Skin Deep

By: Liete

Disclaimer: If I owned One Piece, people wouldn't be allowed to mess up Luffy's character as much as they do. :)

"Someday I'll be the Pirate King," Luffy said grimly, his expression stern. "When that happens, where will you be?"

His gaze was that piercing type usually reserved for someone who had done wrong by one of his nakama. His eyes were dark with that fathomless drive to accomplish whatever he had set his sights on at that moment. It seemed that at that moment, his eyes were on Sanji.

This, too, was Luffy. He was also a powerful and frightening force that changed the world wherever he stepped. He was intimidating in his resolve, and it was clear that Sanji wasn't going to leave until Luffy got an answer.

Sanji wasn't sure why he had been picked for this inquiry, but he knew what Luffy wanted him to say, that he'd be right there beside him until the bitter end. He wanted to say it, too, but he wasn't sure if that was true. It wasn't as if he hadn't put some thought into where he'd be after he found All Blue and Luffy became the Pirate King. They'd all be together for awhile, that was true, but he had also seen himself back at the Baratie, rubbing it in the shit geezer's face that he had found All Blue and caught every fish in the world, 'I did what you couldn't' and the like. He would tell off all of those shitty cooks and show that he had found the legendary sea that he had been ridiculed for believing in, and had been a companion of the Pirate King, no less.

Luffy was still staring at him intently, expecting an answer. Sanji couldn't lie, especially not to Luffy, who obviously knew more than he let on. Then again, if he told the truth, he might hurt Luffy's feelings, too. Sanji knew, just like they all knew, just how dependant Luffy was on each of them. There was no Luffy without his nakama, plain and simple. In the end, the best answer was one that wasn't definite. There was still quite a journey ahead of them before they even reached that destination, so there was no telling where he'd end up at the very end.

"Cooking for the Pirate King, what'd you think?" Sanji said with a grin and mussed the straw hat for good measure.

Luffy studied him for a moment more, as if looking for a trace of insincerity, before that solemn countenance melted into a wide grin. "Starting now! What's for dinner, Sanji?"

Sanji marveled at how easily Luffy could switch demeanors. One would never guess watching the carefree boy that he could be so frightening. It was one of the mysteries of Luffy that would probably never be unraveled. There was more than meat on the brain under that straw hat, those dark eyes that Sanji had seen the proof.

"Assuming you haven't broken into my refrigerator and stolen all that Nami-san took so long to buy for us," This was accentuated with a forlorn look, "you'll get some meat."

Luffy stuck out his tongue. "I couldn't break in there if I wanted to. You're the jerk who got a lock," he said with pout.

Sanji smiled and pulled out a new cigarette. "Whatever you say, Pirate King."

The smile he received in return was more than the typical Luffy grin, it was one of genuine pleasure and it was almost enough to make Sanji want to stand by his word and stay by Luffy's side forever.

"Yeah, someday you'll be the Pirate King, and we'll all be right there with you," Sanji said, but to himself, and at that moment, nothing seemed closer to the truth.