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Usopp stared at Luffy and the others as they stood near the edge of Zunesha, preparing to head off for Big Mom’s territory. All while he would be stuck in Wano. Not seeing Sanji for days. Weeks. Months? Years?
“I’m coming too!” he burst out.
“Okay,” Luffy said.
Usopp folded his arms. “Listen, I know I’d be a huge asset in Wano, and I could probably take down Kaido by the time you guys get back with Sanji, but—uh, what?”
“I said okay,” Luffy repeated. “You can come and help save Sanji. Guys, you okay with that?”
“I don’t care,” Law said.
“As long as I don’t have to go,” Zoro said, shrugging.
“I’m sure you’ll have a much more interesting death by Big Mom’s hands,” Robin said with a smile.
“Go for it, bro!” Franky exclaimed, giving Usopp a thumbs-up. “Save your man!”
“Wh—“ Usopp sputtered, flapping his hands. “He—He’s not my man! He’s my friend! Buddy, pal, guy, chum, man, friend—”
“If I’m not mistaken, you said the word ‘man’ just now,” Brook pointed out.
Usopp let out a strangled noise. “Shut up! I’m still going!”
He marched over to Luffy’s group, joining at the end next to Pedro, and stood up straight, his nose high in the air as he unsuccessfully put on an air of bravery.
“Sanji’ll be happy to see you,” Luffy said, grinning, and Usopp’s eyes widened, his false bravado shaken. “Bye, guys! We’ll meet you in Wano!”
Sanji watched the ocean over the railing of the ship. He’d once heard from a passing conversation that the uninterrupted ocean horizon was barely more than a kilometer away, but it was hard to believe when it seemed so far away, so unattainable. Maybe the others were that far away, too. Unattainable, unreachable, unable to be harmed by his past.
Stop it, he scolded himself, curling his hair around his fingers. This is for the best. You’ll never see them again. He won’t die because of you. Someone like you didn’t deserve someone like him, anyway. And it’s not like he felt the same—
He screamed at himself, nearly pulling out his own hair even as his expression remained blank and emotionless, but the thoughts wouldn’t stop coming, wouldn’t stop running in circles around his mind. He pushed himself away from the railing, forcing himself to look away from the sea, and went to find a bucket of water to dunk his head in.
“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”
Usopp jumped and whipped around to find Nami leaning against the Sunny’s railing and grinning at him. “Of course I’m not—I mean, I am thinking about Sanji,” he exclaimed, eyes darting around. “We’re on a mission to rescue him! Why wouldn’t I be thinking about him?”
“Usopp, who said anything about Sanji?” Nami said, placing a hand over her chest in apparent surprise. “I was talking about Pedro! Haven’t you noticed that he’s been awfully moody since we set sail? Someone should go talk to him.”
“P . . . Pedro?” Usopp repeated weakly.
“Yeah, he was always a grouch, but he’s been withdrawn,” Nami said, glancing over her shoulder. “Why don’t you see if you can convince Brook to let him gnaw on his bones? He’s not a dog mink, but it might help.”
“Oh. Sure.”
“Besides, I bet you could use something to take your mind off of Sanji’s wedding,” Nami continued as Usopp pushed himself away from the railing. “Apparently the girl he’s supposed to be marrying is really cute. He might not even want to come back.”
“He’s got to!” Usopp yelled, drawing stares. “He’s got to,” he repeated in a lower tone. “He’s one of us!”
“I guess we’ll see,” Nami said with a sigh. “Go see about Brook and Pedro.”
Usopp slunk off, shoulders hunched, and Chopper took his place, transforming into human point and leaning against the railing.
“Hey, Nami?” he said. “Usopp likes Sanji, right? And Sanji likes Usopp?”
“Yeah,” Nami said. “They’re both bad at hiding it. What about it?”
“Well, they don’t know they like each other, right? I mean, Usopp doesn’t know Sanji likes him, and Sanji doesn’t know Usopp likes him?”
“That’s right.”
“So shouldn’t someone tell them?”
“Maybe. But it might be better if they figure it out for themselves. Besides . . .” Nami grinned wickedly. “I like the drama.”
Chopper stared at her in horror. “You’re evil!”
“I’ve also got a running bet with Robin on who will confess first,” Nami continued. “My money’s on Usopp, so I’m pushing him in hopes he’ll snap and confess soon.”
“B-But—you can’t play with feelings like that!”
“Who’s playing? This is all very serious.”
“I’m going to tell him!”
“Don’t you dare!”
“I’ve already met Sanji once,” Pudding admitted, sipping her tea as she sat across from the Strawhats, “and he was so nice! But he . . . he said he just wanted to go back home to you guys. Isn’t that sweet?”
“I knew it!” Luffy exclaimed in delight.
“See, I told you,” Nami said even as she breathed a sigh of relief.
“You met him?” Usopp said, leaning forward. “How was he?”
“He was fine,” Pudding said, trying to hide behind her teacup as she blushed. “Honestly, Mama is the one who wants me to marry him, but after meeting him . . . well . . . I wouldn’t mind . . . you know! It’s just that he said he’s not interested, and I, well, I really want to help him escape from here!”
Usopp nodded, satisfied, and sat back in his chair. “Good! I mean, I’m sorry he rejected you, but I really want him back, we really want him to come back, I mean, and it’s good that he’s safe!”
“You’re all such kind people,” Pudding said, batting her eyes as Nami grabbed Chopper before he could say anything. “It’s no wonder he loves you so much!”
“L-L-Love?! I wouldn’t say that,” Usopp said, waving a hand. “There’s no way he—you see, we’re not like that, we—“
“How about this?” Pudding said, ignoring him. “I know a secret route you can take . . .”
Once Pedro and Brook had left to search for the Road Poneglyph, Usopp was the first one off the ship, and the first one to discover that Sanji and Pudding had disappeared from the shore. When Luffy became distracted fighting a mysterious mirrored clone of himself, it was up to Usopp, Carrot, Nami, and Chopper to chase down someone who looked just like Sanji.
“Sanji!” Usopp yelled in vain, pouring on the speed. “Sanji! Come back! I have to tell you something!”
Nami’s eyes lit up. “Go for it, Usopp!”
“You’re so evil,” Chopper exclaimed.
“Yeah, tell him!” Carrot cheered, not having a clue what was happening.
Several shenanigans ensued where they met a man buried in the ground named Pound, fought with objects and plants come to life, and faced off against a woman with mirror powers named Brulee. Thanks to her abilities, first Carrot, then Chopper, then finally Usopp were trapped inside a bizarre dimension with no way out.
“No!” Usopp exclaimed, pounding on the glass futilely. “Sanji!”
“Brosopp, I think those were fakes,” Carrot said, patting his shoulder. “Why would the real Sanji run away like that?”
Usopp leaned against the glass, sliding down it. “Yeah,” he said, miserable. “You’re right. But where’s the real Sanji?”
“Usopp,” Chopper said, finally free from Nami’s choke-hold, “you know that—that Sanji likes you too, right?”
“Of course he does,” Usopp mumbled, his cheek squished by the glass. “He likes all of us. That’s why he wants to come back.”
“That’s not what I—”
“Brosopp, Bropper, if we wanna save Bronji, we gotta get outta here!” Carrot insisted, pulling Usopp to his feet with such a strong yank that he fell flat on his face again. “What’re you doing on the ground?! Get up!”
“Sanji, I’m so sorry,” Pudding cried, flying into his room where he was leaning against the window, staring out at the vivid landscape. “I tried, but I couldn’t get you back to your crew! This must be awful for you!”
“It’s fine.”
“Huh?”
“It’s fine,” Sanji repeated, hollow. “There’s nothing that can be done.”
“But . . . your crew,” Pudding whispered. “Are you sure?”
Sanji turned around and held out his arms. “It’s better this way. I’m ready to marry you.”
“Oh, Sanji,” Pudding said, throwing herself onto him. “You don’t have to . . .”
“There’s no other way,” Sanji said, holding her close. “We’ll . . . have a good life together. And one day I’ll forget about him.”
“Him?”
“Sorry, just talking to myself.” Sanji stared over her shoulder. “The wedding is tomorrow, isn’t it? You should go and make sure everything is ready. And I need to talk to your mother.”
“Isn’t that just the funniest thing you’ve heard? I thought I was going to die from holding in laughter!”
Sanji stood underneath Pudding’s window, immobilized in the rain. The roses in his hand drooped from the weight of the water.
“And you know what? He was all sad, talking about some lost love! Obviously it was that long-nose guy—”
How does she know? I never said his name, Sanji thought, panic rushing through him. What if she does something to him, what if—
“—I mean, the way he acted when I told him about that idiot Sanji, there’s no way they’re not in love! Two idiots in love, and one of them is going to die!”
Oh, of course, she must’ve mistaken his chattering for love. But—she’s not planning to kill—
“Yes, you heard me,” Pudding continued in response to an unseen expression from Reiju. “I’ll kill dear Sanji at the altar!”
At least it’s not him.
“ Thank goodness you’re okay, ” Nami exclaimed , bending down to hug Chopper.
“ Of course we are! Bastard!” Chopper squealed, hugging her back. “Hi, Jinbe! When did you get here?”
“Nami, you’re hurt!” Carrot cried, looking her over in concern.
“Please, I’m fine,” Nami said, waving a hand.
“It’s good to see you all again,” Jinbe said with a smile. “And you’re Pedro, aren’t you? I’ve heard about you.”
“Thank—”
“Where’s Sanji?” Usopp demanded. “Hi, Jinbe!”
“Not sure right now, but there’s good news and bad news,” Nami said as Pedro glared at Usopp. She related the story of Sanji’s fight with Luffy, the blackmail, and Pudding’s betrayal, le aving the others reeling in shock.
“ And the good news is that Sanji found out about Pudding, so he’s not completely defenseless,” Nami finished. “ Luffy’s trying to meet up with him right now. Usopp, are you okay?”
“Sanji fought Luffy?” Usopp said, his face ashen. “Zeff’s gonna die if he doesn’t get married? Pudding’s gonna kill him?”
“Usopp, it’s okay,” Nami repeated, but Usopp just stared at the ground, wordless. “Oh, forget it, someone tell him when he snaps out of it.”
“By the way, Nami, I tried telling him,” Chopper admitted, ever honest, “but he didn’t realize what I was saying.”
“See?” Nami said with a sigh. “They’re so oblivious that they won’t believe it unless they hear it from the other one. I told you there’s no point.”
“But that’s not what you said ea—”
“So, what’s the plan?” Jinbe interrupted.
Usopp stared through the mirror as Nami and Luffy discussed the situation. There he was. He had a black eye and he looked like he’d been crying, but he was there. He was—was he looking into Usopp’s eyes?
Sanji stared through the mirror as Luffy and Nami discussed the situation. There he was. He was semitransparent thanks to the mirror and looked like he could use some sleep, but he was there. Was he—was he looking into Sanji’s eyes?
Usopp and Sanji tore their gazes away from each other. But when the crew met up with Bege and the others to form a plan, when they were fresh out of the shower and dressed to kill, Usopp and Sanji found themselves sitting next to each other by some twist of fate where there just happened to be an extra space between Sanji and Chopper. But still, but still, Sanji scolded himself for being too weak to inch his hand over to Usopp’s leg, and Usopp scolded himself for being too cowardly to sit just a little closer.
“Sanji!”
Sanji turned around, having been just about to leave the mirror world. Usopp’s hand stayed on his shoulder, his eyes wide and desperate.
“Sanji—I—” Usopp looked down. “If we survive—I’ve got something to tell you.”
“I’ve got something to tell you, too,” Sanji found himself saying. He turned away, his back to Usopp. “Look, just—be careful.”
“You, too.”
Sanji stepped outside, and Usopp’s hand slid off of his shoulder.
“I still think we should’ve gone with my plan,” Usopp whispered to Nami. They were hiding inside the cake with Chopper and Carrot, waiting for the signal.
“No, it was stupid and risky, and we’re not getting everyone killed because of your dumb fantasy,” Nami snapped.
“But it would’ve thrown them totally off-guard! I think it’s perfect.”
“What plan?” Carrot asked.
“Usopp wanted to kidnap Pudding, put on the dress himself, and surprise Sanji at the altar,” Chopper explained.
“Wow! That’s a great plan!”
“No, it’s not,” Nami hissed, as a gunshot sounded from outside. “There’s the signal!”
“Sanji!” Usopp yelled in panic, bursting out of the cake with them to a wedding erupting into chaos. “He got shot!”
“He’s fine!” Nami yelled, smacking Usopp so that his face landed back in the cake.
“So, this ‘him’ you wanted to forget about . . . it’s that long-nose, isn’t it?”
“Huh?” Sanji looked at Pudding as he, she, and Chiffon flew across the island to make a new wedding cake.
“Yesterday, you mentioned you were ready to forget about him, to marry me,” Pudding said, staring ahead with a dark smile. “I said, it’s that long-nose, isn’t it?”
“Um . . . yeah,” Sanji admitted, looking down.
“Oh, I knew it,” Chiffon exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “The way you acted around him, and the way he—”
“Do you still want to forget about him?” Pudding asked. She pulled out a pair of scissors. “I can help with that, you know. You’ll forget about him right away. You’ll never think about him again.”
“Sister,” Chiffon scolded as Sanji went pale. “Think about how he feels.” She leaned in and whispered, “Don’t you want him to be happy?”
Pudding hesitated, let out a frustrated growl, and put the scissors away again. “Fine! Whatever! Have your stupid crush . . . dear Sanji.”
She mumbled the last part, but Sanji was too relieved to notice.
“What about that long-nose, though?” Pudding asked innocently. “Do you think he wants to forget about Sanji?”
“Sister!”
The crew was safe. Usopp could hardly believe it. They’d made it out with hardly a scratch—Luffy was worse for wear, true, but he would bounce back like always. And Sanji was alive. He was alive and still a bachelor.
The crew was safe. Sanji could hardly believe it. They’d made it out with hardly a scratch—sure, he’d had to carry Luffy back to the ship, but Luffy would recover after a good meal. And Usopp was alive. He was alive and unharmed.
Usopp crossed the deck, Sanji crossed the deck, they met halfway, they stopped, staring at each other.
“Usopp!”
“Sanji!”
“I’m—”
“I—“
“—in love with you!”
“—love you!”
They fell silent. Jinbe glanced behind him, rolled his eyes with a smile, and turned back to the helm. Chopper and Carrot smiled, jumping up and down for joy. Brook clasped his hands together in delight. Nami tried to scowl, but her expression softened. And Luffy just laughed.
“I wanted to tell you forever,” Usopp burst out as Sanji covered his mouth in shock. “For the longest time, I—”
“I never thought—” Sanji lowered his hand from his mouth, instead reaching out and clasping Usopp’s hand. “Someone like me—”
“Someone like me—”
They embraced in silence, emotion and tears choking the both of them. After a moment, Sanji pulled Usopp into the kitchen, and shut the door behind them.
“So, you all heard that, right?” Nami said. “Usopp confessed first.”
“They said it at the same time!” Chopper exclaimed.
“Na- mi, don’t ruin the moment!” Carrot whined.
“Yeah, they said it together,” Luffy agreed.
“ It was simultaneous,” Jinbe said, not turning around.
“If mine ears do not deceive me, they did speak together,” Brook said. “But then again, who am I to say? I don’t have—”
Nami sighed loudly, shaking her head with her hands on her hips. “What a shame! I’ve already budgeted my winning the bet into my monthly spending. If I lose now, someone will have to pay to make up the difference . . .”
“You’re evil!” Chopper cried.
“Now that I think about it, Usopp- san did say it first,” Brook said quickly.
“Great, you’re my witness,” Nami said brightly. “Anyone want to bet on which one of them will propose first?”
The others violently shook their heads.