The Baratie Restaurant
True to his word Luffy refused to leave the restaurant without Sanji as his chef, not that the rest of the crew seemed to mind as they were eating world class food for three meals a day. This was proving to be expensive but thanks to the bounties Luffy had cashed in it was one her could afford.
It was two days after Gin had left the Baratie that a wreck of a ship hobbled its way towards the floating restaurant.
"Look out there! It's the dreadnought Sabre! It's done Krieg's ship!" screamed one hysterical patron.
Hearing the name Don Krieg Luffy looked towards the door eager to see the pirate so many were terrified of around these parts.
Luffy didn't have to wait too long however as shortly after the ship stopped near the restaurant Gin entered through the door supporting a half dead Don Krieg.
"Please help us we need food! We've got money this time!" begged Gin.
The various cooks and patrons began mocking Krieg as he got on his knees with his head bowed so low it touched the floor, but whatever they said went unheard by Luffy as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Krieg.
"Like hell we're gunna give you a scrap of food!" yelled Patty. "I say we turn him over to the marines while he's weak," this statement earned Patty various yells of agreement as well as a round of applause.
However before he could do anything Sanji appeared in between Patty and Krieg before he placed a plate of food down in front of Krieg along with a glass of water. Krieg wasted no time in digging into the food with his bare hands.
"Tch, he eats worse than the captain," Zoro muttered under his breath casuing Usopp to snicker next to him.
Krieg finished eating as he was standing up he lashed out at Sanji catching him with a vicious uppercut which sent Sanjo flying back into the other chefs behind him.
"Don Krieg! This isn't what you promised!" protested Gin in shock and horror at what Krieg had just done.
Completely ignoring what his second in command had just said to him he looked around the restaurant.
"This is a nice ship, I'll take it," said Don Krieg in a tone dripping with arrogance.
The various chefs all at once shouted what they thought of that as well as one or two comments about his parentage and the legality of his birth. A couple of the insults Luffy was determined to remember, he never would've thought to insinuate that Krieg's mother was also his aunt and cousin at the same time. He wasn't even sure how that would work.
Despite the protests and insults thrown his way Krieg didn't even bat an eye he just stated down the chefs. "I also need one hundred meals for my crew. Cook the food then everyone on the ship can leave." Krieg said this in a tone that brooked no argument.
Sanji got up from where he was still sat after the strike from Krieg.
"Hey Sanji where do you think you're going?" yelled Patty.
Sanji turned to look at Patty "the kitchen I've got a hundred meals to prepare." This earned a smile from Krieg.
As Sanji turned back around to continue towards the kitchen he was jumped on and pinned to the floor by Patty and two other chefs.
"Was this your plan all along Sanji? Bring them pirates here then feed so they could steal this ship?" questioned a furious chef that was on top of both of Sanji's legs.
"Look Sanji I know you feed some of the customers what come in 'ere and can't pay. Now I don't know if that's right or wrong but feeding our executioners is just plain wrong." Patty yelled indignantly.
With a look of determination Patty got up from atop Sanji and from under the counter of the nearby bar he pulled out an old fashioned blunderbuss.
"Now that ya had a meal how about some dessert," and as Patty said that he fired the blunderbuss hitting Don Krieg in the chest and obscuring him with smoke caused by the round from the blunderbuss.
Believing that there was no way anybody could survive a shot like that everyone started cheering, cheering that soon stopped when the smoke cleared to reveal a completely unharmed and unfazed. The reason for his survival quickly became apparent as Krieg was wearing very thick and expensive looking gold armor.
"That dessert tasted awful." As Krieg said that he pushed a button on his wrist and four hidden compartments on his armor opened up, one on each of his shoulder and one on each if his sides. From each hidden compartment three pistol sized guns popped out.
"Die," was all Krieg said with a sneer as every hidden gun he had fired upon Patty who was forced to dive behind a table.
Before Krieg could do anything else a large sack was thrown in front of him by Zeff.
"Food for your men should be enough for a hundred men."
"But chef Zeff!" screamed one of the cooks as the helped a clearly shaken Patty to his feet.
"Quiet all of you!" Zeff barked. "None of you know what it is to starve on the open ocean, only Sanji here does." He then turned to stare Krieg right in the eye, "you've got your food now take it and clear out."
"You! You're red leg Zeff! The only captain who was also his ship's chef!" said a wide eyed Krieg.
"So what if I was? That was a long time ago, now I've chosen the life of a cook." Luffy could hear the pride in his voice when he said he chose the life of a cook.
Krieg just scoffed at that. "You chose the life of a cook. More like its the only thing you can do now," Krieg smirked as he looked down to Zeff's peg leg.
"You know I used to hear tales of how you got your name because you would only fight with your feet and your kicks were so hard you could leave boot prints in steel and your feet would be covered in the blood of your enemies."
Zeff just continued to stare into Krieg's, something which a few people still in the restaurant could tell unnerved him.
"But you've been to the grand line ain't ya?" questioned Krieg and at seeing Zeff's nod he continued "then you must have a ship's log of your experience there. I want it! Turn it over!" krieg all but demanded.
"I do have such a thing yeah but you ain't gettin' your hands on it. That log is the legacy of my crew as well as their pride."
"Then I'll just take it when I take this ship," sneered Krieg.
Zeff however smirked, "tell me, did your will survive defeat? Not even on the grand line a week and you had to run home with your tail between your legs."
Zeff's comment proved to be something of sore spot for Krieg. "That's not it! I had the men! I had the ship's! And I had the ambition! All I lacked was information! Something I'm gunna change when I get what I want from you!" as he yelled this he jabbed his finger violently in Zeff's direction.
Zeff's only reaction was a slight raising of an eyebrow. Seeing that he was getting no reaction from Zeff Krieg picked up the large bag of food, turned on his heel and left in a huff.
"Sanji I'm so so sorry, I never meant for any of this to happen," Gin pleaded.
Sanji took out a cigarette and took a deep pull on it before he responded. Tch. You do what you gotta do, me I'm gunna defend this ship with my life. I've done my duty as a chef and saved them from starving bit if they set foot on this ship to take it from the old geezer then they die."
Gin then followed his captain back to the Sabre, he may not want to harm Sanji and the other cooks but his captain's word was law.
"Hey old man mustache," Luffy yelled at Zeff. "If I kick Krieg's ass so bad his grandmother feels it can I take that guy as my chef?" and as Luffy asked that he pointed to Sanji.
Zeff laughed heartily, "brat you've got yourself a deal."
The entire restaurant was silent as a hundred men suddenly cheered in celebration causing Luffy to look atveach member of his crew.
"Well guys that sounds like our cue," said a grinning Luffy.
Stepping onto the deck outside the doors of the restaurant the straw hat pirates watched as the Krieg pirates prepared themselves for battle. Preparations that were cut short as the wreck of a ship that had seemed to be held together with nothing more than happy thoughts was suddenly cut in half sending the pirates that had been on deck scrambling.
The action of the Sabre being cut in half casued massive waves to spread out in all directions. Worried about any potential danger to the Merry Luffy ordered Usopp to move it to a safe distance.
Usopp returned just a few moments later causing Luffy to raise his eyebrow.
"The ship, it's gone! Someone stole it" shouted Usopp. Luffy quickly looked around to see if anyone was missing.
"Nami's not here." Luffy stated coldly.
"Big bro Nami wouldn't steal the ship!" yelled both Yozuku and Johnny in unison.
"Usopp, Johnny, Yozuku get after her! I want my ship back!" seeing that Luffy was in no mood to argue and they had never seen him so angry all three snapped off a tense salute before running to find a boat to chase after Nami.
While all this was happening Zoro had just been staring with rapt intensity at the approaching man in a coffin shaped raft as it sailed slowly towards them. The man was wearing a long black coat with red sleeves and wide brimmed hat with a large feather coming out of it. On his back was his sword, it had a large black blade with an oversized handle and crossguard and was decorated with jewels.
"Mihawk? You followed us all the way from the grand line?" screeched one of the Krieg pirates. "Why?" he screeched when he recieved no answer from the man.
"I was bored and you interrupted my nap."
This answer caused a few pirates to snap and they opened fire on Mihawk. What happened next caused several jaws to drop as Mihawk stood while drawing his sword and deflected the bullets.
"You wield that sword well!" shouted an awed Zoro.
"Of course, a sword without grace is nought but an iron bar."
Zoro grinned as he tied his bandana around his head and jumped onto a large piece of driftwood close to Mihawk.
"It's my dream to become the greatest swordsman in the world," at this Mihawk rolled his eyes. "I challenge you to a duel for that title."
Without a word of acknowledgement Mihawk jumped onto the same piece of driftwood as Zoro before he wothdrew a small dagger from the cross he wore around his neck.
"What the hell is that?" demanded Zoro, his pride buised that Mihawk was not even taking him seriously enough to fight with a proper weapon.
"I am not the kind of brute that would use a cannon to hunt a rabbit, but i must apologise as I have nothing smaller than this dagger."
Mihawk never spoke in anything but a bland and bored tone of voice. However everytime Mihawk spoke it was with the same grace as what he wielded his sword with.
Zoro grit his teeth as he drew his blades. Believing this to be his chance to achieving his dream and not recognising the danger he lept forward and began sending slash after slash at Mihawk. His anger only rose as Mihawk parried and deflected each and every slash with the smallest amount of effort.
Seeking to create an opening Zoro attacked faster and faster before attempting to throw the other swordsman off guard by slashing with all three blades at once. This was a move that Mihawk saw coming a mile away and as the three blades swung towards him he shifted back a single step and stopped all three of Zoro's blades with the tip of his dagger.
He then twisted and flicked his dagger knocking all Zoro's blades to one side before he plunged his dagger into Zoro's chest. Various gasps and cries could be heard from the Baratie but none of them were paid any mind.
"Do you desire for me to pierce your heart?Why do you not retreat?" questioned Mihawk with a raised eyebrow.
"Heh, hell if i know." Zoro grunted out as he panted in pain. "But I know if I take a single step back I'll lose something important to me." Blood began dribbling out of the corner of Zoro's mouth. "A promise or an oath or something...it would be irreversibly broken and i could never stand here again."
"Yes that is called defeat." Mihawk drawled his infamous hawk like eyes boring into Zoro's.
"Yeah...that's why i can't step back." Zoro chucked painfully.
"Even at the cost of your life," still Mihawk kept his gaze on Zoro as if attempting to peer into the man's soul and judge his worth.
"Death would be better!" Zoro responded with conviction, no doubt whatsoever in his voice. "I could never live with myself if I ran away with my tail tucked between my legs."
Mihawk inwardly smiled at Zoro's words. 'True conviction from one so young, my why a rarity you are' he thought as he took a step back withdrawing his dagger and flicking it clean of blood before replacing it into cross around his neck. "Boy...tell me your name."
"Roronoa Zoro," seeing that the duel was about to continue Zoro readied his swords pointing them in different directions and he lowered his stance.
"I shall remember it well..." Mihawk said as he reached behind him and withdrew his sword Yoru, a sword widely regarded throughout the world as the world's strangest blade. "For your strength is a strength not often seen in this world, and to honor your skill and dedication I shall end this with this." Mihawk said as he held Yoru in front of him.
'This is it, my last chance' thought Zoro. Many would be panicking in Zoro's situation however a sense of calm had overcome him as he prepared himself for a very violent clash, a clash which could end up leaving him and dead and his dream unfulfilled.
"Die!" For the first time in their entire duel Mihawk attacked instead of just parrying. The sound of multiple clashes of steel rang out as the two swordsman passed each other ending up on opposite sides of the driftwood. A moment passed and all was silent before the two low quality blades Zoro used shattered and several small cuts appeared all over Zoro.
Seeing that he had been beaten Zoro threw the handles of the deatroyed swords to the sides and into the ocean as he resheathed his prized Wado Ichimonji as he turned to face Mihawk holding his arms to the side presenting himself as a target.
At Mikawk's raised eyebrow he stated simply but with conviction "scars on the back are a swordsman's shame.
At his words Mihawk smiled widely, something that seemed to be an odd sight as up until this moment he had been nothing but stoic bordering on apathetic. "Well said." This was all Mihawk said before he brought his sword down in a graceful arc slashing Zoro and cutting him from shoulder to hip.
After receiving what appeared to everyone to be a fatal wound Zoro fell backwards into the water.
"Zoro!" Luffy screamed in worry for his first mate, gripping the guardrail of the Baratie so hard the wood was beginning to crack under his grip.
Mihawk faced Luffy and looked him straight in the eye. "Was the boy a comrade of yours?" Mihawk had a slight smirk playing on his lips now.
"Yes," this was all Luffy said as he glared down at Mihawk as if willing him to drop dead from his glare alone. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Usopp and Johnny turn back from their pursuit of Nami in a small sailboat they had found somewhere and attempt to fish Zoro out of the water.
"I thank you for not interrupting our duel." Mihawk stated the smirk still present on his lips. "It must have took more willpower than most posses." These words caused Luffy's anger to spike and lightning began to arc from his body. "Fear not for your comrade shall live."
This had an immediate affect on Luffy as he stopped emitting lightning. "Zoro!" Luffy yelled out wanting to confirm if Mihawk spoke the truth.
Zoro who had now been fished out of the water and was in the small sailboat held his one remaining sqord in the air, it's tip pointed towards the sky. "Luffy, sorry I worried you." Zoro yelled with pain obvious in his voice. "If I don't become the world's greatest swordsman your gunna be in a bit of a dilemma aren't you?" Zoro question rhetorically as he coughed up some blood and took a deep shuddering breath. "I promise you, until I defeat him and become the world's greatest swordsman I WILL NEVER LOSE AGAIN!" Zoro bellowed out the last part which surprised many considering that he should be near death.
Luffy smiled at this impressed by Zoro's dedication to his dream and the loyalty he was showing him by making such an oath.
"You got a problem with that PIRATE KING."
Luffy's smile turned to chuckles. "Not at all!"
"Roronoa Zoro it is still to early for you to die. You are indeed strong but there is still much for you to learn both about the world and about yourself and hone your skills. No matter how many years it takes I shall shall hold onto the title of world's greatest swordsman and await your challenge." Mihawks words startled everyone as he acknowledged Zoro as a true contender for the title one day. He the turned to Luffy, "did I hear correctly? That it is your dream to become the pirate king?" Mihawk questioned with his eyebrow raised once more.
Luffy only nodded at this question causing Mihawk to let out a small scoff. "Then your dream is even more foolish than his." Luffy was about to protest and defend his dream before Mihawk continued. "But then again every great man I have ever met was a fool in some way so perhaps it is a trend." Mihawk said once again smirking to show his amusement.
Mihawk them made to leave however just as he stepped back onto his coffin like raft Krieg shouted over to get his attention.
"Oi Hawk Eyes, I thought you came all the way from the grand line to chase me?" Kreig said with arrogance dripping from every word.
"I did but I have had my fun for the day so I shall be leaving."
"Well that's to bad 'cause I aint done with you!" Krieg bellowed as he pulled out two pistols from behind his back and firing at Mihawk, only for his jaw to drop when Mihawk pulled his sword from his back and deflected the bullets then swinging his sword in a circle around his raft causing it to be obscured by displaced seawater. When the water calmed down once more Mihawk and his raft had vanished.
"Tch whatever, coward." Krieg muttered causing a few members of his crew to look at him in disbelief at his stupidity. "Well what's everyone waiting for? Go get me my new ship!"
At hearing Krieg's order every single one of his pirates cheered and began attempting to jump from whatever driftwood they were on onto the the Baratie.
"You three take Zoro and get after Nami, I want me ship back!" Luffy yelled over the noise the Krieg pirates were making causing Usopp to send him a quick thumbs up to show the order had been received before he began setting off once again.
"Raise the fins! We're gunna need the room to fight this trash!" Zeff barked to one of the chefs behind him who then promptly disappeared inside the restaurant. A moment or two later a large platform in the shape of a fin rose up out of the water attached to the restaurant by a hinge.
Gin was one of the first onto the fin and made to attack one of the chefs however he was intercepted by Sanji.
"Please just leave and surrender this ship, I don't want to have to hurt you." Gin pleaded with reluctance clear in his voice.
Sanji just stared down Gin with his hands in his pockets as he took a pull on the cigarette he had between his lips. "I said before you do what you gotta do and we'll do what we gotta do. This restaurant is the shitty old geezer's life work, his pride and i can't let trash take it from him."
Various chefs heard what Sanji said and cheered in agreement causing Sanji to smile. Gin however let out a defeated sigh and began to spin his weapons of choice, two deadly looking tonfas that had what looked to be cannonballs on the ends.
Luffy watched as Gin lunged at Sanji attempting to remove him from the fight quickly with an overhead swipe to Sanji's head, a swipe which Sanji blocked with his foot that he had raised above his head. This seemed to be the signal for every other combatant as the chefs, armed with knives lept towards the pirates.
Luffy however turned his eyes towards his own prey as he gazed upon Krieg who was standing tall and proud on the wrecked remains of what was left of his ship. Seeing that Luffy was staring at him Krieg just gave Luffy a cocky smirk.
Luffy just rolled his eyes at the arrogance Krieg was showing as well as the stupidity in not knowing just how outclassed he was. Not wanting to have to fight his way through dozens of pirates between him and Krieg he let out a quick blast of haki causing many of the pirates between him and his target to drop foaming slightly at the mouth.
Despite using his haki more than a dozen pirates were still standing including Gin as well as some wierdo wearing large metal shields on his front, back, head and arms. Shrugging off his surprise at there being so many men on Krieg's crew that could resist his haki he turned himself into lightning and teleported himself infront of Krieg and backhanding him almost carelessly.
The careless backhand still sent Krieg flying back several feet. He then shakily got to his feet before glaring at Luffy. "So you ate one of those devil fruits huh, I thought they were just a myth."
"Nope I ate the rumble rumble fruit now I'm a lightning man." Luffy said deciding to humor Krieg.
"Whatever, it doesn't matter. Everyone knows devil fruit users can't swim so all I gotta do is knock you into the water." Krieg said sneering as he did so.
Luffy just gave him a mocking smirk before turning to lightning once again and teleporting behind Krieg and kicking the back of his knee causing Krieg to fall to the floor. However before he could hit the ground Luffy appeared in front of him once again in a flash of lightning and delivered a vicious roundhouse kick to Krieg's face with lightning wrapped around his entire leg sending Krieg tumbling.
Krieg got up on his hands and knees and then spat out a mouthful of blood before standing up once more punching the deck of his ship as he did so. Once stood up he glared at Luffy hatred clear in his eyes. He then reached over his shoulder and grabbed his cape pulling it off and tossing it at Luffy in one movement.
As the cape neared him spikes appeared out of it surprising Luffy slightly. Despite a cape full of spikes flying at him Luffy didn't move a muscle causing the cape to hit him then pass straight through him, the spikes melting and the cape catching fire and burning to ash with seconds.
"Is your head full of seaweed or something?" Luffy asked incredulously. "I told you I'm a lightning man so what on earth was that supposed to do?"
Krieg was very nervous at this point not only was Luffy stronger than him physically but he was also faster being able to move at the speed of lightning and his usual tricks didn't seem to work on him. Pulling himself together Kreig snapped together various pieces of his armour and attaching it to a pole he kept on his back forming a spear.
With the strongest weapon in his arsenal now in his hands, a weapon that had claimed the lives of hundreds if not more, he lunged at Luffy seeking to pierce his heart with it. His eyes widened when Luffy caught the blade with his fingertips only to smirk when the tip of the spear did it's job and exploded. His smile soon faded when the smoke from the explosion cleared and his eyes took in a completely unharmed Luffy.
Seeing the disbelief on Krieg's face Luffy explained. "My haki is stronger than this little toy." Luffy then yanked the spear from Krieg's grasp and tossed it over his shoulder and into the sea before he delivered a one handed axe punch to the top of Krieg's head sending him face first into the deck of his ship.
Flipping him over with his foot he then pinned Krieg to the deck if his ship by standing on him with one foot. Looking deep into Krieg's eyes and seeing the fear in them Luffy smiled. Normally Luffy wasn't the type to enjoy the fear of others but with Krieg he made the exception, over the past day or so since Gin had first left the Baratie Luffy had heard all about the atrocities Krieg had committed. In Luffy's mind Krieg was a disgrace to pirates everywhere.
"You know you cover yourself in all this shiny armour but you forgot one thing. You wanna know what that is." Luffy's smile grew when he saw Krieg frantically shake his head. "Metal conducts electricity." That was all Luffy said before he began sending over fifty thousand volts through Krieg.
Everyone still fighting stopped in unison as they all turned to stare at what Luffy was doing when they heard Krieg scream. Screams that soon stopped when all that was left was a charred husk of a corpse, a corpse that was swiftly kicked into the sea by Luffy.
Seeing their captain taken down so easily and without even managing to scratch the straw hatted teen every pirate began dropping their weapons not wanting to provoke the lightning demon's wrath.
"Oi you lot!" Luffy shouted at the remains of the Krieg pirates. "Take your mates and scram."
They didn't need to be told twice as they all began piling onto whatever driftwood they could find that would hold their weight and paddling away as fast as they could.
Luffy calmly walked back onto the deck of the Baratie and looked over the chefs and saw that while a few had a couple of injuries they were mostly fine. He then looked at Sanji who was once again, to Luffy's amusement, smoking another cigarette and he saw that he too only had a couple of rapidly forming bruises.
"Don Krieg." Gin almost whimpered despondently.
"Gin you seem to be a decent enough guy to me." Luffy said causing most people in hearing distance to snap their heads towards him and look at him with pure disbelief, after all Gin was the one that had lead Krieg to the Baratie therefore everything that had transpired could be laid directly at his feet. Luffy paid everyone no mind though as he continued looking straight at Gin. "I mean it you seem decent enough to me but you had a terrible captain. You brought him here in good faith only wanting to help him and the rest of the crew and he betrayed that trust."
Luffy's words suddenly got Gin thinking about the events that had lead to this moment and he remembered Krieg promising that once they had the food they needed they would leave. Reluctantly Gin eventually nodded his head in agreement.
"Tell me Gin, you got a dream?"
Gin thought to himself for a moment, briefly reflecting on everything that he wanted in life before he focused on what he wanted most. Nodding his head briefly he spoke "yeah it's my dream to sail the grand line all the way to the end and stand on Laugh Tale."
Luffy smiled gently at hearing Gin's dream. "Me and my entire crew have dreams so what do you say you sail with me."
Gin thought to himself for a moment before a look of determination crossed his face and he nodded. Seeing this Luffy approached Gin and held out his hand and without hesitation Gin grasped it.
"Let's turn this world upside down." Luffy said while giving Gin his best trademark grin which had the knock-on effect of casing Gin to grin. Suddenly remembering the deal they had struck Luffy turned to look at Zeff. "Hey old man mustache, our deals still on right?"
Zeff roared with laughter not only at what Luffy had asked of him but also the impertinent nickname he had been given. Aside from Sanji too few had the backbone to speak to him in such a way, especially when they found out that he had once been the notorious pirate Red Leg Zeff. The impertinence shown by Luffy was refreshing and sorely needed to lighten the mood after the attack.
"Of course it is brat. I'm a man of my word."
Zeff's response caused the cigarette between Sanji's lips to drop to floor in shock.
"I've told you, you shitty old geezer I aint going anywhere!" Sanji yelled at Zeff.
Zeff only smirked before he turned and walked back into the restaurant beckoning for everyone to follow.
It was a short few hours later that the chefs had calmed down and were eating some soup that had been brought from the kitchen.
"Who made this soup?" Patty suddenly questioned.
"I did!" Sanji piped up from where he was sat next to Luffy. "Isn't it the best soup you've ever eaten?"
Suddenly one of the chefs spat the soup out in disgust.
"Ergh what is this? Dishwater?"
Various other chefs then began voicing their complaint and disgust with what they had been served and with each complaint Sanji's face grew stonier. Hearing the various complaint Luffy and Gin looked at each other asking the silent question 'are we eating the same thing as them?' because after all in their minds Sanji was right it was the best soup they'd ever eaten.
The various complaints quickly died when thunk thunk of Zeff's peg legs was heard as he approached the table the pot of soup was located. Everyone waited with baited breath as Zeff sat down and ate a spoonful of soup.
"This is the worst thing I've ever tasted." Zeff said simply before he took another taste causing Luffy to take a taste of the soup directly from the pot and still not being able to see anything wrong with it.
"What are you on about you silly old fart! That soup is perfect." Sanji screamed at Zeff only to have Zeff glare at him.
"Brat you're a hundred years too young to be telling me I'm wrong about food." Zeff coldly said. "If this is the kinda slop you think is acceptable then you need to leave. I won't serve this trash in my restaurant."
"What are you guys all on about? This soup's delicious." Luffy questioned and all eyes turned to look at him as he carried on eating directly from the pot.
Sanji suddenly stopped fuming at the criticism of his food and ability as a chef and smiled at Luffy's praise. He turned back to look at Zeff determination clear in his eyes.
"Well I guess since my food's not good enough for you then I'll just have to go where it is appreciated." Sanji then turned on his heel and stormed out of the door slamming it behind him petulantly.
With Sanji out of the room a few chefs let out a sigh of relief while a few others just smiled. Confused with what was happening Luffy questioned them. "What the hell is going on, there's nothing wrong with the soup."
"Of course there's not! Sanji's one of the best chefs we have here!" Patty said honestly.
Still confused Luffy turned to look at Zeff for an explanation. "Sanji refuses to leave because he seeks to repay a debt I never expected him to repay so we had to give him a little shove out the door." Zeff said a small smile playing on his lips.
It was with this that Luffy could see the love they all had for Sanji and that they only wanted the best for him. Smiling to himself he turned to Gin, "Gin eat up we're gonna set sail soon and I'm off to get my chef." Luffy without saying another word walked through the same door Sanji had left through.
Spotting Sanji leaning over the the railing along the side of the ship he approached and stood next to him waiting patiently for Sanji to say the first word.
"You ever heard of the all blue?" Sanji asked in wistful tone.
"Can't say that I have." Luffy replied and at hearing that Sanji's face fell slightly.
"It's supposed to be a mythical sea where the all seafood from the; north, east, south and west blues can all be found. It's every chefs dream to find it." Sanji turned to look Luffy straight in the eye. "Do you believe it's real?"
"No idea." Luffy said simply before adding with a smile "but there's only one way to find out."
This caused Sanji to smile also and the two headed back into the restaurant for Sanji to pack his stuff so they could set sail.
While Sanji was packing his stuff Luffy was making small talk with the chefs of the Baratie and just as Luffy was about to ask Patty why his arms looked so weird the door crashed open. Everyone sun around to look at what had happened and they saw one of the strangest sights everyone had ever seen.
"Is it a fishman?" one chef questioned.
"A fishman came all the way here from Fishman Island just to eat here," an awestruck chef added.
It was Zeff however that made sense of the absurd situation. "It's a man in the mouth of a pan shark," he deadpanned. He then got up and pulled someone from the mouth of the shark before swiftly picking up the shark and tossing it over his shoulder and grunting at the chefs behind him to prep a shark special for evening service.
Luffy recognised the rescued man as Johnny. "Johnny? What are you doing here? I thought you were chasing the Merry?" Luffy questioned rapidly.
"Ah big bro Luffy! We were chasing big bro Nami when I was knocked overboard." Johnny wailed and then seeing a vein throbbing dangerously in Luffy's temple he continued. "But we managed to work out where she's heading! She's heading to the Conami Islands, we think she's after Arlong!"
Hearing this various pieces of a puzzle that until now Luffy didn't know existed began falling into place and suddenly little things about Nami began making a lot more sense. Her hatred of pirates being the main one.
Johnny was given a drink to calm his obviously frayed nerves while the trio waited for Sanji to return which he did just a few minutes later. Seeing that Johnny had appeared out of nowhere Sanji raised a swirly eyebrow in confusion before shrugging it off as unimportant.
"I've got a small sailboat if you need it captain." Sanji stated as he lit his sixtieth cigarette of the day, something that he privately thought was quite the achievement.
Luffy nodded his gratitude and followed Sanji as he led them to where he kept his small sailboat moored to the Baratie. Once the others were in the boat Sanji took one last look at the Baratie, his home for the last ten years only to see every member of staff as well as Zeff standing on the balcony watching him leave ready to wave him off. A few even had tears in their eyes.
Overcome with emotion Sanji bowed to Zeff, a man whom he'd come to see as a father. "I can't ever thank you enough for everything you've ever done for me." Sanji cried as tears began pouring from his eyes.
"Tch whatever just get outta here you useless little eggplant." Zeff said with tears in his eyes.
Smiling softly Sanji straightened and looked at Zeff before turning to get into the boat with his new crew mates. "Whatever you shitty old geezer." Sanji said softly to himself the small nostalgic smile still on his face.
"So where we heading captain." Sanji said to Luffy when the group had sailed away from the Baratie.
"To the Conami Islands, I've got a navigator to punish." Luffy said smirking.