When Krieg finished eating, he slowly rose, casting a scrutinizing glance at Sanji. With an air of authority, he said, "Now, prepare meals for a hundred of my men. They're starving out there!"
Sanji, unfazed by the demand, stared at Krieg for a long moment. The tension between them thickened, but finally, Sanji replied, his voice calm and resolute, "Fine."
Without another word, he turned and headed toward the kitchen. Seeing this, Patty erupted in anger, shouting, "What are you doing, Sanji?! We don't hand out freebies here!"
Sanji didn't even turn around as he replied in a steady voice, "We're chefs."
"You—! Gah!" Patty was furious. There was no way he was going to let these pirates think they could walk all over Baratie. He was just about to storm toward Krieg when a voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Let it go," came the calm, commanding voice of Zeff, the one-legged head chef, his trademark chef's hat perched atop his head.
"But, Chef!" Patty protested.
"Do as I say," Zeff cut him off, his tone brooking no argument. Reluctantly, Patty turned toward the kitchen, grumbling under his breath.
Across the room, Krieg's eyes narrowed as he studied Zeff. Something about the old man seemed familiar. Then, realization struck him. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait... you're Red-Leg Zeff!"
Zeff didn't reply, his expression calm and indifferent.
Krieg's expression shifted, moving from shock to smugness. "So what if you're Red-Leg Zeff? All your strength lies in those legs of yours. But now… look at you. How much power do you still have left without them?"
He sneered and then raised his voice, making his intentions clear. "I'm officially taking your ship. I need it and your food for my men. Don't try anything foolish, or you'll regret it."
With that, Krieg turned and left.
Kai watched all of this unfold with a calm, almost bored expression. Krieg's plan was destined to fail. He had no doubt the pirate captain would come to regret challenging the wrong people. For now, though, Kai was content to let things play out. There was no rush.
The crew remained at Baratie, with Luffy eager to convince Sanji to join them. Kai, knowing Sanji had his own journey to finish, wasn't worried. He'll join when the time is right.
Several hours later, while Kai was napping in the cabin, he was startled awake by a loud explosion. His eyes flicked open as he sensed a powerful presence approaching. A grin crept onto his face. Finally.
Outside, the situation had escalated. The Krieg Pirates, ready to launch an assault on Baratie, suddenly found their ship split clean in half. The cut was so clean, it gleamed like glass under the sunlight. All eyes turned to the small boat approaching from the distance.
Standing on the wreckage, Zoro's eyes locked onto the man responsible. His forehead was slick with sweat as he muttered, "It's him... Hawkeye!"
Luffy blinked, confused. "Huh? Who's that?"
Zoro's voice trembled with excitement. "He's the one I've been searching for—the World's Strongest Swordsman!"
"Whoa! That's amazing!" Luffy exclaimed, while the others stared in awe.
Zoro couldn't contain himself any longer. He leaped onto the remnants of the Krieg Pirates' ship and shouted, "Hawkeye! I challenge you!"
Hawkeye, seated calmly in his small boat, lifted his head slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto Zoro. "You? You're not worth my time. You're too weak."
Zoro's expression tightened in determination. "What, the world's best swordsman is just a coward who hides behind his reputation? Fight me if you can!"
Hawkeye's eyes glimmered with interest. "I'm not sure if you're brave or simply foolish, but since you're so eager to die, I'll grant you the opportunity."
Effortlessly, Dracule Mihawk, known as Hawkeye, jumped from his boat to the wreckage where Zoro stood. He stared Zoro down, his gaze cold and calculating. "If you were a real swordsman, you'd understand the vast gap in our strength. But since you clearly don't..."
With a casual flick of his wrist, Hawkeye removed the small cross pendant from around his neck and revealed a tiny dagger.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have a smaller blade than this," he said mockingly.
Zoro's face twisted with fury. "You're insulting me!" he roared, launching himself toward Hawkeye with his Three-Sword Style.
To his shock, all three of his blades were stopped dead by Hawkeye's dagger. Zoro's eyes widened in disbelief. "This... this can't be happening!"
From the sidelines, Johnny and Yosaku gasped. "He stopped Zoro's Oni Giri?! That's his ultimate move!"
Kai, who had casually appeared beside them at some point, spoke up. "What did you expect? He's the world's strongest swordsman."
"Brother Kai!" they exclaimed.
"Just watch. This is Zoro's fight," Kai said, his voice calm but commanding.
Zoro, meanwhile, was struggling to comprehend the vast difference in their strength. His attacks were completely ineffective. With every strike, Hawkeye blocked effortlessly, and Zoro felt his heart sink deeper with each failed attempt.
"Is the gap really this wide? Is the world this far beyond my reach?" Zoro thought, gritting his teeth.
With a sudden step forward, Zoro prepared to unleash another attack, but before he could move, Hawkeye's dagger flashed, piercing his chest.
Zoro gasped, blood trickling down from the wound.
Hawkeye's eyes narrowed in surprise. "Why don't you step back? Aren't you afraid I'll pierce your heart?"
Zoro, despite the pain, gritted his teeth and replied, "Because... I have a reason I can't retreat. Even if it costs me my life... I refuse to lose!"
Hawkeye's eyes widened slightly, a rare look of respect flickering across his face. For the first time, he truly saw the conviction burning in Zoro's eyes.
With a sigh, Hawkeye stepped back, withdrawing his dagger. Then, he drew his true sword—the Black Blade Yoru, one of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords.
"You've earned my respect, swordsman. I'll send you off properly with my black blade," Hawkeye said solemnly.