The Krieg Pirates
A chorus of screams erupted from the fearful patrons of the restaurant once they heard Don Krieg's declaration. Each of them fled to the back entrance of the restaurant in hopes of escape, boarding the large escape boat that some of the workers had prepared for them.
Only a few remained in the restaurant, unfettered by the infamous captain's words. Zeff, Sanji and the other cooks remained to defend the restaurant. Luffy, Ryuza and Yamato, also did not make a move to retreat.
As Don Krieg made his declaration, a chorus of screams erupted from the fearful patrons of the restaurant, prompting them to flee to the back entrance of the establishment in search of an escape. Some boarded a large escape boat that had been prepared for them by the workers. Only a handful remained behind, undeterred by the infamous captain's words. Among them were Zeff, Sanji, and the other cooks who stood ready to defend their beloved restaurant. Luffy, Ryuza, and Yamato, also unfazed, showed no signs of making a move to retreat.
"I told you!" shouted Carne, glaring fiercely. "This is the real Don Krieg! And now he's gonna take over our ship!"
Don Krieg chuckled at the comment, patting his stomach now that the food has put him back at full strength. "My ship's all worn out. So I've been wanting a new one. Once my business here is done with you, I'll have you get off this ship. I have over a hundred subordinates on my ship just starving to death. So start preparing enough food and water for all of them."
Carne took a step forward, shocked by the audacity of the order. "You're asking us to willingly feed hungry pirates, knowing that they are just gonna steal our ship afterwards?! We refuse!"
The other cooks shouted words of agreement, readying their knives and cleavers.
Don Krieg's eyes narrowed into a deadly gaze. "Refuse? Seems like we have a little misunderstanding on our hands." A deadly aura suddenly came over him. His eyes turned fierce. It was at that point, Ryuza knew that this man was dangerous. "I'm not asking you. I'm ordering you. And nobody, disobeys my orders."
As Ryuza watched the scene unfold, he could feel his hand shake with mixed emotions. One half of the emotion was anticipation for battle, and the other half was anger at the audacity of this man who stood before him making threats toward the men that saved him and Yamato from starvation.
The cooks remained still. Some of them showed signs of fear while others expressed angry looks. The only cook who began moving toward the kitchen was Sanji.
"Hey! Sanji! Where do you think you're going?!" A cook shouted, noticing him moving toward the kitchen.
Sanji spat the cigarette from his mouth and spoke without emotion. "To the kitchen. In order to prepare enough food for 100 people."
Each and every cook inside the restaurant quickly surrounded Sanji, and aimed firearms at him. Their fingers were gripped tightly on the trigger, as if they were prepared to immediately open fire if Sanji had dared to take another step towards the kitchen.
"Like hell you are, Sanji!" One cook shouted angrily, his pistol aimed right at Sanji's neck.
"You ain't taking one step into that kitchen!" another shouter."
Sanji's broad expression did not change despite the threat of being shot. "Fine. Stop me if you wish. Go ahead and shoot me." He said, holding his arms out and welcoming the numerous firearms, his voice showing no fear. "I know…they're nothing but scum who aren't worth a dime saving. But to me, none of that matters. Thinking about the consequences of saving a person? It's all such a big hassle."
The cooks paused, questioning to themselves as to why Sanji would be willing to risk his life to feed such scum.
Ryuza gazed at Sanji in bewilderment. He did not know him all that much. During his time there at the restaurant, he's seen him get into fights with customers, threatening to kick their asses, and then immediately falling back into a polite demeanor whenever a female was involved. Ryuza still did not know the reason for this.
But one thing he did remember was that Sanji had cooked he and Yamato food for free the first day they had arrived there. Ryuza believed the reason for this was a sense of honor, but now he wondered if there was more to it. Him feeding a vile and deceitful pirate captain and his crew that are threatening to take over the restaurant that he worked at didn't make much sense to Ryuza.
Ryuza's confusion had subsided when Sanji continued speaking. "A cook should be freely able to, feed anyone who's starving." He said, his eyes gazing up at the chandelier in the restaurant that glowed overhead. "Isn't that the ideal!?"
There was absolute silence amongst the cooks. They shifted their eyes toward each other. Even a few began lowering their pistols. However, Patty dashed and was behind Sanji with his oversized arms raised. His slammed his fists into the back of Sanji's head, knocking him to the ground.
"Enough, Sanji!" Patty bellowed, pointing his finger at him. "You guys hold him down! I'll handle this! If you won't protect this restaurant, Sanji! Then I will!"
Three of the surrounding cooks kept Sanji from moving from the ground, and Patty turned his furious gaze on the imposing Don Krieg. The deadly pirate captain raised one of his brows. Was this cook actually planning on taking him on?
Patty eyed him and shifted to the right, raising his fists. "Fortunately we only have this bastard to deal with."
He narrowed his eyes, appearing as if he was going to take him on with just his bare knuckles. Ryuza watched with bated breath to see what the cook had planned. Suddenly, Patty lifted one of the tables, revealing a single shot cannon, just large enough to be able to lift with his oversized arms.
Don Krieg's eyes widened as the cannon was aimed in his direction. "Son of a b-"
"If you're finished with your meal, then here's your desert!" Patty shouted. "Indigestion Meat Ball Cannon!!!"
The cannon let out an ear muting shot and the entire ship rumbled and the surrounding tables shook. Ryuza could have sworn the chandelier above nearly fell from the sheer force. The cannon ball made contact with its target, the spot where Don Krieg stood was now nothing but a puff of smoke and damaged wood.
Ryuza covered his face from the smoke and stared in amazement. "Woah!"
Luffy smiled widely at the sight. "That's—
"So cool!" Yamato added, her eyes sparkling.
The doors to the restaurant were knocked off the hinges from the impact. Leading outside, a trail of shattered wood had stopped at the edge of the boat. And at the end of that trail was Don Krieg's body that seemed to be motionless.
Patty grinned triumphantly. "Heh, and here we were so worried. I didn't mean to damage the entrance but hey, at least the bastard is dead-
Before Patty could finish, the body of Don Krieg rose to its feet, revealing the the deadly pirate captain was still alive. And evidently, not even phased by the powerful cannon shot that had sent him flying.
"Is that the best desert you got? You lousy cook!" said Don Krieg, stomping back toward the restaurant and fanning the smoke away.
Patty broke out into a cold sweat. "N-no way! He really survived that?!"
Ryuza was just as much in shock as those around him. There was no logical way that Don Krieg should even be on his feet right now. However, when the evil pirate captain exited the cloud of smoke to reveal his full frame, Ryuza's confusion was put at ease.
On his body, Don Krieg was wearing armor. Metal armor that was shaded with a golden sheen. It covered his torso all the way down to his waist. He even had shoulder guards with the same material and same golden shaded color. The armor showed not even the slightest dent or sign of damage after the cannon ball shot.
"Woah! His body is all gold and shiny!" exclaimed Luffy.
"It must be some powerful armor…" muttered Yamato.
Don Krieg wiped the dust from his pauldron and bared his teeth in agitation. "This has to be the worst restaurant I've ever been to. Serving that pile of crap for dessert? I expected better!"
His words sparked a burning fire in Patty and the other cooks. Each of them took hold of a weapon in their hands. Butcher knives, cleavers, pitchforks and harpoons. The entire staff charged toward Don Krieg with angry battle cries.
Instead of retreating, Don Krieg grinned and placed both hands at his hips. Ryuza saw the twitching motion in his hand. He knew what was coming next. The infamous pirate captain suddenly pulled out two pistols, but as he did, his armor suddenly shifted and changed. On his arms and sides of his torso, multiple barrels poked from his armor. He didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.
The multitude of shots scattered through the restaurant. Glasses shattered, the walls were now riddled with bullet holes, and the cooks took the full extent of the shots that were fired. Cries of pain were raised and blood bursted into the air.
"Guns?!" Luffy shouted.
"All over his body!?" asked Sanji, his eyes wide.
The cooks crumbled to the floor. A lot of them groaned in pain, covering the bullet holes that were now on their bodies. Don Krieg grinned and kept his aim at the helpless chefs.
"This…is how you serve desserts! Here! Have another on me!" He shouted, preparing to fire again.
As he was preparing to pull the trigger, Ryuza had seen enough. His hand snapped to the hilt of his blade. His eyes shifted over to Yamato, who's orange eyes gleamed in anger. The two glanced at each other and nodded.
The bullets shot from Don Krieg's numerous guns, and headed right toward the cooks. Undoubtedly to finish some of them off. Before they could reach their targets, Ryuza and Yamato dashed in front of the cooks and shield them.
Ryuza swung his sword in a flurry of strikes, cutting the incoming projectiles with extreme precision. To the left of him, Yamato raised the blunt of her mace and allowed the bullets to collide with it. The steel of her weapon was unfazed, and the projectiles landed on the ground.
"Huh? Who the hell are you?" Don Krieg asked, narrowing his eyes.
Ryuza stepped forward, his gaze sharp and his sword at the ready. "We are the protectors of this restaurant. We won't let you harm innocent people," he said, his voice firm and resolute.
Yamato stood by his side, her mace ready to strike. "You should leave now, before things get ugly," she warned Don Krieg, her eyes locked on his.
Don Krieg laughed mockingly. "You two think you can stop me? I am Don Krieg, captain of the Krieg Pirates! You're just a couple of nobodies!"
Ryuza's grip on his sword tightened. "We may be nobodies to you, but we'll protect this place with our lives!" he said, ready to face off against the pirate captain.
The young samurai felt a strong sense of duty to protect the restaurant and its patrons from the pirates. He had always believed that it was the responsibility of the strong to protect the weak, and he was not about to let Don Krieg and his crew harm innocent people.
His hands trembled with anticipation as he prepared to face off against the pirate captain. He knew that this fight would be a test of his skills and resolve, but he was determined to emerge victorious. With a steely determination in his eyes, he readied himself for the coming battle, knowing that the fate of the restaurant rested on his shoulders.
Behind them, Luffy could not help but grin widely at the sight of the two stepping forth to defend the restaurant. His hands had already been itching to send Don Krieg flying, but now this made him even more excited.
Sanji eyed the two as well. He was surprised to see them willing to defend the restaurant. He's heard Ryuza and at times Yamato make declarations about the honor of samurai and other things that you'd hear someone say and automatically believe it was nothing but nonsense. But now, he was seeing them put their words into action. And even more importantly to him, he was witnessing the beautiful creature, Yamato ready to put her body on the line. Maybe he would have to step in after all.
Don Krieg grunted and stepped forward. "If you little punks think you're tough enough to take me on then come at me. I have enough bullets for the both of you."
The words of the pirate captain was all Ryuza needed to hear. He snapped to his stance and poised, preparing to take off in a dash toward the infamous pirate captain, his eyes narrowed. Yamato held her mace over her shoulder and couldn't help but grin as the fight was about to begin. This would be her first battle with a deadly warrior of the seas. Her excitement was through the roof.
But, before either of them could move the head chef and owner of the restaurant, Owner Zeff walked from the doors of the kitchen and into the main lobby. He dragged behind him a large white sack that had the clear scent of warm food. Don Krieg paused his advance upon seeing the chef approach.
"Enough." said Zeff, dragging the sack over and leaving it in front of Don Krieg. "There's enough food in here for a hundred people. So hurry up and bring it to your men."
The other chefs were shocked at the sight. "O-owner Zeff! What are you doing?!"
Don Krieg smirked. "Heh. A smart decision."
Ryuza's eyes widened and he took a step forward. "W-wait a minute! You don't have to give him anything! We can take him!"
"Yeah!" agreed Yamato, her heart sinking as she saw Zeff give into the demands of a deceitful enemy. "If you feed him, he'll just come back with an army of men!"
"Mr. Zeff. I told you I'd defend this restaurant with my life in order to pay you back for saving us." explained Ryuza determinedly. "Please, let me fulfill that promise."
Zeff grunted and narrowed his eyes as he kept them focused on Don Krieg. "I already told you I'm not interested in you protecting this restaurant with your lives. You and your friend probably should have left along with the other customers."
Ryuza was taken back by Zeff's statement. Why would he not allow him and Yamato to defend the restaurant against such an evil villain. It did not make any sense to him. Did the young samurai's honor mean nothing to this grumpy chef?
"Wait a minute…" muttered Don Krieg, pausing as he stared at the owner. His eyes slowly began to widen. "Did you say….Zeff?"
Carne stepped forward, his face dripping with sweat and his glasses crooked. "Sir! Why are you giving them food! Let those guys defend the restaurant! If you give them food those pirates will recover and overrun the restaurant!"
"Maybe." Zeff replied. "But that's only if they have enough fighting spirit left at all." His gaze was even more focused on Don Krieg. "Isn't that right….defeated warriors of the grand line?"
The ambience restaurant turned silent once again. This time, Don Krieg's eyes were widened in shock. The chef's were surprised to hear that Don Krieg and his fleet could have possibly been beaten. Luffy was more shocked at the mention of the grand line.
Ryuza's grip on his sword loosened a bit, feeling surprised at Zeff's sudden revelation. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Don Krieg and his crew had just come from the grand line, the most dangerous and treacherous sea in the world, as far as he knew. The mere mention of the grand line was enough to strike fear into the hearts of even the bravest of sailors. Ryuza wondered how a group could manage to make it to the grand line, but be forced to retreat and end up in the East Blue.
Don Krieg finally spoke. "You're….Red Leg Zeff! Aren't you?!" There was obvious hesitation and even the slightest hint of fear in his voice. "So you've been alive all this time. The peerless captain and cook of his own crew."
"So what if I'm alive?" asked Zeff. "It's got nothing to do with you. I'm living the rest of my years out as a cook now."
Don Krieg laughed. "Haha! Interesting choice of words. Living the rest of your years out as a cook! It's obvious that your decision was not by choice. It's the only thing you can do now. Look at you. You're missing a leg. It seems you can't wear any of your infamous red shoes now." He continued, the fear that was in his voice now gone. "To speak of red leg Zeff was to speak of a master of kicking. Someone who would never use their hands in battle, because the sheer strength of their kicks was enough to shatter even a large boulder."
Ryuza paused and glanced at Zeff. Don Krieg's explanation was not so unbelievable. He had been on the receiving end of Zeff's kicks on a few occasions. It was mostly due to Ryuza doing something to irritate the owner. The kicks stung to Ryuza, but he could also feel like Zeff had been holding back some of his power, despite it feeling strong enough to send the young samurai crashing through a wall. To think, that Head chef Zeff was a legend amongst the seas.
"This is perfect!" said Don Krieg, beginning to smile. "Red Leg Zeff, you're a man who once traveled through the waters of the Grand Line! Not only that, but you returned without injury! You must have kept a log of all your journeys and the threats you've faced! Hand it over!"
"The old man's been to the grand line?" asked Luffy, his smile returning as he looked at the chef.
Ryuza's eyes nearly shot out of his skull. He snapped his head over to Zeff. "You've been to the grand line?! Why didn't you say anything about that? We've been trying to find a way to get there for the past two days!"
Zeff grunted. "Hmph, it's because you didn't ask you little punk. Even if you did, I wouldn't have told you." He crossed his arms stubbornly. "If you had that much trouble finding out where to go, you wouldn't have lasted a second in the grand line."
"We could have gotten out of here days ago if you had just told us!" shouted Yamato, equally irritated.
Zeff grunted again but then turned his gaze back on Don Krieg. "Hmph, as for your request for my log, my answer is no. That log is the pride of me and my men who bravely traveled the grand line together. It's much too valuable and you won't lay a finger on it."
Don Krieg's smile disappeared. He gritted his teeth together and took another step forward. "If you don't give it then I'll just steal it from you. That log will allow me to finally conquer the seas! I had the manpower, but the only thing I lacked was information. And that log will make up for it!"
The chefs that had been shot at with bullets earlier began to rise to their feet. Their faces twisted with anger. Each one that had lost their weapons when they were fired on, once again gripped them tightly in their hands; ready to defend the head chef.
"Like hell we'll let you take owner Zeff's log!" One of the cooks shouted fiercely.
"And you can forget about taking this ship!" added Carne, brandishing the sharp cleaver in his hand.
Patty stepped forward, ignoring the pain. "That's right! If we lose this ship then we'll have nowhere to go! That's not gonna happen!"
"We'll die before that happens!" another chef shouted. "Owner Zeff is the only one who accepted us as chefs when none of us had somewhere to turn to! He's our savior!"
As the chefs prepared to defend the restaurant with their lives, Ryuza couldn't help but grin. He could feel each one embodied with a certain spirit. "The warrior's spirit." It was small, but he could feel it and each of them. It's presence fired him up and his grip tightened on his sword. If they were will to die for this restaurant, then he'd defend them with his life.
"Silence!" Don Krieg bellowed. His armor shifted again, the many barrels of the guns attached to his armor were set to fire again. "The difference between you and I in terms of strength is clear as day! I am the strongest!"
"That remains to be seen!" exclaimed Yamato, pointing her mace at him. "As long as we're here, you won't take this restaurant!"
"Fools! I have taken on much stronger opponents than you brats!" Don Krieg laughed. "From the way I hear it, you two haven't even stepped foot into the grand line or its dangers! What makes you think you'll have a chance against me!?"
Ryuza spoke now, standing at Yamato's side. "It doesn't matter! We made a promise to protect this restaurant, and that's what we shall do! Prepare yourself!"
"Heh, no matter." said Don Krieg, his guns preparing to fire. "Once I've dealt with you, I'll obtain Red leg Zeff's log and reassemble my fleet! Then I shall find the One Piece and become the greatest pirate in history!"
"Hold it right there!" a voice said from the side.
Ryuza looked over to his right to see Luffy's usual smile gone, and replaced with a serious look. He threw his white apron to the side and walked forward. He stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles, preparing for a slugfest.
"I'm the one here who'll become the pirate king!" shouted Luffy, joining the face off.
Carne was shocked to see Luffy preparing for a fight. "Huh?! The errand boy? What are you doing?! You'll get yourself killed!"
"What did you say you little brat?" growled Don Krieg.
Luffy grinned fiercely, not intimidated in the slightest by the captain's deadly glare. "You heard me." He walked in front of Ryuza and Yamato. "Hey guys! Let me in on this fight!"
Ryuza shifted uneasily in front of Luffy, trying to maintain his brave posture with his sword. "Heh, not to worry. The situation is handled," he said, his voice wavering slightly.
But Luffy wasn't having it. He stepped ahead of Ryuza, grinning widely. "No way, samurai dude! I wanna take down this guy!" he declared, cracking his knuckles.
Ryuza's eyes twitched at the interruption. "I'm the samurai here. Let me handle it." he insisted.
Luffy's grin only widened. "Nah, I got this," he retorted.
The two continued to get in front of one another, both growing more and more irritated but still trying to maintain a brave and fierce smile.
"I'd rather not have to protect you during the fight," Ryuza said through gritted teeth.
Luffy laughed, showing obvious signs of irritation. "Haha! You're gonna need my help, samurai guy," he taunted.
Ryuza laughed weakly. "I highly doubt that," he muttered under his breath, feeling the tension between them grow.
Sanji blinked in bewilderment at the scene. "Are they….really arguing over this?"
The two continued back and forth until the tension had finally broken. The two got into each other's faces with furious looks. Their foreheads pressed together as one tried to push the other back.
There was no possible way that Ryuza was going to back down from this fight. He had been inside the restaurant for two days without a fight. He also had no reputation whatsoever on the seas. Defeating an infamous pirate captain of the seas would surely be talked about for many years to come. It would be his first official step to take on the path of becoming the sword god, like his idol, Ryuma.
Unfortunately, it appeared that Luffy was in no way prepared to let this fight go. Don Krieg's declaration on becoming the greatest pirate in history and finding the one piece set Luffy's objective in stone. He would send this guy flying one way or another.
"I already said I got this!" Ryuza shouted, his bravado replaced with frustration.
Luffy put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. "No way! You're not gonna hog all the fun, samurai guy!" he exclaimed.
As the two continued to argue, the chefs watching the scene were confused. They could not believe that these two who argued like children, made a vow to protect the restaurant. And even more shocked that they both were actually arguing on who gets to take on the deadly pirate captain.
Yamato blinked at the scene, looking at the two boys bickering. "Are you both really arguing over who gets to fight this guy?" She asked. "How about you guys let me handle this?"
Ryuza and Luffy immediately paused and turned their anger to Yamato. "Not a chance!" They yelled in unison.
Don Krieg was beginning to lose his patience. To see these brats bickering like children on who gets to fight him, angered him. Who did they think he was? He was a legend on the high seas. People would run and cower at the mention of his name. The audacity of those three made him clench his fist tightly. He'd kill each and everyone of them. But first, he'd have to feed his men.
A few meters away. Zoro and Usopp watched the scene while sitting at one of the tables.
"Hey! You guys planning to rumble?" asked Zoro, placing his sword over his shoulder with a confident smile. "Need a hand?"
"Huh? Oh hey Zoro, Ussop." replied Luffy, his irritating look quickly subsiding. "Nah! It's fine. You guys can sit this one out."
"Hahaha! Are these your crewmates?" Don Krieg laughed mockingly. "A rather small bunch aren't they? And you say you plan on becoming the pirate king? Pathetic!"
"Hey! What are you talking about?" asked Luffy. "I got 2 others as well!" He shouted , then pointed at Ryuza and Yamato. "And these guys are planning to join my crew too!"
Ryuza's mouth dropped at Luffy's words. Yamato on the other hand smiled widely, the thoughts of joining a pirate crew filling her mind.
"H-hey! Wait a minute!" Ryuza shouted. "I never said-"
"Hahaha! You don't get it do you?!" Don Krieg laughed. "It doesn't matter if you have two, six, or even a hundred crewmates! I have over a 1000 men!" His eye twitched as he continued, showing his anger was still intact. "And all this talk about becoming pirate king? My fleet of 50 ships and 5000 men were decimated in the grand line. What hope does your little band have?"
Don Krieg's words caused Ryuza to pause. As much as he tried to ignore it, the new information made him worried. If a force of 50 ships and 5000 pirates could be decimated, then there must have been powerful forces lingering on the grand line. And If he and Yamato planned on traveling to the grand line, they'd have to come face to face with these forces, sooner or later.
"You brats are completely ignorant to reality, so I will let your little comments about taking me on slide." continued Don Krieg. He grabbed the large sack of food and threw it over his shoulder. "Keep talking and I'll kill all of you once I get back from unloading this food to my men. As for the rest of you, I suggest you leave this place if you don't want to die."
As Don Krieg turned and walked through the entrance, the damaged doors still laying off to the side, Ryuza was furious. He wanted to charge at Don Krieg at that very moment and engage in battle. A fight that would undoubtedly be talked about for many years to come by the people of the world. And even if not for the sake of honor and glory, it would stop him from feeding his crew and bringing more enemies into the fight.
Ryuza took a step forward, preparing to make a dash for the infamous pirate captain while his guard was lowered. But before he could, the head chef Zeff, had called out to him. Ryuza looked back at him and saw him shaking his head, signaling to not attack. The young samurai clenched his teeth and looked back at the pirate captain walking back to his ship.
He wanted desperately to ignore Zeff's signal, but he could not. It may have been foolish, but for the sake of honor, Ryuza sheathed his balde. Whether he liked it or not, Zeff had saved him and Yamato from starving. It was only fair that he respected his decisions.
While Don Krieg retreated to his damaged ship to feed to starving members of his crew, the chefs and workers argued amongst themselves. They all knew that an army of pirates would soon be on their doorstep to take over the restaurant, and they needed as much firepower and weapons to defend it.
The man who Luffy continuously referred to as Gin, sat in a chair clenching his shoulder that had been crushed by his own captain earlier. His head was lowered in shame and he shook his head, apologizing repeatedly.
"Sanji…please forgive me!" said Gin, unable to raise his head. "I had no…no idea all of this would happen!"
Owner Zeff's expression was stern but there were no signs of anger. "There's no need for you to apologize." He said. "The cooks of this restaurant acted out of their own free will. This is the result of that."
"Sir! How could you, of all people, side with Sanji on this?!" exclaimed Patty, soon followed by shouts of disagreement from the cooks.
As the cooks continued to talk amongst themselves about the approaching threat and who to blame, Ryuza and Yamato stood off to the side, gazing out the window every few seconds to see if Don Krieg was coming back.
"I could have taken him." hissed Ryuza, annoyed that he did not get his chance to fight.
"You may still get the chance, Ryuza-san." replied Yamato, her mace held over her shoulder as she readied herself for a fight. "He'll be back with his men soon. If it really is over a hundred men, then Zeff-san will need our help."
Ryuza looked up at her and couldn't help but grin. "You're right. This is our chance Yamato. This fight is not only for the sake of honor, but fame as well! Think about it. If we beat this guy and his crew in battle, it will be talked about all over the seas. In towns, cities, people will talk about our names at a bar over a drink!"
Yamato's eyes shimmered with enthusiasm. "Right! And this fight will help us get even stronger! It'll be the first of many!" She smirked and gave Ryuza's arm a swift and playful punch. "So don't go holding back, okay?! These guy will be dangerous!"
Ryuza nearly fell over from the gesture, but quickly regained his footing and smiled up at his friend. "Of course not! I know when to take a fight seriously!" He retorted in agitation; unable to hide a slight chuckle.
"Hey! Are you guys sticking around for the fight too?!" Luffy's voice called out.
Ryuza and Yamato turned their gaze over to the table where Luffy, Usopp and Zoro had been sitting. Luffy had an excited smile on his face while Usopp was fidgeting around, no doubt wanting to leave the restaurant as quickly as possible. Zoro leaned back in his seat, his hand gripped on the hilt of his blade, actively waiting for a fight.
"Of course we are!" Ryuza said proudly, walking over to the table alongside Yamato. "We gave the owner our word that we'd defend this restaurant with our lives. Don Krieg and his men will be slain the moment they launch their attack!"
Luffy grinned and laughed. "Shishishi! You guys are pretty brave! We're planning on sticking around to take this guy down too!"
"Which is a bad idea!" chimed in Usopp, slapping his hand on the table. "We should get out of here while we still can! The guy has an army of pirates, remember?!"
"Calm down." said Zoro, still leaning in his seat. "Our enemies are a bunch of wounded pirates."
Yamato nodded and smiled widely. "Plus, you and your crew have been in a similar situation like this before, right Usopp-san? When you went against that pirate captain and 50 of his men!"
"This is much bigger than 50 men! It's not even a close comparison!" screamed Usopp, exasperated by Yamato's excited look.
Luffy chuckled and stared at the entrance with a determined smile. "We'll be fine. Plus I have to fight that guy. If he's after the One Piece then he and I are going to butt heads eventually anyway!"
"As I said Luffy-san," Ryuza crossed his arms determinedly. "I will be the one to take down that pirate captain! It's not only my honor at stake, but this is just another step toward my goal."
"Shishishi." Luffy laughed again then grinned competitively. "Then I guess it's a race to see who can take this guy down faster! Don't be upset if you lose! Hahaha!"
Ryuza's eye twitched and yet he could not fight the urge to smile. "Alright. I accept your challenge."
"Hey! If it's a challenge to see who can beat this guy then I'm in too!" smiled Yamato. "Who knows, maybe I'll be the one to pummel him! Zoro-san! Are you joining in as well?"
Zoro shrugged his shoulders and smirked. "Heh, whatever happens, happens. Just don't blame me if I'm the one who ends up cutting him down."
"You guys are way too playful in a situation like this!" shouted Usopp, slapping the table again.
While the group talked amongst each other, Sanji sat cross legged on one of the tables. A cigarette smoked from between his lips as he locked his gaze on the entrance of the restaurant, waiting for the slightest sign of approaching enemies. As he waited, he heard the group discussing defending the restaurant. He could not fully understand why any of them were deciding to stick around instead of leaving on the evacuation boat with the other customers.
"Are you guys really planning on sticking around?" He asked, glancing over at them. "It's going to get real bloody soon."
Ryuza raised a brow at the question and looked back at him. "Huh? Of course we are. There's no way we're leaving you guys to fend for yourselves after feeding and sheltering us."
"Normally people would just repay those sorts of things with money." replied Sanji, shaking his head.
Ryuza could not help but grin at the comment. "I believe what you guys did for us can be repaid with more than just money."
"Yeah, you can count on us to defend this restaurant, Sanji-san!" Yamato nodded in agreement. "This is just our way of showing gratitude for giving us free meals!"
Sanji swooned at Yamato's words, his serious expression melting away. "Oh, Yamato-chan! You're one of the most courageous and stunning warriors I've ever met! Not a single one of those pirates will even get close to you! You have my word!"
"That's the spirit, Sanji-san!" laughed Yamato, delighted to see his fighting spirit ignited.
Ryuza chuckled and shook his head. He could not help but feel excited for the battle to come. It seemed everyone around him had planned on fighting. He could feel each of their fighting spirits being roused. And if they had a fighting spirit, then they had a warrior's soul. Even if it was only a small portion.
"Hey, Gin!" Luffy suddenly called out to Don Krieg's man who was still clenching his injured shoulder with his head lowered. "You said you didn't know anything about the grand line, right? But didn't you and your crew go there?"
"I don't know…." Gin answered, clenching his head and shivering as if the mere mention of the grand line brought him fear. "I don't know! I just don't know if those 7 days we've spent in the grand line were real or just a nightmare! I still can't figure it out in my mind. It doesn't make sense!"
"What doesn't make sense?" asked Sanji, raising one of his curly brows.
"A man…in the grand line…he just…appeared all of a sudden". Gin explained, his body trembling. "To think…an entire fleet. A fleet of 50 ships filled with Don Krieg's men…were destroyed by a single man!!!"
The atmosphere in the restaurant had turned cold. Silence had broken out and the waves collided with the side of the ship with a thunderous sound, as if the sea itself was affected by the sudden revelation.
"What?!" Luffy shouted, his voice echoing and soon followed by other sounds of shock from the cooks.
"Impossible! You're lying!" Patty snapped, a cold sweat breaking out on his face.
Ryuza's eyes were wide and his mouth had lowered. "That….a single man…destroyed an entire fleet?"
The young samurai involuntarily took a step back. Gin's words had hit him like a sudden wave of water from a raging storm. The thought of a single man destroying an entire fleet sounded like something from a fairytale, or at least in Ryuza's dreams. He had heard such tales and even greater feats that his master had told him about. The only difference being that most of these amazing tales happened over a hundred years ago and many of them were considered to be fables, while Gin on the other hand had witnessed such an event first hand.
To make matters even worse, it was not as if Ryuza could consider that Gin was lying. The state of Don Krieg's ship was evidence enough. The damaged and ripped sails, the masts that were collapsed in the middle of the deck. All the damages pointed to the ship being absolutely decimated in a battle. But to think that a single man had done such an act. Ryuza had to steady himself.
"One person did all of that?" asked Yamato, her eyes sparkling in wonder. "Amazing…."
"I still don't fully understand what happened…" said Gin, collapsing to his knees. "While we still had no idea what was going on, our ships sank one by one! It was like someone was just cutting us down as if we were nothing. If it wasn't for the storm that whisked us away, we would not have made it out of there alive…"
Gin swallowed thickly and stared at the floor, his eyes trembling as if he had just seen a ghost.
"It was that man…" he muttered to himself. "That hawk eyed man whose glare is sharp enough to kill a man! I don't even want to think about him! He's a monster! No, a devil!"
"Hawk eyed man?" Ryuza repeated, crossing his arms.
The young samurai had never heard of such a name, or a tale of a "hawk eyed man." Zoro on the other hand, straighten up in his seat, his eyes coming into full focus of Gin. Though Ryuza didn't notice, Zoro had begun to sweat vigorously as a result Gin's words
※
Outside of the restaurant, on the damaged ship of Don Krieg, there was a constant sound erupting on deck. The sound being mouths full of food smacking and swallowing. Don Krieg had disturbed the food given to him to each starving member of his crew. They consumed it in earnest, eating and chewing the food off the wooden dirty floor. Once they had finished, howls of delight and satisfaction erupted on deck.
"Wooohooo! We're saved!" One pirate shouted, tears flowing from his eyes.
"It's like a dream!" Another shouted, raising his fists to the sky. "We've finally escaped from that nightmare! We've returned from the 'pirates graveyard' alive!"
Don Krieg smirked, watching his men celebrate while sitting on top of a wooden crate at the end of the deck. "Heh, yes. And we'll be sailing right back into the grand line once again…"
The celebration had come to a sudden halt. Each member of Don Krieg's crew looked at him with wide eyed bewilderment. The shouts of triumph and grins of satisfaction drifted away with the rest of the sea water around the ship.
"Huh? What's with those expressions?" asked Don Krieg, one of his brows raised.
"S-sir…y-you can't be serious." One of the crew members stammered. "W-we're actually going back there?"
Don Krieg's eyes narrowed into a deadly glare. These type of questions were a form of insubordination in his eyes. In front of his own crew no less. It would not be tolerated on his ship. He reached down to grab one of the many guns strapped to his waist. He then paused. He realized he had no need to kill this man.
His lieutenant would do it for him.
The crew member heard the sound of metal boots approaching from behind. He knew that sound all too well and he knew what was about to follow. The crew member tried to open his mouth to beg for forgiveness from the captain, but before he could, a sharp metal spike pierced him through the chest.
Don Krieg's "lieutenant" walked up to the crew member and pulled his spike out of his chest, causing blood to splatter all over his armor. He grabbed the crew member by his shirt and dragged him towards the edge of the ship. The crew member's groans turned into muffled screams as he desperately tried to break free from the lieutenant's grasp.
Without a second thought, the lieutenant threw the crew member overboard and into the sea, watching as his body disappeared beneath the waves. The rest of the crew members could only watch in shock.
Don Krieg on the other hand merely chuckled. "Heh, well done….Spike."
Spike, the lieutenant amongst Don Krieg's fleet turned to face his captain. "It was a pleasure, captain. No one gets away with questioning our captain's orders. You should all know better than that by now!"
Spike crossed his arms and stared down the other crew members who looked at him with fear and intimidation. He was a tall and imposing man with a long gray beard and imposing eyes. On his torso, he wore silver armor similar in structure to that of his captain, but this armor had numerous large holes in it. For what purpose? His enemies would soon find out.
"Now.." Don Krieg began, looking at his remaining crew members. "Is there anyone else that feels like disagreeing?"
For the sake of their lives, every crew member on the ship let out a loud battle cry. Swords, clubs, pistols and maces were raised high in the air.
"No sir!!" One crew member bellowed.
"All hail Don Krieg!" Another screamed.
"Good. First things first, we're abandoning this old battered ship. It might sink at any moment with the condition it's in." explained Don Krieg, crossing his arms with a smug grin on his face. "What we'll do is take over that floating restaurant over there and use it as our new ship. Your enemies are a bunch of measly good for nothing cooks. So it should be a piece of cake. Have fun."
Another rousing cry went up into the air. Many members of Don Krieg's crew grinned sadistically. After what had happened to them on the grand line, they needed someone to bash and kill. The man that took down Don Krieg's fleet was too strong for them. But this time, they would not be overpowered again.
※
"Owner Zeff! I can hear them coming!" A cook shouted, his butcher knife at the ready as he stood in front of the entrance.
"Brace yourselves!" Carne yelled, readying his weapon. "This ship is our restaurant! We have to defend it!"
Ryuza glanced at the entrance and could hear the sounds of Don Krieg's crew just outside. Each of them called for blood as they prepared to board the ship. Ryuza raised his blade from its scabbard with his thumb, showing off the black blade steel. He was poised, and ready for even slightest signs of an attack.
But before the anticipated battle could happen, there was a deadly interference. An interference that would be Don Krieg's crew's worst nightmare.
The restaurant shook with a thunderous rumble. Outside, the air was split in three, and a powerful shockwave blasted through the water and collided with Don Krieg's ship. The crew screamed and panicked as the ship was suddenly cut into three pieces. Many of them tried to find the nearest thing to grab onto as the ship began to sink. Even Don Krieg's expression was one of shock.
"What the-" Ryuza screamed, his eyes nearly popping out from his own skull as he saw the scene through the window.
Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, Yamato and Sanji jumped in surprise as the ship outside began falling apart. The cooks, and even owner Zeff were also shocked at the sight. It was as if Don Krieg's ship had been cut down with the sheer force of a raging storm. But that could not be possible. No one could be powerful enough to cut a ship that size.
"R-Ryuza!" Yamato suddenly screamed. "Our boat!"
"Oh no! Our loot!" Ryuza yelled, leaping over the table and making a run toward the outside, followed by Yamato.
Zoro stood to his feet. "Crap! Our ship is out there too! It probably got caught in that, along with Nami, Yosaku, and Johnny still inside!"
"You're right! Let's go!" Luffy yelled, rushing toward the exit as well followed by Zoro and Usopp.
Ryuza ran across the deck and paused at the sight of Don Krieg's large ship slowly sinking to the depths. He could not fully grip what had caused such a large ship to fall apart like that. Perhaps this was a result of the lingering damage that the ship already had, and it was just now collapsing.
The young samurai knew these questions had to be answered later. Their boat was more important. It held all the loot that they needed. Not only to pay the cooks back, but to survive. If they had lost that, then he and Yamato would have nothing left. No money to buy food or supplies. Their journey would come to an early end.
Ryuza reached the railing of the ship and looked back and forth desperately for their boat. His heart raced as he could find no sign of it. Yamato, who was behind him, quickly leapt to the lower deck and searched for any sign of the boat as well.
"H-hey! You! Please help us out!" A voice called out to her.
Yamato glanced down to see two men desperately trying to stay afloat, swimming through the waves caused by the shockwave that had collided with Don Krieg's ship. It took Yamato a moment to realize that the two were on the verge of drowning.
"Quick! Swim closer! H-hey! Don't panic you fools!" Yamato shouted, reaching her arms out over the railing and being careful not to fall into the ocean.
The two men that went by the name of Johnny and Yosaku swam with all their might. They eventually reached the railing and climbed it, gripping the slippery parts of the ship. Johnny took hold of Yamato's left hand while Yosaku took hold of her right. Yamato easily lifted the two men up by their arms.
"Are you guys alright?" asked Yamato, holding the two by their arms in front of her.
It took both Johnny and Yosaku a moment to grasp the sheer strength and size of the Oni woman standing before them. She had just lifted them from the sea as if it were nothing. The thought of such strength was a terrifying thought.
"Y-yeah! Thanks a lot!" Yosaku nodded his head.
"Great! Hey! Have you guys seen me and my friend's boat around here?" Yamato asked, returning to the task at hand. "It had white sails and it was docked right next to the restaurant!"
"White sails? Wait…so…that ship….was actually yours?" asked Johnny's his eyes widening.
"So you have seen it?" smiled Yamato, lowering the men back to the ground.
As she smiled, Johnny and Yosaku glanced at each other. They both knew what they were about to say was going to anger this woman fiercely. They were starting to think they should take a few steps back before explaining what happened.
"Johnny! Yosaku! You guys alright?" yelled Zoro, rushing out the door to the lower deck, followed by Luffy and Usopp.
"Brother Zoro! Yeah we're alright! Something big just hit that ship!" Johnny yelled. "I don't know what it was but it sent the waves moving like crazy!"
"Hey! hey hey! Where's our ship?" Luffy asked, looking left and right. "And where's Nami?!"
Both Johnny and Yosaku began crying pathetically and spoke in unison. "We're sorry! It's gone! And so is sister Nami! She took the ship and the treasure then sailed away!"
"WHAT?!" Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp all screamed together.
"Nami-san did that?" asked Yamato, her eyes widening in confusion. "But why would she do something like that? Isn't she part of your crew!?"
"Yamato!" Ryuza shouted from above, leaping from the deck of the ship and landing on the lower deck's railing. "This isn't good! I can't find our boat anywhere! All our loot…this is not good!"
"It's okay Ryuza!" Yamato smiled, gesturing her head over to Johnny and Yosaku. "These two men I just saved have seen our boat!"
"Then where is it?!" yelled Ryuza, staring at them with a fierce gaze.
"We…did it see it. But we didn't know it was yours." explained Yosaku. "Sister Nami insisted that the boat belonged to her, and that it was a boat she used in case of emergencies!"
Ryuza blinked and felt his teeth grinding together. "She….she said what?!"
Johnny nodded his head. "Yeah…we're not sure where the boat is now but…sister Nami…she took a white sack of sorts from beneath the seat of the boat. She said it was the rest of her treasure and she wanted to make sure it was in a safer spot."
Ryuza blinked many more times, trying to comprehend their words. Yamato's smile had disappeared. Her face was in one of shock, then slowly transitioning into trembling anger. Ryuza could feel the heat building up in his chest.
"Are you telling me…." Ryuza muttered before screaming. "Nami took all of our loot?!!!!!!"