"Looking for people to join my crew." Luffy said as he looked up at Sanji. "I need a cook for my pirate crew. You wanna join Mister Cook?"
"Huh?" he and Gin said in confusion.
"You're a pirate?" Sanji asked. "Well, don't try anything stupid with this place. The owner's an ex pirate himself."
"A pirate huh?" Luffy asked, remembering what Sanji said about Zeff. Sanji explained that this restaurant was all the geezer needed in life, and that the other chefs were like pirates. "No wonder this place is so wild." Luffy said.
"Yeah. Not a day goes by that their isn't a fight or arguement going on here. It's gotten so bad that the waiters bailed on us." Sanji continued.
"So, you in or what?" Luffy asked.
"I'll pass. I can't leave this restaurant." Sanji said.
"Really? What reason?" Luffy asked. Sanji blew out some smoke before saying that it wasn't important. Luffy just stared before he smiled. "I see. Sorry, but I don't accept."
"Don't accept? What don't you accept?" Sanji asked in annoyance.
"You're refusal. I need a cook for my pirate ship and I pick you." Luffy said as he crossed his arms.
"What?!" Sanji yelled. "Didn't you hear me? I said no, you Straw Hat bastard!" "I'll kick your ass if you make fun of my hat!" Luffy yelled. He had this conversation before, but he still didn't like anyone to trash talk his hat.
"Hate to interrupt..." Gin said after eating his meal.
"WHAT?!" they both shouted.
"My name's Gin, a pirate of Don Krieg's fleet. You said you're a pirate kid?" he asked.
"Yeah." Luffy replied, still a little steamed at Sanji.
"What are you after?" he asked.
"One Piece!" Luffy said with a smile. "I'm heading to the Grand Line soon to go after it." He looked on as Gin looked back in utter terror.
"You can't have been searching that long." he said. "If you don't have a cook, your crew can't be that big." "He's the fifth member." Luffy said as he pointed at Sanji.
"No I'm not!" Sanji yelled.
"Let me give you some advice kid. Stay away from the Grand Line. There are plenty of other places that you can go to." Gin said.
"I know, but One Piece is in the Grand Line, so that's where I'm going." Luffy said. "You sound like you've been there." Gin grew quiet as he stared at the ground while shaking.
"Once." he muttered. "That place...makes no sense! It was nothing but one horror after another there."
"Is that so?" Sanji said.
()()()()
"Man this food is great!" Usopp said as he, Zoro, and Nami were eating inside the restaurant while Johnny and Yosaku ate their meals on the Going Merry so others wouldn't think they were pirates. "I really hope we get a chef from here to join us."
"Yeah. It'd be great." Nami said in a quiet voice. Both of them looked at her as she stood up and left the table.
"Where are you going?" Zoro asked.
"To get some air." she said without even looking back at them. She walked out the doors and went to the back before leaning onto the rails. She sighed as she thought about her home. She remembered how Luffy offered to beat Arlong and save her island and smiled at that. She was truly touched that someone would do something like that for her. She heard sails unfurling as she looked to the left to sea Gin bowing his head at Sanji as the tiny boat he was on sailed away.
"Sanji!" bellowed Zeff. "Get back to work!" he said before he went back into the restaurant. "Shitty old geezer." Sanji mumbled. While they walked toward the door, Luffy sensed Nami and looked to his left to see her looking back at him.
"Oh. Hey Nami!" Luffy called.
"Who?" Sanji asked as he was about to walk into the door. He looked over to see Nami as well.
"Nami. She's my navigator and friend and...where'd you go?" Luffy said before he looked back to see Sanji presenting a rose to Nami.
"It must be fate that we meet like this Miss." Sanji said.
"Oh...hello." she said in quiet voice before she turned to Luffy. "Friend of yours?"
"He's our new cook." Luffy said with a grin as he walked towards. "I'm not your cook!" Sanji said before something clicked. "Wait. Our? As in, she's in your crew?" "Yep." Luffy said. Sanji looked back at her before he closed his eyes.
"Fate is a cruel Mistress. To be so close, yet so far." Sanji said.