Hey everyone, and welcome back to my One Piece fanfiction. Finally, we have reached the start of the Baratie Arc; like the last Arc, this Arc will be covered in two chapters. This is the first one. I plan on changing some things in this Arc, but you'll see those changes at the end of the Arc. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Eiichiro Oda, Shueisha, Toei Animation, and Fuji TV. Please support the official release.

"Pirate" Regular speech.

"Pirate" Thoughts.

Finger Pistol Attack names.

(Pirate) Words said previously.

"PIRATE!" Shouting speech.

[Pirate!] people talking at the same time.

"Pirate" people talking over communication.

Enter — Black Leg Sanji

—…

After getting directions from Johnny, the Going Merry was sailing along the bright blue ocean to reach the sea restaurant that was their destination. They had been sailing for a while until Johnny—Who was using a telescope, saw something in the distance and alerted the rest of the crew.

"Big Bro Light! Big Bro Zoro! Big Bro Nami! Big Sis Silk! Usopp! We're here!" Johnny informed all of them who were on the deck.

"Why am I, Big Bro?!" Nami snapped.

"Why am I not Big Bro?!" Usopp snapped louder.

After Johnny's announcement, they all came forward to see for themselves. After waiting for a little bit longer, the Merry got close enough for them to see what the restaurant looked like. Anyone who wasn't already on the upper deck came up and stared ahead. There it was…

The Baratie is a fairly large ship. It takes an oval shape, with the normal masts but has a fish as a front piece/head. The Baratie has a round bottom and three different levels, and the name Baratie is out in front.

"So what do you think!?" Johnny asked; all six were piled on the upper deck, and Yosaku poked his head cautiously out the door to the cabin.

"Huh? Interesting design choice." Light noted with a smile. The rest of them were more impressed.

"It's lovely!" Nami exclaimed.

"This is the coolest place ever!" Usopp yelled.

"Now that's a quality restaurant." Silk proclaimed.

"Just like I told ya, right?" Johnny asked, beaming out. But as they neared the restaurant, there were loud bells and honking noises from behind them, and everyone turned to see a large Marine Ship sailing towards them.

"What the…?" Johnny cried out, startled at the ship's sudden arrival. "A Marine Ship? All the way out here?"

"Hey, Captain." Usopp asked in hushed tones. "You don't think they're gonna fire on us, are they?"

"That's just my luck." Zoro said angrily. "Of course, the Marines would show up."

"Don't be too worried; as far as Marine Ships go, that one is pretty small." Light noticed. "Doesn't look like it was built for fighting."

"You realize the same can be said about our ship." Silk pointed out.

"But how did that ship…?" Nami asked in surprise as Johnny tried to sneak below deck. Johnny went behind the cabin door to hide with his partner.

"You think he knows that you and I aren't a couple of Pirates?" Johnny asked Yosaku, who only nervously whimpered.

They all stared at the ship as someone came out onto the deck on the naval ship. An average-sized marine that wore a white pinstripe suit. He had hair as pink as Coby's, well combed and slicked back, with a scar under his right eye and bolts attached to his knuckles that gleamed in the sunlight as he put his hand upon the railing when he looked over at them.

"I've never seen that pirate flag." he said before calling out, holding up his fist so that they couldn't miss his knuckles. "I'm Iron Fist Fullbody! But you can just call me Sir! You there! Who is the Captain? Identify yourself!"

At the command, Light stepped forward. "My name is Light!"

Almost immediately afterward, Usopp also came forward and called. "My name's Usopp! Got it?"

"Usopp, he asked for the Captain; why'd you say your name?" Silk asked him.

"Because I am a Captain." Usopp announced proudly. "He doesn't need to know that I'm not the Captain of this particular ship."

Everyone just gave him a dry look while Light kept his attention on the Marine. "Our flag was only made the other day!"

"That's right, Marine!" Usopp yelled smugly. "And I drew it!"

Fullbody began sneering at them. "You did? Is that so?" But then he suddenly noticed Johnny and Yosaku, who were half-hidden behind the door. "Hey, you two!" He called. "I've seen you before! You're that bounty-hunting duo that goes after the small fish? Right?"

"What? Well, we…?" Johnny exclaimed nervously, trying to think of something to say.

"So you've finally been caught by Pirates." Fullbody sneered again before laughing.

"Well, actually we…" Johnny stammered.

"Now that's a laugh." Fullbody smirked. Sauntering to stand at Fullbody's side was a beautiful blonde woman adorned in a fancy red dress that grabbed his arm. She was attractive to the point where it seemed like she was only with Fullbody for his Marine position rather than his looks since the guy wasn't exactly good-looking. Or, at the very least, Fullbody thought he was good-looking.

"C'mon, baby." The woman said. "Let's get going."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Johnny shouted as he pulled out a stack of wanted posters. "You think small-time bounty hunters would go after these guys!?" Johnny tossed the posters in the air as they scattered on the Going Merry's deck.

But he didn't get any reaction from Fullbody as he held a thumbs down to one of the Marines there with him.

"They're an eyesore." Fullbody said to his Marines. "Sink 'em."

[Sir!] Saluted the Marines.

about.

"He ignored us," Johnny growled.

"Next time we see him, he better have some more respect for us!" Yosaku said determinedly.

"Don't bother with him." Light told them, not upset by what just happened. "That guy was just a small fry, not worth worrying about."

Usopp nodded with a self-asserted expression. "That's right, I let him go this time, but he had better be careful."

"Yeah, of anyone but you." Zoro sarcastically added.

Nami spotted one of the wanted posters and bent down to pick it up. "What are these things?" She asked softly, though it was clear from her tone that she knew what they were.

"Well, these are all wanted Pirates, Big Sis Nami." Johnny explained before he choked up when he saw the poster she had picked up.

Nami didn't seem to be listening as her eyes were overshadowed by her long hair… This was good because it hid her expression—One of hatred and anger.

Johnny, however, noticed none of this as he cleared his throat and finished. "In other words, if we defeat them, we get the reward money."

"Pretty good business, huh, Big Sis?" Yosaku asked as Johnny covered his mouth, and it was clear that the idea of going after that specific bounty was something he didn't want to talk about.

Nami didn't say anything as she crushed the wanted poster, her hands shaking. While that was going on, the Marines aimed their cannons at the crew's ship.

"Hey, you guys, look! They're pointing a cannon right at us!" Usopp alarmed. It was too late to react as the Marines' cannon was fired at them.

Light stepped forward, his hand reaching out to catch the cannonball in a show of strength and speed that astonished everyone who saw it save Silk and Zoro. The momentum of the ball was stopped completely, and Light dropped the cannonball down on the floor.

[Ehh?!] Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku exclaimed in shock as Yosaku cried out. "How did you do that?!"

"When you're with me, you better get used to asking that question." Light merely replied, brushing off their surprise.

"You'd think I'd be used to this sort of thing by now." Nami muttered, sweating a little.

"The good news is that the Marines stopped firing. They're probably just as confused." Silk said while looking at them.

"Captain, what's our move?" Zoro asked. "Do we fire back or just focus on the guy?"

"What are you talking about?" Nami objected to both options. "We didn't come here to start a fight."

"They're the ones who started a fight; we'll just end it." Zoro clarified.

Light looked over at the restaurant and could see Fullbody and his date on a small rowboat sailing towards the fish-shaped ship. He then came to a decision.

"Normally, I'd agree with you, but not this time." Light said decidedly. "That Fullbody guy isn't as important as our original reason for coming here—Finding a Cook to join us. For now, let's focus on that and head inside."

Everyone accepted that decision without argument, and so it was settled. They all prepared to make their way to the Baratie, but Light gave one last look—Not to Fullbody or the restaurant, but rather at Fullbody's ship.

"Something's weird, though." Light thought as he used his Haki. "There's one particular aura I'm sensing from that ship that's different from the rest. It's really faint, like it's dying or something?" Light pondered that thought for a moment before he moved to leave with the others.

A few moments later, the Going Merry docked on the other side of the Baratie from the Marine Ship. As they lowered the anchor, Usopp was tying the boat to the sea restaurant. The five teens heard a commotion which caused them to look at the restaurant.

"Hey, what do you think that was?" Usopp wondered.

"Sounds like a fight?" Nami guessed.

"You might be right." Zoro agreed.

Light addressed the bounty hunters. "You two stay and watch the ship." He ordered. looking at Johnny and Yosaku. "We can't leave no one on board, so we'll take shifts; you guys will go first."

[We're on it, Big Bro Light!] They both said together.

As the two bounty hunters accepted the task of watching over the ship, the five crewmates hopped from their own ship down to the Baratie. Moving along the walkway set around the actual restaurant, they came to the doorway. Light approached the doors and pushed them open.

Once they entered, they looked around and saw the interior of the ship. It was a large oval-shaped room that had an expensive-looking design, a bright color scheme, windows that were all lined up against the walls, and tables scattered around the deck where the customers could dine. In the center of the room was a spiraling staircase that led to the upper decks.

Light thought that the luxurious design of this restaurant reminded him of some of the high-class restaurants he used to see in High Town, but he didn't focus on that right now as they were greeted with silence as it seemed as though everyone in the whole restaurant was frozen with fear and all staring at the same thing. The crew looked in the direction they were staring at and saw what had just happened.

"Hmm, a fight." Zoro summarized.

"And it's that same, Marine." Light noticed.

It was just as they said. Everyone was looking at the aftermath of a fight that took place in the restaurant and, from the looks of things, a very one-sided fight. Blood was dripping from Fullbody as he was held up by the chin by another man who used a single hand. The blood dripping from Fullbody's hand fell into a puddle of ruined soup beneath a broken plate on the floor.

"Don't ever waste food again." The man told a barely conscious Fullbody with a glare that was colder than ice. "At sea, if you ever provoke your cook, you're signing your own death warrant, remember that?"

The cook who said this is a slim yet muscular, long-legged man with black eyes and blond hair which he keeps brushing over one side of his face. Among Sanji's physical traits are his distinctive eyebrows. Both form a spiral but at different ends. His right eyebrow forms a spiral at the outer end, while his left eyebrow forms a spiral at the inner end. He was wearing a black, double-breasted suit with golden buttons and a tie together with a long-sleeved blue buttoned shirt with pinstripes.

While the customers and Fullbody's date were all focusing their eyes on the two of them with silent fear, most of the crew looked at them—Also staying silent as they didn't know what to make of what they were seeing. Only he seemed unbothered by what he was seeing—Instead; he watched that cook with a seemingly new interest.

Oh no! Our customer!"

Just then, the silence of the atmosphere was broken completely as the yell of a loud voice was heard by all when another cook entered the room.

This one was much stranger looking as he was a large, muscular man with wide, bulky forearms and a lot of hair on his arms and legs. He has a shaved head, large lips, and a short black beard. He wears a navy blue short-sleeved shirt with yellow buttons on both sides and light blue on the end of the sleeves. He has knee-length shorts that are the same color as his shirt, along with brown shoes. He also wears a white apron, a pink ascot, an earring in his right ear, and a white rope tied around his head. He has two heart tattoos on his left arm.

"Damn it! Not again, Sanji!" Called the man with bulky forearms. "What do you think you're doing to our customer? Can't you see he's a Marine Lieutenant!?"

"You're a terrible cook." The young man known as Sanji stared at the man. "What makes you think you can talk to me like that?"

"A crappy cook like you is calling me bad!?" The man said, stomping toward Sanji. "Restaurants can't exist without their customers! They're our lifeblood, so we don't wanna hurt them, which is what you seem to keep doing!?"

"But he deserved it." Sanji stated. "He didn't treat the food or me with respect, and he insulted all the cooks!" Sanji dropped Fullbody on the floor. "So I simply taught him a lesson."

"You're gonna regret this." Fullbody said with his head down. "All of you. No restaurant should treat its customers like this. I'll shut you down. Do you understand me!? I will shut you down! This entire place! This whole restaurant is finished! DO YOU HEAR ME!"

That only served to make Sanji angrier. "Then maybe I should just finish you off now." He remarked and approached Fullbody but was restrained by a few other chefs preventing him from getting close to the Marine Lieutenant, who became more afraid.

"Sous-Chef Sanji, stop it!" A chef shouted.

"Arrogant assholes like you who think they're such big shots thinking they can push anybody around really piss me off!" Sanji yelled while he was held back by the chefs. "You're not a big shot now! Are ya!?" His rage seemed boundless as Fullbody sat there, sweating profusely, and looked close to tears.

"Never seen a cook like that before." Light noted, not talking to anyone in particular.

"I wonder what we missed while we were outside." Usopp said quietly.

"What's going on down here?!" Yet another angry voice shouted as the person it belonged to entered the dining area.

"Geez, does everyone who works have anger issues?" Silk wondered, noticing the trend.

"Let's see who it is this time." Zoro commented as everyone looked.

The man who entered was the head chef of Baratie. He is an elderly-looking man who still retains his blonde-colored hair, which he keeps underneath his comically extra-long chef's hat that towers over everyone. He had a mustache that was considerably long and braided, along with a short beard around his chin. He wore his chef's uniform, with a blue ascot and white apron. Also, he apparently had no right leg; instead, he had a wooden peg leg, and he seemed to have no trouble walking with it.

"Owner Zeff! Can you give us a hand?" One of the chefs that were still holding Sanji back yelled out in a desperate voice. "Sanji's gone crazy again!"

The now-named Zeff looked up to see Sanji and yelled out. "Hey, Sanji! Don't tell me you went on another rampage in here, you idiot?"

Sanji stopped struggling and hollered at Zeff. "Put a cork in it, old man!"

"Oh, now you're ordering me around?! Just who do you think you're talking to!?" Zeff exclaimed. "Do you want to sink my restaurant to the bottom of the sea? You punk!" And then he walked right up and gave Sanji a good, hard kick in the face with his peg leg.

Fullbody was looking thrilled at Sanji getting a beating… At least until Zeff glared down at him. "YOU TOO!" He added, giving him a good kick in the head as well, "GET YOUR ASS OUT OF MY RESTAURANT!"

"This is one wild restaurant." Light said as a few members of his crew winced at that. "Dinner and a show."

"I don't think I like this show." Usopp winced.

Fullbody grimaced in pain as he looked up at the three cooks in front of him. "What kinda restaurant is this? That boss is like a gangster; it's almost as if… If this were a Pirate Ship."

"How can you deny our motto!?" The muscular chef yelled at Sanji. "That the customers are king!"

Sanji sneered and said. "The only kingly customers are the ones who can stomach the slop you call food."

"That's it!" Zeff yelled, looking ready to beat them both up. "If you two want to fight, you can do it in the kitchen! You understand me?"

Fullbody struggled to get up. "Are all these idiots really cooks?"

Just then, a Marine from Fullbody's ship came charging in. "L… Lieutenant… Lieutenant Fullbody! We've got trouble!"

"What now?" Nami asked.

"Sir, he escaped! Pirate Krieg's henchman attacked us and vanished!" The Marine yelled, nursing a hurt arm.

"He what!?" Fullbody exclaimed loudly and with wide eyes.

"Well, sir, we've already lost seven of our own men, and the only thing we wanted out of him was a lead to Krieg." He said, shaking as he explained.

"Impossible!" Fullbody yelled. "When we picked him up three days ago, he was right on the verge of starving to death, and we haven't fed him anything! Where'd he get the strength?!"

All the customers who were still recovering from the fight with Sanji and Zeff were now looking terrified as they began to gasp at each other. Light narrowed his eyes when he heard this information.

"A captured Pirate? He must be the dying aura I was sensing on their ship." Light deduced, still narrowing his eyes. "But… He's capable of all that while starving to death. That's impressive but concerning."

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I—"

BANG!

The Marine said before the sound of a gun went off, and he fell to the ground with a bullet in his back and a person standing behind him.

All the others customers scurried away to the further ends of the restaurant walls to distance themselves from the new arrival while the three main cooks stayed where they were, not intimidated. The crew also didn't move—Curious as to how this would play out.

The Pirate who walked in was a relatively lanky, average-sized man with short, scruffy black hair and slight stubble. His eyes are surrounded by dark rings, possibly stemming from terror and/or exhaustion. His clothes consist of an open gray-white jacket lined with twin red sea-serpent designs, a green undershirt, gray trousers, a gray headband with blue stripes, and two round earrings on each ear as he stumbled around, a gun in his hands.

"It would seem we have a new customer, sir." The muscular chef whispered to Zeff.

"He would do well to mind his manners and not cause any trouble on my ship." Zeff added darkly as Light watched him.

The man then walked over and took a seat at one of the available tables before he put a foot up. "I don't care what it is. Just bring me something to eat." He looked up at them with a frown, ignoring the blood trickling down his forehead. "Come on; this is a restaurant."

"Hello and welcome, you damn crook." The large chef greeted in a falsely cheery voice, coming up to him.

"I'm just gonna say this one more time. Bring me something to eat and make it quick." The Pirate snapped, looking at him with angry eyes, but some of them could see that he was still very weak.

"That cook is gonna get us killed." Fullbody whispered nervously.

"Of course, right away, but might I be so bold as to inquire how you're paying for your meal?" He asked with a slight chuckle.

He responded by pointing his pistol at the chef's forehead before asking. "Will a bullet be enough?"

His eyes narrowed, and he lost his polite attitude as he said. "So, you don't have any money then?" And reacting faster than blinking, he smashed the Pirate's head right into the table and broke the chair he was in right in half.

"That dumbass Patty broke another chair!" Zeff complained loudly behind them.

Silk's eyes widened for a moment before she narrowed them at the chef named Patty.

"Sorry Pirate." Patty said firmly, cracking his knuckles together as the Pirate lay there. "But our policy is to only serve "paying" customers."

Silk glared darkly at him when she heard him say that. She watched as the Pirate was holding onto his stomach, which was now rumbling loud enough for them all to hear. But it was soon drowned out as the customers cheered Patty on.

"Aww, I can hear your stomach grumbling from here, Pirate." Patty asked, mockingly at him.

"That was a fart, jerk." The Pirate snarled up at him. "Now listen… Get me something to eat now."

"WE'RE NOT GETTING YOU ANYTHING, SO BEAT IT!" Patty yelled before he then went and began to beat the Pirate, who was so weak from hunger, he could hardly raise an arm to defend himself.

While this was happening, Sanji's eyes were blank as he watched the beatdown, but he was already rolling up his sleeves and heading straight for the kitchen. On the other hand, Fullbody and his Marines quietly crawled out the door, hoping no one noticed them. Finally, Silk had reached the end of her patience and stepped forward, approaching Patty.

"Hey, Silk?" Usopp noticed her moving.

Light raised a hand to stop him from saying anything else, already able to guess what she planned on doing. Patty didn't notice her approach as he boldly continued to kick at the Pirate's body while he, at this point, stopped moving.

"Gugh?!" But of course, Patty finally noticed after he was kicked in the face by a boot that knocked him away and onto the floor.

Once again, everyone was quiet, this time out of confusion at seeing someone seemingly coming to the defense of a Pirate. Even the Pirate himself was confused.

The only ones who were unfazed were Light and Zeff—Both of whom just watched. Patty got back on his feet and rubbed his sore chin that had just been kicked as he scowled at her.

"Ow… Just what the Hell did you do that for—"

Patty stopped just short of finishing as he saw Silk giving him a glare that showed how much he had angered her, and even if he didn't want to admit it, he was intimidated.

Fortunately, nothing escalated from there as Light stepped forward and appeared beside Silk; he leaned down and picked up the arm of the starving Pirate on the floor.

"What are you doing?" He asked with confusion.

"Don't worry about it." Light merely replied with a casual smile before looking at Silk. "Let's go."

Silk nodded and gave Patty a last glare before Light hoisted the Pirate's arm over his shoulder and lifted him up to his feet before they both walked him out. As everyone watched them walk out the door, hardly anyone knew what to make of that bizarre conclusion to the situation; even the crew watched them go.

"Geez, what do you got into the two of them?" Usopp asked with a puzzled expression.

"Why are you so surprised?" Zoro answered while aloof. "Helping strangers is pretty much their whole thing if you haven't been paying attention."

After taking him out the back door, Light and Silk stopped by on the outer parts of the ship and set the Pirate down, leaning his back against the railing.

"Okay, now what should we do?" Light asked offhandedly.

"What do you mean what?" Silk retorted. "Let's take him back to our ship and give him some food."

The Pirate finally spoke, not looking at them. "You two, why are you doing this? What are you hoping to gain by attempting to help me?"

"Gain?" Light repeated as he and Silk looked at each other with the same expression. "It's not like we want something from you, we just didn't want you to starve to death, and that's pretty much it."

"Well, leave me alone." The Pirate snarled to him, but his stomach was clearly still rumbling. "I don't need sympathy, got it?"

"Even if you say that, we decided for ourselves that we won't let you die, so that's that." Light waved off his sneer.

"What?!" The Pirate looked taken aback. "You can't do that."

"Well, right now, you're not really capable of stopping us…" Silk pointed out before she sighed. "Why are we trying to convince you not to die? How are we even having this conversation?"

"Yeah, you said you wanted something to eat back in there." Light reminded him.

"I did, but under my own terms." He angrily clarified. "If I wasn't so weak from hunger, I'd be inside eating." The Pirate grunted. "And he'd be lying here."

Before they went any further, the door opened, and Sanji came out with a steaming plate of food and a glass of water. He set it down next to the Pirate before he took a seat beside him, his back leaned against the rails, and lit a cigarette. "Eat up." he told him, almost as if it was a chore he was doing.

The Pirate's eyes were wide, and he stared hungrily at the plate. But he looked away as if it took all his willpower to do so. "Take it and leave me alone! I won't accept charity." He said stubbornly. "It doesn't matter how down and out I may be. Just take the stuff away now!"

"Stop your whining and eat it already." Sanji said harshly. "I don't care what they say in there. To me, if anyone's hungry, they're a customer."

"Sorry… But I'm not your customer." He said stubbornly, but his stomach was roaring in disagreement.

Light kept his gaze on Sanji and the Pirate that refused his food. He focused on them as though he was evaluating them.

Sanji looked up into the sky with a thoughtful expression, almost grim, before he went on. "It's amazing how beautiful and cruel the ocean can be, how it's almost a death sentence to lose your food and water out here. How difficult it is to survive…? I know what it means to go hungry because of the sea more than anyone. You can die for your pride if you want. But listen, if you eat and survive, won't that give you the opportunity to fight for pride truly worth having now and in the future."

The Pirate stared at the food before he finally took the plate and practically inhaled it into his mouth.

"I'm sorry!" He gasped out, and his tears were now starting to mix in with the food, and he was wiping them away furiously, "I'm sorry! Thank you so much! I thought it was over! I truly thought I was gonna die!" He was quickly cleaning the plate, and the tears kept falling. "This food… It's delicious! I've never eaten food this good before!"

Sanji grinned. "Of course it is."

Light cracked a small smile of satisfaction, pleased at the outcome he saw between the two of them. While Silk just looked relieved at the fact that he was finally convinced to eat the food. Light then stepped forward. "Well, that's a surprise. I thought Baratie's policy was only to serve "paying" customers?"

Sanji looked up at him as if he had just now noticed he was there. "Don't believe a word that gorilla in a smock says. Our policy is to serve anyone who's hungry." He clarified. "And if they won't, I will."

"That's respectable, Sanji, right?" Silk stepped forward to introduce herself. "I'm happy to know that there's someone like you at this restaurant."

BA-DUMP!

"Ah! What a glorious sight, a beautiful grace to my eyes." Sanji swooned over to her with hearts in his eyes as he grasped her hand, his whole personality completely changing from a moment ago, which somewhat confused all three of the people around him. "You have no idea how honored I feel to hear that my actions have brought you joy; there is no greater fulfillment to me."

Silk, for some reason, felt the edge to step back as she let go of his hand. "…Uh, you're welcome?"

"Your personality changed?" Light noticed with a blink.

"Not true. I'm simply a man who has an appreciation for the finer things in life." Sanji explained, now calmer than a moment ago. "And that includes beautiful ladies."

"On an unrelated note, I have an offer for you." Light got to the point. "How about you join my crew?"

"Huh?" Sanji looked up at him, startled.

"The truth is that we came here looking for a cook to join our crew. I was hoping you'd be the one." Light told him.

"So, you two are Pirates?" Sanji said, looking him up and down, and it was clear that it didn't bother him.

"That's right, from what I've seen, you're the best cook at this restaurant, and you're good in a fight, so you're the best choice to have on our crew." Light hoped to convince.

"I must say, you have an eye for quality." Sanji smirked, not being humble. "In any case, you really don't want to do anything stupid to this place. The owner used to be a cook in a famous Pirate fleet."

"The old man with the peg leg?" Silk asked, knowing he was the owner.

"This restaurant is everything to that crazy old man." Sanji looked up at the sky again. "It's the only thing he'll need for the rest of his life. He'll do anything to protect it, on top of which all of the cooks who joined him out of respect and admiration are just as hot-headed as any Pirate. Which helps since Pirates are always coming and going out of this place."

"And Marines, too, judging from today?" Light commented.

"That's true, but this is how it is every day. It's gotten so bad the customers just come here just watch the fights." Sanji stated. "It wasn't long till all the waiters got scared and bailed."

"Is that why they have you waiting tables?" Silk asked.

"Can't be helped when we're short-staffed." Sanji pointed out.

"We're getting off-topic." Light reminded them. "So how about it, will you join us?"

"Sorry, but I can't." Sanji rejected his proposal with a hint of apology in his eyes. "There's a reason I have to work here at the restaurant, so I can't just walk away from it."

"What reason is that?" Silk sounded curious.

"I'd rather not say." Sanji gave her a suave smile. "Forgive me, while I'm sure it would be a dream come true to sail the seas with such a lovely woman like you, I'm unable to leave at the moment."

"Well, if that's how it is." Light shrugged for a moment. "That said, we have another reason for being here, and we'll be staying in these waters for a little while." He smiled at him. "So there'll be plenty of time for you to change your mind."

Sanji leaned back against the railing. "I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."

"I'm sorry to interrupt." The Pirate spoke up and got Light, Silk, and Sanji's attention to him. "My name is Gin, and I'm a crew member of Don Krieg's Pirate Fleet. And you say that you're a Pirate yourself. What is it you seek?"

"The One Piece!" Light smirked proudly. "Once we've gathered enough crewmates, we'll head to the Grand Line."

Gin's eyes widened a little, and a look of terror came over his face.

"Well, you can't have been seeking it for long." Gin said suddenly, gulping almost painfully. "If you don't even have a cook yet, your crew can't be all that big."

"That's correct." Light confirmed his suspicion. "So far, including the two of us, we only have five members."

"Four if you don't count Nami." Silk added nonchalantly.

"You seem like a nice guy, so let me give you some friendly advice, ok?" Gin said in an anxious voice. "The Grand Line is a place you want to avoid. You're still young, so there's no need to rush into anything. Remember, the Grand Line is one small part of this entire ocean." Gin finished. "If you wanna be a real Purate, there are plenty of other places out here on the sea to explore."

"You may be right about that, but there's a reason I have to go to the Grand Line." Light told him, not swayed by his warning.

"What possible reason could that be?" Gin asked, still hoping he could be convinced.

"Let me answer that question with a question. From what those Marines said, you were already on the verge of dying from hunger when they found you, and after that, you went three days without eating anything. It wouldn't have been weird for you to have dropped dead at some point from all that, and yet, you still survived and even had the strength to walk around and fight." Light summarized before looking him in the eye. "That's not the kind of strength you can muster just because you don't want to die. I believe there was another reason you still had all that fight left in you; it was for the sake of someone else, wasn't it?"

It was clear that Light's assumption was right on the money. Gin was surprised that someone he had just met had been able to see his intentions so clearly.

Light continued. "There's someone who was waiting for you out there, isn't there? Someone you felt like you needed to return to, no matter what, and so you couldn't afford to let yourself die, and you got back to them. That's why you kept fighting, isn't it?"

"You're right." Gin looked down and started to shake again. "It's my Captain; I was separated from him and the rest of my crew when the Marines got me. Things weren't looking good for us when I left, and now I have to get back to them. I need to know that they're okay."

"Then, you understand that I have somewhere I need to be as well." Light walked over to the railing and looked out at the distant horizon of the ocean. "There's someone waiting for me out there, and he's on the Grand Line." He then looked back at Gin with a wide grin. "So, I can't keep him waiting forever, can I?"

"I see." Gin said softly with a new understanding. "I suppose if that's the case, I can't really say anything to convince you, and honestly, I'm the last person who should be telling someone not to do something crazy."

"Still, though, it would help if we knew more about the Grand Line before going there." Silk noted as she faced Gin. "Since you seem to know some things about the Grand Line, is there anything you can share with us?"

"I can't…" Gin said at once, but he was shaking in such a way that they could tell that he was lying. "I don't know anything!" He said, his hand up and gripping half of his face as if he remembered a bad memory. "I don't understand it…! And that is why I fear it!"

"For being a member of Don Krieg's, you're a pretty wimpy Pirate." Sanji said.

"Not really; I've seen much wimpier." Silk informed him.

"Does she mean Coby or Usopp?" Light wondered to him. "Either one is a possibility."

Later on, after everything was sorted out, Gin was now in a small boat that he had stolen from the Marines. Now that he was well-fed and back to full strength, it was time for him to sail away.

Gin looked at Sanji, his eyes filled with gratitude and respect. He sounded like a different person as he looked at them. He spoke, his tone filled with appreciation. "Thank you for everything. You saved my life, and I owe you for that. You're cooking skills are the best I've ever seen." He smiled. "I hope to come back again sometime."

Sanji smiled back. "I'll have a seat for you." He promised.

"And we'll help pay in case you show up broke again." Light joked a bit.

"Help…" Gin mumbled quietly. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you two." He pointed at Silk. "You especially."

"Me?" Silk asked.

"Why did you help me?" Gin asked, truly wanting to know. "I was a stranger and a Pirate from a different crew. There was no reason or need to stick up for me when I was getting beaten in there, but you helped me and even offered to get me some food; why?"

"Do I need a reason to not want to see someone die?" Silk gave him a simple answer.

Gin was taken aback. It was as though her answer only made him more confused than answered his curiosity. Silk continued.

"I hated what was happening in there." Silk crossed her arms. "You were Pirate, you didn't have money, all those things didn't change the fact that you were a starving man, and he was violently attacking you knowing that you couldn't fight back, and everyone else did nothing but cheer, that was deprived, and I hated seeing so I stepped in."

"I felt the same way. People aren't supposed to discriminate on who it is they save from dying." Light added, of the same opinion. "Dying from hunger is a terrible thing. It's long and painful; I wouldn't wish it on anyone. And if it turns out that saving them means they'll do something bad afterward, I'll deal with it then."

Gin almost didn't know what to say; it was clear that he was unused to being on the receiving end of kindness from others, and so he didn't know how to respond other than eyes that were filled with gratitude. Sanji had a look of satisfaction and approval on his face, as though he was both pleased with their opinions and agreed with them completely.

"SANJI!" yelled a familiar voice, and they looked up to see Zeff was up on the higher balconies and glaring down at them. "Get up here now!"

"Owner Zeff." He said with a sigh.

"You're hard to find." He barked before his eyes found the clean plate on the deck and easily put two and two together. Sanji was looking a little apprehensive as he hissed for Gin to just get going.

"Gin, go." Sanji said.

Gin looked terribly guilty as he tried to apologize to Sanji. "Sorry, you'll probably get yelled at or fired," Gin frowned. "'Cause you gave me that food for free."

Sanji didn't look concerned at all as he picked up the plate, fork, and glass. "Whatever…" He said before he dumped the utensils into the sea. "There." He said, smirking, "Now there's no proof, so there's no way I can get yelled at."

Gin looked ready to cry again as Zeff, and the other two looked at him.

"Try not to get caught again, you hear?" Sanji called to him as Gin spread the sail and allowed the wind to carry him off.

"Good luck at sea, Gin." Light called out, waving goodbye.

"Don't let the Marines see you sailing around." Silk said with a smile.

Then, as he left, Gin fell to his knees and bowed his head low. "Thank you again, Chef Sanji! All of you! I will never forget the kindness the three of you showed me!"

They watched him go until he was far enough that they could barely see him anymore. Once he was gone, Zeff yelled once again.

"Sanji!" Zeff called. "Get back to work already!" Then he headed back inside.

"Well, I better head back into the kitchen." Sanji sighed as he headed for the door. "All those other idiots can't cook a decent meal to save their lives."

"Captain, let's go back inside as well." Silk suggested. "I'm sure the others are wondering what we've been doing out here for so long."

"Okay, but speaking of being out here for so long." Light looked up at the higher balcony that Zeff was on a minute ago. "The old man."

"What about him?" Silk asked.

"He yelled when Gin was about to leave, but he arrived a lot sooner than that." Light informed her. "He's actually been up there right before Gin started eating."

Silk stopped before she smiled when she understood what that meant. "I guess he never had to worry about getting in trouble."

With that, the two of them also went back inside and walked through the back door again.

Later, after reentering the restaurant's dining area. Light and Silk walked around before they found Zoro, Nami, and Usopp, sitting together at one of the tables. They approached them as the rest of the crew took notice of their arrival.

"There you guys are." Nami said impatiently. "Where have you been, and what took you so long to get back?"

"How'd things go with that Pirate?" Zoro asked in a more casual manner.

"About that…" Light pulled up a chair and sat at the table with them, and Silk did the same. "There's something I want you guys to know."

Light then explained to them in detail everything that happened outside the restaurant, everything involving Gin, learning more about Sanji, and how Light was hoping to recruit him into the crew.

"So, you think he's the cook we should have on our crew?" Usopp asked.

"I feel like he fits the description of what we were looking for." Light pointed out.

"Plus, he seems to take being a cook a lot more seriously than anyone here, which is saying a lot." Silk added.

"But he already said no, so unless you know how to change his mind, this isn't really a solution." Nami reminded him.

"That's the thing; I've decided that we'll stick around here for a short while." Light decided for the crew. "We'll stay docked near the restaurant for at least a week; if we can convince Sanji to join us in that time, everything will work out."

"What if we can't?" Usopp questioned.

"Then we move on." Silk answered that question. "Even if we're in need of a cook, there's no point in staying around in one place for no good reason. If he doesn't want to join that badly, then that's that."

"Well, I have no problem with it." Zoro proclaimed. "If we stay for a while, that'll give me a better chance to find out if those rumors about Hawkeye being around these waters are true."

"Yeah, that…" Light momentarily trailed off when Zoro brought up that topic. "Anyways, does anyone else have a problem with staying?"

"I don't see the harm. This is a nice restaurant, so I'm happy to stay for a little while; it'll be like a miniature vacation." Nami decided.

"No problems with me either." Usopp agreed.

"Then, it's settled." Light said before adding a humorous comment. "Though, as the Captain, it was already settled after I decided it, but I'm glad there are no complaints."

Some of them laughed a little at the joke as they caught the attention of Sanji, who happened to be nearby. At a table just across from the Pirates', Sanji was pouring a woman a glass of wine and likely flirted with her, much to her date's irritation.

"Aren't they quaint?" Sanji said as he stared at the group. "I wonder if that's the rest of his crew." One person, in particular, caught Sanji's eye, which just so happened to be Nami, who was still in a laughing fit. "Finish pouring it yourself."

Soon enough, the crew stopped when Sanji arrived at their table. They turned around to find Sanji kneeling in front of Nami with a flower in his hand.

"Oh, dear ocean, thank you for this treasure you have shared from your depths." Sanji remarked. Nami leaned away and was surprised as she didn't even see him there. It was like he had just appeared. "Oh yes, my love!" Sanji dramatically gripped his face. "I can't bear this hardship of loving from afar! It is too difficult!"

"This is the guy?" Zoro whispered to Light with a cringe.

"I know, bad first impression." Light whispered back.

Sanji then moved over to Silk and gave her a flower as well, which he seemingly pulled out of nowhere. "Ah, but of course, I haven't forgotten about you to think that there were not one but two heavenly beauties on the same crew. I am now prepared to sail the ends of the earth as a Pirate if it means sailing with two ladies of your beauty will be by my side!"

Sanji looked up at her with his visible eye in the shape of a heart. Light had an awkward smile on his face, Nami looked a bit surprised at suddenly being swooned over, Silk looked uncomfortable at seeing this happen again, and Zoro looked annoyed at the blonde's personality.

"To be together sailing the seas!" Sanji continued. "But how tragic a great obstacle blocks our way!"

"And that great obstacle would be me, right, Sanji?" Zeff asked as he walked up.

"Stupid geezer." Sanji muttered as he was knocked out of his love trance, glaring at his old boss in annoyance.

"This is an opportunity you don't want to pass up." Owner Zeff told him suddenly, and some of the crew were surprised by the odd gentleness in Zeff's tone. "Why not join them and become a Pirate? I have no need to keep you at my restaurant." Chef Zeff informed him, finishing his sentence coldly.

Sanji glared at him. "Hey, listen, pal." He said in barely more than a whisper. "I'm the sous-chef in this place! What do you mean you don't need me anymore?"

Zeff leaned up against a table and answered. "You fight with customers all the time… You flirt with every woman under eighty that walks through here… You can't even cook a decent meal." Sanji's eyes twitched angrily at those words. "You're as worthless to me as the chum after brunch." Zeff finished. "That's what I mean."

"So ah…" Sanji said as they heard the chefs all laugh from their place in the kitchen above them, and he sneered up at them.

"Oh, and let's not forget how the other chefs avoid you like you were poison." Owner Zeff finished up. "So just run off and become a Pirate or whatever but get out of this restaurant."

"That's how it is?" Sanji hissed back. "You shoot off at the mouth and expect that I'm just gonna take it, old man?" He slowly walked towards him. "I can blow off everything you said, but I won't let anyone trash my cooking! I'm staying here as a chef, and that's final!" He grabbed him by the front of his coat and yelled. "YOU HEAR ME?"

Everyone in the restaurant was now staring at him as Zeff looked completely indifferent.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zeff demanded angrily. "Grabbing your boss by the collar?" Throwing his hand off, he threw Sanji as though he weighed no more than a sack of flour. "YOU INGRATE!" He screamed, throwing him into their table and smashing it apart.

"Geezer!" Cursing, Sanji sat up among the wreckage of the table and said. "Enough of the games. You can try to kick me out—But I'm here to stay. I'm not going anywhere, old man. Not till you're dead and gone!"

Zeff didn't seem interested as he turned and left, but perhaps a trace of annoyance and even… Disappointment was in his eyes. "Dead? Ha! I got another hundred years of kicking your ass left in me!"

"He's always gotta have the last word." Sanji hissed to himself.

Walking past the wreckage of what was their table, the crew stood together as Light also watched Zeff go and comment. "That is one stubborn old man."

"You don't know the half of it." Sanji completely agreed with that statement, still angry at him.

"He almost reminds me of Gramps." Light thought to himself. "And that's a terrible thing to consider."

He propped the table up and set the chairs. "My apologies." He placed two fancy glasses of fruit in front of Nami and Silk, much to the delight of the former. "I hope I can make it up to you with this delightful fruit Macedonia, my princesses."

"Wow, you're too kind." Nami chirped. "It looks wonderful."

"Good." Sanji smiled.

Silk picked it up, not as drawn in as Nami though. "Well, it does look nice."

"Hey! Don't forget about us, Mister Casanova!" Usopp yelled angrily at being ignored. "We better get some kind of apology."

"This tea should be more than adequate for you." Sanji growled, getting in Usopp's face. "In fact, you should be thanking me."

"What!?" Usopp shouted. "You wanna fight! You're gonna regret this! Take him out, Zoro!" Usopp commanded the Swordsman, but he just ignored him since he was having a drink.

"You take him out." Zoro said with no interest whatsoever.

"Usopp, don't pick a fight if you aren't willing to see it through." Light chided him.

"Hey, I'm more than willing!" Usopp told his Captain. "I just can't because I might've pulled a muscle on the ship earlier."

"Stop it." Nami pleaded with false modesty. "Please don't fight because of me."

"Of course, my dear." Sanji swooned with his eye in a heart shape.

"I can't understand why anyone would ever want to fight over you." Silk casually berated her.

"Well, it's not you that everyone's making a big fuss over." Nami shot back, being passive-aggressive.

"Whatever." Silk harrumphs unconcerned.

Nami looked back up at Sanji and gave him an innocent smile. "I wanted to tell you that..." She began.

"Yeah?" Sanji said, still smitten.

"That all of the food here is just delicious." Nami remarked, touching Sanji's face. "But it's a little too expensive for me."

"Relax, it's free!" Sanji announced as Nami pulled him into a hug, much to the blonde's pleasure.

"Oh, thank you!" Nami exclaimed happily.

"And, of course, yours is free too." Sanji assured Silk. "You guys still have to pay though." Sanji said to the guys with a sneer.

"What?!" Usopp snapped.

"How very "generous" of you." Zoro remarked sarcastically.

"I'm afraid that I can't accept that offer." Silk told Sanji, prompting him and some of the others to look at her. "While I appreciate the sentiment, we're not hurting for money, and if my friends are paying for their meals, then Nami and I will too."

"Hey! Don't drag me into this." Nami said with irritation, but she was ignored.

"I assure madam that it's no trouble whatsoever. Rather, it's a privilege." Sanji promised her. "It would be uncouth of me to demand payment from a lady when it's my sacred duty to serve her as a chef."

"But, it's also a chef's duty not to discriminate on who they serve." Silk argued, not being swayed. "Aside from that, I'm not the type of woman who takes advantage of the good graces of others. Even if you don't want to, I want to pay for my food. Isn't that enough?"

"Ah, such a magnanimous outlook. It sends my heart aflutter." Sanji swooned over her once again, dramatically placing a hand over his chest. "If that is truly what you desire, then I will humbly accept it. I shall begin preparations for your meals, any preference?"

"Surprise us." Silk merely replied.

Without waiting to see if anyone of the guys had anything to add to that order, Sanji took off towards the kitchen so that he could personally cook their meals, planning to pay special attention to the ones meant for Nami and Silk. Once he was gone, Usopp let out a groan.

"That guy's hard to deal with." He complained.

"Not as much as some people." Nami narrowed her eyes at Silk. "What's with you? Why would you ever want to pay for something you can get for free?"

Silk huffed. "Oh, excuse me, but unlike someone I know, I'm not a shallow woman who fishes for free handouts."

"I'm not shallow." Nami denied it, somewhat insulted. "It's more like you're just too uptight."

"Well, obviously, one of us has to be." Silk retorted.

"Please, you've got to be the worst Pirate in the world if you always want to pay for things." Nami berated her with a scoff.

"You're one to talk, considering you're a pretty bottom-tier thief." Silk shot back with her own scoff.

As they were going back and forth on each other, Zoro blinked at them, somewhat put off by what he was seeing, and looked over at Light.

"Maybe I haven't been paying attention but have they always been this passive-aggressive towards each other, or did something happen recently?" He asked, sweating a little.

"I'm not sure." Light was also stumped. "I guess it's just a woman thing." He shrugged.

Later that same day, after they finished eating, the crew went back to the Going Merry and were each doing their own things again. Zoro was alone by the ship's stern and polishing his White-hilt Sword. He was so focused on his Sword that he didn't notice Light approaching him.

"Hey, Zoro." Light addressed him.

Zoro looked up, only now aware of his presence. "Captain?"

"Can I talk to you about something?" Light asked.

"What is it." Zoro remained sitting.

"I figured now's the time to bring this up. You're hoping that Hawk-Eye shows up somewhere around here, and hypothetically speaking, if he were to show up, what's your plan of action?" Light asked though he could pretty much guess.

"That's obvious; I plan on challenging him for his title." Zoro stated.

"You'll lose." Light stated bluntly.

"Huh?" Zoro rose to his feet and scowled at him.

"I'm not putting you down, I know how strong you are, but I also know how strong he can be. When I compare the two, you don't measure up." Light didn't mince words.

"Have you met him once before?" Zoro asked, now curious.

Light shook him. "No, but when I was younger, I knew a guy who fought him, and if they're on the same level, then Hawk-Eye is a monster beyond anything you've seen."

"I was always prepared for something like that. I can't let myself be swayed because of it." Zoro said stubbornly. "You can't know that I'll lose just because of what you've heard."

"Then how about this—Do you think you could beat me in a fight?" Light gave an example.

"I…" Zoro paused, scowling as he looked at Light and then away. "Probably not, but I have to at least try. This is my dream, remember?"

Light closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and paused for a bit before he looked at him. "Zoro… I remember the promise we made that day we met."

Zoro was caught off guard when Light suddenly brought that up. It wasn't really that long ago, and yet it feels like ancient history.

"Your dream is more important to you than your life, and I'll die by your Sword before I interfere with reaching that dream." Light recited their promise. "But you also need to remember that you're the First Mate of our crew, and I am your Captain, so you have to follow my orders…" He told him, getting Zoro's full attention. "So I'm ordering you, whether you fight him or not, don't die."

Now Zoro was the one who was quiet. He processed what Light had said to him and could tell what he meant. Their journey had just started, and they were on the verge of going to the Grand Line. It would hurt the crew unimaginably if the First Mate was the first one to die. As they looked at each other for a while, not saying anything but almost as if they could tell what the other was thinking, Zoro was the first to move as he placed his Sword back around his waist and walked away with only one sentence uttered.

"Understood, Captain."

With that, Zoro walked down the stairs, and Light was left alone with his thoughts as he looked out at the ocean.

"Ideally, I'm hoping he just doesn't show up, but my luck has always caused things to go terribly wrong." Light thought to himself.

Days passed, and the fourth day since the crew arrived at the sailing restaurant had come. It's been some time since the crew and bounty-hunting duo had been anchored beside Baratie. The days had been uneventful, though today had been unusually foggy even since the afternoon came. Right now, everyone on the crew except Light was on the Going Merry.

"We've been sitting around, twiddling our thumbs for four days now." Usopp sighed with boredom. "How long do you think we're gonna be here anyway."

"Relax, there are just a few more days." Zoro reminded him

"He said we'll stay a week." Usopp moped. "But I'm already so bored."

"Quit your whining." Nami retorted. "This place is great. Plus, all the food here is free."

"For you, it is." Zoro pointed out with annoyance.

"No, it's not." Silk argued with her statement. "Every time you sucker Sanji for free food, I keep going back to pay the bill."

"You're no fun." Nami complained.

"We have different ideas on what's fun." Silk retorted.

Meanwhile, by one of the railings on the outside of the restaurant, Light and Sanji were having another conversation. They frequently conversed during the days since he arrived.

"So, just to clarify, you wearing a suit all the time has nothing to do with filling in for the waiters?" Light asked.

"No, though I can't tell you how often I've been mistaken for a waiter." Sanji answered with a hint of bitterness. "The suit is just for my taste in aesthetics and, of course, to charm the ladies."

"It always seems to circle back to that topic." Light noticed.

The heavy fog around the Baratie and the Going Merry was starting to clear up. Through the fog came a large Pirate ship making its way to the Baratie and shadowed the sea restaurant since it was so large. The flag upon the ship was a skull and crossbones with hourglasses on either side of it. On closer inspection, the ship was barely held together and had taken some heavy damage.

It started when one person noticed the approaching ship, and that sparked a reaction from everyone else inside the dining area. The terrified customers all got out of their seats and looked out the nearby windows to see for themselves. Soon everyone was looking out the nearest window.

While the customers started to panic and even the cooks started to tremble, Light, Sanji, and the crew, who were all outside, noticed something was wrong as well.

"Guys, don't panic!" Usopp alarmed. "But I think this our cue to leave right now!"

"Look at the sheer size of that galleon!?" Nami gaped.

"No doubt, that's the flagship of the Krieg Pirates." Silk noted.

"And that's bad news." Zoro judged.

"Take a look at that." Light exclaimed with Sanji beside him. "I'm guessing Gin came back sooner than expected."

"Yeah, for better or for worse." Sanji said with a grim expression.

"Have a look at those damages." Light pointed at the ship. "No natural disaster could do something like that."

The giant galleon was a mess. The sails were ripped through in places. The figurehead of a black panther from hell with larger-than-average teeth had a huge chunk of it sheared off. The main mast looked as if it had been sliced through at one point and hastily repaired right below the lower mast.

"It doesn't seem like damage inflicted by cannons either." Sanji noticed, taking a close look at the ship. "In fact, it doesn't look man-made at all."

"You're wrong." Light said without looking away from the ship. "It was definitely man-made. The question is—What kind of man is responsible?"

At that point, both of them narrowed their eyes when they saw the figure of a large man appear on the bow of the ship who they both knew had to be the Captain.

"There he is." Sanji whispered.

Everyone was quiet. After a tense few minutes of hearing heavy footsteps approaching, the front door of the restaurant creaked open, and Gin stood under the doorway with a large man leaning against his shoulder. His gray, almost purplish hair was cut short, but he left his sideburns long. He wore a fur-lined brown coat over his cheetah print button-up and purple pants. He also had gauze wrapped around his head, and he looked dead in the eyes.

"…I beg you, I need food… And water…" Krieg asked weakly. "We have money…Lots of money… Please, it's been so. I don't even remember the last time I ate. Please, sir… I need food and drink… I'm begging you…."

Gin gritted his teeth, and he got tenser and tenser with every plea his captain breathed out. The restaurant was too frightened and focused on this supposedly menacing Pirate Captain that no one seemed to notice Sanji turning brusquely on his heels and making his way to the back of the room, where the dumbwaiter was. No one except Light.

"No, this can't be…." A cook whispered with confusion.

"Where's the death and destruction?" Patty whispered, equally as lost. "Is this really the Don Krieg? Commodore of the Grand Pirate Fleet?"

Don Krieg soon ran out of strength completely and slipped out of Gin's grasp before he fell limply to the ground.

"C-C-Captain!" Gin cried as Don Krieg fell. "Don Krieg! Please help him!" He begged the cooks. "Our Captain is on the brink of starvation. He could die! He hasn't had a single bite to eat for days. He'll die if he doesn't get some food soon!"

Despite his pleas, not one single person there looked sympathetic and just stayed where they were, none of them feeling motivated at all to save the starving Krieg.

"Pwahahahah!" Patty laughed from the middle of the stairs. "This is great! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. The great Don Krieg, kneeling before us!"

"Hey! We have some money!" Gin shouted, hoping to convince them. "We're here as customers this time!"

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" Patty barked back before turning to one of the cooks. "Hey, get a hold of the Marines right away!"

"What?" Gin gasped.

"He's finally weak enough to be captured. This may never happen again, and I'm not gonna ruin it by helping him get his strength back!" Patty shouted, and the people around him started to murmur in agreement.

"Once he's back to normal, he'll kill every last person in this restaurant." Another chef angrily accused him. "He won't get so much as a glass of water from me."

Gin was reaching the peak of desperation as he didn't know what he could do, but Don Krieg acted on his own.

"I won't… Do anything…" Krieg gasped as he got into a groveling position. "I won't do anything… Once I eat… I promise…I'll leave quietly… So, please…Be merciful and help me…."

"You're a King, Don Krieg! Stop it!" Gin begged for his Captain to raise his head as actual tears were threatening to spill from his eyes. "Please don't reduce yourself to this; you're better than a common beggar; please, sir, what about your Pride?!"

Don Krieg didn't have an answer for Gin and simply continued. "I promise… Please…I'll take the scraps… I'll take anything… Anything."

Gin couldn't bear to watch anymore. "…Don."

The sound of footsteps made Light glance away from the begging Pirate, and he let out a small smile when he saw Sanji make his way over to him with a giant metal bowl of fried rice and a bottle of wine.

Patty, however, was unmoved as he had been by Gin's straits days ago. "Ha! Boohoo for the cruel Pirate!"

"Hey… Step aside, Patty." He grumbled, and with a smooth roundhouse kick, he sent his colleague smashing into the wall before toppling over the railing and crashing down to the floor below.

"S-Sanji!" Gin gasped as Sanji casually walked over to him and Krieg and placed the bowl of food in front of them.

"Here's something for your Captain." Sanji said softly as an Angel of mercy.

"Thank you, Sanji…." Gin's simple sentence couldn't express the boundless amount of gratitude he felt toward the cook.

"Thank you!" Krieg cried tearfully as he shoveled the food into his mouth.

A cook named Carne, with rounded sunglasses and a blue ascot tied around his chef's coat, came sprinting down the steps and over to Sanji. "You dimwit! Get that food away from him right now! Don't you realize he's a cold, heartless, killing machine?!" Carne demanded. "This is the man known as the Ruler of the East Blue! The most treacherous of all Pirates! It all started back in prison. He pretended to be a Marine." He started telling the story of Don Krieg. "And when he decided to declare his Pirate ambitions, he took command of a Marine vessel by killing the senior officer. He would raise the Marine flag to enter ports, then lay waste to the unsuspecting cities and pester ships there. He even shows the white flag of surrender before attacking enemy ships. He did anything to secure victory. He's also unmatched in physical combat, you think he'll just leave us alone? I've got news for you, that's not possible with a blood-thirsty killer like him! He deserves death—"

THWACK!

If Sanji had thought such a thing, he was soon proven to be wrong. Krieg gulped down the last of his food and swiftly reared up, crossing the distance between himself and Sanji in a single breath. Before Sanji could move back or defend himself, he was clotheslined in the throat, sending him flying back before landing flat on his back.

"S…SANJI!" Carne cried out in horror as his fears had come true.

"AHHHHH!" The diners screamed as this act caused a reaction. Everyone raced out of the restaurant and stamped onto the passenger ship that was docked right outside the restaurant before sailing away as fast as they could.

Gin gasped, just as surprised as everyone at the actions of his Captain. "This is not what we agreed on! You gave me your word. I only brought you here because you promised that you wouldn't ruin this place. Or hurt the man who saved us!"

Don Krieg grabbed his crew member by the shoulder and lifted him up to his feet, squeezing the muscle and making Gin groan in pain.

"Yes, that was delicious." Krieg said coldly and twisted his hand. At the sound of Gin's shoulder dislocating, Krieg dropped him to the floor. "I feel alive again!"

"GIN!" Light yelled, angered at what Krieg had just done to his own crewmate. "That lowlife."

Krieg slowly scanned the room, and a smirk grew on his thick lips. "This is a pretty good nice ship." He stated. "I believe that I'll take it."

Sanji shakily got up. Blood dripped down the corner of his lips, and he glared at the pirate. "Right… I see."

Krieg smirked victoriously as he addressed all of them. "As you can all see, my ship is a wreck. Naturally, I'll be needing a nice new one. After a few small chores, every last one of you will leave the ship."

"Don Krieg… You promised! Please!" Gin grunted from the floor.

"Gin! Are you alright?!" Light demanded.

Krieg did not share the same sentiment, and he ignored his own crew member while pointing behind him, out the door, and towards the ship he had sailed in on. "There are about a hundred men left on board my ship. All are weak from hunger, and many are seriously wounded. If you value your lives, you will prepare food and water for every last one of them. I've lost too many men to hunger already. Bring them over immediately!"

"You're telling us to feed our executioners?!" Carne demanded incredulously. "Do you hear how stupid that sounds?! We refuse!"

Krieg scoffed. "You refuse? I wasn't asking you. Now, make no mistake, you wretched cook, I'm not placing an order. I'm giving you one." He clarified before shouting angrily. "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?! DON'T DEFY MEEEEEEEEE!"

All the cooks stepped back or flinched with intimidation. Light just looked annoyed at him. "God, shut up. Why do I keep running into these types?"

"S-Sanji…" Gin breathed apologetically. "Sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"You see?! Look what you've brought to this restaurant, you stupid bastard!" Patty yelled at Sanji from the bottom of the steps.

Sanji stared at Don Krieg with a glare before he got up to his feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Then he headed back up the stairs.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Patty demanded.

Sanji wiped the blood from his face with his thumb, and he nodded at Gin. "To the kitchen. Looks like I'll be cooking 100 more meals today."

"Sanji?!" Gin gasped.

[WHAT?!] The cook cried out in unison. [Are you crazy?!]

"Good. Hop to it." Krieg ordered with a smirk.

"This guy is beyond unbelievable." Light thought, not necessarily thinking that was a bad thing.

Before Sanji could take any step further, he found thirty shovel-sized knives and forks pointed at his throat by his own colleagues. This made Krieg frown in annoyance, though Sanji didn't seem surprised at their reaction.

"Tell me the truth, Sanji? Are you his spy or something?" One of the cooks demanded.

"We can't let you go anywhere near that kitchen!" Another cook exclaimed.

"We're fed up with you acting insane!" A third cook shouted.

Sanji took a drag of his cigarette and then blew it out his nose. "All right." He said and then lifted his chin up higher to lengthen his neck, shocking all of them. "Stop me if you wish."

No one moved as they all watched Sanji, but Light momentarily looked up when he felt someone leave the room. It appeared as though he was the only one who noticed Owner Zeff enter the kitchen himself.

"I know… It's no secret that Don Krieg is a terrible, ruthless man." Sanji stated. "But that doesn't matter to me. It doesn't matter! After we feed all these men...Who knows what's going to happen? I am just a simple cook. No more and no less. If someone's going hungry, it's my duty to feed them. That's all I know; whadda ya say, is that wrong?"

Silence filled the room once again. None of them had an answer for his profound philosophy.

BOINK!

"Gah!" Sanji was caught off guard by a strong blow to the back of his head that knocked him to the floor.

"Patty?!" Carne shouted the name of the person responsible.

"Hey! Somebody, grab him." Patty directed them, unmoved by Sanji's words. "You bring free food to the bums I kick out of this place, over and over again! And I'm not about to argue about who's right in that particular situation, but this time, you're just flat-out wrong, Sanji. I can't let you do things like that anymore!" Sanji gave the larger man a death glare as he walked to the back cupboard of the room. "We're going to protect this place. Fortunately, we've got numbers on our side. It is Don Krieg, but what can he do against all of us?"

Don Krieg just kept watching them with a permanent scowl glued to his face. Patty rummaged through the shelves until he pulled out a large object that was wrapped in white linen.

"At a joint like this, Pirate scum bags come and go all day. We're fully prepared to serve any kind of customer! I really hope you've saved some room for dessert 'cause I have a secret recipe that is TRULY TO DIE FOR!" He pulled back the linen, revealing a handheld cannon shaped and painted like a shrimp, and he shot it right at Don Krieg. "Open wide! Here comes the Meat Ball Of Doom!"

KABOOM!

It blasted right into Don Krieg's chest. Smoke and debris engulfed the entire room and shot through both the front and back doors. The whole ship shook with tremors from the aftershock. It took a good minute for the smoke to start clearing out, and when it did, Patty stood victoriously with the smoking gun in his hand.

"Don!" Gin shouted with concern for his Captain.

"I might've broken the door. I sure hope Owner Zeff doesn't yell at me again." he grunted.

"He might go easy on you for saving the restaurant and all." One of the cooks reasoned.

"So, what are we going to do about all the guys left on Krieg's ship?" Sanji wondered, still on the floor.

"Fry 'em." Patty suggested mocking. "Cover it in batter and fry the entire thing."

"Hey, genius, take a closer look." Light advised Patty, not taking his eyes off the smoke. "It's not over."

Before they could ask what he was talking about, a voice talked through the smoke. "Are you a chef or a comedian? Because your jokes are lame."

As the smoke cleared entirely and revealed a still standing and very angry Don Krieg. He was not only unscathed, but his fur cloak was also gone, revealing his entire steel armored suit that shined like gold, with guns armed and ready at his shoulders and hips.

"And that dessert was terrible! The worst I've ever had!" Don Krieg roared with murderous rage as he started to fire all of his guns, including two that he held in each hand. "SO DIEEEEEE!"

"AH!" The cooks shouted as they ducked behind tables and chairs before they became riddled with bullets. Sanji was able to avoid them, and Gin just kept his head down. Light didn't even need to move as all the bullets just sailed past him. As he stopped firing, Krieg put away his guns and started yelling.

"You cooks should not have defied me!" Krieg warned once again, and he pulled off his gloves, revealing diamond-covered fists. "I am by far the World's Strongest Man! Arms made of solid steel! wootz steel body armor! Impenetrable! And a diamond fist that can pound this entire world to dust—In addition to the weapons on my body—I have a fleet of 50 ships with 5000 Pirates! My record is perfect! I've won every single battle that I've ever been in! I am Don, and I'm the only one fit to be called Don! When I give you slime-balls an order, you to follow it down to the letter! Don't you ever disobey me!"

It seemed as though every word that Krieg said was just continuously provoking Light, and he was quickly running out of patience. "This is beyond pathetic."

It looked like he was ready to just step forward and silence Don Krieg himself when suddenly, someone else beat him to the punch and stood before Don Krieg first.

Owner Zeff appeared in front of him with a giant sack that was twice the size of his body. Owner Zeff placed the sack in front of Don Krieg. "This is about 100 meals. Now, take it to your men right away."

[WHAT?! Owner Zeff?!] The cooks cried out in disbelief.

Krieg's eyes practically bugged out of their sockets at the sight of the owner, and his jaw dropped. Sweat beaded around his forehead, dripping through the gauze around his head, and he gulped. "Y-Y-You're?!" He gasped. "You're… Red Foot Zeff!"

Zeff turned and looked like he wanted to leave the room. The rest of the cooks were all demanding to know what he was thinking for feeding them… About how they'd lose their ship for sure if the Pirates got their strength back.

"That would be true." Zeff answered coolly but not sounding at all worried. "If they still had the will to fight." They all looked at him in confusion, but he continued. "Tell me…" Zeff went on as he looked back at Krieg. "Did your will survive defeat? You Grand Line dropout?"

The words slowly dawned on them all. That Don Krieg had run away from the Grand Line, and now they were all staring up at him… His face was replaced with a very ugly look. But he never stopped staring at Zeff as Gin cowered by his side.

"T-That can't be…." One of the cooks muttered.

"The great Don Krieg was defeated?" Another cook said in disbelief.

"Not even he could do it…" Carne added in shock. "A Pirate Fleet with 50 ships couldn't make it on the Grand Line."

Krieg finally addressed Zeff again. "It is you, isn't it? You're Red Foot Zeff!" He sounded awestruck before he narrowed his eyes and composed himself. "So, you are alive. The unrivaled Pirate Captain who was also the ship's cook?"

"Yes, that's right, I am still alive, but what does any of this got to do with you?" Zeff calmly asked back. "I haven't been a Pirate for many years now. I chose the life of a cook."

Krieg's eyes went to Zeff's peg leg. Then he threw back his head and laughed. "Chose the life of a cook, huh? Yeah, right. You didn't have a choice, old man. You live as a cook because the only thing you can be now is a cook." He sneered at the old chef. "He was known far and wide, 'Red Foot' Zeff was a master of deadly kicks who never used his hands in battle. It was said that with his mighty legs, he could crush bedrock to sand and even leave footprints on solid steel. 'Red Foot' referred to his boots, which became soaked in the blood of his enemies as he kicked them down…. You know, it really is a pity that you no longer have that precise leg of yours…" He then smirked mockingly at him. "I heard that rumor some time ago. How unlucky for you to have such an accident at sea. Now that your greatest weapon has been sacrificed to the sea, you're defenseless, completely unable to fight."

But Zeff didn't show any fear as he continued to look at them with a bored expression.

"I don't need to fight anymore." He said coolly as he held up his hands. "I'm a cook. And as long as I have my two hands for that, I'll be fine. Now enough chit-chat. Let's get to the point. What do you want from me?"

Krieg smiled maliciously. "'Red Foot'. You're the man who sailed the peerless waters of the Grand Line and came back unscathed, impressive." He then said what he wanted. "There should be a logbook detailing your tactics—A full year of your journey there. Give that to me, now!"

"Is that true?" Light asked him curiously, the only other person there, along with Zeff, who was unfazed by the situation. "You spent a year sailing the Grand Line?"

"Yeah." Zeff said nonchalantly, and then he frowned at Krieg. "My logbook, huh? You're right. I do indeed have a record of my travels… But I will never hand it over to you." The smirk on Krieg's face disappeared. "You ignorant brute, that logbook is sacred to me. It's the pride of the crewmen that I sailed with. It's far too important to give to you."

"All right… I'll take it!" Don Krieg announced. "Yes, it's true that the Grand Line beat me. Still, I will never give up on it. I am still Don Krieg!" He declared arrogantly. "In the end, it's just another ocean. I had enough weapons, men, and ambition! Regrettably, the only thing I lacked was information. I just didn't know enough. But now, I'll fix all that. Once I have your logbook, I'll form another Pirate Fleet and seize the Legendary One Piece—Then I will stand as ruler of this Great Pirate Era!"

.

.

.

After his victorious declaration, everyone stared at him, they either didn't know what to say or just didn't have the nerve to say anything while being in the same room as him. But one person broke the tension by saying exactly what was on his mind.

"Have you always been that stupid?"

Every single person in that room looked towards who it was who just said that and saw that Light was the one responsible. He stood there, completely unafraid and unintimidated by Don Krieg.

Krieg glared warningly at him. "Did you say something, boy?" He questioned angrily. "I won't allow that kind of stupidity again."

"Hey, kid, cut that out." Patty warned him.

"Are you trying to get killed?" Carne added.

"Why should I care about what you allow?" Light ignored the others and talked back, still not intimidated. "You have no power over me."

"Wrong. I hold yours and the life of everyone on this ship in my hands." Krieg threatened him, becoming more enraged at the complete disrespect he was being shown. "I could kill you anytime the mood struck me."

"Heh, you can talk the talk all you want, but the facts don't change." Light began to taunt him. "You really think I'm afraid of a Grand Line dropout?"

His words just seemed to tick Krieg off. "SHUT YOUR MOUTH! It's true that we didn't have the information we needed, but my fleet of five thousand men was wiped out in just seven days, you brat! That sea is hell!"

"What? One week?!" Patty gasped.

"Don Krieg's ships were wiped out in seven days?!" Carne cried out.

As the rest of the people in the restaurant were stunned to hear that, Owner Zeff merely kept his focus on the exchange between the two Pirate Captains.

"Unfortunately, I don't find your smart-ass remarks very amusing. If you insist on this foolish behavior, I'll crush you right here and right now." Krieg threatened him with a murderous gaze.

"The only foolishness here is you thinking you have a chance in hell against me." Light told him, not bothering to raise his arms. "You still think you're the Strongest guy in the room, but I'm about to show you how weak you really are." He gave his own threat.

Krieg locked eyes with the boy, and he readied his guns. "Go ahead and try it. It will be my pleasure to send you to an early grave, you cocky runt."

They faced off against each other, and some of the other cooks stepped back, not wanting to be in the path of Krieg's guns again. But, before anything could begin, the sound of a Sword being unsheathed was heard, and Light whirled around and saw that Zoro, Silk, and Usopp were standing at the top of the stairs. Zoro and Silk looked ready to fight as Zoro had his white katana at the ready while Usopp's knees were shaking together.

"What's going on, Captain? Need a hand?" Zoro offered excitedly.

"If…If…If…You don't need help. That's okay too!" Usopp called out nervously.

"I know you have things under control, but I felt we should at least offer." Silk added, neither worried nor excited, just composed.

Light looked up at them and grinned. "You guys can just watch this time. It'll be over in a second." He assured them.

"A-Aww, too bad!" Usopp stammered while Zoro sheathed his weapon. "But if you say you don't need any help… Who am I to argue!? Us awesome fighters are just gonna sit this one out! Holler if you need us—Dagh!?"

Zoro scowled and knocked Usopp to the ground with just a slight push of his hand.

"What'd you do that for, Zoro?!" Usopp seethed.

"You're making us look bad with your cowardice." Zoro berated him.

"Cowardice?!" Usopp repeated, feeling insulted. "I'll have you know that Usopp the brave knows nothing of fear!"

"Then why won't your legs stop shaking?" Silk pointed out, deflating his enthusiasm.

Krieg let out a short burst of laughter. "Pwahahaha. Are those three guys your crew? That's a pretty small group you've got there, boy!"

"Oh, well, at least we're not starving to death with most of our members dead and our ship on the verge of sinking." Light pointed out unmercifully.

Krieg's laughter turned to hatred at being reminded of the broken, pitiful, ruined state that his crew was in. Krieg's eyes moved to Zeff, who had stood unmoving and calm since he first entered the room. Krieg lowered his guns, and he snorted. "I'll deal with you later. Right now, I'm going to go feed my men. Those of you who don't wish to die can leave the restaurant now and escape that fate. The only things I'm after are the logbook and this ship. However, If you wish to stay and be slaughtered, I have no problem burying every last one of you at sea. Got that?"

He flung the sack of food over his shoulder and carried it out to his ship, leaving a wounded Gin in the restaurant. Although Don Krieg was gone, the tension in the restaurant was still very high. The cooks exchanged worried and fearful looks as they all decided what their next steps should be. Should they flee, or should they fight?

The only ones who seemed unfazed by this temporary standstill were the owner, the sous chef, the customer with the Straw Hat, and his Nakama. Even the underling of Don Krieg was trembling… But not because of fear. He was trembling out of pain and guilt.

"I'm so sorry for this Sanji." Gin said, and he truly sounded like he meant it. "I never thought it would be this way."

"You have nothing to apologize for sailor." Zeff said in an unusually kind voice as everyone looked at him. "Every cook at this restaurant did what he thought was right." He finished. "That's all there is to say about that."

"But Owner Zeff!" Patty yelled, sounding outraged. "Why are you acting like you're taking Sanji's side? This mess is his fault!"

As the other cooks tried to speak up to that as well, Zeff lost his temper. "YOU FOOLS DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Everyone was a little shocked at the sudden anger in his tone as he explained. "None of you have any idea what it's like to be on the brink of starvation. To have no food or water on the open ocean…? There is no way you could possibly understand what a terrifying prospect that is. It's the most difficult situation a man can ever face."

Sanji didn't react at all. He had heard all those words before the first, but that didn't stop them from having an effect on him. Unless you felt the true pains of hunger in your stomach, you couldn't possibly understand.

"What?" Patty said, sounding lost. "I don't know what you're talking about, Owner Zeff…"

Zeff looked over at them all, a strange expression in his eyes. "The difference between all of you and Sanji… Is that Sanji knows…"

The chefs all looked completely lost at those words, but they weren't the only ones. The crew all looked at Sanji, whose face was shadowed by his hair. But Light thought back to the words he heard Sanji say the other day.

(It's amazing how beautiful and cruel the ocean can be, how it's almost a death sentence to lose your food and water out here. How difficult it is to survive…? I know what it means to go hungry because of the sea more than anyone.)

Light looked back and forth at both Sanji and Zeff. "I think I finally understand those two." He now fully understood why they both stood apart from all the other cooks at this restaurant.

It was then that Zeff started speaking again. "If all you're gonna do is stand around grumbling." Zeff went on, a hard look on his face. "Then leave this place! And never come back!"

The mention of the looming threat snapped everyone's attention back to the current circumstances. But not a single one of them moved. Patty grabbed a large fork and tightened his grip around the wooden handle. "I, for one, am gonna stay and fight!" He announced. "I couldn't live with myself if I just accepted defeat."

"I'm staying too!" Another chef decided. "After all, this is our restaurant, isn't it!"

"That's right, and this place is all I've got to!" A third cook announced.

One by one, the cooks started to pick back up their weapons. Even though they didn't seem to understand Sanji's actions, they decided to stay and fight. They all held up their weapons, ready to fight. They had decided to protect the Baratie since it was the only place where they were accepted. But Gin wasn't thrilled by their decision.

"What are you doing?!" He demanded, hitting the floor. "You saw how powerful Don is, right?! You all need to run away!"

"Hey, Gin. Listen up 'cause I'm only going to say this once." Sanji said as he got to his feet and dusted off his pants. He kicked up a fallen table, sending it somersaulting in the air, before planting his heel right at the center of the surface and bringing it back down to a standing position. "Feeding someone who's hungry is my sacred moral duty—BUT! Now that your crew is well-fed, I have no obligation to them. With a clean conscience, I can beat every last one of them to a bloody pulp. If anyone tries to take the restaurant, they're dead. I'll kill them without a moment's hesitation! Got that?"

"Ha!" Patty scoffed as Gin gulped at Sanji's warning. "You're a real headcase, Sanji. Letting him live then threatening to kill him?"

"Can it cook." Sanji said as he lit a new cigarette.

Light walked up to Sanji and smiled as he said. "Listen, Sanji, how about you join my crew?"

His offer threw off a lot of people there, as Usopp was the first to snap at him. "Is this really the time for that?! Read the room!"

Sanji stayed cool and answered. "My answer hasn't changed. I'm staying here."

"Too bad, regardless, you won't object if we fight with you, right?" Light offered again.

Sanji and some of the other cooks were surprised, not expecting him to say that. "What?"

Light looked around. "I actually like this restaurant, all things considered, and I wouldn't feel right just sitting back and watching while you guys have to fight Krieg, so me and the crew will offer you a hand."

Sanji just looked at him for a moment before puffing out a bit of smoke in amusement. "Suit yourself."

"Hey! Don't just volunteer us without asking!" Usopp shouting, definitely not liking that idea. "We gotta get out of here right now!"

"Easy there, Captain." Zoro calmly advised him. "It is Don Krieg, but he's in pretty sad shape."

"You saying you want to back out?" Silk asked with a grin, mildly taunting him.

"Of course not. What do you take me for?" Zoro denied her suggestion, not insulted by it.

Light watched his crew's antics for a bit before turning his attention towards Gin.

"Hey, Gin!" Light suddenly called out. "Before, you told me you don't know anything about the Grand Line. But we just heard that you'd been there recently. Why didn't you say that back then?"

"I didn't say because it still doesn't make sense to me…" Gin spoke while staring lifelessly at the floor. "What happened to us on the 7th day of our journey through that cursed sea? I don't know if it was a dream or reality… I saw things that I can't bring myself to believe…" He broke out in a cold sweat. "I know in my heart that it's impossible… For that entire 50-ship fleet to be completely eradicated by a single man!"

[WHAT?!] The entire restaurant screamed, with Usopp's voice being the highest and loudest. Sanji froze, Zoro and Silk were shaken, and Light narrowed his eyes.

Gin continued, the fear slowly eating away at him. "It all happened so fast. As soon as this man appeared, he began to systematically sink our ships one after another. If that ragging storm hadn't come upon us when it did, then that monster would have destroyed our flagship as well… I don't know if a single other ship made it out. It all seems like a terrible nightmare burned into my memory!" Gin cried out, shaking in fear, his hands on his face as if he hoped to claw out those images. "I just want to forget… His eyes… They were like a hawk! Sharp and murderous! His gaze alone felt like the cold hands of death!"

On the stairs, Zoro gripped the railing tightly as he stared at him, eyes wide. "What did he just say?"

"Well then." Zeff said as they all turned back to him. "That can only be the one known as Hawk-Eye." Gin looked fearful that Zeff recognized who it had been. "Your description of his heartless gaze isn't proof of his identity in and of itself… But the way he so easily decimated your fleet confirms without a doubt that it's him."

"Hawk-Eye Mihawk…" Zoro repeated softly while visibly shaken to his core.

"Hawk-Eye Mihawk…" Light muttered, contemplating what this could mean. "Guess fate does work in mysterious ways."

"Could that man have had some kind of score to settle with you guys?" Sanji asked offhandedly.

"We didn't do anything to him!" Gin cried back to him.

Zeff had an interesting suggestion. "Perhaps you disturbed him during a nap?"

"STUPID COOK!" Gin yelled in fury. "WHY WOULD HE DESTROY AN ENTIRE FLEET FOR SOMETHING SO TRIVIAL?!"

Zeff smirked at Gin's fear. "There's no reason to shout." He said coolly as if telling a child off for being too loud. "It's just an example. I thought you'd like a little friendly advice on what kind of place the Grand Line is."

Usopp gulped. "And what kind of place is that?" He asked in a croak.

Zoro was the one who answered. "He probably means that anything can happen there."

"And where death is waiting around every corner." Silk added to that statement.

Usopp, on the other hand, now had tears of fear in his eyes. "HEY, CAPTAIN! DO WE REALLY REALLY HAVE TO GO THERE?" He yelled at Light, who didn't seem to be paying attention to him. "Captain?" He gasped.

"I have to say. You guys must have some pretty bad luck." Light said, referring to Gin. "It's true that there are people on the Grand Line that are capable of wiping out ships as you described, but all the ones I can think of are at the further ends of the Grand Line."

"The further ends?" Gin repeated, his eyes still wide.

"Even by the Grand Line's standard, people like Hawk-Eye are ridiculously powerful and few in number." Light explained. "It's a rarity for even those actively searching for them to find them, so that fact that you ran into him near the entrance of the Grand Line is nothing short of a terrible misfortune."

"You can't be serious?" Gin breathed out, not knowing how to take this information. "All that was just… Bad luck."

"You keep saying things like "people like" as though you know others who are capable of the same feats." Zeff noticed with interest. "Are you implying you know of other individuals at the same level as Hawk-Eye?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Light confirmed immediately, shocking some of the others, especially Gin and Usopp. "I've never actually met Hawk-Eye, but I can think of at least a dozen people who could have sunken a fleet of ships on the Grand Line off the top of my head. If you hadn't described what he looked like, I might have assumed it was one of them."

"There are that many unbelievable monsters out there?" Usopp whimpered, becoming more afraid the longer the conversation continued.

"Finally." Zoro said softly. "My life's goal will be achieved on the Grand Line."

"What?" Usopp gasped up at him.

Zoro leaned up against the wall with a similarly satisfying smirk. "My rival… Is out there somewhere and I'm gonna find him."

Sanji looked up at him and asked. "Are you that stupid? It's idiots like you guys who end up dead."

"That may be true." Zoro said as Sanji looked back at him. "But lay off the name-calling. I devoted my entire life to becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman. It was my choice, so I'm the only one who gets to call me stupid."

"But you're wrong about one thing." Light added, referring to both of them but looking at Sanji. "He's not going to die because I'm his Captain. No one dies on my crew—At least, not before me."

"Then, you'll be the first to die." Sanji told him bluntly.

Light smirked back at him. "I won't die until I've claimed the One Piece." He said with absolute confidence.

"…What morons…" Sanji mumbled as he looked away with a frown. What he didn't notice was that Zeff had a small smile of satisfaction after hearing their declarations.

"Enough!" Patty shouted, getting everyone's attention back. "Do any of you maggots understand the current situation?! That enormous galleon moored in front of our dear little restaurant is none other than Don Krieg's flagship!" He reminded them angrily. "So why don't we check back into reality and deal with this!?"

Outside the restaurant and aboard Don Krieg's flagship, as they spoke, all the surviving Krieg Pirates, who were on the verge of starving to death, were livelier than ever as they were savagely wolfing down all the food that Krieg brought to them from Zeff.

They all ate whatever they could get their hands on, not bothering to try and savor the food, taste it, or even chew, for that matter. All they cared about was not dying, and that meant eating everything they could. It wasn't long before all the food had been devoured, and all 100 Pirates were fully revived from the brink of death.

[YEAAHHHHHHH!] The Krieg Pirates cheered happily. [WE'RE SAVED!]

All of them threw their arms up in the air in celebration. After being so close to starving to death, as well as barely escaping the Grand Line, they were all filled with relief and joy. They could now be counted among the few Pirates in these waters who returned from the "Pirate Graveyard" with their lives intact. Krieg merely sat there and watched his men cheer before a malevolent smile appeared on his face.

"That's right…" Don Krieg started. "And I'm glad you all made it because I'll need a healthy crew to go back to the Grand Line."

The cheering froze cold the moment they heard those words as every last one of them stopped and stared at him fearfully, as though they were just told that the horrible nightmare they had just experienced wasn't yet over.

"Hey?" Don Krieg sneered at their meek reaction. "Why the long faces?"

"Sir… Why are we going back there?" One of them felt the need to ask what they were all thinking.

BANG!

The Pirate made the costly mistake of thinking Krieg's response to anything that wasn't complete obedience would be anything but a death sentence as Don Krieg mercilessly shot him through the chest with a pistol. Now the 100 surviving members of the crew had dropped by one.

"Point taken." Don Krieg looked at the rest of them with a warning gaze. "Are there any other objections?"

Knowing what would happen to them if they didn't agree, all of them responded together and raised their arms up. [YEAHHHHHH!]

Don Krieg stood up and looked over the ship. "First, we need to take over that floating restaurant. Then we can abandon the wreck we're on before it falls apart, don't worry about the enemy—They're just a bunch of prissy cooks. It won't take much to crush them." He said confidently.

Unbeknownst to Krieg and his men, a small boat was casually sailing toward them. The boat had a lone passenger on it who was staring at Krieg's ship with the cold eyes of a hunter that found its concerned prey.

Just then, outside, they could hear the sounds of battle cries and knew that their time was up. The Krieg Pirates were all ready to go again. Everyone braced themselves for the large-scale fight that was about to begin. But then something happened…

SLICE! SLASH! SLICK!

Just when they were preparing to attack the restaurant, the great galleon was suddenly cut into three, creating a lot of disbelief on everyone's faces and even a mini tsunami. Everyone was rocked around inside the restaurant, and they were all trying to find something to hold onto.

"WHAT'S GOING ONNNNNNN!" They heard Don Krieg yell through all the carnage.

"DON KRIEG! THE GREAT SHIP! IT WAS CUT!" One of the Krieg Pirates yelled back.

"IT WAS CUT!" Krieg screamed with horror and disbelief. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN CUT?! SOMETHING SLICED UP THIS GALLEON?! NO WAY! IT CAN'T BE! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLEEEEEEE!"

While he may have refused to accept it, the remained that that's what was happening, and everyone could see it. The Galleon was cut. The question was how.

"Raise the anchor! Or we'll sink along with them!" Zeff ordered one of his cooks.

Light quickly steadied himself and raced for the backdoor. Zoro, Silk, and Usopp both leaped over the banister to follow their Captain.

"Wait!" The Swordsman suddenly remembered. "Nami and the guys are still on our ship out there!" He jumped down.

"We have to hurry!" Silk jumped after him. "Come on, Usopp!"

Usopp ran after them. "I hope it's not too late!"

They stopped in their tracks when they got outside and saw what had caused the turbulent waters.

"AHHHHH!" Usopp screamed at the sight of Don Krieg's galleon ship split cleanly in half and sinking into the water.

"Hey! Big Bro!" Johnny screamed.

They all heard Johnny's voice calling out to them and looked down to see Johnny and Yosaku floundering around in the ocean right next to the restaurant while swimming towards the railing where the crew was.

"Yosaku! Johnny!" Light ran over to them with the others.

"What happened? Why are you guys in the water?" Silk asked with confusion.

"What happened to the ship? Where's Nami?" Zoro questioned them urgently. "Is she okay?"

"I'm sorry, Big Bro! I don't know how to say this but…" Yosaku hesitated before answering regretfully. "She's gone!"

"Big Sis Nami…" Johnny sobbed.

"She took all the treasure and sailed away!" Yosaku sobbed as they confessed.

"SHE DID WHATTTTTT?!" Usopp, Zoro, Silk, and Light snapped with disbelief, shock, surprise, and anger. Jaw-dropped, eyes bulged, and shouting at the top of their lungs.

And that's the chapter. First of all, I know that so far, the changes to this Arc compared to the canon are minimal, but that's because the cornerstone moments of the Arc happen in the next chapter, so look forward to that. Also, throughout many One Piece Fanfics, I've noticed a lot of times when someone reaches this part of the story, they always have their character notice Nami acting weird when she sees Arlong's poster and questions her about it.

I've chosen to steer away from that trope. I just don't see why they all feel like doing that considering every one of them gets answered with bitter aggression and gets shot down by her, plus if you can tell it's a personal subject for her why would you think she would talk to you about it when you've only known her for a short time and barely know anything about her, so no one asked.

The next chapter will be the point where something interesting happens for both the Arc and the story that I hope all of you will enjoy.

Anyways thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. If you want more, leave a review. If you like the story, click the follow/favorite, if you want an earlier release, feel free to become a patron, and as always, have an awesome day.