At the end of the world

Sanji wouldnot have thought he will meet her again, years later, here of all places, the most unexpected place, the edge of the world .. Where it all begins and ends for him.

Sanji meets her again at the Baratie.

"Acho"

He is a little bent, a little worn out yet nevertheless clean. He took his time to get ready for the big arrival after all.

The main deck has subtly changed.

It had to, after all these years yet it smelled almost the same, almost but not exactly.

He could smell something odd yet so familiar nonetheless.

He tried to meld in, be as inconspicuos as possible lest someone recognised him, he needed to reach the lower deck, just the lower deck and he will be safe.

"Sanji" patty dropped the plate

All eyes were on him now, old and new alike. Yet, A pair of Sharp keen Blue eyes were what held his gaze most

'He has gotten older'

They stared at each other, apprentice & mentor Red leg Zeff never lost his reverence, his prestige nor his mettle even if he has gotten a little heavier on his leg or lagged along just a little bit.

"So finally the vagabond has decided to concede and come back"

It was never the words between them, never. If anything the words, would paint them in a very deceiving, very different light.

Sanji and Zeff were all about deeds, all about clemency.

"I see your cheerful disposition hasnot changed at all, old ma...cho"

"You did catch a cold .. Or more like a fever" Zeff commented "Come, let's find you a place to warm up"

His room was well kept.

Judging by the looks of it, he would even go on as to assume that the old man took up residence in his room.

"Now, you help yourself around, eggplant ... Rest, I won't have you mucking around for long"

Zeff turned on his leg to leave

"And Sanji ... We have some catching up to do, when you are ready, come see me"

Moments later, a hot bowl of soap was sent go his room, and for the first in many a month, Sanji felt warm, such heavy warmth that dragged his lids down into a slumber he thought he didnot need, a slumber he neither wanted nor could he conquer as well.

"Luffffyyy..."

Sanji woke up, many hours later to the sound of his own screams, to his own chokes.

It took him a moment to remember, to register that he was home, at the baratie.

"What the heck am I doing any way?" he wondered.

He walked down to the lower deck, followed by the scrutinizing looks of old and new chefs alike.

"Is that really black leg Sanji?"

"What happened to him after the great demise?"

"Why is he here? This is bad news"

The whispers followed him as he made his way to the kitchen. He recognised the smell of today's main dish .. Roasted lamb and braised potatoes, not so fancy.

He noted there werenot much workers left in the kitchen, it was near closing time he could guess.

"I see your standards have fallen so much since I have been gone, old man"

"Oh, that is why we have expanded or haven't you known yet?" the man wrily smiled.

"Maybe that is why you stooped so low, quality for quantity? Too commercial"

"How many customers we have left?" the owner asked

"Only two left to serve" a novice sous chef replied.

"Good, hurry up then .. Finish their orders then leave the kitchen at once. Alert the rest of the staff, no one should enter after this"

The poor fellow's eyes travelled between Zeff and Sanji, before nodding rapidly and walking out of there.

"Sanji, let me see how you fared while you were gone. Cook for me, let me see if your terrible cooking has improved just a wee bit"

"So tell me all about your innovations and expansions and all, I have read all about during our .. My time in the sea"

"Nothing much, another ship and a dessert submarine"

"What a feat and how about your 'No women allowed' Rule? At last, great owner Zeff has swallowed his pride and come around"

"I had to .. " but before he could conclude his statement, Sanji heard a familiar voice, a voice that caused his breathe to hitch in his throat.

'It couldn't be .. No .. It couldn't'

"We are running out of supplies own ..." She halted mid space

The air was knocked out of the room, every single voice was tuned out, every colour faded.

"Sanji" She whispered

"Pudding ... Or should I say 'dear wife'" his mouth curled into a snare, a taunting, cruel snare. Never had Pudding imagined Sanji, sweet lovestruck Sanji would ever be able to sport such face, to conjure such façade, not in her scariest nightmares w

hen one of them kills the other.

'It must have been hard' she thought

"Sanji" Zeff's voice pounded through the heavy air "behave yourself around the lady"

"What lady are you talking about, old man? Do you even know who the wretched witch is? Do you realise what kind of snake have you been holding in your den?"

Zeff double crossed him with a knock on his head

"I know exactly how I run my restaurant, remember this well. I don't friggin' care about what happened between the both of you but don't ever mistreat a lady in my presence ... The sea, had it made you forget what I have strived to teach you?"

Sanji averted his eyes down, uncharacteristically. Not even during the epitome of her treachery had he spoken to her like this, and he shouldn't have lost it, not in front of Zeff of all people.

"Dear Charlotte" Zeff turned his attention towards the beautiful woman "I told the bloody fool out there not to let anyone in"

"Owner Z" Pudding turned on her charm "Anyone has never included me before"

The old man seemed softened, his resolve mushing under her overly sweet delicate tone.

"But pudding kun, I needed time with the lil eggplant" Zeff muttered

"Don't worry, I will leave you two alone, I am terribly sorry, owner"

"Don't worry, Pudding kun"

"Now, if you will excuse me"

She frantically turned on her heels, seemingly avoiding Sanji's gaze at all costs as she left the room with Zeff's eyes burning holes at her back.

"Now, back to the cooking, eggplant. Come on, finish this meal for me"

Many minutes passed before Zeff resumed speech again

"Sanji, tell me what happened? Tell me, if you are fine, please my boy, let me know what is going on"

"Do you know who is she?"

"Yes, Sanji. She told me everything. But I wasnot talking about her right now, I was talking about your former crew."

Sanji's body tensed.

She remained on deck, waiting for Zeff to come out with Sanji.

She has been waiting for a long time.

Zeff had come out at last, eyes darkened, head lowered.

"Owner Z..

"Not now, Pudding. Not now"

She took the cue, knowing that no good would come out of speaking to Sanji tonight.

"And Pudding"

"yes"

"If you ever play him again, know that every chef of the baratie, every single one of them will be on your trail, Me included. Woman or not, if your mind ever tricks you into fooling him again, I will hunt you down myself, even if he didnot have it in him to hurt you."

Pudding was fazed, owner Zeff had never been but kind to her, a little bit suffocating, borderline ... Pervy, but never like this, even when she was forced to tell him about her entire history with Sanji.

"I ..."

"Now, go to sleep, we wouldnot want our pretty pâtéssiere to catch a cold, would we?"

A month has passed.

Pudding and Sanji tiptoed their way around each other, she spent her time mostly on the submarine while he was on main deck.

"Sanji" patty came running that night "Sanji ..." he cried

"Take a breath, annoying cook, I can hear you"

"hurry up, it is owner Zeff"

Sanji turned his head to the other cook

"What?!"

"He tripped down a flight of stairs"

"Oh my god .. Oh my god" he rushed out of the kitchen "Where is he?"

"we helped him to his room"

Sanji ran the way to the old man's room like crazy, picturing every bad scenario possible, after all Zeff wasnot young anymore and he could have hurt himself bad

'Where is Chopper when we need him?' He grimly mused as the image of the naïve reindeer crossed his mind

"REALLY?!"

His tongue was dangling out of his widely gapping mouth..

The bloody old fool was propped onto his bed with Pudding and some other female cooks hovering over him ...

"Sanji, what took you so long, boy?"

"You are good, I see"

"Of course, what did you think, cabbage head? You thought I was dead"

"Take a break old man, how is your leg?"

"A little sore, but it will be fine"

He leant over the rails of the deck, cigarette in mouth, smoking puffing round his head. He coughed up a great deal, a dry scratchy cough ...curtesy of the chilly air on deck maybe, the cigarettes finally taking toll, his resolving cold or a combination of all, it wasnot a pleasant sound nor a healthy one all along

"I know you are here, come out of hiding, Pudding-chan"

"I have been observing you, you never smoked that much on whole cake"

"Nothing was real on whole cake, remember?" he smiled nonchalantly, his eyes she noted, lusterless.

"I am sorry for what happened to you and your Nakama. I am sorry for what happened to Luffy, he was a good man"

Sanji's grip on his cigarette tightened

"It is over, now"

"If you ever need help with it, if you ever feel the need to forget overwhelming, I a.."

"you know There is no way I will ever take up your offer" He deadpanned

"I know"

"Why are you here pudding? Of all places in this blue, what brought you here? It isnot coincidence, of course. I wonder if you ever used your 'gift' on anybody on the baratie"

"Well, a few troublesome marines, but certainly not Zeff or the rest of the crew" she tried to sound light, cheerful as could be but he wasnot in the mood for ... anything really

"What about the other question?"

"I .. I like it here. The work, Zeff and the chefs keep your head together, you know"

"You want to tell me you have no agenda, no upper motive, nothing at all for your stay"

"I came here with every intention to kill you" she replied "bring you down onto your knees and humiliate you, and I thought what better way than using your surrogate father as means, the one whom they used to bend your will with in the first place ..."

"Fitting"

"But things have changed. Owner Zeff, he was perceptive, saw right through me and demanded to know what a three eyed member of the Linlin pirates would want with him"

"And ..."

"Long story... The rest is history, and you? What happened? Nothing much was reported in the news other than Luffy's demise and your disbandment and now a war might break out any time"

His mind seemed to drift elsewhere muttering under his breath incoherently, muffled words that she could make out 'Should have known' 'took his burden'

"excuse me"

"Nevermind ... Goodnight Pudding-chan"

He left abruptly, thoughts stirring through his head .. Zoro, the impending war and ... The sly old fox exaggerating his fall to force him to confront pudding ...

"It was Zoro"

Zeff's eyes widened .. Not with wonder or surprise but rather horror

"He sold him out"

"good god, it is always treason that does them in"

"We should have known, I should have known since the moment he took Luffy's burden"

"hh"

"I should have noticed he was changed, becoming poisoned, I should have ..."

"Sanji, it isnot entirely your fault"

"But ..."

"Your Nakama, the rest of them"

"Robin took it the worst, vowing to end him, it was to her face his betrayal after all .. and Nami went into hiding until she could give birth"

"your male nakama!" Zeff huffed exasperately before sipping onto water

"Franky and Chopper are gone, Ysopp probably returned to his hometown"

"Zoro?"

"He works with the world's government"

"You know they are looking for every single one of you! Nami in particular"

"Yes, but She will be fine, Garp .. The citizens of cocoyasha, they will help. I on the other hand .."

"You are home .. Nothing can harm you at home, until you gather yourself and know what you want to do, know how you will deal with the repercussions of what you, Luffy and your Nakama have resumed after Roger. Now, you are safe"

"About pudding .."

"Sanji, your issues aside, she could be of use if anybody recognised you ... Her sisters could be of help if a war broke out and trust me this time .. Everyone will have stake. Besides, you should sort it out with her, once and for all. The girl maybe pretty but she could be mad and scary when she wants to. The first time she came ..oh..that was a bloody scene"

'So like her' he thought.

"Tie up the loose ends boy, do it yourself .. So you will do it right instead of leaving them getting knotted and complicated by themselves"

"I can't... Not now at least"

"Fine, take some time out but do it or I will make you"

Zeff took up his cutlery and started eating whatever his young boy had cooked .. And sure he cooked up trouble well, but his skills they have soared, surpassed his by astronomical heights.

"What is this, boy? Whatever happened to your cooking while you were away?"

"What now?" Sanji smiled "sore that I have improved my skillset"

"Don't flatter yourself, arrogant brat .. There is a lot more for you to work on than this"

"Of course, Owner, that is why I am back"

At this moment, Zeff thought Sanji looked young, like his former self, so young and innocent and vulnerable.

It wasnot easy, Zeff knew, the betrayal and what is brewing in store after Luffy's blatant rebellion was an entirely different a story of massive reverbations, but he couldnot tell him now, not today at least.

"Go to sleep now boy, I need you at work tomorrow" he said as he stood up preparing to leave the kitchen "cover up well , we need you to recover quickly from this cold you have"

That night, Zeff came to check up personally him, making sure to cover him up well with a warm blanket, after all he knew of Sanji's bad habit of kicking the covers with his feet.

"Sleep well, Sanji. Sleep well my boy. May you wake up to find those rough and gloomy days having passed by"

He made a detour to Zeff's room, now quiet after the commotion has left.

The old man, was sleeping soundly, his leg wrapped and supported on a pile of pillows.

Sanji draped the now ruffled, almost falling cover over the man well enough before turning to his leave. He stood by the door frame, glancing at the huddled man, looking old, older than he had ever dared to imagine

"May you sleep well, good old Zeff. May you wake up to brighter, sunnier days than those left behind"