Side Story: Sanji's All Blue
Seven months after the collapse of the Red Line.
World nautical charts have been redrawn.
The four seas that were once Cut the Red Line have truly become one in the tide of the New Era.
They meet in a newly formed sea area, which countless newspapers have called -- ALL BLUE.
The first "All-Sea Banquet" of the New Era will be held here.
The day the news spread around the world, the entire culinary world was in an uproar.
Countless chefs came from all over the world.
Fishermen from all over the world sailed their boats, bringing ingredients they had never seen before from different seas.
This day.
A clear blue sky.
The sunlight fell on the sea like scattered gold.
The Going Merry (obtained after Usopp and Kaya got married) slowly sailed into the All Blue Sea.
Sanji stood at the bow of the ship.
He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and his golden hair was being blown about by the sea breeze.
But the hand holding the cigarette was trembling slightly.
Beneath the surface, countless schools of fish dart and weave.
Fish from different seas swim in the same body of water.
There are some fish that Sanji has only ever seen in old food guides.
Some of the fish were legends that Zeff casually mentioned when he talked about his dreams.
There were also some fish whose names he had never heard of, even though he was a chef who had seen countless ingredients.
But they are all here now.
Before his eyes.
Sanji stared blankly at the sea, not even noticing the ash falling on his fingertips from the half-burned cigarette.
Luffy lay on the bow of the ship, his eyes shining like stars.
"Wow--!"
"Sanji! There are so many fish here!"
"Can I eat it? Can I eat everything?"
Nami slapped his head. "If you dare jump down to steal food right now, I'll multiply your food expenses tenfold!"
Luffy immediately clutched his head. "Huh? Why are you taking my money?!"
Usopp, standing beside him with binoculars, was so excited his nose was practically pointing to the sky.
"Is this the legendary ALL BLUE? That's incredible!"
"Hey, hey, hey, isn't that fish over there bigger than the Going Merry?!"
Zoro stood in the center of the deck, holding his sword and frowning as he looked around.
"Didn't we arrive at the banquet venue? Where's the Kitchen?"
Sanji turned around and kicked him. "You Moss Head! You can get lost even standing on a ship?!"
Zoro was kicked into the mast, but he got up as if nothing had happened.
"I'm just confirming the route."
"Confirm my ass!"
A burst of laughter rang out on the deck.
Only Sanji couldn't laugh.
He slowly lowered his head, gazing at the dreamlike sea.
Back when he worked at the Baratie, he was a despised kid.
He was stranded on Deserted Island, so hungry that even survival became a luxury.
That old stinky man with a broken leg left all the food for him.
Later, he heard countless people mocking ALL BLUE.
They said it was the chef's fantasy.
They said it was just a kid's sleep talking.
They said that such a place could not possibly exist on this vast ocean.
But now.
It's right here.
As the wind blew by, Sanji muttered, "Old geezer."
"I found it."
Not far away.
Zeff sat on a wooden chair, arms crossed, his chef's hat swaying slightly in the sea breeze.
He still had a stern face, and his weathered face revealed little emotion.
He gave a cold snort, "Don't put on that pathetic act."
Sanji did not refute.
He simply stared at the sea, his voice very soft.
"Um."
"But..."
"I really found it."
Zeff fell silent.
After a long while, he also turned to look at the sea.
The fish surged and churned in the sunlight, the shimmering water reflecting in the old man's eyes.
Those eyes, once fierce, stern, and always cursing, now seemed to have softened a little by the sea breeze.
He didn't offer praise, but simply uttered a sentence:
"Um."
Let's cook.
Sanji paused for a moment.
The next second, he raised his hand and wiped his eyes hard, then turned and strode towards the Kitchen.
"You damn old man."
Do you even need to tell me this?
Before the All-Sea Banquet officially began, Sanji's Kitchen had already turned into Battlefield.
The Fish-Man Race chef delivered a rare deep-sea fish. "This is the Blue Crystal Sea Bream, a treasured possession of the Fish-Man Island royal family. Its flesh develops seven different textures depending on the temperature."
Sanji.
Good ingredients.
The Giant Race laughed as they carried over a whole piece of sea monster meat.
"This is Giant-Horned Sea Beast from the waters near Elbaf! Is it enough for you little guys to eat?"
Luffy's mouth watered instantly.
"Meat--!"
Nami grabbed him by the back of his collar.
"The banquet hasn't even started yet!"
The next second, she turned to look at the guests queuing for their meals, her smile as bright as the sun.
"VIP seats at the All-Sea Banquet cost 100,000 Beli per person, regular seats cost 50,000 Beli, and children get half price!"
Usopp was shocked. "Nami, when did you start selling tickets?!"
Nami's eyes had turned into the shape of Beli's. "Ever since I discovered there were so many people here, it's impossible to count them all."
Meanwhile, Zoro reappeared at the Kitchen doorway for some unknown reason.
He frowned.
"Hey, Sanji, where's the sake?"
Sanji's forehead veins bulged.
Why did you come into the Kitchen through the back door?!
I used the main entrance.
That's the cold storage door!
"Bang!"
Zoro was kicked away again.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Luffy reached out his arm and secretly grabbed the freshly roasted sea monster meat.
"Smack!"
Sanji didn't even turn his head, and stepped on his hand.
Those who steal food won't get dinner.
Luffy froze instantly.
"Sanji--!"
"I'm the man who's going to eat all the flavors of ALL BLUE in the future!"
"Then get in line!"
Laughter erupted outside the Kitchen.
Just then, a figure slowly walked onto the deck.
Roy, wearing sunglasses and holding an iced drink, looked like he was there to watch the fun.
He glanced at the bustling banquet scene and couldn't help but chuckle, "It's quite lively."
Sanji came out carrying a plate of freshly cooked food.
It was a very simple pan-fried fish.
There was no extravagant plating, nor was there any piling up of expensive spices.
The fish was pan-fried until slightly golden brown, with just the right amount of caramelized aroma around the edges.
White steam rose slowly, carrying the freshest aromas of sea salt, butter, lemon, and the fish itself.
Sanji handed the plate to Roy.
This is the first one.
Roy raised an eyebrow.
"Give me?"
Sanji a cigarette and turned his head to the side.
"To that bastard who connected the world's oceans."
A moment of silence fell over the surroundings.
Nami stopped counting the money.
Usopp lowered his binoculars.
Luffy, unusually, didn't steal any food; he just grinned as he watched the scene unfold.
Roy looked at the dish and smiled.
Without saying much, he picked up his fork, cut off a piece of fish, and put it in his mouth.
The moment the fish touches your mouth, the umami flavor explodes like a tidal wave.
That's not the flavor of a single sea area.
It contains the gentleness of the East Blue.
It has the crisp, cool air of North Blue.
It has the vibrancy of the South Blue.
It has the weight and grandeur of the West Blue.
There are also the incredible things unique to the Grand Line.
Roy swallowed slowly, then nodded.
"It tastes good."
Sanji's forehead veins bulged instantly.
What do you mean by "not bad"?!
"This is ALL BLUE's first meal, you bastard!"
Roy took another bite, looking quite serious.
That would be excellent.
Sanji a flying kick.
"You jerk, you have no idea how to compliment someone!"
Roy Teleportation away, his laughter carried away by the sea breeze.
The banquet erupted completely at this moment.
Luffy, holding up a piece of meat, shouted, "The feast is here--!"
"Oh oh!!"
Countless people cheered.
People of different races, identities, and seas raise their glasses on the same ocean.
The aroma filled the entire ALL BLUE.
Sanji stood in front of the furnace, his movements so fast they almost left afterimages.
Fry, deep-fry, roast, stew, slice, season.
One dish after another was served from his hands.
Zeff sat not far away, watching him quietly.
Looking at that kid who once refused to give up his dream even with his face covered in blood, now standing in the center of the ocean that chefs all over the world dream of, cooking for the whole world.
The old man's lips twitched slightly, as if he were smiling.
Night.
The banquet gradually quieted down.
Starlight blanketed the sea.
Sanji sat alone on the deck, a cigarette dangling from his lips, gazing at the All Blue under the moonlight.
Sanji
The fish that were so lively during the day are still swimming on the surface of the sea, like countless silver shooting stars.
Footsteps came from behind.
Zeff walked over to him and tossed him a bottle of liquor.
Sanji caught it and was stunned for a moment.
"You old geezer, didn't you forbid me from drinking this cheap liquor?"
Zeff sat down and snorted coldly.
"Today is an exception."
Sanji smiled to himself and opened the bottle of sake.
The two simply sat side by side, gazing at the same sea.
After a long pause, Zeff finally whispered, "Well done."
Sanji paused slightly in the hand holding the cigarette.
He didn't look up, he just smiled very softly.
"You old geezer."
This is just the first dish.
Zeff glanced at him.
Sanji gazed at the starry sky and the sea, his eyes as bright as when he was a boy.
"From now on, I want the whole world to taste the flavor of ALL BLUE."
A sea breeze blows.
In the distance, Luffy was sleeping on the deck, clutching a piece of meat; Nami was holding an account book; Zoro was snoring against a barrel of sake; Usopp was still bragging in his dream that he was the commander-in-chief of the All-Sea Banquet.
Roy sat on the mast, gazing at the newly formed sea, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Sanji simply sat there quietly.
It felt like finally reaching the end of a dream.
It's like embarking on a new journey.
(PS: I've finally reached LV5 and can post a side story! Welcome everyone to check out my ongoing series: Pirate: The Strongest Lightning in History!)