OMG! I have nothing else to say except sorry! I have no excuse for the lateness of this chapter. I could claim writers block, long work hours, etc but all it really comes down to is I didn't make myself sit down and write. I didn't much like this chapter but Zoro's duel with Mihawk is coming up soon and I'm so excited for that. I've already got the rough draft of that written so woohoo!
For those of you who were worried that I'd drop this or go on hiatus, fear not! I may not update once a week or anything like that but I promise to never take longer than a month (give or take a few days) If I ever take longer than that, assume that I have been dragged into hell to man the check-in desk.
Thank you for all the fantastic reviews! You guys make me so happy.
To my guest reviewer, I do know about -ko in japanese. I just recently started taking a japanese course at my college so I'm slowly learning about the language. The reason I named her Luffyko is that when I typed in fem!Luffy into google, Luffyko was the most popular name that popped up.
To Wind, Your review made me soo happy! I hope that you enjoy this chapter as much as you have the others!
To Hina714, If I have any say in it I shall continue to Water 7. I've got some great ideas for the aftermath of Luffy's fight with Usopp and Zoro comforting her and such. It'll probably be listed under another story. I plan on completing this one with East Blue and then making a sequel to start in the Grand Line.
To KarouUchiha, I wish I had used some of your ideas. I'll see if I can incorporate her tripping into one of the next chapters. I'm not as happy with this chapter as I was with my other ones but I'm happy to be through it at least.
To Menma Kurosaki, Rina, Jadecraze, Jenielcake, marion, my fangirl and other guests - I cherish all of your reviews and you all make me soo happy! I'm so honored that you all enjoyed my story and I hope you like this chapter as well.
One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda! (Otherwise, ZoLu would be canon)
Don Krieg! Ruler of the East Blue
The restaurant was tense as Sanji and Zeff stared each other down, shocked expressions on everyone's faces. Most of the customers were holding their breath and wondering what the head chef would say next. Some of the chef's had come down from the second floor and were standing on the central staircase, watching the altercation. Many of them were snickering at the livid expression on Sanji's face, and Luffy frowned at them curiously before turning her attention back to the two men in front of her. Her crew all wore similar expressions of curiosity and remained sitting at their table, content to watch the altercation from the front row.
Sanji heard the snickering and glared up at the other chefs as Zeff began to talk again.
"The other cooks don't like you anyway." Sanji's eyes snapped back to Zeff and his gaze narrowed as Zeff continued. "Why don't you just become a pirate or whatever you please? Why don't you just get the hell outta here?!"
Zoro rested one arm against the back of his chair as he listened to Zeff's words, still making sure to keep Luffy in his sight.
Sanji's eyes narrowed even further and his teeth ground together. "What's this crap?" He snarled. "I didn't do shit and now you're blowing your head off, you old fart?!"
Zeff crossed his arms over his chest but didn't say anything.
"I don't care about the rest of your excuses... But I'll never allow my cooking to be insulted! I don't care what the hell you're going to say, I'm gonna stay right here as a chef!" As Sanji spoke he stormed forward until he was nose to nose with Zeff. Angrily, he grabbed the tie of the man's neckerchief with one hand and shook him.
"If you don't like it, that's your problem!"
"How dare you hit your boss...!" Zeff snapped, his arms still crossed. The head chef appeared to be completely calm but in the blink of an eye he had broken Sanji's hold on him and was grabbing the blond chef instead.
"You stupid eggplant!" The older chef shouted, throwing Sanji over his shoulder and causing the man to slam into the table Luffy's crew was sitting at.
Luckily, Usopp and Nami had noticed the way that the argument seemed to be going and had managed to grab their food before Sanji broke the legs of the table.
"Damnit. Are you kidding?" Sanji forced himself into a sitting position, one hand braced against the floor. "No matter how hard you may try... I'm going to stay here as a chef!"
Zeff just turned and began to walk away, rolling his eyes as if he was annoyed but the small quirk of his lips said otherwise.
"Til the day you go to hell!"
"I won't die." Zeff retaliated, still walking. "I'll live another hundred years!"
"What a stubborn old man..."
Luffy danced forward and leaned down next to Sanji, a bright grin on her face. "Isn't this great?!" She giggled, poking the blond chef on the cheek in a teasing manner. "The old man gave you his blessing! Now you can come with us...!"
Sanji brushed off Luffy's gentle prodding and rose to his feet before turning to fix the table that he had knocked over. "I'm sorry Luffyko-chan, but like I said before, I can't leave. I have to stay here."
Luffy started to pout and Sanji hastened to comfort her.
"Here, let me give you and your lovely friend something to make up for all of this hassle." He guided Luffy to one of the seats next to Nami before setting a Fruit Macedonia in front of both of the girls, glistening sugar decorating the tip of the glass. He began to pour a glass of wine for Nami but when he turned to do the same for Luffy, the girl just wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
"As an apology, I've ordered the both of you a Fruit Macedonia. My angel, my princess." He bowed slightly to both girls, grinning slightly at the happy expression on Luffy's face.
"Why, thank you!" Nami thanked, clapping her hands together and beaming at the blond chef. "You're so kind."
"It's nothing, princess."
While Usopp was giving Luffy and Nami his undivided attention, Usopp stormed over to their side of the table, looking particularly annoyed.
"What's this?" He snapped, his voice loud. "You're not apologizing to us? I'll sue you, you stupid love-cook!"
Sanji gave the long-nosed teen an unimpressed look before shoving a cup of tea at him. "I've brought you some tea, isn't that enough? You should thank me long nose."
"Huh?" A vein appeared on Usopp's head. "You picking a fight? I won't be easy on you.." Sanji just continued to watch Usopp with an almost bored expression on his face, appearing unimpressed with the teen's tough guy act. Usopp ground his teeth together.
"Get him, Zoro!" Usopp called, turning to stare at the swordsman, one hand curled into a fist above the blond chef, his thumb pointing down at the other man.
Zoro just snorted and gulped down a bit of the tea that Sanji had set in front of him. "Do it yourself."
Zoro wanted to pick a fight with the blond, he was angry and frustrated with the way the man had been treating his captain and it was making him short-tempered. But for Luffy's sake he would try to get along with the idiot cook. Luffy wanted the blond moron on the crew and as first-mate, he would support her. His gaze moved to the raven-haired girl and smirked slightly at the look of happiness on her face as she shoved another spoonful of the fruity dessert into her mouth.
Nami, having been stuck between Usopp and Sanji, twined her hands together and stared up at the blond chef with a pleading expression on her face.
"Please, don't fight over us!" She begged, smiling up at Sanji, her expression manipulative.
"Very well, princess. I'll stop." Sanji cooed, hearts in his eyes as he stared down at Nami.
Usopp, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes and snapped. "Who's fighting over you?!"
"By the way..." Nami began, ignoring Usopp and turning her full attention to the love-struck cook.
"Yes, darling?"
"The food here's great, but... it's a bit expensive for Luffy and I." Sanji ducked down closer to Nami, hearts still in his eyes as the girl caressed his chin in a loving manner.
Zoro snorted slightly and took another drink. 'Poor fool's playing right into her hands. But maybe the witch will keep his attention off of Luffy.'
"Of course," Sanji sighed, swooning slightly. "I won't make you two lovely ladies pay..."
"Thank you!" Nami cheered, hugging Sanji to her.
The blond chef's expression cleared for a second and he turned his gaze to Usopp and Zoro. " You guys have to pay though."
"Wha?!" Usopp choked on his words, looking completely outraged but Zoro just sweat-dropped at the cook's stupidity.
"I already saw that coming." He muttered sarcastically.
Luffy began to giggle happily, finally paying attention to the scene at the other side of the table now that she had finished her dessert. She left the spoon in her mouth and began to play with it, causing the end to move up and down as she manipulated it with her tongue.
"Luffyko-chan," Sanji eventually called, causing the girl to look over at the blond chef.
"As much as I love seeing you enjoying my food, we need to get back to work before the old geezer blows a gasket." Luffy sighed, a small whine coming from her mouth as she set down the spoon. Sanji was right though, she still hadn't found a way to convince the old man to let her go in a week.
"Fine," She muttered, standing up and brushing her hands down the button up shirt and pale blue skirt that she wore. "Let's go Sanji." As she passed Nami, Luffy snatched the orangette's fruit Macedonia and began to wolf it down as she made her way back to the kitchen.
"Luffy!" Nami's protest was only half-hearted and she laughed slightly as Sanji followed after the raven-haired girl, dancing around the small girl with hearts swirling around him.
"Are you still hungry, Luffyko-chan? Don't worry, after our shift I'll make you a full five-course meal seasoned with my love an affection." Zoro frowned slightly and glared at the man's back, but thankfully, Luffy continued to ignore him.
After they rounded the corner Nami, Usopp, and Zoro turned to look at each other, each of them wearing similar expressions. Luffy really had a knack for recruiting odd people and once she set her sights on someone, they were joining the crew whether they wanted to or not. The idea of a Pirate Hunter and a Pirate Thief on a Pirate crew was proof enough.
After a few seconds Zoro shrugged and went back to his food. Whatever Luffy decided, she was his captain and he would follow her lead.
Almost a week had passed since the Straw-Hat crew reached the Baratie and they were still no closer to leaving. Usopp dropped back against the deck of the Going Merry with a sigh, following the slowly moving clouds with his eyes. Nami appeared almost as bored as the long-nosed sniper and had challenged Johnny and Yosaku to what felt like two million poker games in an effort to keep herself entertained. It wasn't really helping to relieve her boredom but she had managed to earn a decent amount of money from the two so-called bounty hunters.
"I'm bored," Usopp eventually whined, scratching his head. "It's been four days. How soon can we leave, ya think?"
"Beats me," Zoro growled back, glaring at Usopp as he adjusted the swords attached to his belt. His mood had been foul ever since that first day when they had all that commotion with Gin and the stupid cooks. The way everyone had been looking at Luffy was irritating him and that stupid love-cook was the worst. The way he fawned all over Luffy and the way he touched her infuriated him so much he wanted to cut the blond moron into pieces. The only thing that stopped him was Luffy's insistence that he was going to join their crew and her inability to understand the flirting and comments directed her way. Her innocence and naivety really was a blessing for the swordsman.
Still, he hoped that she hurried up. They had already been there too long but so far it seemed like their captain hadn't made any progress with the old man Zeff.
"When I heard that the head-chef wanted to make her stay here for a whole year it blew my mind. You don't think she'll actually be stuck here for a year, right?" Usopp completely ignored Zoro's glare as he continued to talk, having gotten used to the First-mate's irritable mood after the first two days. "I'm already soo bored!"
"What's wrong with a year?" Nami asked, finally joining in on the conversation now that she had cleared out the two pirate-hunters in front of her. "We've got great food, a good atmosphere, and-.."
"Yeah, for you and Lu maybe!" Zoro snapped, obviously annoyed as he made his way towards the side of the ship. Nami just chuckled, knowing that the swordsman was really just jealous and frustrated with all of the attention that Luffyko had been receiving lately.
"I'm going to the restaurant." He muttered, jumping to the pier, his words causing Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku to start laughing.
"Big Bro's jealous! Big Bro's jealous!" Yoasku and Johnny chanted, rolling around on the floor as they shouted.
"SHUT UP MORONS!" The swordsman snarled, fighting back the flush that was coming to his cheeks. "What did I say earlier?! I'll kick all your asses again!" He turned back as if he was going to jump back on the Going Merry when Usopp chimed in.
"You should hurry Zoro. Who knows what kind of guys are hitting on Luffyko already. What if they offer her food?"
Zoro scowled, glaring darkly at the three laughing teens before storming off towards the restaurant without another word.
"He really is too easy," Nami sighed, tapping her fingers lightly against her forehead.
Sanji rolled his eyes as the door to the restaurant slammed open and the green-haired pirate-hunter sauntered into the restaurant, looking annoyed. Without even waiting to be seated he stormed over to the closest empty table and threw himself into a chair before propping his feet up on the edge of the table. That movement made Sanji bristle and he opened his mouth to yell at the inconsiderate bastard but was cut off when another voice rang out.
"ZORO!" A blur shot past Sanji and he watched, annoyed, as Luffyko ran towards the scowling swordsman with a bright grin on her face. The temporary waitress was waving her arms over her head in greeting and Zoro opened his own in response, smirking slightly when the raven-haired girl dove into him. Zoro chuckled at Luffy's enthusiasm, shifting his hold on the she-pirate until she was resting comfortably in his lap even as she chattered away.
"Zoro's late today, are the others coming. Are you hungry? I can bring you food. You should get steak... and then give me some. I'm hungry. It's really boring here."
Zoro didn't respond, just brought a hand up and began to pet the girl's hair, content to listen to her babble.
Sanji scoffed, fighting back his frustration as he turned away and began to light one of his cigarettes. That green-haired moron didn't deserve the attention he was receiving from Luffyko-chan. The swordsman was rude, uncouth, and had no respect for women based on the way he treated the beautiful Nami-chan but yet whenever he appeared Luffyko-chan was immediately at his side.
The blond chef took a drag of the freshly lit cigarette before letting out a huff. Why women were drawn to brutes like him he would never know but thankfully the lovely Nami-swan wasn't fooled by the green-haired bounty hunter.
'Ah, the lovely Nami-swan. A breath of fresh air that I have been long deprived of. I hope that the marimo's presence means that my angel will be joining us soon.'
"Excuse me..." The soft voice drew Sanji out of his daydream and he focused his attention back to the table where the marimo was once again alone. Sanji quickly scanned the crowded restaurant for a flash of the golden straw-hat that the bubbly girl always wore but didn't see her. Sanji couldn't believe that Luffyko-chan had snuck past him without him noticing. She was normally so loud you could find the girl in a crowd. He turned his attention back to where a pretty brunette girl had approached the table and was standing in front of the green-haired swordsman. The girl looked to be about 18 years old, with shoulder length wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. She wore a deep green tunic that was laced in the back and stopped just above her knees and a pair of black leggings.
The girl was shifting nervously from foot to foot, her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes downcast. By contrast, Zoro looked completely relaxed. The former bounty hunter was leaning back against his chair, his arms laced behind his head and his feet crossed on the table in front of him. He watched the fidgeting girl with an almost uninterested expression that infuriated Sanji. How dare the stupid swordsman treat such a lovely lady like she was nothing more than a wall decoration. A lady like that should be treated with grace and worshiped like the jewel she was.
"Um, a-are you Mr. Roronoa?" The girl's eyes flicked up to Zoro's face and she blushed before glancing back down at her feet.
Zoro just scoffed at the girl's soft question. This wasn't the first time that some girl had walked up to him and decided to confess her love. It had happened multiple times over the past few years but each time was the same. It almost pissed him off how timid the girls who approached him were.
'Nothing like my captain. I hope Lu gets back soon.' A small twitch broke through Zoro's uninterested facade as he thought of the bubbly she-pirate. The smirk quickly faded as he focused back on the girl in front of him. "Yeah, that's me. What do you want?"
"Um..." The girl fidgeted a little more. "I was wondering-"
"Speak up, I'm not going to attack you or anything. Geez." Zoro moved his hands from behind his head and crossed them in front of his chest, raising one eyebrow at the brunette girl. God, he could barely hear her.
"Ah, sorry," The girl muttered, flinching slightly before she forced herself to stand up straighter. "I'm Tara. I've been following you in the paper for years. You became a bounty hunter at 15, right? Why did you start bounty hunting?"
'Great. Someone who wants to ask questions. Damnit, why did Lu insist on going for food now?' "It's personal."
"You dropped off the map after Shells town. What have you been doing since then?"
"Nothing."
"I have really loved following your exploits. Will you have dinner with me tonight? Just the two of us?"
Zoro's eye twitched slightly. Couldn't this girl get the hint that he wasn't interested. It almost made him laugh. Girls like this were so persistent and clingy and yet Luffy didn't seem to have any sort of romantic interest at all. He really had picked one hell of a challenge when he decided to join Luffy's crew. The swordsman snorted and shook his head, drawing himself out of his thoughts and returning his attention to the waiting brunette.
"Not interested. Sorry."
Tara flinched slightly at Zoro's short reply and the curt tone but instead of beating a hasty retreat she took a few steps forward and lifted a hand, intending to touch Zoro's shoulder. Surely, she could convince him if she just tried. "Aw, come on. Plea-"
Slim fingers suddenly wrapped around the girl's wrist, stopping her fingers inches from Zoro's shoulder. The brunette turned her head, eyes wide with surprise, and saw Luffy standing on the opposite side of the table. A large tray of food had been placed on the table in front of the raven-haired girl, further confirming where the raven-haired girl had gone earlier. The she-pirate's gaze was focused completely on Tara and her face was contorted with a confused look, as if Luffy herself didn't understand her own reaction. She let her grip on the brunette girl's wrist loosen before dropping her hand altogether.
"Zoro said he's not interested." Luffy muttered, frowning at the other girl. She still couldn't understand why she had grabbed the brunette girl in the first place. She had seen the girl near Zoro and it felt like her heart had stopped. The last time Luffy had felt anything close to this was when she thought that she had lost Ace back when they were kids. But Zoro, Zoro was important too. He was... he was her swordsman and Luffy wouldn't stand for anyone trying to take him away.
Tara turned to face the she-pirate, glaring slightly at the smaller girl. "No one asked your opinion waitress. Get back to your job, little girl."
Zoro's eyes narrowed at the brunette's sneer and he fought back the urge to growl. He had put up with the girl, Tara, when she had just been bugging him but if she dared to go against Luffy, he wouldn't be as nice.
"Hey..." He snapped, dropping his feet from the table and leaning forward slightly, prepared to move to Luffy's defense if he needed to. Not that the girl needed any assistance in a fight but things like this were a different story. His captain wasn't very well versed in social customs and Zoro wasn't sure if she knew what to do in this kind of situation. His fingers itched to grip his katana but he fought back the urge when he saw Luffy tilt her head to the side, not looking particularly upset, just confused.
"Shishishi," She giggled softly, further angering the brunette girl. "I know, but you didn't seem to have heard him. Maybe you just weren't listening, I do that sometimes. It bugs Nami when I zone out but I jus-"
A loud slap cut off the rest of Luffy's sentence and Zoro snarled, watching as his captain's head snapped to the side at the force of the slap and a large red mark appeared on her face.
Tara stood in front of Luffy, her arm outstretched and a dark glare on her face. "How dare you-..."
Zoro was suddenly on his feet, a snarl on his face and his hand tightly gripping the sheathe of his prized sword. His thumb had already popped the blade up so that it would be easier to draw and the swordsman was just waiting for the girl to make another move against Luffy.
"You bitch." Zoro snapped, grinding his teeth together, and taking a few steps around the table so that he was closer to the two girls. Before he could move another step or fully draw his katana, Sanji was there. The blond was glaring at the swordsman, a cigarette dangling loosely from his lips and one foot raised in preparation to attack.
"You dare think to draw your swords on a lady, stupid marimo!" Sanji snarled at the green-haired swordsman. He was downright furious. He already disliked the former bounty hunter for the disrespectful way he treated women but for the green-haired bufoon to even think of pulling his weapon on a lady?! That was unforgivable.
Zoro just scoffed and dropped his hand from Wado's sheathe. "The bitch started it."
Sanji aimed a kick straight for Zoro's head that the former pirate hunter blocked with an open palm. Without even missing a beat, Sanji launched another kick and pushed Zoro back slightly until the swordsman was flush against the table. "Get out." Sanji snarled angrily. "I don't want to see you in here for the rest of the day, at least! I'll be happy if you never come back!"
Zoro scoffed, not bothering to dignify Sanji's words with an answer but allowed himself to be pushed back towards the door. His eyes found Luffy as he passed and he silently gestured for the raven-haired girl to follow him. Luffy responded to her first-mate's silent request with a bright grin and a nod, looking none the worse for wear. Zoro was almost reassured by the girl's happy smile and bright demeanor but the effect was marred by the still bright red mark on her face. The swordsman's expression darkened and he shot one more glare at Tara before he stepped out and onto the back pier.
Luffy followed Zoro's retreating form with her eyes, slightly confused. Her swordsman had gotten so angry at the brunette girl and Luffy could slightly understand why. If someone had attacked Zoro or the rest of her friends then she would have gotten just as mad but it was just a tiny slap. It didn't even really hurt. But before that...
The she-pirate glanced down at her open hand and clenched it into a fist a few times before tilting her head to the side. Why had she grabbed that girl? What was so wrong with Tara touching Zoro? Luffy's heart thudded against her ribs and she brought her other hand up to rest against her chest. Her heart was pounding and her chest felt tight. It was like that time when Zoro got hurt.
Luffy sighed. She still hadn't had the time to talk to Nami about what she had been feeling lately. Sanji had been no help when she mentioned it earlier. The Baratie chef had just swirled around her making comments about her falling for him and how she was a darling innocent angel.
'Silly. I'm a pirate, not an angel.'
Luffy eventually just shrugged and turned to follow Zoro outside when a hand settled on her shoulder.
"Luffyko-chan," Sanji began softly. "Are you ok?" He had seen the confrontation and while he didn't want to take sides, it was his duty to make sure that the lovely angel was ok.
"Shishishi... I'm fine, Sanji." Luffy grinned happily, trying to reassure her future cook and the blond chef returned her smile with one of his own.
"I'm glad. Come on, we need to get back to work."
"But Zoro-..."
"Psh," Sanji scoffed, rolling his eyes. Stupid marimo. What darling Luffyko-chan saw in him he would never know. "That bastard can wait a few minutes. Just help me clear off the tables and then you can go see what he wants. Ok, angel?"
Outside, Zoro pushed off from where he had been leaning against the wall next to the door with a scowl. That stupid cook. Whatever, he'd wait for Luffy back on the ship. She appeared to be completely fine but he still wanted to check her over.
Inside the Restaurant, the sound of shattering glass drew the attention of many of the restaurants patrons, who gazed at the brunette who had broken the wine glass with expressions of confusion.
"Hey now, what's the matter?" The woman's date asked, watching the girl as she stared out the window with a horrified expression. His own gaze went to the window and his eyes widened as he noticed the ship in the distance that was slowly coming closer. A gasp left him and he quickly sprang to his feet, knocking over the chair he had been sitting in. The noise of his chair hitting the ground drew the attention of others and one by one, the various customers of the restaurant began to take notice of the ship drawing ever closer. Gasps of horror and shouts of fear filled the restaurant as people sprang to their feet and backed away from the windows closest to the approaching ship.
As ship slowly edged closer to the Sea-Restaurant Baratie, the outline of the large vessel started to become clearer. It was a big ship, easily the largest ship in the East Blue and triple the size of the sea-going restaurant Baratie. It's figurehead was that of a saber-tooth tiger and a large black flag flew from the mast. It was a standard Jolly roger with a large hourglass on either side, a symbol that was recognizable to everyone aboard the restaurant. Some people stepped closer to the windows, as if doubting their own eyes.
"The flag that turns brave men into chickens...!" One man muttered, thinking of the tales that had reverberated across the East Blue of this pirate crew's cruelty.
"That flag is..." Another man began, rubbing at his eyes in disbelief.
"No doubt about it."
"It's the king of East Blue..."
"It's Don Krieg!"
On the deck of the ship, Zeff rested his arms against the banister of the 2nd floor overhang, watching calmly as the ship drew nearer, its shadow slowly blocking out the sun on the deck. It slowly covered Zeff and inched towards Sanji, who had stepped out on to the main deck, both chefs appearing completely unconcerned with its appearance.
Meanwhile, inside the restaurant, panic had broken out with all of the patrons beginning to run towards the back doors, crowding against each other and muttering amongst themselves. Even some of the chefs were shaking in fear.
"Why?!"
"What's Krieg doing here?" One chef exclaimed, turning to the others around him as if looking for an answer from one of them.
"Look well, Patty!" Carne shouted, pointing out the window even as he shouted at his fellow chef. "They're really here! You'll help us drive 'em away, now won't you?"
Carne gripped his head between his hands, panicking himself. "C-couldn't you be mistaken?!" He yelled, his voice shaking slightly. "He's the leader of a 5000 pirate ship fleet. Why's he coming all this way to avenge a single man?" By the end of his yelling Patty was practically whining and a few of the other chefs turned to glare back at him.
"There's no mistake!"
"Yeah, he's here now!" Carne agreed, poking Patty in the chest. "And you'll take responsibility for what you did!"
The waves caused by the large galleon-class ship caused the Going Merry to shake violently and the members of the straw-hat crew rushed to the deck of the ship at the sensation. Nami and Usopp's eyes widened as they took in the sight of the large ship.
"AAAHHHHHH~ Hey guys! This is our cue! We oughta get outta here ourselves!" Usopp shrieked, his whole body shaking as he took in the sight of the Krieg Pirates ship.
"Look at the size of that ship, it's huge!" Nami exclaimed, resting back against the railing on the front deck. Johnny and Yosaku cowered back against the galley doors but Zoro just watched the ship with a suspicious scowl on his face. Call it swordsman's intuition or just his own familiarity with pirates and their tactics but something about the appearance of the ship didn't feel right to Zoro. He gripped Wado's sheathe and moved his gaze to the restaurant.
'Luffy's still inside.'
Sanji continued to stare up at the large ship that was now nearly touching the Baratie and didn't notice that Luffy had joined him until the girl began to talk next to him.
"Now that's what I call a ship!" She cheered, resting her interlocked hands behind her head. "Hey, you think that Gin guy's here to pay you back?" She turned her head to catch Sanji's gaze and grinned when the blonde cook took a drag of his cigarette.
"I doubt it, Luffyko-chan." He sighed, managing to give the girl a small smile. "But it's strange..." He muttered quietly as he turned back towards the ship.
In the restaurant, Carne pressed himself up against the window as wind began to blow the fog clear of the galleon-class ship.
"Hey..." He muttered, the other chefs gasping in surprise as the ship was fully revealed.
"What?!"
Up on the balcony, Zeff's frown deepened as he took in the sight of the ship. The huge Galleon ship of the Krieg Pirates was totally and completely destroyed. The saber-tooth figurehead, was sliced nearly in half and the rest of the ship was littered with holes and large scratches. The sails were tattered and ripped and both masts were tilted at an angle that suggested that they were shattered at the point of connection on the deck. Altogether, the ship looked more like a ghost ship than the terror of the East Blue seas.
"Looks like his ship's pretty much had it," Luffy muttered, staring at the large galleon with wide eyes.
Sanji nodded, his hands buried in his pockets. "It doesn't look like it was attacked by a gunboat or anything... But it doesn't look like any human could have done that either." He stated, curious as to why such a large ship was in such disarray. His eyes swept across it as he studied the damaged Galleon. It looked as if it had been butchered and sliced to pieces.
"A tornado maybe?" Sanji shrugged before turning to Luffy and smiling at her slightly.
"We should head inside, Luffyko-chan. It appears we have more guests to take care of."
"Ok." Luffy eyed the shadows that had appeared on the deck of the ship one last time before allowing Sanji to guide her back into the restaurant with a hand against her lower back.
Sanji and Luffy slipped through the back entrance and into the main part of the restaurant, surprised at the quietness and absolute stillness in the large room. All of the customers were holding their breath, flinching at the steady sound of footsteps stomping across the loading dock. Even the chefs looked terrified, watching as a shadow moved past the window as they hid behind the central staircase. Everyone was as pale as ghosts and even Patty looked frightened, the large chef hiding halfway up the spiral staircase and holding onto the metal railing for dear life. The shadow drew closer and closer to the entrance as everyone held their breath in anticipation.
The stomping of footsteps stopped and everyone flinched as the door began to creak open revealing the most feared man of the East Blue, the infamous Don Krieg.
Sanji took another drag of his cigarette, watching the door with an intrigued frown on his face. What would this cold-hearted oppressor of thousands look like? The sight that greeted them was not what they had expected. At the door stood a very worn-out and half-dead Don Krieg being supported by Gin. The large pirate captain wore a pair of pale purple pants, a light orange button up shirt with a black horseshoe pattern and a pair of black boots. A fur-lined, brown coat was draped over the man's shoulders and a white bandage was wrapped around the man's head, holding back his pale violet hair. He almost looked the part of a conquering ruler if not for his worn-out and gaunt appearance. The dark-haired Gin had one of Krieg's arms draped over his shoulder, supporting his captain and keeping the larger man from falling. They stopped just inside the doorway of the restaurant, either unwilling to enter any further or unable. Everyone was silent as they stared at the so-called pirate ruler, surprised to see him in such a pitiable state. Many shared looks among themselves, still too afraid to say anything against the man out loud.
"Please..." Sanji's eyes widened at the soft spoken request, the words so out of place with the man's regal appearance.
"Can you give me water... and something to eat?" Many of the chefs let out small gasps of shock, flinching back from his words as if afraid that the words themselves could hurt them but Don Krieg just continued.
"If it's money, I've got it. As much as you ask." Even as they watched, Don Krieg began to shake, his whole body trembling from hunger and exhaustion. "I don't know how long it's been since I've last eaten... Please..."
Next to him, still supporting his frail captain, Gin clenched his teeth and hung his head. He hated seeing his captain in a state like this, begging for something to eat when he was the ruler of the East Blue.
"Give me water and something to eat. Please."
Sanji stared at the two men, his expression blank. Luffy spared a glance at him, frowning when she was unable to decipher the expression on the blond chef's face. Her gaze went back to Gin and the man that the others called Don Krieg as the cooks around her began to mutter to each other.
"What's wrong with him?" Carne asked, his question voiced to no one in particular.
"He doesn't look very dreadful to me," Patty mumbled, still sweating bullets from his position on the central staircase. "Is this guy really the most dreadful pirate, Don Krieg?"
Luffy took a few steps closer, tipping the brim of her hat back so that she could get a better look. "I just think he looks hungry." Sanji smiled softly and turned to move past Luffy, squeezing the girl's shoulder as he passed.
'Sanji? I wonder what he's doing?'
"C-captain!" Luffy spun her head back to the front at Gin's cry. Don Krieg had attempted to take a step forward but it was too much for the already exhausted pirate. He stumbled forward and because of his large bulk Gin was unable to steady him. Both of them were sent toppling to the ground and while Gin was able to push himself to his knees, Krieg was far too weak to do anything more than lie there, close to unconscious.
"Don Krieg!" Gin forced himself into a kneeling position so he could look his captain over and gritted his teeth with worry before turning to stare at the cooks in the restaurant with wide eyes.
"P-please!" He begged, nearly shouting. "Please help my captain! He's starving to death!"
The customers around the restaurant just stared at the kneeling man, many of them wearing looks of disgust while others still looked slightly afraid of the weakened pirate.
"He hasn't eaten for days... If he doesn't get food soon, he'll die!" Still, no one said a word and no one moved to help the kneeling man. Gin gulped, shock etched into his face as he stared out at the unsympathetic crowd of people. Why? Why would no one help them? They had money, so why?
On the central staircase, Patty began to laugh. "This is great!" He yelled, coming out from behind his cover in a show of bravery. "So this is the notorious bully, Don Krieg?"
Gin flinched at the venom in Patty's tone. "We've got money this time!" He shouted, remembering the last time he had come here. "Aren't we customers here?!"
"Not in your life!" Patty chuckled, placing his closed fists on his hips. He turned his head to grin at Carne, who stood next to him. "Hey, hurry up and call the marines."
"What?" Gin perked up slightly at the word marine. He couldn't believe that they were talking about turning him and Don Krieg over to the marines so nonchalantly.
"He has weakened. They won't get another chance like this." Around the restaurant everyone began to voice their agreement to Patty's idea, revealing that all of them thought that it was better to turn Krieg over rather than feed him.
"No food for him!"
"Get him out of here."
"That's right!" One customers voice rose above the others. "If he gets better, there's no telling what he'll do next!"
"He's done so many awful things," another person chimed in.
"He deserves to be caught, even if he's starving!"
"He's never done anything good in his life!"
A cook leaning back against the central staircase crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed. "He might even attack this boat if he gets better! We shouldn't even hand him a glass of water!"
Everyone began to shout their agreement, voices overlapping until it was just a chorus of noise.
Gin just let his eyes sweep the crowd of people, panic and horror written all over his face. He was saddened by their responses and by everyone's words. The thought that he wouldn't be able to get any help for his captain. No one would show them an ounce of sympathy and give them even an ounce of food. He bowed his head and fought back the urge to cry.
"I won't... do anything."
Next to him, Don Krieg began to force himself up, struggling until his was on his hands and knees. As soon as he was steady he bent his head forward and touched his forehead to the ground in a classic show of humility.
"I promise, I'll leave after I eat." Don Krieg begged, beginning to cough as he struggled to stay kneeling. "So please... h-help me..."
"Don Krieg, please stop!" Gin said, placing one hand on Krieg's back to steady his captain. "Please don't beg! How can you do such a humble act? Please stop it!" Tears were beginning to form in Gin's eyes even as Don Krieg continued to talk.
"I promise. Please... Anything... even your leftovers... Anything!"
The other people in the restaurant were in shock that the proud and feared Don Krieg was begging for scraps and their faces all showed varying levels of surprise.
"Don..." Gin's voice was shaky. He hated seeing his captain so weak and to be so powerless in front of people that hated them was even worse.
Luffy had moved to rest against the railing at the bottom of the central staircase and was watching the two kneeling men with a blank but interested look. Her face showed no sign of what she was thinking as she continued to watch the scene unfolding in front of her. She heard someone's footsteps behind her and turned her head to see Sanji approaching from the direction of the kitchen. A small smile appeared on the raven-haired girl's face as she took in the sight of a bowl filled to the brim with fried rice in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. It looked like no one but her had noticed the blond chef leave and come back.
The she-pirate watched curiously as he passed her, a small smirk on her face. Still, this was why Luffy wanted Sanji for her chef. He was a genuinely good person even though he could be a bit odd. She giggled slightly, remembering some of Sanji's silly antics as she watched him continue towards the kneeling Krieg.
Patty had made his way down the stairs as his confidence had grown and he was now standing in front of Gin and Don Krieg. "Heh, you think I'm sympathetic?" He scoffed, looking down at the two men disdainfully.
"Outta the way, Patty." Before Patty could register what Sanji had said, the Baratie's second-in-command had slammed his foot into the other chefs face. His kick sent Patty flying back and the man collided with the central pillar, cracking the stone wall and creating a large crater. Luffy's eyes widened at the sight and she watched as Patty slumped forward onto the ground unconscious. She was a little surprised by Sanji's actions but she couldn't say that she hadn't expected them. Over the past few days she had noticed that Sanji and Patty didn't quite get along with each other. Luffy smiled as she watched Sanji approach Gin and Don Krieg.
He knelt down in front of the two pirates and set the bowl of rice on the ground next to Krieg's head.
"Take it, Gin," He ordered, handing the dark-haired man the bottle of wine and a spoon for the rice. "Let him have it."
"Sanji..." Gin couldn't believe his eyes. This was the man who had, just a few days ago, saved his life and now he would do the same for Gin's captain, Don Krieg. He really owed this man more than he could ever repay.
"Thanks!" Krieg didn't waste a single second, digging into the food using his bare hands and shoving fistful after fistful into his mouth. Sanji rose to his feet as he watched Krieg eat, his lips twitching with a soft smile. His eyes slid over to Gin, but the other pirate quickly turned away, unable to look his savior in the eye. It was almost as if he was ashamed of something but Sanji had no idea what it could possibly be.
Crane suddenly darted down the stairs from his earlier position and ran up to Sanji, pointing his finger accusingly at the blond chef.
"Hey, Sanji! Take away the food! Don't you know what kind of person he is?" Sanji didn't even bother to turn and look at Carne as the man continued to yell, more interested in watching the silent interaction between Gin and Don Krieg.
"He's the King of the East Blue, the sneakiest pirate of 'em all!" Carne cringed as he thought back on all the stories he had heard of Krieg's deeds in the past.
"It all began in prison. The guy pretended to be one of the marine... He killed the captain of his ship... and took over that ship to become a pirate! Sometimes he'd raise a Marine flag and enter a harbor, then he'd attack the city and other docked ships. Or he'd pretend to surrender, and then make surprise attacks. He'll do anything to win! That's how he got to where he is now!" Sweat was rolling down Carne's face as he talked, goosebumps appearing on his uncovered arms.
"What?" Luffy's face looked unimpressed and she scoffed slightly. "So he's a snake, eh?"
"He shouldn't be underestimated, even now!" Carne continued, even as Sanji continued to ignore him. "Eat and leave? How can we believe what he says? We'd be doing the world a favor if we gave this wretch up!"
The empty bottle of wine was slammed down onto the ground and Carne flinched back, still very afraid of Krieg despite his weakened state. Sanji glanced down at Don Krieg in surprise at the loud noise, watching as the man began to force himself to his feet. Suddenly, Krieg swept his arm out and, using his momentum, clothes-lined the blond chef. The force of his strike knocked the cigarette out of Sanji's mouth and sent him crashing to the ground.
Luffy gasped, her eyes wide at the sight of Sanji knocked back by the very person he had helped. The she-pirate wasn't the only one surprised either.
"S-... SANJI!" Carne screamed, his eyes and everyone else's as wide as saucers.
A female customer screamed, pulling everyone out of their shocked daze and causing the rest of the customers to flee towards the back of the restaurant.
Gin remained kneeling in the same position, staring at Sanji with gritted teeth. It wasn't supposed to be this way, Gin never wanted any harm to come to the person who saved his life and yet...
'Krieg promised me. He swore that all he would do was eat, feed our crew, and leave. I'm a fool.'
Gin's guilt doubled as he watched Sanji cough and struggle to pull air into his winded lungs, shame etched across his face.
"This is not what we agreed on, Don Krieg! You promised that you wouldn't harm this place or these people, so I took you here. Besides," Gin shouted. "That man SAVED our lives!" Krieg reached forward and latched onto Gin's shoulder, dragging the man up into a standing position before lifting him even higher so that the first-mate's feet didn't even brush the ground. Gin flinched at the pain shooting through his arm and lifted his other hand to brace against his elbow in an effort to ease some of the discomfort.
"Yeah, it was good. I feel re-energized." Krieg tightened his hold, causing the dark-haired man to cry out in pain, his free hand shooting to Krieg's arm. Krieg continued to squeeze until he heard the crack of bone and felt Gin's arm give under his grip before he tossed the panting man to the ground. Not even sparing a glance at the whimpering man on the ground he turned his gaze to the other people still left in the restaurant and smirked, looking more like a demon ready to pounce than a man.
The customers of the restaurant burst through the back doors, swarms of people screaming and running in a blind panic, as if fleeing from some unmentionable evil.
Zoro, Nami, and Usopp watched, confused, as people scrambled onto one of the boats docked near the Going Merry, setting sail as soon as the ship was full.
Usopp's hands clenched against the railing, his expression worried. What's going on in the restaurant?" He asked nervously.
"Let's go check it out." Zoro replied, his expression blank.
"What?!" Usopp shrieked, staring at Zoro with wide eyes, not quite sure he had heard the swordsman correctly. "You serious?!"
"What's wrong? You scared?" Zoro mocked, sending Usopp a teasing smirk.
"Huh, don't be silly! Of course, I'm not afraid!" Usopp puffed out his chest and forced a smile on his face but both Zoro and Nami could see his legs shaking. Zoro's smirk widened slightly but he just gave the long-nosed teen a 'hmph' in reply before turning away.
His smirk vanished as he stared at the derelict galleon with calculating eyes. 'Strange... I can't see anybody on that ship.' For some reason, Zoro had a feeling that something was wrong with that ship and that things were only going to get worse.
'Lu... You better be ok, captain.'
Luffy's eyes were wide as she watched Don Krieg survey the restaurant, her expression still blank. Don Krieg, on the other hand, looked like a madman. A terrible vibe was emanating from the pirate captain and he glared at the people around him with an expression that gave new meaning to the words 'if looks could kill.' Luffy frowned slightly, this man was more dangerous than he appeared and she didn't like the way his energy felt. He felt less like a person and more like a inhumane monster.
Everywhere Krieg looked, chefs flinched back and the pale violet haired man smirked.
"Isn't this a nice restaurant?" He said calmly. "I'll take it!"
Carne let out a shocked gasp, as did many of the other chefs, at Krieg's declaration. Sanji forced himself up onto one elbow, having finally regained consciousness. A bit of blood trailed from his mouth and he tried to glare, his whole body shaking.
"So... that's why you came..."
Next to Sanji, Patty had also regained consciousness and was holding his head. When the thug-like chef's vision had cleared, Don Krieg was standing right in front of him. Patty began to tremble, his mouth open and eyes wide with shock as he stared up at the most feared pirate in the East Blue.
"My ship's ruined." Krieg finally said, letting out a huff of breath. "I want a new one. Leave after you've gotten your things." His words brokered no argument and he stared at them as if daring anyone to argue with him.
"W-what?" Carne shouted, clenching his hands into fists at his side.
"Don Krieg..." Gin muttered, his voice cracking as he held one hand bracingly against his cracked shoulder. "That's not what you promised..." Don Krieg just turned away from his vice-commander and Gin cursed softly. He had been foolish to think that hes captain would follow through with his promise. All of this was his fault and now Sanji and the others would have to leave their home if they wanted to live.
Still appearing completely calm, Don Krieg jerked a thumb back over his shoulder to point at where his ruined ship was docked. "There're about 100 men still alive on that ship. All of 'em starving and injured. First, prepare food and water for 100 men. Some of 'em have already... starved to death."
When no one moved to follow Krieg's orders he barked. "Right away!"
Carne scoffed, raising one shaking fist at Krieg. "What?! You expect us to feed our executioners! Do you actually think we'll do what you say. We won't aid them! We refuse!" With Carne's words other chefs began to voice their agreements, refusing to aid the very people that would turn around and attack them.
"Refuse?" Krieg scoffed, almost rolling his eyes at the words being shouted at him. "Don't misunderstand. I'm not ordering food. I'm giving you an order. Nobody... ever... DISOBEYS ME!" Krieg's scream was loud and rumbled through the restaurant like thunder, causing many of the chefs to flinch away from him and cower behind tables and chairs like scared children. Krieg huffed out another long breath, waiting for the cooks next response.
"Sanji..." The blond chef turned his gaze away from Krieg and softened his glare as he recognized the voice calling out to him.
"Sanji, I'm sorry." Gin said, panting softly from the pain in his shoulder. I didn't mean for this to happen."
"BASTARD!" Patty shouted glaring over at Sanji with clenched fists. "Look what you've done! If you had just let him starve, none of this would have happened."
The chef's angry words caused Gin to flinch back, the injured pirate squeezing his eyes closed as he felt the pricking sensation of tears building up. He knew exactly what Patty was talking about and the thug-ish chef was completely right. If Sanji had just left him to die then he never would have been able to go back to Don Krieg and tell him of this place. The whole restaurant would have been spared the pirate's wrath and Sanji wouldn't have been injured.
Sanji just ignored Patty's shouts, not even bothering to spare the incensed man a look. Instead, his gaze was focused completely on the injured Gin. Yes, he had known the risks when he saved Gin. He knew there was a possibility that he would return with Don Krieg, knew that he was putting the restaurant in danger. But, he had become a chef so that he could help those in need, feed the hungry, and make sure that the people around him would never starve.
Without saying a word, Sanji pushed himself to his feet. He straightened the wrinkles in his suit and shoved his hands in his pockets before turning and making his way towards the central staircase that led to the kitchens.
"Hey, Sanji!" Patty shouted, watching the blond man curiously, still a little annoyed that his fellow chef was ignoring him. "Where're ye off to?!"
Sanji stopped in front of the stairs and turned his head slightly, not looking at Patty, but more trying to catch Don Krieg out of the corner of his eye.
"The kitchen." Smirking slightly, he used his thumb to brush off the trickle of blood that had trailed down from his mouth. "I've gotta prepare food for 100 men."
Patty and Carne flinched back in shock at the assistant head chef's words.
"Sanji..." Gin breathed, not quite able to believe what he had heard.
Even Luffy was slightly shocked, her eyes wide and her lips twitching into a small smile. "Sanji."
"WHAT?!" Every chef in the restaurant began shouting at once, some of them pointing angrily at the blond chef, with others just flailing back in shock.
Don Krieg just smirked, glad that his orders were being followed but not really all that surprised. No one would dare defy him.
"Yes. That's how it should be."
Sanji glared back at him, not happy with being ordered around. Just because he was going to make the food and save his crews lives didn't mean he wanted to assist the man. Before Sanji could take another step towards the kitchen, he was surrounded by most of the chefs of the Baratie, Patty and Carne among them. Every chef was holding some sort of weapon and the rest were holding frying pans and large cooking utensils, all of them aimed at the blond chef.
"You're being Krieg's little puppet, Sanji!" one of the chefs shouted, tightening his hold on his weapon.
"I'll never let you get into the kitchen!" Another vowed.
"I've had enough of your nonsense!" Sanji just continued to stand there, his hands still calmly resting in his pockets as he surveyed his coworkers. He could see the shocked and disbelieving expressions on many of their faces and the outright hostile one on Patty's. Sanji couldn't really blame them for acting this way but he didn't want to fight his family.
With a sigh, Sanji removed his hands from his pockets and spread his arms wide. "Do it," He said calmly, the chefs around him starting slightly in surprise. "If you wanna stop me, do so."
Sanji lifted his head, allowing one of the sharpened spear weapons to brush against his neck. "I'm aware." He began quietly.
Luffy watched Sanji silently, looking neither upset nor confused with the blond chef's declaration. She had known when she first saw Sanji giving Gin food the kind of person that her future chef was.
"I know that he's a hopeless bully. A terrible and cruel man. But that's none of my business. I don't care. I don't care what happens after they've had their meal. Not a care in the world. I'm a chef. Nothing more. When people are hungry, I offer them food. That's all there is to it." Sanji let his eyes slide open, having closed them sometime during his speech.
"For a chef, isn't that enough?" Before anyone could reply or Sanji could continue talking, a large fist slammed into the back of the blond chef's head and he dropped to the ground with a thud, revealing Patty standing behind him with a furious expression.
"Patty!" Carne yelled, shocked that the man had knocked Sanji out. Patty just stood straight and grinned over at Carne before jerking his hand back over his shoulder. "Hey, take him outta here!"
"Sanji," Patty looked back down as the man tried to push himself into a sitting position. "You've often given food to the customers that I drove away, haven't you? I don't care who's right or wrong, but I can't allow this to happen." Patty turned and stormed past a glaring Sanji, shooting the assistant head chef a glare of his own. "I can't let you do as you please anymore. I'll protect this restaurant. Luckily, there's only one enemy. What can a lone Don Krieg do to all of us?"
Patty knelt down under the curve of the spiral staircase where a secret door was hidden and began rummaging through it. "Pirates come to this floating restaurant everyday. I'm always prepared for anything."
"That's..." Sanji breathed, pushing himself up so he could stare at his coworker curiously.
"Did you enjoy your meal, Krieg?" Patty asked mockingly, a sinister grin on his face. "How about it? Since you've finished your meal... How about some metal for dessert?!" Patty rose to his feet and spun to face Krieg, a large lobster shaped bazooka held in his hands. He flicked the switch on top of the bazooka to turn it on, sparking the bazooka's ignition before aiming it at Don Krieg.
"Syrup meatball!" Patty pulled the trigger, the blazing cannon ball shooting out and heading straight for Krieg. Krieg's eyes were wide as he watched the cannon ball approach him and as it slammed into his body the entire entrance to the Baratie was engulfed in smoke and light. The blast forced everyone still in the restaurant to shield their eyes until the light had faded.
"Don!" Gin shouted, still shielding his eyes but trying to see his captain through the smoke.
Patty rested the bazooka against his shoulder as he stared at the mass of smoke. "I think I broke the door," He muttered, unconcerned. "The boss will be mad at me for that." He shrugged.
"It's ok. We're protecting this place. It's no major damage." Carne said, attempting to reassure his friend.
"What are we gonna do about those people on Krieg's ship?" Sanji asked, having forced himself into a sitting position, during the aftermath of the explosion.
"I dunno... Why don't we just put some butter on their ship and cook it up?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out through the smoke. "That sounds... delicious. Stupid cook." As the smoke began to clear more, Krieg's form was revealed. The man appeared to have absolutely no scratches on him and was glaring at Patty with a look of complete and utter loathing.
"Giving me such an awful dessert... This restaurant's despicable!" Krieg threw off his coat, revealing gold plated steel armor underneath and causing many of the chefs to gasp in shock. Luffy whistled slightly, the armor must've been what protected him from the bazooka's cannon ball. Suddenly the man's fur-lined shoulder pads lifted up, revealing two guns under each one. The fur-lined side panels against his abs opened up revealing three more guns on either side, and Krieg also had two flintlock pistols in his hands. "Despicable!"
Sanji's eyes widened in shock and Patty and Carne flinched back at the weapons pointed at them and the rest of the chefs.
"NOW DIE!" He fired every single one of his weapons, the bullets slamming into the chefs and knocking all of them down.
"That armor..." Luffy breathed, leaning forward, one arm outstretched.
"It can shoot?" Sanji finished the end of Luffy's unspoken sentence, looking horrified. Gin had covered his face with his hands, unwilling to watch Krieg shoot down the rest of the chefs. Patty, Carne, and Sanji appeared mostly unharmed by the firing squad attack but the rest of the chefs were not faring quite as well. The lay collapsed on the ground and against tables and walls, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds.
Smirking, Krieg allowed the hidden guns in his armor to close up again before he moved to pull off his brown gloves, revealing gold armor plated gauntlets with diamonds embedded in the knuckles and the back of the hand.
"Do as I say!" He shouted angrily. "I'm the strongest man there is! These arms are stronger than anybody's!" Don Krieg lifted one arm, as if showing off the bicep muscles hidden under the armor. "My super-alloy armor is... tougher than anything!" His other hand curled into a fist and he slammed it lightly against his breast-plate as he continued to yell.
"And I've got a diamond punch, which can destroy everything! An army of 5000 men! I've never lost a battle in my life! I'm the perfect person to claim the title of 'Don'!"
Luffy silently watched Krieg rant, angry that the man had hurt the chefs of the Baratie but also curious as to what would happen next. From behind her, a hand latched onto her shoulder and pushed her gently to the side.
"Out of the way, lass," Head Chef Zeff ordered, stepping up next to the raven-haired girl with a large sack tossed over one shoulder.
"I ordered you to get the food ready!" Don Krieg continued to shout, not noticing Zeff's arrival. "Now hurry up and do it! Nobody disobeys me!"
Suddenly, the large sack that Zeff had been holding was tossed at Don Krieg's feet, causing the pale-purple haired man to focus his gaze on the old chef and the waitress standing next to him.
"Here's food for 100 men. Help him get it on the ship." Zeff ordered, appearing completely calm as he stared down the pirate who was shooting up his restaurant.
"Owner Zeff!" Many of the chefs that were still conscious stared at their boss in shock, not really believing that he would give up the food to Don Krieg without a fight.
"What're you doing, old man?" Luffy asked calmly, resting one hand against the top of her straw hat. "Isn't this a little risky?"
Sanji was watching his mentor with a surprised expression as well, his lip twitching slightly. He knew that Zeff was giving them food for the same reason he had wanted to, because they were hungry. If it was just to protect his restaurant, the old geezer would have fought, but for hungry people, he was just a chef.
Meanwhile, Don Krieg was watching the middle-aged man in front of him with wide eyes. He had head what the other chefs called him and he couldn't quite believe it.
"Z-Zeff is it?" He asked, needing to be sure. "Zeff as in... Red-Foot Zeff?!"
.
Phew, getting into the cool parts of the Baratie arc starting next chapter. I can't wait to write all the fight scenes and such and I'm definitely going to have fun with Luffy and Krieg's fight. Before that though is Mihawk and some adorable ZoLu moments! Luffy's going to get her golden brick of revelation coming up soon and I'm curious and a little nervous about writing that.
Ah, anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I will have the next one up as soon as I finish writing it!
Til next chapter!