Chapter 43: Krieg Falls
Luffy clenched his fist. The air was thick with tension as Don Krieg, the fearsome leader of the Krieg Pirates, barked orders to his crew. The Baratie, a floating restaurant in the East Blue, had become the latest target of Krieg's ambitions.
Krieg's men were eager, their bloodlust reignited by their captain's words. "With this ship and the logbook the old chef Zeff has of the Grand Line, we will be unstoppable," Krieg proclaimed. "We won't suffer the same defeat we did against Mihawk!"
The pirates, fired up by their captain's vision, swarmed over the Baratie's fins, ready to clash with the cooks who had taken up arms to defend their home. Krieg's gaze locked onto Luffy. "I'll take care of this arrogant boy myself," he sneered.
Luffy turned his attention to Sanji, the sous-chef of the Baratie. "Sanji, can you handle them all?" Luffy asked, his tone serious.
Sanji, usually quick to brag, felt the weight of the situation and audibly swallowed. "I can take on at least three dozen of them," he replied.
Yosaku, standing by Sanji's side, added, "I can take down another twelve at best."
Satisfied, Luffy nodded. "Good. I'll handle Krieg." With that, he turned back to face the pirate captain.
Krieg barely had time to react as Luffy's fist collided with his chest with such ferocity that he went flying into the remains of his old ship. Everyone, including the Krieg Pirates, was stunned by the sheer power of the attack.
Luffy walked over ominously, each step deliberate and powerful. He looked out at the watching cooks, customers, and Krieg Pirates. "Remember the name," he declared. "Monkey D. Luffy. I will be King of the Pirates. Let's do this," he said to Sanji and Yosaku. "Only handle what you can."
With a battle cry, Luffy charged into the crowd of vicious pirates, armed to the teeth. Sanji followed suit, using only his kicks and acrobatics to start fighting the pirates. Each kick was precise and powerful, taking down his opponents with fluid grace. One pirate lunged at him with a sword, but Sanji dodged with a backflip, then spun and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the pirate's head, knocking him out cold. Another pirate tried to attack from behind, but Sanji anticipated it, delivering a high kick that sent the pirate crashing into the deck.
Sanji continued to take down pirates one by one. He leaped into the air, delivering a flying kick to a pirate's face, then spun around to deliver a series of rapid kicks to another pirate's torso. His movements were a blur as he fought with a mix of speed, power, and precision. With each pirate that fell, Sanji's confidence grew, and his kicks became even more devastating.
Yosaku, wielding his sword, charged into the fray. His technique was balanced and strong, though not as intense or polished as Zoro's. He cut down pirates with swift, clean strikes, his blade flashing in the sunlight. One pirate tried to block his attack with a shield, but Yosaku's strength was too much, and the pirate was sent flying. Another pirate came at him with a mace, but Yosaku sidestepped and delivered a powerful slash that cut through the pirate's weapon and armor.
Luffy, with his straw hat on his head, used his rubber powers and martial arts to take down twenty-four pirates. His speed and agility were unmatched, and his movements were a blur of power and precision. He took down two pirates at the same time, twice by delivering powerful punches that sent them flying. He took down three pirates at the same time, three times by using a combination of kicks and punches that left them unconscious on the deck.
Luffy's fighting style was raw and effective. His punches stretched and snapped back with incredible force, each one delivering a devastating blow to his opponents. His kicks were fast and powerful, knocking pirates out with ease. He moved with the grace and speed of someone who had trained his whole life, each move calculated and effective.
In one encounter, two pirates lunged at Luffy simultaneously. He dodged their attacks with ease, delivering a powerful punch to one pirate's stomach that sent him flying into the other. Both pirates crashed into the deck unconscious. In another encounter, three pirates surrounded him, but Luffy was unfazed. He spun around, his arms stretching to deliver a series of rapid punches that took down all three pirates in seconds.
Over the next few minutes, more than ninety percent of the Krieg Pirates were done for. The deck of the Baratie was littered with unconscious pirates, their weapons scattered around them.
Krieg finally emerged from the rubble he had been thrown into, stunned and frustrated to see his men already defeated. "I am Don Krieg!" he roared. "There is no one who can defeat me! My record is perfect. I have never been defeated!"
As he spoke, the gold armor on his chest cracked, and he clutched his chest, groaning in pain. Luffy jumped across the debris, leaving Sanji and Yosaku to deal with the remaining Krieg Pirates who had long lost their motivation to fight.
Luffy stood face to face with Krieg, the two warriors locked in a tense standoff. "Ever wonder why I gave you that plate of food even though I knew you would do this?" Luffy asked, his voice calm and steady.
Krieg, confused and angry, demanded, "Why?"
"To see you at your strongest," Luffy replied. "And I have to say, I'm disappointed. Is this the pinnacle of Don Krieg?" Luffy's expression hardened as he clenched his fist and readied himself.
With a powerful punch, Luffy's fist broke through the gold plate armor and struck Krieg in the chest. Blood dripped from Krieg's mouth as he gasped in pain. The mighty pirate captain fell to his knees, defeated.
Luffy stood tall, his presence commanding and powerful. "Remember the name," he said once more.
As the last of the Krieg Pirates were dealt with by Sanji and Yosaku, the cooks and customers of the Baratie began to cheer. The threat of the Krieg Pirates had been vanquished, and the floating restaurant was safe once more.
Luffy looked down at Krieg as the life faded from his eyes. "Pathetic," he muttered. With a swift, swinging back kick, Luffy took Krieg's head clean off, sending it flying into the sea. The lifeless body of the pirate captain collapsed onto the deck, and with another powerful kick, Luffy sent the body into the ocean to join the head.
Turning back, Luffy saw that Sanji and Yosaku, with the help of the other cooks, had subdued the remaining Krieg Pirates. He jumped across the debris of the cut-apart massive galleon pieces, landing gracefully at the Baratie's fins. The customers and cooks erupted into cheers at the defeat of the fearsome Krieg Pirates.
Luffy walked up to Zeff, the head chef, and bowed his head slightly. "I'm sorry about the mess. I wanted to fight Krieg at his strongest."
Zeff, a seasoned warrior himself, smiled knowingly. "No harm done. You showed great strength and heart."
Luffy then turned to Gin, who stood in stunned silence, his world shattered. "Your loyalty to your captain is something I can respect," Luffy said. "Even if he didn't deserve it. You gave everything for him. That means something."
Gin fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "I've been with Krieg so long, I don't know who I am without him."
"You placed your loyalty in the wrong man," Luffy said, his voice gentle yet firm. "But that doesn't make the loyalty itself wrong. You figure out who you are now. That's your fight."
Gin nodded, seeing the truth in Luffy's words. "Thank you," he whispered.
Luffy reached out a hand to help Gin to his feet. "You find your own path."
Turning back to Sanji, Luffy asked, "Are you ready to depart?"
Before Sanji could answer, Zeff interrupted, "Not so fast. Let us get you a few things for the road as thanks."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "Meat! Can we get meat?"
Zeff laughed heartily. "Of course, we can!"
As the morning hours ticked by and lunch approached, the Baratie returned to its bustling normalcy. The remaining Krieg Pirates were rounded up and tied securely, awaiting their fate. The cooks worked diligently to clean up the debris and repair the damage.
With everything prepared, Luffy, along with his new crewmate Sanji and his friend Yosaku, set sail. The Baratie crew waved them off, cheering and wishing them well on their journey.