Chapter Text
‘So than, you just add a pinch of salt, to make sure its properly seasoned.’
Sanji stirred the thick vegetable soup that was cooking in the large pan, making sure to taste it. His face lit up, it was perfect.
He turned round to grin at his young audience, who were all listening with awe on their faces. They couldn’t believe they had gotten the opportunity to learn how to prepare food from the best cook in the grand line himself.
Their captain was also smiling, watching the scene in front of him. They definitely had been lucky to run into a pirate with a high bounty who was not only decent, but also willing to help them.
Sanji closed the lid and lit his cigarette.
‘So, any questions?’
A bombardment of voices echoed around the kitchen, everyone eager to learn.
Sanji blew smoke in the air, unable to hide the faint happiness in his eyes. It had been so long since he had actually been with people who wanted to cook, who shared his passion.
Sanji made his way to the deck. The sun was setting and there was a slight breeze that ruffled his blonde hair. He lit a cigarette, sinking down against the metal railing, a sad smile on his face.
He couldn’t help it. He missed the ladies. And the others. Especially the damn swordsman.
Even though the marimo had practically ripped his heart out. He was still hurt after all these months.
The shitty marimo had forgotten their two year anniversary and stayed drinking all day. When Sanji had finally confronted him about it, he had told him that their relationship wasn’t a good idea anymore and then jumped off the ship.
After two years. Two years of putting up with the bastard and loving him.
He took a puff of his cigarette, letting the nicotine flood his system, his body relaxing automatically.
He had been equally angry and hurt. He couldn't understand what had went wrong, why the marimo was acting the way he was. He had stayed up all night in the kitchen, waiting for the marimo to return so he could confront him, demand an explanation and maybe knock some sense into him. When he still hadn’t returned until the following morning Sanji decided to go look for him.
He had arrived in town and ran into a local who had told him that he had seen someone green haired entering the local brothel.
Which is where he went.
His hand was shaking when he opened the door to the room where one of the women had said the marimo was, only to have his worst fears confirmed.
Zoro was sleeping, without any clothes on, next to some asshole covered with tattoos. He was even snoring, not a care in the world. Sanji couldn't breathe, and he had ran out of the brothel, tears streaming down his face.
It was the damn marimo’s fault that he was so hurt and confused that when he was stumbling back to the Sunny he hadn’t noticed the marines, who had some kind of strong tranquilizer darts and had knocked him out and taken him to their ship.
He smirked, blowing the smoke of his cigarette in the air.
They had underestimated him and just locked him in a wooden brig and when he had woken up a few days later he had broken out easily. He had taken out all his pent up emotions, all his hurt and anger onto them, and somehow had ended up sinking the ship.
He than realized that he was in the middle of the ocean without a log pose, and had no idea how to return to the island. Luckily a ship was passing by so he had sky walked to it to demand passage back to shore.
He remembered how surprised he was to find a group of kids, barely older that fifteen manning the ship. They were brave, willing to defend it with their life.
So Sanji had made peace with them, promised not to hurt them and had broken the ice the best way he could, by cooking them a meal. Which is when he discovered that the crew of misfits not only weren’t eating well, but were some of the worst cooks he had ever seen in his life. They were almost at Luffy’s level.
Luffy.
His face fell as he thought of Luffy. He missed his captain.
After a few days they had arrived back on the island, only for him to find the Sunny had sailed off days before and had not returned. He hadn’t actually thought about them leaving without him.
Sanji had felt lost and alone. The grand line was too big and he would never catch up to them. He had sunk to his knees, and in a rare moment of weakness felt completely defeated.
The young crew’s captain however had at once offered to give him passage, in return for being his ship’s cook and helping his crew. They would find the Sunny.
So Sanji had taken the crew under his wing , not only teaching them how to cook but also how to fight, how to defend themselves. Truthfully, he had gotten a bit attached. He was proud of how far they had gotten in such a short amount of time. They looked up to him too, seeing him as their adopted big brother.
The marines didn’t really bother them much, as they were a trading ship and not a pirate crew, and if pirates tried to attack he always got rid of them quickly.
Months had passed as they went from island to island. He heard news of his crew once in a while, that they were stopping a revolution in one place, attacking a pirate base in another. They always went where they heard the rumors were originating from, but the Straw Hats didn’t stop moving.
He held the cigarette in his hand, watching as it slowly burnt out. He would find them again.
..........
‘Island!’ The loud screech surprised Sanji, almost causing him to cut his finger. He felt his eyebrow twitch. How many times had he told the damn pint not to sound like someone was killing him when he got excited.
‘Sanji, Sanji’, The youngest crew member burst in, his eyes filled with excitement. ‘It’s a summer island!’ he yelled, reaching out for a pie that was slowly cooling in the little kitchen window.
‘ Don’t even think about it.’ Sanji growled, causing the poor kid to gulp and slowly back away.
‘Sanji we’re hungry ’ A loud voice rumbled around the kitchen, and a giant teenager squeezed himself into the door.
Sanji sighed, knowing his pies were doomed. His adopted crew not only consisted of teenagers who ate like pigs, but an actual giant who ate more than everyone combined. It still wasn’t as much as Luffy though. No one could beat Luffy.
‘Call the others.’ He said grumpily. Loud cheers echoed around the kitchen and it filled up quickly with kids stuffing their faces.
Sanji looked out of the window at the island they were approaching. He understood the crews excitement. They didn’t have the best navigator, no one was as great as the beautiful Nami- San and the last islands they had come across were well, less than enjoyable, being extremely barren and dangerous. This island looked promising. Maybe he could stock up on supplies, as they were running a bit low.
The summer island was great. There were plenty of food stores, beaches and the people were extremely friendly. Also there were festivals in the street, people dancing and celebrating. Sanji bought all types of food, and then found himself relaxing, exploring the area, tasting the local delicacies. He especially liked a local alcoholic drink that tasted really sweet, almost like honey. The marimo would hate it. No. He wouldn't think about the marimo. Not today
It was so good he ended up taking another. And another.
‘Please Sanji please!’
Sanji had maybe drank too much. He could barely walk straight. And now the damn kids were pestering him to cook in a contest, something about the prize money being extremely high.
The pint was looking at him with those large eyes. Shit. The damn pint was a crook and really good at manipulating people to get his own way.
‘Fine.’ He slurred, slowly stumbling onto the stage. ‘Don’t blame me if I mess up.’
He stood on stage, slowly pulling up his blonde hair which was growing a bit too long. His face was flushed, but he suddenly felt strangely happy and at peace. It must be the alcohol. He grinned at the kids, who were all by the stage, flashing him thumbs up. He would win it for them.
He gave a huge flamboyant display, his confidence at his highest due to the alcohol. He blew fire in the air, seared his steak perfectly, filleted the fish in record time. The crowd was going wild. He lapped it up, enjoying the attention.
He didn’t have any competition and won hands down.
The major went to give him his prize, praising his cooking skills. The kids crowded around him, full of excitement.
His eyes were crinkling, and he was chuckling happily, the pint on his shoulders.
He was happy.
.........
On the other side of town
‘Another sake.’ He gulped it down at once, slamming it down on the counter.
People were scurrying away, scared of his demonic aura. His scowl was terrifying and his eyes were empty, emotionless. His face and hands were filled with scars and he was built like a tree, stoic.
‘Here, have the bottle on the house but please leave, you’re scaring away everyone.’ The bartender said, his voice trembling before dashing back into the bar not wanting to die.
He walked outside, drinking from the bottle, barely paying attention to his surroundings. Which is when he got a whiff of a smell of food. A smell that almost made his mouth water, that reminded him of a time when food was something he enjoyed.
A smell that was so familiar that .. It couldn’t be.
He clutched the bottle in his hand and stumbled towards it.
There. A crowd. The smell was coming from there. He walked towards it, almost in a daze. He could hear the major congratulating someone on the den den mushi speaker and then he heard a laugh. A laugh he had been dreaming about for the last few months. A laugh he never thought he would hear again. He dropped the bottle of sake, and it crashed onto the ground, smashing into loads of pieces.
He was there. His cook. The sun was shining on him and his hair was like spun gold and he was laughing, the deep throaty laugh that sent shivers down his back. His cook’s face was flushed, and he was so damn good looking it hurt. He looked well too, and happy.
He realized that tears were forming in his eyes, and his hand was shaking. He slowly started making his way forward, the crowd parting away from in front of him.
‘Sanji.’ He said, his voice hoarse, barely distinguishable.