DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, EXCEPT RAGNAR AND ALL VIKINGS IN THIS STORY! ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, VIZ MANGA, TOEI ANIMATION AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC
Chapter 26: Zeff and Sanji's Dream! The Illusionary All Blue!
"GIN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Luffy roared, enraged by what just happened.
"I don't care how much of a badass he used to be," Gin coldly replied, "Now, he's just a cook. I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over killing this old fart. I'll spare him, but you all have to leave." Then he turned his head towards Sanji, refusing to meet his gaze, "Please, don't make this any harder than it has to be, Sanji. Just leave. Don't make me kill both of you."
"Run away, huh?" Sanji asked, before glaring at Gin, "Not a chance!" His words shocked Gin. Why would Sanji refuse to run away at a time like this? Sanji only jeered at Zeff, powerless to do anything now, "You look even more idiotic at gunpoint, old man! What kind of example do you think you're setting for all the other cooks?"
"I don't need to hear a lecture from a brat like you," Zeff stubbornly grumbled.
"WOULD YOU STOP WITH THE NAME-CALLING!?" Sanji asked furiously, "QUIT TREATING ME LIKE I'M STILL A KID!" All the other cooks looked on in shock. Sanji wouldn't really turn on the old man, would he? "Gin! Point that gun at me!" Sanji yelled.
"ARE YOU CRAZY!?" Usopp asked, face-faulting at Sanji's bravado.
"Do you have a death wish or something!?" Nami asked.
"My crew are right! What if you die!?" Luffy added.
"Just shut up!" Sanji growled, his gaze only fixed towards Gin.
"I don't understand…" Gin began, "Sanji, why would you risk your life for this old goat?"
"Someone's eager to die. Luckily for you, I'm more than happy to oblige," said a familiar and arrogant voice, and the Straw Hats turned to see Pearl rising to his feet, "Allow me to do the honors! It would be my pleasure to beat you to a bloody lifeless pulp."
"Of course, he's still conscious," Ragnar sarcastically remarked.
"ABSOLUTELY NATURAL PEARL SURPRISE!" Pearl bellowed out, leaping forward and knocking Sanji in the face with one of his bucklers. The blonde sous-chef landed against the railing of the ship, hacking up a gob of blood as he sat back up.
"SANJI! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" Luffy cried.
"Why didn't you dodge that, you idiot!?" Nami yelled.
"Because if I didn't…that bastard over there would've pulled the trigger on Zeff…" Sanji groaned. Gin only looked on, still confused as to why Sanji was still determined to lay down his life.
"Why are you doing this!?" Gin asked, totally bewildered, "Just leave the restaurant peacefully and nobody gets hurt! Please!"
"This restaurant is all that old geezer has left!" Sanji explained, "…I already took everything else that man holds dear…his power…his dreams…" He only gazed at the floor as he got to his feet. "As long as I'm around…I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM LOSE ANYTHING ELSE!"
"Idiotic little brat…" Zeff muttered.
"SANJI! BEHIND YOU! LOOK OUT!" Nami screamed. She, Usopp and Ragnar could see what the sous-chef couldn't.
"PEARL CLOSE!" Pearl shouted, and smashed both of his bucklers against both sides of Sanji's head, knocking him out, blood pooling from his mouth and ears.
"Sanji! Get up, man!" Usopp yelled.
"C'mon, broga! Don't let them win!" Ragnar begged, but it was no use. Sanji only dropped to his knees, and then crashed, face first onto the floor. As he fell, he couldn't help but be reminded of the words he spoke, a reminder of that fateful day. For this was not the first time he'd been on the verge of death, Sanji had experienced it firsthand…years before, when he was only a boy…
At the age of ten, and already the youngest chef aboard the crew of the cruise ship known as The Orbit, Sanji was passionate about his life's goal ever since taking up the culinary path. He recalled even to this day how the other chefs mocked him for it. It was a beautiful day, almost as if nothing was destined to go wrong.
"The All Blue?" One of them asked.
"Yeah! It's out there somewhere," Sanji exclaimed, "And I'll bet it's even more awesome than they say it is!"
"Stop being a doofus!" Another chef chuckled, "That's just a myth seafaring cooks like to tell themselves."
"Don't get me wrong, we all had our little fantasies about it," another replied, "But you gotta remember, it's just a myth."
"No way it's a myth!" Sanji told them with an optimistic grin, "Because I'm gonna find the All Blue, and then we'll see who's telling the myths!"
"That's quite the quest, little guy, good luck!"
"Okay then, kid, do you even know what kind of a place the All Blue is?"
"I sure do! I'm not stupid," Sanji replied, "The All Blue is a sea where fish from all four oceans live. There's fish from the East Blue, the West Blue, the North Blue and the South Blue. To cooks who set out to sea, it's an irresistible paradise! And I'm gonna find it!"
"Oh yeah, it's a gold mine," one chef humorously said, "It's got fish and plants from all over the world! Any chef would jump at the chance to cook there."
"True. Most of us would sacrifice a life and limb to find it."
"Well…if it were real."
"You think a mythical sea like the All Blue could actually exist?"
"Think about it, kid. It's impossible!"
"I bet it's just another tall tale told by some opportunistic fisherman."
"Okay, enough with the mythic seas," said the head chef, "Why don't you go and collect the plates, Sanji?" At his colleagues' remarks, Sanji only scowled. If the All Blue was just a myth, then why did it seem so real?
That evening, the Orbit's kitchen staff got to work cleaning up the leftovers the guests didn't eat. Most of the staff was more than happy to claim the delicious meals that were left untouched like a bob of seals having come ashore and found the washed up carcass of a giant squid.
"Oh man! What a waste. They left behind tons of plates of this delicious grub!"
"This one's barely even been touched! It's pretty good stuff too. I thought they'd love it for sure!"
"Personally, I think these passengers are spoiled."
As the chefs ranted about how shameful it was to waste food, Sanji only dumped the leftovers in the trash can, unable to comprehend why his fellow chefs ate what the customers didn't.
"It's way gross to eat the leftovers of strangers," said the boy, "You should just let me throw that stuff in the trash."
"That kinda talk proves you got lots to learn kid," one of the chefs said, his mouth full of food, "If you choose a life on the high seas, you gotta be resourceful. Wasting food on the ocean can be a fatal mistake." Then he picked up a fish skeleton and dangled it towards the boy, "So, why don't ya have some, huh?"
"Eww! No way!" Sanji protested, but at that moment, something else distracted him.
From the ballroom, the sound of screaming could be heard, as terrified passengers were running as fast as they could. One of the bosuns reached the galley, the chefs able to sense the fear in his eyes.
"Pirates have boarded us!" He shouted, "We're under attack!"
Hearing this, Sanji's eyes went wide. Pirates, here!? He couldn't fathom the very thought! Never in his wildest dreams did he believe he would be caught up in a pirate raid. As he made his way to the upper deck, he heard more panicked cries.
"That jolly roger…! It's Red-Leg Zeff and the Cook Pirates!"
"They've returned from the Grand Line!"
Meanwhile, out on deck, a storm suddenly started raging. The sky was illuminated with lightning, and the sea trembled with the boom of thunder. Rain came down on the ship in torrential downpours. Confronting the Orbit's crew, the cook pirates were all grinning sinisterly at them, armed with swords and glaives, and before them all stood Zeff, wearing his coat like a cape over his shoulders.
"I-I take it you're the Cook Pirates' captain, Red Leg Zeff?" the Orbit's captain asked, "W-What do you want with us?"
"Have at 'em, boys!" Zeff declared enthusiastically, "Lock the passengers in the hold! Take anything that isn't nailed down!" At those words, the Cook pirates proceeded to ransack the whole ship, depriving all the passengers of their riches they brought with them. Those who tried to save their wealth only met their untimely end at the blade of a sword.
Meanwhile, Sanji made his way to the deck, terrified as he got a good look at the attackers. He was enraged by the very thought of his own comrades under attack, or even dying at their hands before he fulfilled his lifelong dream! Determined to live, he charged forward, armed with two long butcher knives used for beheading fish, and confronted the pirates.
"Hey kid, if you're not careful, you'll cut someone's hand off," one pirate said, humoring the boy.
"Shut up!" Sanji roared back, "You mongrels better keep away from me!" The Orbit's chefs looked on with horror at what their protégé was doing. He was sure to die if he kept this act up!
"A bit young to have a death wish," said Zeff, admiring the boy's bravado, "But that's no reason not to grant it."
"All right, you bastards!" Sanji declared, "If I'm dying here, then I'm taking some of you down with me!" Yet before he could draw first blood, Zeff came rushing straight at him and kicked the boy so hard, he was sent flying into the aft castle with an awful crash. Yet even after this impact, Sanji crawled forward, slowly making his way towards Zeff. "I…I refuse to die…not here!" Sanji groaned as he bit down hard on Zeff's boot, his forehead trickling with blood, "I gotta live! So that I can find the All Blue!"
Upon hearing Sanji's words, the Cook Pirates all burst out laughing, foolishly thinking that the boy lost his mind. Yet Zeff only looked down, noticing that Sanji was crying. Something stirred within him that he hadn't felt in months…still, he only kicked the boy again, once more sending him flying back into the aft castle. Sanji only lay on his back, soaked by the rain and at the mercy of his attacker. Yet even so, he refused to die.
All at once, however, a sharp gust of wind bent the mast and tensed the Orbit's mainsail; the hull listed sideways with a groan. Yet the worst was by far yet to come.
"ROGUE WAVE OFF THE PORTSIDE!" The lookout shouted from the crow's nest. Everyone was petrified at the sight – a massive wall of water was heading right towards the ship! As it smashed the deck, it sent anyone who wasn't hanging onto something right overboard, including Sanji!
"HELP! HELP ME! PLEASE!" Sanji cried, as he was suddenly sucked under the waves, sinking into the depths below. Zeff ran as fast as he could towards the aft mast, and with one kick, he split the massive timber cylinder, letting it crash like a felled tree as he held on tight.
"Damned kid…" he muttered, and sank with the mast beneath the waves. He was fortunate to do so. For, as he began swimming downwards towards Sanji, another rogue wave slammed into the two ships, smashing them to bits. Yet still, Zeff kept his eyes on Sanji. As he swam closer, though, he felt the water push behind him, only to find the wreckage of the Orbit push right into him! For a brief moment, he thought he was dead, but luckily, he wasn't. As he tried swimming up, however, he noticed something was off. His right leg – the famed weapon he used for years, was trapped underneath a steel beam and a stray plank of wood! He tried to pull it out, but it was no use. Either he had to let Sanji drown, or sacrifice his prized weapon that earned him his piratical reputation…there was only one choice to make. Zeff grabbed the anchor of his own ship, and wrapped the chain around his right foot. The surface of the sea plumed upwards with a mix of water and blood…
As Sanji sank further and further below, he wanted to cry. Now he'd never get to see the All Blue…or so he thought. The next thing he knew, he could see Zeff swimming down towards him, then he fell unconscious. Zeff held the boy in his arms, as if Sanji were his own son, and swam upwards, towards air and towards the surface…
By the time Sanji woke up, he could feel the light of the sun and the breeze of the wind on his face, smell the salty brine of the sea, while the sounds of waves crashing against the shore and the songs of seabirds filled his ears. Somehow, he made it. He survived! How he managed to do it, though, soon reached him.
"So, the brat finally wakes up," said a gruff and rugged voice, and Sanji lifted his head to see Zeff – the man who attacked the Orbit – also survived with him. The captain of the Cook Pirates only told him, "You're lucky to be alive, y'know that?"
"You! You're the pirate who…" Sanji began, but as he tried to get up, he felt a sharp heaviness in his stomach.
"I wouldn't try moving if I were you," said Zeff, "You're still pretty banged up from the beating you took. Sorry about that."
"What about the ships!?"
"Only the Gods know. It was a terrible storm last night. Our ships were most likely destroyed. You and I appear to be the only survivors: marooned on a barren rock in the middle of the sea, without so much as a coconut tree to give us water."
"Then…you mean…!" Sanji finally realized the severity of the situation. Zeff was right. As he looked around, there wasn't a tree or bush in sight! "But what about fishing? We can still try that, can't we!?"
"Sure, we could try that," said Zeff, "But the rocks have been curved by the waves in such a manner, we wouldn't be able to make our way back up. Tragic, ain't it?"
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, OLD MAN! I HOPE YOU DIE!"
"You can complain as much as ya like, but it won't change a thing. If nobody sees us, we'll just starve to death and become two more skeletons in the sea." That prospect frightened poor Sanji. If nobody came to save them, he would surely die and be nothing but hair and bones! He only looked to the burlap sack beside him as Zeff spoke, "That bag over there. It's your share of the food that washed up – about five days' worth. It ain't much, but it's better than nothing. I recommend rationing it out, so that it'll last longer. Good thing we're both cooks, right?"
"Hey wait! Is that bag your share of the food!?" Sanji asked, having noticed the larger burlap sack, "You took way more than me, you fat old pig!"
"Of course, I get more food," Zeff explained, only glancing at Sanji over his shoulder, "I'm a grown man, so I need more food than a runt like you. You should be grateful that I'm sharing any of it with you. Don't expect any pity from me, you little brat."
"Bastard…" Sanji grumbled beneath his breath. How could such a man be so greedy?! Yet he had no time to speak as Zeff cut him off again.
"Now listen carefully," said the pirate captain, "Get to the other side of this rock and watch for ships. Let me know as soon as you see one. Until then, don't bother talking to me or moving from your post. That'll just be a waste of energy, and we can't afford that here. Good luck."
By sunset, Sanji dwelt on these words, letting his resentment get the better of him. The gall that the man who attacked his ship, kicked him so hard he was sent flying, managed to also save him and give him so little food!
"Screw you, gramps! I won't say anything if I see a ship!" He muttered, then looked to the supply of food that was left. Just some fruit, cured meats, bread, and cheeses. "I'll be fine. I have five whole days' worth of food. We'll definitely see a ship or two before I run out. Though, just to be safe, I'll divide it up for 20 days. That's more than enough time to get rescued! All I have to do now is sit and wait. Easy! I'll make it through this thing, no problem!" He only watched as the sun sank to the west with no sign of movement on the horizon, scratching a tally mark on the ground.
Nearly twenty-five days passed, and in all that time, there was no sign of a ship in sight. By now, Sanji had eaten all the food, save for one last item.
"This is it…one moldy loaf of bread," he muttered, as he began to eat. His hands were now bruised and scratched. His eyes red, and his hair as dry as grass at the end of summer. As he ate, he only looked out at the horizon, dutifully keeping a watch for any ships on the horizon, only for his own words he spoke that fateful night to come back to haunt him. The boy remembered how his co-workers ravenously ate the leftovers that night, moments before Zeff's pirates raided. It now dawned on him that they were right about not wasting any leftover food. Oh, how bitterly he regretted it now. As the tears streamed down his cheeks and his stomach growled incessantly, the poor boy wished that he could see his mother and sister again. Yet as he wiped the tears away, he accidentally dropped the loaf of bread, left helpless to watch as it fell into the sea below. Now, how was he to survive?
Nearly two whole months past, and in all that time, Sanji still eagerly awaited the sign of a ship to rescue them, his little body beaten by the sun. When rain poured down, he sought shelter underneath wreckage from the Orbit, and once it stopped, he took every moment to drink water from the pools that formed. By this point, Sanji was as gaunt as a corpse. His eyes sunken, and his cheeks were hollow. And yet, there was still not one single sight of a ship on the horizon. Sanji only had one thought in his head now.
"I wonder…is the geezer dead yet?" He muttered weakly, glancing behind him. He just had to find out. He began crawling towards Zeff's location, too weak to even walk anymore. As soon as he climbed the rock that separated them both, he spied the old pirate still sitting upright, and that large sack of food was untouched! The boy finally had his chance at survival! "So…much! There's so much food!" He giggled maniacally. Sanji then took up the one remaining kitchen knife he had on him, with one goal in mind. "I have to get that food! It's not fair that he has so much more than me! This is all his fault, after all!" Sanji tried to sneak his way past, grateful that he even resorted to eating his own shoes for added silence. Yet soon, he found his way to the sack.
"What do you think you're doing here, brat?" Zeff asked, having heard Sanji from where he was sitting at. "I thought I told you to keep an eye out for ships."
"I came over here to steal your food, old man!" Sanji replied, "If you wanna kill me for it, then go ahead! I'll starve soon enough, so it won't matter to me!" Then he ran over to the massive sack and tore it open with his knife, but as he glimpsed what was inside it…Sanji immediately felt his heart sinking in his chest. There was hardly any food in that sack at all! Just a hoard of treasure the Cook Pirates looted: gold, gemstones, pearls and even an ornate dagger. He only dropped his knife and fell to his knees, holding a hoard of gold coins in his fingers, "Why? You said it was food…this is only treasure…it's worthless!"
"Ironic, ain't it?" Zeff asked, "We have all this money, and still we're going to starve anyway." That was when it finally sank into Sanji – that small sack was the only food they had left, and Zeff gave it all to him!
"Hey! What's going on here, old man!?" Sanji asked, shaking Zeff desperately, "Where's your food!? You had to have eaten something! So, where is it!? Answer me!" As the boy looked Zeff in the face, that was when he saw it – the stump where Zeff's right foot used to be, tied off at the calf with some rope to stop him from bleeding out. That was when Sanji remembered that night, as he sank during the storm! Zeff sacrificed his leg to save his life! "That night…the anchor…in order to save me, you…!" Sanji couldn't help but feel like an undisciplined brat for having badmouthed his savior, the tears were once more welling up on his eyes. "Then…the food…you gave me all the food you had?"
"I did," said Zeff, now weak with hunger himself.
"And you knew that without that leg, you could never be a pirate again…"
"That's right…" That confirmation was all that was needed for Sanji to feel his heart spliting in his chest. Despite the fact that Zeff raided his ship, that man still sacrificed his own leg, and gave all the food that was salvageable to ensure that boy would live on.
"You old fool!" Sanji sobbed, "Why did you save me!? Why did you sacrifice so much to save my life!? Tell me!"
"Because…all my life, I had the same dream as you, son." Suddenly Sanji realized what Zeff meant.
"The All Blue?" He asked in awe, standing up towards Zeff's side, "But your men said that it doesn't exist…even my mentors said the same thing."
"Of course, it exists! Never mind them," Zeff replied, "When the time is right, sail for the Grand Line. That's where the All Blue is, I'm certain of it. My days…as a pirate…are done. But you have your whole life ahead of you…" Then the once feared pirate fell onto his back.
"Don't die now!" Sanji told him, "Get up, old man! C'mon! Don't you dare die on me!"
"I wonder…how many men have died cursing the sea, knowing that it'll be their grave?" Zeff muttered, delirious with hunger, "This isn't the first time I've nearly starved to death, son, and every time, I think the same thing: it is always my deepest wish to build a restaurant on the middle of the sea."
"A restaurant…on the sea?" Sanji asked.
"Yeah, I was thinking that if I make it out of this alive, I'd like to build a restaurant as my final wish in life."
"Great! And I'll even help ya build it!" Sanji said with a smile, "So, don't die on me, okay?"
Zeff only chuckled at the boy's remark, "A weak little kid like you couldn't do much for anything."
"Then I'll become stronger, just you wait!" Sanji couldn't help but cry his eyes out, "So, please…don't die on me!" As he sobbed, however, he could hear the distant melody of a sea shanty. Sanji turned and finally, after two whole months of being marooned…a ship had come in sight. Salvation was close at hand! Instantly, the boy began waving his arms, screaming, "HEY! HELP! HELP US! OVER HERE! PLEASE HELP! THE GEEZER NEEDS HELP! OVER HERE! PLEASE! PLEASE HELP US! THIS WAY!"
That moment was forever ingrained into Sanji's memory…even now, nine years later, as the sous-chef of the Baratie, he still remembered why Zeff saved him…and yet he felt that he was still responsible for the end of the famed pirate's career.
"That old coot…" he muttered, "He sacrificed his leg so that I could live!" Weakly, Sanji tried to stand to his feet and face Pearl, "I CAN'T THINK OF ANY WAY TO REPAY MY FATHER FOR HIS KINDNESS UNLESS I RISK MY LIFE FOR HIM!"
Luffy saw it all with his Observation Haki…he witnessed Zeff save young Sanji's life and in that moment, he understood why Sanji wouldn't leave Baratie. That man felt that he had to work aboard the Baratie and protect it with his life in order to repay his debt of gratitude.
"But why!?" Gin asked, still unable to comprehend this act, "Why are you still standing, Sanji?! Please, stay down!"
"I'm sorry to disappoint, Gin, but I'm afraid I can't do that," Sanji replied with a grin, "It's too much like giving up."
"Idiot! They're gonna kill you!" Patty yelled.
"You little brat…" Zeff muttered.
"Ha! That is so very refined of you!" Pearl chuckled, "But I'm sad to say that this restaurant will be closing soon, and it will open again for business as a pirate ship!"
At that moment, Luffy couldn't help but feel such rage. Sanji was trying to protect his father with his life! And here Krieg and his men were, trying to deprive Sanji of the place he called home for most of his life! It was just beyond endurance, and his whole body shook with anger. All of the three Straw Hats could see this in their captain.
"Uh…Luffy?" Nami asked, concerned about her captain's state of mind.
Much to her fear, Luffy unleashed a burst of Conqueror's Haki, and stretched his leg as far as it would possibly go upwards. All who were affected by the burst all fell unconscious, except for Luffy's allies, who were out of the blast.
"NO! DON'T!" Sanji protested, "GIN WILL SHOOT THE OLD MAN!"
"He…He wouldn't, right?" Usopp stuttered, thinking what was about to happen.
"He would…" Ragnar muttered. At that moment, all three began desperately begging Luffy not to attack, but it was of no use, Luffy only brought his leg down hard and fast towards the deck.
"GUM-GUM BEARDED AXE!" He yelled as loud as he could, and the whole fin snapped with a thunderous crash. Water and splinters flew everywhere as many lost their balance and were ejected into the sea. Nami, Ragnar and Usopp all screamed at the tops of their lungs as they too lost their balance. Yet one thing was certain: Luffy was clearly just as enraged at Krieg as he was with Kuro. Now, this was personal!
A/N: Wow! We have definitely a bit of foreshadowing when it comes to Sanji's backstory: especially since it was hinted at some references to both Sora and Reiju. Also, that last bit with Usopp, Ragnar and Nami begging Luffy not to use a Gum-Gum Bearded Axe on the fin of the Baratie, that bit was inspired by a scene in Toy Story 2, though I'm not gonna say which scene it was. Though, if you've seen that movie, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Also, yes, the Orbit is the exact name of the ship Sanji served on as an apprentice chef, just as the Dreadnought Sabre is the name for Don Krieg's ship. Now, a Dreadnought was a type of warship that was used during the First World War. Its name comes from the saying "dreadnought" which means, "Fear naught". Here in the U.S., there is one dreadnought ship still in existence, the USS Dallas. She's been demilitarized and is now a museum ship.
Now, you're wondering what I mentioned about Pearl's armor and shields. What is a pectoral disk? A pectoral disk is a type of cuirass which was used particularly in the Italian Peninsula during Classical Antiquity, and even was used by the Romans until the Marian Reforms in the second century BCE. As for what a buckler is, it's a type of shield used in the Middle Ages. Some shields of that time were large and perfect for shield-wall tactics, while others were smaller, meant for individual duels. Bucklers were the smallest types of shields, and from the 13th century, they were largely made from steel. In Tudor England, they were part of the fashionable kit for sword dueling. Young Tudor men were seen during Henry VII's lifetime with their bucklers swashing against their swords, hence the term "swashbuckler". Bucklers were also carried on the battlefield, as they were mostly used by common infantrymen or even men-at-arms, mainly as a way to protect the unarmored hand of the wielder.
So, stay tuned for the next chapter!