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It was a busy day at Baraties when the pink-haired lady drifts. A real beauty and posed with air of self confidence that didn’t come off as condescending or conceited, but rather someone who knew exactly who she was and that she is exactly where she’s meant to be. To all the chefs turned waiters, she strikes something as familiar as they scramble to keep their sous chef away.
“Right this way ma’am.” Patty directed her to a corner table. One that was well in the view of most of the restaurant’s showroom but hidden from the kitchen door. “What can I get started for you, Miss…?”
“I am no one important.” She tells him, leaning against her folded hands, “Let’s start with a wine of your choice and an appetizer, pick your favorite.”
“Very well, and your entreé?”
“I wish to taste the ‘last meal made for the sky’.” She quirks a small smile at her own cryptic words, “I hear there’s a chef here who can do that…”
“I’m not sure I’ve heard of that… ma’am…”
“No worries, I have some time to kill.” She says, not all that bother or surprised, “But I shall be here until either my request is met, or I run out of time and must leave.”
Patty didn’t know what to say to that, but this did seem almost like a ploy… making him narrow his eyes are her a bit.
“And I am willing to pay in advance for any food I receive.” Waving off the suspicion, placing a large pouch of money on the table. “I’m sure this is more than- enough, feel free to keep the rest as a tip if you want.”
“Very well, ma’am.” Patty’s doubt vanishes as he grabs the money, “We shall start bringing things out shortly. Let us know if you need anything at all!”
He left the table and stops Carne on his way to the Boss’ office.
“Hey ya crook, can you serve our best red to table ten and put in order of the scallops.” Patty gives a pointed look to the pink-haired lady, “She’s already paid for food for a month, but I need to talk to Zeff.”
“Sure but you’ll owe me you bastard.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Unsurprisingly Zeff was found butting heads with Sanji about one thing or another… probably about the oregano again…
“Hey boss!”
“Get going, Eggplant!” Zeff finally pushed the brat away, “It better be done by the time I come back!”
“What do you want!” Zeff barks at him, “Don’t you have tables to serve!”
“All my customers are taken care of right now.” Patty inclines his head to the office, “But we got a special order.”
“Hmmp.” Patty follows him, setting the big bag of money down on the desk. “What is it?”
“Some chick came in, seems sketchy but I think she is issuing a cooking challenge.” Patty tells him, crossing his arms, “Don’t know what she wants but she’s already paid in advance and then some.”
“Hmmm.” Zeff regards the money for a moment. “What is it that she ordered?”
“Something about the ‘last meal for the sky’ or something.” Patty huffs, "Should we just kick her out? She seemed pretty confident that someone here could make whatever that is.”
“No.” Zeff says absolutely, “Spread the word to the other chefs, make whatever it is you think it might be for now and let her eat till she’s done. I'll visit her table later but if she isn’t causing problems there’s no reason to kick her out.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Oh one last thing.” Patty pauses, "Don't let Sanji know about the challenge, I’ll keep him on kitchen duty or send him on a supply run.”
“May I ask why boss?”
“He’s an annoying little shit and I’m making it his punishment.”
“Of course sir!”
Patty couldn’t help it grin as he spread what Zeff told him. He quickly checks on his tables before standing before his cook station.
“Now… what would the ‘sky’ want to eat?” He says to himself, “Something… light?”
Zeff huffs. It’s a good thing he sent the brat on the supply run, his entire kitchen was in a tizzy about the challenge the guest issued.
The hobbled to her table, freezing for just a moment before pulling out a chair to sit himself and refilling her wine.
“You must be the owner.” She greets, hardly surprised he’s there. “What a fine establishment you have, the food has just been lovely so far.”
“Hmpt. What’s your game here lady.” Zeff huff taking a seat, “You have my staff clamoring about trying to figure out your riddle.”
“It’s no riddle, Mr. Owner.” She tells him, “And there is no game. Simply a request.”
“And if this request isn’t filled?” Zeff knows what this is, he narrows his eyes at her. “What will you do?”
“Nothing.” Was her answer, “I am not here to cause trouble. I am simply here because I had extra time to waste. I am not expected to be anywhere for a few days.”
“And if someone here does manage to make what you want?”
“Then I will be happy and satisfied, and leave without incident still.”
Zeff regarded her moment, taking her in. If he was anyone else he’d pass her off as just another normal person, but he knows better. This was someone who was a trained killer and a strong one at that. While her hair stood out it was her face that caught his attention. A very familiar face with nearly matching brows, even though they swirl the opposite way.
If she wanted to fight Zeff doubts he could take her…
“Why pick this restaurant?”
“I’ve heard nothing but good things.” She admits, looking almost proud, if not a bit sad, “I wanted to check things out, see if your establishment lives up to the rumors.”
She had a strange way of speaking, at least to him she did. Saying things that could be left open for interpretation…
“Is there a problem?” She questioned almost innocently, “I was sure I paid enough, but if I didn’t, I have more money on me.”
“No, you are fine on that front.” Zeff tells her with a sigh, “I can’t promise that you will find what you are looking for here.”
“I am not looking for anything.” She says, “Just checking is all, it’s what she would want…”
“Hmm…” Zeff stands to leave, refilling her wine once again, "I hope you are enjoying your meals, miss. I don’t tolerate wasted food, let your server know when you are finished.”
“Of course.”
Zeff walks away with little to no questions answers but rather a knowing feeling that despite the disadvantages he’s have in fighting her, she’s here with no ill intentions.
Too bad she’ll have to wait for two days before the little Eggplant is back.
At least she clears her plates. She must have done her research first.”
The next day she was offered a private dining room after a fight took place in the main dining room. She declined, thankful for the show. Just as she did before, she sat there all day, enjoying various wines and meals the chefs prepared for her, never complaining. Leaving only when they close for the night.
The day after was much the same when Sanji returned. Zeff lifted the secrecy around the challenge, not that it would matter with how much the rest of the lot was talking about it
“What if we are thinking about this all wrong.” Carne suggested, “What if it's not a meal, what if it’s a dessert?”
“We tried dessert already.” Patty comments as they flip through the recipe book, “She said they were good but not what she’s looking for.”
“What’s going on?” Sanji asks as he starts putting away the supplies, “What are they freaking out about?”
“We have a guest issue a particular challenge.” Zeff tells him, with a knowing grin, “Everyone has been stumped on it so far.”
“Even you?”
“I’m not bothering, I could care less about it.” Zeff tells him, slamming his peg leg against the brat, “I already know that whatever I make her would be wrong I don’t need to test my skill to know that!”
“What the hell you old fart!” Sanji seethed, “So what? We just keep making stuff until she leaves?!”
“Like you can figure it out!” Patty challenges, arms crossed, “We have been working on it for two days and had no luck!”
“Oh yeah?” Sanji challenges back, “Tell me what it is, I can probably figure it out faster than you two can!”
“Yeah right!” Carne banters back, “as if you know what the last thing made for the sky was!”
“The what?!”
“See!” The others didn’t seem to know Sanji freeze, looking startled a bit. “That’s the challenge, make ‘the last thing made for the sky’ or something.”
“And this person is still here?”
“Yeah, Table ten.” Patty answers, “We already tried asking questions about the meal but it seems like even she doesn’t know what it is at this point.”
“Tch.” Sanji grabbed his hair, looking upset, “I’ll be right back.”
The other may not have noticed it but Zeff did, the little trembling of his voice and hands…
“Wait no!” Patty tried to stop him, “Ah oh well, not like it will be free, she over paid us anyways.”
“You are fools.” Zeff tells them, following Sanji out with them in tow, “There’s more to this than the challenge.”
Zeff watched as the blonde approached the pink-haired woman…
“What are you doing here?” He questions, trying to maintain his composure. “And are you expecting others tonight?”
“He’s not flirting with her?” Patty noted quietly as the ‘spied’ on them, “Does he know her?”
“No idea…”
“No, I am by myself.” She tell him, keeping her hands out on the table, relaxed, “I heard nothing but good things… I wanted to see them for myself.”
“And what about your… obligations?”
“I have another day to spare before I need to leave.” She answered him, “I’m not expected back just yet after all.”
That must have meant something to Sanji as he left out a small snort of a chuckle.
“Is that what this is?”
“I was told where to go, what to do, and when to come back.” She smiled at him, “Nothing about how I got there or to come back as soon as I was done.”
“Heh.” Sanji relaxed a bit, still maintaining his professionalism. “Are you sure you know what you are asking for?”
“No… But it’s what I want.”
“Fine… Such a waste however.” Sanji says with a sigh, "I'll bring something else out with it as well.”
“Whatever you wish.”
Sanji turned back to the kitchen, frowning at them watching.
“Nosy bastards!” He called them, “Can you escort her to a private room please, and bring her a bottle of white from North Blue.”
“Do it yourself!” Patty shoves him away, “Why don’t you tell us you know her!”
“Yeah, no fair!” Carne berates just as made, “We’ve been slaving away for the last two days trying to appease your girlfriend!”
“What?! Ew no.” Sanji says after stopping dead in his tracks, shocking them, “Never call her that again.”
Sanji left them there, mouths gaping at his dismissal of a very beautiful woman before the caught back up.
“So… she’s available?”
“You flirt with her, you die!” Sanji snarls, kicking both of them, “She’ll kill you before I even have the chance too!”
“You two really are fools.” Zeff laughs at their confusion, “You guys go do what he says, it’s none of your businesses anyways.”
“Man, I can’t believe I’m making this…” Zeff heard Sanji mutter as he selected his ingredients, “Such a waste… Do I even still remember what I did to it…?”
“What is it?”
“Chicken Broth Rice Pilaf.”
“A nutritious but simple meal…”
“Yeah, but I’m going to have to absolutely butcher it and make it ruined.”
Zeff took note that the Eggplant was selected both the best of the the best, and the worse of the worse ingredients.
“How come?”
“It… was the first thing I ever made… and I might have dropped it a few times on the way to its recipient…” Zeff chose not to comment on the sorrow in the boy’s tone. “It was so bad…”
“Do they enjoy it?”
“No… but they told me they did.” Sanji grew a small smile, “Ate every bite and told me they loved it…”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
“Yes.”
Zeff watched as Sanji cooked two dishes, the exact same dish, one handled with care and skill. It looked near perfect, but Zeff standards, of high quality and presumably taste. The other, burnt, dropped, drowned and mangled in every way they could think of… It wasn’t even fit to give to the trash…
“Are you sure about this?” Zeff has to ask and he plated both dishes, “That might actually kill someone…”
“It’s fine Shitty Geezer!” Sanji tells him, frowning at the mister he made. “… It’s what I last made for the sky…”
“Very well…”
Zeff hobbled behind Sanji as he took the plate to the private room Patry and Carne took their guest.
“Let's see it, Sanji.” Patty mock’s in good nature as Sanji slides the covered try over to her “Can’t wait for you to be wrong as well!”
Sanji didn’t remark. No, to their shock he took a seat before laying his head down. He looked completely vulnerable as the lady just smiles sadly and uncovered the dish of horror.
“What the hell is that!”
“Yeesh, at least we know why he wanted the private room now!”
“Shut up you two!” Zeff kicks them, “Don’t you have better things to be doing!”
“No, it’s the slow period!”
“Seriously ma’am, you don’t need to eat that-“
The warning fell to deaf ears as the pink-haired lady started eating. Zeff still kicked the two out before they could ruin more of the moment. Before long every last bite was gone.
“It was wonderful, just what I wanted, thank you.” She says, wiping her mouth gracefully, “Now, what else did you make me?”
“The results of the choices made…” Sanji mumbles out in riddles, “Hope it’s to your taste…”
She revealed the other, more appetizing version of the dish. Her eyes lit up at the mere sight and like before consumed every bite of it.
“It was wonderful, Sanji…” she started crying, getting up to crouched next to the blonde, “She would be proud of you…”
“I… I know…”
“You look just like her, you know…” she told him, making moves to comfort him, “I’m glad I took this opportunity to check on you, just like back then…”
“Heh.” A watery laugh escaped the kid, “Yeah… it’s nice to see you as well…”
Zeff stayed quiet, guarding the door, knowing the two other idiots were meandering outside trying to snoop and get back in.
“…”
“…”
Well this was the tensest and most awkward reunion he’s seen…
“You look like her too…” Sanji says, sitting back up “How was it really?”
“It was truly awful.” Their guest said bluntly, “But I’m glad I got to taste it regardless.”
“And?”
“You certainly have come a long way!” She smiled at him, “I think I made the right choice back then.”
Just like that the tedious light mood dropped.
“… Do you have to go back?”
“Yes, I can’t disobey. Plus he cares about me enough to hunt me down, or send the others...”
“Right…”
“Don’t worry, I am keeping an eye on them, like how she would have wanted.”
“That’s one way of looking at it, as long as you are okay with it.”
Zeff knew they were talking vaguely, probably for his sake. He didn’t mind. The Eggplant was allowed his personal secret.
“Who’s this?” She looks at him over the brat’s shoulder, “I assume you trust him since you haven’t kicked him out.”
“Yeah right.” Sanji snarked with no bite, “I guess… you can call him the Old Geezer who took me in.”
“Hmmpt.” Zeff decided against kicking him as he hobbled forward, “Brat! Introduced me better than that to this lovely lady!”
He didn’t bow to her, no he wasn’t that eloquent, but he did offer a hand to her.
“I’m Zeff, the man who runs this place.” He says facing her fully, “We ended up stuck with each other.”
“That’s one way to put it.” Sanji huffs, lighting a cigarette, “and putting it lightly.”
“Thank you for taking care of him.” She bows, “I won’t offer my name, for Sanji’s sake.”
“I won’t ask questions, I’ve been on the seas long enough to understand what this is.” Zeff admits gruffly, “He’s a brat, but he’s also my Sous Chef, this place would be what it is without him… even with his disregard for oregano.”
“Why you…”
Their guest started laughing at them, in good nature of course.”
“I’m glad, it seems like you found a good place to belong, Sanji.”
“Um…”
“I’ll leave you two alone.” Zeff told them, “Make your way back in time for the dinner rush.”
“Actually, if you don’t mind.” The pink-haired woman speaks up, “I wouldn’t like to watch Sanji cook. I promise not to get in the way. I am not much of a cook myself.”
“Hmm.” Zeff had to think about it, it would be nice to have Sanji’s help during prep, and she is definitely capable of taking care of herself if any of the other chefs get too rowdy. “I don’t mind but I’ll warn ya, these louts I employ aren't the most civil of people.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
Zeff barked a laugh at the same matter of fact tone the two of them used. It was no question what these two’s relationship was to the Head Chef.
“Very well.” Zeff lets her follow, "But I don't want to hear any complaints missy.”
“Naturally.”
“Uh… Chef?”
“What!”
“Why is this lady in the kitchen?”
Zeff looked over to where their guest was sitting in the corner, watching them all with a quiet and small smile.
“Don’t worry about it!” Zeff kicks him, “Get your ass moving! We have orders to fulfill!”
“Ah! Yes sir!”
Zeff was a little impressed. Her presence kept most of his chefs in line just from the sheer unexpectedness of her being there, but the few men who have tried their luck… Well let’s just say they have some new bruises resulting in her kicks.
They all quickly learned to leave her alone.
She didn’t bat an eye at their brutishness either. The cursing, the yelling, the fighting, she wasn’t phased by it at all.
After all, it’s if her attention was on Sanji. She watched the brat earnestly, as if soaking up every moment and movement he did. Sanji himself was adding subtle flares to his cooking, showing off a bit but not giving her the same attention.
Soon enough the dinner rush is over and they spend the time after cleaning for close while finishing up service for a few strangling customers they haven’t managed to chase away yet. Only Sanji was still making something.
Zeff was too busy to see exactly what it was but based on the ingredients it was a dessert of some kind.
He left Sanji to do inventory, and have some actual alone time with his obvious sister, while he went to calculate the expenses and earning of the day after everyone else had also left the kitchens for the night.
The former pirate turn chef never questioned where the kid came from. Lots of people sail the seas for many many reasons and it was obvious that Sanji was running from something hidden in his past. The one time he had asked anything it was about his parents, which was met with an ‘none of your business you old fart!’ In a tone of mixed emotions. So he just assumed, like a lot of people, that his family was dead, or at least, dead to him.
But still…
He’s not sure how much longer he could hide out in the office… Maybe they were done?
Zeff leans against the wall, the door to his office cracked as he listens for sounds in the kitchen.
…
“You didn’t have to do this, you know.”
“I know, but I wanted to.”
Sounds like they were still talking.
“May I ask, why make me two?”
“One is for your trip back, so you can enjoy it.” He heard Sanji say as the click of his light sounded. “The other… I can guess what day you’re supposed to return by…”
“I see…”
“Don’t read too much into it, I could honestly care less but… I feel like it’s only fair.”
“I suppose…” his sister lets out a humorless laugh. “You are too kind, you know… she always loved that the most about you.”
“I know…” Zeff would barely hear the reply, “That’s why I made it… not for them… for her…”
“I promise I won’t say anything about who made it and where it came from.” The woman told him softly, “I won’t give them a reason to bother you…”
“I know.”
Zeff wagered a peek, watching as she went to brush the Brat’s hair away only to be met with a flinch, making her retract her hand.
…
…
The mood fell awkward after that…
“Sorry…” he heard Sanji mutter, “It’s not your fault…”
“I may not be the cause but I still hold fault…” was her answer, “I’m happy you found a place for yourself.”
“Thanks to you…”
…
…
We’re they finished? They both just stood there awkwardly, the dessert boxes sitting on the counter next to them.
The brat scratched at his head, a nervous habit he’s always had, but he caught the pink-hair girl off guard with a hug.
“I hope to never see you again.”
That wasn’t what he was expecting to be said, but given how his sister just smiled and return the hug, there was a deeper meaning to it.
“Same to you…”
“I’ll walk you out, I know you are planning to leave right away.”
“Oh? Am I that predictable?”
“You? No.” Sanji’s voice started to fade as they walked away, “But it’s probably what I would do…”
Zeff waited a bit longer before leaving, no doubt the brat probably knew he was ease-dropping but he can deal with it. Better him than Patty or Carne. The next day their guest was nowhere to be seen. When questioned about it Sanji just went.
“I don’t know who you are talking about?”
And that’s how it was for a couple of days, after a few weeks the whole ordeal was mostly forgotten. Except for Zeff, when one day he notices Sanji disappearing during a slow period, a slice of strawberry cheesecake in hand on the second day of the third month.