.:Chapter 14 - Sacrifice:.
As it turned out, not every ship that passed by bothered with the barren rock floating in the middle of the ocean. It was too small to hold anything of value, even if it was just big enough to maroon two unfortunate cooks.
It wasn't until Zeff was unconscious from fatigue, and Sanji on the brink of following suit, when a ship finally noticed them.
They were rescued on the eighty-fifth day.
"EIGHTY-FIVE DAYS?! Are you fucking serious!"
"Chopper!" Robin admonished. She glared over at Usopp and Franky, both instantly pointing accusatory fingers at Zoro, the resident foul-mouth.
"They actually spent fifteen more days in that nightmare," Nami said, shocked.
The innocent reindeer doctor was rolling around in hysterics again.
Luffy tracked him around the cell with a gleeful grin. "Chopper's broken," he chortled. "I told you Sanji was too stubborn to die, didn't I?"
Recovering after being on that godforsaken rock hadn't been easy, either.
Half the crew that saved them had wanted the bounty money once they realized they'd picked up Red Leg Zeff; the other half were arguing over how to feed people as malnourished as their new passengers.
Chopper was biting at his hooves, hoping they had a doctor onboard.
Surprising everybody, it was Zeff – coming to even in his weakened state – who had all the answers. He was smart, and charismatic (if not a bit intimidating), and directed the crew on what food to prepare, how much to feed them, and for how long each new increase of food should last.
Flopping on his stomach, Chopper huffed a dramatic sigh of relief.
Zeff had to restrain Sanji multiple times from gobbling everything he could get his bony hands on, saying it would only make him sicker. The food was carefully chosen depending on what nutrients and caloric intake were needed, especially when – as their bodies filled back out – Sanji continuously caught colds. His immune system had taken a brutal hit compared to the older man, and Zeff was there every time to call him an irritating brat and spoon the appropriate nutrients into his body.
"Sanji does that with all our meals," Chopper laughed, seemingly over his fit.
Brook nodded. "He must've learned it all from his mentor."
"He also seems adamant to keep our immune health up more than anything," Robin noted. "I wouldn't be surprised if this particular devotion was due to this experience of him constantly being ill."
"Yeah, getting sick in the middle of the ocean isn't fun," Nami said. "Maybe that's why Sanji felt so guilty that time I got sick…" He blamed himself. Nami sighed. "That dummy."
Zoro had also lost count how many times the cook had yelled at him to put a coat on or get out of a body of water because he 'might catch cold'. He chuckled darkly, of course there was some traumatic reason behind it.
In the meantime, Zeff had also managed to cajole the crew itself by cooking their meals for them and introducing them to an array of delicious foods out of the barest of ingredients.
Young Sanji watched all this happen with awe. Watched the incredible, practiced skill Zeff had when he had gotten enough strength back to hold a frying pan. Watched as Zeff explained his process with confidence. Watched as the best food he'd ever tasted was served by a hard old pirate with a surprisingly soft heart. Watched as that food brought people together, and made them happy.
It was everything an aspiring chef could ever hope for, and young Sanji realized, in those moments, that he owed everything he had to Zeff.
He had promised himself, no matter how long it took, he was going to repay him.
In a flourish of memories, Adult Sanji was back in Germa castle, cursing himself for the trouble he brought to anyone unlucky enough to be associated with him.
Luffy frowned. That's not right…
Germa wasn't the problem here – he was.
It was Zoro's turn to frown.
He refused to bring down his crew because of his own problems. They had enough to deal with, going up against Kaido. One stray chef wasn't going to hinder them. They'd be fine. They had Mossy to protect them if anything happened.
The unwavering confidence didn't come as a surprise to Zoro, as it was mutual between them. Didn't mean he had to agree with everything else, though, because he sure as hell didn't.
This was his past to deal with.
That was why he had come back on his own. Alone.
Robin sighed sadly, knowing at one point in time she had similar thoughts.
Luffy and the others didn't deserve to be dragged into Vinsmoke family drama. It was bad enough that Zeff had, all because Sanji had screwed up and fell overboard that day.
He shouldn't have been saved.
The Straw Hats' hearts dropped.
Sanji's presence didn't matter.
The hell it didn't…
Zeff would still be doing what he loved, with his leg. And Luffy would still become the King of the Pirates.
Luffy's hat dipped low, shadowing his face. But then a small smile appeared. Everyone caught it, as they had glanced over at their captain to judge his reaction to Sanji's thoughts, but only Nami had a hint of a smile, too. She knew exactly what he was remembering…and what was said that day. Ironic that it was the exact direction Sanji's thoughts had gone.
Zoro narrowed his eye, curious.
A chambermaid broke through Sanji's train of thought then, announcing that it was time to depart for the engagement ceremony at the Whole Cake Chateau, and in the next memory, Sanji was exiting the castle, donned in a fresh shirt, and bombarded with cheers from Germa soldiers and a seemingly endless rain of confetti. As if this was a happy occasion.
In front of him was a coach covered in skulls, big enough for the entire Vinsmoke family to ride in. His father and brothers were already on it, and Ichiji offered Sanji his royal cloak, a red cape with gold lining that draped over one shoulder. Sanji put it on wordlessly before silently taking his seat between Niji and Yonji.
Yonji glanced over at him. "If you want to run, be my guest. Gives me the perfect excuse to chase you down and beat the crap out of you."
"Pft. Like he needs an excuse," Usopp muttered.
"You couldn't if you tried," Sanji retorted.
Much to Zoro's delight, as he watched the green Vinsmoke's veins pop out of his head.
"What'd you say?!—"
"Enough," Ichiji interrupted. "Not in public."
Yonji scowled but listened to his eldest brother.
Giant cats pulled the carriage forward, and with the cheers of the crowd bidding them farewell, Sanji lit a cigarette.
"And so begins a new era for the Vinsmoke family," Judge said to nobody in particular. "Wave to the citizens now, Sanji. Go on."
Beside him, Niji and Yonji snickered.
"They just can't help themselves, can they?" Usopp said.
Franky hoped Sanji gives them their well-deserved, super ass kicking sooner rather than later.
Sanji ignored them, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling of the cali-coach. He couldn't help it when his mind wandered, bringing up certain faces… The faces of that ragtag pirate crew he loved so goddamn much.
"Oh no, it's about to get sappy," Franky knew, a handkerchief appearing randomly out of his abdomen.
He pictured them all. Luffy at the lead with his obnoxious, endearing laugh. Zoro, dumb smirk on his face as he goaded Sanji on about something equally as dumb. Nami smiling brightly at the helm. Brook cheering everybody up with his music. Robin enjoying her book with an iced coffee in her hands. Usopp and Franky tinkering away with a tray of specially catered snacks beside them. Chopper on his swing with a freshly baked cupcake.
All so happy and free.
"Sanji…" Chopper sniffled.
"My heart has never been fuller," said Brook. "If I had a heart, that is."
He thought back to Zou, a reassuring smile thrown over his shoulder to ease sweet Nami's worries: "I'll be back for sure. So, give everyone my best, okay?"
"Nooo, I hated that," Nami whined. That smile that haunted her every day until they saw him again.
Crossing the sea with Capone Bege and the Big Mom Pirates: "There's not going to be a wedding, jackass!... These hands have one job – to cook for my crew mates as long as they'll have me. I went through hell itself to become a better cook, and it was all for them."
Everyone smiled at that, bittersweet. They could all relate, for they all had done the same. None of them ever really acknowledging it. Because it was simple. Obvious. Of course they'd go through hell for each other.
Sanji needed to know that that included for him.
Meeting Pudding for the first time: "I really would like to marry you, but I'm afraid I just can't. I want to go back to be with my friends."
Maybe what Sanji sought from the world was too much.
Maybe he didn't deserve any of it.
Not the friendship. And definitely not anything else.
He inwardly chuckled, dark and humorless, as the face of a very specific swordsman encompassed his thoughts.
Zoro stilled.
Along with the image of the bandana-clad mosshead with a devious smirk over Wado's hilt, there was a deep, aching sentiment. He would never know how Sanji truly felt. And Sanji figured it was probably for the best that he'd hidden it so well.
Sympathetic eyes turned to Zoro, whose steely gaze trembled. How far back…?!
The other Straw Hats appeared beside the swordsman then, all laughing together. A faceless new cook among them.
Sanji's eyes watered. He'd never have that back.
A somber silence overtook the crew as they watched their cook struggle to contain emotions he had never shown before.
"Sanji can't be replaced," Chopper sulked, leaning into Luffy as the captain patted his head.
Usopp covered his face. "If he starts crying, I'll start crying. Sanji never cries. I can't watch it, I won't!"
It was over now.
Sanji blew the apparition away with an exhale of smoke.
Whether they'd be better off without him or not didn't matter. He would never regret meeting his friends, even if it was selfish. At least for a few years of his life he got to experience real kindness and true freedom. He should be grateful he got that much.
"That idiot," Zoro muttered, eye closing abruptly. That heartbreaking moron.
And Zeff…who had sacrificed his own dream of finding the All Blue. Sanji remembered, before heading back to his post on the other side of that rock with a new sense of purpose even on the brink of death, what Zeff decided — that he would retire as a pirate and open his own sea restaurant…
The memory skipped back to that moment, to a young Sanji and newly peg-legged Zeff standing on the deck of a brand-new dream – The Baratie.
Young Sanji yelled in excitement, bouncing from one foot to the other. "Dang, you old fart! You really did it!"
"Sanji's not that much older there," Robin noted, an aching solemness still pressed in her voice.
"They must've worked really hard to get it going that quickly," Chopper said.
"Perhaps Zeff wanted a home for the aspiring little cook who reminded him of himself," Brook suggested. "The best way to perfect the culinary skill is to be constantly cooking, after all. And what better way than growing up in a restaurant?"
"Are you ready?" Zeff asked the boy he took in, smiling. "Because we're gonna be busy."
"We'll be just fine," Sanji promised. "Because you got me!"
Zeff's smile widened.
The Straw Hats smiled with him despite themselves. Happy-Sanji was contagious.
And then the memory vanished.
Sad Sanji was back, and he couldn't get over the fact that that man's life was on the line because of him. After all that old geezer did for him, this was how Sanji repaid him?
"None of this was his fault," Luffy objected, angry. Zoro agreed wholeheartedly with his captain.
No! He wouldn't allow anyone to steal that old cook's last dream. Zeff sacrificed enough for me! More than he ever had to. More than anyone ever has, and…
The cuffs fell heavier on his wrists.
It's my turn to make the sacrifice.
He was bound to the Vinsmokes now, and soon he'd be bound to Big Mom. There were no other options left for him.
Not if Luffy had anything to say about it.
It's fine , he thought. It's better this way.
He had his adventure. Now, it was time to come back to his reality.
Because the thought of Vinsmoke Judge having his grubby hands in reach of Zeff or his crew was—
"SANJIIIIIII"
Every part of Sanji's being froze.
That voice…!
The carriage chauffeur stuttered.
"Um, your majesty…something is charging towards us."
All eyes turned to a now-grinning Luffy.
Usopp mumbled, "You're making one of your entrances, aren't you?" and the Straw Hat captain curled onto his back, cackling like a hyena.