Late at night, Sanjiko sat alone in the chair inside her room.
She took a drag from her cigarette and slowly exhaled, watching the smoke disperse through the air.
Those memories began surfacing again.
Back then, she had still been Sanji.
Bartholomew Kuma sent him flying with a single strike, and he landed in a place called the Kamabakka Kingdom.
At first, he believed it was an island filled with beautiful women.
His heart nearly burst from excitement, and his expectations soared.
Then he discovered that the entire island was populated by okama.
He ran.
He ran without stopping and called the place hell.
That continued until he ate food laced with female hormones and encountered an okama named Caroline.
Caroline struck him with Newkama Kenpo: Maiden's Awakening, hitting him directly.
Sanji collapsed, his consciousness gradually fading, and over the following days, the okama slowly began drawing him into their way of life.
For a brief time, he forgot his own gender.
He also forgot that he was supposed to reunite with his companions at Sabaody Archipelago in three days.
Under the original course of events, he should have received the newspaper report about Luffy around then.
After reading it, he would have snapped out of the whirlpool of temptation surrounding him and gone looking for Ivankov himself.
But the timing had changed.
Morgans had gone into hiding because of the World Government and the Marines.
The newspapers were not distributed on schedule, delaying every major report.
The issue that should have reached the Kamabakka Kingdom arrived several days late.
Meanwhile, because of Sabo, Ivankov returned to the island before the newspaper was finally published.
As a result, Sanji had already become a woman by the time the news arrived.
For the old Sanji, that should have been his worst nightmare.
But for the current Sanjiko—
"It was a blessing."
"The greatest blessing imaginable!"
She still remembered waking up that morning and discovering that her body was no longer the same.
She stood before the mirror for a very long time, slowly running her fingertips over herself to confirm that every change was real.
At first, her heartbeat was frantic.
Then it gradually calmed.
A moment later, it accelerated again, and blood burst from her nose.
She had never taken back her claim that the Kamabakka Kingdom was once hell.
However, after partially adjusting to life among the okama, she realized the place was not as horrible as she had imagined.
Once she became completely female, it felt as though she had stepped into an entirely different world.
As the saying went, it was better to rely on yourself than to beg someone else.
Sanjiko studied her body in the mirror, turning sideways to admire the curve of her waist.
She raised one hand and traced her fingers from her collarbone downward, finally stopping at her chest.
Both hands lingered there for a moment before moving without hesitation…
She closed her eyes.
Then opened them again.
As she stared at her reflection, two enormous hearts burst from her eyes.
Her tongue stretched comically from her mouth, and her entire face adopted the familiar lecherous expression she had once reserved for beautiful women.
Her gaze traveled up and down the graceful body in the mirror, lingering over every curve.
Her hands moved again…
"Ah! This is it!"
"This is exactly what I wanted!"
She no longer needed to beg anyone, chase anyone, or drool while staring at someone else's back.
She could satisfy herself completely without relying on anyone.
The sensation made the blood in her body seem to reverse direction, surging from her toes all the way to her head.
Her cheeks grew hotter, and her breathing became heavier.
This was what she wanted.
For someone whose lust ran all the way to the bone, the satisfaction exceeded anything she had ever felt merely looking at a beautiful woman.
Before, Sanji could only watch, flatter them, and stare from a distance with hearts in his eyes.
Now things were different.
She already possessed everything she desired.
She herself embodied the beauty she longed for!
Later, Ivankov discovered her identity and told her about Luffy, as well as the plan to reunite at Sabaody Archipelago two years later. He urged her to come to her senses.
His words did have an effect.
She remembered her companions.
She remembered her responsibilities.
She remembered that she was still the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates.
But by then, she had already partly integrated into life among the okama.
Even after learning about the reunion and knowing she would eventually leave the island, she did not abandon her new life there.
After all, while she remained on the island, her wonderful new body offered all the comfort she needed.
During the day, she trained alongside the okama, studying their fighting style while polishing her physical techniques and kicks.
At night, she returned to her room and admired herself in the mirror.
The two lives existed side by side.
So did the two identities.
She was both the cook who intended to return to her companions and a woman who delighted in her own body.
Becoming female, combined with Ivankov's hormonal treatment, had completely reshaped the way she thought.
Sanji was now thoroughly broken.
That was why she resisted every time Ivankov tried to lecture her or turn her back into a man.
Although the truth was embarrassing, she had no intention of telling anyone.
To protect her female identity, she had fully committed to the act—or perhaps she had truly become Sanjiko.
Even Ivankov did not realize that she had not been brainwashed.
She had simply accepted her current situation completely.
…
While Sanjiko remained lost in fascination with her own body, Cain was back at Makino's bar.
"Huh? What happened to that perverted cook?"
Zoro's irritated voice came through the Den Den Mushi in front of Cain.
He had clearly been awakened in the middle of the night, and hearing that the call concerned Sanji had done nothing to improve his mood.
Cain did not explain Sanji's exact condition. He merely said,
"It's nothing too serious. We may just need your help with something."
"My help?"
Zoro fell silent for two seconds before giving a meaningful scoff.
"Did he get himself tangled up with another woman?"
"Tch. I always knew he'd eventually die because of one."
"Something like that," Cain said with a sigh.
"But the situation is complicated. I can't explain it properly in a few sentences."
"If we need you, I'll contact you again."
"Seriously, can that idiot not stay out of trouble even at a time like this?"
"Fine. I understand. Contact me whenever you need to."
"That's exactly the attitude I wanted."
"Whatever… If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
The Den Den Mushi disconnected with a click.
Cain put it away and turned toward Shanks, who was standing behind him beside Makino.
"Thanks for the trouble."
Fortunately, Shanks had a way to contact Dracule Mihawk, which allowed Cain to reach Zoro.
Cain had now prepared every possible option.
He had already contacted Katakuri as well.
When the time came, they would connect through a Visual Den Den Mushi and see whether Pudding could restore Sanji's masculine instincts.
And if that failed—
They would have no choice but to deploy their ultimate weapon.
Zoro!
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