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But it still glowed. A shine as intense as his smile.
Hours could pass without Sanji taking the sweet look from his face. Even though his lover seemed cold to everyone, he never showed a single drop of evil or coldness to whom he had sworn to love until the day he pass away.
Holding his sword wouldn't solve anything, he just got himself drunk on sweet memories before he could feel the brief breeze of reality around him.
He remembers it perfectly. A scent of freshly bought flowers, scented candles and just the sound of their laughter adorning a semi-dark room. The taste of the wine spread slowly through their throat, and a delicious meat perfectly made by the cook to the taste of his beloved accompanied them. It was the exact memory of the last night they spent together, it was beautiful. Maybe a dream?
Perhaps yes, a very beautiful one, one where the rough hands of the one he loved caressed his hair as if they were small and valuable diamonds, one where the brushing of hands and the nervous looks did not go unnoticed as if it were their first date, one where he was finally able to hear the "will you marry me". A dream that was perfect before turning into a complete nightmare.
He couldn't even see his body. Even if he want it, the crewmates would make sure of it. His soul would not turn back if his mind kept that last image of the only person capable to give sense at his days.
He knew that he shouldn't have let him go alone, it was a completely madness, no one would get out of there alive and he... Zoro, was no exception.
After the tough battle at Wano and an apparent victory, no one would expect three of the strongest admirals in the marines to show up. There were total chaos, everyone was tired, injureds, drinking and celebrating, with no time to react to a surprise attack.
Fire and blood flowed, hundreds of screams rang out in the air and then an unprecedented battle began, while the pirates were at a total disadvantage, as expected. It was obvious that they couldn't win, they knew it, Luffy knew it, Zoro himself knew it.
The retreat occurred, they had no other alternative, choosing an escape route and avoiding the fight was the only way to get out of there alive and even when the plan was drawn up, while Issho held Kid and Trafalgar's pirates, Zakazuki and Borsalino they would not leave the newly named emperor's ship behind. An intense persecution was taking place driven by the desire to resume the events of Marineford, events that did not seem to have culminated and those two beasts would not be satisfied until they finished off the entire Straw Hat crew.
"Sorry if I get lost on my way down the wedding, I'll be a little late, ero-cook"
And that was it. Before his mind processed the idea of holding him back, he received a punch to the stomach from him, hard enough to knock him unconscious. He didn't need to keep watching to know what would happen next. A sacrifice, yes; if he had to sacrifice himself for his allies, Zoro would do it, if he had to leave everything he loved behind for his allies, Zoro would do it and if he had to give his life so that the boy he fell in love would have a future, Zoro definitely would and it happened.
Sanji wouldn't see his clumsy boyfriend anymore, he wouldn't be able to kiss him, touch him, look at him for hours while he sleeps, scold him for being unable to get anywhere without getting lost and definitely, he wouldn't be able to call him his husband never. There was no longer a future together, he didn't even know what conditions they left his body, or if they at least left a part of it. But at least he had something to remember him by. His sword was all that was left, one of his three swords of which he didn't even know it name, broken, without any use for combat if observed from the simplest point of view.
But this one still glowed. A shine as intense as his smile, a shine that certainly contained all the soul of the green-haired fool that gave him so many problems over the years and that would undoubtedly keep alive, the love of the commanders of the future pirate king.