Ensnaring Elegance: Sanji's Accidental Admirers

Chapter 15: Whiskers and Whimsy

Luffy's Pov:

I'm not usually one for fancy parties. I mean, sitting around sipping tea when there's food to eat and adventures to be had? It's not really my style. But this one was different. There were animals-well, animal costumes! And Sanji... Sanji was dressed up like a cat.

Now, normally I don't care what Sanji's wearing, but I've gotta say, he looked really funny. He had on this black and white maid's dress, and it wasn't just some plain outfit either. It was fancy, like something you'd see in one of those weird books Robin reads sometimes. But the best part? Sanji had these huge cat ears sticking up from his blonde hair and a tail that flicked back and forth every time he moved.

I laughed so hard when I saw him. "Oi, Sanji, why are you dressed like that?"

He shot me a glare, which only made it funnier. "Because we need this tea, Luffy. This isn't a joke."

Oh, right. The tea! We were here because this eccentric billionaire, some guy named Mr. Whiskers (seriously, that was his name), had the rarest tea in the world. Nami said we had to get it because it was worth a fortune, and of course, Sanji was all about using it to make the most incredible dish. But there was a catch: the party was cat-themed, and the only way to get in was by wearing animal costumes.

Sanji had agreed to wear the maid outfit because Mr. Whiskers was obsessed with sophistication. And since Sanji's a great cook-and apparently looks good in a dress-Nami thought he had the best shot at charming the guy and getting us that tea.

But I couldn't stop laughing. I mean, a maid dress? Cat ears? A tail? It was too much!

We got into the party, and it was even weirder than I thought. Everyone was wearing some kind of animal costume. There were people dressed like bunnies, bears, even a few fish (which didn't make any sense to me, but hey, what do I know about tea parties?). And then there was Mr. Whiskers. He was this big guy with a bushy mustache, sitting at the head of a long table, stroking an actual cat that sat in his lap. His eyes lit up when he saw Sanji.

"Ah! A vision of grace!" Mr. Whiskers boomed, standing up and opening his arms wide. "A true feline beauty graces us with her presence!"

I stifled another laugh. Sanji shot me a look that promised I'd pay for it later.

Sanji walked up to the table, his maid dress flowing as he moved, and bowed gracefully, just like he always does when he's trying to impress someone. "Good evening, sir. It's an honor to be here."

Mr. Whiskers was eating it up. He couldn't stop staring at Sanji, and I could tell Sanji was starting to get uncomfortable. The guy kept talking about cats, about how "felines embody the spirit of elegance and grace," and he kept sneaking glances at Sanji's ears and tail. It was weird, but also kind of funny. At least for me.

They sat down for tea, and Sanji did his thing-talking about how important good ingredients are and how rare tea like this would elevate his cooking. Mr. Whiskers was fascinated, completely drawn into everything Sanji was saying. But then, things took a turn.

"You simply must stay for dinner!" Mr. Whiskers said, clapping his hands together. "And after, perhaps you'd do me the honor of being my companion at future parties, Miss...?"

Sanji's smile faltered for just a second. "Sanji, sir. Just... Sanji."

"Ah, Sanji! Such a lovely name. But you-" Mr. Whiskers leaned forward, eyes twinkling with something I didn't like, "-you are the embodiment of feline perfection. You must remain by my side. Imagine the attention we would receive! The talk of the tea circles!"

I snorted, trying not to laugh out loud, but Sanji was sweating bullets now. The whole plan was going sideways, and I could see he was struggling to keep Mr. Whiskers at bay.

"Thank you for the offer, but I really must get back to my crew," Sanji said, his smile tight, his cat ears twitching a little.

Mr. Whiskers wasn't having it. "Nonsense! I'll not take no for an answer! We must have the finest of teas together for all time!"

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I burst out laughing, slapping the table. "Sanji's got a boyfriend!"

Sanji whipped around, glaring daggers at me. "Shut up, Luffy!"

Mr. Whiskers looked between us, clearly confused but still very interested in keeping Sanji around. Before things got out of hand, Sanji stood up, quick as ever. "I'll just need to get some air-don't want to ruin the tea with too much excitement," he said, bowing again.

He grabbed me by the collar and dragged me out of the tea room. Once we were outside, he let go and sighed heavily. "I swear, Luffy, if you ruin this..."

I wiped the tears from my eyes, still laughing. "I think Mr. Whiskers likes you a little too much!"

Sanji groaned, rubbing his temples. "Just... keep quiet. I'm going to get that tea and we're leaving. And if that guy asks me to be his 'companion' one more time, I'm throwing him overboard."

In the end, Sanji got the rare tea. He charmed Mr. Whiskers enough to walk away with it (and to escape any long-term companionship promises). As we left the party, Sanji ripped off the cat ears and threw them at me. "Not one word about this. Ever."

I couldn't help but grin. "Sure thing, Kitty Cat."

Sanji growled, his tail flicking behind him as he stormed back toward the Sunny. This was a party I'd never forget.