Disclaimer! I do not own some of the content in this chapter! I have only borrowed and reworded (for the most part) it to fit this story line! Said content is owned by One Piece's Author, Oda! (Which you already know that but I must give credit to whom credit is due :) .) This content can be found in chapter 839 "I Shall Never Forget The Debt That I Owe You" of the One Piece manga.
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Sanji stared at the Germa King, not wanting to believe what he was saying.
"That's right, Sanji. There is a chance that you aren't as much of a failure as we originally believed.... But don't think that means I'm going to start actually thinking of you as my son."
"Tch, that's what all this is about?" Sanji turned towards the doors, "Come on guy. Let's get back to the Sunny."
A gust of wind blew past the Straw Hats and Sanji felt something touch both his wrists. He looked at his hands to find two golden wristlets with what appeared to be a key hole on each.
"Niji! What is this?" he said turning to face his brother.
"I'm lightning fast little brother," Niji said with a devious smirk.
"Not what I meant!"
"Wait! That wind was you brother?!" Luffy exclaimed. "So cool!"
"Judge! I thought we discussed this!" Sora said turning to her husband.
"What the hell are these?!" Sanji said holding up one of his hands.
"Sanji, are you aware of the collars Nobles use on their slaves to keep them from escaping?" Judge began.
Sanji turned to the man, wide-eyed.
"Well, those wristlets work in very much the same way," Ichiji continued.
"So if I were you, I wouldn't be leaving the castle any time soon," Yonji added.
"If you do... Well, let's just say... you'll be cooking with your feet," Niji finished.
At that Sanji began to tug at one wristlets, "Cut the crap! Get them off me, now!"
"Sanji," the other girl finally spoke up. She walked over to him. The wristlet began to make a beeping sound as Sanji tried to break the lock. The girl placed a hand on his, "Stop, Sanji. Let go of the wristlet."
"Reiju."
"The only way your going to get them off is with the respective keys. The only one of us who knows where they are is Dad."
"You realize that I can use my devil fruit power to get them off him, right?" Law said.
"I am well aware of the power of the op-op fruit," Judge said. "I was also aware of you alliance with the Straw Hats before I had those made. Which is why they are designed with tracking and DNA recognition technology, so these will, not only, alert me, but Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji, as well, if they are removed," He added as the four of them held up four small, identical objects. "You just saw how fast Niji is. I gave him strict orders to be the first one there if you do take them off him."
"I can electrocute them too, right?"
"You're playing dirty!" Luffy said.
"You can't just force him to stay here!" Nami added.
"He's a prince of this country! I am not only his father but his King as well! If I tell him he's staying then he is staying!"
"Judge! This is not necessary!"
"SHUT UP, SORA!"
Sanji's face turned red, "DO NOT TALK TO HER LIKE THAT!"
"She is my wife! It is not your place to tell me how to talk to her!"
"Bastard!"
"Watch your tongue, Sanji! I can easily set those wristlets off myself!" He said holding up the small device once again. "Guess we forgot to mention that this is also a remote. Don't worry, the button can't be pressed without flipping the switch on the side first so it doesn't accidentally get bumped. The hole thing would be pointless if you loose your hands to an accidental slip up."
"Go to hell," was the only response Sanji could think of.
"Everyone sit down! Dinner will be here shortly." Judge said as he walked back to his throne. "Sanji, some of your genetic enhancements have finally developed.... Which means my original plan of having all five of my children play a role in Germa conquering the North Blue once again is back on."
"If you want to rule over the North Blue again, go ahead and try. But I will not take part in it! You make me sick! All of you!" Sanji yelled. He turned to his mother and sister. "'All of you" does not include you," he said to Sora, sneaking in a quick glance at Reiju, hoping she got the hint.
"You will take part in it whether you like it or not. And now that you have you fire enhancement, you can start the training you were supposed to start with your brothers years ago."
"I trained in the depths of hell for the past two years. My flames or stronger then ever."
"Can you change the temperature of them, like Niji can change his voltage? Or like Ichiji can change the size of the explosion? Or Yonji, the power of his strength. And Reiju, the poten of her poison?"
Sanji didn't answer. Sure he could change the size of his flames, but he never actually thought to try to adjust the temperature.
"I didn't think so. Your training starts after lunch. You remember the kind of training your siblings went through.... Expect yours to be just as brutal. You will remain here while you're friends will be escorted to their rooms here in the main castle. Their belongings that were left in their rooms in Ichiji's castle has already been brought here."
"Sanji-san? Just what kind of training is he talking about?" Brook asked in the cook's ear, his eye sockets narrowed in worry for his friend.
"You don't want to know," as images of younger versions of his siblings filled his mind. Reiju be forced to eat poisons so strong it could kill a giant. Ichiji surrounded by explosives or shoved in the oven on the highest of temperature. Niji strapped to a table with electrical wires hooked to his body. Yonji being buried alive with boulders, forced to move them himself. Sanji not having began to developed his powers didn't have to go through that part of his training, but now he new it probably was going to have to do with being burned alive. He knew Judge did this kind of training to help their enhancements develop faster but he couldn't shake the memories of his siblings screaming in agony, until the day their nerves seemingly went numb.
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Each of the Vinsmoke siblings sat in chairs with the number that matched their capes. Sora sat between Niji and Sanji. Judge remained in his throne. They had a second table set for the Straw Hats. Luffy's hat hung around Sanji's neck.
"You know, Sanji, we were rather surprised to hear that you became a pirate. But then we thought 'maybe this will be good for the runt. Help him grow up a bit'," Niji said breaking the long silence.
Yonji laughed, "Apparently we were wrong about that. But I am still surprised he's even alive."
"Yes, and who'd of thought that father would be in such high spirits because of it! To think that you would actually be useful to us, Sanji. You know, we were a bit stunned when we found you vanished that day."
Sanji's hand clenched around his knife.
"Of course us siblings would remonisc on occasion..."
Sanji glanced up at his older brother before going back to his food.
"However, most of the conversations consisted of competitions on who could come up with the most amusing and humorous ways you might have died being out there on you own."
Yonji laughed covering his mouth with the hand that held his fork.
"Of course Ichiji always one."
"Niji, Yonji, that's enough," Sora said, shooting a glare at her two sons.
"I really hate people like you," Luffy said ripping off a bite of meat. "Sanji, you can come sit over here," he added patting the empty chair next to him.
"He is a prince. He will sit with royalty, not lowly pirates," Ichiji said.
"Ichiji, we discussed this. Your brother's friends are to be treated like royalty, that's why they are welcomed to eat in here with us."
"That was on the condition that he behaves himself. Seeing as to how he was late getting here... I don't think he's been doing a very good job of that, mother," Niji interjected.
Sanji noticed that Niji's plate still had food on it, though he wasn't it eating. "Yo, Niji, finish your food," he said lazily pointing to the place.
"Say what?" Niji looked at him, clearly annoyed. "Oh, you mean this stuff. I don't want it. I left it intentionally. Besides I just had some chocolate before we ate... And this potato stuff killed my appetite. Just looking at it make me want to throw up... So the only place this is going is the garbage."
"Eat. It. You Ignorant, Arrogant, Spoiled Prince, who doesn't know shit about how valuable food is."
"Excuse me! Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like that?!"
"A chef who knows more than you do."
"Tch... WHERE THE HELL IS COSETTE?!"
The soldier standing by the door ran out of the room.
"Y-yes, P-prince Niji," Cosette said entering moments later.
"This so called food of yours has made my brother ruin my good mood."
"My sincerest apologies! I take full responsibility for serving food that doesn't cater to your liking, Lord Niji~"
"Shut up! I don't need your apology! Just stand right there and don't move!" Niji said picking up his plate.
Cosette stood, frozen in fear as the plate came hurtling towards her face. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the impact. When the plate didn't hit her and the was no sound of shattering glass, she opened her eyes to find Sanji's outstretched hand only inches from her face. Food slide from the plate, now in his hand, and fell on the floor.
"Why, you little~" Niji began.
"HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND!" Sanji interrupted in a fit of rage. "ARE YOU TRYING TO LEAVE A SCAR ON THIS LADY'S BEAUTIFUL FACE!"
"The hell is wrong with you! This so called 'lady" is nothing more then a mental servant who prepares our meals!"
"Someone's grown into quite the gentleman," Reiju adserved, resting her head on her hand.
"Yes," Sora agreed, smiling at her son.
"Great, now it's all over the floor! A perfectly good meal... wasted... I'll have you know this dish is called 'aligot'. It is prepared by carefully mixing potatoes with cheese," Sanji said picking up a piece of the meat.
"Here we go again," Zoro muttered as the cook, once again, began his semi bad habit of talking about food... only this time the timing wasn't random, like usual.
"Zoro!" Nami said smaking the swordsman on the shoulder. She turned to Luffy, "Shouldn't we do something? This doesn't look like it's going to end good."
"No. Not yet," Luffy said, his eyes never leaving the cook. "Sanji can handle this. I have faith in him. Besides, we shouldn't cause any more trouble for him, yet."
Nami sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right. But to think that you, of all people don't want to get involved."
Of course the Straw Hats, Law and Carrot, were the only ones who heard this conversation, as everyone else was to busy paying attention to Niji and Sanji's argument.
"Potatoes strengthen our immune system..." Sanji continued absentmindedly as he examined the cut of meat between his fingers. "They help maintain and regulate our blood pressure.... Nevermind the tons of nutritional value it contains."
"Lord Sanji! Please allow me clean it up!" Cosette said when she came back to her senses.
Sanji wasn't listening, he was to far lost in thought, "None of you have ever so much as glanced in the direction of an ingredient, so you haven't the slightest clue... the time and effort put into selecting as well as preparing this meat confit! I, on the other hand... can tell the sweat and toil that went into preparing just this dish allown. Not to mention everyone else's meals! The chefs would have had to be up before dawn to cook breakfast. And as soon as they were done with that, lunch.... But to get dinner done in time... they would have had to start just before they served your lunch."
"Prince Sanji! Royal mustn't eat off the floor!" Cosette said as Sanji deliberately put the cut of meat into his mouth.
"That's disgusting! I think I'm going to be sick!" Niji said in disbelief.
"Cosette-chan, the seasonings you chose for this... Absolute perfection.... Definitely worthy of your grandfather's position as Head Chef."
"Sanji-sama," she muttered as tears began to roll down her face, no one had ever gave her complements like this before.
"YOU HAVE GOTTEN WAY TO COMFORTABLE RUBBING ELBOWS WITH THE LOW-LIFE COMMONERS! IF YOU INSIST ON CALLING YOURSELF MY BROTHER, I WON'T STAND FOR SUCH DEMEANING AND DESPICABLE ACTS!" Niji yelled running up to kick Sanji in the face.
"Room!" Law said from where he sat, interrupting Sora as see turned to yell at Niji to stop.
Just before Niji's electricity-engulfed leg made contact with it's target, Sanji was teleported and now standing next to Law. A rock fell to the floor were the blond was originally stand as Niji lost his balance, due to the unexpected vanishing of his younger brother, and fell on his ass.
Luffy, the guys, and Carrot burst out in laughter, Law tried to hide it but failed horribly. Nami choked on her drink. Robin covered her mouth, obviously trying to suppress a laugh. The sight of his friends' amusement in the matter made it hard for Sanji to hold back his own amusement, despite knowing what would happen if he did laugh at his older brother.
Niji stood up as if nothing happened, although his face was almost as red as Ichiji's hair, clearly even more angry than before.
"You bring shame to our family," He said looking Sanji straight in the eye.
"Being affiliated with this family brings shame to me. Spoiled brats that don't appreciate a warm meal... Men who dare raise their hands against a woman... Royals who treat the lives of their subordinates as nothing more than expendable pawns... Everything you do... everything you stand for... goes completely against every fiber in my body!
"Sanji," Sora muttered, she knew he didn't include her in what he said, but she felt bad that her sweet little Prince was born into this family.
"Your opinions are nothing more than the prattle and musings of the prebians," Ichiji said. "I've never understood how that brain of yours worked, even when we were kids. Understand this, Sanji... Royals are meant... to act like royals! The only one acting disgracefully here, is you!"
Niji's logic is flawless. You need to reign in that twisted thinking of yours, Sanji," Judge said as he waved some maids in, who were waiting to clean up the tables. "Escort our guests to their rooms on you way back to the kitchen."
"Yes, Judge-sama," the girls said and the Straw Hats stood to follow them out the doors.
Nami turned to Sanji's before leaving. Her eyes full of worry, "Are you going to be okay, Sanji-kun?"
"Don't worry about me, Nami-swan. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? They don't seem like their going to go easy on you."
"It's okay. As long as you are safe then I'll be fine," he said brushing a strand of hair out of the navigator's face.
Sanji couldn't hide the shock when Nami threw her arms around him in a tight, worried, hug. "Would you tell me if it wasn't fine?" She asked in his ear.
The cook felt a twinge of guilt as he answered, "Of course," as he hated lying to his beautiful swan.
"You better," she said pulling away and followed the others out the doors.
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Alright! Not only have I managed to fit in the argument between Niji and Sanji over wasting food successfully but we have also finally arrived at the main plot for this fanfiction! We are one chapter closer to fining out exactly what it is Judge will do to betray his children!
And yes that was another Sanji x Nami moment (I couldn't resist, the last one was just too cute 💙). Although I still haven't decided if this is going to end in Sanji x Nami (as that was not my original intent) so if you're hoping for that... Well you'll just have to keep reading and find out! 😉