Chapter 12: Kriegs Arrival
"Luffy, you're back!" Usopp greeted, watching as Luffy walked into the restaurant, waving him over to the table they were sitting at.
"You guys started eating without me?" Luffy whined, pouting a little as he noticed all the food on the table.
"Calm down, we got you something too," Zoro told him, gesturing to the empty chair that had a plate of seafood in front of it.
"Really?! You guys are the best!" Luffy cheered, his previous misgivings gone as he darted to his seat and sat down, beginning to eat without a seconds hesitation. Nami rolled her eyes at that, eating her own food at a much more normal pace.
"Anyways, where have you been?" She asked curiously, noticing that Luffy had been gone a while.
"Oh, I was looking for our chef." He answered between bites of food.
"Did you find one?" Usopp asked conversationally, resting his head in his hand.
"Mm! He's pretty cool-"
"Oh, dear ocean! I thank you for todays encounter!" Sanjis sudden appearance surprised them all. He was kneeling beside Namis chair, a flower outstretched towards her as he held his other hand over his heart.
"What?" Nami asked, eyes wide as she was caught off guard.
"Oh love, I can't bear this hardship. Go ahead and laugh at me. I'm now prepared to be a lowly pirate or devil if I'm with you!" Sanji proclaimed, his eyes forming hearts as he gazed at Nami.
"However, how tragic it is! there's too great an obstacle between us!" Sanji exclaimed loudly, standing and raising his hands into the air while Nami held the flower apprehensively as she eyed Sanji.
"That obstacle is me, right Sanji?" The sound of the owners peg leg on the hard ground sounded as he walked their way. The hearts in Sanjis eyes were gone in an instant, his smile replaced with an irritated frown.
"Damn geezer!" He cursed quietly to himself.
"This is a good opportunity. Why don't you become a pirate with them? You're no longer needed at this restaurant!" At those words, Sanji turned and glared at the man.
"Hey, you damn geezer! I'm the Sous Chef here. What do you mean you no longer need me?!" Sanji asked, his hands in his pockets. His body was still facing the Straw Hats, but his head was turned to glare at the owner who was now leaning against a table nearby, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You often get into trouble with customers. You flare your nostrils the second you see a girl. You cant even cook a decent meal, so you're deadweight to this restaurant. That's what I said." The owner listed out.
Yet, Luffy could feel he was lying.
It confused him as to why the owner was being so mean to Sanji, making it look and sound as if he didn't think Sanjis abilities were good but was really just lying the entire time. If he actually thought Sanji was a good chef, why did he want him to leave so bad?
"Say that again..." Sanji growled out angrily. Laughing was heard coming from the top of the stairs where a group of chefs stood, listening.
"Also, the other cooks steer clear of you... So go be a pirate or whatever and just leave this restaurant already!" At the owners words, Sanji turned his body towards the man fully now.
"Say what? If I keep quiet, you just shoot your mouth off, huh? You damn geezer!" Sanji started, walking closer to the owner.
"The rest I could overlook, but I'm not just gonna let you trash my cooking! No matter what you say, I'll stay here as a cook! And that's final!" Sanji said, yelling the last bit and grabbing the owner by his shirt. The conviction in Sanjis words and emotions told Luffy that the chef would stand by them; however, he could feel from the owner that that was the last thing he wanted. There was a feeling of resignation, a feeling of irritation, and a feeling of anger all mixing together in the man.
"Just what's the meaning of you grabbing the owner by the collar? You idiot!" And with that, the owner removed Sanjis hands and grabbed him back, throwing Sanji across the room and into the table where the Straw Hats had been listening silently. Seeing this, the crew grabbed their plates, holding them safely in the air as their table collapsed.
"Damn you... Quit screwing around... No matter how hard you try to kick me out, I'll continue to work here as a cook... until you die!" Sanji yelled to the owner who was walking away now.
"I won't die! I'll live 100 more years!" The man shouted back, not even turning his head as he did. It was strange for Luffy to watch and know that both these strong-willed men weren't going to compromise. With how adamant Sanji was to defy the owners words, Luffy knew that- no matter how many times he was insulted- he wouldn't leave this restaurant. The Owner was determined to undermine the blonde chefs abilities, lying convincingly to Sanjis face, and because of that Sanji only became even more determined to stay.
It was a vicious, never-ending cycle, and Luffy briefly wondered if he should just call out the owner on his lies or not.
"That geezer is never short of words..." Sanji muttered, picking himself up off the ground. The frown left Luffys face as he placed a hand on Sanjis shoulder.
"All right, you have permission! Now you can become a pirate!" He told the chef, even though he knew Sanji was going to refuse him regardless. It was worth a try though.
"No way!" Luffy only laughed, having expected this reaction. Sanji picked up their table- which had miraculously stayed in one piece- and fixed it upright once more.
"Now... sorry about that." He said, placing a cup of fruit in front of Nami and pouring her a new glass.
"I'd like to make up for it by serving you fruit Macedonia, my princess." He said, nostrils flaring just like the owner accused him of earlier.
"Wow, thank you! You're so kind!" Nami told him sweetly, enjoying the special treatment. Beside her, Usopp jumped over, a look of annoyance on his face.
"And no apology for us?! I'm gonna sue you, you stupid love cook!" He yelled out. Sanji got into Usopps face- the liars long nose bending at the close proximity- and in the blondes hand he held a steaming cup.
"I'm serving you tea, aren't I? Thank me for that, long nose." Sanji told him.
"Huh? You wanna fight? I won't go easy on you. Beat him up Zoro!" Usopp shouted, looking to Zoro who was sipping his tea.
"Do it yourself." He muttered.
"What?! Luffy, what about you?!" Usopp asked, turning to his Captain who was back to shoveling the last bit of food into his mouth. It seemed Sanji hesitated at this, his own eyes drifting to Luffy, yet his face held no emotion. Luffy could feel a small flicker of worry, and maybe briefly a feeling of fear, but it was gone just as fast when Luffy shook his head.
"Nah, I like Sanji so I'm not gonna fight him," Luffy told Usopp in a deadpan voice. Nami, who was sitting under Usopp and Sanji, held her hands together, her eyebrows furrowing in mock worry.
"Stop! Please don't fight because of me." She pleaded, leaning towards Sanji whose eyes turned back into hearts.
"Yes, I'll stop." He told her with a smile.
"Who said it was because of you?!" Usopp screeched at Namis head, the woman not even looking at him, focused on Sanji.
"By the way, you know..." She started as if nervous. Luffy could feel that she was deceiving the chef, but didn't say anything, instead grabbing more food off of Usopps abandoned plate.
"Yes?" Sanji asked diligently.
"The food you have here is delicious... but it seems a little expensive for me..." She told him, even going so far as to rub Sanjis chin, making the man swoon.
"Of course, it'll be free." He told her, and now Luffy could feel that Nami was truly happy, matching the expression on her face.
"Thank you!" She cried, hugging Sanji tightly, the man looking to be in bliss.
"Yours are not free." He suddenly said, looking to Zoro as he spoke, the heart eyes gone again.
"Wha-" Usopp cried.
"You're too predictable," Zoro said into his tea. Luffy only laughed at this.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
With Luffy determined to make Sanji their chef and Sanji's adamant refusal, the crew had ended up staying at the Baratie for another four days. Of course, this meant that everyone was getting a little antsy, ready to set sail any time now, but Luffy refused by telling them that he didn't want anyone else to be their chef.
Today, it was foggy out which made it difficult to see too far without everything being swallowed in a haze of white. The crew were lounging on the Merry, Nami and Usopp standing against the railing while Zoro was sitting against it, his hands behind his head. Luffy was sitting on top of the railing, looking off into the fog as he thought.
"When can we leave here?" Usopp asked, looking over to the Baratie.
"When Sanji agrees to be our chef," Luffy answered easily, his stubbornness showing.
"Are you really going to stay here until then? For all we know, that'll take months!" Nami said to Luffy. The teen had noticed that as more time passed Nami had been growing increasingly anxious and uncomfortable, but he hadn't said anything about it. He knew the navigator was still having a hard time understanding his abilities, so he wasn't going to mention them much around her.
It didn't stop him from worrying though, especially when he could start feeling that small hint of fear slowly growing within her. Unlike before, this fear wasn't due to Luffy, but something else, and that only worried Luffy further.
"I don't know, maybe if you ask him that love cook'll agree and we can finally leave," Zoro suggested, Usopp nodding his agreement to that plan while Luffy turned to smile at Nami.
"Would you?!" Luffy asked eagerly. He knew Sanji liked Nami, he was always really happy around her and did whatever she said, so maybe Zoro was right and all they needed to do was have her ask him.
"He has been letting me eat here free these past four days," Nami said to herself, looking as if she was considering doing it.
"Hey, if asking him to join doesn't work, maybe you can get him to let us eat free too. Paying for food every day is starting to get pricey." Usopp muttered though Nami looked as if he wasn't listening to him.
"It won't work." Luffy suddenly realized, everyone turning to look at him, confused by his words. Only seconds ago he had seemed onboard with the idea, and now he was saying it wouldn't work?
"Why's that?" Nami asked curiously. Luffy glanced over to her for a second, remembering that he didn't want to bring up his abilities around her, but she had been the one to ask.
"He doesn't want to leave cause the owner keeps lying to him. It makes him angry and more determined so he's decided to stay. The owner's not gonna stop lying, but he wants Sanji to leave." Luffy explained to the best of his ability. It was hard sometimes to explain people's emotions because he only got impressions from them, and putting those impressions into words was difficult.
"Lying? About what?" Usopp asked in confusion. Anytime they'd seen the violent owner he'd seemed to be speaking the truth about whatever he was talking about.
"Whenever he says Sanji can't cook. He's lying. He knows he can, but he doesn't say it and that's why Sanji gets so mad." Luffy told him.
"If you ask me, this guy's more trouble then its worth. I'm sure we can find a better cook elsewhere." Zoro said with a shrug of his shoulders, leaning back further into the railing and getting comfy. Luffy frowned, ready to argue that Sanji was the only chef he'd accept, but then his haki picked up on something growing closer.
Head snapping back to the sea, Luffy frowned, head tilting and eyebrows creasing as he tried seeing through the dense fog.
"What? What is it?" Nami asked, she and Usopp both not liking the look on Luffys face. Their tone of voice made Zoro open his eyes in curiosity, looking and finding Luffy sitting rather stiffly on the railing.
"Someone's coming. Lots of people." Luffy told them quietly as he tried figuring out how many people there were; how strong they were. He knew that there were a lot of them, but his haki wasn't good enough to pinpoint exactly how many there were. He could feel a lot of emotions too, similar to how Gin had been when he'd gotten here. The people were in pain, hungry, tired, weak.
"Where? I don't see anyone." Usopp said nervously as he peered off into the fog, eyes squinting as if that would help. Suddenly, from the fog, a giant ship appeared, much bigger than both the Merry and the Baratie. Seeing this, both Nami and Usopp began to freak out and Zoro stood, moving closer to the railing.
"Hey, this isn't good! Shouldn't we just get out of here?!" Usopp asked fearfully. Behind him, Johnny and Yosaku- who had been in the galley- came out, their jaws dropping at the sight of the ship.
"What a huge galleon!" Nami exclaimed.
"T-the Krieg Pirates!" Johnny and Yosaku stated in shock, Luffy remembering that name.
"Krieg? I wonder if Gin came back to repay Sanji for his kindness." Luffy said with a smile as he took in the size of the giant ship. It was reminiscent of the Mobys size and made him nostalgic for his home.
"I don't think so..." Zoro mumbled. As the fog began to clear up, they all saw the state of the ship, seeing that instead of the unmarked, new look of the Merry, the Krieg Pirates' ship had chunks of wood missing, snapped masts, and torn sails. It looked like the ship had fought a hurricane and lost.
"Their ship sure is beat up..." Luffy noted as he got off the railing and began heading towards the boat they'd been using to travel back and forth between the Baratie and Merry.
"W-where are you going?!" Usopp asked, eyes darting between Luffy and the Krieg's ship.
"To the Baratie. If these guys aren't friendly, I'll beat 'em up." Luffy said as if it were obvious. He'd heard Sanji say that this place was the owners treasure, and he'd be damned if he let a bunch of East Blue pirates destroy it.
"Hold on! Wait a minute! You can't solve everything by fighting!" Nami yelled. Luffy looked at her in confusion, not understanding.
"I cant?" He asked. So far, he hadn't had a problem that couldn't be solved with fighting.
"No! Besides, look at the size of that ship! You couldn't take all of them on by yourself!" She exclaimed, her emotions telling Luffy that she was slightly worried for him, but overall she was still anxious and scared.
"Sure I could," Luffy told her with a grin before turning around and continuing on to the boat. Johnny and Yosaku had yet to move, seeming to be frozen in their shock, and Nami and Usopp looked about the same themselves. Zoro was the only one, other than Luffy, who didn't seem fazed by the new pirates' arrival.
"Guess I'll tag along. It's better then sitting here doing nothing." He said with a shrug as he did just that, following after Luffy who grinned over his shoulder at him.
"W-wait a minute! What if they come to the Merry?! I-I think I'll come along too!" Usopp said nervously, not wanting to be left alone. Well, he wouldn't have been alone, but Luffy and Zoro were the power houses of the crew, and with both of them leaving, there would be no one left to fight should it come down to it.
"You three have fun! I'll be staying safely on the Merry!" Nami told them, holding her arms up in an X formation and shaking her head.
"Alright. See ya later!" Luffy told her with a wave, the woman blinking in surprise momentarily at that. Luffy didn't know why his words surprised her, or why she suddenly felt guilty, but he shrugged it off, resigned in knowing there was a lot about Nami he didn't understand.
"Y-yeah. Don't go and get yourselves killed, you hear?" She asked, her hands moving to her hips now as the surprise left her face, instead replaced with a stern look like a mother warning her child.
"Shishishi!" Luffy only laughed as he, Zoro, and Usopp hopped onto the tiny boat and began rowing to the Baratie. Already, Luffy could see Sanji and the owner standing in front of the restaurant, Sanji in front of the doors and the owner on the second level, the two of them gazing up at the large ship in front of them. When the three finally reached the outer deck, they walked over to Sanji.
"You guys're still here?" Sanji asked, only briefly looking their way to acknowledge them.
"Yup! So it looks like Gin brought the rest of his crew." Luffy said, standing beside Sanji and looking at the ship.
"Looks that way. Their ship isn't looking too good either." Sanji said, taking a drag of his cigaretteand letting the smoke billow out of his mouth afterward.
"Doesn't seem like they were attacked by cannons, but then again, it's hard to think that damage is manmade." He said as he looked over the cracks and gashes in the ship. After he said this, they all saw someone begin staggering across the destroyed ships deck.
"Here he comes..." With narrowed eyes Sanji took the cigarette out of his mouth, stomping it out on the ground. The four of them decided to head into the restaurant because if these pirates didn't intend on fighting, that meant they would want food. Luffy noticed that the owner had gone in as well, but that thought was quickly pushed aside when he felt the sudden onslaught of everyones fear and worry slam into him at once.
He hadn't noticed earlier, too focused on the thought of fighting, but the restaurant was practically oozing out the negative emotions due to how many people were inside looking out the windows and watching the Krieg Pirates.
A few deep breaths later, and the shaking in Luffys hands had gone away. He decided to ignore the look Zoro sent him as a result.
Once they were inside, it didn't take long for the doors to open back up to show Gin there as he helped a much taller, bigger man into the room. There were audible whispers and gasps from the surrounding diners as they took in the mans appearance, the bandages wrapped around his head, the giant coat hung on his shoulders, and the intimidating look on his face.
"S-sorry... Can I have some water and food? We have money... tons of money..." Gin said, visibly shaking under the weight of the man he was supporting.
"I don't even remember the last time I ate. Please... give me some water and food..." The man Gin was supporting, Krieg, said, coughing in the middle. Luffy frowned at the mans words, and a quick look of his aura showed that he, like Kuro and Morgan, had a dark aura.
Luffy didn't know what it said about his journey that he'd already met three dark-colored people in the short time he'd been sailing.
"W-whats that?!"
"He shows neither dignity nor force. Is he really that Don Krieg, Commodore of the grand pirate fleet?" Patty and another chef spoke behind them.
"So he's hungry..." Luffy said quietly, more to himself than to his companions. Usopps legs were beginning to shake, but Zoro still looked unfazed, taking in Krieg with a calculating look. Sanji took this as his cue to leave, walking away and up the stairs with no one stopping him. Luffy continued watching Krieg and noticed that Gins struggling to hold him up was getting worse. Seconds after that realization, Krieg was falling sideways, Gin unable to support him anymore.
"C-Captain!" He called out, the two of them falling. Krieg had fallen face forward onto his stomach while Gin kneeled beside him.
"P-Please! Help our Captain! He's really about to starve! He hasn't eaten anything for days! He'll die if he doesn't eat!" Gin called out but was met with the faces of the diners, all of them glaring his way, none of them wanting to help. It looked as if the chefs felt the same way, all of them crowded on the stairs, not making a move to help. Seeing this, Luffy felt Gins worry grow, a distressed look on his face.
"This is good! It's a riot to see the famous arch rogue Don Krieg like this!" Patty laughed, standing from where he'd been hiding on the stairs.
"We have money this time. We're customers!" Gin cried.
"Don't be ridiculous! Hey, contact the Navy right away." Patty said to one of the nearby chefs. Luffys frown deepened at the mans words, a shiver running down his spine. Although he wasn't on Kriegs side- he would never be on the side of someone with a dark aura- he didn't agree with the chefs decision.
Sure, this pirate was apparently strong and these chefs were just looking out for themselves, but Krieg was clearly starving and denying him food was too cruel in Luffys mind. To be so close to food, yet unable to eat it after days of starving was torture and Luffy was almost ready to go and make the man something himself.
"He's at his weakest right now. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! There's no need to feed him anything. Keep him under arrest." Patty ordered. Gins anger grew at the words and Luffy was clenching his fists. He knew the marines, and he knew the likelihood of them feeding Krieg once they had him was close to none. Sending him off with them was practically a death sentence.
"He's right! We don't know what he'll do once his energy's back."
"He's done bad things."
"He deserved to starve because of everything he's done!"
"Once he's back to normal, I bet he'll attack this restaurant straight away. There's no need to give him even a glass of water." Around them, the chefs and diners all talked amongst themselves, all in agreement that there would be no helping the pirate.
"I won't do anything..." Krieg said in a weak voice, struggling to sit up.
"I won't do anything... Once I eat, I promise I'll leave quietly. So please... help... me..." The man was bowing his head to them, Gin watching with wide eyes.
"Don Krieg, please stop! Please stop begging! It's not something you should do! Please don't do something so disgraceful!" Gin pleaded, but Krieg ignored him.
"I promise... please... I'll take leftovers or anything... Anything..." The Captain continued pleading. Seeing this, it looked as if many of the diners were changing their mind, frowns on their faces as they saw the man beg.
"Don..." Gin whispered tears in his eyes.
"Ha! Are you trying to gain our sympathy?" Patty asked, though even he looked like he'd been swayed a little by the display.
"Hey, out of my way, Patty." Sanji suddenly said, walking down the stairs. Without any more warning, he kicked his leg out, his foot hitting Patty in the face and pushing him into the wall, cracking the wall and making the man fall forward, off the stairs and onto the ground below.
"Oh boy..." One of the chefs muttered.
"S... Sanji-san!" Gin said in surprise, turning to see Sanji walking over with a large bowl of food and a bottle of wine.
"Here, Gin. Let him eat it." The blonde said, setting the food in front of Krieg.
"Sanji-san..." Gin said softly again. Luffy smiled at Sanjis actions, and his resolve to make him his chef only grew.
"Thank you!" Krieg said, crying as he shoveled the food into his mouth with his hands, forgoing the silverware all together. Behind him, Luffy heard, and then saw, a chef come barreling down the stairs, knocking another one down as he did.
"Hey, Sanji! Take that food away now!" He yelled, pointing to them as he did and making Luffys smile fall again.
"Do you realize what kind of man he is?! He's the man who's called the East Blue Ruler, the foul player Krieg!" He shouted before launching into a story of how Krieg had gotten the name, how he'd pretended to be a marine, and how he played dirty.
"Leaving after eating? That's not possible with him! Letting suck a wicked fiend die without help is for society's sake!" The chef finished. Luffy knew he was right about one thing though, that Krieg wouldn't leave after eating. He'd felt that the man had been lying when he'd promised to do so, and even though that was reason enough for Luffy to call him out, he wanted to make sure he ate before then. Fighting a starving man would be no fun.
He never got a chance to call him out on it though, because as the chef finished yelling, Krieg slammed the now empty bottle of wine on the ground and stood up. No one had a chance to do anything as the pirate swung his arm forward, hooking it around Sanjis neck and slamming him down on his back.
"S... Sanji!" The chef who had been yelling called out, everyone watching in shock, even Gin. Luffy stepped forward at this, a scowl on his face, and the diners all began running for the backdoor, some screaming in fear as they did.
"Th... This isn't what we agreed to, Don Krieg!" Gin shouted
"I brought you here under the condition that you wouldn't touch this restaurant! And that man saved our lives..." Gin was cut short as Krieg grabbed his arm, raising him into the air.
"Yeah, that was delicious." He said with a frown, tightening his hold on Gins arm. At this, Gin screamed out, grabbing at Kriegs hand in a vain attempt at loosening the mans grip.
"I feel alive again." He continued, grinning now and letting go of Gin, letting him fall unceremoniously to the ground. Luffy felt his anger increasing, not liking how Krieg had treated not only Sanji but Gin as well. They were both good people, and Krieg- now that he was revived- was someone Luffy couldn't wait to fight.
"H-hey... T-this is getting a little out of hand..." Usopp said, sweating and shaking in terror as he watched Krieg display his strength.
"Hurting his own crew member," Zoro said with a frown, not liking how he'd treated Gin either. He didn't know Gin personally, but from what he'd seen, he was loyal to his Captain, and for Krieg to use him as a demonstration rubbed Zoro the wrong way.
Now that all the diners were gone, all that was left were the chefs and the three Straw Hats. Krieg looked around the restaurant with a frown, and once he'd scanned it all, he grinned again.
"This is a good restaurant. I'll take this ship." He determined, the chefs' jaws dropping at the words.
"So... that's what you want..." Sanji said as he struggled to sit up, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, yet he was grinning back at Krieg.
"Ow, ow, ow..." Patty, who had been unconscious after his fall from the stairs looked up to see Krieg towering over him, making him scream in fear.
"My ship became a wreck, so I wanted a new one. You'll get off this ship after you take care of what I tell you to do." Krieg ordered.
"W-What?!"
"Don Krieg... This isn't what you promised." Gin muttered, still laying on the ground and holding his arm that Krieg had hurt.
"There're about 100 of my underlings still alive on my ship." Krieg started, sticking a thumb out behind him, pointing to his destroyed ship outside.
"Only 100?" Luffy mumbled with a pout, crossing his arms over his chest. Usopps eyes widened as he looked at Luffy incredulously and Zoro raised an eyebrow at him.
"O-only 100?! You say that as if you're disappointed!" Usopp shrieked, squeaking and covering his mouth as he realized he might have drawn Kriegs attention. Seeing that he hadn't, he sighed in relief.
"They're weak with hunger and severe injuries. First, prepare 100 meals and water for them. There're some who've already starved to death." Krieg continued.
"Bring them over immediately!" He finished with a bark.
"Are you telling us to revive pirates that are gonna attack this ship?! We refuse!" The chef from earlier shouted bravely, though he was sweating and Luffy could feel his terror.
"Refuse? Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not placing an order. I'm giving you orders. It doesn't matter who you are... don't defy me!" He screamed, many of the chefs shrieking in fear at the words.
"Sanji-san, I'm sorry... I didn't mean for this to happen..." Gin apologized.
"You son of a bitch! Look what you've done!" Patty yelled at Sanji, yet the blonde didn't say anything where he continued to lay. Finally, he got up, hands stuffed in his pockets, and began walking back towards the stairs, passing Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp.
"W-wheres he going?!" Usopp asked frightfully, regretting coming along.
"Hey, Sanji! Where're you going?!" Another chef repeated. Sanji stopped at the bottom of the stairs, wiping the blood from his mouth.
"To the kitchen. I have to prepare 100 more meals." He said, surprising everyone except Luffy.
"Sanji-san!" Gin called.
"Sanji?!" The chefs yelled.
"What?!" Everyone screamed. At the doors, Krieg grinned again.
"Right. That's how it should be." Krieg said arrogantly, and all over again, Luffy wanted to pound the smug smile off his face.
Sanji was stopped from going any further though as the chefs surrounded him, all of them wielding giant pots, knives, and forks that they pointed in Sanjis direction.
"Are you Kriegs spy, Sanji?!"
"We can't let you go in the kitchen!"
"We're fed up with your crazy behavior!" They shouted angrily. Sanji, with no expression, took his hands out of his pockets, stretching them out at his sides.
"Go ahead..." He said, causing many of them to hesitate in surprise.
"If you want to stop me, go ahead!" He repeated, almost daring them to attack, yet they did nothing.
"He's an incorrigible rogue... I know that much... But that doesn't matter to me. That doesn't matter! What happens after we feed them... It's too much to bother to think about it. I'm a cook. No more. No less. If there's someone who's hungry, I'll feed them. That's all. It's alright for a cook to be that way, don't you think?" Sanji asked, the chefs listening with wide eyes. Luffy smiled at his chefs words- because he had no doubt in his mind now Sanji would be his chef- and agreed with them himself. Sanjis words reminded him of Thatch, and maybe that was why Luffy liked the blonde so much.
Whatever the chefs' decision was going to be though, they had no say because Patty suddenly charged, elbowing Sanji in the back and knocking him down again.
"Patty!" One of them yelled.
"Hey, someone keep him restrained! Sanji, you sometimes feed customers I drive away at the back door, don't you? I'm not gonna say who's right, but this time, it's your mistake. I'm not gonna let you do what you want any longer. I'll protect this restaurant." Patty said as he walked over to a cabinet.
"Fortunately, we have only one enemy to fight. Even if it's Don Krieg, what can he do against us?" Patty asked as he continued rummaging around in the cabinet.
"This is a sea restaurant where pirates come and go every day. We're fully prepared to serve any kind of customer!" He said, finding whatever it was he was looking for and pulling it out.
"That's..." Sanji said from the ground.
"Are you full now, Krieg-san? After the main course, how about..." Krieg watched in confusion as Patty pulled the cloth off of whatever he was holding, spinning it around.
"A piece of iron dessert?!" He shouted, showing he was holding a large bazooka that looked like a lobster.
"Meat Ball of Doom!" Patty called out, firing the weapon. With a loud, bright blast, a cannonball came flying out of the weapon and right at Krieg who stood unmoving.
"Don!" Gin cried, but he couldn't see what happened as a large smoke cloud formed, masking everyones view.
"I might've broken the doors. Owners gonna yell at me again," Patty remarked as he stood proudly, waiting for the cloud to disappear.
"Well, you did it to protect the restaurant. It's a small price to pay." Another chef said. Luffy frowned, knowing for a fact that Krieg hadn't been affected by the hit.
"What're you gonna do about those in Kriegs ship?" Sanji asked from where he was still sitting on the ground.
"I don't know. Maybe we'll spread butter on the ship and stir-fry it..." Patty suggested.
"It'll taste good, right?! You lame cook!" Kriegs voice yelled out, surprising everyone except Luffy.
"How dare you serve such a nasty dessert! This is the lousiest restaurant!" Krieg continued yelling. His coat was gone, as well as his shirt, and now he was showing off shining gold armor. From his shoulders and sides, guns appeared, and he also held two in his hands.
"You're damn annoying!" Krieg yelled, pointing his guns at the chefs and beginning to fire. Seeing this Luffy ran forward, getting as close to the guns as he could to ensure that none would get past him. Round after round went off, and once the chefs realized what he was doing, their fear doubled.
"H-Hey!"
"Isn't that 11097?!"
"He was still here?!"
"He's getting hit by all the bullets!" Luffy ignored the yelling, gritting his teeth as he felt nearly every piece of his body get hit by the bullets, the skin stretching as a result.
"H-his skin..."
"It's stretching?!"
"Didn't the Marines say something about that?" Again the words were ignored, and finally, the reign of bullets stopped, Krieg grinning at Luffy.
"You idiot, don't defy me!" He told him, clearly thinking that Luffy had been killed by the barrage. He was proven wrong however when Luffy looked up at him, grinning to him. This surprised Krieg so much that he stepped back, Gin watching with wide eyes.
"I think you lost something. Here, have 'em back!" Luffy said, letting his body snap back to normal, sending the bullets flying back at Krieg who continued to remain unmoving. Most of the bullets hit his armor, leaving him unscathed as the rest hit the walls behind him.
"And who are you?" He asked Luffy with a glare.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy," Luffy said, standing straight as he glared right back at Krieg.
"That's right, Gin said you were here, 11097. He also mentioned that you left the Yonkos crew. I thought you would be gone by now." Krieg said, his eyes widening slightly and sweat starting to form. Despite the reaction, Luffy could feel that he wasn't all that scared, rather, he was suddenly greedy.
Everyone else who hadn't heard of Luffys departure from Whitebeards crew began muttering to themselves in shock, surprised Luffy had left such an infamous pirate crew.
"A pirate whos successfully sailed the Grand Line..." Krieg muttered softly to himself, a grin forming on his face at his words.
"No matter, I'm the strongest! Someone like you stands no chance against me! Steel arms more powerful than anyone, a wootz steel made body that is harder than anyones, and a diamond fist that can destroy anything! I have all sorts of built-in weapons throughout my body... the 50-ship large fleet and 5000 pirate force! I've won all battles that I've fought! I am the man fit to be called Don!" Krieg announced. Luffys glare never let up and frankly, he was unimpressed by the weapons Krieg had mentioned. When one of your ship brothers could turn his whole body into diamonds, Kriegs fist looked like a toy in comparison.
"Out of my way kid!" The owner suddenly said from behind Luffy. Turning, the straw-hatted teen saw that the man was carrying a large bag on his shoulder, using it to push Luffy out of the way. Dropping it in front of Krieg, the owner glared at him.
"There's probably enough for 100 meals in this. Bring it to your ship right away." He said to Krieg.
"Owner Zeff!" The chefs yelled from behind them.
"I could've gotten hurt!" Luffy whined to Zeff, holding his hat as he frowned at him, but the owner ignored him.
"Z-Zeff?" Krieg asked, his eyes wide again like when he'd recognized Luffy.
"What're you doing?!"
"What're you thinking?!"
"If we revive even those on the ship, our restaurant will be completely taken over!" The chefs asked the Owner incredulously, not understanding the mans motives. Did he want the pirates to attack them? Zeff ignored their concerns as he walked back towards the stairs, but then he stopped.
"If they have the will to fight that is... Right, defeated warrior of the Grand Line?" Zeff asked, turning to look at Krieg over his shoulder. Krieg stared dumbfounded, quickly followed by the chefs doing the same.
"C...Cant be... Don Krieg is a defeated warrior..."
"Then even the ruler of the East Blue couldn't... Even the pirate fleet with 50 ships couldn't sail across..." At the chefs words, Gin was looking to the ground, a look of defeat on his face.
"They couldn't even get through Paradise?" Luffy asked himself, wondering if these guys were even all that strong.
"Y... You must be Red Foot Zeff!" Krieg called out, ignoring everyone mocking him, still focused on the owner.
"So you are alive..." He said in a low voice, the greed back as his eyes narrowed, shifting between Luffy and Zeff.
"An incomparable pirate who was a cook and yet also a captain... And 11097, a pirate whos sailed with the Yonko Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world..." Krieg continued, his lips twitching upwards slightly. Luffy didn't like the slimy greed that Krieg was starting to emit, it reminded him too much of Teach after seeing the devil fruit Thatch had found all that time ago.
"So what if I'm alive? It has nothing to do with you. As you can see, I live as a cook now." Zeff said, gesturing to the restaurant around him. At his words, Krieg began laughing loudly.
"If you put it that way, it sounds nice... though rather than living as a cook, it looks like you can live only as a cook. " Krieg said, gesturing to the mans peg leg, insinuating that because of it, Zeff wasn't able to be a pirate anymore. He began retelling stories he'd heard of Zeffs strong and powerful kicks, how he'd been revered as Red Leg Zeff, and at the end, he gestured once more to the peg leg.
"But you no longer have that precious leg of yours... I've heard the rumor. How unlucky for you to have an accident at sea... To you, losing one of your legs must mean you are unable to fight." Krieg assumed. Zeff showed no emotion, and Luffy could tell that he wasn't getting angry by the words Krieg was saying, staying indifferent.
"What about fighting? I can cook without a leg as long as I have these hands." Zeff told him, raising his hands in example.
"What're you trying to say? Just come right out and say it!" Zeff demanded. Krieg chuckled again at that, grinning maliciously.
"Red Leg Zeff. You're the man who once entered the Grand Line and came back unhurt. The same could be said for 11097 there. You two no doubt have log books chronicling your journeys! Give them to me!" He demanded.
"Woah! You've been to Paradise too, old man?" Luffy asked Zeff with a grin, ignoring Krieg.
"Yeah..." Zeff affirmed, looking at Krieg as he spoke.
"I knew you were a cool guy! Anyway, I don't have one of those books. Izo or Haruta always wrote in those and they're Pops', so I didn't take it. Oh, I should probably start my own though, huh?" Luffy asked himself, Zoro and Usopp facepalming while the chefs around him sweatdropped.
"My logbook, huh? Indeed I have it with me." Zeff said, ignoring Luffy. The ex-pirates words made Kriegs grin widen.
"One out of two isn't so bad," Krieg said with a sneer.
"But I can't give it to you." The sneer left immediately, a glare forming instead.
"The logbook is the pride of all the crewmen that I sailed with. It's too important to give it to you." Zeff declared. Beside him, Luffy nodded in agreement, adjusting his hat on his head.
"Then I'll just take it from you by force. It's true that I fell from the Grand Line. Even if that's the case, I'm still Don Krieg, the strongest man. Its merely a dark sea route. To sail across it, I had enough power, and forces... as well as ambition! The only thing that was regrettable was that I lacked the information. I just didn't know things..." Krieg determined. At his feet, Gin still looked rather distressed, not lifting his head as Krieg spoke.
"I'll take your logbook. And I'll form a large pirate fleet again and seize the One Piece. And then, I'll stand on top in this Great Pirate Era!" These words were the ones that finally set Luffy off, a frown on his face as he stepped forward, pointing a finger towards Krieg.
"Now hold on a second! I'm the one who's gonna be King of the Pirates!" He announced, many of the chefs eyes widening in surprise.
"H-Hey, back off, you trying to start a fight?!" One of them shouted.
"I can't back off from this," Luffy told him with a grin.
"Are you challenging me, kid? Former Whitebeard Pirate or not, I can't let that pass." Krieg stated, standing tall in front of Luffy.
"You don't have to. I just stated a fact." Luffy told him matter-of-factly.
"This isn't a game." Krieg continued with a scowl.
"Of course not. I'll conquer Paradise myself, and then the New World too." Luffy told him, still unfazed.
"Its no joke, you brat! It's true that we didn't have information, but a fleet with 5000 men was wiped out in just seven days! That's a devilish sea! Don't underestimate it, kid! Without Whitebeard helping, you'll no doubt succumb to its terrors as well!" Krieg shouted in rage, Gin still shaking in terror.
"S-Seven days?!" Patty exclaimed.
"Kriegs pirate ships were wiped out in just seven days?!" A nearby chef asked in astonishment.
"What on Earth happened?!" Another asked.
"Unfortunately, I don't find those kinds of jokes funny. If you're not going to let it drop, then how about I just crush you here..." Krieg asked, his determination rising.
"Go ahead, if you can..." Luffy said with a grin, readying his fist.
"Fine by me. As you wish, I'll send you to the netherworld." With that said, Kriegs shoulder plates smoked and rose, showing off the guns inside once more. He didn't fire them though, looking around the restaurant carefully instead. Behind Luffy, Zoro pulled his sword out a bit.
"Gonna fight, Luffy? Need a hand?" Zoro asked with a grin, ready to fight if necessary.
"I-if you don't need help, though, th-that's fine too..." Usopp said with shaking legs, barely able to stand beside Zoro. Everyone, including Krieg looked over at the two.
"Don't worry, you guys can just watch from there," Luffy said with a smile. Zoro looked only mildly disappointed as he put his sword away, but overall Luffy could still feel his excitement.
"Y-yeah? T-too bad, but if you say so, what can we do... B-but if push comes to shove, we'll help you. S-s-so, g-g-good luck!" Usopp boasted, attempting to look brave, yet the shaking of his legs and the stutter in his voice threw that image off. Kicking out his foot, Zoro tripped Usopp, knocking him to the ground.
"What was that for Zoro?!" He asked, confused as to why the swordsman had done that.
"Shut up! Just keep quiet!" Zoro answered with a shake of his head. Krieg, who had been watching the scene silently, suddenly barked out a laugh.
"Are they your crewmembers? That's quite a small group you got!" Luffy frowned at that, annoyed by the mans assumptions.
"What're you saying?! I've got two more!" Luffy shouted.
"Oi! You counted me, didn't you?!" Sanji called indignantly from the ground behind Luffy. Kriegs amusement left and he hid his guns back under his shoulder plates, frowning to them all.
"I'll deal with you all later. I'll go feed my underlings. Those who don't want to die can abandon the restaurant and escape. All I'm after are the logbook and this ship." He announced, picking up the large sack of food and holding it over his shoulder.
"But if you still wish to be uselessly killed... it's a bother, but I'll bury you at sea. Know that." He told them, and with that, he left the Baratie, heading back to his own destroyed ship.
"I'm sorry Sanji-san... I never imagined this would happen..." Gin cried, having been left behind by Krieg.
"That's not something you should apologize for, underling," Zeff spoke up, surprising the chefs and Gin himself.
"Each cook at this restaurant acted as they felt was right. That's all." Zeff explained, Luffy feeling that he had no ill will towards Gin.
"Owner! Why are you acting as if you're taking Sanjis side?!" Patty yelled, dumbfounded.
"That's right! He's responsible for this whole thing!"
"He's going to put your precious restaurant out of business!"
"Shut up, you idiots!" Zeff yelled loudly, stopping anymore arguing from the chefs who watched the owner with wide eyes.
"Have you felt what it's like to be on the brink of starvation?!" Zeff asked. Luffy frowned at that, knowing all too well that feeling.
"Losing food and water on this grand ocean... Do you know how scary it is?! Do you know how hard it is?!" Zeff continued, the chefs not knowing what to say.
"What?! What do you mean, owner?" Patty asked.
"The difference between Sanji and you all is, whether you know it or not." Zeff finished, the chefs still not understanding. Luffy had a feeling that he understood it though, looking over at Sanji who had pulled out a cigarette to smoke while Zeff had been talking.
"Hmm? What does he mean?"
"What's he saying that Sanji knows?"
"If you have time to grumble, leave the restaurant from the back door already!" Zeff said, stopping their muttering. The chefs all glanced at each other, not sure if they wanted to do so or not.
"I'll stay and fight. I couldn't bare it if I was just beaten and didn't fight back!"
"I'll stay too! This is the restaurant where I work!"
"We don't have anywhere else to go anyway!" All the chefs around them seemed to share this sentiment, all of them standing tall and holding their large cutlery in hand, preparing for the fight to come. Gin, who had yet to leave, watched in stunned silence, but finally had enough, slamming his hands on the ground.
"What do you think you're doing?! You saw how powerful Don is, right?!" He asked, reminding everyone of the many weapons the man had on him.
"Hey, Gin!" Sanji called, finally standing and walking closer to Gin, a hand in his pocket and the other holding his cigarette.
"Let me tell you something. Feeding someone who's hungry is my morality. But... those we'll be dealing with are plunderers with full bellies. I won't let you complain even when I beat up your fellow pirates. If someone's going to take over this restaurant, even if it's you, I'll kill them without hesitation! Got that?" Sanji asked with a scary expression. The blondes conviction was strong and Luffy could only smile as he listened. Sanji, Zeff, and the chefs were all ready to lay down their lives for this restaurant, and that was something that he could respect.
"Ha! Letting him live and now killing him? You're hopeless, Sanji..." Patty said humorously.
"Shut up, you damn cook!" Sanji said through gritted teeth, his cigarette back in his mouth.
"You see? He's kinda cool, isn't he?" Luffy asked Zoro and Usopp with a smile, pointing to Sanji.
"Who cares about him! We'd better get out of here now!" Usopp shrieked in terror.
"Calm down! Even if its Krieg, he's a wreck with injuries." Zoro told Usopp, obviously not worried. At Zoros words, Luffy turned to look back at Gin, remembering something.
"Gin! You said you didn't know anything about the Grand Line. Even though you've been there?" Luffy asked, confused over that. How could he have been there, but come back and not know anything? With a gulp, Gin looked back to the ground.
"It's still true that I don't know. What happened on the seventh day after we entered the Grand Line... I don't know if it was a dream or reality... I still haven't been able to come to terms with it..." He started, sweat falling down his face and his eyes wide.
"I still just can't believe... that the 50-ship fleet... was wiped out by only one man..." At Gins words, everyone, even Zoro, gave shouts of surprise. Even Luffy, who had been to both the Grand Line and the New World, was surprised by that information. Whoever had taken on the Krieg pirates had to have been strong, like Whitebeard.
"What?!" Everyone shouted at once.
"It happened suddenly. As soon as this man appeared, he sank the ships one after another. If we hadn't been lucky enough to have that storm then, our main ship would've been destroyed as well... I don't know how many ships we have left... It was just so dreadful that I don't want to accept it as reality... I don't want to remember..." Gin admitted, shaking at the memories. Luffy could empathize with that, knowing he'd give anything to not have to think about the facility all the time.
"That man... his sharp hawk-like eyes whose glare alone gives one the chill of death!" Gin exclaimed, his fear palpable to everyone, even if they didn't have Luffys ability to feel emotions.
"Wha-?!" Zoros exclamation of surprise caught both Usopp and Luffys attention, the straw-hatted teen noticing that Zoros emotions had spiked. His calmness was gone in a flash, replaced with shock, eagerness, recognition, excitement.
"What did he just say?!" Zoro asked softly, Luffy barely hearing it.
"That... must be Hawk-Eye." Zeff realized his arms crossed as he spoke to Gin.
"That you felt his eyes were like a hawk's isn't proof in of itself, but what this man did is enough proof that it's him..." Zeff explained, and this only made Zoros emotions stronger.
"Hawk-Eye!" Zoro said, a little louder now, his eyes still blown open, a single drop of sweat falling down the side of his face.
"You know him, Zoro?" Luffy asked, only a little worried by the mans reaction. He wasn't having any bad feelings, but the way he was reacting was slightly concerning. At Luffys words, Zoro seemed to snap out of it, closing his eyes and calming down.
"Yeah... He's the man I'm looking for. I went out to sea to meet him." He explained, Luffy remembering him telling him about that.
"I see..." Luffy murmured quietly.
"Isn't it possible that that man had some deep grudge towards you guys?" Sanji asked, wondering why someone would go through the trouble of taking down 50 ships at once without reason.
"We never did anything to him!" Gin said defensively, denying that claim.
"Maybe you guys disturbed his nap or something..." Zeff suggested, irritating Gin.
"Don't be ridiculous! I'll be damned if he crushed our fleet for such a reason!" Gin yelled loudly in anger. Zeff only smiled, chuckling.
"Don't get so worked up. It's just an example. I'm just giving an example of what kind of place the Grand Line is." The owner told him. Usopp was becoming increasingly worried as the conversation went on, wondering if he wanted to go there or not after all this.
"What the heck kind of place is that?" He whispered to Luffy and Zoro.
"It probably means that anything can happen," Zoro said plainly, Usopp crying at his words.
"Hey, Luffy! Let's not go to the Grand Line after all!" Usopp cried, but Luffy was only smiling widely, his classic D smile back on his face.
"Shishishi~! The Grand Line is so much fun!" Luffy laughed out loudly, remembering all of the adventures he'd had there in the past.
"I think you need to get the concept of 'danger' into your thick skull!" Usopp cried again.
"But my goal is now completely narrowed down to the Grand Line," Zoro said with his own grin, moving to rest against a table.
"What?" Usopp asked, turning his tearful face to Zoro.
"That man... I can see that man if I go there..." The swordsman said in determination. Sanji, who had been listening the whole time, finally spoke up.
"Are you guys stupid or what? Guys like you die before anyone else." He said matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, but you didn't have to call us, 'stupid.' When I decided to become the strongest swordsman, I decided to devote my life to it. Since it was my decision, the only one who can call me stupid is me." Zoro said, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Ah! Me too, me too!" Luffy said, waving his hand in the air.
"Me too! that's just natural as a man of the sea!" Usopp said just as confidently as the other, though Luffy felt the lie.
"In your case, that's a lie," Zoro said, picking up on it as well.
"What nonsense..." Sanji muttered, looking away from them.
"Hey! Do you idiots understand the current situation?! The ship moored in front of the restaurant is the huge galleon that belongs to Don Krieg, Commodore of the 'Pirate Fleet!' If you wanna escape reality, do it after surviving the life-or-death crisis!" Patty admonished, pointing his giant fork their way.
Luffy was about to respond to the chefs words, but a sudden cut of emotions outside caught his attention instead. Someone had just died, and he knew for a fact that it hadn't been from starvation.
He wasn't able to think much on that either when a loud cry sounded, footsteps pounding their way.
"Here they come! We can hear their war cry!"
"We'll protect the ship to the end!"
"It's our restaurant!" The chefs yelled in determination, clenching their weapons tighter in their hands.
"Out of the way, cooks!" The pirates outside yelled. They never had a chance to even board the Baratie when their ship was suddenly split into two, everyones eyes widening, stupefied.
"What the?!" Luffy yelled in a mixture of awe and surprise. Even Zeffs eyes had widened.
With how large Don Kriegs ship had been, with it being cut in half, it created a large wave that made the Baratie begin swaying dangerously, tables and chairs sliding across the floor. Everyone tried steadying themselves, but it was difficult with how much the floor was moving underneath them.
"Raise the anchor! Or we'll be swallowed along with the ship!" Zeff ordered, one of the chefs running off to do just that.
"This is bad! Nami, Yosaku, and Johnny are still on our ship out there!" Zoro called out, both he and Luffy running for the doors.
"Damnit! It might be too late!" Usopp yelled, quickly following after them. When they reached the outside they were just in time to see the Kriegs' ship slowly begin sinking into the water.
"Aniki! Aniki!" Hearing the familiar voices, Luffy ran over to the railing, feeling the panic and fear clearly.
"Yosaku! Johnny!" Luffy called, Zoro and Usopp running after him.
"Are you alright?" Zoro asked as he leaned over to look at them, the two swimming in the water, no ship in sight.
"Where's the ship?! It's gone! What happened to Nami?!" Usopp asked, trying to find any glimpse of the Merry, worried it might have been caught up in all the waves.
"That... I'm sorry, Aniki. She's gone." Yosaku cried.
"Big sis Nami..." Johnny cried next.
"She took all the treasure and ran off!" Yosaku finished.
"What'd you say?!" Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp all asked simultaneously. Without them noticing, Zeff walked out as well, the waves slowly calming and making it easier to stand on the Baratie.
"That man..." Zeff exclaimed softly, eyes wide as he looked off at the sea. Hearing this, Zoro looked over to the owner, and then to the ocean, his own eyes just as wide as he scanned the waters. Among the wreckage of the destroyed ship, Zoro spotted a small boat drifting their way.
"Is it possible... that's... Hawk-Eye!"
Just when things were looking good, I lost all of the editing I did on this chapter. Thankfully, I didn't lose the chapter and just some grammatical fixes and spelling issues, but that means that I might have missed them the second time through. With that said, if you see any mistakes, let me know!
So, Krieg is here, Hawk-Eye is here, and Nami is, well, not here. I decided to have her run off after all after a bit of debate. While I could have had Luffy talk to her about her troubling emotions, I also took into account that, in this story, Nami is- rightfully so- wary of Luffy and untrusting of his abilities. They make her uncomfortable, which he recognizes, and as a result he's tried to avoid mentioning them around her unless it's necessary to mention or she outright asks about them like she did in this chapter. Because of that, he never found out about Arlong and she ran off with the Merry to return to Cocoyashi.
Now all that's left is for Luffy to beat up Krieg and for the crew to go after their navigator! While I'm still annoyed at losing an hours worth of work editing this chapter, I'm still super excited for whats to come and I'm not gonna let this bring my mood down! Your reviews, favorites and follows all help me tremendously in bringing my mood up as well, so thank you all once more for the continuous support that you give me and my stories.
Stay safe everyone! I'll see you all in two weeks with the next chapter!