DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, EXCEPT RAGNAR AND ALL VIKINGS IN THIS STORY! ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, VIZ MANGA, TOEI ANIMATION AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC
Chapter 25: The Deadly Foot Technique Bursts Forth! Sanji vs. The Invincible Pearl!
The air around the Baratie was one of immense tension. Don Krieg, clad in his armor, surrounded by what men hadn't fallen into the sea, against Luffy, Ragnar, Sanji and the Baratie fighting chefs. The two founders of the Straw Hats were itching to fight the Ruler of the East Blue – a pirate even more dishonorable than Captain Kuro. Zeff made his way to Luffy.
"So, kid. You said you were going to be King of the Pirates," he said, "Were you serious?"
"Well yeah, of course!" Luffy replied, "I'm definitely gonna be King of the Pirates someday!" Hearing this, Zeff only smiled. He'd never come across someone with such fire and determination that impressed Mihawk.
"I've seen a whole lot of pirates and Vikings both in my day," he told Luffy, "But you're the first to state your desire so clearly and without a doubt."
"Honesty is a virtue among our kind," said Ragnar, "And Krieg said that you had quite the reputation, Red-Leg Zeff."
"I heard that back in the day, you were a pretty awesome pirate yourself," Luffy told Zeff, "So, did you wanna become King of the Pirates too?"
"Hmmm…I do my best to forget about the past," Zeff told the boy, "I'm the owner of Baratie now, and that will be more than enough for me." As he spoke, though, Sanji looked away, as if he knew something else was responsible for Zeff ending his pirate career…
Back on the remnants of the Dreadnought Sabre, Krieg spoke before his crew, pointing to the Baratie. Now that Dracule Mihawk was gone, they could focus on their true objective.
"Men, listen up!" He declared, "If we can capture that ship, then the Grand Line will be ours for the conquering! No more pretending to be Marines, or raising the white flag of truce. None of our enemies will suspect an attack coming from a ship like that! In that vessel, it'll always be an ambush!"
"Right, but Don," piped up a seaman, "Even if we enter the Grand Line using that ship, what if we come across someone like Dracule Mihawk again? What'll we do once…?!" He never finished. Krieg aimed his flintlock pistol right at the pirate, and fired a lead ball right in the man's heart, much to Ragnar's disgust.
"Does anyone else have any questions?" Krieg asked, pointing his pistol at the rest of his crew. All he got was a deadly and fearful silence. "Do you think an ordinary man can cleave a galleon like ours the way he did!? That man probably has the power of a Devil Fruit. Although those who possess the powers of a Devil Fruit are rare and legendary to us, I can assure you they're commonplace on the Grand Line. Mihawk must've used some strange power as he hacked our ship like a log. When we're on the Grand Line, those powers will be ordinary; even the Straw Hat freak and his Viking friend will be considered normal." He only clenched his fist and glared intensely at both Luffy and Ragnar, who were both eager for battle, then turning his gaze towards Zeff. "That old coot, Red-Leg Zeff sailed those seas for a year…it stands to reason he had strategies for dealing with Devil Fruit users. The techniques for surviving that sea of monsters must be written in the old man's logbook, and that includes clues to the One Piece. Now, let's get to it boys! The restaurant will be ours!" Krieg's men raised their weapons in cheering, ready for the attack.
As the Krieg Pirates prepared for their assault, Sanji made his way towards the upper deck, turning to speak to the other chefs.
"This restaurant…will be a warzone," he muttered, as he recalled a fateful event in his youth…he could still see the tsunami crashing against the cruise ship…feel himself being washed overboard as an apprentice…plummeting into the sea…and the horrors he spent alone on a stranded island, as Zeff spoke in his head. Then he looked to one of the chefs and smiled, "Go to the control room and open up the fins," he said.
"But Sanji, why?" the chef asked, "That's a bad idea. If we do that, we'll be giving the pirates a foothold!"
"And that's gonna be just fine!" Sanji replied, "We gotta do all we can to keep those bastards outta this place. If they destroy the restaurant and kitchen, the old man is gonna complain for weeks on end."
"Did you just say something, you little brat?" Zeff asked his sous-chef.
"Yeah, I said that you're whiny," Sanji told his boss, before giving his co-worker the order by way of hand signals.
As the Krieg Pirates charged, armed with swords and maces, Luffy and Ragnar prepared themselves for battle.
"That's right! Bring it on!" Luffy exclaimed, stretching his arms out while he stepped back, "Because I'm comin' for ya!" He only turned to Ragnar and told his quartermaster, "Ragnar, you stay here and help the fighting chefs." Then, he snapped his arms back and let go of the upper deck's railing, flying straight for the Krieg Pirates, "Gum-Gum Rocket!" He shouted, before stretching his arms outwards to outflank the attackers, "…and Gum-Gum Giant Scythe!" With a single move, he clotheslined the pirates with his arms, sending them plummeting into the sea, before grabbing onto a broken mast and sitting down atop it.
"It's had to believe, but the Grand Line is crawling with guys like these!?" Sanji asked in pure disbelief. To him, Luffy and Ragnar were almost unheard of.
"Sanji, pay special attention to how both of them fight," said Zeff, "Don't take your eyes off of them for a moment, until this fight is finished. Is that clear?" Sanji didn't say anything, but only nodded, and looked on, paying close attention to both the captain and his quartermaster.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Ragnar were both eyeing Don Krieg, glaring daggers at the Ruler of the East Blue.
"You think you're smart, trying to use the restaurant that gave you food as your new ship," said Luffy, "But you're an idiot if you honestly think you can take on the Grand Line again! You didn't even last that long with fifty warships and five-thousand men! And you're killing the ones you question!? I'm so looking forward to kicking your ass!"
Although he was angered by Luffy's criticisms, Krieg couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Luffy kicking his butt.
"So, you wanna fight on the water where there's no place to stand, huh?" Krieg asked, "A bold move for the two of you. The Devil Fruits you've eaten have taken your abilities to swim, haven't they?"
"Yeah, but now…" Luffy chuckled, "Now, I'm stretchy!"
Back aboard the Going Merry, Zoro was taken to the helm's lounge to rest. There, Johnny and Yosaku patched him up with so much gauze, they were almost mistaken for his trademark white shirt.
"Let me go! I can still fight!" He argued as Johnny and Yosaku held him back once he was patched up.
"WHAT!? Are you crazy Zoro!?" Usopp asked, "DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH OR SOMETHING!?"
"Luffy and Ragnar are out there with Sanji and those fighting chefs," said Nami, who blocked him off with her spear, "Besides, you lost too much blood from your fight with Mihawk. If you try facing Krieg head on, your wound is gonna open up again!"
"W-Why don't we listen to Big Sis Nami on this one, right Big Bro?" Johnny asked.
"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!" Nami bellowed at the two bounty hunters.
"Take it easy, Nami," said Usopp, trying to calm her down, "We're all on edge here."
"Usopp…Nami…" Zoro began, weakly being placed back down on a makeshift bed, "Listen…I know that I can't win here…so I need you two to go help Luffy and Ragnar."
"You…what!?" Usopp asked, his knees about to give out beneath him, "C-C'mon Zoro. Don't joke around. I-I mean…L-Luffy and R-Ragnar can hand-handle this…"
"Usopp's got a point," Nami added, also trying her best to hide her fear, "Besides, even if they are not up to snuff, they're still the Krieg Pirates, after all…"
"Just shut up and listen to me!" Zoro bellowed, Johnny and Yosaku doing their best to restrain him. "Listen…As first mate, I need you both to hear this. We'll be reaching the Grand Line soon. Once we set foot there, we may get separated on more than one occasion." He only kept looking at both of his crewmates, "If that does happen, then I can't guarantee that Luffy, Ragnar or I will be there to help you both out. That's why you both need to help Ragnar and Luffy as much as you can. Tricks and deception won't earn us any favors out on the Grand Line. Don Krieg and his men thought they could conquer it…and look where it got them: fifty ships destroyed, and only a hundred men remaining."
"Zoro…" Nami and Usopp muttered in unison. They couldn't help but realize he spoke truly.
"Krieg and his men only had the advantage in numbers," Zoro continued, "Maybe…Maybe Mihawk was right when he said this sea is the weakest of the four. That's why we have to get stronger. Luffy is counting on all of us, so don't disappoint him! He can handle Krieg, but if you both wanna fulfill your ambitions, then now's the time to live up to them. Luffy knew you two were strong when he asked you to join…So go out there and give it all you got!"
Without intention, those words struck a chord. Nami knew that Luffy would never do something lightly. He was willing to go out on a limb to help free her village from Arlong's iron grip. Since they met in Orange Town, she only called him as her captain as lip service, but now…now this was serious. She remembered that conversation they had four days earlier. If he was so devoted to helping her, then it was only fair she returned the favor.
"Alright. You win, Zoro, we'll go help our captain and quartermaster out," she said with a smile, looking up at the two bounty hunters, "You guys look after him. Make sure he doesn't leave this ship until he can recover." The two men only nodded as Nami picked her shield up and smiled as she made her way out, "C'mon Usopp!"
"R-Right!" The terrified archer replied, picking up his bow and quiver full of arrows, but as they were about to make their way for the Baratie, the water beneath them churned and stirred, catching them both off balance, "H-Hey! What's happening!?"
"It feels like…the water's moving!" Nami shouted, looking at what was happening below the waves.
Meanwhile, aboard the Baratie, the whole ship began to move about.
"Sanji! Here come the fins!" One chef shouted, and everyone looked on at the sound of mechanical gears and chains working hard. Luffy even looked on, eager to see what was happening, while Krieg only smiled deviously. From beneath the Baratie, two large wooden platforms began to move up towards the surface from the keel. As they emerged, all of Krieg's men who were floating in the water, swam as fast as they could, fearing some sort of creature was upon them.
"Good, we now have a proper battleground!" Ragnar muttered, eagerly awaiting the chance to fight. He only watched as Sanji made his way onto the platform facing the wreck of the Dreadnought Sabre.
"My cooks and I won't go down without a fight defending this place," said Sanji, "Prepare to die, Krieg!"
"Interesting. That was smart of you to bring up that additional decking," Krieg boasted, "Now, we don't have to take the fight inside. I'd hate to partially destroy my future ship. And make no mistake, she will be mine!"
"We will never let you have our restaurant!" One chef yelled.
"That's right! We mean business!" Patty yelled in support.
"We're battle cooks now!" Carne declared. All at once, the fishlike figurehead of the Baratie…separated from the main ship! As she lurched forward, she revealed it wasn't a normal figurehead at all, but a fish-shaped pedal boat armed with three cannons.
"Set sail, Mackerel Head mk. 1 – The Baratie's secret weapon!" Patty declared as he and Carne pedaled with all their might.
"So, if you wanna live, I suggest fleeing while you can!" Carne added as the battle boat made its way right for Don Krieg. Luffy and Ragnar were amazed at the sight. Never before had they seen anything like this little boat. With a single light from a pedal activated linstock, all three cannons unleashed a broadside at the wreck of the Dreadnought Sabre, stirring up the water, and causing Luffy to hang on for dear life.
"Those guys are gonna sink me too!" Luffy muttered, irritated. Yet still, he and the chefs watched and cheered as the Mackerel Head mk. 1 made her way right towards Krieg, pounding the reck with broadside after broadside from her guns.
"Say your prayers, Krieg!" Patty shouted, "Not even you knew that the Sea Restaurant, Baratie had such a powerful weapon waiting to be unleashed!" Then a fourth broadside roared from the guns, right for Krieg. Yet Ragnar only looked on in horror.
"No! Don't do it, you fools!" He shouted, "His armor is made from the strongest steel in the world!" Yet the Viking knew his pleas fell on deaf ears. He only watched through the smoke, noticing that he was right: Don Krieg was still standing, if not only covered in soot from the gunpowder smoke. With his left hand, he brought the proud boat to a halt. From the look on his face, he was pissed.
"I AM DON KRIEG! THE MAN WHO WILL RULE THE OCEAN!" he declared, lifting the boat up by one of the guns, "I HAVE NO TIME FOR THESE CHILDISH GAMES! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Then he flung the Mackerel Head mk. 1 over his head, and straight towards the Baratie behind him.
"Everyone! Brace for impact!" Ragnar shouted to the battle chefs, as he held onto the ship's railing with his shield hand. Yet all at once, in that moment, Sanji leapt up into the air, and as the battle boat came descending towards the ship, he kicked the side of her hull, causing the Mackerel Head mk. 1 to crash into the deck of the fin, bow first. Everyone who saw it was all in awe at what they just witnessed. A man just kicked a boat in midair with his foot, as if it were a soccer ball! Even Krieg was admittedly stunned by it.
"He's got legs of steel!" One pirate shouted.
"He kicked back that crazy boat like it was nothing!" Another muttered.
"Týr's arm! How is his leg not broken!?" Ragnar asked, utterly bewildered.
"Nice kick!" Luffy exclaimed, watching it all from his position on the mast.
At that moment, Patty and Carne came rushing out of the boat and onto the deck, angered at their friend.
"What is your problem!?" Patty asked.
"Are you trying to kill your friends!?" Carne added.
"Yeah, yeah," Sanji muttered.
"All right, ladies. You think you could wrap this up another time?" One of Krieg's men asked, "We have business to attend to!" The fighting chefs charged with tridents and glaives ready, only to be beaten by the Krieg Pirates, armed with swords and maces.
"You guys still don't understand, do ya?" One of the pirates asked, "Even well armed, you're still just cooks, but we're expert fighters that are way out of your league. So, why don't you act smart and find a new restaurant to work at, maybe one on land, huh?"
"C'mon guys! Why are you letting them beat ya so easily!?" Carne asked in frustration
"You guys call yourselves fighting cooks!?" Patty asked.
"Well, these pirates are something else," one chef muttered, "They're nothing like the ones we fought before."
"It's insulting to lump us in with that average scum," said the one pirate, "We are the great Krieg Pirates, and we are the absolute rulers of the East Blue!"
"Let everyone know that this garish ship already belongs to the great and powerful Krieg Pirates!" Krieg declared.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken!" Sanji replied, "You and your cronies will never set foot in our restaurant!"
"He's right, men!" Zeff added defiantly.
"Y'know what? I've been a cook all my life!" Patty declared, "I've worked at a lot of restaurants and got fired from all of them for scuffling and living hard."
"Same with me!" Carne added, "And after years of wandering, we finally found a home here!" The two then recalled when they first saw the "help wanted" sign years earlier on the Baratie.
"We like both cooking and fighting, so this place is perfect for us!"
"That's right! Ain't no other place like Baratie!"
"You hear that?" Sanji asked Krieg with a smile, "Now, that's true fighting spirit!"
"Committing ourselves to cooking fine cuisine day and night is a fierce battle," Patty explained, "Compared to that, these pirates are nothing!"
At that moment, the sky above the pirates suddenly darkened, as the Krieg Pirates suddenly felt something pierce their feet. Then, they saw a wooden shaft with fletchings sticking out of the deck.
"ARROWS!" Yelled one, and they were about to find whatever piece of shelter they could find, but some of them were knocked out by the shaft of a spear, and the steel boss of a shield. Luffy only turned and smiled when he saw them both.
"Nami! Usopp!" He exclaimed. His crew had joined the battle.
"We're here to help however we can, Luffy!" Nami explained.
"Just help Ragnar and the chefs fight!" Luffy called out.
"You heard our captain!" Ragnar told them all, "Let's give them all we've got!" Ragnar then transformed into his hybrid-beast form, and with an almighty roar, he charged at Krieg's men, bashing them aside with his shield, or slashing at them with his sword or axe, terrifying his opponents dearly. They never saw a Zoan type Devil Fruit user before in their lives, and it was horrifying to know that there were people in the Grand Line who could harness the power of animals to their advantage!
"Protect the restaurant!" Patty yelled.
"Protect Zeff!" Carne added, as the fighting chefs all charged forward with tridents and glaives at the ready. Nami also was fighting like a lioness, using her spear and shield effectively, fighting right beside her quartermaster.
Yet all at once, Luffy noticed a man swimming towards the fins, with a dome shaped helmet adorning his head. As he climbed the deck, Patty and Carne were both knocked on their backs by some projectiles coming at them with the speed of a lead ball fired from a musket or pistol. Krieg only smiled sinisterly, which caught Luffy's attention.
"NAMI, RAGNAR! BEHIND YOU!" He shouted. Ragnar turned and saw what his captain meant, especially after seeing Patty and Carne knocked on their backs.
"Nami! Shields up!" Ragnar shouted, and as soon as Nami felt the lead balls whizzing by her, she saw one come right for her and interlocked her shield with Ragnar's. The balls ricocheted off the steel shield bosses instantly, but sent them both skidding back. "Are you gonna be alright?"
"I think so. Thanks for the heads up," she replied.
"Who was it!? Who was it that tried to attack Nami!?" Luffy growled, his eyes filled with murderous rage, as angry as Sanji was at the sight of Patty and Carne defenseless. Yet soon, the five of them saw the perpetrator. He was a towering man of about 23, tall and protected in armor. Aside from his dome shaped helmet, he wore two massive pectoral disks on his torso. His knees and elbows were also adorned with these iron plates, while he carried two bucklers. Each of his armor pieces was adorned with a pearl in the center of each.
"Just what do you fools think you're doing?" The man asked.
"Who…is that guy?" Luffy asked, getting a good look at the attacker.
"And here I thought that Jango was the only weird enemy we ever faced," muttered Usopp.
"Let's do this!" The man chuckled, "But, before we begin, it's only fair that I warn you: I am Pearl: the Invincible Shield!" Seeing their comrade, the Krieg Pirates cheered Pearl on.
"Patty, Carne! You boys okay?" Zeff asked his two senior chefs.
"I'd say that pair is far from okay!" Pearl chuckled, "Those two experienced my Pearl Surprise: one of my most powerful attacks, you bumbling pathetic idiot!"
"You're the idiot here!" Ragnar shouted, face faulting at the sight of Pearl's weaponry, "Who in his right mind would decide to dual wield two shields as his main weapons!?" However, Pearl only gave no response, just a cold and heartless grin.
At that moment, one of the Krieg Pirates tried to disarm Patty of his knife, but the burly chef wouldn't let go of his cherished tool. Ultimately, Sanji, who was livid at the very sight, approached and kicked the pirate in the face, knocking him into three of his comrades, who in turn crash landed into Pearl's pectoral disk. The knife rotated on its hilt high in the air, only to descend, and for Sanji to catch it perfectly by the hilt.
"That guy knows how to kick some serious ass!" Luffy commented, praising Sanji for his skills, "I knew there was a reason I liked him so much right off the bat!"
"A kitchen knife is a chef's soul! How dare you filthy pirates try to desecrate it with your slimy little hands!" Sanji yelled, kneeling down to Patty and handing him his knife, "Just stay down and hang onto this for dear life. I'm gonna teach these bozos a lesson." Then he rose to meet the attacking wave of pirates.
"You must be insane if you think we're gonna lose to a mere cook!" One pirate armed with a sword yelled, as he and his companions charged Sanji. Nami was eager to help, but Ragnar held his hand in front of her.
"No, no! Watch," he told her with a grin, then they both watched as Sanji kicked all five of his attackers in their faces, sending them all skidding across the deck.
"Damn…he really is good!" Nami muttered, impressed by Sanji's skill as a martial artist
"I'll show you how strong a mere cook can be after I fillet every one of you bastards!" Sanji told the pirates before facing Pearl.
"How very impudent of you to defeat them all using your kicks," said Pearl with a chuckle, "Am I to be impressed by that?"
"I'm a cook, remember?" Sanji asked, "I couldn't do my job very well if I ruined my hands in battle. So, I'll be taking you down with my feet instead."
"Is that so? I think not!" Pearl declared, "I'm invincible, you see. I've won all sixty-one of my battles completely and totally unscathed. It's quite remarkable, truly. No one has ever shed a drop of my blood in battle…nobody!" Then Pearl clanged his shields together twice. "Now, do you see the power I wield? I may be a gentleman, but I'm by no means gentle. Understood?"
"He's more confusing than Gaimon was when he pretended to be a deity," Ragnar muttered to Nami and Usopp, getting to the upper deck, to watch the fight progress.
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Luffy asked, "Because it wasn't even a little bit funny."
"DROPPING YOUR GUARD IS A SUREFIRE WAY TO END UP DEAD, YOU BRAT!" Krieg bellowed, as he swung a massive spiked flail right towards Luffy.
"LUFFY! LOOK OUT!" Nami screamed, watching as Krieg's flail tore the Dreadnought Sabre's mast in half, and the portion Luffy was holding onto was sent hurdling in the air by Krieg's flail…back towards the Baratie. Nami, Usopp and Ragnar only looked, as they noticed that their captain was about to land…right on top of Pearl as he was monologuing at Sanji!
"…Even naval cannons don't work against this armor!" Pearl continued, much to Sanji's annoyance by the sign of the chef's eyeroll, "I come out of any attack unharmed!" Yet even the sous-chef noticed Luffy flying right towards him…crashing right into the back of Pearl's head.
"Boy, that could've been really bad," Luffy commented as he dusted himself off, "Good thing I landed on the deck." As he looked at Pearl, he, Nami, Ragnar and Usopp noticed the same thing as Sanji: that hit managed to cause Pearl to suffer a nosebleed. Luffy finally shed the man's blood!
"What was that about emerging from battle unscathed?" asked the Viking, who immediately burst out laughing at the sight. Yet despite Ragnar's amusement, Krieg and his men were not so thoroughly amused.
"Ah shit…this is bad…" Krieg grumbled, as his men panicked.
"Hey, j-just calm down, Pearl!"
"It's only a nosebleed!"
"Yeah, Pearl! We know it's not a battle wound, so just stay calm, okay?" Yet it was clear that by the look on his face, Pearl was not listening anymore.
"These people aren't just cruel…they're dangerous!" Pearl surmised, panicking from the sight of his own blood.
"So…ya wanna tell me why everyone's flipping out?" Sanji asked.
"They're worried about a nosebleed?" Luffy asked, utterly confused.
"What's the big deal? This guy's not much of a pirate if he's afraid of his own blood," said Nami.
"Oh c'mon! I've had nosebleeds like that and they weren't that big of a deal!" Usopp shouted. However, in that moment, Pearl began banging his shields together, screaming in terror.
"Calm down!" Krieg told his warrior, "It's just a nosebleed! Keep your cool and relax!" Yet even Krieg's pleas fell on deaf ears.
"Sheesh! What is he doing!?" Sanji asked, raising his voice over the clanging of the bucklers.
"DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!" Pearl kept screaming, until finally, his entire suit of armor ignited spontaneously, and was engulfed in bright flames. Nami was wide-eyed with terror, Ragnar was in total shock, while Usopp screamed at the top of his lungs. One little nosebleed could cause a man to burn himself alive.
"Surtr's shit! What was that for!?" Ragnar asked one of Krieg's men.
"When Pearl gets upset, he catches fire!" The pirate explained.
"Wait…what?" Luffy asked, having heard that remark.
"FIRE PEARLS…SPECIAL TREATS!" Pearl shouted, and with a single flick from his hands, he scattered ten flaming marbles in all directions! Each marble hit the floor of the deck, and the fin, and was set ablaze! Luffy and Sanji managed to avoid the marbles, but many of the Krieg Pirates weren't so lucky. "BURN IN MY FLAMES!" Pearl growled, "WITH THESE SHIELDS AND THIS BLAZE, I AM UNSTOPPABLE!"
"That idiot!" Krieg shouted to himself, watching from afar, "We need that ship, and he's gonna sink her!"
Aboard the deck, Luffy was running around, trying to extinguish the flames on his trousers. Once it was out, he looked up to his crew, knowing that they had to act fast.
"Guys! We need to put out this fire, stat!" He told them.
"Way ahead of you, Luffy! There should be some stock pots we can use," said Ragnar.
"Assuming they weren't already used for the lunch rush," said Nami.
"Don't worry, Luffy. Count on us!" Usopp declared, "I'm a master when it comes to fire prevention, always have been for the past 40 years!"
"YOU LIAR!" Ragnar and Nami yelled in unison.
"Okay, I'll leave that to you," said Luffy, grinning confidently, "I'm gonna stay down below to help Sanji and the other chefs! Besides, I still got a bone to pick with Krieg."
"Just say the word if you need us!" Ragnar added, and he led the way towards the kitchens, Nami and Usopp following behind him. Luffy then returned to the deck, and only saw Sanji's whole body shaking with anger. In that instant, the sous-chef ran straight towards Pearl, who was now surrounded by a ring of fire.
"YOU SUNOVA BITCH!" He roared as he leapt through the flames, even though Patty and Carne pleaded with him not to. Pearl was even more shocked to see a man leap straight for him, and was unable to react as Sanji kicked him in the elbow. "THERE'S NO WAY I'M GONNA LET YOU INCINERATE OUR DREAMS!" Everyone who saw it was astonished. Sanji was incredibly brave for pulling off such a stunt.
"You…You attacked me!" Pearl said in shock, "But…But how!? These flames usually scare everyone away!"
"Well, if I was scared of fire, I wouldn't be much of a cook. Now, would I?" Sanji asked, a smug grin on his face as he pulled out a cigarette.
"I loathe him! I absolutely despise that refined gentleman!" Pearl growled, his anger clouding his thoughts so much, that he was unable to defend himself when Sanji kicked him once more; this time in the chest, knocking him on his back. "You idiotic cook! You're a complete madman! I'll KILL YOU!" Pearl roared, "FIRE! I NEED MORE FIRE! FIRE PEARLS!" Pearl then unleashed ten more flaming marbles, and this time, they were flying straight for the restaurant!
Ragnar, Nami and Usopp arrived just in time to get glimpse of the fight through the blaze, all while they came with empty stock pots, when they saw the horror heading for them.
"TAKE COVER!" Ragnar shouted at his crewmates. Nami and Usopp jumped out of the way as the marbles were flying right towards Zeff. "Red-Leg! Get out of the way!" The Viking pleaded, but Zeff only raised his peg-leg, and with one sweep of it, extinguished the flames with the air. The marbles then fell to the floor, harmlessly, stunning everyone.
"He put out the fires with just his foot!" Usopp muttered, awestruck.
"I don't believe it!" Nami added, "For a former pirate, Zeff still has some fight left in him."
"What!? Impossible!?" Pearl asked, "Did he just put out my fire pearls!?"
"Fire pearls, eh?" Zeff chuckled, confidently, "That's child's play!"
"Way to go, Pops! I'm impressed!" Luffy exclaimed in awe.
Yet the only man who was not impressed, was Krieg. He was instead more focused on the state of the Baratie. Pearl's fear won out, and was about to leave his crew stranded in the East Blue.
"So, it looks like I got no other choice," he muttered, wielding his great flail, "Either I smash the fins, or the ship burns." Krieg swung his mighty flail, and sent it flying towards Sanji and Pearl.
"Oh crap! Sanji! Look out!" Nami shouted, seeing the great flail descend down upon the two.
"It's no use, Nami! He's surrounded by that inferno!" Usopp stuttered. Sanji and Pearl could only look up in horror as the spiked ball fell closer and closer towards them. Yet all of a sudden, a flash of red and blue burst through the flames. It was Luffy. He jumped up and stretched his arms back.
"Gum-Gum Bazooka!" He shouted, springing his arms back and catching the flail as if it were a rubber ball, sending it back flying towards Krieg and the wreckage.
"He just…tossed that flail right back!" Sanji muttered.
"Yeah, he does that," Ragnar commented, "Don't worry, you get used to it."
The flail flew past Krieg, and struck one of the masts at the base. The great wooden cylinder came crashing down like a felled tree. Luffy and Sanji both quickly got out of the way as the mast came down right on Pearl's head. The force of the impact was so hard, that this time, the invincible shield fell on his back unconscious.
"That did it!" Nami exclaimed, "Now we can focus on controlling the rest of these fires." Instantly, she and Usopp began filling their stock pots with seawater, and doused the flames.
"Man, what a weirdo," Sanji muttered as he looked over Pearl's unconscious body.
"Yeah, he sure is goofy," Luffy added.
"He's not goofy; he's crazy," Ragnar commented.
Seeing his invincible shield disabled, Krieg only grimaced as he cracked his neck.
"It's like the old saying goes," he muttered, "If you want something done right, you have no choice but to do it yourself."
As the fires were being extinguished, a pained groan was heard from the restaurant. The Straw Hats and Sanji turned, and saw Zeff on the floor of the deck, all while standing on top of him…was Gin, armed with a flintlock pistol aimed straight at Zeff's head.
"This battle ends here and now," he growled.
"Shoot him Gin!" Krieg shouted, "Kill him! All we have to do is kill the old coot, and the restaurant is ours!" Everyone couldn't help but glare daggers at the man who started this whole debacle. Now, the battle was taking a serious turn. Whatever happened next all hinged on this moment…
A/N: Dun, dun, dun...! And so the battle for the Baratie is heating up...quite literally. And of course, Usopp is trying to put on a brave face but is also just plain scared out of his mind. Nami, though is definitely stepping up her game, for sure. Though, she and Ragnar may be feeling the effects of the Pearl Surprise hitting their shields after the battle. And yes, she still doesn't like it when Johnny and Yosaku call her Big Sis.
Now, we also have another reference to Norse Mythology, particularly with the mention of Týr. In Norse mythology, Týr is the God of War, as well as of justice. Famously, he sacrificed his arm to Fenrir, only to lose it when Odin bound the great wolf on the isle of Lyngvi. He is said to be devoured by the hound of Helheim, Garm. For anyone who is familiar with God of War: Ragnarok, they will know about Týr.
Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter!