Hello, again, everybody! Welcome to another chapter of Simmer and Spice!

Sanji-Kun has been gone for a while. I hope he's okay. I wondered. I placed my customers plates on the table, wishing them a great meal. Then I went into the kitchen. I came up to Patty, tugging on his sleeve. He looked down at me with a frown. "Why are you bothering me this time, kid?"

"I just wanna know where Sanji-Kun is, Patty-San." Patty grunted and turned back to his work. "I saw the idiot go out to the front." He said. "He might still be there." I grinned and ran out to the front of the ship, looking around for Onii-Chan. "Hey, what're you doing here, Ken?" I turned to see Onii-Chan walking back to the restaurant, turning to me. I smiled when I saw him. "I was just looking for you, Sanji-Kun. I wanted to see you again."

Sanji-Kun reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, getting his lighter. "Well, that was pretty nice. You finished bussing all your tables?" I nodded, watching as he lit his cigarette. "Then I guess you can hang with me for a while." He said, sitting back on the rail, blowing little puffs of smoke. I smiled happily. A little time to hang out with Onii-Chan was alright with me. I looked out into the wide, vast ocean, watching the big white albatrosses fly lazily over the sea.

"Isn't it beautiful, Sanji-Kun?" I asked, staring at the impressive creatures. Sanji-Kun watched with me and gave his lopsided grin. "Yeah, it's cool, Keneda..." His voice trailed off at the end as he looked out. I looked in his face, the eyes that wasn't covered by his shiny blond hair was squinting out into the sea. He frowned deeply, his curly eyebrow furrowing.

"Sanji-kun...?" I asked him nervously. His lips set in a grim line, and he turned his head to me. "Keneda...you should go. Now." He said urgently. I looked out to what he was looking at, but all I could see was a black silhouette of a ship, coming towards the Baratie. "Look, Sanji-Kun! Customers! I'll just get my note-" Sanji-Kun put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing slightly. He only did that when something was really wrong.

"Sanji-Kun, what's going on..."

Sanji-Kun pushed me into the restaurant, and took my hand, racing me to the kitchen. Patty turned his head and scowled at both of us. "What are you guys doing here?! Shouldn't you be serving the customers?!"

"Shut your mouth, Patty!" Sanji-Kun shouted, planting me in the corner of the kitchen. "Make sure she stays here, and only here." he ordered. Patty looked confused, but before he could ask why, onii-Chan had left.

I know it wasn't what I thought it was...but it really seemed like it. Sanji thought as he made his way back to his spot. He stared out into the horizon, watching that black shadowy ship come towards Baratie. "Hmmm..." it didn't seem possible, but one thought crossed his mind at that point.

Black Sully.

When Sanji was younger, the other cooks would tell of a pirate named Black Sully, the meanest, toughest, most ruthless pirate to sail the seas. It's been told that he showed no mercy in slaughtering anything and anyone that got in his way. They also said that his ship was painted all black, so it looked like a creepy shadowy beast. And as Sanji looked out, that's what it seemed to be.

Shit.

He stepped back into Baratie and went into the kitchen. Keneda saw him and ran to him, a worried expression on her face. "Sanji-Kun, what's going on? I'm scared!" She hugged him around his waist and he patted her head. The cooks saw this and looked a little concerned themselves. "Sanji? What's the deal?" Sanji looked around at everyone with a dead serious demeanor about him. "Black Sully." He said, making some of the cooks jump. "He's coming. Here. Now."

Almost immediately, the chefs all grabbed their long knives, and spatulas. Keneda pulled away from him and grabbed a ladle. Sanji took it away from her hands and set it down gently. "Why can't I fight, Sanji-Kun?" She asked him, her eyes telling she was obviously hurt by this. Sanji beat back the guilt and told her straight forward. "I can't have you getting hurt, okay? Black Sully is insane. If he got to you and hurt you, who knows what Boss Zeff will do to me? It's saving my ass, and your ass."

"But-" Keneda began, but Sanji and the rest of the cooks had already left the kitchen, leaving Keneda to herself. She'd better stay in there too, or Zeff is gonna fry me!

"Why do I have to stay behind while the others get to kick butt?" I muttered to myself. It made me so mad to see Onii-Chan treat me like such a baby. I knew he was doing it to protect me, but I could fight! I was tough as nails! I picked up my metal ladle and swung it around like a sword, yelling as I did so, like a ninja. "Take THAT!" I whacked a counter with the ladle, making a loud clanging noise as I did so. I froze, knowing Mr. Zeff didn't like me doing that.

After a few moments, though, I didn't hear anything. No footsteps, nothing. "Phew! He isn't here! Thank goodness!" I smiled and placed the ladle back in its cupboard. "Maybe another day." I said to myself.

I turned to take another customer's order when a tall, lumbering man in a black cloak stood before me. His narrow, black eyes looking down on me like glittery black coal. His long, greasy hair tied back like a black snake, and his terrifying smile filled with disgusting yellow teeth gave me chills. "Hello, girl." He said in a wheezy, croaky voice. I began to tremble and shake. "S-Sanji-Ku-!" The man clapped his hand over my face and came really close to me, his hideous smile growing.

"you're not getting saved. Not from me."

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