(A/N: New chapter! I wonder if this was supposed to be in the manga, like Usopp vs Daddy the Parent? Anywho, enjoy!)

Chapter 7: Fiery Cooking Battle? Sanji vs. The Beautiful Chef

During their search, Mohji and Buggy were started getting hungry, so they stopped at a local eatery, while Richie waited outside. "Damn...!" Buggy ate messily, and angrily. "That damn Straw Hat! To think that we can't find him, despite looking all over for him like this... and that little witch too!"

"But Captain, why he heck do we have to wear cloaks like this?" Mohji asked after a bite. He was feeling overheated.

Buggy chugged a bottle of alcohol, and slammed it on the table. "Don't you know anything about being a pirate?! There's an annoying Marine captain named Smoker in this town. If he finds us, my plan to get revenge on that Straw Hat will be ruined! Anyhow!" He pounded his fist on the table. "Hurry up and find that Straw Hat! Got that?!"

Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro decided to grab some lunch in their search for the execution platform. Little did they know, it was the same one Mohji and Buggy were in at the same time. Luffy leaned back in his chair, stomach distended and satisfied. "Man, I'm stuffed!" Zoro downed his glass of wine. "We have to eat good before we leave Loguetown. I was starving."

Zoro poured himself another drink. "To be honest, so was I. I was hungry, but I didn't have money. I'm glad that I ran into you."

"Hm? If you mean money, I don't have any."

Zoro finished his drink in one gulp, and slammed the glass on the table, miraculously not shattering it. "What?!" He shouted angrily.

"You don't have any money?"

"Of course I don't!"

Luffy laughed heartily, and pounded the table. "That's true!"

Buggy repeatedly pounded his fist on his and Mohji's table in fury. "But really... that Straw Hat is an annoying bastard! Next time I see him, I'll crush him! And I'll crush that little witch after!" His bag of coins bounced off the table with every pound.

"Then how're we going to pay for this?" Zoro asked Luffy.

"I can't let him off the hook!" Buggy's coin bag landed on his fork.

"I wonder if they'd let us off the hook," Luffy suggested.

"There's no way I can!" Hey hit the handle of his fork, sending the bag flying.

Luffy felt a sudden weight on his hat, and reached out to grab a coin. "Oh, lucky!" He beamed, and turned to the table behind him. He was oblivious to the customers being ones out for his blood. "Hey, you're going to treat us? Thanks!" Luffy returned the coin bag to the table, not noticing the clown nose under the cloak's hood. "Thanks again!" He flipped the coin, and caught it in his hand.

Zoro walked over next, and laid his hand on the customer's shoulder, clueless as well. "Thanks for treating us." He then followed Luffy out.

"You're... welcome..."

"Thanks for coming!" The restaurant owner called out.

"Thanks!" Luffy returned the gesture.

Just then, as Mohji ate, Buggy came to his senses. "That voice...?!"

"Oh yeah! It was that Straw Hat guy," Mohji said casually through chewing.

"Uhh... anyone home...?" He contained his anger, before he snapped. "You flashy idiot! Go after him already!"

Outside, Richie was startled by the clown's fury. "Yes, sir!" Mohji leaped out of the restaurant, and urgently looked around. "Wh-which way did he go?" He ran straight ahead, as Richie blinked in confusion.

"So Venus, you're really a witch?" Nami asked the other girl.

"That's right," Venus nodded, "I ate the Witch-Witch Fruit."

"So you do magic?"

"Yes. Frankly, that's what witches do."

"Can you fly on a broom?"

"I'm not that good yet. I'm still a novice. So you're the navigator in the Straw Hats?"

"Yep!"

"Ah."

"Hey, what're those people watching?" Usopp noticed an audience gathered at the docks.

"What a crowd!" Nami commented. "I wonder what's going on..."

"Oh, it's the Cooking in Loguetown Championships," Venus saw the sign, "People from all over the East Blue gather here to enter."

"This year's prize is an elephant bluefin tuna!" The host announced. The trio saw a giant, blue fish laid out on a leaf-covered table. "It's a treasure of the ocean, and miracle food! Who will earn the "East Blue's No. 1" title, and win the elephant bluefin tuna?!"

As they walked through the audience at the contest, Nami noticed a familiar face. "Hey! Hold on a sec! Look! Look at that!" She and Usopp were shocked to see Sanji flirting with one of the contestants. He was blowing kisses to the woman while being pushed away by who appeared to be her bodyguards.

"That's Sanji!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Yeah!"

"You know the blondie?" Venus asked.

"Yeah, he's our chef!" Usopp started waving his arms to get his attention. From the booths, other contestants were staring in their direction. "Hey! Hey! Sanji!"

"Sanji-kun!"

"Nami-san!" Sanji gushed. "You came to give me your support?!" He practically glided over.

"Interesting chef," Venus remarked with a sweatdrop.

"Not really. I was just passing by. Hey, we made a new friend: Tempeste G. Venus! She's a real, magical witch!"

Sanji was stunned at the petite, green-haired young woman that stood before him, arms crossed. "Oh, lovely Venus! Named after the Goddess of Love; it suits you so well," He flirted, now holding out a black rose, while knelt down on his knee, "A dark rose for a dark-dressed beauty." He looked her in the eye. "You can put a spell on me anytime."

Venus responded with a non-moving, stoic look. "Wow, you thought of all that yourself?" She snarked.

"It all came from the heart."

"Uh, Sanji, why in the heck are you participating in a competition like this?" Usopp asked to steer him away from her.

"Oh, Usopp. I didn't realize you were here."

"I was the one who called out to you first!"

"Now, it's time to start the championship!" The host announced. "These're the judges! Also, to be fair, we asked Sam-san, a member of the general audience on his way home from a wedding party, to join the judges!"

A drunk man was amongst the judges, looking every which way, with red cheeks and a wide grin. "Where am I?"

"Are you ready, Sam-san?!" There was no answer. "Sam-san?!"

"Let's go!"

"The rules are simple: First, each cook will compete against each other. Whoever reaches a higher total score from the judges wins. And whoever remains undefeated through all the matches will be the East Blue's glorious No. 1 cook! Well then, we'll now start the first round! The first match is Shoo the Lizard from the easternmost extremity versus Eoccoli, representing Loguetown!" Shoo more resembled an ape than a lizard, while Eocolli wore a broccoli hat with a knife and fork through the center. "Now ready... start!" The host banged a makeshift gong, made from a frying pan.

"What, Sanji?" Usopp turned to the chef, who now stood upright. "You're interested in becoming the East Blue's No. 1?"

"Don't be stupid, it's nothing like that." Sanji pointed his thumb to the prize. "I just want to cook that fish."

"Fish?" Usopp, along with the girls, turned to the table.

"Oh yeah, that fish does look different from others," Nami observed.

"It's huge," Venus added.

"Though that fish's secrets can't be obtained so easily."

"Huh?"

Sure enough, Sanji sailed through the competition with flying colors, defeating every one of his opponents with his confections. Same for a red-haired woman in a fancy dress. "And at last, the final match!" The crowd cheered with great enthusiasm.

"Hey, people're really excited," Usopp commented.

"Yeah," Nami agreed.

"Your friend Sanji's done pretty good," Venus remarked, "Wonder if he'll beat her."

"With his remarkable cooking sense and skills, Sanji won through to the final!" The blond casually smoked a cigarette. "With her gorgeous dance and cooking skills, Carmen has kept crushing others! Which one will win the glorious elephant bluefin tuna?!"

Noticing his opponent, Sanji shifted back into gaga mode, waving to her like a doofus. "Hi!"

"Hmph," She turned away haughtily.

"The anticipated final match starts now!" The host banged the pan gong.

At that, Carmen started rinsing and cutting a carrot with a rapid speed, and high enthusiasm.

"There she goes! Carmen's cooking looks showy at first glance, but what she's actually doing is quite simple. Also her opponent get confused by those two in front, and lose their pace, but how is Sanji doing?!"

The blond remained undeterred by the hideously disfigured distractions, as he cut a fish without slowing down, throwing the knife from one hand to the other like a pro. "He's not affected! Far from that, he's exhibiting amazing knife skills!" Usopp, Venus, and Nami watched with anticipation, the witch admittedly in awe. "Contender Sanji is silently proceeding with the preparation at his own pace!" He cracked two eggs in a bowl, and quickly mixed them together with a whisk. Looking to be deep in thought, he diced an onion with great speed. He slid the pieces in the bowl with the eggs, then added some vodka into the mix, and started heating it up. "Now it looks like Sanji is starting to finish up! "Carmen is also close to the end! Looks like all she has to do now is dish it out! The championship is reaching a climax. Who will win the elephant bluefish tuna?!" Sanji added onion slices to his stew, then flipped a pair of steaks in the air, catching them on plates flawlessly. "The decision... will be made soon!" The three cheered for him. "He did it! Contender Sanji completed it!" Carmen stepped up. "And here is Contender Carmen! Looks like she completed it too!"

The crowd cheered again. "The dishes are all completed now! Who will win the crown?!"

One of the judges held the card with the name of the winner. "Well then, here goes." Everyone watched in anticipation, the three more so for the blond. "The winner of this year's Cooking Championship is... San-"

"Wait!" Carmen cut him off, to everyone's shock. She marched over to Sanji with a glare. "I can't forgive..." She hesitated.

"Hm?"

"I can't forgive myself!"

"What?!"

"I always wanted to compete against you someday. So I trained like crazy!" She confessed. "I wanted to be on a level with you... but ten years later... your dream hasn't changed! I can't forgive myself for being stupid enough to think that I could defeat you." She regained her composure, and smiled humbly. "You win... your dishes are delicious. You're the No. 1 cook in the East Blue, Sanji." Feeling satisfied, the judge put the card down without a word.

Sanji calmly stood up, taking his cigarette out, then started gushing again. "Oh... to think that Carmen-san is giving me such a compliment... I'm so happy!"

"Don't you dare!" Carmen's blue-clad, tiny-faced bodyguard wacked him in his face with a frying pan.

Now angry, a red-faced Sanji kicked him away into a pile of pans and dishes. "What'd you do that for?!"

Carmen turned back to him with a smile. "I'll withdraw for now, but be prepared when we meet next time! I definitely won't lose."

"Yeah, if it's a challenge from you, I'll happily accept it anytime." The crowd beamed with joy at the exchange.

"The winner is... contender Sanji!" The host announced, followed by an uproar from the crowd.

"Ah! That was fun!" Nami smiled. "I don't know why, but today was a day full of face-offs."

"Tell me about it," Venus agreed.

"Hey, why am I carrying the heavier part?!" Usopp demanded to Sanji. They were lugging the wrapped-up elephant bluefin tuna together, Usopp at the head, and Sanji at the tail.

'Well... an elephant bluefin tuna, huh?' Sanji thought to himself, oblivious to the exchange. 'I wonder what it tastes like. Looks like I can use the fins for making stock. What can I use the ear areas for? Ahhh! I can't wait to cook it!'

"Hm?" Something in the sky caught Nami's attention.

Usopp noticed her stop, and look up at the sky. "What's the matter, Nami?"

"The air has changed..."

"Air?"

"It'll rain."

"Huh? When the weather is nice like this?"

"There's no doubt about it. Let's hurry."

"Oh, I'd better get going," Venus said, "It oughta be past lunchtime, and Mr. Rauru could be worried by now."

"So soon?" Usopp frowned, then smiled sadly. "Alright, if you must. It was nice meeting you; I hope we do again."

"Same," She let a small smile grow in return, "Maybe we will, someday."

"You don't want to join our crew?" He asked.

"I can't, I'm too tied down to here," She regretfully repeated her words to Luffy on the topic. "Your captain had asked me earlier; as cool as it sounds, I don't think I can."

"Well, okay."

"It would've been nice having another girl in the crew," Nami smiled sadly.

"I bet you'll find another." Venus smirked, before a certain blond knelt down before her again, and held her hand.

"Until we meet again, Venus-chan."

"Y-yeah," She smiled awkwardly, slowly drawing her hand back before he could kiss it, "Thanks. Nice meeting you all! I hope we meet again!" She then ran back further into town, as the three ran for the docks.

"It's too bad," Nami remarked, as Usopp stared fondly in the direction she ran in, "Would have been fun to have a magical witch as a member." She whipped around when the sound of clanging metal caught her attention. Turned out, an inattentive Usopp had bumped the side of his head on a light pole.

"Usopp! Be careful with the tuna!" Sanji scolded.

"Sorry."

With Venus, she had slowed to a walk when by the execution platform, growing too tired to run anymore. She sat down cross-legged where it was empty, and absently scoured through her bag of spell ingredients. It was then, she noticed something was off. 'Huh? Where're my raven wings?' She then pulled out a dinky, blue water gun resembling a fish. 'And when did I get this? I never...' It was then she remembered: her collision with Usopp earlier that day. Their stuff spilled out, and got mixed in. She must have grabbed his water gun by mistake; and that must mean he has her raven wings. 'Oh crap.'

A familiar-looking hat flying in a sudden wind gust caught her eye. She watched, as it landed close to her. It was a straw hat with a red brim; wait, it was Luffy's! "Wait, hat!" She heard him call out, and quickly grabbed it before it could fly away again. Wait! The clown! She had to warn him! "Venus! Good! My hat!" She handed it to him, and he put it back on his head. "Thanks! Hm?" He noticed the execution platform in front of him. "Ahh... I'm here! Lucky!"

"Luffy, wait! I need to tell you something!" Venus' shout went unnoticed when he made a beeline for the platform. "Ohh!" She ran after him in frustration.

In an alley, Buggy and his crony saw them both. "Found them! This way!"

"What?! Really?!"

"He showed up?!" Smoker exclaimed.

"Yes! We were watching the square like you told us, and the man on the wanted poster appeared just now. That little witch girl is there too."

"Okay," Smoker stood from his chair, "But leave her out of any fights."

"Let's go flashily." The clown led his crew out of the alley.

'So he just walked up,' Smoker thought, 'Just wait, you brat.'

'Wow!' Luffy was now at the top of the platform, still oblivious to Venus' frantic shouting. 'So this is the scenery that King of the Pirates saw... and he died here.'

(A/N: Only 2 chapters left! Boy, time flies fast, doesn't it? You know the disclaimer.)