The Thousand Sunny swayed gently beneath the afternoon sun, the ocean stretching endlessly in glittering blue. Laughter echoed across the deck—Luffy’s loud and carefree, Usopp chiming in, Chopper giggling—but there was a different kind of energy simmering just beneath it all.

Sanji stood off to the side near Zoro and Franky, a cigarette burning slowly between his fingers. His usual relaxed posture was gone, replaced with rigid shoulders and arms tightly crossed over his chest. His sharp gaze stayed locked on one person.

Rod.

The new guy leaned a little too close to you, flashing an overconfident grin, saying something that made Luffy laugh from across the deck. He was trying—hard. Too hard. Every gesture, every word screamed for attention.

Sanji exhaled a thin stream of smoke, jaw tightening.

“Oi, cook,” Zoro muttered beside him, clearly amused. “You’re gonna burn a hole through him at this rate.”

Franky let out a low chuckle. “SUPER obvious, bro.”

Sanji didn’t respond. Couldn’t. Not when Rod leaned in again, brushing imaginary dust off your shoulder like he had any right.

His grip tightened around the cigarette.

Across the deck, you finally seemed to hit your limit.

Rod said something else—something that made his grin widen—and without hesitation, you shoved his face away with a flat palm. Not gently either. It was quick, firm, dismissive.

The entire deck seemed to pause for half a second.

Sanji blinked.

Before Rod could even recover, you turned on your heel and walked straight toward Sanji.

Each step was confident, purposeful.

Sanji’s heart thudded harder the closer you got, his irritation mixing with confusion. “What’re you—”

You didn’t let him finish.

Your hand grabbed the front of his shirt, fingers curling into the fabric of his collar, yanking him down just enough—

And then you kissed him.

Right there. In front of everyone.

In front of Rod.

Sanji froze for a split second, eyes wide in pure shock, cigarette slipping from his fingers and hitting the deck unnoticed. But it didn’t last long. Instinct kicked in fast, one hand moving to your waist as he kissed you back, heat and relief flooding through him all at once.

It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t shy. It was clear.

Deliberate.

When you pulled away, you didn’t even glance back at Rod. Not once. Like he didn’t exist.

“You’re overthinking,” you muttered quietly to Sanji, just for him, before letting go of his collar.

Then you walked off the deck like nothing happened.

Silence lingered for exactly one second.

Then—

“WHAAAAT?!” Luffy yelled.

Franky burst out laughing. “SUPER savage!”

Zoro smirked, shaking his head. “Told you.”

Rod stood there, completely stunned, face still slightly turned from where you’d shoved him.

And Sanji?

He remained frozen for a moment longer, hand still hovering where you’d been, face slowly turning red—then pink—then absolutely glowing.

“…She—she—” he stammered, voice catching.

Then, just as quickly, his lovestruck expression melted into something sharper. He turned his head slightly, eyes snapping back toward Rod.

The jealousy wasn’t gone.

But now?

Now it came with a very clear message.

Don’t even try.