Chapter Text
There was a new kid transferring in.
It was always a big deal when that happened — and in the middle of the year? That just made it ten times more thrilling for everyone, apparently.
The halls were buzzing. Students whispered in corners, half the classroom humming with gossip.
“Why is he transferring now?”
“Did he get expelled?”
“Maybe he was in juvie…”
Zoro tsked, annoyed. School was already unbearable, and now this circus?
All he wanted was a nap.
He had a routine: nap through third to fifth period, stay laser-focused for the rest of the day, and keep just enough brainpower to pass tests and crush after-school practice. It worked for him. Sure, teachers used to scold him every day, but they’d eventually given up. As long as he passed, they left him alone.
But today? No peace.
It was the fourth period — prime nap time — and the classroom was chaos. Students kept moving around, bumping into desks, laughing too loud.
The sixth time someone hit his desk, his eye twitched. He shot the kid a glare sharp enough to pierce steel.
The boy squeaked out an apology and bolted.
“Ohhh, did they ruin your little nap time, big baby?”
Nami’s voice, smooth and smug, cut through the noise like a dagger.
Zoro groaned, lifting his head just enough to scowl at her.
“Shit… it’s the witch. Even more annoying.”
She smirked. Everyone else might fear him, but Nami? She was built different — he might actually fear her more than she feared him.
Mumbling under his breath, he dropped his head back down, arms folded into a makeshift pillow. He tried to meditate — to push the noise out and sink back into his nap.
SMACK.
His head jerked up.
“What the hell, Nami?!”
“Aren’t you even a little curious about the new kid?” she said, arching a perfectly skeptical brow.
“Tch. I’m more interested in smacking you right now,” he grunted.
“I dare you,” she teased, then dropped her smirk. “But seriously, it’s weird. Who transfers schools this late in the year?”
Usopp dropped into the seat beside her, half-whispering, half-theatrical.
“I bet he got expelled.”
He sighed dramatically, eyes flicking to Zoro.
“We always get the troublemakers.”
Zoro raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Usopp quickly averted his gaze and kept talking to Nami.
Zoro leaned back and glanced around.
Still no sign of Luffy.
The door opened. Everyone went silent.
Finally , Zoro thought. Maybe now he could sleep again.
The teacher stepped in, heels clicking on the floor, followed by someone new.
A tall blond boy.
Zoro cracked one eye open.
Striking blond hair. Confident stride. Calm eyes that flicked across the room.
“Okay, everyone. Good morning. Today we’ve got a new student joining us.” The teacher smiled, motioning for him to step forward.
“Go ahead and introduce yourself.”
The boy gave a short nod, looking mildly uncomfortable — like he wasn’t used to the attention.
Then he spoke, voice smooth and surprisingly soft:
“Hello, everyone. My name’s Sanji. Sanji Redleg. I’m from Whitebay City. Nice to meet you all.”
Zoro blinked.
Warm smile. Relaxed posture. That accent wasn’t local.
He watched him a moment longer than necessary before Nami’s elbow nudged him under the desk.
Zoro looked away quickly, face heating. He closed his eyes again, grumbling to himself — but he could feel her smirk without even looking.
The classroom erupted in whispers again
one comment from a student “wow, he’s cute”
Another“he talks like he’s from a movie”
The teacher clapped her hands.
“Alright, alright, questions later. Save the gossip for after class.” She turned to Sanji. “There’s a seat behind Usopp — take that one.”
Sanji gave a polite “thank you” and moved toward the empty desk behind Zoro.
Zoro didn’t look back, but he could feel it — that presence. Calm. Strange. New.
Then the teacher’s voice rang again, sharper this time:
“By the way… where is Luffy?!”
“Probably ran off to the roof again,” Usopp sighed.
“Or jumped in a garbage bin because he thought it was a portal,” Nami added.
Zoro sighed.
Now this day was really getting started.
By the time the fourth period ended, Zoro was more than ready for silence. He trudged out of the classroom behind Nami and Usopp, yawning, ignoring the tail-end of classroom gossip still chasing them down the hallway.
“Where do you think Luffy disappeared to?” Usopp asked, balancing his lunch tray with one hand and adjusting his headphones with the other.
“Cafeteria,” Zoro muttered.
Nami scoffed. “You think he skipped class again for food?”
Zoro gave her a look that didn’t even need words. Of course Luffy skipped class for food. That was practically tradition.
Sure enough, when they entered the massive cafeteria, there he was—Luffy, already seated, halfway through what looked like three meals spread out in front of him, food stuffed in both cheeks like a squirrel preparing for winter.
Zoro walked past him, dropped his bag lazily onto the bench, and sat across from him.
“Hey guys!” Luffy said with his mouth full, spraying a crumb or two into orbit.
“Gross,” Nami said, flinching. “You know you’re supposed to chew before speaking, right?”
Usopp set his tray down with flair. “You’ve been here how long and you’ve eaten what exactly?”
“Everything.”
Zoro leaned on his elbow, eyes drifting lazily around the cafeteria while Nami nagged Luffy into finishing properly and Usopp began his usual lunchtime storytelling.
That’s when Zoro noticed it.
Across the cafeteria, surrounded by a cluster of loud, giggling students, was the new kid—Sanji. Or more accurately, trapped by them.
Sanji sat in the middle, lunchbox unopened, hands on his lap, polite smile frozen on his face as a group of boys and girls leaned in around him, practically on top of him. Some were asking questions, others throwing playful nudges, a few just staring too long. And not a single one of them was giving him space to even pick up his chopsticks.
Zoro frowned. It was like watching a pack of hungry hyenas crowding a lamb.
Luffy followed his gaze and perked up. “Oh, that’s the new guy!”
Zoro gave a small grunt. “Looks like he’s being eaten alive.”
Luffy stood up immediately, grabbed his still-half-full tray, and began marching toward Sanji’s table.
“Luffy—!” Nami hissed, but it was already too late.
Luffy walked right up to the group and, without a second of hesitation, leaned in and said, “ Whoa! That lunchbox looks amazing! ”
The students went quiet.
Sanji blinked at the sudden interruption, eyes wide. “Huh?”
“Did you make this?” Luffy pointed directly at the lunchbox.
Sanji tilted his head. “Uh… yes?”
Luffy’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “No way! You’re a chef?!”
Sanji smiled, genuinely this time. “Yeah. Cooking’s kind of… my thing.”
Luffy slammed his tray on the table. “ You’re my friend now. Bring me lunch tomorrow. ”
Sanji blinked, stunned by the declaration. “…Sure?”
“YES!!” Luffy whooped, grabbing the lunchbox off the table before Sanji could even respond, and then slung an arm around Sanji’s shoulders. “C’mon! You’re sitting with us now.”
And just like that, Sanji was being dragged across the cafeteria.
The group around him stared in stunned silence as Luffy marched him to their table, chatting animatedly.
When they arrived, Luffy proudly presented Sanji like he was showing off a rare prize.
“Guys! This is Sanji. He’s a chef. He’s bringing me food forever now.”
Sanji, cheeks faintly pink, laughed awkwardly as Luffy plopped down beside him.
Usopp gave him a cautious side-eye. “Do you… need help? Blink twice if you were kidnapped.”
Sanji chuckled. “I’m good. I, uh… didn’t realize it was okay to just get up like that.”
“You were being swarmed,” Zoro said bluntly, not even looking up from his food.
Nami rolled her eyes. “You’re in so much trouble, Sanji.”
He turned to her, confused. “Huh?”
She pointed her chopsticks at him. “You agreed to feed Luffy.
That means he’s going to follow you around like a hungry puppy for the rest of your life.”
Sanji blinked, then slowly smiled. “I guess I could live with that.”
Nami sighed. “You’re already doomed.
, I’m nami by the way ”
Sanji smile big “ well hello my lady it’s every pleasurestting with stunning lady for lunch “
Usopp wins “ oh god one of your fans nami , “ he sigh “ my name usopp and this grumpy dude is zoro “ pointing at him
Zoro rolled his eyes
Luffy laughing
Sanji chuckled “ nice to meet ya all “
Zoro glanced at Sanji again, just for a moment.
The blond looked more relaxed now. His shoulders weren’t as tight. He was opening his lunchbox and finally eating, occasionally laughing when Luffy asked about a dish or stuffed something into his mouth with praise so exaggerated it might as well be a concert review.
Zoro tsked softly and turned back to his tray.
He wasn’t sure what it was — the way Sanji looked when he smiled, or how easily he fit in once he got the chance — but suddenly, this lunch break wasn’t so annoying anymore.
For the next day sanji already become one of them , the meet everyday at the cafeteria
Today The cafeteria was loud as usual. Plastic trays clattered, students hollered from across tables, and the line at the food counter stretched halfway to the hallway. Luffy was already seated - no shocking there- cheeks puffed with something deep-fried and probably half-stolen from Usopp’s plate.
Zoro, Nami, and Usopp had just arrived when they saw Luffy waving dramatically.
“GUYS! GUYS!! Over here! He brought FOOD!!”
“Luffy, we’re literally in a cafeteria—” Nami began, before her eyes landed on Sanji, sitting awkwardly at the end of the table, placing a carefully wrapped bento box in front of each seat.
“Homemade,” Sanji said, almost shyly. “I brought extra today.”
Zoro blinked. “You… cooked this?”
Luffy had already taken a bite. He froze mid-chew, eyes welling with emotion.
“Sanji,” he mumbled. “You’re not allowed to leave. Ever.”
Usopp took a cautious bite, then groaned happily. “Dude, are you rich or something? Is this steak?!”
Nami raised a brow. “Why are you doing this?” Her voice wasn’t accusatory—just cautious, curious.
Sanji blinked at her. “I thought… that’s what friends do? You’re my friends, right?”
Nami, Usopp, and Zoro glanced at each other, something subtle passing between them.
And then add with mirth in his voice “ besides I love cooking! “
Usopp chuckles“If you’re gonna spoil us like this, you’re stuck with us forever.”
Sanji shrugged, looking a bit too sincere. “…That’d be nice.”
There was something too soft in his voice.
Later that week, their table had gained a tiny addition: Tony Tony Chopper , a first-year with a shy voice and a medical book almost as thick as his backpack.
He didn’t say much at first, always nervously glancing at the older students.
But Sanji noticed.
The next day, Chopper showed up and froze. At his seat was a tiny, perfectly wrapped cupcake with a strawberry on top.
“For the future doctor,” Sanji grinned. “Figured you’d need the sugar.”
Chopper’s eyes sparkled. He sat down without a word. By the end of lunch, he was laughing at Usopp’s stories and demanding Zoro stop calling him “kid.”
Sanji watched the group around him—Luffy talking with his mouth full, Nami bossing everyone around, Zoro rolling his eyes—and smiled quietly to himself.
———
They were sitting outside today in the school garden.
The weather was perfect, and the group unanimously agreed it was too nice to waste indoors.
Of course, it wasn’t exactly allowed by school policy to eat outside the food court…
But since when did they listen to anyone?
They snuck off to their usual corner—a half-hidden patch under the big camphor tree—and set up like it was a full-on picnic.
“So this is our secret spot,” Luffy declared with his arms flung wide like he’d discovered it himself.
Sanji’s eyes darted around in awe. “It’s a really nice place to eat. Like a picnic.”
“I know , right?” Nami smiled as she sat down beside him, stretching out her legs.
Usopp puffed up with pride. “They all owe it to me, by the way. I’m the one who discovered this marvelous sanctuary of peace and shade.”
Nami rolled her eyes. “Here we go again…”
“You’re awesome, Usopp!” Chopper said with sparkles in his eyes, clearly on board with the myth.
“ No, I found it!” Luffy objected, pouting. “I was chasing a butterfly and ended up here first!”
“That doesn’t count!” Usopp snapped back. “My heart guided me!”
The argument exploded from there—usual chaos.
Zoro and Sanji ignored it, sitting down on the grass with practiced ease.
Sanji laid out his homemade lunchboxes, neatly packed and still warm.
“Here,” he said casually, sliding a tray toward Zoro.
Zoro eyed the food, chopsticks in hand but unmoving. “You sure this isn’t poisoned, Blondie?”
Sanji twitched. What the hell was this guy’s problem?
He’d been on his case since day one, always ready with an insult or glare.
“Only if you’re lucky, Mosshead,” he shot back with a crooked smirk.
“But I don’t waste good ingredients on undeserving garbage.”
Luffy, already halfway to drooling, interrupted:
“SANJI. What is this?? It smells amazing!”
Sanji’s expression flipped instantly. “It’s eggplant roll omelets and fluffy pancakes. I used ricotta in the batter today.”
Luffy’s eyes sparkled like a cartoon character. “You’re a genius. Marry me.”
“You wish,” Sanji snorted, already plating more.
Zoro voice came cutting through “Oh, we’re doing nicknames now? Cool. What should I call someone who looks like a fashion magazine threw up on him?”
Sanji’s head snapped in his direction “ Jealousy doesn’t suit you, marimo.”
“Neither do those pointy shoes, chef boy.”
Nami didn’t even look up. “Boys, shut up and eat. You’re ruining lunch.”
Usopp leaned toward Chopper and whispered, “This means they like each other.”
Chopper blinked. “That’s weird.”
Luffy, oblivious and chewing noisily, grinned. “You guys fight like an old married couple!”
Sanji turned red. “SHUT UP, LUFFY!”
Zoro smirked and leaned back in his seat, tapping his chopsticks together. “See, he’s easy to rile up. You sure this guy can handle school here?”
“I handled worse,” Sanji muttered, suddenly quieter.
The table fell silent for half a second—just long enough for the mood to shift.
Then Nami gently tapped his tray. “Eat before it gets cold, Sanji.”
Sanji looked up, smiled faintly, and nodded.
Sanji kept bringing food.
Every day, without fail, he’d show up with a full spread packed neatly into boxes that somehow managed to look both effortless and gourmet. The group had long given up trying to stop Luffy from digging in before the containers were even fully open.
But after a week of this routine, Nami gave him a look over her thermos of store-bought coffee and finally said what they were all thinking.
“You know you don’t have to bring food every day, right?”
Sanji blinked, chopsticks halfway to his mouth. “I know.”
“Then why do you?”
He hesitated, eyes drifting downward toward the grass. “I like cooking. And it’s… nice. Sitting with you guys.”
There was something so casual about the way he said it. But Zoro, watching him from behind his lunchbox, caught the flicker in Sanji’s expression—that tiny crack of something more. He said nothing.
Then, a few minutes later,
A student from another class wandered into their little garden patch, eyes wide.
“Hey, uh… I forgot my lunch. The line was too long, and the cafeteria ran out of sandwiches. I’ll just, uh, sit over there…”
Sanji glanced down at his own untouched box. Without missing a beat, he smiled. “Here, take mine.”
“Huh? No, I didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay,” Sanji said, already passing it over. “I’m not that hungry today anyway.”
The guy didn’t protest. He thanked him with an awkward chuckle and sat a few meters away to eat. Nami stared after him, arms crossed. Luffy was too busy licking syrup off his fingers to notice.
Zoro frowned. “You’re not hungry, huh?”
Sanji shrugged and gave a half-smile. “Not really.”
The silence after that sat just a little heavier than usual.
Usopp leaned back on his elbows and whistled low. “Man, if you keep spoiling half the school, you’re gonna go broke.”
Sanji laughed softly. “Wouldn’t be the worst way to go.”
Chopper tugged his sleeve gently, offering a rice ball from his own lunch in return. Sanji blinked, surprised, then gave him a soft pat on the head.
“Thanks, doctor.”
And like that, the moment passed. But Nami’s eyes lingered on him a few seconds longer, thoughtful.
Zoro looked down at his own food, suddenly less satisfied.
Over the next couple of weeks, Zoro found himself growing increasingly irritated.
At first, he chalked it up to the usual—the new guy was loud, wore weird shoes, and flipped his hair more times than should be humanly necessary. And he smoked too much. Who the hell still smoked like a noir film character in 2025 ?
But then it wasn’t just Sanji’s annoying habits.
It was everything else.
Like how Sanji had apparently become the unofficial butler of half the damn school. Zoro watched him—day after day—smiling that soft, too-nice smile as he handed out lunch, passed tissues, tied shoelaces, and even, once, offered to carry someone’s entire backpack and books without being asked .
Zoro had paused in the hallway when that happened. Just… stood there, watching.
The girl—a second-year from class 2-D—had blinked in surprise before handing her things over with a shrug. Sanji didn’t even flinch. He just took it, like that was the most natural thing in the world, and followed her like a golden retriever with a crush.
Zoro ground his teeth.
It got worse.
Sanji never said no. Not once.
People asked him to save them a spot, to run errands, to share his notes—hell, even to bring them custom lunches with dietary preferences . And he just… did it . Like a wind-up toy on autopilot.
And every time he said “Sure!” with that same damn bright smile, Zoro wanted to smack that shitty cook’s pretty little head just to knock some damn sense into it.
It wasn’t even about jealousy, Zoro told himself.
(That might’ve been a lie.)
It was about the fact that Sanji didn’t know when to stop. He gave and gave and gave, like a faucet someone forgot to turn off. And these assholes—these leeching nobodies—they kept drinking him dry without a second thought.
It pissed Zoro off.
“Why the hell doesn’t he say no?” he muttered one afternoon, watching Sanji laugh while balancing a stack of borrowed books higher than his head.
Nami glanced up from her planner. “Because he doesn’t know how.”
Zoro scowled. “Tch. That’s dumb.”
Nami didn’t argue. She didn’t have to. Because they both knew—it wasn’t just dumb. It was dangerous.
Zoro crossed his arms, leaning against the wall as he watched the cook disappear down the hallway.
He didn’t like this.
Not one damn bit.
By now, Sanji was well-known. Or, more accurately—well-gossiped about.
A cute transfer student, polite, well-dressed, cooked like a professional chef, and smiled at everyone?
It was a social meltdown.
People from other classes stopped by the group’s lunch table. Mostly girls, but also some boys. A few genuinely curious. A few… not.
Sanji, of course, welcomed them with polite warmth and oblivious friendliness.
“Ah, sure, I can bring extra tomorrow—what do you like?”
“No no, it’s fine! I like cooking anyway.”
“Haha—yeah, I guess that’s a compliment?”
Zoro watched all of this with his usual frown, arms crossed. The third time someone touched Sanji’s shoulder and leaned in too close while asking about tomorrow’s lunch, Zoro’s jaw ticked.
“Why’s she petting him like a dog?” he muttered.
“She’s trying to flirt,” Nami said without looking up from her drink. “Poorly.”
Sanji, meanwhile, just blinked at the girl. “Your hands are cold. Do you want my jacket?”
Zoro practically choked. “ What?! ”
The girl giggled. “You’re so sweet, Sanji.”
“Seriously,” Usopp whispered to Nami, “does he not get what’s happening?”
Nami narrowed her eyes. “I really don’t know .”
And then a guy from class 2-B sauntered up. Too casual. Leaned on Sanji’s seat like they were best friends. He nudged him with a knee. “Yo, sanji, you always make food look sexy, man.”
Zoro’s eyes snapped up.
Sanji, ever clueless, laughed a little. “I guess that’s… a compliment? Thanks?”
“Maybe you could cook at my place sometime. You know… private lesson?”
Nami froze mid-sip.
Sanji tilted his head. “Oh—like a tutoring thing? I guess, if you need help…”
Zoro stood up, sharp and sudden.
The student looked at him, confused. “What?”
Zoro glared. “The hell you hanging around here for? You already ate.”
The guy raised an eyebrow. “It’s a public cafeteria.”
Zoro stepped forward just enough to make it not public anymore. “And we publicly want you gone.”
The student raised his hands in mock surrender and left, muttering something under his breath.
Sanji blinked. “That was kinda rude, don’t you think?”
Zoro didn’t answer. Just sat down with a scowl.
“You okay?” Sanji asked, genuinely puzzled.
“You,” Zoro said, pointing his chopsticks at him, “need to stop smiling at every weirdo with a voice box.”
Sanji huffed. “You jealous or something?”
Zoro looked away quickly. “No. I just don’t like creeps.”
Nami exchanged a glance with Usopp. “You guys think he’s starting to notice?”
Usopp whispered back, “Zoro’s had a radar for Sanji since day one.”
It had been just over two weeks since Sanji transferred, and by now, he had slipped comfortably into the rhythm of the school. Sort of. The stares hadn’t stopped—if anything, they’d gotten worse. And though Sanji chalked it up to the novelty of being new, there was something else about the way people looked at him that should have made him pause.
But, of course, he didn’t.
It was after fourth period, the hallway outside the lockers flooded with students. Sanji was sliding his books into his locker when a boy from the class next door strolled up beside him. Taller, a little too confident, with a grin that hovered just a second too long.
“Hey, Redleg,” the boy said, casually leaning against the lockers, “You always pack that much food, or are you secretly feeding a whole family?”
Sanji laughed, easy and warm. “Nah, just my friends. I like cooking, that’s all.”
The boy chuckled, stepping slightly closer. “Then maybe you’ll cook for me sometime? I could use a home-cooked meal… maybe with just the two of us?” He added with a wink that went unnoticed.
Usopp, standing a little ways down the hall, narrowed his eyes.
Sanji, oblivious as ever, blinked in thought. “I mean… I usually cook big portions, but I guess I could do smaller ones. What do you like—spicy or mild?”
The boy chuckled again, clearly enjoying how the comment had gone straight over Sanji’s head. “Surprise me.”
That’s when Usopp sauntered up with impeccable timing.
“Man, you really are popular,” he said, clapping Sanji on the back, interrupting the moment.
“Hmm?” Sanji looked at him, confused. “Popular?”
“Yeah,” Usopp grinned, eyes flicking to the other guy who was now awkwardly backing off. “Must be nice. But hey, listen—if you ever wanna run a background check on someone before taking any steps,” he leaned in conspiratorially, voice dropping to a whisper, “I’ve got the biggest underground intel network in this school. I know things. Things that could make the dean kneel before me.”
He finished with a proud laugh, puffing his chest like a secret agent in a spy movie.
Sanji blinked. “Wow…”
Just then, Nami walked by, smacking Usopp on the head without breaking stride.
“He has the biggest liar web, that’s what he has.”
Sanji’s eyes widened. “Oh…”
Usopp clutched his head dramatically. “Hey! That’s called charisma , thank you very much!”
“Sure,” Nami said flatly, already disappearing around the corner.
Sanji chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Still, it’s kinda cool. Even if you’re full of it.”
Usopp grinned. “Stick with me, Redleg, and you’ll learn the real rules of survival in this school.”
Sanji just smiled, completely unaware that the “rules” were already bending around him in ways he couldn’t yet see.
The clatter of utensils and the simmer of sauce filled the Baratie’s kitchen as dinner wound down. Zeff sat at the head of the long table reserved for staff meals, nursing a mug of black coffee and pretending not to watch Sanji—who was excitedly plating something far too fancy for a weekday dinner.
“So then,” Sanji said, practically glowing as he set the dish down in front of Zeff, “Usopp dropped his lunch and almost cried, so I gave him mine. Luffy split it with him—well, more like devoured it—but still. It was kind of nice.”
Zeff grunted. “You gave away your lunch again?”
Sanji shrugged, sliding into the seat across from him. “Yeah. It wasn’t a big deal. I like feeding people.”
“Hmph.”
“And Chopper—he’s the youngest—he wants to be a doctor. I brought him sweets once and now he waits for me every lunch break. It’s cute.”
Zeff stared over his mug, unimpressed. “This Chopper one’s how old?”
“Two years younger,” Sanji said, then added defensively, “He’s smart.”
“And the others?”
“I told you. Luffy, Usopp, Nami, Zoro. They’re cool. I actually… like going to school now.” There was a rare softness in Sanji’s voice. The kind that made Zeff’s shoulders tense.
Zeff set the mug down harder than necessary.
Sanji raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“You trust ‘em already?”
Sanji blinked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean—” Zeff growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You don’t know them, egg-for-brains. You don’t know what they want from you.”
Sanji stared. “What do you mean ‘want from me’? They’re my friends.”
Zeff narrowed his eyes. “You don’t think it’s strange? All of a sudden they’re sticking close, having you bring them food, waiting for you? Hmph.”
Sanji’s eyes narrowed. “You’re being paranoid.”
“I’m being careful, ” Zeff snapped. “Not everyone deserves your trust, dumbass. You’re too soft when it comes to people. And if any of them cross a line with you—”
“What line?!”
Zeff leaned forward, eyes sharp beneath his thick brows. “ Any line, Sanji. You don’t let anyone treat you like a doormat. You hear me? No hugging nonsense, no touching without asking, no ‘tests of friendship’ or whatever idiotic garbage that school might try to feed you again.”
Sanji’s expression cracked—offended, confused, angry all at once. “What the hell? You don’t even know them! Stop acting like they’re creeps!”
Zeff stood, palms flat on the table. “You’ve been fooled before. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”
Sanji stood too, fire in his eyes. “I’m not a kid!”
“You’re still too damn trusting!”
“Maybe because you’re too damn suspicious!”
The kitchen went quiet except for the simmer of something on the back burner. For a long moment, they stared each other down.
Then Zeff grunted. “Fine. Bring them here.”
Sanji blinked. “What?”
“Your friends. Bring them here. Let me see them myself.”
Sanji’s mouth opened. Then closed. “I’m not dragging them to your test, old man. What, you gonna interrogate them with a meat cleaver in your hand?”
“If it gets the truth out faster.”
“You’re insane.”
“And you’re naïve.”
“I’m not bringing them. I’m not a child you can screen friends for!”
Zeff narrowed his eyes. “Then don’t cry to me when one of ‘em breaks your damn heart.”
That hit low. Too low. Sanji’s jaw clenched, and he grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair.
“I’m done talking,” he muttered, stalking out of the kitchen.
Zeff didn’t stop him but he shouted “ still needs to meet them you hear me kid! “
Sanji ignored him slamming the door behind him.
Zeff sigh he doesn’t like that he really needs to meet the new friends or else zeff will go to school himself to see them .
He needs to make sure his boy is safe
No needs to repeat past mistakes
After all it was the reason zeff moved them to this side of the country
He is not about to let what happened to sanji in the last years happen again.
The idiotic eggplant himself didn’t comprehend what happened to him till this day .
staring at the empty plate left behind.
The food, of course, was delicious.
But Zeff had lost his appetite.
The next day at school
The classroom was mostly empty after lunch. A few students lingered by the windows, some scrolling through their phones, others halfheartedly flipping through notebooks. Nami was seated sideways at her desk, one leg crossed over the other, idly highlighting something in her planner. Usopp was leaned back in his chair behind her, balancing a pencil on his nose like it was serious business.
Sanji slammed his bag onto the desk beside them and dropped into the chair, arms crossed, jaw tight.
Nami glanced up. “You look like someone kicked your puppy.”
Usopp’s pencil dropped. “Did someone kick your puppy?!”
Sanji groaned, dragging a hand through his hair. “Zeff is driving me crazy.”
Nami glanced up from her notes, and Usopp leaned back in his chair with interest.
They both knew the name—Zeff. Sanji had mentioned him a few times before. From the bits and pieces they’d gathered, he was the man who raised Sanji. A sort of adoptive father, though Sanji never outright said it. He always danced around the details, like there was more under the surface he wasn’t ready to talk about.
“What’d the old man do this time?” Usopp asked, trying to keep the tone light.
Sanji leaned forward on his desk, arms folded, a slight scowl on his face. “He keeps acting like I’m a kid who can’t make my own choices. I tell him I have friends now, and he looks at me like I told him I joined a cult or something.”
Nami raised an eyebrow. “Did you?”
Sanji deadpanned. “Hilarious.”
Usopp chuckled, but Nami’s expression softened a little.
“He’s probably just worried. You said yourself he’s protective.”
“There’s protective,” Sanji muttered, “and then there’s paranoid. He wants to meet you guys. Like, full-on interrogation style.”
Nami and Usopp exchanged glances.
“He said that?” she asked.
“He said I should bring them over so he can ‘see for himself’. Like I’m five,” Sanji scoffed.
“Okay, yeah,” Usopp said, nodding slowly. “That’s a little intense.”
Sanji slumped back in his chair with a groan. “I told him I’m not a damn child. I can handle my own life.”
Nami leaned on her elbow. “You sure about that?”
Sanji looked at her, annoyed.
“I mean,” she continued, more gently now, “I get it. Zeff probably knows more than you think. And… you are kinda bad at noticing red flags.”
Sanji opened his mouth, ready to argue, but paused—then frowned and looked away.
“Still doesn’t mean he gets to treat me like I’m clueless,” he mumbled.
Usopp patted his shoulder. “You know, if he really wants to meet us, maybe we should just go. Scare the old man a little with our charm.”
Sanji gave him a dry look. “You think your face is reassuring?”
“Hey!”
Nami snorted. “It might not be the worst idea. If it’ll ease his worries and get him off your back…”
Sanji sighed. “I’ll think about it.”
But even as he said it, the storm behind his eyes didn’t quite pass
In the weekend they agreed to meet in cute cafe near the school .
Sanji was very exited that he arrived first .
The café was warm, the kind of cozy, slightly cramped spot tucked into the corner of a busy street. Rain tapped lightly against the windows, but inside it smelled like cinnamon and roasted coffee beans. The group had taken their usual table by the window, their drinks scattered across the wooden surface—Luffy with a towering milkshake, Nami nursing her iced latte, Usopp sipping something suspiciously purple, Zoro barely touching his black coffee, and Sanji with a cup of mint tea and a plate of pastries he insisted on buying for everyone.
Nami smiled, nodding toward the counter. “This café belongs to our friend Franky, Robin’s husband and our teacher.”
“Wow,” Sanji said, eyes brightening. “I really like this place. And Franky seems like a nice man—though, in my opinion, his suits are a bit… unusual.”
Nami chuckled, flicking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Yeah, Franky’s style is… unique, to say the least. But he’s a great guy—always looking out for us.”
Usopp leaned forward, grinning.
“And don’t forget, he’s got the best stories. You should hear some of the crazy stuff he gets up to after hours.”
Sanji raised an eyebrow, smirking.
“Sounds like someone I want to get to know better.”
Zoro, finally taking a sip of his coffee, muttered without looking up,
“Just don’t let him drag you into his crazy projects. Last time, he almost blew up half the city.”
Luffy laughed, nearly spilling his milkshake.
“That’s Franky for you! Always bigger and louder than anyone else.”
Sanji smiled softly, looking around at his new friends.
Luffy was halfway through stealing one of the cookies when Sanji looked up from his tea and said, “Hey… can I ask you guys something?”
Everyone looked at him. His voice had shifted, softer than usual. Sanji wasn’t often nervous—annoyed, flirty, dramatic, sure—but rarely unsure.
“What’s up?” Usopp asked.
Sanji’s fingers tapped the side of his cup. “Is there like… a ritual or something?”
They blinked at him.
“To confirm we’re friends?” he clarified, eyes darting nervously between their confused faces. “I just… I wanted to make sure.”
Luffy tilted his head. “Ritual? Is that a new dish you cooked for me?” His face lit up hopefully.
Sanji nearly choked. “No, you dumbass. I meant like—like a friendship ritual. Y’know? Something people do to seal it? Or else you’re not really friends…”
The table went quiet for a second. Nami blinked. Zoro set down his cup. Usopp furrowed his brows.
“You think we’re not really friends?” Nami asked slowly.
“No! No, I just—” Sanji rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks pink. “Back in my old school, they told me stuff like that. Said I had to do certain things to be accepted. Like… hugging, giving things, favors. Like a test, I guess. I didn’t want to mess it up here too.”
The silence that followed was heavier.
Usopp leaned back slowly, his expression unreadable. Luffy blinked, confused as usual, but frowning now. Zoro stared at Sanji with something unreadable in his eyes, while Nami’s brows furrowed deeper with concern.
“Who the hell told you that?” Zoro asked bluntly.
Sanji flinched at the tone. “Just some people. It’s not a big deal. I thought that’s how it worked.”
“No,” Nami said firmly. “That’s not how it works.”
Usopp crossed his arms. “That’s some serious manipulative crap, man.”
Sanji looked away, flustered. “I didn’t know. I thought they were just… helping me fit in.”
Luffy leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Sanji, you’re our friend ‘cause we like you. You don’t have to do anything weird or pass some test. Just sit, eat with us, and don’t steal my food unless you’re giving me more.”
That made Sanji laugh a little. “So… no ritual?”
“No,” Nami said. “Unless you count surviving Luffy’s appetite and Zoro’s attitude.”
“Hey,” Zoro grumbled.
Sanji exhaled slowly, shoulders relaxing for the first time since they sat down. “…Thanks.”
“Anytime,” Usopp said, then smirked. “Though if you want to bring us dessert as a bonding thing, I’m not saying no.”
Sanji rolled his eyes with a fond smile. “You’re unbelievable.”
But his tea tasted better after that. Warmer, safer.
And for the first time in a long while, he felt like he didn’t have to earn his place at the table.