Politically Correct Ch. 18
You guys, just FYI. There's a cafe in Osaka called "All Blue" with One Piece flags flying all over the place. JUST FYI.
Also, one day I will actually proof-read, but today is not that day.
Title: Politically Correct
Rating: T
Word Count: 2,473
Pairing: Zoro x Sanji
Summary: AU set in the San Francisco Bay Area Nami has decided that she's tired of Sanji constantly chasing after girls only to be taken advantage of & decides to take a more active role in Sanji committing to a Real Relationship.
Disclaimer: One Piece = Eiichiro Oda =/= me.
Notes: Meant to get this out over the weekend, but got caught up in actually making an outline for the rest of the story. The most I can say is that there should beat least 2 or 3 more chapters left, but probably not much more.
Thanks so much for the continued feedback, you guys. I know I've been total shit about updating this and the fact that so many of you are still hanging around thrills me to no end. If it weren't for you guys, this story might still be hanging out on the back-burner.
Do enjoy!
[Previous Chapters]
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Fire alarms were blaring and emergency sprinklers had sputtered on. Sanji bit back a groan as he pulled himself to his feet, brushing off the bits of rubble caught in the folds of his clothes. The sound of coughing from behind him finally registered despite the ringing in his ears from the explosion and the cacophonous alarms. Sanji quickly found the source of the coughs and knelt down, offering a hand as support. Nami took his hand gratefully, her ginger hair barely visible through the amount of dust that had settled over it. Sanji squinted through the still present haze of dust in an attempt to confirm that she wasn't visibly injured. His assessment was cut short as he was suddenly jerked backwards by a rough hand that had grabbed hold of his collar.
"Fucking shit," Sanji coughed out, immediately chastising himself for not being more aware of his surroundings, ceiling collapse be damned. But then the grip on his collar went limp behind him and the bulky body of his attacker crashed to the ground. A dirt-streaked Vivi stood just behind, proudly wielding one of the snapped off legs of the table that Sanji had re-purposed as a makeshift barrier before Usopp had set off his bomb. "Oh, my princess you are gorgeous, but," Sanji paused to crush his foot down hard onto the hand of the fallen assailant, which had been inching towards his gun holster, "I'd prefer it if you didn't risk injuring your soft hands by taking down worthless scum."
"It was hardly a risk, Sanji." Vivi's bright eyes smiled at him. "I may have a bodyguard, but I've also been trained in self-defense." Vivi tensed at the sound of rubble shifting under running feet behind her.
Before Vivi could turn around to face whoever was heading her way, Sanji stepped in front of her. Throwing a wink over his shoulder he said, "While knowing that may set my mind at ease, I'd still rather you not have to prove it."
Sanji focused his attention on the space in front of them, listening carefully for the quickly approaching footsteps. Smoke and unsettled dust obscured his view, but he could see shadows forming not too far ahead. Sanji braced himself, sending an unhappy look at the ground. Sharp rubble. Wood splinters. Probably some glass from a window too. I'll have to stay off my hands as much as possible. "Vivi, my darling, if you could possibly check on our dear Nami and take cover?"
"Be quiet, Sanji. I'm fine. And if I see that fucking clown I'm going make him regret covering my face in this disgusting make-up." Nami wiped her face across her sleeve angrily. "Ughhhh. It's so oily. If I fucking break out because of this…"
Sanji spared a quick glance backwards in time to see Nami picking up a broken piece of piping and weighing it against the broken table leg Vivi had been holding. In that moment, Sanji felt an overwhelming fondness for the two girls wash over him. Even though he understood the fact that the two on their own would have likely been unable to get out of the situation by themselves, he knew they would have at least put up one hell of a fight. With a renewed sense of confidence and determination, Sanji bounced on the balls of his feet for a moment before he shot forward and towards the closest shadow, chanting a reminder of less capoeira, more kickboxingbefore relaxing into instinct and reflexes.
But Sanji was quickly pulled back into a tensed focus the moment his foot met with a narrow strip of metal instead of the expected crunch of flesh and bone.
"The hell, you fucking idiot. This is what I get for coming to save your ass?" Despite the irritation laced in his voice, a corner of Zoro's mouth had quirked up into a small smile.
Sanji fought back any physical manifestation of the sudden relief he felt. Instead, he followed through with his kick, making Zoro stumble back half a step. "That's what you get for letting Usopp nearly blow us the fuck up."
Nami appeared next to Sanji, Vivi hovering close behind. "Lovely reunion and all, but I'd really appreciate it if we got out of here now."
The sound of additional voices and of shifting rubble alerted them to the arrival of Luffy and Franky. The shorter of the two let out a loud whoop at the sight of their rescued friends. "Good job, Zoro! You found them!" Luffy hopped forward, flinging his arms around Vivi and Nami. "Man, did you already defeat all the bad guys?" Luffy asked, eyeing the unconscious body nearby.
"Actually," said Zoro, looking around at the wrecked room, "things are a helluva lot calmer than I was expecting." He raised his eyebrows at Sanji in mock confusion. "Are you sure you didn't just get yourself locked in this room on your own?"
Before Sanji could make a move to defend his honor, Nami stepped between the two and grabbed both of their wrists, yanking them to her level so she could look them in the eyes. "We. Are. Not. Here. To. Stoke. Your. Egos. So, if we could get on with the rescuing, that'd be great."
"I'm sorry, Nami, but… I just can't leave yet." Vivi bit her lip, frowning in apology.
Nami's face fell, "Vivi, what're you…" The protest died as Nami saw the determination set into her friend's face. "This has something to do with The Better Good and helping Alabasta, I assume?"
Vivi nodded. "If Baroque Works is running this kind of operation back in Alabasta, then I need solid evidence. But… I don't expect you guys to stay. This isn't your fight."
"Shut-up!" Luffy scowled, "Why do people keep thinking that we're going to just abandon them when they're in trouble? We face things together." He held the gaze of his surrounding friends, unwavering. "Alright?"
Zoro stepped forward in solidarity, hand resting on his swords. "Well, I sure as hell didn't come all this fucking way just to give our fucking shitty-ass cook a ride home."
"And I," Robin began, preventing Sanji's inevitable backlash, "agree with Vivi. I know that Nami has gathered some financial records, but one: her method of acquiring those records would probably make them inadmissible in court and two: even if Vivi wereto take it back to Alabasta, shady finances may be enough to cast suspicion and doubt, but it's hardly damning enough to destroy the loyalty Baroque Works has managed to build-up."
Nami nodded, face grim. "Okay." She took a deep breath, calming her nerves, and then nodded again with more conviction, "Okay. We need to get to the office situated on the main floor. A hi-tech safe was installed not too long before filming began; which is one of the reasons I started digging around in the first place-filming is temporary, no one's going to spend that much money installing a safe when there are plenty for-rent in the city. "
People could accuse Sanji of being sexist-could insist that his attitude towards women was simply a manifestation of some inner belief that females were simply weaker by nature and in need of a nurturing white knight-but he couldn't see how any of it made sense when faced with Nami, Robin, and now Vivi.
How the hell could anyone associate 'women' with 'weak'? These three alone are stronger than most of the men I've met in my life put together.Sanji puffed up with pride and admiration as the girls continued to strategize.
But Franky's booming voice and Usopp stumbling over a ridge of rocks, scarf waving behind him, soon interrupted Sanji's reverie.
"I've managed to clear a route to the door. We should probably get a move on." Franky locked eyes with Robin, "Doesn't feel right though. No guards. We should all be careful and keep an eye out for an ambush. Be careful."
Robin gave him a soft smile and placed a steady hand on Franky's arm before brushing past to lead the way, Luffy bounding after her.
Before Sanji could move to follow, a rough hand gripped his elbow. Zoro's voice, not terribly deep, was low. "Look. Don't be an idiot, you're handicapped." Sanji nearly had to strain to catch his words.
Brows wrinkled in confusion, Sanji hissed back. "What the hellare you talking about? Since when did I have a fucking disability?"
"That's obviously not what I meant." Instead of verbal explanation, Zoro looked pointedly from the debris-strewn ground to Sanji's hands.
Sanji physically recoiled, pulling his arm free of Zoro's grip as he came to understand the implication. "I'll deal," he snarled, turning away from the swordsman, muttering an angry, "I don't need my hands to kick some ass."
Zoro grit his teeth in frustration. "No,you fucking…god damn it." He fumbled for something tucked into his back pocket and pulled it free, throwing it at Sanji's retreating back.
At the soft whumpof impact, Sanji spun to face Zoro, ready for a fight. But he stopped short as he caught sight of what had hit him.
"I don't know how much they'll help, but I figure it's still better than nothing."
Sanji picked up the pair of leather gloves now lying at his feet. "And what, you just so happened to be carrying gloves with you? You don't even wear gloves." His fingers smoothed over the leather. "And even if you did, you'd never shell out for a qualitypair like this."
"Gloves were part of my costume for the movie." Zoro lifted a shoulder in a half shrug, "and like you said, I don't wear gloves so I figured I should get used to handling my swords with them on."
"I could still defeat these guys without using my hands." Sanji looked the swordsman square in the face. "My fighting style is as flexible as I am."
"I didn't say it wasn't."
Sanji gave a sharp nod and turned away, slipping on the gloves without a word and sprinting off to catch up with the rest of their friends.
With a barely suppressed grin, Zoro sprinted after.
The two didn't have to go very far before catching up with the others. Together, the eight friends stood at the entrance of the hallway and stared out at the chaos of the open warehouse floor.
Franky let out a long whistle at the destruction and fire raging before them. Wooden beams and supports from the film set were crackling with flames and there was a rush of chaotic activity and shouting as the men who had once acted as Vivi and Nami's guards rushed to escape.
Usopp and Luffy were both wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open. But while Usopp's were wide with a confused mix of pride and terror, Luffy's were all excitement and awe.
"Usopp, you're so awesome!"
"Yes, Luffy, Yes, I am." Usopp gingerly shifted the backpack still strapped to his back, "I didn't even use everything."
Franky slapped a hand against Usopp's back. "That, bro, is because there's noway our little explosion caused all of this."
Vivi pushed her way forward, but was quickly stopped as Nami grabbed her arm. "We needto get to the office."
"I know, Vivi, but you can't just rush into a burning building!"
Sanji was ready to step forward and volunteer himself for the task, but stopped when Zoro moved first. The swordsman had taken the bandana normally tied around his bicep and had pulled it on over his nose and mouth, knotting it at the back of his head.
"The warehouse floor is clear enough that you should be able to make your way though, but first," Zoro eyed the flaming supports on the film set, "Usopp and I will have to get most of these props and supports out of the way."
Usopp's head snapped around to look at Zoro. "Wa-wait a minute. Why do Ihave to go?"
"Because we're the ones who're most familiar with set props." Zoro gave Usopp a soft push forward, "let's get going." He gave one last look at his friends, eyes lingering on Sanji's. "Wait for the all-clear."
Sanji smirked, hair falling over his eye, "Don't take too long, we're not gonna wait for-fucking-ever."
Usopp pulled his scarf up to his nose the way Zoro had done his bandana and gave Sanji a serious look. "Don't worry, Sanji. The good guys always save the day just in time." He tugged his hood over his head and gave his friends a heroic smile, "We shall not fail you!"
Sanji bit back a laugh, but made no effort to hide his smile, "Then what're you waiting for?"
Usopp broke into a grin, temporarily forgetting just how terrified he actually was in the face of support, and leapt after Zoro.
The swordsman quickly made his way through the warehouse floor, hugging close to the wall and making sure to keep a close eye on Usopp following behind. The film set arranged on the warehouse floor was not the same as the ones Zoro had filmed on, but he recognized some of the pulley systems and prop supports. He eyed the network of cables and ropes.
If I can recognize this shit, then Usopp should know how they work.Zoro beckoned his friend over and pointed towards a metal ladder attached to the wall. It led up to a hanging walkway used to access the mounted spotlights and harness riggings. "If they don't have to worry about shit falling on their heads, then it shouldn't be too difficult for them to make it to the office." Zoro tightened his bandana. "I'll go up. You tell me where and what to cut."
Usopp eyed the equipment with apprehension. "I'm not really sure…"
"Well, I'msure. And I'm heading up."
"Wait!" Usopp turned away from Zoro and rifled through his bag, pulling out two walkie-talkies and tossing one to Zoro. "Here, take one."
Zoro caught it with ease. "You brought walkie-talkies?"
"Psh. It's a rescue mission. A. Rescue. Mission." Usopp shook his head in disappointment. "Who goes on a missionwithout taking a few walkie-talkies along?"
"Right," Zoro switched the walkie-talkie on and held it close to his mouth, thumb pressing down, "try not to pass-out from smoke inhalation. Over and out."
Zoro placed a foot on the lowest ladder rung. He could feel the heat seeping through his heavy boot and prepped himself as he reached to grab a higher rung. The swordsman grit his teeth, intent to ignore the searing pain and blistering where flesh met metal.
Zoro took a deep breath, the faster you climb, the faster you can be done with this shit,and quickly made his way up the ladder.
[Next up: Chapter 19]