Hello there. Here's another installment in Luffy's adventures. But first I want to warn all of you that I'm now in my fall semester in college. Now depending on how tough these classes are, I may or may not have to stop for a while. I don't think I'll have to but I just want to let you know. Now then, why don't we get to the story, shall we?

His name is Gin! Impending Clash with the Krieg Pirates!

As the sickly looking man walked into the restaurant, the customers were watching him with fear while Luffy and Sanji were looking at him with interest.

"Whoa… That man looks like a bag of bones," Zoro said.

Indeed the man did look half dead. The man walked over to a table as fast as his starving body would carry him and sat down.

"Well? This is a restaurant isn't it? Someone get me some food," he growled.

"Well welcome to the Baratie ye moron," Patty said as he walked up to the man

"I'll only say it once more; get me some damn food."

"Pardon my rudeness, but how exactly are you paying for this?"

"How about a bullet to your head?" said the man as he pointed a gun at Patty.

"So you don't have money…"

WHAM! Patty broke the table with his bare hands, knocking the man down at the same time.

"We only take Berries you bastard! If you don't have money you don't eat!"

Now the customers were yelling things like 'Way to go cook' and 'Beat that pirate scum' while the starving man only sit in his slumped position as his stomach growled loudly.

"Oh, hungry are you?" Patty said mockingly.

"It was a fart… now get me some food."

"YOU'RE NOT A CUSTOMER! NOW GET THE HELL OUT!" yelled Patty as he lost his patience and kicked the man repeatedly in the gut.

"This is just cruel," Nami whispered. "Pirate or not no one deserves this. How can they all just ignore a starving person?"

"Not everyone is," Luffy said as he looked to the kitchen. Nami followed his gaze and saw Sanji cutting up some vegetables.

Meanwhile, Patty had thrown the man out into the trash dump and left him to his fate. The man was barely moving as he felt himself get weaker.

"Dammit… I normally wouldn't let someone get away with that," he muttered.

Just then Sanji arrived with a plate of fried rice and steamed vegetables.

"Go ahead. Eat it while it's still hot," he said as he placed the food in front of the man.

"Take it away. This is worse. I won't accept charity."

Sanji frowned. For a man facing starvation he sure was being stubborn

"It's not charity. Forget what they said. If someone is hungry then they're a customer."

"I can't pay for this."

Sanji leaned on the railing, looked up at the sky and let out some smoke from his cigarette.

"…It baffling isn't it? How one can lose food, water, and even their life on this cruel and unforgiving sea. I understand starving people better than anyone. It's your choice if you want to die with your dignity. But listen, if you eat and live now, won't that give you a chance to fight for your honor tomorrow?"

The man's eyes widened at these words and soon he found himself eating hungrily.

""This is delicious. It's incredible. I thought I was gonna die. Thank you," the man said through the tears flowing from his eyes.

"Glad you like it," Sanji smiled.

"Shishishi. I like you cook. Why don't you join my crew?"

Both of them looked up and saw Luffy on the second floor railing smiling down at them.

"So you're a pirate?" Sanji asked.

"That's right, and I'm looking for a cook before we head to the Grand Line."

"I'd be careful how you conduct yourself here. The owner of this place used to be a pirate himself," Sanji warned.

"I see. No wonder he's strong. I could tell when I saw him."

"Really? Well anyway, I still have things I have to do here so I have to refuse."

"Nope I refuse," Luffy suddenly said.

"What?"

"I refuse the refusal. We need a cook and I've chosen you."

"What the hell!? You can't decide that for me! No mean no!"

"Hate to interrupt…," the man said.

"What?" Luffy and Sanji said.

"My name is Gin a pirate in Don Krieg's fleet. Did you say you're going to the Grand Line? With so few people ne less?"

"Well he's the fifth," Luffy said pointing to Sanji.

"No I'm not!"

"Have you been to the Grand Line?" Luffy asked ignoring Sanji.

"Yes…but it's all a blur! That place didn't make any damn sense at all!"

"Really?"

A little while later, Gin was preparing to sail away in a boat Sanji had given him.

"Thank you so much Sanji. I'll never forget this."

"SANJI! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! GET BACK TO WORK!"

"That shitty geezer," Sanji muttered.

I'm sorry. Now you'll get in trouble for giving me that food," Gin said sadly… then he saw Sanji kick the plate into the sea.

"Get in trouble? I don't any evidence do you?"

"T-thank you Sanji. I really appreciate this," Gin said as he sailed away.

Both Luffy and Sanji watched him sail away until Zeff yelled at Sanji again. Sanji went back in the restaurant as Luffy walked back to the table his friends were at.

"So how was he," Nami asked.

"He'll be fine now that he's eaten. Speaking of eating… WHY THE HELL DID YOU GUYS ORDER FOOD WITHOUT ME!?"

Indeed Nami, Zoro and Ussop all had food in front of them but there was none for Luffy.

"What were we supposed to do? You stepped out and we were getting hungry," Nami said.

"Sorry Captain. You snooze you lose," Usopp said with an insincere smile.

"Oh well, our new cook should be here again soon I'll just ask him."

"You've got one already?" Zoro asked suprised

"I'M NOT YOUR NEW COOK!" Sanji yelled as he came back to their table.

"Oh, Sanji," Nami called sweetly.

"Yes, my dear," Sanji said as he went into love mode.

"Everything here looks so good, but the food is far too expensive for me."

"For you it's all free."

"Oh thank you," Nami said as she hugged Sanji who looked happy before turning toward the others with a blank look.

"Pay up bubs."

"You sexist bastard," Usopp growled.

Luffy just looked at Nami and Sanji with a calm yet intense stare. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like decking Sanji for being this close to Nami. As Nami let go of Sanji that feeling disappeared, but not before Nami caught the look in Luffy's eyes.

"So Captain, why don't you look at the menu to see what you'd like to eat," Nami said quickly, changing the subject so as not to spark anymore jealousy.

Luffy quickly agreed, but Sanji caught what Nami was trying to do as well as what she called Luffy.

"You're part of his crew," Sanji asked.

"Yeah, I'm the navigator. You sure you don't want to join?"

"Afraid not. I cannot leave this restaurant," Sanji said.

"It's because of me isn't it," Zeff said as he appeared behind Sanji.

"Shitty geezer," Sanji muttered.

"This is a good chance for you Sanji. Go with them and be a pirate."

"Me leave? I'm the Sous Chef! You've finally lost your mind!"

"No I haven't. You cooking is terrible, you flirt with every girl that comes in here, you pick fights with all the customers and no one likes you. Things would be a lot better here if you left."

"How dare you…" Sanji growled as he grabbed Zeff's collar. "I don't care if you want me to leave, but I'll kick your ass if you make fun of my cooking."

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY COLLAR," Zeff yelled as he performed a shoulder flip with Sanji, slamming him hard into the floor. "You're a hundred years too early to kick my ass. After all, who taught you everything you know," he said as he turned to leave.

"NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU TELL ME TO LEAVE I WILL STAY AS THE SOUS CHEF UNTIL YOU DIE!" Sanji screamed as he got up.

"Well you'll be waiting a while. I'm gonna be around for another hundred years," said Zeff without turning.

"Shishishi. Well I guess I should say welcome," Luffy said.

"What the hell?"

"It sounds like you were just fired. So why don't you come along with us?"

I wasn't fired, I'm not quitting and I'm not joining your crew! Now look at the menu and see what you want eat. I'll be right back," Sanji yelled as he stormed away.

"Luffy, I don't think he's gonna leave," Nami said.

"Oh he'll join us, because we're not leaving until he does," Luffy said with a grin.

Meanwhile somewhere else on the sea…

"So that cook saved your life Gin?"

"Yes Captain. That's how I was able to come back here. But I never imagined that the flag ship would be in such bad shape…Don Krieg…"

"What is it?"

"I can take you there. To the sea restaurant Baratie."

A few days later…

The Straw Hats had been at the Baratie for quite a while, with Luffy trying again and again to get Sanji to join, but so far had no luck. The others were beginning to get impatient, though Nami assured them that they should keep trying.

"Besides this place is nice. So is the free food-"

"IT'S ONLY FREE FOR YOU!" Zoro exclaimed.

"H-h-hey guys, is t-that what I think it is," Usopp stuttered as he looked out on the ocean.

The others looked and saw what Usopp was seeing, and knew things were going to get ugly fast. Inside the restaurant, the customers quaked in their seats and the cooks' eyes widened with fear as they too saw it. Out in the distance, flying from the mast of a broken Galleon ship, was a jolly roger that depicted a skull with sideburns, and parallel to the crossbones were two hourglasses that sent the same message to everyone; their time was up.

"AAAAAAHHHH! THAT'S DON KRIEG'S FLAG!"

"WHAT!? WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?!

"Dammit Patty! I told you this would happen!" a cook named Carne said. "Look at the flag! The Krieg Pirates have come for revenge!"

"THIS IS BAD!" Usopp yelled back on the Merry

"That ship looks like it's been through a hurricane. What the hell happened?" Nami wondered.

"Gin said that they had recently been to the Grand Line," Luffy said.

"Looks like we'll finally get some action," Zoro said.

"I'm going inside to make sure things are okay. Nami, I want you to move the Merry to the other side of the restaurant. I just have this feeling that a fight is coming and I don't want her to be damaged," Luffy said as he got off the ship and walked towards the doors.

"Got it Captain," Nami said as she got to work.

Luffy walked into the restaurant five minutes before Krieg did. The sight was as creepy as it was pathetic. Don Krieg stumbled into the restaurant with Gin supporting him.

"Please…could you …give me some food," Krieg muttered.

"Wait…this worn out sap is Don Krieg," Patty wondered.

Krieg collapsed to the floor as he became weaker and it was obvious that he couldn't do anything but beg.

"Please let him have some food," Gin pleaded. "We've got money this time, we'll pay!"

"Oh you'll pay alright! You really think we'd be suckered into feeling sorry for you?" Patty said. "One of you call the marines. And don't let him have anything to eat. After all this guy is-" WHACK!

"Out of my way," Sanji said as he kick Patty unconscious and out of the way.

"Here's some food for your Captain," he said as he placed a bowl of rice in front of Krieg.

"Thank you Sanji," Gin said.

"SANJI GET THAT FOOD AWAY FROM HIM!" Carne yelled as Krieg ate.

"There's a reason he's called Foul Play Krieg. He started out as a prisoner before he lied his way onto a marine ship. Then he killed the commanding officer and took the ship as his own. That's how he got his start as a pirate. Sometimes he'll pretend to be a marine and even raise a white flag to deceive and opponent and strike when their guard is down. All he cares about is victory and he'll stoop to any low to achieve it. He won't just leave after getting strength back. You should have just let him die."

WHAM! While Sani was distracted, Krieg cloths-lined him with an armored elbow.

"SANJI!" the cook yelled as the Sous Chef slammed into the ground.

"No Captain, you promised not to hurt anyone," Gin pleaded. "That man saved our lives!"

"Ah, this feeling is great!" Krieg said as he gripped Gin's shoulder tightly, completely ignoring Gin yelling in pain.

"I like this restaurant," he said. "I'll take it as my new Flagship!"

Uh-oh. Looks like troubles a-brewing. Please read and review and I'll try to do another chapter soon.