"I'm not making that," Sanji said, followed by the persistent whining of a few of his fellow cremates. "You've been asking me for hours, don't you know when enough is enough?"
"But we want some!" The three said in unison. They did indeed look hungry.
Sanji had made the mistake of taking requests for dinner, only to stand and stare in disgust and astonishment when the three hungriest of his crewmates requested fish sticks of all things.
"I'm gonna whip your tastebuds into shape if it's the last thing I do," Sanji murmured and lit a cigarette. He placed it to his lips and felt the cool release of nicotine.
***
Sanji placed a cigarette to his lips and lit it. He breathed in the toxic chemicals, and they set his blood on fire.
Suddenly things felt a lot better.
He made a mental note of what he ought to buy and bring back to the Sunny. Fish wasn't a high priority. Seafood was never rare out at sea.
Fresh fruits and vegetables came to mind, as well as oats and millet. Sanji approached a short brunette woman whose hands bore the scars of a well-worn farmer.
"Why hello there, can I get ya anything? She had a Southern accent as thick as chowder.
"Yeah, what kind of seasonal produce do you have in stock?" Sanji smiled as he said this. The woman brought over the usual cabbage, avocado, and the like before she showed him a dark purple, carrot-shaped vegetable. They spoke a little bit about the strange food item; which was apparently native to the island, and very useful in soups and stews. She also pointed Sanji in the direction of a butcher who was selling lamb so low it was practically stealing, and a fisherman selling silver crabs.
"You better hurry if you wanna catch 'em! Those silver ones sell bout as quick as they're caught," the woman warned. "Corse if ya tell him I sent ya he'll knock the price down a little." She winked.
Sanji thanked her, but before he could take out his wallet to pay, a black-haired man with a straw hat and a long-sleeved rest vest came hurling at them. The woman yelped and grabbed a cabbage, narrowly saving it from devastation.
"Luffy what the hell?" Sanji grabbed Luffy by the back of his vest, but could not reprimand him as looking up revealed a swarm of angry Marines heading straight for them. Sanji scooped Luffy into his arms and dashed away, leaving the farmer lady very confused, but thoroughly entertained.
Sanji ran with Luffy in his arms, sweat beads forming on his forehead and face feeling clammy under his blond bangs. If the sun got any hotter the world would burn red with fire.
The streets were filled with twists and turns. Grey stone roads led Sanji in circles, and tall brick buildings halted him at every dead alleyway.
Soon enough the walls boxed him in, and so did the Marines. They pointed long rifles and threatened to shoot. Luffy laughed and freed himself from Sanji's arms. Sanji took this moment to catch his breath.
When they fired, the bullets did not pierce Luffy's rubber skin. It stretched and caught the bullets, before firing them back at the Marines. This incapacitated several of them but did not prevent the men further back from going in.
Sanji's eyes danced off his surroundings. They were trapped.
He and Luffy gallantly fought back, but their efforts were in vain. One Marine shot Luffy with a sea prism stone net. The other grabbed Sanji hard by the hands. It scared Sanji to death and it allowed the Marines to get the upper hand and overpower the two men.
The last Sanji saw was Luffy attempting to bite a Marine's hand off. Then he was shot with a tranquilizer.
Sanji slept for hours.
