Chapter 10

This isn't goodbye

"Nami-san, are you sure you don't want more tangerine juice?"

"No, they'll be less good if they're pressed too early," The young woman replied.

"Robin-chan, would you like some marinated olives?"

"I don't think so, there are already many jars of peppers."

"Okay…"

Sanji left his beauties to their discussion with Liam at the back of the Sunny, almost disappointed. The departure of the crew minus their cook was scheduled for the end of the afternoon and a few hours away from the fateful moment, the girls were reviewing the various sensors that the scientist had placed on the hull of the ship.

The blond humbly withdrew so as not to disturb them. Although he had made gigantic preparations in anticipation of his absence, he wanted to be sure that his princesses wouldn't need anything. He had then stored their favorite dishes and drinks as well as astronomical quantities of food that he had tried to cook as much as possible. Nevertheless, as the navigator had pointed out to him, he couldn't anticipate everything because the products would lose their freshness and nutritional quality. The cook was now torn between the need for his friends to be fed the best ingredients and the fact that he knew he wouldn't be the one to ensure their excellence.

Sanji forced himself to move and headed briskly towards Franky and Usopp's workshops where he knew the two handymen as well as the crew doctor and musician were. Ever since this morning, the blond had been feeling nervous about his friends leaving but he was trying to ignore his inner turmoil. After all, it was his wish. He was the one who decided to stay on All Blue and no one else.

To keep his mind busy, the cook took out of his pocket the multiple lists he had started and examined them. The aim was to not forget anything between the list of the mandatory shopping when the straw hat pirates would be on the Grand Line, the list of the dishes already cooked or the list about the food at their disposal as well as their quantity in the Sunny's storeroom.

The cook then entered busily into the cyborg's workshop where he was hearing the sounds of conversation. He was about to ask his friends if they had any wish when he was stopped by dozens of cables on the floor. He raised his head and looked more closely at the room: Den Den Mushi and devices of all kinds were connected to each other by long electric wires which sometimes ran to the open door in the direction of the sniper's workshop where Sanji assumed that other machines also were. The equipment needed to detect and test the sound waves was obviously bulky, and Sanji carefully strode over the cables toward his four friends huddled around a large transceiver in the center of the workshop.

"Special orders for the next few months? I'm making a list," He said, approaching with his cigarette between his lips.

"Look, this wire is stuck!" The sniper was showing the shipwright.

"The plug isn't long enough," Brook noticed.

"Liam said to always leave it plugged in," Chopper continued.

"It'll take miles of paper for the prints," Franky muttered.

Sanji watched his friends bustling around the transceiver. New, thinner cables connected the machine to transcribers and sensors that would have to be turned on or off to test the communications waves and those of the doors. The challenge was to position them as best as possible so as not to move them later. Indeed, Liam had explained that moving the measuring tools could distort all the results since the parameters would no longer be the same.

Totally immersed in their new adventure, no one seemed to have heard the cook who cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Usopp, if you wanna make skewers, you'll need to buy sticks," He told the sniper, lighting his cigarette.

This time, the handymen turned in his direction. "Oh, okay, I'll do it at the next supply," The sniper agreed, positioning a plug at the right distance.

"You want me to plan some burgers, Franky?" The blond asked the cyborg who was tightening a screw with his wrench.

"Don't worry, I'll manage."

The cook leaned towards the skeleton and the ship's doctor. "Brook, I've listed the number of bottles of milk and I'll put half of them in the galley. Chopper, would you rather I make pain au chocolat or raisin bread for your breakfast?"

"There's no need, I'll take Usopp's cereal," The little reindeer replied, standing on tiptoe to lift the cables until they were fixed.

"Don't bother about the bottles," The musician added, handing another wrench to the shipwright, "I can handle it."

The four friends focused on their task and Sanji frowned. Since when did his friends not take advantage of his presence to have their personal meals prepared?

Not knowing what else to do, the cook left the workshop quietly. He was trying to chase away the feeling of unease that took hold of him when his tornado captain literally leapt on his back when he crossed the foredeck.

"Sanji, Sanji, Sanji! Please, make some meat!"

The blond sighed. He had feared Luffy's reaction when he had told him he wanted to remain on All Blue during their expedition. He had wondered if Luffy would appreciate his cook abandoning the crew because he had found the ocean he was looking for. Indeed, the captain could have called him selfish and Sanji wouldn't have known what to say. He only knew that he wanted to participate in the development of the island he was on. In addition, staying a little longer on All Blue would allow him to increase his knowledge of this legendary place whose mysteries he had only touched on for the moment and this aspect also attracted him enormously.

But with hindsight, he could have foreseen his captain's real reaction: Luffy had answered him with his eternal bright smile and just like that, Sanji had felt his anguish melt away like snow in the sun. He had felt particularly light then, until the straw hat boy realized that his cook wouldn't be on board to appease his hunger. Since then, he had decided to harass him to check the progress of stocks and preparations and if Sanji appreciated being assured that his cooking was essential to the proper functioning of his captain, a strange uneasiness gradually came over him at this thought.

So, he tried to free his back but the straw hat boy held tight. "I've cooked pounds of it in all its forms and you'll go shopping again," Sanji finally grumbled in the direction of his back.

Despite these reassuring words, Luffy didn't seem to be convinced. "Did you roast some in the oven?"

"Yes."

"Did you make braised escalopes?"

"Yes."

"Grilled legs of lamb?"

"Yes."

"Skewers for the barbecue?"

"Yes."

Short of inspiration, the straw hat boy seemed to calm down for a moment and Sanji dragged on his cigarette butt before suddenly choking. Indeed, his captain had tightened his grip on his neck. "Sanji! Did you make chicken legs?!"

"Y-Yes, but stop choking me, you moron!" The blond coughed, pushing him away.

After a powerful shoulder bump, Luffy landed on the ground and he laughed on the Sunny's green grass. "I'm gonna ask Usopp to build a huge barbecue!" He got enthused.

"Be careful not to burn anything," His cook grumbled, catching his breath.

Suddenly, his captain sat up, his eyes wide. "All that food, is it on the Sunny already?!"

Sanji was about to light a new cigarette but the eager gaze of the straw hat boy made him narrow his eyes in his direction. "Forget about it. Only Nami and Robin will have the key to the fridge."

"Oh."

The captain sprawled back into the grass and the blond walked past him, trying to contain his irritation. He knew he had no reason to be upset and he didn't really understand its origin. Luffy always acted like a rude kid and his insatiable appetite made him downright unmanageable at times. Nevertheless, Sanji was used to it and despite his outbursts, he always carried out his task without a second thought: if he had to knock out his captain with kicks in order to serve his princesses, he did it without remorse. It was his role and it suited him perfectly. Why was today different then?

Sanji was dragging heavily on his new cigarette butt when he passed the drowsy figure of the swordsman sitting at the bottom of the steps leading to his galley. Without knowing why, his annoyance redoubled at the sight of him.

"You, the narcoleptic swordsman, you have fish in the aquarium and bags of rice in the hold. And I'm warning you, I don't wanna see my work plan messed up when you get back!" He roared as he walked past him on the way up.

The fencer opened an eye, visibly annoyed to be barked at during his nap. "Why don't you prepare all this yourself then?"

Sanji froze in the middle of the steps. He could always count on the mosshead to vent his anger and he didn't deprive himself of it for a second longer. "You think I got nothing else to do?! I haven't stopped for two days while you spend your time snoring in the way!"

"Oh, yeah and what the hell are you doing with your days if the food ain't even ready, shitty cook?" The fencer replied sharply.

"I'll have you know that just the food for Luffy kept me busy all day! And if you think you're my priority when Nami-san and Robin-chan's dishes aren't finished, you're dead wrong!"

Zoro rolled his eyes. "Where did you put the sake stash?"

The cook shrugged before resuming his ascent. "You don't need to know, I'll put some bottles in the galley."

At these words however, the swordsman straightened up, furious. "Dammit, cook, if you can't even do your job, you better tell me where you stash the alcohol; otherwise, I'll search your galley inside out!"

Sanji continued on his way; his teeth gritted. "You'll be lost before you even start looking, moron."

Sanji grabbed his sharpest knife and began furiously slicing cucumbers and carrots. Despite his little verbal sparring with the fencer, his anger was still boiling over and for a moment, he regretted that he hadn't taken the opportunity to start a real fight. Yet he was in no mood to share his frustration. He wanted to be alone. His own state of mind surprised him but he wasn't able to analyze it now so he did what he had always thought he was born to do: cooking.

He sliced thin slices of ham, browned onions, cut bread and generously drizzled his broth with fragrant spices. Butter crackled in his skillet when he tossed several fish fillets into it, and his salsa benefited from a generous helping of red chili before raspberries were tossed into the blender, which crushed them amid chunks of mango and pineapple.

After a strenuous thirty minutes, Sanji wiped his sweaty brow before turning to the table. He then noticed chocolate chips as well as rice and tangerines that he hadn't used yet. He quickly wiped his face with the back of his hand and walked towards them with determination.

He might not have calmed down but he still had something to keep himself busy.

"If the communications don't get through, write down everything you can and we'll see how to use the data when you get back."

Liam was giving his final instructions to the crew regarding the measurements and methods they should perform. The sun would soon set and parting time had come for the straw hat crew. Lily had also come and took place alongside the scientist and the cook who faced the rest of their friends.

"I drew a plan for a giant watering can that we'll attach to the Sunny so we can see the doors!" Usopp proudly explained.

"I should be able to build it quickly as soon as we're on Vorgo", The cyborg approved.

"This way we'll be able to see the doors since the rain reveals them," Robin added.

"The map is quite clear but I'll add the exact coordinates of each door," Nami affirmed, the paper in her hand.

"It's gonna be a lot of work," Zoro grumbled, examining the dark-haired man's instructions.

"We're gonna bring back data that'll help the inhabitants of All Blue!" Chopper got enthused.

"We'll take great care of all your devices," Brook assured the scientist.

"This is gonna be so awesome!" The captain yelled, banging his fist.

Sanji stared at his friends one by one, uncomfortable. As the afternoon progressed, his irrational anger had subsided and he now blamed himself terribly even though none of the crew members could suspect anything.

Indeed, as his preparations progressed, Sanji had noticed that what he had assembled looked exactly like his friends' favorite dishes. Stunned, the blond had frozen before realizing his attitude: he was going to miss the crew terribly and unconsciously, their attitude had led him to believe that they were only interested in his cooking and what he was able to make. The cook knew that the bonds between them were indescribable but he separated himself from them voluntarily so it was possible that they were angry with him for breaking such osmosis. For a moment, he had even thought that maybe, they would look for another cook. After all, he wasn't irreplaceable and even if he didn't doubt the loyalty of his friends, he couldn't prevent a terrible doubt from gripping him when he thought about it.

"Sanji-kun, didn't you want to give us a list of ingredients to bring them back to you?"

Suddenly pulled out of his thoughts, the blond immediately tried to hide his torment. "Here it is, Nami-san!" The cook handed the navigator a neatly folded piece of paper and she put it in her pocket after quickly running her eyes over it. Sanji then noticed that Liam and Lily had kindly taken a few steps away to leave the crew alone and he bit his lips in embarrassment.

He was stupid. He had made a choice and he had to live with the consequences now.

"I, uh… I made your favorite dishes earlier but there's no more space in the fridge so you should eat it tonight…"

A deafening silence answered him and the blond ended up taking a deep breath before calmly gazing at each of his friends in the eyes. He understood their shock. One way or another, here they were. And even if it was only temporary, the crew would no longer be whole in a few minutes.

Sanji smiled and lit a cigarette to relax. In the end, he wasn't so unhappy with himself. He couldn't have found a better way to say goodbye than to leave them the memory of his cooking even though he wouldn't be here anymore.

"Great, meat!" Luffy danced, drunk with joy.

"Mechoui," The blond stated.

"Did you make fish skewers?" Usopp asked him timidly.

"Isn't that what you prefer, long nose?" His friend replied, dragging on his cigarette butt.

"Uh, yeah…"

"Did you make burgers and fries?" Franky inquired, his eyes shining.

"With really spicy salsa."

"Super!"

The blond then stopped the rest of his friends with a hand gesture. "Before everyone asks what I made for them, I'll tell you: cotton candy and caramelized cream for Chopper, spaghetti bolognese for Brook, white rice and Sea King meat for the mosshead."

"It's amazing, you took time to prepare each of our dishes despite the number of preparations you had to do!" Brook marveled.

Sanji felt the warmth of the musician's words instantly warm his heart. His doubts receded and once again, he blamed himself for the lack of confidence that tended to get the better of him so easily: his friends just didn't want to overwork him and that was why they had declined his offers previously. This attention touched him as much as it confirmed what he already knew, namely that what bound him to the other members of the Straw Hat crew was indestructible. And if time meant that their bonds would weaken one day, he couldn't doubt their friendship at this moment: he was the cook of the crew but above all, he was a full member.

Eventually, the blond shrugged vaguely to regain control of himself before throwing away his cigarette butt to direct his full attention to the two girls of the crew. Having regained all his confidence, he took a hand from each of them and kept it in his own hand.

"For you, ladies, I have prepared an assortment of savory petits fours from my best recipes as well as a salad of raw vegetables and a tangerine pie accompanied by the most aromatic coffee in the region." He squeezed their hands a little tighter as he bowed. "Nami-san, Robin-chan, not seeing you every day already fills my heart with despair and despondency but know that if you need anything at all-"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll call you," The redhead cut him short, removing her hand from the blond's without ceremony. "Come on, let's go, you guys. The tide is rising, we need to take advantage of it," She added, turning on her heels.

Robin chuckled before thanking the cook then following the navigator and the boys followed one another quickly in front of the blond.

"I'll bring back lots of meat so that we can have a big party when we get back!" Luffy assured him with determination.

"I expect no less from you, Captain," His cook replied with a smile.

"I'll select the most beautiful materials for your restaurant, bro, count on me!"

"Thank you, Franky."

"If the road turns out to be more dangerous than expected, do you think I could come back here?" Usopp inquired with concern.

"If you manage to find the way to the island alone after crossing an unknown door, you'll be welcome," The blond offered him, lighting a new cigarette nonchalantly.

"Sanji, if you feel any symptoms of an illness or if you get hurt, call me," Chopper asked him seriously. "Even in the middle of the night, call me!"

"I will, Chopper," The cook reassured him, touched.

"Dear friend, I have no doubt that your recipes will taste even more exceptional in a few months and I look forward to being able to savor them even if I have long since lost the last of my taste buds!"

The skeleton burst out laughing and Sanji blew out his smoke with a smile as the musician walked away as well. Dead last, Zoro was about to board directly when the blond's hand on his forearm stopped him.

"Mosshead, your bottles are in the storeroom."

In front of the sincere smile of the fencer at these words, Sanji rolled his eyes without being able to hide his smile. "Don't think they're all there though, I keep some here."

Immediately, his companion's face darkened and the blond removed the cigarette from his lips while fixing his gaze on his. "Don't forget there's a surprise waiting for you when you get back, Cactus-kun, so don't do anything stupid."

"Worried, cook?" The swordsman sneered.

For answer, the blond grabbed his companion by the collar of his tee-shirt to pull him brutally towards him. He then planted a quick kiss on his lips before gazing at the swordsman's now embarrassed face.

"If I were you, I'd rather worry about finding my way back here."

Sorry for the little delay. See you next week!