Thanks for the reviews everyone! It's very encouraging to know people are enjoying the fic and what they think about it.
To Fenris5000: Such a relief to know Carmen is not Mary-Sue-ish. (grin) Sorry, Carmen and Sanji do not meet in this chapter yet but they will in the next.
To Danni: Hey there! Thanks for saying it's turning out better than you've imagined. Yup, I've written other fics before and I guess you can find them under my profile. Most have Sanji in them although some are pretty depressing…yeah, so maybe you might want to reconsider if you want to read them. (apologetic smile)
Chapter Three
They turned and stared at me, utterly speechless. The faint sizzle of fat over a hot pan was loud in the silence. Dressed in identical white chef uniforms with matching looks of surprise frozen on their wooden faces, the cooks of the Baratie were like trees that lined the sides of a lane in the woods.
It would have been comical if I wasn't so boiling mad.
The trip to the sea restaurant had taken almost a week but the fair winds and smooth journey did nothing for my anger. In fact, each time I thought of that newspaper article, his face in the photograph seemed a little more conceited in my mind, the caption claiming he is the best chef cut a little deeper. By the time the Baratie appeared on the horizon, I was thirsty for vengeance.
Yet all the days of frustrated waiting and anticipation had led up to this.
An insipid bunch of idiots who could only gawk at me as if I was speaking in an alien language.
Well, perhaps my slamming open the back door and marching into the kitchen had something to do with their lack of response but I was ready to explode with anger.
"Where," I repeated my question through gritted teeth, making every attempt to remain civil. "is Sanji?"
They continued to stare at me for a moment, shared a glance with one another, and then as if of one mind, burst into peals of hysterical laughter.
I stared bewildered at the scene before me. The kitchen was in an uproar. Cooks were staggering about, so overcome with laughter they could barely stand. Some slapped each other on the backs, grinning wildly. Others conspired in groups, sniggering together at some private joke. Ladles trembled and spoons were struck on the table top along time with the chuckles.
The madness showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.
"Oh the irony, Patty!" One cook clung onto his friend, his entire face turning red with laughter. "The irony!"
"Yes, yes, Carne!" The other responded, chortling as he wiped tears of mirth from the corner of his eyes. "To think that stupid kid spent all his time flirting with the female patrons and nothing to show for it. Then, suddenly when he has left…Poof! A gorgeous gal comes looking for him!"
He broke off with another loud cackle of laughter.
Left? Sanji's not here? I frowned. The unending laughter was wearing down the last of my patience. I was about to grab one of the chefs and shake an answer out of him when a loud voice roared over the ruckus.
"What the hell is going on in here?"
Like magic, the entire kitchen sobered up in a second.
There was a stern-looking man at the entrance to the dinning hall, his tall frame blocking almost the entire doorway. His impressive moustache twitched with displeasure as he surveyed the unruly cooks.
It's Mister Zeff! I thought.
Time had deepened the lines on his face but he had lost none of his powerfully muscled build. He still cut as an imposing a figure as the day when I first saw him. His eyes were still hawk-sharp, keen intelligence shining in the level blue gaze.
No one dared to meet his piercing glare.
"You!" He barked, jabbing an authoritative finger at the nearest cook. "Speak up! What happened here?"
"Well…well…" The cook stuttered, one hand worrying the hem of his apron miserably, the other lifting to point shakily in my direction. "That lady there came through the back and asked for Sanji…"
Zeff's eyes flicked a disinterested glance my way before turning back to the hapless man. "And?"
"And we all felt it was really funny that…that bastard never got anywhere with his flirting and now a lady shows up just when he's left." A bit of nervous laughter. "Something like the irony, you know?" He finished hopefully.
Zeff folded his arms and swept his disapproving gaze across his staff. "And how are you shitheads any different from Sanji? One lady already made all of you forget what your duties are." He pointed to the meat browning unattended in the pan, his voice tight with rage.
The cooks stood in silence, looking contrite and glancing sheepishly at one another.
"What are you good-for-nothings waiting for? Get to work!" The owner of the restaurant finally roared and galvanized as one, the cooks scrambled to obey.
With his kitchen finally back in order, he turned his attention to me. I watched him approach, his movement slow with a powerful grace, his eyes shrewd and calculating as they fixed unwaveringly on me. His peg leg thudded with a heavy ominous regularity on the wooden floorboards as he walked, the sound every bit as sinister as I remembered it.
Ten years had passed but this man was no less dangerous.
And no less frightening.
Suddenly, I was a child again, cowering in a dark corner with this monster of a man with his terrible missing leg looming over me.
But I'm no longer a child! I reminded myself with some annoyance, shaking off my irrational childhood fears. Firmly pushing down my terror, I took a deep breath and drew myself to my full height, meeting the icy blue eyes with as much calmness I could muster.
"I understand you've come to see Sanji, Miss…?" His voice was clip and business-like, devoid of any emotion but there was also no hostility.
"Carmen. My name's Carmen." I didn't know if he would remember me but when his eyes narrowed for a moment, I knew he did.
There was a brief pause as he glanced over my shoulder, surreptitiously looking out the back door as if to see who else I had come with. I realized with a pang, he was expecting Teacher to have come with me.
But if he was puzzled why I had come alone, he did not show it. With a curt nod, he gestured towards the hallway. "If you would follow me, Miss Carmen."
Together, we left the kitchen, passed the hall filled with happy dinners and arrived in his office in silence. A waiter brought tea and a platter of the most exquisitely made pastries and set them down on the table between us.
"So tell me, Miss Carmen." Zeff began as he poured me a cup of tea when the waiter left. "How is Annie doing these days?"
I gulped, unsure of what to say. I had come to the Baratie with a single-minded intention to find Sanji, defeat him and claim the title and dream that was rightfully mine. It had not occurred to me that with the usually sparse communication between Teacher and her old friend, Zeff might not know that she had been dead for years.
I was ready for a challenge to pit my culinary skills against an opponent. But I wasn't at all prepared to be the bearer of bad news that was still a little too close to my heart even after all this time.
"Teacher is…dead. A terrible illness." I said hesitantly. "She had been dead for almost ten years now."
He froze. A flicker of grief passed through his eyes before he recovered himself. "I see." He said stiffly. "And what of her restaurant?"
"I've been running it." I couldn't keep the hint of satisfaction out of my voice. "Business is rather good actually."
"Yes, I've seen good reviews of it once or twice in the culinary magazines. That's why I thought Annie was still-" He broke off and was silent for a moment as his fingers traced the porcelain curve of his teacup's handle absently.
Then, he looked up and gave me a wry smile. "But you did good, kid. Annie would have been so proud." His voice was gruff, as if the not-quite-praise was spoken with the utmost reluctance, but I saw the kindness in that smile.
I smiled my thanks, his words were a comfort.
"So," He went on, once again assuming his severe expression. "What's your business with Sanji."
"To take back what is mine." I slid the newspaper I had picked up on the way here across the desk. "I am the best chef in the world, not him."
"Hmmm…I remember this." Zeff scanned the article quickly and sneered. "These reporter types always exaggerate. Mind you, he isn't a bad cook, but that stupid little eggplant isn't that good."
"Naturally. And if we were to compete, I'll show everyone I'm much better."
He looked at me, a strangely serious expression in his eyes. "So this is what you want then? To be the best chef in the world?"
I met his gaze unflinchingly. "It is my dream."
He nodded, apparently satisfied by something in my answer. Folding the newspaper neatly back along its creases, he handed it to me. "Then you had better find the little eggplant then."
"But," He held up a warning finger. "This best-chef title means nothing to Sanji, you know. He may not agree to compete with you."
"It does not matter. He will compete with me."
He shrugged. "Alright. But Sanji is not here now. He left a few days ago, to join a pirate crew."
"Pirates!"
"Yeah," He seemed amused by my incredulous expression, but there was a hint of tension in his voice. "They are heading for Arlong Park to retrieve one of their crewmates before trying for the Grandline." There was an odd glint in his eyes. "He's going with them because he thinks he might find the All Blue there."
Arlong Park. The Grandline.
One was the lair of a ruthless pirate; the other was the legendary graveyard of many sea-farers. Was Sanji out of his mind?
Fine, I conceded that I might have over-reacted when I saw the newspaper article and thought he was out to snatch my dream from me, but to be still clinging on to his silly childhood dream, risking his very life to find that fantasy ocean which may not even exist was plain ridiculous. I had to admit, I was worried for him.
"Well, if you want to find him, your best bet would be Lougetown." Zeff went on casually, clearing his throat as if to disguise the earlier note of worry in his voice. "It's the last island before entering the Grandline. If those idiots have any sense, they'll stop there to restock. If you set out now, you might catch him there."
I nodded. Besides, I knew there was going to be a large cooking championship in Lougetown next week. It was perfect to challenge Sanji there and show everyone just who the best chef in the world was.
Zeff walked me to the aft deck and we shook hands solemnly before I boarded my ship.
"Good luck with finding the little twerp." He said rather grumpily.
"Thank you for all your help."
He nodded curtly but stood watching me, as if there was more he wanted to say yet was unwilling to. As my disciples cast off the last mooring rope and our ship was starting to drift away from the Baratie, he finally blurted out "If you do see that little eggplant…"
I grinned.
Perhaps Teacher was right. Sometimes, you really do understand better when you're older. I could not remember why I had thought Zeff to be a terrifying and abusive master all those years ago.
When clearly, standing there was an old man who missed his little boy very much and worried for him even more.
"If I do see Sanji, I promise to come back and tell you how he's doing." I yelled as the distance between our ships grew further.
"Che! As if I care what happened to that bastard." He snorted disdainfully before catching my meaningful smile and knew I understood. An offended look crossed his face for a moment before he broke out into loud laughter. "Get out of here, you rascal!" He shouted across the waters, shaking his fist in mock fury.
I laughed as well. This visit to the Baratie certainly hadn't turned out as I had expected, I thought as the sails dropped and filled out with wind, leaving the sea restaurant rapidly behind.
Zeff was still leaning against the railing of the aft deck, watching our departure gravely. And he must have thought I was too far away to see for he smiled and mouthed after us,
'Thank you.'