Chapter 25

New lives

Sanji left the restaurant and quickly joined his old mentor who was contemplating the ocean. "We'll have something to cook quickly," He said when he reached him.

"Hm." The blond lit a cigarette, his gaze dropping in turn to the blue sea they overlooked from the vantage point.

Sanji found it hard to assimilate that he was back on All Blue, and even more so in the company of Zeff. He blew the smoke which billowed into the overcast autumn sky and glanced at the cherry tree which had ended up losing its fiery colors as the season progressed. Indeed, events had been happening at an extraordinary speed since he had discovered this island for the first time and it seemed to him that only yesterday, he had turned up on the Baratie to try to convince the ex-pirate to follow him.

Actually, the old cook had taken several days to decide during which Sanji had been chomping at the bit between the four walls of his old room. He had barely left the room, not even to go to the kitchen. Obviously, he had wanted to but several elements had dissuaded him. First of all, cooking on the Baratie had seemed totally incongruous to him and he hadn't been ready to take the orders and provocations of the other cooks as if nothing had happened. Besides, he had been there with the intention of leaving with Zeff, so he hadn't wanted to get the old geezer back in the habit of seeing him working on his restaurant ship. And finally, he had felt unable to cook anywhere but on All Blue after his decision to leave the crew to keep his promise. It would have seemed like a betrayal and a set backwards he couldn't accept.

The Baratie's cooks had been more than intrigued by his reclusive attitude in addition to having seen him suddenly arrive, but Sanji had patiently ignored them when they knocked on his door, sometimes so hard they had almost unhinged it or when he heard them provoke him by showing his wanted poster to all the customers. The blond had gritted his teeth and swallowed his indignation but every evening after everyone had gone to bed, he was waiting for the old cook in the doorway, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and looking determined. They weren't exchanging a word at that moment but Sanji could see from Zeff's falsely sullen face that his mentor was really thinking about his proposal. On the last day, he had even locked himself in with his sous-chefs and kitchen boys. The blond hadn't been allowed in and even today, Zeff refused to tell him what they talked about.

After the misunderstanding, Sanji had shrugged and concluded that the old man had given his orders so that his restaurant wouldn't burn down as soon as his back was turned. Besides, Zeff had told him when he had put his only luggage in his little boat that he didn't intend to stay on All Blue forever and that he was simply going so that the blond would no longer harass him. Again, Sanji had rolled his eyes and just cast off without looking back. He knew his old mentor and more importantly, he knew All Blue now. He had no doubt that the ocean was going to bewitch the man as it had bewitched him and that Zeff wouldn't be able to leave once he had set foot on its land.

"Sanji!"

The blond turned around and saw Liam running towards him, his arms full with several crates. The scientist stopped in front of the two men and dropped his load on the ground, visibly out of breath. "Tori gave me his best squashes and he also had some green beans. I got some extra potatoes and carrots," He pointed to them as he caught his breath.

"Thanks, but you didn't need to run," The blond said.

Liam shrugged. "You seemed in a hurry."

Sanji nodded. When he had finally berthed with Zeff a few hours earlier, he had immediately dragged his mentor to the restaurant to show it to him and between the man's harsh remarks and thinly veiled criticisms, Sanji had noticed that the scientist had installed several Den-Den Mushi inside. Delighted with this initiative, he had hastened to call to ask him to bring some ingredients: he was convinced that the best way to silence the old geezer was to have him cook the incomparable foods of this miraculous ocean.

His cigarette butt stuck between his lips, Sanji bent down to examine the squashes and the dark-haired man turned to the newcomer.

"I'm Liam, welcome to All Blue!" Zeff just shook the outstretched hand in front of him with an iron fist, his gaze wary. "We looked forward to meeting you and I can't wait to taste your cooking!" The young man continued without letting Zeff's closed attitude put him off, "Sanji spoke very highly of it!"

At these words, the blond tensed in the middle of his crates and the old cook frowned. Feeling the tension settling, the scientist tried to make up for it. "I mean, his cooking is excellent and the man he learned from must have had extraordinary qualities too."

Sanji relaxed slightly before getting up and in front of the still heavy silence of his interlocutor, Liam took the opportunity to address him. "Lily should be back from fishing in an hour or two. She'll come right up to bring you fish."

"Thank you, Liam."

"You don't have any fruit on your island?" Zeff suddenly growled. He was now staring at the crates.

"There are grapes and plums we saved from the storm," The young man remembered. "And I could probably find some apples and pears if you want."

"Bring what you can, so I can see what it's worth."

"No problem, I'm going right away!" Liam sped towards the village again and the old cook watched his figure disappear on the horizon while the blond next to him turned over more vegetables to better gauge their quality.

"Where's that rubber boy you sailed off with?" Zeff suddenly asked him.

Sanji froze and slowly dropped his handful of green beans, his lips pursed around his cigarette butt. They had taken four days to find the door and three more to see the main island. All the while, Zeff had been staring intently and impassively at the ocean, and although the blond hadn't expected an outburst of joy given his personality when they finally reached All Blue, he had tried to get him to talk. But no subject had made him loosen his jaw and even when he had mentioned Luffy and his insatiable appetite that the resources of the ocean struggled to satisfy, he had made no comment. And now he was concerned about his absence when it had been almost a month since the Sunny had disappeared over the horizon. The blond was under the absurd impression that his friends had left him the day before despite the multitude of events that he had experienced in the meantime. The pain of seeing them go without him was just as stinging. It was just his luck.

"He's not here anymore," Sanji finally replied.

Zeff tore his gaze away from the path Liam had taken to glance at him for a second before looking again at the sea. "He recruited more people, didn't he? I seem to remember the crew grew."

Sanji nodded and grabbed the crates at his feet. "We're nine." At these words however, the blond suspended his gestures in spite of himself before recovering and straightening up. He then adjusted the weight of his burden, looking determined. "Actually, there are eight of them now."

Silence settled in, only disturbed by the sound of the wind in the grass and among the leaves of the cherry tree which gently fell at the foot of the tree. Sanji then walked towards the restaurant and Zeff followed suit with a sigh. "Idiot."

"Zoro, I made snacks!" The swordsman opened one eye against the Sunny's mast and limply grabbed the plate Chopper was happily handing him. "I made a special one for you, I put fruit instead of chocolate on the toast!"

His crewmate thanked him half-heartedly and closed his eyes again. He wasn't hungry after the bellyful of rice that Brook and Franky had prepared for lunch, but he promised himself to make an effort. After all, Chopper was just trying to make everyday life as ordinary as possible. Indeed, even if the crew had decided that snacks weren't obligatory and that everyone could manage alone - with the notable exception of Luffy whose snacks were the responsibility of the pair in charge of the food to prevent the fridge from being robbed each time - the little reindeer had got into the habit of serving his friends on this occasion. Zoro preferred to open a can of tuna or make eggs, a perfect protein snack for his weight training sessions even if the taste wasn't exceptional or varied, but he didn't want to upset his friend unnecessarily. Chopper was making up for the absence of their cook as best he could and everyone had to make an effort. Even him. Especially him.

Their arrival on the quiet little island of Lordly a few hours earlier had gone smoothly. Everyone had carried out their task and Zoro had quickly been able to go back to the Sunny for his nap. Usopp took much less time than Sanji to choose food since he was just following Nami's list scrupulously and so Zoro enjoyed shopping with the sniper. On their return, only the girls were missing. Luffy, Brook, Chopper and Franky were on deck and the captain had dragged the musician and the cyborg along the harbor while Chopper had gone to the galley, smiling.

Zoro sighed softly as he heard the warm wind rustle in the Sunny's folded sails. He had thought that resuming his routine would have done him good, but at this moment he wanted to get up and wander off into the streets. Strangely, the ship didn't bring him rest. It brought back too many memories and he needed to take his mind off things.

Straightening, the swordsman adjusted his blades and gazed at the reindeer who was now methodically sorting through his new medicine purchases not far from him.

"I'm going for a walk."

"Okay. Won't you eat your snack?"

Zoro glanced at the plate he had mechanically placed on the ground and he hesitated for a second before grabbing it. "I sure will." He wolfed down the handful of fruit in one bite and bit into the toast vigorously. "That's really good. Thanks, Chopper."

The little doctor gave him a beaming smile in return and Zoro finished his piece of bread at top speed before turning around and suppressing a sigh. He left the plate on the grass on the deck and fled as quickly as possible.

Sanji hesitated, his hand hovering over the big transmitter. He had taken advantage of the presence of Liam, Lily and several other inhabitants at the restaurant who were raving about the dishes of the old geezer to pretend to go get an object at home. In reality, he had seized this moment of solitude to stop in front of the scientist's workshop and he had pushed open the door, his hand shaking in spite of himself. He had pushed back the deadline long enough. Liam had told him that the crew had tried to contact him several times and if he waited longer, he risked not being able to reach his friends at all.

Taking a breath to give himself courage, the blond quickly dialed the number and heard the ringing sound in the Den-Den Mushi. He didn't know if he was hoping someone would pick up or not.

"Sanji-kun!"

The navigator's cheerful tone instantly made him realize how foolish he had been not to call his friends before. He missed them so much…

"Nami-san, hearing the melody of your voice is an unparalleled source of happiness!"

A soft laugh sounded in his ears. "You idiot, why did it take you so long to call then?"

"Forgive me, my dove. It was a long trip to the East Blue but I come back with good news."

"Sanji? Is it Sanji?!"

The excited voices of Usopp and Luffy were suddenly heard and the blond then heard a loud noise when the newcomers obviously grabbed the poor Den-Den Mushi too vigorously.

"Sanji, how are you? We were starting to get worried!" Usopp exclaimed.

"You need to give us more meat recipes!" Luffy demanded.

"Everything is fine, I got home a few hours ago."

"What's the weather like on the All Blue? The constant changes on the Grand Line makes us lose track of time," Brook's voice said.

"It's the middle of autumn here."

"Sanji, we miss you!" Chopper's small voice suddenly cried.

"We're doing our best but without your presence, our days are much less bright," That of the archaeologist approved.

"Oh, Robin-chan! Not seeing you anymore is torturing me every second!"

"It's nice to hear from you, bro," That of Franky added in turn.

The blond felt his heart tighten when hearing all these people he loved so much and he took a short breath. "I'm really happy about it too. It's so weird knowing you're no longer here but at the same time, I know you're continuing this adventure and it really makes me happy…"

"We're coming to the Red Line soon!" Luffy told him excitedly.

"It looks like we approach by the air side," Robin specified.

"The Sunny will have to take off to cross it," Chopper explained.

"Unlike Fishman Island where we should have dive under the sea, we must fly through the air on this side," Brook continued.

"I think we'll use Coup de Burst but it probably won't be enough," Nami added.

"I probably gotta tinker with a little invention that'll allow us to hold out," Franky agreed.

"It looks really dangerous," Usopp sighed.

The cook couldn't help smiling, proud of his friends. "You're almost in the New World, it's incredible…"

"This is new and risky territory," Robin confirmed. "It seems like the navigation needs three different Log-Pose and the weather is unpredictable."

"How's it going on your end?" The cyborg inquired. "Were you able to open?"

"I went looking for Zeff myself in the East Blue, we arrived this morning," The blond answered.

"You went to look for the old man?! That's awesome!" Luffy got enthused.

"It can be said that you stop at nothing," Brook admired.

"We should be able to open before March. We just need to create a menu and bring in some furniture. That'll give Liam time to stabilize the doors."

"How lucky these inhabitants will be to enjoy your cuisine every day," Usopp envied them.

"By the way, Sanji-kun, do you think you could send us some recipes based on legumes?" The navigator asked. "We're on the island of Lordly and legumes are practically all they have but I'd like to avoid eating the same thing every day."

"Of course, Nami-san! I'll send you some as soon as we hang up!"

"I try to make snacks according to everyone's tastes," The doctor told him in turn with determination.

"That's very thoughtful, Chopper."

"I tried to make macaroni for Brook but I couldn't," He confessed then. "And rice for Zoro is never like you do so I give him bread and fruit…"

"The macaroni shouldn't stay in the water for too long otherwise they'll soften. And for the mosshead's rice, don't bother. An omelet will please him just as much and you'll spend much less time on it."

"Oh, thank you, Sanji!" The voice of the little reindeer was happy and he asked the sniper for a pen.

"Zoro isn't here, I think he got lost," Nami sighed. "He hasn't come back since this afternoon… I'm sorry, Sanji-kun, maybe you can call back later?"

"Of course, Nami-san! I intend to call you as often as possible now that I'm back on All Blue!"

Zoro groaned when he saw the silhouette of the Sunny in the middle of the harbor lights. It was dark now and he had missed dinner time by far, but he didn't care much about it. Instead of a plate of sticky rice, he had filled his stomach with cheap booze for most of the evening. He was aware that it didn't bring the same energy and the blond would surely have kicked his ass for reasoning that way but Sanji wasn't here to lecture him and his absence suited him well tonight. However, he knew he wasn't going to escape the reprimands of the navigator as soon as he set foot on deck.

His prediction turned out to be correct when he saw her tumbling onto the deck as he was about to head discreetly towards the crow's nest a few moments later.

"What an idea to walk away on your own!" The young woman ranted when she reached him.

"I went for a walk," The swordsman eluded.

"It's almost midnight!" The redhead got indignant, standing in front of him.

"I had things to do."

Nami didn't need to know that he had dozed over his empty glass after giving all the little money he had to the innkeeper. At one point a fight had broken out between sailors but it had barely distracted him. Nevertheless, he had accepted a pint shortly after from a local who was delighted with the show before leaving. He didn't know what time it was when he had made his way back to the Sunny, but it was already dark. He had simply strolled along the path, his head elsewhere. Nothing to make a drama out of it.

The navigator, however, didn't seem to agree and her burst of voices attracted their crewmates who approached silently in turn.

"Next time, I'll send someone to get you," The young woman threatened him, her hands on her hips.

"I can manage on my own," He growled back.

"Why don't you admit you just got lost?" She insisted with annoyance. "Everyone knows you wouldn't find the exit from a straight hallway!"

"I didn't get lost! Maybe I wanna spend the night on shore, what does that have to do with you? You said that even if the Log-Pose is reset before tomorrow, we wouldn't leave until late morning!"

"At least, let us know then! Besides, you missed Sanji-kun's call!"

At these words, Zoro froze for a second before clenching his jaw. "I don't care."

The navigator rolled her eyes. "Sure you don't. So you won't care to know that he managed to bring Zeff back to All Blue and they plan to open before the winter is out, right?"

"I don't need to know that, I'm tellin' you I couldn't care less!"

The swordsman abruptly turned around in the direction of his lair but as he was about to walk past Chopper, the reindeer kindly handed him a plate. "I saved you a slice, Zoro. And I made you some goat cheese toast, too."

The fencer ignored him and walked past his friends without a word, his gaze fixed on the crow's nest. He then let the little reindeer's smile fade on his lips when he slammed the hatch shut behind him a few seconds later.

It's hard to readjust.

See you in ten days!