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 30: Set Sail! The Seafaring Cook Sets Off With Luffy!
By the time Luffy woke up, he was in a completely different space. He found he was on a nice bed, and sitting at his side on a stool, with her hand on his forehead, was a familiar girl he knew since becoming a pirate.
"Well, you finally woke up," she said, smiling at him.
"Nami?" He asked, only to realize something was missing, "Oh no! My hat! Where's my hat!?"
"Calm down! It's right there," said Sanji, pointing to the nightstand. Relieved that his precious hat was safe, Luffy only donned it and smiled, noticing that from the picture at the bedside, this was Sanji's room.
"Hey, what happened to Krieg and his pirates?" Luffy asked, regaining his senses.
"You did it, Luffy," explained Nami, placing her hand atop of his own, "We won, they're gone now."
"It's true," confirmed Sanji, "Oh, and Gin asked me to tell you that he'd see you on the Grand Line again."
"He did?" Luffy asked, only to smile at the thought of seeing Gin once again, "Then I'll be sure we see each other before long." Suddenly another question popped up, "So, does that mean you…"
"No, I'm still not gonna run off with you and become a pirate," said Sanji, "I've got some unfinished business here. I still gotta stay here until Zeff acknowledges my skills as a cook."
"Okay then…I give up," Luffy only declared, shocking Nami.
"Luffy! Wasn't the whole purpose of coming here so we could find a cook!?" She asked in disbelief, "Why give up now!?"
"No, it's alright," Sanji explained, looking out the window, "Besides, I can't just leave. These bozos don't know a thing about how to manage a restaurant. But still, I promised that one of these days, I'll go to the Grand Line."
"Well, how come you can't go right now?" Luffy asked, making his way to the outer deck.
"It's just not the right time yet, but there is one place…" the sous chef replied, but then his face lit up, as he turned to Nami and Luffy with an excited smile, "Say, have you ever heard of the All Blue?"
"Nuh-uh," Luffy replied, shaking his head in confusion.
"First time I heard of it," added Nami, "Is it some sort of legend in the Grand Line?"
"You gotta be kidding me! That sea is a miracle!" Sanji blurted out, "In the All Blue, there are fish from the East Blue, the North Blue, the West Blue and the South Blue. That one stretch of sea has it all! To us seafaring cooks, it's a culinary dream come true. A place that fantastic has to be on the Grand Line somewhere, right?"
As Sanji spoke, Zeff only looked down at his son, unable to help but grin at seeing Sanji so enthusiastic about his dream.
"The little brat looks truly happy," he muttered, chuckling, "What an idiot."
At that moment, the door opened, and Ragnar came into the room with a drinking horn full of ale in his hand, his helmet pushed back so that he could drink properly. He spied Nami and Luffy with Sanji and only smiled.
"There he is! Awake at last!" the Norseman exclaimed, "Come, min vinir! The chefs have put on a feast for us in honor of our glorious victory." Then he looked to a leather pouch on his belt and then to Nami, "Oh, Nami, I just remembered. I managed to pry those diamonds off of Don Krieg's gauntlets for you." As soon as Ragnar said that, Nami's eyes just lit up, almost turning into berry symbols as she rushed over to the Viking with the most idiotic grin on her face.
"Oh wow, thanks a bunch, Ragnar! You're the best!" She exclaimed. Luffy only smiled and shook his head, there wasn't anything that made Nami happier than the sight of treasure.
"Always a pleasure," he replied, "We'll divide them between ourselves, yeah? I'll give you the bigger ones." Ragnar only then looked to Luffy, smiling at his oldest friend, "You best hurry, Luffy. There's a ton of delicious meat down at the feast table. They even have whole roasted boar."
"WHAAA!? Are you serious!?" Luffy exclaimed, as he rushed down to the restaurant level. Not even he was going to miss out on this opportunity of a lifetime. "YEAH! Look out meat! Here I come!"
Down at the restaurant on the first floor, Ragnar was indeed telling the truth: the chefs of Baratie put on a grand feast in honor of the Straw Hat Pirates, for their victories over Don Krieg and his crew. All the chefs were eager to feast on such delectable sights before their eyes, while the Straw Hats all had the best seats in the house: at the head of the table. Even Johnny and Yosaku were allowed to sit amongst them due to their connection with Zoro.
Luffy and Sanji arrived as soon as the feasting was about to begin, and immediately the former's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates at the sight of all that delicious food: steamed pork buns, whole roasted boar, squab, poached king crab, fried rice, and even char broiled squid to name a few.
"Oh good, they saved us some seats," said Sanji, noticing the seat at the head of the table.
"No chairs left for you," said one chef.
"Just sit on the floor and eat," chuckled another. This confused Sanji to no end, though. What were they talking about?
"There's no chairs?" He asked, "That's odd, seeing as this is a restaurant." However, he only shrugged as he sat down on the floor across from Luffy. "Alright, fine."
"They sure are acting strange," Luffy muttered as he got his share of food and sat down on the floor.
"Well, that's not uncommon," replied Sanji, and was more than content to sit down and eat.
"Hey! What the Hell is this!?" Patty asked as he stood, "Who prepared the soup this morning!?"
"Oh! I did! This stuff is pretty great, huh?" Sanji asked, smiling, "I think I really outdid myself with this one."
"Is that a joke!?" Patty asked, "You may have been able to dupe that food critic, Savarin, but ya can't trick us, Sanji! I could barely stomach this slop!" At those words, Sanji's fury only seemed to rise like a volcano about to pop.
"What are you….!?" Usopp asked, only for Zoro and Ragnar to restrain him.
"Hold, Usopp," muttered Ragnar, "Let it all play out."
"I thought someone like you would enjoy slop, Patty," Sanji remarked as he stood up, "That would make sense, seeing as that's what pigs like."
"Just face it, Sanji! Your soup sucks!" Patty insisted, "It's absolutely revolting!"
"That soup is nothing short of a delicacy," Sanji growled, "Looks to me like there's something wrong with your taste buds!" Yet then Carne finished a spoonful of the soup as well.
"Ugh! That's gross!" He remarked, and before long, all the other chefs began to make known their disgust for the soup, slamming their spoons as they spat out what remaining drops of soup touched their tongues. Sanji was absolutely livid at their reactions.
"What the hell is going on here, you bastards!?" He demanded. How dare they disrespect him after all he did for them over the past ten years!
"We're sick of the way you run things around here!" Patty explained, "You're a sham of a sous chef and everyone here knows it!" After him, other chefs made themselves heard.
"Patty's right! You can't solve every problem here with violence."
"If the food you cook is bad, we'll say so."
"The fuck you say!?" Sanji growled out. He didn't expect this reaction from all of his co-workers, but it definitely pissed him off to see his own brothers in culinary arms show total disrespect for the food he cooked.
"Don't forget, we're seafaring cooks! So, you'd better not waste one single drop of that soup," said Zeff, who quietly finished his entire bowl, much to everyone's shock, down to every last drop. Then…he threw the bowl on the ground, shattering it into several pieces. Everyone was in total shock at this reaction from Zeff of all people! The man who trained and practically raised Sanji…was showing his disgust!
"What the Hell is this, old geezer!?" Sanji hissed, both shocked and apoplectic.
"That wretched dish tasted like stewed garbage!" Zeff declared, "If we ever served that kind of trash to that food critic, we'd have gone out of business ages ago!"
"Are you really that dense!?" Sanji asked, grabbing Zeff by the collar, "Just how the hell is my soup different from the one you make!?"
"You honestly think they're the same!?" Zeff asked, then doing something else unexpected: punch his own son across the face! "Don't flatter yourself! You think you can lecture me on the art of cooking!? Fat chance! I'm a man who's cooked on more ships at sea than days you've been alive!"
Sanji only glared at his father, clutching his cheek as he stood to his feet, then stormed out of the restaurant, his pride wounded by their insults, slamming the door behind him as he yelled, "I'M NOT A LITTLE KID ANYMORE!"
Back inside the restaurant, Luffy finally made his way to an empty seat next to Nami and began downing Sanji's soup eagerly as the rest of the restaurant staff looked out the window.
"What's all the fuss about?" Luffy asked, a huge grin on his face, "This soup's totally awesome!"
"I agree," Ragnar chimed in, "I find it absolutely delicious. Why tell Sanji that it's not?"
"All of us know full and well how good that soup is," Zeff explained, "I know he's an outstanding chef, everyone here on the Baratie knows that." Now, even the chefs began to pipe up.
"Yeah, he's great."
"Aside from Chef Zeff, he's the best we got."
"So, this was all just a ploy?" Nami asked, "Don't you think that's a bit too far?"
"Normally, it would be," Zeff explained, "But that thick-skulled idiot wouldn't listen to us if we tried reasoning with him." He then looked to all five of the Straw Hats, especially to Luffy, "Listen, you all said that you needed a cook for your ship, right? Well, this isn't something I wouldn't be asking anyone, but would you mind taking that brat along with you? Take him to the Grand Line. That would be best for him, seeing as that sea is his dream."
Outside, Sanji was able to hear the kitchen staff complimenting how good his soup was. He couldn't help but finally slump down, hugging his knees, hiding his face as he was almost about to cry. Finally, Zeff acknowledged his skills as a chef.
'I can hear everything…you bastards…' he thought, unable to help himself from smiling. That half-assed plan actually worked.
Inside, however, all the staff waited for Luffy's response.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline," he replied, shocking almost everyone, except for Nami, who was well aware of what Luffy had planned.
"But earlier, you mentioned you needed a cook for your ship!" Zeff pointed out, "Just what are you trying to say? Is he not good enough for you?"
"Yes, and we still do!" Ragnar added, "But Luffy, you were dead set on getting Sanji to join. Why turn down this offer now?"
"Oh, don't get me wrong, he's real good," Luffy explained, "And I'd love him to join our crew, and come with us, but it seems that he really wants to work here and cook with all of you guys."
"So, you're saying that you can't agree to it until he tells you himself, is that right?" Zeff asked, to which Luffy only nodded in confirmation, "Well, I suppose that's fair enough. But who knows if that hard-headed little brat will agree to join up with you."
"What do you mean by that?" Zoro asked, "Does that eyebrow cook have some sort of wish to stay here regardless?"
"No, it's not that," Patty explained, "Once that guy makes up his mind, there's nothing anyone can do to change it."
At that moment, Ragnar could not help but notice something coming in at top speed…right towards the Baratie!
"Incoming! Hit the Deck!" He yelled, as the wall burst open, and as the dust cloud settled, everyone could see a black and white patterned shark, unconscious, and in its jaws, struggling to get loose, a woman in mail armor with a spectacled helmet, and trapped below, was Sanji, who was only smitten by the majestic Nordic beauty on top of him. The other cooks looked on with curiosity and interest.
"What is that? A fish-woman?"
"Did she come all the way from Fishman Island just to eat here?"
"You dolt! It's a Viking shieldmaiden and a panda shark!"
The warrior suddenly drew forth a bearded axe and pried herself out of the beast's jaws as the fish suddenly swam back into the sea. Yet Sanji was still only smitten with her. Tall, buxom and drop dead gorgeous, she had long black hair and skin as fair as snow. Zoro, Ragnar, Johnny and Yosaku all drew their swords, while Nami readied her spear, and they were all glaring at this newcomer, as if she were a lone attacker.
"Have mercy, vinir, and you may yet find an ally in my clan," said the warrior, sheathing her axe and placing her hands outstretched for mercy, and when she saw Ragnar, she leapt to her feet as if she'd seen a ghost. "Thor's beard! It's Ragnar Loðbrok of the Lion Clan!"
"A Viking?" Ragnar asked as he approached, sheathing his sword, "I am indeed that man. Yet, you seem to know me. How?"
"You are well known to my clan, the Elgrings," she explained, kneeling as she introduced herself, removing her helmet so that they could see her face as she spoke, "I am Ingrid Trygvesdottir. I have come on behalf of the jarl of my clan, Hroðgar Skallagrimsson, renowned drengr and jarl of the Norsemen of the Conomi Islands."
"Elgr? As in moose? What business have the Elgrings in the East Blue?"
"I was hoping to speak with you and others, such as mighty Sigrun Varinsdottir, of the Wolf Clan, so that we may trade, and establish alliances."
"For what purpose would you need an alliance?" Ragnar only raised a brow as he placed his helmet down on the table, revealing his long flowing locks of red hair, eyeing the newcomer with skepticism, and asked, "What is it that you really seek, Ingrid?"
"All I have said is true, but there is more, something darker…" She only stared at the floor as she spoke, but then turned her gaze to meet the Straw Hats,' "A dark power has overtaken the Conomi Islands."
"What kind of power are we talking about?" Zoro asked, intrigued by what was going on.
"The entire archipelago is the domain of a cruel fish-man named Saw-Tooth Arlong," said Ingrid, "Only eight years ago, he conquered the other villages on the islands, enslaved her inhabitants, and killed those who refused to pay his demands for tribute. Now, he has begun a slow march against the Norse settlements there." Her voice trembled and her eyes were filled with sorrow, "He killed my father, destroyed my entire village…"
"I'm so sorry about your father and your village," said Ragnar, "But we have our own goals, right Captain?" Yet as Ragnar looked to Luffy, he saw that his captain and Nami only looked and nodded at each other. Something was going on.
"Ingrid. We'll be more than happy to help you out in whatever way we can," said Luffy, stunning almost everyone, but causing Nami to smile softly. After all, Luffy promised to help her free her village from Arlong anyway. As far as she was concerned, this was killing two birds with one stone. "So, what can we do?"
"You…You will aid us? Oh, thank you!" Ingrid exclaimed, her heart soaring with joy. "In that case, we will set a course for our settlement of Njordholm, on the far side of the largest island. Our jarl, Hroðgar, prepares to assemble an army. We will besiege Arlong, and get the fish-men to rethink their moves against we Norse! And our longships will grow fat with treasure in the process. Just meet me when you all are ready, and we will set sail at once!"
"Okay, I got it!" Luffy declared, then turned to his crew, "Alright! Let's go! We've got a fish-man to stop!" He then rose to his feet and led the way, with the rest of the Straw Hats following him out the hole in the wall, and towards the Merry, and Johnny and Yosaku followed with them. Yet Sanji had one last surprise in store.
"Wait," he said, stopping everyone in their tracks, turning his attention to Luffy, "Your dream is foolish, but then again, so is mine." Everyone looked at the blonde chef as he looked up to the heavens, "Now's as good a time as any, so why not start my quest right now?"
"Sanji? Does this mean…?" Luffy asked, turning his gaze to meet the chef, who immediately turned to face the boy.
"You're right. I'll be joining your crew, on your journey to be King of the Pirates," he declared, which caused every single Straw Hat Pirate to have all their hearts skip a beat. Was this all a dream or reality? "You guys hear me? I said I'll be the cook on your ship, but I'll be doing it for my own reasons. Alright? Is that okay with you, or not?"
"YEEEEAAAHH! OF COURSE!" Luffy exclaimed as he and Usopp began dancing happily. Ragnar and Nami only smiled. Now, at long last – the Straw Hat Pirates finally had their cook, and what's more, he was one of the greatest cooks in the world! With Sanji aboard, they'd be able to set sail to the Grand Line in no time at all, after this little side trip.
"You guys happy now or what?" Sanji asked the other chefs. "Sorry, really. I'll leave now."
"I don't like it!" Patty scoffed, "Truth be told, I was hoping to give ya the boot from this restaurant myself, but it seems like you got no problem abandoning us!"
"I'm especially sorry for making all of you resort to bad acting!" Sanji then revealed, causing most of them to go aghast at the very realization: he'd been listening in the whole time! Yet then he turned to Zeff, "Was wounding my pride really the best thing you could come up with, old geezer?"
"I've never liked children," Zeff grumbled, doing his best to restrain Patty, "In fact, I always hated them. There wasn't a day past when I didn't regret letting a useless brat like you live, Sanji."
"Fine by me, old man," Sanji replied, "Enjoy the rest of your miserable life." And with that, it seemed that everyone was ready to go.
Back at the Going Merry, Ingrid was in awe at the size and make of the caravel. She was like nothing compared to the typical longships she was used to being around, or the Marine ships of the navy.
"Incredible! She's a beauty!" the shieldmaiden exclaimed, "And she's the one we're using to get home?"
"As long as we don't get spotted on the way over, we should be fine," said Usopp.
Meanwhile, Nami, Luffy and Ragnar were all in the kitchens of the Baratie loading up on food and water.
"You still need more?" one of the chefs asked Luffy.
"Yep, we're gonna need more meat!" Luffy replied.
"Just do what he says. He's our captain," said Ragnar, going back to his list, "Very well, we'll also need more limes. Plenty of lemons, cheese, bread, spices, definitely booze. Fish we can restock up on as we sail. Oh, and honey – both for eating, and for brewing mead." Then he turned to Nami, who was already inspecting the produce they would need: fruits, vegetables, and the like. "Is that everything, Nami?"
"Well, if we're just about stocked up on everything else, I'd say we're good to go," replied the navigator. She was just eager to get back home, to free her village, and to end Arlong's reign of terror once and for all.
"Well, how many days are you guys gonna be out at sea?" another chef asked.
"Dunno, I've never sailed to the Conomi islands before," said Luffy, hearing a sound of a peg leg from behind him.
"Hey, kid," Zeff said, holding out a ledger, "Would you like this? It's my logbook – a detailed record of my one-year voyage to the Grand Line."
"So, this is what Krieg was after when he attacked this restaurant," said Ragnar, finally getting a chance to glimpse the book with his own eyes.
"No thanks, keep it," said Luffy, smiling happily at the head chef.
"I knew it!" Zeff replied with a chuckle, he knew that Luffy was more than happy to write his own voyage of the Grand Line.
Elsewhere aboard the Baratie, Sanji was in his room, packing away his things in suitcases: carving knives, clothes, toiletries, all the essentials he would need to get by for a long sea voyage. Yet he also turned to his old nightstand, seeing a picture taken of him and Zeff back when they first opened the Baratie. Sanji still remembered those days well…after they were rescued from that rock in the middle of the sea.
Young Sanji couldn't help but feel amazed when he saw their new home.
"This is the nicest sea restaurant I've ever seen!" He exclaimed.
"Hey, Sanji, listen," said Zeff, standing with pride at what he'd accomplished, "It doesn't matter who walks through our doors. If they're hungry, then they'll be fed! Every starving wretch who comes to us will get a fine meal. We can make that happen; it doesn't matter how much we fight, because we share the same dream!" Then he smiled down at his surrogate son, who was equally excited, "So, my boy, are you ready? Because we're gonna be busy!"
"You bet! It won't be a problem with me around!" Sanji exclaimed.
Even now, ten years later, Sanji still remembered the good times and the bad he spent at this place. How he made that food critic, Savarin, write one of the most excellent reviews for this place after she scoffed at other restaurants in the East Blue, of Patty and Carne's first days at the place, and charming the two regulars, Jodie and Eliza by how he cooked for them the Huge Revolver Mutton Steak – the first dish he ever made as a chef there. Those were the days.
As the Going Merry was packed up with all the provisions needed for the voyage, the Straw Hats, Ingrid, Johnny and Yosaku all seemed ready to depart, but something was still amiss.
"That cook's sure taking his sweet time," Zoro muttered, obviously still holding a rivalry with Sanji.
"Yeah, it's like he's having last minute reservations," said Luffy, worried as to the new cook's state of mind.
"Not to worry. We all have this feeling when we leave home," said Ragnar, reassuring his friends, "He will come, though."
"Ragnar's got a point," added Nami, "I mean, at some point, we all have that feeling eat at us when it's time to leave the nest."
Then, from the Baratie, Sanji came out in full view. All the chefs lined up on either side to provide a path for him on the wrecked fin. Silence fell over the entire deck. Yet it was soon broken, as Patty and Carne saw this as their chance to lunge at the sous chef.
"Now, it's payback time!" Patty roared.
"Here it comes, Sanji!" Carne bellowed, and they both tried to smash him with long pans, but Sanji only proceeded to kick them both, leaving them lying on the deck as he walked towards his new ship. No one dared try to stop him. Nobody dared say a single farewell. It was as if that young man was marching to his death as he made his way towards the gangplank leading to the Merry.
"C'mon, let's get going," he said, eager to leave.
"You sure you don't need to say goodbye?" Luffy asked.
"Nah, it's fine," Sanji replied, but as he took his first step, he couldn't help but feel that he was lying to himself.
"Sanji!" Zeff called out from the third deck, causing the boy to freeze in his tracks. The old man really did come to see him off, "Take care of yourself. Don't catch a cold, okay?" Hearing those words from the man who raised him all his life made Sanji recall that fateful day…the day Zeff sacrificed his leg…giving him all the food they had on that rock…all to save his life. Even if that man was his boss, he was also the closest thing Sanji had to a father. The boy couldn't help but cry at the thought of leaving his home he called for ten years of his life.
"CHEF ZEEEFFFFF!" He sobbed, turning, and kowtowing towards his father, "Thanks, you geezer! I'll never forget your kindness! I owe my life to you, old man! So, thank you!" Zeff couldn't help but feel emotional, even as tears formed on his eyes. He was so proud of the man who he called his son. It was sad to see him leave, but also happy to see the boy he raised fulfill his dreams at last.
"YOU ASSHOLE!" Patty cried, causing Sanji to lift his head, watching as Patty and Carne were now both in tears, "I'm gonna miss you so much!"
"I'm gonna miss you too!" Carne bawled. Now every single chef was weeping. This was definitely the type of moment that would cause even grown men to cry. For these men, Sanji was like a brother to them. There wasn't going to be another sous chef like him around.
"Damned bastards," said Zeff, trying his best to hold it in, but still letting the tears flow, "Real men should part without a word, let alone tears."
Once everyone had said their goodbyes, Sanji finally boarded the Merry, and was given a heartfelt welcome by most of the crew, despite the fact that Zoro was off recovering from his injuries he faced with Mihawk.
"Quartermaster, feel free to bark out the orders," said Luffy as he made his way to the helm with Ragnar.
"You heard our captain, everyone!" Ragnar shouted, "Raise the gangplank! Release forward and aft lines! Weigh anchor and let fall the courses! We're sailing for the Conomi Islands!" As the Merry's sails unfurled, and the Straw Hats left the Baratie behind, Sanji made his way to the stern waving goodbye to his surrogate family.
"I WILL SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN!" He shouted, "I'LL COME BACK SOMEDAY!" Even as he sailed away, he could still see the chefs giving him a heartfelt sendoff, before he disappeared over the horizon.
Zeff only smiled as he looked out into the distance.
'Good luck, my son. As long as you sail with enough faith in yourself, and have no fear – not even of death – you will find the All Blue. I'm sure of it,' he thought, smiling at the sun, before shouting down to his staff, "Alright men! Customers will be here soon, get to work already!"
And so, with their new chef aboard, the Straw Hats were determined to sail onto their next destination, and their newest battle: one that would place them on the track to becoming legends…
A/N: So, with that, the Baratie Arc comes to a close. Sanji's officially joined the crew, and they're off to their next adventure! Now, why did I have Ingrid be the catalyst for the Arlong Park Arc? Well, in the original manga, it was Yosaku who was nearly eaten by a panda shark, after Nami stole the Merry. So, instead, I wanted to use that scene of the panda shark bursting through the Baratie with Ingrid as the kicker for the Arlong Park Arc, since Nami has stuck with the crew throughout the Baratie Arc.
As for Ragnar having stolen the diamonds from Don Krieg's gauntlets, I figured that it was something he would have done, since he knew that Nami would also want them as well, since, as the saying goes "diamonds are a girl's best friend".
Now, you'll notice that I also added a few more Easter eggs in there, specifically in regard to the spin-off manga series, Shokugeki no Sanji. I figured that it was canonical to the One Piece world, and I thought it was really fun to see the Straw Hat Pirates drawn in the Food Wars manga style, and I wanted to include references to that in the storyline.
And so, we are set for the beginning of Arlong Park, and with it, Nami will finally face down the fish-man who tortured her for so long!