The pirate ‘Red Shoes’ Zeff was dead.
He’d come to live with that fact.
There was no point in complaining about what he couldn’t change.
Even on those nights, staring down at the piece of wood where he’d once had a leg. It was alright....because ‘he’ was there.
The stubborn little eggplant. With his baby fine blond locks falling over his face as he slept. Wrapped up in a nightshirt that was way too big for his still childish frame. Making him forget what a terror the boy was during the day.
Maybe it was because of that...he just couldn’t turn Sanji away whenever his stuck up to his room and asked to sleep in his bed because the other cooks were being too loud.
Even though he knew this couldn’t last forever. One day the boy would grow up and have to make his own way in the world.
And even though he’d never say it to his face.
For the price of his leg...for the price of one dream...
Having the eggplant around...
Was a pretty good consolation.