hair and bushy brows, acting as though he was Bugs Bunny. An obnoxious roar drew Luffy’s attention for a brief moment, “Oh, looks like I have to go!” he mused.

“Oi, Luffy!” You called out, a smile on your lips and tears in your eyes, “Give him hell!”

Luffy hooted, pulling away and readying a fist, “You got it, pretty thing!” That and a wink was all it took to leave you in a blushing mess.

The sea was home to countless aquatic life, busy birds and sailing ships. It was often calm and quiet with the occasional bout of thunder and lightning. At this point in time, the sun was shining, the clouds were nearly nonexistent, and the sea was a rich blue.

The Thousand Sunny effortlessly glided along the waves, the sheer power on the water no match for the vessel. Robin was sitting on a lounger, reading another book about ancient history. Zoro was flat-out on the deck, snoring loudly, while Sanji was in the kitchen concocting drinks for the female residents.

Nami and Chopper were sitting by a table facing the front deck. Nami was plotting on her map, making sure that Jinbe was steering the ship in the right direction. Beside her, Chopper was reading up on some medical remedies in hopes the next island carried the ingredients he needed.

You were sat with Franky, watching as he effortlessly threw his fishing line into the vast sea below. You had volunteered to join him last night; you were desperate for something to do. Your crew had been out at sea for a few weeks, with no habitable island in sight; you were going a little stir crazy.

The crew hadn't been affected too much, well, except for two of them. Luffy and Usopp bound onto the deck, limbs splayed out and giant grins on their face. You could faintly hear Sanji yelling from the kitchen, no doubt where the duo had hit.

"Oh man, did you see Sanji's face! He was all like 'You two are a disgrace to the culinary arts!'" Usopp cried out, doing his best to imitate the ship's cook. Luffy burst out laughing next to him, holding his stomach tightly as he barreled over in fits of joy.

"Oi, Luffy!" Nami called from the top deck, her attention not leaving the map, "Do something useful and clean the deck instead of bothering Sanji."

"Nami!" Luffy cheered, almost forgetting he was on a ship full of his favourite people. He shot his hand out to grab the railing of the deck, zooming quickly after it and launching into the air. Luffy flopped onto the table Nami and Chopper were occupying, disrupting their business.

Nami breathed out a laboured breath; Luffy closed his eyes, a frown on his lips.

"I'm bored!"

"Well, be bored somewhere else; I'm busy." Nami groaned, tugging the map from under Luffy's body. The rubber boy huffed, finally sitting up to see who else was around. His attention finally landed on you, and once again, unbridled joy took over him.

"Shishishi, perfect!" He mused, launching at you next. Although he overshot his mark and ended up diving over the edge of the railing you and Franky were leaning against. Luckily for their captain, Franky reacted quickly and caught him before he could make impact in the ocean below.

"What a supppeer catch!" Franky cheered out, Luffy dangling in his grip like a prize in the arcade claw machine.

"Luffy," you sighed in relief, "Oi, (y/n), want to hang out?" He laughed, motioning to his current state. You rolled your eyes but could hear Jinbe laughing from the wheel.

"I can't right now, Luffy. I promised to fish with Franky today," you gestured to your own fishing rod in hand.

Luffy frowned, "Hey Luffy, I have a fun idea!" Usopp cheered, gaining the captain's attention. He looked to you first, almost asking permission to join them. You shook your head, "Why are you looking at me? You've never asked for permission before." With that, he was off.

"Oi, Usopp! I want to join too!" Chopper yelled out, closing his book and waddling down the stairs to join the duo. Robin looked over the edge of her book, blushing at how cute he was.

"Okay, so, some time ago I hid some treasure on the ship. I don't remember where anymore, so it's like-"

"Ooh, it's like a treasure hunt!" Luffy interrupted. Usopp smacked the backside of his head, "I was trying to say that before you interrupted!"

"Do you remember what the treasure is?" Chopper asked. Usopp shrugged his shoulders, "Nope! I don't have a clue. I think I hid it when I was drunk?" He mumbled the last part out. Luffy grabbed Usopp and Chopper by the shoulders, the latter dangling in the air due to the height difference.

“Let’s go find this treasure!” he roared. With no hesitation, he dashed into the kitchen, Usopp and Chopper still stuck under Luffy’s arms.

You winced at the crashing sounds of heavy pans and glass breaking after them, Sanji cursing and screaming at them to leave. You held in a little laugh; Luffy really did amuse you. Franky switched his gaze from fishing to you, almost as though he was driving and had to keep his eyes on the road.

“Our captain has certainly taken a liking to you, huh?” he teased, flashing a cheesy smile. You blushed a little at his comment.

“Whaaat? Nooo, that’s just Luffy being Luffy!” you smiled, trying your best to control the redness in your cheeks.

“Besides-” you started, throwing your line back into the ocean, “He’s just bored; once we get to an island, he’ll forget all about me.” Franky didn’t say anything in response, but you could see his amused grin. What if you were right though? What if Luffy had only been giving you so much attention lately because he was so bored? Would he just move along at the next sign of adventure?

“Hey, quit thinking so much about it!” Franky snapped you out of your spiral, “He likes ya; he’s not going to forget about ya just like that.” He snapped his fingers. You thanked him for that; sometimes you got into your own head a little too much.

Back with the treasure hunting trio, Usopp had wandered to the cabins, scratching his head as he thought back deeply to the night of the party.

It had been a wonderful evening, full of booze, food and music; a classic Straw Hat gig. He doesn’t recall if it was for any special occasion, just fun for the sake of fun. Brook and Franky had been playing music together, while Sanji offered small treats to Nami and Robin. Zoro was in the midst of a drinking contest with Jinbe; you had your money on the latter half.

Usopp remembers seeing you off to the side of the commotion, a warm smile gracing your features; he thought you looked content. That’s when Luffy wrapped his arms around you, sighing into your embrace. Usopp remembers your face going a deep red, but he didn’t think Luffy noticed. He doesn’t know what you both talked about, but it seems as though whatever Luffy said calmed you down greatly.

After a few more drinks- okay, a lot more drinks- the night ends in a blur.

“C’mon Usopp, do you seriously have no clue? Like, at all?” Luffy whined, getting bored of the search.

“I told you, if I remembered it wouldn’t be a treasure- Wait a minute!” He slapped his hand over his eyes, deep in concentration. Chopper panicked, thinking something was wrong with him, “Oh no! Usopp, are you okay? Does your head hurt from thinking too much?”

“Shushhhh, I’m remembering something!”

Everyone stopped what they were doing and focused on Usopp, watching as sweat built up on his hairline.

“That’s it!” He beamed, posing like a hero with his hands on his hips, “I hid it in (Y/N)’s room!”

“(Y/N)’s room? Why’d you put it in there?” Luffy questioned. Usopp had already started walking down the hallway to (Y/N)’s cabin, “Something, something - they were distracted by you on the night of the party - something, something - easy hiding place!” he mumbled out.

The door to your cabin burst open, Chopper peeked his head around Usopp’s leg, “Should we be going in here?” Usopp’s uncertainty weighed on him deeply; this was a massive invasion of privacy. Before the trio could backtrack, Luffy waltzed into the room, like nothing was sacred anymore.

“Luffy, wait!” Both Usopp and Chopper cried out, but it was too late; the damage was already done. Luffy had begun going through your things, lifting your bedding up, going through your wardrobe, the lot.

“I can’t find it, are you sure it’s here?” he huffed. Usopp swallowed his shame and walked into the room, checking under the bed and in a bookshelf, “I’m certain!”

The search had gone on for a few minutes; who knew you had so much stuff in your room?

Luffy had opened one of your drawers, revealing your underwear; he didn’t think anything of it, everybody wears them. But something in there did catch his eye, “Is this the treasure?” he held up a book.

Usopp and Chopper turned to stare at him, Usopp turning into a blushing mess when he saw Luffy holding your underwear in one hand and your diary in another. A small smirk then graced his face, “This isn’t the treasure, but it sure is gold!”

“Gold?” Luffy questioned, before he could think anymore, Usopp jumped at him in an attempt to get the diary.

“Oi, Luffy, give it here!” he groaned, using all his strength to overpower Luffy. Chopper had grabbed onto Luffy’s leg, pleading with the duo to not read it; neither one listened. During the confusion, the diary fell onto the floor, splitting the book open. Everyone froze.

“Now look what you did!” Chopper yelled out. Usopp moved from behind Luffy, picking the dainty book up in his hands, “Well, it opened by itself; it’s not our fault it wants us to read it.”

“I don’t get why this book is so important. Is it like the stuff Robin reads?” Luffy asked, flopping onto (Y/N)’s bed. Usopp pulled the book close to his face, skimming the text, “A diary is like a log of a person’s emotions, thoughts, desires and dreams. Y’know, how their day was, who they hate-”

Luffy looked so far unimpressed until Usopp muttered out the last sentence: “Who they like-”

“Like? Who what likes?” Luffy sprang up from the bed, swiftly joining the sniper’s side. Usopp just rolled his eyes in return; it seemed clear to everyone but you how much the straw boy liked you. Maybe reading your diary would reveal your feelings for Luffy and end everyone’s misery.

“Gather round, children!” Usopp mused, perching on the bed while Chopper and Luffy sat on the floor in front of him. At first he didn’t read aloud, just umming and awing at the text before him.

“Well, what does it say?” Luffy prodded. Usopp rushed along the text, “Ah ha!” he shouted, pointing a finger into the air.

“As for my crew, I love them all equally. Everyone has been so nice to me since I joined; I just can’t get my head around it all. But someone in particular has been plaguing my mind, and I often feel guilty about it; knowing they will never feel the same.”

“Who is it, Usopp?” Chopper asked, deeply invested. Usopp carried on reading, “It’s not his fault I feel this way; he has been nothing but the best. But what do you expect from someone like him? Every time he holds me, my heart burns, I become this spluttering mess, and I don’t even think he notices what he does to me. I know he’s just being kind, but sometimes I think he likes me back.”

“Who Usopp?” Luffy demanded, his hat covering his eyes. Usopp skimmed the text further down, “I don’t know, it doesn’t say!”

“So (Y/N) does like someone!” Chopper beamed; Luffy stood up, dusting off his clothes. Usopp and Chopper watched as he made his way to the door, “Well, don’t just sit there! We gotta figure out who it is!”

Usopp gave him back a deadpanned expression in return, “Seriously?” he muttered. But Luffy was dead serious; he had to know who had piqued your interest.

Code name: Curlybrows - Location: Kitchen - Time: 1.00pm

“What do you all want?” Sanji muttered under his breath, sautéing some onions, a cigarette pushed between his lips. His eyes stayed cautiously on Luffy, making sure he didn’t lurch forward for some food.

“We have some questions for you,” Usopp started, keeping the stolen diary a secret for now. Sanji raised a brow, “Questions?” he mused. Luffy sat with his arms folded over his chest, a frown present on his face, “Yeah, questions. Right, Chopper?” he huffed.

“Right!” Chopper nodded beside him, replicating Luffy’s pose. Sanji sighed, “Okay, get on with it then.”

“How close would you say you and (Y/N) are?” Usopp asked, a small notebook coming out from one of his numerous pockets. Sanji continued to move around the kitchen with ease, placing ingredients down on the counter like it was second nature.

“Well, me and (Y/N) are crewmates, so I suppose close.”

“Hooow close?” Luffy huffed, stretching a hand behind the chef to grab something on the counter.

“Damn it, Luffy!” Sanji said, booting the rubber arm away with one swift kick. He quickly straightened up and carried on cooking.

“You make a lot of drinks for (Y/N), isn’t that right?” Usopp questioned, eyebrow arched. Sanji shrugged his shoulders, “I make drinks for many people; I don’t see the problem.”

“You don’t make drinks for me.” Luffy moaned.

“I make you enough!” Sanji shouted, glaring at Luffy from across the counter. Though he still pushed some bread towards the trio. Usopp tapped his chin in deep thought; this wasn’t getting them anywhere. Usopp pulled out the diary again, reading an excerpt.

“His eyes show a deep kindness, his skills completely unmatched. I’ve never met anyone like him before; it’s exhilarating. Every night he does these wonderful things; I’ve never seen anything like that before. Sound familiar?”

“Yeah, you always make things no one has ever seen before!” Chopper shouted out, face stuffed with some bread, “And it’s always sooo good!”

Sanji sighed dreamily, resting his elbows on the counter as steam seemed to come away from his skin, “If that’s what (Y/N) thinks about me, I’ll die happy.”

Code name: Moss Head - Location: Training Room - Time: 1.40pm

“They better not be dumb questions,” Zoro huffed, sitting on his back, lifting some weights into the air as though it was nothing. Usopp strode around him, notebook in hand, “We’ll do the talking here, pal.”

“’His skills completely unmatched’; your fighting style is completely original to you. Although, your eyes don’t really show any kindness.” Usopp mumbled out, getting into Zoro’s face.

Zoro only groaned in reply.

“How close are you to (Y/N)?” Chopper asked, in awe of Zoro. The swordsman placed the weight down and wiped his brow, “(Y/N)? They’re okay, a good fighter.”

“That’s it?” Usopp asked, stunned. He knew Zoro could be a man of few words, but just “They’re okay”? Wow. Zoro shrugged, “What do you want me to say?”

“How about that you like them so much and- and they’re in love with you!” Luffy blurted out, completely unlike him. Everyone in the room was silent, all staring at a sweating Luffy.

“Huh?” Zoro was the first to say anything; Usopp narrowed his eyes at Luffy, slowly shaking his head in disappointment. Zoro stood up, walking over to another section of the training room, “I’m not in love with (Y/N),” he calmly stated.

“H-how do you know?” Luffy stuttered out. God, he was completely out of his element here. Zoro shrugged, “I don’t know; you just sorta know these things. You should ask one of the girls; they’re probably better at this stuff than me.”

Code name: Soul King - Location: Aquarium - Time: 2.00pm

“Yohohooo, It’s nice of you all to join me!” Brook cheered. Luffy and Chopper were glued to the glass, transfixed by the fish. Usopp cleared his throat, “Ahem, yes, well. We’re here on important business, Brook.”

“Oh, I see.” He hummed along.

“How close are you to (Y/N)?” The questions were getting a little too boring for Luffy's taste. Why couldn’t anyone just give him a straightforward answer? Chopper could sense Luffy’s frustration, “Why don’t we just go ask (Y/N)?”

“Are you crazy? They’ll kill us if they find out we read their diary!” Usopp cried out, Brook catching on to what was happening. He shifted in his seat, taking a sip from his tea before continuing, “I see, well actually I don’t have any eyes! Yohohoho!”

Brook turned to Luffy, “Are you jealous of (Y/N) potentially liking someone else?” was all he asked. Luffy tilted his head to the side, “Jealous? Me? No, I-I don’t get jealous,” he hurried out, trying to play it cool.

“What does it feel like to be jealous? Is it something bad? Can I cure it?” Chopper worried, pulling his hat further down his face. Brook laughed, “No, It’s nothing too bad. But if you let it linger, that’s when it infects your whole world.”

“THAT’S NOT CONSIDERED BAD!” Chopper cried. Luffy had never thought about it before; was he jealous? Everyone had a right to like a person, but why was it that when it came to you, something scratched at his throat and clawed at his heart?

Luffy stood up and left the dark room, the bright sunlight burning his eyes a little. A boisterous laugh caught his attention; it was followed by a much quieter laugh- one Luffy would recognise anywhere. Turning the corner, he caught you and Franky, still fishing. Although unlike earlier, Franky had you on his shoulders, almost parading you around.

“Look at this suuppperr catch!” he cheered, with you blushing wildly next to him. Luffy felt that uncomfortable feeling again. He felt it when he found your diary, felt it when he shouted at Zoro, and he felt it when Brook implied there was a possibility you could like anyone other than himself.

Luffy jetted over to you both, a big grin on his face, only he didn’t really mean it this time. If he could frown, he would. But you made it impossibly hard for him; the moment he could hear you in the morning, he would break out into unbridled joy. It was one of the reasons why he liked you, though he could think of countless more.

“Oi, Luffy! Check out this super catch (Y/N) got! It’s gonna feed us for the week!” Franky beamed, holding you on his shoulder while his other hand tugged along a huge fish. If it wasn’t for Franky holding you so close, Luffy would be jumping for joy right now.

“It’s not that big,” you mused, not wanting to show off at all.

And that’s when it clicked for Luffy. The unmatched skill, the kindness in his eyes- he was unlike anyone you had met before because he was a freaking cyborg! It was Franky all along! Franky was the one you liked; you even told Luffy you were hanging out with Franky today. How could he be so stupid! It all made sense. Luffy swallowed his pride, hiding the pain behind a big grin, “Shishishi, well done! I can’t wait for Sanji to cook this for dinner!”

Luffy quickly turned around, about to walk to his cabin when Usopp and Chopper rushed into him, “There you are! We figured it out, we know who (Y/N) likes-”

“Thanks, but you guys are too late. (Y/N) likes Franky.” Luffy solemnly stared at the two, “I think I’m happy for them; they look good together. And, y’know, Franky’s a good guy so..” he trailed off. Usopp stared at Luffy, his jaw practically on the ground, “You’re kidding, right? You’re actually kidding?”

Luffy didn’t reply; he just mooped to his cabin, shuffling one foot at a time.

“HE DID WHAT?” Your voice bellowed out, no longer joyful and smiley. Chopper hid behind your leg, not being able to hold in any more secrets.

“LUFFY!” You screamed out, your captain not even fully making it indoors yet. He stuck his head out from behind the door, catching your eye immediately. He pointed to himself, “Me?” he almost whispered. You nodded your head, “Yeah, you, come here, straw boy.” you panted.

Luffy had never seen you like this before; it was very rare for you to get mad. Annoyed? Sure. But seething with anger? He was in uncharted waters here. By the time he had made it to you, the entire deck had cleared out. Everyone understood what was going down and thought it best to make themselves scarce.

“Do you wanna explain yourself?” Your hands were braced against your hips, your face red with anger. Luffy stuttered, opening his mouth then promptly closing it. Usopp peered from his hiding spot, too curious to miss the moment.

“I-I don’t know what you’re on about.” Luffy said, not truly confident. You heard a faint slapping sound coming from somewhere on the ship. You were truly surprised by his response, assuming he would cough up straight away. You pulled the diary from behind your back, steam coming out of your nose like a bull.

“Oh,” Luffy’s face dropped; the act was up. But part of him was relieved; now he had no choice but to be open with you, no matter how much it hurt.

“Why would you even do such a thing? Does my privacy mean anything to you?” you rambled, but even when you were pissed at him, Luffy thought you were the most beautiful person in the world. You caught his far-off trance, “And Franky of all people, I mean, there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s really nice. But-”

“Wait, you don’t like Franky?” Luffy asked, out of his trance. You sighed, your body relaxing, “No, stupid.”

“B-but the diary, the unmatched skill and kindness and- and you said you’d never met anyone like that before.” Luffy’s voice warbled; he must have looked pathetic right now. But you didn’t think so.

“I was talking about you, Luffy. Your strength is unmatched by anyone; you could be the most feared person in the world, but you’re not. You have this immense kindness to you; you want to help every person that you can, no matter what you’re going through. I truly have never met anyone like you before.” Your anger had now dispersed, replaced with a fondness for your captain.

Luffy stood still for a few minutes; dumbstruck would be the best way to describe him. He tilted his head down; you panicked for a brief moment, thinking you had upset him in some way.

“Luffy, I-”

“Shishishishi!” He cackled, his head lifting up to reveal a huge grin on his face. He stretched out his arms wrapping around your waist a few times until you were pressed firmly against him, “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day!”

He eventually let you go, staring into your eyes, “I like you, I uuh, don’t know if you noticed or not.” he suddenly got sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. You hummed, pulling on both sides of his shirt, “Just a little.” Your breath fanned his lips. Luffy sealed your lips together in an instant, pulling you impossibly close; it was everything you had dreamt it would be and more.

Once you pulled away, Nami approached Luffy from behind, bashing him on the head with her fist. Usopp and Chopper, who were equally bruised, were held in her other hand.

“READING (Y/N)’S DIARY? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU ALL!” her voice boomed out. While Nami dealt with the three troublemakers, Robin and Franky approached you, “I’m glad everything turned out right in the end.” Robin hummed, a teasing smile gracing her lips. You blushed, turning your attention back to the beating in front of you. Franky nudged your arm, leaning down, “What did I tell ya, huh?”

Sanji:

Definitely makes his attraction to you noticeable upon first meeting.

The moment he saw you, he knew you were the one. Practically drooled on the front deck when Luffy introduced you all.

Compared to other members of the crew, the way he feels for you is different. His heart aches when you are close and whines when you move away from him.

His affection for you comes in different ways; he will definitely do over-the-top stunts like big bouquets and presents.

Presents usually consist of whatever he’s seen on an island that reminds him of you; sometimes these can be pretty seashells or jewellery.

Smaller acts he does are cooking your favourite meals or private dances on the back of the ship.

It’s just you and him, swaying in the breeze as the sun sets behind you.

Sanji likes to think he’s very confident, and usually he would be right. But when you do initiate something, he’s at a loss for words.

He gets completely flustered, surprised anyone would do anything like that just for him.

If you give him a flower you saw, he does everything in his power to keep it alive.

He begs Franky and Usopp to come up with some invention that will stop the flower from wilting.

And don’t get me started on if you cooked this man a meal.

It wasn’t very often you got to cook; he always said: “Your hands were too delicate to be doing anything like that.”

But the moment you put that plate in front of him, he is a sniffing, snotty mess. He cries as he eats, no crumbs spared.

If you are on lookout duty, he will often stay up with you. The light from his cigarette illuminates both of your faces.

He doesn’t say anything to the crew when you fall asleep on duty either. He just lets you rest your head against his shoulder and puts his jacket around your arms.

Buggy:

You definitely fell harder for Buggy when you first met. He just thinks of you as another annoyance in his life.

It’s only when you save him in a fight that he starts to pay attention to you.

It wasn’t anything too heroic; you just pushed him out of the way of a bullet, taking the hit yourself.

He called you stupid a few times, saying he could have just moved his body parts around.

But he still makes sure you get the best care and treatment without hassling you for payback.

After that day, Buggy keeps tabs on you.

He swoons when you laugh at his jokes and leaps for joy when you praise his ideas.

He doesn’t know how to react at first, often spluttering out some weak response or insult; but you never took them to heart.

When shit hits the fan after the Straw Hats show up, you stay by Buggy’s side. He’s an embarrassed mess when you worry over him, trying to patch up his injuries.

He comes up with jokes just for you, and doesn’t allow anyone else to hear them.

He appoints you as his number two and doesn’t like sailing out to sea if you aren’t with him.

You don’t know this, but he considers you his good luck charm.

He steals a lot of treasure, often giving you diamonds and gold. If it were anyone else, he would have kept it for himself.

When you officially start your relationship, you initiate a lot more than he does.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to; he just doesn’t know how.

You spend a lot of your time teaching him the ways of a relationship; he’s often embarrassed and cursing, but you’re patient enough to sit with him.

That’s what he likes about you the most, you patience.