Journey to Raftel Chapter 6 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Journey to Raftel! Now that the Adventuring Crew has the Going Merry as their own ship, they need to properly staff it! That means a cook! Also, a doctor, a gunner, a shipwright, and if Luffy has his way, a musician! Because voyages are better with music and singing!

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 6 – Bounty Hunter Duo, Sea-Faring Restaurant

It had been about four days since the Adventuring Crew had departed Syrup Village. Every single day was filled with training and the ‘light’ workouts were still absolutely ridiculous in Nami’s opinion. Zoro was seemingly taking it as a challenge. The green-haired man wanted to move onto actual workouts and not the ‘light stuff’ as he called it. The crew didn’t have an exact destination in mind, but Nami was keeping them from heading towards Cocoyashi just yet.

‘I’m not ready yet…’ Nami admitted to herself as she felt out the power of her Devil Fruit within. ‘I just need more time to practice and get this power under control.’ She sighed pleasantly all the same as she leaned back and let the warm water of the bath soothe her body. ‘This is the best.’ The Navigator hummed as she rested her head back on Luffy’s shoulder. Their relationship had progressed at a good clip, but Nami felt comfortable with it. The feeling of Luffy’s strong body against her back was enjoyable. The way her Captain enjoyed massaging and fondling her breasts while they relaxed in the bath together only made it better.

“We’ll practice with your Devil Fruit after this, okay Nami?” Luffy asked, even as his hands cupped her girls and his fingers began to play with her nipples again. He really enjoyed touching Nami. Hearing her make those pleased moans always brought a smile to his face and a fire to his body.

“Mmm~” Nami moaned lowly at his touch. “Yeah…that sounds good.” She grinned lazily as she felt his hardness against her. She’d have to make sure to take care of that before they left the private bathroom in the Captain’s Quarters. It was only fair after all.

-Late Afternoon-

“You’re doing great, Nami!” Luffy praised and the orangette let a smile cross her lips.

She was focusing, keeping her power under control as a ring of fire encircled her, slowly rotating in midair. Her eyes were glowing with the inner light, and she felt the flames wisping through her hair, but she was maintaining control of her Devil Fruit. As she progressed a little more each day, Nami was coming to a better understanding of her new power. Once she was comfortable with her fire, she’d have Luffy help her tap into the wind aspect of her Devil Fruit. Since his own was able to control the wind and whip up storms, he should have at least some advice for her. After that she’d have to slowly and carefully get control of the lava aspect of her Devil Fruit. That would be the absolute most dangerous power to use on a ship. One mistake and the Going Merry would be nothing more than burnt wreckage sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

“Flag!” The Luffy copy manning the crow’s nest called out. “Orange Distress Flag spotted off the starboard side!”

“Huh?” Luffy blinked and Nami drew in her Devil Fruit as she stood up.

The ring of fire disappeared as Nami’s eyes stopped glowing and the flames vanished from her hair. “Let’s go check it out.” The Navigator was heading down to the main deck quickly. Luffy followed behind her to check out the situation.

On a small outcropping of rock in the middle of the sea, a man could be spotted waving an orange flag. Luffy directed his copies to turn the Going Merry to starboard. As the ship sailed closer to the rock, the Adventurers noticed a small boat moored to the stone. As they got closer and could get a better look at the man, it was Zoro that spoke up.

“Johnny? Is that you?” Zoro questioned as he finally recognized the guy. Johnny wore a blue jacket, white pants, with sunglasses over his eyes and a sword at his waist. He lowered the orange distress flag he’d been waving when he heard Zoro’s question.

“B-bro?” Johnny stumbled over his words in shock as he saw his former bounty hunting associate.

“Where’s Yosaku? Aren’t you two still partners?” Zoro asked as Johnny put down the orange flag.

“It’s terrible, bro!” Johnny cried as he turned to Zoro. “Yosaku suddenly started feeling ill a few days ago. Then some of his old wounds re-opened and a few teeth fell out. I found this small patch of rock while we were sailing and let him rest here. Then I saw this ship approaching and thought I could ask for some medicine for Yosaku. What are you doing here, bro?”

“Go get Yosaku; I’m sure Luffy won’t mind bringing him on board if he’s as bad as you say.” Zoro ordered Johnny after Luffy shrugged and gave the go ahead. In only a few minutes, Yosaku was laid out on some spare bedding in the shade on deck. Nami looked the man over before asking Johnny a question.

“What do you guys normally eat while sailing?” Nami inquired and Johnny looked at her confused for a moment.

“You know; regular stuff that lasts for a while. Smoked and salted meat, fish that we can catch sometimes, stuff like that.” Johnny replied and Nami cocked an eyebrow.

“When was the last time you two ate fruits or vegetables?” Nami questioned and Johnny stopped to think for a moment.

“It’s been a while; we’ve been having a hard time tracking down worthwhile bounties these last couple months. So, we’ve only been eating two meals a day at best. Then we got caught up in the tail end of a storm and the squall pushed us way off our course so our food ran out the other day. Thankfully we still had our water and rum though, couldn’t imagine either of us even making it this far without the booze.” Johnny grinned only for Nami to smack him upside the head.

“You idiots! You have to eat right if you want to sail the sea! Your friend has scurvy! Drinking alcohol makes it worse!” Nami yelled at the hapless bounty hunter. “Luffy go get a couple bottles of lime juice from the kitchen, both of these idiots need plenty of vitamin C for the next week or so.”

“Okay.” Luffy nodded and quickly went to grab the juice.

“How in the hell are you two still alive?” Zoro sighed while shaking his head.

“Sorry, bro.” Johnny looked down in shame. Within a few minutes both Johnny and Yosaku were drinking from their own bottles of lime juice. Yosaku had awoken and tried to sit up only for Zoro to force him to stay down. The ill bounty hunter would need at least a week of extra vitamin C before he’d be well enough to even move about regularly.

“This is why we need a professional cook.” Nami looked grim after the two bounty hunters were given temporary lodging in the men’s quarters. The crew of three were sitting in the lounge/helm/kitchen cabin as they planned.

“Yeah, but we still have no idea where to find a professional cook that can live the ‘Adventurer’ life.” Zoro reminded the fiery woman.

“You need a cook that can fight?” Johnny asked as he walked into the cabin, his own bottle of lime juice in hand. “I know a place full of them!”

“Where’s that?” Luffy asked, his curiosity peaked.

“The sea-faring restaurant, Baratie!” Johnny exclaimed with a wide smile. “It’s full of tough cooks that fight off even pirates! They serve anybody as long as you can pay for your meal. Pirate, Bounty Hunter, Marine, Merchant, Civilian, doesn’t matter to those cooks!”

“Is the food good?” Luffy asked and Johnny chuckled.

“The best food I’ve ever eaten in my whole life!” Johnny proclaimed and Luffy’s eyes sparkled at the declaration.

“Do you know where it is?” Nami questioned him curiously. Since the bounty hunters had been blown off course, they might not know which way to go.

“Yeah, I was able to confirm our general area last night because the sky was clear and I could finally see all the stars. Feel free to confirm my positioning, but if we sail south-west from this area, we’ll spot it in about five or six days.” Johnny explained as he pulled a folded map from inside his jacket and laid it out. “It’s somewhat close to the entrance to the Grand Line so a lot of strong pirates pass through those waters. Apparently a ‘hawk-eyed’ man has been seen at the restaurant before too.” Johnny mentioned looking directly at Zoro.

“You don’t say.” Zoro grinned; his eyes full of determination.

“Alright! Nami set a course for this Baratie place! Let’s get ourselves some good food!” Luffy cheered while Nami grinned playfully at him.

“And a professional cook that can fight, remember?” Nami reminded him, making Luffy laugh.

“Shishishishi, that too!” Luffy smiled as his copies quickly heeded the Navigator’s instructions and adjusted their course. Next stop, the sea-going restaurant Baratie!

-Six Days Later-

Luffy was a monster.

That was the consensus that Nami, Zoro, Johnny, and Yosaku, had all come to.

Every day he increased his crews’ training a bit more. More laps around the ship, more repetitions with whatever heavy objects they could use as weights, higher reps with their physical exercises, and longer sparring sessions. No one was spared from the training. Nami almost always felt like hell afterwards and even Zoro was left sore and panting by the end.

But neither of them could speak out against their Captain’s methods. Not with the results already starting to show themselves. Nami used to struggle to get through the ‘light’ daily training when they first started. Now she could consistently finish it and have enough energy left over to not collapse. She also noticed that her body, while still soft and feminine, had a bit more strength behind it. She could keep up the intense activity for far longer than she ever would have believed.

‘He’s a monster…but he’s my monster.’ Nami grinned to herself as she watched Zoro and Luffy spar. She was trying to take her mind off the soreness of her body after her own sparring session. Even with her Devil Fruit, Nami could only land a hit on Luffy if he chose to block or parry instead of dodge. His martial skills were just on a level so far above her own that it wasn’t even a contest.

Zoro huffed and puffed around the handle of Wado Ichimonji. Luffy stood across from him, staff in hand and a smile on his face. As it turned out, being trained by Marine Hero, Garp ‘The Fist’ made Luffy an insanely strong fighter. Even against all three of Zoro’s swords, Luffy could block, parry, and attack with his staff without trouble. His skills with the staff were to be admired.

“Gah!” Zoro grunted as Luffy's staff knocked the two swords he held aside. A dull thud rang across the deck as Luffy's knee struck his stomach and almost lifted him off his feet. With a growl he brought both swords back around in a dual swipe, aiming for his Captain's neck.

Luffy maintained his massive grin as he blocked the blades easily. He lifted his right leg and kicked towards Zoro’s stomach. The swordsman barely had time to raise his own leg to block the kick and was still sent skidding across the deck from the force. Zoro grunted from the blow before swinging the sword in his right hand so fast it was barely visible. From the swing a wave of displaced air made an arc towards Luffy. The straw-hatted man grinned as he side-stepped the arc, leaving him unharmed. “Shishishishi, you're getting better at those, Zoro.”

“Thanks Captain.” Zoro said clearly, despite the sword handle in his mouth. The swordsman was panting from the intensity of their spar. He was covered in sweat and if he were a weaker man, he would’ve no doubt collapsed a while ago. Zoro had a tired, but happy grin on his face regardless of his bruises and soreness. Ever since the crew had started Luffy’s training, Zoro could feel himself growing stronger by the day. He’d even managed to perform a ‘Flying Cut’ for the first time in his life thanks to the training Luffy was putting them through. Sure, it was rough as all hell, and didn’t fly more than a couple meters, but it was visible progress that Zoro was happy to see. He’d felt like he’d plateaued for a long time over the past year.

Johnny and Yosaku had both been watching the spar alongside Nami. Both of the bounty hunters had a lime juice bottle in hand and wide eyes with their mouths hanging open in shock. “Big bro Zoro is so strong…and he can't even land a good hit on Bro Luffy.” Johnny muttered, and Yosaku could only nodded in agreement.

“Nice job you two! Shishishishi!” Luffy called a stop to the day’s practice with a laugh. Zoro sighed as he sheathed Wado and his two nameless swords. He went to get some water from the kitchen to cool down. Nami pushed herself off the railing she’d been leaning against. She also had some light bruises from her earlier spar with Luffy. But she was sure they’d fade in a little while. Luffy seemed to have an instinct about just how much each of them could take. Nami wasn’t sure if that was just from years of training, his Devil Fruit, or just an innate sense that Luffy possessed, but she thanked all that was good in the world for it.

“He sparred with both of them and he’s not even breathing hard.” Yosaku was in awe and also feeling pretty intimidated. Johnny was in complete agreement with his partner. What they’d just seen was absolutely nuts!

“Shishishishi.” Luffy looked rather amused at the state of his two nakama, though he was also proud of them. Zoro was pretty strong when they’d met. But Nami had truly started to grow into her own strength. It was great to see and Luffy was happy to help her grow. “Hey, you two!” Both bounty hunters stood up quickly under Luffy’s gaze. “How close are we to this restaurant?” He asked with a slight tilt of his head.

“About four hours or so, give or take!” Johnny replied after doing a rough estimation in his head based on their last position check and the length of time they’d been sailing.

“Great! That's enough time to have a nice, long soak in the bath.” Nami grinned happily, eager to hop into a hot, relaxing bath. “Luffy, I’m borrowing the Master Bath.” She informed her Captain as she made her way to her room to grab a change of clothes.

“Ok, Nami.” Luffy smiled as he watched Zoro head for the main bathroom to wash the sweat off. The swordsman would probably be napping until they got to the restaurant if Luffy had to guess.

“Come on, Luffy!” Nami called out as she came out of the Women’s Quarters with her change of clothes. She gave him a seductive look as she headed for the Captain’s Quarters.

“Shishishishi!” Luffy was quick to follow after Nami with a grin.

“Bro Luffy is so lucky…” Johnny had crocodile tears running down his face.

“I’m so envious…” Yosaku also had twin streams of tears running down his cheeks.

-A Few Hours Later-

“Big bro Zoro! Bro Luffy! Bro Nami!” The two bounty hunters called out. “We're here!” Both men met the deck face-first courtesy of Nami’s fists.

“Stop calling me 'bro' damn it!” Nami growled at the downed bounty hunters, both of whom now sported large smoking lumps on their heads. Honestly, six days with these two idiots and they still wouldn’t stop with the ‘bro’ stuff. Still, the two had alerted everyone and the small Adventuring crew stood on deck for their first look at the Sea-Faring Restaurant, Baratie.

It was an odd-looking boat to say the least. It was bigger than the Going Merry, with three visible decks and four separate levels. It had normal enough masts and was oval-shaped when viewed from above, but what made the restaurant ship unique was the gaping fish head figurehead along with a matching tail at the opposite end of the ship.

“Fish Ship!” All of the Luffy copies exclaimed in unison.

“Wow!” Nami giggled as she took in the restaurant ship. “It’s a…unique design.”

“It’s a giant fish!” Luffy laughed while pointing at the Baratie.

Zoro was the only one looking even slightly calm, simply raising an eyebrow at the design of the other ship.

“Marine vessel, starboard side!” The Luffy copy in the crow’s nest called out.

Luffy glanced over and spotted the Marine ship sailing closer towards them. It was obvious the other vessel was heading for Baratie too. Everyone on board the Going Merry watched as the Marine ship slowly pulled up alongside them.

“Yeah, we told you guys, remember? All sorts come to the Baratie to eat. They’ll serve anyone that can pay.” Yosaku reminded as he and Johnny looked over the other ship. The two bounty hunters hoped there wouldn’t be any trouble. Some Marines didn’t care much for bounty hunters.

A Marine dressed in formal wear stepped out on deck as the two ships sailed next to each other. He had a pale, pinstripe suit on, bolts attached to his knuckles, pink hair running past his ears, and a scar on his cheek. He looked at the other ship for a long moment. Not spotting any obvious Pirate markings or a Jolly Roger, he decided to get some information.

“Hmm…who’re these people?” The suited Marine questioned calmly, “I'm Marine Lieutenant ‘Iron Fist’ Fullbody. Who is the Captain of this vessel?” He raised his voice in a show of authority.

“That would be me, I'm Luffy.” Luffy answered without a care in the world.

Fullbody's eyebrow rose as he caught sight of Johnny and Yosaku on the deck. “Wait, I've seen you two before. Yeah, you've skulked around some of the bounty offices in the past.” He wasn't showing much emotion, but the tone of his voice was incredibly condescending, “So you two small-timers finally got yourselves some partners to pull your weight, huh?”

“Small-timers?” Yosaku repeated with a grimace.

“Hey Yosaku, I think this bro is sticking it to us.” Johnny stated, his mouth hidden behind his fist.

“We can't let some bastard go around calling us 'small time' now, can we?” Yosaku asked as he took a drag from his cigarette. “It's not going to earn us a single Beri, but I think we ought to teach this punk how to keep his mouth shut.”

“You cocky little shit!” The duo roared as they leapt from the Going Merry with their blades drawn. Several swift punches from Fullbody later and the two idiots were tossed back onto the ship. Johnny's face was bruised and full of swollen lumps, and his nose was bleeding. Yosaku’s nose was bleeding as well, and it looked like he might have lost a tooth. “Al-almost…had him…” The two bounty hunters groaned.

“Man, you guys kinda suck.” Luffy commented, looking down at the beaten pair. It was becoming an even bigger mystery as to how Zoro had put up with these two long enough to learn their names.

“N-no…he’s just…not too shabby either.” The pair groaned. “It…w-was a close one.”

“It really wasn’t.” Nami deadpanned looking at the pair of idiots.

“Darling, stop beating on these nobodies. You promised me a good dinner.” A lovely woman stepped out of the Marine ship, wearing a fancy red dress with her blonde hair styled.

“Ah yes.” Fullbody finally showed some emotion, allowing the pretty blonde to take his arm. He called back to the crew on the Going Merry, “Consider yourselves lucky, punks! I'm on vacation today, so I'm just here for some good food and my lovely lady. The next time you come at a Marine Officer like that, I’ll arrest you all and throw away the key.” Fullbody and his date were off the Marine ship in only a few moments and heading into the restaurant.

“Well, isn’t he pleasant.” Nami remarked, unimpressed by the Marine Lieutenant.

-Inside the Baratie-

The crew, plus Johnny and Yosaku, entered the floating restaurant to the smell of great food. All five quickly found a table and sat down. Luffy glanced over and noticed Fullbody and his date sitting on the opposite side of the dining area from them. Hopefully they wouldn’t be bothered by the Marine while they ate. He felt someone looking his way and when he turned to look, he saw a blonde man in a black suit staring at their table.

The moment Sanji, Sous Chef of Baratie, laid his eyes on Nami they immediately turned into hearts, and practically leaped out of his head. He appeared to wiggle, like a noodle, over to their table rapidly.

“Oh, blessed are the oceans for this day!” Sanji exclaimed as he got on bended knee and bowed to the orangette woman; who suddenly had a wicked, greedy smirk on her face as she smelled an easy mark. "Oh, Blessed Goddess, thank you for gracing our restaurant with your beauty this day!”

“Oh, thank you so much, Sous Chef!” Nami clapped her hands together with a wide, pleased smile. She’d been lucky enough to overhear the blonde man’s title as they were walking through the restaurant to their table. Sanji, if possible, looked even more love-struck by her words and the fact that she knew his proper title. She put on the act of a fangirl meeting her idol and did it fabulously. “I'm afraid the food here might be a little too expensive for me though…” She trailed off leadingly, her hand gently resting on his cheek.

“Please, a beautiful goddess such as yourself has no need to pay for your meal. I would be more than delighted to serve you for free.” Sanji smiled winningly.

“Ah, thank you so much!” Nami smiled as she gave him a hug. Luffy was eyeing them and trying not to laugh as Nami played the blonde man like a fiddle. His own inner prankster was practically howling with laughter already. Nami, seeing her plan had succeeded, quickly placed her order. “Oh, Sous Chef, it all looks so good. I’d love to try all of it.” She sent a wink at Luffy and he was barely able to hold back his laughter with a small snort. Several minutes later, both Nami and Luffy were happily eating from the large number of plates that Sanji had brought to their table. The couple found all of the food to be beyond delicious.

“Hey, buddy?!” Johnny spoke up loudly, clearly annoyed that the blonde hadn’t even bothered to take anyone else’s order. “Serve the rest of us as well, bro!”

“I already gave you your tea. Show some gratitude, you little punk.” Sanji's happy expression from serving Nami disappeared as he turned to face Johnny.

“You looking to start something?” Yosaku glared at the blonde, even as something inside told him the other man was a lot stronger than him. “We won't go easy on you! Let’s get him, big bro Zoro!”

“Fight your own battles.” Zoro drawled while lazily sipping his tea. “Pretty good tea.”

“Delicious!” Nami exclaimed after having tasted all of the dishes Sanji had brought out. She shared it all with Luffy, of course. Her lover ate entire platefuls as soon as Nami had taken what she wanted from them. She looked at the two arguing men before breaking out her acting skills again. “Hey, you two, please don't fight at the table.” She asked with her pretty eyes welling up with tears.

“I just want him to take our orders!” Yosaku pointed at Sanji accusingly. Johnny nodding along with his partner in agreement.

“Anything for you, miss!” Sanji was back into love-mode, hearts for eyes and all.

“Pervert.” Zoro muttered as he sipped his tea.

Once Sanji had actually taken Johnny, Yosaku, and Zoro’s orders and returned with their food, almost everything was forgiven. They were all amazed by how delicious the food was. When asked who made it, Sanji informed them that he’d cooked everything himself. Luffy was gorging himself on all the different meats, after Nami had gotten her fill. A fact that wasn’t lost on the orangette as she watched him shamelessly swipe food from both Yosaku’s and Johnny’s plates. Much to the squawking of the two bounty hunters. Sanji wanted to say something about the straw-hatted man eating the food Nami had ordered. But he couldn't as Nami was happily sharing everything with Luffy.

“It’s so good!” Luffy exclaimed happily. “This is the best food I've ever eaten!” The rest of the table echoed the praise, putting a proud smirk onto Sanji's face. He was still miffed over Luffy eating the food he had cooked specifically for Nami, but the honest praise of his cooking skills had earned straw-hatted man a small pass.

“Oh waiter!” Fullbody suddenly called from across the dining area.

“I believe I've already told you I'm not a waiter.” Sanji growled as he stalked over to the table. He turned to Fullbody's date before speaking again. “My, how beautiful you are. Would you like to share a glass of fine wine over there? We have an excellent selection.” The blonde woman blushed faintly and deferred with a giggling laugh.

“Hey, just what do you think this disgusting bug is doing in my soup, waiter?” Fullbody demanded while grinding his teeth at the shamelessness of the blonde waiter. Outwardly, Fullbody was angry, but stone faced. Inwardly, however, he was smirking smugly at his plan to get Sanji fired by putting the bug in his own soup.

“I hardly claim to be an expert on insects, but if I had to guess? I would say the backstroke.” Sanji replied as he took a drag from his cigarette. The entire restaurant burst out laughing, while Fullbody grew increasingly red.

“Don’t fuck with me!” Fullbody roared as he shot to his feet while his iron-studded fist broke both the dish and the table into pieces, sending them clattering to the floor. Most of the room gasped, while his date backed away with a shriek. “You don't seem to have any idea who you're messing with.” He growled, clenching his iron-knuckled fist in front of him.

“All you had to do was remove the bug you put in it, and the soup would have been edible.” Sanji's eyes were shadowed by his hair.

“You're really fucking full of yourself for a damn cook, aren't you! I'm a paying customer!” Fullbody bellowed as a vein bulged on his forehead.

“I spent three days and nights on this soup.” Sanji rumbled as he got on one knee and picked up the shattered pieces of plate. “Can money fill your stomach?” He demanded with violence in his tone.

“Stop the Sous Chef!” One of the other cooks currently helping with the serving duties called out, but it was too late.

Fullbody charged, and seconds later was absolutely covered in blood. Sanji’s nice dress shoes had simply been a flash as he rapidly kicked Fullbody while his horrified date looked on. The Marine’s suit was completely ruined by the blood falling from his busted lip and broken nose. Before Fullbody could fall to the floor, Sanji caught him by his collar and lifted him with one hand.

“Going against a Chef of the Sea is tantamount to suicide.” Sanji stated, but with the state he was in Fullbody probably didn’t hear him. “Don’t you dare waste food, you damn imbecile.”

Zoro sighed at the scene, before he slowly turned his head towards Luffy. He didn't even try to hide the loud exhale he let out. Luffy practically had stars in his eyes as he watched Sanji. Zoro shook his head in exasperation. “Of all the cooks in this damn restaurant, of course we’d end up taking the perverted one.”

“Sanji…what are you doing?” Every head in the restaurant turned to look at the speaker. It was a slim young woman with shoulder-length pink hair covering her right eye and curling upwards at the tips. She had purple eyes and was wearing light-pink lipstick. Just like Sanji, she had distinctive curly eyebrows that form a spiral resembling the number six. Her figure was hourglass, with wide hips, a trim waist, and a large bosom complimenting each other. In her attire, a long-sleeved, white button-up shirt with a black vest over it and a matching short skirt that revealed everything below mid-thigh, she was clearly part of the staff.

“Reiju,” Sanji looked over his shoulder at the approaching woman, still holding Fullbody up by the neck. “He dared waste our precious food and insulted a cook. I just taught him some manners, that’s all.”

“You do realize that he’s a Marine Lieutenant, yes?” Reiju asked with a raised eyebrow.

“What about it?” Sanji carelessly tossed Fullbody away before taking a drag from his cigarette.

“How do you think Owner Zeff is going to feel about this?” Reiju questioned with a cool tone. Anyone with even a modicum of situational awareness could tell this type of conversation had been had countless times before.

“What the hell is wrong with this place? They’re just like pirates! How can you mistreat your customers like this?!” Fullbody yelled furiously as he struggled to sit up. “I’ll report this place to headquarters and have you shut down! Do you hear me?”

“You’re going to shut us down huh? Well, I’m afraid that leaves me no choice but to kill you.” Sanji declared as he turned to face Fullbody looking stone-faced, but with fury practically wafting off him. Even Reiju’s purple eyes had gone cold and dangerous as she glared down at the Marine on the floor.

“What!?” Fullbody choked out.

“It just gets me so angry…” Sanji began at a normal tone, but his volume rapidly increased to shouting level, even as Reiju’s right hand clamped down on his shoulder and prevented him from moving forward a single step. “To see a spoiled little son of a bitch like you complaining about anything!”

“Stop it, Sanji. You’ll end up going too far.” Reiju spoke with a cool, but firm, tone. “As for you, Lieutenant, it’s time for you to leave.”

“Just who the hell do you think you are, huh?! You shitty bastard!” Sanji almost bit through his cigarette as he glared daggers at Fullbody. If Reiju wasn’t the one holding him back he’d already be kicking Fullbody’s teeth in.

“Sanji! Are you running wild in my restaurant again?” A new man roared out as he entered the dining room. He had a peg leg and a hilariously tall Chef's Hat. It probably doubled his height. He had dull yellow hair and a long, braided mustache with a short, pointy beard. He wore a red and white horizontal-striped shirt and had a chef's coat draped over his shoulders.

“Shut up, shitty geezer.” Sanji replied in an even tone.

“It's exactly what it looks like, Head Chef Zeff. Sanji beat up this ignorant Marine Lieutenant.” Reiju explained calmly, but her eyes were still cold.

“Are you trying to sink my restaurant, you little shit?!” Zeff's eyes flashed, right before he swung his peg leg. It smacked Sanji right in the face, sending him crashing to the floor. Reiju had let go at the exact perfect time to prevent herself from being dragged down with Sanji. Fullbody looked ecstatic at the blonde punk finally getting taken down a peg, before a confused look came over his face as Zeff kicked Sanji only the single time and then walked over to him. “As for you! Get the hell out of my restaurant!” Zeff's peg leg swung once more and sent Fullbody crashing into the wall.

“You're all crazy!” Fullbody said as best he could from his injured jaw, ‘Just what do they think their customers are? They're all insane! This violent place is just like a Pirate ship!’ The Marine thought in a panic.

“This is a fun place.” Luffy was smiling widely at the spectacle.

“A different kind of entertainment than one would expect.” Nami commented while watching. ‘Sanji and the woman, Reiju I think he called her, are both strong. Neither seem to care that a marine Officer has been assaulted at all. What kind of restaurant does that old man run?’ Her reddish-brown eyes zeroed in on Zeff as the culprit for both Sanji’s and Reiju’s strength and attitude.

“Lieutenant! Lieutenant Fullbody, sir! It's an emergency!” A Marine burst into the dining area, dripping sweat with a look of terror on his face. He zeroed in on Fullbody, not even taking notice of his injured state. “That Krieg Pirate we captured escaped the brig!” He shouted in panic, making some customers in the restaurant panic as well. “It took seven of us to capture him in the first place, and now he's gone!”

“That's impossible!” Fullbody yelled in shock. “He hasn't eaten in weeks, and we certainly haven't fed him since his capture three days ago! He shouldn't even have the strength to move!”

“Krieg? That Krieg? The strongest pirate in the East Blue?” Some of the customers cried out in panic, Luffy's ears twitched at hearing about a strong pirate. The name sounded vaguely familiar too.

“Please forgive m-” The panicked Marine yelled, before he was cut off entirely by a bullet to the back. Blood appeared on the front of his white Marine shirt, even as he slumped forward and crashed to the floor.

‘Looks like when in for more surprises.’ Luffy thought as everyone saw the silhouette of a man in the doorway.

-End Chapter-

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Training is pain! But from your pain, strength will be forged!

Nami is getting stronger and gaining more control over her Devil Fruit! Such a hard worker she is! Revenge is coming Arlong!

Zoro has broken past the plateau he’d been stuck on! His ‘Flying Cut’ may not be anywhere near perfect, but he can perform one! Even if it’s a paltry thing that any truly competent swordsman wouldn’t be impressed by.

Saved Johnny and Yosaku from dying via their own stupidity too! They led the crew to the Baratie!

Sanji is here! Still our ‘Gentleman Pervert’ as always! But even more surprising…

Reiju is here too! YAY!!!

Canon? What’s that? Can I tell it to go fuck itself? I AM THE CAPTAIN NOW!!!

How will the rest of the Baratie Arc play out with all of these changes?

Keep reading to find out!

Until next time, later!