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A bright, beautiful spring day is brought to ruin in an instant. The people of Germa will remember the acrid smell of smoke billowing from the surrounding fields as mystical green fire infests the land. Colorful pastel banners burn to ash in the wind, decorated gazebos crumble, empty pews wither. The space is overwhelmingly loud, with the sound of screams and the roar of the perpetrator. The great emerald wyrm angered, swirling above a celebration made tragedy.
On the most anticipated day of the year for the Kingdom of Germa, a tragedy most befitting befalls them— the third Prince of Germa, captured by the beastial Wyrm of the East.
The morning of, the kingdom is abuzz. The streets are decorated with pastel streamers and pink flower petals litter the cobblestone streets, falling like a gentle snow from the mages hired to do the simplistic task. Crowds of people gather around the outskirts of the ceremony to catch a peak of the excitement. Those invited are dressed bombastically, big dresses and bigger hats, colorful suits and noisy prints, and they saunter into the main courtyard to mingle and take their seats. Music from the courtyard filters up through the open windows of the castle, where the energy is much different.
Sanji Vinsmoke, the fourth child and third prince of Germa, stares out his bedroom window and down at all the overstimulating commotion of his soon to be wedding ceremony. He's dreamt of a day like this for his entire life, yet the dissociative way he looks at the altar, the red carpet leading back to the floral archway, Sanji feels nothing but a painful anxiety. The freedom of what a wedding should be looks like just another jail cell.
"Sanji?" Reiju calls, for what seems to be more than a second time, but holds a polite expression as he turns to look at her. "It's time to get ready."
He wrings his sweaty hands together before picking himself up from the sill, walking away from one anxiety to the next. Reiju is here to try and be a calming support, and while she's not helping, Sanji doesn't have the heart to send her away. She's laid out all his clothes on his bed, frills and lace, a fanciful affair. The suit is all pearl white save for the deep gold embroidery along the seams, the thick decoration sewn into the fabric. The bold redness of the half cape seems to clash with it all, the big black 66 on the back an eyesore.
Sanji looks at the outfit with disdain; he didn’t get to choose it but it's not like he got to choose anything for today. Not even the immediate agency of getting married. He pinches the fabric of his dress shirt, rubbing the softness of it between his fingers. He's dreamt of a day like this for his entire life, and yet—
"Cheer up," his sister says flatly. "At least you'll be far from this place once you're married."
But the sea is here, the coastline in view of his window and a simple hour's walk from the castle. The quiet pier his mother used to take him to for afternoon snacks, the little floating restaurant with the ornery owner he cares for so much. For as much as he hates this terrible place and his place in it, it is worse to lose the things he's been able to hold onto all these twenty-one years. His mother wouldn't want him to stay here though, and neither would that chef. If he had the chance to leave, even if it was to a land locked kingdom, they'd urge him to go; he'd be a fool not to.
"Yeah," Sanji says, looking to his sister. He doesn't bother giving her a fake smile, it wouldn't work on her anyway. "At least I won't be here."
Reiju sighs, giving up on trying to cheer her brother up. It's pointless, they both know, but she doesn't know what else to do. Neither does he, except what he's expected to do; as he's always meant to do. She leaves the bedroom to offer Sanji privacy as he dresses in his wedding clothes. The full length mirror reflects back at him a sleepless man, long blonde hair pulled back in a half ponytail, bangs hiding half his frowning face. He looks miserable.
Sanji slaps his cheeks and shuts his eyes. He can't be like this in front of his betrothed, he'd rather flay himself alive than ruin a lady's day. Though, he has it on good authority that the Charlotte daughter is also displeased about not having autonomy of such a special day, he can't add to that dreary mood with his own. If they're meant to be together, the least Sanji can do is make the prospect a more positive experience. Before he opens his eyes, Sanji practices a great big smile that he hopes reaches said eyes once he opens them. It's lacking something sincere, but it'll be good enough.
Outside his bedroom, Reiju waits in the quiet hallway, dressed in elegant lilac. Surely she's got places to be, but she's chosen to ignore her responsibilities for the time being to escort Sanji, and despite everything he is grateful for it. They both have little interest in the formalities of today, the joining of the Vinsmoke and Charlotte family. One celebrated for their militaristic advances in both forging and magic fields, the other for their wide cast net of resources and all the connected kingdoms that come with it. Their children are pawns in the great politicking game, nothing more and nothing less. Princess Charlotte Pudding is probably a lovely young woman, worthy of the world, and Sanji will do his best to give it to her.
Once descended from the chamber tower, the castle is abuzz; everyone is doing something in preparation for today. The kitchen is sweltering, the most impressive smells wafting from it, butlers are bustling to double and triple check things, maids are hastily cleaning and making sure every guest room is solidly stocked. Contractors from the Charlotte family are making last minute adjustments to the decor, the Germa military stationed two to a door, on the balconies and watchtowers. The commotion grates on Sanji in the same way this castle's usual silence does; it makes him feel out of place, like he doesn't belong.
From the other end of the corridor, obnoxious between all the people moving to and fro, his brothers loom. Red and blue and green, and Reiju sees them too. There is something suddenly very important she thinks Sanji needs to see somewhere else, somewhere far from them. Reiju cannot shield him from their father though, a large imposing man, the king.
The only thing Judge Vinsmoke has to say to Sanji is, "Don't ruin this day for me."
All Sanji does is offer him a close lipped smile.
The ceremony is a bombastic one. The Charlotte family is many and crowding the majority of the courtyard. They sit at tables with their respective immediate family, while the Vinsmokes take up a measly single round table. They don't clap or cheer or do much of anything as the bride and groom meet at the podium. They are elegant, a strange calmness over them both as the rest of the party struggles to quiet down. The bride looks everywhere but Sanji, nervous and blushing, as the groom flits his eyes skyward, above Pudding's head to the clear blue skies. Eventually, their respective families settle, and the ceremony commences.
"We are gathered here today—"
Sanji has dreamt of a day like this, far from this abhorrent castle, near the sea, with someone he loves. He looks towards the skies and dreams; of the fairytales his mother used to tell, of old pirate stories from the even older chefs. Someone who indulges in his antics, his silliness, his temper. Someone who he can dote on relentlessly, shower in his romance. Someone who doesn't wish to cage him; someone who sets him freer than he's ever thought to know. The skies only show him endless blue and puffy white clouds. Sanji starts to sweat a little.
Pudding recites her vows, voice uneven but confident. She reaches out gingerly for Sanji's hand, and he willingly takes it, gently squeezes for reassurance and his eyes flit ever upwards. He searches for something in the sky he can't find in his wife-to-be; a danger, a miracle—
A dragon.
"Through sickness and… uh, and in health—"
It's hard to see, a strangle swirling in the distance, but as Sanji stutters over his own vows, he slows to a stop as the figure comes into full view. His eyes grow wide, his hands tighten over Pudding's.
"Sanji?"
Her voice barely registers in his ears as the faint roar of the dragon echoes. Some of the guests hear it, confusedly turn their heads to find the source, and those who follow Sanji's line of sight startle into a panic.
"Dragon!"
Eastward, within view of the pier, there is a small island off the coast. It is lush with greenery and forbidden to land on. Many have attempted to tame it and have come back, if they even come back at all, unsuccessful. It is an unruly place of black magicks and cursed beasts; one of which is flying over Germa Kingdom.
A long, whip-like body with a pair of mighty wings, four long talons, dark scales that glitter like emerald jewels under the afternoon sun, and three great, gold gilded horns atop its head— the Wyrm of the East. It soars beneath the clouds, corkscrews with a roar, and dives unmistakeably towards the wedding ceremony.
Green fire erupts from its mouth, setting the decorations and surrounding fields ablaze. The guests scream in horror, some in rage as they reach for their weapons. The Germa military is already alerted, pointlessly firing arrows and magic at the creature while others rush to ready the ballista. At the altar, Sanji reflexively grabs Pudding, hiding her behind him to shield her from danger as best he can, watching speechlessly as the chaos unfolds. Arrows bounce off tough scales and the beast is too quick to be hit by much else, twisting and turning in the sky almost gracefully. It would be beautiful if his wedding weren't burning up around him.
Down the aisle, Sanji can see Pudding's siblings rushing up to get her to safety. Behind them, Sanji sees most of his family run off to get their weapons, only Reiju pausing to look back at her brother with concern. Beyond the cacophony, the ballista loads and is pulled back, ready to strike at the dragon that, until a few seconds ago, was keeping to the edges of the festivities. It surveys the land, the crowd of party goers scurrying like ants, up past the streamers and banners, nothing bothering to give the military a second glance at the dragon sets its sights on the bride and groom to be.
A cold sweat overtakes Sanji. He steps back, body pressing into Pudding's as he shields her, attention wholly on the dragon. In the distance, Sanji hears the loud clattering of the ballista, the tension releasing as it goes off. Without taking its eye off Sanji, the dragon twists and dodges, ammunition careening off into the landscape as the dragon dives. Its front talons are outstretched, claws gleaming in the sunlight. Terrified cries erupt from those still outside at the precession, watching uselessly as the dragon swoops near. Sanji pushes Pudding away from him and holds both arms up defensively in front of his face.
And Pudding, strangely, thinks she hears Sanji shout, "Wait, you useless Marimo!"
TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE WEDDING…
When Sanji tells him that he's getting married, Zoro isn't sure what to think. The afternoon started out just as normally as it always did; a picnic by the mouth of his cave and a couple hours of argumentative conversation. And when the sun started the set and the skies turned orange, that was usually Sanji's cue to leave his little island off the coast, but that day Sanji hesitated before telling Zoro he's getting married.
And Zoro isn't sure what to think, but he does know what to say: "That's stupid."
His long tail flicks against the ground and his nostrils chuff with green smoke, one good, golden eye watching Sanji with a narrowed gaze. He looks flabbergasted at the insinuation that marriage is stupid, which it is, and gaps at Zoro like a fish out of water before finding his words.
"It isn't!" He replies smartly.
"Whatever," the dragon grumbles, nestling his head between two crossed claws. "Who would say yes to a weirdo like you?"
Sanji hesitates again and it sits sour in Zoro's gut. He's usually so quick to start gushing over the newest human woman he saw at the market or who visited from a far off desert island or some dream he had about a mermaid. Now, Sanji is uncharacteristically silent, and the truth spills easily.
They've known each other since they were children; a woman and her babe found a sickly green lizard on an afternoon outing and has since evolved into a secret friendship. A few times a week, Sanji will take a dingy out to the forbidden island off his royal coast with a picnic basket and will sit, eat, and chat with the dreaded Wyrm of the East.
So it is with years long ease that Sanji tells Zoro the truth; he's to be married off as a pawn to a young woman of the Charlotte family, who is beautiful and perfect and deserves someone else. Worst of all, Sanji is to leave Germa Kingdom once they have their ceremony. Somewhere far away from his wicked siblings, but also from the people he cares about. Zoro grumbles; that just won't do. Sanji leaves him that early evening with the second worst news Zoro has ever received.
The local witch says he's jealous. And Zoro howls, he roars and slaps his tail against the stones and racks his claws to sow rows into the dirt, breathes a throaty, fiery laugh and barks, "Jealous?!"
Nami doesn't even flinch, she only grins that wicked grin of hers and taps a finger against her staff, "Yup."
He would never be jealous over something like that. Marriage? That's not for dragons, that's not for him. Who needs a pompous, loud ceremony to celebrate something that won't last even a quarter of Zoro's lifespan? How could he be jealous over the person who would now get to spend every waking moment with Sanji? The person who gets to eat his cooking daily, argue with him, probably, and watch the stars twinkle into sight as the sun sets. The person who gets to listen to all of Sanji's ridiculous stories from Zeff's kitchen, watches him in deep thought while he's cooking up another recipe to scribble in his secret notebook. Surely, this woman won't fight with him the way Zoro does, she won't press his buttons the way he does, couldn't raze an entire kingdom for him. Not that Zoro wants to— not like he's getting an itch to.
Okay, so he's jealous. What of it? It's not like he's going to tell Nami that, or Sanji, or stop denying it to himself. It doesn't matter because what's there to do about it? Sanji's talked about getting married since he knew what marriage even was; to some beautiful woman or whatever he goes on about. He's probably ecstatic, despite the lackluster way he announced it to Zoro. And it is weird, when he sits and broods and thinks about it. It is weird that Sanji wasn't over the moon about something he's been presumably looking towards.
It all starts to make sense when one week later, Sanji comes to him with a plan. This Charlotte Pudding, she deserves a real chance at happiness, at love — according to Sanji, and it goes without saying that he does too, the idiot just doesn't put himself into the equation — so they have to sabotage the wedding. Naturally.
The morning of, Zoro goes over the plan in his head. He's just supposed to fly by the wedding ceremony and make a mess, burn some of the decorations, maybe clip a few of the more unsavory guests, but nothing more than that. Sanji doesn't want anyone unnecessary getting injured and, moreover, he doesn't want his father to start a cause to occupy Zoro's home. Not that he could, Zoro says, but Sanji's always been scared of his father's retribution hitting those Sanji cares about the most. The chefs on the floating restaurant, the mice that live in his walls, the witch who lives on Zoro's island. Zoro himself—
"Don't get too close to the castle," Sanji reminds him before he leaves one last time. "They'll be quick to set up the ballista the second they see you soaring over the horizon."
— but that's besides the point.
The sun is just cresting over the watery horizon when Zoro readies himself to set off. Nami catches him before he does, is quiet and appraises him with a look.
She pats him on his scaley back, smacks her lips and says, "Don't do anything stupid."
Zoro chuffs a puff of smoke. "This plan is already stupid."
He's not sure what this farce of an attack is going to achieve in the long run. It's not like they can't just reschedule the wedding date. Sanji had hoped that Pudding's family might think Germa Kingdom too dangerous, but Zoro doesn't see why they wouldn't just hold the wedding in their kingdom afterwards. The idea is half baked at best, like Sanji wants something more but doesn't ask. Zoro's trying to wrap his head around the whole ordeal and is so deep in thought that he ends up flying in the wrong direction originally.
Zoro flaps his wings, staring towards the sun to try and reorient himself. If he doesn't hurry he'll be late, and if he's late that means Sanji will have been married off already, and if that happens—
But it isn't going to happen. With renewed vigor, Zoro picks up speed. Sanji is counting on him; moreover, that little ember of jealousy coming to light in his belly is spurring him on. When the eyesore that is Germa Castle comes into view, the colorful streamers, the mage made flower petals and confetti clogging the air, that ember sparks to light a flame. Smoke billows from between his teeth, wings flap loudly as he picks up speed, dark emerald scales glimmering under the afternoon sun as Zoro soars through the sky with purpose.
Sanji had been very clear in his instructions, he always is, it's sort of his thing. Don't do this, do that this way, let me do it, and while it's not always for a good reason, this time it is. As Zoro razes the fields just outside the castle, he can hear the military shouting for the ballista, he can see the archers on the rooftops and balconies readying their first wave of arrows. The mages' magic crackles through the air, making it smell like ozone, but Zoro doesn't care for any of it. Not the swathes of screaming wedding guests, not the Germa military, not the woman dressed in an overly frivolous dress.
Zoro sees Sanji at the decorated podium, and the entire plan they discussed goes right out the window.
Zoro dives. He effortlessly dodges the ballista, shakes away the useless arrows and paltry magicks; Zoro dives and outstretches his claws and reaches for something he's told himself never to reach for.
"Wait, you useless Marimo!"
Sanji is weightless in his clutches and Zoro feels light as air as he twists upwards in a loop. He lets out a vicious roar that is laughter in his ears. His wings and tail whip up a gust that sends most of the wedding ceremony on its ass, and Zoro reaches up to the heavens as he roars and laughs and blows a plume of victorious green fire into the afternoon sky.
"You fucking moron!" Sanji shouts as he trips onto mossy dry land. "You dimwitted, overgrown lizard! You foolish, algae-brained idiot! What were you thinking? Oh wait, you don't think!"
He rips off his cape and tosses it into the small pond near the mouth of Zoro's cave, unbuttons his shirt and undoes the cuffs, and when he can't find anything else to fuss with Sanji digs his hands into the roots of his hair.
"You've really done it this time! I wasn't joking around when I said you had to be careful, and now my father has every reason to send his army to this island and raze it to the ground. What's going to happen to that dear sweet priestess Nami? Hells, what's going to happen to you?"
Sanji whirls around and looks to where he expects to see the great, monstrous wyrm. Instead, he sees not quite a man, but something between man and beast. Sun kissed skin with a dusting of emerald shimmer, a golden eye, soft green hair with three horns sticking out proudly. A set of three earrings dangles from his left most horn, catching the rays of sunlight as they filter in through the treeline. He's dressed in a robe simpler than one would expect, black with gentle golden etchings around the sleeve hems. Zoro is staring right at Sanji with something neither of them can quite understand, can't or won't name, and it fills up the space between them as they lock eyes.
"Nothing is going to happen to me," Zoro speaks, voice low and deep, and missing its usual rumble.
Sanji sputters. "Your overconfidence will be the death of you."
"Maybe," Zoro shrugs. "But not at the hands of someone like your bastard father."
"I'm serious! This isn't the time to be so nonchalant!"
"Exactly," Zoro replies, deceptively calm with an undertone of anger beneath his words. "You need to think about yourself for a change. You think a simple disturbance was going to, what? Postpone the wedding forever? Scare off the Charlotte family? Dissuade that king of yours from getting rid of you?"
That last one stings enough that Sanji takes a step back, his demeanor cracking. But Zoro presses on, "I did him, and more importantly you, a favor."
The forest sits quiet, just the babbling creek and the rustling of leaves in the wind. The animals remain hushed, as if they too are listening in on this quarrel. Zoro wouldn't put it past Nami to be eavesdropping from somewhere hidden and close by. He takes a step towards Sanji, slow and careful, and when the other doesn't react he takes another. He outstretches a hand decorated in pointed nails almost sheepishly.
"You've always talked about how he wanted to be rid of you, so I just gave him what he wanted. And now you don't have to get married to some stranger, or whatever." Zoro swallows, looking down. "You don't have to stay here, if that's such an issue. I can take you somewhere else, with that chef of yours— whatever you want. But your plan wasn't going to buy your freedom."
Sanji stares at the hand, his own twisting themselves into knots at his chest. "I'd never want freedom at the price of another."
Zoro scoffs, "No one's paid anything, stop worrying! Your stupid father wants to raze my island to the ground, then fine! I can fly to another—"
"With Nami."
"Sure, the witch can come too—"
"And me."
That gives him pause, enough that it's obvious. Zoro looks at Sanji from under his lashes and slaps him on the leg with the flat end of his tail. "You think me that much a fool? After everything I just did? A dragon kidnapped you and you think a dragon will let go of his quarry like it was just some fleeting fancy? Don't be stupid."
"If anyone here is stupid, it's you—"
Sanji begins, but is cut off by a faraway, feminine voice, "You're both stupid!"
They fall quiet again at Nami's words. Zoro's hand still hangs between them, but the lack of reciprocation is getting the better of him.
"If it bothers you that much, I can return you."
"Do you mean it?" Sanji asks at the same time Zoro speaks, and reiterates, "Taking me away from here. With Zeff and Nami."
Something catches in Zoro's throat, so he replies with a simple, confident nod. With another small breath of hesitation, Sanji gently takes Zoro's hand in his own, soft on the under pad and rough as his nails scratch against his wrist.
"Then take me away, like the dragon you say you are. Far from here, you jealous fiend."
Zoro brightens a bit at that only to deflate a little, barking, "Jealous?"
Sanji laughs. "Yes! I saw the way you eyed me on your way into the ceremony. I bet you wished you were the beautiful bride next to me instead—"
Zoro yanks Sanji by the hand and slaps him with his tail again, unable to hide the ruddy blush across his cheeks as he argues, "I do not!"
But all Sanji does it laugh; he laughs like he hasn't laughed in weeks, shedding his proverbial chains and feeling freer than he has in his life. He takes Zoro's hand and brings it to his lips, kissing the rough, scaly knuckles despite the deepening, angry blush Zoro wears on his displeased face. He laughs at that too, cackles and howls like Zoro's cacophony of roars ss he left the wedding with his prize.
He's free, by some stupid chance of lifelong fate, Sanji is free.