"Hey, listen pal.", Sanji says, sounding calmer, but still worked up, "I'm the Sou Chef in this place. What do you mean you don't need me anymore?"
"You fight with customers all the time. You flirt with any woman under eighty that walks through here. You can't even cook a decent meal.", the Head Chef answers with no hesitation, "Your more worthless to me than the chow after brunch. That's what I mean."
Lambo winced, feeling a small nudge from a memory he'd rather not get into from the back of his head.
'Hey Lambo, I have a very important job for you. Cleaning is one of the most respected jobs in the mafia you know! I have a list of things for you to do, although it's okay if you don't finish it.'
Sanji just stared at the Head Chef, gritting his teeth as he hears the chuckles and laughter from the other chefs at the top of the stairs.
"Oh! Let's not forget how the other cooks avoid you, like you were poisoned.", the Head Chef added at the sight of his employees.
Lambo felt himself go pale and began to slightly shake. This is all a little too close to home for comfort.
'I don't want to be with you anymore! Because of you, I have no friends! The entire school avoids you, they all avoid me too, because I hang out with a talentless dumb cow like you! But no more! You are no longer my friend Bovino Lambo! NOT ANYMORE!'
"So just run off and be a pirate or whatever.", the older blonde continued, "Just get out of this restaurant."
'Go ahead, run away. It's not like anyone would care, if they even notice. We needed to find a new Lightning Guardian to replace you anyway. You really are worthless. What do you even do besides laze around?'
Lambo quietly groaned as he massaged the bridge of his nose. These memories and flashbacks are beginning to get a little annoying.
"That's how it is?", Sanji says testily, his visible eye narrowed at the sight of the older Chef, "You shoot off at the mouth and think that I'm just going to take it Old Man!?"
Sanji's voice was slowly rising in volume as he walked towards the Head Chef.
"I can blow off everything you said, but I won't listen to anyone trash my cooking. I'm staying here as a Sou Chef, and that's final!"
Sanji gripped the collar of the cook's shirt.
"You Hear Me!?", he shouts.
"What do you think you're doing!?", the Head Chef angrily yells, "Grabbing your boss by the collar!?"
He knocks Sanji's hand away and grabbed him by the neck.
"You Ingrate!", the Head Chef shouts as he throws the Sou Chef across the room.
Quickly Lambo stood up from his chair and grabbed two plates of their food off the table, just as Sanji landed on top of it, causing it to break one of its legs.
Nami and Ussop both held two platers in their hands while Zoro held three, balancing the third perfectly on his head. Luffy just stayed where he was standing next to Zoro, staring down at Sanji's groaning form.
"Yikes, that must've hurt.", Lambo says as he peers over the upturned table's end at Sanji's body as it slid down the table, wincing for the cook's sake.
"Old... Geezer...", Sanji groaned.
The Head Chef just 'hmphed' as he stared at the chef's prone body.
"Enough with the games, you can try and kick me out.", Sanji says as he slowly pushed himself off the table and sits up, "But I'm staying, I'm not going anywhere Old Man. Not until your dead and gone!"
The Head Cheff just scoffs as he walks away.
"I still got a hundred years of kicking your ass left in me.", the Head Chef retorted.
"He's always got to have the last word, the bastard.", Sanji grumbled frustratedly.
"See? It's cool! He said you can go!", exclaims Luffy excitedly.
"SHUT UP!", Sanji shouts with sharp teeth at the Straw Hat wearing teen.
Lambo just shook his head as he stared at the two. Luffy really needs to work on his timing and sensitivity, that boy is too clueless for his own good.
It didn't take long for Sanji to leave and come back with a new clothed table, replacing the broken one, the crew placed the plates of food they saved back on top, but Sanji didn't stop there, nope. He brought out some sort of desert and drink for Nami, while apologizing to her about what just happened, and began doting on her while she was just taking full advantage of it.
The sneaky little thief, Lambo deadpanned at the behavior while simultaneously wondering how her and Luffy were older than him sometimes, Luffy more so than Nami to be perfectly honest. Only God knows the bounds that is his stupidity. Why did Lambo join his crew again?
Ussop on the other hand wasn't having it.
"Hey! We deserve an apology too!", Usopp shouted angrily.
Sanji turned to Ussop uncaringly, suddenly turning cold, as he handed the sniper a warm cup of tea.
Geez, that was a quick switch.
Lambo didn't care too much on receiving an apology, he wasn't one for tea anyway, giving Zoro his cup. So, he wasn't really listening to what the two were saying.
"Take him out Zoro!", shouts Ussop, bringing Lambo's attention to the sniper's antics with the cook.
Lambo sighs while Zoro sweat dropped at his crewmate's behavior.
"You take him out.", Zoro retorted bluntly.
But Ussop wasn't done yet, he still had another strong crewmate at his side.
"Lambo, take him out!", Ussop calls without hesitation, as if he didn't call out to Zoro moments earlier.
Lambo flinched at the sudden attention on him, not expecting to be called out. But he kept his cool and stared up at Ussop with a raised brow.
"You're the one that started it, I don't give a damn about receiving an apology or not, I got food, you fight him.", Lambo pointed out monotonously as he continued eating his meal.
The two just stood there, Ussop frozen in place, while Sanji glared at the younger man.
"Stop it, please don't fight over me~", Nami cries out with her hands clasped together.
No one was fighting over you.
"Of course, my sweet.", Sanji says lovingly, his eye turning into a heart again.
"Who said it was about you!?", shouts Ussop with sharp teeth.
Thank you, exactly what Lambo just thought.
What honestly surprise him was how easy Nami convinced Sanji to give her a free meal, hugging him as she squealed out her gratitude, Sanji looked like he was enjoying every second of the hug as his cigarette fell out of his mouth.
"You guys still have to pay.", Sanji turned cold again, staring at Lambo and Zoro with a stern uncaring gaze.
"Wha-!", Ussop shouts in surprise and outrage.
While Zoro and Lambo both sweat dropped.
"Talk about split personality.", Lambo said weakly, Zoro hummed in agreement.
Luffy just laughed loudly only to be stopped by having a sharp kick to the head, causing his neck to stretch out and his head to sway back and forth like a spring. Sanji dragged Luffy away, most likely back to work.
"You're not here to lounge around.", Sanji states seriously as he marches the two back to the kitchens.
"Right.", said Luffy in defeat at having to go back to work.
…...
It's been a few days and the Straw Hat crew were all lounging on the deck of the Going Merry it was foggy, but the sun was still up and the weather was warm with a nice cool breeze.
Still, Lambo couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. It could be the fog, but Lambo couldn't help but feel like something big was going to happen soon. He wouldn't be all that surprised with the crew he joined with.
Ussop sighs, "We've just been sitting here, twiddling our thumbs for days now! How long do you think we're going to be here anyway?"
Zoro shrugged.
"He'd said to stay right here, but I'm so bored!", Ussop whines.
"Quite your whining, this place is great!", exclaims Nami, "Plus, the food is free."
"Yeah, for you.", Zoro retorts.
"The bill is staring to take a toll on my money.", Lambo says, leaning on the mast as a depressing cloud fell over him.
It's hard to save money when you're constantly eating at an expensive restaurant. Lambo still has a lot of the money Tsuna gave him. But that's not going to be the case if this continues in the next week or so.
"Hey Luffy!"
Lambo looks over to see Ussop waving at their Captain, who was currently taking out a big bag of trash.
"What are we still doing here!?", Ussop shouts, "Come on, let's just get out of here already."
"Just sit tight a little longer!", Luffy called back, "I'm gonna try and make another deal with the owner!"
Ussop's only answer was a loud shout in frustration.
"Hurry up!"
"Oh, calm down.", Lambo snapped, finally done with Ussop's whining and impatience, "Give him a break, he's just paying his dues, give him some time."
Ussop just groaned and leaned back against the railing only to do a double take and look at something in the distance.
"Hey look at that ship.", Ussop pointed out.
"Huh?", Zoro, Lambo, and Nami said as they all turned to where Ussop was pointing.
The ship looked eerie as it speedily approached the restaurant through the fog. Getting bigger and bigger as it got closer to the big sailing restaurant, making it look like a toy in comparison.
"What the hell...?", Zoro said as he peers at the ship with narrowed eyes.
Lambo managed to spot the ship's flag through the thick fog, revealing a skull and cross bones with a thick jaw and two-hour glasses, one on each side.
"It's huge!" gasped out Lambo, mouth agape in awe at the ginormous vessel.
"Guys don't panic, but I think this is our cue to leave right now!", screeched Ussop fearfully.
"Look at the size of that Galleon!", cries out Nami.
Suddenly, after a moment of tense and heavy silence as the group craned their necks in order to see the entire ship, the fog cleared, revealing the sails to be shredded, and several areas of the boat were heavily damaged. They're several large gaping holes in the hull of the ship. Lambos surprised she's still afloat, much less sailing.
"What the hell happened to it?", Lambo mumbled as his eyes trailed over each visible damaged part of the ship.
"Up there.", Zoro stated, drawing the groups attention to a section of a ship where a big figure was hobbling out off, followed closely behind by a smaller, leaner, figure.
The group watched as they slowly exited the ship and walked across the deck, Lambo noticed the smaller figure is the man that escaped the Marines on their first day there. He was supporting the weight of the larger figure as the two entered through the front doors.
It wasn't hard for Lambo to guess that the larger figure was none other than Don Creed.
The doors shut behind the duo, and the pirates waited on the Merry in tense silence as they waited to see what may happen next.
Suddenly, Lambo jumped as loud screams came from the inside of the ship, the doors burst open and people, customers, began running to their respective boats by the dozens. Fearful shouts and screams filled the air.
What the hell happened in there?
"Hey, you see that?", Ussop asked in shock.
"Kinda hard not to.", Lambo stated eyes narrowed as he rested his elbows on the railing.
Staring at the large fleeing crowd.
"It looks bad.", Ussop said worriedly, "What do you think is going on in there?"
"Don't know.", Zoro answered bluntly as his hard gaze studied the crowd, "Let's go and see."
"WHAT!? Are you serious!?", Ussop cried out panickily, eyes bulging out with fear.
"You sound scared, doesn't he sound scared Lambo.", Zoro teased with a smirk.
Lambo glanced at Zoro with a miniscule smirk of his own.
"Yep.", he agreed, popping the 'p' at the end.
"I'm not scared!", Ussop protested defensively.
Zoro smiled before turning his gaze to the giant ship that belonged to Don Creed. A serious and contemplative look on his face.
"You okay Zoro?"
Zoro turned and looked down at the green eyes of his youngest crewmate, the two stared at each other, both with stoic expressions before Zoro smirked, causing Lambo to smile back as well.
"Peachy.", Zoro answered, "Now let's get the dingy ready so we can get on that ship. Somethings big is going down. I think it's about high time we got to take a look."
"Give me a second first.", "Lambo said as he walked to the kitchen, "I need to grab something real quick."
At the bench where he usually sat lay a dark brown satchel, Lambo was quick to snatch it up and throw it securely over his head, the bag resting behind him hanging at his lower back.
Lambo nodded, a gleam in his eye, while Ussop was shaking.
"D-do we have to?", Ussop asked almost pitifully.
"Come on scaredy cat.", was Zoro's only response as he grabbed the back of Ussops clothes and dragged him along.
"I'll stay on the ship with Johnny and Yosaku.", Nami informed the boys, "Just in case we need a quick getaway."
"Good. Do that." Zoro agreed.
With that, the dingy was slowly lowered with the three boys in it. Ussop and Zoro rowed, while Lambo stood at the ready at the front of the ship, rope in hand, ready to anchor the dingy to the Baratie.
By the time they got there, Lambo was just about to step on to the deck when a loud 'Boom!' shook the ship, causing Lambo to tumble gracelessly on to the main deck, a bright flash of light could be seen through the windows inside, smoke was everywhere.
"You okay Lambo.", Ussop called once the smoke dissipated.
Lambo groaned as he sat up.
"Yeah, looks like things are starting to heat up in there. We should hurry.", Lambo replied.
He got up and quickly tied the boat up. It wasn't long before they heard loud gunshots come from the inside.
"What the hell is going on in there?", Lambo asked in shocked.