Chapter 39
The time of a dream
Sanji wrinkled his nose while tapping his paper to better find inspiration. He had already written down many ideas, but he wasn't quite satisfied yet. The environment of All Blue helped him find inspiration though. In the middle of the morning, the calm was ideal and he had settled down at a table from which he had moved the sparkling crockery so as not to take the risk of dropping it.
At that moment, Zeff came into the restaurant and stared at him. "Still here?"
"I'm working, old timer," The blond grumbled without taking his eyes off his paper.
"Weren't you supposed to go and do some tests to see if the communication works with this new door to the north?"
"I went to Liam's this morning and everything is in place." Sanji chewed on his pen, still focused on his task. "Its location isn't as stable as Vorgo's but he has managed to reinforce it a bit. I think we can put it into service within two days, that gives us time to anticipate doubling the number of customers." He muttered then, "We really need to think about hiring staff and I thought that some-"
He was interrupted in his thoughts by a crate of artichokes landing on the table in front of him and he finally looked up, clearly displeased. "What the hell are you doing? Customers won't be arriving for two hours and I've already made the shrimps in cream Lily brought back!"
"Go put it away and do inventory."
"And then what?" The blond got annoyed, "Why don't you do it?!"
"Because I got something else planned."
"What about me then? You can see I'm busy!"
"I gave Amy a day off," The old cook told him suddenly as he headed for a huge sideboard a few steps away.
"What?! You-"
Zeff turned to look at him questioningly, ostensibly daring him to continue his sentence, and Sanji ran a hand through his hair, disconcerted. "You did well," He finally sighed. "Since her arrival, I don't think she has had any rest…"
"You're supposed to take care of this girl," His mentor reminded him, turning away again to check the cleanliness of the plates.
"I know, I know. It's just that there's so much to do…"
"This kid has energy to spare but I don't want her to end up like you."
Sanji froze and stared at the hulking figure who had his back turned to organize the glasses.
"What do you mean?" He growled, narrowing his eyes.
"You don't see the light of day anymore and you forget that everyone is not like you, thinking about this restaurant day and night."
"It was you who told me I had to take my responsibilities! That the inhabitants were counting on me and that I couldn't miss this chance!" The blond behind him pointed out with indignation.
"Of course I did, it was you who decided to deal with it all, idiot," Zeff grumbled, inspecting the champagne flutes. "The others didn't ask for anything so you can't expect the same investment from them though."
Sanji rolled his eyes and freed his paper stuck under the crate to concentrate on his work. He had to admit that the grumpy old man was right on the last point. "I got it, I'll be more careful."
Zeff closed the heavy dresser doors and turned to his former protege. Seeing him leant over his piece of paper again, he frowned. "Put down your pen for two minutes. What I said also applies to you."
"How so?" The blond was annoyed and he looked up again.
"You're not sleeping."
"What?"
The old cook pointed to his bags under his eyes and after the surprise, Sanji shrugged. "Too many things in mind, I guess."
"Don't forget what I taught you. 'Cooking feeds on you and-'"
"I know, I know. 'If you don't give her anything, she won't give you anything.'"
Zeff nodded. "All Blue isn't gonna disappear tomorrow and if you want this restaurant to hold up in the long term, you must not rush."
"I'm not rushing, I just want it to work!"
"Slow down then. You'll make the wrong choices if you can't think straight," His mentor continued.
"I'm trying to rest but it's like my brain's going a mile a minute…"
"Are you really? Because I don't see you going out or running after girls like you've always done. I don't even see you enjoying All Blue."
"Of course I do!" The blond immediately protested.
"And when was the last time you were on the beach to see the sea?" The old cook pointed. "Just to admire All Blue, the ocean you've been looking for since you were a kid?"
At these words, the blond gritted his teeth and his mentor looked down on him.
"I know you, Sanji." The young man looked up and Zeff watched him quietly. "You're not capable of being a loner. It's when you're around people and participating in their happiness that you feel the best. It really is a useless personality trait on the Grand Line when you think about it…"
Sanji glared at him but the old cook continued, unfazed. "This need to connect you constantly feels, it's thanks to that that you know how to cook. Thanks to the emotion you feel and put into your dishes. If you withdraw into yourself, you can say goodbye to your restaurant."
Sanji glared at him again and Zeff stared back for another second before shrugging and turning away to grab another crate he'd dropped at his feet on entering. "Then make friends here or go back to see those who took you on board on this stupid ship and don't bother me with that anymore."
These words brought his former protege out of his torpor. "You… I have friends here!" He got offended.
"No, you don't. You treat Liam and Lily as means to support your restaurant, that's all," The old cook replied, adjusting his vegetables.
"You're wrong! I really appreciate them!"
"No kidding. Yet you haven't asked them if they want a day off in six months."
Sanji stared into Zeff's eyes, furious. "This restaurant is to support their island, you know! They knew it'd take work!"
"That's exactly my point. You're their boss, not their friend."
Livid, the blond got up abruptly and grabbed his own crate. "You don't know shit," He hissed as he walked past him. A second later, the swinging kitchen door slammed shut behind him.
"Where did they all go?"
Sanji turned his head to the right then to the left, looking around for those who had been in the dining room a few minutes earlier. After the end of the lunch service, Lily and Liam had come to the All Blue and Sanji had taken advantage of it to slip away and finish what he had started that morning.
His arms now full of pastries, the blond turned around again, astonished. Even Zeff had disappeared.
"Get your ass over here, brat."
Sanji turned his head and saw the old cook on the doorstep. He frowned. "What is it? Where did you disappear to?"
"Stop asking questions and go to the beach. I'll join you."
Zeff slipped away just as quickly and the blond immediately followed suit, suddenly worried. Maybe the island was under attack? So far, he had only had to fend off a few troublesome customers and a dozen stray pirates who hadn't taken long to flee in front of his fury. He hoped it wasn't the Marines.
A few moments later, Sanji turned up on the beach at full speed but what he saw froze him instantly.
"Surprise!"
"Wh- What?"
Laughing out loud, Amy rushed over to him and the blond saw Lily approaching behind her, a smile on her face. A little further on, Liam stood next to Tori and a few other islanders.
"Happy birthday, Sanji!"
"But… But it's not my birthday, sweet Lily!" He pointed out to her, incredulous.
"Of course it is!" The young woman protested. "Today marks a year since you and your crew set foot on All Blue!"
Sanji stared at her, shocked. A year? It had already been a year since he had discovered All Blue? He remembered that they had arrived at the end of spring but… Where had all those months gone? He had the strange feeling that he hadn't accomplished much of anything concrete in all this time although he displayed boundless energy every day, from sunrise to sunset, if not more.
"For once, we're the ones who cooked!" The fisherwoman added, pulling him out of his thoughts, "Come on, come and see!"
The blond let himself be guided by the two girls who showed him the chairs and small table that had been set up on the edge of the beach. The sun warmed the atmosphere pleasantly and the cook noticed that Lily had brought the long wooden table from her garden. Appetizers had been placed there as well as large colorful cocktails.
As he walked, the rest of the inhabitants approached in their turn and they ended up surrounding the cook who felt himself blushing under their attention. "You didn't have to…"
"Hey, you're not gonna blame us for celebrating your arrival here!" It was a man who was helping them in the fields.
"It's the least we can do, you do a lot for us," Tori agreed.
"Do you realize that a couple from Vorgo came to ask me if houses were for sale on the island?" Lily got enthused. "They want to raise their family here, in peace! A voluntary move to All Blue hasn't happened for decades!"
"It's also thanks to you, you spare no effort," Sanji reminded them, embarrassed.
"Don't be so modest. Nothing would have happened if your crew hadn't come through the door that day," Liam pointed.
"For once, fate has blessed us!" Another man rejoiced.
"What an extraordinary coincidence that a pirate cook disembarked on this island cut off from the world when he's always been looking for it," Tori agreed again.
"Speaking of cooking, we planned to taste the first harvests of the season," Lily added while pointing to the different drinks on the table, "Maybe you can take inspiration from it for your next recipes?"
"That's a wonderful idea, sweet Lily! I can't wait to see what we get!"
"We're not gonna keep you waiting then!"
The young woman immediately started the service with her friends and Liam took the opportunity to look at the blond, amused. "Even the day we decide to cook for you, you can't help but beat us to it," He noticed as he watched the food still clutched in the blond's arms.
"Oh, uh, it's not much," Sanji assured him, "I was just testing out some carnival dessert recipes so you choose your favorites."
At these words, the scientist's eyes widened and the cook unpacked his desserts to show them to him. "I don't know what will awaken your memory the most so I tried to be exhaustive," he told him. "I made churros, candy apples, waffles, pancakes, donuts, pralines and marshmallows. I couldn't make cotton candy because I don't have a machine but I should be able to find one on Vorgo," He then apologized. "Same for the candy canes, I didn't have the right food coloring…"
Across from him, Liam stared in disbelief at the sweets piling up on the table. "You did all that?!"
"Well, I need to determine what crystallizes your memories," The blond admitted. "I'm not asking you to eat all of this, just tell me what they make you think of. If you still agree of course…"
The dark-haired man looked up instantly. "Of course I do! I just didn't think you'd spend so much time on it. And so fast! You already have so much to do…"
"Don't worry about that. I have the right to take a few moments to please the people I love, don't I?"
Liam nodded and the blond was suddenly seated in a chair by Lily who had just finished pouring the drinks. A second later, Amy brought him a cocktail with bright colors. "Mixture of fresh fruits based on strawberry, apple and kiwi!" The young girl declaimed. "Provenance from All Blue guaranteed!"
"This is our first certified mixture," The fisherwoman added with emotion, "With the money the restaurant has started to bring in, our plantations have never been so diverse…"
Sanji grabbed his glass then tasted his juice before observing its color again. "It's refreshing," He appreciated, "Are the strawberries Maras des Bois?"
"Nothing gets past you," Lily agreed, smiling. "You like it?"
The cook nodded. "It'll go perfectly with a rhubarb pie I'd like to try!"
"Oh, very good idea."
"Look, Sanji! I made the toast!"
Lily moved away as Amy arrived. She placed a series of soft buns on the table and the blond leaned over them with curiosity while Liam left to serve the rest of the townspeople. "There's tomato and mozzarella, tuna rillettes with red onion and tarama with chives!" Amy explained proudly.
"She insisted on doing everything herself," Lily specified.
"Oh. And it's all from All Blue?" The cook inquired.
"Except the mozzarella," The young girl admitted. "But we got the bread from Vorgo with Liam this morning so it's fresh! What do you think?" She then asked him anxiously.
Sanji grabbed a piece of tarama toast to examine its texture. The cream seemed both firm and creamy and he crunched slightly into the bread.
"There's not too much lemon," He noticed after taking the time to pick out all the flavors. "Congratulations, Amy, it's very good."
"You sure? I forgot to remove the crust from the bread before soaking it in the milk," She confessed, annoyed.
The cook shook his head before taking a tomato toast while Lily grabbed a rillette bread to taste it in turn. "It's alright. This is mostly useful for the texture to be homogeneous, but you have worked the cream enough for it to go unnoticed."
Amy had a delighted smile in return. "Do you think Zeff will let me prepare some dishes now?" She asked him hopefully.
The blond raised an eyebrow. "Do you really wanna cook?"
"Well…" The young girl sought Lily's gaze at her side and the fisherwoman replied with an encouraging smile. Amy took a short breath then. "You two make such delicious dishes, people keep asking me to compliment you when I serve them and I wish I knew how to do that stuff," She told him, her cheeks flushed.
Sanji smiled tenderly at her obvious embarrassment. "We'll have to see then. I'm sure we'll be able to find small missions so you can test your ambition."
"Really?! Oh, thank you!" Amy rushed into his arms and the cook stifled a laugh while Lily hurriedly took his glass from his hands so that the young girl wouldn't knock it over, amused.
Sanji realized that this hug was doing him a world of good then. With her natural and still childish side, Amy made him forget the permanent tension that surrounded the implementation of a project such as the opening of the All Blue. His bursts of laughter and constant curiosity reminded him that he also had been amazed by simple dishes Zeff had made him taste when he had opened the Baratie. This homecoming made him realize much better than long speeches how much he had actually distanced himself from these moments of simple joy without even noticing it.
"Move over, kids."
Amy pulled away and Sanji saw the imposing figure of his mentor place a large cake on the table in front of him. The blond looked at him questioningly, a mocking gleam in his eyes. "You made me a cake, old geezer? When was the last time? I don't even remember you ever wished me my birthday!"
"I didn't want to but they forced me," The old cook growled.
"It's true," Lily confirmed, "We left him no choice!"
"I see… That's why you were busy this morning, huh?"
Zeff didn't answer and threw the cake server at him. "Do it yourself."
Sanji caught the utensil expertly and quickly counted the number of parts needed while the old cook walked away to put more juices down on the table.
"Amy, can you get the plates?"
"Of course!" The young girl rushed to the wooden table and the blond positioned the dish in front of him to cut the strawberry roll that Zeff had just brought.
About ten minutes later, when everyone had their share in hand, Lily grabbed a glass of juice. She asked for the attention of her friends and all paused to listen, the quiet sound of the ocean surf adding a touch of sweetness to the moment.
The young woman turned to Sanji.
"I'd like to toast in honor of our friend and benefactor for his constant involvement since arriving here a year ago." She raised her glass in his direction then, fixing his gaze on his. "On behalf of All Blue, we thank you. We know the road will be long but thanks to you, the horizon is already a little clearer today. Thank you, Sanji."
The cook raised his glass in return to thank her and Lily turned to Zeff.
"And let's not forget the man by which All Blue's opening came to fruition. Thanks to you, too."
The old cook nodded and soon, all the inhabitants raised their glasses in unison towards the sky to celebrate the two men.
Sanji watched the inhabitants of All Blue laughing and conversing happily. The sun was beginning to set over the sea and he knew he would soon have to return for the start of the evening service. Zeff had assured him that he had already anticipated most of the dishes that morning and he had left a few moments earlier to make the final preparations. It was a subtle way of making his former protege understand that he could continue to enjoy a little more of the party.
Sitting on a chair, the blond enjoyed the minutes of calm granted to him. For the past few hours, he had been the center of everyone's attention and thanks and he was glad to be able to take a step back. The gratitude of All Blue's inhabitants warmed his heart but it also disturbed him a little. He understood better what his old mentor had tried to explain to him now.
His gaze fell on Liam and Lily's figures who were chatting animatedly just a few steps away. For the occasion, the young fisherwoman had put on a long flowery dress and her hair, usually raised, was braided this time. For his part, Liam had also swapped his usual jeans for black pants and a short-sleeved shirt. It is with this kind of detail that Sanji realized how hard they worked for him.
Lily had also confided to him a little earlier her desire to sail the other seas of the globe once All Blue was finally independent and the cook hadn't been able to prevent his heart from sinking at these words: he had never known that the young woman had other dreams than that of developing her island. He hadn't even considered it.
Zeff was right. He had never bothered to really get to know those who blindly followed all his directives and put all their hopes in his hands. He blamed himself for only becoming aware of his attitude now. He had said he was their friend but in reality, he had kept them at a distance.
On his right, Amy suddenly gave a cry of admiration when Tori squeezed a kiwi then an apple with his bare hands to make her another cocktail and the blond felt a gentle warmth spread through him. Right now, his friends were sailing around the New World but he didn't need to keep punishing himself for parting with them. He had the right to bond with other people, it wouldn't diminish the strength of the bonds he had developed with the Straw Hat crew.
As his mentor had pointed out to him, he liked to make others happy and the way he had found to bring some peace to this world was cooking. His art fed on his passions and he couldn't let it die out.
Sanji got up and approached Lily who wanted to show him the new variety of apricots they wanted to plant. A sincere smile tugged his lips. He had the right to be happy.
It's kind of bittersweet because I think it's always difficult to move from words to action. Sanji's not done with this dilemma…
Next chapter, we'll check in on the crew.
