"I see." Sanji said before he lit a cigarette. "But if you want this restaurant, then you're gonna have to kill me first."
"Sounds fair." Gin said. "It'll be an honor...my friend."
"Thanks, you bastard." Sanji said as he blew out some smoke. Gin then looked at Luffy.
"You too kid." Gin said. Luffy only smiled as he crossed his arms.
"What makes you think you can kill me?" he asked. Gin narrowed his eyes as the Krieg pirates started yelling insults.
"How dare you talk like that to us!"
"Crush him into dust Gin!"
"Show him why we Krieg pirates are the strongest in the East Blue!" Luffy just looked at them all. "Only because you outnumber everyone else." he said. All the Krieg pirates wanted to object, but knew they couldn't deny the truth.
"They look angry." Sanji said with a smirk.
"So what?" Luffy said. "How are they getting stronger if all they do is add more crewmates?" Gin raised an eyebrow at this while the other Krieg pirates started rushing in to attack Luffy.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Krieg shouted. All the pirates stopped as Krieg told them it was pathetic to get riled up at a few words. He then ordered Gin to kill them.
"Yes Don." Gin said before looking back at Sanji. He began to swing his tonfa around before he and Sanji began to fight. He missed Sanji, smashing his weapon into the deck while Sanji aimed a kick at his side. He dodged it before slamming his tonfa down on Sanji's neck, pinning him to the floor. "Nothing personal Sanji. Die!" He then attacked, but Sanji spat his cigarette in his face before sliding away and kicking Gin in the head. Gin held onto his weapon as he smashed it into Sanji's side. Sanji was flung away by the attack, but got back to his feet before they went at each other again.
While this happened, Luffy was calmly walking along the fallen mast towards Krieg. Krieg saw him before he smirked. "Where do you think you're going brat?" he asked.
"Sanji can handle Gin." Luffy said as he looked at Krieg. "So I'm gonna kick your ass Krieg."
"Big words from a wimp like you." Krieg said.
"GIN!"
"SANJI!"
Both Luffy and Krieg looked back to see both fighters bleeding and breathing heavily.
'Looks like Sanji's holding his own against Gin.' Luffy thought. Without Pearl attacking Sanji like last time, he stood a better chance. Gin started swinging his tonfa again before he attacked again. He missed as Sanji did a handstand and kicked Gin in the back. Gin stumbled forward a bit but held his ground as he looked back at Sanji. He tightened his grip on his weapons as he narrowed his eyes before spinning them again. He charged and aimed his balled tonfa at Sanji's head. Sanji jumped back, but found out too late that it was a ruse as Gin used the momentum to aim a his other tonfa at Sanji's side, nailing his in the ribs. Sanji was coughing up blood, but managed to stay on his feet.
"Sanji!" Luffy yelled.
'Shit.' thought Sanji. 'Another attack like that and I'm screwed.'
'Why couldn't you just stay down Sanji?' Gin thought. 'If you had, I wouldn't have to kill you.' He sighed before he spun his weapon again, determined to end this. "Finish him off Gin!" Krieg ordered. Gin eyes were covered in shadow before he charged at Sanji. He swung downward, aiming for Sanji's legs to secure victory. Luffy looked at the fight to see how it ended. Gin attacked, but missed and left himself open to Sanji. Everyone was shocked except Luffy, who just smiled under his hat. At the last second, Gin twisted his hand slightly and deliberately missed. Sanji took this chance to swing around and put everything he had into one final kick into the back of Gin's head. Gin's head smacked into the deck before his eyes turned white and blood spurt from his mouth.
'Don,' Gin thought as he slowly fell to the deck. 'I'm sorry...No one ever showed me any kindness...I can't do it. I can't kill him.' He then fell to the deck, half concious, and bleeding as his weapons fell from his hands. He struggled to get back up, but only succeeded in turning over and lying on his back. Everyone was stunned by Gin's defeat, while Gin had tears falling down his face. Not for losing, but because he couldn't live with himself if he killed Sanji.
"No way." a pirate mumbled.
"Gin...lost?" another asked. It was silent for a moment, but that ended when the chef's cheered.
"HA! See that pirates!" Patty yelled.
"This is our restaurant!" Carne added. Luffy smiled while the Krieg pirates couldn't help but stare on in shock. Krieg eyes were shadowed as veins started sticking out of his neck and on his forehead.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING GIN?!" Krieg bellowed, shutting everyone up. Gin turned an eye toward Krieg from where he lay. "LOSING TO A COOK?! HOW DARE YOU HUMILIATE US LIKE THIS!" Other pirates were yelling as well. "Come on Gin! Get up!"
"You can't lose to that cook!"
"Don." Gin muttered as his sight blurred in and out of focus on his captain. He then looked over at Sanji, who was also bloody, but standing over him. His then looked at Luffy, who was smiling.
"You're second-in-command of the Krieg pirates! How could one guy beat you?!" a pirate shouted out. Gin's eyes shot open at that statement, but not from anger. He stared, wide-eyed at the sky, for a few moments as the others finally stopped yelling.
"Well?!" Krieg shouted. "What do you have to say for yourself?!" Everyone was quiet, waiting to hear what Gin had to say. It felt like forever before a sound came from Gin as he trembled. It was faint at first, but slowly the sound grew. Gin...was laughing. Everyone stared, completely gobsmacked, at hearing Gin laugh as he lay defeated.
"Is he laughing?" a chef asked.
"Sanji must've kicked him too hard." Luffy asked, just as stunned as everyone else. Krieg was grinding his teeth at this act.
"What's so funny Gin?!" he shouted. Gin laughter died down, but a smile was left on his face as he stared at the sky.
"I'm sorry." he said. "It's just that I asked myself the same question." Everyone looked at him confused before he continued. "When Hawk-Eye destroyed the fleet, I asked myself 'How could one man beat all of us?' I didn't understand it at first, but now it's all so clear."
"What's so clear?" Krieg asked in annoyance.