"When the boss is away the sous chef is in the charge." Carne whispered a few degrees too loudly to one of the newbie cooks, as if that explained the total mayhem and chaos erupting around them in the Baratie at that moment, a mere few hours after head chef Zeff had left.

"Shut the hell up Carne! I'm trying to god damn think!" Sanji snapped as he ran his small fingers through his hair. He already had ten problems to deal with and being reminded of the pressure he was under was not helping.

"How the hell are we double booked? Since when did the shitty geezer even take reservations, anyway!"

No one had the answer to either question and the small chef was reminded again, not for the first time, that the only man who could answer it had left him in charge with a mocking laugh and a Den Den Mushi number to dial when he needed to be rescued from his responsibility.

Sanji had promised himself there was no way in hell he'd dial that number and ask the old man for help. He hadn't expected so many catastrophes though and they showed no signs of stopping. His anxiety was growing and as it did the number in his pocket seemed to burn, begging him to call for reinforcements to just make the hell over.

"It's like the shit geezer planned to make this harder for me or something!" He mumbled to himself as he redrew the Baratie layout in order to accommodate the two large double booked groups. He handed it to the serving staff and as they looked at it with zero understanding of his simple directions, smoke began to billow out of one of the ovens.

"Not our fault brat, this was your idea wasn't it?"

Sanji's eyes flashed as he turned on the older but less senior cook, named Agar, in his kitchen.

"What was that?" He was a kid but his voice was cold and steel. There are some things that are absolutely forbidden in the world of chefs, disrespecting the senior chef in charge was practically the number one offense.

There was silence from all the cooks at the breach and they waited for Agar's response. Agar averted his eyes but didn't change his tone.

"I said, 'Not our fault , temporary head chef'."

The two stared at each other. Sanji was glad his doubt wasn't visible on his face but he knew most of the cooks didn't like him. Like how he was so much younger and yet out ranked all of them. If he took a stand at reprimanding this cook for his insubordination tonight would he just put himself in a worse position tomorrow or earn their respect?

"THE JELL-O IS ON FIRE!" Came the panicked cry from one of the bus boys as they ran into the kitchen brandishing a fire extinguisher and following the black smoke. This broke the moment as Sanji chased after the server with agitated speed.

"It's flan! Not Jell-o! Somebody pull the damn thing out and throw it in the sink- he shoots that thing and all the food in here risks contamination!"

Before he could get an acknowledgement he was suddenly surrounded by three figures towering over him, the pretty hostess, the head server, and chef Agar.

"CHEF! The VIPs at table seven are complaining about being to close to the kitchen now that it smells like burnt eggs and smoke."

"The new waiters just quit (again) and tables 9, 26, and 40 have orders up."

"We don't have a table 40!" Sanji cut in as the head server flipped through orders.

"That's what they wrote, ah…and it was an order from one the waiters that just quit."

"Hey, temporary head chef, maybe this is a good time to negotiate our pay? Or else we could quit tonight and leave you with a room full of angry customers and a lot of apologizing to do when that bastard Zeff gets back."

Suddenly the galley door flew open as one of the recent ex-waiters was sent flying into the kitchen hard enough to imbed a quarter inch into the wall.

Sanji was glad for the distraction because he was pretty sure he had been a second away from launching himself at Agar and kicking the crap out of him. He didn't want to admit it but bad mouthing the shitty old man was entirely his job and it pissed him off to hear anyone else begin to try. Plus the disrespect Agar was still showing grated the small cook worse than a course cheese.

The cooks huddled around the now swinging kitchen door, some already looked scared as a loud voice boomed out from the dining room.

"Where is the manager?"

Sanji walked out bravely. Patty started after him but Carne pulled him back.

"Wait. They asked for the manager, Sanji knows that's part of the head chef position." There was reluctance in his voice though as he watched the small boy approach a table of pirate, the leader of which had to have some giant in him as he barely fit into his chair and was licking at a speck of blood on his black gloves. Sanji glared at the man.

"What do you assholes want? I'm temporary manager, Chef Sanji."

The man looked at the small cook before bursting out laughing. His crew followed suit.

"Heh heh, why not? Okay shrimp. We're friends with your boss and he said to treat us like royalty…Get your best food out here and keep it coming. On the house of course."

Sanji grit his teeth and began to step forward before hesitating.

What if they are friends of Zeff?

Are you really going to challenge a pirate…by yourself…again?

Sanji spun on his heels and stomped back to the kitchen, he didn't stop to talk to the chefs or give any orders. In fact he kept walking to the back office and slammed the door. He sat at the large desk and picked up the den den mushi receiver with one hand as the other fumbled in his pocket for the number to dial.

He had told Zeff he could handle it. Had told him to leave the damn ship and take a day off (and give everyone a break from him as well). Zeff had said he couldn't handle it but left him in charge anyway with the one promise to call when he was proved right.

The number held between two shaking fingers he punched in the first number. He could practically hear the Shitty old man now.

"Couldn't handle it brat…thought so. What happened?" He would snort and after hearing it all he'd just make give a long list of obvious instructions and make Sanji deal with it.

The small cooks finger froze over the second number. He put the hand set back on it's shell receiver. He walked back out to the pirates with a determined frown. He wasn't alone this time. He was armed with something better than a kitchen knife.

"Where's our food, squirt?"

The pirate suddenly crashed into a far wall before tumbling down in a heap. Sanji lowered his leg slowly. The other pirates at the table began to stand and Sanji glared them down.

"If you are making trouble here and demanding free food you're no friend of the old man. You can disrespect me, but now you owe this place a debt. We're busy because of the shitty geezers poor as shit planning skills, and you injured one of the wait staff and damaged two of our walls. You can either help the rest of the night and I'll feed you or you can leave after getting your asses kicked by a squirt like me. I'm the head chef tonight! I won't let this place fall to the likes of you. Are we clear?"

Many eyes flicked to their captain who was groaning and bloody and then to the small chef who caused it before nodding.

"Good. Patty! Get these assholes in aprons and tell them what to do. What is everyone looking at? We have hungry people to feed! Get back to work!" Sanji finished with a shout.

He paused as soon as he entered the galley and let a self satisfied smile creep on his face. "Agar, you're fired. If you work till the end of your shift without another shitty word, I'll make sure you get your pay for this week. If not, there's the door."

"I'll stay but the old man is going to beat you when he finds out what you've done."

Sanji's grin grew bigger.

"I don't think so but you won't be here to find out." Two problems down, Sanji moved on to address the next armed with a grin and new confidence.

Zeff was sitting alone at the bar, nursing a half glass of bourbon. The den den mushi on the table slept peacefully. The older chef checked the clock on the wall before returning his sideways stare at the phone bug. It was late. Baratie would be closed soon.

Suddenly the bug sprung to life.

Burlup-burlup-burlup!

Zeff hid a grin before answering.

"What? Couldn't handle it brat?"

"You old piece of shit! You didn't tell me he trained under you! I spent half my night in the wall!"

Zeff frowned a bit.

"Oh it's you. Well I told you to give the boy a hard time, sounds like you went farther than that."

A guilty silence. Zeff's frown deepened.

"Did you hurt him?" It sounded neutral enough but underneath the tone was the promise of a rather painful death.

"No! The brat put me into a wall and forced the crew to wait tables! They haven't looked at me the same all night!"

Zeff relaxed and chuckled a bit as he pictured it. He hung up the receiver while the pirate still whined about his injuries.

"Sounds like the boy did good."

Carne came out of the shadow of the door and nodded.

"He fired Agar but otherwise did everything probably the way you would have. Now if you want to keep the illusion you actually left the ship, you should probably fake coming back soon…his secret smoking spot is within sight of where you moved your ship to."

"Yeah." Zeff acknowledged as he stood. He was strangely proud and yet disappointed that the kid hadn't called. Hadn't needed him. "I was going to fire Agar tomorrow anyway. I hated that bastard."

Carne chuckled as he hurried upstairs. Sanji would need his help to organize the new recruits for clean up and he was a little too much like Zeff when it came to punishment for those not pulling their weight.