"Tea Beard."
Luffy looked up at Tea Beard and said, "You're going to be arrested too?"
They had just become friends, and now the other wasn't even going to be a pirate anymore.
"Haha, yeah."
Tea Beard chuckled as he raised his arm to look at it, saying, "Because we were also secretly subjected to Caesar's poison experiments, it's better for us to leave with the Marines."
"After all... they can treat us."
That was the reason they were willing to leave this place with these Marines.
Even though they would still end up in prison... it was much better than being experimented on by that bastard Caesar, wasn't it!
"I see."
Luffy grinned, showing his teeth. That was indeed a pretty good solution.
Since it was the other's decision, he wouldn't say anything more.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
A Marine nearby glared at Luffy and said, "Straw Hat Boy!"
"Didn't we just say you can't cross this line?!"
"This is the boundary between justice and evil!"
"What's it got to do with me?" Luffy pouted. "You guys made that decision on your own, right?"
He didn't care about things like that anyway.
Marine:
Well, that was true, but couldn't he at least save a little face for them, the Marines?
So awkward...
"Anyway... thank you, Straw Hat Boy." Tea Beard smiled at Luffy and said, "That punch you gave Caesar was so satisfying~"
"Hahahaha!"
That punch had really cleared his mind and lifted his spirits.
To this, Luffy just grinned and didn't say anything more.
"Looks like Luffy's having a pretty good chat with him," Franky said.
Did he make friends with this Tea Beard too?
"Isn't Luffy best at making friends with all sorts of strange people or creatures?" Nico Robin said with a chuckle.
Franky blinked, then nodded in agreement. "That's really true."
Luffy really had a special kind of magic about him, able to befriend all kinds of creatures.
In a way, their captain was truly amazing~
Usopp smiled as he listened to their conversation, then turned to look at Sanji and said, "Sanji, isn't it ready yet?"
He felt really hungry right now.
Especially after smelling the food, that feeling grew even stronger.
"Don't rush~"
Sanji, holding a huge spice bottle, grinned and said, "You'll be able to eat soon."
Today, he'd let these guys taste the power of the New Kamabakka Kung Fu Secret Technique: 99 Life Maps!
With that, Sanji set the spice aside, picked up a huge ladle, and began stirring the pot.
A moment later, Sanji said, "Alright, it's ready to eat."
"If you haven't eaten for a few days, it's best to start with some soup."
"Haven't eaten for a few days?"
Usopp's head immediately sprouted several question marks. Was there someone among them who hadn't eaten for days?
It didn't seem so.
"Sanji must be talking about that samurai," Franky said.
That samurai couldn't eat after being cut apart, so it was normal for him to have been starving for a long time.
"Oh, I see."
Usopp wore an expression of sudden understanding. No wonder Sanji had made this pot of soup—it was because of that samurai, right?
"Tch, this Hormone Sea Pig Soup is to help everyone recover their strength," Sanji said, curling his lip. "It's not because of him."
Drinking soup to warm up was best in this harsh winter, and that was why he had made this pot of soup.
As for Kin'emon?
That bastard was just an afterthought.
Usopp blinked at these words. Was that really the case?
But he couldn't help feeling that Sanji was doing it on purpose, after all... he was a cook who couldn't stand seeing others go hungry!
Thinking this, a smile appeared on Usopp's face.
Still, he didn't voice his thoughts. He had to leave Sanji some face, didn't he?
"Hey, Luffy, the food's ready," Sanji said, glancing at Luffy. "Come and eat."
This time, Sanji's words were clearly not meant for Luffy alone.
"Alright!"
Luffy grinned, showing his teeth, then turned to Tea Beard and said, "Let's go, we're eating."
"Do I get some too?"
Tea Beard wore a look of surprise. Did a prisoner like him get to eat as well?
"Of course."
Luffy laughed. "Our cook really can't stand seeing others go hungry."
That guy Sanji was even willing to let enemies eat their fill before beating them up, so it was definitely fine!
"Thank you, then."
Tea Beard smiled and followed Luffy toward Sanji.
Meanwhile, the children, led by Chopper, also made their way over.
"Everyone line up," Sanji said to the children with a gentle smile. "There's enough for everyone!"
This time, he hadn't just made a pot of soup but also plenty of hearty dishes, enough to fill everyone present.
"Thank goodness Merry's pockets had enough ingredients," Sanji thought to himself.
Otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to prepare food for so many people.
"This meat is so delicious!"
Luffy, holding a piece with bone, said excitedly, "Sanji, what is this?"
"Ah, that's the dragon you hunted earlier."
Sanji, lighting a cigarette for himself, grinned. "How is it? Tastes good, right?"
This time, he had added a ton of seasonings!
"So good!"
"Way better than what we ate before," Luffy said.
The meat Meiser grilled was pretty tasty too, but compared to Sanji's cooking, it still fell short.
Hearing Luffy's words, Meiser instinctively rolled his eyes.
He wasn't a professional cook—how could he compare to a high-level chef like Sanji?
Whatever, no point arguing with this meat-obsessed idiot.
Shaking his head, Meiser picked up two bowls and ladled soup into them.
Then, he handed the soup in his hand to Law beside him and said, "Here, have something to eat. We can talk about whatever's going on after the meal."
Law, who had been about to say something to Luffy, paused for a moment, a flicker of helplessness flashing in his eyes.
Was this really the time to be leisurely eating a meal?
Doflamingo and Smoker could show up at any moment.
But when he saw the reactions of Luffy and the others, Law fell silent again.
If he spoke up now and told everyone to leave immediately, they probably wouldn't agree anyway.
Thinking this, Law sighed and took the bowl of soup from Meiser's hand.
"Alright, stop overthinking it," Meiser said. "Even if that guy really does show up, there's no need for us to be afraid."
Although he didn't know exactly how strong Smoker had become after being promoted to Vice Admiral, he wasn't even afraid of Admirals, so there was no reason to fear that guy.
Hearing this, Law pursed his lips. It wasn't just Smoker who might come...
Well, what's done is done. Might as well eat first.
Shaking his head, Law lowered his gaze and began drinking the soup.
"Hmm?"
After taking a sip, Law's eyes lit up.
Was this dish really this delicious?
"It's delicious, right~"
Meiser, also holding a bowl of soup, said with a cheerful smile, "Sanji's cooking skills are top-notch!"
Law nodded in agreement. Even he had to admit that Black Leg's culinary skills were impressive.
Seeing this, Meiser grinned and then called out, "Hey, Sanji, I want some meat too!"
"Get it yourself, you bastard!" Sanji roared, opening his Shark Mouth.
But after shouting, he still walked over to where the grilled Dragon Meat was set aside.
Just then, the Marines approached with their bowls, their expressions turning a bit cheeky.
"Black Leg, big bro, let us have some too~"
"What happened to the boundary line you guys drew?" Sanji said irritably. "Weren't you just saying you wanted to draw a clear line between us and you pirates~"
As he spoke, Sanji glanced at the dividing line on the ground between the Marines and the pirates.
Such a childish move...
"Hehe~"
"Black Leg, big bro, the fight's over~"
Sanji rolled his eyes at this. He really couldn't do anything with these guys.
"Go serve yourselves some soup," Sanji said, pointing to the pot of broth. "That should be enough for all of us."
"Yes, sir!"
The Marines, having received their orders, immediately headed in the direction Sanji pointed and began lining up one by one under Usopp's direction to receive their portions.
Meanwhile, Sanji picked up two servings of meat and walked over to Meiser and Law.
When he reached them, Sanji handed the dishes to the two of them and asked, "How are the children doing?"
Meiser, casually tossing a piece of meat into his mouth, replied, "Law's Technique is still pretty good, so the children are basically fine now."
"All that's left is a long period of rest and recovery."
As for how long that recovery would take, he didn't know, since neither Law nor Chopper had mentioned it.
But he guessed it wouldn't be short.
"That's good," Sanji said with a sigh of relief.
He could rest easy knowing the children were safe.
Then, Sanji turned and walked away, clearly intending to get food for Nami and the others.
After watching Sanji leave, Meiser turned his gaze to Baby 5 and Buffalo and said, "How do you plan to deal with these two?"
Since Law had earlier insisted on keeping them alive, he was curious about Law's intentions.
"These two..."
Law fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then replied, "I plan to use their heads to send a message to that guy."
"That guy?"
"It's Doflamingo, right?" Meiser said.
When they were in the S.A.D. Production Room, they had heard Doflamingo's voice, so he concluded that Law intended to convey some message to Doflamingo.
"Yes, exactly, that guy." Law nodded openly.
Since the other party had already figured most of it out, there was nothing he couldn't say.
Meiser pondered for a moment, then asked curiously, "What exactly are you planning to do?"
"I'll tell you everything once we finish here," Law said. "There are too many people around."
The alliance could be revealed to these Marines, as it was no longer something they needed to hide.
But their plans to deal with Doflamingo and Kaido could not be exposed!
Otherwise... it would affect their upcoming battle strategy!
That was not what Law wanted, so he had no intention of speaking about it here.
"Alright, fine."
Seeing that Law wasn't willing to talk now, Meiser didn't press further.
After all, he would find out once they returned to the ship. There was no rush.
Then, Meiser looked in the direction where Merry and the others had left, thinking to himself: It's been so long, and they still haven't returned...
Did something happen?
But since there were no particularly loud noises from that direction, it likely meant no battle had broken out.
With that thought, Meiser withdrew his gaze, deciding to fill his stomach first.
Soon, with the efforts of the two, all the food in front of them was completely devoured.
After letting out a satisfied burp, Meiser patted his stomach and said, "What a treat~"
Sanji's cooking was truly delicious!
If Uncle Rayleigh were here, he'd probably drink several more bottles of wine! Meiser thought to himself.
At this thought, a smile appeared on Meiser's face.
Just then, Law put down his empty bowl and walked step by step toward Baby 5.
This time, Meiser didn't get up. He simply squinted his eyes, watching Law's back, lost in thought.
"Law..."
Baby 5 opened her eyes and glanced at Law, saying, "I never thought you'd really betray the Young Master..."
"Why?"
They had all grown up together in the Donquixote Family, so why would Law betray them?
She could never understand this.
Buffalo also frowned as he looked at Law, equally puzzled.
Could it be because he was beaten too badly in the past?
But that didn't make sense. He and Baby 5 had also been beaten often, yet they had stayed faithfully in the family.
But Law...
What was his reason?
"Betray?"
Law looked expressionlessly at Baby 5 and said, "If you knew what I've been through, you wouldn't say such things."
At this moment, the scene of Mr. Corazon's death replayed vividly in his mind once again.
It was precisely because of this image that veins bulged on Law's face, clearly showing his intense anger.
Baby 5: ??
She had only asked a single question—was it really necessary to get this angry?
Was this guy going to beat her up over it?
Thinking this, Baby 5 nervously shuffled backward.
Buffalo, however, showed no trace of fear.
"Law!"
"Don't think that just because you've teamed up with the Straw Hat Crew, you can defy the Young Master!"
"Once the Young Master arrives, you'll still die!"
By the end, Buffalo's eyes were filled with ferocity.
"Is that so?"
Law sneered, "Then before that, you can experience the feeling of death first."
"ROOM!"
"Slaughterhouse!"
"Gah!"
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