Krieg had gotten the food to his crew and they were scarfing it down.
"Don't waste a single crumb, boys! It'll be some time before we can restock our food supplies so we might as well get what we can."
Once the men had eaten their fill, they cheered at finally being free from their nightmare.
"Alright, boys, there's something else we need before we leave. As much as I hate to admit it, this ship's seen its last voyage." Krieg said. "We need to trade up. And it just so happens the ship we're moored with is perfect for the Grand Line. It even has a logbook of its captain's year-long journey there. Once we get those, we can return to the Grand Line with a renewed fervor."
Some of the men clenched their fists, but Krieg was pleased to see none of them were hesitant to return.
"We were so close to figuring that place out..."
"Yeah, until that hawk-eyed man started tearing apart our ships."
"Thank goodness for that storm. It actually helped us escape through the Calm Belt."
"Glad to see there are no objections. Frieden, Jaeger, and Helfelin are on the other ship just to the port, so leave it out of the fight. Stick to the restaurant and take it over with everything we have. We only have some punk cooks and a few rookie pirates to deal with, so it should be easy." Krieg said. "Oh, but watch out for these four kids. They make some bold claims, but they do apparently have Devil Fruit Powers. They'll likely be the ones to beat, so leave them to me."
As Krieg spoke, a small boat was approaching, carrying a man dressed in a large coat and wide-brimmed hat, a cross-like sword hanging off his back. As the Krieg Pirates started to attack, the mysterious swordsman pulled out his blade and struck. In an instant, the Dreadnaught Saber was sliced in three, causing it to start sinking.
"What just happened?!" Krieg called out. "It looks like the ship got cut! But how...?"
The tidal wave resulting from the Dreadnaught Sabre sinking rocked the Baratie and Going Merry, but both managed to keep from capsizing.
"Holy crap! Did you see that?!" Yosaku exclaimed.
"What kind of monster could have possibly made a slice that big?!" Johnny asked. "Not even Aniki can do that!"
By now the cooks, along with Zoro, Luffy, and the Children of Whitebeard, had run onto the deck of the Baratie.
"Hey, look over there!" Usopp said.
Nami and the Eds looked where Usopp was pointing, but only saw the small ship.
"Who's that sitting on it?" Nami wondered.
"Is it Count Dracula?" Ed asked excitedly.
Zoro was just in shock. He knew the man by sight; Dracule 'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk, the Legendary World's Greatest Swordsman.
Ferros chuckled. "I don't know if it's just bad luck for Krieg or if he was actually followed. But it looks like Ol' Hawk-Eye is eager to finish what he started."
Zoro was now gripping the railing, his body trembling from both fear and anticipation.
"This could be my best chance. I can start to gauge how strong I am compared to him."
"I think the wave is starting to calm down, but holy cow! I had no idea anyone could be so powerful." Nami said. "Not even Luffy, Lithos, Merone, Ferros, and Ariala are capable of something like this."
"And... Is that a floating coffin? No, it's a boat that looks like a coffin." Double-D said.
"Count Dracula's coffin, Double-D!" Ed said.
"It's not Count Dracula, lummox!" Eddy snapped.
"Damn bastard! What grudge do you have to come after us?!" One of the Krieg Pirates called out.
"I was hoping to stop here for a bite before visiting an old friend, but I can't ignore it when villains attack an innocent settlement. It's just an unfortunate twist of fate that we cross paths once more." Mihawk calmly explained.
"Don't you mock us like that!" The pirate snapped as he opened fire with a pair of pistols.
Mihawk drew his Kokuto Yoru, the cross-shaped sword he carried. With nothing more than a twist of his wrist, Mihawk easily deflected the shots.
"What just happened?! It looked like the guy was aiming right at him!" Johnny exclaimed.
"No, his aim was perfect. Somehow this guy deflected the shots." Usopp said.
"Mihawk's Gently Style. Using only the point of his sword and gentle movement, he can redirect any projectile shot aimed at him." Merone explained.
Mihawk sheathed Yoru, then noticed Zoro approaching.
"I've heard that a skilled swordsman can easily deflect bullets, but I've never seen a sword moved so gently to do so."
"And yet you were able to perceive the motion of my blade, meaning you possess a degree of skill yourself," Mihawk noted. "A free lesson for you, child. There is no strength in swordplay based only on force."
"UNCLE MIHAWK!"
Hearing Ariala's voice, Mihawk looked to see her happily waving at him from the Baratie and smiled, noticing Lithos, Merone, and Ferros with her.
"Good to see you four again. I didn't think we'd cross paths after you were sent to the East Blue by your father. Quite the fortunate reunion."
"Glad to see you too, Uncle Mihawk," Lithos nodded. "But what made you decide to body three-quarters of Don Krieg's fleet?"
"They caught me in a bad mood. I was having a fitful night's sleep and they accidentally woke me up."
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" The remaining Krieg Pirates all called out incredulously.
Zeff laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like Ol' Hawk-Eye alright!"
"Is that the same sword he used to cut the ship in half?" Luffy asked.
Merone nodded. "Gentle Style for defense, and Strong Style for offense. If he had the ambition for it, he could easily stand as an Emperor.
"The only people to ever beat him in a straight fight were Dad and Shanks," Ferros added.
Zoro smiled. "Mihawk, I've been planning on meeting you for years now."
"Is that so? For what purpose?"
"My dream is to eventually surpass you as the World's Greatest Swordsman. To do that, I need to see how strong I am."
Mihawk chuckled. "So you wish to challenge me. I have time to spare for a small match, so I'll indulge you. But don't blame me if you die by my blade."
"That just means my dreams were too fragile to come true. I swore to put my life on the line for this dream." Zoro declared as he drew Wado Ichimonji and placed it between his teeth, then drew his other two swords.
"Now there's a unique sword style. You must have trained like a beast to master it." Mihawk noted. "But the real question is if you're strong enough to capitalize on it."
"A Three-Sword Style?" Krieg said, recognizing Zoro's style. "I get it now...this is the Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro!"
Mihawk instantly leaped from his boat to the remains of the Dreadnaught Sabre.
"So you have a reputation in these waters. That means you're clearly a competent swordsman. Such confidence from a weak frog."
"I'd say I'm more ambitious than courageous," Zoro corrected.
Mihawk raised an eyebrow. Zoro hadn't said anything about the frog comment, nor about being weak.
"There is more to you than I first perceived. Tell me, what drives your dream?"
"A promise to a friend who passed away years ago. One who used to share my dream."
Mihawk nodded in understanding, taking off the crucifix around his neck.
"Then in honor of that friend, I'll make sure to keep from sending you to her."
He pulled off the long part of the crucifix, revealing it to be a sheath hiding a blade.
"A kogatana? Don't want to risk tossing me into the sea with your main blade?" Zoro asked.
"Unlike a beast, a hunter doesn't go all out against their prey." Mihawk said. ""Unfortunately, I don't carry any blades smaller than this."
Zoro smirked. "Don't underestimate me. Even if I'm not worthy of your main blade, I'm not so weak that you need a sewing needle to duel me!"
"Is he insulting Zoro?" Patty asked.
Lithos shook his head. "No, Mihawk is just that good. That kogatana is all he needs to fight this duel. The East Blue is the weakest of the four seas. So while Zoro is undoubtedly the strongest swordsman in the East Blue, that doesn't mean he's anywhere close to Mihawk's level."
Zoro rushed forward with his primary strike, only for Mihawk to block it with the small blade. Zoro quickly leaped back to center himself before moving in a more zigzag pattern. Mihawk managed to deflect the strikes but had yet to make his own offense.
"This is impossible! He's actually stronger than Aniki?!" Johnny cried.
Zoro got knocked down but managed to flip himself back up.
"Damn... I knew he'd be stronger... But I didn't think the gap between us would be this far apart." He grunted before dashing forward. "ONI GIRI!"
Mihawk quickly raised his blade to blade the strike. But he felt something.
"Hmm... You actually pushed back my arm a little. I'll give you credit, your aggressive style is effective. But you've yet to bear a proper weight on your shoulders."
Zoro growled. "Are you insulting the fallen?"
"My apologies for sounding insensitive, but the dead do not need anyone to fight for them." Mihawk clarified. "The weight I speak of is someone in your here and now you fight for. I found mine years ago when I became the honorary uncle of Lithos, Merone, Ferros, and Ariala. To help protect Newgate's beloved whenever he could not."
Hearing those words, Zoro realized something in that instant.
"I may have accepted Luffy as my Captain, but... I'm not really fighting for him, am I? I'm still just fighting for myself. And yet... Luffy didn't laugh at my dream. He accepted it. Praised it. Even said my dream made me perfect for his crew."
He readied himself for a new attack, and Mihawk could see a new resolve in his eyes.
"I see my words have not been lost on you. Then let's see if you can survive this final pass."
Zoro nodded and proceeded to make his next move, putting his hand swords over his mouth blade and swinging forth a forward descending slash with them.
"TORA GARI!"
As he dashed forward, he tried to come in from the side. Mihawk was still faster, but Zoro had managed to avoid a direct stab to his chest, instead getting hit in the shoulder. Mihawk narrowed his eyes and withdrew his blade.
"Forgive me for insulting you. I had mistaken you for a frog in a well, unaware of the world outside. Had I known you had decided to hop out to explore, I would have tried using a bigger blade."
"It's still my loss. This wound isn't deep, but a bigger blade would have likely removed my arm." Zoro grunted as he felt his wound. "If that were to happen, then I would have simply let you run me through."
Mihawk nodded. "You possess a strong heart the likes of which I've never seen. Your name was Roronoa Zoro, yes? Do you think you can still fight a little longer?"
Zoro grinned. "My arm has yet to go numb. I'm good for one more pass."
"Very well. But this blade is clearly too small for your level of skill. You have proven worthy of facing my true sword." Mihawk said as he sheathed the kogatana and placed it back around his neck, then drew Kokuto Yoru. "One strike. We judge the winner by the outcome."
"Damn, that sword looks crazy! It's all black!" Usopp said, shaking in fear and excitement.
"Mihawk keeps it that way for practice. It's not naturally black, he just uses a potent aura that turns it black." Lithos explained.
The two swordsmen dashed at each other, Zoro's swords spinning.
"SANTORYU OGI: SANZEN SEKAI!"
The clash was over in a second. Neither man was injured, but after a few seconds, the swords in Zoro's hands broke apart. Zoro collapsed to one knee, sighing in frustration.
"I lose... I'm not ready yet." He said to himself, sheathing Wado Ichimonji, the only sword to survive.
"You did well, all things considered. The sword you carry between your teeth... It's clear you understand its weight, and it has certainly accepted you as its master. Had you two more swords at its level, you would at least have scratched Kokuto Yoru." Mihawk said before smiling. "You have the potential to surpass me, but not for a long time. It will take training and experience. And I would recommend finding swords more suited to your level of skill. The ones that were wrecked were little more than training wheels."
He then spotted Luffy as he stretched his arm to fly over and land near Zoro.
"You okay, Zoro?"
"I think my arm is starting to get a little numb."
Luffy nodded. "Lithos! Double-D! Zoro needs some first aid!"
Lithos threw his arm up and created a stone platform that levitated Luffy and Zoro up onto the Merry. Double-D quickly moved to apply some medicine with his Devil Fruit while Usopp went to bandage Zoro's arm.
"I don't know who you are, but Newgate's children wouldn't serve under just any pirate captain. Not to mention you never once let anyone interrupt our duel." Mihawk called out to Luffy. "I think if anyone can help Zoro learn more about the world, and himself, it's someone like you. It may take him two years, it may take him ten or longer, but I believe Zoro will be the one who can surpass me."
"You better believe it!" Luffy said. "Zoro is gonna become even greater than you and I'll be there to help him reach his dream!"
Mihawk nodded. "And what of you, boy? What is your goal?"
"Me? My name is Monkey D. Luffy...AND I'M GONNA BE THE KING OF THE PIRATES!"
Mihawk chuckled. "Well, it won't be easy. I never once doubted that the One Piece is real, but Roger's throne seemed too lofty a goal for my taste. Still, you seem far more aware of the world outside. Zoro is lucky to have found a captain like you."
From the Merry, Zoro smiled and raised Wado Ichimonji.
"Luffy! I'm going to make a promise to you now! I... Will not be defeated ever again!"
Mihawk smirked. "And with someone like him on your crew, your goal will be just a little bit easier. Anyway, I should get going. I still have that friend to meet."
Krieg then jumped down to where Mihawk was.
"Hold it, Hawk-Eye! We still have a score to settle!"
"I already defeated you before, and I'm not in the habit of separating children from their fathers. Besides, these rookies are more than enough to stop your rampage here." Mihawk pointed out.
"What did you say?!" Krieg called out. "Let's see how you deal with an entire firing squad!"
He opened up his armor to fire all his pistols at once but Mihawk easily deflected them all with Kokuto Yoru.
"Ah, it seems my ears weren't mistaken earlier. I heard a frog croaking in a well, but it seems that was you all along."
He managed to return to his boat during the cloud of smoke and sailed off, leaving Krieg fuming.
"Damn it...How am I supposed to keep my feared reputation with monsters like him defeating me? Well, no matter." He then turned to his crew. "Men! Nothing's changed! Now that the interference is gone, we can get back to our raid! Take that ship, and let no one stop you!"
"So how do we do this?" Luffy asked as he returned to the Baratie.
"Looks like Mihawk left enough of the Dreadnaught Sabre that we can fight on the debris without restriction. That should keep the Baratie out of the crossfire." Lithos said.
"That ship is the key to our victory, men!" Krieg declared, "With it, the Grand Line is nothing to be scared of! We can get close to any target and make a surprise attack with greater effectiveness than pretending to be Marines or a surrendering vessel!"
"But what if we run into someone like Mihawk again?"
"Ha! That man can't truly be human. No human can slice a ship in half." Krieg scoffed. "He clearly has to have a Devil Fruit power of some kind."
"Not really!" Ariala called out. "Uncle Mihawk is famed for his swimming ability as much as his swordsmanship!"
Krieg's jaw dropped. "But how else could he slice my ship apart?! That's just not normal!"
Ferros cackled. "Yeah, well, he's not using a normal sword!"
"Like I said earlier, he coats his sword in a potent aura. And before you try to claim Devil Fruit again, this is the sort of aura that anyone can learn to use." Lithos pointed out.
"And either way, it doesn't matter. He beat you, you lost." Luffy added. "Devil Fruit or no Devil Fruit, only a weakling makes excuses for why."
Krieg grunted but dropped the matter, knowing he obviously wasn't going to win the argument.
"Men, we also need Zeff's logbook. He was able to last for a year in the Grand Line. During that time he had to have faced all manner of monsters, meaning he found ways to defeat them. He had to have written those methods in his logbook." He ordered his crew. "And perhaps even information on the One Piece. With these two items, we can conquer the Grand Line! Now let's take over the restaurant!"
Patty and Carne hopped into the Baratie's fish figurehead. Sanji, meanwhile, had another idea.
"Get to the operating room. Open up the fins." He calmly ordered one of the cooks.
"But that would give the enemy a foothold!"
"It would also give us more room to fight, AND keep the fight out of the restaurant itself."
The cook nodded, realizing Sanji's point, and hurried into the operating room. At the same time, Luffy and the Children of Whitebeard were literally leaping into the fray with their own powers. The charging Krieg Pirates stopped in shock at the five flying at them.
"GUM-GUM GIANT SCYTHE!"
Stretching his arms out wide, Luffy clotheslined a whole group of pirates as he flew in.
"TITANSTONE HAMMER!"
Forming a giant hammer of stone, Lithos swung it hard enough to send several pirates flying.
"WHIP OF POSEIDON!"
Merone turned her arm into a long whip of water and used it to strike several pirates off their feet.
"SODIUM STREAM!"
Creating a stream of sodium metal, Ferros had it touch Merone's water whip, causing the metal to detonate and blast the pirates out of the sky.
"WIND DANCE DISC!"
Ariala's wind body spun into a spiral, slamming into another group of pirates.
"So this is the power of a Devil Fruit. Just reading about it doesn't do it justice." Sanji said.
"I'd wager those kids have had their powers for at least a decade, judging from how well they use them," Zeff noted.
As Luffy went to town on the Krieg Pirates, the Children of Whitebeard landed in front of Krieg.
"I think it's about time we gave you a reality check," Ferros said, rolling his shoulder a bit.
Krieg laughed. "Are you sure you want to fight me on the water where there's so little foothold? I know that Devil Fruit users lack the ability to swim."
"Yeah, but I don't need to. I can just fly on the wind by turning INTO the wind." Ariala grinned. "Trust me, that small tidbit of knowledge doesn't give you any sort of edge."
"That still leaves us kinda on edge..." Ferros grumbled.
Suddenly, the fins on the underside of the Baratie flipped up and were positioned all around the ship.
"Holy mackerel! Now the place looks like a battle arena!" Nami called out.
"Johnny never mentioned the stabilizing fins were that massive!" Double-D noted.
"Now that we have more room, we'll be sure to fight to the utmost," Sanji said as he stepped out onto the extended deck.
"You went to all that trouble to make sure the restaurant wasn't damaged?" Krieg asked. "Commendable, but we were already planning on causing as little damage to it as possible."
Just then the figurehead split off from the ship, revealing it to be a submarine.
"Took us a while to remember how to work this baby. This is the Baratie's secret sea battle weapon, the Mackerel Head 1!" Carne said.
Eddy whistled. "I have got to get me one of those!"
The Mackerel Head opened fire, blasting what was left of the Dreadnaught Sabre as Luffy quickly sprung himself back onto the Baratie. One shot hit Krieg, the splash catching the Children of Whitebeard.
"Crap, we hit the kids!" Patty called out.
Fortunately, the four were fine, Merone having created a water dome that absorbed the splash. The bad news was Krieg was also fine, thanks to his heavy armor as he removed his gloves to reveal diamond-covered gauntlets.
"This is what I bring to bear. The mightiest weapons, the strongest armor, the greatest crew and the largest fleet. Tell me, how am I not the strongest man in the world?!"
"Hey, it's obvious you got a lot of power to your name. But power and strength are two very different things." Ferros said.
Krieg growled. "You want to see strength!? Then let me show you strength!"
He grabbed the Mackerel Head by one of its cannons, and with great effort started to lift it out of the ocean, throwing it into the air.
"I got it!" Ariala called out as she transformed into a giant cyclone, catching the Mackerel Head with ease and slowly lowering it back into the water as she reformed back by her siblings.
"You were straining to lift that giant ship. We know at least five people who could toss it like it was a baseball." Merone noted.
By now some of the Krieg Pirates had reached the Baratie's deck, but Sanji was unphased as he put out his cigarette.
"A cook is still just a cook, even with a weapon. But we're expert fighters in a whole other league! So just be good little cooks and go find a land restaurant to work in." One of the Krieg Pirates said.
Sanji smirked, then smashed the pirate's head with his leg at lightning speed, knocking him into the water.
"A good cook would never obey an order from a scumbag like you. I don't care what sort of rulers you think you are or what you think is yours. This restaurant belongs to us, and nothing you do or say is going to change that."
"For once I agree with Sanji. I've been a cook for ten years. I've visited or worked at over 300 restaurants. I've been fired numerous times for causing a scuffle and lived a rough life. It wasn't until me and Carne found this place that we found a boss that didn't care about our disposition, so long as we knew how to cook." Patty said. "Zeff's only rule was that a customer had to leave with a full belly, no matter who they were. This is the only place we've found that accepts us, so don't you dare tell us to change jobs like it's no big deal!"
The other cooks cheered in agreement and immediately started thrashing the Krieg Pirates. As they did, Luffy noticed a large pearl floating up to the deck. It turned out to be a piece of headgear worn by a rather large man wearing steel shields like they were armor, each with a large pearl in the center.
"I didn't expect the resistance to be so potent but now that I'm here it all stops. I am the unassailable! I am Pearl, the Invincible Shield of the Krieg Pirates!"
He moved with surprising speed and knocked down several of the cooks with a hard blow.
"Behold the dazzling beauty of my killer punch, PEARL SURPRISE!"
One pirate tried to take the kitchen knife from a fallen cook, only for Sanji to hit the pirate with a hard kick that sent him flying into several of his crewmates, knocking them all down at once.
"A kitchen knife is a cook's soul. It's not for an amateur to carelessly handle." Sanji berated.
Several more pirates tried to attack Sanji, only for him to show amazing speed, disappearing for a few seconds before completely thrashing them with a spinning leg strike.
"My my, such impudence, beating them all using only kicks." Pearl said. "Are you so conceited that you don't think you need to use your bare hands?"
"Don't mistake my demeanor. A cook's hands are the most important part of his body." Sanji replied. "I can't have them hurt in battle, so I'll be using only my legs to take you down."
Pearl laughed. "Take me down? Impossible. I am an invincible man who's won all 61 of my battles unharmed, never once losing even a single drop of blood. To win unharmed is the very proof of my power! I am a shield and gentlemen, the very essence of refinement!"
Krieg rolled his eyes as he watched the exchange before turning to the Children of Whitebeard
"My wife hates him. And honestly, I'm thinking of ditching him at some point. True strength is not in never losing a fight or never getting hit, but knowing how to take a blow and still get back up."
"On that, we can at least agree on." Lithos said.
Pearl continued ranting about his supposed invincible nature as Patty pulled out his lobster hand cannon. Without another word, he fired and blasted Pearl right in the head, knocking him to the ground.
"How'd you like my Meatball of Doom? Spicy, isn't it?"
Pearl managed to get up but noticed something liquid on his lip. He felt near his nose and gasped when he saw red staining his fingers. The blast had caused him to get a nosebleed.
Krieg sighed in annoyance. "And here is where you see exactly what I was talking about. Pearl is so confident in his ability to avoid damage, that even the smallest injury can set him off in the worst way. It gets so bad that it even threatens the rest of the crew."
Sure enough, Pearl was freaking out and muttering how dangerous the place was.
"What's up with him?" Sanji wondered.
"Ha! He can dish it out but he sure can't take it!" Eddy laughed.
"He's a ninny-whipper!" Ed chortled.
Furiously, Pearl began banging his shields together before his entire body was set on fire, the flames being silver-colored.
"FIRE PEARL'S SPECIAL TREAT!" He roared. "My flame shield will burn everything dangerous! It will maintain my invincibility!"
Krieg growled. "He's going to burn down the whole ship at this rate. This is why I've been considering ditching him, he's too much of a liability."
"Yeah, and to your crew as well." Ferros pointed out.
Ariala nodded. "Luffy's probably having trouble too. Fire may not burn ash, but it can melt rubber."
"Luckily water and the right wind can blow out fire..." Merone said. "However, I think Sanji's got this."
Sanji, for his part, was seeing red at the sight of the burning deck.
"Bastard! I'm not about to let you burn this restaurant down!"
He effortlessly leapt over the flames, slamming his legs into Pearl's shields.
"Are you insane?!" Pearl called out. "Even the fiercest animals have stayed away from my Fire Pearls!"
"You know the old saying; If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen!" Sanji said. "Well I wouldn't be much of a cook if I was afraid of fire."
Pearl couldn't help but be impressed.
"And here I thought I was the epitome of refinement. But this man... He's like refinement perfected."
Sanji grinned, then continued to knock back Pearl with his powerful kicks.
"Carne, quick! Activate the Mackerel Head 1's water cannons!" Patty called out.
"Right!"
Merone nodded. "Let me help as well."
The cannons on the Mackerel Head started spraying out torrents of water to douse the flames, Merone adding her own water from her arms. Meanwhile, Pearl was freaking out so much he started launching more Fire Pearls. As the pearls neared Zeff, he kicked with his peg leg so fast that the fires were instantly put out, making the pearls drop to the ground harmlessly.
"An attack like that and you think you can take over this ship?" Zeff remarked. "Try again when you get some real battle experience."
Luffy then noticed something and stretched his arm back.
"GUM-GUM PISTOL!"
His punch stretched past Zeff and smacked into Gin, who had been trying to come up from behind to grab the old man. Gin groaned as he got up, only to see Luffy standing over him.
"You were gonna try and take Pops hostage, weren't you? Another dirty trick like Krieg prefers? How is something like that supposed to make someone strong?"
Seeing Luffy defend Zeff, Sanji couldn't help but be reminded of why he felt so indebted to him.
Sanji and Zeff had been on the same ship, which was destroyed in a terrible storm. They managed to get to a small quarry with two bags. Zeff gave Sanji the smaller one, taking the bigger bag to look out for a ship.
Try as Sanji might, he exhausted his bag's food supplies within days. Not helping matters was Zeff roasting something over an open fire one night and refusing to share with Sanji.
A few days in, when he saw Zeff's bag was unopened, hunger had overwhelmed Sanji, and, brandishing a knife, he had moved to kill the old man and take his food. Spying Zeff not moving, Sanji had cut open the bag…
Only to find it was filled with treasure. Not a scrap of food within.
The boy had wanted to yell and scream and Zeff, now little more than skin and bones, for giving him all the food, but that was all forgotten when he saw Zeff was now missing one of his legs.
It then clicked:
Zeff had given the boy all the food they had. Cut off, cooked, and eaten his own leg, the source of his fame to survive….
"W-why would you…?" Sanji asked.
"Because we have the same dream. My crew thought the All Blue didn't exist just because spent so much time in the Grand Line and didn't find it. What they seem to have forgotten is... We didn't even scratch the surface of the Grand Line, even after a year of sailing there. I still believe the All Blue exists somewhere out there. I can no longer search for it in my condition, but you still have a chance. You must survive, so you can go and find it."
Seeing the sacrifice and will of Zeff had changed him. He swore he would repay the man back, no matter how long it took.
Luckily, a ship rescued them soon after that. Once Zeff had regained his strength and gotten his peg leg, he pretty much all but adopted Sanji, and eventually they would open their dream restaurant, to act as a place where anyone could eat in the middle of the ocean, even if they were stranded without food.
Back in the present, Sanji smiled at Luffy.
"Thanks for protecting the old geezer. He gave up his leg so that I could live, so I owe him a lot."
"He did what now?!" Patty said in shock.
Zeff smirked. "What, I never told you bastards the whole story?"
Pearl chuckled. "I can respect such a refined statement. But sadly this restaurant is going to be closed now!"
"That's what you think!"
Pearl gasped when all of his shields were suddenly yanked off him and then disassembled before being reassembled onto Eddy, forming an armored suit.
"ARMORED ED!"
Pearl couldn't react as Eddy punched him hard in the face, knocking him out like a light as the Krieg Pirates watched in shock and amazement.
"I LOVE THIS DEVIL FRUIT!"
"Ed, Double-D, and Eddy knew what they were getting into when they joined our crew." Ferros chuckled. "Even they are taking things seriously when the need arises."
Krieg was stunned. Sure Pearl had taken hits before, but this was the first time he was ever knocked out. However, he shrugged as Pearl's defeat was no skin off his nose.
"Nothing for it, I suppose. Gin! Looks like you'll have to take care of it!"
Gin got up and pulled out his main weapon, a pair of tonfa with weights attached to the ends.
"Sorry it had to go down like this, Sanji."
"Don't apologize. I already knew there was going to be a fight. That's why I gave you that advice earlier." Sanji said.
Krieg smirked. "Gin is the fleet's Chief Commander and my right-hand man. Even starving to death he can take on ten men easily."
Sanji calmly lit another cigarette as Gin started spinning one of his tonfas. He rushed forward, Sanji dodging while striking with his legs. His feet easily blocked Gin's attacks, but it was clear there was still a lot of power behind them.
After a few passes, Sanji nailed Gin in the head with a strong kick, but Gin managed to slam his tonfa into Sanji's side, knocking them both across the deck.
"That didn't look good. I think Sanji might have a few broken ribs." Carne worriedly said.
Sanji managed to get up and smirked.
"That all you got? I thought the Chief Commander would go for the kill a lot harder than that."
Gin scoffed, then continued on the attack. Sanji took blow after blow, but never once went down. And each time he nailed Gin just as hard with his kicks, making it almost a battle of attrition.
"The hell does he think he's doing," Krieg wondered. "That cook can't win like this."
Ariala grinned. "You don't get it, do you? Even if Sanji somehow loses, Luffy won't stand by and let him die. And how long do you think your weakened chief commander will last against him?"
The realization must have hit Gin as well because his injuries finally caught up with him and he collapsed.
"I'm sorry, Captain... I can't keep fighting a losing battle..."
Krieg sighed. "There's no weakness in surrendering when you know you can't win. Looks like it's up to me to finish this once and for all."
One of Krieg's pauldrons moved to his fist and opened a hidden container, his crew gasping in horror.
"Everyone! Ready with your masks!"
The Krieg Pirates freaked out and quickly started putting on masks.
"He's using that here?!" Frieden called out. "That's his MH5, one of the strongest poison gases ever created!"
"That's poison gas?! How are we supposed to guard against that?!" Usopp panicked.
"Wow, you'll really go to any extreme to achieve victory, huh?" Merone asked.
"In this world it's might that makes right!" Krieg pointed out.
"Well don't go blaming us when those words come back to bite you!" Ferros taunted.
Krieg scoffed and activated a minigun on his pauldron to fire out spikes. Lithos quickly moved to create his stone barrier, blocking the spikes.
"ROCK WALL!"
Krieg quickly fired the MH5 canister over the barrier, aiming for the cooks near the restaurant before putting on his own gas mask.
"This is force."
"LEAD SEAL!"
Ferros threw up his arm and launched a mass of liquid metal that changed into a cube lead, grabbing the projectile and letting it explode safely inside it. The entire group, pirates and cooks alike stood there flabbergasted. Wisps of poison were seen floating from the cube, but not enough to harm anyone.
"Heh, three cheers for lead containment!"
"You think yourself stronger than me, brats?!" Krieg called out. "If not for those invulnerable bodies, you'd be long dead by now!"
Ariala smirked. "Why not put that to the test? We were taught years ago that the worst mistake a Logia user can make is thinking themselves invulnerable just because their bodies are immune to most forms of damage.
Merone nodded. "So to prove a point, We'll fight you using our real bodies."
"But there's one thing you should know...that doesn't mean we'll stop using our Devil Fruits!" Lithos said.
Krieg gasped as Lithos hardened his entire body into stone with lines of magma surrounding him, then dashed forward. Krieg quickly put up his cape, revealing it was lined with spikes.
"TERRA TITAN!"
Lithos leaped into the air and slammed his fists into Krieg's head, the solid rock dealing a powerful blow. The pirates were all gobsmacked as Krieg fell to the ground in a daze.
"Unbelievable, Krieg's never so much as taken a knee before now, except when he proposed to Frieden. Yet this kid just knocked him silly. Not to mention he found a flaw in the Porcupine Cape." Gin said in awe.
Krieg grunted, then charged in to try blasting Lithos with a close-range explosion from his pauldron. To his shock, Lithos was unphased, though his body did seem to have turned black, and not from carbon hardening.
"Not quite mastered yet, but strong enough to withstand that pitiful blast."
"Wait...Lithos' skin...looks like what was covering Mihawk's blade earlier!" Double-D gasped.
Krieg backed up for a bit, stunned by what he was seeing. But he wasn't ready to give up yet. He slammed his pauldrons together, causing them to merge into a large spear.
"This is my mighty Battle Spear! It's my ultimate weapon that has never failed me! One touch from its black powder tip will blow you to pieces!"
He swung the spear right at Lithos but Ferros took his place with Soru.
"GARGANTUA PUNISHER!"
Forming a large sword from his body, Ferros clashed with Krieg's spear, the explosion knocking the Metal Logia user back but unharmed.
Krieg growled. "Maybe I should try hitting you with the wide part! It weighs a full ton due to being made from my armor! Convinced I'm the strongest yet?!"
Ferros effortlessly caught the spear with his sword.
"You call this heavy? Let me show you what my training has let me accomplish." He grinned. "You say this spear weighs a ton, yes? I'm assuming the rest of your armor is just as heavy? So you're carrying about two, maybe three at max."
"Yeah, what of it?"
Ferros' arm turned black, and Krieg suddenly found himself losing all sense of gravity. His crew looked on in shock as he flew through the air. He was suddenly stopped by Luffy, who also was somehow able to turn his arm black to catch the spear.
"Just so you know, I know the same techniques as my friends. Now go finish your fight with them."
Krieg wound up screaming as Luffy threw him right back into the remains of his flagship.
"Okay, did I somehow slip into a delusional coma from hunger?" Gin wondered.
"No, but I wouldn't blame you for thinking that," Sanji replied.
"Those kids have a spear even stronger than Krieg's; the dream in their hearts, which they trained for and aren't afraid to die for." Zeff noted. "I know one idiot who's holding back that spear for a stupid reason..."
Krieg pulled himself out of the debris, dazed but otherwise fine.
"Not gonna lie, that's some heavy-duty armor," Ariala admitted.
"This armor is the strongest in the world!" Krieg declared. "It could withstand the harshest blows or the worst weather!"
"Let's put that to the test, shall we?" Merone retorted. "TSUNAMI BARRAGE!"
Merone's arms turned into solid water as she started punching at high speed. Krieg was confident he could weather it but then heard a cracking sound. To his shock, his armor was starting to give way.
"One crack's all it takes...HYDRO HYDRA!"
Merone charged forward, her water body shaping into the head of a hydra serpent. Krieg tried to back up, but Merone was too fast and slammed her head right into Krieg's chest, shattering the armor.
"To become strong, you need to face danger head-on. Relying on dirty tricks only takes you so far."
The pirates were all gobsmacked as Krieg fell over, completely unconscious. Frieden sighed, then leapt over to Krieg with amazing athleticism as Jaeger and Helfelin ran over to their father's side. Krieg managed to open his eyes to see his wife looking annoyed.
"I lost, didn't I?"
"Yes, but that's not why I'm annoyed."
"Yeah, Daddy, why didn't you make an offer to bring those cooks onto our crew?" Helfelin pointed out. "In case you forgot, all of ours pretty much sank to the bottom of the Grand Line."
That remark stunned Krieg. As for the rest of his crew, the silence was so thick Carne wondered if he could try cutting the air.
"WHY DID NO ONE THINK OF THAT?!" the entire crew called out in shock.
Gin was just laughing in complete shock at the absurdity of it all.
"We could have avoided it all. Stupid... How did no one realize it? I should have suggested it."
It wasn't long before everyone was laughing, realizing the entire fight was practically pointless.
"All's well that ends well!" Ed said.
Frieden brought in her own ship, the Loving Tolerance, to pick up the remaining Krieg Pirates. Sanji was now talking with Luffy and the Children of Whitebeard.
"That lady looks like she can whip these undependable idiots into shape," Merone said.
Sanji nodded. "Maybe it is about time I set out for my dream."
"What sort of dream do you have?" Luffy asked.
"I want to find the All Blue," Sanji replied.
"The legendary ocean where all sea creatures live? I remember Dad telling us the legend of it." Lithos said. "He thinks the island where the One Piece rests may be situated in it, but he was never really sure."
Merone started drooling. "Just the thought of all that potential fried seafood really gets my mouth watering."
"Finding it would be a seafaring cook's paradise," Sanji noted.
Zeff himself was watching Sanji and the others from above and smiling. It was the happiest he had ever seen Sanji.
"You know, you're wasting time staying here trying to get the old man to acknowledge you. Red Leg Zeff wasn't just a notorious pirate, he was a world-renowned cook. And you're not gonna find the All Blue sitting here trying to improve until you're old and gray." Ariala said. "If you really want to become a great chef, you need to get out there and experience the best cuisine the world has to offer."
Sanji chuckled. "You all really know how to twist my arm. But I guess it is long overdue for me to set out on my own. And those with foolish dreams should stick together. So I'll accept your offer to become your ship's cook. And I guarantee no one on your crew will go hungry."
Luffy smiled. "Alright, welcome aboard!"
"Looks like we start to sail off. We still need to help Nami settle things at Cocoyashi Village." Zoro said.
"Dunno why she wants to go there. That place is crazy." Johnny said.
"That place is where I live!" Nami said incredulously. "And it was perfectly fine before Arlong showed up! Speaking of which, let's see how much I have..."
She counted all the treasure she collected, and her eyes suddenly had Berri signs in them.
"200,000,000 Berri!? I can pay off the ransom and repair the village!"
"I think I can handle being on a ship with such a beauty. I can assure you no one will hurt you while I'm around." Sanji chuckled.
Hey, why weren't you going gaga over Don Krieg's old lady? She was actually good-looking." Eddy pointed out.
"I don't turn on the charm for married women. At that point, they're clearly out of reach."
Eddy opened his mouth but closed it when he realized Sanji did have a pretty understandable point.
The Going Merry was loaded up with a fresh food store and then set sail.
"I'll come back eventually as an even better cook than you, old geezer," Sanji said. But one thing I can say... You were a better father than the one I was born with..."
The Straw Hat Pirates looked back one last time at the Baratie, its staff all tearfully waving Sanji farewell as the crew took off for their next adventure.
Man, the Baratie sure has a lot going on, doesn't it? At least I was able to let the Eds have some time to shine as well even though they weren't part of the main focus on the conflict. Especially the Clank-Clank Fruit.
Anyway, we're ready to tackle Arlong Park next! Stay tuned and support Oda, everybody!