Hey guys! This took me a bit longer to take care of than I had hoped, but here you go! And thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate you guys letting me know what you think, and I plan to respond to each review to say thanks personally! I hope you like this next part as well!

Sacrifices

With a withering glance at the young man seated at the table behind him, the love cook sighed audibly, to be sure the sniper knew just how irritated he was, before resigning himself to his task.

He had always prided himself on creating marvelous recipes, manipulating ingredients in a way only he could. And if the flavor and aroma of his meals wasn't enough to draw in someone's attention, his focus and ability allowed him to produce dishes that looked every bit as spectacular as they tasted.

Needless to say, when he had learned of the sniper's favorite food, he had been more than a little miffed at its simplicity.

Grilled Cheese.

Grilled fucking cheese.

Just the thought had the blonde reaching for another cigarette, setting the spatula aside as he shoveled into his pocket for a match. Closing his eyes, he pressed the stick between his lips and took a long, slow drag, smoke thickening the cloudy haze that already hung about his head as he exhaled.

"It's gonna burn if you don't watch it."

Twitching in annoyance, the chef bore down upon the growl that fought to slip from his mouth. 'Who does that moron think he's talking to?' He fumed internally, but none the less grudgingly lifted the frying pan from the stove. With a neat jerk of his wrist he had all three sandwiches piled cleanly in the center of a plate.

He cranked off the heat and dropped his utensils into the sink with a clatter. Carefully choosing a knife from the assortment he had arranged upon the counter, he turned his focus back to the boy's snack, eyes narrowed as he considered his possibilities.

If the sniper insisted on such a boring meal, one with a blatant lack of complexity that never failed to get a rise out of him, then he could still make up for it with his presentation.

Usopp waited patiently, one hand cupped beneath his chin as he leaned upon the table, the other drumming quietly against his knee. With his eyes trained upon the chef's hunched back, his shoulders set as he worked diligently, the marksman smiled thoughtfully. 'I wonder what he'll come up with today.'

The blonde had a knack for carving his food up into ornate designs, arranging them to form some abstract, but no less impressive, shape. Sometimes he'd find wild animals set out in front of him, intricate figures tumbling across a ceramic dish. Once he had even found an edible Merry.

Now prodding at a knot in the wooden tabletop, the liar started upright at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Blinking widely at the blonde who stood across from him, he watched as the young man paused, gathered himself into an awkward bow, and laid the platter before him with an exaggerated flourish.

Holding back a snort, Usopp watched his friend slouch into the seat across from him, his brow creased into a frown as he took another pull from his cigarette. "There. Eat up," he ordered gruffly.

With another smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, the long-nose lowered his gaze to his snack, taking in the smartly built tower that had grown from a mere grilled cheese sandwich. He'd never understand how the cook managed to do that.

Sanji leaned back, nursing his smoke slowly as he waited for the gunner's response. With an elbow on the table he propped one leg over the other, listening to the sounds of appraisal that carried across the table from his friend.

"I can't eat this."

Stunned, the older pirate straightened upon hearing those words. "You what?" He raved, glowering at his crewmate's honest gaze. "Care to repeat that?"

The sniper pointed down at his plate, regarding it with a pout as he offered an explanation. "I can't eat this," he repeated, eyeing the food as if in distaste.

"And why can't you eat it?" The chef ground out, one hand fisting angrily upon the table as he leaned threateningly toward the marksman. "Is it not up to your standa-"

"It's too pretty."

Effectively silenced, the love cook quirked one delicately curled eyebrow at the smaller teen. "Too pretty?" He echoed, voice doubtful.

Nodding energetically, despite having ducked down in his seat, the liar added, "I don't want to ruin it. I can't eat it 'cause I feel like I'm destroying it…"

Sanji sighed. This happened every time he ever made the kid his special meal, so he shouldn't have been surprised. With a tired expression, he reached across the table and toppled his masterpiece with the flick of one finger. "There, now I'm the one who ruined it," he offered.

Usopp positively beamed at him from across the table, instantly settling over his treat with a pleased, "Thanks, Sanji!"

Humming in response, the blonde turned away to light another cigarette, busying his mouth to stifle the fond smile that threatened to take hold of his face. The strong affection he suddenly felt wasn't a foreign feeling, and it certainly wasn't an unpleasant one. But nonetheless, he found himself mourning the fact that he couldn't blame the stove for the warmth suddenly winding through his veins.