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The market trip started out regularly. Sanji with his list of needed ingredients and one of the resident pack mules with him to help in carting around the absurd orders. Today, Franky was supposed to help him out, however he spotted Robin out the corner of his eye and left Sanji alone. ‘No matter,’ the cook thought, ‘I’ll just have it all delivered to the ship and I’ll give Franky the bill.’ And with that, he continued his work.
He was absolutely delighted with the market this island had to offer. A chef’s paradise really. There were bountiful cartons of the freshest fruits and vegetables that Sanji had seen at any market lately. What caught his eye in particular, was a smaller stall that boasted the best citruses on the island. Nami-swan would be the real judge of that. What better way to get her input than to whip up her favourite orange creamsicle smoothie.
Sanji’s lips pulled into a smile as he stepped off to the side to inspect the oranges, they had available. The blond was stunned at how large their fruits were. He had only seen ones similar in size back on Cocoyashi. Well, then a few for the smoothie and a few extra for the gorgeous navigator to snack on at a later time. The price was as impressive as the sheer size of them. For 6 oranges, Sanji only had to pay 279 berries, something he was quite frankly shocked about. If Nami approved, he would certainly be back to pick up some more fruit from the seller, a bit of everything to be on the safe side.
With that out of the way, he went back to wandering the market. He had all the time in the world to take his time as the log pose still had a few days before it would reset. Nami was quite frustrated at that and the ever-patient Jimbei could only chuckle and shake his head. Ah, Jimbei! The fish-man had gotten the crew out of many sticky situations and Sanji hadn’t taken the time to properly thank him. Well, he was already going to make a drink for Nami, why not Jimbei as well? The only problem was of what to make?
Sanji thought for a moment, chewing on the end of his cigarette and tapping his foot against the stone of the marketplace ground before an idea popped into his head. He remembered Luffy interrogating the fish-man on his favourite foods and he had mentioned that he liked fruit, and wasn’t picky on the type. Juice was an obvious idea, but it didn’t suit the Helmsman that well. Although, adding juice to a green tea was definitely an option. With that in mind, Sanji turned on his heel and began to head to a different fruit stand. This one offered peaches, nectarines, and pears in great quantities, colors, and sizes. He picked a few large peaches and paid the vendor.
“Excuse me,” He began as he counted the coins, “Where would one go for a wide selection of teas?” He handed the coins as the vendor, an older man with his eyes shielded by a cap, nodded to himself.
“Tea, eh? Well you’re gonna wanna cut through the market here and go inland. Don’t touch the tea shops on the main street. They’ll try to swindle ya.” The vendor gave a small laugh as Sanji nodded. “Further back, there’s a shop run by a local family. They import teas from the blues and beyond. They’ll give you a good selection to peruse.” He pointed towards an alley way cutting into the shops behind the market. Sanji nodded once more before smiling, taking his basket, and heading off towards the aforementioned tea shop.
As he walked, the noise of the market quieted down considerably and was replaced by the sound of people going about their daily lives in peace. If he had to, Sanji would consider this island in his top ten. Nice and calm and no Marines to see or hear of. Hm, maybe once he comes back around the Grand Line, he’d have to bring the Old Geezer here. Surely he’d enjoy the market just as much as his adoptive son has been. The thought of Zeff sauntering through the market place with a step-tap-step-tap, thoroughly inspecting the goods available, bartering, then of course having Sanji cart it all back to the ship brought a smile to Sanji’s face and filled his head with happiness. Really, nothing could sour his mood now.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the tea shop. Indeed it was tucked into the town, but it proudly advertised the goods they sold. The large glass window in front holding shelves stacked with large glass jars of various teas. The old vendor really knew what he was talking about, didn’t he. As he got closer, fragrant smells filled the air, further putting the young man at ease. He could feel his shoulders drooping. Inside was an even grander display of teas. They were housed similarly to the ones in the window, but the only difference were the labels on them stating the name and type of tea. The were also expertly organized by types which really made it so much easier to pick. To pair with the peaches he picked for Jimbei’s drink, Sanji’s eye focused on the row of sencha green tea. There were a few varieties available. As he studied the jars, he didn’t notice the teenager stepping over to him.
“In my opinion, I like the Jasmine green teas the best. They go really well with the citruses from Miss Lang’s orchard.”
The voice shocked Sanji out of his daze, and he looked towards them. Before him stood a taller teen boy dressed in neutral tones and wearing an apron that proudly displayed the shop’s logo on it. “And I see that you’ve got some oranges from her, too.” The boy pointed at Sanji’s basket.
“Oh, yes. A dear friend of mine knows her citruses quite well so I got a few for her to try.” Sanji nodded a bit. “You said that a jasmine green tea would go best with them?”
The boy motioned for Sanji to follow him over towards the selection of tea. “Yeah, this one in particular. It was made in the East Blue and has dried orange slices in it.” He pulled a jar from the wall and opened it for Sanji to smell. His eye widened and he was thrown back to the orchards of Cocoyashi and how utterly fragrant they were.
“East Blue, huh? The oranges in it wouldn’t happen to be from Cocoyashi, huh?”
The boy’s face erupted into a huge smile. “Yeah! You’re right about that! You really know your islands.”
Sanji smiled softly and nodded. “I suppose you could say that. In that case, I’d like to buy the rest of the tea in that jar. I have a feeling my dear friend will enjoy it.” The teen nodded, closing the jar and holding it to his chest as he rushed to the counter near the back, setting it down gently before returning to Sanji. “I’m thinking this white sencha as well. Enough for two pots, please.” He tapped on the jar of tea he was looking at previously.
“That’s a great choice. It’s light and fragrant. I’m sure that whatever you’re planning on doing with it will turn out quite nicely.” The teen took the jar down like he did the other one. “I’ve had a few customers make fruit infused teas with this specific one.”
A quiet laugh bubbled up from Sanji’s throat. “That’s exactly what I’m planning on doing.” He took one of the peaches from his basket. “I got these from an older guy who actually recommended this shop to me.” The teen took a glance at the fruit then nodded.
“Makes sense then. A peach green tea? I might have to try that myself.” He walked towards the counter again. “Are you still looking at other teas or are you ready?”
Hm, other teas huh? Well, while he’s in the shop he could always pick something out for the darling Robin. And Brook too, he supposes. Mostly for Robin though. “I’ll keep looking around. I’ll let you know when I find the next one.” He gave a closed eye smile to the boy who returned it in kind. At that, Sanji began to take his time looking at the different teas. Neither Robin nor Brook were picky in their tea selections, he’s seen them have many different kinds throughout their travels. However, he knew that Robin tended to gravitate towards heavier and bolder black teas, steeping for far too long, and Brook practically inhaled the more vibrant teas made from flowers and white tea leaves.
With that in mind, he began to peruse the black tea first. By far that was the largest section in the tea shop as the teas themselves were further broken down into categories. He was gravitating towards a few different ones for the stunning archeologist. A plain black tea, but bold in its nature, a black tea with sugar crystals and golden stars sure to make the hot tea glittered in the light, and finally another black tea, but made fragrant and flavourful by infusing the leaves with the flavour of the lychee fruit. Really, all of them seemed like Robin’s speed and it was hard to choose between the three. Might as well get all three! He was getting a whole half of a large jar for Nami, why not get Robin three new kinds to try? The logic was there for Sanji as he called the teen over and tapped on the jars he wanted to get from.
Now it was time to get something for Brook. The skeleton was more fond of calming teas. Anytime there were ‘sleepy time teas’ aboard, Brook always managed to hoard them inside his skull. This would always frustrate Chopper who demanded some back just in case someone else needed it. Brook never relented, scurrying off with a ‘yohohoho!’ to go drink an obscene amount of tea. In that case, perhaps a lavender and chamomile tea would suit his tastes best. Luckily that was the easiest tea to find as there were multiple jars of it available. One such kind included honeysuckles for a sweet pinch. Didn’t Brook mention honeysuckles growing in the fields on his home island? In that case, the lavender, chamomile, and honeysuckle tea would be for the musician. Since it was the last tea he needed, Sanji grabbed the jar and stepped to the counter. “Alright, I think that’s it, this is the last one I’ll need.”
The teenager nodded, working on scooping out and measuring the other teas that had been selected. “Quite an assortment you’ve chosen. Since you’ve picked out five different teas, you’ll be getting a discount today.” He closed the jar of the glittering black tea and pushed it to the side, pulling the black lychee tea over. He opened the jar and began to scoop out a precise amount into the scale prepared. A dark sachet open and ready for the tea, a label on the front with a handwritten note with the name and kind of tea in the sachet. Sanji’s eye moved to the other tea already prepared. Nami’s tea was put into a metal jar, whereas the other teas were in similar dark sachets with handwritten names. Soon enough the last of Robin’s tea joined the pile as did Brook’s herbal tea. Sanji was a bit worried of how expensive the total of the tea would be, but to his surprise, it was cheaper than expected, rounding out at a nice 5,887 berries after the discount was taken into account. The teenager, Lee, as Sanji was told, was thrilled at the final purchase. Not many foreigners came to the shop and especially ones coming to buy such a grand amount.
‘The old man would love this shop as well’ Sanji thought with a pleased hum as he stepped out of the store with a bundle of teas, and an extra sachet of jasmine tea that was Lee’s uncle’s favourite. Honestly, he might have to come back before the Sunny departs just to support the shop some more. Since he still had more things to gather on his list, Sanji began to head back towards the market. It was as busy as it had been when he left it, people bustling around with purpose and need. He honestly felt calm in the chaos as it reminded him of the times, he’d go shopping with Zeff. The sheer number of times that the duo were called ‘father and son’ still ringing in the back of his head. Sanji couldn’t help but smile at the memory, holding his basket tighter and heading back towards Miss Lang’s citrus stand.
The woman was pleased to see Sanji back at her stand, eager to buy a bit of everything that she was selling. His basket was getting heavier and heavier with each fruit placed inside, but it was worth it. Maybe a trip back to the Sunny was in order, just to drop off the first load of things so he could go back out to gather more items.
He hummed a shanty to himself as he walked back to the ship, one hand in his pocket, and the other holding the basket that was overfilling with fruit, teas, a few different spices, and some other dried goods. The ship was quiet as he got back, seeming like no one was on board, but of course the shitty Marimo happened to be sleeping in the middle of the grass. What a lazy shit head. If Sanji kicked him roughly in the leg to wake him up, no one saw it that’s for sure. Zoro blearily woke up and glanced around before shouting something at Sanji as he ducked into the kitchen. He set the basket down on the counter and began to put the fruit away as the door was slammed open and the swordsman stomped in.
“Fuck is your damage, Curly Brows?! I was asleep!” He pointed his finger in the chef’s face
Sanji blew out a breath of smoke and held his cigarette in his hand, grinning and baring his teeth. “Aww, is the poor Marimo all gwumpy because he was woken from his nap?” He laughed as he put his cigarette back in his mouth. “Suck it the hell up. Thought you were watching the ship, so why were you asleep?” he turned back to putting the fruits away.
Zoro gritted his teeth and turned away as Sanji called him out. “It was getting boring.” He spat out before reaching over to grab a peach. His hand was slapped away, and the peaches were all pulled out of his grasp.
“Go scrounge elsewhere. These aren’t for you.”
The green haired man’s hand balled into a fist, and he harshly put it on the counter. “It’s a fucking fruit. They’re meant to be eaten, cigarette for brains.”
“As I fucking said, they aren’t for you.” Sanji narrowed his eye as he placed the peaches into one of the fruit drawers in the fridge. “There’s a whole pantry full of food, go get something else.” He waved the other man off, smirking as Zoro stomped towards the pantry, grumbling about the shitty cook being stingy. What a baby.
Sanji went back to putting the food items away, keeping the various teas out on the counter. ‘Maybe I should get the black tea for Robin ready so it can steep for a ridiculous amount of time.’ He thought to himself as he mindlessly began to move to pull out the tea pot and turn the stove on to get the water boiling. He wasn’t entirely sure how much tea to put in since she liked it strong, though he put in six scoops into the strainer just to be safe. He could always make a tea concentrate later and add that if it wasn’t to her taste.
While he was at it, he also decided on getting a peach syrup ready for Jimbe’s tea. He was already using the stove so it wouldn’t be too much more effort to add another pot to the mix. Or maybe two pots. For a while now Sanji had been toying with the idea of making homemade cola for Franky as it was starting to get expensive having to find cola for him at every port, especially since most islands didn’t regularly carry it so they had to find a specialty shop. Blues, those people loved to price gouge. Hopefully this recipe would make it a whole lot cheaper and easier for the cyborg to get his cola fix. It was also quite easy for Sanji to whip up, just having to put together some spices, sugar, and some citrus zests. Man, he was glad he went by Miss Lang’s stall again as he was running quite low on lemons and limes.
As he was getting the syrups for Jimbei and Franky prepared, the water for Robin’s tea had begun to boil. Perfect timing really as the syrups also needed some boiling water. He carefully pulled the pot over to the tea pot and carefully began to pour the water in, letting it slowly steep the leaves and allowing them to release their flavour. There was still plenty of water left over after the tea was brewing so he split the water into the two other pots, stirring them with a spoon in his free hand. Soon the pot was empty and he set it aside use both his hands to stir up the syrups. They were looking and smelling quite delicious. ‘I wonder what a peach cola would taste like..’ Sanji thought as he stirred. He wondered if Franky would enjoy it. Well, he can always make more syrups after he gets the okay from Franky on this first round.
He could feel Zoro staring at him as he worked, the feeling irritating him endlessly. “A word from the peanut brain gallery?” He said without looking behind him. He heard Zoro scoff with the comment.
“I’m wondering what the fuck you’re doing. You’ve got three pots going, but dinner won’t be till way later.”
“I’m making drinks. None for you if you keep pissing me off.” He glanced over his shoulder as Zoro rolled his eye and threw his arms up.
”Oh, for fucks sake, curly brows, I’m not fucking doing anything.” He got up from his seat and walked to the door. “Whatever, you’re being a prick so I’m fucking leaving.” He said, flipping Sanji off as he left. Good riddance, he was getting on Sanji’s nerves just by being there. Perhaps he was a bit harsh though. While yes, Zoro was being a pain at first, he was just quietly watching as Sanji worked. He sighed to himself and rolled his eyes. Fine, he’ll make a drink for Zoro as well as a peace offering of sorts. None of that disgusting beer that he guzzled back, something with a bit more style.
He went through the alcohol stores in his head, muttering about the options. It was all the same old shit. He went out of the way to get new ingredients for the others so, as much as he hated to admit it, why should he treat the shitty swordsman any different. Sanji grumbled to himself, deciding to take a look at what alcohol the island had to offer when he went back out.
He grabbed two empty jars and began to strain the two syrups into them so that they could cool off for later. With the syrups sitting, Robin’s tea brewing, and the basket empty, Sanji left the kitchen to head back to the market. Zoro was nowhere to be seen on deck, which meant he likely went to go train or work on his swords. No big deal as it meant leaving without an argument.
Sanji was practically running back to the market, excited to get back to it as he thought, ‘Why not make everyone their own specialty drinks?’ Surely Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp would be upset if they were left out, and rightfully so. Chopper’s would have to be the sweetest of the bunch, the reindeer having the biggest sweet tooth compared to anyone he’s ever met. He remembered that they had some bubble-gum ice cream hidden in the back of the freezer, so poor Chopper didn’t give himself a brain freeze. Why not make an absolutely obscene milkshake for the dear deer doctor? Of course, it had to be topped with frosting and cotton candy. To his luck, many stalls were offering candies and sweets which meant that getting things to top the milkshake with was incredibly easy. He was especially happy at finding bubble-gum flavoured cotton candy, as well as cake frosting with little rainbow sprinkles in it. This should certainly make Chopper’s day.
With the ingredients for Chopper out of the way, he still had Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro to shop for. As he sauntered in the market, thinking what to buy, he passed by a stall selling all sorts of apple products. He stopped and turned, walking back towards it. The first thing that caught his eye were the various apple flavoured alcohols available. There were testers of them as well! Though would Zoro even enjoy something like this? It’s not as if he was known to enjoy sweeter drinks, but it was booze so hopefully that would make things better.
The green apple soju was the first to catch his eye. It looked so innocuous to the naked eye. He took one of the small sampler cups and sipped at the liquor, his eyebrows furrowing. Wasn’t this supposed to be alcohol? The owner of the stand laughed from where he was sitting. “Tastes like juice, huh?” Sanji was about to argue with the owner when a bottle was shoved into his hands. “That’s how it gets you. You barely taste the alcohol until you’ve downed three quarters of the bottle, then you’re on your ass.” He laughed more and slapped a hand on Sanji’s shoulder. “Pair that with the apple ale and you’ll be down for the count.”
“I’m guessing this apple ale also tastes like juice but has a high alcohol content?” He rose an eyebrow, glancing at the alcohol content and ingredients, of which there were few.
The seller nodded and gestured to the tester stand next to the soju. It looked like apple juice, but it was clearly labelled as an ale. He took a sample cup like he did with the soju and tasted it. If he didn’t know any better, he would say it was just actual juice labelled differently. “I could see how too many of these could take someone out.” He smirked at the idea of Zoro drinking too many of the ale and soju drinks then passing out.
The owner nodded with his own devilish grin. “Exactly!” He then pulled Sanji over to a table on the opposite side of the stall. “Now, we actually had a few kids trying the ale and getting a little drunk so we ended up making just pure apple juice. Tastes like the ale but of course, no alcohol.” His mind immediately went to his Captain. Luffy wasn’t fond of the taste of alcohol so of course he rarely drank it which meant his tolerance was quite low. If the ale and soju drink would be enough to get Zoro plastered, then it would be best to get some of the plain juice so one had to deal with a drunk rubber man. It happened once, and never again.
“In that case, I’ll get some of the ale, the soju, the juice, and some of your apples as well.” Sanji turned to the owner and smiled. The owner seemed quite pleased and just had to throw in a few baked goods as extras for Sanji’s patronage.
Last, but most certainly not least, the dear sniper, Usopp. Sanji was well aware that Usopp preferred more light and refreshing drinks, especially after long hot days of fishing or chasing after Luffy. He also knew that Usopp was fond of Sanji’s lemonade recipe, but why not spice it up a bit and add some herbs and fruit. He smiled, already having an idea in his head, and the ingredients back at the Sunny to make the sniper a strawberry and mint lemonade. With drink plans for the entire crew in mind, he went to finish his list, gathering the ingredients needed for their dinner that night.
It had been a couple of hours since Sanji arrived back at the Sunny and no one was allowed in the kitchen. This was particularly devastating for Luffy who had slumped against the door to the kitchen, pathetically begging Sanji for a snack. The chef had clearly thought ahead as he had barricaded the door preventing anyone from entering and disturbing him.
The sun had started to dip below the horizon when Sanji finally opened the door, gently kicking Luffy across the lawn. “Apologies for the wait everyone, but dinner is ready now.” He was giddy as everyone began to file into the dining hall.
The table was set and filled with a delicious spread of food for everyone to enjoy, but the crew noticed that no one had any drinks. Typically there would at least be a pitcher of water and cups, but not even that was prepared. Luffy had already began to shovel meat into his mouth as he looked over towards Sanji, who was still at the kitchen. “Hey, Sanji? Wheres ‘a drinks?” His words muffled, but the chef was used to it and so he understood what was being said. The blond smiled and lift a tray, slowly stepping over towards the table full of his dear friends, no, they’re more like his family.
“I have them right here, Captain. I was waiting till everyone was sitting before handing them out.” He said, placing a tall glass full of amber liquid with translucent cubes settled in the bottom of the glass, in front of Luffy. “For you, a sparkling apple juice with apple jelly.” Luffy’s eyes sparkled and he finished the meat in his mouth before grabbing his glass and taking a big drink from the straw. His eyes bulged out of his head and he choked as the jellies slammed against the back of his throat. He set the cup down, before slamming against his chest. Sanji laughed a bit as Luffy quickly recovered and declared the drink delicious, going back in, this time not choking on the jellies.
“For you, dear Nami, orange jasmine iced tea.” He stepped next to Nami and set a similarly tall glass in front of her. This one had a few orange slices floating around, one on the rim, a cute little umbrella, and a straw. The navigator took a sip of the tea and her eyes went wide, before she could accuse Sanji of touching her orange trees without her permission, he spoke up. “This tea is a specialty one, all the way from the East Blue, made with the finest oranges from Cocoyashi.” He gave her a sweet smile as her eyes began to water. “I bought out the rest of their stock, just for you, dear Nami.” He held the tray in one hand and used his free hand to squeeze her shoulder affectionately.
“Usopp, for you I have a strawberry and mint lemonade.” As he was between the two, he turned towards the sniper slightly and set down a third tall glass. The pale-yellow liquid speckled with pale green of the mint leaves, and red of the crushed strawberries. A sprig of mint and a halved strawberry served as the decoration for his drink. Usopp quickly pulled the glass up to eagerly drink from it, sighing contentedly and commenting that this was the best lemonade that he had ever tried in his whole entire life. No, that comment didn’t make Sanji’s chest swell with pride, you’re imagining things.
He moved around Usopp towards Brook, setting down Brook’s favourite tea cup in front of him. “Lavender, chamomile, and honeysuckle tea for the skeleton musician, Brook.” The skelton instantly picked up his cup, awe’ing at the honeysuckle flowers adorning the tea. He plucked them out and threw them into his mouth before taking a sip of the tea, commenting on the fact that like Nami’s tea, it tasted like home
He stepped around where his seat was and went to the end of the table where Jimbei was sitting. “A sparkling peach green tea for you, Jimbei.” To account for the fish-man’s larger size, the cup was much larger than the ones before it. In the bottom of the glass were small peach cubes. The liquid started at the bottom as a rosy, pink color, slowly fading up to a pale gold. Jimbei took the straw of his cup and began to stir it up, mixing the sparklng tea and the peach syrup together, the tea fizzing as it’s stirred. Once fully mixed up, Jimbei took a drink, and like Usopp, sighed contentedly, however he stated that this had to be his favourite drink now. All these compliments keep making his damned ego swell.
As Sanji stepped around Jimbei, he could already see Chopper eyeing the cotton candy topped milkshake, staring at it since Sanji began to hand out the drinks. He laughed a bit as he set the drink down. “Yes, Chopper, this one is yours. It’s a bubble-gum milkshake topped with bubble-gum cotton candy, and birthday cake frosting.” Before he could fully set the cup down, Chopper had already plucked off the cotton candy and shoved it into his mouth. He made happy noises before licking the frosting that rimmed the glass, kicking his legs happily. Then finally, he drank the milkshake, making more happy noises.
Sanji smiled more and moved towards Robin. “Darling Robin, I have for you, royal milk tea, with black tea that has been steeping for no less than six hours.” He set down her own favourite cup with the strongly smelling tea. Robin is already smiling as she picks up the cup, bringing it to her lips and taking a sip. Her eyes close and she hums in delight, commenting on how delicious the bitter aftertaste was. That meant that Sanji had brewed it long enough and put the right amount in. He was relieved at that, but also a little disgusted because he was sure that the milk and sugar in there would have masked the bitterness, but apparently not. Oh well, if darling Robin likes it, that’s all that matters.
Beside her, Franky was looking quite expectantly at the bottle of cola on the tray. Sanji pretended not to notice as he set it down. “Your cola addiction is becoming too expensive, so to combat that, I’ve made you homemade cola. Tell me how it is, and I can continue to tweak the recipe.” Franky wasted no time in lifting the bottle and chugging half of it in one go. He made some thoughtful noises before striking his signature pose and declaring the drink was super. Sanji laughed but was very happy that the recipe was successful. It was easy enough to make.
Finally, Zoro. The swordsman was pretending not to care, but he seemed intrigued at the drinks that Sanji was handing out. Before he was handed his, Sanji held it above his head. “Before you say a thing, shitty Marimo, yes there is booze in here despite the taste. I spoke with the man who made it so I’m well aware what it’s made of. It’s green apple soju and apple ale together.” He finally set the beer mug down in front of Zoro, who was eyeing the glass. He reached out and grabbed it, taking a hefty swig of it before setting it down on the table. He was silent for a moment before grunting in approval and taking another drink. Sanji sighed, honestly a bit worried that Zoro would assume he was being fed apple juice like a kid.
With everyone served their drinks and digging into the food, Sanji set down the tray and took his own seat. “Sanji.” He heard Jimbei from beside him and he looked over at the whale shark man. “I noticed you don’t have a drink of your own. Would you like me to get you something?” Could Jimbei be any better of a crew member?
Sanji smiled and shook his head. “Oh, no, it’s quite alright. I’ve got some water for myself. Don’t you worry about me.” He turned back towards his food, not quite noticing the stare from his Captain.
Later that night, once the kitchen was closed, and Sanji was off to sleep, a certain rubber man crept into the kitchen as quietly as he could. He wasn’t interested in snacks, this time at least. He had a mission. He grabbed the Den Den from its comfy spot on the counter and took it over to the comfy chairs by the aquarium. In the pocket of his shorts, he had a stolen notepad and a pen which he took out and set on the table. He flipped to one of the first few pages in the notepad and dialed a number, the snail ringing quietly before a ‘gatcha’ and it’s features morphed.
“You’ve dialed the shitty restaurant, we don’t take phone orders so take it and shove it up your ass.”
Luffy snorted. “Nu-uh, I wanna talk to Sanji’s dad.”
The snail went quiet and there was shuffling on the other side, a distinct ‘step-tap, step-tap’ getting louder as it got closer. The Den Den grew a a long, braided moustache that was accompanied by a grumpy face. “Rubber brat. Isn’t it late? Why would you be up at this hour, calling me?” There was a hint of worry in his tone.
Luffy grinned and laughed softly. “I just wanna know Sanji’s favourite drink.”
The old chef went quiet for a moment before the Den Den smiled warmly. “Well, ya got a notepad and a pen? I’m not gonna tell you twice.”