"Sanji!" You shot awake in a cold sweat, literally shot awake with the need to jump from the wide inviting bed that enveloped you in warmth and comfort. Only to get thrown back down with a dawning bounce of the head like a hearty punch to the gut. "Ow..." Like a lonely dog, a whimper left your throat. One glance down, a thick, brown, crackling leather belt bound your chest to the mattress, leaving escape impossible. A quick glance around the room and you knew this familiar sight was the sick bay of the Sunny. But to be bound to the bed? This was both a curse and a blessing all wrapped up in one decorative box.

You couldn't help but to fight against the binds, clearly nobody wanted you to escape, there was no reason to stick around if that were indeed the case. This situation reminded you dearly of your time in the clutches of the World Government scientists forcing despair to overcome your frieghtend senses. When Push came to shove, and bite came to chew, the leather belt refused to budge and neither would you. Body was too overcame with fatigue to call upon your devil fruit to lend a hand, a distressed whine leaked from your throat, and a lone tear from your eye.

"Grrr, let me out!" You growled and thrashed about with teeth so tightly clenched together you could hear them crackle and scrape like fingernails against a blackboard. Within the moment, Chopper and Robin sped into the room with relieved looks written all over their once frightened faces. The second you saw them, well, you mimicked their actions and settled down. All so relieved that this wasn't a nightmare after all.

Robin craddled Chopper in her thin arms, sitting the little boy on the bed. "You woke up sooner than expected," Chopper giggled, fiddling with the buckle of your torn leather restraints. He seemed to be having trouble taking them off which was a bit alarming to say the least. Then again, belts were always a tricky object to master. Chopper looked up for a brief second with a sigh, "I just finished up Sanji's surgery-"

"What happened to him!?" You squeaked, knocking the reindeer over after another thrash against the restraints.

"Calm down (Y/n), the Cook is alright," Robin pushed down on your chest to somehow someway soothe you for the better. It wasn't really working though.

"What happened to him, and why am I strapped down?" You rephrased the question to better suit the situation.

"Sanji has some broken ribs, he even punctured his lungs," Chopper explained the situation very briefly and stopped his attempts in releasing you from your binds all together.

"But is he okay and where is he?" You repeated against your will. This was getting nowhere!

"He's sleeping in the dorms, now I belted you down because you were a bit restless in your sleep" Chopper finally answered both of your questions in one response. You let out a long breath that deflated your body like a balloon, Robin and Chopper were pleased with this side of you. You seemed to have understood and find no reason to fight anymore.

"Someone is here to see you," Robin spoke up after a minute of silence, Chopper had finally taken off your restraints, with Robin's help, and you were sitting up rubbing your pained tired eyes. Till finally, you looked up at the woman of wisdom with disinterest

"He, or she," you quickly corrected your own self since you were clueless. "It can wait, I want to pull something together for Sanji while he's recovering," finishing up what was bothering your mind, you swung your legs off to the side to brush up against the cold floorboards. Robin and Chopper were surprised beyond belief to your unexpectedly cold response.

"(Y/n)," Robin stomped her foot. "Sanji can wait, our 'guest' needs your full attention. Clearly you have no idea what happened yesterday, this is a matter of life and death!" You could sense Robin's pure hatred and concern towards you all by the way her tongue snapped and voice deafening. A cold new energy permeates the room. Chopper whimpered, hugging your blanket to his chest and face to hide better than his normal.

Knuckles were cracked, "Fine I'll listen to whoever it is, but I'm cooking something for Sanji either way," you tut and step right past Robin, clashing shoulders. She stumbled forward a step. "And yes," you stop just as you pass the woman, blood boiling beneath your pale skin. "I don't remember half of what happened yesterday. I do remember my brother being an ass and nearly killing Sanji... Anything I should know?" There was a mildly amused snobbish snicker to tickle your throat.

"Your guest will fill you in," Robin sighed, pinching her brow and you left without a sound. Once she knew your presence was zero, she turned towards the door and pouts.

"Its been a while since the last time you two disagreed like that," Chopper announced, peeking his head out from the covers.

"I can't really blame her though Chopper," Robin knelt down and picked up Chopper for a second time. "Wait till she hears what Sabo has to say..."

A quick peek at Sanji, he were sound asleep all tucked in his bed. You could see the exhaustion and pain he was undergoing just by the way he slept. His breathing was deep, the air that entered and exited his nostrils were audible and longly held out with a spacious pause of seconds between breaths. Your lover would twitch occasionally, muscles tense, even his presence felt distant.

Deep down you had to ease yourself into a state of bliss, Sanji just had a surgery, he'll be fine before I know it...

You stepped out of the boys dorm feeling somewhat accomplished, to check in on your lover and know he's doing fine. Now came the next plan of attack. "Sanji loved my cooking, I know I should make him a treat... But what? He's French so maybe I should make a dessert my mom taught me like Crème Brûlée or mousse or- S-Sabo?" You stuttered, never expecting in a million years for the man to meet you in person. The blonde bowed his head, taking his top hat into his hand. You couldn't help but to blink rapidly hoping down to the depths of the earth that his presence was an illusion. But his existence never faded.

"Nice to finally talk to you in person (Y/n)," Sabo started off the conversation so casually. He used to be my enemy, we used to fight until one of us couldn't stand. Well... Most of the time I ran away before things went so south there was no turning back. But why now? Did Robin or Luffy bring him here?

"I wouldn't say that it's nice finally talking to you as friends..." You scratched your arm blindly with riled up nerves. Sabo noticed this reaction like a sore thumb and gave you that recognizable face of concern the crew gave you on a regular basis. "It's a huge change of pace, if you're here, that means nothing good..."

"Well... I guess that's one way to see me," Sabo wore a shy yet clearly awkward grin. "We're now allies, I'd appreciate it if you saw me as friends, if not, then a person you can talk to without a problem," Sabo sounded as if he were bargaining with you with nothing that tickled his fancy nor your own. The Revolutionary was getting somewhere.

"I'm just stating the obvious," you sighed, appreciating his attempts to make a new friend. "If you're here, that means I'm in some sort of trouble... Again," maybe Dragon wants to say a few words, and not any good ones either.

Sabo chuckled. "Well, the crew has already taken matters into their own hands, I explained everything to them this morning. Thought I should at least inform you before I left for good," Sabo admitted that he was here for your exact reason alone, what was the point of denying the inevitable?

"You can tell me while I cook... I'll listen," Sabo was taken back by your response. He never dreamed of the day you'd all so willingly cooperate, that just says how long its been since your last confrontation with him.

"Be my guest," Sabo held out his arm, allowing you to lead the way to the kitchen. You were frowning to his dismay, but you led him to Sanji's domain and begun to dig through the fridge and cabinets for cooking supplies while the blonde took a seat at the counter island taking a gander at his surroundings.

"I must say, this kitchen is well kept. Haven't seen a kitchen so neat," Sabo complimented, which brought a smile upon your face.

"Only Sanji and myself cook in here, he loves cooking more than anything, so you should be thanking him."

"I will," Sabo grinned.

"So..." You sighed, being you had everything to cook and Sabo hasn't spoken a word for quite a while. "What happened yesterday tell that now you're here Sabo? I remember fighting who I thought was my brother. In reality it was a brainwashed soldier in my brother's body."

"That's actually why I'm here," Sabo piped up. "I wasn't around for any of yesterday's events. I was however informed that you took on a beastly form due to the capabilities of your devil fruit and killed your 'brother'. The crew managed to get the situation under control and here we are now," Sabo was strangely upbeat in delivering this news to you, you had to give him a crossed look, blindly cracking eggs into a rubber mixing bowl. "Sound familiar?" Sabo piped up again.

"No..." You trailed off. "But I don't doubt it happened," every single time I allow my devil fruit to take over something horrible happens. Mainly lost limbs...

"Then I should get to the point," Sabo stuck a hand into his nicely pressed blue dress coat, and pulled out a pristine white envelope, holding it just inches from his face, square between his large eyes much similar to Luffy's. "Your brother isnt dead, he is however in critical condition. I myself had interrogated him and got more information than I bargained for," Sabo placed the envelope on the table upon finishing his statement. "This letter contains the information leaked from the questioning and a personal note from Dragon."

You eyed the note, forcing yourself to look away. Shit... I was right, Dragon wants to kill me... "And why do I care? I don't want anything to do with my brother."

"At least you're being honest," Sabo chuckled. "I'm not sure if you realized this with your fight with your brother, but he is just like you, it's why you probably can't recognize him anymore."

"What do you mean 'just like me'? Are you saying that he's an Overdrive just like me?" You growled wishing Sabo never showed his face.

"Overdrive?" Sabo cocked his head. "Is that what you call it?"

"Shit..." You dropped your head on the counter. "That means he is an Overdrive!" You wailed. "It all makes sense! He told me himself that he has an artificial heart... He can play around the time limit rule and I couldn't! And all the mood swings, the hostility, his monster strength that nearly killed Sanji with one kick, EVERYTHING! And here I thought I was the only one..." You paced back and forth, heartbroken. It all made sense, it all made sense, it all made sense! No wonder why he so blindly hurt me and Sanji, he's a brainwashed slave to the government.

"Calm down," Sabo frowned.

"Sorry..." You whimpered, going back to your mixing bowl and followed instructions of a recipe that you had faintly enscribed in your memories. "Tell me the rest, I need the news as soon as possible cause I just want a break, a damn break from life so I can focus on the people around me."

"Your brother leaked the position of your crew," your eyes widened.

"I already knew that-"

"Not this though," Sabo breathed. "The government always had an idea of where Luffy and the crew was because they follow the log pose. But your exact location has been leaked and there is a full scale attack in route to wipe out the Straw Hats, but most importantly retrieve you..."

"As expected," you sighed with a roll of your eyes.

"After that attack on your brother yesterday, the government won't restrain from using your power to end the pirate age if they successfully obtain you... You need to come with me to prevent that from happening," your blood ran cold. "I've already talked this out with Luffy and he agrees to my terms. In the meantime, I gave him an eternal pose to Rev. Headquarters and they'll meet us there in time."

"I'm not abandoning my crew Sabo," you began to tear up. "Especially not when this is my war to be fought!"

Sabo snickers, "your crew did tell me you would say that," he takes a stand.

"I'm not going with you Sabo," you repeated. "And if I do, we're taking Sanji with us. He can't fight, no way in hell he can after the surgery he just had."

"I know," he smiles loud and proud. "Since we're all going to the same place, I may as well stay here for the journey," Sabo stripped himself of his suit jacket and gloves, setting them over the backs of a chair. Rolling up the sleeves to his neat button down shirt. "Need a helper in here (Y/n)?" Sabo asked taking a place at your side.

You managed to grin, all along Sabo was on my side. "Its been a few years since the last time I've baked."

-----

Two days later, nothing had changed all that much. It took multiple tries at baking your desert of choice since your childhood recipe was nothing but a faint memory and nothing seemed to taste right. Which resulted in what was more than likely a butchered recipe.

Sanji has been sleeping non-stop, everytime he awoke, he fell right back asleep. Chopper expected the opposite. Sanji to be awake and walking around meanwhile you would be sleeping for days on end. You couldn't disagree, mental exhaustion is worse than physical exhaustion.

In the meantime, Luffy was catching up with Sabo, which was rather sweet. And to your surprise, Kid finally agreed to join the crew for good. When he helped the crew during the time you were attacking everything without rhyme or reason, it opened his eyes that being a part of this crew wasn't all that bad. He's made good friends with Franky and he can tinker to his hearts content. In all honestly though, he was waiting for his crew to come crawling back to him. Its been over a month however, and no hi nor hair has been seen of them, and no where else to go. It didn't leave many options.

Then there was you, besides the cooking, you got around to reading that note from Dragon. At first it was an 'I told you so' letter, saying you should've joined the Revolutionary Army at the beginning and you wouldn't be all caught up in this mess if you would've done so. Then it turned into something sweet, Dragon was proud that you've changed for the better, he was particularly impressed that you ended up on his son's crew and now were a Revolutionary. Dragon expected Luffy to turn you down and turn you in for how horrible of a person you once were, even then, Luffy was a man of miracles. For crying out loud, the day you both met, you slaughtered 30 men in front of him and yet he still wanted you on his crew.

"(Y/n)," You snapped your head to the man with moss hair. "He's up," Zoro stepped out of the boys dorm. You perked up.

"Is he up up?" You emphasized the up to ask if he were awake or ready to tackle the day awake. Both awakes meant two completely different things.

"Curly brow did argue with me," Zoro rolled his eye and stepped away. You squealled with happiness and charged into the boys dorm in full swing. The second you entered, oh, you saw Sanji light up like a firework with that cool smirk he always wore.

"I'm happy you're okay!" You ran up to him, you knew better than to tackle him into a hug knowing his condition. Sanji expected a different response or that hug you knew better than to execute. So he sat up more in the bed, and pets your cheek with his hand.

"Zoro told me how you were checking in on me often and cooking with Luffy's brother... Looking at you now compared to when we first met," Sanji paused, smiling more and more. You awaited his response with butterflies ripping at your stomach lining. "You're an angel compared to then... And I love you so much."

"Even after seeing me as a monster? I thought you'd be scared of me or-"

"You became that shadowy mess of a monster to save me (Y/n), if anything I love you more than I had then," Sanji leaned forwards, pressing his lips to your cheek. Such a warm sweet kiss that you treasured more than any other kiss he's given you. When he pulled back, you wantes to pull him back.

"I never even asked for you to love me yet here we are now," you giggled.

"I'm surprised Law didn't snatch you up when he had the chance," Sanji pulled you to him, lying you down in his lap, which was so unexpected.

"You're still stuck on the Law thing?" You giggled again, unable to help it. Sanji gets more jealous than a teenage girl.

"Could you blame me?" Sanji snickered. "He's probably closer to you than me, and by the way he spoke to me before you left for a few months he spoke like a boyfriend or protective brother."

"Nah, he's just fed up with me," you waved your hand lazily. "Law just wants me in good hands so that I don't end up crawling back to him."

"I find that hard to believe," Sanji tuts.

"Fine... Want the truth?"

"What!?" Sanji jumped at your question. You chuckled snuggling into his chest.

"We kissed... A few times... Nothing like what Kid and I have done-"

Sanji pressed a hand to your mouth. "I keep forgetting about you and Kid, now I have images of Law and Kid stuck in my head and I don't need any more than I have," you snickered, licking Sanji's hand, he retracted his hand greatly with disgust.

"I love you Sanji," you sang.

"Love you too," Sanji tried to say sweetly but was still too grossed out by your childish acts.

"I got something for you," you hummed, reaching over Sanji to grab at a bag beneath his bed, once your fingers brushed the slick fabric, you pulled it out and plopped it on the bed. "I tried to make something special, but I failed at everything so me and Sabo settled on cookies," you pout, letting Sanji open up the pale and the sweet smell of half baked cookies filled the air. Sanji sniffed the air, and hummed with delight.

"I adore what you made me anyways," Sanji hugged you loosely with one arm, taking one cookie into his hand. "Let's eat together," you grinned, stealing the cookie he had by taking a big bite right out of it. He was amazed to say the least. "I didn't mean eat mine you cookie monster!"

-----

"Oh my!" Luffy beamed. "Is that the base?" Your Captain turned to Sabo with stars in his eyes for the Sunny sailed towards what looked to be a desolate island of rock formations.

Sabo snickered, throwing on his suit coat. "She may not look like much, but I call her home."

"I can finally talk to Dragon again in person," you were antsy to dock on the island, Sanji took to your side, kissing your cheek.

"Looks like we escaped the war-" Sanji backed away. "(Y-Y/n)?" You were pale as a ghost, clutching onto your chest. There was a sharp pain penetrating your spine, heart lurching in response.

"H-heart attack," you whimpered. "Help..." Blood erupted from your mouth. Just like All Might. Like your spirit had left your body, you fell forwards.

"(Y/n)!" Sanji caught you just before you could hit the floor. He almost fell with you, having a problem getting a grip on your limp body. Crimson dribbled from your mouth to the grass of the Sunny.

You were out cold.

Kishishishishishishiii!!!

Everyone's blood ran cold. Everyone has heard that laugh before. That damned high pitched laugh that made everyone's ears bleed.

Sanji's blood boiled, he grit his teeth, lying you down on the deck with short breaths. They all turned around. A white monstrous being, towering over everything the eye can see dressed in the most ridiculous of clothing wore a bone chilling grimace. A wriggling shadow gripped tightly in his hand.

"Missed me you assholes? Shishishishishi!"

I think the next chapter is the last, its so hard to believe that I've been working on this book for half a year, this was such a fun experience!