Chapter 12: A Banquet for the Empousai! Six Souls Set Sail to a Showdown!

Nami awoke to a slight headache and a chill, her eyes heavy as she slowly lifted her head from the pillows. A quick glance showed that she was in the Baratie women's quarters and that someone was watching over her off to the side.

"Nice to see you up and at 'em, Captain," Zoro smirked, "That blonde cook's been checking every hour no matter how many times his boss kicks him upside the head."

"Heh, at least he means well…" Nami sat herself up with a groan, soreness still pulsing through her spent muscles. She then heard footfalls down the hallway signaling none other than Sanji and Zeff, one carrying a dish covered by a spotless cloche and the other hauling a burlap sack over his shoulder.

"Nami, thank goodness you're awake!" Sanji said happily, "Here, I made you something that ought to help you get back on your feet."

He lifted the dome to reveal a freshly grilled porterhouse steak, the meat glistening with flavor on a bed of wild rice and a vegetable medley where every piece of produce looks bristling with quality.

"You made this just for me?" Nami wondered aloud.

"But of course! This should have enough protein, vitamins, and carbs to help you regain all the energy you spent fighting off that Don Krieg. Don't wait up on me, my dear, please eat it while it's still hot!"

A massive growl from the redhead's stomach cut off any protests she might have had and thus digs in, a huge smile lighting up her face after her first bite of the meat and not leaving as she wolfed down the rest.

When she was finished, the plate was empty save for a few stray grains of rice and the steak's bare bone. "That was fantastic! Thanks, Sanji!"

"My pleasure, Nami! It's the least we can do for anyone who just saved our livelihood. Just give us the word and you'll have our finest table with a meal on the house!"

Zeff, though rolling his eyes, didn't bother to interject. Sanji then took the plate back to the kitchen with Zoro following him out, saying she'll tell the others of Nami's recovery. The head chef then slung the sack off of his shoulders with a rattling clunk as it hit the floorboards.

Nami, of course, knew what it was. "That's all the money I paid you."

"Yep, a deal's a deal. You saved my restaurant, you're free to go. And it only feels right that you get this back too."

"But the repairs…"

"That's nothing I can't fix myself. The fact that this place is still standing, and that gold-plated dumbass is long gone."

"Zeff… I… Thank you…"

"No worries. That swordswoman of yours told me what you were planning to do with this cash. It's obvious you need it more. Arlong may be one of the few pirates in these waters that's out of my league."

The redhead could scarcely believe all of this, but she accepted it nonetheless. She made to get up and leave only for the chef to shake his head. "I'd suggest you keep sitting for a few more minutes. There's someone here who wants to talk to you."

Zeff then left the room as a certain gray-clad pirate walked in, leaning against the doorframe.

"Ghin? What are you doing here?"

"What, didn't you hear that jackass? I'm not on his crew anymore. And frankly I'm happier for it. That son of a bitch looked me in the eye and said that all he was gonna do was come here, get food, then leave. If I'd known he would have tried stealing the ship then I'd have let him starve!"

The redhead processed that only to get very confused. "Wait, you followed him for years, right? Why are you only now drawing the line?"

"Because for the longest time, I thought Krieg's way was the right way. That strength and ruthlessness were the only ways to get what you wanted. I did horrible things under his flag and didn't regret a lick of it because I assumed that's how it was supposed to be."

She then watched as Gin walked in, plopped down chair where Zoro was minutes ago, and all of the calm bravado from before disappeared in an instant. His looked down at the floor and his voice was barely a whisper. "And then this damn restaurant happened. You and that Sanji challenged everything I knew in one day…"

"I wasn't exaggerating that Sanji feeding me for free was the nicest thing anyone ever did for me. For as long as I can remember, it's been me against the world. No parents, no help from the orphanages, having to pick pockets and win street fights just to get by. When Krieg took me in, he only reinforced that power and dirty moves were how you got ahead in life. And since he was the strongest, most ruthless man I knew, I looked up to him…"

A choked sob escaped as he continued. "And then Sanji, some random cook who just watched me put a gun to his coworker's head, handed me the greatest tasting food I've ever had and doesn't charge me a single beri. I was so grateful that… I didn't want Krieg to take this place. I still can't believe he did that, even after Sanji showed him the same kindness he showed me. All my respect was gone in that one instant… And I realized that I was hardly any different."

"Ghin, I'm so sorry…"

"No, don't apologize. It's how I was because I didn't know any other way. And when that ungrateful bastard decided to fire me all because I wasn't his attack dog anymore, I was fine with it. I decided I wasn't going to follow his path anymore. You kicking his ass halfway across the East Blue just made the next part even easier."

Nami's eyes almost popped out when Ghin lowered himself to floor. "Please, let me join your crew! I want to serve a captain that I can respect, someone who proves that power doesn't mean sacrificing basic decency!"

"O-Okay."

"I understand you have every reason not to trust me but wait, did you just say yes?!"

"Of course I do, Ghin. It's obvious you're sorry and want to turn over a new leaf. That and I could use you for what I have planned…"

"You mean with Arlong the Saw?"

Nami paled at that but Ghin was quick to stand up and reassure her. "The others told me, about the business with your mom and your village. It only made me want to join up even more. Looking to free your home from that scum is the kind of noble cause I want to get behind."

"You know, you almost sound like a Marine talking like that…"

Ghin then got that cocky smirk of his back. "Are you kidding? With this face, they'd only think I'm good at swabbing floors. I'm still a pirate through and through, I just want a more respectable flag to fly under, that's all."

Nami didn't need that same churning in her gut to let him on board. She just held out an arm which Ghin shook immediately. And with her strength back, she walked back with him towards the main dining room where the entire staff was gathered to enjoy a hearty meal. Delectable smells filled the area as platters of the Baratie staff's finest cuisine was lined up for everyone. Sanji himself looked happy as could be with a cauldron of soup in his arms.

The other Empousai were sitting at a table off in the corner, already having a plate of hor'dourves to nosh on. Nami happily joined them, appreciating the royal treatment until bowls of Sanji's soup were passed out. She and the others were all just getting their first spoonful until a disgusted groan tore through the room.

"Ugh, who pissed in the soup?! It tastes awful!"

Sanji, as per usual, was not happy with the critique. "Shut your mouth, Carne! I spent all day on that soup!"

Unfortunately for him, the rest of the Baratie chefs agreed. All of them spat it out as soon as it touched their mouths, comparing it to spoiled vinegar and any number of bodily fluids. Nami, perplexed, took a sip for herself and found it delightful. A light, salty flavor that felt like a nice warm-up to a proper meal. She looked around to see her crewmates, including a flummoxed Zoro, all visibly wondering what the problem was.

Sanji was fully intent on telling every single chef how full of crap they were until the sound of shattering porcelain silenced everyone. In the center of the room stood Zeff, shards of bowl around his leg and an even more stern expression than usual.

"You want to defend this swill, Sanji?! And you call yourself fit to take my place! Some sous chef you are!"

The blonde stood there, frozen in shock, before bolting out the door to one of the upper decks with a last insult under his breath on his way out. The dining room was silent for a moment before Nami and her crew continued to eat their soup.

Kaya, after finishing half her bowl, looked to the chefs with a slight frown. "I understand you're all professionals, but could you perhaps be more sensitive with your criticism?"

"Yeah, that was pretty harsh," Usopp said, "We all think this stuff is delicious!"

"We know it's good," Patty said back, "We all like it."

The pirates looked in shock as every chef there barring Zeff nodded and said something similar. Several of them began eating their own bowls to prove their point. But now all of the Empousai had the same thought: what was their problem?

Zeff, once he had picked up all of the porcelain, answered. "Sanji is an exceptionally talented chef. He's been here a full decade, learning everything he can about cooking. I'd say he would be prime to take over in a few years but that's not the issue. The issue is the stubborn brat won't admit that being the head chef here isn't his dream."

"Then what is it?" Nami asked, "And if he wants it so badly, why is he still here?"

The head chef let out a long, weary exhale as he helped himself to something, including a bowl of Sanji's soup and then plopped down at the pirate's table with the remorseful look in his eyes. "Because I saved Sanji's life long ago and now the stupid eggplant is convinced that he'll never repay me…"

The whole Baratie was then treated to a story of how Zeff, while raiding a simple pleasure cruise, ended up getting caught in a massive squall that sent him and a young blonde boy overboard. They then both were marooned on an island that could be charitably described as a pillar of rock without a trace of life and only some food salvaged from the wreck to survive. And how Sanji eventually grew starved enough to attack the feared pirate for his share of the food.

"He tore open the bag with a knife he had on him," the chef continued his story, "And out came all the treasures I managed to salvage from that ship."

"Wait, what?!" Usopp balked, "What about all the food?"

"There wasn't any food," Zoro realized immediately, "You lied about taking a cut and gave it all to Sanji so he'd live."

"Then… What did you eat that whole time?" Kaya asked. Zeff said nothing, only sparing a glance at his peg leg and then a look back at the blonde. The whole room understood instantly, several of them putting away the plates they were eating from.

"Why?" Gin asked, absolutely baffled, "Why gnaw through your own leg just to save some kid you just met?"

"Because of his dream… The All-Blue."

"You actually believed in that legend?" Nami awed, "That there's some weird place all the world's oceans meet up? What's even the point?"

"Because to a chef, it'd be paradise… All the fish of the world in a single place… I once sought after it but I got consumed by the life of a pirate instead. But that little squirt still believed… I figured even I died, he was young enough to still make that dream happen. When we both managed to get rescued, I swore that I'd retire from plundering and open this restaurant. The problem is that brat feels indebted to me instead of following his dream."

Having heard all of this, the whole room fell silent only for Nami to slowly get up back towards the door Sanji stormed out through. She slipped outside, shutting it behind her to find the blonde chef himself clearly trying to focus more on his cigarette than the conversation going on just behind him. Judging from the fact that half of the smoke was fizzled out on the ground and the young chef was frantically wiping his eyes, the redhead just smiled.

"This place really means the world to you, huh?"

"You already know the answer. Why ask me?" he groused, clearly unhappy that someone was seeing him cry.

"Because now I know why… And it's also really sad to me. I know that feeling, having a dream and just being stuck doing something else. At least you get a choice…"

That got his full attention. Now it was Nami's turn to tell a story about Arlong, her mother and her home island. She found it funny how often she'd been bringing this up considering the years she'd been looting. By the time she was done, the blonde has smoked several sticks with his eyes firmly on the deck.

"So, that's why I'm out to trying to gather a crew," Nami finished, "What do you say?"

"As desperately as this fish needs to fry for multiple reasons," Sanji bit, "I just can't…"

"You heard them all in there, didn't you?" Nami then reached down and forced the chef to stare her in the eyes.

"They want you to go because they care about you! You've had this dream and yet you've been holding back on it for what? Some debt that you think exists even though that old man is begging you to take the chance he never had?! I wish I could be that lucky!"

He stuttered, wanting to comfort her only to realize he was the problem. He let the smoke fall from his lips as he thought back to that horrible stretch of days. He could still see the bones protruding against his famished skin. The roaring of his stomach that shook him to his knees as there was physically nothing left inside. And then there was when he saw what Zeff had gone through...

"You ate your own leg?!" he shouted, the sound as clear as day, "Why?! You're the one who attacked our ship! I thought you were a pirate!"

"The All-Blue," the chef said simply, sounding incredibly calm given his bloody stump, "I once longed to find it too, but I let the naysayers talk me out of it. I know it's still out there but I'm far too old to go searching for it now…"

Zeff then looked down and gave Sanji a smile so earnest he threatened to wallop him for months if he let anyone know. "But you… You have all the time in the world. If one of us needs to get through this and find that ocean, it's you, eggplant."

From there, a ship managed to save both of them by some miracle. Zeff was good to his word and used the sack of treasure he kept from that same raid to build the Baratie with Sanji as his apprentice. The blonde had long since lost count on how many times the geezer kicked him around, but he knew it was all worth it. He was the skilled culinarian and the honorable man he was today thanks to this place and his mentor.

"Amazing how that's the better option…" he thought ruefully for a second, a single brief flash of an iron mask snapping him back to the present. He looked up to Nami's expectant face before putting on the same gentlemanly smile he used to greet customers.

"It would be my absolute pleasure to accompany you, Nami." He finished it with a bow, keeping his composure until his new captain hugged him and squeed in delight. Hearts quickly filled his eyes as his limbs turned to jelly before rushing back inside the restaurant to grab his belongings.

Nami, now alone on the deck, turned to face the open ocean. To her right floated the Devil's Convoy, still stocked and ready to go. Her hands clenched into fists.

"Belle-mere, Nojiko, Genzo… Just a few more days… Wait that long for me, please. I'll make Arlong pay for hurting you and everyone else."

As Nami headed inside, the celebration seemed to be back in full swing as the cooks were eating their fill and her crew were no different. Hours passed with Sanji cooking up a storm until night fell. After one final night on the Baratie, it was time to set off for the Empousai's goal. The Conomi Islands were a few days' time away and Nami insisted on leaving at the crack of dawn.

As the sun rose, the girls and Ghin watched as the cooks lined up on the outside deck before Sanji himself left with a simple knife bag in one hand and a knapsack over his other shoulder. No goodbyes, not even a smile from anyone involved. They all assumed Sanji must have had some blowup the previous night while the rest were asleep…

"Hey, brat!" Zeff called out from the upper deck, "Take care of yourself out there!"

Sanji stopped in his tracks, his belongings falling to the deck as tears welled in his eyes.

"Chef Zeff!" he sobbed, "Thank you for everything, you old geezer!"

"Well how about that…" Ghin grinned, "Guess our new chef has a soft heart after all."

"Don't tease him too much," Kaya pled, "I know I'd be a wreck if I had to leave my father…"

"Speaking of which, it's time we head off too."

Everyone turned to see Yosaku and Johnny, their swords strapped to their backs and already shuffling through a stack of bounty posters.

"You both sure?" Zoro asked, "20 million beri is a lot of change."

Johnny shook his head, "No way, Big Sis. Even we know we're nowhere near Arlong the Saw. You've found yourself a good crew and we'd just be dead weight."

"And besides, Big Sis Nami is the one who's gonna beat that fish so she deserves all the money."

"Aww, thanks Yosaku!" the captain smiled, "Come by the islands later and I'll treat you both to some fresh tangerine juice."

With all the goodbyes out of the way, the Devil's Convoy was sailing off. Nami was quick to catch a tailwind that put them on a fast course to reach Cocoyashi in the next few days. That left her plenty of time to initiate her two new crewmates. As soon as they were told to close their eyes, Sanji begged to go first and who was Nami to deny him?

One bite to his neck later, Sanji was getting encased in the same black cocoon while Ghin barely flinched.

"You aren't worried?!" Usopp cried.

"Eh, I've seen and heard a lot of shit in my time. Just get it over with."

Nami gave the swarthy man exactly what he wanted, biting him and soon a second dark pupa laid on the deck while the rest of the Empousai waited to see how these two would turn out.

Being the first to change, Sanji emerged first. The cook gasped for breath, fumbling around for a cigarette to sate the sudden nerves only to realize that her pants didn't fit quite right. And why did her shirt become unbuttoned?

"I… need some time to process this…" she said quietly, moving to the ship's railing and looking down at her newly made breasts with a deep, contemplating look. Not even Zoro approached her, deciding to let the blonde chef process this at her own pace.

That left everyone's eyes on Ghin as the other cocoon broke to pieces and revealed another new form. Ghin might have gotten the best treatment yet as the once gangly body was replaced with full feminine curves that weren't doing her outfit any favors. Her face also looked much less tired thanks to rounder cheeks and a softer jawline. She still had a hard, cynical look in her eyes and was curling her slenderer fingers into fists to see how they felt before looking at Nami.

"Okay, that was not what I expected…" she admitted, "But honestly? I could get used to this."

Ghin at least mentioned that, as the only member of this crew with an active bounty, the Marines would have a pretty hard time recognizing her. Usopp sighed in relief at that, saying that the last thing they needed was more attention given where they were going.

That night, a celebratory dinner was held to welcome the newcomers with Sanji already back in full swing. Making good use of her talents and the Convoy's sizeable kitchen, Sanji whipped up a five-course meal for them all that almost looked too good to eat.

"Wow, Sanji!" Nami awed, "This is amazing!"

"Think nothing of it, captain," she said with a chivalrous bow, "It's always a pleasure to cook for a room full of lovely ladies."

"Even if all but two of us were guys at one point?" Ghin asks but the chef just shakes her head.

"That matters not. There's more to a woman's beauty than just her appearance and you're all exceptional in your own way."

While Zoro rolled her eyes at that, she made no other comment and had to admit the food in front of her was damn delicious. Even the salad somehow tasted great! Nami was now exceptionally grateful to have such a talented cook in her employ although she couldn't quite figure Sanji out. She could've sworn she heard something about the cook's family not recognizing her but said with such… relief? Something told the thief that Sanji didn't mean Zeff or the guys at Baratie. But oh well, that could be resolved later.

After a good night's sleep, it was time to get down to business. All six Empousai now had a clear goal in mind. They were about to act like real pirates, storming a rival's territory and engaging in a full-on war. They would need every edge they could get against the fishmen and that meant Sanji and Ghin needed to use their demon forms. One quick explanation later and the two had found them.

Sanji, fitting for her chivalrous and protective nature, ended up with something equine in nature. Her blonde hair grew down to her neck in a mane and a flowing tail to match, her hands remained unchanged while her feet shifted into gleaming black hooves as her skin darkened a few shades. She seemed most surprised by her legs, giving a few tentative kicks and being impressed with how a strong gust of wind accompanied every strike.

Everyone's eyes all turned to Ghin as she changed, her already pallid skin turning into a metallic gray befitting iron. Like Nami, her body increases in bulk as muscles pile on skin that now resembles riveted metal plates. She has the same demonic eyes as the others but her other facial features turn to mechanical with only two small holes for a nose and a thin line for a mouth. When it opened, a line of jagged metal shards acted as her teeth. Her cropped black hair disappeared into a dull, bald dome.

"Huh, well what do you know…" she inspected, sounding rather pleased, "Now those chumps will never recognize me!"

Now that everyone was settled, it would be a short few days before they reached the Conomi Islands. And in the meantime, Nami ordered that everyone spend as much time as possible training in their demon forms. Thankfully half of the Empousai had dedicated regimens and plenty of tips to share. It also made a few of them tempted to dive into the booze that Merry stocked after a long day.

And out of them all, nobody pushed themselves as hard as Nami, sparring with each of her crew daily and refusing to rest unless it was for food, rest or to ensure they were on the right course. The rest of the time she spent being drilled on her fist fighting by Ghin, pushed to new physical extremes by Zoro, keeping one eye open for Usopp's sneak attacks to keep up her reaction times, testing her crystallizing against Sanji's kicks and then being nursed back to health by Kaya.

Of course, the blonde lectured her about how hard the captain was pushing herself but there was no other choice to Nami. She spent too long wallowing under Arlong's heel to give up. The amateur doctor just shook her head each time, only ever giving her a warning to not push herself so hard. They both knew there would be rest when they won.

Finally, on a sunny afternoon, Nami noticed a very familiar chain of islands off in the distance. Most prominent among them was the glistening white pagoda on the coast with its own inlet.

"That's Arlong Park, huh?" Ghin idled, twirling a giant hammer, "Gotta admit, it's smaller than I thought."

"How many fish bastards are we dealing with, exactly?"

Zoro chuckled. "What's the matter, cook? Getting cold feet?"

Sanji just blew out a mouthful of smoke. "No, mosshead. I just wanted to know how much butter and herbs to use when I fry them all."

"Could you please not snipe at each other?" Kaya asked, putting away her book, "You've been at it for days now."

"K-Kaya's right, it's not healthy! Especially r-r-right before we g-go up against an a-army of freaky fishmen!"

Nami, still at the helm, just watched her crew go back and forth. She could yell at the distractions to their training but she didn't. Let them bicker and goof around now. Once they set foot on the islands, they'd be in for a war.

Yeah, I wanted to give Ghin more of a chance to sign. We haven't heard from the guy since the late 90s and I imagine he'd be done with Krieg's shit by now. So yeah, it's finally time. Arlong Park is just around the corner.

Thank you all so much for reading! Feel free to leave a review and any questions or comments.