The Flying Raijin soared smoothly above the gentle waves of the East Blue, its blue anti-gravity thrusters humming a quiet, rhythmic tune. Life on the futuristic galleon had quickly fallen into a comfortable, albeit chaotic, routine.
Usopp, the newest addition to the crew, spent his first two days in a state of perpetual, wide-eyed shock. He had expected a pirate ship to be a grimy, cramped wooden vessel filled with scurvy-ridden thugs. Instead, he was living in a floating fortress of luxury and science fiction. He had his own massive private quarters, access to a holographic sniper-training simulator that Luffy had casually activated for him, and a kitchen that restocked itself from a seemingly infinite, invisible inventory.
However, Usopp also quickly realized that he was sailing with absolute monsters.
Every morning, the deck trembled under the weight of Zoro's absurd physical training. The swordsman, fresh off his victory against Kuro, swung massive, gravity-defying weights while blindfolded, occasionally forcing a terrifying, pitch-black sheen of Armament Haki over his blades. On the other side of the deck, Nami was no longer just the navigator; she was running grueling physical conditioning drills, occasionally closing her eyes to dodge incoming projectiles that Luffy threw at her to awaken her Observation Haki.
"Is everyone on this ship insane?" Usopp muttered to himself from the safety of the crow's nest, clutching his slingshot. "I'm just a normal guy! How am I supposed to keep up with this?!"
"You'll be fine, Usopp!" Luffy called out from the lawn chair on the main deck, his advanced Observation Haki easily picking up the sniper's whispered panics. "Just use the training room! Hard work never betrays you! Shishishishishi!"
As the afternoon sun beat down on the ocean, Nami suddenly jogged over to the railing, peering through a set of high-tech binoculars. "Captain! There's a tiny boat drifting a few miles off the port bow. Looks like there's someone waving for help."
"Let's check it out," Luffy said, stretching his arms over his head. "We aren't in a hurry."
Nami adjusted the ship's coordinates, and within minutes, the massive shadow of the Flying Raijin cast over the tiny, rickety fishing boat. Standing in the small craft was a man with a tattoo on his cheek, waving his arms frantically. Beside him, a second man lay completely incapacitated, groaning in agony with pale skin and bleeding gums.
Luffy lowered the boarding ramp. The frantic man scooped up his sick partner and scrambled up onto the immaculate white deck.
"Please!" the man cried, tears streaming down his face as he bowed his head. "We're bounty hunters! My partner Yosaku is dying of some unknown disease! He just started coughing up blood and his teeth are falling out! We don't have a doctor! Please, you have to help him!"
Nami took one look at the sick man and sighed, recognizing the symptoms immediately from her extensive reading in the ship's library. "He doesn't have an unknown disease, you idiot. He has scurvy. It's a severe lack of vitamin C. Luffy, do we have any fresh citrus?"
"Yep," Luffy said, casually reaching his hand into the empty air. With a soft chime from his System Inventory, he pulled out a large pitcher of freshly squeezed lime juice and a bowl of citrus fruits. He handed it to the frantic bounty hunter. "Here. Make him drink this, and he'll be fine in a few hours."
The man practically force-fed the lime juice to his dying partner. Almost miraculously, the color began to return to Yosaku's cheeks. The man fell to his knees again, sobbing tears of pure gratitude. "Thank you! Thank you so much! My name is Johnny! I swear, I will never forget this debt—"
Johnny stopped mid-sob. His eyes widened as they locked onto the green-haired swordsman who had just walked out of the training room, a towel draped over his scarred shoulders.
"A-Aniki?!" Johnny gasped.
Zoro paused, raising an eyebrow. "Johnny? Yosaku? What the hell are you two idiots doing drifting around out here?"
"Zoro, you know these guys?" Luffy asked, sitting on the railing.
Zoro chuckled, tossing his towel aside. "Yeah. We used to hunt bounties together back in the day. They're good guys, just a little dramatic. Johnny, this is my captain, Monkey D. Luffy. We're pirates now."
Johnny's jaw hit the pristine wooden deck. "Pirates?! Zoro-aniki, you joined a pirate crew?! But you were the Pirate Hunter! And what is this ship?! It looks like something out of a dream!"
"It's a long story," Zoro smirked, sitting down next to Luffy. "But yeah, we're pirates. And we're heading to the Grand Line."
Once Yosaku had recovered enough to sit up and join his partner in bowing furiously to their saviors, Johnny offered them a piece of vital information. "If you guys are heading to the Grand Line, you absolutely need a dedicated sea cook. Scurvy is just the beginning of the horrors out there. If you're looking for the best chefs in the East Blue, you should head to the Baratie. It's a massive, sea-going restaurant not too far from here!"
Luffy's eyes lit up, his stomach immediately letting out a thunderous growl at the mere mention of a restaurant. He already knew they were heading there to recruit Sanji, but Johnny's suggestion served as the perfect excuse.
"A floating restaurant?!" Luffy cheered, pumping his fists in the air. "Nami, set a course! I want meat! Lots and lots of meat!"
"Aye, aye, Captain," Nami smiled, adjusting the holographic dials in the control room.
A few hours later, a massive structure shaped like a giant fish appeared on the horizon. It was the Baratie, a famous establishment renowned throughout the Four Blues. Dozens of smaller ships, ranging from Marine patrol boats to civilian yachts, were anchored around its wooden exterior.
However, the moment the Flying Raijin glided into the vicinity, the entire restaurant seemed to freeze.
Patrons dining on the outdoor patios dropped their forks. The cooks leaning out the windows stared in sheer disbelief. The pristine white hull, the elegant gold trim, and the glowing blue thrusters hovering just above the waterline made the Flying Raijin look like a vessel of the gods compared to the wooden ships surrounding it. When the locals saw the Straw Hat Jolly Roger painted proudly on the sails, whispers of terror and awe spread through the restaurant like wildfire.
Luffy, completely ignoring the massive commotion his ship was causing, bounded down the ramp with his crew in tow. Johnny and Yosaku followed closely behind, puffing out their chests with unearned pride as they walked alongside their former 'Aniki' and his monstrous crew.
Luffy kicked the front doors of the Baratie open, inhaling deeply. The scent of roasted meats, rich spices, and simmering broths filled the air.
"FOOD!" Luffy shouted, his eyes practically turning into giant slabs of meat. "We want the biggest table you've got, and bring out everything on the menu!"
The waiters, terrified by the sheer presence of the pirates who owned the sci-fi galleon outside, immediately scrambled to push three large tables together in the center of the dining room.
As the crew sat down, a man with neatly slicked-back blonde hair, a perfectly tailored black suit, and a distinctive curly eyebrow walked out of the kitchen doors. He held a tray of exquisite appetizers, his one visible eye scanning the room with absolute boredom—until his gaze landed on Nami.
Instantly, the man's demeanor did a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn. His visible eye morphed into a giant, pulsating heart, and he practically glided across the floor, twirling elegantly before dropping to one knee right beside Nami's chair.
"Mellorine! Mellorine!" Sanji swooned, his voice dripping with absolute adoration. "An angel has descended from the heavens to grace this humble restaurant! Oh, beautiful goddess of the sea, my name is Sanji! Please, accept this specialized, exquisite fruit tart made exclusively for your divine palate!"
He presented a beautiful, meticulously crafted dessert to Nami, completely ignoring the rest of the crew.
Nami blinked, surprised by the sudden influx of extreme affection, but she quickly realized she could use this to her advantage. She offered him a dazzling, sweet smile. "Oh, my! Thank you so much, Sanji-kun. It looks absolutely delicious!"
Sanji looked like he was about to faint from pure joy, clutching his chest as if his heart had been struck by Cupid's arrow.
"Hey, curly brows," Zoro grunted, irritation clear on his face. "Are you a waiter or a dancer? Bring us some actual food. And a barrel of your strongest booze."
Sanji's heart-eyes vanished in an instant. He slowly turned his head to glare at Zoro, his expression morphing into one of pure hostility. "Shut your mouth, moss-head. I serve the ladies first. If you want food, you'll wait your turn."
Zoro's hand twitched toward his swords. "What did you just call me, you damn dartboard?"
Before a full-blown brawl could break out in the middle of the restaurant, Luffy burst into loud laughter. "Shishishishishi! This guy is hilarious! Hey, Sanji! Bring me ten large plates of meat on the bone! I'm starving!"
Sanji sighed, dusting off his suit jacket. "Fine, fine. Hold your horses. Ten plates of meat and a barrel of cheap booze for the barbarians. Coming right up."
As Sanji walked back into the kitchen, Luffy tracked him with his Observation Haki. He already knew exactly who Sanji was, but seeing his fiery personality and absolute dedication to food in person solidified his decision.
A few minutes later, Sanji returned, expertly balancing a dozen massive plates of steaming, perfectly cooked meat along his arms, while casually kicking a barrel of rum toward Zoro.
Luffy didn't hesitate. He stretched his rubber arms out, grabbing three plates at once and shoveling the food into his mouth. The flavor exploded on his tongue. It was undeniably the best food he had eaten since arriving in this world. The System's inventory food was perfectly nutritious, but Sanji's cooking possessed a soul, an artistry that couldn't be replicated by a machine.
"Delicious!" Luffy shouted, swallowing a massive bone whole. He pointed a greasy finger directly at the blonde cook. "It's decided! Sanji! You're going to join my crew and be my pirate cook!"
The entire restaurant went quiet. Usopp choked on his water, and Zoro paused mid-sip.
Sanji blinked, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it with a casual flick of his lighter. He took a long drag and blew a cloud of smoke toward the ceiling. "I'm flattered, truly. Especially since it would mean spending every day with Nami-san. But I have to decline. I have my own reasons for staying at this restaurant. I owe the old geezer upstairs a debt I can't repay just yet. I'm not playing pirate with you."
Luffy simply smiled, his expression unwavering. "I refuse your refusal."
Sanji's eyebrow twitched. "What part of 'no' don't you understand, idiot? I'm not leaving the Baratie."
"We'll see about that," Luffy laughed, turning his attention back to his mountain of meat.
Before Sanji could argue further, the heavy wooden doors of the Baratie were blasted open with a deafening crash.
The wind howled from outside as a massive, towering figure stumbled into the restaurant. He was clad in heavy, gold-plated armor that was dented and scarred. His face was gaunt, his eyes hollow with desperation and madness. Behind him, dozens of similarly starving, battered pirates crawled through the doorway, looking like the walking dead.
It was Don Krieg, the self-proclaimed ruler of the East Blue fleet, and the remnants of his pirate armada.
Panic instantly gripped the Baratie. Civilian patrons screamed and scrambled to hide under their tables. The cooks rushed out from the kitchen, wielding massive kitchen knives and frying pans, ready to defend their home.
Krieg leaned heavily against the doorframe, his breathing ragged. "Food..." he rasped, his voice rough as sandpaper. "Bring me... your food. I am Don Krieg. Once I have eaten, I am taking this restaurant... and that massive white ship outside... for myself."
"Like hell you are!" Patty, one of the burly chefs, shouted, stepping forward with a massive bazooka. "We don't feed filthy pirates who threaten our restaurant!"
Sanji, however, didn't hesitate. He walked calmly toward the kitchen, returning a moment later with a massive bowl of seafood fried rice. Ignoring the protests of the other cooks, Sanji placed the bowl on the floor in front of Krieg.
"Eat," Sanji said coldly. "I don't care if you're a saint or a demon. To me, you're just a starving man. Once you're full, you can try whatever you want."
Krieg didn't wait. He dropped to his knees, burying his face in the rice, eating like a feral animal. In mere seconds, the massive bowl was spotless.
The color returned to Krieg's face. His muscles seemed to swell as his strength returned. He slowly stood up to his full, towering height. The desperation in his eyes vanished, replaced by an overwhelming, arrogant cruelty.
Without a word of thanks, Krieg swung his massive, armored arm, backhanding Sanji across the jaw.
Sanji was sent flying backward, crashing through a wooden table and sending splinters flying everywhere. The other cooks roared in anger, charging forward to defend their sous-chef.
"Fools!" Krieg bellowed, drawing two massive, hidden shotguns from his armor. "I am Don Krieg! The strongest man in the East Blue! This restaurant is now my flagship, and that white galleon outside belongs to my fleet! Surrender your supplies, or I will slaughter every last one of you!"
The remaining members of his crew, bolstered by their captain's returning strength, drew their rusted swords and began to encircle the dining room.
Usopp was trembling violently, hiding behind Zoro's chair. "L-Luffy! That's Don Krieg! He has a fleet of fifty ships and five thousand men! He's a monster!"
Zoro slowly reached for his swords, a dark look crossing his face. "Looks like I get to test my Armament again."
"No, Zoro," Luffy said quietly.
Luffy wiped his mouth with a napkin and slowly stood up from his chair. He didn't want the Baratie destroyed in a prolonged fight. He respected Zeff, and he genuinely respected Sanji's absolute dedication to feeding the starving. He wasn't going to let East Blue trash ruin this place.
Luffy stepped out from behind the table. He didn't strike a fighting stance. He didn't stretch his rubber limbs. He simply locked his eyes on Don Krieg.
"You're way too loud," Luffy said, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying octave that sent a shiver down the spine of everyone in the room. "And you have absolutely no manners. I don't have time to play games with East Blue trash."
Luffy narrowed his eyes.
BOOM.
It wasn't a physical explosion, but a massive, invisible shockwave of absolute, dominating willpower that erupted from Luffy's core. A wave of Conqueror's Haki, dense and suffocating, washed over the entire restaurant. The air pressure suddenly spiked. The wooden floorboards groaned under the invisible weight. The hanging chandeliers rattled violently, and the glass windows cracked.
Don Krieg's arrogant smirk froze on his face. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. He let out a pathetic, suffocated gasp before his massive, armored body tipped forward, crashing face-first into the wooden floorboards with a deafening thud.
Behind him, Gin, Pearl, and every single one of the fifty starving pirates that had followed Krieg into the restaurant collapsed in perfect unison, foaming at the mouth, their minds entirely shattered by the sheer weight of a Supreme King.
The invisible pressure vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Dead silence reigned in the Baratie.
Sanji, who had just managed to pull himself out of the splintered table, froze. The cigarette fell from his lips, bouncing softly on the floor. He stared at the mountain of unconscious bodies, and then slowly shifted his gaze to the teenage boy in the straw hat.
Up on the second-floor balcony, Zeff, the owner and head chef of the Baratie, narrowed his eyes. The old pirate had sailed the treacherous waters of the Grand Line. He knew exactly what he had just witnessed.
The Color of the Supreme King, Zeff thought, his heart beating a little faster. To possess that kind of will in the East Blue... just who exactly is this kid?
"Well," Luffy said cheerfully, the dark aura vanishing completely as he turned back to Sanji. "Now that the trash is taken out, about you joining my crew..."
Before Luffy could finish his sentence, the entire sea-going restaurant violently lurched sideways. The sound of wood splintering and metal tearing echoed like a thunderclap across the ocean.
Zoro's eyes snapped wide open. His hand immediately clamped down on the hilt of the Wado Ichimonji. The relaxed demeanor he had maintained entirely vanished. "This presence... This killing intent..."
Everyone rushed out the double doors and onto the patio deck.
They looked out toward the ocean, and their breath caught in their throats.
Don Krieg's massive, imposing galleon—the flagship that had survived the Grand Line—was slowly sinking into the water. It hadn't been blasted by a cannon. It had been cleanly, perfectly sliced completely in half down the middle. The cut was so smooth it looked as though it had been carved by a god.
Through the wreckage of the sinking galleon, a tiny, coffin-shaped boat slowly drifted forward. Green flames flickered from candles mounted on the sides.
Sitting in the center of the tiny boat was a man dressed in elegant, gothic clothing, a wide-brimmed hat adorned with a plume casting a dark shadow over his face. The most terrifying feature, however, was the massive, ornate black sword strapped to his back.
He looked up, revealing piercing, hawk-like golden eyes that seemed to cut through the very soul of anyone he looked at.
Zoro stepped forward, pulling his green bandana from his bicep and tying it firmly around his head. A feral, bloodthirsty, and terrifyingly excited smile stretched across his face. The ultimate goal of his entire existence had just sailed into the East Blue.
Dracule Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman, had arrived.