Greetings, my lovelies! I hope I find you well. This is the second of my fanfics that I'm going to make into a series, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
I'll try and update it as regularly as possible, but as you might notice, this first chappie's rather long… so please bare with me, I WILL get it done.
This first chapter has the main pairing of SanUso. I'm so glad to be back writing this pairing again. It's a lot of fun! XD This is also the first OP fanfic I have done that is not inside the comic's setting. I really hope it turned out all right!
As always, PLEASE R&R this, I shall love you forever and ever if you do!
The Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or it's characters. Eiichiro Oda-san takes care of them.
Please enjoy and REVIEW! Thankyou!
ABPD: Love Lawless
Chapter 1: The New Guy
Zoro hated mornings. When the air was damp, cold, and full of smog, when he had to walk several blocks to the station when everyone else had cars or motorbikes, when his uniform bore suspicious looking stains because he had no money for the launderette down the road.
Sure, his job was exciting, even dangerous at times- but compared to that, his home life was difficult and monotonous. It sucked.
Yawning, Zoro mounted the concrete steps up to the station entrance. He glanced wearily at the graffiti-strewn sign on the left of the door. ABPD- All Blue Police Department. This was Zoro's life, and the only stimulation he could afford.
As he trudged through the large glass doors into the foyer, he was met by his colleague, Usopp. Short-ish, curly haired, and with an intriguingly long nose, Usopp was the youngest member of ABPD. The guy was an ace with a gun, nothing could escape him- but he was also the biggest coward Zoro had ever met in his entire life. Busily reading a large sheath of documents, his brow furrowed in concentration, he suddenly walked into Zoro's shoulder with a soft bump, letting out a strangled yell of surprise.
"Argh! Ah… ah. It's you, Zoro."
Zoro rolled his eyes, helping to pick up the papers that had scattered across the floor. Usopp straightened up again, pushing stray hairs back into his ponytail, breaking into a cheery smile.
"Good morning!"
Zoro returned the smile tiredly, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
"How the hell can you be so awake at this time of day?"
Usopp shook his curly head, his eyes wandering critically down Zoro's crumpled shirt. He let out a chuckle.
"God, Zoro, your uniform could sure do with a wash."
Zoro growled.
"Thanks for pointing that out, Einstein."
Usopp laughed again, narrowing his eyes at a stain on the older man's left leg.
"I just hope that's toothpaste on your pants."
Zoro swiped the back of Usopp's head with his hand, making his long nose collide painfully with his clipboard.
"Oooow…"
Suddenly, there was the sound of a slamming door, and an officer that Zoro didn't recognise strode jauntily out of the Chief's office, tucking in his shirt.
Zoro leaned in close to Usopp.
"New guy?"
Usopp nodded, beginning to speak in a tragic whisper that probably could have been heard by the entire room.
"He was moved here from a neighbouring city. There was a big shake-up at the station over there. A conspiracy involving the Mafia, a teddy bear, and whether or not it's legal to marry a horse."
Zoro raised his eyebrows.
"Well, perhaps I should go ask him."
Usopp shook his head warningly.
"Nuh-uh. He's very sensitive about it. His partner was forced into early retirement under unfortunate circumstances, so he had to be sent here."
Zoro gave Usopp a withering glare. The young man's eyes widened innocently.
"It's true!"
The new officer looked directly at Zoro, and headed towards him, hand outstretched.
"Hey there! Your Chief said that I should come and see you."
Zoro glanced at Usopp, who shrugged. The young man before him was tall, slender, with floppy blond hair that fell over one eye. He took Zoro's hand and shook it briskly.
"Officer Roronoa, right? I'm Sanji, your new partner."
Zoro's felt annoyance burn in his stomach. A partner? But Chief Inspector Nami had always said he did fine on his own. So why…
A neatly uniformed woman with large eyes and glossy red hair leaned out of a nearby door.
"Be sure to show him all the ropes, Zoro. I'm counting on you."
She flashed him a smile. Zoro ground his teeth, and replied with forced politeness.
"Yes, m'am."
The woman nodded and disappeared into her office. Zoro turned to his new partner, eyes narrowed, and saw that he was still staring at the Chief's door, grinning from ear to ear. The blonde turned to him, indicating the office with a jab of his thumb.
"Wow! If I knew they made them like that down here, I'd have dropped by sooner! What a babe!"
He chuckled mischievously. Zoro sighed heavily and loudly, steering his new colleague towards the entrance.
"You'd better watch out. The last guy that came on to her had to clean the men's bathroom with a toothbrush for three months. And if you really cross her, you'll be fired. Like that."
The blonde's eyes twinkled.
"Ooooh, really? Well, I like 'em fiery!"
Zoro overrode the urge to grumble under his breath. Could this guy get any more unprofessional? For someone who loved the job as much as he did, jerks like Sanji annoyed the hell out of him.
As they made for the door, the blonde man accidentally knocked into Usopp, who was busy checking documents again. He turned round.
"Oh, jeez, I'm sorry, honey."
Zoro had to suppress a choke of laughter. Usopp's eyes grew wide, and he flushed angrily.
"Excuse me?"
Sanji expression turned to one of confusion, but it quickly melted into an apologetic grin.
"I mean, m'am. M'am. I'm very sorry for knocking into you."
Usopp flushed even more, and stormed angrily out of the foyer. Zoro turned a laugh into a hacking cough.
As they made their way down the steps, Sanji turned to Zoro.
"Christ, the gals round here are cold as ice! That one back there, she's got a crazy nose, but man, she's kinda hot, don't ya think?"
Zoro grinned devilishly.
"Oh, yeah. Really cute."
Sanji nodded, grunting his agreement. He poked a cigarette into his mouth, patting his pockets for a lighter. Zoro started, tugging the cigarette from the man's lips and throwing it into a nearby trashcan.
"Hey? What d'ya think you're doing?"
Zoro turned to him angrily.
"Firstly, you're not allowed to smoke on the job. And secondly, since you're meant to be learning from me, you'll call me 'sir'."
The young man said nothing, kicking a can irritably. Zoro sighed, ushering the blonde man around the side of the police station, where the patrol cars were kept. Sanji brightened as Zoro took the keys from off his belt, and he reached out hopefully. Zoro clenched them tighter in his fist.
"I'm driving."
Sanji muttered as he sat down heavily in the passengers seat. Zoro turned to the blonde man, who had his arms crossed, visibly grinding his teeth.
"Are you gonna sit there sulking like a little kid, or are you gonna pay attention?"
The blonde man turned his head slightly, shrugging as if to suggest he didn't know and he didn't care. Zoro pressed on.
"We have to patrol the East Side of town. We get some trouble round there, so this might seem like chucking you in at the deep end. But stick with me, you'll be all right."
"Nn."
Zoro eyed the young man disparagingly.
"How much experience do you actually have?"
"I've been in the force for three months."
Zoro smiled defiantly, slotting the keys into the ignition.
"I knew it. You're just a puppy."
The blonde man growled, turning to gaze out of the window.
Zoro yawned, and, steering the car smoothly out of the allotment, drove into the bustling city.
About twenty minutes later, they had reached the notorious East Side of town. Sanji pressed his forehead to the glass, surveying the grubby apartments and vandalized walls with interest. He whistled.
"Woo-ee, what a dump! People actually live here?"
As the car slowed in the heavy traffic, Sanji turned to Zoro, who stretched his aching neck painfully.
"Hey, uh… sir. I thought weirdly coloured hair was non-regulation. And I saw your earrings earlier on. What's with those?"
Zoro sighed at his partners' impudence.
"My hair is naturally this colour."
The blonde man raised an eyebrow. Zoro met his unbelieving gaze with irritation.
"Don't ask me to explain why it is. It just… is. And I wear stud earrings on the job, if you must know. That's allowed."
Sanji continued to stare at him.
"Satisfied?"
The blonde man faced slowly forward again, responding to Zoro's question with an infuriatingly aloof silence.
They sat there, not uttering a word, listening to the hubbub of the city outside and the hum of the engine. Zoro spoke, eyes still fixed on the car in front.
"If you don't prove to me that you're slightly better then utterly useless today, I'll have that blonde mop of yours shaved off."
Sanji opened his mouth in protest, turning indignantly to the know-it-all ass sitting in the driver's seat. Upon seeing Zoro's mischievous smirk, he flopped angrily back into his seat, glaring out of the window.
"You're such a jerk."
Zoro cleared his throat loudly and deliberately. Sanji moaned.
"Sir."
Zoro grinned, but it quickly faded as the sound of screaming suddenly reached his ears. Craning to see down the road, Zoro saw a man running like hell along the sidewalk, clutching a woman's purse in his hand. He turned urgently towards the passenger's seat, eyes still fixed on the fleeing figure.
"Sanji, I'm gonna hand the car over to you, find somewhere safe to put it, then use your walkie-talkie to—"
He whipped round to see the passenger seat empty, the car door hanging open, and the figure of Sanji disappearing rapidly round the corner, in hot pursuit of the robber. Zoro swore loudly, steering the car quickly into an open space at the side of the road.
"What the hell does he think he's doing?"
He leapt out of the car, slamming both doors, swiftly dodging a couple of vehicles, before pelting his way around the corner after Sanji. He caught a glimpse of a blonde uniformed figure dart into an alleyway, and hurried after it, praying that nothing bad would happen.
Coming level with the alley, he gazed down it, hoping to see him- but there was no one there. Zoro hurried into the shadows; splashing through grimy puddles, fear rapidly gripping his body. Where was he? What if he was injured? That boy was his responsibility, and if he came to any harm, it would be his entire fault.
Zoro ran faster, heart hammering, lost in the empty maze of back streets. Please don't let him be hurt. Alleyway after alleyway. Empty. Please don't let him be dead. Shadows. Empty darkness. Please don't… Rounding a corner, Zoro collided forcibly with another man, sending himself flying backwards onto the ground. Dazed, he sat up slowly, trying to make out the figure in the gloom.
"…Sanji?"
There was the sound of a cocking gun. Aimed directly at him through the darkness. An icy chill gripped Zoro's body, and he stood up carefully, raising his empty palms in front of him. He could make out the silver of the weapon in the dim light, cursing himself that he hadn't got out his own gun sooner. A trembling finger waited on the trigger, only a minute squeeze away from one dead cop.
As Zoro prepared to make a potentially fatal snatch for his own weapon, he heard a resounding crack, an echoing explosion, a searing bullet whistling past his right ear. Sanji emerged from the gloom, holding his gun steadily at the stunned form of the robber, who was crumpled on the floor. Sheathing his weapon, the blonde man bent down, hauling the thief against the wall and snapping a pair of handcuffs around his wrists. Zoro slowly put down his hands, feelings of relief, gratitude and confusion swirling around in his head. Sanji turned to him, studying the softly groaning man on the floor.
"Bring the patrol car round to the front, we'll get this asshole locked up nicely before the evening's out. Shouldn't be too hard, I've got the evidence right here… not that I want to tell a respected police cop such as yourself how to do his job."
The blonde man turned to him, his face sporting a cocky grin. Zoro was secretly taken aback when his stomach fluttered, an emotion that seemed rather different to embarrassment making his face turn pink. He shook his head, fastening a determined gaze on Sanji.
"Fine. Sure. Just… wait for orders next time."
The blonde man snorted and laughed, hauling the robber to his feet, and together they made their way out of the shadows and into the bright midday sun.
After having the robber locked in the overnight cells, Sanji and Zoro returned to the foyer. Zoro yawned and stretched.
"Well, I'm gonna head home. We have a night shift, so be sure to be back here by 10.00pm."
Sanji watched as the green-haired man made for the door, feeling slightly nervous. He started forward.
"Hey! Sir, wait!"
Zoro looked round.
"Yes?"
Sanji shuffled uneasily.
"There's, uh… something I forgot to mention this morning."
Zoro turned irritably to face the blonde man.
"What is it?"
"Well, uh… being my partner isn't your only job. You kinda… have to… let me stay with you too."
Zoro opened and closed his mouth indignantly, anger beginning to boil in his stomach.
"What the- what? Who in God's name decided that?"
Chief Inspector Nami leant momentarily out of her office door.
"I did, Zoro. Be a dear and set him up for a couple of weeks."
Zoro looked around desperately, and saw Usopp sitting at the front desk, determinedly avoiding his gaze.
"Usopp, help me out here! You know how small my apartment is! There's hardly any room for two people, let alone one!"
Usopp sighed, swiveling on his chair to look at the both of them.
"I'm sorry, Zoro, but it would be much more convenient if Sanji were to stay at your place. After all, it is only for a couple of weeks."
Zoro made a protesting whimper in the back of his throat, wondering vaguely if he should face the wrath of the Chief and have the tagalong installed in a nearby hotel. Hardening his resolve, he turned towards the blonde man.
"Sanji, you could- "
Staring at the space where Sanji used to be standing, Zoro let out an exasperated groan. He heard Usopp's voice, high and irritated, in the background.
"I'm telling you, I'm a g –"
Sanji, his voice oozing with seductive flattery, interrupted him.
"So, you work here at the front desk, huh? You know, I have a certain weakness for secretaries."
Zoro saw Usopp's face turn a violent shade of crimson.
"I only work here as a volunteer. I'm normally an officer."
Sanji rested his hands on the desk, slowly encroaching on Usopp's space. Gazing at the flushed curly-haired vision, he let out a loud, lovesick sigh.
"You're an officer too? That's amazing."
His face was slowly nearing Usopp's, who was looking increasingly irate, shuffling papers on the desk irritably.
"Yes, that's right. An officer."
He met Sanji's lecherous gaze coldly, his voice low and laden with warning.
"I'm also very good with a gun."
The blonde man backed off slightly.
"Whoa, O.K, sugar. No need to get edgy."
Usopp got up suddenly, slamming his papers down on the desk.
"And for God's sake stop calling me those… those names!"
He shot Zoro an exasperated glance, turned on his heel, and stormed out of the room for the second time that day.
Sanji sauntered slowly back over to Zoro, craning to see Usopp's retreating figure disappear down the corridor. He eventually looked up at the green-haired man, chuckling roguishly.
"Oh man, she's great!"
Zoro began to doubt that Usopp would stay on the force much longer with that idiot wandering around. Sanji bent down, picking up two large cases from off the floor.
"Heh heh, sorry about that little delay back there. Let's get going! Don't worry, I packed my own bar of soap! Although I think I might need to borrow your razor. Can't go round without a shave, especially with gals like her-" he jerked his head towards the desk where Usopp was sitting- "-on the force!"
He winked at Zoro, whose eye twitched menacingly. But on imagining the livid face of the Chief looming at him when he refused to set up the blonde man, Zoro resigned himself to defeat. As long as he was quiet and washed his own socks, it wouldn't be so bad.
He looked up and saw Sanji standing by the doors, clutching his two bags.
"Come on!"
Zoro groaned. These were going to be the longest three weeks of his life…
End of Chapter 1
Phew! Chapter 1 done and dusted! XD Har har har! This time, the characters are on the right side of the law… I had real trouble trying to come up with a new fanfic. I really did. I wrote the beginnings of about two, but each time I thought they were awful and deleted them. Even though I know hardly anything about how the police works (sweat) I thought I might take a stab at a cop story anyway, just to see how it came out. This is a kind of obscure tribute to Sanami Matoh, who write the fantabulous shonen ai police cop manga FAKE, and who also has her own One Piece doujinshi circle, East End Club. SHE IS A GODDESS!
Don't ask me why I called it the All Blue Police Department. It sounded kinda catchy…
So yes. I hope you enjoyed this chappie, and hold on to your hats for the next one! Cheerio!