Chapter 23

Hell and paradise

Sanji adjusted the direction of his small boat, staring straight at the horizon. He had left the All Blue heading for the East Blue for nearly four days now. Liam had accompanied him to the door and offered to go with him to his final destination but the blond had refused. He had already noticed the concerned look the scientist had shared with Lily when he had informed them of his wishes. They hadn't understood the haste in which the crew had left, but they nevertheless perceived from Sanji's behavior that the consequences were delicate. The cook had indeed remained deliberately vague in front of their questions. He didn't want to tell anyone about it.

Sanji was aware of his somewhat abrupt attitude since he had gathered his things as soon as the Sunny disappeared but he had been unable to stay still after the last events he had suffered. He had no doubt that the crew would try to reach him as long as communication was possible and even this eventuality was unbearable for him at the moment. He couldn't bear to hear his friends when he was alone, forced to tame the pain of their absence. He knew his reaction was unfair because after all, the villagers and especially Lily and Liam had become close enough for him to consider them friends. But it wasn't the same. They hadn't lived a thousand and one adventures by his side on raging oceans. They couldn't understand.

It was then a bit cowardly that he had asked the young fisherwoman for a boat and that he had taken the simplest pretext to keep busy for a long time: go and find Zeff directly on the Baratie. Either way, his mentor's presence was the first part of his plan and the beginning of fulfilling his promise, so he wasn't totally running away. In the meantime, he knew that Liam and Lily would take any message from the crew for him.

Sanji checked his map again. He wasn't as good a navigator as Nami-san and he had taken care to note the location of the door very precisely so that he could find it when he returned. In anticipation, Liam had even given him a small detection device because in clear weather like today, it was almost impossible to spot it visually.

The cook sighed, letting his eyes wander. Sometimes he saw the outlines of an island that was familiar now. It was crazy to think that he had embarked on a world tour on the most dangerous ocean to discover that one of the accesses to his dream was less than ten days by ship from the place he had grown up. The irony of life no doubt.

When Sanji saw the restaurant ship from his childhood, the afternoon was coming to an end. He shortened the sails and looked at the few ships parked around: there were few customers at this off-peak hour, which should make his job easier. On the Baratie, in fact, everyone was used to putting on a show among the staff and it was even part of the attraction to see the cooks yelling at each other or an overly daring pirate being ejected by force. It played a part in its charm and notoriety. But strangely today, the blond preferred to remain discreet.

Yet he had always believed that the day he found the All Blue, he would barge in on the Baratie in triumph, forcing the overconfident cooks who had mocked him to lick his feet and shower him with apologies. However, at this moment, Sanji didn't want to answer the intrusive questions of each other. All Blue was magnificent, more beautiful than he had ever imagined, but the ocean also brought its share of misfortunes with its poor and defenseless inhabitants and it wouldn't be wise to portray it that way in front of everyone. Sanji knew the cooks with whom he had worked for many years had big mouths and if word got out, everyone would start looking for that damn door.

Mooring his boat towards the back of the restaurant as stealthily as possible, the blond had unfortunately barely secured the helm when he knew he had been spotted.

"I can't believe it! It's Sanji!"

"Sanji?"

"Yeah, it's Sanji!"

"No way, what's he doing here?!"

The cook jumped onto the pontoon as his former colleagues rushed in his direction and he recognized most of them immediately, although he couldn't help noticing that he didn't recognize some faces. Yet he decided to ignore them and lit a cigarette before walking resolutely towards the kitchens on the first floor of the ship.

"Hey, Sanji, is the Grand Line too terrifying for you? Did you turn back?"

The blond gritted his teeth as he walked past Patty who was already writhing with laughter.

"Haha, I wouldn't be surprised! His kicks don't stop anyone here or there!"

Of course, Carne was here but Sanji went on his way, urging himself to calm down. These morons. He knew where the man he had come to find was and that was all he cared about. His lack of repartee, however, didn't fail to astonish the cooks who glanced at him, even more mocking.

"Oh, Sanji, are you mad about your wanted poster?"

"As soon as we saw it, we kept it preciously!"

"Every time we hear about the Straw Hat crew, we show it to customers!"

"And we tell them how brave they are to let you feed them!"

"I hope the women are welcoming on the Grand Line because on the East Blue, your poster is far from making them dream!"

"Hey, guys, how about we call the Marines? With his bounty, we could expand the restaurant!"

"You're a bunch of retards," The cook mumbled without stopping. He could have stopped to knock their teeth out. Back then, he was holding his own against these fools and with the forced training he had done since he had boarded with Luffy, he had no doubt that he could make them eat their words without even getting tired. But then again, he had a far more important goal to accomplish.

So he quickly climbed to the first floor to reach the huge kitchens and entered inside. He was then satisfied to see that his former colleagues weren't following him and at a glance, he noticed that the equipment had hardly changed since his departure. Several broths were steaming on long stoves and young kitchen boys were carving mountains of vegetables in anticipation of dinner while others were washing up. When he arrived, they all turned their heads in his direction but Sanji had his gaze fixed on the back of the old cook who was at his usual place, tenderizing the meat. And despite the small jump his heart had at this vision, the blond quickly took a step forward.

"Don't move."

Sanji froze but frowned. "I want a word with you, old man," He replied unabashedly.

"No way you enter my kitchen."

"Why?!"

Zeff turned to him, looking blasé, and Sanji instantly tensed.

"Haven't I taught you anything in all those years or did you lose what little brains you've got when you sailed away?" Seeing the blond's stunned gaze, he nodded in his direction. "Whether you wreck your taste buds and your health is up to you. On the other hand, you don't pollute my kitchen so you get out."

Sanji quickly pulled the cigarette from his lips, his cheeks flushed. Zeff knew he couldn't stop smoking wherever he was, and when he was working on the Baratie, the disputes about it never ended. Sanji had therefore taken the habit of keeping his cigarette butt without lighting it and it was a principle ingrained in him for so long that he no longer thought about it. On the Merry, on the Sunny, and wherever he cooked, he was careful not to smoke when serving meals or preparing them. Except today when the stress was obviously too much for him to remember even elementary rules of hygiene.

Sanji stubbed out his cigarette butt to throw it in the trash and glanced at the kitchen boys who were watching him curiously. "We need to talk," He continued in the direction of the man who had turned away to resume his work.

"About what?"

"You know very well."

Zeff turned around again, surprised. "Did you come just for that?"

"Just for that?! Didn't you hear what I said last time or what, old fossil?!"

Anger flooded him in an instant and his eyes flashed but Zeff shrugged before nodding to the kitchen boys who slowly put down their utensils. When they were out, the old cook picked up his hammer to continue his task. "I heard perfectly; I'm not deaf. So what?"

Sanji felt the little patience he still possessed crumble. He had let his crew go without him so he could come back here. He had invested his whole future in this ocean so Zeff had no right to act as if he was talking about the weather!

"So what?! Dammit, this is All Blue! Remember, it's the ocean you've been looking for all your life! The ocean everyone called you crazy for and for which you saved me from drowning!"

At these words, an unreal silence fell on the kitchen and Sanji clenched his fists. "You don't care because you thought I couldn't do it, did you? You thought you could rub my nose in it until the end of my days? Well, surprise, old prick, I found the All Blue and you're gonna come with me and see it with your own eyes!"

Zeff quietly grabbed the pepper mill to sprinkle it over his preparation. "I already knew it was real; I don't need you to prove it to me."

"Of course you need it! You can't imagine the paradise it is! It's better than we dreamed of! The ocean, the fish, the islands!"

Zeff slowly put his pepper mill back on his counter. "Islands, huh?"

Sanji nodded, adrenaline rushing through his veins as much from his anger as from the emotion All Blue always gave him when he thought about it. "At least three. I haven't seen the others yet and I don't know how many square kilometers the ocean covers. I built the restaurant on the biggest, the island we arrived on."

"How is this restaurant going?"

"It's not open yet."

"Don't think you can?" Zeff smirked.

"I'm waiting for you, old fart. I won't open it until you see it."

The old pirate groaned while brushing his meat with olive oil. "What am I, a lucky charm?"

"I fucking wish," The blond mumbled in the same tone.

The old cook stored his preparation in the fridge and took out several pastries and various condiments. He then mixed herbs before checking the broths that were simmering everywhere. As he adjusted the salt in the last one, he spoke again. "Dinner service is coming soon; I have things to do."

Sanji stared at him in disbelief. The conversation they had finally started was far from over. Zeff could let his cooks take care of the start of the service, right?

"Listen-"

"Oh, brat, what do you think?" His mentor cut him short harshly. "Did you think you could turn up and the earth will stop turning? I have people to feed so if you absolutely wanna continue to annoy me, you'll wait until the end of the service, got it?"

The blond hesitated for a few seconds before rolling his eyes and leaving. He knew a lost cause when he saw one and now, he wouldn't get anything out of the old grump. However, he wasn't giving up. He had come to convince Zeff to leave with him and that's what he intended to do.

Sanji pushed open the swinging kitchen doors and walked to the top floor of the restaurant ship. Downstairs, he heard the cooks laugh and finish sweeping the room before the dinner rush. He had no desire to find them again and he reached with happiness the floor of the rooms where a large part of the staff was permanently housed. Zeff had built this floor realizing that most of them had nowhere to go given their backgrounds. Sanji had had to share his space with a horde of noisy and disgusting cooks from an early age. Luckily, he had chosen the most remote bedroom and although it was probably the smallest, the blond had enjoyed its panoramic view of the ocean throughout his childhood.

Heading towards it instinctively, he turned the doorknob and entered his old room. He had expected it to be taken now but since he had closed the door on leaving, nothing seemed to have changed. His bed was still wedged against the wall under the huge skylight allowing him to see the sky day and night. His small shelf still held his cookbooks, and his latest recipes sat on the tiny desk in the opposite corner.

He moved forward, suddenly touched. Here, nostalgia awaited him at every turn. Seeing Zeff again and returning to the Baratie gave him a feeling of strange dissociation. He had the impression of being back to square one, on the ship of his childhood and without his crew, and at the same time, it seemed like he had traveled an infinite time. A time when he had experienced adventures, each more extraordinary than the next, and where he had formed indestructible bonds with exceptional people. Another life during which he had discovered All Blue and realized his dream. A life he had voluntarily left behind to come back within these walls today.

Sanji smiled sadly as he lit another cigarette against the edge of the patio door. This feeling of accomplishment as much as remorse was surely what adults described to him as growing up during his childhood. The little blond had laughed at them at the time, claiming that he would live every moment without regret, that no nuance or decision would ever alter his determination. He remembered that the cooks had assured him that this kind of existence was only a utopia and that life couldn't be reduced to a succession of clear choices. His childhood illusions were far away now.

As the smoke slowly billowed into the air around him, Sanji wondered how painful growing up could be.

Leaning against the railing of the window, Sanji had seen the boats of the last customers leave and the noise of the cleaning in the kitchen had gradually diminished as the night progressed. All the cooks were about to go to bed and Sanji doubted that Zeff was waiting for him to resume their conversation. So he prepared to wait until the next day to talk to his mentor again. He himself hadn't moved since he had taken refuge in his old room and no one had come to disturb him either. He had then passed the time by reading his old recipes and recalling his memories, his mind ever so melancholic.

A few minutes later, however, the old cook pushed open the door very naturally. "Since when you make it a habit of skipping meals when you're lucky enough to have one?"

Without slowing down, Zeff tossed him a steaming plate that the cook grabbed deftly before recognizing his famous seafood risotto. He nodded in thanks and grabbed the fork. "I thought you'd take advantage of it to avoid me until tomorrow."

The old cook gave him an unimpressed look before walking slowly to the patio the blond had just left to settle against the wall. His limping footsteps echoed against the wooden floor but neither of them paid attention.

"I'm too old to believe that if I close my eyes, problems solve themselves."

Sanji stopped his fork inches from his mouth, frowning. "Since when is All Blue a problem?"

"Since you show up here like you know what I need."

The blond put down his cutlery. "Are you gonna tell me you don't wanna scream with joy when thinking you can see this ocean? That you don't feel the blood boiling in your veins thinking of the thousand recipes you can make with its unique ingredients?"

Zeff shook his head gently, staring out the window at the darkened waters. "People change, Sanji."

The cook stared at him for a long time before shrugging and going back to eating. "Don't give me that, old geezer. I know All Blue is your dream so cut the act and swallow your ego for once. Yeah, I'm the one who found it, so what? The important thing is to be able to see it one day, isn't it?"

"How did you find it?"

Sanji grimaced at his change of subject while enjoying his perfectly spiced risotto. "Chance," He admitted afterwards, "There was a storm and we passed through a door without realizing it."

"A door?"

"Yeah… Turns out All Blue is only accessible through doors made of sound waves. We travel through them and presto, welcome to the All Blue!"

Zeff raised a questioning eyebrow and the blond took another bite. "I know; it's hard to believe. But how do you think I got back here so fast since we've been gone?"

"I didn't doubt the existence of these doors; I saw much more incredible things on the Grand Line," He retorted quietly. Sanji gave him a questioning look in turn and the old cook smirked. "If you found it by chance, you don't deserve the credit."

The blond rolled his eyes. "I know, old fool." He then put his plate back on his small desk, looking weary. "Do you think I didn't ask myself why this was happening to me? My dream came true when we hadn't even reached the Red Line yet! I can't decide if I have the luck of the devil or on the contrary, if I aroused the pity of someone up there. And knowing my level of luck at the time of my birth, I lean for the second option…"

"What does it change?" Zeff grumbled, shrugging.

"Nothing, you're right," He agreed. "All I know is that it can't be a coincidence. If I found the All Blue, it's to help them."

"Help them?"

The cook nodded firmly. "The people of All Blue are poor, old geezer. So poor they're starving. They're in the most beautiful ocean in the world and they have nothing. They're cut off from the outside world because of these invisible and uncontrollable doors."

"Aren't they on a sea overflowing with fish?" The old cook wondered.

"They have some with the currents but it's not enough, they barely have the equipment to fish. They got a few harvests depending on the weather but few tools and no stock. Pirates appeared without knowing how and they can't defend themselves. They get killed or looted at best. And they hear about a world of abundance without being able to reach it…"

Sanji took a cigarette out of his pack and stuck it between his teeth without lighting it. He then looked at his old mentor who was listening intently. "Men try to escape their destiny and they kick the bucket before they see the doors or they never come back and behind them, there are a few more women, children and old people who're starving." He sighed and finally ignited his cigarette butt before taking a long drag, suddenly looking distant. "All Blue is our paradise but it's their hell. I can't watch them die and turn a blind eye."

At these words, Zeff sighed in turn before folding his arms over his broad chest. "What did you promise them?" Sanji stared at him, clearly surprised, and the old cook smirked. "You think I don't know you, brat? Remember, I raised you and I know when you have one of those stupid ideas in mind."

The blond nodded, acknowledging his superiority on this point. "I told them that I was gonna help them develop their island and as a starting point, that they'd have a fucking restaurant to attract people. The best of all the Grand Line."

"Presumptuous, don't you think?" His mentor pointed out with an amused smile.

Sanji shook his head, a determined smile on his face as he took another drag on his cigarette. "It depends. I told them if he wasn't too senile, I'd bring a hell of a cook straight from the East Blue to make it happen. The best I've ever known."

I love Zeff and his relationship with Sanji! What a man!