Chapter 56: Terrible Soup! Terrible Acting
Night.
The sea breeze had dispersed the gunpowder and the smell of blood; the Baratie was once again filled with the aroma of food and the lively bustle of a crowd.
Although it had gone through a great battle and the restaurant had become quite battered...
A grand victory banquet was being held on the deck to celebrate their survival and to thank Luffy and his crew.
"So good!! This meat is delicious!!"
Luffy clutched meat-on-the-bone in both hands, his cheeks stuffed like a hamster's.
As he chewed frantically, he turned to Sanji beside him and went into broken-record mode, speaking indistinctly:
"Hey! Cook! Your food is amazing! Become my comrade!!"
Gulp.
Sanji sat on the railing, holding a glass of red wine and looking out at the distant sea, his expression somewhat dazed.
He exhaled a smoke ring; though his gaze wavered slightly, he still forced himself to refuse:
"Shut up, Straw Hat. I told you, I have a reason why I must stay here."
"The old man lost that leg because of me... I won't leave until I've repaid my debt to this shop."
"And besides..."
Sanji paused, a flicker of longing for his dream flashing in his eyes before quickly fading away.
"Finding the All Blue or whatever—that's just a stupid dream."
"A miracle sea like that, filled with ingredients from every ocean in the world... how could it possibly exist? I'm not an idiot like you!"
"It does exist."
A leisurely voice chimed in.
Tatsuya sat in a nearby chair, elegantly holding a cup of black tea and gently blowing on the steam.
"In this world, nothing is absolutely non-existent."
Tatsuya set down his teacup. His black eyes instantly transformed into the crimson Sharingan as he gave Sanji a slight glare.
Hum!
Sanji's vision suddenly blurred.
In the next second, the originally monotonous sea surface vanished.
In its place was a colorful, bizarre, and fantastical ocean.
Transparent flying fish with wings, giant sea turtles with fruit on their backs, deep-sea schools of fish radiating rainbow light...
Countless strange ingredients he had never heard of or seen before swam before his eyes, appearing almost within reach.
"This... this is?!"
The wine glass in Sanji's hand nearly dropped; his eyes widened, and his breathing grew ragged.
His instincts as a chef made him feel an intense craving for these ingredients.
"This is just a corner of the Grand Line."
Tatsuya snapped his fingers, the illusion shattered instantly, and Sanji returned to reality.
Tatsuya looked at the soul-shaken Sanji with a smile and added the finishing blow:
"What? Are you satisfied with just this? Spending your whole life in this tiny East Sea, looking after a one-legged old man—is that your so-called 'Way of the Chef'?"
"If you don't dare to go and confirm whether that dream is real, then it will always just be a dream."
Sanji gritted his teeth, the cigarette in his hand being squeezed out of shape.
"But..."
"No more buts, Sanji-kun!"
At that moment, Usopp leaned in, his mouth covered in grease.
"It's super fun on our ship! Not only is there a brave warrior of the sea like me, but there's also a world-class beauty for a Navigator!"
"A beauty?!" Sanji's ears instantly perked up.
"That's right!" Usopp gestured wildly, putting his first-rate bragging skills to work:
"Nami-san has the face of an angel and the body of a devil!"
"She's gentle and considerate, practically the goddess of the sea! If you don't come, it'll be your huge loss!"
"Nami-san~~~?"
Sanji's eyes instantly turned into hearts, and his body twisted like a noodle; his previous hesitation and solemnity vanished into thin air.
"Tch, perverted kappa."
Zoro, standing nearby, curled his lip and took a large gulp of strong liquor, looking disdainful.
Hearing Usopp's description of Nami, Tatsuya, who was drinking tea, couldn't help but have the corner of his mouth twitch violently.
Gentle and considerate?
And besides...
Hearing another man praise that Little Thief Cat so brazenly made an inexplicable surge of annoyance rise in Tatsuya's heart.
"Hey, Usopp."
Tatsuya set down his teacup and looked at Usopp with a smile. "Can't even food shut your mouth?"
"Since you have so much energy, I'll leave the heavy lifting of finding Nami later to you."
"Eh?!" Usopp was stunned.
...
Late at night.
The noise faded, and the Baratie regained its tranquility.
Inside the kitchen, under a dim light.
Sanji was holding a rag, wiping the already gleaming stove over and over again.
His movements were mechanical and repetitive, but his eyes were fixed on the pitch-black sea outside the window, lost in thought.
"Still hesitating... that brat."
In the shadows of the second floor, Zeff leaned on his wooden leg, quietly watching the scene.
In his sharp, old eyes, a flicker of complex emotion flashed.
It was reluctance, relief, and also determination.
"Hmph! Since you won't take that step yourself... then I'll give you a push."
Zeff turned around and beckoned to Patty, Carne, and the others who had been waiting in the darkness behind him for a long time.
"Hey, you lot, come here."
"Boss?" Patty and Carne leaned in, looking confused.
Zeff lowered his voice, his tone serious:
"Listen carefully. Starting tomorrow, we're going to execute a plan..."
...
The next day at noon.
As usual, the restaurant welcomed the peak lunch period.
"That old geezer's appetite seems a bit poor these past few days..."
Sanji carried an exquisite tray, upon which sat a bowl of steaming, fragrant seafood chowder.
He had specifically woken up early and spent several hours carefully simmering it; both the timing and the seasoning were perfect.
"Hmph, after drinking this soup, let's see what else you have to say."
Though Sanji spoke with his usual tsundere attitude, there was a smile in the corners of his eyes.
He pushed open the door to the head chef's office and placed the soup in front of Zeff.
"Old man, time to eat. This is today's special chowder."
Zeff sat behind the desk, his face beneath that tall chef's hat terrifyingly gloomy.
He didn't even look at Sanji as he picked up a spoon and took a sip of the soup.
"..."
In the next second.
Smash!!
Zeff suddenly swung his arm, violently throwing the carefully prepared bowl of soup onto the floor.
The porcelain bowl shattered, and the golden soup splashed everywhere, emitting thick steam.
Sanji froze, looking at the mess on the floor in disbelief.
"You... what are you doing! You damn old man!!"
"It's disgusting!!"
Zeff stood up abruptly, veins bulging on his forehead. He pointed at the soup on the floor and let out a thunderous roar:
"Is this what you made?! It's like pig slop! It's so foul it makes me want to vomit!!"
"Wh... what?!"
Sanji's eyes widened, a surge of rage instantly rushing to his head.
As a chef, insulting his cooking was harder to accept than insulting his character.
"Are you crazy?! I tasted this countless times before bringing it up!! How could it be disgusting!!"
Sanji crouched down, ignoring the mess, and used his finger to dip into a bit of the spilled soup to taste it.
The flavor was rich and incredibly fresh.
It was clearly perfect!
"Are you just looking for trouble?! You old geezer!" Sanji stood up and grabbed Zeff by the collar, roaring.
"Looking for trouble? Hmph!"
Zeff shoved Sanji away and looked at him coldly:
"You've regressed! Sanji!"
"Lately, your heart hasn't been in your cooking at all! Something made with such hesitation and uncertainty is an insult to the customers!"
Just then, Patty, Carne, and the others also rushed in from outside.
"Oh boy, I told you so. This kid's skill has been dropping like a rock lately."
Patty crossed his arms, an exaggeratedly mocking smile on his face as he said sarcastically:
"The stuff he makes is getting worse and worse; the customers are all complaining!"
"Exactly!" Carne chimed in. Though his eyes were a bit shifty, his voice was very loud.
"Sanji, you should stop hanging around the kitchen. You're just in the way. Just get lost already!"
"You guys... what did you say?!"
Sanji looked at these companions, who were usually rowdy but harmonious, now all hurling verbal abuse at him.
"Are you looking for a fight?!"
"If you want a fight, you've got one! Who's afraid of you? You won't leave, yet you can't make anything good. You're just a burden!"
Patty shouted loudly, even giving Sanji a shove.
Carne's mouth couldn't help but twitch. Was Patty's acting really this realistic?
It felt like his true feelings were leaking out...
"You bastards!!"
Sanji completely exploded, getting into a scuffle with several of the chefs. The scene instantly became chaotic.
...
"Hey! What are you guys doing!!"
Luffy happened to be passing by and grew anxious upon seeing this.
"Sanji's cooking is clearly delicious! Why are you bullying him! Old man! You're going too far!"
Luffy rolled up his sleeves, about to rush in and speak up for Sanji.
Grab.
A hand suddenly reached out, grabbing Luffy by the back of his collar and yanking him back.
Immediately after, a palm covered Luffy's mouth as he was about to keep shouting.
"Mmph mmph?!" Luffy struggled and looked behind him.
Tatsuya leaned against the doorframe, a smiling expression on his face as if he were watching a good show.
"Shh—Luffy."
Tatsuya leaned into Luffy's ear and said softly:
"Don't go and disturb them. This isn't bullying."
"This is a clumsy play called 'Fatherly Love.' Let's just watch."
"Acting?" Luffy blinked and stopped struggling, looking completely bewildered.
Tatsuya didn't explain.
His eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, looked through the chaotic crowd at the old man standing in the center of the storm. Though the man's mouth was shouting the harshest words, his hands behind his back were trembling slightly.
And at those chefs who, despite shoving Sanji, already had reddened eyes.
"What clumsy acting..."
Tatsuya took a small sip of tea, the corner of his mouth curving into a gentle arc.
"That stupid bird should be back soon too..."
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