A/N: Sorry for the long wait... like I said... I don't care much for this arc... but I have some good news! Over 20,000 hits! All right! First fanfic to reach that point... Also sometime after I posted last time I switched the 2nd character from Sasuke to Kyubi, so that people will stop mistaking it for a Naru/Sasu fic this is more a Naru/Hina and love triangle of Saku/Sasu/Ino (not a Yaoi fan by the way...), anyways enjoy the next chapter and it's another flashback chapter...

Chapter 22: Hunger…

Everyone stared at Gin. He pointed his pistol at Zeff.

"Well I didn't see this coming…" said Kakashi putting some humor on the situation.

"That traitor!" yelled Naruto.

"I'm going to send him flying…" said Luffy.

Luffy was about to fight him but Sanji stopped him.

"Wait, let hear what he has to say…" said Sanji.

"You want the chef to live, right Sanji… then leave the ship…" said Gin.

"Leave the ship… I refuse…" said Sanji.

"Sanji…" said the man Ino possessed.

"You look pathetic Crap Geezer… want to set a bad example for the fighting cooks?" asked Sanji.

"I don't want to hear nothin' from you Eggplant head…" said Zeff.

"Gin… aim your pistol at me…" said Sanji.

"Sanji! Are you crazy! You can't be serious!" yelled the man Ino possessed.

"No way!" yelled Naruto.

"He can't be serious!" yelled one of the cooks.

"Sanji… why?" said Gin quietly.

"If you want to die so badly…" said Pearl getting up, "To think the invincible Peal would get two bloody noses in one battle… I'm feeling threatened so don't move or I'll blast your chef to Kingdom come…"

Pearl launched his attack against Sanji by smashing one of his shields in his face… but someone got into the way… it was the man that Ino possessed… the man's body was bloody as it hit the railings, this shocked Sanji, Zeff, Kakashi and the other cooks.

"Ino!" yelled Sanji.

"I don't get it… if the guy that Ino possessed is injured then why is everyone concerned for Ino?" asked Luffy.

Before anyone could answer the question there was a scream… it was Sakura's… the reason, Ino's body began to bleed on its own.

"What's going on?" she yelled.

"If Ino gets injured while she's possessing someone that injury will appear on her body as well…" explained Kakashi.

"Why did you do that Ino?" asked Sanji.

"Don't you think things though sometimes… you really want to throw your life away… idiot…" said the man who Ino possessed. The body falter for a second then collapsed.

"Sanji why didn't you duck! If you had then Ino wouldn't have gotten hurt!" yelled Luffy.

"Because that crap underling will kill the chef!" said Sanji, "Gin… I can't do what you ask…"

"Why not? It's easy… you go and…" said Gin.

"I can't…" said Sanji, "This ship is the old man's pride and joy…"

Everyone was shocked at this statement…

"I took everything the old man had… his strength… his dreams… that's why I'll never let anything else be taken away from him again!" said Sanji.

"You idiot!" yelled Ino who was back in her own body.

She was still wounded from the fight… and injured badly.

"Ino… please stay down…" said Sakura.

"You think you're the only he took things form him? We were both there!" yelled Ino.

"But you don't remember… you don't remember anything from before I met you… you lost things too… and that's why this time I won't let you help me… you deserve a chance to regain those things…" said Sanji.

"…" said Ino.

Pearl came up from behind Sanji.

"Watch out!" yelled Kakashi.

Pearl used his shields as cymbals and hit Sanji in between them…

"I was tired of hearing his problems…" said Pearl.

"Why you…" said Ino who collapsed from her wounds.

"We're going inside… I should treat your wounds…" said Sakura.

"No I'm staying… treat them out here…" said Ino.

After Sanji collapsed, Pearl jumped into the air and landed a dive bomb head but on Sanji… everyone was shocked.

"Sanji!" cried many of the cooks.

"Don't worry he's still alive…" said Kyubi to Naruto.

"If you say so…" thought Naruto.

As Sanji passed out he began to remember things from 9 years before…

(Flashback)

When Sanji was 10 he was a cook's appetence on a ship called the Orbit, but one night it was attacked by pirates… Zeff's crew… the night was also very stormy night… then he woke up to a little 5-year-old blonde girl.

"Hey old man he's awake!" said the girl.

Sanji had recognized the girl, he had seen her among the passengers.

"So look like it's no prank this time…" said a voice.

Sanji got up and looked around, it looked hey they were on a rock. Then saw Zeff.

"Pirate…" said Sanji he tried to get up but was in pain.

"Don't get up… I was in your body and it's painful…" said the little girl.

"What?" asked Sanji.

Zeff chuckled, "It's exactly how it sounds like… she took over your body to make sure you were alive… I'm surprised she ended up on this rock with us consider she's a hammer…" said Zeff.

"I ate the Mind Mind Fruit!" said the little girl.

"Riiiight…" said Sanji with a sweat drop not understanding her, "Wait the ship!"

"With that storm I bet it was wrecked… and my ship was mashed judging by the wreckage…It's cold comfort that I haven't seen any corpses…" said Zeff, "The storm was two days ago… you, me and the little brat…"

"Don't call me brat!" cried the little girl.

"Got tossed up on this barren rock…" said Zeff finishing his sentence ignoring the little girl, "No fruits… no animals, we can't even fish from up here… the rocks been craved by the sea… once you fall down there's no getting back up… there's no way to get food… does it make you want to cry?"

"I already cried…" said the little girl.

"I mean Egg Plant head…" said Zeff.

"Not me!" said Sanji, "It's all your fault! I'll bash your head in!"

"Quit yappn', I could slit your throat and eat you…" said Zeff.

"Please don't eat him… that's so gross…" said the little girl.

"That was an empty threat…" said Zeff with a sweat drop.

"Oh…" said the little girl.

"So right now all we can do is sit and wait…" said Zeff, "We could get lucky and help arrive tomorrow or we could wind up as sun bleached bones…"

Both Sanji and the little girl were shocked.

"Here's your cut…" said Zeff giving Sanji a small bag while Zeff had a big bag, "A little grub landed with us if we eat normally then it will last 5 days, but if your smart we can get it to last longer… by the way… your sharing with the brat…"

"What!" yelled both Sanji and the little girl.

"Why can you share yours… I want my own bag!" said the little girl.

"This will be a life lesion on sharing…" said Zeff.

"That's your excuse…" said Sanji.

"That's our situation…" said Zeff, "We can't waste our strength fighting each other…"

"Why you…" said Sanji.

"You should be grateful I'm sharing and don't expect any extras…" said Zeff, You keep watch over here… I'll be over on the other side keeping watch… holler if you see a sail…"

He began to walk away, "By the way your baby sitting the brat… don't over here unless you see a ship… or the brat runs off…."

"Why you…" said Sanji.

After a few minutes the little girl was board she started a conversation.

"What's your name…" said the little girl.

"Sanji…" said Sanji.

"I'm Ino… I hope help comes soon…" said the little girl who turns out be a younger Ino, "Why did this have to happen… mom said we were on vacation… I hope my dad isn't too worried…"

Sanji looked at the little girl and sighed. Sanji managed to divide the food into small rations.

"So we only get to eat less than a meal day?" asked Ino.

Sanji nodded, "Yeah…"

"But I'm hungry…" said Ino.

"Just wait…" said Sanji.

"What about water?" asked Ino.

"Just drink that water in those depressions…" said Sanji, "Don't worry it's rain water…"

"But that water looks gross…" said Ino.

"Just drink it…" said Sanji.

Days passed by and no sign of a ship… on the 5th day it was a stormy day… Ino covered herself under some of the wreckage while Sanji still looked for a ship… he saw one in the distance…

"I see one!" he called towards Ino…

"Get it over here!" said Ino.

Sanji began to call out to the ship… but no one heard him so he tried to light a fire… but the wood they had was too wet. The ship began to sail away into the distance…

"Maybe I can get them here!" said Ino, she aimed her hands towards the disappearing ship, then collapsed, Sanji didn't know what to do… the ship was gone and Ino was barely alive… after several minutes Ino woke up.

"Oh it didn't work…" said Ino.

"What didn't work?" asked Sanji confused.

"I tried to possess someone on the ship and it didn't work…" said Ino.

"What?" asked Sanji.

"I ate the Mind Mind Fruit and now I can possess people but I can't swim…" said Ino, "The old man know a lot about the Devil Fruits so I didn't surprise him when he found out!"

"Okay…" said Sanji still confused.

On the 25th day they were eating moldy bread which was the last of their food… Sanji thought about all the food he wasted when he was on the orbit… that's when he dropped it into the ocean…

"Oh no…" said Ino.

"No…" said Sanji.

"So hungry…" said both.

Many days went by… many days… by day 70 both were nearly starved to death…

"I wonder about that old man…" said Ino.

"That crap geezer is probably dead…" said Sanji.

"Let's go see…" said Ino.

"Okay…" said Sanji.

Both climbed the rock to see the other side. They saw that Zeff was still alive… not only that but he didn't eat any of the food…

"He hasn't eaten his food…" said Sanji.

"What a hog…" said Ino.

"Was that intentional?" asked Sanji.

"What?" asked Ino.

"Never mind…" replied Sanji.

"I have an idea…" said Ino.

She whispered it to him.

"Oh sure your powers…" said Sanji.

"Please believe me…" said Ino, "It will work… Mind Mind Posses!"

Like last time Ino collapsed, he wasn't sure if she finally collapsed and she was using her so called powers to hide it… but he see Zeff's body falter for a moment… then scream and considering the scream soundly really girly he began to drag Ino's body and went over to Zeff quietly as not be noticed.

"Sanji…" said Zeff in a panicked tone.

Sanji didn't know what to think... one thing is that he didn't tell Zeff his name… another was his tone of voice… so now he believed that Ino could possess people.

"What is it Ino?" asked Sanji.

He walked towards the Ino possessed Zeff then saw the thing that made Ino scream… one of Zeff's legs were missing…

"See what's in the bag…" said the Ino possessed Zeff.

Sanji took out the knife he had and opened the bag… and discovered no food but treasure.

"I'm going to release it now…" said the Ino possessed Zeff.

Zeff's body faltered, Ino woke up and Zeff shook his head. Zeff chuckled.

"I was wondering when that was going to happen…" he said.

"What happened to your leg…" said Ino.

"He… he ate it…" said Sanji.

"That's right…" said Zeff.

"You gave us all the food?" asked Sanji.

"Yes…" said Zeff.

"But without your foot you can't be a pirate anymore…" said Ino.

"Guess not…" said Zeff.

"Why did you do it! I tried to kill you! Why are you being so nice to me! Ino's just a little girl who didn't do anything… so are you helping me because of her…"

"Wrong… it's just the opposite…" said Zeff, "The brat maybe a little girl… who wants to be reunited with her parents… just a little girl who hasn't done anything but… you and I… have the same dream…"

"That All Blue thingy you told me about?" asked Ino.

"Really?" said Sanji, "But your men told me there's no such thing…"

"Their wrong… it does exist…And when the time is right go to the Grand Line…" aid Zeff, "We couldn't find it in a year's voyage but what I saw there made me believe… but now I lost my crew and I don't feel like being a pirate any more without them. They didn't' believe but they were good hearted… They were a good bunch…"

Zeff suddenly collapsed.

"Oh no!" said Ino.

"You can't die after all you did for us!" said Sanji.

"In all my years as a pirate I've been in a lot of tough like this… where there nothing to eat… and I always thought… what if there was a restraint in the middle of the ocean…"

"A restaurant?" asked Sanji.

"Really?" asked Ino

"Yeah if I get off this rock alive then I'm going to build it if it's the last thing I do…" said Zeff, "This age of pirate I might the only one who run a shop like that…"

"Okay I'll help you… just don't die…" said Sanji.

"Yeah right… like a little eggplant can help me…" said Zeff.

"Please stop fighting you two…" said Ino.

15 days later… the ship that Sanji saw on the 5th day showed up again… and found all three of them… unconscious but alive…

(End of Flashback)

"You ate your foot so that me and Ino can have all the food… you saved our lives…" said Sanji getting up.

"See told you…he's alive" said Kyubi.

"You were right, I was wrong… big deal…" thought Naruto.

"He's getting up!" said Luffy.

"My attack didn't have an effect?" said Pearl.

"Sanji!" said Ino happily.

"I won't let you have the restaurant! And I won't let you kill the crap geezer! That fool sacrificed himself to save a worthless boy and a girl who would lose everything… I don't care what Ino does! I'll defend this restaurant and repay my debt!" yelled Sanji.

Ino smiled, then looked at Gin… "Maybe I have some more in me…" she thought.

Next Time: Sanji is willing to give up his life for Zeff and Baratie... however Naruto and Ino aren't making it easy to "repay" his debt so to speak... what will happen?