Chapter 11

Fraternity

Sanji silently followed Liam through the deserted streets of the village darkened by night.

His friends had gone to sea only a few hours before, but he couldn't help glancing regularly at the clock in Lily's living room where the three of them had dined. The passage of time allowed him to imagine what the crew was busy with and in this way, he still felt a little connected to them. That's why if the blond had been happy to be busy in the kitchen serving a delicious soup thanks to the fish that the young woman had caught that very morning, as soon as he had sat down at the table, the semblance of calm that he had won had flown away.

The question had indeed arisen of where the cook was going to live and the blond had immediately felt his agitation embrace him even more. At that moment, all the details of daily life had blown up in his face and Sanji had realized that he was about to live differently from what he had always known.

Here, there was no need for watches that forced him to struggle with sleep afterwards, no gargantuan meals to prepare three times a day, no explosive battles to defend the Sunny and his friends. Liam and Lily's appetites would be easily sated and he didn't need to fight a horde of cooks who didn't recognize the value of his cooking because it was already unanimous.

He was going to benefit from a free time that he had never had and this feeling, although attractive, was also a little disconcerting. Sanji had indeed always immersed himself in work and discipline had marked his learning as much as his personal life. Today, however, he had everything to relearn.

Probably sensing his distress, Lily had kindly told him that a small house to the west of the village had been uninhabited for many years and Liam had then told him that he himself had almost moved there before he prefered a larger place where he had been able to store all his equipment. The blond had accepted gushingly, aware of the chance he had to seize with this generous proposal when he was the one who had wanted to exile himself from his crew and place of life.

In the same way, as he was walking on the dirt road between the houses, the incongruous atmosphere reminded him again that these next few weeks would have a special flavor. Around him indeed, there was no lively discussion between his friends, no fuss on behalf of the captain and no melodious voice coming from his princesses. He was only hearing the silence and the blowing of the wind in the night.

Sanji shivered. He was grateful to Liam for offering to drop by his workshop after showing him the house he would be spending the next three months in.

The house itself was simple and friendly. All the necessary furniture was already there and he only needed to add his few belongings. However, the warmth of home that the Sunny had become was irremediably absent and this cruel detail had been added to the list of the many elements he was now becoming concretely aware.

The idea of being brutally alone was leaving him with a strange feeling and the prospect of trying to reach his friends before they crossed Vorgo's door eased his discomfort a little.

Sanji took a deep breath as the scientist walked through the threshold of his house a few moments later. The dark-haired man then invited him to go to his workshop and the cook hastened to follow him.

"It was really delicious, Sanji!" The voice of the little reindeer congratulated him.

"Those skewers were succulent," The voice of Usopp approved blissfully, "I don't know what we'll become when we finish your dishes…"

"You should last two or three weeks. You'll have plenty of time to run errands," The blond reminded them.

"Yes, but we'll need to cook," The sniper lamented.

"Not to mention that two to three weeks refers to the reserves without our captain robbing them," Brook added philosophically.

"The most important thing is not to give in to his demands even once, otherwise it's over."

Sanji had regained his relaxed posture as soon as the voices of his friends had echoed through the radio on the scientist's desk and he had lit a cigarette while listening to Brook, Chopper and Usopp tell him about the course of dinner.

A few minutes earlier, the cook had to wait a little while before establishing the communication during which his anxiety had reached new heights. Yet he knew that the crew had obligations, that the communications could be complicated or even that his friends couldn't hear his call but in spite of this implacable logic, his emotion hadn't been less strong when Usopp had finally picked up.

Liam had then connected several wires between the set and the main Den Den Mushi, allowing Sanji to not use the headset and to hear all his crewmates at the same time, to his great delight. He almost felt like he was still among them that way.

"I'll set up a schedule," The sniper explained, "Everyone will participate in the preparations of the meal and dishes!"

"Be careful not to put Nami-san and Robin-chan on dish duty when it's cold, the water will damage their skin," The cook insisted, blowing his smoke.

"I think it'd be better for Luffy to take care of the dishes rather than cooking," The doctor pointed out.

"I don't know, he's so distracted he could ruin my plates," The blond growled.

"Why not ask him to do the cleaning?" Brook suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

Time flew by quickly while the three friends were discussing how to organize themselves to stand in for all the tasks that the cook usually did. It turned out that the blond was doing a lot of chores all by himself and Usopp struggled to share them out between them all.

In the end, Sanji crushed his burnt cigarette butt in the ashtray in front of him. "Well, it's nice and all, guys, but it's not just you on this ship I'd like to talk to."

A silence fell on the other side of the transmitter and the blond instinctively looked up, frowning.

"You want me to go get Zoro?" The cautious voice of the sniper finally asked.

Sanji stared at the set. "Why would I want to talk to that idiot? He must already be sweating in the crow's nest for those last missed practices so let him make himself useful for once."

"Uh, okay…"

"Do you want to talk to Robin and Nami?" The little reindeer inquired.

"You're the smart one, Chopper," The cook approved, "I hope my goddesses enjoyed the meal and Robin-chan found the box of green tea. I forgot to take it out…"

A door noise was heard on the Sunny and the voice of the navigator sounded precisely at that moment. "Everyone on deck, we're getting close to the door!" Her clear voice called out.

"We're talking with Sanji!" Chopper got enthused.

"Nami-san, I'm so happy to hear you!" The blond rejoiced, twirling behind the set without being able to stop.

"Oh, Sanji-kun, the pie was excellent," She answered distractedly while her attention seemed to be drawn elsewhere.

"I am the happiest of men to know that I was able to participate in your happiness!"

His tirade remained unanswered but that didn't stop the blond from continuing to twirl in front of the Den Den Mushi.

"Liam, are you here?" The redhead resumed, ignoring her friend. "If the communication doesn't go through, I'll send you the first data by News Coo since we won't be far from the door."

A few meters away and leaned over recordings, the scientist put down his documents before sliding his chair next to the cook. "Good idea, Nami."

"You're gonna send a bird through the door?" Usopp disapproved. "I'm not sure he'll like it…"

"They're messengers, they're used to it," The navigator eluded.

"Do you think he'll be able to come back then?" Chopper worried in turn.

"I could always accompany him so that he goes back the other way," Sanji suggested as he regained his composure.

"You'll be Good Samaritans later," The young woman cut them short with annoyance, "Usopp, are the plans for your giant watering can finished?"

"All set!"

"Great. While waiting for Franky to build it, I'll use my Clima-Tact to reveal the door and Zoro and Luffy will take care of managing the sails when crossing. Franky and Robin tested the beacon to amplify the signal, it seems to work normally."

"Data should be able to pass through this access," Liam asserted.

"We'll give it a try tomorrow morning," Nami agreed, "Now everyone to their posts."

With that, the young woman's heels clicked towards the exit before Brook's voice was heard again. "We'll get back to you as soon as possible," The skeleton assured the cook.

"See you later, Sanji!" Chopper said, delighted.

"Wish us luck," Usopp added, defeated.

"Follow Nami-san's instructions and everything will be fine. I'll wait to hear from you." The cook then heard a mixture of the noise of chairs and voices for a few more moments before the communication was cut off.

Sanji remained motionless for long seconds, as if he was paralyzed by the crackling from the now sleeping Den Den Mushi. Finally, he raised his hand and slowly turned the reception button until it clicked, turning off the machine in turn and plunging the room into silence. The Sunny wouldn't be able to contact him before the Den Den Mushi took their marks on the other side of the door and the signal made its way to All Blue. This time, the crew was really gone.

The blond bit his lips when the weight of his loneliness enveloped him again brutally and he moved away from the desk, pushing back his chair whose castors creaked softly on the floor.

"You seem very close to each other."

The voice of the scientist not far from him snapped the cook back into reality and he shrugged casually in order to regain his composure. "They're morons except for Nami-san and Robin-chan. And the worst is this always hungry nutty captain…"

Liam gave him a curious look. "Did you know each other before you boarded together?"

"Nope. Luffy… Luffy went to sea one day with the idea of becoming the Pirate King and as he went along, he met all of us. All of us embarked with him without even having our say…"

"He looks like someone you can't say no to."

"He's a menace," The blond growled. His hand instinctively reached for a cigarette and he lit it, remembering the beginning of his own adventure.

"The Pirate King," Liam repeated after a few moments of silence, "It's a goal that doesn't lack ambition."

The cook nodded while dragging on his cigarette butt. "He's the most stubborn guy I've ever met. Maybe worse than the old geezer."

"It wasn't him that I noticed at first," Liam admitted, "I must say that Franky and Brook have a rather impressive physique each in their kind."

Sanji shook his head. "Don't be fooled by appearances, Franky is one of the nicest people I know. On the other hand, never let him take you on a shopping trip, you have seen his taste in clothes…"

As the dark-haired man started laughing, the blond spoke again. "As for Brook, he's the best if you need to relax or take your mind off things. He knows all the songs, from the softest to the wildest. And if you feel like laughing, ask Usopp to tell you one of his stories. This guy can make up the biggest lies in the most believable way," He added, tapping his cigarette against the ashtray.

"The men all seem to have very distinct personalities."

"You're not wrong. If you're the type of person who appreciates calm, you can count on Zoro, he'll never open his mouth. But if you need to be pampered, Chopper will be the perfect choice. He's an outstanding doctor but also a real stuffed animal."

"The sweetness doesn't come from the women of the crew then," The scientist provoked him with a smile.

Sanji nodded proudly. "As I told you, Nami-san and Robin-chan are the only ones who really matter. They're remarkably strong women who don't need anything or anyone to be respected but they also have the sweetest and most bewitching eyes. They're perfect beings in every way and no one will ever convince me otherwise."

The blond puffed on his cigarette again to make his point and Liam shook his head in amusement. "I noticed they benefited from a special treatment."

"They're goddesses who have the kindness to tread the same soil as ours; I cannot help spoiling them as best I can, it'd be a real crime," The cook replied quietly. "All women are refined beings who only need to be adored."

"I see where you're going…" The scientist then glanced through his multiple files, suddenly dreamy. "Your relationship is really unique and I think I'm slightly jealous of it…"

Sanji raised an eyebrow in his direction and the dark-haired man smiled, embarrassed. "That's because… when I left my own crew, I wasn't that attached to them. I was close to some of them but in the end, I had no trouble leaving. I've never felt these bonds you seem to be sharing and they look so amazing…"

"I never thought I'd feel that one day," The blond admitted, "Luffy just barged into my life and dragged me into his whirlwind. I'm lucky he chose me to join his crew."

"You're a real family, Lily and I immediately saw it. Your bonds seem unbreakable."

Sanji froze, the scientist's words echoing strangely in his head. The term still awoke an improbable feeling in him despite the years. Indeed, on the one hand, his biological family has disowned him and even if he was the happiest about it today, these bonds would always be present between them. On the other hand, the Straw Hat crew was hands down the closest thing to his real family with Zeff. However, he had deliberately chosen to be apart from one then from the other and even if he pursued a specific goal in this respect, his guilt always came back to torment him at one time or another.

"I hope so", He breathed then.

Liam looked at him questioningly and Sanji sighed before stubbing out his cigarette. "Actually, my entire existence depends on this meeting with Luffy and before that on the one I made with the old geezer. It's thanks to them that I'm on the legendary ocean I hoped to find out today and since I don't know if I believe in fate, I decided that I'll thank them until the end of my life in compensation."

The dark-haired man nodded. "I can understand. I never took the time to dream of something else when I boarded this ship, so maybe that's why I'm not as grateful as you are."

"Why go with them then?" The cook wondered.

Liam sighed as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. "I had all this knowledge of sound waves and no way to really use it. I had a meager life on my home island, I just wanted to see something else and I took the first opportunity I found."

"Was it a crew of scientists?"

"Not really, but the idea of having one made them feel safer because I could explain some elements they couldn't." The dark-haired man laughed. "They probably revised their opinion when I dumped them a few months later when we turned up here!"

Sanji shook his head, smiling in turn. "You found the All Blue whose doors are made up of sound waves, how could you have set off again?"

"That's what I was thinking. Finally, I felt like I had found my way!"

The cook let himself be carried away by the scientist's enthusiastic speech describing his first days on the ocean, his meeting with Lily, his ambition to decipher how the doors were working and his desire to develop the island to help its inhabitants. He forgot time again and his guilt ebbed as he enjoyed the joyous presence of his new friend.

When they parted almost an hour later and Sanji closed the door of his new home behind him, he was more peaceful. Liam's passion for All Blue echoed his own and helped ease his feeling of isolation. So when he drew the curtains in the bedroom, he felt a bit of his usual determination returning to him for the first time that evening. He knew that these three months away from the crew would be long but he was going to realize his dream and he wasn't alone.

He would survive.

This is another chapter where the action isn't in the foreground but the introspective part is essential to fully understand Sanji's point of view.

I hope you liked it.

I'll post the next chapter in a week and a half.