Alan, of course, knew what he meant, so he said: "It's about old man Zeff, right? When we ate, I heard the chefs talking about you being adopted."
"Tch, those loose-lipped idiots."
Sanji snorted toward the restaurant, then waved his hand at Alan.
"Since you know, then stop pestering me. There's no way I'm going with you."
Of course, he wanted to go out to sea. Even without Alan's invitation, he wanted to search for the All Blue.
But… Zeff had saved his life and raised him; sending Zeff off at the end of his life was Sanji's conviction.
Before that, he would never leave the restaurant.
"I get it. Looks like as long as old man Zeff is alive, you won't leave here, huh."
Staring at Sanji's back, Alan sighed.
A plan was already forming in his mind.
"In that case, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"What are you planning?"
Sanji stopped walking, feeling like the guy was about to pull something shady again. He looked back.
Alan held up one index finger.
"Let's just tie him up and take him with us."
"Who would team up with you?!!"
Sanji rolled his eyes and glared hard at him, cursing: "Kidnapping a nearly seventy-year-old geezer to be a pirate?! What kind of animal are you!"
"Tch, he's only seventy."
Alan turned away and smacked his lips.
"There are people who are seventy and still ruling the seas as a Yonko. And people who are seventy and still chasing pirates all over the world. Isn't that the prime age for striving?"
"Enough! Drop that ridiculous idea!"
Sanji yelled, spitting all over the place.
In the end, Alan decided to persuade him emotionally and logically. He waved his hand.
"Fine, fine, I'm just joking. You can tell I'm not that kind of person."
"No, we absolutely can't tell..."
Sham and Buchi fanned their hands and denied it on the side.
Ignoring them, Alan turned toward the sea, leaning both hands on the railing.
After a moment of silence, he said slowly: "Sanji, have you ever thought about Zeff's dream?"
Hearing that, Sanji, who had been preparing to leave, suddenly froze. He turned and looked at Alan's back.
Alan continued: "You plan to wait until he dies of old age before going out to chase your dream. That's right, isn't it?"
"The All Blue, wasn't that also Zeff's dream? Don't you want to prove to him, while he's still alive, that that legendary sea actually exists...?"
A breeze skimmed across the sea, carrying cool air onto the deck.
Alan turned around and smiled faintly at Sanji.
"Someone has to go see it for him, the legendary All Blue."
"To let a man who dared risk his life for his dream die with regrets... Do you really think that counts as a good end?"
With that, Alan said no more; he simply stared into Sanji's eyes.
"Zeff's dream..."
Sanji murmured softly before falling into deep contemplation.
If Zeff hadn't sacrificed for him back then, perhaps Zeff would still be sailing the seas as a pirate.
If he hadn't lost that leg… he closed his eyes as the painful fragments of memory resurfaced, forming a vivid picture.
Sanji clenched his palm.
In an instant, it felt like he was back on that rocky islet from more than ten years ago.
Back then, they had encountered a storm during a voyage, and Sanji fell from the ship.
To save him, Zeff had jumped into the raging sea without hesitation.
The two drifted ashore on a rocky islet with only a tiny bit of food salvaged.
To keep young Sanji alive, Zeff gave him all the food to.
Until they were rescued by a passing ship, they survived on that rock for forty-eight days. Sanji, nearly starving, tore even moldy bread into small pieces to stretch it.
And Zeff, having no food at all, had cruelly eaten his own leg to stay alive.
For forty-eight straight days.
Sanji could never forget the psychological shock he felt then, nor could he imagine the torture Zeff endured every single day during those forty-eight days.
Since then, Zeff had forever lost his proud right leg, and the name Red-Leg Zeff vanished from the sea, while the East Blue gained a one-legged chef.
...
After a long while, Sanji loosened his clenched hand and exhaled slowly.
His life was something Zeff had snatched back from death at the cost of his own future.
Sanji had always seen Zeff as a father and vowed to repay that kindness with his own life.
So he buried his dream and decided to stay by Zeff's side.
But… Sanji lit a cigarette, took a breath, raised his head toward the sky, and exhaled a long plume of smoke.
Alan's words forced him to reevaluate everything he'd done until now.
If life continued like this, he would stay with Zeff until his final moments; that didn't seem bad.
But that would be all.
For a man who once wagered everything and set out to sea for a dream, was he really willing to let his life pass by in silence?
Had he truly... already given up...?
"When did I start thinking like that...? I'm really stupid beyond repair..."
Sanji murmured self-mockingly.
The dream that Zeff once carried but buried for his sake, so he should be the one to pick it up again.
At that moment, a complex light flickered deep in Sanji's eyes. He turned back into the restaurant, as if carrying a new resolve.
...
"Boss, what now? We didn't recruit a single chef."
Sham tilted his head and spread his hands.
Alan waved dismissively and took out the remaining two million-plus belly he had on him and tossed them to Sham.
"Coordinate with the restaurant staff. Prepare an eighty-person banquet. If the budget isn't enough, then..."
"Have them include the extra cost as damage from the previous battle and claim compensation from the marines."
"Uh... That won't work..."
Sham scratched his head awkwardly.
Alan glared coldly at him.
Sham shrank his neck and still forced himself to go handle it. Then, Alan had Buchi call the crew from the ship to come down for the meal.
After giving his orders, Alan remained alone, leaning against the railing while gazing at the sky and sea.