"Wh-wh-what are you doing?! You can't be serious!!"
"(First Name), you can't be serious about letting those pirates get their strength back. The restaurant will be completely taken over!!"
"That may be the case . . .if they still have the will to fight. Isn't that right, old man??" you said. The chefs are confused by your comment. Zeff chuckled. "What are you, a mind reader?? Yes, you're right"
"Tell me . . ." He turns to face Kreig. "Did your will survive defeat??"
Don Kreig is at a loss for words at Zeff's question which seems to hold more weight than any of the rest can realize. The cooks are stunned by this news.
"That can't be . . ."
"The great Don Kreig was defeated?!"
Every chef turns to look at Kreig.
"Whoa, not even he could do it," Carne said in shock. "A pirate fleet with 50 ships couldn't make it on the Grand Line!!"
"The Grand Line??" Luffy breathes.
"So he went to the Grand Line but turn tail back here. I told you, the East Blue is the tamest of all Blues so don't give me crap like you're all that" you said, folding your arms in a bored manner but still cautious.
Your words fell on deaf ears as Kreig is still in a shocked daze. "It is you, isn't it?? You're Red Foot Zeff" his surprised look turned into a sneer. "So, you're alive. The unrivaled pirate captain who was also the ship's cook"
"Yes, that's right. I'm still alive" Zeff replied calmly but also bored. "But what has any of this got to do with you?? I haven't been a pirate for many years now; I chose the life of a cook"
Kreig cackles. "Chose the life of a cook, huh?? Yeah, right. You didn't have a choice, old man. You live as a cook because the only thing you can be now is a cook. He was known far and wide. Red Foot Zeff was a master of deadly kicks who never used his hands in battle. It was said that with his mighty legs, he could crush bedrock to sand and leave footprints on solid steel. Red Foot referred to his boot which became soaked in the blood of his enemies as he kicked them down"
The pirate commodore looks at Zeff's peg leg. "You know, it is a pity that you no longer have that precious leg of yours. I heard that rumor some time ago. How unlucky for you to have such an accident at sea. Now that your greatest weapon has been sacrificed to the sea, you're defenseless; Completely unable to fight"
"I don't need to fight anymore" Zeff grunts. "I'm a cook and as long as I have my two hands for that, I'll be just fine. Enough chit-chat!! Let's get to the point. What do you want from me??" Zeff's tone is of pride and confidence, unlike Kreig's boastfulness.
Kreig smiles maliciously. "Red Foot. You're the man who sailed the perilous waters of the Grand Line and came back unscathed. Impressive. There should be a logbook detailing your tactics. A full year of your journey there. Give it to me, now!!"
Zeff doesn't openly flinch at Kreig's demand but his gaze does harden.
"Whoa, so is he saying you've been to the Grand Line too, Pops??" Luffy asked excitedly.
"Yeah," he replied like it's not that big of a deal which is not far-fetched cuz you went through a whole lot of trouble just to cross the entries of the Grand Line. They're all dangerous but you managed to get through it thx to sheer determination.
"My logbook, huh?? You're right. I do indeed have a record of my travels. .but I will never hand it over to you" The smirk Kreig wore on his face morphs into a frown. "You ignorant brute. That logbook is sacred to me; it's the pride of the crewmen that I sailed with. It is far too important to give to you"
"Alright, I'll take it" Kreig declares and you pinched the bridge of your nose in frustration. "Yes, it's true that the Grand Line beat me. Still, I will never give up on it. I am Don Kreig. In the end, it's just another ocean. I had enough weapons, men, and ambition. Regrettably, the only thing I lacked was information. I just didn't know enough. But now, I'll fix all that. Once I have your logbook, I'll form another pirate fleet and seize the legendary One Piece. Then I will stand as ruler of this Great Pirate Era!!"
You raised a brow and then facepalmed. This guy . . .really. You're not sure if that guy is just plain stupid or his failure of reaching the Grand Line has made his brain fried.....
The young rubber pirate captain swiftly walks forward to the front of the crowd. "Now . . . It's me whos gonna be King of the Pirates"
"Chore boy??" The cooks gasped.
"Wait!! Don't be such an idiot!! You better back off, Chore boy!!" Patty shouted.
Luffy just smirks. "No way!! Not from this!!"
"(First Name), please do something about him. He's gonna get himself killed!!" Carne begged.
"What's wrong with that?? He couldn't help but open his mind. Besides, someone like him needs to be knocked down with couple dozen pegs. Also, he made a promise to me. Ain't that right, Luffy??" you smirked.
"Shishishi, yea!!" Luffy gave you his signature with a small, unnoticeable pink blush on his cheeks.
"Did you say something, kids??" Kreig snarls. "I won't allow that kind of stupidity again"
"Oh, yeah?? Well stupid or not, I'm just stating the facts like they are. Also, (First Name) is not a kid. She's already an adult" Luffy counters as he turns back to Kreig. You snorted and tried to hold back your laughter.
"This isn't a game" Kreig growls.
"Yeah, I know. I'm still gonna conquer the Grand Line" Luffy replied.
"NO, YOU WON'T!!" Kreig bellows in anger as he bunches his hand into a tightly clenched fist. "Indeed, we didn't have the information we needed, but my fleet of 5000 men was wiped out in just seven days, you brat!! That sea is hell!!"
"What?! One week?!" Patty cries.
"Don Kreig's ships were wiped out in seven days?!" Carne queries.
"What happened out there??" Another cook question.
Zeff then turns to you with a cocky smirk, just to annoy Kreig. "And you survived on that sea for 8 years with a much smaller boat when these bastards couldn't even last for a week in a full-sized galleon with thousands of men"
You chuckled and shrugged. "I know. Pitiful, isn't it?? With no knowledge of the Grand Line and you didn't even make it to the first island. Then you've got no place as a pirate to make a second trip back, even if you found more idiotic fools to follow someone like Kreig"
Luffy turns to you in shock. "(First Name), you've been to the Grand Line as well?!" you smiled in reply.
Kreig narrows his eyes at you. "A dainty woman like you survives over a decade on the Grand Line?! Impossible!!"
"Well, you thought wrong, jackass. Anything logical is thrown out of the window the moment you crossed the Grand Line. Anything impossible happens there. You're too short-minded" you retorted.
His scowl turned into a smirk. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to take you as well as the logbook. Besides, a woman on board can liven things up"
Luffy swiftly moves in front of you protectively, the brim of his straw hat shadowing his eyes. Your eye twitched in irritation at what Kreig declared.
[Is this guy crazy?? He doesn't seem to recognize me 8 years ago. Well, we never met so it's kinda obvious. Also, I don't need to use my spear to defeat him....]
"Lay a finger on her and we see how well that armor protects you when you're sinking to the ocean floor" Luffy growls. Kreig doesn't look impressed. "Unfortunately, I don't find your smart-ass remarks very amusing. if you insist on this foolish behavior, I'll crush you right here, right now"
"Go ahead. If you can" Luffy taunts as he rears his arm back, ready to throw a punch. You could've paralyzed him from the beginning but you wanted to see Luffy fight so you decided to let him have a go.
"I can, and I will" he glares fiercely at Luffy and the guns in his armor reappear at the ready. "It would be my pleasure to send you to an early grave, you cocky runt. Taking your woman will just be a bonus"
Just when it looks like a fight is ready to break out, Kreig shifts his gaze to Zeff and then back to Luffy. Everything is silent until the sound of a sword unsheathing. "What's going on, you two?? You need a hand??"
You turned around to see Zoro and Usopp up on the spiral staircase looking down at everything going on. Zoro has a hand on his white katana at the ready and Usopp is trying to look confident but you know that he's scared to death. "I-if you don't need help, that's fine too" Usopp stutters.
"Oh, hey guys" Luffy greets nonchalantly. "Appreciate this offer but I think I can handle this clown"
Zoro knocks Usopp back, hitting the pillar behind them. "Why'd you do that for, Zoro??" Usopp seethes.
"Shut up already, you weirdo!!" The swordsman replied.
Kreig glances up at the two and bursts out laughing. "Are those two guys your crew?? That's a pretty small group you got there, kid"
"Well, that's not all. I've got (First Name) and two more!!" Luffy adds. You smacked Luffy on the back of his head. "I'm not a part of your crew!!" You and Sanji shouted.
Kreig takes note of a calm, undeterred Zeff that's made no move since he gave him the food. The guns in his armor retracted back in. "I'll deal with you later. Right now, I'm going to go feed my men"
He hauls the large sack of food over his shoulder. "Those of you who don't wish to die can leave the restaurant now and escape that fate. The only things I'm after are the logbook, the woman, and this ship" He stops in the busted doorway of the restaurant. "However, if you want to stay and be slaughtered, I have no problem burying every last one of you at sea. Know that" Kreig exits the building, leaving behind a still wounded Ghin.
You took the opportunity to approach the wounded pirate who has been shaking like a leaf since the mention of the Grand Line. You grabbed your bag and took out a vial of healing sustenance. "Are you alright??" you asked.
"I'll live" he answered curtly.
[Can't believe someone like him is in that pathetic excuse of the captain. I think I told the chief commander the same thing as well back then.....]
"Here, drink this. It will treat your arm. If you don't, I'll force it down your throat" you said. You gave the vial to Ghin and he swallowed everything in one gulp. "How does it feel??" you asked. Ghin rolls his shoulder, shocked at the lack of pain and how he's able to move it so easily. "What did you do??"
"You'll know soon enough"
___________________________________________________
Though Kreig had just left a few seconds ago, the tension is still high inside the restaurant. The cooks exchange worried expressions. You were calmly thinking of ways to get rid of them without blowing your cover.
Ghin all of a sudden begins gasping apologies. "I-I'm sorry, Sanji, (First Name). I never thought it would be this way"
"You've got nothing to apologize for, Ghin. But that useless captain of yours is going to have plenty to answer for if he plans to go through with this" you said.
"The young lady is right. Every cook at this restaurant did what they thought was right. That's all there is to that" The chefs look at their boss in shock. "But boss . . .!!" Patty protests. "Why are you acting as if you're taking Sanji's side?! This mess is his fault!!" The other cooks began to agree with him.
"He's right!! Sanji is responsible for this whole damn thing!!"
"Yeah, boss!! That man is gonna put your precious restaurant business in danger!!"
"YOU FOOLS DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!" Zeff bellows at his staff. They were shocked at their boss's outburst.
"None of you have any idea what it's like to be on the brink of starvation. To have no food or water on the open ocean. There is no way you can understand what a terrifying prospect that is. It's the most difficult situation a man can ever face" Zeff continues.
"What?? I don't know what you're talking about, Chef Zeff" Patty stated, confused.
"The difference between all of you and Sanji is that Sanji knows," Zeff said. The cooks murmur to each other, wondering what Zeff was trying to tell them. You knew what it's like to be on the brink of starvation if it weren't for the Baratie restaurant you found on the way back then.
"If all you're gonna do is stand around grumbling, then leave this place and never come back"
Patty's grip tightens around the staff of the large fork he's been holding. "I for one am going to stay and fight!! I couldn't live with myself if I accepted defeat!!" The rest of the staff join in agreeing.
"I'm staying too!! After all, this is our restaurant, isn't it?!"
"That's right!! And this place is all I got to"
Every one of them picks up their weapons and is ready for a fight to protect their beloved restaurant. Ghin on the other hand doesn't look too thrilled by this. "What are you doing?! You saw how powerful Don is right?!"
"Hey, Ghin" Sanji calls as he takes another drag from his lit cigarette. "Listen up because I'm only going to say this once. Feeding someone hungry is my sacred moral duty but . . .!!" Sanji kicks the fallen table, sending it somersaulting in the air before planting his heel smack dab in the center of it planting it upright on its legs.
"Now that your crew is well fed I have no obligation to them. With a clean conscience, I can beat every last one of them to a bloody pulp. if anyone tries to take the restaurant, they're dead; I'll kill them without a moment's hesitation. Got that??" His cool and collected tone deters the pirate.
A bead of sweat slides down Ghin's forehead as he gulps nervously at Sanji's warning.
Patty scoffs. "You're a real head case, Sanji. Letting 'em live then threatening to kill 'em"
"Can it, cook" Sanji growls.
"See, this guy's awesome, huh??" Luffy points to Sanji.
"Who cares how awesome he is?! We gotta get out of here right now!!" Usopp shrieks.
"Easy there, Luffy. It is Don Kreig, but he's in pretty sad shape" Zoro advises.
"To be honest, I couldn't care less about Kreig. I don't even need to use my spear to beat him" you said with a bored expression. Usopp sweatdropped while Luffy and Zoro nodded in agreement. "(First Name)'s right. Kreig is too weak for you, right??" Luffy grins. "I've seen how she fought. Her strength is on par with that man" Zoro smirks.
Then Luffy thought of something which slipped his mind. "Hey, Ghin. You said you didn't know anything about the Grand Line but I thought you'd been there. That doesn't make any sense"
Ghin gulps nervously and clutches his head in his trembling hands. "Nothing makes any sense now. What happened to us on the seventh day of our journey through the cursed sea . . .I don't know if this was a dream or a reality. I saw things that I can't bring myself to believe. I know in my heart that it's impossible for that entire 50-ship fleet . . .to be completely eradicated by a single man"
Everyone aside from Zeff and you let out shocked gasps and shrieks at the prospect of one man taking out an entire fleet of pirates in a single day.
"It all happened so fast. As soon as this man appeared, he began to systematically sink our ships one after another. If that raging storm hadn't come upon us when it did, then that monster would have destroyed our flagship as well"
Ghin is trembling from that incident. You could already tell that none of Kreig's crew was mentally prepared for the Grand Line and its unpleasantness.
"I don't know if a single other ship made it out. It all seems like a terrible nightmare that burned into my memory. I just want to forget. His eyes . . .they were like a hawk's; Sharp and murderous. His gaze alone felt like the cold hands of death"
You heard Zoro let out a surprised gasp and the loud sound of his grip on the stairway guardrail as he leans over the banister to hear Ghin's tale better. Your eyes widened when you heard the description.
[Mihawk . . .you must be bored, are you?? I could tell that something is coming here so I thought I was wrong and that it was you. Don't worry, you'll have fun soon]
"Well, then . . ." Zeff hums. "That can only be one known as Hawk-eye. Your description of his heartless gaze isn't proof of his identity in of itself but the way he so easily decimated your fleet confirms without a doubt that it's him"
"Hawk-Eye Mihawk . . .now that I think about it. (First Name), It's been a while since you last fought with him, didn't you??" Zoro breathes, and then he snapped out of his shocked stupor.
"You both know him??" Luffy questions, bending backward to look up to Zoro.
"Yep. I first fought with him 9 years ago. It was during the swordsmanship tournament but the rules stated that women are not allowed to participate so I had to disguise myself as a man. But then I got caught then the rest is history. Zoro was there when we fought each other" you replied, remembering the number of times you guys fought over the years.
Zoro nodded. "I didn't know he was Mihawk at that time so I didn't bother. Now he's the whole reason I set out to sea" He explained.
"Zoro, if he came, let me fight with him. It's been so long since I last stretched my muscles. Also, you made a promise to me as well, right?" you smirked, feeling excited to have some action.
"Pfft, sure. I wanted to see how much you have grown over the years" Zoro smirked.
"Eh?? Zoro, you made a promise with (First Name) too??" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
"That's what you heard?!" Zoro exclaimed.
"Anyways, could that man have some kind of score to settle with you guys??" Sanji asked.
"We didn't do anything to him??" Ghin exclaimed.
"Perhaps you disturbed him during a nap" Zeff suggested sarcastically.
"Stupid cook!! Why would he destroy an entire fleet for something so trivial?!" Ghin snapped.
"Zeff was just being sarcastic, Ghin. Other people did a lot worse for something as small as this. And knowing Mihawk, he'll most likely do anything to alleviate his boredom" you admitted seriously.
"That doesn't give him reason to attack without cause!!"
Zeff chuckles at Ghin's outburst. "There's no need to shout. They were just examples. I thought you might like a little friendly advice on what kind of place the Grand Line is"
"And what kind of place is that??" Usopp squeaks.
"They probably mean that anything can go on there" Zoro mutters. The swordsman's comment doesn't comfort Usopp in the slightest. Why did he even join Luffy's crew?? You were questioning yourself that.
"Hey, Luffy!! Do we have to go there?!" Usopp freaks. When he receives no answer, he calls out again. "Luffy??"
Luffy, on the other hand, is trembling with excitement. "Hey, Luffy??" Usopp calls once more. Luffy pumps his fist and cheers. "That's so awesome!! This is gonna be such a blast!!"
You smirked. "Trust me. It'll blow your minds"
"Are you that stupid?" Sanji questions the swordsman. "It's idiots like you guys that you end up dead"
"That may be true but lay off the name-calling. I devoted my whole life to becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman. I made my choice so I'm the only one who gets to call me stupid" Zoro replied.
"I've sailed the Grand Line, Sanji. Does that make me an idiot or stupid too??" you asked.
The blonde chef swoons. "Of course not, (First Name)-koi~ You survived the Grand Line and don't fear it"
"Hey, what about me??" Luffy cheers, waving his hands in the air. "Me too, right!! I mean, it only seems fair!!" Usopp joins in on the stupidity. Zoro knocks Usopp on the head with the end of one of his katanas. "Shut up, stupid"
"What morons" Sanji grumbles. You chuckled. "They may seem like it but at least they're the loveable kind"
"ENOUGH!!" Patty shouted. "Do any of you maggots understand the situation?? That enormous galleon moored in front of our dear little restaurant is none other than Don Kreig's flagship!! So why don't we check back into reality and deal with this!!"
No sooner than that, the cries and howls of Kreig's restored crewmen ring out. It got quiet all of a sudden, but the loud bang of a gunshot cut right through that before the cheering and battle roared as the pirates approach the restaurant. But the gunshot isn't what sets you off. It's the feeling of a strong individual that's making their way here now. You're finally here, Mihawk
You stood up and walked out of the busted doorway and onto the outer deck of the floating restaurant. You saw two men in the water swimming hastily against the turbulent waters to get to the restaurant.
"What the heck happened to you two?? Are you okay?? Where's Nami and the Going Merry?!" Zoro demanded.
"I'm sorry, Big Bro Zoro" The green jacket man cries. "I don't know how to say this but . . .shes gone"
"Big Sis Nami . . ." The blue jacket man begins to sob.
"She took all the treasure and sailed away!!" The green jacket man sobs with him.
"SHE DID WHAAAAAAAT?!" The boys shouted.
[She's starting to lose hope . . .shit, we don't have enough time. We better get over this quickly so that we can catch up with her . . .]
"That man is . . ."
You turned to the destruction of the flagship and saw something appearing. A familiar small boat, designed like half of the coffin, with a single sail, the bow flanked by two green flame-lit candles, and its only occupant sitting on an ornate wooden throne that takes up most of the boat.
"It's him. He's here" Zoro trembles.
Well, he's not the only one trembling. You are too, adrenaline goes through your blood as your face is curled up in excitement. You gripped your sword cane tightly as you've been itching for a fight between swordsmen.