Two Piece: A One Piece Story

Chapter 21 (Baratie Arc: Part 6)

Everyone stared at Gin. He pointed his pistol at Zeff.

"Okay, I admit I didn't see this coming…" said Shiki, injecting some humor into the situation.

"I'm going to send him flying…" said Luffy.

Luffy was about to fight him, but Sanji stopped him.

"Wait, let's hear what he has to say…" said Sanji.

"You want the chef to live, right, Sanji? Then leave the ship…" said Gin.

"Leave the ship… I refuse…" said Sanji.

"You look pathetic, Crap Geezer… want to set a bad example for the fighting cooks?" asked Sanji.

"I don't want to hear nothin' from you, Eggplant head…" said Zeff.

"Gin… aim your pistol at me…" said Sanji.

"Are you crazy!" yelled Shiki.

"He can't be serious!" yelled one of the cooks.

"Sanji… why?" said Gin quietly.

"If you want to die so badly…" said Pearl getting up, "To think the invincible Pearl would get two bloody noses in one battle… I'm feeling threatened so don't move or I'll blast your chef to Kingdom come…"

Pearl launched his attack against Sanji by smashing one of his shields into his face… but someone got in the way… it was Shiki… he caught the shield, shocking Sanji, Zeff, and the other cooks.

"What the!" yelled Sanji.

"What incredible strength?!" said the cooks.

Pearl looked shocked to see the boy who blocked his shield. Both were trying to push each other back.

"Hey cook, why didn't you duck? Are you stupid or something? Or do you have a death wish?" asked Shiki, then punched the shield, pushing Pearl back as well.

"I took everything the old man had… his strength… his dreams… that's why I'll never let anything else be taken away from him again!" said Sanji.

"You're an idiot," said Shiki.

Sanji was pissed off. "Why you-"

Suddenly, Pearl came up from behind Sanji.

"Watch out!" yelled Shiki.

Pearl used his shields as cymbals and hit Sanji in between them…

"I was tired of hearing his problems…" said Pearl.

'Damnit, I let my guard down!' thought Shiki, mentally scolding himself.

After Sanji collapsed, Pearl jumped into the air and landed a dive bomb headbutt on Sanji… everyone was shocked.

"Sanji!" cried many of the cooks.

"Don't worry, he's still alive…" said Shiki.

As Sanji passed out, he began to remember things from nine years before…

(Flashback)

When Sanji was ten, he was a cook's apprentice on a ship called the Orbit, but one night it was attacked by pirates… Zeff's crew… the night was also a very stormy night… then he woke up and saw an old man.

"Oh, you're finally awake…" said a voice.

Sanji got up and looked around, he was on a rock. Then he looked at Zeff.

"Pirate…" said Sanji. He tried to get up but was in pain.

"Don't get up… you're still injured…" said Zeff.