Ep. 26

Summary

Source-backed · Version: v1 · Original

As Gin prepares to fight Sanji, the story reveals why the cook feels bound to Zeff. Years earlier, Sanji worked as a trainee cook on a passenger ship and dreamed of finding the All Blue, a legendary sea where fish from every ocean gather. When Zeff's pirate crew attacked, a violent storm destroyed both ships. Zeff saved Sanji from drowning because the boy shared his belief in the All Blue. Stranded together on a barren rock, Zeff gave Sanji a bag that appeared much smaller than his own and told him to watch for ships from the opposite side. After weeks without rescue, Sanji attacked Zeff for food and discovered that the older man had given him all the provisions. Zeff had survived by eating his own leg, sacrificing both his livelihood as a kicking pirate and his food so Sanji could live. They were eventually rescued, and Zeff built Baratie so no sailor would be denied a meal. In the present, Sanji believes he cannot leave the man who saved him. Luffy argues that surviving and pursuing their shared dream would repay Zeff better than dying.