Love, By Any Other Way, Could Never Feel As Sweet As Yours(Sanji x Reader)

Ch 3: The Bride-to-Be

I stared in amazement as the woman who saved us wasn't at all traumatized at the fact that they ate her café.

"Ah geez, I was really proud of this part where the jam, chocolate, and biscuit come together. Why didn't you eat it?" She asked.

She shoved it in our mouths, and we fell over from the sheer sweetness of the treat.

And in short, she told the man that we were taking down the building before it expired.

"Ah, I see. My apologies. And you two should know better. If you're in the middle of deconstruction, you have to first place a notice to tell the public! I mean, there were still customers in the café. Alright, I'll be taking my leave," the man said as he started to leave. "Oh, before I forget... Congratulations on your marriage, Lady Pudding! The ceremony is just around the corner, so get some good rest. We wish you the best!" He faced the café owner, whose name I guess is Pudding.

(Time Skip)

"So your name is Pudding, huh? Thanks a bunch! You really saved us back there!" Luffy said with his mouth full of sugary sweets. Pudding became flustered and covered her heated cheeks.

"No, I should be thanking you!" Pudding said. Luffy tilted his head in confusion.

"Why?"

"B-because...you said that my café was 'too delicious not to eat!' Kyah!" 

"Yeah,  The luxurious blend of ingredients makes it too irresistible! I have to learn your secret!!" I voiced. "I love making sweets!"

"Ah! Well, that chocolate is a new recipe I devised!" Pudding started to describe the strenuous process it took to create that amazing treat.

"Well, we'd like to stay, but we need to go. We're in a hurry." Nami said

"How 'bout a quick cup of tea then, to wash all the sugar down?" Pudding suggested. "I haven't even heard your names yet."

Luffy, being the stupid child idiot that he is, decided to speak up. "Oh, I'm Luffy. I'm gonna be king of-"

Thank God that Nami decided to cover his mouth. But Pudding heard, then decided to surprise us.

"WHAAAAT?! The daughter of Big Mom that Sanji's gonna marry...is you, Pudding?!!!"

"You're Sanji's companions?! Seriously?! But now that I look closer...I've seen your face before, Straw Hat Luffy!! But you're not affiliated with Mama! How did you get past the Tarte checkpoint?! Why have you come here?! They're going to kill you! This is Mama's territory, and she's a very fierce pirate!! But...I know you're fierce pirates too!!" Pudding held out a knife towards us.

"No violence; there's no need for that!" Nami and I said. But Pedro didn't Hear us and he held his sword to Pudding's neck.

"What should I do with her, Luffy?" He asked.

"No violence Pedro!!"

After letting her go, Pudding spoke up. "I see, so you've come...to take Sanji back. I should've known it wasn't consensual..."

'Heck yeah it isn't...' I thought.

"Mama is very selfish. She uses her children's marriages...as a means of strengthening her pirate crew. We've all given up on having a choice in marriage. We can only submit or run away. My own beloved older sister ran off to sea to find a love of her own choosing. A voyage in search of a husband!"

Then she went on to describe how vast Big Mom's family went; 129 members in total. 

"So anyway...have you met Sanji yet?" Chopper asked Pudding.

The question seemed to catch her by surprise, and she even looked smitten. I couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy at what she said next.

"Y-Yes! Just once! His eyebrow was rather curly, but he was a dashing gentleman!! His eyes were hearts, but he did teach me quite a bit about baking sweets! We have similar interests, and he's very manly!! I hear that his legs are black, but he's very strong and dependable!!" She described Sanji with a flowery aura.

Everyone was talking about how she might've fallen in love with him, which upset me a great deal. She only knows so much about him. Does she know his past at the Baratie, his burning passion for both women and cooking, or even his dream about finding the All Blue?

"-and then Sanji came along. I was stunned at how wonderful he was. I thought it was a dream. But then, at the very end, he said...'I want to marry you, but I can't. I need to get back to my crew.'"

"WHAAAT?!! Sanji turned down a woman?!!" We all yelled.

"I see! Sanji...still wants to adventure with us..." Luffy said, teary-eyed.

"And that isn't a one-sided feeling! Sure enough, You've risked your lives to come to Totto Land to get him! Mama's orders or not, I find the thought of being married to someone against their will very painful! I can't take him away from all of you." Pudding explained and showed us a route we could take along the sea in order to stay hidden and bring Sanji back. "Let's meet up tomorrow on the southwest coast of Whole Cake Island! I'll make sure to bring Sanji with me."

"Are you sure?! Won't Big Mom punish you?" Nami asked

"I'm her own daughter. Don't worry about me. You're in enemy territory. Focus on your own safety. You're the ones with true mutual love! It's a shame I suppose...but maybe my next suitor will be even more wonderful than him."

She certainly is a pleasant individual, and even if she bears some infatuation for Sanji, that shouldn't make me hate her.

There was a knock at her door, and then we parted ways with the sweet chocolatier. We left the premises and met up with someone who gave us food we ordered earlier, and brought that back to the Sunny. 

When we got on the Sunny, we searched for Pekoms, but we couldn't see him anywhere.

"Hey, guys! There's a message in the bathroom!" Chopper said.

We gathered around the carving, which said 'Turn Back'. 

"Did Pekoms write this?" Luffy.

"Who else would do it?!" Nami.

"An intruder?" Carrot.

"Do you think Pekoms was abducted?" Chopper.

"I don't think he would be able to write that message that neatly if he was..." (Y/N), er, me.

"It could mean that they found out about us..." Pedro.

"In any case, this is cause for alarm!!" Brook.

"So this is saying that if we don't turn back, something's gonna happen. Right?" Luffy asked.

"Right," Nami confirmed.

"Well, we're..." I started.

"Okay! Then keep that in mind, everybody! We're going forward!!! Things are looking interesting!" Luffy announced.

"...of course." I finished, chuckling slightly.

A/N: Hey there!! How are you guys liking the story? I know, I'm very slow with the story as One Piece is already in the Wano Arc, and Sanji's Raid Suit has been revealed. It looks so good!!!! :)))) Tell me what you think of the story in the comments and check out my Aizawa x reader and BNHA one-shots book I'll be releasing soon!

~Jomo