Chapter Thirteen
The dining area of the restaurant was relatively empty, as Baratie didn't open until sometime after 1 o'clock for a late lunch before closing briefly to prepare for dinner. Sanji and Usopp had risen from bed several hours earlier than Zoro and Luffy, having to attend to their daily chores. The blonde chef had been willing to make a small breakfast for the pair, while Usopp stood near them to keep their guests entertained.
"-so that was when I told the giant fish that he couldn't eat Baratie," said Usopp simply as he finished up one of his many stories. "I guess that's just one of the hazards of living in a port town."
"Wow!" Luffy said around the pancake shoved in his mouth. "So that's why there's a fish on the roof..."
Sanji snorted quietly, though said nothing about the absurdity of the story as he idly blew cigarette smoke into the air. "That's not a real fish up there, you idiot. It's made of wood."
Luffy's eyes only widened and he swallowed dramatically, rounding on Usopp as if it were his fault for not telling the story properly. "You mean it was a giant wooden fish?"
"I turned it into wood," the curly-haired man elaborately pompously.
Luffy opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Sanji interrupted him with a tone that sounded politely interested, but held a slightly evil glint to those who knew him well. "Oh? And how exactly did you do that?"
"I told him he could eat some trees instead," Usopp said smoothly. "He ate so many, he turned to wood! You are what you eat, you know."
"So Luffy will turn into a pancake soon, then," Sanji mused aloud, nodding as if that made sense.
Luffy, meanwhile, looked incredibly startled and a little unnerved. "I'll-what?"
"You better be careful, Luffy!" warned Usopp, wagging a finger at him.
"Stop filling him with crap that isn't true," growled Zoro, crankily stuffing a pancake into his mouth to prove that food couldn't hurt him.
Luffy stared between Usopp and Zoro, not really sure which to listen to. "But Zoro... what about that one fruit?" he asked, perplexed.
"That's obviously different," replied the swordsman.
"It is?"
"Yes."
"Oh." Luffy fell silent, thoughtful for only a moment before he got distracted with the food on his plate and began eating in earnest again. If he was going to turn into his food, it would have happened long ago. And there was nothing wrong with becoming a pancake. Pancakes were tasty and especially good dripping with syrup and butter.
Sanji raised an eyebrow at the exchange, but didn't even bother asking. He'd get some stupid answer, no doubt, and it would just turn out that Luffy was talking about cantaloupe or something.
He leaned back on his crutch and looked around slightly impatiently. He felt bored just standing around waiting for the restaurant to open, a restlessness that did not often happen. There was just something about the day, maybe, that made him feel like constantly doing something more than he was. It had started when he woke up that morning and stumbled out of the room (that Marimo-head never even thanked him for bothering to navigate around the idiot instead of just stomping on him like he could have) and continued all that morning for no explainable reason. He sighed lightly and turned his attention back to the table, waiting for the restlessness to leave, or something to happen to make it go away.
As if sensing his friend's restlessness, Usopp turned to Sanji. "You know, the cast should be removed soon. Then you'll be able to move more freely."
Sanji smirked. "The cast should have come off long ago. I should take it off today, even. Not like a few extra days will make a difference."
"You can't take that cast off yourself," said Usopp, eyebrows furrowing a little.
Sanji's smirk increased to almost mischievous. "Ahh, Usopp. You have no faith in me... I bet I could do just fine."
The waiter was about to argue as Nami casually strode through the front doors of Baratie and into the dining area. Seeing her, Zoro paused long enough to regard the navigator with a suspicious look. "Where've you been?"
"Out," she said simply. "Seeing that you were too busy sleeping to do anything useful, I decided to go out and see if there were any ships available for us to use."
Luffy straightened up, swallowing his food in a hurry and turning shining eyes on Nami. "Ship?"
His excited exclamation was nearly overlapped by Sanji's swoon. "Nami-swan! You're looking beautiful today as always! Would you like breakfast? Do you need anything to drink? Sit down and I'll prepare you the best Baratie has to offer!" He tilted to the side, somehow managing to leave the impression that, if it had been possible, little hearts would have been floating all around him.
The orange-haired girl smiled sweetly. "That's awfully kind of you, Sanji-kun!" Usopp rolled his eyes from where he sat.
Smiling so widely that the corner of his lips was nearly eclipsed by the hair on his left, Sanji sang cheerfully, "Of course, Nami-swan! Anything for you!" Without making her wait for another minute, he made his way quickly to the kitchen, already planning an elaborate meal in his mind.
Luffy impatiently slammed his hand on the table, trying to get Nami's attention. "Hey! Ship! You said ship!"
For someone who's filthy rich, he sure has lousy manners, thought Nami, clearly irritated by the whole affair. "Anyway, yes, we'll need a good ship if we intend to cross the sea. We won't be able to get very far in a row boat or a raft, you know."
Leaning forward happily, Luffy grinned widely. "Did you find a ship? Is it nice? Is it big? When can we pick it up?" His questions were nearly falling over each other in his excitement.
"There is no ship!" said Nami, lightly whapping Luffy upside the head. "We don't have the money!"
"What?" Luffy looked absolutely crestfallen, staring at her as if she had just said his best friend died. "But... how will we get one then? Don't you have enough?"
"Not enough to buy a good one," she said, folding her arms. She hated it when she didn't have the money to buy the things she wanted. "Don't worry, though, I'll think of something."
Relaxing back into his chair, Luffy frowned and said seriously, as if she did not know, "Okay, 'cause we really need one."
"I think I've made that pretty clear." Lightly tapping the table, Nami stared out of one of the wide windows. "It's a shame we don't have one. Otherwise, we could leave tomorrow."
"We should go look for one then! Let's go right now-it won't be hard, right? I bet there're ships lying around all over the place!" Luffy laughed cheerfully.
Nami suddenly slammed both hands onto the table, causing Zoro's empty plate to dance several inches. "Have you been listening? I've been looking for ships all day! We don't have the money!"
"Then we'll get one some other way, right?" Luffy grinned at her, adding optimistically, "It always works out somehow. Maybe if we go look for one, someone will give it to us for free!" He laughed again, happy to be discussing the sea and ships in any way.
"Oi, we've had this talk before," said Zoro. "The world doesn't work that way."
"But maybe we'll be lucky," Luffy insisted, turning his dark gaze on Zoro. "Let's go look after breakfast, and if we find one for free then we win! If not, Nami will definitely find an answer."
"Don't waste your time," insisted Nami. "No one is going to give you a ship for free."
"Then," Luffy said, mildly exasperated, "how're yougonna get us one?"
"I'll figure it out!"
Luffy waved a dismissive hand. "It doesn't matter, as long as we get one. When do you think you'll find one?"
"AS SOON AS I CAN!"
Usopp visibly winced.
Sanji appeared as suddenly as he had disappeared, his arms filled with impressively balanced, elaborately made delicacies. He noticed Nami nearly vibrating with frustration, and immediately placed himself at her side. "The most delicate of tastes for the most beautiful of ladies," he murmured near her ear, placing the plates carefully in front of her. He noted who Nami was glaring at, and turned his own icy stare on Luffy. "I leave for five minutes and you've already become a nuisance. Whatever you're doing, stop it. You're upsetting Nami-san."
Luffy just frowned at Sanji, pointing at the navigator. "What! But she started it!"
Sanji's stare, if anything, only got a touch colder.
"It's all right, Sanji-kun," sighed Nami tragically. "I have to put up with this terrible abuse everyday. I'm used to it."
"No, Nami-san!" Sanji leaned down, one arm around her shoulders in comfort (and if that put him in a great position to see her cleavage and to feel her wonderfully soft shoulders, well, that was purely coincidence). "I'll protect you! Just call me your Prince and I'll keep idiots like him away!"
Luffy huffed indignantly across the table.
Usopp, on the other hand, covered his face, apparently too embarrassed to say or do anything.
"You're so considerate, Sanji-kun," cooed Nami, snuggling just a little against him.
Sanji's entire face went pink-red from pleasure, his cigarette nearly falling from his mouth as he leaned even closer to her, his eyes rolled heavenward at his good luck. "Waa! Nami-swa~n! You're the best!" If there had been a few imaginary hearts before, now they would have been surrounding him like a particularly amorous aura.
"Anyway," coughed Usopp, "where exactly are you going?"
"To Shanks'!" Luffy said with a cheerful grin before anyone else could answer.
"Shanks?" The curly-haired man leaned forward, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That's an unusual name. Actually it sounds a lot like a king who lives across the sea-"
"I know," Luffy laughed, though whether that meant they were off to see the king, or whether the name sounded like that king's name, he didn't say.
"Do you guys know King Shanks?" shrieked Usopp, eyes widening.
"Of course we do! You do too-didn't you just say his name?" Luffy said.
The waiter was too stunned to speak, unsure of what to make of all this.
As if anticipating more interrogation, Luffy looked questioningly toward Zoro to see if he had anything to say. They weren't supposed to let people know who Luffy was, but how were they supposed to explain going to Shanks' otherwise? Luffy never did learn how to lie very well...
"We have business in his kingdom - near Cocoyashi, I think," the swordsman said lazily. "It's not that big of a deal."
Usopp settled back in his seat, but he didn't look very satisfied.
Luffy nodded, smiling encouragingly at Usopp. "Yeah, business. Hey! So you've heard of the king there? What've you heard?" He leaned forward, interested in Usopp's storytelling, and any updated news on his friend. He hadn't heard anything clear about him for a long time, even before he'd had to leave Anchor.
"Shanks is amazing!" Usopp waved his hands in the air, suddenly excited. "He used to be a pirate, you know-"
"Yeah! Such a great crew, too!" Luffy joined in the excitement. He knew Shanks had been a pirate, of course-he had heard too many stories to not have, had been there on the ship, knew more about Shanks' pirate life than Usopp probably knew. But it was still fun to hear about something he knew so much about from a new friend who didn't know he knew that.
"Yeah." Usopp rested his chin onto his palm. "I wish I were a pirate…"
"You should be!" Luffy answered cheerfully. "Just get a ship and make a flag and find a great crew and you're there." He paused, then added with a grin, "You can be in my crew when I become the Pirate King."
Usopp laughed a little. "Sure, sure…"
"Hey, hey, but what else about Shanks? I know he was a pirate, but are there any more recent stories? Umm. Just so we don't... go into danger." His explanation was rather weak, but it was obvious that he was honestly interested in current news about the distant king.
"I dunno." Usopp scratched his head. "I haven't read the paper in awhile. There are rumors of him setting sail again, though."
"Setting sail?" Luffy looked surprised and confused, leaning back into his chair thoughtfully. "I wonder why..."
"The world's pirates are getting restless, I think," muttered Usopp.
"Must be the Grand Line," Luffy answered, wistful and a little subdued.
"Maybe so." Usopp leaned back in his chair. "I'm gonna go there someday."
Luffy grinned, but he looked away. "Guess I'll see you there then, huh?"
"Yeah!" laughed Usopp. "That'd be great..."
"Yeah!" Luffy's grin stayed, seeming only a little bit like it was blankly caught there as he found himself looking across the room. His gaze landed on the table that only the day before Usopp had claimed Gold Roger's ghost used to sit at.
Suddenly, Pattie stomped by, smacking Sanji upside the head. "Oi! We're about to open for lunch!"
Being interrupted in the middle of snuggling with a beautiful woman was bad enough, but having the culprit be Pattie made it even worse. Standing up, Sanji turned an irritated glower on the cook. "So? You a kid that needs me to hold your hand or something?"
"You're just being lazy," growled Pattie.
"And you're in denial," Sanji snorted, but he moved to leave anyway. Not before turning back to Nami with a curling smile, followed by a questioning glance toward Usopp to see if he was staying at the table or coming with.
Getting up, Usopp gave a jaunty wave. "I have important duties to attend to, bye!"
Luffy snapped out of his reverie to wave cheerfully back, somehow in the movement rediscovering that he still had food. Turning back to his plate, he voraciously continued where he had left off.
Sanji waited for Usopp before he turned to make his way across the room, his crutch a staccato counter-beat to his steps.
The lunch hour picked up speed within ten minutes after their conversation. Nami seemed irritated to have to listen to the constant chatter of customers and the crazy ramblings of the prince, so she took herself outside, saying that she'd be thinking of a way to get a ship. Zoro, meanwhile, sat tilted back in his chair, clearly bored but not in a hurry to give up his spot to go anywhere.
"I hope she finds a boat soon," the swordsman muttered.
"Yeah, me too!" Luffy enthused, smiling brilliantly. "I haven't been on the sea in such a long time... I can't wait!"
"Then the sooner we can get to our destination." Zoro closed his eyes. "I'm kind of tired of hanging around here."
Suddenly, the doors burst open and Captain Fullbody strode arrogantly into the room, one hand placed into his suit pocket, a female friend hanging off his other arm. "I demand to be seated!" he called pompously. Zoro looked up with mild interest at how obnoxious this guy was, even after only saying a few words. He was stunned to find that he'd beaten the all-time record Sanji had set when they'd first met.
Within moments, Usopp had scurried over to Fullbody. "Table for two?" he asked.
"Nice to know you can count, waiter," came the condescending reply meant to carry across the room. "Did you learn that skill from your Mommy, or your Daddy?"
Luffy turned his attention to the obnoxious customer, his expression blank as he watched the interaction and Usopp's body language.
Rolling his eyes, Usopp didn't even bother to reply as he led them over to one of the tables and handed them menus. "Can I bring you any drinks?"
"I don't know," Fullbody laughed, "Can you? I'm sure we'd like to think you're capable of even doing that much, wouldn't we, Jenny?" He turned to the woman hanging off his arm, and her dainty laugh joined his deeper chuckles.
"Hey," Luffy said suddenly to Zoro from their table placed unfortunately close to the newcomer's. "What's his problem?"
"He's an asshole," said Zoro simply. "I think that explains enough."
Usopp grit his teeth at the snide remark. "Look, I can't bring you any drinks if you don't tell me what you want."
"I heard," Fullbody said innocently to Jenny, "that the mark of a good waiter is one who can tell what the customer truly wants, without the customer needing to say a thing." She giggled lightly at him, her perfectly manicured hand rising to cover her mouth daintily. He paused just long enough for the veiled insult to hang in the air before he turned to Usopp with an exaggerated sigh. "Really, I'm just expecting too much. A bottle of your most expensive wine." The order was given in a tone that implied Usopp clearly should have known what he would want.
"Right," said Usopp grudgingly, turning away and heading toward the kitchen.
"I couldn't be a waiter," remarked Zoro. "Too many people telling me what to do."
Luffy laughed, something about the remark briefly removing his solemnity at the scene as he turned to Zoro. "Wouldn't you normally get ordered around a lot as a bodyguard?" he asked, amused.
Fullbody and Jenny fell to a quiet conversation the moment Usopp walked away, the light laughter of Jenny chiming now and then at something murmured.
"I needed money," shrugged Zoro. "Ace actually got the job for me before he left…he made it sound like it was the best job in the world for me."
Luffy did not look away, the grin widening as a twinkle of teasing mischief appeared in his eyes. "Oh? And so far, is it?" He was clearly too amused for his own good.
There was a faint twinkle in the swordsman's eye. "It could be worse."
The comment made Luffy throw his head back and laugh honestly and loudly, one hand dropping to his stomach, the other unconsciously moving up to hold his straw hat down. "Yeah, I guess it could be, couldn't it?" he managed, closing his eyes in amusement.
Fullbody and Jenny looked over in annoyance, but other than a snide remark about 'scruffy vagabonds' being allowed into the restaurant, he did not bother with them.
At that moment, Usopp came running back into the dining area with an uncorked bottle of wine. "Your drinks, sir," he muttered, pouring a bit into both glasses.
"You already uncorked it?" Fullbody demanded indignantly, looking affronted as he yanked his glass away in the middle of Usopp attempting to pour. "Can't you do anything right? Yasopp was completely useless, but at least he knew how to handle wine properly. Congratulations, kid. I think you're even worse than he was."
Fist clenching at his side, Usopp coldly placed the bottle onto the table with his other hand. "My father never poured any wine for bastards like you."
Fullbody raised his eyebrows, pleased to finally get a response. "Oh?" he drawled, taunting, "You remember him? I was under the impression he was as shitty a father as he was a member of society. Do you remember him, Jenny? Oh, but wait. You'd likely remember him as the dirty drunkard on the corner more than you'd remember him by name..." He turned his attention back to Usopp, looking politely interested even if both knew he was anything but. "So he was around enough for you to know he never poured wine for those above him in life, hmm?"
Usopp's eyebrow twitched. "You don't know anything about my father! He wasn't a drunkard like you! He went off to follow his dreams like the man he is - more of a man than you'll ever be!"
By now, various patrons in the restaurant were staring at this unusual argument as it took place. Many were wary - after all, as often as fights broke out at Baratie, it was highly unusual for staff to get into scuffles with any of the actual customers.
There was a certain tension to a coming fight, something that was easily felt by the staff of Baratie even without the more obvious markers like loud arguments. Several cooks already knew something was happening even before the main room quieted down some and rising voices could be heard through the door. Sanji was the first to stride through the doors, his exit causing most of the cooks to return to what they were doing while a few lingered their gaze on the door as if contemplating following.
Annoyed at being pulled from the kitchen, Sanji was ready to yell at whoever was causing an issue in the dining room when he finally noticed the situation, and who was involved. For a moment he just stood still, thinking that Usopp's slightly harried look earlier when he came for wine suddenly made sense. He had already made his decision to stand behind his friend in case he needed his help when he heard what the conversation was about. That only made him drastically increase his speed.
Fullbody laughed, but the sound was cold. "I think I know more about him than you do, kid." He paused, adding in an obviously falsely sympathetic tone, "Remind me, just how young were you when he left you and your mother to rot..? Apparently something 'more of a man than I'll ever be' would do?"
Usopp suddenly slammed a hand onto the table, the wine bottle jostling violently and shattering onto the floor. "Shut up about my father! He has a sense of pride - he didn't just leave us, bastard. He'll come back someday!"
Fullbody smirked, saying in a soft, cruel voice, "Fools never do cease to dream."
Sanji made it to Usopp by then, the crutch and cast annoyingly slowing him down just enough that for a moment he thought he would be too late. He placed a heavy, comforting hand on Usopp's shoulder, looking coolly down at the rude customer. "What's going on here?"
"Nothing that concerns you," replied Fullbody smoothly, looking up. "The waiter and I were just having a friendly debate about what a true man encompasses. Though I think you might want to think twice about hiring riffraff to work at such a nice restaurant. Takes away from the atmosphere, I think." He scratched his chin as he took a haughty sip of his wine. "But I guess you don't have much control over the fact that his father was such a sniveling, worthless, drunken, violent piece of-"
The punch came out of nowhere, cuffing the pink-haired man across the face. A collective gasp washed over the onlookers as Usopp shook himself out of Sanji's gentle grasp, Usopp's fist having already cut through the air. Fullbody flew out of his chair, skidding onto the floor.
"If you're gonna talk lies about my father, you should fight me like a man!" he shouted.
Fullbody lifted himself up from the floor, a bit of blood spurting from his nose. His hands trembled as he furiously dusted himself off. "How dare you! How dare you-! You really are no better than your father, that worthless scum-!"
Usopp immediately launched himself at the man, tackling him to the floor again. Fullbody gave a strangled cry as the two rolled furiously across the floor, taking wild swings at one another.
"Usopp!" Sanji yelled, rather belatedly, really, but he had been so surprised by the sudden fight that it took him a moment to recover. He moved to haul Usopp off Fullbody, but the two were so tangled as they rolled that it would have been difficult even with the use of two legs. With one in a damn awkward cast and a crutch to deal with, all he could do at first was hobble closer and watch for a better opening. They wouldn't be rolling around forever, and truth be told, the man had more than that coming. Still, he had to do his best. "Usopp! Fullbody! Stop it now or I'll stop it for you!"
The chef's fierce shouts fell upon deaf ears. Fullbody was already sporting a severely bloody nose and the beginnings of a black eye by the time his iron knuckles cut across Usopp's face, slicing him open. The waiter gave a strangled cry as he reeled back, but that only served to enrage him further, and he delivered a punch to the pink-haired man's teeth.
Growling furiously (because it was great seeing Fullbody get his ass kicked, but watching Usopp get punched seriously pissed him off), Sanji shoved the crutch between the two and wrenched it sideways with his upper arm and body. He refused to use his hands, but at that moment his legs were not entirely useful. The wooden post at the bottom was sturdy and strong, and he shoved it against Usopp's chest and shoulder. It probably hurt him with the sudden blunt force, which was truly regrettable and Sanji would gladly be bitched at later, but Usopp had been the closest and was in the most precarious position right after that punch, as Fullbody had fallen straight to the ground. He just wanted them apart, though, and that was the fastest way he could think of.
"Get up!" Sanji yelled at them again, his tone angry and sharp. "Get off the fucking floor!"
"Stay out of this!" choked Usopp groggily, blood having run into his mouth. "That guy-I'm gonna kill him-!" He tore Fullybody's shirt in an effort to hang onto his prey.
Fullbody landed a kick at the darker-skinned man. "I'd like to see you try, you-you foul mutt!"
"God damnit!" Sanji growled, irate, but he stepped back anyway. Usopp was right, he did need to stay out of this. It was a fight between those two, and it was Usopp's right to finish it himself. He glared at the two on the ground, knowing full well that this was a fight with pride involved and as such one he could not interfere with.
Yet he was also very aware of the fact that Usopp was brawling in the middle of the dining room, and it would only be so long until enough cooks-or, worse, that shitty old man-showed up that Usopp possibly got in too much trouble to be able to bounce back. Sanji would never let him get kicked out of the restaurant, not if he could help it, but there was only so much he could do for someone that had been 'adopted' by Sanji against Zeff's better judgment in the first place...
Usopp let out a curse as he punched Fullbody again and again before his frame seemed to suddenly sag from a lack of energy. He exhaled shakily, his fist slamming into the floorboard beside Fullbody's head. Everyone in the room watched with bated breath as the young man seemed to have an internal struggle with himself. Although Fullbody was still smacking him around, Usopp seemed to have lost his will to fight back.
"What's wrong?" the pink-haired man screamed. "Can't finish what you started?"
Usopp abruptly yanked himself out of Fullbody's grasp, standing up. He swayed slightly, and a murmur ran through the crowd when it looked like he was about to fall over. "You aren't worth the effort," he spat. And with that, he turned away and began to resolutely head back toward the kitchen.
Fullbody watched him, aghast, before he began to tremble with rage. "Not worth it?" he shouted after him. Suddenly, he ripped the bloodied iron knuckles off his fist and hurled it after Usopp's back.
Sanji had been willing to let the fight run its course, and he did. But the moment he saw Fullbody's parting shot to Usopp's back, he was in motion faster than the pink-haired man's reflexes. He easily whipped his leg up, kicking the knuckles out of the way, and in the same movement dropped to one hand on the ground, tossing the crutch to the side. Bracing himself with the strength in one arm and the other held out in balance, he kicked Fullbody upwards hard in the ribs with his good foot, yelling out, "Cotellete!"
When the pink-haired man started to fly into the air, Sanji twisted and shifted his weight, still supporting himself with one hand but pushing upward to yell, "Selle!" as his good leg slammed into Fullbody's lower back. Normally he would have switched to his other leg for that, but he had to account for the cast. He realized instantly that the next shot needed his other leg to work with his current momentum and for him to properly balance, though, and he found his body moving before he had even realized he agreed with its decision. Shoving powerfully with his hands to jump back up, he landed on his good leg, bracing and balancing himself as he was already winding up for the parting shot.
"I think I should mention," he said calmly to Fullbody as his body swung around and his cast-covered leg arched toward his chest, "that you've outstayed your welcome here. Mouton shoot!"
Throwing all his strength into his leg and accounting as much as he could for the cast, he felt great satisfaction in listening to Fullbody's painful scream as all of Sanji's considerable force (and the uncomfortable addition of an unyielding cast) slammed into his upper chest, snapping him away with so much momentum that he flew straight through the front doors and continued at least across the street.
Sanji stayed silent for a moment, his leg still held out behind him as he remained balanced as solidly as if he were not standing in an awkward position. He moved to stand back up straight, but as he shifted he became aware of a strange crackling sound that only grew louder as he dropped the cast-covered foot to the ground. Fractures had started in the cast from his foot and were racing upward, arcing around the cast in a random but quick fashion until, quite spectacularly, the entire cast splintered and fell to the ground in shards. Staring down at his now-free leg, Sanji only made a soft noise of mild interest and lit a new cigarette; dragging in a deep, slow breath and definitely enjoying the moment.
Poor little Jenny immediately got up from her chair and hurried outside as the onlookers gasped in wonder. A few even got up and clapped, and a whistle of approval sounded out as Sanji stood triumphant among the pieces of plaster.
Zoro tried not to look too impressed.
"Wow!" Luffy yelled, leaning forward with huge, shining eyes. "I didn't know you were so good, Sanji! And look how far Usopp got!" He stopped to laugh carefree, "You're really good fighters!"
Sanji took a moment of blissfulness with just his smoke and the familiar muted burn in his throat, but it was not too long before he turned and bowed slightly to the audience. "I apologize for the interruption. Someone will be out to clean this mess immediately, and in the meantime I hope you continue to enjoy your meals," he calmly told the customers. Walking on a slightly shaky leg, he cast a satisfied smirk in Luffy and Zoro's general direction as he headed toward the kitchen. Pushing the door open, he immediately searched for Usopp, hoping he was still in there.
The man in question was standing at the far end of the kitchen. His form was leaning over the sink, hands gripping tightly onto the counter from both sides, back facing Sanji.
Ignoring the questioning and appraising looks of the chefs watching Usopp, Sanji immediately strode toward his friend.
One of the cooks glanced over as he passed, and noticed the lack of cast. "Sanji!" he said in surprise. "Your-!"
But Sanji did not answer, did not even glance over to acknowledge he had noticed the comment. He stopped only when he was at Usopp's side, and when he finally looked back at everyone, it was to glare as if to tell everyone to mind their own business and leave the two alone. Most of the chefs took the hint and turned slowly back to their cooking, but a few ignored the silent warning and rebelliously continued to watch. Ignoring the few stragglers, Sanji figured that was good enough for the moment and looked down at Usopp. "Hey," was all he said, by way of calm greeting.
The sink's pristine bottom was stained with the steady dripping of blood from Usopp's face. He didn't turn toward Sanji, continuing to stare down into the basin instead. There was a heavy silence.
"Hey," he muttered hoarsely after a moment.
Sanji remained silent at first, having no words that seemed appropriate at the time. But he rested his left hand gently on Usopp's upper back, and glanced away as he grabbed a nearby towel with his right. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed a few chefs still watching with varying levels of interest. Two of them even looked pleased at the turn of events, and it was those expressions that caused Sanji's entire face to darken and single visible eye to glare harshly. "If you have time to gawk, you have time to clean. Go fix up the dining room, now," he ordered, looking directly at the two.
They looked indignant, and though a fight seemed imminent with some insults snapped back and uncooperative replies harshly muttered, Sanji just continued to glare until the two finally, grudgingly, stalked out of the kitchen to do as he had demanded. Although many of the cooks felt great resentment toward Sanji, the fact still remained that he was Head Cook, and as much as it irked them to obey, when Zeff was not around they ultimately had to. A few of the cooks glanced at Sanji almost sympathetically, though, as it was not universal that he or Usopp were disliked. The rest of the chefs returned to cooking and the level of background noise rose to its normal pitch as the two by the sink were more or less ignored.
Satisfied, Sanji turned back to Usopp and a little belatedly pressed the towel gently against the visible wounds he could see from his angle. He wanted to say something light to make Usopp smile, but he felt like it would be out of place, so he tried to help in silence as he waited to see if Usopp had anything he wanted to say.
Usopp bit his lip for a moment, and his grip on the counter tightened as if the gesture bothered him. But he didn't push Sanji away.
"I hate him," Usopp said through gnashed teeth.
"For good reason," Sanji said mildly, leaning forward slightly so he could see more of Usopp. He shifted the towel to the next closest, most visible wound, and added calmly, "I hate him too."
"He didn't insult your family," said Usopp bitterly.
"That means I can't hate him for hurting my best friend?" he asked, finally lifting his left hand from Usopp's back so he could reach his chin and lightly try to tilt Usopp's face up so he could see better. He continued calmly, his voice soft and honest, "Anyway, you're like family to me, and you work and live in the same home as me. He basically did."
Usopp tried to resist Sanji's pull, but his face was too sore to put up too much of a fight. Even so, his dark gaze wouldn't meet Sanji's, and he closed his eyes suddenly.
Not commenting on him closing his eyes, Sanji just used the new angle to his advantage and continued to gently clean Usopp's face. "He didn't know what he was talking about, you know. He just wanted to piss you off, for some damn reason." He sounded angry at the idea.
"It just makes him feel better about himself." Usopp began to practically tremble with rage. "My father wasn't a drunkard-"
"No, he wasn't," Sanji agreed, pressing the towel lightly against Usopp's eyes while they were closed. He had never met Yasopp personally, only knew him from Usopp's stories that contrasted sharply with the rumors and comments from the citizens of Baratie, but he trusted Usopp's rendition more than everyone else's. Yasopp couldn't have been a bad man, not if Usopp had turned out as good as he had, not if such a good person cared so much about the father that people whisperingly called a deadbeat.
Usopp swallowed hard, and the cloth over his eyes became damp with something much clearer than blood.
Acting as if he did not notice the silent tears, Sanji just held the towel steady for a few heartbeats before shifting it back down to the other wounds, so Usopp could open his eyes again if he wished. After a moment, Sanji felt his mouth pull to the side in a wry smile, and he said, "Luffy was really impressed with your moves. Don't be surprised if he asks you for a few pointers next time he sees you."
In spite of himself, Usopp gave a strained laugh. "I guess I was pretty cool, wasn't I? Now…if I'd have had my slingshot…"
"You would've had even Marimo-head asking for advice," Sanji easily finished the sentence, his voice a little wry, a little purely amused. "As it was, I think he was desperately trying to pretend he didn't see any of the last twenty minutes, so he obviously couldn't be impressed." The last was said with light sarcasm. He paused, then grinned, the expression transferring to his voice. "But you missed the scattered applause and a few standing ovations by the time it was all over. Maybe you should go into dinner theatre. You can entertain people as they eat, and probably get some good tips as well."
"Probably better than tips as a waiter," said Usopp, slightly smiling. "But-" His eyes suddenly trailed down to Sanji's legs, and his eyes widened in stunned silence.
Sanji raised his visible eyebrow, watching Usopp stare at his legs. When he didn't say anything at first, Sanji smirked. "You can stare all you like, but after awhile I start to charge," he drawled, amused.
Blushing furiously, Usopp gave Sanji an irritated glare. "That's not funny," he said. "What happened to your cast?"
"We had a little disagreement and felt some time apart would be beneficial," he answered in that same drawling tone, enjoying watching Usopp be a little off-balanced for less traumatic reasons than the fight with Fullbody.
"I'm serious, Sanji."
Sanji could not make the smirk leave at first, but then he sighed and looked away, automatically searching for a new smoke as he lowered the towel from Usopp's face. "Fullbody was being a nuisance after you left, so I made him go." Placing the new cigarette in his lips, he flicked open his lighter one-handed and lit it, drawing in a deep breath and placing the lighter back in his pocket. Looking back up at Usopp, he calmly finished, "In the... scuffle, my cast happened to fall apart." He paused, shrugging with one shoulder casually. "Probably because it had been on for so long. I'm sure the plaster gets weak after awhile, doesn't take much for it to break."
"You-kicked Fullbody with your injured leg?" asked Usopp, horrified. "Why?"
Sanji looked mildly irritated that the conversation had turned around to discussing this, but he answered anyway. "Look, the asshole threw his fucking iron knuckles at you when your back was turned. There was no way he was getting away with that. I tried to account for my cast, but at a certain point momentum and balance dictated I use both legs, so I did." He shrugged. "It's not like it hurt-my leg's felt fine for a long time now, and the cast took most of the impact anyway. Probably did less to me than if I'd used my normal leg. And anyway, now I don't have to go to the doctor and waste time sitting around while they take off a cast I easily got off on my own." He paused then added with a slightly teasing smirk, "I told you I could do it myself but you just didn't believe me. So little faith." His soft sigh was nothing but light melodrama.
Usopp stared at Sanji, his eyes still glistening with unshed tears.
Staring back, Sanji wondered if this was working. Usopp still seemed more upset than he wanted him to be, but he had no idea what to say. So he just dropped the bloodied towel into the sink and brought his hand idly up to the cigarette, pulling it away to breathe out a lazy cloud of smoke and tip a few ashes into the garbage. "You up to going back out there, or do you wanna hang around here for a bit more?" he asked by way of subject change.
Looking down toward his boots, Usopp placed his hands into his pockets. "I have a feeling this is going to get me fired."
Sanji shrugged. "Who knows what that shitty old man will say? No use worrying about it, and I'll back you up anyway. You know that. You've earned yourself a lunch break, so why not rest at the table out there while we eat?" He couldn't help the smirk. "It'll give me a good reason to watch those two smart-asses grumble about cleaning up. I've been meaning to make them do some menial work for a while... they keep making snide comments about my presentation. This was the perfect excuse."
Usopp shifted uncomfortably. It didn't seem appropriate for him to go back outside after causing such a scene.
"Or you could eat in here," Sanji added casually when he noticed his discomfort, belatedly returning the cigarette to his mouth, "Or I could bring you some lunch in our room. It's probably quieter in there. Personally, I wouldn't mind hanging out there for a bit."
"That sounds good," muttered Usopp.
Sanji nodded, already turning toward the center of the kitchen where he could start creating the meal. "I'll start making lunch then. Want me to meet you there?" The last was asked purely curiously, there was nothing in his tone that implied he thought Usopp should go ahead. He seemed as welcoming of Usopp staying as he was of Usopp leaving before him.
"I should put some ointment on my face," said Usopp softly. "I hope it doesn't scar…"
"I'm sure it won't, but grab an ice pack while you're here and use the ointment right away anyway. The first aid kit's still in that broken cupboard by the door, you know the one? Just yank on the handle and it'll open. I'll help you when I get in there if you want."
Usopp nodded and headed toward the back door. He paused long enough to turn around and give Sanji a soft smile. "Hey, uh…thanks…"
Sanji grinned. "What for? You're the one that livened up the day and got me out of a doctor's appointment. I should really be thanking you."
The curly-haired man snorted and shook his head before disappearing from the kitchen.