Sanji is the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates. He joined the crew after the Baratie arc, but at that point, only a handful of details about his past were revealed. There was absolutely no information about his family, which was quite suspicious. Nonetheless, Sanji joined the crew, and it did not take long for him to make an impact as he saved Luffy from being drowned in Arlong Park. Since becoming a Straw Hat, Sanji has played a very important role in almost all the crew's biggest victories.

Like all the other Straw Hats, Sanji loves the crew, and he would lay his life down for their sake without hesitation. In addition to being extremely powerful, Sanji is also extremely kind and generous. It is obvious that if Sanji were to leave, the crew would suffer and this is exactly what happened in the Zou arc when Sanji was forced to go to Totto Land. Before leaving, Sanji left a note promising Nami and co. that he would be back, but there was a lot of doubt surrounding this claim as it was the territory of one of the Four Emperors of One Piece. So, Luffy took it upon himself to go to Whole Cake Island, where he would confront Sanji and bring him back. The arc had a great deal of action, but more importantly, it revealed Sanji's past.

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A Man Among Monsters

Sanji held captive

Sanji is the son of Vinsmoke Judge and Sora. Judge had children because he wanted to turn them into weapons to expand his empire. After discovering the Lineage factor, it was incredibly easy for Judge to modify the genes of his kids. He successfully managed to alter the genes of Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji. This success brought him great joy, but when he found out that his experiment on Sanji had failed, he became absolutely livid and imprisoned his son to keep the secret under wraps.

Sanji's only crime was that he was kindhearted like his mother, and he did not care about violence. Sanji also liked to cook and Judge absolutely despised this behavior, which is why he kept him locked up. Sanji's future looked grim, but all hope was not lost. In the flashbacks, it was revealed that Reiju cared about her brother, and she freed him from his cell. Reiju beseeched Sanji to leave the island and never come back. With no other choice left, Sanji obliged.

Meeting Zeff

Sanji and Zeff From One Piece

After leaving the Germa Kingdom, Sanji started working on a cruise ship. After working on the ship for a few years, Sanji's cooking improved. On an ominous day, the ship was attacked by Zeff's crew, but before they could sail away, both ships were caught in a terrible storm. Moments prior to falling into the sea, Sanji had revealed that his dream was to see the "All Blue." Zeff heard this, and he decided to save Sanji from being drowned.

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The two of them were stranded on a rock for several weeks. Zeff gave all the food to Sanji to satisfy his hunger, while he kept all the treasure. Once Sanji ran out of rations, he thought of killing Zeff and taking his food. When Sanji pierced the sack, to his surprise, he only found treasure. At that moment, Sanji realized that Zeff had given him all the food, and he had eaten his own leg to survive. When Sanji asked Zeff why he did such a thing, the latter answered that both of them shared the same dream. Hearing this, Sanji broke down into tears and vowed to help Zeff if they survived.

Growing Up

Sanji Thanking Zeff

Once Zeff and Sanji were rescued, they started their own sea restaurant and named it Baratie. The restaurant gained a lot of attention, and it quickly became one of the most popular places to visit in East Blue. Zeff taught a lot of valuable lessons, and one of them was to never hit a woman. This principle has been so deeply ingrained in Sanji that he would rather die than hit a woman. While some people think it is foolish, there are others who admire Sanji for his chivalry.

Another thing that makes Sanji special is his respect for food. After being stranded on a rock for a long time, Sanji understood the importance of food, which is why he never lets anyone waste food. Sanji and Zeff's time on the rock also made them understand the pain of people who are hungry. So, they will feed any hungry person even if they are their enemies. Sanji's way of fighting with just his legs has also been inspired by Zeff, who told him that hands are just for cooking food. Sanji stayed with Zeff until the Straw Hat Pirates made their way to the restaurant. When Luffy asked him to join the crew, Sanji declined as he felt indebted to Zeff. But after Zeff chided him, Sanji decided to go with Luffy. The farewell between Sanji, Zeff, and the rest of the cooks was quite emotional.

An Indispensable Addition

Sanji in new suit

Sanji is an extremely valuable member of the Straw Hat Pirates. Aside from cooking their meals, Sanji is also an exceptional fighter, who can take on any opponent. Sanji is a member of the "Monster Trio," and he's among the smartest members of the crew. On numerous occasions, Sanji has saved his crew from certain death, and it wouldn't be a stretch to call him the most clutch Straw Hat after Luffy.

In the Wano Country arc, Sanji managed to defeat one of the All-Stars and solidified his status as one of the wings of the future Pirate King. Currently, Sanji has a bounty of 1,032,000,000 berries, which is the fourth highest in the crew. Sanji is unquestionably one of the most important members of the crew, and with the Egghead Island arc fast approaching, there is no doubt that Sanji will play a vital role in it.

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