บท 362: Second Breakfast
The commotion on the Germa fleet happened to be a welcome parade of sorts for who Cherry assumed to be two more of Sanji's brothers. If they were anything like the one she had already met, then she was sure she wouldn't like them much.
The two men were both wearing themed costumes like the previous one had, but in red and blue rather than green.
Both took notice of the two outsiders interrupting their triumphant return. Rather than become upset, their eyes turned to hearts and their tongue lolled out like dogs as they honed their attention onto Smoothie.
Cherry cast her gaze away from the fools and found the rest of the Vinsmoke family overlooking the event from a balcony. The green one was in the same state as the former two, but Cherry was somewhat surprised to find Sanji wasn't all that interested in the taller woman. Instead he was looking at Cherry with a small amount of surprise playing across his face.
"Sanjiiiiiii~!!!" Cherry called out to him, jumping and waving her arms like he hadn't already noticed her.
Sanji couldn't help but crack a smile at her antics; something that Reiju noticed, but Yonji and Sanji's father, Judge, did not for different reasons.
Vinsmoke Judge watched the woman hungrily. Not like a man hungers for a woman, but rather like a mad scientist hungers for an interesting specimen. He had had an interest in her since the Marineford War, but the more he learned about her, the more he realized what an anomaly she was. Depending on what he could learn about her body, he may even be able to build a new and improved batch of children.
"Sanji. Invite that woman to have breakfast with us." Judge commanded, as if there was no other response than to agree.
"It's already mid morning. She has probably already eaten." Sanji made an excuse, more out of principle than anything.
"So? It is only natural that she would accept. We are royalty and she is a peasant." Judge spun on his heel and marched back inside like there was nothing else to be said.
"I would enjoy being able to speak to her some more," Reiju offered diplomatically, giving Sanji a reason to agree without necessarily submitting to Judge's will.
Sanji gave her a look, clearly displeased. "Fine. I can't make her do anything, though. She'll kick my ass."
Reiju giggled. It was rare for a man to admit that a woman could beat him, even if that result was obvious. Their father would never admit that Big Mom was stronger than himself, for instance. "You hold her in high regard, it seems."
"You don't have to know her for long to do that." Sanji said, before hefting himself over the railing. He descended to the deck with light hops off the air.
Sanji landed and walked over to Cherry feeling a bit lighter with a friendly face around.
Cherry grabbed him by the hips and lifted him up. "Look~ At~ You~! You've gotten so much bigger since I last saw you~!"
Sanji was caught off guard, "It's only been a few weeks. Now put me down!"
Ichiji and Niji, the red and blue twerps respectively, snickered at the sight.
"Look at our baby brother, Niji. Even his old crew coddles him!" Ichiji mocked.
"He has no sense of pride, allowing a woman to treat him like that," Niji agreed.
"What's with the bracelets?" Cherry asked and put him down, without paying any mind to the buffoons.
"They're explosives, to keep me from being rebellious." Sanji answered truthfully.
"I see. Well, if your hands get blown up, I'll just chop off your brothers' hands and bring you to Chopper. I'm sure at least one of them is compatible for a transplant, right?" Cherry proposed casually.
"Huh? You think you can take us, do you?" Niji asked, his face twisting in arrogance.
"Dorks who dress in flamboyant costumes are pathetically weak, more often than not. So yes?" Cherry acknowledged them for the first time. These two reminded her of the Baroque Works agents who originally invited her to the organization a few years back.
"I suggest that you keep to yourselves. This woman is a guest of Mama and you are on OUR turf right now." Smoothie leveled a nasty glare at the pair who were gearing up to start a fight they couldn't win in a million years.
"Tch. Teach your dog not to bark so much, then." Ichiji said, before skulking off with Niji in tow.
"Don't mind them Sanji. Words are just words, especially when they can't back them up." Cherry soothed the quietly seething Sanji.
"That bastard, Judge, wanted me to invite you to breakfast. You've already eaten, though, so I'll just tell him you refused-" Sanji rattled off quickly.
"I'd love to!" Cherry cut him off.
Sanji heaved a sigh because he knew this would happen. He hoped that Cherry wouldn't make a mess of things… or too big of a mess at least.
"I'll wait out here. You'll come back here if you know what's good for you." Smoothie declared, apparently having no desire to see what nonsense Cherry would get up to. In any case, if she didn't know about it, then she didn't need to worry about it.
…
Judge was sat high above the table that his children sat around. Cherry figured that he thought that it said something about their relationship; and he was right, just not what he probably thought it did.
"You two did well. After Doflamingo's fall, the side of the civil war in Broc Coli naturally sought to use our strength to replace the weapons they were buying from him." Judge praised.
"Doesn't matter. We'll work for the highest bidder, as always." Ichiji said.
"And the highest bidder will always win as a result! The other side collapsed within a single day! What a bunch of losers! Hahaha!" Niji laughed.
"Wouldn't we make twice as much by taking money from both sides, then crushing them both?" Yonji asked.
"We aren't pirates." Ichiji lightly reprimanded.
"Yeah, and if the word got around then nobody would hire us again for fear that we'd do the same thing to them," Niji added.
"Yes, my sons. It is important to honor deals, lest our reputation be ruined," Judge rephrased what his two eldest sons said pointlessly.
"Oh, it's Cherry! Come sit next to me!" Reiju motioned for a chair next to her own that lacked a number that the other chairs had. A meal was already set before the chair, like it was a foregone conclusion that Cherry would accept the invitation.
It was a bit annoying that the seat would place her directly opposite from Sanji, and thus the furthest from him. She wondered if this was some kind of childish power play or just coincidence.
"Ah, yes, Ms. Harpin is it?" Judge asked. Now Cherry knew for a fact it was a power play.
"Who?" Cherry asked back.
"..." Judge didn't expect that response in the slightest.
Reiju tucked her lips between her teeth to stop herself from laughing.
"Hahahahaha!" Sanji laughed openly and proudly, thoroughly enjoying the blatant slap to the face his good for nothing father just received.
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