#roronoa tera

-

The throne room is grand and over the top. The marble floor sparkles, as if made of glass, the pillars holding banners with the numbers 66 on them.

Further into the room, at the very center of a grand dais is King Judge's throne, massive and regal. On a lower dais, on either side are smaller thrones for his children. In order of their births and their right to the throne: Reiju and Ichiji on one side, Niji and Sanji and Yonji on the other.

This is where Sanji is now, siting in place and looking a the grand oak doors as if they'll be opened any moment now with the royal family of Shimotsuki passing through. He truly just wants to get this over with.

"I hear they have a princess," Yonji snickers. "Ya think they wanna offer a marriage pact?"

"Pfft, no," Niji scoffs. "Father would never marry any of us off." Then he blinks, turning ice-blue eyes towards Sanji. All five of them have blue eyes, inherited from their late mother, but Niji's are far the paler, icier ones. To match his awful personality, perhaps. "Well, maybe Sanji's the exception. Since he's useless."

Yonji laughs at this, as he always does.

Sanji feels the tip of his ears heat with embarrassment. He's useless because he's not very good at wielding a sword yet and his hand to hand combat though a little better than swordfighting is not as up to speed as the King wants it to be. How can he lead one of their military factions if he cannot fight? Useless, that's what he's been labeled as.

"Hush," the King calls just as the grand doors are opened and the herald scurries in to announce the Royal family of Shimotsuki.

In walks in a man with hair a darker shade of blue than Niji's, and gray eyes. The woman next to him has her hair in a neat and simple up-do. And the children that walk on either of their sides look less than pleased to be here.

King Judge rises and, so, the princess and the princes do as well.

"Your Majesty," the blue haired man greets with a deep bow. His smile is slow and easy and Sanji thinks he wants to be able to smile like that some day. Be charming, like this. "And all Your Highnesses, I am pleased to be in your presence."

"King Arashi," Judge greets with a bow not as deep or truthful as his counterpart. "It calms my nerves to see you and your family arrive well and good despite the weather."

King Arashi's smile is still intact, it crinkles the corner of his eyes. He's younger than Sanji's father but he already looks to be more of a man than him. Not that Sanji will ever say this aloud, not that he should be having thoughts like these. But Arashi's presence is soothing and it makes Sanji feel brave.

"Please," Arashi says, shifting to grab his wife's hand and pulling her forward. "You remember my wife? Queen Tera? And these are Princess Kuina and Prince Zoro."

"Yes," Judge says slowly, looking down at them with half lidded eyes. "Of course. Welcome to Germa, Your Majesty." He looks at the children. "Your Highnesses."

Queen Tera bows. "I am humbled by your welcome. I still ache at being unable to join you in your pain for your wife's departing."

Judge is being extra nice, Sanji takes note. He must want something from them; usually, his father is a bit of a jerk to anyone that isn't himself or his favored children. And even then sometimes he has no such patience for the princes.

"Thank you," Judge says evenly.

Shimotsuki's royal family aren't dressed for this weather. They wear leathers and armor and capes, sure, but Sanji thinks they'll need furs to deal with the never-ending cold.

Judge steps down from his throne and heads to them, placing a large hand on Arashi's shoulder and leading him back towards the way they came. What was the point of this, then, Sanji wonders with a hidden roll of his eyes.

His dad had probably just wanted to show off his throne room so he can be perceived in the exact way he wants. As rich, as powerful.

"Come, some of the help can show your wife to your chambers while you and I can start discussion, what say you?" Judge is saying as he leads them out. "The children can be shown around by Sanji. My other children have pending appointments to attend to but Sanji should be free."

That's the last Sanji hears before all three adults exit the throne room and all that's left inside are a bunch of children.

Princess Kuina crosses her arms in front of her chest as she sizes them all up. Her hair is short and dark, her eyes the color of steel. She's taller than the boy, who's also frowning at them in a similar pose as her. He can't tell if they're siblings or not, despite Arashi calling them the prince and princess.

"Hello," Sanji chirps, smiling at them. He figures someone has to break the ice.

Kuina tilts her head to the side. Her skirt is a deep blue and reaches her knees, showing the top of her snow-wet boots. "You're Prince Sanji, I suppose?"

Niji, next to him, scoffs. "Sure is, 'cuz it sure ain't any of us. That'd be offensive of you to assume."

"I don't remember her talking to you, though," Prince Zoro finally says with a sneer.

Kuina places a hand on his shoulder and, though he still looks annoyed, he relents.

"Do you want a problem?" Niji asks, tilting his head.

But before Zoro can say anything, Ichiji starts to move down the dais. "Enough of this. Father's right: we have somewhere to be. Let's go."

"Yeah," Yonji says snickering. "We have actual training to do. Something Sanji doesn't get, since he sucks. That's why he'll be with the two of you."

Sanji feels his face heat up, looking down at the marble dais and listening to his brothers make their way out. He feels the hand Reiju places on his shoulder. It's meant to be reassuring, but it just makes his belly hurt.

"It's a pleasure to meet the two of you," she says to Kuina and Zoro. "My brother will be very helpful with any questions you may have."

And with that, the rest of the Vinsmoke children leave the throne room and Sanji is left with the Shimotsuki heirs.

-

"Why would you let them talk to you like that?" Zoro finally asks after a silent walk out the throne room and through the main grand halls.

"Zoro," Kuina says, looking at him with an expression that communicates something to him and only him.

But this time Zoro doesn't back down. His hair is a mess of green spikes, made messier by the silver circlet around his head. He wears shoulder armor and arm-guards over his leathers and he has a sword sheathed at his side. He looks like he's Sanji's age.

"I'd knock his teeth in," he grumbles, gray eyes narrowed.

"Forgive him," Kuina says, a small smile on her lips. "He can be very passionate about bullying."

"Tch," Zoro scoffs.

Sanji can only stare at them, his hands clasped behind his back and under his fur so no one can be able to see them shake. To them, he tries to give them his most winning smile, remembering Arashi and his charming expression and trying to replicate it. They must be used to that, though, considering they live with him.

"Niji and Yonji are always like that," he says, trying to laugh it off. "You get used to it."

It seems to be the wrong thing to say because now even Kuina looks at him with an incredulous expression.

Sanji starts to lead them towards the gardens, knowing he won't really be able to take them outside but also wanting to be near freedom even if it's only metaphorically. Kuina and Zoro follow after him quietly.

"What is Shimotsuki like?" he asks, quick to change the subject now that the chance has presented itself.

He looks over his shoulder at them, Kuina's staring right at him with a placid expression but shimmering eyes. Zoro is staring out the wall of windows, still looking annoyed. Sanji's starting to wonder if that's just how he looks; an angry puff of moss.

"Shimotsuki is by the sea," Kuina says, "so it's very chilly. But definitely not like this."

Sanji laughs a little at this. "Does it snow?"

"Not every winter, but yes," she says smiling at him. "Does it snow often here?"

"Yeah," he sighs. "Makes it hard to go outside."

"Just go outside," Zoro mutters. Then, he looks up at him, his eyes narrowed again. "Why do your eyebrows look like that?"

"Why does your face look like that?" Sanji quickly retorts. "And your hair. You're like a sentient mold."

"Sure, whatever, twirly-brow," Zoro responds, lifting a hand up to make a curl in the air with his finger. "Weird, curly brow dummy."

Kuina smacks the back of her hand against his arm but Zoro only snickers evilly to himself. Sanji doesn't feel hurt like whenever his brothers say mean things to him. This is like fire to the fuel inside him. This just makes him want to match Zoro word for word and see who gets the last insult.

His attention shifts to Kuina.

Maybe not in front of a lady, though.

-

Zoro and Kuina are not siblings, but they're cousins. Kuina's parents had been the King and Queen before they died in an awful accident on their way to Dressrosa. So while Kuina's the next queen in line based on lineage, Arashi and Tera, Zoro's parents, have taken the throne until she comes of age.

Dinner that first night is overstimulating.

All the children are sat at a table together, with Zoro and Niji throwing threatening glares at each other and Yonji egging Niji on to continue his verbal abuse towards Sanji. Kuina and Reiju, seeming to be the older ones, tried to placate the whole thing while Sanji tried to make himself as small as humanly possible.

It's all Sanji can do but sigh long and hard once he's alone in his chambers again. He's divested from his princely clothes and now wears his soft bed-clothes, sitting at the couch on one of the corners of rooms.

He's always felt like his chambers are too big for him. And he's always wondered how he can feel so claustrophobic with so much space around him.

He sighs, picking up the worn-down cook book he likes to look at. He skims the recipe to a simple plate of rice and curry, remembering it being the last thing he'd tried to make for his mother before she died the year prior.

He doesn't try to go to the kitchens anymore; before, though it incensed his father, his mother had made it so he wouldn't get in trouble. Sanji can only wonder what Judge would do to him now if he ever finds him in the kitchens with the chefs.

His door is pushed open and Sanji hugs the book to his chest and stares, wide-eyed, at who could possibly be coming in. It's usually Reiju, but she only ever comes after his brothers have beat him up, with concealed bandages and ointments to help him.

It's Zoro.

He stands there, dressed in sleeping shorts and a shirt. Not warm enough for Germa, Sanji thinks. Zoro comes in, closing the doors behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Zoro asks, looking at him accusingly.

Sanji opens and closes his mouth, looking around his chambers, as if he'll find the answer as to what is happening right now.

"This is my.... bedchamber?" he says, but comes out as a question.

Zoro looks around the rooms as well, a look of pure confusion on his face. "What the--- are you sure?"

"Yes....?"

Is he... lost?

After dinner, Zoro and Kuina had been shown to their chambers by the maids, each of them having a room in the same wing their parents are in. That's way on the east wing, though, on the other side of the palace from Sanji's room.

"Are you lost?" he asks him and that seems to make Zoro very annoyed.

"Of course not!" He moves further into the room, looking down at the fur carpeting on the ground between his bed and the space that makes up his den where most of his entertainment, his clothing chests and the space where he's dressed are. "I meant to come here."

"Right." Sanji rolls his eyes. Yeah, he's definitely lost. "You realize your chambers are in the east wing?"

"Duh," Zoro says, finally close enough so that he can sit on the couch with him. "To get there I just have to turn east."

"Wait," Sanji blinks, "what?"

Zoro side-eyes him, like he doesn't get what's so hard to understand about what he said. "To get to my chambers, in the east wing: turn east."

"I mean... sure? But you have to go up the grand staircase and towards the bedchamber sector."

"Yeah," Zoro agrees.

He's definitely lost.

"Anyway," Sanji says, giving up and deciding he'll just walk him back when the time is right. "Why are you out and about?"

Zoro shrugs a shoulder. "Don't really like sleeping in places I don't know."

"I've never been anywhere else," Sanji admits with a sigh. "Father usually takes Reiju or Ichiji."

"Oh, so that nasty one doesn't get to go anywhere either? Cool." Zoro dips down to look at the title of the cook book still in Sanji's hands and against his chest. "You really need to beat him up."

"I'd rather not get in trouble," Sanji says, lifting the book for Zoro to better inspect it. "Niji would also beat me up easily if I ever tried that. Especially since the other two would join him."

Zoro's nose wrinkles. "That's not a fair fight at all."

"No," Sanji agrees. "But I'm also not very strong."

Zoro grabs Sanji's wrist and lifts his arm, looking at it like searching for something specific. First of all, Sanji thinks, what the heck how dare he? He's so straightforward!

"You don't have muscles," he finally says, stating the obvious.

"Neither do you," Sanji scoffs.

Zoro scoffs right back and flexes his arm, lifting his sleeve to show his arm. There's definitely not any muscles there either but Sanji sees the firmness all the same. Of course he trains, he even carries a sword with him!

"You should train so you can beat them up," Zoro says, punching his fist into his other hand. "Don't be a wuss, curly-brow."

"Don't call me that," Sanji snaps and shoves Zoro.

He regrets it for just one second before he's shoved back by Zoro. It starts a shoving match that quickly turns to them wrestling each other all over the length of the couch and down to the fur carpets.

This is nothing like what he endures with his brothers. Zoro isn't trying to hurt him, but rather is just being playful. Sanji's never experienced this and he laughs when Zoro puts him in a headlock that's firm but loose enough for him to break out of.

By the end, they're both breathing hard, clothes rumpled and hair disheveled. Sanji looks at Zoro, the sweat on his forehead, as he lies star-fished on top of the furs on the ground.

"That was fun," Sanji admits before he can catch himself.

Zoro turns to him, still breathing hard. "Yeah. You've never wrestled before? For fun?"

Sanji shakes his head.

"I wrestle my dad all the time," Zoro says, "And Kuina."

Sanji tries to envision himself doing something similar with Judge or Reiju and all he feels is his belly flip with discomfort. He grows envious of the easy life Zoro seems to live. He's fierce and confident while Sanji hides his smart mouth behind a wall to keep himself safe and unseen for as long as possible.

Zoro moves so he's kneeling in front of him, resting his upper body against the couch. He locks his gray eyes with Sanji's blue ones, his expression unreadable even for an eight year old.

"I can teach you some cool moves," he tells him. "Before I leave. So you can punch your dumb brothers."

Sanji's heart does a weird thing and he feels his face grow warm. Zoro has freckles just a shade darker than his tanned skintone so they're hard to see unless close up. His eyelashes are thick and a shade of emerald green and this close he sees silver and gold in his gray eyes. He's... pretty....

"I... I don't know if that'd be a good idea," he says and Zoro shakes his head.

"C'mon, curly-brow," he insists. "You gotta show them you're strong so they can shut up. And punch their mouths so they can really shut up."

Sanji looks down at his cook book, chewing on his lower lip. He looks back at Zoro, who seems to have caught the fading bruise on his eye, left bare by their earlier playful fighting. Sanji quickly finger brushes his fringe back over it, cheeks growing warmer than before.

"Okay," he says.

Zoro's smile is crooked and it pushes a dimple right on his cheek.

-

They're out in the courtyards, him and Zoro and Kuina. It's not actively snowing but the grounds are filled with white snow, some melting but most thick and clumped.

Kuina has her hands crossed in front of her chest, watching Zoro's form as he curls his hands into fists and gets into a stance. She walks around him, inspecting, and nods when satisfied. They both turn to Sanji who's looking at them with a troubled expression.

He just feels wrong fighting with his hands. It doesn't feel like it's his style; he doesn't know what his style even is but he doesn't think it's this.

Still, Sanji mimics Zoro's form, curling his hands into fists and bending his knees in a stance. When Kuina circles him, she moves his elbow this way, bends one knee more, kicks her boot to his so he shifts his foot.

"Good," Kuina says when she's satisfied. She turns to her cousin her expression turning more suspicious. "Don't hurt him, Zoro. We don't need to cause trouble to whatever Uncle Arashi and Aunt Tera are doing here."

"Yeah, yeah," Zoro says, waving her off. He quickly falls back into his stance.

When he punches Sanji, it hurts. Annoyed as hell, Sanji ignores the pain and throws a fist of his own, catching Zoro at the point of his chin.

"Try to actually aim at me," Zoro says though he rubs at the bit of redness where one of Sanji's knuckles connected.

Sanji growls and throws another punch, catching Zoro at the center of his chest. The other boy lets out a soft oof but he laughs all the same. Like he's approving of it.

"Yeah, like that," Zoro says, grinning wildly. "Pretend I'm the blue-haired loser."

"Niji," Kuina provides, rolling her eyes. She turns to Sanji. "Don't stop after one punch, Sanji. After one, throw the other and then the other again. You don't want to give him a chance to attack back."

Right, Sanji thinks, sighing dreamily at Kuina. Like Zoro, she's tanned with freckles. Despite not being siblings, they do look a bit alike if Zoro's green hair isn't taken into account. She's lovely, Sanji thinks as he bats his eyelashes in her direction.

He's promptly punched.

Zoro looks annoyed. It's probably because Sanji hadn't been paying attention. Now really frustrated, Sanji lets out a battle cry and starts to attack Zoro. Some of his punches miss, some Zoro blocks or smacks away but there are quite a few that make mark.

They fall to the snowy ground, Sanji straddling Zoro as he continues his onslaught. He only stops when he realizes Zoro's not fighting back, rather, he's grinning up at him.

"What?" Sanji demands. "Why are you being so weird!"

"See? You can totally fight them," Zoro says with a laugh, pushing him off. "Just do that, what you just did."

Sanji looks at Kuina, her hands on her hips and a similar smile on her lips.

-

Zoro shows up in his bedchambers again and Sanji wonders if this time it's on purpose rather than his lack of direction.

He sits on the furs, in front of Sanji, his eyes on the cook book again. He doesn't speak for a while and Sanji has really come to enjoy Zoro's company, despite sometimes wanting to throttle him, so he lets the silence be.

He turns the page to a simple salmon dish, reading over the ingredient list and then the author's blurb of the meal, the taste, the pairing of side dishes and drinks. Sanji really enjoys the blurbs.

"You like to cook?" Zoro asks, head tilted, hands on his bent knees.

"Mhmm," Sanji hums, closing the book and deciding it's a little rude to read while he has a visitor. "But I'm not allowed to. Father would punish me if he ever finds me down in the kitchens."

He watches the slow way Zoro's nose wrinkles like it does when he doesn't approve of something.

"Have you ever cooked?"

"For my mother," Sanji says, a pang of sadness shooting right into his heart. "She passed away last year. Your father was here for her funeral."

Zoro gives a slow nod, looking around the chambers. "So why did you cook then and not now?"

"Mother wouldn't allow Father to punish me," Sanji tells him. "Now that she's gone, there's no one to stop him."

Zoro clicks his tongue against his teeth. "If you like something, you should be allowed to do it. Your father is dumb. Like your brothers."

Sanji feels both a little nervous and a little brave at Zoro's words. Also a lot vindicated. He just says whatever he wants without care for the consequences. Sanji promises he'll try to be the same soon.

"What do you like to do?" Sanji asks, tilting his head.

Zoro looks at him then, tuffs of green hair falling over his forehead. He seems to have washed his hair not long ago.

"I like to train with my sword," Zoro says, shrugging. "I practice with my mother and Kuina. I used to practice with my father but he's busy with Kingly stuff."

"When did your father become king?"

Zoro pokes one of his pinkie fingers in his ear. "Kuina's parents died when I was four. Kuina'd been five. So.... four years now."

No wonder Kuina doesn't look like she's grieving anymore. She must still feel the loss, Sanji thinks, but she seems to have overcome the devastation. She looks well loved and taken care of by Zoro's parents, too, if what Sanji's seen during meals is anything to go by.

"What else do you do?" he asks, wanting to know as much as he can about Zoro. He supposes they're friends now, so it's only right.

Zoro looks thoughtful for a moment, throwing himself back and lying down to look up at the ceiling. "Dunno. I guess I like to nap. And I like to sometimes ride my horse. Her name is Onigiri."

"Onigiri?" Sanji repeats, laughing. "That's so adorable!"

Zoro rolls his eyes. "She's all black and has a triangle-like spot right on her forehead. It seemed like a good idea!"

Sanji laughs more, wishing he could see Onigiri and see for himself if the spot actually does look like an onigiri. Zoro sits up a bit, supporting his upper weight with his elbows. He watches Sanji laugh for a moment, disbelieving snickers escaping him too.

-

Zoro visiting him in his chambers becomes a ritual for the remainder of his trip in Germa. It creeps up on Sanji, how much he enjoys and looks forwards to it.

They talk about dumb things and smart things and serious things and funny things. Zoro tells him about Shimotsuki and how much he hopes he never has to rule because it sounds like too much work. In turn, Sanji tells him he wants to see the rest of the continent and tells him about a rumor he's heard about a sea called All Blue. And he wants to so desperately find it.

He thinks Zoro will laugh at him for believing in stuff like that. But instead, Zoro sits up and tells him he should. And then he adds that he'll join him too, whenever he decides to go.

It'd left Sanji lightheaded.

One day, Zoro punches Niji when the former catches the latter sneaking a punch to Sanji's gut. Zoro'd been furious, lunging for Sanji's brother and then throwing fist after fist.

Luckily, their parents weren't around and it'd taken most of them to get Zoro off the other boy. And when Yonji made to go and attack a contained Zoro, Kuina'd stepped in and had promised pain if he so much as touched a single one of Zoro's dumb green hair.

It'd been a big commotion and Sanji had felt horrible both because of the punch to the gut and because he had two other people fight his battles. Reiju had come to see him, like she always did after he'd been attacked, but Sanji hadn't been up for visitors.

Now, he listens to the doors open and shut and he wants nothing more than to be left alone. He listens to the footsteps come close, feels a dip on the bed.

"I'm sorry."

It's Zoro.

Sanji lurches up, blue eyes wide. Something tells him Zoro isn't one to apologize often. "Zoro..."

His shoulders are hunched, like he's ashamed. Sanji really doesn't want Zoro to be ashamed of anything; it's not him at all and he doesn't want him to start to be like this for Sanji's sake.

"I lost my cool," Zoro admits. "When I saw that jerk hit you. I shouldn't fight your battles, that's what Kuina said. And it's true, I shouldn't. And I won't." He turns to him then, his gray eyes clear with his sincerity. "But I don't think that's what I was doing. I won't fight your battles, but I will defend you when you're treated bad in front of me."

-

-

-

Sanji is eight years old when he's pretty sure he falls in love with an idiot boy with green hair and a dimpled smile.

He doesn't get to see Zoro after that visit ever again because one day the palace of the Shimotsuki royals is invaded and no one survives. So they say.

Sanji is left heartbroken and he grows up bitter and alone with desires to see the rest of the continent and chase after a myth of a beautiful sea. But no one to go with.

Gassmoke:

Two gay evil scientists. Need I say more? They definitely fell in love during their MADS days. Look at this picture and tell me it doesn't like like a wedding.

No two assholes have deserved each other more.

They got married 💜💛