Chapter 10

Luffy's laugh could be heard clearly in the nights silence.

"Zoro you should have explained everything sooner." He said between chuckles. Zoro just glared at the cackling idiot. They were all sitting against the wall taking a small break after the crazy night they had had. Mr. 5 was lying unconscious across the street and Miss Valentine… well he was not sure she had ended up after Luffy had launched her back in the sky. These monsters had dealt with the two agents in seconds. Mr. 5 and his Valentine had caught up to them just a few minutes after Sanji and Nami had found the two fighting straw hats the princess. Sanji was surprised on how easily they had defeated two of Baroque Work's top agents. Maybe he had finally gotten lucky. He appeared to have found reliable and powerful allies. And they were dumb. That was a bonus. They would be easier to manipulate. In fact, they seemed to be going along with Nami's money scheme quite easily. They were listening to Vivi explain her situation. He was a few feet away smoking a cigarette while analyzing the straw hats reactions. He made sure to add here and there information on Baroque Works to make himself appear helpful.

And of course, he should have not been surprised when Vivi unintentionally blurted out the real identity of the boss. He already knew that the naïve girl could hold a secret. It was quite a fatal flaw for a secret spy. He was more surprised by the identity of Mr. 0, Crocodile. Of course, the man had been in top ten list of suspects. But only because he was powerful and influential enough to create this type of organization. He was also closely related to Alabasta since his main base was located there. But Sanji did not understand why a man so powerful and rich would want to destroy the country that had given him that power and was making him rich. With a civil war; people would not go to his casinos as often. Why would the man intentionally create a war that make his profit diminish? Did he really want to create a new state that badly? Sanji could understand the wish to become stronger, to become king or a ruler. But the man was already worshipped without having the burden and the responsibility of ruling. He should just keep on making money while sipping his expensive wine in his expensive hotel and just let the others work instead.

Or maybe he could just arrange a marriage with the princess, his father and his brothers would have probably done that in Crocodile's place. Being the hero of the country not a lot of people would disagree with the match. And the King Cobra was getting old. His missions and the lessons of his brothers and sister he used to eavesdrop on had taught him hundreds of different ways to overthrow a country. And not all of them were by brute force. A lot of the ones that were the most successful were diplomatic moves; arrange marriages, deals, blackmails, popularity… He wondered what approach Crocodile had chosen for his plans. While Sanji was thinking he had almost missed all the conversation between the pirates and princess. But the princess had turned to him and was asking him a question.

"Mr. 9, thank you. For everything. We barely know each other and you and Miss Monday have helped so much. How can I ever repay you?"

Now was time to pull on his bullshit friend persona.

"Your highness, you don't have to repay me. We have lived and worked together for a year I could not let you get hurt and captured without doing nothing. I hope you will continue to accept my help."

Her eyes widened in surprise and a bit of relief.

"Does that mean you will travel with us?"

Oh, she was going to Alabasta with the straw hats. They had agreed to help her while he was not paying attention. Good.

"If that does not bother you, I would like to accompany and help you; we're a team, aren't we? And if you don't mind since I'm out of job right now would it maybe be possible that in the

future, I apply for a job at Alabasta's royal palace as a guard or a cook?" He was trying to add a bit more reasons to his decision. He hoped, it would make his sudden wish to go with them a bit more believable. Perhaps if they though that he was doing this to help a friend and because he had nothing left and he knew that in exchange his friend could help him find a new workplace, it would make his actions more logical in their eyes.

Luffy's eyes were sparkling now.

"Wait! Does that mean you'll cook for us again?!" He shouted excitedly. The blond man nodded in confirmation.

"If that's how I can help the most, then yes."

Luffy jumped in joy at the idea of having a good cook on board and the possibility of yummy food all the time. Vivi next to him smiled happily at the blond man.

"Thank you, Mr. 9." He was not sure if it was because their good mood was infectious, but he felt himself instinctually relax and lightly smile back; and the next word that came out of his mouth were not planned and not very welcomed.

"Since I know your names, just call me Sanji."

Stupid!

Why did you not at least give them an alias? Why not give them your full name and royal title while you're at it.

Dumbass.

But those thoughts quickly disappeared when he caught the look of surprised and the smiles on the others faces (except the moss head, of course, he was still looking at him with disdain.). They had not expected him to give them his real name. he would never admit that his heart beat a bit faster at the sight of the red head navigator's small pretty smile.

Zoro was the first to get up.

"Captain, if you really want to do this we need to go now. Before they send other men." They all nodded and started to stand up one by one. But as they were going to start discussing their next actions, a booming voice was heard behind them.

"Your Highness, I have come up with a plan so that you and you and your friends can leave without being detected." When Sanji turned around, he dropped his cigarettes from the shock. Mr. 8 or like Vivi called him, Igaram was wearing a pink dress, a blue wig and some badly applied make up. Where did he get all this stuff anyway?

The others were as shocked as him but they ended up by agreeing with his plan. He would leave with the eternal pose and as a distraction while they would sail away discreetly following the log pose. Then it came to divide the tasks. Sanji volunteered Vivi and himself to go and get the fourth straw hat pirate that was still sleeping in the main building. He knew that they both needed to get the stuff that they had already packed. And Vivi agreed with him. But what he did not tell her is that by getting the fourth straw hat they would be sure that the straw hats would not leave without them. The sleeping boy would be their insurance. Or hostage depending on how the situation would go. While they did that, Igaram and the others would ready the boat. They all agreed to meet back at the Merry as soon as possible.

Vivi and him ran towards the main building as fast as possible. He only noticed halfway that Vivi was running and that her stupid yellow chicken was nowhere to be seen. He decided to ask her later now was not the time. They climbed up the half-demolished building and grab each their small suitcase or bag as quickly as possible. Sanji made sure that his two most important objects were safely tucked in his suit jacket. On one side he had the Vinsmoke snail transponder. He'll have to be more careful while using it on board the ship was small. The others would be easily able to overhear him. In his other suit pocket, he had the small can his sister had given him before he had left for his second mission. She had told him that she had not been allowed to give him the real thing like the one his brother and her used. His father would never allow it. But she had been able to at least steal some of the invisibility material they had used to make the real suit. It was now just a simple coat she had to sow herself and make herself from scraps since she did not want their father to know. But he had been immensely grateful. It was one of his most precious treasures. One of the small proofs that he had at least one person in his family that accepted him. And that risked punishment from their father to give this to him. This invisibility cloak and the lighter the head chef back at the palace had given him were his treasures.

He met Vivi in the corridor and they climbed down the stairs together. They quickly spotted the loudly snoring boy on the floor in the dining hall. Sanji swore he heard the man mumble in his sleep. Something about a giant cow fish. How odd.

"How are we going to move him?" Vivi asked him. They both knew that if they woke him up it would take to long to explain everything to him. He might not trust them enough to follow them. If it was up to Sanji he would leave him there. What idiot would get wasted and fall asleep on an unknown island with complete strangers?

Instead of sharing his thoughts on the man out loud, he crouched to the ground grabbed both of the man's feet. He pulled him behind him, not caring that his head was scraping the floor.

"Let's go, Your Highness." The princess must have understood the urgency of the situation because she silently followed him without commenting on his technique.

When the arrived to the boat they passed Usopp, who was unconscious from his head hitting so many times the pavement, to Zoro who got him on the boat. But that's when vivi suddenly realized her dumb pet was missing.

"Oh my gosh, where is Carue? He was with me but I think he ran away during the fight against the agents."

What loyal pet? Sanji thought and rolled his eyes at the duck's cowardly action.

"Are you talking about this duck?" Zoro asked while pointing at the animal that was at them moment happily waving to them from the boat.

Vivi and Sanji were both irritated by their mission companion.

"What are you doing there!?" Vivi yelled at him.

"Where were you when wee needed to carry the unconscious man and our luggage to the boat, you shitty chicken!?" Sanji added.

The duck seemed to be terrified by their angry expressions because he quickly hid behind Zoro. And cautiously stayed there until the boat was ready to sail away.