The result was absolute chaos.
Chefs rushed out from every corner of Baratie, shouting, arguing, demanding answers. Smoke still curled into the air where the cannonball had struck. Plates rattled. Tempers flared.
And right there, in the middle of it all—
Luffy bowed.
Deep. Honest. Loud.
"It was me!"
The entire Straw Hat crew face-palmed at the same time.
"WHY would you SAY that?!" Usopp yelled.
Nami pinched the bridge of her nose like she'd aged ten years in one second.
"Luffy… not every situation needs honesty."
Zoro just sighed and took another drink.
The chefs stared. Pirates who admitted fault? That was new.
Then a tall, imposing man with a chef's hat and a peg leg stepped forward—Zeff, the head chef of Baratie. His presence alone silenced everyone.
"So," Zeff said, eyeing Luffy, "you're the idiot who damaged my restaurant."
Luffy grinned. "Yep!"
Zeff didn't laugh.
"To pay for the damage," Zeff continued, "you'll work here until your debt is settled."
That was it.
Final decision.
Before Luffy could even react—
"HEY—WAIT—"
He was grabbed by the collar and dragged straight into the kitchen.
"CONGRATS, STRAWHAT!" a chef shouted.
"YOU'RE A CHORE BOY NOW!"
"HEY! I WAS GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES—NOT A DISHWASHER!"
The doors slammed shut.
♤
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew stayed behind to eat.
After all… free food was free food.
Zoro, Usopp, Nami, Johnny, and Yosaku sat at a table, enjoying the legendary Baratie cuisine.
Up above, in the crow's nest of the Going Merry, the bandaged man never came down.
He simply watched. Silent. Still.
Inside the restaurant, Luffy glared from the kitchen doorway, eyes burning with jealousy as everyone else ate.
"That should be ME," he muttered.
That's when he noticed something.
The Marine from earlier—Fullbody—was inside too, trying to act tough, puffing out his chest like he owned the place.
Before Fullbody could finish bragging—
BAM.
A yellow-haired man in a black suit appeared out of nowhere.
It was Sanji.
With calm precision and a dangerous smile, Sanji utterly humiliated Fullbody—calling him out for wasting food, disrespecting chefs, and acting like trash.
Fullbody didn't stand a chance.
Luffy's eyes sparkled.
"WOAH! He's strong—and he cooks?!"
From that moment on, Luffy wouldn't leave him alone.
"HEY! JOIN MY CREW!"
"YOU'D BE PERFECT!"
"I'LL BE KING OF THE PIRATES!"
Sanji ignored him.
Until—
His eyes landed on Nami.
Time stopped.
Sanji froze.
Then—
❤️ ❤️ ❤️
His eyes turned into hearts.
"My angel… my goddess… my reason for breathing…"
He slid over instantly, took Nami's hand, and started spilling the most dramatic, cringe-filled compliments imaginable.
Usopp gagged.
Sanji leaned closer. "Please, allow me to serve you eternal happiness—and free food—"
Nami smiled sweetly.
Then said casually:
"Oh, you're very kind… but if you get any closer, my husband might misunderstand."
The table went silent.
"…Husband?" Usopp repeated slowly.
Johnny and Yosaku looked around wildly.
"WHERE?!"
"WHO?!"
Sanji shattered on the inside.
"H-HUSBAND?!"
"WHO IS THIS MAN WORTHY OF SUCH BEAUTY?!"
Zoro smirked into his sake.
"He's on the ship. Didn't you notice how he was staring at us earlier?"
Usopp blinked.
"…Wait."
His eyes widened.
"Ohhhhhh. You mean—"
"NAMI—YOUR HUSBAND IS THE BANDAGE MAN?!"
Sanji, Johnny, and Yosaku shouted together:
"THE WHO?!"
Sanji dropped to his knees dramatically.
"Pretty goddess, if he's bullying you I'll—"
BAAAAAAM.
Zeff's kick slammed into Sanji's face, sending him flying across the room.
"Sorry about this," Zeff said calmly.
"The kid's an idiot."
He grabbed Sanji by the collar and dragged him back into the kitchen.
Nami sat frozen.
It was supposed to be a joke.
Just words. A deflection.
But now everyone believed it.
And worse—
She didn't know why her heart felt… strangely unsettled.
♤
After the little commotion settled, the small group—Usopp, Nami, Johnny, Yosaku, and Zoro—went back to enjoying their meals.
For a while, there was only the sound of chewing.
Then Usopp broke the silence.
"Nami," he said casually, stuffing vegetables into his mouth, "you didn't tell me the bandaged man was your husband."
Nami immediately started coughing, grabbing her glass of water.
"W-what—?!"
Zoro smirked, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Big Brother Zoro," Johnny and Yosaku said at the same time, leaning forward, "what do you mean he was on the ship? We never felt anyone nearby."
Zoro took a sip of sake.
"You didn't notice him? That's normal."
Usopp nodded slowly.
"Yeah… he was staring at you from the crow's nest. Maybe the whole time."
He gulped, his voice turning shaky.
"Maybe he's watching to see if anyone touches his wife… and if they do—"
Usopp swallowed hard.
"You'd probably be dead in the blink of an eye."
"W-WHAAAT?!" Johnny shouted.
"Come on, don't joke like that! We're seasoned bounty hunters!"
But Usopp, Nami, and even Zoro stayed silent.
Especially Nami and Zoro.
They had seen what he could do—how he moved, how crazy he was , how he was willing to kill his own life without hesitation. Someone like that wouldn't hesitate when it came to others.
Zoro wasn't afraid.
If anything, something burned in his chest.
A sharp, restless fighting spirit.
He wanted to challenge him.