Allowing my nose to lead the way, I eventually found the curly-browed chef, who seemed to be swooning over some of the townswomen. 'Typical', I thought with an eye roll, as I approached him. "Hey Sanji, is anything cooking in the kitchen?" I questioned him with a raised brow, as his attention was now averted to me in an instant. "Of course, (y/n)-swaaannn!~ I was helping the chefs prepare for the party!" He explained, doing that little worm wiggle thing that he does towards any girl he sees.
Well... now that I think about it... to clarify... he only does it with PRETTY girls.... damn do I feel good now at remembering that little tid bit of information.
"Are you hungry? I will fetch you something right now, (y/n)-swan!~" He purred to me, before going to hold one of my hands, and lead me like a gentleman towards a table, going to pull the chair back and everything. "Why, thank you very much!" I grinned to him, as he ate that thanks up like a hungry man on thanksgiving. "Anything for you!~" He chuckled happily, before going to rush into this little building that was next to us, which I assumed was the kitchen, where the food was at.
"You know, I am quite jealous of you, to tell you the truth." I heard a voice speak beside me, which surprised me a bit, as I turned my head towards the source of the sound.
"Why?..." I questioned, not really getting it, as the tall blonde in front of me simply chuckled. "Despite it being very noisy here, I can still hear that your group of friends really do care about you... some even a bit too much..." She giggled, as she crossed her slender legs.
"Well, that's nice to hear and all, but I am still wondering why you're jealous of me.... did you not have any friends?" I questioned her, as she shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "Despite what Mary may believe, I did not. As the eldest sister, I naturally had to deal with extra responsibilities. None of the work I had to do really allowed me any opportunity to have any friends. At the time, my family was all that I really had..." She then chuckled softly. "But, there was someone that I had my eye on." I blinked awkwardly at that. "Oh, really? And who was that?" I asked, almost not even wanting to know, because at the time frame she was talking about... she was 6, at most!! 'They're so weird...' I sighed, holding my head.
"Heh heh, no, this infatuation was actually recent." She explained to me, as I sighed. 'I need to keep reminding myself that she and Hawkins can do the creepy mind reading thing... I really am not okay with my private thoughts being evaded like this...'
"Oh, really? Might I know the guy, by any chance? I do know quite some people." I rose a brow, as she nodded. "Does the name Cory Donks ring a bell?" She questioned me, as I shook my head. "Nope, I have no idea who that is, unfortunately." She then went to chuckle in response. "Of course, because that was the alias he gave me... a very mediocre one, but the attempt was adorable." She chuckled some more.
"I am pretty sure you have met him.... very tall, shaggy blond hair, beautiful eyes of amber...." She described, as the picture came together. "Wait a minute... are you saying that you're infatuated with... Rosinante?..." I questioned, not believing it, as she nodded. "Indeed I was. Him and I have so much in common, in terms with our lineage, and how we approach the matter in question... we met when Mary told me to find some information in one of the marine bases for her." She told me, as my ears caught one interesting word.
"Hold up... you just said was... why not am?..." I asked with folded arms, as she went to sigh sadly, before holding her face. "Because of two reasons. The most obvious one being that I am officially deceased... this is Mary's body that I am trapped in, not my own..." She explained, before showing me two fingers. "And two, I knew what I heard... he already had his heart on someone else..." She frowned, before going to give me a very strange look. 'Why is she looking at me like that when she said that?...'
Before I could proceed with my questioning, though, Sanji returned with a heap full of food for me, which almost made my mouth water like a waterfall. 'Contain it, (y/n); you got this.' I told myself with a sigh, as he went to bow like the prince that he was at presenting it all to me.
"Enjoy, mademoiselle." He grinned charmingly to me, as I clasped my hands together giddily in anticipation. "Hee hee, don't mind if I do!" I chirped, before going to town with the delicious food that I was served. It was really helpful for filling me up with goodness, that's for sure!
"Excuse me chef, may I have some of that food you're serving?" Marie asked Sanji politely, as he went to simply bow in response to her. "Of course, Marie." He simply replied, before going back to the kitchen, but not without exchanging a Duval-grade wink my way.
"Now THAT'S weird!" I pointed out with a gasp, as Marie went to blink at me curiously. "Do you mean that attempt of a charming wink?" She questioned me, as I shook my head. "No... he didn't even bother flirting with you!" I pointed out, as she giggled softly at that. "Well, it seems Maree telling the group that she was 6 made him set up a barrier to prevent himself from coming across as disconcerting when it concerned us... even though technically we been adults for a while, now." She chuckled, as if it was some big joke, as I shook my head. "Well, can you blame him? It's a very weird situation!" I pointed out after taking a bite from the scrumptious food, as she nodded. "It is, I agree... that's why, when you are stuck in such a situation for so long, not knowing when it'll end, you just have to make do with the deck of cards you have." She mumbled lowly, averting her eyes to the ground, which gave me a hint to just leave the subject alone. After all, what she is dealing with IS a very tough situation. I mean, she is stuck playing along with her sister, the murderer, after all!
"...That's why I am so jealous of you, (y/n)... you have everything going for you." She smiled softly to me, as I quirked a curious brow. "I mean, you have so many great friends that care so much about you... and you have many men seeking your eye... I'd never be able to experience that..." She frowned, as I tried to hold in the feels. Dammit, why does the feels kick in the most when you're eating?!
"I am sorry, Marie... if there was a way I could just rewrite you and Maree's life, I would!" I told her, really feeling bad about this awful situation, as she went to simply smile lightly in response. "That would be nice... to experience my life again, without any interruptions..." She murmured, before Sanji returned with some food for her, which she gratefully took, as I went to grit my teeth in frustration at this whole thing.
Of course, with my presence here, it seemed like the story line shifted quite a bit, what with the appearance of new people, and new islands entirely, and the absence of others, like Jinbe and Carrot. 'Let me try not to think too hard about this...' I told myself, since I was a bit inebriated. I don't think anything wise came from a drunk, at least on purpose...
At finishing that delicious food that I was served, I saw Sanji make his way back over to me, doing that iconic worm wiggle thing of his again, which was kind of adorable, I'd admit.
"I am glad you enjoyed it that much, (y/n)-swan~" He chirped to me, as I nodded. "How could I not? Your food is delicious!" I complimented him, as he practically jumped in happiness at that words. "I am so honorreedd!~"
I went to laugh at his dorky mannerisms, before shaking my head. "You're so precious at the best of times, you know that?." I tilted my head towards him, as he shot up like a rocket again at my words. "I will always be precious to you, (y/n)-swaann!~" He chirped to me, before he went to hold my hand, now back to acting like a grown gentleman, instead of an over-hormonal teenager that just had his first crush.
"How could I not be, when you're so beautiful? The way those innocent, (e/c) eyes pierce right through my soul... that gorgeous smile that can make even the most treacherous of seas calm... your luscious (h/l), (h/t), (h/c) hair... Everything about you is beautiful..." He told me, his eyes going to look into mine with such affection, that it took me quite aback.
'Is he and Katakuri having a competition on who can be the most sweetest to me behind my back, or what?...'
"Awww, that is so sweet, Sanji! Thank you!" I giggled happily, since he said all those lovely things to me with such sincerity. Back on Earth, the only time I saw something that sweet happen was in fiction, ironically, and look where I am now...
"I haven't forgotten the day where you and I danced in the face of danger... you looked so lovely in that doll-like getup, that when I first saw you, it took me a second to realize that I wasn't just staring at a very pretty doll..." He admitted to me, as my already pink cheeks just got pinker. It went from a dusty pink to a bright flamingo pink, now.
'I-I don't think it's healthy to receive so much sweetness back to back... ahh my head is spinniinngg...'
"Easy on the sweetness, Sanji... too much sugar makes my already pounding head pound even more..." I waved to him, trying to ease the gentleman up a bit, though I knew it might be fruitless to even try, knowing who I was dealing with.
"Sugar... pound..." He mumbled out, as if carefully taking those words into consideration, for some weird reason. He then snapped his fingers, as I could practically see the bulb light up over his blond head. "Aha! I know what I'll do! I'll make a pound cake for (y/n)-swan!~ I will name it; the (y/n)-swan pound cake!" He chuckled like a dork, doing the worm wiggle again, but this time with more intensity, like a worm escaping it's flooded home from a downpour of heavy rain. I was almost afraid he might break his hip, swaying side to side like that.
"I don't know if I can even eat anymore.." I hummed, going to rub my belly, as he then turned to me with a big smile. "That is alright, (y/n)-swan! I can always make it another time!" He reassured me, as I nodded at that. "That'd be nice.." I smiled, as he swooned some more at that. "You know, I am quite flattered that you got inspired by me...." I grinned to him, as he giggled happily at my words. "And I am quite flattered that you're thanking me so much! Nami-swaann and Robin-chaann had NEVER been this sweet to me!" He told me, as I held in a chuckle. 'It couldn't possibly be because of the mid-key pervyness, right?..'
Sanji is a nice dude, don't get me wrong, but sometimes his quirkiness could get the best of him. However, being me, I didn't mind it so much... just as long as he doesn't act ridiculously over the top with it.
"C-chef, please help us! We can't keep up with making desserts for everyone, especially because that giant keeps eating them all!" One of the chefs yelled to Sanji from the little building, as Sanji transformed into Gordon Ramsay at that. "Is that so? I'll be right there!" Before the flirtatious man left, however, he went to give me a chaste kiss on my cheek, which made my flamingo pink cheeks burn a crimson red, since I wasn't expecting that kind of contact.
"I have to go assist the other chefs, but I promise we can talk later, okay (y/n)?" He told me with a bright smile, before heading off. After all, he was a chef first, and a lover second.
'How is he single again?...' I questioned myself, truly mulling over that question, before I felt a doughy, sticky arm wrap around my waist. Luckily for me, the one who this arm belongs to is actually gentle when bringing me to him, unlike a certain rubber man that I knew, who gave me three concussions, the third one going to give me temporary amnesia, and an embarrassing date with Marco.
'Maybe I should ask Nami to smack him over the head three times... see how he likes it...' I thought with a grin, before my little body fell into the lap of a certain gentle giant.
"That's one way to bring me over."