A/N: Hello, I do hope you like this chapter and will continue reading. On April 26, 2017 there were five fights in my School, all between Freshman, while our Principal was downstate because his son's Cancer returned. Police and their Drug Dogs were also called because two guys were either drinking or doing drugs or both in the Hallways. None of the Teachers were happy and the Vice Principal was done with the students because of it.
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Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or its characters nor do I want to
Chapter Ten: The Baratie
Luffy's POV
"He's a friend, so where's Yosaku?" Zoro asked the man. "He's on the small boat attached to our ship" I said jabbing my thumb to my right. Johnny nodded as tears streaked down his face.
Zoro walked over there with Johnny before I turned to Usopp and Nami. "Get the Med Kit Nami! Someone might need it" I told the girl. She nodded before I no longer saw her in the window. "I'll help you pull him up" I told the man when I walked over to the railing.
Jumping down onto the boat I narrowly missed landing on the man's head. "Be careful Luffy!" Zoro yelled at me. I grinned at him before I picked Yosaku up. He was light, likely from not eating for a while. Jumping up I landed on Merry's deck with relative ease. Putting Yosaku down on a mat on the deck Usopp finally came out of the Kitchen/Navigation Room.
"He's sick? He keeps getting pale suddenly and then fainting when he was full of life a few days ago. I don't know what is causing it" Johnny despaired. "His teeth ended up falling out and his old wound reopened, bleeding again. I didn't know what to do anymore…" the man continued. How is he such an idiot? He should've tried to find a doctor or something!
"We were on a rocky Island letting him rest in quiet. Before… a Cannonball came towards us from this ship" Johnny explained. "I do apologize for this, I'll go get something for him" I apologized before I saw Nami. "You have the Medical Kit, good. Do you mind stitching his wound while I get some Limes from storage?" I asked. She nodded in understanding before she went over to him.
"What are you doing? No one is touching my partner! You're mocking his death" Johnny yelled. "He's not dead, he'll be fine if you let us help him" I heard Nami tell him. I looked back to see she was checking the symptoms. I turned back to the door and went inside to get the Limes.
I came out not long after I departed. When Nami opened his mouth, I crushed the Limes over his mouth one-by-one, the juice dripping into Yosaku's mouth.
"He just fell ill to Scurvy. If we weren't too late he will be fine in a few days" Nami explained to the duo. "R-Really, big sis? Are you serious, big sis?!" Johnny sounded happy about that.
I nodded when I finished what I was doing. In the past, Scurvy was a hopeless disease. They found out later that Scurvy was just a fancy word for a lack of Vitamin C, or nutrients produced by plants. Nami explained this to Johnny before Usopp decided to take over.
He started cramming Limes into Yosaku's mouth. "Usopp! Don't do that!" Nami admonished before I heard a squishing noise.
I turned my head to see Yosaku was sitting up. Not even a second later Johnny and Yosaku were dancing in circle, arm-in-arm.
"All those nutrients brought me back to life!"
"Yeah they did!"
"You could not have recovered that quickly!" Nami yelled at the two. I do agree with her, he should rest a bit more.
The duo stopped prancing around when she yelled. "We are sorry for not introducing ourselves sooner" the men apologized. "My name is Johnny" the man said. "I am Yosaku" the other said. "We are the Pirate Bounty Hunter duo!" both said at the same time. They both sounded dull and boring when they introduced themselves, at least I smile when I introduce myself.
"I never thought I would see you guys out here…" Zoro said walking past me to stand in front of the two. "We would not have imagined you would become a Pirate" the duo returned. Johnny and Zoro grabbed the other's hands. Right before Yosaku was about to do the same I stepped forward catching the man. He started twitching making me sigh.
"Can someone take him to one of the rooms? He needs rest" I asked all of them. "I don't even know how he was able to get up in the first place" Nami sighed, shaking her head. "I'll take him, Luffy" Zoro said before he took the man from my arms.
We were in the Kitchen when Nami started talking. "This is a lesson, everyone" Nami told all of us. "Yeah, there are pitfalls like this everywhere at sea" Zoro commented. "This means we have to consider the distribution of nutrients on the ship using limited types of food" Usopp considered. "If we think carefully about it, it's a necessity" Nami said, writing in her book.
"I'll go see how close we are to the Baratie" I said standing up. I headed up the stairs to head to the Navigation Room.
When I reached it, I looked at the holographic map on the Navigation Table. We were close to our destination, and a Navy Ship was nearby.
There isn't a reason it should go there. The place is a handful when Pirates and others make a scene. A Marine wouldn't want to witness such things while having a nice lunch or dinner. Even if they didn't care about that taking a Navy Vessel on a personal trip shouldn't be permitted. The Captain might think they will pass Pirates along the way, but even a normal ship would have the necessities needed to catch and contain Pirates.
I heard Johnny ask where we were going once I went back downstairs. "We're heading for the Baratie to find a Cook, a very specific Cook" I told the man. "I'm going to change" I told my crew when I left the room. We were too close to the Baratie to not change into something more formal. The place is popular and public, two things I should dress formally for.
When I changed into my red button-up, black slacks, and black loafers I went to Merry's Bow where the others were.
"That would be where our new Cook is at. He's very chivalrous and a lady pleaser Nami, so either be careful or 'flaunt' it" I informed. *Ring Ring* I heard a bell ring and a door creak open before I saw a shadow. Looking to my left I saw the Navy Ship the map showed.
Arriving at the Baratie, Navy Ship on the approach, Sir Luffy. I nodded thanking her.
"S-Surely they won't shoot at us, right?" Usopp asked nervously. He looked slightly frightened by the possibility that they might shoot at us. Me they might shoot at, not you. 'Unless, the Marines got worse while I wasn't doing my job' I frowned. I think they might have actually.
"Tch, we've run into such an unpleasant bunch…" Zoro sneered from the Bow of the Merry. I heard Nami stutter when she asked when they approached us. I should calibrate Merry's Navigation system, I have yet to do that. She's normally so on time with her updates.
"I've never seen that Pirate flag before" A man said as he approached the railing of his Navy Vessel. I know him! it's Navy Lieutenant, 'Iron Fist' Fullbody. The man slammed his hand on the railing of his ship before introducing himself.
"My name is 'Iron Fist' Fullbody, a Navy Lieutenant at Navy Headquarters!" the man introduced before speaking again, more annoyed instead of proud this time. "Who is your Captain?! Come out here and state your name and the name of your Pirate crew!" the Lieutenant ordered.
I stepped forward taking my pen-sized Staff out of my front pocket as I did so. I returned it to its full-size before I held it, horizontally, behind my back. "The name is Pirate Captain Luffy, we made our flag a day before yesterday" I announced, standing tall.
"Oh, you're just…" the man said before turning to look to my right. I turned my head to see he was looking at Johnny and Yosaku. They were hiding behind the door to the Storage Room.
"I remember seeing the two of you before. Aren't you the Bounty Hunter duo who goes after small fish?" that angered the two. "You finally got caught by Pirates it seems" the Lieutenant observed wrongfully. They tried to explain what the situation was, poorly, before a platinum blonde woman appeared.
Her height was close to the Lieutenant's ear. She was wearing a reddish-pink dress and red lip stick.
"Let's go Lieutenant" the girl said wrapping both of her arms around the Lieutenant's right. So, it was a personal trip. I wasn't surprised but still amazed.
I sighed regardless because it still seems like the Marines don't care about the world. They still only care about their status and appearance.
Johnny finally blew his top regarding the 'small fish' comment. He threw a stack of Pirate Bounty Posters on the ground as the Navy Lieutenant walked away, his arm around his date. Despite not looking directly at the Bounties I knew one of them would have to be Arlong. The two of them wouldn't go to different Blues just for Bounties unless something happened in their lives to change that.
"Sink them" I heard Fullbody order his subordinates before he left completely. "Y-Yes sir!" the men saluted. They were hesitant to do so though. I think they're the only ones that recognized me. The duo threatened to 'shut him up' because he ignored them so blatantly.
"What is this…" I heard Nami say but I didn't look at her. Johnny was about to finish talking when he coughed to interrupt himself. Apparently he didn't want to finish his own sentence for some reason. I heard the crumpling of paper before I got Nami's attention. "I made you a promise Nami" I told the girl getting her attention.
"We will be going to your Island after we get Sanji to join the crew as our Cook. I do not intend to break that promise" I explained with a grin. I turned my head when I heard the creaking and the rubbing of metal against wood. The Navy Ship lowered their Cannons to aim at our ship.
"W-We're in so much trouble! They're aiming their Cannons at us" Usopp freaked calmly. Holding up my Staff I pointed it towards the Cannon. The loud boom when it fired didn't make me hesitate a bit.
"Catch!" I ordered my Staff making its jewel and the Cannonball glow white. The Cannonball stopped half-way to our ship. "Shatter" I ordered again seeing the white glow bleed red. The Cannonball started to vibrate before shattering to pieces. The pieces fell into the sea with small splashes of sound.
"Nice job, Luffy!" Nami smiled at me, slapping my back. The force moved my upper body forward before I grinned at her. "Let's go eat, shall we?" I smiled giddily. Merry moved by herself until she docked herself at the Baratie.
When we reached the doors, I saw Sanji immediately. "Do not… waste food" Sanji said, fury showing in every facial feature as he held the man by the face. Fullbody was a foot or two off the ground. Sanji must hate doing that, he'll get his hands dirty.
"Provoking a Chef at sea is the same as committing suicide, you better remember that" Sanji told the man. I smiled at this, he is right. Other than Towns and Villages there is no other way to get food out on the sea.
Even if you do have food you may not be able to make much with it that's very good if you're not a good cook. It's one of the reasons this place was created, so people could come and eat food, so they won't starve to death.
~East Blue Saga~
"Ahh! What are you doing to our customer Sanji?!" a man yelled. Looking to my right I saw a burly man when a wide upper body and thin lower body. "The man is also a Navy Lieutenant!" the man reprimanded the blonde.
"What do you want? Don't call my name like we're friends" Sanji told the man. "Don't talk to me like that. Restaurants cannot exist without customers!" the man stated standing in front of Sanji. There are plenty of customers here though.
"What do you think you are doing hurting our precious customer?!" the man asked him.
Sanji's answer was simple and to the point: "He treats the food carelessly like it wasn't slaved over to make. To add to that, he insulted the Chefs"
Sanji released his hold on Fullbody when he was done answering the man. Fullbody dropped to his knees on the ground because his legs no longer had the strength to hold himself up.
"I just taught the Navy Lieutenant a lesson" Sanji said, right arm still in the air while the other was in his pocket.
Fullbody was shaking with anger and confusion. He didn't get the reason behind the Restaurant's attitude. "No Restaurant should treat its customers like this. I will shut it down… I will shut down this Restaurant for good!" the man declared. Taking out my Staff I walked forward, eyes shaded as I passed Sanji and the other Chef. When I reached the man, I kneeled in front of him.
"Really Lieutenant Fullbody? For the treatment of customers, you want to shut this place down?" I asked lifting his chin with the end of the pear-shaped jewel. I knew my smile is my only visible facial feature as I continued. "Customers only get treated this way on the Baratie when they start a commotion, or when they refuse to finish the rest of their food and insult Chefs in earshot of Sous Chef Sanji here" I told him. His face showed fear before I sighed.
"Your attitude is not fit for a real Marine either. I am guessing you made reservations with a certain type of wine? You didn't get your way so you blew up over it, am I right?" I asked. His eyes widened in shock, I don't get why though, it's an easy assumption with his pride and date location.
"Heal" I ordered before his body and my Staff's jewel glowed an angelic white. I stood up once he was healed, turning my back on him.
"Go back to your dinner and eat properly, you're disgracing the Title you hold" I told him going back to my crew. I heard hurried shuffling before the patting of material. I guess he was dusting off his pinstripe, eggshell slacks.
The man was back at his table before the Owner of the Restaurant made his presence known.
"Don't go on rampages in my Restaurant, you idiot!" Head Chef/Owner Zeff yelled at Sanji. "Shut up, you old geezer" Sanji told the man. "What did you just call me?! Who do you think I am for you to be talking to me like that?! Are you trying to ruin my business?!" Zeff asked the blonde. Zeff kicked Sanji in the face with his peg-leg before turning to Fullbody.
"You, out!" Zeff ordered pointing at the Marine. I'm guessing his 'date' can stay as he never said anything that would make someone think differently.
I heard 'Patty' and Sanji arguing again. "Only the customers that eat your disgusting dishes are 'king'" Sanji insulted. "Patty! Sanji! If you want to fight that badly, do it in the Kitchen!" Zeff informed the two, loudly.
The four of us went to a table to wait the rest out when 'Lieutenant! Lieutenant Fullbody!' could be heard outside. Turning to the doors the Marine stumbled into the doorway, the left side of his face almost dripping in blood.
"There's trouble" the Marine started. He continued, saying that Pirate Captain Don Krieg's underling escaped their holding cells. The Marine started shaking in frustration as he recounted seven men capturing the underling to get a lead on the Krieg Pirates.
The Navy Lieutenant said that it was impossible because he was close to starving when they captured him three days ago. They haven't fed him since either, apparently.
It's not impossible. Pirates can go through worse than Marines will, especially a lot worse than almost starving to death. I don't think they took the correct course when capturing the man though. If he's weak from fighting them off and starvation it would be hard for them to get anything out of him. It would definitely be hard if the man died from starvation before they could get a lead.
"K-Krieg Pirates?!" the customers panicked. "They're said to be the strongest in the East Blue" a man said this time. I looked at my crew's faces. Zoro was stern and monotonous, Nami was observing everything with a cool head, and Usopp… well Usopp was scared. The Marine tried to say something before I heard a gunshot.
The Marine fell to his knees before falling the rest of the way, hitting the ground with a thud. His felled body revealed a darkened figure in the bright, white space beyond the door.
Screams erupted before I noticed that the figure was the escaped Pirate. The Chefs didn't care who he was, they just didn't want him to cause anymore commotion.
"Oooh, he's a Pirate!" I smiled giddily as I put my Staff, now pen-sized, into my left breast pocket. The Pirate slumped his way to a table before sitting down. If I remember right his name is Gin.
"Bring me food, anything is fine" Gin informed when he put his leg on the table. "This is a Restaurant, right?" he asked when he leaned his head back. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face was skinny, almost like it was hollow. He must be the escaped Pirate, he looks too malnourished not to be.
"Welcome, you crook!" Patty greeted with a really wide smile. It looked like he was forcing himself to look polite and happy. "I will say it only once more so you better listen. Bring me food, anything is fine" the man said, eyes shadowed. "I am terribly sorry sir; do you even have any money to pay for the food?" Patty asked as he rubbed his head. You don't look like you're happy being here, you look like it's a pain to keep the 'nice and polite' act up.
As soon as he pointed a musket at Patty's forehead threatening him, his head was bashed in. He broke the chair in the process though. Fullbody was shocked making me interlock my hands, elbows on the table.
"What power!" I smiled widely, chin on my interlocked hands. This was interesting.
Zeff used to be a Pirate Captain so it would make sense that his staff is strong. A lot of Pirates come around to cause trouble to, so someone would have to break up fights.
"You're not a customer if you cannot pay for the food" Patty told the Pirate. Many of the customers, who were not formally dressed, whistled and cheered on the Chef. I heard Gin's stomach growl making me frown. I wish I had food to give the man.
Hearing footsteps I turned to look at where they were coming from. I watched Sanji leave the dining area making me smile because I know what he is going to do. He is going to make some food for the starving man.
The Pirate was being beaten further because Patty was kicking him brutally in the side. More than anything I want to help the man. I looked towards the movement I saw at the corner of my eye to see Fullbody walking out the door. Seems he's had enough. Another Marine left as well, but Fullbody's date was still here. Once Patty was done kicking him and told the customers to continue eating I stood.
Walking over to the beaten-up Pirate I put the man on my back. His arms were over my shoulders and I hefted his legs up around my waist, keeping them there. I carried the man outside setting him down against the railing.
"If I wasn't so weak I could have fought back, I would not have been…" the man despaired making me frown. I knew what he was going to say and he was not either of those things. "You are not weak, and you were definitely not being mocked" I told the Pirate.
I decided to watch over him from the second-floor railing. I jumped up landing on the railing before I crossed my legs to sit comfortably. I heard the man's stomach growl before a door was slammed shut.
Looking to my left I saw that it was Sanji. He set a tray of what looks to be rice with herbs, tentacles, shrimp and sliced onion rings on Gin's right side. There was a glass of water and a wooden-handled spoon on the tray as well. Sanji sat on the same side of him shocking Gin. The blonde put a Cigar to his lips before taking it away, blowing smoke into the air.
"Eat up" Sanji told the man making me smile. "Just shut up and leave! Even when I am down, I will not take charity from others" Gin was a stubborn Pirate. "Stop whining and eat it! For me, anyone who is hungry is a customer" Sanji told the man, being stubborn back.
Gin's stomach growled for longer this time and I saw Sanji's annoyed expression. The blonde looked to the sky before I heard him speak.
"The Ocean is a vast and scary place, huh? It's terrifying to lose even a bit of food and water" Sanji started. "I know how hard it is to starve in the middle of the Ocean more than anyone" the moment he said that I knew he was reminiscing. "If your pride is worth starving for I won't make you eat it, but won't there be a future for you if you eat and survive?" Sanji asked returning his gaze to look at the man.
I looked to the sky hearing the man's shocked noise and loud gulping from where I was sitting on the top floor's railing. I heard the man's greedy chomping of the food making a smile pull at the corner of my lips.
"I'm sorry…" Gin sobbed before he elaborated. "I thought I was going to die… so thank you" the Pirate sobbed. He continued eating once he finished thanking the Chef. Gin said the food was 'delicious' and that he has never eaten anything so good before. My grin widened at that.
Sanji is an amazing Cook, that's why I want him on my crew. There are other reasons though. One reason is that he has a dream that people say is impossible. He will never know if he stays stuck in this place though. The other one is one I will not say, even in my thoughts.
"I'm glad he gave you food! Can you join my crew Sanji?!" I asked happily as I kicked my legs back and forth. I was genuinely happy for the Pirate, but I know Sanji is similar to Zoro in a way. He will not say 'yes' right away but he will if there is something he wants that I can give him a chance at getting.
Pushing off the railing with my arms I landed on the railing below the one I was previously on. It shocked the two before I stepped off the railing, landing soundlessly on the deck.
"You're a Pirate?" Sanji asked. "Sure am!" I grinned happily when I leaned back on the railing behind me.
"You are not like most Pirates, are you? Many Pirates despise the Marines, but you healed the one in there" Sanji said. "I do hate the Marines, but I don't want people to die in front of me if I have a chance to stop it" I answered easily.
"Haha! That's new! Just don't do anything to this Restaurant" Sanji laughed heartily. "This ship is the old geezer's treasure. He used to be the Cook for a famous Pirate crew you know" Sanji informed. I smiled gleefully, nodding vigorously.
"The cooks that came here because of their admiration towards him are hot-headed, just like Pirates. That's what makes them perfect for this place, as Pirates come and go a lot" Sanji finished. "This place really is wild, it is so cool because of that though!" I grinned. He told me that it's like this every day here.
Most of the customers come here to see the Chefs and Pirates fight. The fights are the reasons they no longer have any waiters.
"Will you join my crew, Sanji? You're an amazing Cook and we need one badly. My cooking skills are fine, but they're not meant for long term use, only until we found you" I explained. "I refuse, I have a good reason to work in this Restaurant" he refused. Jumping onto the railing I stood behind his head.
"And I refuse your refusal" I grinned bending over so I was face-to-face with him. "I told you already! There's a reason I have to stay here, so just listen to me!" he exclaimed. He took a few steps back away from me, so I stepped off the railing again.
"You owe Zeff your life, right? It's not too hard to figure out" I guessed. He was shocked before he tsked at me lighting another Cigarette.
"Sorry for interrupting," Gin said before we looked at him. He was still sitting on the ground. "My name is Gin, from the Krieg Pirates. You're a Pirate, right?" he started. "What are your goals?" he asked me. I smiled before answering him.
"The One Piece of course! I'm heading out to Grand Line: Paradise" I declared cheerily. He was shocked for a few seconds before he continued. "You only have a few members, given the fact you're looking for a Cook" Gin deduced. "Sanji will be the fifth! By the Grand Line: New World I will have a total of nine people on my crew, myself included" I smiled happily. "Why are you counting me?! I am not joining you!" Sanji yelled at me.
"You seem nice, so I will give you some advice: Do not go to the Grand Line. You're young, you don't need to rush" Gin advised. I frowned at this. "There is an endless Ocean out there if you want to be a Pirate. The Grand Line is only a small portion of it" he finished.
"So, you understand the Grand Line like I do then" I asked him. "I don't understand it at all…" he shook with fear as he covered the right side of his face with his hand. "Wait… what do you mean? How could you understand anything about the Grand Line?" he asked.
"I know some basic information" I shrugged before continuing. "I know it is not for the weak-willed. The weather is wonky so you need a good Navigator, which I have. You need a Log Pose to navigate the Islands in Paradise because of the 'magnetic pull' of the Islands, or something like that. There are two parts to the Grand Line, Paradise and New World. If you can't survive Paradise you have no chance in New World, it is one of the reasons it is called Paradise. The Grand Line is the most dangerous sea in the World, no matter which part you are in" I listed. He was surprised and so was Sanji.
When Gin snapped out of his surprise he was getting a small dingy ready for departure. "So long…" Gin said, his dingy ready to leave. "I don't care what people tell me, Gin. I am going to the Grand Line and I will make my dream come true, no matter how long that takes" I declared smiling at him.
"Do whatever you want" he resigned. "I'm a stranger to you so I don't have the right to tell you what not to do, I only wanted to warn you" he informed.
"Sanji, thank you so much. You saved my life" Gin thanked again. "The food you made was delicious! Do you mind if I come for it again?!" Gin smiled, blushing slightly below his closed eyes. "Any time!" Sanji grinned at the man. "Sanji!" Zeff yelled. It worried Gin because he thought Sanji was going to get in trouble for giving him free food.
"Go, Gin" Sanji told the man. Gin voiced his worries, his head down. "I can pay for him if it's really necessary, I would have anyway" I told Sanji. "You would do that for me?!" Gin asked in shock making me grin at him. "Of course! I would do it for anyone who was hungry" I confessed happily.
Sanji asked for 75B so I grabbed the Pouch I had inside my hat. Opening it light shined through before I stuck my hand inside. '75 Beli' I thought feeling a bag land in my hand. I took it out before handing it to Sanji. He looked inside it once he got over the shock of what he just saw. I put my Pouch back inside my hat before placing it on my head again. Sanji tossed the money to Zeff, who caught the small pouch with ease.
"Don't get caught again! I don't think Luffy will be here to save you next time!" Sanji warned Gin as the Pirate sailed off in the small boat. "Get to work already, Sanji! And Strawhat?!" the man yelled getting both of our attention. "Because of what you did earlier your Bill is half-off, your crew is lookin' for ya to" Zeff informed. "Thank you" I nodded before I went inside.
I headed to my crew, sitting down next to them. When a Chef came by he asked what we wanted. "Anything with a lot of meat is fine with me, you can choose from there. No Eel or vegetables though" I said remembering the electric shocks and the maggots. Everyone else told the Chef their order before the man left.
The food arrived not long after before we started eating. I ate properly, as usual when I'm in a public Restaurant.
Usopp decided to do something funny with his food making us laugh. We were being loud, and I think that is what gained Sanji's attention.
Sanji held a sparkling red rose out to Nami as he started flirting with her. He wasn't very good at it but I can't say that I could do any better.
Sanji decided to say the word 'obstacle' somewhere in his flirting grabbing Zeff's attention. "I'm the 'obstacle', right Sanji?" Zeff asked the blonde. "Old geezer!" Sanji said under his breath. He gained a drop of sweat on his right cheek because he was caught flirting on the job.
"It is the perfect opportunity. You can become a Pirate, so why don't you?" Zeff asked the shocked blonde. Sanji looked back at the owner in surprise. I smiled at this before Zeff took it a bit farther. "You are no longer needed at the Baratie!"
A/N: Hello, I finished writing this at 6:27 P.M. on April 26, 2017.
I finished rewriting this at 9:46 P.M. on August 31, 2018.
I do hope you like this chapter and story and will continue reading, see you next time.