.:Chapter 5 – Son:.

Vinsmoke Sanji. Third son of Vinsmoke Judge, king of the Northern Blue's warmongering, seafaring nation — Germa. Judge focused his efforts on Germa 66's advanced military technology with aspirations of power, rule, and control. Pretty classic stuff, as far as the Straw Hats were concerned.

And that had been more or less the extent of their combined knowledge. Until now.

Now, the secret of the Vinsmoke children had been revealed. Through the bloodline, Judge had genetically mutated his own offspring, enhancing their abilities to a super-human level while diminishing their vassals of emotion. The plan was obvious, clearly aimed to turn them into the perfect soldiers — fearless in the face of death and compassionless in the face of their enemies.

Unfortunately for the power-hungry tyrant, one of his children was spared the theft of their humanity.

Sanji remained human.

And it was to the future pirate chef's misfortune that he had grown up in an environment where war and violence were all that was accepted.

Zoro had thought it multiple times in the past, but now he was certain — bad luck followed that cook everywhere.

Neither he nor the Straw Hats could fathom how such a vile upbringing had bore their kind, loving cook, though. Surely, what they were watching was a villain's origin story.

And yet…

Within the realm of Sanji's memories, a young Reiju was busy wrapping a bandage around her weakest brother's swollen head. Little Sanji never understood why she bothered.

It was the first time the Straw Hats had seen anyone taking care of the little cook.

After one final wrap around the blonde head, Reiju stepped back with pride. "There."

"Thank you," Sanji muttered. "But why'd you help?"

"What? You'd rather I didn't?"

Sad Sanji shook his head, sweat matted yellow strands falling into his solemn eyes. "I'm glad you do." He whispered, "You're nice."

Reiju didn't like that. "Nah uh. Shut up."

"Yeah, how dare he," Usopp muttered.

"I believe there's more to his sister than meets the eye," said Robin. "But all the same, 'nice' probably isn't a trait a soldier of Germa prides themselves in."

Nami and Chopper huffed at her words. A child shouldn't be considered a soldier!

In confusion, a somber Sanji looked up at her through wet lashes. "When they're mean, you laugh also. How come?"

"It's not like I have a choice," Reiju shot back. "If I try to stop them then they'll just start picking on me. No thanks."

Ah, there it is, the Straw Hats thought. The catch.

"But why does she care to help him at all if she feels nothing for him?" Nami wondered. It didn't make sense with the 'no emotions' thing.

The memory swirled into a transition. The two Vinsmokes aged gracefully. Sanji – trimmed, square jaw, cigarette at his lips – rolled his eyes at the now-grown pink-haired woman lounging behind him. He was back in his prince outfit, leaning on the ledge of a balcony.

"Why don't you go away already?" he said. He had cut ties with all of them thirteen years ago and he had wanted it to stay that way.

The scene before them seemed to fast-forward.

Reiju's beautiful blue gaze appraised her brother. "Our father's dream is to bring the North Blue under Germa's control again. What's wrong with that?" A stubborn twinkle gleamed in her expression. "Why don't you enjoy being a member of privileged royalty rather than play pirate with your silly friends?"

Sanji narrowed his eyes. "Screw you."

Reiju wasn't deterred by her brother's hostility. She continued to try to persuade him to accept his royal lineage. The gorgeous handmaids at his beck and call almost had him – much to the Straw Hats' chagrin and Luffy's amusement and Brook stating that he would've understood – but the cook cleared his throat and managed to resist.

"Ya know, it's almost like she's trying to make it easier on him," Brook commented.

"Again, why does she care?" Nami retorted.

Robin though about it for a moment. "She's the eldest of the Vinsmokes… Perhaps, being the first, she also managed to retain a sliver of humanity."

"Then why doesn't she help him more?" Chopper demanded. Robin gave him a sad, small smile.

"I did say a sliver."

"War is profitable," Reiju continued. "And our business grants us the life of luxury. Let the minions handle combat. Does that not sound appealing?

"Nah, that sounds boring!" Luffy said.

"We Vinsmokes have earned that right through the sheer power of our military science. You have that blood in your veins."

Sanji was tired of hearing that crap. "I don't give a damn."

Reiju seemingly gave up after that, though she continued watching her brother with curiosity. It truly did seem like she was trying to make things easier on him in her own way. Accept his fate and there would be no problems. No need to needlessly suffer.

That's when Vinsmoke Judge strutted through the doorway — older, grayer, just as harsh.

"Are you still in here sulking?" were his first words to his son in over a decade. "Show some respect, son."

As Older-Sanji turned his head slowly to the side to glower at the man, his face faded back into his younger self's. Softer. More innocence in his bright eyes, even with the bandages scarring his tinier body.

Little Sanji was alone - thank god. A rare moment of peace for the boy, who seemed to be in his childhood bedroom.

At least he had his own room, the Straw Hats thought. It wasn't much, but with the life they were seeing it was something.

The little cook was carrying a plate filled with food, holding back a grin. With gentle hands, he set it on a shelf and walked away, plopping down with a pile of books. He was waiting for something.

A minute later, a soft squeak was heard. A baby mouse scurried along the shelf and made its way over to the dish Sanji had left. The little boy peeked up from his book excitedly. "Oh! He's here!"

"Did he make that…specifically…for the mouse?" Brook wondered.

"Stop. That's so cute," Nami said.

Usopp mumbled, "But it's a mouse—"

"LET HIM COOK DAMMIT HE HAS NO ONE ELSE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

If they were in range, she would've knocked their heads together, and they each shimmied to the ends of their respective cells farthest from Nami's because they could sense the violence emanating from her aura.

The mouse was hesitant at first, its ears flattening and nose twitching. But with a quiet, delicate tone, Sanji urged it on.

"Go ahead. Eat."

When the tiny creature looked up at the soft voice, the little human — scraped up as he was — was smiling kindly. "I made it for you. Hope you like it."

"He's precious," Robin murmured, cheeks tinted pink again. Cute things were her weakness. Who knew Mr. Love-Cook had been such an adorable thing?

Chopper ran an arm across his watering eyes. "Even with nobody to cook for, he still didn't cook for himself."

Zoro chuckled at their doctor's observation. Even back then, Sanji was all about taking care of others. Even when he needed the most taking care of. Zoro's laugh died on his lips at the last thought.

Usopp was chuckling, too, however. "If only Sanji could see the heart eyes he was getting from the ladies now. Even from Chopper."

The reindeer sniffled. "Shut up."

The mouse dug into the food with a happy trill. Little Sanji's face moved closer, a massive grin plastered to it.

"Well?" he asked after a moment, eager. He had practiced a lot to get this recipe just right.

All the Straw Hats smiled at that. They couldn't help it. It was just like what he did now with them, no matter the meal. Eager and excited and ever passionate about his craft.

Right at that moment, however, Judge barged through the door, growling.

"SANJI!"

The boy in question — and the mouse he was feeding — jumped. Judge scowled at what he was seeing. "Gah, you're cooking for the rats again, aren't you? I thought I told you royalty doesn't serve anyone!"

Trying to block the animal and the food from view, Sanji held up his band-aid hands. "But… I just…"

Whatever Judge saw on his son's face disgusted him. His fist went flying in contact with a picture frame before Sanji could explain himself. Glass shattered. Sharp shards of what remained hung limp in front of an image of what seemed to be an even smaller Sanji. The toddler was beaming beside someone, but Judge's thick fist blocked them from view.

"She's dead!" Judge yelled.

The Straw Hats froze.

"And you know that! So stop trying to be like your mother!"

Sanji's mouth hung open in fear and sadness and shame.

Although Robin's heart wasn't the only one that ached, she at least knew what it was like to be a little kid clinging to the image of their long lost mother… But even then, it hadn't been her family who hurt her. Sanji did nothing to deserve such insensitivity.

Judge continued on in his fury. "Unlike your siblings, you were born without an ounce of talent. So, you'll train – hard! A hundred times harder than them."

"You're my son, which means you're an integral part of my plan to restore the Germa Empire to its glory. Do not disappoint me!"

Sanji shrunk in on himself as his father made his way over to him. With another shattering of glass, little Sanji screamed. Judge had thrown the food – and the baby mouse – out the window.

Chopper and Nami gasped.

Sanji watched, helpless, as they fell far below his desperate reach.

"There." Judge rubbed his hands like he had done something good. He sneered down at the pathetic boy still half-hunched out the window in a sad rescue attempt.

"Don't ever cook again," he ordered before turning to leave.

The words hung over the Straw Hats like an anvil. As they watched their small chef process everything that had just happened to him, as well as his father's vicious demand, there was nothing from them but pure hatred aimed at Vinsmoke Judge.

Nobody was allowed to try to crush their chef's dreams like that. Their only solace at this point was knowing Sanji clearly hadn't listened.

Still, watching the scene progress did little to calm the crew.

Shocked and hurt, Sanji's face contorted with tears. The broken window mirrored the broken frame of him and his mother, which mirrored the shattering of his own heart at Judge's words. And this time, Sanji started wailing. Head thrown back as he cried out his frustration. Painful tears flooding his scratched face. And as he cried and cried, the memory re-shifted back to thirteen years later when father and son reunited.

"Are you still in here sulking? Show some respect, son."

Prince Sanji glowered at his so-called father. "Don't call me son."

Things can't get any worse for that poor boy…