Chap. 26 The Battle for the Baratie. The story of the pirate cook and the All Blue.
(Hello everyone. I want to thank one more day for the support of this story. But today I want to dedicate it to someone who has been watching this work from day one; someone who has not only liked the quality of my work, but has also given advice on how to keep improving. For you, King of Fans, without your support I wouldn't have gone ahead. Now, go ahead with the chapter.)
"Roronoa Zoro!" Hestia yelled at the swordsman. "Are you crazy?! You could have died!"
"Still, it's been epic!" Clarisse said.
"Anyway, it was crazy...!" Aphrodite whispered in horror.
"I think I feel sick...!" Demeter murmured.
"By Tartarus…" Hecate spoke, making Percy and Annabeth tense when they heard that name. "You were certainly outmatched, Roronoa."
"Right," said Athena. "The difference in power between him and Hawk Eye... I still get chills down my spine. Now I understand why the people of this world are so wary of the Grand Line."
At that moment, Zeus walks up to Junior and he flies to him, with his characteristic smile.
"I want to know," the King of the Gods told him. "Why is he strong? I want to know what's in that hellish sea!"
A pause…but then Junior sighed as he left with the youngsters.
"Man, you're too impatient…" he whispered. "If you really want to know, you'll have to endure the rest of the trip."
"Spoilers," Clarisse muttered. "He's a smartass."
"Not now!"
"Look at!" Percy exclaimed.
The gods and demigods turned to see the image begin to return. Mihawk stood on the remains of Don Krieg's old chevron, but Zoro staggered as blood dripped from his chest. Luffy's mouth was open in horror while Johnny and Yosaku were crying.
"Why...?!" Sanji whispered.
"Check it out?!" asked one of the Krieg pirates. "That there's a taste of what the Grand Line is like! Even Pirate Hunter Zoro is no match for the likes of Hawk Eye!"
"So much," said Apollo. "If I didn't know better… I'd say the first time I'm scared of a mortal."
"I just can't believe Mihawk's power or how far he was willing to go for his crazy ambition," Annabeth said. "Seeing someone's sword move like that?...he scared the hell out of me."
"And no wonder!" Thalia screamed. "The blade could have cut his heart and lungs in two!"
"Moron!" Sanji yelled. "Don't you understand?! Just give up your stupid dream!"
SPLASH! Zoro fell into the ocean, prompting Johnny and Yosaku to jump in after him...what about Luffy? Well… he was already beyond pissed off.
"Screw you!" Luffy roared as he stretched out his arm and lunged at Mihawk, much to the surprise of Sanji and Baratie's staff as it was their first time seeing his Devil Fruit powers as well as the Krieg Pirates. However, Mihawk just looked at Luffy from under his hat, not flinching at all.
"The young swordsman's crewmate, I presume," said the warlord. "You did well to let him fight his own battle to the end!"
He then moved out of the way, causing Luffy to crash into a piece of driftwood behind him.
"Oh no!" Artemis wept. "Luffy, not you! I'm going to finish-"
"Arty, wait! Take it easy!" Apollo said, surprising her. "Calm down, okay? He just keeps watching."
"Urrrgh...UGH!" Luffy grunted as he poked his head out of the rubble, then looked at Mihawk who stared at him.
"Calm down," Mihawk said. "Your friend is very much alive."
Hearing that made Luffy gasp in surprise before he heard the sound of splashing, followed by the voices of Johnny and Yosaku.
"Big brother Zoro! Can you hear me?"
"Speak to us, big brother!"
Luffy turned to see that the two bounty hunters had managed to pull Zoro to the surface, the green haired swordsman gasping for air as blood dripped from his wound and into his mouth.
"ZORO!" Luffy cried when Johnny and Yosaku put him in his boat.
"Oh thanks, the sword man didn't kill him!" Tyson said, relieved.
"How did Zoro survive that?!" Grover asked.
"...My name is Dracule Mihawk," Mihawk announced as Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku were tending to Zoro's wounds. "Listen well... it's too soon for you to die. You should go out and discover yourself... see the world for what it has to offer, and grow stronger, Roronoa! No matter how long it takes... I'll love you." will wait at the top. Strive with all your heart, soul, and mind to overcome this sword of mine, brave! GO ON! I DARE YOU TO OVERCOME, RORONOA!
The demigods were speechless at such a statement, while the gods had impressed smiles.
"Ha, speaking of leaving an impression, right?" Ares asked.
"Of course he do," Junior answered. "Hell... I even saw some of his duels against Shanks. It was quite a sight."
"What what?!" Hecate questioned.
"...He...FIGHTED SHANKS?!" Percy asked, surprised.
"Wow…I'm not really surprised though. I mean, if I can put up with a monster eating his arm when he saved the rubber boy…" Hades whispered.
"Yeah, it's not easy to take in." Themis admitted. "But this is incredible, the mortals of this world are incredibly powerful."
"You boy," Mihawk said to Luffy who looked at him. "Tell me... what are you striving for?"
"...To be the King of the Pirates!" Luffy declared.
"Hmph!" Myhawk smiled. "You're walking down a dangerous path. Even more dangerous than trying to outdo me."
"I don't mind!" Luffy yelled. "That's what I'm going to be!" Then he stuck his tongue out at the warlord.
"LUFFY!" Usopp called. "ZORO IS ALIVE! BLEEDING, BUT ALIVE!"
"In fact?!" Luffy asked relieved.
"Big bro!" Johnny yelled.
"Come on, say something, will you?" Yosaku asked, as tearful as his comrade…and that was when Zoro pointed his sword at the sky.
"Z-Zoro?" Luffy asked worriedly.
"L...Luffy...!" Zoro called out, panting heavily. "Can you… can you hear me?"
"Y-yes, I can hear you!" Luffy called.
"...You were...worried about me, weren't you?" Zoro asked from the past. "I'm... I'm sorry I let you down. If... I didn't manage to become the greatest swordsman in the world... you'd be disappointed, wouldn't you?"
Luffy gasped silently as the demigods looked at Zoro expectantly.
"But I swear to you... from now on, I swear to you!" Zoro yelled as tears fell from his eyes. "I... will never lose again!"
Mihawk and Luffy smiled at this statement, as did Ares and Artemis.
"From now...until the day I defeat him to become the world's greatest swordsman," Zoro continued, "I WILL NEVER LOSE AGAIN! DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT... KING OF THE PIRATES?!"
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Do not!"
"...Wow," Annabeth whispered. "I think…that's the only time Zoro cried."
"...Roronoa," Hera whispered.
"...Well said," Zeus said, quite satisfied.
Mihawk chuckled as he turned to return to his coffin ship.
"You two make a pretty impressive team," he mused. "I hope to meet you two...again, one day."
Then Mihawk looks where Percy and the others are.
"You."
The gods, as well as the teenagers, are surprised when they see that the Shichibukai is speaking to them.
"I sense that you are from a fairly remote place. It is proven by the fact that only I can see you."
"Oi, I can see Percy and the others too!" Luffy yells at him angrily, slightly surprising the swordsman.
"I see."
"You... can you see us too?" Athena asked, still surprised.
"That's right, but I must say that I see you with some difficulty. As if a light mist were accompanying you."
The gods look at each other in surprise. Even with Mihack's senses, Hecate's magic could make a mortal see gods or monsters as ordinary humans or animals, while supernatural objects also become common items. In addition to Junior's description, they were practically ghosts... Well, there was someone who saw and heard them clearly.
Monkey D Luffy. He was the only one in this world who could see the gods with complete clarity. Not only that. The gods, especially Zeus, would never tell their children, but from the moment they met Luffy they felt a kind of danger instinct, like that of wild animals. The same thing happened when they first saw Gold Roger. Even when they were about to die, one of the sensations they had was danger. No matter how friendly the rubber boy was to them, somehow the mere presence of him reminded them of the same monster that tormented them many centuries ago and recently in the battle of New York: Typhoon.
"I hope you enjoyed the show, even though it was such an easy victory. However, I find myself needing to say that I have never seen beings like you before."
"Watch your words mortal! You stand before Zeus, the King of Olympus and-!"
"You're very good, I admit it." Ares interrupts his father to praise Mihawk's extraordinary skill.
"I'm with my brother, your ability to analyze your enemy is incredible, capable of competing against my children, and even against me." I second the goddess of wisdom.
Mihawk immediately sensed that these two gods knew exactly what they were talking about; a half smile appeared on his face, quite satisfied with today. He then focused his gaze on the demigods, focusing on two.
"The young man with black hair and green eyes; and the young woman with golden hair and gray eyes. From the look on your face, I know that you have been through countless calamities. You will certainly fit in very well in the Grand Line." Mihawk spoke to Percy and his girlfriend, impressed that they had caught the corsair's attention.
"Wait, just a minute there, Hawk Eye!" Don Krieg called. "I thought you came here to take the head of Don Krieg, the tyrant of the East Blue!"
"Your head?" Mihawk repeated. "You were never my concern to begin with... but I think I've had enough entertainment for now, so I'm going to rest for a bit, if you don't mind."
"Wow, he called you weak to your face." Clarisse commented, very amused.
"Uh-oh... I don't think he liked that," Groover whispered.
"Don't go yet, fancy pants!" Don Krieg exclaimed. "You may have had fun, but I've only been on the receiving end."
"D-Don Krieg?!" one of his men asked nervously.
"If the man wants to go, let him go, for God's sake!" yelled another. "Besides, he was talking to thin air! There's no doubt he's crazy!"
"Now it's my turn to have some fun with you," Don Krieg smiled before opening his armor, revealing many hidden weapon barrels inside him. "DIE, HAWKEYE!"
"You are indeed," Mihawk began as he drew his sword from his, "a slow learner."
"It definitely is," Demeter nodded in agreement.
"Farewell," Mihawk said…as he swung his sword, creating a powerful wave that sent many of the Krieg Pirates flying into the sea, and the demigods instinctively protected themselves, even though they knew the water would not touch them. "Until we meet again, gods and demigods."
"Damn, I feel like trying myself on that guy!" Ares exclaimed enthusiastically. "Though he might have said something about you, Clarisse."
"Honestly, that guy was as scary as a titan. I'd rather wait and see how I'll face him."
Annabeth turns to Percy and whispers in his ear.
"You do realize that even though he can see and hear us, we can't touch him, right?"
"Nah... Let them enjoy, I don't want anything to do with that guy." Percy said smiling at her.
"WOW!" Luffy yelled as he grabbed onto the Baratie's railing, then turned to Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku, who had Zoro with them. "USOPP! SET SAIL, HURRY UP!"
Usopp called out again as he held onto Luffy's hat, which had been blown off when the Straw Hat Captain tried to attack Mihawk. "We're going after Nami, you stay here and have that cook join us!" He then threw the straw hat at Luffy. "And then once we get everyone together... we'll all go to the Grand Line!"
"You can bet!" Luffy answered as he took the hat from him and put it on his head.
"I must admit his optimism is contagious." Themis spoke with a giggle.
"Actually he does. He's a very nice boy." answered the goddess of the kitchen.
"Hey Luffy!" Sanji called out, prompting Luffy to turn and see the Krieg Pirates, who were preparing to invade. "Here come the lobsters, now."
"Heh," Luffy smirked before looking at Zeff and the Baratie staff. "Hey old man! If I beat these guys for you, does that mean my debt is paid?"
A pause... but then Zeff smiled.
"You've got a deal, kid," he said. "Now go wild!"
"Well said, man! You can tell he's a pirate!" shouted the daughter of the god of war.
"Clarisse, control yourself. We don't need you to get too excited." Thalia replied, earning a look from Clarisse.
This time, Luffy, Sanji, and the Baratie staff were shown preparing to fight the Krieg Pirates. It seemed like a pretty typical fight: Luffy scaring living monsters with his Devil Fruit powers, but the only one who remained unfazed was Don Krieg himself, going so far as to shoot one of his men, who was too terrified to go back. Grand Line for everything that had happened there. He remained completely convinced that Mihawk was another Devil Fruit user, which was why he was so determined to not only claim the Baratie as his own, but also to take Zeff's old logbook from his pirate days, believing that would contain information about the Grand Line and even the location of One Piece itself.
"What a despicable man." said Demeter with great disdain. "Shooting at his own men, like that. He's no different from Kuro!"
"Tell me about it," Hera agreed.
"Sanji," Zeff's voice cut in and they looked to see Zeff looking ahead to the fight but still addressing the Sanji next to him. "Pay special attention to how this one fights," he said, "Don't take your eyes off him for a moment...until this fight is over. Is that clear?"
"Well, the old pirate has taken an interest in our boy. We've got some competition, huh, Arty?" Apollo joked, while Artemis stared intently at "her fiancé." In fact, she wanted to understand because she fell in love with Luffy and something in her told her that this would help her understand many things.
Luffy, who was now hanging from one of the broken masts, looked at the pirates and yelled, "Let me see if I got it right. Are you attacking the restaurant that gave you food? I have no choice but to put some manners on you!"
"As if you were one to talk manners, you reckless rubber boy," Dionysus sighed, a hint of endearment in his voice.
"Do you really think Mr. Zeff knows where One Piece is, Mr. Junior?" Tyson asked.
"I wouldn't know, boy." Junior answered. "I mean, if he really knew, one would think he would have found it a long time ago, don't you think?"
"I guess so," Annabeth agreed as they continued to watch. It seemed that the Baratie chefs were eating more than they could chew, as the Krieg Pirates were starting to get the upper hand...especially when one of Don Krieg's second unit commanders, Pearl, showed up. she boards the Baratie and easily dispatches Patty and Carne.
"Oh!" Percy yelped as he saw the burly man pummel the two cooks with his pearl-encrusted shields. "Did you see that?!"
"How not to notice, Percy." Hestia spoke calmly.
"Pearls, huh?" Athena asked. "I recognize that an ingenious way to use the hardest jewels."
"Well, it's called Krieg 'foul play' for a reason," Hera said as the match continued. One of the Krieg Pirates had tried to take the kitchen knife from Patty once she was on the ground, but he refused to give it to her, even going so far as to grab the blade of the knife with his bare hand, causing it to bleed. That's when Sanji ran up and kicked the pirate in the face, and the kids flinched when they heard the sound of their enemy's facial bones breaking, and not only that, but the pirate ended up flying into several more behind him before that they finally did. he crashed into Pearl, who remained unperturbed, as they hit the shield covering his torso.
"Fuck, what a hit!"
"Oh!"
"That had to hurt!"
"A chef's knife," Sanji as he took the knife in his hand, "is the soul of him. Some fucking pirate better not get his filthy paws on him! "Besides, I'm a cook, remember? I couldn't do my job very well if I ruined my hands in battle." He raised one leg and finished, "So I'll knock you down with my feet."
"What a determination." Hephaestus contemplated and thought: "If only I were like this..."
"Phew!" Luffy sighed as he dusted off his pants. "That really scared me! I'm glad I didn't fall into the sea!" It was then that he realized that Pearl had suddenly gone silent, and when he turned around, he saw that the result of slamming his face into the shield had caused Pearl's nose to bleed... and for some reason. , was causing her to shudder. , and the Krieg Pirates were beginning to panic as well.
"Not again…" Don Krieg muttered irritably.
"Wait, what's going on?" Tyson asked.
"How come everyone is screwing around?" Thalia asked, puzzled.
"You'll see," Junior replied, eating popcorn, causing everyone to look at him. "What?"
Soon, Pearl began to sweat profusely and scream as she pounded on her shields, and the Krieg Pirates were trying their best to calm him down, but to no avail. It was then that Pearl somehow sent her entire body on fire, causing otherworldly viewers to shield their eyes from her.
"What the hell?!" Clarisse questioned.
"What is happening?!" Annabeth asked. "Why did he set himself on fire like that?!"
"According to Junior, the Krieg pirates say that he lived in the jungle since he was a child and, therefore, he was always surrounded by ferocious beasts!" Themis answered. "To keep them at bay, he'd light a fire, but the guy got paranoid about it! Even the tiniest drop of blood will drive him crazy!"
"Speaking of a severe case of hemophobia," Athena mused.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Pearl cried out as she held several smaller pearls in her fingers. "FIRE PEARL... LUCK!"
She then hurled the pearls onto the Baratie's "end", setting it on fire and forcing Luffy, Sanji, and even some of the Baratie staff and the Krieg Pirates to flee the flames.
"Oh!" Afordita cried. "Is he crazy?!"
"It seems the case!" Hephaestus answered.
"Burn, all of you!" Pearl yelled. "With my fire and shield ablaze, I am beyond invincible!"
"That jerk!" Don Krieg yelled. "We need that ship and he's going to destroy it!"
"Oh ha ha!" Luffy yelled as he ran with the seat of his pants on fire. "My butt is on fire!"
Although they tried not to, the demigods and gods laughed a little at the sight of them. However, the Krieg Pirates and Baratie's staff were forced to jump into the water to save themselves from burning. Patty actually seemed to show concern for Sanji when she tried to attack him and jumped into the flames, much to Pearl's surprise.
"Than?!" Pearl questioned. "How can this be?! Not even a wild beast would jump over that huge wall of flame!"
"You're a real idiot, aren't you?" Sanji asked as he held out his cigarette. "If I am afraid of a small fire, how can I be a chef?"
"It's true, it would be pathetic," Dionysus added, borderline as always.
"Screw you!" Pearl cursed as she tried to hit Sanji with his shield. "This one is as smooth as polished silver! FLAMING PEARL SURPRISE!"
Further on, Sanji grunted as he ducked down, then raised his leg and kicked Pearl right in the face... which only made her go crazier than before. He tried to burn down all of the Baratie by throwing more fire pearls into the air, and some of them headed straight for Zeff. However, the retired pirate simply cast a nonchalant glance as he gave a roundhouse kick with his peg leg, extinguishing the flames from the pearls and reducing them to nothing more than small white balls.
"Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo~!" Tyson exclaimed with a starry eye. "Did you see that?!"
"That was incredible!" Clarisse exclaimed, just as amazed as he was.
"He put out the flames with his own peg leg!" Percy exclaimed.
Ares spoke with a proud smile. "Nothing stops that veteran."
"He's a bit of a beast, but he's tough," Demeter added.
"Oh!" Luffy exclaimed in amazement. "Nice moves, dad!"
"Yes!" applauded the Baratie staff.
"Very good, boss! Way to go!"
"Of course! What did you expect from him?!"
As for the Krieg Pirates, they were all shocked at what they had witnessed. They just couldn't believe that such an old pirate still had such an ability, even after his retirement. However, Don Krieg was less than impressed, as he threw his ball and chain into the Baratie, still hell-bent on getting the ship for himself, even if it meant destroying the "fin" and killing Pearl to get it. However, just as he was about to make an impact, Luffy stepped in the way.
"GUM-GUUUUM...BAZOOKA!" he yelled as he threw the ball towards Don Krieg's ship, much to Sanji's surprise.
"He threw that thing back!" Groover exclaimed.
"OW! OOH! OH! HOT! FIRE, HOT!" Luffy yelled as he kept trying to put out his burning pants by patting his buttocks.
"Idiot," said Hera.
"WOW, WATCH OUT!" Sanji screamed as he and Luffy saw one of Don Krieg's ship's broken masts begin to fall towards them, forcing them to jump out of the way. However, Pearl wasn't really paying attention and she ended up getting knocked out, much to the surprise of the Krieg Pirates.
"Man, what a freak," Sanji said.
"He was an idiot too," Luffy added, but then a surprised cry from behind them caught his attention.
"Wait, Sanji."
Beyond Sanji, Luffy turned to see Gin... holding Zeff to the deck at gunpoint.
"I do not want to kill you!" he scream.
"Oh no!" Tyson cried. "Mr. Zeff!"
"Gin, what are you doing?" Luffy questioned.
"Gin...!" Sanji hissed.
"I don't care if he was once a legendary pirate," Gin said. "Now, he's just a cook. I have no problem with blowing my brains out."
A closer look revealed that Gin was holding a piece of Zeff's peg leg in his hand, and it didn't take long to realize how he had incapacitated him.
"That bastard!" Patty yelled. "He was him and he broke the boss's peg leg!"
"I knew it was trouble!" Carne added.
"How could he do that?!" Hera asked. "After everything Sanji did for you!"
Junior sighed and shook his head.
"Even now, I don't know what he was thinking," he murmured.
"Damn it!" Luffy cursed as he tried to go up and hit Gin. "I should send him flying!"
"Wait Luffy!" Sanji said as he held him back. "Let's hear it, first."
"You want your boss to live, don't you?" Gin asked. "So he leaves this ship, right now!"
"...Leave this ship?" Sanji repeated before gritting his teeth. "Of course not! I refuse!"
Hearing that made the Baratie cooks gasp in horror.
"Idiot," Hades said. "Can't you see his boss was in trouble?"
"Calm down everyone." Hestia argued. "I'm sure there must be a reason.
"Sanji, are you crazy?!" one of the cooks asked. "Don't provoke him, or he will kill the boss!"
But Sanji ignored them.
"Hey, old shit," Sanji said. "You really are setting a bad example for your staff!"
"Hmph!" Zeff scoffed. "I don't want to hear any kind of crap coming out of your mouth, you damn eggplant!"
"Stop calling me that!" Sanji barked. "Damn it, I'm not a kid anymore!"
"Sanji, this is not the time to argue!" yelled one of the cooks.
"I thought he was trying to save the boss!" yelled another.
"...Gin," Sanji said. "Take your gun... and shoot me, instead."
"Than?!" Luffy questioned in disbelief. "Sanji, are you crazy?! He will kill you!"
"THAN?!" the Baratie staff yelled.
"Sanji...why?" Gin asked in disbelief.
"...Because a son feels that he has to protect the old man from him..." Sanji whispered. "That's why."
"...Sanji," Amphetite said sadly.
"If you want to die so badly," said Pearl's voice behind him, "then I'll polish you like silver!"
"Oh no, that crazy guy, again!" Annabeth groaned as Pearl got to her feet.
"I never would have imagined that I, the invincible Pearl, would have two bloody noses in one battle," Pearl said. "I'm feeling very threatened, right now... so don't move, or I'll blow your boss all the way to Kingdom Come! Now here comes Absolutely Natural... SURPRISE PEARL!"
He then punched Sanji in the face, sending him flying across the deck until he crashed into the wall.
"Sanji!" Luffy cried. "Why didn't you dodge it?!"
"Because if he didn't," Sanji began, "then Gin would kill the boss...!" He then looked at Gin, who was absolutely stunned. "Gin...it's unfair. I can't do what you ask of me."
"Because you can not?!" Gin questioned. "It's easy! He just leaves the ship, and everyone will be saved-"
"I can not do this!" Sanji barked. "This ship...this restaurant...is the old man's pride and joy!"
The demigods looked at Sanji, who silently lit a cigarette before taking a drag and exhaling a bit of smoke. It was then that Junior was taking everyone, through time.
"... Junior?" Apollo asked. "If you don't mind me asking... what exactly did he mean by that? When he said that Zeff had given everything he had? Because I guess you're taking us into the cook's past, aren't you?"
Junior smiles at him.
"I expected nothing less from the God of Truth. I hope you guys don't mind."
"Well, I guess that's fine." Zeus said with a surprisingly serene face. "We owe him for his acts of hospitality, as well as for Hestia's liking."
Junior nods at him. And at that moment, a child's voice was heard enthusiastically speaking to them about the All Blue, a legendary sea.
The ocean sent them to a normal looking ship on a sunny day. A chef told a young Sanji that All Blue is just a legend, although he admits that sailor cooks dream of it at some point.
"It's little Sanji." Aphrodite gasped, excited at how cute he is with the other girls.
"Shit! It's a flashback!" Clarisse cried out, as if that would harden her heart.
Young Sanji hoped to see All Blue one day, but the chefs teased him about what kind of place All Blue is. Of course, Sanji got mad at them.
The All Blue is a sea where all the fish from the East Blue, West Blue, North Blue and South Blue live. For sea chefs, this is an irresistible paradise. That is Sanji's dream.
"A sea where all the fish in the world live." Anfetite said while her husband looks fascinated with such a thing.
"Think of all the fish I could catch." commented the God of the Seas in amazement.
His brothers and sisters look at him amused, even Zeus was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and a half smile. Percy, for his part, looked at his father and smiled at him, happy for him. Athena didn't say anything basically for not fighting with her uncle.
With that sea, cooks would love the opportunity to show off their skills, and it would be worth risking your life looking for it... if it exists. The other chefs do not believe that the All Blue can exist, believing it to be just a lie made up by a dreamer. Sanji was then told to collect the plates.
"I mean, there's a reason why aquariums don't throw all the sea creatures together." Thalia said.
"To stop all of them from eating each other?" Percy guessed.
"...That too."
Later, the chefs were eating the customers' leftovers while Sanji was throwing away his, telling them to stop doing that and to throw away the food that looked rotten. The chefs told them that he will never be a good chef if he does that, since they are sea chefs and the sea is an unpredictable place, so it is better not to waste food.
"They are not wrong. If I live in the sea, I would like to store as much food as possible." Annabeth said.
"And as long as they don't reuse leftovers for customers, it seems fine." Hestia nodded.
Suddenly their clients were running away, screaming in terror. They were being looted by pirates. The Cook Pirates ship reached them, the Red Foot Zeff ship, and they have returned from the Grand Line. Young Sanji ran up to the surface. Zeff and his crew laughed at the frightened cruiser crew, and Zeff allowed his pirates to rob them and the passengers.
"It's... It's so jarring to see Zeff like this... like a real pirate." Tyson said, a little taken aback.
"It's like what Nami said before. Luffy is the exception." Athena reminded him. "Honestly, the jarring element in piracy is Luffy himself."
Sanji didn't want to be killed, especially bastards like them. With two knives in his hands, Sanji tried to attack, but the pirates pushed him back as the chefs were concerned for his safety and told him not to fight back.
Zeff told his crew to kill him since he seems to have a death wish. Young Sanji would rather kill them first. Zeff kicked him against the wall, but Sanji was able to move, just barely.
"By the Elises, how did you work together in the future?" Demeter's jaw dropped at the revelation. "Well then again, they're also a bit murderous towards each other in the present."
Sanji was able to drag Zeff away and bit his leg, telling him that he will one day find the All Blue. Zeff stared at him as his crew laughed at his dream. With a flick of his leg, Zeff sends Sanji to the ground. One of Zeff's minions warned him that the storm is bigger than they thought, and Zeff had his crew take the treasure to his ship. When the pirates walk past him, Sanji can only do his best.
Suddenly, a large wave washed over the cruise ship and sent the young man overboard. In an instant, Zeff used his kick to break the mast and go down with it.
"Wait...what is he doing?!" Hades' eyes widen in shock at the man's actions.
No one could give him an answer. Everyone could only gasp at what he has done, that he wants to save Sanji.
Soon, a huge tidal wave washed over both ships. Zeff swam and swam deeper into the ocean, trying to find Sanji, but he was distracted by the sinking ships. As Sanji slowly goes down and down, Zeff finds his foot stuck in the rubble. He didn't want Sanji to drown. Seeing an anchor, Zeff wrapped the chain around his leg. The anchor stuck in the ship and the colliding ships caused them to pull the chain.
Blood was thrown into the air as Zeff was able to swim towards Sanji and catch him.
All, gods and alike, paled at the implication.
"He... couldn't have done it. Could he?" Artemis exhaled, her body trembling.
After the stares, it was revealed that Sanji was safe, but he was trapped on a stone island with Zeff and they were the only ones to get there. This rocky mountain without fruits and animals, and although there are fish in the sea, there was no way for them to go up after coming down.
Sanji threatened to kill him, but Zeff didn't take it too seriously. Instead, he told them that they had to wait to be rescued or they would wither away like skeletons.
"D-Don't scare us like that!" Annabeth cried out, wrapping her arms around herself.
"...Sanji knows what it's like to starve." Percy remembered what Zeff had said earlier about Sanji, and couldn't help but swallow nervously.
Zeff told Sanji that the small bag is his while the larger one is Zeff's. They have food in them and they have at least five days worth of food for Sanji, but Sanji complained that Zeff's portions are three times bigger than his. Zeff stated that it is because he is an adult that his stomach is bigger than his and that he should be thankful that he is even sharing his food.
"He's right..." Demeter said reluctantly.
"But he has so much food!" the daughter of Zeus complained.
"Maybe he will share?" Artemis waited.
As the sun sets, he tells Sanji to stay on his own side of the island and let Zeff know if he sees a ship. Until then, they will not be in contact as it would be a waste of energy. Sanji was still angry about what that old man had done and planned not to tell him. He was sure that he would be able to see one or two ships in five days, but he divided his food over 20 days just in case.
As night fell, young Sanji made a mark on the ground, trusting that he would not die. It's been 25 days if tally marks are anything to go by, and Sanji has to eat a moldy loaf of bread.
A disgusting feeling twisted in his gut at seeing the blond boy so dirty and weak. It was a stark contrast to the man he is today. It was a shock that he could recover from this.
"It's horrible..." Athena said, in shock.
"The truth, the cook is tough. I repeat that." Ares spoke, arms crossed.
As he eats, Sanji remembers what the cruise ship chefs said about wasting food and his actions. He started to cry, hearing his stomach growl, but in a cruel twist of fate, when Sanji tried to wipe away his tears, he dropped his last piece of food into the water. He could only stare, trying to reach it.
"You do not know what you have, until you lose it". Hades muttered under his breath, listening to the sobs of the others.
The tally marks continued to rise as Sanji endured the harsh weather, staring at the empty sea until the ticks stopped at 47.
Sanji was nothing more than a bag of skin and bones.
Hestia tried to hide a scream. That sickening feeling worsens in the pit of her stomach; and also the goddess of cooking and as such, she understood the pain of hunger. And she would get angry when someone threw food, something that she saw in Sanji and that she shared. They seemed so small back then...
"He's... He's just a little boy." she said let her tears flow. She can't help but imagine her children in Sanji's place, nor any of her mortal family members.
"You can pass." Percy said quietly. He knows well that not all children are going to have a good childhood. Hell, he and his friends knew it firsthand. Still doesn't mean he isn't painful to watch.
In his mind, Sanji wondered if Zeff had died. With all his strength, he was able to crawl up the rocky hill and found that Zeff was still alive and still had food.
Sanji showed his knife, desperate to have it, desperate to live.
"Hey, boy..." Dionysus said.
"Sanji, don't!" Amphetite cried out, hearing the high-pitched, startled whistles of the others.
Sanji sneaked up on Zeff, but the man could hear his footsteps and asked if he had seen a ship. Without missing a beat, Sanji told him that he was going to steal his food and plunged his knife into the bag, opening a large hole in it.
...But there was no food. Instead, a treasure came out as Sanji watched.
A hush fell over the place until Poseidon's son whispered, "Did…did he give all his food to Sanji?"
Sanji dropped his knife, falling to his knees. Zeff casually reminded him that they shouldn't make contact until they saw a ship, but Sanji dipped his trembling hands into the gold and jewels, shocking and confusing.
"It's weird that we can't eat when we have money."
Sanji grabbed his coat, demanding what was going on. Then he saw what was under that coat: Zeff, looking even slimmer than Sanji, enough to show bones, and instead of two, he only had one leg.
Silent gulps echoed through the room as they were horrified at what the man had done, especially someone he seemed to hate before, and yet this very man became Sanji's hero in that moment.
Sanji asked what happened to his leg, but the memories of what Zeff had done before flashed through his head and he realized it wasn't a dream.
The young man cried, asking why the man gave him all of his food. They both knew that without that leg, Zeff can no longer be a pirate. Sanji kept asking why he was being so nice to him, and the reason... was because Sanji had the same dream as Zeff. To find the All Blue.
"All that... because they have the same dream." The son of Poseidon's eyes widened as he took notice of him, feeling tears streaming down his face. Annabeth kisses him on the cheek and smiles at him. Percy returns her smile as he hugs her.
Sanji was confused, remembering that his men said that he doesn't exist, but Zeff surely believes it, sure that he will be in the Grand Line. Although Zeff may no longer be a pirate, he believes that Sanji has a chance to go looking for him.
Zeff collapsed to the ground, and Sanji was desperate for him not to die on top of him, but as he lay, Zeff wondered how many people had died in the sea, explaining that there are times when he can't eat and wishes for a restaurant instead. middle of the ocean. If he made it out alive, he wants to build a restaurant like that as his ultimate purpose in life, and Sanji wants to help him. Even with Zeff calling him a weak brat, Sanji wants to become strong, crying.
He then noticed something in the distance: a boat.
"Oh God, finally." Themis grasped the handkerchief in her hand, smiling in relief.
With all his might, Sanji yelled at the ship, specifically to help the old man as he waved his arms at him.
Although Pearl admires Sanji's "refinement", she still wants the Baratie to become her pirate ship, but Luffy stretched his legs high in the sky and stomped on the fin, despite Sanji's warning.
"GOMU GOMU NO...ONO!"
The explosion caused the fin to break off and the ocean to splash around it as a wooden plank. At that time, there was only one thought in the heads of the Olympians.
"What are you doing, idiot?!"