THE TALK

Next day at Baratie, after Sanji told Luffy that he is joining his crew, they all partied for the last time. Zoro looked disgusted seeing the blonde cook joining them, while Sanji gave him a victory sign which made Zoro's eye twitch. Luffy was standing beside Zeff seeing their interaction with a smile on his face, then he looked at Zeff with serious expression, "I presume you knew about Sanji's background…." Zeff gave Luffy a stern look, "And how do you know that!!??" Luffy rolled his eyes, "Come on, swirly eyebrows just like a so-called abusive father…." Zeff kept staring at Luffy then he sighed, "Look kid I know that you won't let anything happen to Sanji or any of your crewmembers….It's my guts telling me!!! But still, I advise you to not talk about this with him."

Luffy nodded at that, "I understood….but the thing is, someday somehow they will surely find him. I have full confidence in my crew that we can handle that situation…..but if they target you and the chefs here…." He looked at Zeff, "I hope you understand!!!" Zeff contemplated about this and he can also see that happening, "What do you want me to do!!??" "I suggest that you and your chefs should go underground for five years!!" "And what about my business….it is the only source of income!!" Luffy hearing this started to think about a possibly save way for Zeff, then a idea struck him, "I got a solution for that too….I'll be meeting some at Lougetown. He is a very influential person and the only safe option if you still wanted to continue your business. I will talk with him about your situation and he'll see to it." Zeff looked little bit relieved then he looked at Luffy with curious gaze, "And how sure are you that this person will help me!!?" Luffy grinned like a devil, "Oh he will…oh he will!!"

After exchanging farewells with the chefs and one last hug with Zeff, Sanji finally with his new friends and possible family left Baratie. Luffy clapped his hands and got everyone's attention on the deck, "Now everyone, we had finally recruit a best of best cook for our crew…So everyone officially welcome Sanji!!!" Luffy clapped with Johnny and Yosaku following him and Nami too cheered with made Sanji swoon in joy while Zoro looked irritated but none the less clapped too.

Luffy then looked at Nami, "Now then, it's time to fulfill my promise!! Nami..." she looked at him, "Let's go and free your home!!!" Nami's eyes widen at that and tears started to roll down her eyes as she nodded in happiness. Sanji seeing Nami cry immediately became furious, "Yoi shitty captain!! What happened to my sweet Nami-swan's home!!??" Luffy looked at Sanji and finally told him about Arlong pirates and what they did with Nami and her home. Johnny and Yosaku looked horrified hearing that while Sanji's eyes were at blaze with furry, "How dare they hurt Nami-swan, I'll make fish-chop out of them and then feed them to sea kings!!" he started to ramble about his plans against Arlong pirates.

ARLONG PARK---

At Arlong park, Arlong and his crewmates were enjoying their day when suddenly a Marine Captain whose face resemble mouse walked in with two bounty posters. "Well well well, if it isn't Marine Captain Nezumi..." Arlong sat straight up on his chair and grinned at Nezumi showing his sharp shark teeth, "What do you want now!!??" Nezumi walked towards Arlong and placed both the bounty posters on the table infront of him, "Two Days ago new bounties were published by the higher ups from MarineFord…." Arlong took the bounties and unfurled it saw both Luffy and Zoro's bounty with wide eyes.

"Did the Marines gone senile or something!!!???" he asked Nezumi who just shook his head, "No, I confirmed it with Fleet Admiral himself….he said, not to engage the StrawHats at any cost!!!" "So why are you telling me this exactly!!??" hearing this Nezumi smirked which Arlong didn't like a single bit, "Well, my sources told me that your little thief is now sailing with them!!" Arlong looked into Nezumi's eyes then he started to laugh which got attention of other fishmens too.

He then wiped away some tears from his eyes, "Oh, so you think that these…" he said while waving around Luffy and Zoro's poster, "Little humans can harm me….the fishmen who are the greatest species of all others!!!" he then looked at the bounty poster, "Well it looks like I will be getting 700 million berries free….SHAHAHAHAHA" Nezumi looked little bit disturbed by this, "But Arlong, aren't you underestimating them…I mean just look at their bounties, there is a reason to put such a high reward on them!!" Arlong looked at Nezumi with disgust, he grabbed his collar and yanked Nezumi towards him, "Listen here carefully you mouse, whether it is human or giants, navy or other pirates, none is greater than us Fishmens and once Nami made my map….I will show this world that these Admirals and Yonkos are nothing infront of us and then I will sit upon the World throne which is empty for centuries….because it is my right!!! Do you understand!!!" Nezumi nodded in fear.

Arlong released him and sat back at his chair, "Let them come….I will show Nami what it is like to betray us!!!"

Next day at Going Merry, the StrawHat pirates were just a day away from reaching Conomi island. Right now Johnny and Yosaku were training under Zoro's guidance while Nami was making her maps. Sanji was cooking when Luffy walked into the kitchen, Sanji looked at him, "Food's not ready yet!!!" Luffy sat at the chair near the counter, "I am not here for food…." This got Sanji's attention, "I think it is time that you should also know about this!!!" Sanji put the gas on low and gave his full attention to Luffy, who told him everything about his System and how it works, how he and Zoro had trained in it and how Ussop is currently training in it.

Sanji was at lose of words, he didn't knew that something like this is possible, but then he remembers that his so-called perfect siblings were just like this. He then looks at Luffy, "I think, I'll refuse…." "You think that it is like one of your father's experiment, isn't it!!" Sanji looked sharply at Luffy, "How do you know??? Did Zeff told you!!??" Luffy looks at Sanji's hostile behavior and he sighed.

Luffy got up from the chair and turned off the stove, he then guided Sanji towards one of the chair in the kitchen and make him sit on it, then took the sit infront of him and looked straight at him, "No, Zeff didn't told me anything…I knew from the start, the moment I looked at your curly eyebrows!!!" Sanji didn't say anything, he just kept staring at Luffy with straight face. "Tell me honestly Sanji, did you have anyone in your family who you care about!!"

Sanji looked away from Luffy's eyes as he tried to compose himself, "My mother, she was the only person who truly loved me and my siblings even though they didn't care about her. I was the only one who took care of her....." he then paused for few minutes thinking about something, "Reiju, my elder sister was an exception….she acted cold and uncaring infront of the other three idiots and my so-called father, but in truth she was just scared of showing her true feelings towards our mother. She is reason that I was able to escape from that hellhole!!"

Both were silent for few minutes then Luffy spoke, "I heard from my grandpa that Judge had once experimented on his own kids in order to create a perfect human or something like that??" Sanji scowled at that, thinking about his other three brothers, "If you don't want to tell me then it is okay….it's your personal life matter!!" Sanji shook his head, "No, Zeff once told me, if I kept my past haunt me then I won't be able to achieve anything!!" he looked at Luffy, "I will tell you everything because you're now my captain and this is my family now!!" Luffy smiled at that.

With that Sanji told him everything the exactly same as what was shown in the anime, everything line by line. After half n hour of explanation, both was silent, Luffy was thinking something while Sanji was twirling his unlit cigarette. "It is nice that you told me about this….in this manner, if Judge ever tried to take you away, we can go against them easily!!" Sanji eyes widen at that, "You'll go against them for me!??" Luffy smiled and pated Sanji's shoulder, "Of course, you're now one of us!!" hearing this, Sanji to smiled.

"By the way….I thinks you should know one thing Sanji!!" Sanji hummed in response, "You said that you are a failed experiment right!!??" Sanji looked confused, "Yes, why??" "What if I told you, you're not!!!" Sanji immediately stood up from his chair in alarm, "What do you mean!!?" Luffy pushed Sanji back on the chair, "You said that your mother did something and you were born without any advanced genetics, in order to save you from turning into emotionless just like your three stupid brothers…." Sanji nodded at that, "But what no one knows is…..that whatever your mother did made you instead perfectly balanced!!"

"What do you mean, perfectly balanced??" Sanji asked in nervousness, "Look, what Judge wanted was to create a perfect beings, something that has no flaws and good at everything. But what he got was your three brothers and your exceptional sister…." Sanji was listening to Luffy's every word like his life depends on it, "But he never counted that you could be that perfect creation and without knowing this, he neglected you!! Do you know, it was a blessing that he didn't find out or you could've too turned into like your brothers." Sanji looked distraught at that, "So, at the end….I'm just like them!!!"

Luffy tapped Sanji's face to bring him out of his mental break down, "No you idiot, didn't you just listened to me….Judge never knew how to create perfect beings, that's Vegapunk's job!!! It was your mother who blessed you with these powers…she unintentionally made you a perfect being!!! Better than your brothers, better than your father can even think about!!! Now it is on your hands what you wants to do with it, do you want to see it as a curse from your father and run away from it…..or a last gift from your mother to make you someone we can rely on!!!" Luffy then got up from his chair and started to leave the kitchen, "It's your choice!!!" and with that he left behind Sanji with his own thoughts.

That night, it was Luffy's turn to watch so he is right now sitting on Merry's head and watching the night sky, when he heard the footsteps coming towards him, "You didn't sleep, Sanji!!??" Sanji stands beside him leaning at the railing while smoking his cigarette. After few minutes he spoke up, "I had thought about our talk and everything…..and I think, I will become someone my mother wanted to be!!" he said looking at Luffy with a lot of emotion, "But, I have a request…." Luffy hummed, "If I ever turn into emotionless like my so-called brothers and become a danger towards my crew…..you will have to kill me then!!"

Luffy looked at Sanji with straight face and then he sighed, "I will promise you that, If something ever happened like that with you then I will do everything in power to turn you back!!!" Sanji was surprised by Luffy's response, "To turn me back, huh!??" he smiled at that, thinking about his mother's words that someday he will find someone who will be by his side, always.