Unique

Baratie

*Sanji*

The crisp, satisfying sound of my knife cutting through cabbage melts the tension in my body.

There was really no place like home.

The sounds of clanking of pots and pans, chefs conversing, the fresh smell of produce, the rich smell of broth, and the weight of a knife in my hand.

This is where I belonged and this is where I needed to get back to.

I met up with Nami and Usopp last night and they admitted that they hadn't made much progress, so the whole crew decided to meet up for dinner here tonight to help cheer me up. I had done my best to not give up hope but being constantly reminded of the shitty situation was eroding my will.

So, for now, I focused on what was dear to me: my mom, my friends, the restaurant, and now my new friend Rosaline.

The lovely girl made it easier to wake up in the mornings even if it only meant the friendly exchanging of text messages.

I wish she would facetime me again. It was heavenly to wake up from a nap to be greeted by the face of a dozing ethereal beauty.

"Sanji!" Patty shouts at shaking a ladle at me, "Stop daydreaming about girls you pervert or we will fall behind on prep for the lunch service."

I glare at the man with the shaven head not slowing my knife work, "How do you know I am daydreaming about girls? I could be cooking up a plan to dispose of your ass."

"Yeah right," Carne barks a laugh from above a large pot that vegetable broth was cooking in, "Girls are the only thing you can think about. You were born with only one brain and it is in your dick."

"Shut up you shitty cooks or I will kick your asses after services are done," I growl at the two men dividing out my vegetables into their correlating steel bowls.

"As if you could," Carne snorts pushing his round sunglasses up his face, "So how is your imaginary friend you made in Whole Cake anyway?"

I point a knife at him, "She is not imaginary. Rosaline is very real, very compassionate, and a ravishing woman."

Patty runs his hands down the tiger stripes of his goatee, "A girl talking to Sanji and not being disgusted. You are right Carne definitely fake." He elbows the tanner man playfully.

"Doesn't stop him from gushing about her constantly though." Carne continues to banter rolling his eyes.

"Fuck you guys." I grip my knife harder to prevent myself from hurling the damn thing at them.

Patty and Carne became chefs at the Baratie a few years after Zeff took me in. They were piss poor chefs plus they were annoying as all get out.  They didn't know much about my current situation minus that the reason I could only work on the weekends was due to family matters.

"Does your little girlfriend know you have such a shitty mouth on you and that you are a giant pervert?" Patty inquires leaning on the stainless steel table in the middle of the kitchen thinking he was some kind of damn comedian.

"Oi Eggplant," We were cut off from our spat by Zeff marching into the kitchen. My adoptive father is a scary man if you don't know him. He was huge ex navy officer. His height tower over me, his build looked liked he still served and his square jaw was always set firm. The only thing that made him remotely approachable was the goofy way he braided his mustache into two braids. "You are out on the floor this afternoon." He spat.

"What the hell you old geezer? I am the best chef that you have. Why would you waste me out on the floor?" I fume hair bristling on the back of my neck like an angry cat.