Strong winds blow through the ocean with endless waves as it carries the scent of salt and adventure. Yet, subtly hidden within the breeze was an enticing aroma. The aroma slowly caressing over a small ship with a croak of old wood. Though the vessel was aged, it remained strong and defiant in this voyage across the vast blue.
Within the singular cabin of the vessel, a figure shuffles within the cool shadows. The sound of a feminine yawn escaping with the crack of joints in a stretch. "How long was I out for this time?" The sun was positioned to show it was still early in the day.
Entering out into the sun, a young woman at the age of eighteen steps onto the edge of her ship with brown boots. Her legs were covered in a dark shade of blue pants that tucked into her boots and hugged her thighs yet remained laxed for movement. Around her waist was a peculiar leather belt. It housed two daggers around the length of a forearm and a pistol along her lower back. But the most noticeable oddity was the number of satchels and vials containing various colored liquids.
The sound of a growl escapes from her stomach, "Ugh, I could really go for a bite to eat right now." A hand glides across her exposed lower midriff. Showing a light tan of someone who's outside often.
Cloth cracked from the whip of the wind, showing she was wearing a purple, sleeveless vest that was snug with a few wrinkles and a loose collar that flapped in movement. Wrapped around her neck was a simple necklace with a clear and spherical gem. It seemed like a quartz.
The aroma within the sea breeze grows stronger the further she sails into it. "I smell food, and damn does it smell good."
Telescope in hand, the woman leaps onto the roof of the cabin, searching for the source of the aroma. Shoulder length purple hair tickles along her neck and ears when a grin appears upon her lips.
"Bingo."
Out in the distance is a large ship, if it could be called that. "Is that a restaurant?" She hums to herself in wonder upon approach. It was decorated in the shape of a large fish.
Bright yellow eyes shine in mirth. "Whatever it is, I'm sure they have food to trade." Upon weighing anchor and tying down to the barge, she grabs a large, brown backpack and flings it over her shoulder. It rattled with the sound of glass and various equipment, a large emblem with a singular word for ownership.
Ashe.
Finally making footfall upon the vessel, Ashe is greeted with the sight of double doors with 'Baratie' written above it. "Well, let's see what agreement we can come to." Walking through the doors, Ashe was proven correct.
"It is a restaurant. How interesting. Odd, but interesting." Pacing through, she earns a few looks, but nothing lingers as the occupants are busy with their meals or enthralled in conversations. After waiting for a moment, no employees greeted her at the door.
"Guess, I'll find my own seat then."
Which was much easier said than done.
It felt like she paced through the massive, multi-tiered restaurant multiple times before finding an unoccupied booth. "Finally, what a popular place this is." One thing Ashe noticed was the customers, most of them were pirates. "At least none of them are Marines." With her valuable backpack safely under the table, she waits for the waiter.
She was shocked when he finally approached her table.
Messy and unkempt brown hair with dark bags under his eyes. He also had bruises and bandages covering her face with a tired and exhausted posture. "Welcome to the Baratie…How may I help you?" Even his apron was barely hanging on.
"Um, this is my first time here. I'll take a glass of water and what do you recommend?"
He swayed on his feet, "House special…crab pasta with vegetables and cheese…sprinkled with peaches as the seasonal fruit."
"That's fine, just no peaches, I'm allergic." She hates having to admit it, but it was something she was born with. Not much she can do about it. Without so much as an acknowledgement or note, he hobbles off on his last legs.
Reaching into her backpack, she pulls out a map of the East Blue and unfurls it upon her table. "Let's see…I went south after leaving the Organ Islands. Considering I am still in the middle of the ocean…I should be able to head East to the Oykot Kingdom, and further still to Loguetown. There, I should be able to find a way to cross into the Grand Line."
Leaning back into her booth, Ashe sighs to herself, reaching a hand up to caress the gem upon her necklace. A reminder of why she began this lucrative voyage into the endless blue.
Clutching it tightly into her palm, a sharp edge shines through her eyes. 'Vengeance will be mine.'
Out the corner of her eye, she notices a handsome male approaching her table. He was well-dressed, a black tuxedo, with a blue colored dress shirt under it and blond, combed hair that covered one of his eyes. There was only one way she could describe the way he walked, and Ashe wasn't sure if it would be correct, but it was with suave.
Setting her order upon the table before her, he also sets two wine glasses onto the table before pouring champaign into them. "Good afternoon, Mademoiselle. I welcome you to Baratie. Forgive me for not properly introducing myself earlier. My name is Sanji, Sous Chef of the world renown, Baratie."
Sanji glides his fingers through his hair smoothly, showing off grey-blue eyes, and the curliest eyebrows she's ever seen. "Please, may you do me the honors of telling me the name of such a beautiful maiden as yourself?"
Ashe visibly recoils after being called a maiden, like she was struck by a cannon ball. 'Maiden? I sure as hell ain't no maiden.' Regaining her composure with a throat cough, she leans away with her plate and utensils. "My name is Ashe. Where's the waiter from earlier?"
He appeared to take her movement away from him as an invitation, smoothly sliding into the booth with his own glass of wine in hand, swirling it around with elegance. "Do not worry about him, Princess. When he told us that a woman entered our restaurant by herself, I could not help myself and have come to your aid to banish away your loneliness as your champion."
Sanji further leans toward her, entering her personal space without a care. "Never again will you be alone. For your knight in shining armor is here to be beside such a beautiful woman forever."
Visible sweat appears upon her smooth skin while reaching toward one of her daggers. A knot forming within her stomach at the cheesy and bold forwardness. "If you don't get away from me—"
"Sanji!" Before she could act, a large and bearly man appears at the table with the tallest chef's hat she's ever seen, the weirdest acute, braided mustache as well. "What have I told you about disturbing our customers?!" Within an instant, he grabbed Sanji by the back of his collar and threw him across the restaurant with ferocity. "You damned brat!"
A loud crash echoed through the dining room with the shattering of porcelain and glass before a momentary silence filled the area. "You'll have to excuse my idiot of a sous chef. I am Zeff, head chef and owner of Baratie. Enjoy your meal in peace."
"Oi, you old bastard!"
Ashe notices Sanji rising from the crash site and lighting himself up a cigarette without a scratch. She even notices the other customers are either ignoring the scene before them or watching as if it's an everyday occurrence. With a shrug, she begins to eat her food before it gets cold while watching the scene play out before her.
"There was no need for you to go and ruin the mood. Just as we were about to get lovey-dovey." Hands in his pocket he leans up into Zeff aggressively as the two begin to bicker.
She must admit, the scene before her is quite entertaining and the food is exquisite as well. Though she's no chef, Ashe could say that each bite had flavor. From the tasty crab meat, the soft noodles, fresh vegetables, and peach juice seasoning.
Her eyes widen at the sudden realization.
A strong constriction wraps around her chest as it begins to tighten in a struggle for breath. Ashe's fork slips from her fingers with a loud bang upon the table before splashing onto the floor to clutch at her own throat. She wheezes as her vision becomes blurry with tears; she finds Sanji in her face with concern on his.
"Hey…Hey! What's wrong?"
Though she struggled, she was able to wheeze out the words. "P-Peaches. Allergic."
Without hesitation, Sanji grabs a fistful of food and immediately tastes the food as recognition spreads through his face. He pulls the plate away while turning to the head chef. Though he was speaking to him, she couldn't make out the words, her head was already foggy. "Allergic reaction."
Zeff bellows out while scanning the room, "Waiter! Where the hell are you?!"
Said waiter jogs over wondering what he is being yelled at for now. "Yes, Chef?"
Zeff snatches the plate away from Sanji and holds it out toward the waiter, demanding an answer to the question. "Did she tell you she had an allergen?"
A look of confusion spreads across the waiter's face before remembrance, "Oh yea, I forgot to tell the cooks that she's allergic to p—"
He never got to finish his sentence before a furious kick blasted him through the window with a sickening crash. Fire was burning within Sanji's eyes, "You, dumbass! Get the hell out of this restaurant!"
Zeff gives his command to Sanji while hobbling away, his peg leg clunking against the ground, "Take her to the back, I'll get the medicines and ice packs." Ashe finds herself being picked up and carried away toward the back.
'This sucks.' Echoes through her mind.
It wasn't long before she was laid upon a small bed. Ashe hates it when she has these reactions when not being more cautious. Though not fatal, they just put her down for a while. A damp cloth is placed upon her forehead within a moment.
The damp cloth gives her foggy head some much-needed relief. "Sorry, for the scene."
Sanji waves her off by lighting up a cigarette, "No. You are not at fault. This was a mistake on our end. We pride ourselves on our culinary abilities, and the fact that a dumbass like him couldn't tell us something so important. It is a stain on our pride as chefs. Once you're better, I'll personally make you a meal that will make you forget about this insult."
With a slight chuckle, she attempts to wave him off, but her arm was sluggish. "Looking forward to it, because right now, my review for you guys isn't looking to good."
He smirks while taking a drag from his cigarette, "Hey now, we take our reviews seriously. I can't exactly call myself the greatest Chef in the world with a review like that now, can I?" The two of them chuckle into the quiet room, one calm as the other hoarse. "If I may ask, why are you traveling alone? A lady like you shouldn't be out on these waters by herself."
Ashe rolls her eyes at him, somewhat becoming accustomed to his way of speaking, "Nothing grand, that's for sure." Reaching up, she clutches onto the gem around her neck for a moment. "I am…looking for someone."
Sanji hums quietly, "Oh? Must be someone important to you then."
She looks up into the ceiling, basking in the silence with pursed lips, as her hand then falls and grips onto the handle of her dagger. "No. I'm going to kill them."
Crossing a leg over the other, Sanji leans into the chair beside the bed, "Vengeance then, huh? Well, who am I to judge. Wonder what they did to piss off a maiden such as yourself."
"They took everything from me. That's all you'll get out of me."
"Fair enough, I don't even know your name to begin with, Mademoiselle."
The lids of her eyes begin to grow heavy, "Ashe." A nap should help regain her strength to walk around.
Ashe notices him unfurl his legs, showing how long they are before standing and strutting toward the door to leave. "As I said earlier, my name is Sanji. I'll check on you later, but if you need me, just call me. I'll come running."
She doesn't know whether to thank him or gag, so she settles for silence as he leaves. "What a strange man…place altogether." Mumbling to herself, she nestles into the bed. 'I'll take a quick nap, eat, trade with them, and then leave toward the east.'
At least she would have if the door had not opened once more.
The large man enters the room with his peg leg clunking upon the wooden floor. If she recalls correctly, he was the head chef and owner. She's still impressed by the size of his chef hat. "I see you're still awake. I've brought some medicines that should speed up your recovery."
"Thanks, but you don't have to go through the trouble. Just need to rest is all." She pauses for a moment to remember his name, "You were, Zeff, right?"
He grunts in acknowledgement after pouring her a glass of water, mixing powdered medicine into it before expertly stirring it. "Correct, I'm the owner of this damned restaurant and the head chef. I must formally apologize for our service. Such a blunder is unacceptable, the waiter was already dealt with. Though, he was the last one, so now I'm going to have to put out flyers for more." Zeff holds the drink out toward Ashe. "Here."
Slowly sitting up, she takes the offered glass and chugs it in one drink. "Thanks, but you really don't have to do all th—"
A sudden explosion rocks the room with a loud boom. Shattered wood and glass flying in every direction as she's thrown from the bed and against the wall as a cannon ball burst through the roof. "What the hell?!"
"Son of a bitch, that hurt!"
Rubbing onto her eyes and forcing her world to stop spinning, she waves away the smoke with a cough. "Zeff, are you alright? What just happened?"
With a grunt, he slowly rises to a standing position while clutching his forehead. "Yea, I'm fine. Some asshole just fired a cannon ball into my restaurant. The balls of the guy."
Ashe grunts and forces herself to stand and use the wall momentarily as a crutch while focusing her vision once more. She notices blood dripping down Zeff's head, he must have taken a hit. "Let me see the wound." She paces toward his direction.
He waves her off, "Don't worry about it, its just a small wound." A few of his employees' barge in through the door with shouts of concern and shock. "Never mind this, get back to work! All of you!"
"Yes, Chef!"
Before they could leave and return to work, Ashe points at one of them and stops them with a firm voice. "You! Bring me my backpack, aloe vera, and honey, quickly."
The cook lineman points at himself in question while looking between her and Zeff, as if he was seeking permission.
She growls while stomping toward the timid cook threateningly, "I said now!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The cook stammers out before running off to complete the task he was given.
Zeff snorts before picking his chair back up and taking a seat. "Aloe vera and honey, huh? I haven't used that old trick in years. I'm surprised you know about it, not many do."
Ashe snorts as the employee quickly returns with the required materials, only to be scared off by a bark from Zeff to get back to work. "Yea, it was a common remedy back where I grew up. Small wounds and burns were very frequent due to our specialty."
Reaching into her backpack, she pulls out a small, flat surfaced and compact table before throwing the aloe vera leaf onto it. Unsheathing her dagger with a twirl, she quickly and expertly slices off the bottom and top of the leaf, before removing the thorns from the side with single slices. "I doubt you want a leaf stuck on your head for all to see, right?"
Zeff grunts with his arms crossed.
"That's what I thought." Peeling off the leaf, the gel is exposed for her to scoop onto her fingers. Stepping toward Zeff, he hunches over slightly, knowing he was tall by normal standards.
Ashe applies the gel to his wound as the first treatment. Followed by applying the honey to the outer edge of the wound to deal with the burn marks. "I was told this was an old pirate's trick when they were out on the ocean. Since you know of it, does that mean you were a pirate?"
"Hmph, once upon a time, yes. Though, that was a very long time ago." Zeff allows her to apply a bandage she pulled from her backpack, finishing up the first aid so he can put his chef's hat rightfully on his head where it belongs. "Where are you from? It must be an interesting place if everyone knows of this trick."
She stops what she's doing for a moment, allowing herself a deep breath before filling an empty vial with the left-over gel for later use. "It was an interesting place, but now it's gone."
"Pirates?"
"Marines."
Zeff stares for a moment before exhaling his breath while grabbing his knees. "Girl, there are only two places that the Marines have destroyed. One is Ohara, which I doubt you're from as there was only one survivor, and you are not her. So, that leaves one other place. Meaning you're from—"
"Stop. Please." She was gazing toward him with pleading yellow eyes, but she stood firmly.
With a deep huff through his nostrils, Zeff stares for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "Fine, not like its any of my business or my problem to begin with." The door suddenly opens with two of his employees dragging a body into the room by the scruff of their red vest.
"We brought him in, Chef. The one responsible."
Ashe tilts her head at the young man brought in and thrown onto the ground. A red, sleeveless vest, blue shorts, and simple sandals on his feet. All in all, he looked very non-threatening. The only thing that stood out was his straw hat with a red cloth wrapped around the brim and a scar under his left eye.
'Doesn't look like someone that would fire a cannon into the restaurant.'
He looks Zeff up and down before suddenly scampering and staring at his peg leg. "I'm very sorry! Your leg!"
"Idiot!" The sheer stupidity angers Zeff to slam his one foot into the straw hat's face. "This happened a long time ago!"
The energetic young man grumbles out in relief and pain. "Oh, then it was like that from the beginning."
"Yes, you idiot." Zeff pulls open his chef's outfit, showing a multitude of bruises on his body. "But you gave me bruises all over my body. The medical fees and the repair charges for the ship will cost you a lot."
Ashe grimaces at the thought of all the fees added together. That would be a large sum of Beri. Though, if he fired a cannon into the restaurant and is not wearing a Marine uniform, he must be a pirate. So, he should have a pile of treasure to cover most of, if not the entire cost, of the damage.
The red vest male slowly stands and dusts himself off, "I won't ask you to reduce the cost."
That's impressive for someone who just damaged someone else's property. The fact he's willing to take full responsibility is admirable. 'Seems like a decent fellow if he's saying that.'
"But I don't have any money!"
She nearly faulters at the sheer stupidity and forwardness of this guy. 'Is he serious?!'
Zeff barks out laughter. "You speak very candidly. Well, if you don't have money, you have no other choice but to work here."
The straw hat gave a big and cheesy grin, "Yea, I'll make proper amends."
"You'll do chores unpaid for a year."
"Yea! Unpaid chores for a year!"
She couldn't believe he agreed to it so easily and happily. How could anyone possibly be so happy and go lucky? "A year?! A year? You mean…a year?!"
There it is.
Ashe face palms herself at just how slow this person is. Just how much property damage did he assume it was?
"Yes! An entire year. Now hurry up and get your uniform on. The sooner you get to work, the sooner you can pay it off in a year." Zeff stands upon his legs and hobbles over to the door with an angry scowl. "I have a restaurant to run and customers to feed!" Without much fanfare, he slams the door shut behind him, causing the room to shake and boom.
The poor boy bonks his head onto the ground in depression, "An entire year?! I can't work here for an entire year! I don't have time for that!"
Approaching him from the side, she looks down at him with a mixture of feelings. Part of her feels bad for him, but the other knows it was his own grave that he dug. "Look at the bright side…You'll learn how to cook."
He suddenly stands up straight with a scowl, "To hell with that! I'm just gonna get a cook to join my crew." His stomach suddenly growls as he grips it while sulking. "I'm so hungry."
"Hm…here, you can have this." Feeling pity for the guy, she digs into her backpack, pulling out a plain looking protein bar. Something she uses for emergencies when she's out of food. Although, she was giving it to him to clear her conscious of the scenario he just dug himself into. "Its not much, but it should give you a little energy."
His head twists in her direction in the most bizarre of fashions. It reminded her of how an owl can spin their head nearly 180 degrees. "Woah! Really? You're awesome!" He snatches the protein bar from her hand and drops the entire thing into his mouth, swallowing it instantly. "Huh, that filled me up more than I thought." Turning Ashe's direction, he gives her an infectious, cheesy, and massive grin. Showing off his pearly white teeth in complete happiness. "Thanks, lady! You're a nice person, what's your name?"
She nods while adjusting her backpack over her shoulder with a jostle, "No problem, that protein bar is stuffed with plenty of nutrients to last you a while. Even though it tastes like shit. My name is Ashe."
He hums and tilts his head in thought with a deep scowl, "Hm…tasted good to me."
"…You have a strange taste bud then."
He laughs with hands upon his hips, "Haha, I guess I do! Where did you get that? I wouldn't mind having a few for myself."
Ashe gives a slight grin while thumbing in her direction, "I made it myself, I'm an alchemist and chemist."
Crossing his arms over his chest, he hums in deep thought before perking up with a goofy grin. "Nope, no idea what those are!"
She scoffs before waving him off dismissively, "In short, I make all kinds of things. Though that's very, very simplified." Ashe blinks before pointing toward him with an arched brow, "Who are you by the way?"
Reaching up, he shifts his straw hat upon his head while staring at Ashe with a goofy grin and honesty upon his face, "I'm Luffy! Future King of the Pirates!"
