Chapter Text
There was only so long a person could lay in their bunk staring into the darkness before giving up on going back to sleep for that night. With his mind made up, Sanji silently got out of bed making his way to the galley where he could at least do something if he was going to be awake. As he passed through the galley door he felt a strong pull from his chest causing him to stumble forward. He immediately righted himself looking for a threat. His Haki couldn't sense anyone other than Zoro in the crows nest and the rest of the crew still sleeping in their respective bunk rooms. He let out a breath and started preparing some green tea for himself and a black tea for Zoro. He huffed as he got the tea bags, some things in the pantry out of order and while a small annoyance it mean that someone other then him had been messing around in there. He quickly fixed them, reminding himself to yell at Luffy once he had gotten up.
With the tea ready and grabbed some crackers setting everything up on a tray and heading up to the crows nest. He opened the hatch, setting the trey down so he could climb up the last bit of the ladder. “Hey mosshead, I was awake so I graciously decided to bring you up a snack and some tea” he carefully slid the trey over to Zoro with a small smirk on his face. This…thing between them was new. Not the teasing or fighting but the soft moments in between. Where after a fight instead of them stomping away they would sit down on the lawn shoulder to shoulder, Sanji smoking his cigarette and Zoro meditating. Instead of Sanji kicking Zoro in the head to get him to bathe he would simply grab the idiot's arm and pull him to the bathroom with him. Instead of Sanji sitting in the galley at night knowing Zoros on watch he would make a snack and head up there with him. That was new.
After a few seconds without a response he looked at Zoro ready to insult him but the look on his face made him pause. It was a look he had never seen on Zoro before, intense grief. Before Sanji could ask what happened Zoro seemed to get his bearings he stood up and in an instant the blade of Wado was up against Sanji’s neck.
“What the hell you idiot!?” Sanji yelled, leaning his head away from the blade. He looked back at Zoro who now instead of a look of grief was staring at him with pure rage. He'd only seen Zoro look at people this way a few times, against enemies he couldn't hide his disdain for, and now that look was turned back against him. Sanji frowned as Zoro stood perfectly still not pulling the blade away. He searched Zoro's face trying to find an explanation and that's when he noticed the giant scar covering Zoro’s right eye.
His eyes widened, “what happened?” He asked taking a step forward trying to reach out to his face. Zoro let out a deep growl pressing the sword against his neck again once again, “don't fucking move, I don't know who you are but you aren't Sanji” he said his face pulling into a snarl. Sanji stared at him baffled, there was no way Zoro believed he wasn't him. Who else would he be!?
“And how the hell do I know you're Zoro!? Zoro has both his damn eyes!” Sanji yelled, getting ready for a fight. This definitely wasn't Zoro now that he got a closer look. Other than the scar this ‘Zoro’ was bigger, taller and more muscled. He had scars going up and down his arms that Sanji didn't recognize. Even his aura was different, his Zoro was filled with easy confidence and this imposter seemed somber. Sanji reached into his jacket pocket pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. This action seemed to break the staring contest Zoro was having with Sanji and his hand reached out trying to snatch the lighter from him. Sanji took that moment to duck away jumping down from the crows nest to the floor of the sunny. He hesitated a second before running to the boys bunk room.
“Luffy! Get up! We're under attack!” He yelled. He saw Luffy shoot you from his bunk as Zoro’s footsteps got closer and closer behind him. He tried to dodge but ‘Zoro’ was faster, landing a blow on the back of his head causing him to pass out before he even hit the floor. ________________________
Sanji groaned softly when he awoke, he moved to try and rub at his head but quickly found that he couldn't move his arms. His eyes shot open taking in his surroundings as he remembered what had happened last night. He was tied sitting down to the main mast. A long rope wrapped multiple times around his chest and arms to keep him in place. Around him stood all his crew mates except…they were different, Nami and Usopp’s hair was longer. Luffy had some horrific scar on his chest, Chopper had a new hat. There were people he didn't recognize scattered around too. Once they realized he was awake Luffy took a step forward, a deep frown on his face.
“Who are you?” He asked the brim of his head covering his eyes. Luffy was bigger too, his shoulders broader than Sanji remembered. No longer just thin he was imposing. Sanji let out a noise between a scoff and a whine, “I don't understand what's happening- someone tell me what the hell is going on!” He yelled trying to struggle out of the ropes even though he knew it would be pointless. It was a few seconds later that Franky walked onto the lawn, a frown on his face, “hey bros- I looked at the lighter he was carrying. It doesn't make any sense, they're identical. And I don't mean they were made by the same person. I mean not even I could make something with this SUPER level of detail and have it be exactly the same twice. It also has the same small scratch on the side…” he said.
It was…odd seeing Franky this subdued. Normally he was louder and brighter than anyone on the crew. Zoro walked over to him, taking the lighter Franky offered him, trusting him to be able to remember which was which. He stomped over to Sanji, kneeling down in front of him with a sneer. “You better tell me who you are and what you're trying to accomplish because I'm about five minutes away from killing your ass for having the nerve to pretend to be my dead husband.”
And suddenly Sanji couldn't breathe. Dead? DEAD!? What the hell did he mean dead!? Sanji was very much alive thank you! Of course he was alive! He was here- breathing and feeling and thinking, and husband?! Sanji wasn't Zoro’s husband. They hadn't even put a name to…whatever it was they had going on! He could feel the panic build up inside him. He looked up at Zoro, his bravado dripping for the first time that night, “...dead?”