20 We Finally Have a Cook.

Kaizo looks at Krieg, who is now very much fucked, and asks him.

"You really wanna fight? If so, I'll give you a light spoiler: We'll kick your ass all over the East Blue." Kaizo spoke as he and Luffy cracked their knuckles.

Krieg gulps, and we all know what'll happen from here.

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[An hour or so later]

Luffy, Kaizo, and Sanji were done dealing with Krieg and his crew, the reason. As to why it took them that long because Kaizo told Luffy to use the enemies as training dummies for Haki training, thanks to that, Luffy improved a little, his Armament and Observation Haki.

Kaizo prevented Gin from dying from poison since he destroyed Krieg's armor and all that. Gin simply left with his crewmates and Krieg in a small boat and sailed in a random direction.

Luffy, Kaizo, Usopp, Johnny, Yosaku, and Zoro were now feasting on the food that the chefs made for them.

"Delicious!" Kaizo.

"Yeah, yeah!!! This meat is great!" Luffy.

"Aniki, is it okay for you to eat and drink in your condition?" Johnny.

"Yeah, Kaizo patched me pretty well, I can eat, and more importantly drink, just fine." Zoro.

Kaizo slightly pokes a part of Zoro's wound. The swordsman shrieks in pain as Kaizo just looks at him with disdain.

"Drop the macho act, I told you to just eat but not drink alcohol. I'll let it slide this time but next time I'll steal Wado, got it?" Kaizo.

"Yeah..." Zoro answered clutching his sword.

"We have to look for Nami as well, we can't allow someone to leave the crew without a good reason." Kaizo.

"THAT'S RIGHT! The Merry! We have to take her back!" Usopp.

"You also promised to tell us about what made Nami-ne do what she did, Kaizo-Aniki." Johnny.

"After we leave this place, it's kind of a touchy matter." Kaizo.

The rest nodded and realized that Luffy had stolen their food. While they were strangling the rubbery youngster, Sanji entered the room and the chefs put their act that Sanji's food was horrible AF.

'Gonna be honest, I genuinely fell for this ruse entirely the first time.' Kaizo thought while reminiscing about his first run at the series anime.

Sanji leaves the room angrily and the Strawhats, plus 2 bounty hunters, are speaking amongst themselves.

"That was kinda mean." Yosaku whispered.

"Right. I would also get angry." Usopp whispered.

"Tch! These guys are too obvious." Zoro whispered.

"What do you mean, Aniki?" Johnny whispered.

"Nothing." Zoro faked falling asleep.

Luffy and Kaizo were beside the soup pot and decided to have a taste.

"This soup is delicious!" Luffy.

"Yeah, I like it so much, that I'd drink it like water." Kaizo spoke as he began to drink directly from the pot.

"OI! I wanted more of it, share the food!" Luffy.

"The donkey says to the rabbit big-eared and the elephant laughs!" Kaizo.

Zeff interrupts the rude behavior and speaks to the duo.

"Of course, it's delicious, Sanji's cooking is very precious to all of us." Zeff.

"It's far from bad."

"That's right, the soup is great."

Luffy and Kaizo began to serve themselves more soup while the chefs kept talking.

"He got really mad."

"Yeah, yeah."

Sanji finished blowing off some steam and was making his way toward the restaurant when he heard his fellow cooks speak.

"But if we didn't go this far, he wouldn't leave this place. That idiot... Hey, brat!" Zeff.

Luffy and Kaizo stop drinking the soup.

"Hm?" Luffy.

"You said that you needed a cook for your ship, right? I'm not begging or anything but…that eggplant can you take him with you? To The Grand Line" Zeff.

"His dream...lies within The Grand Line." Zeff.

"Goodness gracious boss, you went through some troublesome shit." Patty.

"The only thing that's shitty was that acting of yours, I was afraid Sanji might've found out." Carne.

"HAHAHAHA! It was your acting that sucked." Patty.

"Let's have more soup!"

"But let's heat it first since that blue-haired idiot drank from the pot!"

"Yeah!"

Sanji couldn't believe his ears, he knew that the people at the Baratie didn't hate him, but hearing their honest thoughts for the first time in his life...was special for him.

Sanji takes out a cigarette and tries to turn it on but his lighter wouldn't spark a flame. Sanji hides his face in between his knees and silently cries out of happiness.

"I can hear everything...assholes." Sanji murmurs.

Inside the restaurant.

"So, what do you say, brat?" Zeff.

"Don't wanna." Luffy answers while eating.

"WHAT?!!!??!!" Everyone but Kaizo.

"Didn't you say that you needed a cook for your ship? Or, is it that you don't like the guy?" Zeff.

"Right, Luffy!!! We've waited 4 whole days trying to recruit that guy!" Usopp.

"It's not that I don't want him, I want him to join us but...He said that he wanted to remain a cook in this restaurant, even if you guys want me to take him, if he doesn't want to come on his own, I can't take him." Luffy.

"So, it all is about whether he wants to go or not?" Zeff asked while touching his huge mustache.

"Yeah, seconds please!" Luffy.

"Well, I figured that rotten eggplant would be too prideful for his own good. He wouldn't admit it, he's too dumb." Zeff.

"Seconds please!" Luffy and Kaizo.

Sanji, outside listening, looks at the sea remembering his dream.

'With everyone here, there's no one that will push us towards the Arlong Park arc, guess I'll be the one to start this event.' Kaizo thought while getting up.

"All righty, guys! Let's take another boat and go after Nami!" Kaizo.

"Yeah, I'm full. For now." Luffy.

"Oi." Usopp/Johnny/Yosaku. Slap the air.

Zoro "wakes" up and looks at his vice-captain.

"So, where are we going?" Zoro.

"I said it before, the Conomi islands." Kaizo.

Johnny and Yosaku shriek and begin to speak about a very dangerous individual.

"STOP! Let's have the chitchat once we're en route towards Nami. The sooner we get there, the less she'll have to remain in that hell." Kaizo's voice got serious and his eyes gave a cold expression.

No one, except Johnny and Yosaku, knew why Kaizo was so serious about the islands but they decided to leave the subject at that.

The very next moment, everyone gets up and leaves the room, only to find Sanji walking towards them with his cigarette lit on. Sanji waits until Luffy comes out and speaks.

"Wait!" Sanji.

Luffy stops and looks at the troubled cook.

"Your dream is stupid, just like mine. I will do my best to find the All Blue." Sanji spoke.

"Sanji?" Luffy.

"Yeah, I lost the bet, from here on out, I'll be the cook of your ship. I'll be aiding you in your quest to become the Pirate King." Sanji.

Everyone, but Kaizo, was shocked by the statement.

"Any problems with that?" Sanji.

"None! Yahoo!!!" Luffy.

Luffy, Usopp, Yosaku, and Johnny begin to celebrate the addition of the cook while Zoro whines on the floor.

"Tch! Can't we just leave him here?" Zoro.

"Man, shut up and be happy that we'll never suffer malnourishment." Kaizo.

"Kaizo, Kaizo! We got a cook like you said!" Luffy.

"Right?! Told you that my intuition is the best!" Kaizo.

"Sorry, I caused you so much trouble." Sanji.

"Hmph! You better! I was this close from kicking you out of here myself!" Patty.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry...…Sorry you had to force yourselves to act in such a shitty way." Sanji.

"Ah?! you knew?!" Patty.

"Of course, you asshats." Sanji.

"HUH?!"

"The short story is, you wanted to piss me off so that I would leave, right? Shitty old man!" Sanji smirks.

"And who the hell allowed you to speak to us that way, eh?!" Patty.

Zeff prevents Patty from trying to hit Sanji and speaks.

"That's right, brat. It's all because I don't like shit-headed crybabies. I regret saving your sorry ass back then." Zeff.

"Heh, that's what I like to hear, damn geezer. I'm very sorry that I didn't make you lose your other leg too. Enjoy the few years of life you have left." Sanji.

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Kaizo made the necessary arrangements to sail towards the Conomi Islands. The chefs in the Baratie were kind enough to lend them a boat and all.

Usopp and Johnny gently laid Zoro in a makeshift bed on the deck since the swordsman insisted on being on the deck. He said something about healing faster with the sea breeze or whatever but everyone thought it was about his naps.

The only ones left were Luffy and Sanji. Luffy was preparing some "extra" rations for the boat and Sanji was packing his stuff. While Luffy was adding more meat to his bag, Zeff approached him with his log diary.

"Brat, do you want this? This diary has everything I've lived through the Grand Line all those years ago." Zeff spoke while extending the book to Luffy.

"Nah." Luffy.

"Haha, I thought so." Zeff.

Zeff left with a smile while Luffy went back to ransacking as much meat as he could. More time passed and Sanji was still inside the restaurant.

"That cook is surely taking his sweet time, eh?" Usopp.

"It's his home after all. No matter how much he complains about the place, he really must love it to remain here all these years." Kaizo.

"Can't we just leave him? Please? I'll even stop drinking for a whole month, how 'bout that?" Zoro.

"I'm worried that your hatred for him has reached such a level in just a few days." Kaizo.

"I have a feeling that this might be the only chance to leave him out of the crew for good." Zoro.

"Seriously! What the hell is the shit between the two of you?! it even sounds forced ya know?!" Kaizo.

"Perhaps they were great enemies in their previous lifetimes?" Usopp.

"Never pegged you for the religious type, Usopp." Kaizo.

"It's not that, it's just that I've fought against the god of this world with just a rubber band and won. He begged me for mercy and in return, he gave me the supreme knowledge above this mortal world!" Usopp.

"So, so cool Usopp-Aniki!!!!!!" Johnny/Yosaku.

"Hehe, that's why my most powerful attack is [Usopp, Rubber Band of Doom!]" Usopp.

"Dude, seriously. My bullshit O-meter is skyrocketing right now. Tone down your lies a little, or else GOD will smite you." Kaizo.

"Now who's the religious one?" Usopp makes fun of Kaizo a little.

At that moment, a whale came out of nowhere, made a giant splash, and drenched Usopp from head to toe. Everyone remained silent while Kaizo clapped his hands.

"Oh, God Wexof! Thank you for forgiving my long-nosed friend, don't worry he'll never doubt your greatness ever again. Right, Usopp?" Kaizo looks at Usopp with a devilish smile.

Usopp takes the superstition to heart and begins to bow to his new God.

'Haha, that was fun. I hope Wexof thought the same.' Kaizo.

[He did, he totally laughed his ass off]

[A few seconds later]

Sanji finally comes out of the restaurant and begins to walk towards the little boat. Suddenly, Patty and Carne try to sneak attack Sanji with giant silverware.

"MY PENT-UP ANGER!!!" Patty.

"PREPARE YOURSELF, SANJI!!!!" Carne.

Sani easily dodges the attacks and delivers two kicks at the front and back of the chef's heads, and also some more stomping for extra care.

"It was obvious that you wouldn't defeat him."

"He's been stronger than you for years."

Sanji arrived at the boat and took a deep breath.

"Let's sail." Sanji.

"You sure you wanna go like this?" Luffy.

"Yeah, this much is fine." Sanji was about to board the ship when Zeff spoke.

"Sanji!" Zeff.

Sanji freezes after hearing his fatherly figure's voice.

"Don't catch a cold." Zeff.

"Don't catch a cold", not an "I love you" nor a "Take care". It was a rather simple sentence without context that would be proper for the farewell between father and son, yet, that mere sentence, made Sanji break up in tears and yell his guts out.

"OWNER ZEFF!!!!!! FOR ALL THESE YEARS...THANK YOU FOR KEEPING UP WITH MY SHIT!!!!!! I'LL ALWAYS...BE GRATEFUL TO YOU!!!!!!" Sanji yells as he cries while bowing.

Some tears escape Zeff's eyes and all the cooks begin to cry.

 "YOU LITTLE DUMBASS!!! A REAL MAN...SHOULD ALWAYS LEAVE WITHOUT UTTERING A WORD!!!" Zeff yells while cleaning his tears.

Every cook starts to cry while saying their goodbyes to Sanji.

"ALRIGHT! SET SAIL!" Luffy yells while the boat begins to drift away from the Baratie.

"WE'LL SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN SOMEDAY, YOU BUNCH OF IMBECILES!!!" Sanji.

'And with that, we got a cook. Now, I'll have to 'talk' some sense into Nami's head.' Kaizo thought while checking a blue compass in his hand.