It took a while for me to write this chapter, mostly because of the action scenes. This chapter is 16 pages, and could probably have been divided in two, but then I don't think it would have been good... Well, enjoy.

At first, Sanji didn't know what to think. He had almost completely forgotten about Krieg's existence, and hadn't even thought about the pirate in years. The last thing he had heard about the so-called 'King of East Blue' was when the news of a large fleet of pirate ships entering the Grand Line (and almost clogging up the entrance to Reverse Mountain while they were at it) had been all over the front page of Nami's newspaper. Now it seemed like Krieg was back.

There was a loud, nervous murmur rising in the restaurant, and Sanji realized that he would have to do something to prevent panic from breaking out among the guests. He got up from his chair and cast a glance at his nakama. Nami and Robin were both looking towards the two noisy chefs by the kitchen-doors, but Zoro held his gaze locked on Sanji with a challenge written all over his face. Any other day, Sanji would have accepted the challenge without hesitation, but not this time.

"I'll handle this," he muttered, tapping the ash off his cigarette and sticking it in the corner of his mouth. "The Sagatie is my treasure and my responsibility. I'll protect her if I so have to do it alone."

"Sanji-kun…" Nami started, but Sanji was already walking away from the table and out into the middle of the dining hall. As he looked out through the open doors, he could see a large battleship headed directly towards the restaurant and sighed. Sanji suddenly felt certain that there was no way the day could get any worse.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said seriously, raising his hands to get the guests' attention. "I want to ask all of you to please calm down. There are pirates headed this way, and I don't think that they're here for our homemade eggrolls. Therefore, I would suggest that you leave the restaurant immediately. You can return once the restaurant is out of harm's way."

The guests started moving from their tables, grabbing their coats and purses. Suddenly, a shriek was heard from one of the tables as a woman stood up, her face almost the same white color as the tablecloth. Several guests jumped and turned around to see what was going on.

"My children!" the woman cried out. "My children aren't back yet!"

Three other women also started to scream about their children not being back yet. Sanji barely kept himself from flipping one of the tables upside-down just to make everyone shut up. There was no time for anyone to panic. The chef growled and took one step forward, happy to find his guests calming down a little as he did so.

"The kids are fine!" he said in a loud, calm voice. "They are with two of my friends, who will protect them with their lives. Now, I urge you to return to your ships and leave the restaurant before the pirates comes to close."

"My ladies," he added in a softer tone and turned to the women who looked back at him with tear-filled eyes, seemingly on the verge of hysteria. He was actually feeling a bit sorry for them, considering that Usopp and Chopper were the only people standing between the children and a clan of bloodthirsty pirates. "If you wish to stay and wait for your children to be returned to you, my staff and I are going to do everything in our power to make sure that nothing happens to you."

The women, who had gathered with their husbands in a small group around a table nodded with appreciation. Sanji turned away, glancing at Pati and Carne, who were still standing in the open doors to the kitchen and waiting for orders.

"Boys, are you ready to protect the ship?" Sanji asked with a smirk, knowing that both Pati and Carne had been longing for a good brawl. "Go get all the chefs who are willing to fight. The waiters too, if they have the guts."

"AYE!"

The two older chefs turned around and disappeared into the kitchen, while Sanji tried to think of some way of keeping the pirates from entering the restaurant. The Fins were already out, but until the guests had moved their ships, there was no chance of using the terrace as a battleground. They would all be easy targets.

When Sanji followed the last guests out through the entrance, he glanced quickly at his nakama, who were sitting by themselves at their table, apparently deep in conversation. The head chef sighed, pulled his attention away from the pirates and aimed it at the battleship, which was slowly approaching the restaurant. To his great relief, the guests' ships were swiftly setting their sails and one by one, they left the restaurant.

For one moment, Sanji almost expected the large pirate ship to change its course and turn after the escaping guests, but it didn't. The battleship kept a steady course, headed directly towards the Sagatie. Then he knew that his restaurant was the main dish on the Pirate Clan's dinner table.

He could hear his chefs getting ready to fight inside the restaurant, and sighed. Luffy wasn't there to kick Krieg's sorry ass into another ocean this time. It was up to Sanji to make sure his treasure was safe. He couldn't help but feel his stomach twist uncomfortably as he walked out onto the outer Fin, watching the last guests quickly leave the restaurant.

There were three ships still moored to the left side of the terrace, two small boats that probably belonged to two of the three families still inside the restaurant, and Usopp's jigsaw puzzle. Sanji looked at the ships for a moment, hoping that they wouldn't be in the way of the battle if one should be necessary. However, Sanji was pretty sure that there would be a battle, no matter what he did to prevent it.

As he reached the middle of the Fin, he stopped and watched the battleship gliding up next to the restaurant. The waves made by the large ship caused the restaurant to rock, but Sanji hardly noticed. His eyes locked on the middle-aged man in a bronze-colored armor standing by the railing next to the figurehead. Krieg was grinning down at him – a cold, ruthless grin that sent cold chills down Sanji's spine.

"Well, well," Krieg called down as the ship came to a stop and the anchor was lowered. "So the rumors were true after all. I heard that Zeff's little waiter boy had opened a restaurant after the old man croaked."

"You can just pack up and leave, Krieg," Sanji called back, his jaw clenched tightly. "You're not welcome at my restaurant."

Krieg gave up a loud, hoarse laugh.

"I couldn't care less about your measly little boat, boy," he barked, once again grinning coldly. "I've sailed through the Grand Line with this unsinkable battleship. One little restaurant isn't more than a grain of sand at the bottom of the sea."

"Is that so?" Sanji replied calmly, smirking lightly. Since Krieg had failed to mention One Piece, the chef suspected that the pirate had never reached that far through the Grand Line. However, Krieg didn't seem to be aware that Sanji also had been through the Grand Line – more than once. "So you managed to stay there longer than a week? I'm impressed."

Krieg suddenly looked very smug. He spread out his arms, while his grin grew wider.

"I must say that the Grand Line was difficult to sail," he confessed with feigned modesty. "All my new ships were destroyed during our journey, except for this ship. But now I've realized that you don't need a fleet, but a strong crew to be successful. So I've gathered a strong crew of 200 men, and together, we conquered the Grand Line."

"Con–freaking-gratulations," Sanji muttered, once again aware that Krieg had left One Piece out of his bragging. "Now go away, shithead, you're keeping my guests from finishing their meal."

The smile on Krieg's face vanished, and he glared down at Sanji.

"I don't think so, boy! Because I've been searching for this restaurant to get my revenge and destroy it! Gin! Pearl!"

Two men appeared next to Krieg, and Sanji's eyes narrowed as he recognized them. Krieg pointed at the restaurant and one of the men jumped down onto the Fin in front of Sanji. He wore a short white jacket with a red dragon-design on the sleeves; dusty white pants and a black shirt. A striped headband shaded his deep-set eyes as he looked directly at Sanji.

"We meet again, Sanji-san," he said, making no effort to hide the weapons in his hands. The weapons looked like the ones he had been only moments from killing Sanji with years earlier, but Sanji had a feeling that so was not the case. Gin had probably got himself new, stronger weapons over times.

"So it would seem, Gin," Sanji replied, puffing out a thin mist of smoke. "I see you survived the poison."

"I did," Gin said with a light nod. "But I won't fail Don Krieg this time. I spared your life last time because your kindness made me weak. But that won't happen again. I've trained for this moment."

"I figured as much." Sanji stuck his hands into his pockets and leaned back where he was standing, ready for any movement from his opponent.

There was a sudden noise coming from the restaurant, and Sanji glanced over his shoulder, spotting all his chefs and waiters storming out of the restaurant, carrying huge forks and knives in their hands. At the same time, he could hear the faint rustle of clothes next to him and threw himself to the side. The heavy metalsphere at the end of Gin's weapon crashed into the wooden floor where Sanji had been standing just as the chef's feet left the ground.

Curling up as he hit the floor, Sanji tumbled over and rolled back up on his feet again, cursing at himself for not paying attention to his opponent. By the sound of one of his chefs calling his name, he turned around and jumped back just in time to dodge another of Gin's forceful attacks.

Shit, he thought as he landed on the deck, almost slipping backwards on the moist floor as he faced his opponent. He's a lot stronger than last time, and a lot faster.

Biting into the end of his cigarette, the chef couldn't hold back a smirk.

Then again, so am I…

"Owner!" one of the chefs cried out. "Leave him to us, we'll handle him!"

"No!" Sanji yelled, keeping his eyes on Gin, who were coming at him again with one of his heavy weapons spinning in his left hand. "I'll handle this one, you need to-"

A strike from Gin's weapon, which was only a hair's-breadth from taking Sanji's right arm off by the shoulder, interrupted him. Quickly stepping to the side while he swung his right leg upwards, Sanji buried his foot in his opponent's stomach and sent him flying back over the terrace with a satisfied grin.

"- to make sure that the rest of his crew doesn't sneak up on the restaurant," he finished once he put his foot back on the wooden floor, once again glancing over his shoulder at his chefs. "You got that, Pati? Carne?"

He didn't wait for a reply, but set off running towards Gin, who didn't seem to have fully regained his balance yet. Sanji had a feeling that he wouldn't win the battle by playing defensively. No, he would have to trust in his chefs' ability to keep the restaurant safe, and do everything in his power to defeat first Gin and then Krieg himself if he had to.

Leaping forward, Sanji turned around in midair, aiming a sweeping kick at the side of Gin's neck. His eyes widened as Gin dodged, and before he got the chance to recover from his failed attack, he saw the large metalsphere coming towards him in the corner of his eye. He heard a horrified cry from the direction of the restaurant just as he felt his lower ribs breaking from the force of the sphere colliding with his right side. With a painful gasp for air, he was thrown to the floor; feeling almost as if Gin's weapon had tore a large hole in his stomach.

He was suddenly aware of a roaring sound of cheers coming from the large battleship. Lifting his head, he caught a glimpse of a large number of cheering men standing by the railing of the battleship. The next moment, a whistling sound caught his attention and he rolled to the side, raising his arms to shield his face from a spray of wooden splinters as Gin's weapon buried itself deep in the terrace floor.

Growling, Sanji pressed the palms of his hands firmly against the wooden surface and let his legs sweep in a wide semicircle, causing Gin to lose his balance as the chef's feet slammed into the pirate's ankles. Swiftly, Sanji put down his left foot on the floor for balance and slammed his right leg over Gin's chest. The sounds of bones creaking were heard loud and clear as the pirate's eyes widened slightly.

As he pulled back from his opponent, Sanji could hear a roar, similar to the one coming from the pirate ship only a moment earlier, but this time, it came from the restaurant, where the chefs were cheering wildly. But he didn't take his eyes from Gin, who was lying sprawled on the floor in front of where the chef was sitting. He had a feeling that the battle was far from over, but he couldn't seem to get up from the floor.

He didn't see Gin's hand move towards his weapon before it was too late. He saw the pirate lash out for him, but didn't get the time to dodge. The metal sphere crashed into the side of his head, and he was flung to the side, the grinding sound of broken pieces of bones moving against each other roaring in his ears. Sanji landed hard on the floor and rolled to the side, still not sure if his head was still attached to his shoulders or not even if he was aware that he had lost his cigarette.

The faint swishing sound of Gin spinning his weapon reached the chef's ears, and he caught himself wishing that Gin would just get it over with and kill him already. That made him angry. Who was he to give up that easily?

Sanji. That's who he was. He was the head chef of the floating restaurant Sagatie, and the man who had fought countless battles side by side with the King of Pirates and his crew. One shitty little bastard of a pirate wasn't going to get the best of him.

Standing up slowly, he looked directly at Gin and lifted one hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. He tried to hide the pain in his ribs and the side of his head. The injuries were nothing compared to what he had lived through before, and he was certain that he could take at least ten more hits before it would even slow him down.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked with a lightly hoarse voice. His whole face felt like it was crumbling to pieces when he moved his jaw. "That didn't even tickle, you shitty bastard."

Gin frowned and lashed out for him again, but this time, Sanji was ready. Letting his weapon sweep horizontally through the air, Gin aimed directly at Sanji's chest, but the chef jumped into the air out of the pirate's reach. Twisting his body in the air, Sanji slammed the hard heel of his right foot between Gin's shoulder blades. As his left foot touched the floor, he spun around, sending Gin flying backwards across the terrace towards the moored Meri Go with a well-aimed kick to the chest.

Sanji raced after him, leaping high in the air and once again twisting his body to the point where his broken ribs protested loudly. His eyes met Gin's during the short moment before both his feet hit the pirate straight in the back and drove him through the wooden floor and into the water below. Panting lightly, Sanji dragged himself away from the hole in the floor and let his body relax for a moment. He just needed to catch his breath… Just a little.

His ears caught a sound coming from under the terrace, but before his brain had the chance to process the information, the floor right in front of him shattered from a forceful strike by Gin's weapon. Sanji pushed himself backwards into a handstand and let the movement lift him off the floor just as the metalsphere tore through the planks where he had been sitting. Landing on his feet and ignoring the pain racing through his chest, he turned around just in time to see Gin rise from the water, the determination in his eyes as vivid as before.

Persistent little shit, isn't he? Sanji thought, feeling the broken bones in his face grind against each other as he clenched his jaw. He hoped that Chopper had learnt how to treat such injuries, or he would have yet another reason to hide half his face behind his hair.

He bent over backwards when Gin swung his weapon horizontally towards him, the metal ball brushing lightly against the buttons of his blue shirt. Planting his hands on the floor, he quickly brought his legs up, feeling a weight as his feet connected with Gin's body. By the time he remembered that the pirate still could move his arms, it was already too late.

Gin let his weapon slam in to Sanji's left side with full force, causing the chef to twirl around in the air for a short moment before the pirate let his second weapon fall. The metal sphere hit Sanji straight in the chest, and he was slammed into the wooden floor below without making a sound.

Gasping for air, Sanji had to force his body to stop twitching violently. That last hit felt like it had completely crushed his ribcage, and, he was slightly worried that he was going to see a deep cavity in his chest as he lifted his head from the floor. Fortunately for him, so was not the case. But as he looked up, he saw a large shadow coming right for his head and rolled away. His body protested wildly against the sudden movement, but Sanji didn't care. Once he had rolled away from harm's way and ended up on his back in the floor, he looked up again, only to face the same ominous shadow move towards him once again.

With most of his torso screaming at him to stop, Sanji curled up until his knees almost touched his forehead. He put his hands against the floor and pushed his aching body up into another handstand just as he unfolded his legs and placed all his strength behind the kick to Gin's head. After he felt his feet connect with his opponent's face, Sanji heard two heavy thumps as Gin dropped his weapons to the floor, followed by another, softer noise as Gin landed on the floor a few meters away.

Pushing away from the floor, Sanji managed to land on his feet in time to see his opponent slowly get up to his feet. The chef looked down at the metal clubs lying by his feet and turned his eyes towards Gin. He pulled back his left leg with a tired roar and sent the weapons flying through the air. Sinking down on his knees, he saw the clubs hit Gin in the forehead and straight in the chest, bringing the pirate to the floor with a short, guttural grunt.

If he gets up again, I'm done for… he thought bitterly, eyeing the fallen pirate warily as he leaned slightly forward while crossing his arms over his chest and his aching ribs. His body was trembling with every painful breath he took, and he was sure that he was going to do more damage to himself than to Gin if he were to continue the battle. But Gin didn't move again. He was lying on the floor with his weapons by his side, breathing in a shallow and jerking manner.

Seeing one of his strongest men being defeated, Krieg gave up a loud roar, shortly accompanied by a chorus of voices. As Sanji looked up, he saw Krieg's pirates leaping down from the railing down onto the terrace. His eyes widened as he realized that he could hardly move without causing white-hot pain to rush through his body. Then, a voice was heard from the restaurant, followed by a loud cheering.

"Now it's our turn! Show them the true force of the fighting chefs!"

"Yeaaaaah!"

Sanji couldn't remember if he had ever been so happy to hear Pati's annoying voice in his life. He forced himself to get up from the floor just as the chefs and pirates clashed around him, feeling the smell of blood as Pati and Carne rushed through the crowd of pirates while slashing wildly with their large knives. Finding his balance, Sanji leaned back a little as his vision wavered in and out of focus while he watched the battle in a dreamlike state.

The chef's mind was instantly pulled out of its haze as he heard the distinct sound of the cock of a gun being pulled right next to his ear. Cursing himself for being so careless, Sanji expected to feel the bullet penetrate his head at any moment. But it never came. Instead, a very familiar, nasal voice was heard over the noise of the battle.

"Bet your life on it."

Sanji turned around, blinking as he saw Usopp standing next to him, aiming a slim pistol at the pirate who had threatened to blow the chef's brains out only a moment earlier. The pirate glanced nervously at the long-nosed marksman, who smirked before he continued to speak to the pirate with the same threatening voice.

"When you point a gun at someone, you put your own life on the line. So, what's it going to be?"

The pirate dropped the gun onto the floor, looking completely dumbfounded. Sanji brought his right leg straight up in the air, sending the coward flying into the sea before he turned to Usopp. The marksman was tucking the pistol in the holster on his right hip with a pleased grin on his face.

"That was some speech," Sanji said slowly, not really in the mood to give any compliments.

"Well, I didn't come up with it. I just repeated what someone said to me once…" he confessed, still grinning. "I heard some noise out here, so I told Chopper-- Watch out!"

Groaning, Sanji spun around, driving another cowardly pirate's head into the wooden floor. His strength seemed to be returning, even though he had fought just to keep himself standing only moments earlier. As he looked up, he was terrified to notice that a group of pirates had managed to get past his chefs and they were on their way towards the unguarded restaurant. Those bastards were not going to destroy his treasure!

"NO!"

He was about to start running after the pirates when a blur of black and green appeared in the doorway, rushing through the group of attackers. Zoro finished his attack and nodded once at Sanji with a challenging look on his face as the pirates fell to the ground with weak cries of pain and the splatter of blood.

Behind the swordsman, by the entrance to the restaurant, Nami leaned against the doorframe with her old Bo staff in her hands.

"Don't worry, Sanji-kun!" she called out to him. Sanji suddenly experienced an indescribable happiness flowing through his whole being. "Robin is taking care of the guests, and we'll guard the restaurant. We'll make sure that they're safe. You're not alone, you know!"

Sanji smiled, even if the whole left side of his face hurt as he did so. The part of his mind that was aware of the damage Gin's attack must have made to his face was happy that his hair was hiding that half of it. But he chose to ignore that, at least for the moment. Nami was right, he wasn't alone, and he should have known better than to doubt that his nakama would aid him if he needed it.

Taking the opportunity to catch his breath, Sanji turned to watch the battle between the chefs and the pirates. It seemed as if the pirates were outnumbering the chefs with at least five to one, but Pati, Carne and a few of the other chefs were holding their own pretty well. Some of the pirates paused as they spotted Zoro standing in front of the pile of their fallen crewmates, making them easy targets for the battling chefs.

"Lolonoa Zoro!" someone cried. "It's the Pirate Hunter!"

"Lolonoa Zoro?" Krieg's voice rumbled over the other voices, casting a light echo between the ships.

Sanji looked up towards the battleship, where Krieg was leaning against the railing with an interested look on his face. Zoro also looked up towards the armored man, smirking lightly.

"Pirate Hunter, eh? That's a name I haven't heard in a while." The swordsman took the white-hilted katana from his mouth and looked questioningly up at Krieg. "What do you want, old man?"

"I take it as you haven't come for my head, then," Krieg chuckled cockily.

"Not really, no," Zoro shrugged, but kept his swords raised in front of him. Sanji and Usopp both let their eyes move between Zoro and Krieg, wondering which man would lose his temper first.

"Maybe you haven't heard of the bounty placed on my head," Krieg said, still chuckling.

Sanji rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket for a new cigarette. The sounds of the battle between the chefs and pirates were growing fainter around him, save for the occasional gunshot and the cries of pain that sometimes echoed over the water. It was definitely not the same thing to just stand by and watch other people fight.

"Oh, I have," Zoro replied, not without a tone of irritation in his voice. "400 million Belli, right? Then you're not even worth my time."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Zoro snorted and cast a glance at Sanji, who shook his head lightly and gestured for Usopp to keep his mouth shut. The marksman looked like he was about to protest, but one glare from Sanji made him stay quiet. There was no need to tell Krieg about their journey through the Grand Line if the man actually didn't know about it. The swordsman nodded.

"Why should I tell you?" he asked, turning back to Krieg. "It's not my fault if you're not reading the newspaper once in a while."

Krieg wasn't grinning anymore. He turned to the side, looking out over his ship while he waved his fist in the air.

"Boys!" he called out. "Bring out the secret weapon! Pearl, go down there and take care of the fleas. Don't disappoint me."

A large shadow landed hard on the far end of the Fin, causing most of the battling chefs and pirates to lose their balance. Sanji, Usopp and Zoro swayed lightly from the violent rocking of the ship, but managed to stay standing. All three of them looked towards the newly arrived enemy with mild interest, even if Sanji could sense that the marksman to his right was shivering lightly. Pearl was standing in the middle of the crowd of chefs and pirates and looked around while he slammed two round shields together. He seemed to be a bit surprised that the battle had paused so suddenly.

"Sending in Pearl-sama against a cook, a strange pirate and a simple swordsman," he said slowly. "You guys are a great disappointment if you can't handle them…"

In the corner of his eye, Sanji could see Zoro taking a step forward. He was about to protest, but kept quiet as a katana – the supposedly cursed one, if he wasn't mistaken – was aimed directly at his face.

"This one is mine," the swordsman growled. "You're not going to hog all the fun."

Sanji frowned. He had learnt to handle it when someone (other than Zoro) made snide comments about his cooking, but Zoro still seemed to take what Pearl said seriously. Unfortunately, there was hardly any way of stopping Zoro once he set his mind on a battle.

"Fine," he said, turning to Usopp to tell the marksman to go back to his ship to protect the kids. When Usopp hurried to his ship and swiftly climbed aboard, Sanji turned back to Zoro. "Just watch out for--"

But Zoro had already taken off. Sanji groaned silently. Stupid, shitty swordsman, he thought with a sigh. Oh well, he can take care of himself.

The sound of swords colliding with metal was heard, and Sanji looked up. Just as he was about to call out the swordsman's name to warn him, Pearl broke free from Zoro's swords and raised his fist.

"Pearl Present!"

The name of the attack was followed by a smacking sound and a low grunt as Zoro was flung backwards and landed on his back in front of Sanji. Blinking, he shook his head and sat up to make sure that his katana were unharmed. He removed the white katana from his mouth for a moment and inspected the blade.

"Watch out, you said?" he muttered, not looking at Sanji as he rose from the floor with his swords in his hands. "You meant for that?"

Sanji nodded lightly, not in the mood to tease Zoro for getting hit that easily. This battle wasn't fun, and he knew that Zoro also felt it. There was something with this battle that was different from all the other fights they had been in, even the last time they had fought Krieg and his men. It was almost like there was nothing to be won, except maybe getting out of it alive. Even the battles in which the Straw Hat pirates had been only moments from being killed had been… Well, maybe not 'fun' in the usual meaning of the word, but in lack of other words to describe it, 'fun' seemed to be closest to the truth.

Sanji had to admit that his battle against Gin had been a little 'fun', but now… Now he just wanted the battle to be over with.

"Yeah," he said calmly to Zoro, watching the swordsman get up from the floor. "Watch out for that. Want me to take care of him?" He added the last part with a challenging smirk, hoping that it would make Zoro finish Pearl off faster.

"Fuck off," Zoro growled, placing the hilt of his white katana between his teeth again. Sanji simply shrugged, his shoulders twitching uncomfortably as the pain in his ribs made itself known again.

There was a cheerful roar as the last of Krieg's first wave of pirates fell, and as Sanji looked in the direction of the noise, he wasn't a bit surprised to see that almost all of his chefs only had received minor injuries like shallow cuts or bruises. Two of the chefs and four of the waiters were lying motionless on the floor, surrounded by others. Sanji sighed.

"Bring the injured to that ship!" he called out to the waiters, pointing in the direction of Usopp's pirate ship. "Go below deck and ask for Chopper! And what ever you do, don't call him a monster. Because if you do, I'll make sure you'll learn some manners!"

"A-aye, Owner!" came the shocked reply as the waiters obeyed. As all the chefs and the waiters moved from the battleground towards the Meri Go, Sanji was relieved to see his employees obey his orders so willingly for once in their lives. He did not have the energy to ask anyone twice about anything at that moment.

– e – e –

Zoro cricked his neck as he once again looked towards his enemy. Pearl wasn't really an intimidating foe. He was more strange than terrifying with the two round, pearl-decorated shields on his hands, two more strapped around his knees, and two larger ones protecting the front and back of his torso. And then there was the ridiculous hat, shaped like an enormous pearl. That was probably why Zoro had underestimated his enemy. The 'Pearl Present'-thing had caught him completely off-guard, but it wouldn't happen again.

"Coming back for more?" Pearl asked with his slow, bored voice. "I'm amazed that you can still stand after receiving one of my improved Pearl Presents. I, Pearl-sama, was once known as Iron Wall Pearl, but not anymore. Now, I'm the ultra-upgraded Steel Wall Pearl!"

I think I'll ignore that he just said 'ultra-upgraded', Zoro thought to himself and smirked. Raising his swords, he started moving towards Pearl once more. This time, he wouldn't be surprised by that 'Pearl Present'-thing. Crossing his arms in front of him, he sped up and dashed towards his enemy.

"Demon…"

Dodging a steel-enforced fist, Zoro's attack was interrupted and he jumped backwards, catching a second punch with the blades of his katana. His eyes met the dazed look under his opponent's heavy eyelids for a short moment before he decided to strike back. He could feel that the outcome of the battle already had been decided, just like he had felt it before he had even drawn his beloved Wadou Ichimonji to challenge Hawk-Eyes Mihawk five years earlier.

"Pearl Cross!"

Zoro barely managed to dodge as Pearl slammed the shields on his hands together with monstrous force. He rolled to the side and got up on one knee, the clanging sound ringing in his ears. Growling, he turned around, letting one of his katana fall just as his opponent lashed out in another Pearl Present-attack. He watched with bitter amusement as his blade sank into the steel, cutting the shield in half. Pearl gave up a surprised yelp and pulled back his hand before the katana could cut through it as well.

"Da-dangerous…" he stammered, staring at Zoro with wide eyes. Zoro looked back at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah? Figured that out so soon?" he growled, gripping the hilts of his katana tightly. "I'm sick of this now, and I don't mind if you die."

Planting his left foot firmly on the floor, Zoro gathered his energy and let it flow through his upper body.

"Dragon…"

Spinning his swords once and letting his body join in the movement, he swiftly created a tornado which twisted itself up in the air, carrying Steel Wall Pearl with it. It was an attack he had used so many times before, but he still had to remember not to let it grow too large, or it could end up tearing the whole restaurant to pieces along with everyone around him.

"COIL!

Spreading out his arms, Zoro cut all the energy connecting him to the tornado and let it rise further up in the air. High above the battleground, Pearl whirled around in the air, the razor-sharp edges of the whirlwind tearing his steelshields to pieces. Steel was nothing to a swordsman who could cut straight through diamond. When Zoro let his katana slide back into their sheaths, the tornado vanished, causing Pearl to plummet straight for the wooden Fin.

– e – e –

As the wind died, Sanji glared at Zoro from where he sat on the floor. He definitely should have seen that one coming, but he had kept telling himself that maybe Zoro knew better than to use his tornado-attack in the middle of a crowd. Then again, it was after all Zoro he had in front of him, not someone who were known for his astonishing intellect.

"What the hell, you shitty swordsman!" he yelled, rising to his feet so fast that his broken ribs protested wildly. "What are you trying to do, destroy the ship?"

Zoro didn't reply. He simply glanced at Sanji over his shoulder and turned towards Krieg's ship, securing the leatherstraps binding his katana to his side. This annoyed Sanji at first, but then he felt that he really didn't care at that moment. If they didn't get rid of Krieg and his pirates soon, there was no need for arguments, even though the arguing and competitions always made both him and Zoro fight harder. But it sure didn't seem like that would be necessary in this battle.

As Pearl crashed head-first into the wooden terrace, Sanji could hear the terrified voices of Krieg's pirates from the other side of the Fin.

"Pearl-san was defeated!"

"How's that possible? Pearl-san's shields are supposed to be indestructible!"

In the corner of his eye, Sanji saw a movement from the pile of human limbs and wooden splinters that was Pearl. To Sanji's light amazement, the large man actually got up on his feet, even if he looked a bit wobbly. Pearl's eyes were unfocused as he stumbled forward, blood dripping from numerous cuts all over his body.

"I, Pearl-sama," he grunted, almost tripping over a piece of one of his destroyed shields. "…Won't be beaten by some lowly cook or swordsman."

"You weren't," Sanji said, casting another glare towards Zoro. He still wanted to kick the swordsman for putting his restaurant in danger like that. "We're not just some cook and swordsman…"

Sanji moved forward just at the same time Zoro did. His kick connected with Pearl's chest at the same time Zoro's fist was buried in the enemy's now unprotected stomach. The large man flew backwards from the force of the double attack, crashing straight into the side of Krieg's battleship before he dropped into the ocean with a splash.

"We're pirates!" Sanji and Zoro said in unison as they looked up at Krieg, challenging him to fight. Sanji tapped the toe of his left shoe against the wooden floor while Zoro's hand moved towards his katana.

Krieg didn't seem to have been the least affected by his strongest men losing so easily. At least he hadn't talked about any poison gas yet.

"Pirates? Is that so?" he said, chuckling hoarsely.

"That's right!" Pati and Carne called out proudly from where they were standing by Usopp's pirate ship, their fists raised in the air.

Sanji glared at them over his shoulder.

"You old geezers stay out of this," he snapped. "When you're done getting patched up, you can all go back to the restaurant, we're already behind schedule for today."

There was no reply, neither protesting or approving, and Sanji turned away again. He didn't want to sound arrogant or anything, but he had a feeling that it would be best if his chefs got away from the Fin.

Krieg suddenly started to laugh. Sanji looked up at the man, feeling so fed up with just standing there.

"Yeah, we're pirates," he said, letting his eyes wander to the thin trail of smoke that twisted and coiled itself in the light breeze as it rose from his cigarette. "What's it to you?"

"In that case, that would make your little fish-boat here a pirate ship, wouldn't it?" Krieg's grin grew wider. "And I know just how to handle a pirate ship. Boys!"

It was not until now that Sanji noticed the cannon placed in the prow of Krieg's ship. His eyes widened as the cannon moved and was aimed directly at the Sagatie. Krieg couldn't be that desperate to get revenge, could he?

"Che, cannonballs are no match for me," Zoro snorted, but Sanji wasn't completely certain that it would be that easy.

"That piece of shit has something up his sleeve," muttered the chef, glaring at Krieg, who laughed as a few of his men carried a large red cannonball towards the prow.

"This is, as you might already have guessed, no ordinary cannonball," Krieg said, still grinning like a madman. "It is made to explode once it touches something solid, like a ship or a building. Of course, this means that once it has been fired - it cannot be stopped."

"I'll just cut it in half," Zoro muttered, causing Sanji to glare at him once more as he reached for his katana.

"And then what?" Sanji demanded. "What if the two pieces still hits my restaurant and explodes? Nami-san and Robin-chan are still in there, damn it!"

Zoro glared back at him, clearly as frustrated as Sanji.

"Well, what the hell do you suggest we do then?" he snapped.

Sanji frowned as he looked up at Krieg again. The armored man seemed to be celebrating his victory already, as he leaned against the railing with a wide grin on his face. Sanji growled and clenched his jaw.

"I'll make sure that the shithead up there doesn't fire the cannon at all."

He set off running the short distance towards the battle ship, making a giant leap up onto the railing in front of Krieg and sent a sweeping kick to the pirate's head. Krieg stumbled and took a step backwards, clearly surprised.

"Want to know why that guy isn't interested in your pathetic bounty?" Sanji asked, not bothering to keep his cool anymore. His head was aching worse than his ribs now, and he didn't want anything else than to sink Krieg's ship and go back to his restaurant. Before Krieg could reply, Sanji aimed another kick to his head, causing the King of East Blue to trip over his own feet.

"Do you really think that we've just lazed about here in East Blue these last then years?" he asked, jumping down from the railing.

A few of Krieg's men – probably the same pirates who had loaded the cannon earlier – approached the chef, but before they reached him, they were felled to the floor by the strike of a sharp sword. Sanji tilted his head towards Zoro with an annoyed look in his eyes.

"I thought I told you that I would handle this. I don't need your help."

"Who said anything about helping you?" Zoro said casually, leaning the flat side of his katana against his neck. "I told you before that I'm not gonna let you hog all the fun. I don't care if you get to take down the old man, but I'm not standing around watching you fight."

"Fine, knock yourself out," Sanji nodded in the direction of the group of pirates that emerged from below deck. As Zoro moved to fight the pirates, the chef turned back to Krieg. "Where was I? Oh yes… I was about to tell you why you should have stayed in the Grand Line once you managed to get there."

Krieg looked nervous for a moment, but he soon recovered and grinned again.

"I see you inherited the old geezer's attitude, boy," he said.

"I've been to the Grand Line, you shitty excuse for a pirate," Sanji growled without taking any notice of Krieg's words. He sent away another kick, this time aimed at the pirate's stomach. His foot slammed against the armor, leaving a light dent in it. "And the pirate clan I was in sailed there for nine years."

He spun around, his left leg shooting out with the force of a cannonball, but Krieg caught his foot and twisted it. Sanji fell to the floor, pulling back his leg and rolling to the side to avoid getting stomped at. Krieg growled loudly.

"A brat like you - sailing the Grand Line? Do you think I'm stupid, boy?"

Yes, Sanji thought to himself. Yes, you're the most stupid piece of shit I've ever met, and I'm going to kick your ass. The chef had finally reached the limit of his patience. Obviously, the only way of finishing Krieg off was to hit him fast and hard. Sanji just hoped that his body would last long enough for him to take care of the pirate. He was already having light problems with moving freely because of the pain rushing through his upper body. So far, he had been able to keep that under control, but he didn't know how much longer he could keep it up.

"You wanted to know why Zoro wasn't interested in your bounty," he said out loud, slowly getting up from the floor. "That's because he isn't a bounty hunter anymore, but a wanted man. Just like me."

Krieg looked at Sanji for a moment, and started to laugh. Sanji lifted his hand and loosened his tie a bit, feeling the fine silk under his fingers as he watched the pirate.

"You – a wanted man? What kind of bounty would they put on a brat like you?"

Sanji's eyes were cold as he nodded towards Zoro, who was looking rather bored while he fought Krieg's pirates.

"That guy is worth between 800 or 900 million these days," he said calmly, but with a cold undertone. "He's the man who beat Hawk-Eyes Mihawk. And down there..."

Sanji nodded towards the Sagatie, where his chefs were starting to move from the pirate ship to the restaurant. "There are two women in that restaurant, who are worth about 320 million and 825 million. They were also part of the pirate crew I belonged to.

"That shabby-looking ship over there belongs to another of my nakama. He is worth around a 300 million, and his crewmate has a bounty of 162 million."

Glaring at Krieg, Sanji took a step forward, his hands clenched tightly. "And I… Before the Marines supposedly pardoned me, I had a bounty of 697 million on my head. I'm the one who found All Blue, by the way. You might also have heard of my captain, Monkey D. Luffy. The guy who kicked your ass last time we met? He's known as the Pirate King these days."

Krieg seemed to be stunned by this information. Sanji guessed that Zoro had been on the right track when he said that Krieg wasn't reading the newspaper.

"Yeah," he hissed. "We found the One Piece. You mentioned that I inherited the shitty old geezer's attitude. Well, guess what? That's not all I inherited from him."

Jumping forward, Sanji made a somersault and let his foot slam down onto Krieg's unprotected head. Before he landed on the ground, he turned around, sending a round-house kick straight through Krieg's armor. The pirate stumbled backwards and almost fell flat on his back, feebly grasping at the hole in his armor.

"Before I became the head chef of my restaurant, I was known as Red-Legged Sanji!" he said loudly as he landed on the ground, quickly getting up in a handstand. "And I think you know where such a nickname would come from."

Letting his feet once again slam down onto the pirate's head, Sanji pushed himself from the floor and soared through the air over Krieg's head. Once he landed, he could feel a light sinking feeling in his chest beneath the throbbing pain of his ribs. That couldn't be good. He had fought with broken ribs many times before, but this sensation was new to him.

He swept his left leg along the deck, sweeping Krieg off his feet. He then got up as fast as he could, placing his foot against the pirate's throat with a satisfied smirk.

"Pinned ya'," he said teasingly, challenging Krieg to fight back. He was feeling a bit out of breath, but that was probably just because of the energy the pain in his broken bones was stealing from him. He hesitated as Krieg started to laugh and stared at the man under his foot, not sure what to think.

"If your nakama are so great, Red-Legged Sanji," Krieg laughed, coughing a little as Sanji pressed his foot harder against the pirate's throat. "Then why aren't they helping you defend your precious ship? FIRE!"

Turning around, Sanji spotted the two pirates who had managed to get away from Zoro. They were lighting the short fuse to the cannon aimed at his restaurant. Krieg gave up another growling laugh.

"Or more importantly, why aren't they helping you defend yourself?"

Sanji heard a metallic click and turned around, spotting several guns which were suddenly sticking out from Krieg's armor. He stumbled back just as the sound of gunshots rang in his ears. The whistling sound of a bullet flying straight past his ear made him throw himself to the side, but he could feel the sharp, stinging pain as two bullets buried themselves in his left thigh and shoulder.

As he landed on the deck, Sanji curled up against the pain and looked towards Krieg, who was getting up from the floor. Panting heavily, Sanji made the effort to glare stubbornly at the pirate.

"They don't have to," he said with an unsteady voice, finding it hard to speak properly. "I can take care of myself, so--"

He was interrupted by the deafening explosion as the cannon was fired. The red cannonball flew in a wide arc before it started to go down towards the restaurant. Sanji's eyes widened, and as he realized that he wasn't going to be able to get down to his restaurant, he turned his eyes away, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

Sagatie… Nami-san! Robin-chan! he thought, Krieg's growling laughter echoing in his mind. Forgive me… I wanted to save you…

Then, as if through the mists of a dream, a very familiar voice cut through the pain that kept Sanji paralyzed on the deck and made the chef look up.

"Gomu Gomu no Balloon!"

I'm quite happy with the first half of this chapter, but I'm not sure about the flow in the second half... Also, I think I butchered Krieg's character. I made him seem stupid, instead of arrogant as I planned. Ah well... Anyway, I haven't started writing the next chapter, so it might take a while before I upload it.

Thank you for all your reviews. They're what keeps my writing spirit up.

Jade Tatsu - You know, I hope heunderstands that as well. When you're around your nakama all the time, it's not hard to start taking their presence for granted.

FieryKitsune - I hope that he gets to find All Blue some day. A part of me thinks that they are already sailing there, and that the whole Grand Line is All Blue, but I'm not sure about that theory. I actually find Sanji and Zoro's constant arguinginteresting, since they are both very competetive, and both of them would rather die than to admit defeat.