Sanji's Dream

The next day, at the Sea Restaurant Baratie.

The shadow of the Krieg Pirates had faded, and the Great Sea had returned to its former azure calm.

Seagulls circled above the mast, their cries sharp and clear.

Yet the Merry's departure had been delayed again and again.

In the restaurant's spacious lounge, Ronan, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp sat around in boredom.

Usopp lay sprawled across the table, poking at the ice in his drink with a finger as he sighed.

"When are we finally setting sail? Is that cook really going to come with us?"

Leaning against the window, Ronan watched the sparkling sea outside, a confident smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Don't rush. Once Luffy gets Sanji on board, we can set sail.

Some knots need a few 'special' methods to untangle."

Baratie rooftop.

The sea wind howled, making the hems of their clothes snap loudly.

Sanji leaned over the white wooden railing, a lit cigarette held between his fingers.

Through the curling smoke, his eyes held a deep longing, yet it was suppressed beneath an even heavier sense of responsibility.

"I can't leave..."

Sanji gazed toward the distant horizon where sea met sky, his voice low and hoarse.

"None of the guys here are dependable. If I leave, what'll that old man do..."

"But someday, I'll go too! To the Grand Line."

Beside him, Luffy sat cross-legged on the railing, holding down his Straw Hat with an excited expression that seemed to take it for granted.

"Then go now! If you want to go, why wait?"

"It's not time yet!" Sanji irritably crushed out his cigarette.

He suddenly turned his head. It was as though two flames burned in those deep eyes as he looked at Luffy, his tone becoming unusually solemn.

"Say, do you know about All Blue?"

Luffy tilted his head, utterly confused. "All Blue? What's that? Is it tasty?"

"What? You don't know? It's the sea of miracles!"

At the mention of those words, Sanji seemed to become a different person.

"In that sea, all the fish from the East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, and South Blue—the four Sea Areas—come together!"

Sanji gestured through the air as if that dreamlike ocean stood right before him.

"To us cooks, it's practically heaven! A Paradise of dreams!"

"It's somewhere on the Grand Line! So, isn't that amazing?"

Luffy watched the animated Sanji. Though he did not understand the names of all those fish, he understood that look in his eyes—

It was exactly the same look Luffy had when he talked about becoming the Pirate King.

And at the highest point above their heads, beneath the shadow of the enormous fish-fin-shaped roof,

"Red Leg" Zeff stood with his arms folded, silently listening to the grand words of that "foolish son" below.

The sea wind stirred his braided beard. On his usually stern, hardened face was an exceptionally complicated smile.

"Look how happy he is... What an idiot."

Lunchtime, restaurant dining hall.

A bell rang. It was time for the cooks to eat.

"Want to eat together?" Sanji returned to his usual self and called out to Luffy.

"Can I? More delicious food!" Luffy immediately followed him.

Yet when he entered the dining hall, the atmosphere was strangely quiet.

All the cooks sat around a long table. The instant they saw Sanji enter, the previously boisterous voices fell silent.

Every one of them wore a stony face, as though Sanji owed them millions of Belly.

"Hey, where are we sitting?" Sanji asked casually, not noticing anything strange.

A cook chewing on bread did not even look up as he coldly said, "There are no seats for you."

Another cook directly pointed to the floor. "If you want to eat, eat on the ground."

Sanji froze, his brows immediately knitting together. "No seat for me? What kind of joke is that? How is that possible?!"

Just then, Patty stood up. He was usually the one who clashed with Sanji the most, but he also loved arguing with him the most.

He walked to the soup pot, filled a bowl, and took a sip.

"Pfft—!!"

Patty exaggeratedly sprayed the soup from his mouth, then shouted in disgust, "Who made this morning's soup?!"

Sanji immediately waved and shouted, "Me, me! It's good, right? I got up early today and used the best ingredients to make this extra-delicious specialty!"

"Delicious?"

Patty slammed the bowl heavily onto the table, spat twice, and wiped his mouth. "Who could drink something this disgusting? It's pig slop!"

"What did you say?!"

Veins bulged on Sanji's forehead. He rushed up to Patty in a few strides and roared,

"Human food isn't to your taste?! You tasteless gorilla!"

Patty refused to back down, glaring with bull-like eyes as he roared back, "Making something this awful is an art form, isn't it?! I'm about to throw up!!"

Sanji trembled with rage. He advanced on Patty step by step, his gaze icy.

"Sorry, but today's soup is one of my specialties. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it! Maybe there's something wrong with your rotten tongue!"

But to his surprise, the other cooks around them put down their spoons and began chiming in as well.

"It really is disgusting!"

"I can't drink it anymore! This isn't fit for humans!"

"Too salty! It's like drinking seawater!"

"This soup is awful. Just throw it out!"

The criticism came flooding in like a tide.

The companions who usually argued but still got along now all looked vicious, as though Sanji had committed some unforgivable atrocity.

Standing in the middle of the hall, Sanji looked around, his eyes full of disbelief and fury.

"You... What the hell do you all want?!"

Patty sneered, finally showing his hand. "You're just a fake assistant head chef anyway. You're nothing but an old bird who has been freeloading here! We've had enough of you!"

"What did you say?!!"

Just as Sanji stood on the brink of exploding, an imposing figure approached.

Zeff held a bowl of soup and drank a mouthful without expression.

Then—

"Smash—!!"

Without changing his expression, Zeff violently hurled the empty bowl to the floor, sending fragments flying everywhere.

"What is this mud-tasting swill?!"

Zeff's voice was cold enough to cut, carrying not a trace of emotion.

"If we served something like this to customers, this restaurant would go out of business!!"

Those words completely shattered Sanji's defenses.

He could endure Patty's mockery. He could endure the other cooks excluding him. But he could not endure Zeff denying his cooking—cooking Zeff had taught him!

"Don't screw with me, old man!"

Sanji lunged forward and seized Zeff's collar in a death grip. His eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse.

"How is this any different from the soup you make?! It tastes exactly the same!!"