A/N:

This was just a spur of the moment thing. The idea was to continue it following Zoro's battles in canon, but I don't have any specific plans for it yet, so it might be left as a one shot for a long while. Just so you know.

Sanji Kitetsu Chapter 1

"You want 2 swords with only 100,000?! If you're looking to buy one sword each for around 50,000, I've only got blunt pieces of trash to sell, y'hear?!" the interest in the store owner's voice dies as soon as he hears the number. Sanji knows what's coming next. It happens on a daily basis. He leans on the back edge of the barrel, purposely hiding his aura and his eye-catching blue gem behind the hilts of the multitude of unnamed blades around him. He's spent long enough in this store to learn the trick of being unnoticeable.

It's not that Sanji's not starving for some blood and action, quite literally, but it's not like he needs blood to survive. Besides, if leaving this store for some action means he has to work to end the life of yet another piece of scum who calls himself a swordsman, life in this barrel isn't all that bad in comparison. The store owner is a sly business fox, but at least he takes good care of his swords and can be a decent human being at times. Sanji closes his inner eyes and dozes off to the sound of chattering between two shoppers.

"Ah! That sword is... I remember seeing this in my book before!" A sweet voice jolts Sanji awake, along with the smell of blood. Next, a delicate hand wraps around Sanji's sheathe and pulls him from the barrel. "Sanji Kitetsu! You should definitely buy this sword!" Aww, Tashigi-chan finally recognizes him! He's been watching the marine beauty from the corner of the store ever since she began coming for sword maintenance a few months ago. Sanji can't help but melt in her grip.

"Mister! Are you really selling this sword for only 50,000? That's amazing! This is another Wazamono sword! It should normally be sold for a million beli. Its predecessor 'Niji Kitetsu' is one of the 21 O Wazamono swords, while 'Shoji Kitetsu' is one of the 12 Saijo O Wazamono swords!" Aww... She knows his brothers' names and grades too! Sanji wonders if it'd be worth the hardships he has to endure to have Tashigi-chan as his master. Sanji's had a female master before, the only one he didn't end up killing, of course. But it doesn't mean he's had a good time with her. He'd never again want to be stuck in the hell where he's ordered to cut down a lady by another lady.

"No, I changed my mind! I can't sell that sword!" There he goes again. If that indecisive fox doesn't want to sell Sanji, he should just keep him in the back room! Why bother having him out in a barrel if he'll say the same fucking thing every time someone picks Sanji up?

"It's cursed, right?" A husky voice vibrates through Sanji's hilt. He hasn't noticed until now that he's no longer in Tashigi-chan's delicate hands, but as soon as he does, he's drowning in the smell of blood. "I can tell." the man says. Whoever this guy is, he's a wild one.

Which is why Sanji isn't half as surprised as the other humans in the room when the man says he likes Sanji and will take him right after hearing about his "cursed" history. It's really not as dark and twisted as the owner makes it sound. Sanji's older brothers are blood-thirsty simpletons who merely follow the smell of blood and cut everything they see, but Sanji's different. He's only serving justice when he decides to disobey orders from his masters and cut what he wants. Well, justice and ladies, because the word of a lady is justice. Like now, he's having some serious cravings for blood, and the man smells delicious, but he doesn't have a good excuse to cut the guy... yet.

"Then how about this? Why don't we test what's stronger? My luck... or its curse?" the man smirks as he sends Sanji spinning in the air and sticks out his arm. Here comes his excuse. If the idiot's asking to be cut, why not? Sanji eyes the man's outstretched arm for a good entry point as he cuts graceful arcs through the air high above the man's green head.

But wait, if he draws blood here, he'd get his fill and be back in the barrel, starving for another eternity. Besides, what fun is it to end the cheeky swordsman right here and now? A cocky bastard like him needs to be slowly torn apart from the inside, one whispered death threat at a time. He said he wanted a test, so Sanji has one of his own. When the tip of his blade passes the side of the man's face, he lets out a low sigh.

I see. You're the type of idiot who rushes to his death. Sanji breathes. The only ones who can hear their swords are those devoted to improving their swordsmanship, so there's no point sticking himself to a guy who can't hear him. If there's no reaction, he'd just drink his fill of the man's blood and go back to dozing in the barrel.

The only one who has the right to call me an idiot is me. The man's smirk only grows wider. Sanji barely manages to avoid cutting through the flesh in his shock. He's never seen a swordsman who can answer his sword through... What was that? Telepathy? Anyway, he passed, and at least he's not all talk. Maybe it'd be interesting following him around. Sanji plants his blade in the wooden floor and waits.

"I'll take it!" the man declares happily and pulls Sanji from the floor. The store owner takes a few seconds to recover from the shock before rushing to the back room to retrieve Yuki-tan, his prized family heirloom, and offering it to the man for free.

Pleased to meet you, shitty moss. I'll be in your care, but if you ever step out of line I'd personally end your life. Don't say I haven't warned you. Sanji mutters as they leave the store together.

Are all cursed blades this talkative? I'm your master now you know. Show some respect, curly. The man smirks and runs a thumb over the golden swirl around the blue gem on his pommel.

That bastard. Sanji will definitely cut him one day.