Chapter 9

Cook


The three Straw Hat Pirates, plus the new and first addition to the crew, all sailed East Blue with the intention of finding three more pirates that Luffy wanted in his crew.

"What are you talking about?" Sanji asked as he stared at Luffy incredulously.

"The One Piece," Luffy said as he ate the food gluttonously. It's no unknown fact that Sanji's food is the best, and that he is correct with his decision.

"You're not going to eat that, Hancock?" Luffy asked as roots appeared from under Hancock's plate.

"Uhh—" Hancock hesitated with a blush.

However, the roots were destroyed by a knife.

"The food is for the lady," Sanji mumbled as he glared at Luffy, who was, in no means, unfazed and continued to try and reach for Hancock's food.

"I said—" "I'm not deaf, Sanji, but the lady apparently doesn't want it," Luffy said rather coldly, though it wasn't enough to intimidate the cook.

No, nothing could intimidate the power of love.

However, Sanji never expected that the most beautiful woman would tower behind him, her glare intensifying as he continued to glare at Luffy.

"You foolish man!" and with that, a brutal beating was unleashed towards Sanji.

"Be sure not to injure him too much, Hancock," Luffy commented before he thanked for his meal and left the dining table.

However, he was ignored by Hancock who, for some reasons, had great hatred for the cook.

Then again, Sanji didn't seem to mind the beating he was taking.

"Punish me all you want Hancock-sama!" Sanji exclaimed as hearts appeared in his eyes.

No one could blame this man. He did, after all, grew up with the Red Leg Zeff, who's known for his perversity during his youth. Not that the chef of Baratie would ever admit it.

"Die and never cook for us!" Hancock said as he glared at Sanji.

She hated the man.

Not for his perverseness.

Not for being a male.

Not even for showing disrespect towards Luffy seconds ago.

She hated the man because—

Because—

He hated the man because he took her job, a wife's job, for cooking for her husband.

And Sanji couldn't do it because of the power…of love.


The Next Meal…

"What is this?" Luffy asked Sanji as he eyed the meal given to him which was polar to what Salome is currently consuming.

"That's the food Hancock-sama prepared for you, now eat it," Sanji said as he had mixed emotions for his Captain.

"Yes Luffy-sama, please, let's eat," Hancock said as she began to dig into the food she classified as her masterpiece.

The same food they have been eating for three long months.

The food Hancock called the Meal of Intertwined Hearts.

And a food Luffy classifies as: sushi.

Its not that the food tasted horrible. Hancock can cook sushi with great skills, claiming that she was the one assigned to cook sushi back when she was a member of the Kuja Pirates and is in fact, the best sushi cook in Amazon Lily.

She can cook Sea King sushi.

Lobster, crab, even the tiniest sea planktons (which were known for their great tastes), and whales can be turned into delicious sushi by this Gorgon.

But then, that's all she can really cook.

She tried frying, but it ended up burned. And not just burned, the food itself turned into water.

She tried boiling, but the last ship they were on exploded because she never knew that when you boil something, you'll have to finish your cooking BEFORE all the water evaporates.

She tried barbecuing and the results were the same when she attempted to fry.

And let's just say that some other experiments ended up with near-death experiences regarding fire, explosion and poisons.

And even though Luffy isn't picky about his food, he'd rather have Sanji's delicious, heavenly cooking than Hancock's unlimited sushi.

"I don't like to eat this," Luffy said rather childishly, completely ignoring Hancock's emotions.

Speaking of Hancock, the woman already turned into a beautiful ice sculpture at Luffy's cold, cold voice.

"How dare you—"

"And I want the food you cooked for Salome, Sanji," Luffy continued as roots grew from every corner of their little dining area.

"You don't mean that. Now apo—"

"And I want you to cook the food now or else—" Luffy threatened as the roots began to sharpen themselves into what seemed like thousands of spears.

"Or else what?!" Sanji asked, though the fear in his voice could not be hidden.

"Or else something bad will happen—" Sanji gulped as the roots began to produce what seemed like thorns. This is bad.

"—to your fridge and all of its content," Luffy said with a smirk as the fridge opened and out came the different food Sanji could cook for them.

Sanji looked at the food in horror.

This was torture.

And his sadistic captain is definitely enjoying it.

Damn, he shouldn't have told this man his story with Zeff.

He really shouldn't have at all.

"Not that!" Sanji yelled as he saw the roots pushing the delicate spice containers.


The Next Few Weeks…

It was hell for the cook.

How he had to suffer from the demands of two, demonic pirates he found himself being with.

It was hell that he felt a bittersweet (more sweet than bitter though), when he was being beaten up by Hancock for 'stealing her job'.

It was hell whenever Luffy tried (and succeeded) torturing him by threatening his beloved food supply.

It was hell seeing Salome, the beautiful looking innocent woman who could turn (and is usually one) into a snake at will. Or the other way around.

Being in this crew is as if he was wielding a double edged sword.

The good thing is that he could travel across the world in search of All Blue and maybe learn a few cooking techniques along the way, that he could search for this two fruits he always dreamt of, and that he is sailing the world with the two most beautiful women he ever met.

The bad thing is that he is always met with both physical and mental injury, which exhausts him to no end.

Then again, seeing Hancock's lovely smiles and Salome's innocent gazes could rejuvenate him.

"Okay! I'll have to do better today!" Sanji said to himself as he began to cook the crew's breakfast.


"Beautiful!" Sanji exclaimed as he was met face-to-face with their next 'target'. The woman of the Weathers, and was known to have been one of East Blue's prettiest and sexiest (and most dangerous) women of all time.

Which included Alvida (damn, he missed the chance of seeing her), and her, the Pirate known for controlling a group of wackos and weirdoes.

Besides, recruiting Nami would be a must for their crew.

Especially after he heard and recalled every news that contained wrong information about the so-called 'death' of the Straw Hats after meeting up with the world's strongest typhoons only found in Grand Line.

Typhoons that is one of the major causes of his near-to-death experience.

Typhoons he'd rather avoid with a Navigator.

Aside from that, there's also the fact that both Luffy and Hancock seemed to have grown up from a world isolated from their own.

Not only do they NOT know how to use most of the cooking tools (its no wonder Luffy told him that Hancock caused one of their ships explode using nothing but a stove and an LPG tank), nor do they even know of the rumor that the One Piece could be found at the end of Grand Line: Raftel.

And it was truly a mystery (or miracle?) on how they managed to escape the world's most complicated areas using nothing but their mere instincts and blindly following these so-called 'log pose' Luffy seemed to talk about (and yes, they do not know how to use a compass, having mistaken direction far many times than usual).


Inside An Unknown Island…

"So you were truly asking for punishment, huh?" the woman asked as she glared at Nami, both of her hands placed on her hips as she glared at the woman before her.

Nami stayed silent and ignored the woman. There's no way.

No way at all that she'd let information about her friend slip out.

There's no way she'd let herself destroy his dreams, even if it cost her freedom and even her life.

There's just no way that she'd let herself send his dreams crumbling down just for her own sake.

"Tell me the person who's been helping you!" she knows it. Of course she knows it.

Damn them all.

And let them all rot to hell!

However, Nami stayed silent, stopping herself from shaking.

She caught her again. Not that they never caught her.

But she caught her once more, as she had done many, many times.

She never did escape this woman's hell.

She has eyes in every place for crying out loud! Even in Grand Line of all places.

"Kru~ha~ha," the woman, said with a content laugh as she flicked her blonde hair before she walked away, rather clumsily. "You may not tell it today but we know how and when to get things, especially from the likes of you."

"Damn you!" Nami yelled aggressively.

"Of course, but on the bright side, at least you have a small map of the Grand Line for us, right, my baby Cartographer?" she asked.

This woman was devious. And dangerous.

Not only has she gained the title of Marines and a rank for herself to protect her whole 'pirate crew' which she claims as her 'back up soldiers', she also kept the rank to hide the fact that their town is under their name.

"Besides, a foolish, cowardly man in my ranks will easily be killed by our hands, you see, humans are such easy-to-kill creatures, especially those without the curse of the sea," the woman concluded before she finally exited.

It didn't take long before Nami was left alone inside her cell.

It didn't take long before tears escaped her beautiful eyes, tears filled with hatred, despair and agony.

It didn't take long before she was escorted out of her cell, and was brought to her 'home' in the 'park'.

It didn't take long before she was a caged woman once more, inside a place where her dreams will never come true.

Usopp felt sad. He couldn't do anything; even lift a finger, to help his friend.

He couldn't do anything because in doing so, he'd have to face to consequences: he has to say goodbye to his dream of being the brave warrior of the sea, and he'll have to die at these monster's hands.

"Usopp-chan! Are you finished with the new invention I asked you to build?!" the woman who ruled the 'Park' exclaimed cheerfully as she approached Usopp.

"Not yet, Sora-sama," Usopp said, his voice masking his anger.

If there's something this man could do, then that would be lying.

He cannot let her have it.

Because in the hands of these monsters of the sea, not only would East Blue would be doomed in their reign of terror, but also is the world.


Arlong Park.

He would've loved the idea of this place several years ago.

He would've lusted after more power, more riches and wealth, even after building this place if he was the same man years ago.

He would've yearned more slaves, more and more.

Except, right now…it was what he felt.

It was ironic how they named it after him, considering how much he hated this kind of prosecution. Slavery and torture, two things he began to loathe.

Not after his experiences in Impel Down.

And definitely not after he met him.

But he cannot do anything. Any action would lead to a failure, and more deaths.

Any action would lead to a disaster.

And he cannot let himself lift even a finger towards his fellowmen.

Mermaid or Fishmen alike.


"Where are we going again, Luffy-san?" Hancock asked as she held their compass.

"Arlong Park, I have a friend to visit there," Luffy said.

"Friend?"

"Yeah, and I guess he could help us in searching for the witch," Luffy said simply as he stared off into the sea.

"Sorry to say but if its Arlong Park you want, its on the opposite direction," Sanji butted in as he showed Luffy the correct and non-inverted map.


Did you like this part of the story (I know, its not much since it just showed Luffy's crew and their journey towards the so-called 'Arlong Park', and I could definitely promise you that that character is NOT an OC (though she could be considered as such, but not so much as she may be connected to the canon) but she's there so that there could be spice (because as soon as they're back in the Grand Line, things would pretty much be Canon-like.

Likewise, I'd like to thank you for reading it up to here and for that, I definitely would love hearing your side regarding this Chapter.

Have a nice day!