As Zeff sternly reminded them of the risks ahead, the usually lighthearted Kouta finally tucked away his grin and responded seriously:
"Come on, Mr. Zeff, no need to worry."
"I've waited over ten years to set sail of course I'm prepared!"
A faint but chilling aura radiated from him as he spoke with solemn conviction.
"I'm heading to sea for one reason only: to earn the title of the strongest and to witness firsthand the wonders of the Grand Line."
Ahua and the other three nodded along, earnest in their own way.
Even though they were mostly just tagging along, that didn't mean they couldn't look good doing it.
"And me," said Kuina, seated at Kouta's left, her eyes burning with determination. "I'm sailing to become the world's greatest swordswoman to keep up with Kouta."
Feeling the intensity of Kouta's will, Zeff couldn't help but marvel at the power of dreams.
He, too, had once set out to sea in search of a dream, the mythical All Blue.
And with that thought came another: Sanji.
The boy who had given up chasing his own dream just to stay by his side.
As if summoned by memory, Sanji appeared.
A blur of black burst from the kitchen, swooping past Kouta and coming to a dramatic halt beside Kuina. He dropped to one knee, left hand to chest, right hand raising a brilliant red rose as he declared:
"Ah! The sea!"
"Thank you for bringing me this moment of fate!"
Kuina blinked in surprise at the golden-haired, sharply dressed man in a black suit, his iconic curly eyebrows twitching with fervor.
Her expression quickly faded into flat disinterest as she watched him theatrically profess his feelings.
Sanji, unfazed by her growing indifference, clutched his face and exclaimed even more passionately:
"Ah! Love!"
"Laugh if you must at a man undone by such pain! I'd gladly become a pirate or even a devil if it meant being with you!"
Kouta and the Ahua trio twitched in unison, their expressions caught somewhere between disbelief and pity.
Kouta was mostly stunned and speechless, Sanji's sudden appearance and dramatic flair really were something else.
As for the Ahua trio, they simply offered Sanji a moment of silent condolence.
"This guy's asking for it."
Sure enough, their instincts proved right.
Kuina's skin crawled from head to toe. With a disgusted shiver, she shot up from her seat, swung her leg, and landed a precise kick straight to Sanji's head.
BANG!
His head snapped sideways as he crashed down.
THUD!
His skull hit the floor with a sickening sound.
Yet even sprawled on the ground, Sanji turned his head up toward Kuina, eyes transformed into giant pink hearts.
"Ah! Goddess! Even your kicks are a thing of beauty!"
Kuina, now visibly disturbed, scurried behind Kouta and clung to him like a child seeking refuge.
"Kouta, this guy is seriously disgusting!"
Kouta glared down at Sanji, his expression dark. So this was the infamous flirtatious cook. The rumors didn't do him justice, his audacity was beyond belief.
"Hey! Who the hell are you? Stay away from my fiancée!"
Only now did Sanji notice Kouta. He paused, taking in the man's features.
And just like that, alarms went off in his head.
He had always considered himself a handsome man, but standing next to Kouta... he didn't stand a chance.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Sanji got to his feet as if nothing had happened.
He narrowed his eyes, locking onto Kouta, waiting for an answer.
"I'm her fiancé. Who do you think I am?"
Kouta's voice was cold and measured.
No man would be in a good mood watching his fiancée get hit on by a shameless flirt, even if the guy meant no harm and was just hopelessly woman-crazy.
Still, from the moment they met, Kouta found himself slightly repulsed by Sanji.
"Oh... so you're her fiancé?"
It took Sanji a moment to fully process the statement. Then he snapped his head back up.
"Wait, what did you just say?"
"I said I'm her fiancé. Was I not clear enough?"
Kouta's voice dripped with disdain.
Sanji stood frozen, face falling into a shadow as he muttered to himself:
"Ah... love."
"You came so suddenly... and ended it all before it even began."
With a resigned sigh, he calmly pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag.
He might be a flirt, but he wasn't a sleaze. Pursuing someone else's fiancée wasn't his style.
That's when he noticed Zeff standing nearby, face dark.
Unbothered, Sanji casually called out:
"Hey, old man. When did you come downstairs? I thought you were supposed to be resting."
"This is my restaurant. Am I not allowed to come downstairs?"
Zeff shot back with a scowl. "What about you? That was a disgraceful way to treat a guest!"
Zeff stomped over, raised his wooden leg, and delivered a solid kick straight to Sanji's head.
CLONK!
This time, wood met skull.
THUMP!
Sanji hit the floor again.
Rubbing his aching head, he looked up, furious.
"Hey, old geezer! I'm the sous chef here! Can't you let me keep some dignity?!"
Zeff stared down at him, calm but cutting.
"You're always getting into fights with guests. The moment you see a woman, you drop everything to fawn over her. You can't even cook anything decent anymore…"
He trailed off, swallowing the rest of his thoughts.
He had been planning to suggest Sanji join Kouta's crew.
From their conversation alone, he could feel their unwavering resolve. Sanji's dream wasn't at odds with theirs, in fact, they complemented each other perfectly.
But judging by how cold Kouta and Kuina were toward Sanji, he gave up on the idea.
Dreams were important but finding the right people to pursue them with was even more so.
Sanji stood up, brow furrowed, and barked back:
"You can say whatever you want about me but don't you dare insult my cooking!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
Zeff narrowed his eyes with an almost mocking glint.
"Then today's table is yours. If you can satisfy these guests, I'll take back what I said."
Zeff still wanted to give it a shot. Maybe, just maybe, if they liked Sanji's cooking, their animosity might ease up.
After all, it was rare for Zeff to meet someone he actually respected.
"You'd better be ready!"
Sanji shouted over his shoulder before storming into the kitchen.
Once he was out of sight, Zeff turned to Kouta.
"Well? I've asked Sanji to cook for you. If you're not satisfied, you don't have to pay."
Kouta raised a brow.
"Old man... you're not trying to get him to join our crew, are you?"
"My ship only has room for a doctor right now. No openings for another cook."
"Though I could use a musician. The sea gets boring sometimes."
It wasn't that Kouta hated Sanji—but only in the Straw Hat crew could Sanji truly shine.
He didn't even bring Zoro along, so why would he bring Sanji?
And even if he had invited Zoro, the guy wouldn't have come. Zoro knew sailing with Kouta was too safe. Without life-or-death challenges, even the most gifted swordsman would stagnate.
Just look at the Ahua trio, fine for now, but once they reach the Grand Line, without Devil Fruits, they'll become dead weight.
There's no place for the weak out there.
Kuina stayed strong because of their childhood promise—and with Kouta's constant help and boosted training, she was already stepping beyond the average swordsman, heading toward the realm of true masters.
So in short: there really wasn't a place for Sanji on his ship.
No, it wasn't because of his shameless flirting or the awkward tension with Kuina.
Kouta wasn't that petty.
If he had to pick one person from the Straw Hat crew, it'd be Chopper.
A doctor with a 100-berry bounty who punches like he's worth 100 million, makes a great pet, and in emergencies, well, could serve as emergency food.
The ultimate travel companion.
But even that was wishful thinking.
Truth be told, Kouta doubted he could convince even Sanji to join him.
He didn't have Luffy's magnetic charm. Even if he wanted Sanji onboard, Sanji might not want him.
And that, at least, he could admit.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 100, 200, 300 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!