Out of the Frying Pan

A/N The first chapter of my Sanji one-shots, guest-starring Trafalgar Law! Enjoy!

The click, click, clicking sounds of the stainless steel knife tapping the chopping board as he sliced up a section of an onion soothed his nerves when he couldn't smoke in the kitchen. It made him relax, easing all the stress and anxiety out of his tense shoulders and system, something which was welcomed on this wonderful mess of a ship.

Sanji sighed as he scraped the diced onion into a small bowl, before reaching for the other half which was resting on a plate nearby. The kitchen was currently quiet, with all of his hungry captain's attention focused on whatever story the sniper had made up or a new game that the Childish Trio had invented. When his ears picked up the sound of slow, resigned footsteps, he couldn't help but feel curious about who would visit him when there was so much to do on the ship.

The blonde didn't turn around when chair legs scraped against the wooden floorboards, instead waiting for whoever had plonked themselves down at the table to speak and announce their presence.

"How do you do it, Black Leg-ya? How can you cope with this… madness?"

Law, huh? There's a surprise.

"Hmm, it's not that hard. It's just that I've managed to perfect the fine art of ignorance. It works wonders on stress levels, y'know."

Sanji could feel the doctor stare holes into his back, not sure whether the cook was being serious or not. He merely chuckled, scraping the rest of the onion into the bowl and placing the chopping board and knife into the sink.

"Well, another way of coping is to have your own designated 'place' on the ship. I have my kitchen, Luffy has his 'Special Seat', Robin-chan has the Library, and Nami-san has the Navigational Room. If any one of us is in a foul mood, and we retreat into our 'places', the rest know not to follow. It's the only way we get a little time to ourselves."

Law was still silent, and Sanji was worried that he might've fallen asleep. If he drooled on the table, he would-

"I don't have a place. I don't belong here."

The cook whipped his head around in surprise; he had not been expecting that. Sighing, Sanji made his way over to the fridge and then to the bread bin, pulling out some butter, some ham slices and some bread respectively. He turned back to Law, who was staring at the wall furthest from Sanji with an unreadable expression on his face. He looked… lost, as though he didn't know what to do with himself. That was not a look that often frequented anyone on the Thousand Sunny, so it was a shock to the system for Sanji to see it, especially on the face of someone who was usually as serious and determined as Law.

"What are you talking about? Every nakama of Luffy's has a place on this ship, whether they're part of the crew or not. You'll just have to be patient until you find it."

"But what about right now? What do I do for the moment, until I find my 'place'?"

"I suggest keeping Luffy at arm's length," Sanji grinned, making the finishing touches to the sandwich that he was making for the lonely doctor.

"Then I want longer arms."

That comment made Sanji chuckle, as he placed the bread back in the bread bin and the butter and ham in the fridge. He held the platter and made his way over to the Surgeon of Death, placing it down with a flourish.

"Bon Appetit."

"…"

"…"

"Black Leg-ya…"

"Hai?"

"I've already told you, I don't like bread."

Outside, on the grassy deck of the Thousand Sunny, the Straw Hat crew were surprised to see Trafalgar Law crash through the kitchen doors and into a wall with an unmistakable shoe imprint on his face.

"AND STAY OUT, YOU UNGRATEFUL BAS-"

A/N Tee hee.

This was based on Law's "I don't like bread," moment in the anime. It made me giggle, so I wanted to include it in a story somehow; Sanji's one shot series was as good a place as any. Sorry for the dialogue-heavy ending…

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