"What?!" Fullbody exclaimed in shock.
A Marine soldier came running over in a panic. After snapping a salute, he immediately delivered his report.
"Lieutenant! The Krieg Pirates we captured earlier... one of them has escaped!"
"What did you say?!"
"We managed to capture seven of his men, but one of them got away..."
"That's impossible!" Fullbody shouted, clutching his still-bleeding head. "We captured them three days ago! We haven't even fed them since then!"
The moment the name Krieg Pirates was mentioned, the lively atmosphere inside the restaurant vanished.
Several customers exchanged uneasy glances.
Some hurriedly rose from their seats.
A few sailors swallowed nervously, their faces turning pale.
Even the chatter that had filled the dining hall gradually faded, leaving only the faint clinking of cutlery and the distant crash of waves outside.
Just as the suffocating silence settled over the room...
Bang!
A gunshot echoed from the entrance.
Everyone flinched.
A Marine standing by the doorway collapsed forward, his body crashing onto the wooden floor before coming to a complete stop.
A lone man slowly stepped over him.
His movements were heavy and unsteady.
Every step looked as though it might be his last.
His clothes were tattered.
His breathing was ragged, each breath sounding as if it drained the little strength he had left.
His cheeks were sunken.
His lips were cracked.
Dark circles surrounded his hollow eyes, yet within them still burned a stubborn determination that refused to die.
He looked like a corpse that had clawed its way out of the grave.
And yet...
Not a single person dared underestimate him.
"That's..."
"It can't be..."
"Don Krieg..."
Whispers spread throughout the restaurant.
Several customers hurried away from the entrance.
Some even ducked behind their tables.
The atmosphere inside the Baratie turned deathly tense.
The man paid no attention to the fearful stares surrounding him.
After spotting an empty table, he slowly pulled out a chair and let his exhausted body fall into it.
Resting an arm on the table, he struggled to catch his breath.
Then, without even lifting his head, he spoke in a hoarse voice.
"...Anything."
He paused briefly, taking another shallow breath.
"Bring me food."
His gaze slowly swept across the room.
"This is... a restaurant, isn't it?"
Patty approached him with the well-practiced smile of a waiter.
"Welcome, you ba—"
He cleared his throat.
"My apologies."
"Welcome, sir."
"I'm only going to say this once more."
The man slowly raised his head.
"Bring me food."
Patty scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Of course. But... do you have any money?"
No answer came.
Slowly, the man raised a pistol and pressed its barrel against Patty's forehead.
The restaurant fell silent once again.
"Do you want me to shoot you?"
Patty's smile gradually disappeared.
"Oh..."
"So you really don't have any money."
For a brief moment, no one moved.
Several customers held their breath.
Then...
Crash!
Patty slammed both fists down onto the man's head.
His face smashed through the table, reducing it to splinters.
The man's body crumpled onto the floor.
Patty casually blew on his palms.
"If you don't have money..."
"Then you're not a customer."
Without giving him a chance to recover, Patty pummeled him several more times before dragging him toward the entrance.
Cheers immediately erupted throughout the restaurant.
"Beat him up!"
"Throw him out!"
"Don't go easy on him!"
Patty tossed the battered man outside before dusting off his hands.
He then bowed politely toward the customers.
"We sincerely apologize for the disturbance."
"Please continue enjoying your meals."
Little by little, the restaurant returned to life.
Conversations resumed.
Plates clinked together once more.
The aroma of grilled meat and hot soup filled the dining hall again, as though nothing had happened.
However...
From a corner of the room, Luffy noticed someone quietly making his way toward the kitchen.
Sanji.
Luffy raised an eyebrow.
"Hm?"
Without attracting anyone's attention, Sanji opened the kitchen door and disappeared inside.
Curiosity immediately crossed Luffy's face.
"What's he planning to do...?"
Without giving it much thought, Luffy quietly followed Sanji upstairs.
On the second-floor balcony of the Baratie.
A gentle sea breeze drifted through the air, carrying the scent of salt mixed with the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen.
Below, the customers had already resumed chatting, and the clatter of cutlery echoed throughout the restaurant.
The earlier commotion seemed all but forgotten.
Luffy walked along the wooden balcony, searching for Sanji.
But when he happened to glance over the railing...
His eyes stopped.
On the first-floor deck, near the restaurant's railing, a man lay face-down on the wooden planks.
Blood still covered his head.
His breathing was labored.
Every so often, his fingers twitched weakly as he tried to push himself up, only for his exhausted body to collapse again.
Luffy rested both hands on the railing and leaned over slightly.
"Hey... are you hungry?"
Gin tried to lift himself.
His arms trembled violently as they supported his weight, but before he could even get halfway up, all strength left them.
He collapsed onto the deck once more.
"Shut up..."
"I'm not hungry."
Grrrr...
His stomach growled loudly, immediately betraying him.
Moments later, the door on the first floor opened.
Sanji stepped outside carrying a plate of freshly prepared food.
Without saying a word, he walked over to Gin, placed the plate beside him, then sat down with his back against the railing.
A cigarette already rested between his lips.
"Eat."
Gin swallowed hard.
The aroma of warm meat and fresh bread filled his nose.
His fingers slowly reached toward the plate...
...only to stop halfway.
He turned his face away.
"Go away..."
"I don't want food given out of pity."
"Take it away."
Sanji took a slow drag from his cigarette before exhaling toward the sky.
"Quit talking and eat."
To him, Gin's refusal was nothing more than the pride of a starving man.
"As long as you're hungry..."
"You're still a customer."
"I'm... not your customer."
Gin's stomach growled again.
He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to ignore the hunger twisting inside him.
Sanji glanced at him briefly before turning his gaze back toward the sky.
"The sea is vast..."
"And cruel."
"When you lose food and water, pride won't keep you alive."
He fell silent for a moment.
"I know what it's like to starve."
"If you really want to die protecting your pride..."
"Be my guest."
"But if you still want to see tomorrow..."
"Then eat."
Silence settled over the deck.
Gin stared at the plate for a long time.
His hand slowly clenched into a fist...
...before relaxing again.
His lips trembled.
At last, he reached out with both shaking hands and picked up the plate.
His very first bite went straight into his mouth.
Before he could even swallow...
Tears streamed down his face.
"I'm sorry..."
His voice shook.
"I'm sorry... and thank you..."
He kept stuffing food into his mouth without stopping.
"I..."
"I thought..."
"I was going to die."
Tears continued flowing down his cheeks.
"It's delicious..."
"So delicious..."
"I've never eaten anything this good in my entire life."
A faint grin spread across Sanji's face.
"Of course."
"I cooked it."
Suddenly, laughter rang out from above.
"Hahaha!"
Sanji and Gin both looked up.
Luffy stood on the second-floor balcony, a broad grin stretched across his face.
"I found the cook I was looking for!"
Then he turned toward Gin, who was still clutching the plate tightly.
"Good. You finally got something to eat."
Sanji slowly shook his head as he exhaled another puff of smoke.
The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly, whether out of amusement or because he thought the Straw Hat boy was simply hopelessly strange.
"What do you want now, Straw Hat brat?"
Luffy immediately pointed at Sanji.
"Hey, Cook!"
"Join my pirate crew as our cook!"
"Huh?!" Sanji and Gin exclaimed in unison.
***
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