Chapter 28

Composition

The fire crackled in the restaurant's fireplace, illuminating the morning grayness that had descended on All Blue for several days. Sanji watched the landscape through the window. Winter was here now. The trees had lost their beautiful autumn adornments and the last dry leaves were hanging by a thread on the bare branches. The cold was getting more and more into the houses and the blond suspected that the first snowfall wouldn't be long in view of the wind which was strengthening and the fluffy clouds which were piling up.

The gray sky made the blond pensive and his thoughts inevitably led him back to the Straw Hat crew. It had been a while since Sanji had heard from his friends and he wondered what kind of weather the Sunny was having on the New World at this moment. The cook did his best not to be invaded by dark thoughts in the evening but during the day, he was less on his guard and he couldn't prevent a certain apprehension from gripping him from time to time. Since they had passed the Red Line, the crew hadn't called and although Sanji tried to convince himself that the only reason was probably the absence of a door, the reality of the New World's danger didn't escape him.

"Stop daydreaming and focus, kid," Zeff grumbled suddenly beside him.

"I am focused, old geezer," The blond replied immediately, glaring at him.

The two cooks were seated around a table with Liam and Lily. The restaurant was still sparsely furnished but it had been decided that the most pressing issue was to decide on a menu. So, for almost two weeks, Lily had been trying to keep track of the number of fish she could catch and their variety while making enough time to continue supplying the locals. Meanwhile, Liam had worked hard to create stable enough doors. He had invented polarized boxes he placed on each side of the door in order to create an additional flow of material which tended to strengthen the connection. However, he had only tested them on the door to Vorgo Island so far, the easiest to access.

For their part, Zeff and Sanji had traveled to the nearest islands through the doors to find out their supply possibilities and what they could negotiate. They had also gone around All Blue's three main islands to develop local partnerships with the inhabitants.

Sanji had seen the villagers who had attacked their peers a few weeks earlier then. Some had also recognized him and although they all appreciated his gesture at that moment, most had holed up in their homes without even opening the door for him. The blond hadn't insisted. He was well aware that years of terror and famine blunted the best of wills and that a single act couldn't redeem everything. He was therefore all the more determined to involve them in the success of All Blue.

"The island of Vorgo is the closest and their business is already based on quality seafood," Zeff noted. "We'll have to stand out."

"They take advantage of All Blue's manna," The blond confirmed, "They're content to sell what they catch as it is though, they haven't really developed any specialties."

"Their ports are reputed to be rather infamous," Liam remembered.

"It's true, we'll need to play on the security aspect to bring in the first customers despite the crossing," Sanji approved.

"Vorgo's door location is pretty quiet in general. It doesn't move much and the boxes allow it to be stabilized quite easily. On the other hand, in the event of bad weather or significant sea currents, I am not yet able to guarantee passages without risk…"

"We'll focus on that door for now," The old cook muttered. He grabbed several sheets spread out in front of him and glanced at them. "These morons on the surrounding islands have no idea of the exceptional taste values of the All Blue. Only true chefs know that salt from all the seas is mixed here and gives a unique taste to fish and shellfish."

"We need people to risk going through the door because they know they'll be eating something they can't find anywhere else," Sanji continued. "We have to dazzle and impress them."

"All marine species can be found here and everyone will pitch their tent if we tell them we don't know what we'll have the next day," His mentor added, "They'll want to be the first to taste this or that specialty because they can't usually have it in the same restaurant due to the specificities of the oceans."

"This will require an exhaustive mastery of all dishes based on seafood and fish," The blond specified.

"An exhaustive mastery?" Lily repeated anxiously. "Isn't that unrealistic? No one can know all the recipes in the world!"

"We can't know all the recipes in the world but we can master each ingredient that is the basis," The old cook answered.

"We can invent as we go and adapt to all requests in this way," Sanji confirmed. He then grabbed several other papers and showed them to his two friends, "Of course, at the beginning, we'll start with sure values with species regularly present on the All Blue: Armorican monkfish, cod papillote, seafood platters, spiny lobster cassolettes, …"

"You have good fruits and vegetables but there won't be enough to keep up after the opening," Zeff added. "You'll be able to plant gradually and then there'll be less need to call on the outside."

"The problem is gonna be the wine," Sanji grumbled, examining his notes.

"Really? There are entire fields of grapes though," Liam wondered.

"You only have one variety and it's more table grapes," The old cook explained. "We'll need to set up an important partnership to supply ourselves with alcohol."

"Can't we plant our own vines?" Lily asked.

"By the time you find land and varieties that'll be profitable, ten years will have passed," The former pirate growled, "It's better to invest in fruits and vegetables, you already master it. In addition, you don't have stretchable land here, you need to be smart and not embark on fragile foodstuffs like grapes."

"It makes sense," The scientist approved.

"There's a supplier who seems to have quite good grape varieties on Vorgo, I'll go and have a look this afternoon," Sanji concluded.

Lily then turned to the two chefs. "We'll also need to train fishermen eventually. If the restaurant attracts people, I won't be able to provide enough fishing."

"When the restaurant attracts people," Zeff corrected, "You'd better train someone right away, it'll be quick."

"Don't talk to her like that," The blond growled beside him, furious, "And stop believing your cooking is the absolute condition for the success of the restaurant, you won't be alone in the kitchen!"

"Pretentious brat. I'm not talking about the level of my cooking but about my ways of doing. You think people are stupid? The Baratie is known all over the East Blue and all of a sudden, my specialties are gonna appear in the middle of nowhere. It won't take long to figure out what's going on."

Sanji scowled, jaw clenched on his unlit cigarette butt, and Zeff eyed the two locals. "We need to talk about it by the way. Opening a successful restaurant will bring in money but it'll also attract people, and not just quiet tourists. There'll be media, famous people, pirates. You'll need to deal with all that."

"All Blue is cut off from the world, I don't know how the inhabitants will react," Liam reminded them, worried. "When they talk about it, most just want to take advantage of the opening of the doors to reach the other Grand Line islands."

"You'll need a strong enough protector or you won't last long," Zeff muttered, "All Blue is a gold mine and you're weak. The crooks won't take long to notice."

Silence fell in the restaurant at these words and Sanji shook his head. They had spoken at length with Zeff about this thorny problem: even with all the precautions in the world, they were going to lose control of All Blue. And if seeing this legendary ocean brought to the attention of the world was truly enchanting, the two chefs were also aware that the fate of this mythical place was in their hands. The responsibility was overwhelming and the blond was awfully aware of the weight he had decided to carry. Between his promise to the inhabitants and the entire future of the ocean of his dreams, he had a lot to do.

"We'll ensure security around the restaurant and the door," He finally said. "Zeff and I can easily guarantee calm here and even on the island, but the doors must be controlled and it's better to open only one at the beginning."

Liam and Lily nodded. The opening of All Blue to the world shouldn't mean its end.


Sanji scanned the shelving. As he had announced earlier, he had left at the beginning of the afternoon for Vorgo to precisely sound out the possibility of getting wine with a trader he had noticed during one of his previous supplies. Liam had accompanied him to buy electronic components and they had separated in the city center. The blond had then quickly found the shop and its owner seemed rather interested in the prospect of supplying a new restaurant. After a few explanations, he showed his potential client the wines he could provide. Sanji had then decided to test the seriousness of the supplier by selecting several vintages for a test order.

The cook picked up a bottle and read its label. A Coteaux du Layon. The wine was ideal to accompany sweet desserts and he put it on the counter. "Do you have any other sweet white wines?"

The man nodded and showed him the bottle rack to his left. "Madeira Sercial. Both for fish and stronger meat."

The blond approached then examined the bottle in question. It could also be used for appetizers and as an accompaniment to certain starters. "I'll take some," He said to the man, pointing to the bottle.

"How many?"

"Make that five for now." The man jotted down his order in his notebook and Sanji moved on to the next section. He had stocked up on white wines of all kinds, ideal for most fish and seafood. However, he still wanted a few red wines. "Do you have any Médoc?"

"Not so many. There have been few in recent years and not too many people can afford it, but if you want some, I know someone."

"I'm interested," The blond confirmed.

"Where did you say you were opening the restaurant?"

"Not far," The cook eluded, scanning the other bottle racks.

"People aren't very rich around here, you know."

"We don't intend to be overpriced," Sanji reassured him while examining another bottle. "But we want the best."

The man nodded. "I'm gonna make a phone call to the winemaker I know. There are other white wines and we also have a few rosés," He showed him then. "Thank you."

The supplier walked into his back shop and Sanji approached another shelf. Hard liquors. He didn't plan to buy a lot of them, but he needed a few for appetizers and flambéed desserts. He then spotted a known bottle and grabbed it. Controlled appellation's sake with no added alcohol.

Sanji smiled. Zoro would have wrinkled his nose at this category of sake even though it was one of the best brews in the world with a subtly fruity and complex flavor. Its price was also frighteningly high. The blond put the bottle away and instead, he selected a more affordable premium sake as well as one made with brown rice that some customers liked.

His gaze was then drawn to a bottle of pure sake which immediately reminded him of the bottle he had shared so erotically with the swordsman the last time. Not many people liked its particular flavor but the blond grabbed it anyway. Whether by nostalgia or by instinct, he wanted to believe that he would have the opportunity to use it again one day.

"I called my friend; he can keep some of his production for you." Sanji turned to the man who was writing on a card. "Check with him to negotiate the price," The supplier added, handing it to him. "Thank you."

"Did you see anything else?" Sanji gestured to the bottles of sake he had selected and the man jotted down the references before the blond headed for the last shelf. "What champagnes do you have?"


Liam and Sanji were walking up the path discussing their respective purchases as they passed the scientist's workshop. The night had already fallen and the blond wished a good evening to his friend, about to walk to his place to take a shower before joining Zeff at the restaurant where he had taken up residence. At this moment, however, the characteristic ringing of the Den-Den Mushi rang out behind the door. Startled, the two young men stared at each other for a second before rushing inside.

Sanji was the quickest to reach the device and the list of his orders escaped him without him noticing it when he abruptly sat down in front of the desk to pick up. "Hello?"

"Sanji-san?" The musician's voice sounded as surprised as his own on the other side of the transmitter and the blond frowned. "Brook, are you okay?"

"Yohohohoho, absolutely! I'm just amazed that I managed to reach you at the first attempt! Nami was unsure of the quality of the radio link!"

The cook slumped in his seat, relief releasing him from a weight he hadn't realized he was carrying so heavily while Liam smiled delightedly. "I was starting to worry," The blond admitted, relaxing. "The New World is so great that you don't have time to call me?" He then joked.

"Apart from the lack of a door, we haven't had a minute to ourselves since we turned up in this sea!" The skeleton told him.

"Really?"

"As you might expect, it's not an easy environment," His friend confirmed.

"Where are you?"

"We dropped anchor on a small desert island to regain some strength and the detector immediately turned on!"

"You were right to try your luck. I have just returned from an afternoon on Vorgo."

"Sanji-bro! We miss your cooking as much as your devastating kicks!" The voice of the cyborg suddenly trumpeted.

"Is the competition that tough?" The cook answered, amused.

"You have no idea! Every redneck is incredibly strong here!" Franky sighed.

The blond sat up in his seat, frowning. It was unlike the shipwright to be defeatist and next to him, he saw Liam bit his lip, clearly troubled too. "Is everyone okay?" Sanji asked, tense in spite of himself.

"We almost lost Usopp." The defeated tone of the little reindeer froze the cook and he stared at the Den-Den Mushi, stunned. "Wh-What you mean?"

"I'm fine, Sanji." Hearing the sniper comforted and worried the blond at the same time. The gunner's voice sounded tired, and Sanji heard him sit down when Brook probably gave him his place in front of the transmitter. "I got a good scare but I'm up again," His friend assured him.

"What happened?"

"Our sniper was heroic and he came between me and the arrow that would have pierced me," Robin explained.

"The arrow was poisoned and I was missing a rare ingredient," Chopper lamented.

"Zoro found it!" Luffy's voice was enthused.

"We made a deal with Trafalgar Law to get it and he gave it to Zoro," The navigator explained.

"What kind of deal?" The blond asked, sharing a worried look with the scientist.

"We don't know yet. He only told Zoro to remind Luffy he owes him a favor," Franky said.

"It could be anything at any time…"

"Usopp's alive, that's all that matters!"

At these words, Sanji firmly nodded despite his concerns. "You're right, Captain. That's all that matters." The automatic use of this term felt weird to the blond and he resolved to quickly disregard it. "Usopp, I'm proud of you! You saved Robin-chan!"

"Hey, no problem. You know, a friend once told me that every fighter had his opponent and that I only needed to do what another couldn't. You weren't here so I had to take care of it but I'm sure you'll make it up to me."

Sanji felt a shiver go up his spine and he smiled fondly. He vividly remembered the moment he said those words when Sniper King nearly gave up when he saw that he wouldn't win his fight against Jabura at Enies Lobby. The cook had taken his place and the sniper had climbed to the top of the tower to prevent Robin from going through the Gates of Justice for good.

"I owe you one," He confirmed then, determined.

A little comforting silence warmed the atmosphere and then everyone asked the cook about him. Between the creation of his menus, his negotiations with suppliers and the decisions that had just been made, a solid hour passed during which Sanji shared with happiness and excitement his new projects. He then barely heard Liam come out of his house to let him enjoy his friends.

Eventually, however, the crew members decided to go to bed because, as the cook had well understood, the past few weeks had been trying for the Sunny and her occupants. This night was the first for a long time where they could really rest.

Yet Nami stayed a little longer so that the blond noted precisely the location of the door they were using to communicate. She was about to hang up after promising the cook to contact him again before leaving when she spoke again. "By the way, Sanji-kun, do you want to talk to Zoro?"

The question took her friend by surprise and he took a second to find his words. "I-I don't know. Do you think he's still up?"

The navigator probably shrugged. "I can always wake him up."

"No, no, don't bother him! I mean… unless he wants to talk to me…" Nami didn't answer right away and Sanji grimaced. "On second thought, it ain't worth it, Nami-san! I don't need to talk to him!"

"You sure?" The voice of the redhead was suspicious.

"Absolutely sure! You should go and rest, navigator of my heart, these last days have been particularly rough for you!"

"As you wish… Good night, Sanji-kun."

"Good night, Nami-san!"

Sanji hung up, his hand shaking. He wasn't fooled by his own tricks and he knew that the navigator had also perceived his discomfort, but how could he have reacted differently? He should have foreseen that one or the other of his friends would suggest that he talk to the fencer one day. However, he had never projected himself so far.

Considering Zoro's personality, Sanji sincerely doubted that the crew members were aware of the true status of their relationship, but it didn't help him to know whether or not he wanted to talk to the swordsman. On the one hand, the end of their relationship didn't mean that they should never speak again, but on the other hand, what would they have to say to each other? Their exchanges had always been full of rivalries and insults and when the crew had been separated for almost three months, the blond could count on one hand the number of times he and Zoro had spoken on the Den-Den Mushi.

Today was even stranger. Part of him wanted to know how the swordsman was doing and what his impressions of the New World were. Indeed, Zoro was the one whose opinion was closest to his regarding their enemies even if their analysis was often different. But he couldn't foresee what hearing Zoro's voice would trigger in him. Suffering? Anger? Bitterness? Sanji was certain to stir up his sadness at least a little either way. What if hearing Zoro made his absence even more unbearable? Worse, what if it made things harder for the fencer? Was Sanji going to break his word by asking the swordsman to remember him?

In the end, Sanji got up and left the scientist's workshop in the direction of the restaurant. He no longer wanted to go home. He needed to keep himself busy, quickly and intensely. The confusion inside him was painful, but not as much as the confusion that would surely bring him down if he tried to sort out his feelings about the fencer. He wasn't ready to think about it calmly yet and he didn't want to break into a thousand pieces again. He had a dream to achieve, and Zoro too.


Sanji is trying to move forward, for him and his restaurant, and I hope this parallel line of thought is convincing!