It was a couple of days later and Sanji was now on his feet and helping serve tables and also cook although it was against the wishes of Annie. Susan and Terry however did not seem to mind watching the chef at all their flirtatious nature getting the better of the two of them which ultimately gave more work for Annie to make sure that they did their work and left the poor chef alone.

Sanji was working as a waiter one day when he saw some man flirting with Annie she clearly was not happy about it at all. Sanji frowned as he watched the scene he walked over nearby and pretended to bus a table while he ease dropped on the conversation.

"Markus I said no"

"Aww come on Little Ann,"
"Quit calling me that." Annie said glaring at him as she went to walk around the bar and pass the one called Markus, Markus grabbed her wrist and in one swift movement pulled Annie into his lap with his arm around her waist so she wouldn't get up though she tried

"Aww come on Ann, you know that no one says no to me."
"Pardon me for being the first." Annie said still trying to rise Sanji couldn't" help it his gentlemanly behavior acting up he approached and cleared his throat to get the attention of the two Markus glared at the chef as Annie continued to try and get loose of Markus's grip although the look that she gave to Sanji was a curious one it also read 'what do you think you're doing?' which Sanji quickly ignored as he removed the apron from around him

"I believe the lady said no" Sanji said Markus stared for a moment before he burst out laughing
"You're joking right? Ann who's this fool who thinks he can order me around?" Markus asked with a laugh Annie continued to struggle against Markus but sighed
"No one he's the guy I found washed up on the beach a few weeks ago and shouldn't even be up walking around let alone challenging anyone when he's in over his head" Annie said emphasizing every word she said trying to hint to Sanji to go back to what he was doing in hopes she could handle it but sadly her hint went unnoticed by him.

"Look, you're new here so I'll let you in on a little secret no one gets in my way because they know it'd bring hell I'm in charge of little Ann sense her brother left"
"When did I say that?" Markus went a ghostly pale and turned to the door Sanji even went a ghostly shade of pale at the man standing in the doorway the entire tavern went silent and everything seemed to freeze as the man who stood before them glared directly at Markus with his golden, Hawk like eyes
"Dracule I can handle this" Annie said Dracule Mihawk the pirate lord walked in the tavern taking his hat off and approaching the three
"Markus if I recall I put Tom in charge of watching after my baby sister here and from what I have seen of this town you've just taken my power and used it as your own" Dracule said Markus didn't look so confident now Dracule bent down so he was eye level with Markus
"You've got till I count to three to release my little sister and get the hell out one…"

It didn't even take Dracule to get to two before Markus was out the door and Annie was standing on her own glaring at where he had gone. Annie then turned to her brother a pout on her face
"You never give me a chance"
"Because if I did you'd be dead meat a long time ago" Dracule said the two glared at each other before each broke into a grin and laughed Sanji still stood scared out of his wits as flash backs of what happened on the Baratie and what this man did to Zoro came through his mind
"Oh it's you" Sanji was snapped out of his thoughts by the swordsman addressing him now
"I remember you from the don Krieg incident How is your Nakama doing from our fight I've heard he's learned a lot sense we last came in contact with each other" Dracule said
Sanji slowly nodded not really knowing what else to do Annie did a face palm she now knew the story behind why the gentleman had become frozen
"Idiot you scared him!"
"His Nakama challenged me I was supposed to ignore him?"
"YES!" Annie yelled the tavern by now had gone back to its normal chatter as Susan and Terry hurried out of the back and greeted their old friend as did Tom and the doctor Sanji couldn't help but smile from here it only seemed like Dracule was human but he hadn't expected for the man to actually be related to his guardian Angel as Sanji had also begun to call Annie Sanji sighed suddenly feeling a bit Dizzy Susan placed a hand on Sanji's arm realizing this
"Come on you should go lay down you're still running a fever and if you don't rest you're going to get worse" Susan said Annie rolled her eyes
"Susan you have work to do I'll take him so you don't unintentionally give him a nosebleed" Annie said taking Sanji upstairs Sanji could practically feel the death stare that Dracule was boring into the back of his head which sent a chill down his spine he turned to Dracule
"I'm a gentleman you can trust me!" Sanji told him honestly the guy scared him so he wanted to assure this of the brother somewhat understanding (Foreshadowing to a story of mine that will be coming later)

Sanji went upstairs with Annie she already had his medicine ready he sighed taking it and almost throwing it back up again the usual
"Now get to bed and don't come downstairs unless it's for food" Annie told him before walking away Sanji sat on his bed and sighed looking out the window once more out to the ocean hoping that his Nakama would come soon he had done this every day sense he had woken up hoping that he would see the familiar figure head or the famous Jolly Roger that had the marines quaking in their boots or even the familiar call of his two beloved women searching for him in the town but day after day his hope began to dwindle as the day never came.

Sanji sighed a little bit before laying down on the bed hoping to take a nap sense if he didn't take it easy chances were Annie was going to hurt him for it he had seen her take some pretty big guys down well verbally she'd talk as if an angry mother yelling at someone who hurt her child all in all it could get scary sometimes he didn't dare want to see her fight if she had any skill which was to be assumed sense Annie was the sister to the world's greatest swordsman

Luffy searched the town quickly for the cook hopeful but it seemed everywhere the straw hatted captain and his crew searched they came up empty handed Luffy frowned his heart sinking sadly for every day they didn't find the cook his hope seemed to fade of finding his Nakama alive however that didn't destroy his determination he would find Sanji one way or another!
"Luffy he isn't here we've searched absolutely everywhere" Nami said to him as Luffy continued to look in the stupidest places now trying to search in a dumpster
"Then he must have washed up on another island" Luffy said frowning he was still determined his crew had given up all hope but he hadn't and he refused to! Zoro sighed being the one to step forward
"Luffy….with a storm like that he probably sank meaning no matter how much you look unless you can swim to the bottom of the ocean and back you aren't going to find him" Zoro said sadly Luffy still had that determined look in his eyes though as he turned around and hurried away Zoro sighed
"I tried"
"We know Zoro" Nami said