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Sanji is running and he can see the stars.
An opening to the sky has been created in Onigashima's main hall, filling the vast space with a fleeting sense of freedom. It reassures Sanji that Luffy is out there somewhere, and the rumbling beneath his feet tells him Kaido isn’t far away either.
Sanji's gaze keeps wandering around in search. Zoro is all alone and someone needs to find him.
Wait. Scratch that. He is not alone, and that’s what makes it dangerous.
Searching for King is challenging. How can that asshole hide so well despite being so freakishly tall?!
Sanji looks around. The fight is hard, but finding Zoro again is harder. Onigashima is such a big place; who knows where the bastard took him?
He hopes it’s not another dark room where you can’t see the sun or the stars and where time doesn’t exist, where it can drive you mad.
A picture of an old dungeon creeps into his mind, and he shakes it away. For Zoro it’s something else, way darker than his cage has ever been.
He keeps running.
That is until he has to stop. As luck would have it, Queen finds him first.
They fight, and Sanji changes but stays the same. He wins and lowers himself to hand the mouse back to the beautiful geisha.
She smiles at her friend before glancing back at Sanji with worried eyes. She shouldn’t worry about him when her head is covered with bandages. He wants to ask her about it, making sure she is getting better, but the dark spots in his vision quickly cover everything.
When his eyes finally snap open, he sits up. His breathing is laboured as he looks around the room. There is a blanket on him, and the sweet geisha looks shocked before relaxing. “How are you feeling, pirate man?”
He wants to answer, he does. He shouldn’t keep a girl waiting. But there are more important things to do, and he has no idea if it’s too late.
“How long have I passed out?” He asks anxiously, his efforts to calm his voice so as not to scare her are in vain.
“A few hours,” she answers shyly, “I don’t think more than three.”
Shit, shit, shit, shit.
“What about the invasion?”
She shrugs, “There are still sounds of fighting outside but I have stayed here with you.”
Knowing such a lovely girl kept him company, a part of him is moved. Another part desperately wishes she hadn’t.
“I haven’t.”
Sanji’s gaze snapped to a new and unfamiliar feminine voice. A more mature, just as beautiful woman stands at the entrance of their hiding place. By her formal clothes, he can assume she is a geisha as well, but he tries not to concentrate on that right now.
She knows what’s going on, and that's all that matters now.
“O-Some, please leave us alone.” The woman requests.
The pink haired geisha gets up from his side and smiles at him before walking out of the room. The other woman comes to replace her by his side.
His heart beats loudly, and he wants to scream for answers. Calming himself down, he reminds himself she is a lady.
“All of the ones you consider nakama are alive.“ She says, easing some weight weighing on him, but not all.
Her choice of words bathers him. She hasn’t mentioned if they are winning, or if one of them is currently dying alone, or if they are safe.
He guesses neither of them can be truly safe until Kaido is defeated, but as much as their physical state is important to him, there is one that is more at risk than the others.
“Roronoa Zoro,” She says.
His eyes widen when he hears the name leave her mouth, almost suspecting she can read his thoughts. Something akin to sadness is in her eyes.
“You can’t win,” She adds.
Fury builds inside Sanji. He keeps his voice down but makes sure it reflects his determined conviction: “We will win him back. We won’t give up on one of our own.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not what I meant, Black Leg,” She looks at him knowingly, “You can’t win this war, because you don’t have Roronoa Zoro.”
He wants to reply, to tell her again they will get him back, but he can tell she knows pieces he is missing to see the entire picture. He patiently waits for her to continue, glad he didn’t have to wait too long.
“I have an offer, but it comes with a price.” She raises her palm, and it starts to glow. She grins as she sees his expression. “Are you still surprised by things in the Grand Line?”
Sanji closes his slightly gaped mouth.
“This is the offer — this light will erase time, to a moment you wish to change, but as I said, there is a price,” the woman says as he hears the explosions in the background, sending waves of dust into the room. “You will remember.”
Sanji remembers a lot of things he wishes he hadn't. What’s another one to the pile?
“Will all the rest forget? Including Zoro?” Sanji asks hopefully.
“Including Roronoa.” She answers in a firm yet soft tone. “As for him and the others, from the moment you would change, nothing happened.”
Sanji‘s breath hitches, and he can’t help but wonder if she chose the last two words on purpose.
“You shouldn’t take it lightly. Being the only one who knows is a great burden to carry alone.”
She is right, but, “I won’t be alone.” He smiles at her, thinking of his nakama. And if all she says is true, this time he will have Zoro by his side too.
He glances at her hand. He might as well make a deal with the devil in a place this close to hell.
As his fingertips reach for the light, it begins glowing brighter. He shuts his eyes until the light behind his eyelids seems to subside.
Blinking his eyes open, he instantly recognises the place. His clothes are torn and tarnished, everything hurts yet his legs are running. To where? He knows once he looks up.
Kuma.
Chasing after Usopp with Zoro on his back.
Zoro. He has to stop Kuma, but he can’t. The warlord is going to help them to escape the admiral, which Sanji now knows they are not prepared to fight against.
However, Zoro will not escape to safety. Unless…
A plan forms in Sanji’s head as the adrenaline rushes through his body. He can no longer feel his legs but he is getting closer to his target and exactly as last time — he launches himself into Kuma’s leg.
The warlord looks down and Sanji knows he only has seconds before Kuma will have to continue his charade as their enemy.
“I know what you are doing and you have my sincere gratitude,” Sanji’s voice cracked with exhaustion before his eyebrows pinched determinedly, “but don’t send Zoro to Wano. He won’t come back.”
The leg kicks Sanji easily away, but he swears he saw a slight nod from their saviour (Kuma will be worthy of that title if he sends Zoro to a place he can return from).
He lays on the ground in pain, struggling to push himself up when he hears a scream. His eyes dart at Luffy, and Sanji’s heart breaks when he sees his captain this way. He follows Luffy’s line of sight and realises what causes him such anguish.
Zoro is gone.
While the others are terrified of their friend’s demise, Sanji is scared of losing their swordsman in a different way.
He barely has time to process before the rest are sent away. He doesn’t run towards Kuma this time, but the warlord is close enough to target him next. Sanji searches around and feels relieved Luffy is close by.
“Luffy!” Sanji calls as he watches Kuma walking to him, before locking eyes with his captain, “Ace is in danger!” Luffy’s expression is more terrified than before. So Sanji changes his tone when calmly adding, “We will be fine.” He grins at Luffy as Kuma’s hand moves towards him. “See you in two years, captain.”
Sanji hears the sound of a voice shouting his name in anguish, the scream is almost muffled completely by the wind.
In three days he lands in his personal hell.
He rubs his head from the fall and snarls as he sees all the pink.
“Great.” He pulls himself up, “I’m back.”
He takes out a cigarette and lights it. The Okamas won’t take long to find him, and Iva won’t come until the war’s end.
He checks the cigarette box and sees there are five left. With all the stress he is in, it won’t last a day.
He doesn’t remember exactly how long it took for the news about the war to come last time. But he wishes this time it won’t come to be. He won’t be surprised if everything stays the same, but he hopes the only piece he has to share with Luffy is enough.
The problem is Zoro.
Unlike Luffy’s actions which will be published worldwide soon, Zoro is likely to stay still where Kuma sent him.
Getting a boat and a willing navigator (heaven forbid the moss will try to sail on his own) is a hard task to fulfill, especially in the little time they have before Luffy orders them to stay put for two years.
So, he will have to wait until the reunion to find out if he succeeded. Shit, hope is a frustrating thing to cling to. But it’s better than nothing.
Sanji throws the end of the cigarette to the ocean before he looks back at the stupid pink island and narrows his eyes when he sees some of the Okamas found him.
Placing his hands in his pockets, he switches to a fighting stance. “Bring it on, Shitheads.”
Sanji can swear those shitty two years moved slower than last time but thank god it’s done.
Sabaody Archipelago is familiar, almost nothing good happened in this place. Even their reunion was tarnished by missing a crewmate that didn’t show up.
However, this is a second chance.
Shakky tells him Zoro is here and he got first (heaven knows how), and his chest fills with cautious hope.
He finds out Nami-san is also nearby, but for how much he misses the incredible navigator, the pressure of his worries is suffocating. This will also lead him to not pay her his undivided attention, and that won’t do.
With the bounty poster safe in his suit, he walks around and asks people if they have seen the idiot mosshead. The more negative responses he gets, the more his heart aches.
It has to be different. It has to be different.
What if Kuma sent Zoro somewhere else yet also as dangerous as Wano has been? What if marimo got stuck somewhere and can’t leave?
No. No. Shakky said he was here, so he is. He just has to find a guy who always gets lost. Easy.
Trying to use his time productivity, Sanji additionally buys groceries in his search as he asks all the sellers (except the women who ran away) for the swordsman’s location.
“He was here,” a fisherman tells him before reminding Sanji of Zoro’s intelligence as he adds the bastard sailed to Fishmen Island on a different ship.
“That idiot…” Sanji snarls and tries to assure the fisherman Zoro is alright even if he won’t be sure until he sees him with his own two eyes.
A loud sound comes from the sea, and a cut down ship appears from the ocean. Its crew screams in anger and terror as they try to survive the attack. Sanji notices a metal shining under the sun in further parts of the ship. The shine disappears as the sword is sheathed back to the sheath.
“I got on the wrong ship.”
The man says and Sanji’s gaze darts to his face.
Zoro. He is here.
Zoro jumps and lands before him as Sanji tries to process the situation.
“You are here late, ero-cook,” Zoro grins as if he won whatever he is talking about. Frankly, Sanji isn’t in a rush to discover.
He has much to absorb as he checks Zoro out. He wears a samurai suit, his usual earrings and swords are on him, and he looks stronger than two years ago. Surely stronger than he was…
His pupils aren’t dilated, he doesn’t seem drugged at all. He simply appears in his right annoying mind.
A quiet sense of relief settles in his chest. Zoro is standing in front of him, unharmed and unmistakably himself.
“Where have you been?” Sanji blubbers out, and Zoro raises a brow at him.
“The ship sailed to Fishmen Island, but I cut it down before we reached there.” Zoro moves his finger around to explain their way and Sanji even without knowing, is sure Zoro points in the wrong direction.
“Not that, you idiot! For the past two years!”
Zoro frowns slightly, “On Kuraigana Island. I was there with Mihawk and Pernona, the ghost girl from Thriller Bark.”
Zoro got to a different Island — safe and sound. Kuma listened to him. If they ever meet again, Sanji will make him a banquet.
“Oi!” Zoro calls, and Sanji blinks and returns his attention to him, “Did you hear me?”
“Ah, no. What did you say?”
“I asked if you saw Luffy,” Zoro says, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword. His gaze examines Sanji for a moment, and Sanji fears he will ask him about his strange behaviour.
“Weird,” Zoro simply says.
“What does that supposed to mean?” Sanji snarls back at him, attempting to hide the truth.
Zoro shrugs, “I don’t know, only thought Number 7 won’t ignore when Number 1 talks.”
Sanji’s brow twitches. “What the fuck- You numbered us according to the order we arrived?!”
“Don’t worry about it Number 7. Anyway, I’m gonna go find Luffy.” Zoro takes a step forward when Sanji’s leg blocks his way.
“You are not going anywhere on your own, shitty Marimo! I’ve just found you and you will only get lost again!”
Zoro begins to nudge Wado out of its sheath, a clear challenge. “Don’t stand in my way, Curly. I’ve improved way more than you in the past two years!”
Anger festers in Sanji’s chest only Zoro can so easily provoke out of him. Yet a grin appears on his face.
They fight, and for Sanji, it is the first time in about five years. He has missed it so much that he doesn’t even care that the fight ended with a tie instead of a win.
He doesn’t bother explaining to Zoro why he laughs when they run by each other to meet Luffy or smirk down at him when they beat the Pacifista together.
Luffy joins them and shares how he enjoyed his time with Rayleigh. Especially the first month Ace was there to help him practise as well. Blubbering about how he can’t wait to see his brother again at sea.
They sail away and when the Fishmen Island battle is done and the celebrations begin, Zoro finds Sanji alone.
Sanji knows the conversation is coming, but he doesn’t want to face it—doesn’t want to face Zoro.
So instead, he looks up, trying to distract himself with the vast dome of water above them. The endless sea acts like a barrier, trapping them beneath.
There are no stars here, only the faint light filtering through the water. The lack of a real sky feels heavy, suffocating in a way. Zoro sits next to him, arms crossed on his chest.
“What’s up with you?” Zoro asks, his voice casual, but Sanji knows better.
Damn that shitty marimo and his stupid ability to read their crew.
“Nothing. Just tired from the fight.”
Zoro’s look says he doesn’t believe a word, but for once, he lets it slide. Accepting Sanji’s silent plea to leave it alone.
Sanji appreciates Zoro’s understanding. He can handle the heavy knowledge on his own, and he does — until the dominoes start to fall and it becomes clearer with each day — they will soon get to Wano.
Meeting Kinamon and Momo again, Law’s alliance to take down Kaido, everything leads up to this.
Whole Cake Island gets easier now that he could have created a plan so he won’t have to fight Luffy again, even if he still needs to see his asshole of a family.
Whole Cake Island also gets harder when Sanji learns Zoro is in Wano. He loves and respects his crew with every fibre of his being, but those with Zoro don’t know the danger he is in.
He tries to remind himself it’s different from before — the Beast Pirates didn’t get a pirate landing before them like a gift. It’s unlikely they placed their eyes on him. They don’t even know he is not biologically a man for their….
Zoro is strong. He got two years of training this time and has been fighting with them for months since. He also told Zoro that he suspected he had conqueror’s haki, and now he has that to use, too.
Zoro is strong, he’s undercover and isn’t their target.
He is alright or should be alright, or will be alright once Sanji and the others finally get to Wano. The crew notices he is anxious; he knows they assume it’s from the wedding and his “family reunion” (which honestly is another addition to his stress).
Chopper takes away his cigarettes, insisting he uses too many those last days and tries to help him find other stress reliefs. He also gives Sanji pills to help him sleep once he finds out the chef hasn’t slept for a week.
It’s hard, but when Sanji sees Zoro protecting O-toko by his side, his tension evaporates immensely.
It helps to know the swordsman is safe and sound. However, they are still in Wano, and in only a few weeks, the invasion starts. Zoro won’t remember them, and they won’t recognise him, but the anxious thoughts keep coming.
He dreams of the night they found Zoro, of the kids who had disturbing similarities to him, of the surrender in Zoro’s drugged eyes. The noise from the fancy bedroom, their enemies toying and taking the swordsman away.
The nightmares wake him up every night, sweating and shaking as the days count down to the war. The agonising decision of whether to activate his Germa genes again to win against Queen isn’t helping.
Tonight he dreamt he became heartless like his brothers once the “changes” were completed. Before he killed all the kids and then Zoro for “being too weak”.
He feels sick, so he leaves their camp to throw up behind a bush. He sobs quietly after that and is startled when he hears footsteps nearing behind him. He turns to see Zoro standing above him with a stretched hand and a cup of water.
Sanji’s tense shoulders fall as he takes the drink. The water eases his throat, and he feels boneless once he finishes.
Zoro leans calmly on a tree by his side. His hands hold his head behind him, as his back rests on the wood.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Sanji says to stop any conversation before it starts.
“We have three days until the invasion,” Zoro says, and Sanji understands exactly what he's implying.
“I know, I’ll be okay by then,” Sanji wipes his face with his sleeve, he’ll wash it later anyway.
“You haven’t been okay for weeks.” Zoro counters, “And the invasion is three days away.”
“Okay,” Sanji reluctantly says. If giving marimo a reason will shut him he can create one, “It bothers me that we don't know what will happen there, and it might be worse than we expect.”
“No.” Zoro pushes himself from the tree and sits crossed legged on the grass.
“What do you mean ‘No’?” Sanji asks irritatedly.
“That’s not the reason. You don’t get scared of shit like that. Unless…” Zoro looks at him now suspiciously, “—you know something.”
Sanji keeps their gaze, refusing to show his bluff, “There is nothing more, Marimo.” He sharpens his gaze for a moment before getting up. Unfortunately, the swordsman follows.
“Don’t lie! Something was up with you since the moment we met at Sabaody. How did you know about the wedding before they showed you the invitation?”
It is an investigation now, and Sanji needs to find a way out. But any excuse his mind conjures up is worse than any of Usopp’s lies.
“Luffy told me you warned him about Ace and you knew Rayleigh would suggest waiting exactly two years.”
That shitty rubber. When they reunited he called Sanji a magician for his predictions before thanking him for warning him about Ace. He didn’t think he would share it with others.
“How did you know I have conqueror’s haki?”
The quiet way Zoro asks assures Sanji that this is what triggers him the most. He gets it; he would be suspicious as hell too, if someone told him he has abilities he isn’t aware of.
It doesn’t change the fact that it was necessary to tell Zoro back then. Since Zoro already turned a blind eye to his weird behaviour in Fishmen Island, he hoped he would let this knowledge slide as well.
Sanji had to tell him. It could have helped Zoro get stronger, in case they needed it, in case he needed it! So he will be more able to defend himself if…
God! “Why does any of this matter?!” Sanji yells at him. He hates that it doesn’t evoke Zoro’s usual anger.
Instead, the swordsman stays calm before him as he claims, “Because it does.”
And Sanji is angry.
He is angry that he carries this weight, he is angry that he has to keep secrets from his nakama, he is angry at himself that he is not able to deal with it on his own, he is angry at Zoro for being so perspective.
He is angry at Zoro because he is right.
It does matter.
So he has to do something about it even if it’s the last thing he wants.
He releases his fists, lets the fingers limply lay on his sides, and lets go of the breath he hasn’t noticed he has been holding, and starts.
“One of us didn’t reunite with the rest on Sabaody,” Sanji knows it sounds strange but Zoro might’ve gotten used to it from him because he looks indifferent. “We waited, and we searched as we continued our journey. Eventually, we got a lead.”
Sanji looks away. Once he adds more, Zoro will know who the story is about. Nevertheless, he asks for it and Sanji can’t take it anymore.
Blame Luffy for teaching him that no matter what he can rely on their crew.
“There was a room in Onigashima, heavily guarded, but it’s us and it’s a nakama in trouble so we pushed through.”
The images of the room float in his mind, and he feels tears gathering in his eyes. He doesn’t want to describe it, saying it out loud will make the room real again. He doesn’t know if it is real and still there, only that Zoro is no longer in it. (And that‘s all that matters).
Sanji snaps his eyes determinedly back at Zoro, who's slightly confused by the sudden change. He lets the tears fall and gives everything he’s got to hold that gaze.
“You were in it, we found you naked and drugged. There were many children, and we believed they were yours. You were too out of it to even tell us if it was true,” Sanji’s voice almost choked completely from the bile in his throat, “You didn’t want to leave, you said you liked it there.”
Unlike the rest of the story, Zoro’s neutral expression finally changes. His eye is the widest Sanji has seen, filled with shock and terror. It hurts Sanji to see him this way, but the gate is now open so he continues.
“We quickly realised what they’ve done to you, how far gone you were,” Sanji says, letting his shoulders sag, drained from sharing it all. “Zoro, your swords were right beside you.”
‘And you didn’t use them’ went unsaid.
Knowing Zoro — the man who seems to have never understood the concept of giving up — had chosen to surrender himself completely broke something in Sanji that day.
He sees how Zoro’s hand instinctively grips the hilt of Wado, knuckles white and trembling. Guilt flashes across his face as his gaze shifts away, tension tightening around his eyes.
“You didn’t get the two years, and you haven’t healed from taking Luffy’s pain.” Sanji wants to ease the weight of that guilt, though he knows his words may not reach him. It doesn’t stop him from trying.
“It’s not your fault you weren’t ready to face them. It was only a shitty result. Kuma sent you to Wano and you must have landed…”
Sanji doesn’t want to picture where. There are more than enough places to run into one of the Beast Pirates, there is no reason to think further about it.
Zoro’s eye widened once more with the realisation, his gaze snapping back to Sanji. “You talked to Kuma. He stopped and you told him something.”
Sanji nods, his eyes looking sideways. Even with his cheeks filled with tears, he smiles fondly at the now cherished memory.
“Shitty Kuma listened,” the smile falls as he looks back at Zoro and sees him desperately trying to keep himself together, “I asked him to send you somewhere else.”
“So you…” Zoro says quietly, “if you didn’t—“
“But I did.” Sanji frowns as he determinately cuts him off.
Only the gentle rustling of the trees is heard for several endless moments as Zoro absorbs the information. Sanji watches with mild concern as Zoro’s hand, still resting on Wado, twitches before releasing its grip.
Zoro looks away, his kimono shifting slightly with the movement. In a controlled, almost rigid motion, he sinks to the ground.
Sanji decides to give him a minute so he walks to the well. He washes his face and sleeve before he returns and hands Zoro a cup of water as he sits beside him.
He lights up a cigarette as Zoro empties the glass.
“How did you change it?” Zoro asks quietly, his voice unusually soft.
Sanji lets a plume of smoke fill the night breeze. “A geisha came to me after I defeated Queen. I was unconscious for a while so she informed me we were losing.״
Sanji holds the cigarette loosely between his fingers, watching the ember glow faintly in the dark.
״She wanted us to win, so she gave me a chance to change the past. She assured me it’s erasing time and not me leaving you all in a different timeline or universe or shitty stuff like that.”
“So Sabaody?”
“So Sabaody.”
“What’s the catch?” Zoro asks as he takes out a sake behind a bush.
Sanji leans to check if his eyes deceive him. “What the fuck?! How is there sake here? And how did you know?!”
Zoro opens the bottle, “First of all, I can smell and find sake everywhere.”
Sanji snorts, “As if you would get to a chosen destination.”
“Secondly,” Zoro ignores Sanji, “I knew you would get sappy so I needed something to help me tune you out.”
“Sucks for you, asshole, I already know how to tune you out with no help required,” Sanji teases as Zoro drinks from his sake.
A long moment passes by as they both gaze up at the sky. Lowering his drink, Zoro wipes his mouth with his arm, “So you did your thing, and it didn’t happen. Why are you so worried?”
Sanji considers biting back, but his desire to get the subject over and done with overshadows it. So he turns his head to look at Zoro.
“I'm worried about how you will react if you see them again or they’ll see you. Even though I know it doesn’t make any sense because no one even remembers.” Sanji takes another drag of his cigarette.
Zoro raises the sake again before he points out, “You remember. Have you considered how you would react?”
No. He hasn’t.
He only knows about Black Maria and King. One is a female so he should avoid her, and King is strong enough only for him and Zoro to face. And with Queen hangs up on his family…
So he won’t fight them. However, it will be hard to ignore King as he wants to burn him to the ground. Moreover, the right hand of Kaido will definitely be present a lot...
“Tell me the name,” Zoro states.
“What?” Sanji breathes out the word, confused.
“Tell me the name of the one you’ll be triggered to face. If something is risking the fight, we should take it into account.”
That pisses Sanji off. “I’m not going to risk the fight! I got it under control.”
Zoro looks at the bush Sanji threw up in and then back at Sanji. “You also don’t sleep.”
“I can sleep!” Sanji calls protectively. “You are the one who can’t sleep with all that moss in your head!”
“Curly—“
“The name isn’t important!”
Sanji’s heart starts racing because — what if Zoro decides to return to King? What if somehow the name will trigger the stupid marimo’s memories? What if after everything they will lose him all over again?
He tries to remind himself there are no hidden memories to trigger. For everyone else, the memories were never even created.
His attempts to assure himself fall short when he sees Zoro, his friend, his nakama, being the version he got to choose freely for himself.
Sanji doesn’t think he will be able to bear the guilt if it happens again, especially if he is the reason. Only because he chose to be selfish and finally let someone else help him carry the ugly truth.
“Being the only one who knows is a great burden to carry alone.”
“I won’t be alone.”
Zoro is here, and after everything, that simple fact feels like something Sanji has been waiting for too many years.
“King,” Sanji murmurs, parting with the secret, “his name is King.” His shoulders slump, feeling lighter than they have in years. “There was another but she is a woman and Robin-chan can take her. I’m not sure if there were more.”
Zoro nods, “Okay,” he says as if it’s the simplest thing in the world. For a moment, Sanji believes it is.
Zoro continues to drink the sake, his eyes wandering upward to the night sky. Sanji watches him for a short while, feeling the pull of sleep as it creeps into his mind.
He slowly realises that at some point, he unknowingly dropped his cigarette. His body feels too limp to take out another.
The camp feels so far away, and above him, the stars shine faintly, distant yet constant. Sanji lies back, the softness of the grass beneath him grounding him, as if the weight he’s carried for so long has finally begun to lift.
He takes one last look at Zoro, a faint smile forming as his eyes drift shut. The stars above seem closer than ever, distant but steady, offering a quiet sense of peace that settles over him at last.