Hi everyone, what do you think of the story so far? The book has over 300 chapters. If you'd like to download the complete book, it's available on my Ko-fi page. Here's the link: đ 𤊠ko-fi.com/winterstar01 đ¤Š
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Sanji closed the pantry door, letting the two men continue "resting," and returned to the dining room. He'd been gone far too long. Time to check on his goddess! His eyes widened into hearts as his whirlwind legs carried him to his destination. Had he lingered in the kitchen a moment longer, he wouldn't have missed the two figures sneaking into the restaurant through the back door. One had green hair and two swords at his hip, while the other wore a straw hat and a red vest.
"Wow, Sanji! You really know how to cook!" Luffy exclaimed, rubbing his belly. "I was starving!" "All that work fixing the door made me so hungry!" he grinned contentedly, glancing at the other diners. They were making faces, especially Zoro and Sanji.
"YOU JUST BROKE IT EVEN MORE!" their two voices shouted angrily at the child, who was now happily rubbing his belly.
"That meat was sooooo good." Luffy smiled to himself as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to cope with the food rush, completely unaware of the shouts directed at him.
"The food was really delicious, Sanji," Nami said, dabbing the corners of her lips with a napkin. The blond chef was a fantastic cook. She wouldn't mind if he cooked for her more often.
The chef's eyes turned into hearts: "Oh, my Nami-Swan! You always know what to say to make my heart beat faster!" exclaimed the boy.
"I hate to compliment someone like you," Zoro said, frowning, interrupting Sanji's praise of the redhead. He couldn't even believe he was about to say it. "But it was good." He clasped his hands over the plate and bowed his head. "Thanks for making that stupid waiter make this meal, Chef Zeff."
Sanji's chair scraped against the wooden floor as he stood up and pointed an accusing finger at the swordsman. "YOU STUPID MOSS BALL! FOR THE LAST TIME, I'M A CHEF, NOT A WAITER!" the blond with shark-like teeth yelled.
"Sit down, brat." Zeff frowned at his kitchen assistant before turning to Zoro. "Thanks to Orangey, who's over there," he said, pointing his thumb at Nami. "She's the one who convinced my idiot kitchen assistant."
Nami pouted from across the table, crossing her arms. "Chef Zeff..." she complained, "I told you, my name is Nami." She'd told him several times already, and he still hadn't called her by name. She had the feeling he just enjoyed teasing her... Her gaze flicked from the older man to the teenager yelling at her, and then back again several times. It was a small jump, but... perhaps the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree?
Luffy sighed as he observed all the interactions at the table. He loved being with friends. The straw hat boy watched everyone gathered until he finally noticed the blond chef he had met earlier that day.
The interaction between Sanji and the hungry old man won the chef over. Luffy had a soft spot for people like Sanji. Good people. And now that he'd tasted the chef's food, he was certain. He wanted him on the crew. In fact, he didn't want anyone else. That's how good his food was. Luffy wasn't much of a cook, so he didn't know why it tasted so good, but he knew it did, and that was enough for him to want the other teenager on his crew. "Sanji!" exclaimed the straw hat boy, capturing the attention of the entire table. "You should come be the chef of my pirate crew!" the boy shouted excitedly.
The reactions around the table were varied, to say the least.
Nami had a strange look on her face as if there was a part of her that wasn't sure about something.
Zoro frowned, as if his worst nightmare had just been confirmed.
Chef Zeff showed no emotion for the most part, but Luffy thought he saw something when he mentioned the pirates.
Sanji's reaction was strange. From what Luffy saw, for a moment, it seemed like he was actually going to say yes. "But wait... I thought you were just one of his bodyguards," said the chef in the black suit, pointing at Nami.
The redhead blushed when she was caught in her lie, but she quickly recovered. "I'm so sorry I lied to you, Sanji," she exclaimed. "Will you ever be able to forgive me?" Nami gave him her best pout and waited for him to melt like a cake.
"Nami-Swannnn!" he shouted in response, turning to face her. "There's nothing you can say or do that will anger me enough to make me unforgive and forget. And so it shall be... Forget it as if it never happened." He stood up from his place beside Nami and returned to his chair.
"So, what do you think?" Luffy asked again, "Will you come and be our cook?"
"Ours?" Sanji asked the boy with the straw hat. Surely his Nami-Swan wasn't part of that pirate crew. Right?
Luffy smiled and pointed to his friends: "Yes! Zoro is the first mate and swordsman, and Nami is our navigator."
"Temporary." Nami frowned at Luffy. She had NOT agreed to be his navigator. "They're helping me with something, and when it's done, we'll each go our separate ways," she corrected.
Sanji looked at Nami curiously: "What exactly are they helping you with?... If you don't mind me asking."
"Well..." Nami said, shifting in her seat. "We're going to rob a pirate. A really strong one... At least I think so." She pointed at Zoro and Luffy. "These two are my henchmen." She glanced at Sanji and gave him a teasing smile. "Honestly, if I could eat your meals every day, the journey would definitely be much more enjoyable," the redhead purred.
Sanji got goosebumps, and in that moment, all he wanted to do was say yes to the beautiful redhead goddess. However, he glanced at Zeff, their eyes met for a fleeting moment, and he knew he couldn't, no matter how tempting it sounded. "Sorry, Nami, but I have to refuse. And I guess that means I'm rejecting you too, Luffy," he said, looking down at his lap. He couldn't leave the Baratie yet; he still had a lot of payments to make.
Zoro glanced at his captain to see if he would use his signature trick, but was surprised to see that he didn't. The swordsman only saw a thoughtful look on his future captain's face. Strange. He wasn't usually like this. He looked back at the lovesick foolish cook and saw a thoughtful look on his face as well. The swordsman shook his head. He wouldn't mind if the cook didn't join, but for some reason, he knew that the furrowed-brow idiot would be his cook. Sometimes, luck wasn't always on his side...
"Do you have anywhere to sleep, brats?" Zeff's voice rang out, interrupting the conversation.
The three teenagers who did not live in Baratie nodded.
"Fine. Although I've loved this..." the mustachioed man said sarcastically. "It's time for this old man to go to sleep." He stood up from his chair and grabbed the plates from the table, preparing to take them to the kitchen to wash. "Thanks for fixing the door like I asked. I'd say it's been a pleasure, but honestly, you two have been a pain," he exclaimed, pointing at Luffy and Zoro.
"What the hell?!" Zoro said indignantly, pointing accusingly at Sanji, "What's wrong with him?" he questioned, pointing at Sanji.
"It's always a nuisance. A nuisance I've grown accustomed to over the years. You two, however... you're a new nuisance." The old man turned to the only girl in the group. "However, of everything that's happened today... it's been a pleasure chatting with you... Nami." The chef smiled smugly as he left the dining room without looking back.
The girl blushed slightly, but managed to hide it until she calmed down. She looked up just as the older man disappeared into the kitchen... Like father, like son...
Sanji watched the chef leave and turned to the table to say goodbye. "I must say goodbye, my sweet Nami. It pains me that I can't travel with you and feed you properly. But, unfortunatelyâŚ" He turned away and placed the back of his hand against his forehead, staring at the ceiling. "It wasn't meant to be." The blond chef didn't turn around as he followed the head chef into the kitchen. Perhaps if things had been different⌠he could have said yes. But at that moment, he couldn't. Just as he was about to step through the kitchen door, a voice stopped him.
"I'll come back tomorrow morning," Luffy said, getting up from his place at the table. "I'll ask you again tomorrow." He turned and walked toward the entrance, closely followed by Zoro and Nami. "You'll be my cook. If not tomorrow, I'll come back after we finish stealing the treasure for Nami. And I'll stay until you agree." The straw hat boy didn't wait for an answer, turned, and left through the... fixed door? When on earth had that happened?