Chapter 4: Sanji

ME.

My food is my masterpiece, and the hungry are those who admire it.


"Oh, Nicole!" Seth sing-songed, spinning around as he approached her, "I've found something else that might be useful!"

"Oh? What is it?"

With a flourish, Seth held out the set of rusty knives for Nicole to inspect. "This is great! Bring it to Rachel. Do you think Zack would be able to get a hold of his father? If we can remove some of the rust we can start analyzing."

Seth cheerfully dashed to the tent to see Rachel, and Nicole started thinking. "Why would someone leave a set of knives here? I get the sword, but knives?"

"Maybe it was a cook," Eugene said, approaching her. "Seth seemed pretty happy about the find, apparently those knives are an expensive type."

"Expensive? Really?"

Eugene nodded.

"Huh, now that I think about it, we did find another knife. It was a lot more rusted, though, so we thought it was a throwing knife. Maybe it was part of this set?"

"We can compare them once they get cleaned up. Think Zack can do it?"

"It'd be great if he could," Nicole said, "If not, I was thinking of contacting his father."

Eugene nodded, "That's a good idea."

They headed to the tent, where Rachel had laid out the knives on a cloth and was examining them with a magnifying glass. "Good afternoon," She greeted.

They both returned her greeting and sat down to start planning, and a few moments later Zack walked in, holding something in a cloth.

"Found something else with the knives," he said, placing the bundle on the table. The cloth fell away to reveal a small rectangle. "Looks like a lighter."

"It is," Rachel confirmed. "Thank you for bringing it to me. Zack, do you have any experience restoring blades?"

"A bit," Zack said. "I take it you want me to restore those?" He nodded at the knives spread out on the table.

"Yes."

"Ah, I can try."

"Excellent!" Rachel clapped her hands together, "Make a list of what you need and I'll send for them. You can get started as soon as they arrive. "

Zack nodded and left the tent. Seth leaned over the old lighter with interest, "Did they belong to the same person, or were they just close?"

"That'll take some investigation," Rachel said. "Do you want to start cleaning that? It looks rather intricate."

"Of course, Rachel!" Seth got to work, pulling on a pair of gloves and grabbing a dental pick.

A while later Zack returned and handed a list to Nicole. She took it and looked it over, "What is this stuff? Bronze wool? A table clamp? How many different brushes do you need? Acetone? Metal polish? Wax? Oh, this is going to be a big part of our budget!"

"Well you could let me do it with the materials we have here and risk breaking them. Is historical value worth more than the budget?" Zack said.

Nicole groaned, "Fine. I'll submit the list. Maybe you could also work on restoring the sword too. That'll increase its value too."

"Definitely," Zack said with an excited glint in his eye.

Rachel laughed, "Don't worry Nicole, it'll be worth it. Who knows what else we'll find."

"I sure hope so," Nicole said. "Seth, you finished?"

"Yes Nicole!" He held up the lighter, now free of dirt. He flicked it open, and to his surprise a flame was produced.

"It still works?" Rachel looked intrigued. "Interesting."

"Well, I'll go submit the material request, you guys keep working." Nicole stood up and scanned Zack's list again. "I'll be back later."

"I'll await your return!" Seth called after her.

She was able to get the proper paperwork submitted, and someone would be bringing up the materials from the city the next day. She stopped at the edge of the construction, a new road cutting off suddenly and continued on as dirt. The city sprawled out beneath her, and from this high up in the mountains she could see all the way to the water. She tried to imagine it a thousand years ago; lots of trees, and a village at the base of the mountain surrounded by farmland. On the other side was High Town, home to the rich. It wasn't as hard as she thought, to picture Strawhat Luffy's home.

She shook her head and made her way back to the tent, intent on getting Eugene to keep translating. His boss was going to be coming by in the next week to check on his progress, and she actually liked working with him.

To her delight, he was already in the tent with a letter in his hands. "Hey, you figure it out yet?"

"I think so," Eugene said. "I've been scanning the letters for the word cook, and the only person who mentions it is Sanji. He also mentioned smoking, so I think it's a safe bet to assume the lighter belongs to him too."

"That's great! Get to translating. Zack, your stuff should be up here tomorrow."

Zack nodded. They ended for the day, Seth trying to convince Nicole to go to the bar with him, and Carter asking if he could come late the next day. Zack wandered off, and Seth left dejectedly when Nicole turned him down.

They all gathered the next day, Zack walking in with a box. "Met the delivery guy. Got in trouble for trespassing. Tried to convince the security guard that he was on an adventure."

Seth snorted, and Nicole sighed, "We've had a lot of people try and get into this site. We've even gotten some missives from Phoenix Industries. Apparently, their CEO wants to visit. And the board is thinking about letting him."

Zack started unpacking his materials, and Rachel started readying the knives for restoration. "As long as he doesn't try to buy out the operation. He's really bad for doing that. The historical society of New Ohara hates him because he owns the land that most of the Whitebeard Pirates are buried on, and he refuses to let anyone excavate. The company also works very closely with Skypia's historical society, and gives them the funding they need to keep the rest of us out."

"He sounds like a dick," Zack said, as he finished unpacking and starting setting up the table clamp.

"You can ask Carter about him when he comes in," Eugene said. He adjusted one of is hearing aids and looked up from his work. "Also, this is most definitely Vinsmoke Sanji. From what I've been able to translate so far, he was a dedicated cook. He worked at a restaurant called the Baratie while he was growing up. I wonder if he worked at any other restaurants. I mean, The Red Zeff is pretty old, too, right?"

"This was after he ran away from his biological family, right?"

"That's right," Eugene nodded. "In fact, I'm pretty sure he gave up his name. He was raised by a pirate, Red-Leg Zeff, until he joined up with Luffy and his crew."

"What else does the letter say?" Nicole prompted.

"Well, he cursed out… A ball of moss? For stealing his lighter, something that's all blue… I've still got some work to do."

"He cursed out a ball of moss?" Zack repeated with a snort, "Must've been mentally impaired."

"He was a cook!" Seth started arguing with Zack, "His culinary skills have been praised for centuries! He is not mentally impaired! It must be Eugene's translation!"

"Hey!" Eugene shouted, "Keep me out of your stupid fight!"


Sanji's return to the Baratie was a quiet affair. He arrived during the afternoon lull, just before the dinner rush. None of the customers gave him a second glance as he walked through the dining area of the restaurant and pushed open the door to the kitchen.

Since it wasn't prime time, the kitchen had few people in it, and Sanji recognized none of them.

"Hey!" One of the cooks peeling potatoes pointed his knife at Sanji, "You can't be back here."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. He eyed the knife, but his posture remained nonchalant; a slouched back and his hands shoved casually in his pockets. "You think you can stop me?"

The cook angrily stood up, "If I have to."

"Where's Zeff," Sanji asked the advancing cook, before he could make a fool of himself.

"Owner Zeff?"

"Is there any other shitty geezer by that name?"

"Don't insult owner Zeff!" Another cook yelled from Sanji's left.

"I can insult him all I want," Sanji said, pulling a hand out of his pocket and adjusting the cigarette in his mouth. His nerves had been fried for a while, and he was really hoping for a calm confrontation. Of course, that was a rare event with him, especially since his lighter was missing and he hadn't had a proper smoke in a week.

Three more cooks joined the growing semi-circle, cornering Sanji against the door. "We're not going to let you past us."

Sanji sighed, "Suit yourself."

He made short work of them, and almost felt insulted that they worked at his restaurant. Of course he had to give himself some credit. He was a member of the pirate king's crew and one of their main fighters. Hell, he had even taken down the rest of the Vinsmoke family.

"Now," Sanji rolled over one of the cooks with his foot, "Where can I find Zeff?"

"Right here, boy." Sanji straightened and turned around.

Zeff stood in the doorway leading to the crew's barracks, his arms crossed. He had changed a bit, since Sanji had last seen him. His hat was just as impressive but his hair and mustache were streaked with grey, he had more wrinkles, and he had dark shadows under his eyes. "Old man," Sanji said.

"Eggplant," Zeff shot back. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Owner Zeff," One of the cooks Sanji fought croaked, "We're sorry we couldn't stop him!"

"Quit yer whining and get back to work," Zeff ordered. "The day you beat this kid is the day I eat my hat. Sanji, are you going to answer my question? What are you doing back here? Last I heard you were in the New World with your crew." The cooks scrambled to their feet and staggered back to their tasks.

"We came back. We're trying to stay under the radar."

"Is the rest of your crew with ya? I ain't feeding your captain until tomorrow, we don't have nearly enough food. You could've given us a heads up if you were visiting."

Sanji tensed up at the mention of his crew and bit down hard on his cigarette. "No, I'm here alone."

Zeff stared at Sanji, taking in the young man his eggplant had become. He had burn scars all the way up his right arm, but his hand was unscathed and his left arm had an x shaped scab. His hair was also longer, held back with a leather strip. Sanji also looked… it wasn't anger, and it wasn't sadness, but there was an aura of something hanging around him. His eyes were dull, and his smirk was only half-hearted.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the new cooks in the kitchen watching the two of them warily, and Zeff sighed, "C'mon, brat. You can rest in your room."

"Hope you haven't touched any of my shit, old man." Sanji smirked.

"As if I would dirty my hands," Zeff snapped back, grabbing Sanji's shoulder and shoving him in the direction of his old room. "Get some rest, Eggplant. We can talk later."

"Ah, thanks."

As Sanji heads to his room, Zeff turns an eye on the five others in the kitchen. They jump and tried to look engrossed in their work, but Zeff growls out, "Bother that kid and you'll be off the ship before he can kick you."

"Owner Zeff, who is that guy?"

"That's my son." He left them with their dumfounded expressions and went to find Patty and Carne. They'd probably freak out, so a warning was in order.

...

Sanji emerged after the dinner rush was over, sauntering out onto the deck as if nothing had changed. Patty, Carne, and a dozen other cooks all start crowding him, and Sanji lit up at their enthusiasm.

"Bet you have your hands full cooking for that captain of yours, eh? How'd you handle it?" Patty continued questioning Sanji about his cooking, and other cooks chime in as well, demanding to know about exotic ingredients and cooking techniques he picked up in his travels.

By the time everyone had headed to bed there had been three fights, a cooking contest, and Sanji managed to kick more than a few people overboard. It was a great time, and when everyone finally staggers off to bed Sanji stood on the empty deck with an unlit cigarette in his hand.

Zeff approached him and stood silently, merely offering Sanji a light.

"What happened to your old lighter?" Zeff asked. "The fancy one you stole from me?"

Sanji grumbled something under his breath and took a long drag.

"Speak clearly when you talk!" Zeff slapped Sanji's back, sending the young man stumbling forward.

"Geeze, fine! Someone took it before I left. Must've been the shitty moss head or the shitty sniper. I swear they took it just to mess with me."

Zeff snorted out a laugh, "Serves you right, taking my shit. But, Sanji…" The tone of his voice made Sanji stiffen again, his hands balling into fists in his pockets. "What are you really doing back here? I know you were asked that at least a million times by the other cooks, but I want a real answer."

Sanji slumped forward, his eyes far away. He puffed on his cigarette a few times, and then finally answered, "We disbanded."

"You… disbanded?" Zeff repeated, incredulous. "Why? Your crew rules the seas!"

"We disbanded because the crappy captain got himself killed," Sanji said, and flicked his cigarette away. He pulled out another one from his pocket and lit it with a shaking hand. "Our shitty captain died, so we all moved on. I just got back… We… We buried him last week. Well, we made a grave. Didn't actually have a damn body to bury."

"I… see." Sanji didn't want any words of comfort and Zeff didn't offer any. They stood in a comfortable silence until Sanji's fifth cigarette was nothing but ashes, and then Zeff dragged him back into the ship. "If you want to stay here you've got to work for your board. You'll be in the kitchens until you decide to take off again."

"Shitty old man," Sanji muttered, and Zeff gives him another shove. If his hand lingered on Sanji's shoulder for longer than necessary, he wasn't going to say anything.

...

Sanji fell into his cooking to mask his grief. He got into fights with the people who refuse to pay their bills, he flirted with the women who came in, and he produced food that had people from all over East Blue traveling to taste.

Zeff had to admit that Sanji looked alive in the kitchen. On his days off he would sit and smoke at the back of the ship. While cooking he was moving, laughing with the other cooks, and actually smiling. Even if his smile wasn't as genuine as it could have been, it was better than him moping around the deck. He would tell wild stories about the beautiful angels in the sky, meeting the wondrous mermaids at the bottom of the ocean, and about the two beauties he sailed with.

Sanji stayed with them for two and a half years, and by then Zeff could see that the young man was getting antsy. He'd start fidgeting, cooking elaborate meals at ungodly hours in the morning, and would wander the deck whenever he was kicked out of the kitchen.

"That's it!" Zeff snapped one day. He rounded on Sanji while they were both in the kitchens, "You, little Eggplant, need to get the fuck off this ship."

There was silence in the kitchen and everyone turned to look at the two of them. "Is… Is Sanji getting fired?" Someone whispered.

"I'm surprised Owner Zeff put up with it this long," Someone else whispered.

"The hell, old man?!" Sanji shouted back, "You're kicking me out?"

"That's right, you mooching brat!"

Carne and Patty were off to the side, trying to contain their laughter. Sanji's glare only made them laugh even harder. "Okay, fine. I don't want to stay at your shitty restaurant anyway!"

"Good! Get off this ship and go find the All Blue! I don't want to see your face until you've found it!"

"Fine! I'll find it, and then I won't tell you where it is! You'll have to beg me for it!"

"Fine by me, just get out of here, damn pirate!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Sanji tossed the frying pan against the stove with a loud clatter and he yanked off his apron. Then, terrifying most of the cooks around him, a grin spread across his face as he marched towards the doors. "Before I go, old man, I want to impart some wisdom to these novices here."

Zeff matched his grin, and the cooks cowered, "I suppose a little wisdom wouldn't hurt. You ready to finally embrace your reputation?"

"Apparently I don't have a choice," Sanji shot back, and then abruptly stopped. He spun on his heel, faced the kitchen and pointed, "I want all of you here tomorrow morning."

"But the restaurant's closed tomorrow," Someone pointed out.

Sanji sighed in disappointment, "Complaining? And you claim to call yourself a cook of the sea. No, I want all of you here because I'm going to teach you something you'll never forget."

"And what'll that be?" Someone asked.

Sanji let his eyes rove over the people in the kitchen, all of them staring at him with a mix of awe and horror. "I'm going to show you how to cook a feast worthy of my captain. Worthy of the pirate king!" With that, he marched out of the kitchen and slammed the doors behind him.

"The hell was that about?" Someone asked in the following silence.

"I don't care what he says," Someone else scoffed, "I plan to sleep in on my one day off."

Zeff turned to his cooks, "I wouldn't want to disappoint him, men. He's not lying when he says his captain is the pirate king."

He didn't stay to see their reactions. He followed Sanji out, picking up one of his cigars on the way. He found Sanji in his usual place at the back of the ship, elbows resting on the back railing. He had a lit cigarette hanging from his lips, and the smoke swirled around his head.

"Gimme a light," Zeff ordered gruffly, and Sanji held out the plain silver lighter he had.

"I should be mad about being fired," Sanji said, "But I'm kind of relieved."

"You don't belong in one place, brat. Don't know what you did before I met you, but you've got the soul of a traveller."

"That sounds almost poetic," Sanji snorted. And then, "I was a prince."

"I… What?"

"A prince. My name is Vinsmoke Sanji, prince of North Blue."

"If this is your idea of a joke–"

"It's not. I've always liked cooking. I'd sneak into the kitchens and cook for the prisoners. When the rest of the family found out… Well, I ran away after that. Ended up on the Comet. And then I met you. The rest is history."

"Would you ever consider going back?"

Sanji snorted, "Hell no. We actually ran into them last year. They found out I was alive because of my wanted poster. The new one, not the shitty drawing. They tracked me down, wanted me to marry some chick from Big Mom's family. They did this to me…" Sanji ran his hand over the large scar on his right arm. "It's safe to say they'll never bother me again."

"Hm." Zeff hummed and nodded, waiting for Sanji to continue.

"They all helped me take care of it," Sanji sighed, "Even the moss head. Fuck, those people are loyal to a fault. Makes me proud to call them comrades. We took down Big Mom too, and Kaido. We were so close to Raftel when it happened. Our crappy captain gave up his life so the rest of us shitty people could live."

"What did you do then?"

"We kept going," Sanji said. "Made it to Raftel. Found the shitty treasure, and then came back to build the shitty captain's grave." Sanji's right hand clutched his left forearm right on top of the mark. "We all pledged to him that we'd achieve our dreams, and then we split up."

"Then what's that mark?" Zeff gestured to the x on Sanji's left arm.

Sanji relaxed his hand and pulled it away. "It was the moss head's idea. He cut himself and pledged that he would reach his dreams. Complete the goals we set out to accomplish. We all did the same thing. Used his sword. Freaked Chopper out."

"Then all of you have one?"

"That's right."

"I'm surprised the world doesn't know yet."

"We're pretty good at keeping secrets," Sanji said. "Our fleet agreed to keep quiet too. They're still out there protecting our territories."

Zeff nodded again, "That brat was an interesting one. I was glad when he took you with him. God knows you're too stubborn to listen to reason."

"Then it's a good thing he didn't have any reason," Sanji said. He tilted his head back, staring up at the darkening sky. "He was a complete moron. He ate too much and his manners were atrocious. He'd take the snacks I made for Nami and Robin. But he was a good person. Fuck, I miss them all." Sanji flicked his stub overboard, "It's been almost four years. Three since we split up. Everyone's moved on and gone their separate ways."

"You need to move on, too," Zeff said. "Go and find the All Blue. And you can't do that sitting around here. Your feast tomorrow will be your farewell party. And make sure you clear up those stupid rumours flying around. The rookies are just making them worse."

Sanji laughed, and pulled out another cigarette.

The next morning Sanji woke everyone up by parading through the halls, a frying pan in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. He banged them together, channeling his inner Luffy to be as obnoxious as possible. He would've never even dreamed about doing this back on the Thousand Sunny, because he might have woken up Robin and Nami, but he had no such qualms here.

"WAKE UP YOU LAZY BASTARDS! WE'VE GOT A FULL DAY OF COOKING TO GET TO! ON YOUR FEET!"

Soon enough, everyone had been roused and ended up in the kitchen. Sanji was still brandishing the frying pan as he stood at the far end of the kitchen, all of the stations in sight. Behind him the counter was piled high with many different kinds of meat. "LISTEN UP! Like I said yesterday, this is a feast worthy of a king. The pirate king, if you want to be specific."

Some of the cooks were giving him glazed looks, still too tired to function properly. Others were looking on with disbelief. Those who knew Sanji before he left looked excited, finally getting their chance to cook Grand Line style. One of the older rookies crossed his arms, challenging Sanji. "You expect us to believe you were part of Strawhat Luffy's crew?"

"That's right," Sanji leveled his frying pan at the one who spoke. "Do you not believe me?"

"I think you're using your uncanny resemblance to make yourself look better. Impersonating one of the best cooks in the world isn't going to make you a better chef."

"That's right. It's a good thing I'm not impersonating anyone. Now!" He slammed the frying pan against the stove, making the whole thing rattle, "Let me introduce myself properly am Zeff's protégé, and I was once assistant head chef at this shitty restaurant! I am also Black Leg Vinsmoke Sanji, cook of the Strawhat Pirates. And for today, I am the only person you answer to. Is that understood?"

There was silence after that, and weak murmurs of confirmation.

Sanji grinned. "I thought so. Now, let's get started.

Over the next few hours Sanji shouted orders, demanding a variety of spices, ordering sauces be made, constantly hovering over people's workstations and pointing out the tiniest of mistakes. "You're serving royalty, people! Even the tiniest flaw is a mark against your skills as a chef!" Meat sizzled in pans and on grills, vegetables were included in the dishes with such subtly that when the dish was complete you couldn't tell there were any at all.

Platters were garnished, drinks were prepared, and desserts were on their way. Sanji ordered some of them to take tables out to the main deck and start setting up a buffet. Then the main dishes were brought out, alcohol was at the ready, and then the party began.

Zeff watched Sanji interact with his fellow cooks throughout the entire day, and was glad when he saw his surrogate son acting livelier than he had in a long time. Watching Sanji take over his kitchen had sparked a sense of pride, and the old man tried to imagine Sanji interacting with the rest of his crew. He would have been even happier, being with them. Having the freedom to travel and search for the All Blue… The death of his captain and then their separation had stolen away a large part of Sanji's happiness, and it would take a lot to see it returned. He hoped this night would lift his spirits before he set off again.

The party lasted long into the night, with bodies strewn all about the deck and dining room. All of the food had been eaten, a lot of alcohol had been consumed, and Sanji was gone.

When people started waking up, yawning, rubbing at their eyes and grabbing their heads, Zeff ordered them all back to work. There was a lot of cleaning up to do. He let out a sigh at the grumbling he received in response to his orders, "Damn brat should have stayed long enough to help clean up his mess."

"Sir?" One of the younger cooks asked, "Was he really Black Leg Sanji, the pirate?"

"I've known that brat since he was just a kid," Zeff said, "I watched him set sail with Luffy myself. Sanji is most definitely a pirate."

...

Sanji woke early the next morning, before the sun had risen and stole one of Zeff's grocery boats. He packed as many preserved foods as he could, grabbed a few blankets, some navigation supplies, and then left.

The first day was alright. The weather was fair, and he was still slightly giddy from the party the night before. But after that it became hard. The small boat he was in was creaky and damp, nothing like the sturdiness and warmth of the Sunny. He constantly worried about getting lost with his minimal navigation skills. He wished he had Nami's ability to read the waves and the sky. He wished Nami was there to keep him company. Hell, he even wished the moss head was there to tell him which direction not to go.

He had been on the water for a week, and his food supply was starting to run low.

To his luck he reached the island only a day later. He docked his boat and walked up the slope to the town. He took his time wandering the small selection of stores, picking up preserved meats and vegetables. His last stop was a relatively new looking building, a sign in the window indicating they sold navigation equipment and charts.

A bell chimed when he opened the door, and the two people inside looked up when he entered. The elderly shopkeeper immediately looked back down at the newspaper. The younger one, a teenager with his brown hair in the shape of an onion sighed and stood up. "How can I help you?"

"Charts of the first half of the Grand Line, if you've got them," Sanji answered, looking at the various wares on the shelves around the shop.

The boy began rummaging around in a bin behind the counter, "Do you plan to set out to be a pirate?" He asked. "That's what everyone else says when they stop by for maps."

"Not this time," Sanji said. "Just searching for something."

"This time?" He stood up and turned around, his arms full of several rolled parchments.

"Used to be one."

"Cool!" The boy unrolled the charts for Sanji to inspect. "Did you know that Strawhat Luffy's been to this island?"

The older shopkeeper whacked the back of the boy's head with his newspaper, "Don't go spreading tales, Onion."

Onion frowned, rubbing his head, "I'm not making it up. That's where Usopp went the first time!"

"He may be getting a name for himself now, but he ain't gonna get far hanging off of Strawhat's name."

"He's not!" Onion insisted. "He told us he wanted to make his own name!"

"Stop arguing and finish helping the customer."

Onion glared as the old man flicked his newspaper open and continued reading.

"Sorry about that. Do you want these?"

Sanji nodded, "They'll do. This really is Usopp's home island?"

Onion began rolling the maps, "Yeah, and he's a lot stronger than he looks, so don't try anything funny. Besides, this island is Luffy's territory, and they've got thousands of followers! They'll tear you apart if you try anything."

Sanji shrugged, "Like I said, not exactly a pirate anymore. Besides, Usopp's my friend. I'm not going to do anything to his home."

"Good," Onion said, glancing suspiciously at Sanji. "How do you know him?"

Sanji pushed up the sleeve of his blue button up shirt, revealing the scar on his left forearm. "I was a Strawhat pirate too."

Onion's eyes went wide, and the old shopkeeper looked up. "You're Sanji!"

Sanji smirked, "Yeah."

"This is so cool! We've only met Zoro and Nami, now I've met you, too! That's almost half the crew!"

The old man snorted condescendingly, and Sanji narrowed his eyes, addressing the shopkeeper, "Usopp is a good man, and I hope the people here aren't insulting him."

"After getting Kaya pregnant and leaving?" The shopkeeper shot back. "He may be a good pirate, but he's just like his father."

"Usopp didn't know Kaya was pregnant!" Onion insisted. "He wouldn't have left if he knew! And Kaya wanted him to set sail!"

The shopkeeper huffed, and Sanji, still slightly shocked that Usopp had a kid, said, "Either way, he's making a name for himself now. I'll pass on the word if I see him."

Onion looked torn, but nodded and passed over the maps. Sanji paid and left the shop, waving to Onion as he left. He could see through the window the boy arguing with the old man. As he stepped out the door, he had to sidestep as a toddler ran past him on stubby legs, a blond woman running after him.

"Rakugo, you have to wait for me!"

Carefully, he caught the back of the child's overalls, effectively stopping him from running off.

"But Mama!" The little boy protested, "Pirates is coming! We have ta run!" He pulled against Sanji's hand with a frown.

The blond woman caught up and laughed, lifting the child up on her hip. "Sorry about that sir, Rakugo is very excitable." She patted Rakugo's dark curls affectionately.

Sanji nodded politely and took her free hand, kissing it, "Please, my lady, don't worry. It's my duty to help ladies in distress."

Kaya, as he assumed her to be, smiled with fond exasperation. "Thank you for catching him. He's only two, but he can be a terror."

"Just like his father?" Sanji asked with a smile.

Kaya glanced at Sanji, "Yes. You're not from Syrup Village, are you? You knew Usopp?"

"We were crew mates." Sanji confirmed. "Rakugo looks just like him."

Kaya put Rakugo down when he started squirming, but kept a firm grip on his hand. "Yes. He does. Have… you heard from Usopp recently?"

Slowly, Sanji shook his head, "I have not. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Kaya said. "But… If you do run into him, please tell him to visit. He wants to sail, and I want him to be happy, but I also want my son to know his father."

Sanji promised to pass on the message if he ever saw the sniper, and Kaya walked him down to the docks. She bid him farewell, and Sanji set off towards Loguetown.

...

With his new charts safely stowed and an idea of where he was headed, Sanji set out in a slightly better mood. He plotted the fastest route to Loguetown, and arrived sooner than he expected.

The island was just as he remembered. Marines were abundant, several of them stationed by the docks. They glanced suspiciously at him as he tied up is boat, but Sanji threw a flirty wink at one of them and she started blushing and looked away. He strolled past them with no issue.

As he wandered the streets, he took some time to wander the bazaar, the brightly coloured verandas made the market feel like a festival. The smell of spices and grilled meat lingered in the air, and the sounds of people talking all combined into a general noise that hung about the place.

He didn't have time to properly enjoy the atmosphere the last time he was on the island. And on the other islands they stopped at it was a hit and miss. They all had to be careful of course, they were a very recognizable crew. And the log pose also shortened his time. They usually didn't have the luxury of wandering leisurely. They had to stock up quickly before they were discovered or Luffy did something stupid. So he made sure to enjoy his time at this one.

The one thing that dampened his mood was the fact he wasn't able to buy anything from the place. He was going to be at sea for weeks, and since he didn't have an icebox on his small vessel he needed non-perishable food. But he did but his lunch from a stall selling fried fish.

Finally, he managed to tear himself away from the market and went in search of a grocer. He grimaced as he started listing off some of the things he would need. Salted pork, potatoes and carrots, sea biscuits, Sanji sighed. There were almost no decent recipes he could think of using preservatives.

He decided it didn't matter. No one was going to be with him, and he had no one to impress. He ran a hand through his hair. He loved to impress people. While he sailed with his crew he loved to put on impressive displays. It was art. He had been surprised that Usopp of all people understood his reasoning the best. The younger man had once confided in him about his own art, and shown Sanji his sketchbooks.

And despite the fact Luffy tore through his masterpieces in a rush to shove food down his gullet, Sanji continued to make his art. His reasoning was that he was cooking for a future king. No. He shook his head. That wasn't right. It was because he was cooking for the people he cared about. At least he knew his shitty captain appreciated him.

He found a small grocer a street away from the harbour where he tied his boat. Upon entering, the first thing he noticed was the beautiful woman standing by the shelves behind the counter. Her thick brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun and curious green eyes darted up to observe him as he entered.

"Good morning, sir," She greeted, turning back to her task of stocking spices on the shelves.

"Oh, what a blessed morning it is, to be able to lay my eyes on a beauty such as yourself!" Sanji sauntered over to the counter. "My name is Sanji, my lovely, and I am a cook. I would be honoured if you tasted my food."

"Um… Thank you for the compliment. Are you looking for anything specific?" She gestured to the shelf behind her, looking flustered.

"And the beauty is so very helpful too!" Sanji said, nearly twirling in place. "I am about to embark on a journey, my dear, and I need some supplies that will last me until I've entered the Grand Line."

"Well, we do have a lot of preserved food," The woman said, pointing to the far wall.

"Thank you my dear. May I have the honour of knowing your name?"

"Ah… It's Marina. Please, go take a look around. If you need any help you can just ask."

Sanji started looking through the wares the store offered and started bring supplies up to the counter by the armful. After Marina realized that the man was actually a customer and not someone who wanted to just flirt she opened up to him a bit more.

"Why are you going to the Grand Line?" Marina asked.

"I'm a cook," Sanji said, and then broke into a grin. "Have you ever heard of the All Blue?"

"The All Blue?" Marina repeated curiously, "No, I haven't."

Sanji smiled brightly, "It's a sea cook's dream come true! It's a legend, and people say that in the All Blue there are fish from all of the seas in the world!" Sanji handed over the money he owed.

"That sounds wonderful!" Marina exclaimed. "So you're following your dream? That sounds nice."

Sanji's smile faded slightly, "It's a promise I made to someone important."

Marina bit her lip, noticing the slight change. "Do you want to come visit me tonight? I'll get my brother and my cousin to help you carry all of this to your ship. And then you can pay us back by making us dinner."

"I'd be honoured!" Sanji exclaimed.

Marina called her brother and cousin on a transponder snail, and when they arrived they helped Sanji load all of his groceries into the one room on his ship. Naturally, they were suspicious of him, but didn't object when Marina latched onto his arm and declared he was going to cook them dinner.

Sanji won them over by cooking up an elaborate meal, but Marina's grandmother was still suspicious.

"Don't worry about Grandma Kiva," Marina said, "She's too old to trust easily. Comes with being a retired marine."

"Oh?" Sanji said, "Your grandmother was a marine?"

"Yup, most of my family are marines. Tobias and Fernand are also marines; they were stationed here after Vice Admiral Smoker left in pursuit of a pirate crew."

"I see," Sanji said with a nod.

"Have you heard of him? He's the one who took down the corrupt Warlord Crocodile," Marina said.

"Yeah, I've heard of him. But I've also heard rumours that it was actually Strawhat Luffy who defeated Crocodile."

Sanji watched as Marina's expression turned dark. "That damn pirate just tried to steal the credit from the marines."

"Hm."

Sanji spent the night with Marina, and she sent him off the next morning with a kiss. "Grandma Kiva says that you can come by again and cook for her. Good luck finding your All Blue!"

He left in high spirits, but his jolly mood disappeared after he left Loguetown. The meals he made were bland and lacked his usual flair. The sky clouded over and the temperature started dropping. The next few days were spent trying to keep his boat afloat and on course, and his nights were spent shivering in front of a small oil lamp with a blanket draped around his shoulders.

He was immensely grateful when the weather cleared up, just in time for him to cross Reverse Mountain. It was much easier when the weather was calm rather than the typhoon that they sailed through on the Going Merry. The waves were much smaller, too, and allowed Sanji to maneuver his ship through the nearly invisible opening and sail to the top of the mountain.

Crossing didn't feel right. The water was loud and the wind was cold, just like last time, but it felt so wrong. He entered the Grand Line somberly and as he looked back up at the nearly vertical column of water behind him, he realized what was wrong. He was alone. He had no one with him to share the exhilarating emotions that he should have felt. Maybe he should have asked Marina to come with him. But there was too much of a risk of her finding out his past as a pirate.

As he approached the canal's exit, he recalled the last time he had crossed that mountain. He had been surrounded by people he barely knew, but they had celebrated like lifelong friends. He had declared his dream with the rest of them, without being laughed at. If only he knew then how much those same people would change his life.

He reached the Twin Capes and climbed onto land.

...

Crocus looked older than Sanji remembered. His grey hair had turned white and he seemed to have given up his flower. He hobbled over with his cane.

"Hey old man," Sanji greeted.

"I've been expecting you." Crocus said, and gestured for Sanji to follow.

"Who else has come before me?" Sanji asked, easily catching up and keeping pace.

"Many. I've given up on keeping track. Easier to remember the ones who haven't been through. Just you and that archeologist."

"Robin hasn't come by?" Sanji asked. "Well, she might've gone to West Blue. Wait, the moss head actually managed to get here alone?"

"Surprisingly," Crocus said. "He was the first one to pass by, even before Brook showed up."

"Is Brook here?" Sanji asked, talking a look around. He didn't see any signs of his crewmate. He didn't see any signs of Laboon either. The old man shook his head, and Sanji swallowed hard. "How were they all doing?" He asked.

"As good as you, I'd guess. As good as a crew can be without their captain." Sanji nodded, aware of Crocus' past as a member of Roger's crew. "What about you?"

Sanji shrugged, "I suppose I'm doing okay."

"Same as them, then," Crocus said. "Have you been keeping up with the news?"

"Not really," Sanji admitted.

"There's been a lot of rumours floating around about you guys," Crocus said. "I've seen Garp a few times, dragging around those two apprentices of his. All three of them seem concerned."

"Hopefully our fleet keeps people away from the truth," Sanji said. "But even then, there will still be rumours, especially if there are people posing as us. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened."

Crocus let out a dry laugh, "I heard about that imposter crew from Brook. Ah well, plenty of pirates come through here. Any of them start spouting crap like that, I'll make sure to set them straight."

Sanji shrugged, "At this point all we can do is that. Anyway, can I stay the night?"

When Sanji arrived on Whiskey Peak, he docked his small craft at the far end, close to the beach. As he wandered through town, he dodged a variety of people, most of them bandits. He was glad he had decided to keep all of his valuables on him. In a place like this, there's no telling what could go missing.

He needed information, he decided. There was no way he was going to be able to tackle the Grand Line on his own. He had to be careful, too. His longer hair and more serious expression was a good enough disguise over his love-struck expression on his wanted poster, but he was still more recognizable than he had been with his first shitty poster. With this in mind, he wandered into a nearby tavern and took a seat at the bar.

The bartender didn't even give him a second glance and shoved a dirty glass of flat beer in front of him before Sanji could order. Disgusted, Sanji downed half of the stale liquid in one gulp, not wasting food, even if it was something like this. He set the glass down hard enough to get the bartender's attention.

"What?" The bartender droned.

"Are there any ships looking for a cook?" Sanji asked.

The bartender raised an eyebrow, "You ain't from here. If I're you, I'd just keep on movin'. Ya can't trust some o' the people here."

"I know," Sanji snapped. "I can handle myself. I'm just looking for a damn ship, you shitty bastard."

"Insultin' ain't gonna get you anywhere either, brat." Sanji bristled, but the bartender kept speaking. "This place 'as pirates, and not much else 'ere. Unless you're a pirate, I don' see much 'ope fer ya anytime soon. Ya willin' ta become a pirate?"

"Not so much become as I already am," Sanji snapped. "Now are you going to tell me or not? Because if you're going to sit around like a shitty twit and twiddle your thumbs, then I don't see a point in staying."

"Yer already a pirate?" The bartender looked surprised. "Yer skinny as a twig, and ya got on those fancy clothes. Ya look posh. Ya can't be a pirate."

Fluidly, Sanji stood up. "I can't be both?" He shoved a cigarette in his mouth.

"Not in our little world."

"Well then it's a good thing the world isn't small." Sanji slammed a few coins on the table to pay for his unwanted drink and stormed out of the place. Once he was outside he leaned against the wall and lit his smoke, taking a long drag.

If most of the island was like this, then he wouldn't have much luck finding any information. Damn, he wished Robin was there. She was really good at gathering information.

He decided to head back to his boat. Maybe he could find someone to talk to at the harbour. Those plans were dashed, however, when he reached the place his boat should have been and found it gone.

He stood there for all of three seconds in dead silence, and then erupted into a stream of curses that had the people nearby backing away. When he finally calmed down, he thanked whatever deity that was watching over him that he had taken his money with him.

He stormed down the dock, demanding answers from the various workers and sailors he came across. Finally someone told him that the boat had been taken by a couple of boys. A little more prodding revealed that they were local troublemakers, and lived in the better part of the city a ways up the beach.

So there was a better part of town. Sanji muttered angrily to himself as he marched along the beach, following the curve until he found his boat. Or, the remains of his boat.

Half of the wood had been stripped, leaving the bowels of the boat wide open. The sails were gone entirely, as were his supplies. After rounding the boat, he found his food and clothing neatly stacked, hidden from the wind.

"I was gone less than an hour!" Sanji ground his teeth together, crushing his cigarette. "HEY!" He shouted, trying to get anyone's attention.

He caught a rustling out of the corner of his eye, and he turned towards the bushes and trees that lined the beach. One of the larger bushes in front of a cluster of trees was rustling slightly. He approached it silently, the sand muffling his footsteps. He stopped directly in front of the bush and leaned over it to peer behind.

Two boys were crouched behind it, whispering furiously to each other in low tones. Both of them were barefoot, and both of them were covered head to toe in mud.

"Hey, brats." Both of them jumped at the sound of Sanji's voice, and they looked up fearfully.

"Tiger! We gotta… We gotta run!" One of the boys said, grabbing the other and dragging them both to their feet. Sanji didn't give them a chance to escape, reaching down and grabbing the collars of their shirts, one in each hand, he plucked them from their hiding place.

The one called Tiger shrieked in terror, but Sanji paid it no mind. He walked down the beach and set them both down in front of the remains of his boat. He placed his hands on their shoulders, keeping them in place.

"This," Sanji stated sharply, "Was my boat. Why'd you take it?"

The unnamed brat shrugged and tried to twist out of Sanji's grip, but Sanji held tight. "Lemme go!" He demanded.

"I just want to know why you stole my boat," Sanji said sharply. "I can't afford another, so if you'd rather pay for it…"

The boy looked up, incredulous, "You planning to cross the Grand Line in that thing? Moron."

"Yeah! Kuma's right! You should be thanking us for saving your life!" The kid called Tiger piped up.

"That's not the point," Sanji bit out. "You have two choices. One, pay me for it. And two, rebuild it."

"We can't put it back together," Tiger whispered. "An' we don't have any money."

Sanji let out a sigh, "Then why did you take it? Aren't you worried about getting caught?"

"We wanna finish buildin' our treehouse," Tiger said, and Kuma shushed him. "But it's true! Papa once said he lived in a treehouse when he was the same age as us and it sounded cool!" He pointed up, and sure enough there was a roughly constructed wooden structure in the boughs of the branch. A black flag also flew from one of the windows.

"How old are you," Sanji asked.

"None of your business!" Kuma hissed.

"No," Sanji agreed, "But I'm curious. I'm guessing you don't have parents. Am I right?"

"No!" Kuma snapped. "You're wrong!"

That startled Sanji, "You have parents? Then why are you stealing?"

"Mama said Papa was good at stealing. An' we wanna be just like him when we grow up!" Tiger said.

"Can I speak to your parents?" Sanji asked.

"No!" Tiger shouted. "You can't! You'll tell Mama and Papa, and then we'll get in trouble!"

"We just wanted a special pirate hideout," Kuma whispered.

"Pirate?" Sanji took another look at the black flag handing from their treehouse. It didn't have a mark on it, just a piece of black cloth flapping in the breeze. "You two want to be pirates?"

"Yeah!" Tiger shouted enthusiastically. "Papa said that our uncles were pirates! And Papa tells us stories about how cool they are! Hey mister… you're not a marine, are you? Cause if you are, we're totally not gonna be pirates."

Sanji snorted and released the two boys. "Nope. I'm a pirate too kid. Just like you want to be."

"Really?!" Kuma exclaimed. He started grinning, and Sanji prepared himself for an onslaught of questions. But then the grin faded, and both boys started staring at him in terror. No, they weren't staring at him, they were staring past him. Sanji turned around to get a look at what the boys were so afraid of, and saw a rather ordinary looking man approaching.

As the man got closer, Sanji was able to make out more details. The man was tall, and he had wavy blond hair. Burn scars were visible on the left side of his face and his left arm, disappearing under the sleeve of his t-shirt.

"I'm guessing that's your father," Sanji said unnecessarily to the two boys cowering behind him.

"Kuma! Tiger!" Their father called out sharply. And then he abruptly stopped in front of Sanji, a strange expression crossing his face. "Shit, they stole your boat, didn't they."

"These troublemakers yours then?" Sanji asked.

"I'm afraid so," The man said, and then he groaned, "I'm sorry about this. You two, get over here now, before I ground you."

"But Papa!" Kuma protested, and then fell silent at the look his father gave him. The two of them trudged out from behind Sanji and towards the man.

"I'm very sorry about your boat," He said again, and bowed. "You're welcome to come to my house for the night. I'll see about replacing it tomorrow."

"Sure, if you don't mind," Sanji said.

He rose from his bow, "Not at all, it's the least I could do. I don't believe we've met before, have we, Sanji. My name is Sabo."

Sabo had been surprised when Sanji didn't react to his name. Especially after he started getting defensive after Sabo had said his name without being introduced. A few misunderstandings later, Sanji finally realized their connection.

"So my idiot brother didn't tell you anything?" Sabo rubbed his temples. "Of course, that's so typical of him."

"That's right," Sanji said. "We didn't know he even had one brother, until we actually met Ace."

They arrived at a decent sized house in the middle-class district. Sabo ushered the boys into the bathroom to clean up.

"I'm actually surprised," Sabo said, once they were seated at the kitchen table. "I mean, to him I had just come back from the dead. And none of your crew mates said anything?"

"At the time there wasn't really a chance," Sanji said. "I was involved with the Vinsmoke family, and then after that we ended up fighting Big Mom. And then after that it must've slipped everyone's mind."

Sabo nodded. "That does sound like Luffy."

"We were planning to go after Kaido, though," Sanji continued. "And after that… We didn't really focus on anything else."

They both fell silent, and Sabo clenched his fists. There was no need to say anything else. "I know… I… I had his vivre card. Can… I still don't know. What happened that day?"

"Blackbeard." Sanji's one word answer had Sabo's fists bursting into flames. "He saved our lives."

Sabo's fire went out, leaving black marks on the table. He looked sad. "Of course he did. Was he… Ace did. I saw it in the paper. But was my little brother… smiling?"

Sanji swallowed hard, and then nodded. "Until the very end."

Sabo breathed out. "Thank you."

"SABO!" A female shriek echoed through the house. "YOU SET THE KITCHEN TABLE ON FIRE AGAIN! AND WHY THE HELL ARE THERE MUDDY FOOTPRINTS IN THE HOUSE!"

"Oh shit," Sabo muttered, "I didn't think Koala would be home this early."

Said woman stormed into the living room, where they had relocated after the boys had finished their bath, and abruptly stopped. "Oh! I know you! Sanji, right?"

"Am I seriously that recognizable?" Sanji muttered.

"Oh, no." Koala took a seat in an overstuffed armchair, and the boys climbed up to sit on her lap. "I was a big part of intelligence. I've spied on your crew a lot. But what are you doing here?"

Sabo raised an eyebrow at the boys, who started to scramble away. Koala wrapped her arms around them, effectively pinning them in place. "I think the boys should answer that."

"Is that so?" Koala eyed the two boys, who stared back meekly.


"Vinsmoke Sanji was very hard to track," Eugene said. "I've managed to find a connection with the Revolutionary Army, and some mentions of The Red Zeff. How old is that restaurant, anyway?"

"It is rather old, and has expanded greatly," Rachel said. "The exact date is unknown, and we would be able to look at the deed, but I'll give you three guesses as to who owns the franchise."

"Phoenix Industries," Nicole groaned. "Of course."

Carter looked back and forth between the three of them, "What's wrong with Phoenix Industries?"

"Oh, you weren't here this morning, were you," Seth said. "They like to interfere with history. Makes it almost impossible to access certain sites."

"Oh… Well, have you asked him?"

"The historical society has inquired multiple times about accessing Whitebeard's Island, and the Fairy Verth on Skypia, but we have been denied access every time," Rachel said.

"Well, yeah. But have you gone and asked him personally?" Carter asked. "When I was writing my thesis, I was originally denied so I went and asked him myself. He said yes when I went to speak with him in person."

"Really?" Felix asked.

Carter nodded, "That's right. He seemed like a really nice guy, too. Kinda sad; I mean, he never smiled, but he was polite. Asked me a lot about my research."

"I see," Rachel said, frowning. "Alright. Anyway, Eugene. You said he had connections with the Revolutionary Army? How did he get those?"

"No idea," Eugene said. "He doesn't say in his letter. Also, I finished the secondary translation. Seth, Zack, please don't get into another argument, but the translation I was confused about earlier… It translates directly to 'stupid moss-headed moron'. And his all blue was probably a reference to the All Blue, an old legend."

"See," Seth told Zack smugly, "He wasn't mentally deficient."

Zack just gave him the finger, not moving from where he was carefully dragging bronze wool over one of the knives.

"What's the All Blue legend?" Carter asked.

"It's an old legend about seafood," Seth started explaining. "Apparently there's one place, somewhere in the world, that is home to every type of fish in the world. Sea creatures from North Blue can swim alongside fish from the South Blue, and East Blue, and West Blue. It's supposed to be a cook's dream come true. Able to prepare any type of seafaring dish without having to go to such extreme measures…"

"Sounds pretty lame," Zack said.

"Shut up!" Seth shouted.

"It sounds really interesting," Carter said, and Seth grinned.

"Glad you think so."

"Also," Eugene said, "He mentions meeting up with someone named Sabo, and I'm pretty sure that there's a letter from that guy too."

"Well, get to translating," Nicole ordered.


Sanji insisted on making dinner, his excuse being that he needed to keep his skills sharp. Koala gave him full range of the kitchen, once she made Sabo fix the table, and he took her up on that. Sabo told Sanji about his time in the Revolutionary Army, and his current paternity leave until his boys were old enough to set out on their own. "We promised them that they could do whatever they wanted when they turned sixteen, so they've still got eleven years left to go. Right now they want to be pirates, just like their uncles. I'm going to warn you now, once they find out you were on my brother's crew they're not going to stop asking you questions until they fall asleep."

Their dinner wasn't anything extravagant, but it was good, going by the sounds Tiger and Kuma were making. Like Sabo had said, Sanji accidentally let it slip that he was part of their uncle's crew, and they continued firing question after question at him. Sanji also expressed his interest in traveling further into the Grand Line, and the next morning Sabo took Sanji to meet an acquaintance.

The acquaintance turned out to be the captain of a rather brave merchant, who was looking for a few new crew members. A cook in particular. The captain's name was Brenan, and he shook Sanji's hand firmly. "We're needing a strong cook. We deliver mostly to places like these, islands overrun by pirates or places other cargo ships are too scared to sail to. Are you up for something like that?"

"Of course. I can fight."

"Good!" Brenan said cheerfully. "Glad to have you as part of the crew."

Sanji shook his head, "I'm just your cook, not a member of your crew. I only answer to one shitty captain, and he's not you."

"Fair enough," Brenan said. "Welcome aboard." He turned and started up the gangway, shouting at some of the people loitering around.

Sabo clapped Sanji on the back, "Hope this is safer than that dingy you had."

"Thanks," Sanji said, "For everything. Really."

Sabo smiled, "No, thank you. My little brother wouldn't have gotten as far as he did without people like you behind him. Good luck, Sanji."

Sabo turned and easily disappeared into the crowd. Sanji stared after him for a moment, and then started up the gangway. "How well do you know that guy?" Brenan asked, as Sanji joined him on deck.

"Why?" Sanji asked.

Brenan shrugged, "He's a mysterious guy. Apparently he's part of the Revolutionary Army. All sorts of rumours flying around about that family. Just wondering if you had some concrete facts."

"Nope. Just that he was my captain's brother."

Brenan eyed him, but then shrugged. "Alright then. Hey! Dominik! Get over here and meet your new cook!" A heavyset man broke away from a small cluster of sailors and walked over. "This is Sanji, he's going to be our newest cook. Wanna show him the ropes?"

Dominik grunted, but gestured for Sanji to follow.

The large man was of few words, but Sanji had to admit he knew his way around a kitchen. They worked well together. Since Sanji was the only new person on the ship, he was constantly the center of conversation with people wanting to know all about him. He dodged the questions, even going as far as physical violence when one particularly nosy sailor wouldn't leave him alone. Hanging around Dominik seemed to reduce the number of people who approached him, and Dominik never asked any probing questions."

"Where'd you learn how to cook?" Sanji asked one day, flicking his lighter open. It sputtered and went out. Sanji grimaced; he'd have to replace it. Damn the person who took his lighter. It was refillable!

"Up north." Dominik answered.

"Huh, me too," Sanji said. "Then I learned from the old geezer."

"How do you fight without your hands?" Dominik asked, not bothering to ask who the old geezer was, and Sanji frowned at the question. Nobody on the ship had seen him fight before, except that one guy he kicked in the head.

"How'd you know that?"

He gestured at his hands, "You have no scars."

Sanji glanced down at his hands, running his fingers across his palms. He had several small white lines on fingers, the barely noticeable scars remaining from his younger years learning how to use a variety of knives. His right arm, from just past his wrist to his elbow was covered in angry scar tissue, a harsh reminder of the so-called family he left behind, and the x shaped cut on his left forearm, a sad reminder of his captain and crew. But nothing on his hands.

He glanced over at Dominik's hands, thick callouses on his knuckles and several fingers that had been broken at one point and hadn't healed straight.

"I fight with my feet." Sanji said.

Dominik was silent, as he stared at Sanji's hands, and his own.

"Can you show me?"

The request took Sanji by surprise, but he slowly nodded. He stood up and moved to the center of the kitchen before going through a few stances.

"That is a good way for a cook to fight." Dominik said.

Sanji smirked. "Thanks. It's been useful."

Dominik nodded, and they went back to working in silence.

Sanji stayed with Brenan and his crew for five years, constantly traveling and searching for any rumours about the All Blue. He found several books detailing its legend, but they weren't useful at all, just repeating what he already knew.

He didn't have to fight all that often, and he looked forward to the loads that they brought down to Fishman Island. Apparently Jimbe had bought a large number of straw hats and replica Sniper King masks for the children on the island. He always enjoyed watching the mermaids swim about, and being able to swim with them.

He was welcomed, too. The other people on Brenan's crew didn't understand why Sanji was able to go swimming with the mermaids and they couldn't, and that started creating a rift between him and the rest of the crew.

Sanji didn't care. It meant that he was mostly left alone when it wasn't mealtime. Trying to patch things up, Brenan took a few more jobs away from Fishman Island and picked up a few more crew members along the way.

Being away from Fishman Island had patched things up with the crew, but it was torn wide open again when one of the newer members of the crew asked about Sanji's past.

"Hey Sanji, where'd Brenan pick you up? You seem like an interesting character." A hush fell over the whole room and everyone turned to look at both the speaker and Sanji. The one who spoke started looking pale. "Shit, did I say something wrong?"

"Dude, it's a rule, we never ask him about his past."

"Why?"

"Because he kicked the last guy who asked in the head!"

"What?!"

Sanji raised a cigarette to his lips and waved his hand, "It's fine. You didn't know."

He let out a sigh of relief, "O-Okay."

Another one of the new crew members snorted, "You're scared of him because he kicked a guy?"

"Sanji's a lot stronger than he looks," Someone whispered to him.

"Oh really," The new crew member stood up. "You're strong, are you? Where'd you learn how to fight?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Sanji said conversationally, lighting his smoke. "But if you'd really like to know, I was trained by Red-Leg Zeff in East Blue."

"I've never heard of him," The new crew member said.

"Shame," Sanji said. "Are you going to fight me?"

"Yes!"

"Then I'd like to know your name."

"Jasper."

"Hm." Sanji nodded. "Jasper. Okay, come at me."

Jasper balled his hands into a fist and lunged. Sanji knocked the incoming fist away with his foot and knocked Jasper over, before stepping onto his chest to keep him pinned to the floor. "Bastard! That was cheap!"

"You're still down, aren't you?"

"Shut up! I'm not scared of you! I've faced down Roronoa Zoro and come out alive!"

"Then where's your sword?" Sanji deadpanned.

"Didn't use a sword," Jasper gasped, as Sanji pressed his foot down harder.

"Then that moss head wouldn't have fought you."

"How the fuck would you know?" Jasper demanded.

Sanji just looked at him, puffing on his cigarette. "You want to know about my past? Fine. I'm Black-Leg Sanji of the Strawhat Pirates. The moronic moss head was my crew mate."

Whispers broke out at the declaration, and Sanji continued glaring. "You're lying."

Sanji pressed his foot down a little harder, "Do you want me to prove you wrong?"

Jasper just gasped for breath, his hands grasping at Sanji's foot. A few seconds later Sanji released him, and the man rolled onto his side, gasping for air. "Fuck you."

"Shitty liar."

"Not lying," Jasper coughed. "I've met him. On a cargo ship. Left to go fight Mihawk."

"I see," Sanji said. "Did he win?"

"Fuck if I know."

"Well, we'd probably know if he didn't," Sanji said. It came out harsh, but there was underlying worry in his eyes.

Just then the doors to the galley burst open and Brenan stormed through, "Just what the hell is going on in here! I can hear you yelling from my cabin!"

His intrusion was met by incredulous stares. Sanji stood in the middle of the galley, calmly smoking a cigarette. Jasper was on the floor, gasping for breath, everyone was staring with shock, and Dominik was in the corner, smirking to himself.

"Nothing much," Sanji said, stalking forward. "We were just discussing my resignation. Thank you for these past years, Brenan, but I think it's time for me to move on." He brushed past Brenan on his way out the door.

The ship's captain could only stare at Sanji's retreating back. "Okay, who's going to tell me what the hell happened here?" There was silence, and then everyone started to speak at once. "SILENCE!" Everyone shut up. "Okay, You, new guy, Jasper, right?" Jasper nodded and picked himself up off the floor. "What happened?"

"Sanji's actually Black-Leg Sanji!" Jasper blurted.

Brenan raised an eyebrow, "Okay, who busted out the alcohol?"

Several protests and confirmations had Brenan looking out the door, staring at Sanji's retreating back with wide eyes and an open mouth, "You mean to tell me that we've been sailing with a member of the pirate king's crew for half a decade!"

"Apparently," The first mate said.

Dominik took that moment to walk out the door. "And where do you think you're going?" Brenan demanded.

"With him," Dominik answered, and left.

Sanji was surprised when Dominik followed him from the ship, but he was glad for the company. For the next four years, the two of them wandered up and down the Grand Line. Sanji told Dominik about the All Blue, and the man seemed interested in the legend, but not to the same extent Sanji was.

When Dominik died in a skirmish with a bunch of high ranking marines who recognized Sanji, he stopped traveling for a while. He got a job at a restaurant on a nondescript island and started saving money for a ticket back to East Blue. It was a good enough job. He flirted with the women who came by and the dining room had a great view of the harbour.

He spent six years there, but when he finally had enough he bought a ticket aboard a freighter going across the Calm Belt into East Blue. He had no trouble boarding, but he figured that was because he changed so much he barely resembled his wanted poster anymore.

When he finally returned to East Blue and the freighter docked in Loguetown, he ran into Marina again, who smiled brightly and started talking about his promise to return.

It took a moment for Sanji to remember her, but he played it off well. He gladly accompanied her back to her home. He felt guilty for not remembering her, but in his defence the only girls he thought about lately were Robin and Nami. Sure, he would still flirt, but he didn't have the same vigour he did when he was younger.

Seeing her again brought it back full force, and he started inquiring about her life since they had last seen each other.

"Grandma Kiva passed away a few years ago," Marina said, "But she liked you. Father doesn't like you, even though you've never met, but he's just being an overprotective parent. Toby and Fern moved out and started their own families, so it's just you and me here."

"Ah, your family is so fascinating, my angel," Sanji swooned.

"They visit a lot. I'm sure they'll be happy to know you've come back, I know Toby misses your food, even if he won't say it."

Sanji laughed, and then began telling Marina about his travels when she asked.

A couple weeks later, Marina warned Sanji that her mother was visiting. "She's not as overbearing as Father, but please put on a good impression for her. Dad won't be coming for at least another six months, he's so busy he can barely get time off."

"Don't worry, my darling. I'll be on my best behaviour!"

Marina's mother looked very much like her. She greeted Sanji cautiously but warmed up after her first meal with him. "Where did you learn how to cook, my boy!" She exclaimed. "This is absolutely amazing!"

"I was taught by my mentor at the Baratie," Sanji answered, "And I have travelled far to improve my skills. I am glad you're pleased with my food, madame."

She looked at her daughter, "I approve."

Marina laughed, embarrassed, and then got up to help Sanji with the dishes. Sanji waved her away, claiming that a lady shouldn't have to busy herself with menial work and to catch up with her mother. He joined them in the living room later, bearing a teapot and desserts. They spent the evening in quiet conversation, Marina's mother drilling Sanji with questions about his life. He didn't reveal much, only that he travelled around cooking. It was the best story to stick to, and he didn't have to give anyone specific names if he was constantly on the move. He did mention Dominik, though. He also mentioned that he was still unsuccessful in his search for the All Blue.

Marina's mother was a pleasant person and he enjoyed her company. Half a year later, though, he discovered who Marina's father was. He had been helping Marina clean the house in preparation for his visit, and Marina pulled out an old photograph to show him.

"Akainu is your father?!" Sanji nearly shouted, barely keeping himself from stumbling back.

"I know it's a surprise," Marina said with a smile, mistaking Sanji's panic for awe, "He didn't want anyone to know he had family, just in case pirates wanted to get revenge against him. I know the Whitebeard Pirates have a vendetta, and the Strawhat Pirates."

"I-He…"

"You don't have to worry," Marina said, "He may seem scary, but I'll make sure he's nice to you."

"That's… Not the problem," Sanji said.

"Besides," Marina continued, her smile widening as she unconsciously placed a hand on her lower stomach, "The rest of the family is going to be visiting too. I have a big announcement to make."

Sanji didn't answer, still staring at the photograph on the mantle, and Marina went back to dusting. That night, after the dishes were cleaned up, Marina joined Sanji on the porch as he smoked. She wound her arms around him and pressed herself against his back.

"Are you mad at me for keeping it a secret?" Marina asked.

Sanji blew out a lungful of smoke, "No, darling. I'm not mad. It's just… Akainu has killed a lot of people."

"Only pirates, though," Marina said. "He's never killed a decent person."

"Some pirates can be decent people," Sanji said. "And even still, we're all still human."

"Don't be silly," Marina said. "Pirates are pirates."

"Dear, would your father kill me?"

Marina pulled back, shocked, "Of course not! I love you!"

"What if I were a pirate?"

"You're not," Marina said firmly, "So it doesn't matter."

"But if I was?" Sanji pressed, turning around and grabbing her hand.

"You're a good person." Marina insisted. "You're not a pirate."

Sanji shook his head, "That's not the point. You're not answering my question."

"I shouldn't have to answer a question like that," Marina snapped.

"Does your father even see pirates as people?"

"Why?"

"Because that's something I live by, as a cook. A hungry scumbag is a hungry human first. Does your father look at pirates and think that they're people? Or vermin?"

"Sanji!" Marina shouted, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "That's not fair!"

"Isn't it?" Sanji asked. "I am a pirate! I'm a powerful pirate and I've got a bounty on my head! Are you going to see me as scum now, just because of that?"

Marina jerked back, yanking her hands out of his. "You're a pirate?!" She shrieked.

"I'm more than just a pirate, I'm a Strawhat Pirate. I'm sorry, Marina, but if you can't see those I care about as human, I don't think this is going to work."

Marina was trembling, and tears were streaming down her face. "You… You filthy pirate!" She shouted, "You tricked me! You used me! I hate you! Get out of here, get out! I never want to see your face again!" She fell to her knees, curled over and hands pressed against her stomach.

Sanji left. He grabbed his stuff and made quick time to the harbour. He felt guilty about making Marina cry, but he couldn't do anything without making it worse. Briefly he wondered what her big announcement was. (Had he stayed he would have learned she was pregnant. She ended up naming the child after her grandmother).

Sanji spent the next few years wandering, taking odd jobs and doing anything he could to get by. He stopped by the Baratie a few times; Zeff was getting impatient with him, still not any closer to finding the All Blue. His first visit back, Carne handed him a very familiar lighter and said that Zoro had dropped by, with a very lovely lady on his arm, and returned it.

Sanji's curses could be heard for miles.

He had just entered the Grand Line again; for the last time, he told himself. He was nearing fifty, his joints ached, and he was having more and more trouble breathing. When he arrived at the Twin Capes, he discovered Crocus was gone. Not all that much of a surprise, really. The old man was over a hundred years old by now.

He broke into the house, finding it covered in dust, and spent the night. The next morning, he fished for his breakfast. He reeled in a few fish, a couple sunfish from South Blue and some cod from the north, but one big one managed to pull his rod into the water.

Sanji cursed, and dove in after it. He caught up with the rod and grabbed hold, squinting through the salty sting of the water to see a large tuna. He recognized the fish, having prepared it all the time at the Baratie. It was a favourite of the chefs because it could be caught just off the ship.

Sanji swam up and managed to wrestle the fish onto shore. And then he stopped dead. Sunfish from South Blue. Codfish from North Blue. Tuna from East Blue. Oh, shit.

He turned and looked up at Reverse Mountain. It was viable. The rushing waters at the base of the mountain in all four blue seas had a massive current, so strong that even ships couldn't break free of it. Fish from those seas would get caught in the current and be dragged into the beginning of the Grand Line. Once they were here, they couldn't go back, and they couldn't head into the Grand Line because of the extremely erratic weather just beyond the Twin Capes.

Sanji raise his arms above his head, hair dripping wet and clothes plastered to him, and then shouted in victory. He cheered, dancing around the cape until he was wheezing for breath, and then he dove into the water again. All kinds of colourful fish surrounded him, from every corner of the sea. He had finally found the All Blue!

He lay on his back, laughing loudly, letting the water flow through his hair. Something nibbled on his hand, and Sanji tried to guess which sea it was from. North? South? East? West? He didn't care. He had found it. He had finished Zeff's dream, he had found his own dream, and he had kept his promise to his captain.

He wrote to Zeff immediately, once he had calmed down. He decided to build a restaurant on the Twin Capes, and as he started building he got a response from Zeff. Apparently the old man was on his last leg.

Sanji took a break from building and travelled to the Baratie, and arrived just in time to say goodbye to the man who had become his father. Carne offered Sanji the position of head chef, but Sanji turned it down. He had his own restaurant to start running. Patty scoffed when Sanji told them he found the All Blue, but Sanji brushed it off. He left the sea restaurant for the last time after the funeral and decided it was time to go see Luffy.

He hiked up the mountain alone, hauling his best knives, and sat himself down in front of his grave when he arrived. "Hey, you crap captain," Sanji said, picking out one of Zeff's old fancy cigars. He had stopped smoking a while ago, but he figured he could indulge one more time. "So I finally found the All Blue. I'm gonna build a restaurant. Hope that wherever you are there's plenty of meat. Here, I'll even leave you my best knives, so whoever's cooking it for you will have an easier time." He set the knives down beside a bright silver piece of rock with an old symbol etched on it.

He lit his cigar with the lighter Zoro stole, and set the lighter down beside the knife case. He didn't plan on ever smoking again, so he wouldn't need it. When his cigar was nothing but ash, he stood up, hearing his joints crackle and pop, and smirked. "Thanks for everything, Luffy."

He grabbed the old glimmering amulet and flicked it open. "Ha!" Sanji laughed. He closed it and wiped away a stray tear trailing down his cheek. "See you soon, captain."

When he left the island he handed the beautifully-aged Makino a letter. "Only Nami needs to come by now," She told him. "And everyone will have left something behind for him. Even Franky had someone come by in his place."

Sanji lived out the rest of his life at the base of Reverse Mountain. He finished his restaurant, half built into the rock and half wooden. It became a popular spot for new pirates heading out on their adventure and for old ones returning to the blue seas. Many members of the Strawhat Fleet would stop by, and after a few attacks he decided to fly the Strawhat Flag above his restaurant. Attacks practically stopped after that.

When he finally did succumb to lung disease, he left the restaurant to his surrogate son, who was left behind by a passing pirate crew and never returned.

Either way, Sanji lived out the remainder if his life happy.


"I've finished restoring the knives," Zack said, presenting them to Rachel.

"Wonderful!" Rachel clapped her hands together with a smile. "Now do you still have enough supplies to do the sword?"

"Yes," Zack grinned and eyed the white sheath sitting under a class case nearby.

"Then get started on that."

The team regrouped under the tent, and Carter delivered the news that the university had granted the CEO of Phoenix Industries permission to visit the site.

"I have the schedule here," Carter said, holding out a printed email. Rachel took it and pinned it to a nearby cork-board. "He'll be coming next Wednesday and staying for a week and a half."

"I just hope he doesn't buy out the site," Nicole said, "At least not until we've finished excavating."

"I'm sure it'll be alright, Nicole," Seth assured her.

"But if he does, we need to step up our game," Nicole continued. "Alright, the knives have been restored? What else have we found about Black-Leg Sanji's movements? Eugene, have you finished translating Sabo's letter?"

Eugene held up his translation of Sanji's letter. "Even without seeing the deed, it says here that Sanji was the one who built The Red Zeff. He built it at the base of Reverse Mountain, where the All Blue is apparently located. And according to Sabo's letter, uh, say, did Strawhat Luffy have any brothers?"

Seth whipped his head around at Eugene's words, "You mean the All Blue has actually been found?!"

"That's what it says here," Eugene said. "Something about the currents and weather. Anyway, according to older records, he spent the last seventeen years of his life there."

"What about the Baratie?" Felix asked. "Didn't he work there, too?"

"Well, the two restaurants merged into a single corporation about a hundred years later," Eugene said. "Old alliances coming into play or something like that. The current head chef of the Baratie at the time, Mignon, married the current owner of The Red Zeff, Yoma, and the two of them started creating the restaurant chain across all the blue seas."

"And then fifty years ago the franchise started that stupid fast food chain, the Red Baratie," Seth muttered. "I hate fast food! It takes all the fun out of eating."

"Dunno," Felix said, "I sure like the place."

Seth grumbled.

"Anyway, Strawhat? Brothers?" Eugene prompted.

"No," Rachel said. "There's no record of him having any siblings."

"Because Sabo signs his letter, 'Love your big brother, Sabo,'" Eugene said.

"Sabo was the chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army," Rachel said. "If they were brothers, does this mean he has even more connections with the army than we originally thought?"

"Seriously?" Nicole grouched. "Damn it all. Now we have to go and do even more research on top of all of this!"

"The Revolutionary Army was pretty big on stealth and secrets. It was only a few decades ago that the original officers in the army were named. Maybe it wasn't recorded because of the secrecy he kept his name away from Strawhat Luffy's?"

"Maybe. But now I have to go dig up birth records," Nicole said. She stood up, "I'll have to take a few days to go through the databases. I trust you all can handle yourselves with supervision?"

"Course, missy!" Felix gave her a thumbs up.

"We're doomed," Nicole sighed.

"Don't worry!" Seth said cheerfully, "I'll take you out for dinner tonight, that'll make you feel better, my dear!"

"In your dreams!"


Hi all! Here's chapter 4 for you. It might be a while before I post the next chapter, I'm going in for surgery tomorrow, and I'm getting ready for school to start. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!