Chapter Fourteen
The two chefs, Jason and Aaron, were nearly finished with cleaning the mess in the living room by the time Sanji left the kitchen with the food. He glanced at them sidelong but only smirked to himself and innocently ignored their mutinous, sulking glares. Many of the customers had left, already on their way through Baratie the town to hit the markets while the new shipments from the ports arrived. While most of the food and items in the market place were new in the morning, the ships from other areas of the world tended to dock mid-morning to early afternoon, partially due to the schedules of other islands and partially just by coincidence that had built to tradition over time.
As such, there was always an influx of people before and after the major dock unloading, and Sanji was unsurprised to see the dining room relatively empty. In just two hours or so, he knew, they would start to get the early dinner crowd, and they would be busy the rest of the night. One table in particular did intrigue him with its emptiness, though, and as he approached his room he was already expecting to hear the voices drifting through the door.
It was a little annoying, he reflected idly to himself, that normal conversations could be heard so clearly through that thick wood. Not that it mattered all that much, as Usopp and he did not have a habit of discussing things that others could not overhear, but being in a room with the door shut gave the illusion of privacy that was not as realistic once the person's voice apparently went a bit over normal speaking level.
He paused outside the door, just in case he was walking into something serious, but all he heard was Luffy going on enthusiastically about how nice it was to see Usopp kick that guy's ass. Smirking to himself, Sanji expertly turned the doorknob with no hands available and using only his arm, and slid his way into the room, pushing the door firmly shut again behind him with his foot.
"-n't think you'd do it, I bet," Luffy was grinning, leaning forward with his legs sloppily crossed and elbows resting on his knees. "But then- Bam!- before he knew it, he was on the floor!" Luffy laughed clearly then, obviously greatly enjoying reenacting the scene in his mind.
Rolling his eyes good-naturedly to himself, Sanji set the food on the table near Usopp and moved to the side. "Hmm. Didn't take long to get on this topic, did it?" he asked, not expecting an answer, though he definitely sounded amused.
"It was bound to come up," said Zoro irritably as Usopp gave Sanji a grateful look.
"That guy was such a moron, though," Luffy was laughing, comfortably seated on the floor and leaning against the cot. He grinned, not really thinking about what he was saying as he was caught up in the amusement. "He obviously doesn't know Yasopp at all... I mean, yeah, he drinks, but it's not like that's all he does, and even when he's drunker than Shanks he could still beat anyone in a fight."
Usopp nearly choked on a spoonful of peas. "What?"
"I said he would still beat anyone in a fight," Luffy repeated innocently. "I mean, well, maybe not a sword fight, since I've never seen him use a sword... But, man! Get some guns, and even Ben'd lose, you know?"
"Did you…" Usopp tried not to get his hopes up, and he willed himself to speak calmly. "Do you know my dad?"
"Yeah, of course I-" Luffy started blithely, though he stopped halfway through and the laughter quieted when he looked suddenly at Zoro with an expression that distinctly said, 'Oh, shit.' "I mean... umm..." He trailed off, staring at his bodyguard and asking silently what he should do.
Sanji, who had been watching Luffy with increasing surprise during the conversation, suddenly looked very suspicious. He eyed Zoro harshly, noting how Luffy tended to look to him when their stories weren't working out perfectly. "Just what the hell is going on here?" he demanded. "You actually know Usopp's dad? How?"
"So he met the kid's dad at some point, so what?" barked Zoro gruffly.
"Yeah?" Sanji challenged, his gaze narrow and unrelenting as he met Zoro's eyes. "He suddenly knows so much about Yasopp from one meeting? We're supposed to believe that bullshit? And even putting that aside, you people are way too suspicious. Showing up in bandit clothing, having all these holes in your stories that never quite get explained. And that's not even touching on you and Luffy. What the hell is up with that, huh? Come on, I'm interested in the half-assed lie you'll come up with for this one. There's something going on there... it's not normal the way you're so protective of him. Either there's something more going on between you two, or there's a hell of a story you're trying to hide."
Zoro gaped at Sanji. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? 'Something going on between us…' That's ridiculous."
Sanji laughed, though he did not sound amused. "Oh believe me, that is the least suspicious conclusion a person would draw from watching you two. Normal people don't growl threats if someone looks at their friend wrong, don't look like they would rather rip the room apart then let him be woken up just because the real owners of the room want their fucking bed back. You're constantly watching him; don't think we haven't noticed. And Luffy isn't any better, you know. What kind of guy promises so seriously he'll immediately find you the moment he returns? Why does he keep making these comments that he looks to you to cover up, huh? Either you've got so much control over him he's totally whipped, or it's something else. You can try to let us believe whatever you like, but unless you've got some fucked up BDSM Master/Pet thing going here, I'm guessing there's something else you're not letting us in on."
"You're sick," hissed Zoro. "Damn sick. You know that?"
"Fine, play that game," Sanji answered, leaning back and crossing his arms. Turning with a harshly mock-innocent expression to Luffy, he said, "Do you want me to go shopping with you for a leash tomorrow too while you're at it, or do you think Zoro won't let you leave with someone so suspicious, someone he doesn't trust enough to even move you from a bed?"
Luffy was watching the conversation quietly, his expression unreadable. But when he got brought in with such a question, he just frowned and made himself not glance at Zoro to keep from giving more evidence for Sanji's theory. "It's not what you think..." he said, hedging the issue a bit.
"Oh?" Sanji said immediately, leaning forward slightly. "Then what is it, huh?" When Luffy's frown deepened but he said nothing, Sanji just leaned back with dark satisfaction. "Ahh. Should we get some leather to go with your leash?"
"Don't talk to Luffy like that!" Zoro suddenly got up from where he'd been sitting, his form looming over Sanji like a provoked bear. He was outraged - outraged that this guy he barely knew would assume such stupid things about Luffy, would disgrace the prince - and his friend - in such a distasteful manner!
Sanji did not back down before Zoro's anger, in fact he moved forward and reached for his shirt collar to haul him nearer. "Then maybe you should fucking explain what you're doing - what you're possibly pulling Usopp, me, maybe even Baratie into! Are you criminals? Maybe pirates, since your precious little friend is so obsessed with Gold Roger? Are the Marines after you or something? Do we need to worry for our lives or are you just being a sketchy bastard for the fun of it?"
"You think I enjoy this sort of thing?" growled Zoro, his fists clenching at his sides. "We're going to be on our way soon, and you'll never have to think about us again. So shut up."
"I really don't know what you enjoy," Sanji sneered. "At this point I'm not putting anything past you."
"You know what?" Zoro placed a hand over his swords. "If you're gonna be such an ass, we can get out of your hair right now. In fact, I think we will-" He began to turn toward the door.
"N-no!" cried Usopp, suddenly standing. "I want to know what you know about my dad-"
"Damnit!" Luffy yelled, jumping up himself and reaching a hand out to stop Zoro. "Zoro, wait... Sanji's right. We owe them an explanation and..." His voice fell a step, and he found himself looking over to Usopp even as he tightened his hand on Zoro's sleeve. "And anyway, Yasopp told me about Usopp enough for me to know how pissed he'd be if he heard I just walked out on his kid without telling him anything."
The swordsman abruptly turned to the prince, stunned. "L-Luffy…"
"Hey," Luffy said, looking back at Zoro with a soft, only slightly pained smile, "if we can't trust the son of Shanks' sharpshooter, who can we trust? And if they wanna do something about it, then we can just deal with it. If nothing else, you can just go tell Shanks sorry or something if I don't make it."
Luffy shrugged unconcernedly. "But they've helped us when they didn't have to, and anyway... It wouldn't be fair for them not to know, you know?" He lowered his voice, adding with a worried gleam appearing in his eyes, "What if something happens like the fire? They'd lose their house and work for some reason they'd never even know."
Zoro barely repressed a sigh in silent, reluctant agreement. "Fine."
Luffy nodded, satisfied, and turned with a serious expression back to Usopp and Sanji, the latter of whom was looking smug that his plan to get the truth had worked. Now that Luffy had said he would explain, he really didn't know what to say, but he at least knew where to start. Turning his attention solely to Usopp, he sat down on the edge of the cot and frowned thoughtfully.
"I guess I should've known who you were when I first saw you, since you look so much like him, and you have the same name as his son he was always telling me about. But I didn't know for sure until that idiot was calling him by name and you got so mad about it. I know Yasopp, because he's been with Shanks since they were active pirates. They used to come to my home-Shanks and his whole crew-and I used to sit with them while they told stories and passed the time."
He paused then added with a grin, "You have no idea how many times I had to listen to stories about you. The man just did not shut up, especially not with a few drinks in him." He paused again, not really sure where to go with that and figuring Usopp probably had questions.
"So my mom was right," said the curly-haired man in awe. "He went off to become a pirate after all."
Luffy's grin grew wider, happier. "Yeah, he did. The sharpshooter on my favorite pirate ship... He's a great shot, too. I never once saw him miss, no matter the conditions. He was amazing."
Usopp nodded firmly. "Damn right!"
Luffy laughed lightly, then turned to Sanji with a thoughtful frown as he tried to figure out how to answer his questions too. He really didn't want to tell this part, but he knew there was no way around it at this point. And he was serious before-they really did need to give them warning about what they had gotten themselves into.
"As for Zoro... he's actually my bodyguard." Seeing Sanji's eyebrow raise suspiciously, he continued to speak without leaving room for a reply. "I'm... currently on my way toward Shanks' and I needed someone to protect me from assassinations along the way."
He paused only briefly, because the closer he got to admitting his true heritage, the more he realized how much he had enjoyed having no one know, having made friends without his title hanging in the air. But that wasn't important at this point; if anything, the thought was a rather startling epiphany that came just a moment too late. He continued with the explanation, hoping by keeping it to the point and quick he could just get it over with.
"My full name is Monkey D. Luffy... the Crown Prince of Anchor. You've probably heard the country's really unstable right now. My parents hid me and snuck me out and sent Zoro to help me get to Shanks' where I should be safe until we can figure out what to do next." He ended with a one-shoulder shrug.
Sanji just stared, looking between the two with an expression that seemed to say, 'I'm waiting for the punch line here...' He knew something was being hidden, but the idea of Luffy actually being royalty was so laughable that he thought at first that they were just doing a horrible job of trying to cover a lie.
But Zoro's bowed head, set jaw and glinting eyes were a bit more convincing than the chef might have liked.
"So you're going to Shanks'? The king, Shanks…?" Usopp seemed quite impressed, his mouth hanging open.
"Yeah..." Luffy paused then smiled, "He's my friend. I don't know if he knows we're coming, but I'm sure he won't turn us away."
Sanji looked between Luffy and Zoro, noting especially the swordsman's body language. "-Wait. You're serious? The dark secret you had is that Luffy's a freaking prince?" He stared incredulously at the scrawny kid in the casual clothes and battered straw hat, and didn't know if he wanted to laugh or demand answers that made more sense. He finally settled on the declaration, "There's no way he's royalty! I'd even be more likely to believe Zoro's a prince..."
Luffy laughed. "Yeah, I s'pose he'd make a good one, huh?" was all he said, grinning.
Sanji just stared at him as if he quite believed Luffy to be insane. Which was really not too far from the truth.
"Look-" Zoro's eyebrows furrowed suddenly as he turned to Sanji. "We told you the truth. Now it's up to you whether you're gonna believe it or not."
Ignoring the two, Usopp's eyes were firmly fixed on Luffy. "So…so does that mean you'll meet my dad, too?"
Sanji snorted. "Yeah, well, the BDSM thing almost made more sense..." he replied, but it was half-hearted and his attention was already somewhat caught by Usopp's question.
Not listening to Zoro or Sanji, Luffy brightened as he grinned at Usopp. "Yeah! I mean, he should be there. And, oh! The rest of the crew... You wouldn't believe the crew Shanks has! Well, the friends, since I guess they're only sometimes pirates now." Getting caught up in recounting Shanks and his crew, Luffy leaned forward, enthusiastic. "But there's Lucky Roux and Yasopp and Ben-they're all so cool, too! I really liked Ben, but I hear he's been doing a lot more scholarly work once they settled in the castle. The last few times I got to talk to him, I heard more stories about All Blue than I did about past fights." He sounded as though he could not decide if he was disappointed about this or not.
Straightening immediately at the comment, Sanji's gaze sharpened as he stared at Luffy. "Did you say All Blue?"
Blinking, Luffy looked over. "Yeah! Have you heard of it? Supposedly it's some place-"
"-Where all the water from all the seas comes together, where fish from every ocean can be found in the same sea. The chef's paradise." His visible eye grew wider, a smile consuming his face as he leaned eagerly toward Luffy, suddenly seeming much younger than usual. "All Blue! He's heard of it too, then? What's he doing with it?"
"Trying to figure out the exact location," Luffy replied. "I think it has something to do with One Piece. There are legends, you know. That it's in an impossible place within an impossible place..."
Sanji's grin only grew even wider, his visible eye sparkling with interest. "All Blue..." he said to himself softly. "It has to exist..."
"That's fantastic!" laughed Usopp. "Who knew Shanks would be such a great guy? It's such a scandal because he's a king who's also a pirate, but I always figured he'd be cool."
Luffy laughed. "I think almost above all else Shanks enjoys that scandal... It's probably why he's stayed on land so long. And anyway, this way he's a King and a Pirate. Next best thing to a title like the Pirate King, huh?" He laughed lightly again, joking.
Usopp laughed. "I'll say!"
The door suddenly swung open. "I hope you're thinking of what you'll say to your Boss when he confronts you about that nasty incident with a paying customer."
Usopp abruptly whirled around in horror. "Z-Zeff!" Sure enough, the large, one-legged chef was standing at the threshold, his arms folded authoritatively over his chest.
Sanji's boyish grin was gone in an instant, replaced by an almost indignant glare. "What're you doing in here, you shitty old man? No one gave you permission to enter the room."
Luffy just turned to stare at the man, his eyes growing increasingly larger as he looked up at the man's hat... and up... and up... "Wow!" he exclaimed, impressed. "Your hat is huge!" He apparently had missed the part where Sanji seemed irritated at his arrival and insulted him immediately.
"No one gave you permission to go picking fights with customers either!" barked Zeff, his gaze still locked onto Usopp. "I heard all about what happened. And you know what? I really don't give a damn if the chefs squabble over every other thing and cause a scene in front of the guests, but what you pulled today went too far, Usopp."
The curly-haired man seemed to wither underneath his boss's fierce glare. "Yes, sir."
"Oh, come on," Sanji said immediately, narrowing his visible eye. "If you really heard about what happened, you'd know what an ass the guy was! We don't need that kind of scum in our restaurant!"
"He had a hungry stomach to feed!" snapped Zeff. "Whatever he said about his father isn't the point - he was still a paying customer! My restaurant is not the place to be settling disputes with guests!"
Sanji opened his mouth then shut it, seeming to think better of what he had been about to say. He paused, then replied belligerently, "He'd already eaten by then."
"No, he hadn't," said Usopp miserably. "I was still pouring him his wine. He hadn't even ordered his food yet."
"Which he didn't pay for, by the way," said Zeff pointedly, "seeing that he'd been brutally beaten by the end of his stay."
"If you're that concerned about the money, I can pay for his damn wine," Sanji snapped, glaring at Zeff. "You're right. Anyone with an empty stomach gets fed here. He should not have had to leave before that. But Usopp left him there, perfectly able to still order more food if he wanted. And I don't care what you say about not settling fights in here-if he'd said all that shit to you or me we'd've done the same! Probably a hell of a lot sooner, too. But Usopp waited, and he left him alone. I'm the one that actually kicked him out of the restaurant without letting him pay, or order, or do anything."
Zeff turned to Sanji. "You kicking him out was different. He threw an iron knuckles at Usopp's back - he was obviously too much of an ass to stick around if he was physically assaulting the staff when the fight was over." He was immediately turned toward the waiter, however. "But you started the attack to begin with because of a few petty insults about a man you don't even know. Your behavior is inexcusable, and you know it."
At this, there was a glint in Usopp's eyes, and he looked at Zeff. "It wasn't just some man - it was my father."
Sanji took a few steps closer to Zeff, in a manner that was meant to be intimidating. "Yeah, geezer, what the hell's your problem? Usopp didn't start anything! That ass was here last night trying to piss Usopp off too, but he ignored him. That guy was purposefully trying to get a rise out of Usopp, and the only surprise in any of this is how long Usopp kept his cool. I'd've kicked the guy's ass the first time he even thought of saying half that shit to me."
"The difference with you is that I actually chose you to work with me," said Zeff impassively. At those words, Usopp swallowed hard and he turned away.
Sanji scowled, taking another few steps forward. "Yeah? Well I chose Usopp to work with me, and if you chose me than you'd better be fine with who I choose."
"You might be senior cook, but you have a lot of nerve to be acting like you're Boss," growled Zeff. "Usopp didn't belong here when you 'chose' for him to come to work, he never belonged here during the past ten years, and he doesn't belong here now. He will never belong here, as far as I'm concerned."
Chin lightly quivering at the harsh words, Usopp's fists clenched as his fingernails dug deeply into his palms.
"Bullshit! He's lived here ten years and now you think he 'doesn't belong'?" Sanji demanded, furious. "What the fuck is 'belonging' if it's not being used to the place, calling it home, having spent your life there?"
"Belonging means he actually has a job here," said Zeff. "Which he no longer has as of now." Turning to Usopp, he scowled. "I want you and your stuff out of here by tomorrow morning. If I see your face again after the sun's risen, there'll be hell to pay."
"What!" Sanji yelled, closing the distance between himself and the owner. "You can't do that! He didn't even do anything wrong!" He yanked Zeff forward by the collar, growling straight into his face, "What gives you the right to fuck with people like that?"
Zeff peered dangerously at Sanji's hand as it gripped his shirt. "I actually have this restaurant's interests at heart, you brat!"
"What's kicking Usopp out have to do with the interests of Baratie? We'd just be losing our only waiter and a damn good employee over something stupid like an asshole who deserved the beating he got!"
"Waiters are easy to replace." But it wasn't Zeff who had spoken. "He's right, Sanji. I…I really don't belong here anymore…"
Surprised into letting Zeff's shirt go, Sanji whirled around and stared at Usopp. "What? You too, now? Don't listen to that shitty old man, you idiot! He's just pissed that he wasn't there for the excitement. He'll get over it. It's stupid for you to leave."
"Don't put words into my mouth!" snapped Zeff. "I'm serious about him going. I haven't been more serious about anything since opening up this damn restaurant. It'll be the best thing that's happened to Baratie. You're too attached to him."
Sanji turned back to Zeff, backing up a step so he could see Usopp and Zeff by just turning his head instead of needing to turn his entire body each time. He didn't even know what to say to that. That casual comment hit him far harder than anything he expected from Zeff, and for a moment all he could do was stare in betrayal at his mentor. "I can't believe you're even saying this-" he growled, though the hurt was evident in his voice. "What the hell does me being attached to Usopp have to do with Baratie?"
Zeff didn't answer for a moment as Usopp immediately turned away and began to jerkily collect his belongings in stony silence. "It doesn't matter. I'm kicking him out of here either way."
Crossing his arms, Sanji glared murderously at Zeff, but didn't really know what to argue that hadn't been argued. "Where's he supposed to go, then?" he asked instead, challenging.
"Why should I care?" Zeff looked away irritably. "He can go drown himself in the ocean, it wouldn't make any difference to me."
"Stop saying that shit right in front of him!" Sanji yelled, and in his anger, without thinking, he arced around to kick Zeff.
"You guys, stop it!" demanded Usopp suddenly. "It's not worth fighting over like this." He had moved to the closet, removing several articles of clothing. "Zeff's right. It doesn't matter where I'll go."
Sanji made himself stop-partially because Usopp's demand made him realize he was probably not going to help his friend's case by attacking the owner like that on his behalf, and partially because he knew with his still newly healed leg, Zeff would have even more likelihood of winning any fight he started. So he lowered his leg and scowled at Usopp. "Don't be an idiot, of course it matters! What the hell are you planning to do-beg on the freaking streets?"
"He could come with us," Luffy said rather abruptly from his place on the cot where he had been watching it all.
Ignoring Luffy, Usopp suddenly turned toward Sanji. "I'd like to think I'm capable of earning money for myself."
Sanji rolled his eyes. "I'm not saying you're incapable of earning money, but what about for today? How are you going to make enough to sleep somewhere tonight? This is ridiculous! What kind of stupid ass plan is this all? Kicking you out for no good reason..." He trailed off into an angry grumble.
Clutching a shirt in one hand, Usopp nervously licked his lips, but his gaze turned steely. "I might go out and search for my dad."
He had his mouth open already; planning to combat whatever stupid excuse Usopp would have as to why he should be leaving. But that one... Sanji snapped his mouth shut without realizing it, and just stared.
That was the one reason Sanji could see him go... the one thing Usopp had that he could search for, that no one else could tell him no to, the one person that had been in Usopp's mind since they were kids. His father. And what was Sanji to say to that? As much as he enjoyed having his friend around, as much as he thought this was all bullshit that he had to go because of that asshole-in the end, if it brought Usopp to his father... What was Sanji supposed to say to that?
Nothing.
So he looked away, shrugged with one shoulder, and answered in a far more reasonable tone than he had been using lately, "...Yeah, I guess you could." He paused, and added a little firmer. "You should."
The darker-skinned man turned to Sanji, and he gave a soft, sad smile. He knew what implications searching for his dad held for the both of them. "I figured you'd understand."
Sanji sighed and found himself unconsciously patting his pocket for a new cigarette. Finding one, he pulled it out and paid great attention to lighting it, making sure he slipped it into his mouth and had a slight nicotine rush before he spoke again. "So." He met Usopp's eyes, and seemed calm, completely opposite of his demeanor just several moments ago. "You're going right away, then?"
Usopp slightly averted his eyes. "I don't have much of a choice."
"Damn right he doesn't," huffed Zeff. "He's leaving tomorrow morning or I'm kicking him out."
Sanji snorted and lost the calmness long enough to glare sidelong at Zeff. "I wasn't talking to you."
Ignoring them, Usopp silently took to stuffing his clothes into his duffel bag. "I won't be able to take everything, so I guess I'll be leaving some stuff behind," he said at length.
"Don't worry about it," Sanji answered in a carefully casual tone, waving a hand in a lazily dismissive gesture. "I'll watch over it. Nothing'll happen to it." He paused, then added, "It'll still be here when you visit again. To show your dad the best restaurant in the world."
Zeff scowled. "You're leaving as soon as the sun rises, and don't think you're gonna work here ever again. Sanji, if I catch you working at all tonight, I'm gonna kick your ass, so you just stay out of sight, you hear me?" He made his way over to the door and hobbled outside, the door swinging shut behind him.
"What the fu-?" Sanji started to demand irately, the cigarette dangling from his lips as he rounded indignantly on Zeff. But the man was already gone, the shutting door a very final end to the conversation. Scowling, Sanji muttered darkly to himself, "Thinks he can order me around like a damn slave..."
And though he was irritated that Zeff had continued with the demands right after deciding to kick out his best friend, at least this gave Sanji an excuse to help Usopp pack. And. Well... it gave him an excuse to be there. He was just angry that he needed a damn excuse at all, angry that the situation had turned to this for no damn reason. But at least Usopp was getting something out of it. At least this was Usopp'sexcuse to follow a dream he'd had for as long as they'd known each other. The dream of his father, and the legacy he left behind.
Sighing, Sanji turned back to Usopp and crossed his arms. "Alright. So... it looks like we got a lot of shit we need to do tonight. Do you need any..." And here he had to pause, because it was only slowly sinking in that Usopp was leaving, actually leaving, as in, not leaving-for-the-day-see-you-tonight, but I'll-probably-never-see-you-again-have-a-good-life-Leaving. "Any help?" And he was proud, at least, that his voice was fairly neutral at that, even if his expression was probably less than pleased.
Eyebrows furrowing a little, the swordsman realized they might be intruding on an already tense situation. "C'mon, Luffy," he muttered. "Maybe we should go out and find a ship or something."
Luffy nodded, flopped his legs back and forth a few times, then suddenly jumped up. "Alright." He scooped up his backpack and the bag he had stuffed his old clothes in, but paused before moving. "Should we come back here for you, Usopp, or do you wanna meet us somewhere else?"
The former waiter suddenly turned to the prince. "Wh-what?"
Luffy blinked, wondering if he had asked something other than the incredibly simple question. "I asked where we were meeting up?" he clarified questioningly, looking at Usopp rather strangely. "Unless you just wanna surprise us or something, but I'm not sure how that'll work. Zoro and I might get lost, and who knows how you'll find us then." He paused, considering this with a sudden laugh. "I guess we may not even make it to some meeting place anyway, huh? Maybe it should be a surprise... It may be easier for us to find a place we're not looking for, then a place we think we'll find."
Usopp shook his head, as if he wasn't hearing correctly. "You're…asking me to go with you?"
If possible, Luffy looked at Usopp even more strangely. "...Yeah," he drew out, staring at Usopp as if he secretly wondered if he was a being from another planet, and possibly female besides. "Well, I already mentioned it but you ignored me. So now I'm telling you again." He shrugged lightly.
The other man's eyes glistened some. "That's-fantastic!" He laughed. "We can have an adventure together!"
"Yeah!" Luffy exclaimed, happy that Usopp understood. "And you'll get to meet Shanks-he's the best, he really is! And ships are way easier to handle with three people instead of two..." He laughed, excited. "We can start our pirating days today!"
"You mean…you're leaving today?" asked Usopp, eyebrows rising.
"Today, tomorrow, whenever," Luffy said airily, waving a hand as if to dismiss silly things like details. "But Zoro and I are gonna look for a ship, and that's already a start, isn't it? It'll be like a pirate ship, even if we aren't pirates yet." He grinned hugely.
"That sounds fun!" Usopp gave a sad grin. "But I gotta pack for now."
"That's fine," Luffy said cheerfully, as if he had no clue this could be something painful for Usopp. "We'll be around town, and if we don't see you we'll just stop back here." He paused suddenly, thoughtful. "Hey, since you don't have to leave till sunrise, does that mean we can stay here again tonight?" He let the bags half fall to the ground at the question, pleased with the idea of not having to carry them around with him.
Sanji raised his visible eyebrow, not sure if he was irritated or vaguely impressed by the ignorant optimism. He felt a little left out watching them make plans for a day that would be the beginning of a new adventure for them, but just another day of routine for him. Part of him wanted them all to feel really upset about going, but another part had to acknowledge that it wasn't their fault his pseudo-mentor had suddenly decided to mess with Usopp and him.
Still, he shrugged uncaringly at the question, leaving it up to Usopp to decide if he wanted their company or not. He didn't care if they stayed. There was no point in kicking the idiots out for one night-they'd probably do something stupid and it would somehow come back to him and he'd get in trouble for not being there to watch over them. And anyway, this was probably the last time he would ever have good friends available to stay the night.
As talented, determined, or ruthless as the chefs may be at Baratie, they were not exactly his friends, and with Usopp gone he would lose the only benevolent ally he had ever had. Whatever the Owner was, he was not exactly thrilling to be around, and was less than complimentary in his words. And he was the best Sanji had to work with. Keeping these thoughts off his face, though, he only looked blandly at Usopp to see if he cared if the idiots stayed the night.
"This isn't my room anymore," muttered Usopp, interrupting his thoughts. "So it's really up to Sanji."
"Excuse me?" Sanji demanded a little churlishly, his cigarette tipping down as he looked indignantly at Usopp and gestured to the window. "Does it look like the sun has fucking risen already?"
Usopp withdrew slightly, and his frame seemed to only get smaller at the outburst. "No."
"Then stop pretending you have no responsibility and hoisting the decisions off on me," came the stern reply. Sanji looked at Usopp with his eyes narrowed-not in anger, but in intensity. "This is still your room for the moment, and no matter what that ass of an old man says, it's still your room even after you walk out that door tomorrow morning. Got it? If you're ever back in town, you stay here. This is Your. Room. So don't try weaseling out of answers when it's convenient for you. If you're fine with them staying here, I'm fine with them staying here. End of story."
"All right then," said Usopp, frowning some. "That's all I really needed to know…"
Sanji looked at Usopp as if he didn't know if he was being sarcastic or uncomfortable, but instead of pressing the issue he just sighed. "Seriously, Usopp. Ignore that idiot, alright? There's no need for you to feel uncomfortable in your own damn home. Think of this as some... deserved vacation or something. You get an extended leave of absence, with the extra bonus of getting out of all cleaning duty." He paused, raising his visible eyebrow. "Really, you win in this deal."
Usopp didn't look like he entirely believed him, but he managed to nod anyway.
"Anyway," said Zoro loudly so he would be heard, "we're gonna go looking for a ship, and we'll be back later.
"Yep!" Luffy agreed cheerfully, thankfully dropping his bags to the ground again and pausing just long enough to swipe his money bag from the backpack. Nami had been nice enough to lend him some extra Beli after their shopping trip the day before, so now he had spending money and should not, she had pointed out rather sternly, be getting in trouble as much.
It was nice to feel the weight of money again, and once more Luffy was a little bemused to think how the stuff had meant nothing to him back in Anchor when he had everything available to him at the slightest sign of interest, yet out here he had to find ways to scrounge for even a single Beli. Not for the first time, he thought that he and Zoro should definitely have grabbed some money from the vault before they left.
"See you later," grunted Zoro, and he left the room, the prince at his side.
Sanji turned his attention back to Usopp, just watching him for a few moments, as if waiting for a cue or a hint at what he should do. "Just leave whatever you want in your dresser," he said after a brief silence, "I'll make sure nothing happens to it."
Usopp gave an awkward smile as he looked back at Sanji, suddenly remembering all of the times they shared and the kindness the blond had shown him through the years. "You're a good friend, Sanji."
Rather surprised by the comment, Sanji forgot to look away at first as he just stared with widened eyes and the lightest of color gracing his cheeks. He managed to regain his composure quickly, though, looking away with forced nonchalance as he shrugged and willed the stupid blush to leave. "I don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled, surly, and moodily inhaled deeply through his cigarette as he looked for something to distract himself with.
But Usopp wasn't fazed. "Of course you do. Do you think you can keep that façade up after sharing a room with me for ten years?"
Sanji stared very intently at the bedcovers, and tried to pretend that his blush had not just deepened. "...You're insane," he insisted, trying for grumpy and only partially succeeding. He was embarrassed by Usopp's simple declarations, at the same time that he could not deny how happy it made him feel to hear.
The curly-haired man managed a thin smile, amused at how shy the cook could be sometimes despite how outgoing he was when any female was in the room. "I'm just sorry I could never do enough to return what you've done for me."
Sanji scowled at the bed as he realized Usopp was not going to be deterred from this conversation, but he had to admit that... well... why should he be? They may very well never see each other after that night. If Usopp had something to say, when the hell was he supposed to say it except at that exact moment? It just reinforced that Usopp was Leaving For Good, and that alone made Sanji sigh heavily (as if quite put-out but willing to deal with it anyway) and finally he dragged his gaze back to his soon-to-be-former roommate's.
"Like I said. Insane. Certifiably, maybe. You've done plenty, and it's not like I was keeping track anyway. Besides, what's all this great stuff I've supposedly done that you supposedly never paid me back for?" The question was meant to be rhetorical, but in retrospect he thought it sounded a little more like a challenge.
Usopp shifted uncomfortably. "You got me a job. You gave me a bed to sleep in. You gave me food." His dark eyes averted. "And," he choked, "you became the only family I had."
"So?" Sanji challenged, "You could've easily gotten all those things on your own. I just beat you to it and let you be lazy." That was said lightly, though he remained serious as he sighed. "Look, for what it's worth, whatever you may think you didn't pay me back for, you're my family too. That alone is enough. But you've been my best friend for half of my life now... how the hellwould that not be enough that you gave back? And anyway," here he looked away again, proud at how his voice remained calm, "it's not like I'm your only family. Did you forget you're off to find your dad? You've always had him-in memory and stories before, and now a chance to meet him in person."
More than I've had, he couldn't help adding to himself, irritated at the thought yet unable to deny it. At least Usopp remembered his parents. At least he knew they existed. His own earliest memories involved chefs in another kitchen, and the only father figure he had ever even heard of was the Owner Zeff. Usopp's mother may have died on him, but at least he'd had her for a while. At least he had memories of her. At least he knew for certain she had not abandoned him. He said none of this, though, because there was no point. Usopp was already going to feel bad enough about getting kicked out of the restaurant; there was no reason to make him feel worried about something else besides.
As if sensing his thoughts, Usopp timidly rested a hand on Sanji's shoulder. He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. "But Sanji," he said at length, quiet as if it was difficult for him to say this, "you…did more for me than my father ever did."
Sanji was trying very valiantly to keep the emotional distance, for reasons he did not entirely know himself other than that it was habit, and he did not want to break it the last night. If he did something stupid or embarrassing tonight, that would be the last thing Usopp would remember about him, and that would just be even more embarrassing to think about in the future than it would be that night alone. But... the stupid idiot was making it so difficult!
"Damnit, Usopp," he growled, his hand rising automatically toward the weight on his shoulder, though he didn't know what for. He knew he had no intention of knocking Usopp away, so he just let his arm hover and, with a sigh, dropped his hand on top of Usopp's. He tilted his head toward the ground, letting the cigarette dangle from the corner of his lips as he allowed his long blond bangs to shadow his face and cover his expression. "...I don't want you to go," he said finally in a soft voice, because he could not think of anything else to say.
"I figured I'd leave someday," mumbled Usopp, aware of how tense his friend was. "I…just didn't realize it'd be this hard." Although he knew the thought was silly, he had always pictured Sanji at his side as they rode off into the sunset, looking for adventure and seeking to fulfill both of their dreams. The idea of leaving the young chef behind was almost unbearable, as if it was somehow…wrong.
With a humorless smile he realized Usopp probably did not see, Sanji nodded to himself. "Yeah, guess I knew you'd go some day too. I just figured there would be more... warning." That was all he had really needed. Warning. Having it come out of nowhere like this was what was making it difficult; that was all. He felt like an idiot for being so upset that Usopp was going, and yet the more he tried to deny the feeling, the stronger it got. So it was the lack of warning's fault. That was all.
At that moment, Usopp's arms timidly encircled the chef, pulling him into an awkward, clumsy hug that he honestly didn't expect Sanji to return. Out of all the years they had known each other, Usopp could count on one hand the number of times they'd actually embraced. He recalled that one instance involved a skirt, a chair and far too much alcohol, and there were other times that they had been playfully dancing during times of festivity of when they managed to pull off some incredible feat together.
But Usopp knew this time was different, because it might be the last time he'd ever get to do this. He made sure to deeply inhale the scent of cigarette smoke that clung to Sanji's shirt, taking in the rare moment.
Sanji initially tensed at the touch, looking down at Usopp's curly mass of black hair and the bandana constantly trying to tame the unruliness. He did not return the hug at first, but then he noticed Usopp's deep breath and it made him laugh softly in spite of himself. What was he doing?
Still, it was enough to soften his mood and with a rather helpless sigh, he lightly rested one arm across Usopp's shoulders in a half return of the hug, and dropped the other hand on top of Usopp's ever-present bandana. He let his forehead drop to rest against his fingers, letting out a deep breath that got caught between his chest and Usopp's forehead. He smirked to himself and murmured, lightly teasing and amused, "I hate to break it to you, but secondhand smoking doesn't look nearly as cool as firsthand."
Usopp gave a small laugh, the light flush of his cheeks obscured by Sanji's shirt. "Sometimes you smell so nasty, but some days…it almost makes me want a cigarette, too."
Sanji pulled his head up so he could properly grin wickedly down at his friend. "Yeah? Wanna try one right now? Peer pressure, peer pressure, you know you want to..." He paused, and added with a bit of mock crossness, a bit of haughtiness, "And I have never in my life smelled 'nasty,' I'll have you know."
The younger man gave a sudden snort. "Oh, excuse me, my mistake." A pause. "And, no, I don't want a cigarette. Smelling you is as close to smoking as I want to get. Besides, I took a vow when I was five years old that I would never do such a thing. I belong to the Holy Order of Desert Monks, you see, and we don't like that sort of thing."
Sanji laughed. "The hell you did! You didn't even know what a cigarette was when you were five."
"Yes, I did," said Usopp indignantly. "Anyway, I'll just let you do the smoking for both of us."
"Whatever you say, Usopp," Sanji replied, with exaggerated teasing indulgence in his voice. "That's fine, though. More smokes for me."
A strangely comfortable silence lingered between them for a moment as they basked in one another's company before Usopp spoke again. "Sanji..."
"Yeah?"
The younger man took a deep breath, but it wasn't to smell the cigarette smoke. "I…"
Sanji blinked and started to pull away a little so he could see Usopp better. Given his hesitancy, it must be something fairly important. "What?" he asked, more to prompt Usopp to continue than out of any impatience to get the rest of the sentence.
A fleeting moment went by as Usopp averted his eyes from Sanji's intense gaze. "I wanted to say that I-I…love…" He swallowed hard, becoming hung up on that simple word for a second. Then, his demeanor changed, and he sadly looked up at the blond, laughing some. "I love the way you cook. I'm really gonna miss that."
Sanji looked a little confused at first-what was with that sad look? Well, Usopp had always rather been a fan of his food. He supposed it would be sad to leave his gourmet cooking for the unknown. He grinned and ruffled Usopp's head teasingly, even if it did little but wrinkle his bandana. "Yeah, well. I'd like to think at least some of my genius has rubbed off on you over the years..."
"Of course I'm a genius," said Usopp pompously, suddenly cracking a wide grin.
Sanji smirked and pulled away completely. "If you'd been listening, I was calling myself a genius, not you. You're my trusty sidekick."
"Trusty sidekick?" he asked, frowning some. "What makes you say that?"
"You're obviously not suave enough to be the superhero," Sanji answered a bit haughtily as he straightened his tie and smoothed his tuxedo, though there was a twinkle in his eye.
"I am too suave," shot back Usopp, indignant. "You just are blind to good taste."
Sanji laughed. "Oh, really?" he asked, sounding a bit like he was humoring Usopp. "Give me an example, then, of your suaveness."
"There are far too many examples to list!"
Laughing again, Sanji answered only, "Cheater."
The smile faded from Usopp's face, and he sheepishly stuffed his hands into his pockets.
The grin staying on Sanji's face, he just shook his head and could not resist ruffling Usopp's hair through the bandana. "Ahh, maybe I'm the trusty sidekick after all. Only the hero gets to have that mysterious expression, huh? Guess we just have to make it go away." He stepped away and turned, surveying the room thoughtfully. "Want me to help grab stuff, or am I helping with the actual packing?" It wasn't that he was trying to get Usopp out of there faster by offering to pack again, but he didn't know what else to distract Usopp with that did not involve memories that would just make this more painful.
"Either works," muttered Usopp, smiling slightly at the cook. "It'd be nice if we had a genie who could do it for us."
"Yeah, that'd be nice," Sanji said a little absently. He paused, then looked back at Usopp, frowning slightly. "Hey, Usopp... I really don't know how to make this easier. Tell me what I should do and I'll do it, but right now I feel like I'm as likely to make it worse as I am to make the night better."
Pausing, the curly-haired watched Sanji in stunned silence. "Just being here makes this easier for me," he said at length. He lightly rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe you should look for some of my stuff."
Sanji smirked slightly and nodded mostly to himself. "I think I can handle that." He glanced sidelong at Usopp as he moved to do just that, unable to keep from teasing him again. "You always leave such a mess, it's not like it's hard to find anything of yours."
"Hey, like you're one to talk," snorted Usopp. "At least I don't leave women's underwear lying around."
"Ahh?" Sanji drawled, crouching by the dresser as he gave Usopp an amused Look over his shoulder, "Are you saying I'm careless with my souvenirs, or is this some veiled implication that I wear women's underwear?"
His friend gave an innocent smile. "Why should I know?"
Sanji rolled his eyes, but he was grinning as he turned back to the dresser and yanked the top drawer open. "Careful, Usopp. I'm about to dig my way through your drawers... you wouldn't want to alienate the person who may find your most embarrassing secrets hidden between your socks and slingshots."
"I have nothing to hide," declared Usopp solemnly.
"Yeah, yeah, big talk, but we'll see about that by the end of the night, won't we?" The grin could still be heard in his voice, even if his expression was hidden by the fall of his hair and the angle of the dresser.
Slowly rolling up his sleeves, Usopp sighed. "Looks like we have our work cut out for us."
"Maybe this would be easier if you didn't have so much crap," Sanji teased, pulling some clothing from the drawer as he automatically ran through his mind if he had seen Usopp wear it often so he could judge if he wanted it packed.
Usopp immediately went back to the closet, stuffing a few things into his duffel bag. "Thanks for your help," he muttered softly.
"Heh, you expected any less?" He sounded amused and serious at the same time, pausing to start a pile of clothes for the trip while the rest were placed back in the drawer. "You don't need to thank me, you know. It's not like it's a problem or I would be anywhere else right now."
"Still." The curly-haired man briefly glanced back at him. "I appreciate it."
"Well," another brief pause as Sanji closed the top drawer and started on the next. "Don't worry about it. You're welcome."
Watching him for a moment, Usopp turned to his duffel bag once more. He thought of all of the sights he was going to see, all the adventures he was going to embark on. But no matter how many exotic places he visited, he knew he'd never find anyone like Sanji ever again.
Despite this somber train of thought, the rest of the evening seemed to float by in a companionable silence.