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Today, the fog was thick.
"When are we gonna set sail already?! Are we really gonna be stuck here for a whole year?!" Usopp complained helplessly from the deck of the Merry.
"Who knows? Look, Rowen doesn't seem worried," Zoro commented nonchalantly, polishing Wado Ichimonji.
"Rowen! Think of something!" Usopp pleaded, clasping his hands together as he looked at Rowen, who was leaning against the railing, eyes closed, enjoying the sea breeze.
"As captain, Luffy needs to solve the problems he causes himself. Besides, the cook hasn't officially joined yet," Rowen replied, opening his eyes and smiling at Usopp.
Mihawk is coming. Rowen needed to seize every moment to enhance his Haki using Born of the Sea (Apex Gold). For his own plans.
Hearing Rowen's words, Usopp deflated like a punctured balloon.
"Heave ho!" Just then, Luffy emerged from the restaurant carrying a large pile of garbage.
"Hey, Luffy! When are we finally leaving?" Usopp yelled immediately.
"Just wait a bit longer! I'm gonna go ask the old man again!" Luffy called back, his head poking out from behind the mountain of trash he was carrying.
"Hm?" Just after speaking, Luffy heard something and looked out towards the sea.
Through the thick fog, a massive ship slowly emerged.
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A black panther figurehead adorned its bow, and its Jolly Roger featured a grinning skull flanked by hourglasses.
This flag... no one in the East Blue didn't recognize it.
"It's... It's the Krieg Pirates!"
"W-Why is the Overlord of the East Blue here?!"
The restaurant customers instantly erupted in panic.
"Hey! Patty! Krieg is really here! You'll drive him away, right?!" one of the chefs yelled at Patty, his face pale with sweat.
"W-Why?! That's Don Krieg, the pirate admiral with 5,000 men under his command! Why would he come all this way just to avenge one subordinate?!" Patty clutched his head, remembering Gin whom he had beaten up earlier.
"Hey! This is bad! We gotta run!" Usopp stared at the enormous galleon, clutching his head in terror.
"How can a ship be that huge?!" Nami gasped, equally stunned. But seeing Rowen step calmly in front of her, a warmth spread through Nami's chest, replacing her fear with a sense of security.
"Whoa! What a big ship!" Luffy exclaimed, admiring the vessel.
"Think that Gin guy came back to repay your kindness?" Luffy grinned at Sanji, who had come out upon hearing the commotion.
"I don't think so... But something's strange," Sanji murmured, his eyes narrowing.
"Huh?" Luffy looked confused.
But the next moment, the colossal ship sailed completely out of the fog, revealing its full state to everyone.
"The ship is totally wrecked," Luffy observed, looking at the heavily damaged vessel.
"Doesn't look like cannon damage... but it doesn't look man-made either," Sanji analyzed, focusing on the most prominent damage near the center of the ship.
"Zoro—that gash—Doesn't it look like it was made by a sword?" Rowen asked, looking at the massive, clean horizontal slice across the ship's hull. A faint smile touched his lips, and his Haki began to stir, almost boiling with anticipation.
"Made by a sword? Impossible!" Zoro retorted instinctively. How could a sword possibly cut such a massive galleon in half?
But looking closer, Zoro fell silent.
That massive fissure... it truly did look like the mark left by a single, impossibly sharp blade.
A swordsman capable of such a feat... was...!
Remembering Johnny's words about rumors of the Hawk-Eyed man he sought being near here, Zoro gripped Wado Ichimonji tighter.
Just then, two figures descended from the massive galleon.
One was Gin, He was currently carrying a tall but extremely weakened figure.
It was the so-called Overlord of the East Blue—Don Krieg.
"Please... food and water... I have money," Krieg rasped weakly the moment he entered the restaurant.
Upon learning Krieg hadn't eaten in days and was completely drained of strength, Patty, who had been terrified moments before, instantly changed his tune, yelling for Krieg to get out. Feeding a dangerous pirate like him could lead to disaster!
But immediately after, Sanji emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of fried rice, placing it before Krieg.
Sanji demonstrated his principle through action: anyone hungry was his customer.
However, after Krieg finished eating...
WHAM!
With a swift elbow strike, Krieg slammed Sanji hard in the throat, catching him completely off guard and sending him crashing to the floor.
"Captain! That wasn't what we agreed! Mr. Sanji saved my life!" Gin cried out.
CRACK!
Gin, trying to intervene, had his arm snapped instantly by Krieg.
The restaurant customers screamed and fled in terror, but Krieg didn't stop them.
The Baratie chefs, led by Patty, tried to subdue Krieg but were swiftly defeated.
"Prepare food for one hundred men! My crew onboard is starving—!" Krieg ordered coldly.
"Never!" The Baratie chefs refused, naturally unwilling.
But then, they saw Sanji, whom Krieg had knocked down, slowly get back up and head towards the kitchen.
"What are you doing, Sanji?!" Patty roared.
"I don't have time to chat! There are a hundred meals to cook," Sanji replied calmly, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Ah!" The chefs menacingly raised their sharp kitchen knives, pointing them at Sanji.
"Are you a spy for the Krieg Pirates, Sanji?!" one chef yelled accusingly.
"I know he's a hopeless bastard! But I'm a cook! If someone's hungry, I feed them! Nothing else matters! Even if they attack this place afterward... the ones I fight will be well-fed bastards!" Sanji stated flatly.
"Here. This should be enough for a hundred men," Just as Sanji stood off against the other chefs, Zeff placed a massive bundle of food supplies on the floor.
"You're—'Red Leg' Zeff," Krieg recognized Zeff's identity, but immediately sneered.
"Hand over your logbook from your year sailing the Grand Line! With that logbook, I'll gather my men again, enter the Grand Line, take the ONE PIECE, and rule these seas!" Krieg demanded, glaring at Zeff.
"Hold on! I'm the one who's gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy, who had been watching quietly until now, immediately stepped forward upon hearing Krieg's claim, pointing angrily.
"Stay back, chore boy! You're no match for him!" Patty yelled urgently.
"I can't back down from this! Not this!" Luffy replied, a determined smile spreading across his face—a glimpse of his own 'Kingly Disposition'.
"Brat. This isn't playtime," Krieg sneered condescendingly.
"I'm serious!" Luffy retorted, standing his ground against Krieg.
"That's the Devil's Sea where my fleet of five thousand men was annihilated in just seven days! What makes a brat like you think you can survive there?!" Krieg roared.
"Since you want to die—maybe I should just finish you off right here!" Krieg's shoulder armor opened, revealing hidden cannons.
Luffy rolled up his sleeves, preparing to fight Krieg.
"Gonna fight him, Luffy?" Zoro's voice came from nearby.
"Need some help, Luffy?" Rowen asked, stepping forward, his lips curved slightly as he looked at Krieg.
What exactly did this guy do to get Hawk-Eyes to chase him all the way here?
"Rowen! You guys came? Nah, it's fine! Just watch from there!" Luffy replied, seeing Rowen and the others, patting his chest confidently.
Anyone who claimed they'd be King of the Pirates—Luffy would defeat them all!
"Hm?" Krieg glanced at Zoro, then at Zeff...
Finally, his gaze rested on Rowen.
This guy—his presence—feels completely different from that chore boy.
Krieg's eye twitched slightly. He retracted his weapons.
Best to let his men recover their strength first. Then, overwhelm these guys with sheer numbers.
"I'll deal with you later! I need to feed my men first!" Krieg announced, hoisting the bundle of food supplies.
"Anyone who wants to run, now's your chance! My goal is the Grand Line logbook and this ship!" Krieg turned and headed back towards his massive galleon outside.
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"I'm so sorry, Mr. Sanji! I never wanted things to turn out like this!" After Krieg left, Gin collapsed to his knees, apologizing profusely.
"You don't need to apologize—We chefs just act according to our own code," Zeff stated gruffly before Sanji could reply.
"Boss! Why are you still defending Sanji?!"
"Sanji's going to destroy this restaurant! If he hadn't fed Krieg, none of this would have happened!"
The other chefs yelled angrily.
"ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP! Do you know what it feels like to starve nearly to death?! Think hard about what makes you different from Sanji—as chefs!" Zeff roared.
The chefs looked bewildered, not understanding what Zeff meant.
"If you have time to complain, you'd better leave through the back door!" Zeff pointed towards the rear exit.
"But this is our workplace!"
"Besides, we have nowhere else to go!"
Though unsure of Zeff's meaning, the chefs still picked up their kitchen knives, ready to defend the Baratie.
"Hey! Didn't you see the Captain's power?! Why are you trying to get yourselves killed?!" Gin yelled desperately, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Hey, Gin." Just then, Sanji walked over, kicking an overturned table upright with his foot.
"Let me make this clear. Feeding the hungry is my justice as a cook. However... from now on, they are well-fed invaders. Even if I beat down all your comrades later, don't you dare complain," Sanji stated, leaning against the table, looking up with a grim expression.
"If they try to take this restaurant—even you... I'll kill without hesitation."
Gin swallowed hard, stunned by Sanji's cold resolve.
"Hmph. Saving someone just to kill them later... You're really something else, Sanji," Patty scoffed, still unable to understand Sanji's actions.
"Shut up, crappy cook," Sanji retorted, lighting a cigarette.
"See! I told you this guy was cool!" Luffy pointed at Sanji, grinning at Rowen and the others.
"Who cares if he's cool?! We need to escape!" Usopp's cowardly nature flared up, his legs shaking violently.
"Calm down, you idiot! Didn't you just get praised by Rowen back in Syrup Village? Weren't you just boasting about wanting to become a brave warrior of the sea?" Zoro tapped Usopp's head lightly with his sword sheath.
"I-I'll fight too, of course! When it really counts!" Usopp stammered, his legs trembling visibly, making his words sound utterly unconvincing.
"Then we'll be counting on you, Usopp," Rowen said, clapping Usopp reassuringly on the shoulder with a smile.
When the chips were down, Usopp really didn't fold.
"L-Leave it to me!"
Hearing the pirate he admired so much—Rowen—say that, Usopp could only stand tall, tears welling up, and force the words out.
"Hey, Gin! What exactly did you guys run into in the Grand Line?" Luffy asked, turning his attention back to Gin, who hadn't left yet.
"It happened on the seventh day after entering the Grand Line... Even now, thinking back... I can't tell if it was real or just a nightmare," Gin recounted, sweat pouring down his face uncontrollably.
"It's unbelievable... Just one man... almost wiped out our entire fleet of fifty ships."
"WHAT?!" Everyone except Rowen gasped, their faces etched with shock. Even the normally unflappable Luffy's jaw dropped.
"The moment that man appeared... our ships started sinking, one after another... If we hadn't luckily run into a storm... even the main ship would have been completely sunk," Gin clutched his head, closing his eyes in agony.
"That man... with eyes that looked like they could kill you just by looking... The Hawk-Eyed man!"
"What did you say?!" Zoro's pupils constricted instantly, his reaction extreme.
"Someone capable of doing that... It must have been Hawk-Eyes," Zeff murmured gravely.
"'Hawk-Eyes' Mihawk!" Zoro gripped Wado Ichimonji tightly, his entire body trembling.
"You know him, Zoro?" Luffy looked up at Zoro, surprised. This was the first time he had seen Zoro react so intensely.
"He's the man I set out to sea to find," Zoro stated firmly.
"But... one man wiping out an entire fleet? Isn't that too exaggerated, Rowen?" Usopp asked nervously, looking towards Rowen, the most knowledgeable among them, hoping for some reassurance.
"The Grand Line... is just that kind of place. Anything can happen there," Rowen replied, the crimson-black light flickering faintly in his eyes.
"I-I think I've caught the 'I'll-die-if-I-go-to-the-Grand-Line' disease!" Usopp clutched his chest dramatically.
"Ngh..." Luffy bowed his head, his body trembling.
"Hey, Luffy! You agree we shouldn't go there either, right?!" Usopp misinterpreted Luffy's reaction, thinking he'd found an ally. But then...
"That sounds so exciting! That's exactly how it should be!" Luffy yelled, pumped up with excitement.
"Can't you consider your own safety for even a second?!" Usopp snapped, transforming into his sharp-toothed angry state.
"But now... my goal is firmly set on the Grand Line. Just like you said, Rowen... only on the Grand Line can I achieve my ambition. I can find that man, Hawk-Eyes, there," Zoro declared, a feral grin spreading across his face.
"Isn't that just foolish?" Sanji suddenly interjected. For some reason, he found this moss-headed swordsman irritating.
"You guys seem like the type to die first," Sanji added dismissively.
"You might not be wrong... but calling it 'foolish' is unnecessary," Zoro retorted, his mouth turning downwards. He found this curly-browed cook inexplicably annoying too.
"The moment I decided to become the world's greatest swordsman, I cast aside life and death. The only one who gets to call that decision foolish... is me," Zoro stated firmly.
"Me too!" Luffy immediately raised his hand.
"As a brave warrior of the sea... me too, of course!" Usopp declared, trembling all over.
"You're lying again, aren't you?" Zoro sighed, looking helplessly at Usopp.
"Seriously... so stupid," Sanji muttered, looking down.
"Hmph." Zeff smirked slightly. He could see it; Sanji was starting to feel drawn to joining their crew.
"Do you people have any idea what's going on?! Parked right outside is the flagship of that pirate fleet admiral, Don Krieg!" Patty the chef suddenly roared.
Is this really the time to be discussing dreams?!
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Meanwhile, Don Krieg, having allowed his men to eat and regain their strength, was ordering them to seize the Baratie.
The next second—
SLICE!
Krieg's massive galleon was cleanly sliced in two.
The sinking of the huge ship created enormous waves, causing the Baratie to rock violently.
"He's here." Rowen's lips curved into a knowing smile.
Stepping outside the restaurant, they saw a man sitting gracefully on a small, coffin-shaped boat.
"He actually chased us all the way from the Grand Line to here?!" Don Krieg roared in disbelief and fury, staring at the man.
"That man is—!" Zeff's pupils constricted.
"One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. The World's Greatest Swordsman. 'Hawk-Eyes' Dracule Mihawk," Rowen stated calmly, his lips still curved in a smile.
"CheckTraits!"
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