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Sanji placed flowers on Zeff's grave, it was the least he could do for the old geezer who had raised him. It was his fault after all that Zeff and the rest of the chefs were all dead. His father had killed them, even after he saved his life. Sanji wiped the tears from his cheeks, Luffy had already placed his hat atop his head. His captain and boyfriend had been there for him every step of the way. His crew waited for only a few steps away, everyone had been supportive.
“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should have been there, I should have checked or warned you or something. I'll never forget you, what you did for me,”
Sanji remembered in great detail how they first met, of the last time he had seen the man who had become his dad. That last time was the first time he had met the man who would become his captain and the love of his life.
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“Stay hidden kid, pirates are attacking,” One of the chefs tried shoving Sanji into the pantry. “It's not safe out there,” Sanji wiggled out of the man's grasp and grabbed two knives from where they had been left when the other chefs had run outside. “Wait! Sanji don't go out there it's dangerous!”
Sanji didn't listen, he wasn't going to just let them take his home, he wasn't going to just hide in the dark waiting for the pirates to find him and kill him. He had done enough waiting in the dark waiting for death, waiting for pain. Sanji stood there in the rain as the pirates gathered everything.
“Leave the food! What the fuck did I tell you about takeing people's food!” A pirate with two long mustaches with bows on the end yelled and kicked other pirates. He must be the captain.
“But captain,”
“But nothing! We don't steal food!”
Sanji stood there in front of some of the pirates with his knives at the ready. One tried to grab him and cut them with his knives, he wasn't very good but he did learn the basics from all the grueling hours he made them train.
“Hey kid. You shouldn't be swinging around those things. It's dangerous,” One pirate mocked him.
“Look I'm bleeding. I might be seriously wounded,” The pirate he cut whined.
If this was the best that pirates could be he felt sorry for them, that wasn't that bad of a cut. His borthers hurt him worse on a daily basis.
“Shut up!” He shouted. “”Like I'm gonna just stand still and let you kill me!” The rain had drenched everything, the deck was slick but it wasn't going to stop Sanji from fighting for his life. He had enjoyed the two years of not worrying about being beaten everyday. He wasn't going to let some stupid pirates ruin it for him.
“Sanji no! Don't fight back!” One of the chefs yelled.
“Stop it kid! Don't do anything to provoke them further!” A different chef yelled at him, Reiju used to tell him that all the time, but he couldn't help it.
“Do something about him!” The captain of the ship yelled. “”He's one of your cook's isn't he?”
“Sanji stop!”
“If this kid wants to die so badly, then kill him already!” The captain yelled at his men.
“It's not like I actually want to die!” Sanji yelled. “But you pirates are gonna kill us all anyways! So kill you first before you can kill me!” This was what his father wanted from him and his siblings anyway.
The pirate captain kicked him, his leg connecting with Sanji. The kick sent him flying into a part of the ship. His whole body was in pain. It had been two years since he felt this way. But was no longer some helpless kid, just sitting in a cell waiting for his brothers to come and beat him within an inch of his life.
“Sanji!”
Sanji crawled out of the rubble and towards the pirate captain. He wasn't going to just give up! He had a dream he wanted to fulfill, it had been the only thing keeping him going in the cell his father put him in. The only think that kept him from giving up when his father declared him dead, when the iron mask was placed over his face. He bite down on the captains leg, having lost his knives.
“I'm gonna find the All blue one day!” He declared. The pirate squashed at him and his dream just like everyone else.
The Captain kicked him again, he slammed back into the rubble he crawled out from. He lay thire unable to move as the rain pleted his face washing away the blood.
“Captain we have to pull back right away! The storms much bigger then we thought!” A pirate shouted over the crashing waves.
“Allright. Load up all of the loot and head back to our boat!” The captain ordered.
A large wave crested over the Orbit, Sanji didn't have time to move before the wave was dragging him overboard. He began to sink to depths of the sea, this wasn't how he thought he'd die. His lungs were burning and aching for breath of air. Everything was quite down here, quiet and cold. It was dark, Sanji couldn't see any fish swimming, if he was gonna die by drowning why couldn't he at least see some fish before he died? His body would become a part of the sea, his body nibbled on by the creatures who made the sea their home. His eyes began to grow heavy, he closed then for the last time.
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Sanji was exhausted, but pleased as he walked into the ruined dining hall with Luffy beside him. They had managed to keep the Braite free from the Don Krig pirates. Everyone was already stuffing their face.
“There ain't no chairs for you,” One chef spoke with a mouthful of food.
“Just eat on the floor!” A different chef laughed.
“No chair!? This is a restaurant how that fuck possible?!” Luffy had fucking saved this reastunt and everyone in it! The least they could do was offer him a chair. “Fine, whatever,” Sanji grumbled as he and Luffy took a seat on the floor.
“Something's strange about them…” Luffy spoke looking back at the rest of the chefs.
“Mah, they're always strange. They have just gotten worse over the years,” Sanji missed the earlier years. The chefs weren't exactly affectionate but they were trying to drive him out of his own home! He had been there longer than some of these bastards!
“Hey, who was in charge of making this morning's soup?” Patty asked, holding a bowl aloft.
“Oh!” Sanji perked up with a smile. “That would be me! Pretty good right? I made it especially g…” Sanji watched as patty deliberately drop it, waste ignore perfectly good food.
“What is this pig slop? How the hell am I supposed to swallow this shit?” Party swore glaring at him.
“Hey! Does proper food not suit your tastes anymore you sea damned raccoon? You have shit taste in hair cuts and food,”
“This shit is just crap! I'm shocked I didn't puke it back up. It was so rancid. You probably gave everyone food poisoning,”
“I'm hundred percent confident in my cooking. That soup is fantastic. It's your carpy taste buds that's the problem!”
“Disgusting!” Carne gagged and spit his soup out.
What the hell was wrong with everyone? Why was everyone determined to piss him off? Why were they trying to get rid of him? He had been here since the beginning! He spent nine years working his ass off! Nine years paying back the old geezer for everything he had done for him! He would pay off his debt until he was dead. Sanji stared in horror as the chefs spilled the soup all over the floor, even if it was awful they shouldn't waste food like that! There were people starving that would kill for that food!
“What the hell do you think you're all doing!?” Sanji shouted, this was no longer just about them having no taste, they were wasting food! He still has nightmares of slowly starving to death, day after day of nothing but sea as far as the eye could see. He didn't even bother to pay attention as they continued to berate him. “What did you..” There was another bowl shattered on the ground.
“Owner!”
“Geezer!” Maybe he would put a stop to this madness. He too hated wasted food.
“What's with this disgusting soup?” Zeff sneered pointing at spilled soup. “Is it supposed to taste like sewage? If we served this shit to customers they'd flee in terror and we'd be run outta town,”
“Don't joke with me you damn geezer!” Sanji begged, grasping onto Zeffs shirt. The man he considered a father, the man he looked up to was joining them! “how's it any different then the soup you make! We'll? Tell me?” He hadn't had any complaints from any customers. What happened?
“The soup I make?” Zeff punched him into eh face knocking him to the ground. “Don't get cocky!” Sanji couldn't believe what had just happened! Zeff had punched him! The man who had taught him that a chef's hands were for cooking and not fighting. Nothing was making sense.