Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of the characters.

Warning: Rushness; Grammar; OOCness; Yaoi; Lemon; swearing; repetitiveness (I'm a repetitive person) and anything you notice that isn't on this list but is on this list.

Thank you to everyone who is following this story and has favourited it. :)

Edited on: 3/4/2014
Previous Word count: 3,961
New Word Count: 4,504

IMPORTANT! Reply to Reviews:
B.A Victoria: I also wonder if Sanji can remember how to cook D: It'll be so sad if he doesn't :( Cooking is his life! We'll just have to find out and see :D

Chapter 4: Sanji is still Sanji

Sanji sighed, lifting his hand tiredly to ruffle his blonde locks, letting the strands slide through his fingers. It might have been morning and he might have only just woken up, but despite that, he already felt tired, so tired that it was more of exhaustion.

He sighed, feeling the burning stares of his 'crew' who had just confirmed to him that his name was indeed 'Sanji Black-Leg' as well as them being pirates and that he was their Nakama.

He suddenly felt like he had caused them too much trouble yesterday with the way he had reacted, and now he was also a burden on them for not having his memories. Honestly, why didn't just let this useless person go yesterday when they had the chance?

"I'm sorry" Sanji apologized, shifting his eyes between them all, "For screaming and running from you...it's just..." he trailed off, his blue eyes looking away from them guiltily, mainly because he was still unsure whether they were telling the truth or not, but they were the best he had to realize the truth of who he was.

"It's okay Sanji, You didn't know who we were, anyone of us would have reacted the same." He smiled kindly to the orange haired girl, she was kind, he felt sorry for glaring at her before. What had he been thinking acting like that?
"Also, you're welcome to ask us any questions Sanji, we'll be happy to answer." Ussop added, showing the blonde that they were there for them.

Sanji nodded to the long nosed man, but didn't say anything more. He shifted slightly in awkwardness of being stared at by all of them, their eyes bore into his skin. He glanced around the deck of the ship looking for something he could escape to, he couldn't stand the stares anymore and just wanted to get away.
"Uh...is it okay if I look around the...ship?" Looking around the ship on his own would solve the problem of not standing around awkwardly with them staring at him, plus, maybe it could even refresh his memories, kick something in so he would remember.

He wanted to know the truth as soon as possible, it wasn't like he doubted them really, they seemed like really nice people despite appearances but at the moment even though they are his 'friends', he still didn't know anything about them; they were still just strangers.

"Of course Sanji! This is your home!" Luffy grinned. Yeah...his 'home' that he really knew nothing about.
He stared at Luffy's grin, his face so happy and bright, an expression Sanji felt like he could trust, he nodded and walked away, slowly and calmly, letting his feet automatically take him as his mind wandered off, trying to rack his mind as to what his regret's could be as everyone went back to their own things.

Franky and Ussop continued to repair the ship prior to yesterdays events, whilst Nami decided to count the money ready for when everyone had settled down so they could go into the town and get supplies. Robin had also ran off to find a certain book and Chopper was in the infirmary, making the bed.

Sanji travelled around, letting his feet guide him until he found that he had entered the kitchen, snapping him out of his thoughts. He didn't know anything about this ship, or the placement of the rooms and yet, somehow, he had entered the kitchen. He closed the door, and gently touched the surfaces of the counters, letting his fingers glide along the cleanness of it all.
Who ever the cook was, they seemed to cherish the kitchen a lot, it was practically spotless, not even a spec of dust was settled anywhere.

"This is yours..."

Sanji whipped his head to the gruff voice, it was the green haired man again.
"Mine?" Sanji asked in confusion, glancing back at the counters.
"Yeah, your territory. Those are your knifes, thats your sink, your apron, your plates..." Zoro trailed off, he didn't plan on naming everything in the kitchen, he didn't know most of it for a start.
"It's your kitchen...cook..."
Sanji's eyes widened. "I'm a cook?"
"Well...more like a chef I guess?" Zoro mumbled thoughtfully, thinking about the meals they had always had because of him and the amount of times the blonde had yelled at him for calling him a cook.

Sanji grinned for the first time that day, so he was a cook, was that like his identity? If it was apart of him then it felt nice to have a bit of his identity back. A chef? It sounded fantastic, but is he really a chef? Or was the man just telling him a lie, that would be cruel though...it was better to give him the benefit of the doubt. He looked down at his hands, the grin slowly fading.

"Why don't you try?" Zoro spoke, watching as the cook stared at his hands in doubt.
"I can?" Sanji asked, looking up at the green haired man who couldn't help but smile as well as he watched Sanji take off his jacket and roll up his sleeves.
Sanji saw the pink apron and raised an eyebrow at it before tying on the pink apron that hanged neatly on the side. Sanji stood awkwardly in the kitchen not knowing what to do first, he was too scared he would do something wrong and be laughed at for even believing he was a chef when he wasn't really.
Zoro could see the growing nervousness the blonde had.
"Don't think, just do" Zoro mumbled, still smiling at the blond as he sat down by the counter.

Those words calmed Sanji, and he nodded, suddenly feeling brave and bold. Confidence filling his body. He thrust open the first cupboard he saw and took out the first thing he saw, it was some glutinous rice, he took the bag out and poured some into a pan that was placed on a rack in the corner of the kitchen.
He washed the rice in cold water three times, before putting the right amount of water and cooking it on the stove, he grabbed some salt, staring at it for a moment before putting a little salt into it, hoping that that was enough.

He took out some dried seaweed, and slid out a knife from a block before slicing it up, piling it neatly to one side.
He felt calm and at peace, the knife in his hand was a familiar feeling, it was comfortable as if it was made for him.

Zoro couldn't help but notice how graceful Sanji actually moved around the kitchen, so elegant, so beautiful. How he sliced with such confidence and the grip on the knifes handle.
Sanji might have forgotten everything, but his body obviously didn't, after all the grip on the knife was the correct positioning unlike how an amateur would hold it.
Zoro had never noticed Sanji and how he was in the kitchen, but now he did, he was observing carefully, letting the sight before him engrave into his memory forever. This feeling to observe the blonde had been caused by the fright of never being able to see him again, although the fright didn't last long it was still enough to shock him and now he couldn't imagine Sanji gone.
They all needed him. But right now, he needed them at this time, now that he had lost his memories.

He watched as Sanji took the cooked rice from the stove, and placed the rice in a bowl. He watched as Sanji grabbed a hand full and began to mould it, but the expression on his face told Zoro he was unsure of how to mould it.
Zoro got up off of his seat and walked up to Sanji, grabbing a messy handful of rice.
"This is how you mould it." Sanji turned his head and watched Zoro attempt to mould it.

He put down the onigiri that was oddly shaped and wasn't completely perfect but Zoro grinned despite it, having never actually tried to make one before, so he felt quite proud of himself. He gestured to Sanji to now do it just like he had. Of course Sanji had watched, and then tried to mimic the other but when he was done, it was moulded completely perfectly to Zoro's dislike when he compared it to his, but he was happy for the blonde.
Sanji finished up and pushed the plate towards Zoro.
Zoro stared at them, never questioning it until now. "So...cook...why onigiri?"

"Hmm?" Sanji raised an eyebrow, they were called onigiri?
"I don't know, it just sort of happened?"
It might have seemed like he was avoiding the question, but he didn't actually know how to answer it. Why had he actually made that food? Was there a special meaning to it? It was just the first few things he found, and he had thought to just throw them together and hope for the best.
Taking Sanji's reply as an answer anyway, Zoro grabbed an onigiri and stuffed it into his mouth.
"It's delicious..."

Sanji grinned. "Phew, if you hated it, I really would have doubted I was a cook despite you saying so." Sanji crossed his arms and reached one hand up to his mouth, his two fingers touching his lips and pausing, he stared at his fingers in confusion. Why was he reaching up to his mouth? Zoro noticed this and smirked.
"Reach into your pockets."
Sanji did as he was told and took out a cigarette, he stared at it with disbelief.
"I'm a smoker?!" Sanji shouted in surprise, surprising the green swordsman as well.
"...a chain smoker..." Zoro mumbled, eyeing the cook suspiciously, had the blonde lost all habits along with his memories?.
Sanji placed down the cigarette on the counter and mumbled to himself but it was still loud enough for Zoro to hear.
"Why do I smoke...?"

"Because you just do. You love those cancerous sticks." Zoro continued to eat, he didn't actually know the reason to why Sanji smoked, he was never that close to the blonde to ask questions like that.
"But isn't that kind of dangerous to my health...I'm slowly killing myself..." He whispered in awe at this own stupidity.
"That's what we all told you shitty cook, you never listened though..."

Sanji groaned, throwing the cigarette away from him.
"I never asked your name..." He mumbled turning to Zoro, attempting to change the subject. He couldn't yet process that he inhaled a white stick.
"Zoro Roronoa" He replied, yawning as he leaned against the counter.
"And what are you to me?"
The green haired man remained silent as he thought about what to say. What could he say? That they hated each other? But that would technically be a lie; Zoro didn't actually hate him.
"We're rivals to a degree..." He mumbled looking away from the blonde.
"Rivals?"
"It's a love-hate relationship"
Sanji nodded. "What about everyone else?"

"That walking meat ingredient you called a raccoon yesterday is actually a reindeer as well as our doctor, Chopper."
"Ah..."
Zoro continued. "Ussop is the long nose, also our number one liar. The straw hat is Luffy our captain, don't be surprised when his body stretches."

Sanji looked confused by that last piece of information, but he decided not to interrupt the man whilst he answered his question.
"Franky is the large walking cola machine and Brook is the talking skeleton. The witch is Nami, she's got the orange hair. Robin is the tall black haired one and she's into history."
Sanji nodded, absorbing all the information, mentally noting who was who in his mind so that he wouldn't forget…again…
Zoro reached past Sanji, brushing against him slightly as he took out a large book from a draw and handed it to Sanji.
"I assume this might help you, maybe, it's your book filled with all your recipes..."
Sanji took it from Zoro, "How did you know?" Sanji asked curiously, staring down at the cover of the leather-bound book.
He shrugged. "I just did" Zoro left it as that as he walked towards the door, he wasn't going to tell the shitty cook he had been watching him - occasionally - writing in it, and he certainly wasn't going to tell the cook that he had maybe flicked through it randomly upon finding it in his haste to get some sake, which he of course didn't do…at all…
"By the way, did you want to give some to the others?"

Zoro left as Sanji slowly nodded, noticing that most of the onigiri was gone. He decided to try and make something else for everyone else's snacks; he was feeling fairly confident but as he stood by the counter, he couldn't think of what he could make. What does he usually make?

He glanced at the book in his hands, it was everything he knew, he could just use a recipe in it. As he opened the first page he noticed the writing, written neatly 'All blue' with a rough child's drawing of a sea with many colour fish. He couldn't help but remember the stream he had seen with that woman in the forest.

He blinked as he thought until he noticed a pouch, a few things hanging out of it. He pulled them out and noticed they were a few pictures. It was of him and everyone on the ship; smiling. He pushed it aside and looked at another photo, it was of him with a blonde haired man then another of them both with a few others standing on a platform of a ship, grinning in chef uniforms. There was another photo of him with three other people as they ruffled his hair.

He held them up smiling at them as he examined them slowly.
He didn't know who they were but he had known them before because these photos were his evidence of his lost memories, prove that he had lived a life. The smile slowly faded, it was a life he didn't remember.

He continued to flick through the pages, seeing the many pictures of all the recipes he had created and his calligraphy. They all looked so hard to make, it scared him a little. Had he really been able to cook things like this?
Maybe cheese dumplings filled with strawberries would suffice? That looked easy enough, can't be too hard. He placed down the book and searched for the right ingredients, happy they had some.

Sanji travelled around the deck, handing the snacks to everyone with a smile on his face, earning a smile from them as well, he just hoped the snacks would suit their tastes. The last crew mate he had to find was Chopper, since Zoro had told him he was the Doctor, he assumed he would be in the infirmary. He made his way to it and opened the door quietly.
"Chopper?" Said Reindeer turned away from his desk to face the voice of Sanji who stood by the door of the room.
"Sanji!" Chopper shouted in delight, eyeing up the tasty treat in the cooks hand, Sanji chuckled at the reindeers eyes, he handed him the plate and sat down by the bed.
"Could I ask a few questions?"
Chopper nodded. "Sure! Go ahead." He spoke with his mouth full as he chewed on one of the snacks.
"Where am I from?"
"You were born in North Blue but grew up in East Blue." Chopper grinned. "Do you know your blood type is S RH-!?"
He shook his head slowly at Choppers sudden fact about him, of course he didn't know.

"It's extremely rare, so please try not to nosebleed too much from now on!" Chopper batted his eyelids at Sanji who sweat dropped.
"I'll- I'll try?" He really didn't understand what that meant in the slightest but he didn't really want to question into it so he left it.
"Did you know where in the North Blue I grew up?"
Chopper shook his head. "I'm sorry Sanji, I really don't know."
Sanji smiled at his sad expression. He decided to ask something else instead.
"Although you're a reindeer...how are you able to talk and change?"
"Ah, that's because I'm a devil fruit user, as is Luffy, Robin and Brook. We ate a devil fruit, each with different powers."

"What are the powers that you all have?" Sanji questioned with curiosity.
Chopper continued to explain for him. "I ate the hito-hito no mi, it allows me to turn into a human hybrid and a human at will. Luffy ate the gomu-gomu no mi, he's now a rubber man so his body stretches. Robin ate the Hana Hana no Mi and can sprout parts of her body. Brook ate the Yomi Yomi no Mi, it allowed him to revive after his death."
Sanji was nodding, ignoring the comment he wanted to say because that probably would have been slightly insulting.

"And everyone else? Are they not devil fruit users? Franky?"
"Nope! Franky is a human too, he just improved himself with machinery." Chopper had said it like it was a normal everyday thing, but to Sanji it was a little creepy to improve oneself like that.
"Thank you Chopper" Sanji stood up to leave, he opened the door and saw Ussop by the railing, inspecting a slight damage to it. He walked up to him and picked up the empty plate. Ussop looked up, noticing the shadow that peered over him blocking the warmth of the sun.
"Sanji, thanks for the snacks earlier!" Ussop grinned. Sanji smiled back, looking down at him.

"Ah! Um...What is everyone's role on this ship?" Sanji asked, the question clicking in his mind as he realised Ussop had been fixing the ship.
"I, Ussop, am the bravest man in the seven seas and is the worlds best sharpshooter! Robin is our one and only archeologist, if you want information on anything she's great to go to. Nami is our Navigator, the best there is, Franky is our shipwright, he built this ship.
Zoro, the swordsman soon to be the worlds greatest. Luffy will be the pirate king, Chopper is the ships doctor, guessing you already knew that and you are our violent chef!"
"Violent?"
"Yeh," Ussop laughed, "You can fight with you're legs, your powerful kicks is not something to laugh about."
Sanji burst into laughter, before dying down to a chuckle. "So I can fight?" He felt so happy, not only was he a chef but he was also a fighter, he sounded quite useful. That kind of answered his question on his moments on that pirates ship yesterday and how he was able to fight like that.
"Yeah, if you want to fight, ask Zoro to spar with you."
Sanji nodded, letting Ussop go and carry on with what ever he was doing.

—-

Sanji was feeling confident that the food he had made wouldn't taste any different to their usual standards, it would be like he never lost his memory, at least to them and that's how he wanted it for them, they had been so nice to him and he now no longer doubted being their nakama, after all he had found that photo.

He watched by the counter as they all chowed down to their meal, grinning to himself as they argued over who's food was who's and the fighting that occurred because of Luffy trying to steal everyones food for himself. Dinner was lively, better than he imagined. He had originally thought that they would eat in silence, have a quick meal and then they'd all leave, but it was amusing, sort of like a family dinner.
"Dinner was lovely Sanji"
"Yes, thank you cook-san"
"Thank you Nami and Robin"

Everyone stared at Sanji, awaiting a certain action of the blonde that they were all use to but it never happened, all they got back was a confused stare.
"Di-did you want more?" Sanji glanced back to the pot on the stove and sweat dropped, there wasn't any left at all. Should he cook more?
"No no, it's not that Sanji…" Nami mumbled, "normally you swoon over Robin and I..."
"Why would I swoon?" Sanji questioned with confusion, his sentence made Nami wonder if that should be an insult or for her to be relieved that it was no longer happening, it had become quite irritating at time.
"That's 'cause you're a pervert" Zoro snorted.
"Yo ho ho!" Brook laughed with Franky who couldn't help but chuckle either.

Everyone else grabbed their plates, or what ever food they had left and pulled it towards them, once again expecting something to happen. Maybe the table being knocked or flipped over for instance but once again, nothing happened instead it was another confused question.
"I was a pervert?"

Again, the crew were surprised that Sanji had not started a fight with Zoro at all for his comment. Sanji really was different without his memory.
He noticed their stares, their looks were all saying 'This isn't our Sanji' and he could feel his mood plummeting down gravely. He couldn't be who they expected him to be when he didn't know how he should be; how he was.
He ruffled his hair in frustration. He felt an urge for something nagging at him but he couldn't pin point what it was.
"I'm sorry.." Sanji mumbled "I need some fresh air..."

They all watched with worried gazes as Sanji slumped out of the kitchen, his head hanging low. They all remained quiet by the table, hesitating to make the slightest of moves. It was obvious that their looks, their gazes had upset Sanji just when he was feeling so happy, maybe they shouldn't have expected him to still be the same, it was just that the food was amazing as always it just seemed like him losing his memories had never happened.

Luffy stood up suddenly, a determined expression to comfort the cook on his face. As captain this was his job. He left the kitchen ignoring the protest of the others who whispered to leave him for a bit. A cold breeze brushed past as his eyes landed on Sanji who was leaning against the railing, looking out to sea and the setting sun. He made his way to the quiet blonde and hesitated on interrupting his thoughts but he didn't have to, Sanji spoke up first, answering the silent question on Luffy's mind.

"I'm not alright."
Luffy didn't move. He stayed silent; standing behind Sanji.
"Everything I ever knew, everything I've experienced made me who I am and now it's all gone...who am I? You can tell me as much as you want, to drill it into me but...without the knowledge of it myself...it's not the same..."
Luffy noticed Sanji clench his fist tightly and his head hanged low once more, his bangs hiding his face in shadows.
"We'd rather you be here with forgotten memories than to be here dead...we had thought we had lost you earlier...Sanji..."

"Either way, without my memories, it's like I died anyway. I died and now I'm reborn. I'm not the 'Sanji' you knew, the one you expect..."
Luffy noticed Sanji was on about the incident at dinner, when they all expected him to swoon, but to them whether he did or didn't, didn't matter, what mattered was that he was okay, that he was there with them. Maybe them excepting something to happen was wrong of them but at the same time, it was still new to them that his memories were gone.

"Sanji is still Sanji. Memories or not, you're still you."
Sanji turned this head slightly to look at Luffy who had a serious expression on his face as he stared at Sanji.
The blonde cracked a smile. "I guess..." he looked back out to the ocean, his mind flashing back to what he saw in his journal, it couldn't be the name of the journal because he had drawn a picture, so, was it out there? Part of the world like North blue and East blue Chopper had mentioned.
"Hey, Luffy?"
"Hmm," Luffy walked forward, now standing beside him, staring out to the sea as well.
"What is 'All Blue'?" Whilst Sanji had been staring out to the sea.
'...'All Blue'...' He thought, 'Was that my regret?'

Luffy laughed.
"All Blue is your dream! You said there will be loads of different fishes there from all over the world, it's a chef's dream to find it! It's also my dream because once we find it, you're going to make me every delicious dishes with those delicious meat!"
Luffy was grinning now.
"The fact you remember that and make great food just means you're still our Sanji anyway, so you really don't have to worry about what we expect! You're Sanji!" Luffy shouted as he started smacking him on the back as he laughed loudly.
"Guh!" Sanji held on to the railing as Luffy continued to slap him on the back, scared that the power of the boy would knock him into the waters.

The rest of the crew stepped out of the kitchen upon hearing Luffy's laughter, taking that as a signal that it was alright, they watched the scene before them, chuckling at it.
"Cut it out you stupid Gomu!" They watched as Sanji lifted up his foot and automatically sent it down on Luffy's head, knocking the boy to the floor.

At that moment, everyone froze, it was a normal thing for Sanji to do that to Luffy, after all, he was their violent chef, but what would Sanji's reaction be? They didn't want to act like they expected something incase it upset Sanji again.
"Ah, sorry..." And there it was, a not so Sanji act, "I don't know what happened..."
Luffy laughed it off, as he rubbed his head. "Hehe!"
Sanji chuckled too, looking away as he smiled. "Stupid.." He mumbled under his breath.

Sanji left Luffy to laugh to himself, chanting something about more meat, but he ignored him and slowly made his way back to the kitchen, nodding to the rest of the crew as he walked past them before disappearing behind the door.
He leaned against the door and sighed.
"Well I guess I'll get to cleaning..." He mumbled quietly as he picked up the plates from the table and carrying them to the sink.

He smiled to himself. A place with a variety of fishes from everywhere in the world sounded like a dream, a chef's paradise, but was it really real? Was there going to be a place where the sea really connected in one place? Sanji continued to smile.
Of course there was. After all, he knew it already, his heart told him so.

"All Blue..."

.