Eighth and last prompt! I actually wrote this one first, only adding a few details accordingly to the new chapters, I think you can see it. It's like a mix of most of the seven other prompts... A bit less proud of this one but I hope you'll enjoy it!

For the guest answers: Thank you Denia for the kind comment! Thank you Guest1 as well, I am truly speechless to have received such a long and kind review, it really warmed my heart!

Thank you to everyone that left a review, favorited or followed this series during this month!

Rating: T
Genre: Gen
Word count: 1,831
Warnings: spoilers for the most recent chapters

"Do you want anything, Sanji? I can try to make my baby brother's stay here a bit more comfortable."

Sanji let out a soft chuckle, staring at Big Mom's palace's ceiling with a blank look and lazily smoking one of his last cigarette sticks. It was probably the only thing that kept him from going crazy because it wasn't so simple to stay put with those damn cuffs around his pale wrists and his sister keeping him company. And what a fucking great company she was. He just ignored her for the past few hours, not even taking the bait in her numerous attempts to make him talk to her. Her poisonous words didn't have any effects on him, not anymore. He was not the child he used to be. So he just settled with a laugh.

"There's nothing I want from you. Except you could maybe shut up, that would actually be a goddamn relief."

His – only biological, he reminded himself, he didn't consider any of them as his actual siblings – sister frowned, then put back her seemingly innocent smile on, although she remained visibly upset about his answer. He puffed a bit of smoke in her direction, letting the ashes fall on the perfectly clean floor. Well, if he couldn't actually fight for now, at least he wasn't going to be an easy prisoner.

"Oh yeah, forgot to warn you about that. You're not used to being answered back, right? Whether it's charming the world's government officials or crushing the disobedient soldiers, everyone fears you. Even your brothers trying so hard to be the perfect assassins are a bit scared of you, you know that?"

"You don't need to exclude yourself, you know. I remember you trying so hard to keep up with us, to be able to proudly wear the name Vinsmoke. What happened to that cute little boy?"

Reiju sighed, a hand on her heart, the other on the side of her face. She didn't even try to answer because Sanji knew he had touched a sensitive chord, but she was only avoiding, faking, trying to twist his words to make him hurt, bring back that crying desperate kid. Sanji wanted to kick her through the window, woman or not.

"That little boy decided to say 'fuck them' and grow up to become a better man."

"Oh, the baby bro is actually fighting back!"

"'A better man'? That must be a fucking joke. A pirate! Pirates are unwanted men, their existence is completely worthless. Only their deaths have a price, or in your case, your capture."

Great, freaking great. Ichiji and Niji made their entrance, smirking and all. Just like in his memories. Nothing had changed much with this family. Or maybe they got worse.

"Don't you have anything better to do? I don't know, follow your father like well-trained dogs? Must be fun."

Niji crossed the room in a few steps and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"I'll be a bit more compliant if I were you. None of us are here to put up with your bullshit so try to look though all you want, you're trapped here and you're never getting out again."

"Because you really think I'm going to stay obedient just like your father wants? It's more your style, not mine."

Niji pushed him back on the couch, grinding his teeth. Sanji was playing with fire, however a cook wasn't afraid of fire, he lived within it and used it. And none of them could actually harm him as they needed him to be in perfect condition for the wedding.

"Ironic, isn't it? I used to want to feel wanted and accepted by a fucked-up family who didn't want me, and when they finally do, I'm just telling them to fuck off. How does it feel, frustrating? I'm dying to know."

Niji punched him in the jaw without a warning, sending him to the floor, but Sanji kept grinning. It was just a little revenge after all those years after all. He wasn't going to surrender now, he had made a promise for fuck's sake!

"Wait until the wedding is over. Then we'll have fun."

That was Ichiji. Maybe it was because of the numbers, but being the 'first one', Ichiji had always been a bit more mature and calculating than Niji, who was more hot-headed and temperamental. Ironically, Sanji had taken after both of them.

The two brothers got out of the room. Well, that had been completely pointless. Threatening him or decking him wasn't going to do much, Sanji thought. Reiju knelt before him, gently touching the forming bruise on his face, a slight smile still plastered on his face. She gracefully got up to follow her two brothers then stopped herself at the doorway. She wasn't looking at him.

"You are right, in a way. We didn't want you back then, but we were wrong. We have an opportunity to be reunited now. Wouldn't it be nice, all of us together, protecting and fighting for each other? Think about it. What do you want, Sanji?"

She left him, lost deep in his thoughts.

What do you want, Sanji?

"I want to find All Blue!"

"It's a myth, Sanji. Go back to cleaning the dishes and don't throw the leftovers!"

"I want to be the best cook on the four seas!"

"Cooking is not meant for those above the world, foolish boy."

"I want to be as perfect as my brothers!"

"You are worthless, a weakling. No one wants you boy, you are not worthy of being my son."

"I want to get out, Father, please!"

"What do you want, Sanji?"

"I want to be a Vinsmoke!"

"Sanji?"

"Luffy..."

They had found him. Of course they had. For Luffy, no member of his crew was allowed to drift away for too long. Some members of the Mink tribes had accompanied them, Carrot joyfully hugging him and crying at the same time, so much that Nami had to stop her from choking him. Zoro and Franky were comparing the number of Germa 66 soldiers they had taken out, Robin was laughing to Brook and Luffy's antics and Chopper was trying to check for any wounds on him while Usopp was slapping the back of his head, tearfully yelling at him ("Don't you ever do this to us again, you jerk! I'm not crying, YOU'RE CRYING!").

"So, where are your siblings? Do we need to slice them up or can we go now?"

"Zoro, we need to find the keys to those cuffs before they actually find out that Sanji is back with us, use your brain a little."

"Well, Nami can steal them alright, don't worry Sanji!"

"Why do I have to be the one to risk my life on this?! Imagine if it's Big Mom who has them!"

"Are you a burglar or not?"

"She will probably eat you alive if she notices you."

"Robin, please stop..."

"So, Sanji? What do we do?"

"Uh?"

Eight pairs of eyes were fixed on his kneeling form, waiting. It had probably been hours now, but no matter how much he told himself that she was messing with him, Reiju's words were like suspended in his mind, playing again and again like an old record. "We could be reunited, we could love you like we should have, an unbreakable family, all of us against the world." And then he thought of the little boy he used to be, the little boy whose greatest wish was to finally hear those words, to feel loved, accepted, wanted, to be a Vinsmoke. What if, what if he joined them, he would finally have what he had always desired.

"What do you want, Sanji?"

He looked up to his captain's hopeful eyes, just a boy who was sure of himself becoming the King, who was so sure of himself saving each of his crew mates. Anyone that had known Luffy for only a few minutes thought the straw hat boy was dense, but Sanji knew better. He knew the question went much deeper than it seemed to. He must look so lost, barely acknowledging what was happening. And then, he looked, he looked at all of them.

The crying child inside him disappeared.

"I want to be a Straw Hat... I want to find the All Blue with you!"

And another voice inside him said "Go to hell Reiju, you and your fucked up schemes."

They all hugged him at once – well, almost all of them, Zoro didn't hug people, duh, until Robin forcefully pulled him into the group embrace. Luffy proudly laughed, reaching for the top of his head. Between the tears falling from his eyes, Sanji tried to put himself back together.

"Luffy, don't you dare, don't you dare do your hat bullshit on me, I'm going to fight-"

"No, you're not. Franky, you stay with him, that's an order."

"You got it, captain."

"Luffy—"

"You've done enough cook, now let us do the rest."

They were all leaving one by one, closing the steel door that separated them from his crazy family so he couldn't follow them into the battle and Sanji couldn't help but think "No, no, no, no, that wasn't the plan, this wasn't supposed to happen!" With a distressed shout, he arose and ran to the door, kicking it with flaming legs but why wasn't it moving, it's just a stupid door, a single kick should have been enough!

He lifted his fist, ready to strike, but Franky's much bigger one grabbed his hand.

"Aw, not your hands bro, do you even know how to throw a punch?"

"Let me go, stupid cyborg, I have to go, you don't know who they're up against, I know them, they can't win!"

"Because you sincerely think this will stop Luffy? He told me to protect you and that means, from anyone that will come for you but also from yourself doing stupid things. So you just stay calm here and wait for it to end."

"I swear if you don't let me go, I will fuck you up so bad no one will recognize your ugly face!"

"We both know you can actually do that, so why don't you do it already?"

Sanji froze and judging that he wasn't going to destroy his legs against the door, Franky released him, only for him to fall back on his knees, the precious straw hat following him. The cyborg sat next to him, putting it back on his head.

"Take care of it. You know what the hat means, it means that you just stand down and wait. So we wait."

Sanji wasn't used to that. He didn't wait, never, he was the one protecting, not the one being protected. He was shaking so much, hiding his face behind the so famous hat. The little voice in him, much stronger than before, was screaming with joy.

"You see, Father, I am wanted."

Well, this challenge is finally over... it was a really fun month! It's been actual years since I wrote something, and my first time writing in English. Having to keep up with such a tight schedule is not easy, but it was fun nonetheless. I hope you enjoyed reading each of those prompts as much I enjoyed writing them!

I'm currently preparing other OP fics, I hope you'll be there to read them as well. In the mean time, you can find me on my tumblr at a-ngyie, feel free to drop an ask!