Nami immediately caught Ryu's subtle cue.
With a playful blink of her large, adorable eyes, she shyly said, "Ne, ne, ne~ Sanji-kun~ I absolutely love your cooking! Please, please join us on our adventure!"
"Alright, alright! I'll go!" Sanji exclaimed without hesitation.
...
Confirmed. This was the genuine, canonical Sanji.
"I'll go ask the old man right away!"
Sanji dashed toward the kitchen, shouting as he went. "Old man! I'm heading to the Grand Line!"
"What nonsense are you spouting, brat?!"
Thud!
Less than a minute later, Sanji emerged with a massive lump on his head. Clearly, his attempt at persuasion had failed spectacularly.
"Damn it, why does that old man hit so hard?! It hurts like hell," Sanji grumbled, rubbing his sore head.
"Are you okay?" Ryu asked casually.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Lighting a cigarette—already a habit since childhood—Sanji took a deep drag before continuing. "Actually, I've always wanted to set sail and explore the seas. Have you heard of All Blue?"
"All Blue? What's that?" Nami asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"It's something I read about once," Ryu interjected smoothly. "All Blue—the legendary sea said to contain ingredients from all four oceans. It's every chef's dream."
At Ryu's words, Sanji's eyes lit up with excitement.
Blushing slightly, Sanji felt a surge of joy. For the first time, someone other than himself knew about All Blue. Why did this make him so happy? And why was he feeling this way over another guy?
In that moment, Ryu's image in Sanji's eyes grew exponentially larger.
Ryu patted Sanji on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Sanji. He's just surprised. Let me handle the negotiations."
Deep down, Ryu understood Zeff's resistance. At fourteen, Sanji was still too young to leave for the dangerous seas. Zeff's opposition was natural. But Ryu wasn't one to back down easily—he'd find a way to convince the old man.
Standing up, Ryu nodded confidently at Sanji before stepping into the kitchen.
Less than a minute later, Ryu flew out along with several pieces of kitchenware.
"That stubborn old man," Ryu muttered, brushing himself off as he returned to his seat.
"Hey! Didn't you say you'd handle it? Speak up!" Sanji demanded.
"Did I ever promise success? I only said I'd negotiate," Ryu replied with a shrug.
"You—!"
Peering through the crack in the door, Zeff watched the trio bickering outside and sighed deeply. So, the day had finally come. His boy was ready to leave the nest far earlier than expected.
Zeff knew full well that refusing Ryu wasn't an option. Or rather, they lacked the strength to oppose him. If Ryu were angered, the entire Baratie crew would suffer. Zeff had seen Ryu's bounty poster this morning—a reward exceeding 100 million Beri wasn't something to scoff at. In his younger days, perhaps he could have stood against such a foe, but now? Impossible. Doing so would endanger everyone else.
Over the past five years, Zeff had followed Ryu's exploits in the papers. Though the reports painted him as ruthless, Ryu's targets were invariably criminals who deserved their fate. Innocents were often saved. Handing Sanji over to Ryu seemed reasonable.
Yet, parting with the son he'd raised for years left a bitter taste. Still, his frustration was all he could afford—it wouldn't do to provoke Ryu further.
His earlier outburst had been nothing more than venting. If Ryu couldn't tolerate such minor irritation, then perhaps entrusting Sanji to him wouldn't be wise.
After some thought, Zeff stepped out of the kitchen. Ryu, Nami, and Sanji turned to face him as he approached Ryu directly.
"Listen, kid. Why are you taking Sanji? He's just a child. Can't you find someone closer to your age?"
"Sanji is my age," Ryu stated matter-of-factly.
Zeff glanced between Ryu—nearly six feet tall with a muscular build—and the lean, youthful-looking Sanji. A vein throbbed in his temple. "Explain to me how you two are the same age."
"Oi, oi, oi, old man! Look at us properly! I'm twelve. Sanji looks thirteen or fourteen, and Nami is thirteen. Aren't we practically the same age?"
The atmosphere froze momentarily.
"Twelve?" Zeff echoed incredulously. Suddenly, memories resurfaced—five years ago, when Ryu first appeared in the news. Back then, Ryu was only seven years old, yet capable of defeating bounty hunters worth millions. At the time, Ryu looked like an ordinary child, vastly different from his current appearance.
Who would have thought that a seven-year-old boy would grow into a twelve-year-old youth within five years? (T.L: Duhh.. ofc)
Realizing Ryu spoke the truth, Zeff sucked in a sharp breath, contributing once again to global warming. "I forgot you're only twelve. Fine. If you pass my test, I'll allow Sanji to join your crew."
"Deal," Ryu agreed, ignoring the odd phrasing of "crew." He wondered what kind of challenge Zeff would present—but surely, it wouldn't be too difficult.
What Ryu didn't know was that while they were negotiating, a Marine warship was steadily approaching Baratie.
Smoker picked up the Den Den Mushi. "Hello. Is Ryu still at Baratie?"
"Yes, Colonel. He's currently inside the restaurant undergoing some kind of trial. He won't leave anytime soon."
"Good. Thank you for the information." Smoker hung up.
Earlier that afternoon, Smoker had received word of Ryu's whereabouts. He couldn't fathom why Ryu—a person he'd known for years—would attack the Marines. Determined to uncover the truth, Smoker resolved to confront Ryu personally. If the accusations proved true, he'd arrest him himself.
"Huh? This is your test?" Ryu deadpanned after hearing Zeff's instructions. The task? To catch a fish. Specifically, a Deep Sea Whale Shark—one of the Sea Kings native to East Blue.
No time limit was imposed; whenever Ryu brought the creature back, Sanji would be free to join his crew.