Chapter 4: *Chapter 4*: Chapter 4
At Nami's insistence, they made a trip to the mysterious Treasure Island. There they met Gaimon, the wonderful hybrid animals of the island, and the curious case of the five chests. Luffy quickly got to the top of the cliff and revealed to the man stuck in a box that all five were empty. The former pirate was in a way relieved, as he finally had closure. They had a small party and then left, waving farewell.
The next day, Luffy conscripted Usopp to paint the Jolly Roger on their flag and sail. The hidden artist that was Usopp did an excellent job. By noon, the Going Merry was emblazoned with her crew's mark. "Our ship is complete!" Luffy proclaimed.
"Yes, yes. Now, do you have a destination in mind or should we keep aimlessly wandering?" Nami asked pointedly.
Luffy opened his mouth to answer when he stopped to tilt his head. Luffy turned to point at an outcropping. "Two of Zoro's old friends are stuck out there. Let's go save them."
"Eh? I don't have any old friends," Zoro said, confused.
"It's Johnny and Yosaku. If they aren't your friends, then what are they?" Luffy asked.
"Annoying little brothers, that's what. What mess have they got into now?" Zoro sighed.
"From what I can tell, Yosaku has scurvy. I'm going to make some limeade." Luffy went into the galley to make the citrusy drink.
By the time they reached the spit of land in the middle of the ocean, the drink was ready. "What do you want, pirates?" demanded Johnny, waving his sword.
Zoro looked over the railing to look at his old hangers-on. "Johnny, grab Yosaku and get onboard."
"Big Bro Zoro? What are you doing on a pirate ship?"
"I had a change in career. Now get up here."
Johnny carrying Yosaku's limp body, he reached the deck and laid his fellow bounty hunter on the floor. "Oh, Big Bro Zoro! Yosaku is very ill! I don't know what to do!"
"It's just scurvy. Drink this," Luffy instructed, lifting Yosaku's head to drink the limeade.
"Will that liquid save Ysaku's life, Big Bro Pirate?" Johnny asked desperately.
"It'll get him out of the danger zone. Consistent good diet and nutrition are a must to avoid this happening again," Luffy explained.
"Scurvy used to be a big problem with sailors until we learned how to properly store fruits and vegetables. Now vitamin deficiencies like this are rare," Nami elaborated.
Yosaku finished the glass of limeade and burst to his feet. "I'm cured!"
"No one heals that fast!" Nami yelled at the bounty hunters as they did a little dance.
"Hi. I'm Johnny," the one with the sunglasses said.
"And I'm Yosaku," said the other, having pulled a lit cigarette from somewhere.
"And we are the pirate bounty hunter duo," they announced.
"They used to follow me around while I hunted bounties," Zoro supplied.
Yosaku moved to say something but collapsed forward. Luffy caught him. "Let's get you in a cot until you're ACTUALLY cured," Luffy suggested.
As they had lunch, Usopp raised the point "This proves we need a skilled sea cook. We can't afford to get sick from poor nutrition."
"One who can fight, not be useless," Zoro said around a bite.
Johnny finished his plate and stood up. "If a fighting cook is what you need, there's no place better than the Baratie! It's a restaurant at sea, and all the cooks are trained in combat!"
Luffy got up and adjusted the tiller. "North North East, right?"
"Yes! Big Bro Luffy is so smart!" Johnny marveled.
Later that afternoon, when Yosaku was actually back on his feet, they saw a ship anchored in the distance. "It looks like a fish!" Usopp with his sharp eyes noted.
"Great. Am I the only one to see the Marine ship almost on top of us?" Luffy pointed out.
The crew looked to starboard and realized a battleship was right next to them. A man with pink hair and brass knuckles came out and regarded them disdainfully. "I am Marine Lieutenant Fullbody! I don't recognize that mark. Who among you is the captain?"
Luffy, holding Usopp back, stepped forward. "I am Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. Our mark was painted just this morning!"
"Well, I'm not on duty at the moment, so I have no reason to attack you." Then he turned and, Luffy hearing with his trained senses, "That ship's an eyesore. Sink it!"
Luffy sighed. "You don't want to shoot us," he told the team that went to load the cannon.
"We don't want to shoot you," they said dully.
"You're going to go free the prisoner."
"We're going to go free the prisoner," the three men said, before heading below decks.
"Wow! Big Bro Luffy is very convincing," Yosaku exclaimed.
"He ate a Devil Fruit, idiot. He can read and control other people's minds," Nami corrected.
"I like to think I have a natural charisma of my own, though," Luffy pouted.
They docked with the Baratie, disembarking onto the floating restaurant. Luffy took a moment to read all the cooks' minds, searching for a good fit for his crew. He found it in the lost prince of Germa Kingdom. Sanji was a good man, a good fighter, and a better cook. After Zeff, he was the best on the Baratie. And Luffy's crew deserved the best.
Carne led them to a table for six, muttering about unreliable waiters. Luffy glanced at the menu, but his eye was on Sanji serving the Marine Lieutenant Fullbody. This ought to be good.
Fullbody put a bug in his soup to embarrass Sanji, who replied masterfully. Outraged, Fullbody swept all the cutlery onto the floor. As the pinkette ranted about being a paying customer, Sanji knelt to touch the spilled soup like it was the blood of a comrade. "Can money… fill your stomach?" Sanji demanded, cutting off Fullbody's rant.
What followed was a skilled display of leg-based martial arts. After beating the Marine to a pulp, Sanji held him up by his neck. "Messing with a cook of the sea… is a surefire way to get killed."
Patty came out of the bathroom and scolded Sanji for attacking a customer. Sanji rebutted that Fullbody wasted food, letting go of his victim as he did. Fullbody went on about having the Baratie shut down. Sanji growled, "Then I guess I can't let you leave." Sanji was held back from his would-be homicide by the other cooks.
Then Zeff, the owner, came down. Fullbody thought that was a reprieve, only for the middle-aged man to kick him towards the door. "Get out of here, you waste of space!" At that moment, a panicked Marine came in, declaring the prisoner had escaped. Fullbody said that was impossible, they'd found his half-starved and hadn't fed him in the 3 days since. Then the Marine was shot in the back. A woman screamed. 'Devil-Man' Gin of the Krieg Pirates stumbled in.
He sat down at the nearest table and said "Don't care what it is. Get me some food."
Patty put on his 'customer' face and asked how Gin would be paying. The pirate held up his pistol. "You take lead?"
Patty brought down his hands in a haymaker, breaking the table as he knocked Gin to the ground. "No money, no food," Patty said, kicking Gin out the door.
Luffy alone noticed Sanji vanish for the kitchen. Excusing himself, Luffy made himself invisible in the eyes of everyone in the restaurant. He wanted to see what his future chef would do.
Gin was nursing his wounds when Sanji laid a plate of fried rice and a glass of water on the deck in front of him. "I won't accept charity! Take it away!" Gin demanded.
"It's a terrible thing to starve at sea, to have no food or water on the vast ocean. I know that feeling better than anyone. I understand if you want to die for your pride. But if you live, can't you defend that pride tomorrow?" Sanji asked.
Better men than Gin had caved to true hunger. He scarfed down the meal. "Delicious! It's too delicious! I thought I'd never eaten again!"
Sanji grinned around a cigarette. "It's good, huh?"
"Well, this cinches it. I want you as my cook."
Gin and Sanji looked around, not seeing the source of the voice.
"I'm right here," the voice said before Luffy appeared sitting on the deck next to them.
Sanji's jaw dropped. "You… you ate the Clear-Clear Fruit?"
"No, I ate the Mind-Mind Fruit. I stopped you from seeing me rather than physically turning invisible. It's also how I know you better than you know yourself, Vinsmoke Sanji."
Sanji flinched. "I gave up that name a long time ago."
"Fair enough. So to me, you're just Sanji, my cook."
"I don't recall ever agreeing to join your crew, whoever-you-are."
"No, but you will. I'm not leaving until you do. And the name's Monkey D. Luffy of the Straw Hat Pirates."
"Well, hit the road, Monkey D. Luffy. I'm not leaving this restaurant."
"Because you owe Zeff your life, I know. But do you think he saved you so you could waste your life in a restaurant or so you could go out and live your dream? Sail with me, and I guarantee we'll find All Blue," Luffy cajoled.
"How can you possibly guarantee that?"
"Because I met a guy who's been there," Luffy said simply.
Sanji turned wide eyes on Luffy. "How do you know he wasn't lying?"
"Thoughts don't lie. I read his mind. I have the memories. It's at the far end of the New World, so most don't live to see it. But it exists. I could take you there if you joined my crew."
Sanji seemed very tempted. Then he shrugged. "I'm not leaving until the Old Man acknowledges my talent."
Luffy sighed. "The hard way it is. I'm going to nag you until you join just to make me stop."
Sanji snorted. "Good luck with that."
"Um, excuse me?"
The two turned to Gin. "I'm Gin of the Krieg Pirates. Am I correct that you're sailing for the Grand Line?"
"Yep, going to be the Pirate King," Luffy said with absolute confidence.
"How many are on your crew?" Gin asked.
"Counting Sanji, 5. And yes, I know there's plenty of treasure in East Blue. But One Piece is in the Grand Line. So to the Grand Line, we go. And no offense, but we'll have a Log Pose when we do. 50 ships and you didn't even have the special compass for the Grand Line. You just wandered aimlessly through the climate nexus until you ran into Mihawk and ran away through the Calm Belt. Pretty massive failure, you have to admit."
Gin had wide eyes. "How did you… right, you read minds. What's this about a Log Pose?"
"As I'm sure you noticed, ordinary compasses don't work on the Grand Line. Every island has a unique magnetic field. A Log Pose points to the nearest field, and after a certain amount of time, memorizes that island and points to the next. Navigation on the Grand Line is basically a giant game of connect-the-dots."
Gin gulped. "How do you know this?"
"I read the minds of a few people who've been to the Grand Line. I know more about it than probably anyone in East Blue."
Gin nodded, eyes calculating. Luffy, having little to no concept of privacy after 10 years of knowing everyone's secrets, added "You can tell Krieg about me. But he won't recruit or kidnap me. He tries, I'll kick his ass. Just fair warning, Gin."
The right-hand man of Don Krieg winced. "Sorry. But I have to report this. It's up to the Don what happens after."
"Whatever will be, will be," Luffy shrugged.
Sanji set Gin up with a spare boat. Zeff appeared on the second-floor railing. "You giving away free food again, little eggplant?"
Gin held his head. "You're going to get in trouble because of me."
Sanji casually dropped the plate and glass into the ocean. "Now there's no proof."
Zeff hid a grin as Gin sailed away and Sanji and Luffy reentered the Baratie.
Luffy took his seat. "Has someone taken our order yet?"
"No, and it's been 20 minutes. Based on the action earlier, I'm guessing all the waiters quit because they can't handle the stress," Usopp mused. There was a sharp mind behind that super-long nose.
"So, you picked a cook yet?" Zoro asked, sipping his water.
"Yes, Sanji, the blonde from earlier. Now it's just a question of seeing who's more stubborn: me or him," Luffy grinned.
"How you going to convince him?" Nami asked.
"Ah, love! What a wondrous goddess that greets my eyes! What is your name, young lady? No wait, don't tell me! A mere mortal such as I am not worthy!" Sanji shouted, coming down to one knee before Nami and holding a rose while hiding his crying eyes in his sleeve.
"Maybe you just need to ask him," Luffy said, sweat-dropping. Just because he could read minds doesn't mean he always understood them. And the lady worship quirk of Sanji's was beyond him.
Shrugging, Nami told Sanji "I'm Nami."
"Nami! A beautiful name! What can I get you on this glorious day, beautiful woman?" Sanji paused in his noodle dance with pink hearts to glare at the rest of them. "What do you shitheads want?"
"Such unequal treatment!" Usopp gaped.
Johnny and Yosaku merely ordered.
"Filet mignon," Luffy picked. He always loved a good cut of meat.
"Something light, please. And I'd appreciate it if I didn't have to pay," Nami said, caressing Sanji's cheek. He all but dissolved into a puddle of goo.
"Why don't you take that straw hat up on his offer, little eggplant?" Zeff said from the stairs to the kitchen.
Sanji returned to normal and glared up at his father figure. "Eh? What's that, shitty geezer?"
"You get into fights all the time, you flirt with every woman you see, and you're a pain in my ass. Just leave and sail with their crew," Zeff stated.
"I'm not leaving until you acknowledge I'm a better cook than you! I'll stay until you die if I have to!" Sanji countered.
"I'm living at least 100 more years," Zeff dismissed, walking back up to the kitchen on his peg leg.
"Well, isn't that great? He gave you his blessing!" Luffy grinned.
"I'm not sailing with you!" Sanji protested.
"Famous last words," Zoro chuckled.
For the next 3 days, Luffy was Sanji's annoying shadow. He followed him around, giving a constant repeat of some variation of "Join my crew!". Even in sleep, Sanji had no release. Luffy decided to invade his dreams and fill them with hypothetical adventures on the high sea, discovering unknown ingredients, meeting beautiful women, having fun with his Nakama.
It's not that Sanji wasn't tempted. He just felt too beholden to Zeff. Until the older man acknowledged Sanji was a good cook, he wouldn't leave. But his willpower was steadily crumbling under Luffy's nonstop assault. Luffy was tempted to just mind control Zeff into admitting what he already believed, that Sanji was a phenomenal cook. But that felt too much like cheating.
On the morning of the 4th day, Luffy tilted his head. "Huh. Guess Gin gave a good review. His captain decided to come to visit the Baratie himself. And what's left of his crew."
The Straw Hats perked up. "Don Krieg is coming?" Nami asked. She wasn't worried, not with monsters like Zoro and Luffy to protect her. Still, he was the second-highest bounty in East Blue.
"And he's just as worse off as Gin was. He's on the verge of starving," Luffy shrugged. "Well, let's get a good seat for the show."
The four pirates and the two bounty hunters got their usual table for breakfast. Luffy had accrued a considerable tab, which he planned to clear with one Zenith check before he left. As they got comfortable, a customer noticed the approaching galleon. "It's Don Krieg's ship! The hourglasses on his flag mean our time is up! Runaway!"
There was a mass exodus. Luffy eyed the uneaten plates of food hungrily, but he wasn't a dog or pig. Shaking his head, he listened to the drag-thump of Gin supporting his captain into the restaurant. The door opened, to reveal a large man with a fur cape and a tropical shirt. He looked half-dead, held up by Gin at his side. Don Krieg fell to his knees and bowed to the assembled cooks. "Food… water… I'll pay for anything. Please…" he begged.
"Don! Don't! Someone as great as you shouldn't beg!" Gin looked up at the cooks. "Please! We have money this time! That makes us customers! Get him some food!"
"Are you kidding? That's Don Krieg! We're not giving him a crust of bread!" Patty snorted.
"No one likes a hypocrite, Patty," Luffy commented from where his crew was calmly sitting.
"What you talking about?" Patty demanded.
"Your problem with Gin was he couldn't afford to pay. Now he's back, with money, and still, you deny him and his guest. A man who's inconsistent in principles will never make it far in life," Luffy said with the wisdom of a sage.
Patty squirmed. "If it were anyone else, I'd take the money. But that's Don Krieg! The man's notorious for betrayal tactics! Flying false colors, a fake surrender, nothing is beneath him. We feed him and he'll probably thank us by killing us!"
"Out of the way, Patty," Sanji said, with a kick to his fellow's face. He laid a bowl of fried rice and a bottle of spring water in front of Don Krieg. "Here."
Gin looked up at Sanji with such gratitude. "Sanji…"
"What are you doing, Sanji? Are you secretly Krieg's henchman?" Carne demanded.
"He's a cook. Anyone who's hungry is a customer," Luffy explained. "And Sanji, I'd get out of arm's reach of him if I were you."
Sanji rose a swirly brow but backed up a few steps. As Don Krieg finished his meal, he sprung to his feet. "That food was tasty! And I like this ship! No one would ever suspect it was a pirate ship! I'll take it!"
Gin looked up at his captain in confused horror. "But, Don! You said you'd only come for the food!"
Krieg gripped his underling's shoulder painfully tight. "There are about 100 men still alive on my ship. I want meals for all of them!"
Sanji lit a cigarette and turned for the kitchen. Patty, having recovered, asked, "Where are you going, Sanji?"
"To the kitchen. We have 100 meals to prepare for."
"Don't get him wrong, he'll kick the ass of any pirate who comes to take the Baratie. But he sees it as his duty to feed the hungry, no matter their intentions," Luffy illuminated for the cooks of the Baratie.
Sanji held out his hands. "I'm a simple cook. If you need to kill me for doing what I do, then that's up to you."
His response was a blow to the back of the head from Patty. "Sanji, I know you feed the people I kick out. Maybe that's a good thing, but in this case, it just can't be allowed!" And so saying, Patty pulled out a cannon shaped like a crawfish. "Here's dessert! Syrup Meatball!"
His hand stopped before he could pull the trigger. Patty began to sweat as he repeatedly tried to move his finger and it simply refused to budge. "What the?"
"I'm doing this for your own good, Patty. He's wearing armor and he's got more weapons on him than a munitions shop. You'd just piss him off if you fired," Luffy said.
Don Krieg turned to Luffy. "You… you're the psychic. You read minds."
"And control them. And the only reason I haven't had you plant a bullet in your own brain is that I wouldn't be comfortable doing that. I'd rather beat you to death with my bare hands," Luffy said flatly.
Don Krieg laughed. "Who are you to think you can beat me? I'm the strongest man in East Blue!"
"I am the grandson of Monkey D. Garp and I was raised training myself like a Grand Line Marine. I could kill you with one finger if I wanted, Wootz Steel armor and all. But I'll let you feed your crew first before we start fighting. I'd rather they not die," Luffy shrugged.
Don Krieg had an arrogant grin. "You. I could use you. Join my crew and I'll shower you with riches."
"No thanks. I'll stick to my own crew," Luffy said.
Don Krieg frowned. "It wasn't a negotiation. It was an order. No one disobeys me!"
Luffy narrowed his eyes. Don Krieg found himself on his hands and knees, going "Arf! Arf!" Gin and the Baratie cooks looked on in amazement and horror.
"No one makes me do anything I don't want to do. I make other people do what they don't want to do." Luffy was solemn as the grave.
Luffy stopped the dog compulsion just as Zeff came down with a giant sack of food. "Here's 100 meals. Take 'em and get out."
Krieg, recovering from his brief episode thinking he was a canine, eyed the owner with wide eyes. "It's you! 'Red-Leg' Zeff! The pirate captain who was also the ship's cook!" Krieg grinned. "So this is where you've been hiding out."
"I got out of the pirate business. I'm a humble chef now," Zeff shrugged.
"Not like you had a choice, once you lost your leg," Krieg noted harshly.
"As long as I've got two hands, I can cook. That's all that matters to me."
"Well, there's one more thing I want. Your logbook! You sailed the Grand Line for a year! It must be full of secrets on how to survive that sea! Give it to me!"
"Hell no. That logbook is the pride of my crew. I won't give it to you, Mr. Couldn't-Survive-the-Grand-Line."
Krieg grit his teeth. "I had everything! The men, the ships, the weapons! All I lacked was information! Once I have that, I'll conquer that sea! I will become the Pirate King!"
"Correction. After I kick your ass, I'll become Pirate King. You'll be nothing but a footnote in the history of my reign," Luffy grinned. Then he tilted his head. "Oh, wow, do you guys have bad luck."
"What is it, Luffy?" Gin asked.
"Nothing I feel like warning you about. Just get those meals to your crew. They don't have long to eat them."
Krieg frowned, but he grabbed the sack and headed out the door. "When I come back, I'm taking this ship and the logbook! Anywho stand in my way will die!"
Gin was on his knees. "How did this happen? He promised we'd just come for the food!"
"He's a dishonest man, Gin. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest," Luffy shrugged. "I won't deny I'll enjoy kicking his ass."
"Get in line," Sanji said.
"But, you helped us! Why would you attack us?" Gin asked.
"Let me spell it out. Your crew and captain came to me hungry. I fed them. Now that that's done, I don't give two shits about any of you. If you dare attack this restaurant, I'll respond with deadly force. We clear?"
Gin gulped.
"Zoro, I hope you've been practicing. Because you're about to be in for the fight of your life," Luffy warned.
"Why's that?" Zoro asked, tilting his head.
"Because Mihawk followed them through the Calm Belt. He's in my range, which means we're all effectively in a kill box if he gets motivated."
Nami's eyes widened. "'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk is here?"
Her answer was the sound of a galleon being cut in half.
They all rushed outside. The Krieg Pirates' ship was sinking, cut perfectly in half. Nami rushed to the Going Merry. "You two losers, help me! The ship will sink if we don't do something!" Johnny and Yosaku joined Nami in saving the Going Merry. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji just observed the ship sink. When things settled, they noticed the raft sailing through the wreckage.
Gin shuddered. "That's him! The Hawk-Eyed Man! He destroyed over half our fleet single-handedly, with no provocation!"
"Maybe you interrupted his nap. When you're that powerful, little things like that are all the excuse you need," Zeff mused.
A Krieg pirate called out "Why did you follow us back here? Why are you after us?"
The bare-chested man with a coat and pants and a massive black blade looked up from under his hat, his yellow eyes keen as any blade. "For sport."
The pirate roared in rage and fired his pistols at Mihawk. In a move too fast for most there to see, Mihawk diverted the bullets with his sword.
Zoro walked forward. "I've never seen such graceful swordplay!"
"A sword without grace is just an iron bar," Mihawk shrugged. He eyed Zoro curiously. "You carry yourself like a true swordsman, but you lack the strength to back it up. Curious."
"My captain taught me the secrets of swordplay beyond my level. I know more than I should for my strength and experience level, this is true. Still, I'm here and ready. You're looking to kill time, right? How about a spar?"
Mihawk sighed. "If you were a true swordsman, you'd know before we crossed blades that this fight is hopeless. What is it that makes you challenge me? Pride? Ego?"
"My ambition, and a vow on a fallen friend," Zoro said, tying his bandana.
Mihawk shrugged and jumped from his raft to the piece of wreckage Zoro was standing on. "I suppose I can spare a few minutes to end your life."
Luffy silently watched as Zoro drew his three swords. "Live. Please, let him live."
Mihawk pulled a knife from his necklace. The blade was 2 inches at most.
"Are you kidding me?" Zoro demanded.
"I'm not the kind to hunt a rabbit with a cannon. Unfortunately, this knife is the smallest I have," Mihawk said with casual disregard for Zoro's threat level.
Zoro tamed his anger and focused. "Armament: Hardening," he hissed, as his three blades turned black.
Mihawk raised a brow but Hardened his own knife.
Zoro opened up with an Oni Giri… which Mihawk blocked casually with his knife. Zoro didn't let that dissuade him, and he unleashed his best flurry of blows. Mihawk blocked all of them without even moving that fast.
"Why is that idiot fighting him? Doesn't he know he's going to die?" Sanji bit out.
"Everybody dies eventually. It's living with yourself that's the trick. If Zoro let this opportunity pass by, he wouldn't be able to bear the shame. He'd rather die fighting than live a coward. If you don't understand putting your life on the line for your dream, then maybe you're not the right cook for my crew after all," Luffy explained.
Sanji frowned and smoked a cigarette.
Mihawk dodged the latest slash and stabbed Zoro until his blade was less than an inch from piercing his aorta. Zoro refused to back off. Mihawk tilted his head. "Aren't you afraid? If you don't move back, you'll die."
"I don't know why. I just feel that if I back off, all my vows, all my promises, and many other oaths up till now will be forfeit. And I'll never be able to stand before you again," Zoro said, blood leaking out his mouth.
"Yes. That's called defeat," Mihawk explained.
"Death before defeat, then!" Zoro said with absolute conviction.
Mihawk hummed. Then he withdrew his knife. "Boy, state your name."
Zoro got in the stance for his best attack. "Roronoa Zoro!"
"As a gesture from one swordsman to another, my black sword, Yoru, will end you." Mihawk drew his legendary blade.
"Three Sword Style Ultimate Attack: 3000 Worlds!" Zoro proclaimed, giving three powerful slashes at Mihawk, who gave one slash of Yoru. The two swords in Zoro's hands broke. Zoro sighed and sheathed Wado Ichimonji. Then he turned and offered his torso to Mihawk. At the master swordsman's confused look, Zoro grinned. "Wounds on the back are a swordsman's shame."
"Brilliant," Mihawk breathed. Then he sliced Zoro from shoulder to hip."
Luffy rushed with Shave and Moonwalk and grab Zoro and bring him to the Merry. "Treat him," Luffy instructed Nami, the only one who had any medical training on the crew. Leaving her to desperate first aid, Luffy returned to the deck of the Baratie. Mihawk turned to the Going Merry. "It's too soon for you to die! Grow, see the world! Surpass yourself! Surpass me! Roronoa Zoro!"
Zoro held up Wado. "Until I face that man again… I refuse to lose! I am never going to lose again! You okay with that, Pirate King?"
Luffy grinned. "Sure thing."
"You are his captain? What is your ambition?" Mihawk asked.
"One Piece," Luffy said simply.
"That's a hard path. Harder even than surpassing me," Mihawk noted.
"I'll walk it anyway," Luffy stated.
"A good match, you two. I hope to see you again." Mihawk sheathed Yoru and jumped back to his raft.
Krieg spoke up. "Wait! Mihawk! Didn't you come here for my head, the most wanted man in East Blue?"
"I did at first. But I've had enough fun. Time to go home and nap."
Krieg, not able to bear the insult, fired his full barrage of guns at Mihawk. The swordsman sighed. "A true fool."
There was a blast of water, and Mihawk's raft vanished.
Luffy cricked his neck as the Krieg Pirates seemed to recover and remember their captain's order to seize the Baratie. "Be right back," Luffy said before vanishing in a blur of Shave. Each of the Krieg Pirates was knocked out by a blow moving too fast for them to see. Luffy reappeared on the deck of the Baratie to see the last of the grunts pass out. Krieg gulped.
"I'll give you this one chance. Take your men and go. You can rule the roost here in East Blue. The Grand Line is mine," Luffy stated with crossed arms.
Krieg wasn't going to back down that easy. He pulled out a cannon from his shoulder plate. "Poison Bomb! MH5 -" He paused, freezing as if every muscle locked.
"If you're going to resort to dirty tricks like that, then you're not worth letting live. But I won't kill you. Just leave you a vegetable. Eternally helpless, your crew constantly looking after you. Seems like suitable punishment for you," Luffy mused before focusing.
Krieg collapsed in a dead faint, his mind wiped clean. All upper functions were shut down. He was effectively only technically alive, but dead in every meaningful definition of the word.
Luffy turned to Gin. "Take your crew and get out," Luffy said.
Gin nodded and started loading his crew into the same raft that had transported him back to the Krieg Pirates.
Luffy turned to Sanji. "So. You coming with or not?"
Sanji sucked deeply on his cigarette. "A bunch of crazy dreamers, that's what you are… guess I'll fit right in. Fine, I'll be your cook."
Luffy grinned. "You have an hour to pack. Then we're leaving."
Luffy waited with his crew, aiding Nami in patching up Zoro, who insisted they just pour some beer on it and he'd be fine. Luffy knocked him out to shut him up. Once the stitches were done, Luffy and Nami went to the sink to wipe the blood off their hands. "Where we going next?" she asked.
"Arlong Park. You're still beholden to Arlong. I'm going to kick his ass and steal you away for my crew," Luffy grinned.
Nami gulped. "You… you can really beat him?"
"Nami, you truly don't understand how small your worldview is. If you knew how strong some New World Pirates or the Admirals truly are, you'd marvel that you were ever afraid of a little fish like Arlong. I can beat him with my eyes closed."
Nami swallowed. "... I hope you're telling the truth."
Sanji walked up to the Going Merry at the end of his hour, briefcase, and a sack in hand. Patty and Carne tried to give him a violent goodbye, but they were viciously countered. Sanji was just about to climb up onto the Going Merry when Zeff called out "Sanji! Don't catch a cold."
That opened the floodgates, Sanji prostrating himself and thanking Zeff for all he owed him. His tears set off the rest of the Baratie cooks. Zeff hid his own tears. "Idiots. Men should say goodbye with silence."
Sanji climbed onto the deck and waved goodbye as they sailed away.
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