"Why not?!" Nami demanded an answer, moving from shock to outrage in a snap.
"I think he has it handled," Cherry said.
"What part of any of that makes you think he 'has it handled'???" Usopp asked.
"Let's ask Sanji. Do you need help, Sanji?" Cherry turned to the blond in question.
"No," Sanji answered immediately.
Cherry gestured at him as if to say "See?"
"Obviously we can't trust that!" Nami persisted.
"Well, what makes you guys think he needs help?" Cherry crossed her arms in challenge.
"He made that awful dish! Sanji would never make that, even for an enemy!" Usopp pointed at the sad excuse for a snack on the ground.
Cherry turned back to Sanji. "Sanji, did you understand what I meant when I told you to cook something spicy for me?"
"Yes," Sanji replied robotically.
"So you understand that that isn't what I meant?" Cherry pointed to the slop that wasn't even fit for a pig.
"Yes," Sanji repeated.
"Did you make that for me out of spite?" Cherry asked.
"No," Sanji said.
"Are you capable of doing better?" Cherry pressed.
"Yes," Sanji continued with his one syllable answers.
"Why not, then?" Cherry questioned.
"..." Sanji didn't answer this time.
The others watched this exchange with growing confusion. Just what was Cherry getting at here?
Cherry turned back to them. "Do you see now?"
"""???""" They didn't see at all.
Cherry huffed and addressed Sanji once again.
"I-is it because you hate me…?" Cherry started to sniffle and tear up.
"No!" Sanji suddenly seemed to strain against his own muscles, before relaxing and going quiet once more.
Cherry pointed her hand at him and raised her eyebrows at the group, silently asking "Do you get it now?"
"He's resisting it," Reiju said.
"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!" Cherry seemed satisfied that she didn't have to spell it out for them. "He isn't acting like his brothers because he's still in there, putting up the good fight."
"Even if he did become like his brothers, he wouldn't suddenly lose his cooking skills…" Nami was putting it together as well.
Cherry snapped and pointed at her, clearly pleased with the deduction.
"But why does that mean you shouldn't help him?" Franky asked, not entirely convinced.
"It builds character," Cherry shrugged.
"That's not a very good reason…" Usopp grumbled.
"Sanji would disagree. He doesn't need somebody to save him from his own head, isn't that right Sanji?" Cherry asked.
Sanji grunted. It wasn't exactly a clear assent on his part, but Cherry accepted it as such.
"Ugh, fine, whatever!" Nami relented. "I'll trust that you know better than me regarding… whatever this is; but if he winds up braindead, you are going to cook everything from now on!"
"I swear on my honor that I won't let any harm come to Sanji in this trial," Cherry proclaimed, her hand over her heart.
Nami studied her for a moment before nodding.
"Okay, Sanji! Attack me with everything you've got!" Cherry shouted out of nowhere.
Sanji jerked suddenly and toppled over, his limbs wanting to move and also not move at the same time.
"Are you disobeying me, boy?! Get your ass up and fight me like a man!" Cherry held her fists up and beckoned him forward.
It was a morbidly curious sight to see him fighting himself as he writhed on the ground. Even more so when his head flopped near the chicken, he yanked down his mask, and started shoveling it into his mouth.
"Waste not, want not I suppose, but I told you to beat me black and blue like a good lowlife ought to!" Cherry 'encouraged' him.
…
Sanji felt like he'd been split in two. Only one of the two parts of himself was something he didn't even realize he had in the first place.
Now it was a bitter enemy to struggle against. Not in the traditional sense, though; he couldn't kick this enemy in the face. No, this was a battle of control, and his enemy was better than he was despite having been asleep for his entire life.
[ You are unnecessary; obsolete. ] The cold and calculating nature of the not-voice sent chills down his metaphorical spine. [ Begone, and I will serve better than you ever could have. ]
Sanji couldn't agree with that. Luffy needed his help to become the pirate king!
[ The captain can only become the pirate king with my assistance. ]
That was… unexpected. Did this thing want to work for Germa?
[ Negative. Germa is obsolete. I calculate the odds of the next pirate king reigning over the world as greater than 70%. Early membership in the future pirate king's crew assures a high position within the new world order. ]
This was freaking Sanji out. It freaked him out before, but now it was really freaking him out.
He wouldn't surrender, though! Even if this freaky freak was loyal to Luffy, it was impossible for it to help Luffy reach his dream better than he could!
[ Illogical. ]
Shut up! How can you help Luffy when you can't even cook!
[ I can supply sustenance with much greater efficiency than you. ]
It's not about efficiency, damn it! You need a heart to cook! Luffy and the others would notice the difference immediately!
[ Unlikely. I have access to all your knowledge and skill. There will be no difference. ]
Prove it then! Overwhelming me within my mind will only give you a shallow and temporary victory! Face me in the true arena, in the kitchen!
Sanji waited for the thing's response.
…
The crew was becoming impatient.
It had been hours since Sanji started acting weird and nothing had changed about him. Cherry was as calm as ever, reassuring them that these things could take time, sometimes days! Days, how could they wait days!
Luffy suddenly jerked awake from his futon. "HUNGRY! FOOD!"
THis was bad. They were hoping the Sanji situation would be handled before Luffy woke up. After his incredible victory, they didn't want to put a damper on his good mood with this.
"You got it, captain," Sanji smiled at him and stood.
"""SANJI!!!""" Everyone cried out in delight. He'd won his internal battle!
[ Be silent. Where is the nearest kitchen? ] Sanji's voice took on a cold edge.
Confusion returned amongst them. Luffy especially, since he wasn't appraised of the situation yet.
"I can show you," Kiku said, looking at Sanji with a quizzical eye.
They had moved off of Onigashima and into the castle of the Flower Capital in the hours since the battle. There was a lot of work to be done, but the kitchen was always busy in the Shogun's castle, even when the previous Shogun was being prepared for execution.
"I don't get what's going on, but Sanji is going to make food, right?" Luffy asked.
He could clearly tell that something was wrong with Sanji. He was just waiting to see if there was anything he could do.
"Seems like it," Cherry answered. "I'm curious what the result will be."