DAMN GEEZER

The story begins with a flashback. Young Sanji and Zeff are stranded on a massive, barren rock formation jutting out of the ocean. The sky is clear with a few clouds. Zeff, sitting on one side of the rock, looks over his shoulder and says, "SO LET'S JUST TRY AND GET ALONG UNTIL HELP COMES, ALRIGHT?" He continues, "THAT'S THE SITUATION WE'RE STUCK IN." On the other side of the rock, young Sanji sits with his knees pulled up, looking angry and resentful. He thinks to himself, "THAT DAMN GEEZER... LIKE I'D LET HIM KNOW IF I SEE A SHIP. HE CAN GO TO HELL FOR ALL I CARE." Sanji's face is shown in a close-up, sweating and determined, as he resolves, "I'M GONNA SURVIVE ALONE."

Young Sanji sits alone on his side of the rock, looking out at the vast ocean. He thinks, "I CAN SEE SO FAR AWAY ACROSS THE OCEAN. I'M SURE I'LL BE ABLE TO SPOT AT LEAST 1 OR 2 SHIPS IF I WAIT 4~5 DAYS." He opens a small sack he was given, revealing a few pieces of bread and other food items. "NOW LET'S SEE. I HAVE 5 DAYS WORTH OF FOOD." He reasons with himself, "BESIDES, I DON'T SEE ANY WRECKAGE OF THE PASSENGER SHIP I WAS ON, SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THEY MIGHT COME AND RESCUE ME." Sanji starts to calculate his survival plan: "BUT THINKING OF THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, IT'D BE BEST TO SPLIT IT EVENLY OVER 20 DAYS. I'LL GET TO EAT LESS PER DAY, BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF RAINWATER TRAPPED IN THE CREVICES THAT I CAN DRINK. SO I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET BY SOMEHOW." He smiles confidently, believing his plan is foolproof. "IF I CAN WAIT OUT 20 DAYS, I'M SURE A SHIP WILL PASS BY HERE. I CAN DEFINITELY SURVIVE. IT'S SIMPLE!"

Sanji's stomach suddenly lets out a loud growl, indicated by the sound effect "gyurururu". He takes a tiny piece of food from his stash and eats it with a "GULP!" Next, he crawls over to a small puddle of rainwater trapped in a crevice of the rock and drinks eagerly, "GLUG GLUG GLUG!" He lifts his head, water dripping from his face, and exhales, "PWAHH!" He looks back at his open sack of food, his stomach growling again. He hesitates, thinking, "MAYBE I'LL EAT JUST A LITTLE MORE...." He reaches his hand toward the food, but then stops himself, pulling his hand back in frustration. "NO! I HAVEN'T EVEN MADE IT PAST THE 1ST DAY YET! IT HAS TO LAST 20 DAYS NO MATTER WHAT!"

Sanji clutches his stomach as it rumbles violently, the sound effects "GUUURGLE...!" and "gyurururu" surrounding him. He yells in frustration, "DAMN IT! STOP RUMBLING, STOMACH!" He sits curled up in a ball, groaning in pain from the hunger, "UGHH... UWEHHH...!" Time passes, and the scene transitions to a wide shot of the rock formation as the sun begins to set, casting shadows over the ocean. Sanji sits alone on the edge of the cliff, looking out at the empty horizon. He thinks to himself, "NOTHING PASSED BY TODAY. MAYBE IN 2 OR 3 DAYS..."

A decorative sign appears with the text "THE 5TH DAY". Heavy rain pours down on the rock. Sanji is standing under a small, makeshift shelter he built out of a few pieces of wood. He looks out at the gloomy weather and thinks, "IT'S RAINING... IT'LL BE HARDER TO SPOT A SHIP WITH ALL THIS RAIN." Suddenly, his eyes widen in shock. "IT'S A SHIP!" He runs to the edge of the cliff, waving his arms frantically at a ship sailing in the distance. He screams at the top of his lungs, "HEEYYY!!! HEEYYY!!! I'M RIGHT HERE!" The ship continues on its path. Sanji panics, "NO WAIT! DON'T GO!" He quickly grabs two rocks and tries to strike them together over a pile of wood. "FIRE! I GOTTA LIGHT A FIRE TO SIGNAL THEM!" However, the wood only produces a small hiss of smoke. Sanji realizes in despair, "DAMN IT! THE WOOD'S TOO WET TO CATCH ON FIRE!"

The ship sails further away into the stormy sea, the rain pouring down heavily. Sanji screams desperately, "HELP! WAIT! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE!" Thunder rumbles loudly in the background. Sanji cups his hands around his mouth, crying out, "OVER HEREEE!" The ship disappears into the distance. Sanji collapses onto his hands and knees on the hard rock, completely devastated. He screams into the storm, "NOOO!!!" The sound of the rumbling thunder and crashing waves surrounds his small, isolated figure.

A sign reads "THE 25TH DAY". Sanji is holding a small, round piece of bread that is covered in mold. His stomach growls loudly. He looks at it miserably, thinking, "MY VERY LAST PIECE OF BREAD... IT'S ALL MOULDY..." This triggers a memory from his time on the passenger ship. In the flashback, Sanji is watching other cooks happily eating large meals. He thinks, "LOOK AT ALL THE LEFTOVERS. OH MAN, WHAT A WASTE." He remembers a moment where he angrily threw away food, yelling at the other cooks, "KNOCK IT OFF, GUYS! STOP EATING THE LEFTOVERS! I JUST THREW OUT SOME OF THE OTHER INGREDIENTS THAT LOOKED LIKE THEY WENT BAD." One of the cooks offers him a plate, asking, "SO WHADDYA SAY? WANT SOME?" Sanji stubbornly replies, "NO!" Back in the present, Sanji stares at the moldy bread in his hand, tears streaming down his face as his stomach continues to rumble violently.

Sanji's trembling hand loses its grip, and the moldy piece of bread slips from his fingers with an "AH." He watches in horror as it falls down the side of the cliff. "NO..." The bread hits the ocean waves below with a "SPLASH!" Sanji looks down at the water, completely devastated. "MY LAST BREAD..." He collapses onto the rock, lying flat on his stomach, completely drained of energy. He mutters weakly, "SO... HUNGRY...." He reaches a trembling hand out across the rough surface of the stone, groaning, "UGH..." The vast, empty ocean stretches out before him, emphasizing his hopeless situation.

A series of panels shows the passage of time. A sign reads "THE 30TH DAY". Sanji is sitting under his wooden shelter, looking out at the sea. He thinks, "I'M SURE IT'LL COME IN JUST A FEW MORE DAYS..." Another sign reads "THE 50TH DAY". It is raining heavily again, and Sanji's wooden shelter has collapsed. He sits huddled in the rain. A third sign reads "THE 70TH DAY". Sanji is shown crawling weakly across the rock to drink from a small puddle of water. In the final panel, a close-up shows Sanji's face. He looks incredibly emaciated, with dark circles under his hollow eyes, staring blankly ahead as he sits against the rock.

Sanji looks over toward the other side of the rock where Zeff is. He thinks, "I WONDER IF... THAT DAMN GEEZER DIED ALREADY...?" He remembers Zeff's words about taking the larger sack of food: "OF COURSE! I'M AN ADULT, SO IT'S ONLY NATURAL THAT I EAT MORE." Sanji peeks over the edge of the rock formation and sees Zeff sitting there, his back turned. Sanji is shocked. "...HE'S STILL ALIVE...!" He notices the massive sack sitting next to Zeff. "HE HAS... THAT MUCH FOOD STILL LEFT....! AND HE STILL HAS ALL THAT FOOD LEFT!" Sanji's expression twists into one of dark desperation and anger. He grips a large kitchen knife tightly. "IT'S ALL THAT GEEZER'S FAULT TO BEGIN WITH ANYWAYS! I'LL KILL HIM AND STEAL HIS FOOD... I'LL SURVIVE NO MATTER WHAT."

Sanji approaches Zeff from behind, holding the large kitchen knife. Zeff, without turning around, asks, "WHAT DID YOU COME HERE FOR, YOU LITTLE EGGPLANT. DID YOU SEE A SHIP...?" Sanji screams in desperation, "I'VE COME HERE TO TAKE YOUR FOOD! KILL ME IF YOU CAN! I'M GOING TO DIE ANYWAYS IF I GO WITHOUT FOOD ANY LONGER." Sanji lunges forward and slashes violently at the large sack with his knife, yelling, "HOW DARE YOU TAKE SO MUCH TO EAT ALL BY YOURSE..." As the knife strikes the sack, it makes a loud, metallic "CLANG CLANG CLANG!" sound instead of cutting through fabric and food. Sanji stops, his eyes wide with shock and confusion. "WHA..."

Zeff turns his head slightly to look at Sanji. "LITTLE EGGPLANT. DIDN'T I SAY NO CONTACT UNTIL ONE OF US SEES A SHIP?" The sack has been ripped open by Sanji's attack, and the contents spill out. Sanji drops his knife in disbelief. "WHAT'S ALL THIS...?" He stares at the pile of treasure pouring from the bag. "IT'S ALL JEWELS, PEARLS, GOLD, AND WHATNOT... TO BE FILTHY RICH... YET CAN'T GET ANY FOOD TO EAT... STRANGE, ISN'T IT...?" Sanji realizes the horrifying truth. "HEY? THIS BAG IS NOTHING BUT... TREASURE..." He turns to Zeff, screaming in panic and confusion, "WHERE'S ALL THE FOOD!? JUST HOW DID YOU SURVIVE UNTIL NOW!? DIDN'T YOU HAVE THAT HUGE BAG OF FOOD!?"

Zeff turns fully around to face Sanji, sitting cross-legged. The shocking truth is revealed: Zeff's right leg is missing from just below the knee, his trousers tied off at the stump. Sanji stares in absolute horror, his eyes wide and trembling. "WHAT HAPPENED... TO YOUR LEG...?" He pieces it together, his face contorted in disbelief. "DID YOU... DID YOU EAT YOUR OWN LEG!?" Zeff looks back at him with a calm, serious expression and simply answers, "YES."

Sanji breaks down, crying hysterically, tears streaming down his face. "WAS THE FOOD THAT YOU GAVE ME, ALL THERE WAS TO BEGIN WITH!?" Zeff calmly replies, "YES." Sanji remembers Zeff handing him the small sack on the first day, saying, "I HAVE 5 DAYS WORTH OF FOOD." Sanji screams at Zeff, "BUT YOU CAN'T BE A PIRATE ANYMORE WITHOUT YOUR LEG! WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!? I TRIED TO KILL YOU BEFORE, YOU KNOW!!! I DON'T REMEMBER DOING A SINGLE FAVOUR FOR YOU! SO WHY!?" He continues to sob uncontrollably, demanding an answer. "WHY!?"

Zeff looks at the crying Sanji and explains, "BECAUSE YOU AND I, SHARE THE SAME DREAM." Sanji is stunned, his tears stopping for a moment. "ALL BLUE...!?" Zeff continues, "B-BUT EVEN YOUR CREWMATES SAID IT DIDN'T EXIST...!" Zeff replies firmly, "IT EXISTS. WHEN THE RIGHT TIME COMES, GO TO GRAND LINE AND FIND IT." Zeff looks down, reflecting on his past. "I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND IT IN THE ONE YEAR I WAS IN GRAND LINE, BUT I SAW THE POSSIBILITY OF ALL BLUE'S EXISTENCE....HOWEVER, I'VE ALREADY LOST ALL MY COMRADES. I CAN'T IMAGINE EVER CONTINUING MY LIFE AS A PIRATE WITHOUT THOSE GUYS. THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE BELIEVED IN ALL BLUE, BUT THEY WERE GOOD-HEARTED IDIOTS. THEY WERE GOOD FRIENDS..."

Zeff looks up at the sky, his expression somber. "THE SEA... IS TOO BIG... AND TOO CRUEL... I WONDER HOW MANY MEN... HAVE DIED DESPISING, THE VASTNESS OF THE SEAS...?" Sanji, still crying, yells out, "G-GEEZER! DON'T DIE! DON'T YOU GO AND DIE ON ME, YOU HEAR!" Zeff continues his thought, "IN ALL MY YEARS AS A PIRATE, I'VE GONE THROUGH MY FAIR SHARE OF TIMES WITHOUT FOOD." He looks out at the ocean. "I THINK HOW NICE IT'D BE IF THERE WAS A RESTAURANT FLOATING ON THIS VAST OCEAN." Sanji listens, surprised. "A RESTAURANT...?" Zeff confirms, "THAT'S RIGHT... IF I EVER MANAGE TO GET OFF OF THIS ROCK, I'LL BUILD IT EVEN IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO."

Zeff states confidently, "THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN RUN A RESTAURANT LIKE THAT IN THIS AGE OF PIRATES IS ME." Sanji, tears still in his eyes, yells back, "A-ALRIGHT! THEN I'LL HELP OUT TOO! SO PLEASE DON'T DIE YET!" Zeff smirks slightly, "HA... IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR A WEAK LITTLE EGGPLANT LIKE YOU..." Sanji screams with determination, "THEN I'LL GET STRONGER!" A sign appears reading "THE 85TH DAY". A large ship approaches the rock. Voices from the ship call out, "LOOK! THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE! THERE'S 2 PEOPLE WHO'VE PASSED OUT ON THIS ROCK! THEY'RE STILL BREATHING! I MUST'VE HEARD THEIR VOICES DURING THAT ONE STORM AROUND HERE 3 MONTHS AGO! WHAT!? ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" The scene transitions back to the present day on the Baratie. Sanji is standing on the deck, looking at Luffy. Sanji says, "...YOU ATE YOUR OWN LEG AND GAVE ME ALL THE FOOD... YOU SAVED MY LIFE..." Luffy looks at him, listening intently. "SANJI!" Sanji remembers Zeff standing up after being attacked by Pearl. "HE CAN STILL TALK, AFTER TAKING MY PEARL PRESENT!?"

Sanji stands resolutely on the deck of the Baratie. In the background, the Baratie restaurant ship is visible, with the cooks cheering as Zeff stands back up. "AHHH! HE STOOD BACK UP!" Sanji declares, "I'M NOT HANDING OVER THIS RESTAURANT. AND I WON'T LET YOU KILL THE DAMN GEEZER EITHER.. HE'S A GEEZER WHO GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR THE SAKE OF ONE LITTLE BRAT." Sanji grips his chest tightly, his face filled with intense emotion and determination as he yells, "IF I CAN'T EVEN PUT MY LIFE AT RISK TO SAVE HIM, THEN I CAN NEVER REPAY MY DEBT TO HIM!"

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