The golden tint of the evening lights enveloped the dining hall with its warm glow. Claire de Lune, Sanji's favorite, played softly. As always, the ambience was perfect, but his internal stress was impalpable. The night went smoothly and quicker than he anticipated. Every meal was consumed with great joy, while each bottle of wine poured met satisfied lips.

Sanji was scanning the room, searching for any glass that needed refilling, when something peculiar caught his eye. Several of the server's and waiters exited the dining hall. Within a few moments the majority of the staff was gone.

"Strange..." He thought.

Looking for answers, Sanji paced over to Patty who was collecting dishes from the tables.

Patty grinned widely at the guests. "I hope you enjoyed your meal!" He sang, his exaggerated upturned smile contrasting his usual crusty face. Patty's customer service look never failed to creep Sanji out. He grabbed Patty's arm, stealing his attention away from the guests.

"Where the hell are they going?" Sanji hissed, his thumb pointing towards the exit.

Patty's 'pleasant' expression morphed into one of disgust as he shoved Sanji's arm away. "Oi, don't touch me, brat!" He snarled. "Didn't Chef tell you?" He questioned while collecting the last plate. He swiftly pushed the cart towards the kitchen, the pressure of the night seemingly wearing on his patience.

Sanji matched his pace, following him into the kitchen. "Tell me what?" He prompted, his brows narrowing. The thought of Zeff telling Patty something without relaying it to him first annoyed him.

"Madam Charlotte doesn't want any extras here, when she chooses a business partner." Patty whispered, as he emptied the dirty dishes from the cart.

"Extras..." Sanji muttered. So the majority of the staff was deemed ill suited to hear her decision... A sense of pride swelled in Sanji as he realized Zeff trusted him enough to stay.

Before Patty walked out the kitchen, he shoved a bottle of Dom Pérignon into Sanji's hands. "Refill the Charlotte table." He ordered, as he rushed off to gather more dishes.

Slightly annoyed at being ordered around by an oaf, Sanji made his way to the Charlotte table.

Inhaling through his nose and out through his mouth, he calmed the nerves that threatened to arise. It's times like this when he craved a cigarette the most. Step by step, he passed the tables where Charlotte Linlin's potential business partner's sat. There were people here of every race. Fishmen, Oni, even Tontatta. All were dressed to the nines.

Finally, Sanji was but a few steps from the Charlotte's table. For a moment his eyes drifted to the fairer Charlotte daughter, Pudding. Despite how much the thought of her still hurts him, he couldn't help but stare. Her dirty blonde curls framed her face perfectly, and her light pink gown hung elegantly on her pale skin. As her older siblings conversed, she kept to herself, almost completely still. Seemingly nervous, she sat on the end of the long table, a stark contrast to the girl he found out she was. Her amber eyes peered through her lashes, meeting his gaze. He quickly tore his eyes from her, his ears and cheeks reddening.

Stepping up to the table, He approached Charlotte Linlin first.

"Madam." He spoke confidently but respectfully. "May I offer our finest?" He tilted the wine towards her glass, waiting for her approval.

Her eyes peered into his, an aura of strength emitting from her. She was a tall woman. As she was seated, she was almost as tall as his standing height. Her long pink hair fell down her back, framing her slim figure. Her strong nose contrasted her soft features, but she was a beauty, nonetheless.

Her fingers curled around the stem of her glass, lifting it to the bottle. As Sanji poured the red liquid, he tried to ignore her intent gaze on him.

"What's your name, boy?" Linlin inquired, an almost devilish grin on her face.

A chill ran through his body. He felt he should be cautious with his answers.

"My name is Sanji, Madam." He told her as the wine reached the rim of the glass.

"Sanji, eh?" As she reclined into her chair, she brought the glass to her lips, tilting her head back. She gulped the drink quickly, ignoring the wine that dripped down her chin. "And who's your father, Sanji?"

Her question stunned him more than her lack of table manners. He took a deep breath before answering.

"Zeff is my father." He said shortly. His gaze fixed on the wine bottle as he wiped the side of it with his handkerchief.

"Zeff, eh? I didn't realize the old bloke had a son." She scoffed. Sanji's brow furrowed slightly, as his upper lip twitched.

"Adopted." Is all he said in reply, as he moved on to fill her children's wine glasses.

After filling the glasses of each of the Charlotte children, he was a step away from Pudding. His fingers fiddled around the wine bottle, as he forced a smile. "May I?" He inquired softly, gesturing towards her glass. As she looked up at him, her eyes reflected the shimmer of the chandeliers. Feeling his cheeks warm again, he averted his gaze.

A small laugh reached his ears, directing his eyes back to her. Instead of the sweet smile she had when he first met her, Pudding adorned the same devilish grin that shattered his heart.

"Still into me Sanji?" She brazenly questioned. Obviously not wanting an answer, she rolled her eyes as she raised her glass to his bottle.

Once again Sanji found his stomach dropping due to her behavior. A single look from her makes him feel so light, just for her crush him with her words. His upper lip twitched as he filled her glass in silence.

'I need a smoke.' He thought, dreading the night to come.

In the corner of his eye, he noticed Charlotte Linlin stand to her feet. She raised her glass, and tapped it with a fork, attracting the attention of the entire dining hall. A hushed silence washed over all in attendance.

Sanji rushed over to where Zeff and Patty were and stood beside them.

"I appreciate you all being on such short notice." Linlin began, her voice curled, commanding everyone's attention. "I know you all are eager to hear my decision, so I'll make this short. Perospero?"

"Yes, mama." The oldest Charlotte plopped a black suitcase onto the table and opened it. It was hard to see what was inside from where Sanji was standing. Out of the black leather case, he pulled out something bright red.

"A mask...?" Sanji questioned under his breath.

His lips pursed at the sight. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Zeff unfazed with his arms crossed.

Bringing the bedazzled red mask to her eyes, Charlotte Linlin tied it swiftly. As she did, her children took out their own masks, all black, covering their eyes as well.

She then reached into the case once more, taking out a dark object. Pushing his hair out of his face to get a better look, Sanji watched as she tied something around her waist. A dark brown belt, with something else hoisted into it.

After a closer look, a sharp breath escaped his lips

It was a gun.

~~~

Yay! A Sanji chapter! What do you all think Linlin is up to? And who should we focus on next chapter!? Find out next time on A Beautiful Mess!