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Luffy finds Sanji in the kitchen once they have left Whole Cake Island and Big Mom’s territory. He wouldn’t expect anything else from his Cook. Running into the Germa 66 vessel had shown him that while Sanji hadn’t reacted to his father, it was clear that the words the man had given to describe his son hit harder than his Cook would like to admit.
He didn’t like Judge, hadn’t liked him when he heard the man stole his Cook. But he’s even madder that he doesn’t even appreciate the wonderful man Sanji is. It had been what made him stay, seeing the blond so defeated when they ran into him and he kicked Luffy in the face. That said more than words could, and he knew he wouldn’t be leaving there until he had his Cook back at his side.
Stepping inside, he isn’t even surprised to find Sanji sitting at the table with his hands in his hair. Clenching those blond strands, almost as if he wants to pull them out, to be able to feel something and anchor him in the present with the pain. He had noticed Sanji doing that before and he didn’t like it. Silent tears ran down his cheeks until Luffy sat down next to him and pulled his hands away gently. Not saying anything, nor expecting anything, just being there for his Nakama as they went through this difficult time.
Doing everything he could to make Sanji aware that he wasn’t alone in this.
“He always called me that,” Sanji whispers.
Humming, Luffy leans close, “What?”
He sees Sanji licking his lips, “A failure, broken, never good enough compared to my brothers.”
Humming again, Luffy just leans closer, “He sure doesn’t know you at all, does he?”
Sanji snorts, “No, he doesn’t. Mama was the one to know me best and not a day goes by when I don’t miss her.” He wipes at the tears on his cheeks before sharing what she had done, how far Vinsmoke Sora had been willing to go to make sure that her children were safe.
Smiling softly, Luffy leans closer, still holding one of Sanji’s hands, “Can you tell me about her, about Sanji’s mama?”
It’s clear he hadn’t been expecting that, but he does, leans back on the couch and starts telling Luffy about this amazing woman. Both the things he remembers and those little details Reiju had shared with him in the short times they were alone. He adds that his sister was also close to their mother, and missed her something fierce.
He shares that it’s because of her he started cooking. For as long as he remembered, his mama couldn’t get out of bed. So Sanji wanted to learn how to cook and bake, so he could bring her some delights. “Even if it was terrible, she’d eat it and tell me how amazing I was at it. How great of a son I was being.”
Licking his lips, he adds, “Her words were always the exact opposite of his, but he had been able to tell them to me for longer and I didn’t deal well. Judge wanted super soldiers, he wanted puppets that he could send out to win his wars for him. Dreamed of reclaiming the North as Germa once had done but he wasn’t able to do that alone. In his eyes, I was broken, because I didn’t have the same mutations as my brothers or Reiju had.”
Shivering, it’s Luffy’s hand in his that has Sanji keeping calm. Taking the strength his Captain was offering to be able to talk about this. It had been a long time since he had to think about what had happened in that castle-ship. How he had almost died, because in his father’s eyes he wasn’t worth keeping around or keeping alive.
“I never wanted to come back here, Luffy,” he whispers.
Smiling, Luffy hums, “I know, Sanji. You’re so kind, that you wanted to protect all of us but you forget that we’re your Nakama and you don’t ever have to do this alone anymore.”
That has him crying once more. Turning into Luffy, who hugs him tightly. His voice soft as he whispers in Sanji’s ear, “I like you better like this. If they call you broken, that's their problem, you’re great just as you are.”
Sanji’s crying again, hiding his face in Luffy’s shoulder. Feeling overwhelmed in a way he never thought he could be. Judge had never made it a secret what he thought of him, and while Zeff helped it had taken years to come up to that point. With the Strawhats, with Luffy, it almost felt second nature which is why he wanted to make sure none of his Nakama were caught in this crossfire. He should have known they would come anyway.
When they appear on deck, no one mentions Sanji’s red eyes. They do, however, approach to give him a hug. Even Nami, who he was sure would stay mad at him for a very long time. Luffy stays near, that easy smile on his face and for the first time in a very long time (if not ever) he feels that his father had been wrong about him.
He isn’t broken, he isn’t a failure. He’s Sanji, of the Strawhat Pirates, and that would always be enough.