In a room within the Vinsmoke family estate...
Sanji was packing his things.
No one had asked him to do it, but he felt he should.
After all, he was about to leave the Vinsmoke family.
But was this a good thing?
At only six years old, Sanji didn't really know.
Everyone here treated him poorly.
His three brothers bullied him constantly, his father looked down on him, and even his only sister rarely showed him kindness.
The only person who had cared for him, his mother, had passed away not long ago.
Staying in this house only made him feel out of place.
But this was where he had grown up.
He knew every corner of it, every familiar sight. What would life be like once he left?
But becoming a chef...
It shouldn't be a bad thing, right?
"I heard you're leaving."
A voice suddenly came from behind.
Sanji jumped, turning around in alarm.
His sister Reiju, with her beautiful pink hair, was leaning quietly against the door, watching him.
Sanji felt a little nervous.
Although this sister rarely picked on him directly, she hadn't hesitated to join his three brothers in bullying him, and Sanji was a bit scared of her too.
He nodded slightly. "Yes, that person... Lord Ian said he wants me to be his chef."
"Ian... Ian the Skyfire."
Reiju raised her hand to fix her hair. "I just found out he's an officer in the Beasts Pirates. Following him might not be the worst thing."
Sanji blinked in surprise.
He didn't understand why his sister would say such a thing.
Was she... worried about him?
Reiju silently watched her younger brother.
After a long pause...
Sanji stood there, still a bit bewildered.
Why had she come at all?
Meanwhile, in the palace where the Donquixote Family and the Beasts Pirates were gathered...
"Fufufufu... so, it's all set, then?"
Doflamingo chuckled as he watched Ian and Judge walk in side by side.
Yamato was also there, still half-asleep, but no one seemed to notice her.
"Yes," Ian said with a smile. "We've already decided to work together from now on—to join forces and overthrow the World Government."
"Overthrow the World Government?" Doflamingo's grin widened. "So, can I join in on this little collaboration?"
Overthrow the World Government?
Well then, I, Doflamingo, should lend a hand too!
"Of course," Ian replied with a chuckle. "When it comes to toppling the World Government, the more power we have, the better."
After all, the World Government is insanely strong.
"Hahaha! That's fantastic! Our strength just increased!" Judge also sounded pleased. "Then, let's have a banquet!"
Ian thought about it—it was already past midnight.
He glanced over to see Yamato, who was leaning against his shoulder, already dozing off again.
But whatever, they might as well go ahead. He was getting a bit hungry anyway.
After all, he hadn't eaten anything since lunch at Spider Miles.
"Alright then, let's have a banquet," Ian said.
And so, the banquet began.
Since there were so many people attending, Judge had specially chosen a large banquet hall, arranging a few long tables side by side to comfortably fit everyone.
Besides the Beasts Pirates, the Donquixote Family, and Umit, Judge's children also joined in on the celebration.
A few kids with red, blue, green, and pink hair sat together with their father.
Sanji's three brothers were still putting on fierce expressions, baring their teeth at Yamato, looking like they weren't willing to back down.
However, Yamato seemed uninterested in them. They were too weak to even hold her attention.
Sanji arrived a bit late since he had been busy packing his things. Now, he wasn't quite sure where he was supposed to sit.
"Hahaha, the useless Sanji is here!"
The youngest brother, Yonji, sneered mercilessly, "If you're useless, go eat with the dogs instead!"
"Yonji, every now and then, you come up with a good idea!"
The second brother, Niji, burst out laughing.
"That's right, that's right. After all, Sanji loves preparing food for cats and dogs!" The eldest brother, Ichiji, showed no mercy either.
Sanji lowered his head, just as he had in the past.
This family didn't seem to have a very harmonious relationship.
Umit watched with a smile.
In fact, he was hoping for things to get a bit more exciting.
He was here to enjoy the show, after all.
But just then, someone abruptly interrupted them.
The three brothers immediately fell silent.
The one who had spoken was their father.
The three brothers, devoid of human emotions, didn't necessarily respect their father, but they knew they couldn't defy Judge.
Judge looked at Sanji, his expression somewhat complicated.
He said, "You're Ian's chef now, so go sit with Ian."
Sanji looked at his father in surprise, then gave a small nod and started walking over to Ian.
At that point, Ian suddenly spoke up.
Sanji's footsteps suddenly halted, and he looked up, bewildered.
Could it be that he'd changed his mind?
"Members of the Beasts Pirates shouldn't be subjected to such humiliation," Ian said lazily, propping his face on his hand. "Sanji."
"Uh, yes?" Sanji replied quietly.
Ian pointed at the three brothers, sitting stiffly and silently in place. "Go beat them up."
Sanji's eyes widened.
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