Chapter 11: Sanji

Four months had passed since I was released from the hospital, and my friends came to visit me everyday without fail. Grandpa and Ace were becoming even more distant, and now stayed away for long periods of time, sometimes days, and I had no idea why. Grandpa says it was for "training." I thought it was because they couldn't stand to be in my presence any more than they had to. I couldn't blame them. It was hard to sit and watch as somebody close to you withered away and died. But it still made me sad.

I wasn't lonely, though. Not even a tiny bit. I had my friends to thank for that. Each day, even when someone was absent, there was always at least one person, Zoro, Nami, or Ussop, who arrived at my house and kept me company. We played together, told stories, and gradually grew closer than any of us had ever been to each other. I found out things about Ussop and Nami.

I learned that Nami's step-dad, Arlong, was abusive and cruel. When her mother had died, she had been practically kidnapped by him and forced to work drawing maps for his shipping company. She cried when she said this and I held her. He had slashed the skin of her shoulder in a fit of rage, telling her that she belonged to only him, and that she should be grateful. Sometimes, she came over sporting bruises on her face and arms, dark purple and in the shape of large fingers. I would shake with rage and threaten to go kill him, and then Nami would hold up her hands and force a smile, telling me that she was fine and that she could handle it. I let her sleep at my house on these nights, her curling up in my sheets like they were some kind of shield against the world. She slept in my room more than her own. She told us that one day she wanted to run far away from Arlong and his wrath to explore the world, drawing maps for everything and seeing the sights she had only been able to dream about. I said that I'd take her.

She smiled and hugged me. Her body was warm.

Ussop was loud and always spouting long speeches about how he was going to grow up to become a great warrior of the sea. He loved the sea so much it made me want to laugh, but then again, so did I. He talked a lot about Kaya, and how happy he was that she had finally woken up. She had to stay at the hospital most days and I pitied her. I knew what that was like, and so did Ussop. The depth of his care for her really touched me, and he blushed whenever I pointed it out, calling me an idiot and hitting me upside the head. Ussop said that the next time we were all at the hospital together (likely because of me) he would introduce us to Kaya properly. I was looking forward to it, because it meant that I could thank her for taking care of him for me, even when I hadn't known him. We drew pictures of things ("What the hell is that, Luffy?"), and hung them up all around my house. The place was slowly becoming more colorful and full of life, which made my insides glow like the sun. I said that Ussop could come with Nami and me on our adventures.

He leaped into the air and fist-pumped, saying that hell yeah he would. Great Captain Ussop would always be one for adventure.

Zoro, even though he was my best friend, didn't say as much as the other two did whenever we opened up and talked. I didn't need him to. I already knew enough about him, and he knew enough about me. There wasn't much that needed to be said between us. He would simply lean against a wall or sit on the ground with his hands behind his head and listen. He was good at that. One day, I asked him if he would come on our journey, grinning my trademark grin and putting my hands on my hips. Zoro, being Zoro, sighed dramatically and called me a stupid idiot. Even though he didn't say it out loud, his answer was obviously "of course I would, dumbass."

I felt very loved.

Days went by like flashes of lightening, each one passing more quickly than the last, and soon I was only a few weeks from turning ten. This was a huge deal to me, because it meant that I would be reaching the halfway point of my expected life span, and therefore the end of half my life. Some nights I found myself at my bedroom window, staring out into the sky with tears in my eyes. Others I pulled my knees up to my chest and begged my disease to let me stay. For the first time in almost three years, I wanted to live. I wanted it so badly I could taste it.

Whatever God or angel was watching over must have heard me, because the next morning, I woke up without any pain in my body whatsoever. At first, I couldn't believe it. I felt all over my body, looking for any sign of pain or discomfort, only to find none. I took a deep breath, and it didn't hurt.

I cried.

I began to realize that I was steadily getting better, much to the delight and disbelief of those around me, and even as the weather changed and become colder I was able to run around outside with Ussop and Zoro like any other almost-ten-year-old. Nights passed where I didn't wake up unexpectedly, gasping for air, and when I coughed, no blood came out. Even Trafal-guy couldn't believe the progress I'd made. He removed the stethoscope from my chest and sighed.

"It's incredible, kid," he said, rubbing his eyebrow with his thumb. "Six months ago, I would've told you you were a goner. But now, it's like your body actually wants to live." He smirked and looked down at me. "Your pulse and blood pressure are twenty times stronger than the last time I was here, and your cell count has increased dramatically. What's your secret?" He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair.

"No secret," I said happily, a wide grin splitting my face. "It's just that now, I've got a reason to keep living!" I laughed and reached my hand up to grasp the top of my trademark straw-hat. Trafal-guy's eyes softened and a genuine smile crept its way onto his face. He ruffled my hair affectionately and set his clipboard down on the table. We were alone in the kitchen, Grandpa and Ace away for the day and my friends yet to some over.

"Ah, the miracles of friendship." The doctor said. "Those kids of yours are really something else, aren't they?"

"Yup!" I said, blushing but retaining my smile.

"Ever since they arrived on the scene, you've only been getting better and better. Why is that, I wonder?" Trafal-guy turned his gaze out the window and momentarily looked sad. "It's amazing how the ones closest to us can make us want to live. I'm glad you found them, Luffy-ya." He looked back at me and moved to pack up his stuff. In his eyes, there was an emotion I couldn't quite place. It was warm, and made me feel good inside. Like when I was with Zoro, Nami, and Ussop.

Trafal-guy found all four of us asleep in my hospital room the morning after they came to see me. Instead of kicking them out and banishing them from ever visiting me again, like all of the other doctors and nurses would have, he simply smirked, and told them that they had full permission to come and see me whenever they liked. We all jumped for joy, our collective cries earning each of us a swift punch to the head, even Nami. At first, I was confused at why Trafal-guy was acting this way. He usually wasn't nice to anyone, let alone give them special treatment, and so I was a bit suspicious of his actions. When I confronted him about it, he merely shrugged and said, "They're medicine."

I was so happy.

Once Trafal-guy left, I waited for my friends to come. I lay on my back in the grass outside, savoring the chill. When Zoro found me, there were frozen tears on my cheeks, and he asked me why I was crying. I smiled and said: "I'm happy."

"Field trip?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's thay?"

"It's a trip you take during the day to wherever you'd like." Said Nami smugly, her arms folded in front of her. "Usually, they apply to school, but today, it's for us."

I looked at her like she was crazy and stuffed the rest of my piece of toast in my mouth. Everyone had come today, and we sat in the living room around a plate of toast and muffins that Nami had so kindly prepared for us. I swallowed and reached for another slice.

"What do you mean?" I asked, tilting my head. "Are we going somewhere?"

Nami smirked confidently. "Yes, Luffy. Yes we are."

"Where?" I aksed.

"Wherever you want, dumbass." Said Zoro, hitting me on the arm as I tried to steal some of the muffin in his hand. "That's the whole point! We're tired of you forcing yourself to stay in this godforsaken house all the time, so we think it's time we went on a little trip." Ussop and Nami nodded their agreement.

I stared at all three of them, wiping my mouth on my sleeve. It was November, and even the inside of the house was becoming cold enough that I had to wear long-sleeves and a jacket. "A trip?" I said, almost to myself. "But... why? You guys know that I'm not allowed to go anywhere or do anything. If Grandpa finds out, he'll kill me. And plus, I haven't left this house in over two years, so I don't know where anything fun would be." I sighed and leaned against the legs of the couch.

Zoro put a warm hand on my shouler. "That's where we come in." He said, smiling. "We'll take you wherever you wanna go, regardless of how far it is. And as for your Gramps, he's never here anyway, so how's he gonna know?"

"We've already decided we're taking you," said Nami, frowning stubbornly. "So, whether you like it or not, you're coming with us. Even if we have to tie you up and drag you." She glared at me in a refuse-and-suffer kind of way, and I flinched. I thought about what she said for a moment, images of the park I used to visit and the butcher shop where Grandpa let me pick out the meat forming in my mind. If they were going to force me to go somewhere, I might as well make it someplace I really wanted to go.

I thought of the ocean.

I looked around at my friends and bit my lip. If there was one place I missed more than anything, it was the ocean. I hadn't even gotten a glimpse of it in the past two years, and the urge to go and see it burned within me. But it was far. Really far. Grandpa had to drive to get us there, and the road was thin and went along the side of a mountain. I wasn't sure if my friends would be willing to take me.

"The ocean." I mumbled, looking at my hands.

"What?" All three chorused, leaning towards me.

"The ocean," I said again, this time louder. "I want to see the ocean."

There was a moment of silence. I took it as a sign that they were admitting they couldn't go, and I couldn't help it as disappointment welled up inside me. I sighed and looked up. I was surprised to find all three of them staring at me with huge smiles on their faces.

"An excellent choice, if I do say so myself!" Said Ussop, giving me a thumbs-up.

"That's where I was planning on going anyway, so I guess it works out." Said Nami.

"The ocean, huh?" Said Zoro, smirking. "Haven't been there in awhile. It'll be a nice change of scenery from this boring place."

I gaped at them. "You'll really take me there?" I asked, mouth falling open. "But it's so far away! It'll take hours to get there by foot!"

My friends laughed at my expression and proceeded to stand up, lifting me with them. "That's what the train's for, stupid." Said Ussop, wiping a tear from his eye. "And of course we'll take you there. It's where you want to go, right?" I nodded slowly. "Well then, that's that!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Were they really going through with this? Just because I asked them? I looked down at my feet and let my bangs fall over my eyes. "Thanks, guys." I muttered.

Zoro must've been the only one who heard me because he punched my lightly in the shoulder and smirked. "I keep telling you, don't mention it." I let Nami take me upstairs and into my room. She said that it was really cold outside and that we needed to pick out warm clothes for me to wear on the train. I sat on the bed with my hands in my lap as she rummaged through my entire wardrobe, tossing out various jackets and underclothes until they formed a pile on the floor. At last, she let out a satisfied huff.

She walked over to me, and in her hands I saw a bright red sweater that I'd forgotten I'd had, along with a pair of black gloves gloves and a hat. I frowned at the hat and protectively raised my hands to cover my treasure. Nami rolled her eyes. "You can still wear the hat, just put this on underneath." She said. "It's colder today than it's been all month. They even say it might snow." At the mention of snow, my eyes lit up and a wide smile took over my face.

"Snow?" I asked, awed. "I love snow! My brother and I used to always go to the park with grandpa and made snowmen and have snowball fights!" I let my expression sadden a fraction before taking the clothing out of Nami's arms. "But that was before..." Nami gazed at me worriedly and I quickly forced a grin. "Well, nevermind! You guys'll play with me if it snows, won't you?" Nami smiled and flicked the center of my forehead affectionately.

"Sure we will," she said warmly. "Now c'mon. Put on your stuff and let's go! We've been planning this trip all week, and you don't want to keep us waiting, do you?" I shook my head and laughed, hurriedly pulled the sweater on over the thin jacket I was wearing. I slipped on the hat and gloves and made sure my own straw-hat was securely positioned on top. Nami smiled and led me back down the stairs. Once we reached the bottom, I saw that Zoro and Ussop were wearing similar clothing to mine, each with their own gloves and a hat. I hoped that it would snow. It had been so long since I'd been able to enjoy the winter time, and it would be nice to spend it with my friends.

I was getting excited. The thought of the ocean loomed in my mind, and I couldn't keep the happy grin from splitting my face. Zoro and Ussop smiled at me. Nami came up behind us and I saw that she had pulled on a long white overcoat and matching mittens. "Alright, you guys," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "It's officially... nine-thiry a.m, which gives us a littler over thirteen hours to get to the ocean and back before Luffy's Gramps gets home and finds him gone. Now, this should be plenty of time, so long as no one gets lost and everyone follows my directions completely." She shot a glare at Zoro when she said the word "lost" and he frowned. "With that said, let's get going! The train station's not too far from here so we can just walk. Luffy," she turned to me and met my gaze. "The instant you start to get tired or feel something, you tell us, alright?"

I nodded vigorously, giving her a mock salute and smiling. "Yes ma'am, commander Nami!" I said. "But don't worry, I feel fine today! I promise I won't ruin the trip by passing out, vomiting, or having a seizure!" I said the last part as seriously as I could.

"Okay, okay," Nami deadpanned, rubbing her temple. "That's good to know. Well then, with that settled, let's go." All of us fist-pumped and let out a cry of "yeah!" As we headed towards the front door, I suddenly became anxious. What if Gramps came home early and found me missing? What if he told me I could never see my friends again? I paused just before the open door and stared at my feet. Ussop must have noticed my hesitation, because he gently grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the house with him.

Into the world I'd been missing so terribly.

Walking the ten blocks to the train station gave me a chance to see some of the changes in the town I'd been born in. There were new shops that lined the sidewalk, as well as many trees and bushes that were planted in places I hadn't seen before. The buildings seemed taller, older, and the rush of cars as they passed us by sent shivers down my spine. I walked with Nami on my left and Zoro on my right, Ussop tagging behind us on the slim sidewalk. I asked them about the various buildings, how long they'd been there, if they were any fun, and about how long it would take us to get to the ocean.

Nami said about an hour, give or take.

I watched as my breath condensed into thin white clouds above my nose, floating into the cold air and disappearing like tiny ghosts too frightened to stay. The tip of my nose was bright red, and my fingers stung from the chill, but despite this I wasn't cold. My friends kept me warm, and as I walked, the heat grew stronger and stronger until my insides were downright toasty. When at last we arrived at the train station, I stopped in front of the gate and stared up at the great flashing sign. There were so many places listed, so many different destinations that I could only guess and dream about. I grinned.

Zoro, who was the oldest out of us, bought the tickets. He handed us each one, and as I slid mine through the turnstile I pretended that I was a power ranger, going to transform. I laughed to myself and hopped through the three pronged gate to my waiting friends. Zoro called me an idiot and Ussop was laughing.

The three of us waited at the platform for ten minutes until the train arrived. My whole body was quivering with excitement. This was the first time I had ever been on a train, and on top of that, we were headed to the ocean, my favorite place in the whole world. We boarded the train and quickly found four seats by the opposite window. Zoro immediately leaned his head back against the glass and began to snore, while Nami, Ussop, and I brought out a deck of cards and began to play go-fish. As the train began to move, I couldn't help but stare out the window as the scenery flew by us more quickly than I'd ever seen. The sky was dark and pregnant-looking, and I silently sent out a prayer for snow. How cool would it be if we were all sitting by the ocean, and it started to snow on us?

For the next half-hour, I kept myself entertained by listening to Ussop's stories and snacking on the lunches we'd bought at the station. Zoro stayed asleep the whole time, only stirring when he accidentally drooled a little on Nami's coat and she smacked him upside the head. He fell on the floor and we all laughed at him. Once we calmed down, I saw that Ussop had fixed Nami with a quizzical stare. She noticed and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" She asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

Ussop shook his head. "No, I was just curious about something." He said, stroking his chin.

"About what?" I piped up, glancing back and forth between the two.

"Well, Luffy said that the two of you met when you fell out of the tree in his backyard, right?" The two of us nodded, and I thought I saw Nami pale a little. "That's all fine and good, but my question is, what the hell were you doing up there in the first place?" Nami stiffened and let out a nervous laugh.

"Well, I-" she began.

"I want to know, too," said Zoro, who had picked himself off the floor and settled back into his seat. "It's seems really fishy to me that you would just happen to be climbing a tree in somebody else's backyard. Knowing you, you obviously had an ulterior motive." He stared at her and the girl's cheeks began to burn furiously. She puffed out her lip and stared at her hands in her lap. We were all silent for a moment, waiting for her to reply.

Nami sighed. "Fine." She said, looking up to reveal her scarlet face. "I-I was... I was trying to rob his house, okay?"

There was a long moment of dead quiet.

At last, we all burst out laughing. Even Zoro was cracking up so heavily he couldn't sit straight and fell over. "SHUT UP!" Screamed Nami! "IT'S NOT FUNNY!" I laughed and held my stomach, tears streaming from my eyes.

"You... you were... you were trying to... rob... my house?!" I managed top get out before a fresh wave of laughter rook over and I lost all ability to speak. "Why the heck would you do that?!" Nami's face was so red she looked like she had a fever. She raised her fist and punched all of us on the head, effectively shutting us up.

"It's not like it was personal!" She cried indignantly. "It's just something I've had to over the years to earn a little extra for me and my sister!" She huffed and crossed her arms. "Jeez, you weren't the first house I stole from. I'd bagged a ton of places before yours, all better protected, and all without so much as breaking as sweat!"

"Ah!" Ussop cried, suddenly looking shocked. "It was YOU! I knew my piggy bank felt lighter than normal! You stole from me even though it's just me and my uncle, you witch!" Nami turned smug and looked down at him from over her nose.

"Oh, get over it." She said, raising her hands. "I didn't take that much, and it all went to a good cause!"

"That's not the point!" Cried Ussop, tears now leaking from his eyes. Zoro and I had begun laughing again, and we now rolled around on the floor of the train like a couple of crazy people, trying desperately to breathe through our chuckles. We remained like that until ten minutes later, when the train finally stopped at our destination.

We had arrived at the ocean.

I practically ran out of the train, my friends calling for me to wait up, and was immediately greeted by the sight of the huge gray-blue stretch of water that was the ocean. My smile was so wide it hurt my face, and my eyes were wide with joy. I tried to run toward it, only to be held back by Zoro, who was standing behind me looking pissed that I had just ditched him and the others. "Just hold on, stupid." He said. His voice was rough, but I saw the same excitement the I had reflected in his eyes. I stood patiently while Nami went and got our return tickets, the whole tome bouncing up and down on my heels like a toddler with a sugar high.

Once Nami had rejoined us, I took her hand and pulled her towards the station entrance. "C'mon, guys, let's go!" I shouted gleefully. "To the ocean!"

"To the ocean!" Ussop echoed happily behind me. The beach was only a short walk from the station, and as we climbed down the stone steps that led to the frozen sand my heart swelled in my chest. The sea was calm that day, but it had lost none of its luster and majesty since the last time I came to visit it. My shoes crunched on the sand as I rushed up to the water's edge, and I peered at my reflection in the dusty blue water, grinning. Nami forbade me from touching the water, saying that the last thing she wanted to deal with was me with a cold, and so all I did was stand there and drink in the scenery. It was beautiful. I looked out over the waves and was amazed that I could see no land on the other side. I wondered what it would be like to sail into that horizon and never look back. I heard Zoro call out to me and I turned. He, Ussop, and Nami were all staring up into the sky with wondering looks on their faces.

"Look, Luffy!" Zoro said, pointing and smiling. I looked up. Drifting down from the heavens, like tiny white angel feathers set loose on a breeze, were thousands of snowflakes. The first flakes that reached my eye level landed on my outstretched glove, sticking like cotton spores to the fabric. I stared wonderingly at them. Glancing around, I saw that the world was alive with falling snow, silently landing on everyone and everything in sight, and a soft smile lit up my face.

I got my wish.

I padded quietly over to my friends, who were all still staring up into the sky with awe. "It's beautiful." I murmured. They all turned to me and nodded. For a long time, all of us were quiet. We simply stood there in our little circle, watching the snow fall down on top of us without a care in the world. The steady sound of small waves lapping against the shore was like music to us, and lulled us into a state of cold-driven euphoria. I tilted my head back and let snowflakes fall onto my exposed face. They melted away almost instantly, leaving small cold teardrops in their wake, and I savored the sensation. It felt so wonderful.

The silence was broken by a hungry growl from my stomach, which caused me to blush and look down. My friends laughed at me, but then heard their own bellies rumble in response to mine and grew quiet. "Let's go find somewhere to eat." Said Nami, leading us away from the beach and back to the stone steps. We all nodded in agreement and made to follow her. I cast one last longing glance over my shoulder at the ocean, taking in the sight of the snow falling softly over it and disappearing into the water and saving it eternally in my memory. I smiled and turned back to my friends who were waiting for me at the top of the steps.

"Man, I'm hungry!" I said rubbing my stomach. "Where should we go to eat?"

"I know a place," said Nami, pointing towards the town a little ways away. "There's this really cool restaurant just across the way that my mom took me to once. It's like a boat, and floats on the water! Anyway, the food there is pretty cheap, but it's good, too!" That was all I needed to hear.

"Then what are we waiting for?" I cried, stepping towards the town. "Let's go!

We walked along the shoreline until we reached a large boardwalk that extended out into the sea. At the end was a giant fish-shaped building, with a flashing neon sign above it that read Baratie. Upon seeing it, my jaw dropped and my eyes went wide. It was quite possibly the coolest place I had ever seen in my short life. I ran along the boardwalk with an equally excited Ussop hurrying along beside me. Already, I could smell delicious scents as they wafted through the air. My stomach growled loudly, and I heard Zoro sigh dramatically behind me as he walked at a slower pace with Nami.

Once we reached the front doors, Ussop and I barreled inside. The inside of the restaurant was warm and I sighed happily as the heat burned my frozen cheeks and fingertips. Ussop and I waited for Nami and Zoro to catch up, and when they did, we all hurried into the lobby at the urging of our stomachs. We looked around, and were surprised to see that there was literally no one else in the entire restaurant. Every table was vacant, save for one in the very back where a stocky-looking waiter sat with his legs propped up, drinking from a steaming mug. My stomach called to me again, and at the very same moment, a tallish man with dark skin and a funny beard walked over to us. He had an extremely creepy smile on his face, and as he approached, I saw what looked like bloodstains on his apron.

"Hello, valued customers!" He said, grinning and batting his eyelashes. "Will it be a table for four? Or are your parents on the way?" I felt Zoro bristle at the mention of his parental units.

"Hmph. Parents." He muttered. "I don't think so."

"Alright then," said the waiter, whose name tag read "Patty". "In that case, right this way, please!" He led us to a table looking out over the sea and handed us four grown-up menus (Zoro's glare suggesting that if anyone even tried to give him a kiddie menu he would disembowel them), and told us to take our time in deciding. We thanked him and he bowed as he went away, causing us to giggle.

"What are you gonna get, Nami?" I asked the orange-haired girl.

"Dunno yet." She replied, studying the menu with careful eyes. "We don't have that much money left, so we should be frugal with our choices." I nodded and looked back at my own menu.

"As long as I get some kind of meat, I'll be good." I said, scanning the page for what I wanted. I settled on a cheap-looking steak and sighed at how small the portion-size was. Once we had all picked our meals, Patty came back over to us, his unnerving smile plastered back on his face.

"Have you decided what you would like?" He said sweetly, making me cringe.

Nami nodded and handed him our menus. We each told him what we wanted, and he said that it would be ready as soon as possible. He left and I turned my gaze once again out the window. The snow was falling more heavily now, and already a thin sheet of white powder was covering the outside sill of the window. I hoped that when I woke up the next morning, there would be enough snow for us to make a snowman.

I slid my seat out from under the table and dropped to the floor. "Where are you going?" Asked Ussop, who was playing with his water.

"Bathroom." I said simply. In my hand, I discreetly held a small bottle of red pills. Even though I was getting better, I still needed to take my medicine. Zoro nodded understandingly and I held up my free hand. "I'll be right back, so don't start eating without me!"

"Okay," said Ussop.

I turned and walked towards the left of the room. On the wall hung a small bathroom sign which marked the entrance of a long hallway. I walked down it until I reached the men's room and went inside. I quickly unscrewed the cap of the pills and removed two, downing them with water from the tap. I grimaced at the flavor and wiped my mouth on my sleeve. I hoped that the flavor of the meal would eradicate the awful taste in my mouth. As soon as I was finished, I exited the bathroom and made my way back down the hall and into the dining room. Just before I got there however, I heard a loud cry come from behind a pair of swivel doors on my right. Delicious smells were wafting out from them, so I determined that this was the kitchen.

"Let go of me you old fart!" Came the voice again, even more angry than before. "My soup is just fine! There must be something wrong with your ancient taste buds!" The person sounded young, like a kid, which piqued my interest. I decided to take a look at what was going on, and so poked my head through the double doors and into the kitchen.

I was greeted by the sight of an elderly man wearing an enormous chef's hat. His back was turned to me, but I could see a pair of small arms and legs thrashing in front of him, suspended in his grip.

"That soup was terrible, you little eggplant!" Shouted the man, shaking the child in his hand roughly. "The flavors were all wrong, and the presentation was sloppy! Haven't I taught you anything at all, boy?" He turned to the side and I got a better look at his face. I saw that he had an incredibly long yellow mustache, tied at the ends with red bows, as well as a single wooden peg-leg. He looks like a pirate! I thought to myself.

I turned my gaze to the boy dangling by his shirt in the man's grip. He was young, a little older than me by my guess, and had short blond hair. One half of his face was covered by his bangs, but the half I could see sported an unusually curly eyebrow, as well as an intense frown. He was glaring daggers at the man and thrashing violently from side to side, trying to get free. I saw that he, too, was wearing an apron. I wondered if he was a cook here.

"Shut up, shitty geezer!" The boy cried. "I made it exactly how you told me! I followed the recipe to the letter and I think it turned out just fine!" He finally managed to wriggle free of the man's grasp, and dropped to the floor with his fists clenched. He looked like he wanted to hit the man, but the old chef simply stared down at him with a cold frown.

"That's your problem right there, eggplant!" He shouted, crossing his arms. "You didn't put anything original or new into it, and therefore it wasn't YOUR soup. Food is only good when it comes from a person's soul, not when it's just a carbon-copy of somebody else's work! How many times do I have to tell you this before you finally get it through your thick skull?"

The boy was silent, shooting the old man a death glare.

"I said be quiet, old man," the boy said lowly, his hands shaking. "And my name's not 'eggplant'! It's Sanji! And one day i'll have my own shitty restaurant so you won't be able to boss me around anymore!"

I found myself grinning as I watched the boy speak. He was just like us, I thought. Same attitude, same ambition, same complete disregard for authority. Chuckling to myself, I decided. I liked this "Sanji," and when I liked someone, there was only one thing to do.

I was going to make him my friend.

Fudge this was a long chapter! This literally took eight straight hours to write, it was so hard. At first I had no fucking clue how I was gonna introduce Sanji, but slowly, it came to me. Thanks so much for all of your guys' support and reviews. I promise that there will be more Sanji next chapter, so hang tight! I love ya! - Mikki