Steel Heart

Ch 58 - Reunited

- Somewhere near Grove #42 -

Sanji inhaled the sweet scent of freedom as he stepped foot onto the docks of Sabaody Archipelago. Finally, after two long years, he was back where he belonged and far away from his pink hued hell. Everything around him was green, such a beautiful green. Green trees, green grass, and even better, several women wearing green items of clothing.

"Ahhhh!" he cheered, "Women! Real ones!"

His heart pounded against his chest as tears of joy fell from his eyes. He scanned the women up and down. No signs of stubble. They had delicate features and long, shapely legs. It was all there. He threw his arms up and ran after them in delight. "Viva Sabaody! I need ladies!"

"Sanji-kun!" a breathy, burly voice called after him. It hit Sanji in a wave of nausea, "We'll leave you here. I don't want to part but I hope see you again somewhere in the future!"

The cook turned to glare at the group of drag queens that had escorted him to Sabaody. "I don't want to see you again. Thank you for the ride. Say 'hi' to Ivan. Bye!" he stated brusquely as he turned on his heels and ran as far and as fast as he could, "I'm Sanji, the real man! Nwanwa, here I come! Your love is back! Nami-swan, Robin-chwan! Wait for meeeeee!"

He followed Rayleigh's Vivre Card all the way to Shakky's Rip Off Bar and he practically skipped up the steps. "Nwanwaaaaaaa!" he shouted and flung the door wide open.

He was crestfallen to see that it was practically unoccupied. Shakky was behind the bar and Rayleigh was reading a newspaper on the bench by the windows. Sanji sighed but couldn't be too disappointed. At least they were good company. Of course, that assessment didn't count the heavily bandaged Duvall and several of his equally wounded men resting at the back of the bar.

"Rayleigh-san, Shakky-chan," Sanji greeted, completely ignoring the Rosy Riders or whatever the hell they called themselves these days.

"Oh, look who it is," Shakky said with a smile as Sanji took a seat at the bar. She lit a new cigarette and then offered to light one for him but he politely declined. He took his own lighter out.

"Am I the first one here?" Sanji asked.

Shakky shook her head. "Zoro-chan came here first."

"What?! The shitty swordsman got here first?!" Sanji shouted incredulously, "Ugh, that's a bad omen. The road ahead is going to be difficult for us, isn't it?"

"Mizu-chan came second ten days ago and Franky-chan came third. He arrived on the same day as Mizu-chan."

"Nwanwaaaa!" Sanji jumped out of his seat, "She's already here? She didn't come with Luffy?!"

Rayleigh shook his head, "I only trained Luffy-kun-"

"What?! You trained Luffy?" Sanji gasped, "He must be incredibly strong now." Then he looked curiously at Rayleigh. "So then what happened with Nana? Where is she?"

Rayleigh smiled, "We parted ways when I left with Luffy-kun. As for what she did and where she went, I'll leave that for her to tell. I haven't seen Luffy-kun myself in six months since I had to come back for the coating. I can't wait to see his progress."

"Progress," Sanji repeated with a thoughtful nod, "I wonder what kind of progress Nana has made...and even Nami-san and Robin-chan!"

Blood spurted out of his nose as he lifted his glass of whisky to his lips. His mind was already in a dreamlike state.

"Are you okay?" Rayleigh asked with a raised eyebrow.

Shakky smiled and handed Sanji a napkin. "I haven't seen Mizu-chan or Franky-chan since they first arrived. They both went to the ship."