"Hey! Who wants to go become a pirate with you?!" Sanji jumped up and yelled, "I refuse!"
"You refuse?" Luffy glanced at him, crossing his arms. "Then I refuse too."
"What are you refusing?!"
"I refuse your refusal!"
"What?! Are you toying with me?!"
"Sanji, if you don't agree, I'll get a headache," Luffy said, suddenly looking tired. "You don't want the entire Baratie to be flattened, do you?"
Sanji's eyes widened. "What?! You demon?!"
That was the most effective threat for him. To the side, Zeff sighed and said, "In that case, please take this troublesome guy away!"
Sanji was stunned, staring at Zeff in disbelief. He felt like he was being "sold" by his own father. "You old man! You want to kick me out?!"
"That's not up to you, Sanji!" Zeff stared at him coldly. "Because—"
Bang!
Zeff's wooden leg struck Sanji, sending him flying. He roared, "I'm the boss here!"
"Damn it!" Sanji got up, clutching his face.
"You troublemaker! Get lost!" another chef yelled, holding a cleaver. "Our restaurant doesn't need a man with knighthood like you!"
Sanji looked at them. All of their eyes were fierce, full of ridicule. "You guys...!"
Luffy watched everything, a cold smile on his face. 'I heard what I needed to hear.'
He stood up, patted his butt, and walked out. He was full and needed a walk to digest.
"As the owner of this restaurant, I officially announce that from this day forward, you are stripped of your position as sous chef. Pack your things and leave, Sanji!"
Luffy, who was already outside, felt the sea breeze. A few minutes later, Sanji came out angrily, then ran to his room. He came back down, carrying his bags, and strode quickly toward the ship without looking back. However, a boisterous laughter came from inside the restaurant.
"Hahaha... your acting was too much!" "Damn it, you were the first one to break character!" "Quiet, don't let that guy hear us..."
Luffy's ears twitched slightly. A cold smile appeared on his face.
He turned to the churning sea and asked without looking back, "So, are you willing to be my crewmate?"
"Well, I don't have much of a choice now, do I?" At some point, Sanji had changed into a suit and was standing next to Luffy. He leaned against the ship's rail, his hands resting there, looking at Luffy's calm face, his heart a mess.
"Luffy, I'm curious," Sanji lit a cigarette and looked at him. "Someone with your power, why do you insist on messing around with a bunch of 'newbies'?"
He had seen it from the fight with Mihawk. Including Zoro, they were all insignificant in front of Luffy's true power.
"Well... more than power, I value destiny," Luffy replied, his tone slightly teasing. "If I wanted to, everything in this world would eventually belong to me... But that would be too much effort, and I'd miss out on a lot of fun!"
"Besides, who said you guys are newbies? You have a potential that most strong people don't. When the Straw Hat Crew members unleash their power, it's no laughing matter."
Sanji took out his cigarette butt, his eyes fixed on Luffy, silent for a long time.
Finally, he extended his left hand. "Since you don't mind me, then I, the chef of the first and second teams, will take on the responsibility. Please take care of me from now on."