Author's Note: Sorry, fangirls, Sebastian Michaelis is not joining my crew. Instead, you can have Sebastian Hozuki.
Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Eichiiro Oda, Toei Animation, and Funimation Studios. Support the official release by buying official One Piece merchandise.
Ch. 9: "Sebastian, the Clumsy Chef."
Over near the kitchens, a young boy – the person who dropped the dishes – lay flat on the ground. He had somewhat shaggy brown hair, black eyes, and tanned skin. Under a white apron, he wore a black T-shirt with tan shorts and sandals.
"Sebastian, that's the third time this week that you've dropped something breakable!" A chef yelled as the boy got up from the floor.
"And YOU'RE the son of Seiji Hozuki, our boss?" Another chef asked Sebastian.
"I'm so sorry! It's not my fault my entire family is clumsy!" Sebastian apologized.
"You're gonna be doing a lot more than apologizing when I get done with you!" The first chef yelled. Before anybody else had anything to say, the Capricorn Pirates' waitress broke through the crowd of angry chefs and waiters.
"Sebastian, there's this table that wants to see you," The waitress explained.
"Not now, Georgia, I have to clean up," Sebastian said as he got out a broom and dustpan and began to just sighed.
"Here he goes again. Trying to make up for clumsiness," Georgia muttered as Sebastian threw away the broken dish shards. Sebastian sighed as the man from the reception area walked up to them.
"You know, Sebastian, you can go on your break now," The man told him.
"Yes, dad, I will," Sebastian said as he took off his apron. His dad then noticed what happened.
"Did you drop some dishes again?" Sebastian's dad asked his son.
"Yes, dad," Sebastian said.
"You know something, son? Your own father is still clumsy, but not as clumsy as when I was younger. Your mother was probably one of the reasons why I became less clumsy enough to open my own restaurant here on Restaurant Row," Sebastian's dad explained.
"Mom… If she were still alive, she'd be proud of us for keeping the restaurant such a success," Sebastian said sadly.
Over at the Capricorn Pirates' table, they were happily feasting on their food.
"Don't you guys have ANY table manners?" Kartik asked everyone.
"Hey, we're pirates. Get with the program already," Daisuke said.
"Yeah, Kartik, don't be such a stiff," Heathcliffe added.
"For your information, I come from a family of good breeding! I'd like to project that image, unlike the rest of you," Kartik explained.
"Excuse me, is this the table I was looking for?"
Everybody turned to Sebastian, who was now standing in front of their table.
"You must be Sebastian," Yuki-Rin said.
"Yep. Who are you guys?" Sebastian asked Yuki-Rin.
"My name is Yuki-Rin, and this is my pirate crew, the Capricorn Pirates," Yuki-Rin introduced Sebastian to her crew. Sebastian turned pale and gasped.
"Anything wrong?" Hana asked the chef.
"I… I hate pirates," Sebastian said quickly.
"Don't worry, we're not here to rob the restaurant. We need a chef for our crew," Yuki-Rin explained, causing Sebastian to break out in a cold sweat.
"What happened? There must have been some event that caused you to be scared of pirates," Hana asked Sebastian.
"Well, it happened a few years ago," Sebastian said, getting ready to tell his tale.
*Begin Flashback, Three Years Ago*
A young Sebastian was seen in bed in his bedroom. He was sick with the flu on the day he was to start working at his parents' restaurant.
"Honey, I don't think Sebastian's well enough to work," Sebastian's mom told Seiji.
"If you say so. Sebastian, while we're working, each of our chefs will take turns checking up on you every fifteen minutes," Seiji explained. Sebastian sighed.
"Of all the days I catch the flu, it had to be today, my first day of work," Sebastian complained.
"Cheer up, son, you'll get to work soon. Now, we have to go. We'll see you in fifteen minutes," Seiji explained before Sebastian's parents left his room.
"I bet everyone else is having fun. Why do I have to get sick on my first day of work?" Sebastian asked himself before he grabbed a cookbook and began reading it. Eventually, Sebastian fell asleep. When he awoke some time later, Sebastian was drenched in cold sweat and feeling very hot.
"Oh, no, something bad must have happened to mom and dad!" Sebastian cried. Then, as if on cue, screaming came from outside.
"Mom! Dad! Everyone!" Sebastian yelled as he ran downstairs and grabbed a kitchen knife. When he got to the restaurant, he saw a horrible sight – Pirates were attacking and they were pillaging the village.
"Mom, dad, where are you?" Sebastian called out to his parents.
"Sebastian, go back to your room! It's not safe out here! Pirates have come to pillage and burn the village! We're under attack!" One of the waiters yelled. Then, one of the pirates picked up Sebastian by the collar of his pajamas.
"Don Krieg, I got a kid!" The pirate yelled to his captain.
"That's good! The younger the person, the longer they can work for us!" Don Krieg yelled back. Just as the pirate began to carry Sebastian to Don Krieg, Sebastian remembered he was carrying a kitchen knife and he slashed the wrist of the pirate that held him. After the pirate dropped him, Sebastian ran off in search of his parents.
"Mom, dad, where are you? Please don't die!" Sebastian called out to everyone.
"Don't let the kid with the knife get away!"
"Somebody grab that kid!"
As two pirates rushed to Sebastian, he slashed the both of them across their arms.
"This kid is dangerous! Don't let him loose!"
"Somebody, help us!" Sebastian yelled to anybody in the vicinity. But, something caught his eye – His mother was pinned to the ground by a pirate.
"Mom!" Sebastian cried.
"Sebastian, please go back to the house! This is a very dangerous situation, and you could be killed!" Sebastian's mom requested.
"No, mom, you and dad and everyone else is in danger! I love everyone at the restaurant, and I don't want to see them die!" Sebastian cried. The pirate holding his mom to the ground laughed.
"So, you're the mother of this brat, eh? Well, how would you feel if he was working for Don Krieg, one of the most notorious men of the East Blue?" The pirate asked Sebastian's mom.
"Sebastian, please go back! This is no place for you!" Sebastian's mom pleaded.
"Hey! There's that kid with the knife!"
"Awww! Does he miss his mommy?"
"Is there a problem, little boy?"
Sebastian turned back, and saw a large, fearsome man in golden armor – This was Don Krieg, the captain of the pirate crew that was pillaging Restaurant Row.
"You're hurting everyone! Please, stop!" Sebastian pleaded. All Don Krieg did about it was laugh heartily at it.
"You want me to stop hurting everyone, huh? I'll show you that I stopped hurting everyone!" Don Krieg said before he helped Sebastian's mom from the ground.
"Mom, no, it's a trap!" Sebastian cried. But, Sebastian's cries came too late, since his mother was now stabbed by Don Krieg.
"Mom, don't die!" Sebastian cried.
"Sebastian… Please, continue my – no, our – dream of finding the All Blue. It rests in your hands… I love you, my son. I hope you live a long and happy life and not end up like I did… Good-bye… My husband, my job, my co-workers, my boss, my life as a chef, and… Good-bye, my son," Sebastian's mom said weakly before passing on.
"Mom! How could you die? Your dreams didn't come true! You've gotta come back alive! Please, I love you!" Sebastian pleaded as he began losing consciousness due to his fever. The last thing he saw before blacking out was the sight of the family restaurant on fire.
When Sebastian came to, he was lying on his bed with Seiji standing over his bed.
"What happened? Am I okay?" Sebastian weakly asked his dad.
"You're just fine. I managed to get your fever down after Sun-Ni found you in the middle of the chaos with your pajamas covered in blood and a kitchen knife a few inches from your hand," Seiji explained. After that exchange, Sebastian was asleep for two days due to his sickness. When he awoke from his long slumber, his father was standing over his bed. Sebastian noticed that his father looked sad.
"Dad, what happened? I think I had a nightmare where mom got stabbed by pirates and I was trying to defend myself with a kitchen knife!" Sebastian asked his dad.
"Son, I'm sorry… Pirates really did attack us," Sebastian's father answered. Sebastian gasped.
"What was I doing? Is mom okay?" Sebastian asked his dad.
"You ran out there with a kitchen knife and cut up some pirates in self-defense. Unfortunately, Don Krieg, the captain of the pirate crew that attacked us, stabbed your mother to death," Sebastian's dad answered before he broke down into tears. Sebastian gasped.
"It wasn't a nightmare, it was actually real!" Sebastian cried as tears fell from his eyes.
*End Flashback, Revert to Present Time*
"Wow… It's never good to see your mom murdered in front of your eyes," Daisuke commented.
"Don't worry, we're nice pirates. We haven't killed anybody," Hana said.
"Yet," Yuki-Rin said under her breath.
"Yuki-Rin…" Hana said in a stern tone.
"Kidding!" Yuki-Rin said. Then, a gong sounded in the background. Sebastian gasped.
"What's going on?" Yuki-Rin asked Sebastian.
"It's the Restaurant Row free-for-all. The workers at two restaurants face off against each other in a free-for-all fight. The losing restaurant must turn over five of their workers to the winning restaurant," Sebastian explained. "Heck, I even got turned over to another restaurant before my dad stepped in and beat the other restaurant."
"Well, look on the bright side. This restaurant may not be in today's free-for-all," Yuki-Rin said.
"Hey, you could be right," Sebastian said.
"Sun-Ni's Noodle Shop would like to battle Sebastian and Seiji's!"
Kazuma turned pale as his jaw dropped.
"Oh, hell no," Kazuma said to himself.
Ending Note: Poor, poor Kazuma.
Review, as always. But, no flames, guys. All flames will be used in the battle against Sun-Ni's Noodle House.