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"Sandwich?"
After hearing what Luffy said, Zeff's expression was clearly stunned.
He thought for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands together.
"Ah! The person you're talking about must be Sanji, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's him!!!" Luffy nodded repeatedly, then stuffed the steak into his mouth and spoke with his cheeks bulging:
"That's the name!"
"He is definitely in this restaurant. Uncle, please call him out quickly!"
"..."
Zeff fell silent for a moment.
He never expected that the most feared pirate in the East Blue would come to their restaurant just to invite Sanji to join his crew!
"When did that brat become so famous?" Zeff wondered to himself.
Though puzzled, he still showed a relieved smile.
"So you're here to see Sanji?"
"I don't know where you got your information about that bad-tempered, love-struck fool..."
"But your timing couldn't be better~ We've been wanting to kick that troublemaker out of this restaurant for a long time!"
Zeff said with false sincerity.
Seeing an opportunity, Red spoke up:
"Then please, Boss Zeff, call Sanji here."
"Also..."
Red, who knew about the relationship between Sanji and Zeff, smiled gently and addressed Zeff in a serious tone:
"Boss Zeff, I understand you don't want Sanji to be trapped in a small restaurant forever."
"But Sanji probably won't leave until he's repaid your kindness."
"So if you believe we're worthy to be Sanji's companions, please help us."
"You..." Zeff's eyes widened in surprise.
He hadn't expected Red to say something like that and was momentarily speechless.
Finally, he simply said, "I'll call that kid out for you," before turning to leave.
His wooden leg tapped against the floor with each step, making a distinct "tap" sound that made his footsteps seem unusually heavy.
Red's words had successfully stirred up melancholy feelings in Zeff.
It felt like...
This time he would truly be saying goodbye to that brat.
"Today's young people are really something else..."
Reflecting on Red's deep, knowing gaze that seemed to see through everything, Zeff felt strangely emotional.
...
...
Not long after, a blond man wearing a black suit with distinctively curly eyebrows rushed out from the kitchen, muttering excitedly:
"Cute girl...cute girl..."
Judging by his anxious and crazed expression, it wasn't hard to guess what method Zeff had used to lure him out.
And perhaps Sanji truly did possess a special power like a beauty radar...
In just a moment, he spotted the Straw Hat crew sitting by the entrance!
Or more precisely, he spotted Nami among the group.
In the next second, his eyes transformed into peachy hearts, his legs spinning at high speed like a whirlwind as he suddenly appeared before Nami. He dropped to one knee like a gentleman.
"Oh, great ocean~! Thank you for blessing me with this encounter today~"
A rose materialized in Sanji's hand as if from nowhere.
"God! Is this your punishment for me!? To make me abandon everything and dedicate myself to love..."
Sanji was about to transform into the "King of Poetry" and perform a flowery recitation for Nami.
But at that moment, a stretched-out rubber arm suddenly extended and snatched the rose from Sanji's hand.
"Ahh woo~"
Luffy chewed on the flower petals, but his eyebrows furrowed slightly:
"This dish tastes terrible, it doesn't meet this restaurant's standards~!"
"..."
Seeing only a green stem left in his hand, Sanji blinked and froze in embarrassment.
"Pfft~"
Nami couldn't hold back her laughter.
She reached out and took the flower stem from Sanji's hand, then said playfully:
"Sir, isn't this just a prop you use to court women?"
"Ah, well..." Sanji was momentarily speechless.
But the next second, he focused his gaze on Luffy, and angry flames seemed to burst from his eyes.
"Hey, you! How dare you..."
Before he could finish, a hand landed on Sanji's shoulder.
Red lowered their voice, showing a mysterious smile, and whispered in his ear:
"Vinsmoke."
"!!!"
Just that single word made Sanji's expression freeze instantly, the anger in his eyes vanishing.
Instead, deep in his eyes appeared a look of disbelief and horror.
But Red patted his shoulder gently again:
"If you don't want to make a scene, let's find a quiet place to talk about this in detail."
"Hey~ Luffy, stop eating, it's time to get down to business!"
Red glanced at Zoro and Usopp.
Following the instruction, the two immediately stepped forward, grabbed Luffy's shoulders, and forcibly dragged him away from the dining table.
"Are you..." The panicked Sanji was about to question them, but remembering the dining guests and what Red had just said, he fell silent.
Tap!
After a moment, he took out his lighter, lit a cigarette, and forced himself to calm down.
After exhaling a long breath of smoke, he said to Red and the others:
"Come with me!"
Although his mind was already in chaos from Red's words, as they had pointed out, there were some things he didn't want too many people to know...
Including Boss Zeff!
So, following Red's lead, the Straw Hat crew followed Sanji to the second floor of the Baratie.
Johnny and Yosaku were left to guard the Going Merry.
The diners felt greatly relieved when they saw Luffy, who was being forcefully dragged by Zoro and Usopp, still reaching pitifully for the food.
At the very least, these pirates weren't as evil and terrifying as the sea rumors suggested, and their target wasn't the restaurant patrons.
...
...
On the balcony of the second floor of Baratie, the floating sea restaurant.
Sanji took the cigarette from his mouth with one hand and flicked it in the air.
The ash fell, sparks flickered, creating a subtle shimmer.
But Sanji's expression grew darker and darker.
"After all these years, I never expected you would find me here!"
"Tell me! What exactly do you want!?"
He spoke suddenly, trying his best to suppress the resentment in his voice.
But looking closely, it wasn't difficult to spot the trace of fear hidden deep in his eyes.
Ever since he escaped from the Vinsmoke family with his sister Reiju's help, Sanji had believed he had completely distanced himself from his past.
But when he heard that family name from Red's mouth, he realized...
His fear had never truly gone away!
However, at this moment, Luffy tilted his head with an innocent look.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Whatever, it doesn't matter!"
He waved his hand carelessly and instantly switched to captain mode. Giving a thumbs up, he introduced himself:
"You're Sanji, right!?"
"My name is Monkey D. Luffy! I'm looking for awesome crewmates to help me become the Pirate King!"
"Red told me you're an amazing chef, so come join my pirate crew."
There was no hesitation in Luffy's tone, as if he was stating an established fact.
He left no room for Sanji to refuse.
This sudden turn of events caught the nervous Sanji off guard.
After a moment, he picked up his cigarette and took a long drag, then frowned in confusion:
"Pirates!?"
"Aren't you from the Vinsmoke family!?"
"The Vinsmoke family? What's that?"
Luffy tilted his head, equally confused.
At this moment, Red patted Luffy's shoulder gently from behind, stepped forward, and said with a smile:
"Let me explain the rest, Luffy."
They raised their head, and their dark eyes met Sanji's directly.
"I think you misunderstood, Sanji. We have nothing to do with the Vinsmoke family."
"That was just to create an opportunity to talk with you."
As they spoke, Red pointed at their eyes:
"The reason I know that family name is because I can see your past and future!"
Red was direct and didn't hide anything from Sanji.
But Sanji clearly wasn't convinced so easily.
"Are you kidding me?" He frowned with his distinctive curly eyebrows, not believing Red's words.
"Then how can we earn your trust?" Red asked calmly, not surprised by the reaction.
But Sanji clearly didn't want to waste any more time.
He blew out another puff of white smoke.
"I don't know where you got this information, but my time is limited, and I don't have time to play pirate games with you."
With that, he turned to head back inside.
But at that moment, Red, who had been prepared for this, spoke softly:
"Sanji, you are not a failure."
Step!
Sanji suddenly froze mid-step.
Red's words had clearly hit their mark.
And Red continued:
"Vinsmoke Sora tried her hardest to protect your emotions, that's why you're more gentle than anyone else."
"Because you were born with all of your mother's blessings!"
"You are the greatest achievement she was proud of in her life!!!"
Pat~
The unfinished cigarette in Sanji's hand suddenly fell to the deck and rolled forward several times.
And on his face, two tears had already formed...