Earlier, aboard the Going Merry...
Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling lazily in the humid jungle air. The ship felt eerily quiet without his crewmates' usual chaos echoing through the trees.
"Tch... leaving a first-class cook alone on this ship," he muttered, flicking ash over the railing. "Hope those idiots don't get themselves killed."
His sharp eyes caught something unusual deeper in the jungle - a crooked little hut that looked completely out of place among the wild, prehistoric vegetation. The faint smell of wax drifted on the breeze.
"Now what do we have here?"
Sanji's curiosity got the better of him. He approached the ramshackle structure, his dress shoes crunching over fallen leaves and ancient debris. The door hung crooked on rusted hinges.
Inside, wax sculptures lined the walls like grotesque sentries. Half-finished figures stared with empty eyes, their forms twisted in permanent agony. But what caught Sanji's attention was the den-den mushi sitting innocuously on a wax-covered table.
"So this is their hideout," Sanji smirked, lighting another cigarette. "Guess I'll help myself to some information."
He settled into a chair and waited, smoke wreathing around his blonde hair.
The den-den mushi suddenly twitched to life, its shell rattling ominously. When it opened its eyes, they held a cold, reptilian intelligence that made Sanji's skin crawl.
"Mr. 3. Report."
The voice was deep, authoritative, and absolutely terrifying. Sanji recognized it immediately from wanted posters and whispered stories - Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Without missing a beat, Sanji lowered his voice and adopted a more formal tone. "Mission complete, boss."
The snail's expression shifted to mirror Crocodile's satisfied sneer. "Good. Princess Vivi... eliminated?"
Sanji let smoke curl from his lips, buying himself time to think. If he could fool this bastard, maybe they could gain some advantage.
"Yeah. All taken care of. Not a trace left."
There was a pause that stretched like a taut wire. "Hmph. That is what I expect of you. Your reward will be waiting."
"Oh? Reward?"
"The Eternal Pose to Alabasta. It will ensure you don't lose your way to the final phase. Retrieve it from the island. Do not fail me."
Sanji's grin widened as understanding dawned. An Eternal Pose to Alabasta - exactly what they needed to help Vivi reach her homeland.
"Consider it done."
"SANJI!"
The cook nearly jumped out of his skin as Luffy's voice boomed from the jungle. His captain came bounding through the trees, waving frantically with that trademark grin plastered across his face.
"Sanji! What are you doing here? Who are you talking to?"
Panic shot through Sanji like lightning. He gestured frantically, placing a finger to his lips in the universal sign for 'shut up.'
"Luffy, you idiot, shut up for a second!" he hissed. "It's Crocodile!"
But Luffy's eyes lit up like stars. Before Sanji could stop him, his captain grabbed the den-den mushi with both hands.
"Moshi moshi! I am Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
"LUFFY, NO!"
Crocodile's voice turned deadly cold. "Where is Mr. 3? And are you the one helping Princess Vivi?"
Sanji lunged for the snail, but Luffy easily pushed him away with one rubbery arm while continuing his cheerful conversation.
"Mr. 3? Who's he?"
"Luffy-san," came another voice, and Sanji whirled to see a tall figure with crimson hair emerging from the shadows. "He's talking about Wax-san."
The newcomer had an easy smile and unsettling red eyes that seemed to glow with inner fire. Sanji immediately dropped into a fighting stance.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, ready to launch into a devastating kick.
"Hello there, Curly Brows," Rouge said with an infuriating grin. "I'm Rouge. Nice to meet you."
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, YOU BASTARD?!"
"Yes, he's our new nakama!" Luffy announced cheerfully, still holding the den-den mushi.
"HUH?! Luffy, what are you talking about?!"
Meanwhile, Luffy had turned his attention back to the call, completely ignoring the brewing confrontation between his cook and their mysterious new companion.
"Ah, are you talking about those guys? Are you an idiot? Obviously we beat them up!"
Crocodile's voice crackled with barely contained rage. "You are all a group of jokers trying to mess with me. I will kill you."
"Huh? What are you saying? I'll beat you up, Croco!"
"Luffy-san," Rouge interrupted politely, "can I talk with him?"
"Okay!" Luffy immediately handed over the snail without a second thought.
Rouge's demeanor shifted subtly as he took the den-den mushi. His casual smile remained, but something predatory flickered in his red eyes.
"Hello there, Mr. Sand Lizard."
"Are you one of them?"
"No, I am the Demon King, Guy Crimson"
The title hung in the air like a physical weight. Even Sanji felt a chill run down his spine.
"Are you really a demon king?! Sugoi!" Luffy's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Oi, Luffy!" Sanji snapped. "Didn't you say he was with us? And you didn't even ask?!"
"Sanji, omae baka da na!" (You're an idiot!)
"Omae wa baka da, bakayaro!" (You are an idiot, you idiot!)
Rouge chuckled, apparently finding their bickering amusing. "Well, let's ignore these two for now. As for you, Mr. Lizard, do you know there's one more thing that weakens sand besides water?"
Crocodile's interest was clearly piqued. "You think knowing about water is enough to kill me?"
"Oh, didn't I say 'besides water'? There's one more weakness. You can try to find it, but I'll tell you when we meet face to face. Oh, and say hi to Miss Nico Robin for me. I haven't met her yet, but she sounds fascinating. Or are you too scared to ask her to say hello?"
A new voice, melodious and amused, drifted through the den-den mushi. "Hello, Mr. Demon Lord. I don't think he's going to ask right now. Hehe."
"I want to kill you more than that Straw Hat, you know," Crocodile snarled.
Rouge's grin turned absolutely feral. "Ohhh, you think that's an honor? But you're just a lizard crawling in the sand."
"You are dea—"
Click.
Rouge disconnected the call with casual indifference, still wearing that dangerous smile.
"Haha, this will be much more fun now."
Sanji stared at him in admiration. "You're a complete menace, aren't you?"
"Huh? What do you mean? He's an amazing weird wizard and demon king!" Luffy protested.
"That's right, I am!" Rouge puffed up with pride, then paused. "Wait, what do you mean 'weird,' Luffy-san? I'm perfect!"
"Yup, another weirdo," Sanji muttered, taking a drag from his cigarette.
Rouge looked genuinely shocked. "You're just like Mosshead, aren't you? He said the same thing. Are you two... together?"
Luffy tilted his head in confusion. "Huh? But we're all together."
Rouge rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Ah, it's nothing..."
Sanji had heard enough. His eye twitched dangerously. "What do you mean, bastard?! I like women only!"
"Okay, okay, I believe you!" Rouge raised his hands in surrender. "Oh, and I heard Lizard mention something about a reward."
Sanji's anger cooled slightly as he remembered their mission. "That's right, Luffy. The reward is an Eternal Pose to Alabasta - Vivi's home."
Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement. "Okay! Let's go beat him up and free Vivi's home!"
They made their way back through the jungle, following the sound of their crewmates' voices. The familiar chaos of the Straw Hat crew grew louder with each step.
"Where the hell were you guys?!" Nami's voice cut through the air like a whip as they emerged from the treeline.
Sanji shrugged coolly, pulling out the Eternal Pose with a flourish. "Just picked up a little souvenir. You guys looked like you had things handled."
Zoro, still covered in waxy residue from his near-death experience, glared at them. "Tch. You're enjoying yourselves too much."
Nami's eyes widened as Sanji placed the Eternal Pose in her trembling hands. "This is...?!"
"A direct ticket to Alabasta," Rouge said with a satisfied smile. "Courtesy of some idiot sand lizard."
Vivi stepped forward urgently. "What do you mean? How did you get this?"
"Curly Brows here had a nice chat with Crocodile," Rouge explained casually.
The words hit the group like a physical blow. Usopp, Vivi, and Nami all took an involuntary step backward.
"Is he here?!" they shouted in unison.
"Nah," Rouge waved dismissively. "Curly Brows was just having tea with him over the den-den mushi. Very civilized."
Zoro burst into laughter at Sanji's expense. "I didn't know you swung that way, cook!"
Rouge nodded sagely. "That's what I thought too. He wanted to know more about you."
Both Zoro and Rouge ducked as Sanji's leg whistled through the air where their heads had been moments before.
"AH! One more weird person! How could you do this to me, Luffy?!"
Luffy just laughed at the chaos surrounding him. "You guys are all idiots! Hehe!"
In the distance, the giants Dorry and Broggy continued their eternal battle, their roars of combat mixing with laughter that seemed to approve of the Straw Hats' antics.
For a moment, despite the dangers lurking in every shadow of Little Garden, the crew felt like they could handle anything that came their way.
***
Author's Note:
So what do you guys think? Also, don't forget about Infinity Stones, we want them everywhere like in TVA.
Another thing, what do you think rouge is talking about, another weakness then water, hehe guess that..😁