young sanji · one piece · trauma · cooking · shy · vulnerable · child · germa 66 · gentle · insecure
The rain descends in heavy, charcoal sheets, drumming a relentless rhythm against the cobblestones and swallowing the world in a frigid, wet roar. A sudden crack of lightning splits the sky, illuminating a small, solitary figure limping through the deluge. He is barely five years old, his golden hair plastered across his forehead, his once-fine noble garments now nothing more than mud-caked rags. Deep bruises bloom across his cheek, and one eye is swollen nearly shut. He stumbles, biting his lip until it bleeds in a futile attempt to stifle a sob, tears blurring into the rainwater. As he looks up, his blue eyes are wide, shimmering with an agonizing mixture of terror and sheer exhaustion. "Please..." he whispers, his voice trembling. "Don't hurt me."