Chapter 53

Together

Liam set the alarm to test whether it was working correctly and immediately, a shrill ringtone was heard over the ocean. In the small boat they were both, Sanji couldn't help but grind his teeth and the scientist hurried to turn it off, also wincing. He then adjusted the small box connected to all the island's alarms that he kept with him at all times before raising his head.

"Okay, it's working."

"No alarm elsewhere?"

"No, everything is calm at the other two doors."

"Perfect. It'd be great if the first customers could use this door this evening. You think it's possible?"

"I'll take half of the team to show them the location and Tori will take the other half near the north door. Regulars can watch Vorgo's with you or Zeff. It's the most dangerous and I think it'd reassure them if one of you accompanied them."

"We'll do that," the blond agreed. The cook allowed himself to breathe a little more freely then. For almost a month since Vorgo had cut them off, they had been struggling in all directions to compensate as best they could for the inevitable lack of feedstock that they had quickly experienced given the number of people they served each day.

It was about building relationships with new suppliers thanks to other doors to allow the regular passage of goods and the one they had just secured was added to the one that Liam had already identified a few months earlier. Vorgo's door remained the main entrance in the eyes of the whole world though and the vast majority of customers and tourists still headed towards it even though pirate attacks had significantly increased.

Yet it wasn't a wave as the cook had feared and he had been relieved before realizing that Vorgo was using a method as ferocious as it was devious actually: the town hall described All Blue as a very dangerous and unprotected territory to all the surrounding islands thanks to lying articles and false testimonies from robbed customers. The rumor was much more fearsome than the pirates themselves and even if it was slower to spread, the number of reservations had started to decrease for some time.

Indeed, even if those who defied this possible danger denied these remarks, it was true that the attacks were a little more frequent and while the two cooks provided an effective shield against thieves and other robbers, they couldn't prevent everything.

Sanji knew that he could never promise a place without risk to the inhabitants and customers of the All Blue because just living on the Grand Line was quite dangerous. Yet there was a fine line between the risks inherent in the ocean and the reckless risks they might take to simply enjoy a meal, however excellent it may be. This is why the All Blue team had further strengthened its strategy and opened other doors to distant lands in Vorgo so that not only the attacks and the customers were not concentrated in a single location, but also counting on the fact that the rumor would have less impact with distance. This decision entailed considerable additional work for the restaurant team though, already very busy given the latest events, and especially for Liam to whom the majority of the task fell.

That's why the cook was truly grateful to the scientist who was still setting his alarm at this moment. Indeed, if the second door that Liam had identified and then opened was relatively stable, the surrounding islands were few in number and quite distant from each other. It had been decided very quickly to locate another one then and Liam had spent his nights looking for the ideal door, not too far from the All Blue nor from the other islands on the other side, and stable enough. This seemingly simple exercise turned out to be a real challenge because the number of doors found was not that significant. Fortunately, thanks to the Sunny's first expedition and the data accumulated since the opening of the Vorgo door, the scientist had observed several characteristic sound waves and he had been able to concentrate his efforts on one of them.

Finally, Liam put his box in his jeans pocket and nodded towards the cook near the helm who was waiting for his companion's signal to leave.

"We're good to go. The alarm is under a rock in the sandy bottom, it shouldn't move but we'll still need to check if there are storms…" He sighed then. "I can't predict changes in the current either, we'll have to come and examine the seabed regularly. Nami could probably have found a prediction model that wouldn't require us to constantly check it," he regretted.

"I'm sure Nami-san will be happy to help us whenever she gets the chance!" The blond assured him. "I'll talk to her about it next time the Sunny calls."

"The alarm will go off at each unusual passage," the scientist continued, "I refined the detection circuit, it should be more precise."

"Great. To go that far only to find a stone or a whale would be quite frustrating," the cook agreed.

Liam nodded again as Sanji hoisted the sails towards the All Blue and the boat began to speed along the waves. The young man had built underwater alarms as much for their discretion as because there was no support on which to install them, unlike those on the walls of the All Blue. Most of them were simple intrusion alarms which alerted their owner using the small control box that the dark-haired man constantly checked. They also triggered a shrill sound loud enough to destabilize or even dissuade those who had just crossed from venturing further.

The main problem was that these alarms couldn't be triggered each time customers passed, otherwise they would also flee, and Liam had thought about a detection specially designed to spot pirates: the scientist had developed the alarm so that it projects regular and inaudible waves. Yet when they encountered the black color of the pirate flag, the wave triggered the alarm thanks to the particular vibration coming from this color. The pride that the pirates felt towards their flag sealed their fate without them even realizing it then.

These alarms were still at the experimental stage though and a dark rock or dark-colored marine mammal such as an orca could also trigger the alert siren.

Either way, Sanji knew that they couldn't control everything and that it was simply about being warned to be as prepared as possible in the event of an unexpected attack. Indeed, they were all far from idle on the All Blue. Sam and Elio ran the kitchen almost single-handedly while Zeff and Sanji roamed the ocean and its bordering islands to ensure security near Vorgo or find new suppliers. That was how the blond had negotiated with the referred person from a former supplier of Vorgo and he had obtained a supply of cream, eggs and milk quickly. As for Zeff, he had made a deal with a small producer from a fairly distant island but who supplied them with excellent flours and condiments. Meanwhile, Liam spent his days checking the doors and his nights studying the new ones, Lily never left the ocean where she fished tirelessly with her small team and Amy waited tables alone without ever resting.

Sanji knew that everyone was exhausted by this pace for several weeks now, but for all that, there was no time for complaint. Everyone understood that the survival and honor of the All Blue depended on them and it allowed them to get up every morning knowing the amount of work that awaited them. Like the previous year, the summer attracted an even larger crowd of tourists than the rest of the year and it was about taking advantage of this windfall to compensate for the slight losses they incurred.

As they continued to navigate, the blond made sure they were headed in the right direction before standing at the front, thoughtful. The borders of All Blue were both perfectly identifiable and at the same time, completely intangible. Their random arrangement on the ocean made them difficult to control and it was impossible to demarcate All Blue in the same way as an ordinary island or land. Its entire existence was located outside the usual space and its ends weren't geographical. This both reduced the distance to defend it but it created just as much because there were no advanced posts at sea near the doors to prevent intrusions and protect the population.

Over the last few weeks, the cook had really become aware that developing the All Blue was almost like running a kingdom or an isolated island. It had never been about a simple restaurant actually: there was also an ocean and islands to take into account. An organization to imagine. People who lived there. A society to build. And with the declaration of independence they had established as an absolute principle, they were now confronted with all the obstacles that a young and defenseless land faced during its emancipation: responsibilities, doubts but also the thrill of freedom. And to taste this hard-earned freedom, they all paid the price.

Sanji suddenly bit his lip. He wasn't sure Zeff had imagined that he would have to sacrifice the Baratie so that the All Blue could flourish. The old cook hadn't mentioned the subject since he found out about it that day on the beach and the blond didn't know how to react to this silence. Of course, he knew his mentor and his taciturn character: trying to get his opinion or a few words was useless and it would only annoy him some more. So Sanji didn't allude to it either, but in doing so, he wasn't sure that Zeff didn't blame him at least a little for what had happened.

Obviously, he wasn't the one who had set the Baratie on fire, nor was he the one who had given the order to do it and he was deeply affected by what had happened. Yet he was also aware that the injury was even greater for Zeff: All Blue had been the old cook's dream but he had put it aside when he had lost his leg to open the Baratie and now that it had gone up in smoke and those he had taken in were on the street, he had nothing left. Sure, he was on this legendary ocean that he had searched for but he had come only because his protégé had insisted and Sanji had the horrible impression that he had overestimated his mentor's will to come to the All Blue now. Had he not taken away the dream Zeff had managed to build by dragging him here? Was it his fault that Zeff hadn't been able to defend his restaurant boat? Because he had been pushed forward on the All Blue and the Baratie had become an easy and defenseless target.

The blond shook his head, deciding to put these dark thoughts aside. He couldn't help but blame himself but he couldn't do anything about it and he couldn't go back either. He had then decided to respect the old cook's position and he wasn't sorry that their missions kept them apart for the moment. In this way, he didn't face this silence and these doubts that assailed him every time he was in his presence. Zeff didn't look like he wanted to leave though and Sanji was secretly relieved because the All Blue needed him more than ever today. Only time would provide an answer to his questions.

Raising his head, Sanji suddenly smiled. Despite these difficult events, he could focus on the good news. One in particular: when they had heard of Vorgo's betrayal and their deplorable methods, the inhabitants hadn't fled this time. Even the new occupants hadn't turned away. On the contrary, everyone had rolled up their sleeves and offered their services to the community. That's how Tori's orchard crews and Lily's fishing crews had grown considerably while other groups had gathered their own supplies and pooled their livestock.

Stunned, Sanji had noticed that solidarity was finally in order on the All Blue. The inhabitants of the two small connected islands who had been so quick to turn their backs on him the first time had welcomed him with open arms and Sanji had been rewarded for all his efforts that way. His determination had redoubled and his friends had taken advantage of his momentum to never waver, leading each other in taking charge of their own destiny. In order to save All Blue.

"You haven't had any news?"

Sanji snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at the dark-haired man who was observing him before returning his gaze to the ocean. He knew exactly what Liam was talking about.

"I haven't. Not since they left Riverview," he admitted.

"I'm sure they're fine."

"I know they're fine."

The cook repeated this sentence to himself every morning when he got up and met the eyes of his friends immortalized on his wall. He really believed it. It wasn't just a mantra he wanted to convince himself of, it was also a part of his strength and will when he opened his eyes. Somewhere in the New World, each member of his crew was moving towards their dreams and he accompanied them in his own way. Because no matter where they were, he was with them at every moment in the energy he deployed to make his own dream come alive.


"Collier Shoot! Côtelette! Selle!"

Balancing on one hand, Sanji used the momentum of his previous attack to spin in the opposite direction and kicked violently in his opponent's kidneys. The pirate collapsed, groaning, and the blond stood up in one smooth movement, scanning with his gaze those who were still standing in front of him.

As he and Liam had turned the corner of the coast towards All Blue's beach, they had noticed a large black-flagged boat that had just docked and about fifty men jumping on the sand. They had also spotted Lily's small team heading back towards the restaurant with their catch and the cook had seen the greed in the pirates' eyes from his own boat. Liam had cursed when he had noticed that his box hadn't warned him of this intrusion because it was probably a random passage from an uncontrolled door. For his part, Sanji hadn't bothered to ask why they were here or the path they had taken to get there.

He had taken a gigantic leap towards the beach and he had landed in front of the group of pirates, blocking their road towards the fishermen, his eyes dark. He had then asked Lily to run towards the restaurant but the resulting movement had triggered hostilities and the pirates had attacked the blond as well as the rest of the group.

Immediately, the battle had begun. The fishermen tried to defend themselves as best they could but they were fewer in number and much less experienced in combat, like Lily: she was burdened by her fishing and wasn't used to warding off attacks so she was just doing her best while preserving her supplies while Sanji's shadow watched over her. Liam had disembarked a few moments later and ran towards the crowd, throwing lots of mini-alarms around him. They clung to his opponents before twisting their eardrums and leaving them at the mercy of the next blow which put them out of harm's way.

This is how after a few minutes, despite the number of their attackers, the fight turned in favor of the locals until the captain of the pirate crew jumped behind the scientist. He had had the reflex to get rid of the device that Liam had thrown at him before it did its work and he avoided attacks with ease, demonstrating his strength and power every time. He had understood that the young man was creating havoc with his gadgets and he had fixed his attention on him. Suddenly, he raised his sword to hit him.

Not far from him, Lily screamed, making his friend turn around and Liam's eyes widened when he saw the blade covered in a strange substance that was falling on him. Without thinking, the fisherwoman rushed towards them and threw her basket of fish on the arm of the man who, surprised, was forced to deflect his blow. The edge of the sword grazed the dark-haired man who fell back.

Lily found herself in front of the immense pirate then, her fish scattered all over the sand, alone and trembling before his wild gaze. She backed away, terrified. The blade shone with a silver color and when it rose again, this time to strike her, the young woman was unable to move. She was paralyzed. She heard the swish of the sword a few inches from her head and closed her eyes.

"Get down!"

"Mouton Shot!"

At the same time as Liam jumped on her and they both fell back into the sand, a powerful back kick from the cook flew over them and hit the opposing captain in the chest. He was propelled into the hull of his ship where he sank deeply. Around them, the rest of the pirates winced and Sanji glared at them. The message was clear: if they didn't lay down arms, they would join their captain in the middle of the hull of their boat. Determined to save themselves, the most vigorous quickly dragged their comrades to escape and soon, the ship was nothing more than a dot on the horizon.

Still on the ground and in Liam's arms, Lily finally broke free to rush towards her fish that had fallen during the fight. Now covered in sand, they were unusable. She observed them for a moment without a word until she staggered and her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry…"

"What are you talking about? It's not your fault," Liam protested, joining her. "You saved me."

The sound of the scientist's voice made her shudder and Lily suddenly burst into tears. Busy helping the other fishermen to get up, Sanji immediately turned towards them, his senses on alert. He then met the lost gaze of Liam who had taken the young woman in his arms to try to console her while she slowly let herself slide to the ground. Quickly, the blond gathered the provisions that had survived and gave them to the rest of the team to take to the restaurant.

A second later, he knelt next to the young fisherwoman who was crying against her friend's shoulder. "What is it, sweet Lily? Are you hurt?" The cook was worried.

She shook her head against the scientist and Liam ran a hand through her hair to soothe her. "Don't worry about the fish, I'm sure there are enough left for tonight," he assured her. His throat was tight in front of her distress.

"I-I was so scared," she stammered through her tears.

"I know, I should have stayed close to you," the blond reproached himself. "Next time, I promise I'll be more caref-"

The young woman shook her head and the cook fell silent, contrite. Finally, Lily looked up at the dark-haired man who was still holding her in his arms in a protective gesture and wiped her eyes with the back of his hand.

"I was so scared he would hurt you and there was nothing I could do… I'm sorry, Liam…"

Her friend stared at her, stunned. "But, Lily, you saved me!" He reminded her.

"I didn't know what to do, it was just a reflex! Imagine if I had been alone at that moment, what could I have done? You'd be dead, Liam! You'd have died and there was nothing I could have done!"

New tears rolled down the young woman's cheeks and the scientist hugged her again, shaken up. "We are not alone, Lily," he then whispered to her while meeting the helpless gaze of the blond in front of him. "There are Sanji and Zeff. And Tori. And I assure you that I'm not that weak, my protection alarms work just fine most of the time, you know."

The fisherwoman couldn't help but smile through her tears and her sobs gradually subsided. She finally stood up and noticed the guilty look of the cook next to them.

"I'll do my best to always protect you, Lily," the blond promised her, his eyes downcast.

"Don't, Sanji." The man suddenly looked up, lost. He then fell into the reddened but determined gaze of the young fisherwoman and couldn't help but shiver.

"I have a favor to ask you." The young woman then placed her hand on his and the blond swallowed, his heart in his mouth. "Anything you want, sweet Lily…"

If she asked him to never approach her again because he wasn't capable of protecting those from whom he already demanded so much, he would do it. He knew that he was asking a lot of his friends and this attack was maybe one too many.

Yet Lily smiled frankly and it completely destabilized him. "Teach me how to fight, Sanji."

"Wh-What?"

The cook felt his eyes widen, speechless, and Lily nodded firmly. "I want to learn how to fight so I can protect those I love too. And protect All Blue."

Sanji stared at her even more before swallowing. "But, Lily, you're… I don't know if…"

The fisherwoman's hand squeezed his own a little tighter then. "I know. I'm a woman."

"Th-That's not what I meant," the blond instantly blushed.

"I need to learn to fend for myself, look what happened today," she insisted. "I don't want Liam or Amy to get killed one day and regret not being able to help them. I want to participate. Please."

Sanji bit his lips and the young woman looked into his eyes, suddenly hesitant. "Don't you want me to help you? Don't you wish I could fight for my own dream?"

The cook grimaced at these words before finally looking back at her imploringly. "It's not that, sweet Lily. Of course you have that right but…" He sighed then, visibly uncomfortable. "Please don't ask me to train you too hard, I won't be able to…"

While they were all still kneeling in the sand, the fisherwoman suddenly burst out laughing and despite the heartbreak Sanji felt at the idea of inflicting training on a woman, he couldn't help but think that if it was what Lily wanted, there was nothing better.


Lily pushes Sanji to his limits! Let's see if he'll succeed in his mission!

In the next chapter, Zoro is going to show some of his feelings…