The gentle sea breeze swept across the ocean, carrying the savory aroma of roasted meat from the deck into the sky.
Such a rare and enticing smell instantly drew a flock of seagulls circling overhead.
However, when they saw the group of chefs below, each wielding a cleaver or butcher's knife…
They merely circled the Baratie once, then quickly turned tail and fled into the distance.
After all…
Their lives were more important!
========
The night before, just as the moon had climbed into the center of the starry sky,
Sanji had quietly slipped into Luffy's cabin.
There, he happened to find Luffy and Zoro already waiting for him.
That night, the three of them, having finally broken past the unfamiliarity between them, talked for a long, long time under the moonlight.
Once Sanji let go of his guarded respect toward strong men, he found, unexpectedly, that he and Zoro got along surprisingly well.
Maybe it was because they both had lost family…
Maybe it was because they both longed for the future…
Whatever the reason, the three of them talked for hours.
The only part Luffy remembered clearly was Sanji's parting words:
"From now on, the chef of the Starry Sky Pirates… will be me!"
And then, the system chime that followed:
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained your seventh crew member. Please enter the Partner System to draw their exclusive item.]
========
The next morning, on the deck,
Though Luffy's group said they were "buying" supplies from Zeff, it was honestly more like a dowry that Zeff was sending off with Sanji.
Zeff gifted them a mountain of high-grade ingredients and several live species of rare East Blue fish.
Fortunately, the aquarium facility aboard the Going Merry possessed the mysterious ability to accelerate fish breeding and growth.
With just two of the same species, so long as they weren't both male, within a week the crew would have a thriving stock of these nearly endangered fish to feast on.
The aquarium even automatically managed population size.
If a species' numbers exceeded the "aesthetic limit" defined by the system, breeding would be halted until the balance was restored.
It was a perfect, self-sustaining ecosystem.
The only thing that made Luffy sigh in regret… was that Baratie didn't have any live poultry or livestock.
Otherwise, the Going Merry's ranch could have been put to good use as well.
========
Once all the provisions were packed, food in the cold storage, goods in the warehouse, Luffy felt satisfied.
Even if they somehow fell into an abyss and couldn't summon Laboon for transport, the Going Merry's stores alone could sustain them in feasting comfort for a full month!
Besides, their next stop was none other than Loguetown, the famous harbor city and final destination in the East Blue.
Compared to it, even the entire Goa Kingdom couldn't match its vibrant trade markets.
Once there, they could stock up on exotic foods and rare plant seeds, adding them to the Going Merry's ranch and garden.
Even if the world itself were destroyed, as long as they lived aboard the Going Merry, they would never lack food, clothing, or comfort again.
After everything was set, Luffy led his crew back aboard their "small body, big energy" Going Merry.
Sanji stepped slowly onto the gangplank.
He lifted his foot, just about to take his first step,
When a voice suddenly rang out behind him, freezing him in place.
"Oi! Sanji!"
From the second-floor balcony of the restaurant, Zeff stood looking down at the young man about to board the ship. His eyes carried a mix of pride, regret, and affection as he shouted:
"Don't catch a cold!!"
The chefs standing at the doorway turned at once.
They saw their boss, hands gripping the railing, staring down at the boy chasing his dream.
The tall chef's hat on Zeff's head fluttered gently in the sea breeze.
Sanji stopped, lowering the foot he'd raised. His shoulders trembled uncontrollably; both fists clenched tight at his sides.
There were words that, if left unsaid now, might never be said again in this lifetime.
Thud!
Sanji suddenly turned around and dropped to his knees!
"Old geezer!"
"Thank you… for everything all these years!"
"Your kindness, I'll never forget it!!"
Luffy stood on the deck of the Going Merry, grinning brightly.
"Crew!"
"Let's set sail!!!"
========
The sails rose high.
The ship slowly drifted away from Baratie's harbor, heading toward their final East Blue destination, Loguetown.
Sanji, stepping onto the Going Merry for the first time, gently placed his luggage on the deck's grassy patch. After glancing around to take in his new surroundings,
His legs blurred like twin spinning wheels as he suddenly appeared before Robin and Nami, eyes sparkling with hearts. Yet, keeping his manners intact, he bowed deeply.
"Miss Robin, Miss Nami! Do you require a meal at the moment?"
"No, thanks," Nami replied flatly. She didn't like this pervy, overly polite cook one bit.
She honestly couldn't understand why Luffy had agreed to let him join the crew.
In fact, Sanji's arrival made her realize that clumsy, careless Usopp wasn't nearly as annoying as she thought!
…Though, admittedly, Sanji's cooking was delicious.
Robin, meanwhile, only smiled faintly in response.
Without saying a word to Sanji, she turned and walked straight to Luffy's side.
"Luffy," she said softly, "let's go do that again, shall we?"
Two… indescribable, spherical "objects" pressed against Luffy's chest.
"Eh? Again? If we do it too much, it won't be fun anymore."
Luffy blinked, taken aback. He hadn't expected Robin to be so into this.
Seeing Luffy hesitate, Robin acted like a bashful girl, taking his arm with a shy smile.
"But… I want to…"
At that moment, Nami suddenly joined in, grabbing Luffy's other arm.
"Luffy~ Luffy~" she said playfully, batting her eyes. "I wanna do it too!"
"Alright, alright, you win!"
With two beautiful women tugging at him from both sides, Luffy gave up with a grin and called out:
"Usopp! Show Sanji around the Going Merry, will you?"
"Got it, Captain!" Usopp replied immediately.
Then Luffy was whisked away into the ship's interior by his two eager crewmates.
Zoro, meanwhile, turned toward Koby.
"Koby!"
"Yes, Zoro-sensei!"
"We've got to make up for the training we missed these last two days. Time for hell camp."
"Yes, Zoro-sensei!"
With that, the two muscle-brained warriors disappeared below deck as well.
========
Usopp stepped up and patted the slightly dazed Sanji on the back.
"Alright, rookie," he said solemnly. "As your senior, I've got two words of advice for you."
"The two women on this ship, you'd better be careful around them."
Leaning closer, as if afraid of being overheard, Usopp whispered:
"You saw Zoro fight the other day, right?"
Sanji nodded blankly. "Yeah…?"
Usopp cleared his throat, face turning serious.
"What I'm about to tell you, remember it well. Your survival on this ship depends on it."
Hearing the gravity in his tone, Sanji straightened up, fully attentive.
After all, this was the crew of a Warlord-level pirate, some strict rules were only natural.
"First off," Usopp said gravely, "the Number One Forbidden Person aboard this ship…"
"…is Robin!"
"What?!"
"Shh! Don't overreact." Usopp pressed a finger to his lips and continued in a low voice.
"Robin looks calm, gentle, and elegant, right? But listen, many of Luffy's decisions, and even other Captain matters aboard the ship, go through her first!"
"You saw what just happened, didn't you? With just a bit of charm, she got Luffy to do exactly what she wanted! That's how terrifying she is!"
"If you ever make her angry, and don't apologize immediately, what awaits you…"
"…is a nightmare beyond imagination!"
As he spoke, Usopp's eyes went wide, filled with pure terror.
He clearly remembered the time he and Koby accidentally tore one of Robin's dresses while goofing around.
Ever since that day, he'd felt something…
A pair of invisible hands always lurking behind him, ready to grab his throat, to cover his mouth,
Making him scream for help in vain.
If Luffy hadn't found out and intervened, who knows how long that horror would've lasted?!
The dramatic expression on Usopp's face completely spooked Sanji.
Though he doubted it could be that bad, he decided, for now, to heed the warning.
After finally recovering from the memory, Usopp cleared his throat again and continued:
"As for the Second Forbidden Person on this ship…"
"…that's Nami!"
His expression grew even more exaggerated.
"If making Robin mad still leaves a chance of survival…"
"…then making Nami mad means certain death!"
He shuddered, recalling the last time he'd offhandedly said, 'Nami, you missed a bit of potato skin.'
A second later, a sudden cyclone had appeared out of nowhere on the calm sea,
blasting him into the sky for a full five minutes!
When he finally came back down, he'd vomited until his insides ached.
It was a nightmare he never wanted to relive, and one he didn't wish upon anyone else either.
"So listen carefully," Usopp said gravely. "Nami's temper is unpredictable, completely unfathomable!"
"And the consequences of upsetting her? I promise you, they're not something you ever want to see!"
"So on this ship, just keep your head down. Speak less, listen more, work hard, and stay alert. Got it?"
Sanji, thoroughly confused but intimidated, nodded silently.
"Mm. A teachable lad," Usopp said, satisfied. "You'll be living here from now on, so take my words to heart."
Then, with a sudden shift in tone, his face darkened.
"But…"
"There is one way to make your life easier on this ship."
"What way?!" Sanji asked, curious.
Usopp leaned in close, his long nose brushing against Sanji's blond bangs, making him twitch slightly.
"Just call me 'Big Bro'…" he whispered, "and I'll teach you, "
"Achoo!!"
=============
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