"Hey! Who the hell made the soup this morning!?"
The moment Sanji pushed open the wooden door to the restaurant kitchen, he saw Patty storming around with a tray in hand, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Hearing his name called out, Sanji perked up immediately.
After all, the soup today was his masterpiece, the peak of his recent culinary work.
Being praised by everyone was something he had already expected!
He grinned, brushing the bangs from his face, and proudly replied:
"...Ha! That was me!"
"So? Delicious, right?"
"This time I made sure the beef was, "
BANG!
Before Sanji could finish, Patty suddenly threw the tray down in front of him.
The plate shattered, soup spilling across the floor in a steaming puddle that seeped between the floorboards.
Patty's arm was still raised in midair, his eyes bulging in fury as he roared,
"This garbage!? You call this food!? Are you feeding pigs, you idiot!?"
"You...!"
Sanji's smile vanished instantly, his face darkening.
He glared at Patty, his long-time rival in the kitchen, with a storm brewing in his eyes.
For a brief moment, his anger nearly burst forth, but he forced it down, slid his hands into his pockets, and spat,
"Hey, you big dumb ox."
"Maybe human food's just too refined for your tongue!"
"Tch!"
Patty sneered right back.
"Making food this bad is a talent in itself!"
"You're a walking disaster for the culinary world! This stuff isn't food, it's art!"
"Yeah, art so horrible it should be displayed around the world as a warning to every chef!"
Patty's words hit like a barrage of cannonballs.
Sanji was left speechless, trembling with fury as he pointed a shaking finger at him.
"That's impossible!!!"
"Today's soup was my best work!"
"I—"
PTOO!
"Ugh—!"
The sudden sound came from the dining tables. Several chefs who had already tasted the soup began gagging and spitting it out violently.
One after another, bowls of soup hit the floor.
CLANG! CRASH!
"Ptooey! What the hell is this!?"
"This crap's inedible!"
"Dump it out before it ruins the rest of the food!"
Sanji froze. His fists clenched as his vision blurred.
Why... why is everyone acting like this...!?
He looked down at the ruined soup spreading across the floor, his pride, his effort, mocked and rejected.
BANG!
Another bowl shattered.
Then came the rasp of an old, familiar voice.
"Ptooey! Who made this sludge!? If we served this to customers, the restaurant would go under!"
"Boss!"
"Boss!"
All the chefs straightened instantly.
Sanji turned and saw Zeff entering.
"Old man!!!"
Blinded by rage, Sanji stormed up, grabbed Zeff by the front of his chef's coat, and shouted inches from his face:
"Quit screwing around, old geezer!!!"
"Tell me! What's so different between your soup and mine, huh!? Huh!?"
"My soup?"
Zeff's eyes narrowed.
"Don't compare my art with your trash, brat!!!"
THUD!
Before Sanji could react, Zeff grabbed his arm and, with a swift motion, threw him hard over his shoulder.
BAM!
Sanji hit the floor, completely stunned.
"You're a hundred years too early to talk about cooking with me!" Zeff snapped, glaring down at him.
"Damn... it..."
Why does it feel like the whole world's turned against me...?
Struggling to rise, Sanji wiped his tears, tears that refused to stop falling.
"Damn it all!!!"
He screamed to the ceiling, voice cracking, then bolted for the door.
SLAM!
The kitchen fell silent.
Moments later, the opposite door creaked open.
Luffy and Zoro stepped inside.
Zeff's hands trembled. His eyes glistened with emotion as he looked at Luffy, and finally, he couldn't hold back anymore.
He dropped to his knees with a thud, pressing his palms to the floor and bowing deeply.
"Sir! Now Sanji can finally leave here with peace of mind… to follow you into a greater world!"
"Eh!? No, no, don't do that!"
Startled, Luffy quickly reached down and pulled Zeff up, though Zeff resisted for a bit, he was no match for Luffy's strength.
Zeff sighed, still bowing his head respectfully.
"Sir, that child Sanji… he's always been different. Please, I beg you, take good care of him."
"Sometimes he's stubborn, rebellious... and doesn't listen to reason, but please, don't hold it against him..."
Zeff sounded like a father sending his son off to school, his voice trembling with emotion.
"Alright, alright, Chef Zeff!"
Luffy quickly interrupted, grinning.
Once Zeff quieted down, Luffy's expression turned firm.
"First of all, don't be so formal with me."
"If Sanji joins the Starry Sky Pirates, that means we're family!"
"And family looks after one another."
His grin faded, replaced by a calm seriousness.
"But let's be clear, Sanji isn't joining because of your request."
"He's joining because he has something we value."
"Potential. Dreams. Conviction. Gratitude..."
"And the will to sacrifice."
"So don't think joining us makes him any lesser."
"His name will shine alongside the 'Starry', at the very top of this world."
Zeff fell silent.
For some reason, Luffy's blunt words eased the tension in his chest.
Maybe I've been worrying for nothing, he thought quietly.
Then Luffy smiled again.
"Of course, his cooking's a huge plus too!"
"Hahahahahahaha!"
The laughter broke through the lingering sadness in the air.
Zoro raised a bowl of the very soup everyone had spat out earlier, and downed it in one gulp.
"Not bad at all!" he said with a grin.
That single comment was enough to spark a wave of laughter.
"You bet! Sanji's the best chef among us!"
"Wait, isn't Zeff the best?"
"Haha! What's it matter? The boss doesn't mind, right, Chef Zeff?"
"Half your pay's gone this month."
"Waaah! I'm sorry, boss!"
The kitchen filled with warm laughter, the bittersweet air melting away as everyone found comfort in joy.
========
Outside the door, Sanji sat with his knees drawn up, pressing his head against the wall.
A trembling whisper escaped his lips.
"Bunch of idiots..."
His voice cracked.
"I... I heard everything..."
The tears soaking through his suit jacket said the rest.
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