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There was awkward silence the surrounded each member of the Straw Hats. They had finally reunited and were all together again, after the events of Whole Cake Island there was a bit of tension between Zoro and Sanji especially. It was similar to the events after Water 7 when Usopp left the crew. Their arguments were getting worse, and it sometimes led to more physical fight that weren't their ordinary sparing matches.
The two didn't fight near their captain though. They both knew how much those events weighed on his shoulders and the consequences of him feeling like he was losing his nakama. They didn't want to be the cause of that painful reminder and cause Luffy to spiral down and be reminded of Water 7, Marineford, then Whole Cake Island. While they thought they were hiding the tension well enough, whenever they thought Luffy wasn't listening, he was.
He would quietly listen as the arguments would get worse, or when one of his other nakama stepped in to stop them. At first Luffy believed the best course of action was to let them fight it out. Neither of them was good with feelings nor words, they usually solved their problems by beating each other up, but even that seemed to not work. Luffy knew that he needed to say something, but he wasn't even sure what to say to them.
He couldn't turn back time and stop these events from happening, but in a way, things happened for a reason. Was this a way for his crew to grow even stronger?
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"You weren't even there, Moss-Head! So, keep your mouth closed!" Sanji yelled across the dinner table. "You left the crew! Then you kick the hell out of Luffy, then joined back like nothing happened?! What the hell am I supposed to think you, shitty cook!" Zoro yelled back at the man.
"Zoro! Sanji! That's enough!" Nami said trying to settle the two down. "No! I've had enough of this idiot thinking he can just spit out some random bullshit!" Sanji shouted getting more irritated as this fight went on. "Usopp! Come on back me up here!" Nami yelled looking at the sharper shooter. "I'm torn between them. I left the crew for my own selfish reasons, while Sanji left to protect the crew. Though I can agree that Sanji should have relied on the crew more and a lot of what happened could have been avoided." Usopp explained.
Nami groaned as that didn't seem to calm the situation down at all.
"You don't have a clean record either Moss-Head!" Sanji yelled. Zoro's glare darkened a bit. "Thriller Bark and this have nothing to do with each other!" Zoro yelled placing his hand on Wado which led to Sanji standing up. "Oh yeah! Well maybe you should come clean about the situation then!" Sanji said about to step over the table. "You should have stayed on-!"
Zoro's sentence and Sanji's attack were both immediately cut off when they were flung into opposite sides of the kitchen with a loud crash. "Luffy-san!" Brook gasped slightly looking up at their captain who was now standing up. "Everyone out." Luffy ordered looking between both Sanji and Zoro. "Luffy, I'm sorry you-" Sanji started as Zoro was also starting his apology "Shut up." Luffy snapped leaving them in a small state of shock and the cook and first mate immediately shut their mouths.
Robin urged everyone out of the kitchen and shutting the door behind them now leaving their captain, cook, and first mate all alone.
Luffy moved a bit sitting in front of the door a crossed his arms. "What happened on Thriller Bark?" Luffy asked. "I told you, nothing happened-" Zoro started. "That wasn't a question, I am giving you an order as your captain, for you two to tell me what happened on Thriller Bark." Luffy interrupted yet again.
Zoro shut his mouth again and looked towards the floor, there was a thick layer of tension and silence between them. Then Luffy sighed a bit, "You two are nakama, we live together, fight together, eat together, it doesn't matter where or what happened to us in the past, because it happened in the past. We all have dreams; we all have a future to look forward to." Luffy stated firmly.
"Luffy this doesn't involve you. This is between me and Moss-Head." Sanji stated. "I tried leaving it for you two to figure it out on your own. That isn't working. What if we were fighting the marines and you two were too busy fighting each other that either of you get hurt, or one of our other nakama?" Luffy asked turning his head between them. They were both looking at the floor in shame. "I wouldn't let that happen." Zoro said.
Luffy sighed a bit shaking his head. "Disputes happen, that's how you know you care about someone. Ace and I used to fight all the time after Sabo died. Ace didn't want me to get hurt and I didn't want Ace babying me constantly. I guarantee that Sabo and I will have arguments every now and then. That's what it means to have people you care about." Luffy explained. As Zoro and Sanji both looked at each other then back at Luffy.
"The events of Water 7 are different. Usopp left the crew for a selfish reason, but he also disrespecting my authority as captain of the crew. The events of Thriller Bark are you two lying and hiding something and if you really wish that I shouldn't know then I won't push it any further. Then there was Whole Cake Island." Luffy paused glancing over at Zoro. "Sanji left the crew to protect it. I let Sanji attack me. I won't fight my nakama when they are suffering. The circumstances at Whole Cake, didn't change none of that." Luffy finished finally lifting his head completely.
There were a few stary tears, the one thing that Zoro and Sanji were both afraid off. They quickly stood up and rushed over to their captain. Zoro's hand gently rested on Luffy's left cheek carefully wiping the tears with his thumb and Sanji's ran one of his hands through his captain's hair. "Zoro, you are my swordsman and first-mate. Sanji you, my cook. You're both a major part of the crew. The left and right wings of the crew. It's our job to keep the crew safe." Luffy said.
Zoro and Sanji both looked at each other again before they smiled a bit. "Alright, you win shitty captain." Sanji joked and Luffy smiled, his usual wide grin. "Shishishi!" he laughed. "We cool now Moss-Head?" Sanji asked him. "Sure, Curly-Brow." Zoro answered with a nod before standing up and pulling Luffy Luffy to his feet then offering Sanji a hand who took it, and the swordsman pulled him to his feet.