There was a giant fish head on the beach.
Not giant as in, "Wow, that's a nice catch! There'll be enough left over for lunch tomorrow." Oh no. Not even close. This was giant as in, "AAAAAHHH! It's gonna swallow the ship whole! Someone call Captain Usopp!"
It was enormous, even from where Usopp sat high above on the cliff. He could hardly believe his eyes, all previous thoughts forgotten from the moment he first laid eyes on it.
Usopp needed to check it out. He ran for the path leading down the cliff face and made his way down toward the beach. Maybe if those three little kids came back to talk to him again, he could take them to explore it. Impress them with the story of how the Great Captain Usopp wrangled such a monstrous catch to shore.
Ideas for stories raced through Usopp's mind. Captain Usopp was out sailing and got swallowed whole. Using his wits and strength of a hundred men, he broke free from the fish's belly. Or maybe, he caught the giant fish while braving a storm at sea. He reeled it in, all the while dodging lightning strikes and fending off sharks. Where's the body? The sharks ate it! Wait, no, no. He punched the sharks that tried to eat it, but there was this island full of little people who were awful hungry, so Usopp let them have it, keeping only the head as a trophy.
Usopp hesitated at the base of the cliff, the toes of his boots digging into the wet gravel. It was even bigger up close. It didn't smell like a normal fish left to rot in the sun would. Uneasiness churned in Usopp's stomach.
He took a deep breath, getting ahold of himself. It was a fish head. No body. It was dead, and couldn't jump up and attack him. As far he could see, there was nothing around to eat on it either, not even vultures.
There was nothing to be afraid of.
Was he a brave adventurer like his dad or not?
Gathering his courage, Usopp approached. As he got closer, it became apparent why nothing was eating on it, and why it didn't stink.
It was made of wood.
The thing was only shaped and painted to look like a fish. The front lip of the fish was partly buried in the rocky sand, but boards jutted out the back of it. They looked jagged and broken, like they'd been violently torn away from whatever they were once attached to. A boat? A giant wooden fish body? Who knew.
Usopp peered into the fish. He couldn't see much. The inside was cast in shadows that even the bright mid-morning sun couldn't illuminate.
"Hellooo~" Usopp called, just to see if his voice would echo.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when a voice answered back.
"Hey."
Usopp shrieked. He tripped over his own feet and landed on his butt. Too panicked to stand back up, he frantically crab-walked backwards.
A figure emerged from the back of the fish. Usopp paused in his mad scramble, curiosity making the fear subside.
It was just a kid. A boy, about Usopp's age, with hair that shone like gold in the sun. He had the strangest eyebrow Usopp had ever seen, curling like a spiral above his one visible eye.
Excitement shot through Usopp's veins. They didn't get many strangers in the Gecko Islands. Certainly none who arrived in such an unusual vessel. This boy, whoever he was or however he came to be here, was new and interesting. Usopp tried to calm himself. This kid might have an interesting story, but he couldn't just jump into that. Usopp needed to play it cool. Be civil, as one seafarer to another.
"Ahoy there!" Usopp called, standing. "I am the Great Captain Usopp! Welcome to my island, traveler!" Perfect.
The boy didn't respond. Instead, he examined the shoreline, scowling.
"I'm Usopp," Usopp repeated. "Why are you in a giant fish head?"
The boy finally looked at Usopp. "Where are we?" he asked, ignoring Usopp's question.
"Syrup Village," Usopp said.
"Where is Syrup Village?"
"It's part of the Gecko Islands."
"Where are the Gecko Islands in relation to Port Astillero?"
Usopp pondered a moment. It had been awhile since he'd seen a good map of the East Blue; people in Syrup didn't care to travel, or do much of anything beyond the village. It was half the reason Usopp had to do his best to bring excitement and adventure to this boring place.
"It's to the southwest," Usopp said. He'd never heard of the place, but he knew the bigger islands that made up the Gecko Islands archipelago were to the west, so it seemed like a good bet the boy had blown in from the east.
The boy's scowl deepened. "Any idea how far?"
Usopp felt a prickle of annoyance, but he tried to ignore it. He'd probably be grumpy too if he was lost. "I don't have the exact distance memorized."
"Where is this place's port?"
"There isn't one."
The boy sighed. "Great. Just great. I try to save the ship and end up stranded in some random village in Nowhere, East Blue."
"It could be worse," Usopp said, feeling a bit defensive.
"You have no idea," the boy muttered.
Usopp didn't like the way the boy said those words. He made it sound like he knew exactly how much worse it could be. Seeing the boy's dark expression, Usopp knew he couldn't let whatever he was thinking about linger.
"Sure, it could have been a lot worse," Usopp said. "You could have ended up on the island where lightning constantly strikes. It's named for the god of thunder, because the storm there never ends. I was out traveling one time when I got blown off course and landed there. The Navy was there, trying to lay a trap for me, but they were too busy dodging lightning strikes to attack. Lucky for you though, we're nowhere close to that place. I've spent the last few years here keeping this village safe. I'm sure we can find you a boat."
Before Usopp could launch into a story — about his trip to the lightning island, or about protecting this village, he hadn't decided yet — the boy's stomach growled. A long, rattling growl, loud even with the distance between them. They both froze.
The boy was thin. He was taller than Usopp, but there was a gauntness to his face, a sharpness to his cheeks and elbows that spoke of hunger.
Usopp was no stranger to hungry nights. The casseroles, pies, and other sympathy dishes from his neighbors had stopped years ago. Old Man Turnip who ran the only diner in town could only afford to give Usopp so many freebies, even if Usopp moved crates or swept for him. There were days when the fish weren't biting and there was nothing to be picked in the little vegetable garden that Usopp had done his best to maintain with the tools his mother had left behind. Usopp was familiar with an empty stomach.
An empty stomach had to be a thousand times worse when you were lost and had no way to get home.
"It's about lunchtime, don't you think?" Usopp said, squinting up at the bright sun overhead. "You want to come to my house? I can make us some food, and we can work on a plan to find a boat for you."
The boy stared at him. His scowl, which Usopp had started to believe was permanently etched into his face, faded into a softer, more open expression.
"Okay," the boy said.
"Great!" Usopp said, skipping forward to grab his hand. The boy startled, but didn't yank his hand out of Usopp's grasp. Usopp led him toward the path. He could keep the boy entertained with stories, but first, there was something he needed to know…
"By the way, what's your name?"
It could be worse, Sanji thought.
A small island in the middle of nowhere. One full of lush trees and fields, and surrounded by cliffs along the shore that were steep but not too steep to climb. A scattering of houses and dusty paths, the sound of sheep and cows in the distance.
This was the second time Sanji had been washed away by a storm and stranded in an unfamiliar place, so he knew: it could be much worse.
Food. People. Shade. This was not the rock. When he'd first been swept away, clinging to the newly built entrance to Zeff's restaurant after trying to secure it with more ropes when the temporary holds rigging it to the face of restaurant broke, Sanji had panicked. He'd shook, clinging to wood beneath him, barely able to breathe. Even after the storm had ended and he'd washed up on the shore, he hadn't moved. He'd been too afraid to walk out and find himself on another barren rock.
It wasn't until he'd heard Usopp's voice that he could bring himself to get up and see.
There was food at hand, a village full of people who could offer a map or a ride, and a willing offer of help from the long-nosed boy walking beside him. The boy's chattering helped ease the tightness in Sanji's chest. His jokes made the phantom feeling of hollowness in Sanji's stomach abate.
Usopp loved to talk. He told Sanji all kinds of stories as they walked, pointing out oddly shaped trees or distant bird calls and ascribing some fantastical background to each. He was also funny. Sanji didn't expect it, and was so taken aback by a joke about fighting "a well-armed octopus" that he couldn't help a startled laugh. Usopp immediately doubled down on the fish puns. Sanji couldn't remember the last time he laughed so much. Zeff didn't tell these kinds of jokes. His family before Zeff thought Sanji was the joke. He had no defenses for Usopp's silly anecdotes and wordplay.
In no time at all, they reached a small house. Just outside of it, there was a patch of tilled earth with a few rows of vegetables and herbs. Over the garden, a clothesline ran with a shirt and a few socks blowing in the breeze. One of the house's windows was boarded, and the roof had clearly been patched in several places by amateur hands. Usopp and his family were not wealthy, that much was clear, but the place still felt welcoming.
"You can sit down," Usopp said as they entered. "I'll make us sandwiches."
Sanji ignored his directive, instead following him into the kitchen area. Usopp started poking through the fridge and cabinets. There… wasn't much food in there. An odd feeling welled up in Sanji. Not pity, or indebtedness, but a warm, bittersweet feeling he couldn't put a name to. Usopp didn't have much, but here he was, freely offering to share what he did have with Sanji, a stranger, just so he wouldn't go hungry.
"Let me make you something," Sanji said. He'd gotten a good look at what was in the fridge and cabinets, and had a few ideas.
"What? No, I've got it. You're a guest," Usopp protested.
"I'm a chef," Sanji said. If this boy could call himself a captain, then Sanji the kitchen hand could call himself a chef, even if Zeff's new restaurant wasn't up and running yet. "I'll whip up something delicious, trust me."
Usopp reluctantly stepped back, and Sanji got to work. He chopped vegetables, heated a pan of oil, set water to boil. He sent Usopp out to grab some herbs from the garden. Cooking was as easy as breathing for Sanji, and something that he enjoyed no matter where he was. Usopp had steadily chipped away at the unease gripping Sanji since his ordeal in the storm, but cooking finally made the last of it fall away.
Usopp watched him with rapt attention, so Sanji threw a few extra flairs into his work. Tossing the food in the pan, mincing faster than the eye could follow. He tried not preen when Usopp gasped. When he finished, they scooped some onto their plates and sat at the small table.
"Mmmm," Usopp groaned when he took his first bite. "So good!"
"It's a simple recipe," Sanji said.
"It's amazing. You must be the best chef in the world!"
Sanji tried to brush off the compliment, but he couldn't hide his pleased smile. Zeff was a great teacher, but he was gruff and didn't hand out compliments very often. Sanji, with the perspective of time, now understood his mother had lied when she said his food was good, even though he's always held her kind words close to his heart. Hearing Usopp sing his praises was nice; this boy was a stranger to him, an outside opinion, and his sincere (if excessive) compliments warmed Sanji.
Usopp couldn't remember the last time he ate a good home-cooked meal.
A genuine, delicious meal, made from scratch, in his home. His mother used to cook, but when she fell ill, they'd relied on what Usopp could make from their garden and whatever food their neighbors brought over. After she died, the gifts continued for a little while, but those eventually dried up. Usopp was too much of a troublemaker to keep his neighbors' sympathy. He learned to feed himself; to catch and cook fish, to make stews and steam vegetables. Old Man Turnip let him eat a few meals in the diner every now and again in exchange for a few chores.
Sanji made the most delicious food Usopp had ever tasted. It had some fancy sounding name that Usopp couldn't remember, let alone pronounce, but that was okay because Sanji had offered to teach him how to make it.
When they were done eating, Usopp carefully stowed what little remained in the fridge. He turned to his friend (and they were friends, right? Sanji had listened to Usopp's stories and laughed at his jokes. Usopp had complimented Sanji's food and would do his best to help him get home. Sanji hadn't told him to shut up or get lost, not even once. That had to mean they were friends.)
"Alright. The mighty Captain Usopp has put great thought into how to get you home," Usopp said. "First option: we find a map and ask one of the fishermen to take you to Port Astillero, if it's close enough." They didn't have much to trade for such a ride… if the fishermen would listen to Usopp at all. Usopp could offer to do chores for a month. Maybe Sanji could cook for one of the fishermen; surely a meal from Sanji was worth a ride.
"Of course I can cook for them," Sanji said when Usopp mentioned his train of thought. "What's your next idea, if that doesn't work?"
"Second, you could write a letter to your parents—"
"I don't have any parents." Sanji said bluntly.
"Oh," Usopp said, feeling awkward. "I don't either. Well, I do, but neither of them are here. My dad is a pirate! He's out sailing the seas, going on grand adventures. He'll be back to pick me up soon, though. My mom…" Usopp's throat closed, and the words refused to come. It had been two years, and he still couldn't really talk about her.
"I live with a chef named Zeff," Sanji said, saving Usopp from the growing silence. "He saved my life, and I'm going to help him open a restaurant in the middle of the ocean."
"In the middle of the ocean?!"
"Yeah. It will be a restaurant boat. So sailors, pirates, and marines can get food, even out in the middle of the ocean when there isn't any land around. At Zeff's restaurant, no one will go hungry."
"That's amazing!"
"That's why I need to get back," Sanji said. "I owe it to the old man to help him."
"Well, we could send him a letter, and he could come get you. The news coos won't deliver mail, but the post bird comes to pick up outgoing letters every other week." Usopp knew that in some places, the post birds came every day. It would be a waste of time and energy here, though; no one in Syrup Village had much mail to send.
"Great. When was it last here?"
"…two days ago." It would be almost two weeks before it came again.
Sanji scowled. "Zeff will think I'm dead if I wait that long. Any other ideas?"
"Of course! But, uh, none that would work right now. My eight thousand followers are on vacation, otherwise I'd ask them to give you a ride, and the giant sea cow I tamed is…"
Usopp petered off. Sanji was hunched in his chair, glaring at his knees. Usopp's stomach twisted. Had he disappointed his new friend already? Usopp tried to push away the doubts he could feel creeping up. Sanji was just homesick, and probably missed Zeff.
"Hey," Usopp said, going to stand by Sanji. "We'll see if we can find a ride with one of the fishermen. I'm sure they can take you, and if they can't maybe we can convince a news coo to deliver a message." The news coos didn't do anything for anyone without payment, and Usopp didn't have any money, but they'd find a way.
"I guess no one here would have a snail."
Sanji said it quietly, more of a mutter to himself than words addressed to Usopp, but Usopp heard.
"I know someone who has a snail."
Sanji straightened up. "You do?"
"Yeah!"
Well, Usopp hadn't personally met the owners of the snail, but he knew of them. He hadn't seen the snail either, but he had heard some of the villagers talking about it at the diner. One of them, a cook for the estate, had even talked about where they kept it.
"There's a big house on the hill. The family living there is rich, and they just got a new snail." Usopp grinned and held out his hand. "Come on! I'll show you the way."
Sanji didn't hesitate. He reached out and took Usopp's hand.
Usopp wasn't lying. The house on the hill was bigger and better looking than any of the others in the village. The people who lived there clearly had money (though Sanji had seen much bigger, richer houses than this since he escaped his family).
Instead of going up to the front door, Usopp led Sanji around the side of the house. He moved quick, keeping low so as not to be seen over the hedge that lined the fence surrounding the place. It didn't take long for Sanji to figure out what was going on.
"You don't actually know these people, do you?"
Usopp sputtered. He started to lie, but gave up when Sanji gave him a look. "I've seen them before, we just haven't talked."
"And we can't just go up to the front door and ask to use their snail, because…?"
"What if they say no?" Usopp looked at him, his big eyes round and worried. "If we ask and they say no, then they'll know what we want, and they'll be watching it more closely. We won't be able to use it at all then."
It was logical, if rather pessimistic. Better to ask forgiveness than permission.
"Besides, if they see it's me asking, they definitely won't help…" Usopp said, so quietly Sanji almost didn't hear him.
Sanji wondered who had told Usopp no. Who had kept him from what he needed, to the point that he was afraid to ask for anything. To the point that he didn't expect anyone to help him without making him pay for it. Sanji pushed the question, and the memories that came with it, from his mind.
They came to a stretch of fence where the hedge grew taller. Usopp, nimble and surefooted, scurried up the fence. Sanji followed, and they dropped into the bushes on the other side. From there they made their way closer to the house, ducking from bush to bush. When they reached the last stretch, an open area surrounding the house with no cover in sight, Usopp looked around for onlookers. Finding none, they dashed over to the house and pressed themselves against the wall. When no alarms were raised, they edged over to a window on the ground floor.
Sanji, slightly taller than Usopp, stood on his toes and peered through the open window. It was a bedroom. Neat, with elegant furniture. Empty. Sanji knelt down, allowing Usopp to use his knee to boost himself up. They crept to the door.
Usopp carefully cracked the door open. He immediately shut it, quiet but quick, and motioned for Sanji to move. They scrambled under the desk. Sanji heard footsteps, faint at first but growing louder. They passed in front of the door but didn't slow down, and soon faded from hearing range.
Usopp peeked again. The coast was clear, and they ventured into the hallway. They checked every door they came across. More bedrooms, a few closets. Sanji felt like they were getting closer when they came across a room with couches and bookshelves; a living room, he'd guess from descriptions he'd read in books.
No snails.
Occasionally, they heard more footsteps. Once, they heard voices, and ran to hide behind (or in Usopp's case, under) the nearest furniture as a pair of servants entered the room they were searching. When the servants left, none the wiser, Sanji and Usopp shared nervous smiles, and crept onward.
It was kind of fun. Sanji had never liked having to sneak around, before; back in the North, he did it out of necessity to avoid his brothers. It helped him avoid Judge's wrath too; on the days Sanji mostly managed to stay out of sight, he felt like the man was less angry with him. His father seemed to want him to disappear entirely, and Sanji, on occasion, wanted the same. But this was different. Sneaking around with Usopp felt like a game.
For a little while, anyway. After the sixth room they checked, Sanji started to get impatient.
"Do you know where this thing is?"
"It's on the ground floor," Usopp said with certainty. "In the study."
"Do you know where the study is?"
Usopp didn't answer.
Sanji wanted to groan. "This place is huge!" It would take them forever to find it.
"We'll find it," Usopp said. "We just have to search this one floor."
He opened the nearest door, and they came face to face with a girl.
She was about their age, small, with brown eyes and blonde hair. She wore a cute blue dress, far finer than either Sanji or Usopp's clothes. Unlike them, she clearly belonged in this big house.
"Oh!" The girl cried, startled. Her eyes got big. She took a deep breath, about to scream, and Sanji got ready to run. Before she could scream though, Usopp jumped forward.
"Shh!" He placed a hand over her mouth. "It's okay! I promise. We don't want to hurt you!"
She still looked afraid, eyes darting back and forth between the two of them.
"We're not here to hurt anyone, or take anything. You have my oath as a brave warrior of the sea!" He removed his hand from her mouth. Voice low but full of energy, Usopp kept speaking. "My friend here was stranded. He was separated from his family, a group of fighting cooks who brave the high seas to bring food to the hungry. They were caught in a hurricane, and he was swept overboard. Sanji here is a strong swimmer, so he would have been fine, but he wasn't alone in the water. A fish, bigger than a galleon, was lurking beneath the storm tossed waves. It snatched him up and swam off, intending to make a meal out of him!"
The girl's eyes were still wide, but no longer filled with fear. Wonder filled those soft brown irises.
"For three days and three nights, Sanji fought the fish. He kicked it in the eye, and when it swallowed him, he kicked it in the stomach until it spat him back out. The fish wouldn't give up though — it was a stubborn old thing, and dead set on gobbling him up! Sanji hadn't eaten in all that time though, and he was getting hungry. He tried to punch the fish, but it didn't work: he was too tired and weak from hunger. The fish, that wily, stubborn creature, seized its chance. It lunged for Sanji, and was just about to eat him when Captain Usopp arrived."
Usopp pulled out the slingshot he kept tucked in his waistband and held it aloft.
"I saw what was happening, and with my trusty slingshot, I cut the fish open with one mighty shot! I took half the fish home to eat, and gave the other half to some dwarves who were traveling far from home. All that is left of the fish is the ginormous head, which I brought home as a trophy. It's sitting on the beach right now. You can go to the southern shore and see for yourself!"
"Amazing," the girl said. Though Sanji thought the story was a bit silly (and his supposed rescue very, very exaggerated) he had to agree. Usopp had caught the girl and Sanji up in his spell, weaving fact and fiction with ease. All fear was gone from her face, replaced with excitement and fascination.
"Sanji was grateful for the rescue. He's the greatest cook the world has ever seen, and in exchange for my saving him, he made a meal out of the fish and some vegetables I stole from the land of the giants. It was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. He's homesick though. He wants to return to his fearsome band of cooks, and I've sworn to do everything in my power to get him home."
"Why are you here, then?" She asked, tucking her short blond hair behind her ear.
For the first time since the story started, Usopp hesitated. His cheeks turned red. He looked sheepish.
"We were wondering… could we use your snail?"
"Kaya is so nice," Usopp said.
"Very kind," Sanji agreed.
She'd shown them to the study (it was in the wing opposite from where they started) and showed them how to wake the snail and use the phone attachment. Sanji had called the directory, and after a brief conversation with the operator, was put through to Port Astillero and then Zeff. Sanji and Zeff then had what Usopp could only describe as an argument, though Sanji had complained of "the old man's mother hen tendencies" after hanging up, so Usopp supposed some of the hollering and insults must have sounded worried.
A tiny, jealous part of Usopp wished his dad was only a snail call away.
Usopp pushed that feeling down, burying it deep, out of sight. He made sure to thank Kaya profusely, and swore to come to her aid, should she ever find herself in trouble.
Kaya had laughed at that. What trouble could be found in peaceful, boring Syrup Village, after all?
Sanji had given Kaya his own excessive thanks, and she showed them them best place to sneak out from. They made their escape, unnoticed by anyone but her.
"Port Astillero isn't too far," Sanji said as they walked back to Usopp's house. "Zeff said he'll hire a ship and be out here by tomorrow afternoon."
Though getting Sanji home had been the whole point of the trip to find the snail phone, Usopp's stomach twisted at the words. Sanji would be gone by tomorrow. His first real friend, leaving so soon. They'd only had a few hours together, but it had felt like much longer. As selfish as the thought was, Usopp wished Sanji would stay longer.
"Great! You can spend the night at my house." Usopp said, forcing a smile. Sanji didn't need to deal with Usopp's feelings. He could go home to his dad — mentor? guardian? — Zeff, and that was all that mattered. Usopp would just have to make sure they made the most of the time they had left.
"Tag, you're it!" He slapped Sanji's back and took off running.
"What!?"
"You're IT! Can't catch me, slowpoke!"
"I'll show you slow!"
Sanji gave chase, and Usopp bolted, laughing and yelling taunts as he ran. They made their meandering way back to the house, chasing each other around trees and hay bales. When they arrived, sweaty but happy, Usopp grabbed some fishing rods and a net, and they made their way to the shore. Together they caught three fish and a bucketful of shrimp.
Sanji showed Usopp how to cut and preserve the fish so they would last longer. Using some vegetables from the garden, he made a sauce, and they feasted on shrimp.
The sun set, so Usopp made a fire in the hearth to give them light, so they could stay up late, since this was a sleepover. Sanji had read about sleepovers before. Kids, usually girls, gathering to play certain games and share secrets. Sanji had never had a sleepover before, but, Usopp soon admitted, neither had Usopp, so they decided to do whatever they wanted. They talked, and played games, and built a fort with the few blankets and quilts.
Sanji wondered if this was what being a normal kid was like.
Sanji had never had a real friend before. His siblings were enemies; only Reiju had cared enough to free him, but with Judge watching, she couldn't afford to show him any other kindness. Sanji had loved the rats, but they couldn't talk to him. His heart still ached a bit when he thought about the crew of the Orbit, but they were coworkers, and now they were dead.
Being here with Usopp was easy. It was fun. He hadn't felt afraid, truly afraid, once since meeting Usopp. Not even while sneaking through Kaya's house.
Sanji was enjoying himself. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this way.
The house felt brighter than it had in a long time. Even the shadows cast by the dying embers in the hearth weren't nearly so deep or dark. Usopp had been living alone for years, but he hadn't allowed himself to really admit how lonely it had been until now, when the house felt so different. It felt so much less empty with Sanji in it.
Even after the fire died down, they talked. Telling jokes and stories. Talking about the strange things they'd read about, like devil fruits and monsters. Whispering their dearest dreams.
Usopp talked about becoming a pirate. A real pirate, unafraid of what dangers the seas held in store, surrounded by a loyal, beloved crew who'd go to the ends of the earth with him. A pirate who made even the tallest of his tall tales come true.
"Once I pay back Zeff, I'll go with you."
"You can be my first mate."
"Your cook."
"My cook, who's also first mate, and the greatest chef on the Grand Line and in all the Blues."
"All the Blues… and the All Blue?"
"Huh?"
Sanji's smile was bright, even in the dark.
"There's this place, where all the Blues meet. There are fish and other ingredients from every Blue there, all in one place. People say it's just an old story, but I know it's real. I'm going to find it one day."
"You will. We'll travel together, and I'll do everything I can to help you. I know you'll find it!"
"Weren't you boasting earlier that you've been all over the world?"
"Well, I've been to lots of places, but not everywhere. You'll be the one to find it, but I'll be happy to explore it with you… if you want."
"Of course I want you there."
They fell asleep at some point. Late, late in the night.
And yet, Usopp woke him up at dawn.
"Come on," Usopp said, and led Sanji to the shore.
Standing on the cliff in the cool morning air, they looked out over the water, which was cast in gold by the light of dawn's rosy fingers. Waves lapped at the shore. Farther out, the water was calm, smooth like a mirror. All was peaceful.
Sanji thought they were going to watch the sunrise together. He was wrong.
"Follow my lead," Usopp said with an impish smile, and led Sanji back toward the village.
"Pirates! Pirates are coming!"
"Pirates are attacking the village!"
Zeff arrived around mid-afternoon.
His arrival was impossible to miss. The tugboat he came on dwarfed even the largest fishing boat in the cove that passed for Syrup Village's harbor.
Sanji and Usopp had spent the morning (after running from irate villagers) in the woods and fields. They'd horsed around, and gathered quite a bit of fruit from nearby orchards, but they came running when they heard the shouts. There was only one thing it could be.
A wave of relief struck Sanji when he caught sight of Zeff.
"Alright Eggplant," Zeff said as he waded ashore, his gruff voice perfectly audible despite the crowd of villagers. "What the hell did you do with my figurehead?"
"Kept it safe for you, you ungrateful geezer," Sanji called back.
Zeff grumbled and raged. It was almost as if Sanji had never been swept away, except for the hand Zeff put on his shoulder. They didn't touch each other, not really, outside of kicks and sharp cuffs upside the head, but Zeff dropped a hand on Sanji's shoulder the moment they were within reach of each other, and didn't remove it until after Sanji introduced Usopp and told him where the fish head entrance had washed up.
"Hope this one wasn't too much trouble," Zeff said to Usopp. Sanji kicked his peg leg, Zeff released his shoulder to cuff him, and that was the end of it.
Zeff hired some men from the village to attach tow ropes to the fish head. While they worked, Sanji stuck as close as he could to Usopp. Usopp still chattered and told stories, but it was different. Sanji's leaving loomed over them, imminent.
When the figurehead/entrance was secured, the tugboat pulled it out to sea. All that remained on the shore was a deep gouge in the sand where it had rested, and a dinghy Zeff would row to take them to the tugboat to leave.
Sanji turned to Usopp to say goodbye, but the words caught in his throat.
How was it that, after everything Sanji had been through, leaving a boy he'd known for less than two days was so difficult? Looking into Usopp's watery brown eyes, he knew the other boy felt the same.
Sanji opened his mouth to say goodbye. Instead, he said, "You can come with us."
Usopp and Zeff both looked at him. Usopp with surprise, Zeff with an unreadable expression that embarrassed Sanji nonetheless. Sanji fought a blush.
"Our restaurant will need a waiter. Or a host. Whatever you want to do." He could picture it already. Usopp, fast talking but charming, welcoming guests and seating them. He'd entertain people with his stories while they waited for their food. In the off hours, Sanji would try new recipes and let Usopp taste test.
Sanji could see the longing in Usopp's face. He knew Usopp wanted to. He also knew, before Usopp spoke, that he wouldn't.
"I can't," Usopp said. "I'm waiting for my dad to come back."
Sanji tried not to show his disappointment.
"Don't wait forever, okay?"
Sanji turned to board the boat. Before he could take more than a step, Usopp slammed into him, wrapping him in a fierce hug. Sanji fought it, but only so he could turn around and hug Usopp back. When they finally let go, Sanji stepped into the boat, Zeff right behind him, and they pulled away from the shore.
Usopp stayed, watching, until they were out of sight.
Years Later
"You see?" Nami said, gesturing at Yosaku. Johnny cradled him in his arms, pouring more of the lime juice down his throat. "This is why we need a proper ship's cook."
"I guess a musician can wait," Luffy said. "I am pretty hungry."
"Good luck finding one out here," Zoro scoffed.
"I know where we can find a cook," Usopp said.
Down in the men's room, in a box placed carefully on a shelf in his locker, Usopp had a flyer for an ocean going restaurant. It had arrived a month after Sanji left, along with the first of many letters. Usopp didn't need to retrieve the flyer; after years of writing to his oldest friend, and a few trips to visit the fish-shaped boat, he knew the coordinates for the Baratie by heart.
"It might take a little convincing, but he's the perfect person to join this crew as cook." Usopp smiled fondly. "I wouldn't want anyone else."