This argument of separating cook and fighting is a complete mess.
In the very first chapter Sanji appears, he ends it grabbing a complete rekt Fullbody and telling him something like "Remember this. Going against a sea cook is the same as committing suicide".
Dude first appearance puts him not only as a cook, but a fighter cook.
Making it look like these are two complete opposite natures of the character is BS.
He is both. Since he first appeared.
Try to actually grasp the situation they were in.
NOBODY there could defeat a rampaging Big Mom. NOBODY. And she would NOT STOP until she destroyed the ship and killed everyone for the freaking wedding cake.
Luffy BARELY could beat Katakuri, imagine trying to stop Big Mom. Sanji couldn't, Jinbei couldn't, etc. Not only that, there was an entire armada of Big Mom Pirates also chasing them. The Sun Pirates, the Vinsmokes and etc could only stall them so much.
And I repeat. Not a single soul there could stop Big Mom. She would only stop chasing them if they had the fucking cake.
Even if the head chef was concious, he still wouldnt be able to do shit, because the cake demanded ingredients from all over the world.
Sanji took the task of creating an even more amazing thing, using only the ingredients he could salvage in Tottoland. Pudding and Chiffon, being experts in specific parts of the cake managed to help him.
Him baking that freaking ass cake was the only thing that could keep all of them alive.
"bu bu if zoro was there"
If Zoro was there, they would stall a little bit longer, and eventually get rekt as well.
It's not a matter "why didnt he fight bla bla bla", it's a matter that they only have a single way of getting out of there alive, and the only one able to achieve that is Sanji.
That's really just it. Memeing about it is fun and games, but actually not understanding it is beyond being oblivious to a story built towards kids.
Try to imagine a scenario where Luffy beats Katakuri and Sanji stops to fight and beat Snack or whoever.
What happens then?
Then the people on the ship would die. It's really not rocket science.
