[ sanji would say that he's the charmer, the one who tries to make someone feel warm and adored, to find the right words to make them simply feel good, enough to make their heart skip a beat. when the young woman steps in closer to him, close enough that he can feel the gentle fall of her breath as she studies his eyes, and follows with those words — he's the one momentarily left stunned, a rare flush settling on his own cheeks as he stares in a bit of surprised wonder.

you're not a pond fish at all, are you? there's nothing innately special to those words on the surface, really, but somehow the way she phrases them makes it seem like she really had dipped past seeing beyond his eyes, like there's pieces of him left raw and open for her to see. he knows that isn't true. those tender parts of himself that have been buried are exactly that, buried, and she couldn't possibly see into the kind of dreams that leave him yearning for more, seeking out that rare and magical stretch of the all blue.

so, why is his heart beating so fast?

he manages to regain a bit of himself when she clarifies the letter of her name. ]

First. [ he repeats, managing to bring back his smile, even if his fluster doesn't dissolve. ] Of course it would be. But no, it's the second for mine. [ his hands move gently low on her back, keeping her close to him if she wants to be, while he moves them in a gentle sway for a different kind of dance. ] I bet if we put our names together, it'd make the prettiest word.