"Take my advice, little brother, resign from the Second Division Captain position quickly. That position is cursed."
Hector said gravely.
"Why?"
Ace was surprised.
"Do you know the fates of the former Second Division Captains?"
"Kozuki Oden, Isidora Morganach, and Olivia Green."
Ace replied, initially unaware of his predecessors, he had learned about them later. He looked at Hector, puzzled, as he shook his head.
Kozuki Oden was executed by boiling and gunfire. Isidora Morganach met his end in the jaws of a Sea King, suffering terribly. Olivia Green was slain by a convict she had saved from execution.
The two conversed as they walked, with the girls listening in silence, not daring to interrupt. After being introduced to everyone, Ace departed the next day. The Shadow Pirates had been staying at the Baratie for two weeks when a cannonball struck the restaurant's roof, blasting a section of the fish boat's top deck away.
As the responsible crew docked, Luffy stepped into the Baratie, where two cooks ushered them to the damaged room. An elderly cook sat on a bed's edge amidst the wreckage of broken debris and torn pages.
His chef's hat nearly matched his height, and his eyes conveyed a clear message: 'cross me, and you'll regret it,' an impressive feat for a cook of his age. He faced the crew, eyes narrowed with annoyance.
"Which one of you is to blame for the hole in my roof?"
He demanded, revealing himself as the irate owner.
Luffy, ever candid, admitted fault.
"I'm responsible. I apologize deeply."
He bowed and apologized, which gave the chef the perfect chance to knock the kid on the back of his head with a powerful kick. The crew was astonished that the man had enough strength to send someone like Luffy flying, while the endearing fool himself seemed to finally notice the peg leg.
"AHHHHHHHH! Did you lose your leg because of me?"
The man stomped on Luffy's back, effectively cutting off the boy's air supply.
"Fool, I lost this leg years ago. But that explosion gave me quite the scare, and I'm not as young as I used to be. To cover all the medical bills and repairs, you'll be working here for a year."
The man grinned, confident he'd secured a waiter who couldn't resign.
"Okay. Chores for a- huh?!"
Luffy's broad smile quickly turned to wide-eyed shock.
"A YEAR?!"
"That's right. I'll consider us even with that."
The old chef declared.
"A-a-a-a-a year?!"
Luffy stuttered, turning to Emmy for assistance.
"I can't work here for a year!"
Luffy nodded and raised one finger.
The chef lifted his bushy eyebrow.
"And what does that mean?"
"One week each,"
Luffy proposed, gesturing towards his crewmates Zoro, Koby, Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku.
The chef laughed.
"Still so straightforward, I see."
Luffy held up another finger.
"Two weeks!"
"HEY! You demolished my restaurant and injured me, the Head Chef! You can't make up for that with just one or two weeks of free labor!"
The chef roared, lowering his head so his tall hat could try to knock some sense into Luffy.
"Three weeks!"
Luffy persisted.
As the crew began their search for a table, intending to dine there, a blond man appeared seemingly out of thin air. He was about their age, perhaps a year older. His bangs obscured his left eye, and aside from that, his face was nondescript. Dressed in a black suit paired with a blue shirt, his shoes shone and his trousers were sharply creased.
He guided them to a spacious table, and within minutes, an impressive spread was laid out before them. Luffy, donning a white apron, had brought the feast, and predictably, nearly every dish had a bite taken out of it.
The blond noticed and reacted in a way that stunned all who knew Luffy: he kicked him with enough force to leave a mark. The crew was well aware that it typically required the strength to crush stone to inflict even a minor bruise on Luffy's rubbery skin. This man was not only a skilled cook but also remarkably strong.
"Mhmm, this delicate aroma! It must be from Micqueot of the Northern Lands! And this subtle tartness combined with a robust, dry flavor… It has to be Itelzbulger Stein! Am I mistaken, waiter?"
Fullbody, with a plate in hand, responded in his smoothest voice to Sanji.
"Not even close, sir."
The blond sported a wry smirk.
"And for your information, I'm not a waiter. I'm the Sous Chef, currently covering for the waiters who have left the establishment. The name's Sanji."
Sanji declared, setting the plate down and lighting a cigarette, savoring Fullbody's astonished expression.
"Enjoy your soup while it's still warm."
"Pfff…"
Another guest struggled to suppress his laughter.
Fullbody wore a look of acute embarrassment. His date, still smiling, might have been a more severe reaction than outright laughter.
"You appear to have a refined palate for wine, despite the error."
Fullbody cleared his throat.
"I'm usually spot-on… my taste buds must be off today."
He attempted to shrug off the embarrassment, plotting revenge to have the waiter dismissed. As he looked away from the entrance, he noticed the Strawhats being seated. His date saw them too, but her focus was on Fullbody, unaware they were the pirates Fullbody had targeted.
Then, Fullbody's voice echoed from across the room.
"Waiter!"
Sanji, with a scowl, approached their table.
"I've made it clear, I am not a waiter."
Turning to Fullbody's companion, he complimented,
"You're quite stunning. Would you care for a glass of fine wine? We have a superb selection."
She giggled, blushing, and politely declined.
Fullbody, seething at the audacious waiter, challenged,
"Do you normally serve soup with insects, waiter?"
"Insect?"
"What is this bug doing here!"
Sanji remained impassive, though internally amused, as he pointed out the insect.
Taking a puff from his cigarette, Sanji quipped,
"While I'm no entomologist, it appears to be doing the backstroke."
The room fell silent, then erupted into laughter, as Fullbody's face turned crimson.
"STOP MOCKING ME!"
In fury, Fullbody stood, his metal-studded fist shattering the table and dish, scattering debris. The crowd gasped, and his date recoiled in fright.
"You have no clue who you're trifling with."
he threatened.
Sanji's gaze darkened.
"Just remove the insect, and the soup would've been fine."
Fullbody's anger was palpable.
"How dare you, a mere chef, be so arrogant! I am a customer!"
Sanji knelt, picking up a broken plate fragment.
"This soup took three days and nights to perfect."
Fullbody's date panicked, holding her hands helplessly in front of her.
"Fullbody, please stop, ignore him!"
"Can money fill your stomach?"
Sanji asked, his tone laced with danger. At this, the other waiters and chefs panicked, nearly choking.
"We must stop him! Stop Sous Chef Sanji!"
Fullbody charged forward, and seconds later, he was drenched in blood. Sanji's hands flashed as he delivered a series of kicks and punches, his horrified date watching. His suit was completely soaked with the red liquid. Before Fullbody could collapse, Sanji held him up by the collar.
"Challenging a Chef of the Sea is akin to suicide."
Fullbody's eyes rolled back in his head.
"Don't you dare waste food, you fool!"
Patty then appeared behind Sanji, not one for pleasantries, and walked into the dining area, exclaiming,
"The customers are Gods! The customers are... WHAT! THE CUSTOMER IS BEING BEATEN!"
His face, shark-toothed and comical, shifted to a look of shock, then to an angry snarl.
"What in the world are you doing to our customer, Sanji?!"
Upon recognizing the customer, his eyes widened.
"AND HE'S A MARINE LIEUTENANT, NO LESS!"
Sanji glanced back, still gripping Fullbody by the neck.
"Oh, it's just you, the lousy cook. Don't address me so casually."
He retorted.
Steam billowed from Patty's nostrils.
"I won't stand by and let a lousy cook insult me."
He declared, stepping forward.
"Customers are Gods, Sanji! How do you justify his injuries, huh?"
Sanji flung Fullbody aside carelessly.
"Sure, you'd think customers are Gods. Only some can endure your dreadful cooking, heaven knows how."
he scoffed, taking a puff of his cigarette.
"He had the audacity to squander our precious food and disrespect a cook. I merely schooled him in manners, that's all."
Suddenly the doors were flung open. Everyone turned to see the new arrival, he was towering at 3.5 meters, and he wore an elegant black and brown nobles outfit with a Tricorne Hat with a Flamboyant Black Ostrich and Rooster feather. He was Hector the Black.
"Looks like I missed the party."
RACE: Human■■■■■■
NAME: Hector Barbossa■■■■■■
Level: 48
Health Points: 30,200
Mana Points: 26,520
Stamina Points: 15,100
Attunement: 1,327
Vitality: 756
Endurance: 756
Strength: 1,256
Dexterity: 1,361
Perception: 756
Skill: 756
Safe Rewards From Daily Quest:
+Stat Points: 120
+Skill Points: 21
+Status Recovery: 3
Skill Tree:
+Haki:
-Observation Haki: A Rank
-Armament Haki: A Rank
-Conquers Haki: EX Rank
+Rokushiki
-Moon Step: S- Rank
-Iron Body: S Rank
-Tempest Kick: S+ Rank
-Shave: S+ Rank
-Finger Pistol: S Rank
-Kami-e: S- Rank