The Merry is moored on Grand Line's first island, known by the name of Whiskey Peak for its giant cactus-like hills. This seemingly quiet island has in fact been home for some years to the Baroque Works organization, which attacks and traps pirates who dock there, in order to make as much money as possible from bounties.

The sun begins to set on the horizon, coloring the sky in reds, oranges and purples. These pastel hues are reflected on the calm water, giving an air of calm and tranquillity to the little ram-headed vessel. It's a pity that the two people on deck don't seem inclined to admire the view, but rather look at each other with suspicion for the blond or amusement for the green-haired swordsman.

Sanji stares in disbelief at an older Zoro on deck, who merely looks at him calmly with a smug little smile. He blinks several times, wondering if he's hallucinating, having seen the swordsman swimming towards the island less than an hour ago.

"Wha... what is..." His question dies in his throat. There's no way this is Zoro; there's too much that doesn't fit the crew's swordsman. The man in front of him certainly has the same color hair and looks as arrogant as ever. But he's missing the three gold earrings that normally hang from his left ear, his hair is longer, wrinkles are visible around his eyes, he's taller and the detail that most betrays this imposter is the fact that he has only one sword at his belt, and it's not the white sword so precious for the Marimo.

"You're not Zoro." He brings his leg up behind him and bends his knees, ready to pounce. The fake Zoro widens his smile, resting his hand on his blue-and-white katana in a relaxed stance.

Stella holds all the cards. She could reveal her true identity, but she'd lose the advantage of having an appearance she could use to fight the Cook at full strength without him holding back because she's a woman. But being a man wouldn't be enough; she'd also have to become an enemy, or at least someone irritable enough for the blond to put his foot in her face at any moment. And she has just the idea for this womanizing cook. Her smile becomes more carnivorous and her eyes shine even brighter under the red and purple light of the sky.

"You obviously know the swordsman better than I thought." He said, rolling the words in his throat with a low timbre that made the cook shiver. "My disguise didn't last long with his nakamas." He continued, staring intently at the cook, who tensed even more under his predatory gaze.

"Who are you? What are you doing on this ship?" The swordsman slowly tilts his head to one side, as if the cook's questions were amusing.

"Are you sure you want to know? " He replies, rolling the words off his tongue but with a hint of sarcasm. Sanji grits his teeth, biting down hard on the filter of his cigarette.

"Of course, motherfucker! Answer me right now before I smash your face in!" The impostor raises an eyebrow with an amused smile as he catches his chin in his hand, as if thinking deeply about the aggressive words directed at him.

"Motherfucker, huh? Well, you've got a sharp tongue I see. I wonder if you know how to use it for anything else?" He sneers. Sanji's eyes widen slightly, hoping he's misheard, but he immediately goes on guard as the impostor begins to approach him like a predator approaching particularly interesting prey. The hand resting on the katana moves almost imperceptibly, while the hair takes on a blood-red hue dotted with black streaks. The features of his face also change to become more raw and chiseled, making the man's aura and presence more impressive and imposing. Like that of a particularly powerful giant snake.

Seeing the stranger approach him and change appearance, Sanji felt every muscle in his body tense up, as if his subconscious was telling him he was up against someone far too powerful for him. But despite the foreboding that snaked under his skin, he was ready to send the man's body flying away from the ship.

The fighting stance doesn't seem to impress the man, who continues to approach him at a steady pace, an amused smile on his lips and eyes shining with a gleam Sanji doesn't want to know.

When he's less than two meters away, Sanji opens hostilities with a huge kick to the gut of the stupid mountain of muscle before him. But he realizes he's misjudged the man's strength and speed, as he had no trouble catching his foot.

The man's smile widened, he had caught his prey.

Before Sanji could make a move to disengage himself, the impostor stepped further forward, raising the arm holding his foot, forcing the cook to raise it above his head, he found himself doing the splits. If he wasn't so flexible, his muscles would have given way under the effort.

Now the stranger is right in front of him, and only his raised leg separates them. This immediately makes our heartbreaker uneasy. He stares at the man with wide eyes as his body screams at him to run away from this predator who is getting closer and closer to him, making a little purring noise that doesn't bode well.

The hand holding his ankle slowly, very slowly, moves down his leg to his knee, allowing him to bend his outstretched leg, but not without making him shiver.

"I can see you're very flexible. It must be advantageous in certain situations. ~" Purrs the man as a naughty smile appears on his lips. Sanji's discomfort increases exponentially. Not only is a man pressed up against him in a vulnerable position, but this one is also a pervert. He flinches as he feels the second hand begin to wrap around his waist.

"Let go of me!" He tries to push the man back on his shoulders, but he won't budge. The only way left for him to defend himself is to throw a punch, but that's out of the question. It would damage his hands. This dilemma seems to amuse the asshole to no end.

"Come on, don't struggle, little rabbit. You might fall." Blue eyes stare at those that have turned as red as the hair that flutters gently in the sea breeze. Sanji's face wrinkles with anger, irritated by his own weakness.

"If you let go of my leg, I wouldn't risk falling!" He spits as he tries once more to push back the shoulders of the too-close man, who only hums before responding sarcastically by holding the cook closer to him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice what position we were in, it wasn't my attention at all." Sanji's gaze becomes both flat and annoyed, not appreciating the openly mocking tone and even less the redhead's forced closeness

"Really?" He said in the same sarcastic tone. "In that case, get away from me so I can beat you to death." His retort at least had the merit of making his opponent chuckle. Before bringing his face even closer to the cook's, eyes gleaming with interest.

"You'll just have to force me, then. Go ahead, put all your strength into it, I'm only waiting for that. ~" Sanji's face goes through several colors, desperately trying not to panic. He tries to concentrate on a method of disengaging himself by inflicting as much pain as possible on the man in front of him, who only tilts his head to the side, looking at his face with amusement. It's as if he's an open book and the asshole is casually reading it.

The trapped cook bites down hard on his cigarette, showing his teeth to try and appear at least a little intimidating.

"You asked for it." With a swift, powerful movement, he jumps, throwing his free leg into the pervert's head. With his leg already on the man's shoulder, he wraps them around the redhead's neck.

The swordsman looks at him with a hint of surprise, now that he's fully carrying the cook, who bends him forward. Sanji leans back, arching his back so he can place his hands on the ground. And in one swift, powerful movement, he catapults the man between his legs on top of him.

But nothing seems quite so simple, for as soon as the man's feet have left the ground, two powerful arms wrap around his waist and pull him into the impostor's fall. For the next five seconds, the cook's brain can't comprehend what's going on.

The only thing he manages to register is when the two bodies finally stand still. Both his legs are still clasped around his head, and his back is against the torso of the man who finds himself sitting on the deck, watching him with an amused grin, his arms wrapped around the hips of the blond man who is glaring at him with his head down.

"Nice, kid. But you still haven't managed to get rid of me.~" The blond grunts in irritation and tries to get out of the way by kicking the red-haired swordsman in the face, but his ankles are once again seized by the man's powerful grip, and he continues to smile. "Nice try." With a single gesture, the cook is sent flying a few meters away. The blond is surprised to be released so easily, but quickly recovers and easily lands on his feet, contorting himself. He skids for a few meters before coming to a complete stop.

He turns his head towards the impostor, who stands up quietly, dusting off his clothes and putting them back on. Red eyes turn to him with a toothy grin on his ugly face.

"Nice landing. I wonder how you use those long legs of yours to fight." He stands sideways to the cook and holds out his hand to make a small, provocative gesture. "Show me what you can do, little boy ~"

Sanji's hairs bristle with rage at this provocative gesture; he gets the impression that this guy thinks he's a kid. He crouches down, almost skimming the ground, before launching himself at full power at the man, who only smiles at his approach. His foot arcs up to strike a blow at his opponent's waist. But his black shoe collided with an arm, absorbing the shock and causing his whole leg to shake. He feels as if he's kicked a concrete wall.

He grunts at the slight pain in his leg and delivers another blow to the head.

The man shifts to let Sanji pass, losing his balance. But before he's too far away, he wraps his arm around the blond's hips and presses him against his torso. His breath is directly into the cook's ear.

"Is that really all you know how to do?" Sanji's body shudders unpleasantly at this low tone and he throws his leg out in front of him in an attempt to attack the pervert behind him with a wide split.

The man pushes his head away so as not to eat the polished shoe in the nose, and Sanji takes the opportunity to break free and attack immediately, making a sweep to bring the impostor down.

His leg comes into contact with the back of his opponent's knees, who bends helplessly and falls backwards, widening his eyes a little.

A proud smile spreads across the cook's lips as he sees him fall, but it's short-lived as the man manages to do a backflip and right himself perfectly, giving the impression that he can control gravity.

"Ts!" Sanji makes a little noise with his tongue at his failed attempt. The pervert again flashes an amused grin that exasperates the blond.

"Is that really all you know how to do? I'm almost disappointed, but luckily your pretty face makes up for it." The cigarette is cut in half and Sanji hurls himself at him with a howl of rage. His kicks are violent and fast, and he's never felt so helpless against an opponent, not since he became an adult.

The impact of the kicks is felt throughout his body every time his foot or leg touches the redhead. But what annoys him most is the amused smile that never leaves his opponent's lips, giving the impression that he represents no danger.

His blood boils in his veins, and he feels as if he has pure fire in his body. His body temperature rises without him realizing it, but this does not escape the eyes of his opponent, who finally seems to display something other than amusement, something akin to perplexity.

In one swift movement, he easily catches the leg as it lunges towards him again, drawing the cook against him once more. The leg is pulled up to his waist and an arm is brought behind his back to hold him in place.

The blond faced the redhead's face, who looked at him with a more serious gaze and a slight frown, which unsettled the blond a little. Especially when the man drops his foot to grab his chin and force him to turn his head slightly to the side to show his pale neck, where his blood continues to beat furiously.

Sanji really starts to feel uncomfortable when the man's nose plunges into his neck and begins to smell it. Really not liking this situation, he jabs the man's shoulders in front of him to push him away, but the arm behind his back prevents him from moving and the hand on his chin prevents him from turning his head.

He shakes his legs, trying to kick and knee the man, but to no avail, he's totally blocked and subdued.

"Let go of me! You're going to- HA!" A sharp pain in his neck makes him cry out and his eyes go wide. He can't believe this guy has just bitten him to a bloody pulp, and now he feels his tongue pass over the pain, which disappears almost immediately. He takes a deep breath as the redhead pulls his head back to look into his eyes.

His eyes, once red, are now dark red and there's a hint of anger in them.

"You... " The blood is still on his lips and his tongue licks at him as his face crinkles slightly in anger. "How can you have this in you?"

Sanji stares at him like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car. He has no idea what he's talking about, but the anger he sees there doesn't reassure him at all, especially as the hand on his chin reaches down to grab his neck and start squeezing. Not enough to choke him, but enough to make his blood pound in his ears.

"Answer me." His face came even closer to him, but this time to threaten him openly. "What's your real name?" The face a little reddened by blood pressure, paled drastically.

"Huh?... " The hand on his neck tightens even more.

"There's no need to lie to me, Sanji." Panic begins to agitate the cook, who scrambles in every direction to free himself by any means necessary. He starts to use his hands to land blows, but the man doesn't seem to want him to move.

With a sudden movement, the cook is thrown to the ground. His back hits the wood of the deck hard, but he has no time to move as his hands are held above his head and his legs immobilized by the weight of the man above him.

His breathing became increasingly irregular as the redhead brought his face close to his ear and uttered words the blond hoped he'd never hear again.

"You can't lie to me, Sanji Vinsmoke." The blond's whole body froze, his brain refusing to register what he'd just heard. He thought he'd finally rid himself of his name, his past and this cursed family. But no, he had to come across someone who could make the connection between him and these monsters.

"H... How? How do you know?!" He tried to keep his voice neutral, but the hot blood inside him prevented him from keeping a cool head, and his voice trembled with uncertainty. The red eyes above him crinkled and a sort of animal growl emerged from the man's chest.

"It's your blood. It has a taste and smell I'll always be able to recognize!" Sanji is even more confused. What is he talking about? His father's foul blood in him?

But anger is beginning to take its place in his mind. He hates his father so much that, even when he's far away, he still causes him problems.

"I HATE HIM TOO! IF I COULD KILL HIM WITH MY HANDS, I WOULD! I HATE THAT MAN SO MUCH! I HATE HIS NAME! I HATE EVERYTHING HE'S DONE!" His scream echoes across the ocean, scaring the fish and sending nearby birds flying. The man looks at him with a slightly more focused gaze, as if confronted with a particularly difficult riddle.

"You hate him?" The lightning bolts the blond sent him confirmed that this hatred ran deep.

"YES, I HATE HIM! IF HE CAN DIE, I'LL BE SO MUCH HAPPIER AND AT PEACE!" The pressure that held his hands against the rough wood has eased slightly, but still not loosened. The man above him seemed immersed in thought.

"Sanji... San... The third..." Cook grits his teeth at this analysis of his name. Yes, his father really has no race; he named his own children with fucking numbers. The dark red eyes turn blood red again and the angry face relaxes. "So, you're-"

"What's going on here?!" The navigator's voice catches the attention of both men. The redhead and the sharpshooter came out of the kitchen when they heard Sanji shout. They now stare, wide-eyed, at their cook tackled to the floor, helpless, with a man with red and black hair on top of him.

Seeing Sanji in trouble, Nami and Usopp adopt a fighting stance, although they're not too confident given that one of their best fighters failed to take him out.

"Get away from him!" The two pirates shout, approaching the stranger menacingly.

"Nami-swan?! No! Stay away!" The cook begins to panic, for the man restraining him may well be trying to force his tender Nami-swan to do something perverse and depraved.

The cook's warning makes the two cowards hesitate, and the blood-red eyes staring back at them don't help the sense of fear and unease he exudes.

But against all odds, the man lets out a sigh and refocuses his gaze on the blond beneath him. He leans over to whisper directly into his prey's ear.

"I'll be back to finish this discussion. So be on your guard, little prince ~ " Blue eyes widen in disbelief, then his body is released in a second.

Nami and Usopp saw only a blur of red and black before sensing a presence behind them, which startled them as he turned slowly, trembling.

Behind them, the red-haired man looked at them with a toothy grin, making the pirates swoon at the sight of two large canines protruding slightly from his mouth.

"Here's two new prey, I wonder which one tastes better." Tears appear in their eyes at the sight of this predator's face.

"VAMP... VAMPIRE!" The two howl, backing away as much as they can from the bloodsucker. The cook stands up and places himself between his Nami-swan (+ Usopp) and the red-haired man.

The amused grin is back and a light chuckle emerges from his chest.

"Vampire? Hmm... If it amuses you, why not." He says as he starts to make his way towards the Merry's railing, where a bag had been hanging out since his arrival on this ship.

Blue eyes crinkle as they watch the red-haired man move without approaching them, and grab the bag he's slinging over his shoulder. Then the red eyes turn to them.

"As tempting as it may be to stay with you, my little rabbits. I have more important things to do. On that note, I'll see you soon.~ "Nami and Usopp turn pale with fear at this enemy who seems to have set his sights on their crew. Sanji grits his teeth at this man he was unable to eliminate.

"Go to hell! "He replies with a menacing growl, which only amuses the impostor even more.

"I'll try, but I can't promise anything. Well, bye. ~" And in a blur of movement, he disappears completely from the deck without a trace.

The two pirates behind the blond let out a cry of surprise when he disappeared and looked around frantically, expecting him to emerge from the shadows to drain them of their blood.

"Damn! What the hell was that? A vampire?! A real vampire?!" The sniper began to panic before grabbing hold of the cook's collar. "Reassure me, he didn't bite you?!"

Sanji frowned and pulled the liar's face away.

"Of course not, he didn't..." He quickly runs his hand over his neck, where he'd felt the pain. Yes, he bit me! But he feels nothing under his fingers. The two pirates look at him with concern at his movement. Without asking, Nami grabs the collar of the blue shirt and pulls it aside along with the cook's hand. But they see nothing, except that the pale skin seems a little redder.

Sanji gently pulled away from the redhead, all the while forcing her to let go.

"It's all right, my Nami-swan. He didn't hurt me. Besides, a vampire? Is that so? You're not going to make me believe there really is such a thing? Ha ha ha!" He was trying to appear normal, but a hint of anxiety invaded him. What if it really was a vampire? After all, he hadn't flinched under his blows. He'd bitten him and tended his wound. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of that warm tongue running over his skin.

He wrinkled his nose and shook his head under the worried, questioning glances of his two teammates.

"No, no, really. There's no way it's a vampire or something. Why not werewolves while we're at it?" He says, trying to sound light-hearted and amused. But the heavy stare he receives makes him uncomfortable and he bites his lip. He thinks of a way to defuse the situation.

"Sanji... Are you sure everything's okay?" Asks the sharpshooter. The blond doesn't budge at the question, but eventually puts on one of his usual fake smiles.

"Yes, everything's fine, Usopp. Well, if you don't mind, it's getting late and I have to get dinner ready." He starts to walk away under the heavy gaze of his nakamas and climbs the wooden stairs.

"We're your nakamas, don't forget that. If you have any problems, you can tell us." The redhead's soft voice almost stops him in his tracks, but he turns, making a tornado of a heart towards the navigator.

"Thank you my Nami-swan for your concern, you are the goddess of my heart!" He sings, sending hundreds of hearts flying in the direction of the beautiful navigator.

Seeing Sanji behaving as usual, relief overwhelms the two cowards.

"Phew, he's his usual self." Says Usopp with relief, placing his hand over his heart in a theatrical gesture. Nami nods and smiles at the cook, who continues to pour out hearts to her, before disappearing behind the kitchen door.


Sanji closed the door with a big smile, but as soon as the other two could no longer see him, his sparkling smile disappeared and he leaned heavily against the door.

His hands trembled with helplessness. He'd been cooking for years, but his hands hadn't shaken since he started smoking. Feverishly, he grabs a cigarette, wedges it between his lifts and lights it after several attempts.

His lungs fill with smoke and nicotine, gradually reducing his tremors. His knees buckle as if he has no strength left and he slides against the door, expelling the smoke above him as he closes his eyes.

He sits still for a few seconds, trying to calm the flashes of his past that come back to haunt him. The pain, the crying, the darkness he'd fled from has reappeared today. He wraps his arms around his legs and rests his forehead on his knees. His body still trembles a little.

He was so powerless against this man, was this what living on Grand Line was all about? He'd never felt so weak and useless. His fingers dug into the fabric of his pants and squeezed firmly, his teeth grinding as he clenched them.

Various negative feelings washed over him like a storm. Anger, fear, sadness, rage, terror, despair, indignation, uncertainty, melancholy. This whirlwind that grips his heart and wants to get out almost makes him growl, so overwhelming is it.

He raises his head to stare into the kitchen of the little pirate ship he's joined to realize his dream. A spark begins to appear in his empty eyes, before turning into an inferno. His cigarette burns a fiery red, projecting red and orange sparks into the intense blue.

Slowly, he stands up and looks out of the window. In the distance, the forest can be seen, darkened by the setting sun. Branches and leaves rustle softly in the sea breeze.

"I promise, next time you'll be crushed under my shoe. And my past will no longer have any influence on me." He needs to get stronger so this situation doesn't happen again.

Quietly, he heads for the kitchen and starts cooking with a new resolve that pushes him to become stronger and more determined.


Stella runs quietly between the trees, along a small dirt track that leads to the heart of the island. Her mind is focused on Sanji and the discovery she has just made. To say she expected to find Judge's third son on this crew would be a lie. Last she heard, he was supposed to have been dead for years, but apparently he's still alive and free from that madman's influence.

This situation, originally a way to stimulate the cook, turned into an impromptu discovery. But the fact that she can keep a close eye on him has a certain advantage. For the moment, his genes don't seem to be activated, which explains why she hasn't detected him until now. But as the rage overtook him, a peculiar odor immediately drew her attention. This smell was confirmed by the taste of his blood, which she knew well and which still lingered on her tongue.

Normally, this wouldn't have alerted her, but the fact that this genetic madman has been playing with different genes from different races and implanting them in his children has changed everything.

To be honest, if it was another of Judge's sons standing in front of her without his master, he'd have no head left by now. They're just obedient weapons with no sense of pity or affection. On the loose, they'll do a lot of damage without ever thinking about the consequences, and if the gene in them becomes active, she'll kill them personally.

She won't let another one of these monsters loose, one is enough...

She sinks into the forest, which envelops her in a black veil, while her eyes shine with a cruel, animal gleam, as her gaze turns to the almost-full moon.

"One day I'll kill you when you least expect it, so make the most of the life you have left. You've lived far too long."


This chapter is shorter, but just as intense.

Having such an unpredictable and mysterious character can cause some unexpected situations.

But that's what makes me love this character, each chapter is a discovery and another way the Mugiwaras could have traveled Grand Line.

The next chapter will focus on Whiskey Peak, but the most important question concerns Vivi. Will she join the Mugiwaras as in the manga? And how? Or will she manage to escape alone, or worse, be captured under the indifferent gaze of the pirates?

Find out in the next chapter.

Be patient!

See you soon!