A Cook, A Doctor, and A Ghost + A Swordsman

Don't Mess With A Cook

A bowl of perfect hot Soba's ready. Sanji then handed the bowl to his customer who is clearly look tired. He doesn't look like from around here after all. Sanji is worried about the kid whose face is very pale. Looks like he was overwhelmed by something. The kid sit on the bench as he sighed. 

"First time here, kid?" Sanji guessed. The kid looks surprised, seems like Sanji really hit the mark there. The kid wondered how Sanji knew about his current situation. Sanji could read the kid's face like an opened book through all the years back in the kitchen he was raised.

"If you're wondering how I could tell, your face giveaway everything about yourself, you know?" Sanji flicks his forehead.

"Y-yes, as you can see I am not from here. I'm here because there is something I got to attend." Tanjiro lied.

"Oh, are you alone? It's dangerous for a kid like you to wander around this place alone. You should be more careful from now on, you understand?" Sanji didn't want anything bad happens to the kid. In this large city, he could be robbed, beaten down or worse, kidnapped. People won't noticed anything if someone they didn't knew goes missing. That's what lingers in Sanji's mind.

Tanjiro was stunned by this man's advice. He nodded as fast as he could. However, he can't promise that. The life of a demon slayer will always be as dangerous as it could be. They could lose their limbs in a fight. In worst case scenario, lose their own life.

"I understand, mister.....

"It's Sanji, kid" Sanji introduces himself. He glad to have himself a company that he could talk to. He felt comfortable with Tanjiro. He glad that he could talk to someone that actually got a functional brain, unlike his crewmates.

"I understand! Sanji-san!" Tanjiro energetically replied.

"Now eat up, the Soba is not getting hotter any minute." Sanji stated the fact that the Soba is getting colder.

As Sanji went back to clean his kitchen, he noticed a little girl stand right behind Tanjiro, holding Tanjiro's hand, probably his little sister. She look like your everyday normal kid if it weren't for a bamboo muzzle tied to her mouth. Sanji noticed that She doesn't eat anything.

"Little miss, do you want something to eat?" Sanji decided to make another Soba for the sibling.  He did not want anyone to starved like he did back when he was stranded. That day, he understand the true pain of starving.

The little girl shakes her head signaling that she don't want to eat. Sanji still prepared some snacks for them incase they were hungry on the road. He begin to make some Monaka and Karinto for them and Daifuku on the side.

Unnoticed by them, someone is watching them from afar. They are the Yakuza that roams the place as it was their territory. If someone wanted to do business on their place, they need to pay up for protection fee. The protection fee is extremely high that no one wants to open their business here except Sanji who was unaware of it.

The two of them look at each other and an evil grin was shown upon their face. Another day, another pray. How dare he start his business on our turf, so he better paid for it. Or else, it will not get pretty. That's what they thought. Just in case at least one of them brought a dagger with them. To 'teach' the locals some lesson.

They walked to the Soba stand form their hiding place. The dagger is hidden well beneath their cloths. Sanji shifted his look from his kitchen to them. Another customer to be served. For a first day, it's not so bad. 

"Oi, you new around here?" One of them asked.

"Well, this is the first day I started this business." Sanji answered honestly.

"This is quite the place you know? This place is quite dangerous sometimes. You could get robbed here." The man acts as he were worried by this small vendor. The only thing they care about is money.

"Because of that, people here usually pays protection fee so they would not be bothered." Another man told him the made up story. No one here pays protection fee to them, that's why there's no one dared to do any funny business on their turf. It's all because of the high price that were offered. They try to sweet talk Sanji on paying the protection fee.

Sanji didn't buy it. "Nah, I don't need to pay anything. I'm strong." The two Yakuza's face turn grim as soon as they heard that. Tanjiro on the other hand, is starting to get anxious. He do not anything bad happened to the Soba man.

Tanjiro wanted to stand for Sanji but Sanji grabbed Tanjiro by the shoulder and shakes his head. He do not need any help. I can deal this on my own, no need to worry about me kiddo. Sanji whispered in Tanjiro's ear.

"If you don't pay, then get lost!" The man curled up his fist and throw a punch on Sanji. They revealed their true intent instantly. They're just hoodlums asking for some money.

The man's nose break  in an instant as Sanji launched a kick. His cigarette hold tightly in his left hand. An innocent smile engraved on his face. The man is simply knocked out. They did not even had the chance to do anything. His face was toothless as and blood gushing down from his nose. Stars were floating inside his head.

"Da-damn you!" Another attack Sanji with a dagger. Sanji shifted his movements as he shifted to the right, dodging the attack. He take a cigarette that he used earlier and pushed it onto the Yakuza's forehead.

The man screamed in pain as a burnt mark  were left on his forehead. Sanji continued with a kick targeted in the nuts coated with colorless armament haki. The pain was unimaginable as Tanjiro flinched and felt uncomfortable. Not to mention that Sanji wear a wooden flip-flop. Thus, every men within five mile felt somewhat uncomfortable. Sanji gave the word blue balls a meaning that night.

The kick to the nuts were followed with a round house kick. The man were sent flying through the sky. He then gets stuck between the tree branches. Tanjiro can't believe what he seeing, a man goes flying by single kick couple feet in the air is not an uncommon things that you see everyday.

"I'm sorry that you had to witnessed that. I'm deeply sorry if it ruins your appetite." Sanji apologized to Tanjiro. Tanjiro insisted that he's just fine. Though he really wnated to know how can Sanji gets to be that strong.

As Tanjiro took a sip of the broth, he smelled something familiar. His eyes widened. He accidently drop the bowl as it broke. The smell is just the same. It is similar to the scent back in the mountains, his family! Muzan must be close!

Sanji is quite confused. The kid earlier looks as if he just face the death himself. He got a bad feeling about the kid. The kid runs away just like that. He did not care about money, but the kid's wellbeing. Looks like he's going to close the store earlier than he thought.