The Baratie

A puddle of sweat sunk into the floorboards of the Merry's weightroom, a section of the storage hull that had been sectioned off with a new wall and furnished with a plethora of weights. Over that puddle was a benchpressing bench currently being used by a certain roset. Sweat dripped from Coby's skin as he pushed another rep out of his burning arms, a whole 130 pounds threatening to crush him should he fail. Zoro stood over him, ready to move should something go wrong, but Coby could not see him through his closed eyes.

"T-Twenty… s-seven…" the boy panted, his arms visibly shaking under the unfamiliar strain of training. "T-Twenty… eight… Twenty… n…nine…"

"Come on, Shrimp," Zoro muttered. "You can do it. One more for the round."

"Grrr," his student growled, forcing his arms to move with the memory of the pirates they fought back on Gecko Island. The weights rose slowly, rattling with Coby's shaking arms as they reached the zenith. "Thirty!"

Coby gasped as his arms gave out, the weights falling into the control of gravity. Zoro moved quickly, catching the bar with one hand as his student's arms flopped uselessly. He tossed the bar aside carefully before grabbing Coby by the scruff of the neck, hoisting the boy like one would a kitten and leaning him against the wall.

"Stand up when you're out of breath," Zoro told him. "It's better for your lungs."

"Right… Zoro-sensei," Coby continued to pant, now pressing his back into the wall. The ship shook with the boom of a cannon, not the first to have come in the past few minutes from the deck above. "Do you think Usopp is done yet?"

"Yeah, I'd say so. There was a crash after that last shot."

Coby blinked as the pain in his arms fell from a sharp spike to a dull ache, coming face-to-face with Zoro now lifting twice what Coby had been struggling with. The gap between them had always been obvious, but Zoro actions also showed that his goal was attainable. Coby could become as strong at Zoro. He could!

But he needed to rest first. Coby's eyes closed for only a moment to his concept of time, but the next thing he knew, there was a horrible crash from somewhere above.

"Come out, you filthy pirates!" a voice shouted from the deck. "I'll teach you to try to kill my partner!"

"Stop wrecking our ship!" Luffy yelled as Coby painfully pushed himself to his feet, Zoro setting aside the weights he was using. The roset fell in behind his teacher as they set themselves on route to the deck. Usopp jumped out of a room further down the hallway, bursting through the door to yell "Don't break the Merry, Luffy!"

"What the Hell is going on out here?" Zoro demanded as he and Coby stepped into the sunlight, Coby poking his head out from behind the swordsman. The green-haired man looked down to see the intruder spread eagle on the deck. The man was of average height and well-tanned with short black hair and a kanji tattooed on his left cheek. He wore off-white khakis, dull green boots, and a purple shirt under a blue jacket. An average but well-made sword was held in his right hand and sunglasses sat perched on his nose.

"What the Hell are you doing here, Johnny?" Zoro asked.

The man started at the sound of his name. There was a moment of hesitation during which he took in the form of the green-haired swordsman.

"Big Bro Zoro?" Johnny questioned, pushing himself into a sitting position. "What are you doing here? Why are you on a pirate ship?" He noticed Coby. "Who's the runt?"

"Relax, I'll explain later and the shrimp here is Coby, my student. Where's Yosaku?"

"I... He's..." Johnny started crying and rushed to the side of the ship where another, smaller boat was hooked to the Going Merry. Zoro and Coby followed at a slower rate. On the boat was a man whose skin was a sickly, unhealthy white. He had a shaved head covered with a red helmet and he was dressed in a black shirt under a green trench coat. The man also wore yellow and red plaid shorts and brown boots. A bloody bandage was wrapped around his waist and his head was bleeding slowly, a puddle already pooling below him. This was Yosaku, Johnny's bounty hunting partner.

"He looks bad!" Coby fretted, Luffy and Usopp gaping at his sides.

"We were just minding our own business!" Johnny explained, a tad hysterical. "Yosaku has been getting sick lately and old injuries started opening again for no reason. He collapsed last night and hasn't gotten any better since!"

Coby, Usopp, and Luffy jumped down, the three working together to lift Yosaku gently onto the Merry's deck. Attracted by the hubbub on the deck, Nami stepped out of the personal cabin she's claimed for mapmaking.

"Give it to me straight, Big Bro," Johnny cried as he fell to his knees beside his friend. "Is Yosaku gonna die?"

"Now don't think that," Zoro tried to reason. Nami made herself known to the rest of the group, walking up to and examining the injured man.

"You're all a bunch of morons," she announced. "You three." She pointed at the youngest of the crew. "We've got a bunch of limes in the storage room. Bring some up. You. Johnny, right? Your partner has scurvy."

"Scurvy?" Johnny blinked. "Will he be ok, Big Sis?"

"One: he hasn't been eating right, so he doesn't have enough vitamin C in his bloodstream and should be fine if we get fruit into him soon enough. Two: don't call me Sis."

"We're back, Nami!" Luffy announced, himself and Usopp emerging from the storage room. Coby followed them slowly, limes falling from the basket in his hands on account of his shaking arms. Under Nami's guidance, Usopp and Luffy began squeezing juice from the limes into Yosaku's mouth.

"How long will this take?" Coby asked as he finally arrived. "Scruvy could be a death sentence on a ship. I've had it before and was lucky to survive." Yosaku below him sprung to his feet, startling a scream out of Coby and Usopp, both of whom jumped behind Luffy.

"Yosaku!" Johnny yelled.

"Johnny!" Yosaku answered, the men locking arms.

The two cheered, dancing together. "Hooray, hooray!"

"You can't be that healthy instantly!" Nami yelled, flabbergasted. "That's not how biology works!"

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," Johnny said, either ignoring or not hearing the orange-haired navigator. They bowed. "I'm Johnny."

"And I'm Yosaku!" his partner added, also bowing before they locked arms around each other's shoulders.

"And together, we are the best bounty hunting duo in the universe!"

"Big Bro Zoro used to be one of us, too," Johnny continued after their announcement, him and Yosaku disentangling from each other. Johnny reached out, clasping hands with Zoro in an air of familiarity, both smiling. "Never thought we'd find you on a pirate ship, though."

Yosaku went to join the brotherly showing, only to collapse again.

"Mr. Yosaku!" Coby yelled, scrambling to catch the sickly man. He was only fast enough in his post-workout state to keep Yosaku's head from bouncing off the deck.

"Quick, take him inside!" Luffy ordered, grabbing the fallen man's legs. Coby and Usopp each took an arm, the three shuffling toward the doctor's chambers (not that they had a doctor yet) awkwardly as Johnny watched with worry.

"Come on," Nami urged, leading Zoro and Johnny toward the kitchen.

"So... you picked up a student?" Johnny asked in wonder as the trio stepped into the dining room, the man also taking in the view of the beautiful ship. It wasn't exactly special, but it was better than anything he and Yosaku had sailed before. Coby, Usopp, and Luffy joined them before Zoro could answer, each grabbing a chair around the table. "Is Yosaku ok?"

"He's resting right now," Coby explained. "Scurvy can be bad, but it's quickly reversed with enough fruit. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Thank you." Johnny turned back to Zoro as Nami pulled out what he assumed was the ship's logbook. "You'd always said you'd never take on a student."

"It's a long story," Zoro waved off. "Shrimp, you've rested enough. Drop and give me 30."

"But-"

"Do it."

"Yes, Sensei!" Coby dropped to the floor.

"Deeper, Shrimp. They won't help you if you only go halfway."

"Yes, Zoro-sensei," Coby grunted as Nami finished writing in the ship's logbook. She'd taken it upon herself to do so since Luffy's handwriting was terrible and he wouldn't take the time to do it anyway.

"And let that be a lesson, Johnny," she muttered, shutting the book. "You and Yosaku need proper nutrition. I suggest one of you learn how to cook."

"That's something we need!" Luffy shouted, dropping a fist into his open hand. "We need a cook! Right after we get a musician."

"We don't need a musician!" Zoro scolded, smacking Luffy in the back of the head. Predictably, Luffy didn't show any outward reaction to the blow.

"A cook, huh?" Johnny chuckled. "In that case, I know the perfect place. It's a little hard to track down since it moves around on the sea, but it's said to be one of the best restaurants in the world. It's supposed to be near the Grand Line right now, and there have also been rumors that a certain hawk-eyed man is in the general area."

Zoro's eyes widened. "Which way?" he demanded.

"I'm the navigator here!" Nami interrupted. "One of the best restaurants in the world? The only one I've heard about in the East Blue that moves is called the Baratié, right?"

"That's it," Johnny nodded. "Yosaku and I have been there a few times and it's never disappointed. Last we heard it was anchored to the north of here."

The Going Merry sailed north throughout the night, docking at an atoll for a few hours to give the crew time to rest and recuperate as well as check on Yosaku. The limes had begun their work, his skin looking healthier and his breathing easier, but he would need another few days at least until he was back into fighting shape, but he was able to get up and move like normal.

The sky was clear and the waves were calm when Usopp finally caught sight of the Baratié, a large vessel with a fish motif and a coat of light blue paint. Its base was mostly circular and several stories tall, a small patio-like walkway ringing the walls of the ship for people to reach the entrance. Dozens of smaller ships were docked around it, ropes tied to the floating restaurant.

"It's so big!" Luffy gasped, jumping in excitement. "That's so cool!"

"Uh, Luffy?" Usopp began, turning the heads of the captain and the rest of the crew to a white-and-blue ship a little bigger than the Merry pulling up on their starboard side. There was a man on the deck that was not taking part in the work of sailing like the rest of the crew. He was tall with tan skin and pink hair, and was dressed in a yellow suit. His knuckles were covered in an iron plating that looked like screws and he had a scar on his right cheek. His eyes drifted to the skull-and-crossbones flag the crew had painted yesterday before meeting Johnny and Yosaku.

"I am Marine Lieutenant 'Iron Fist' Fullbody!" the man yelled from the Marine ship as both ships came to a stop. "But you can just call me 'Sir'. Who is the captain of your vessel? I don't recognize your flag."

Coby felt his eye twitch as the image of another marine he'd met overlaid itself on Fullbody, the tone of his voice and the arrogance therein reminding him of Morgan. That Fullbody, a mere lieutenant, could treat anyone with such disrespect without previous interaction did not bode well for his character. Was he also corrupt? How often does one come across two different, unrelated, corrupt marines in one week?

"I am," Luffy announced, stepping forward to answer the question. "I'm Luffy."

"And I'm Usopp!" the sniper piped up.

"We just painted our flag yesterday," Luffy continued.

"And I'm the one that painted it!"

"Shut up, Usopp," Zoro ordered, grabbing the long-nosed teen by the neck.

The lieutenant scanned the boat, searching for familiar faces, until he saw Johnny and Yosaku trying to hide behind a door. "Aren't you two the bounty hunter duo that goes around catching small fry?"

"Small fry?" Johnny yelled, clearly insulted. "Small fry? We've taken down pirates like 'Dark Arts' Dolohov and the 'Centurion' Quo Vadis! Do you call these people 'small fry'?" He threw a stack of wanted posters into the air, some of them like the poster of 'Dark Arts' and the 'Centurion' having red Xs on the photos. Coby picked out a couple other recognizable names from the posters, Nami grabbing one and stuffing it within her clothing in the corner of his vision. He hadn't gotten a good look, but there was only one pirate in the East Blue with blue skin; it was a poster for the infamous fishman, 'Saw Tooth' Arlong.

Fullbody didn't seem to care. "They're an eyesore," the marine told his men as he and his lovely date, a blonde woman, disembarked. "Sink them."

"Yes Sir!"

"They're pointing a cannon at us," Coby warned. "Why are they pointing a cannon at us?"

"I got this," Luffy announced as the cannon fired. He stretched his arms out to grab the mast and the figurehead. "Gum-Gum Slingshot!" The cannonball slammed into him, stretching out his arms and legs (much to the shock of the bounty hunters and the marine's watching). Coby noticed a change in Luffy's expression, leading him to see his captain's fingers slipping on the figurehead. With a cry, the roset charged toward the bow, grabbing Luffy's hand and planting his feet as Luffy lost his grip.

Luffy snapped back to his normal size, the cannonball smashing into the mast of the Marine ship. Sailors screamed as the whole thing tipped, driving a hole through their deck and into the hull below as it fell.

"Shishishi," Luffy laughed as Johnny and Yosaku stared at him. "That was fun! Thanks, Coby!"

"N-No problem, Captain," Coby answered, only now realizing the scale of what he'd just done. Across the water, the marines scrambled to keep their ship from capsizing. "Maybe we should move the Merry so they don't try to shoot us again?"

"Good idea! Everyone, let's move to the other side!" Under Luffy's minimal guidance, the ship sailed to the opposite end of the restaurant and docked between two larger ships before the crew and passengers disembarked. The marines were still in a panic as the pirates and bounty hunters entered the establishment.

The inside was the same color as the outside, the soft blue of the walls casting a calming aura that meshed well with the smooth jazz that flowed from hidden speakers. Circular tables were set around the room, each covered with a white tablecloth. Coby waited for a host to seat them, but Luffy and Zoro simply walked to an empty table and sat down. No one stopped them, causing Coby, Usopp, and Nami to join them. Yosaku and Johnny took a separate table.

"Good afternoon," a young man with blond hair and a nice suit said, walking over to their table. He had a curly eyebrow over his visible right eye, the left one covered by his hair, and a lit cigarette in his mouth. He seemed distracted. "My name is Sanji and I'm the sous chef, but we're short-staffed at the moment. Can I take your order?"

"Meat!" Luffy shouted, predictably, without even consulting the menu. The rest of the crew followed suit until the man reached Nami, the woman having consulted the menu more thoroughly.

"My darling goddess!" the chef cried, falling to one knee an pulling out a red rose from God-knows-where. "For a beauty like yourself, I would displace the heavens! What request may I answer for you this day?"

"Well," Nami began, unaware of Luffy's gaze leveled on her and Sanji. "I'm considering the poulet mandarine, but it's just so expensive, you know? Can you do anything about that, Sanji-kun?"

The chef looked like someone shot him in the heart, equal parts scandalized that the menu dared to concern the woman before him and delighted that he could be of service.

"Of course, Mademoiselle. No gentleman like myself would even consider charging you. Everything here is free for you, complements of my undying love!"

"Suck up," Zoro snickered, earning a kick to the back of the head. Sanji retreated before the swordsman could retaliate, moving on to another table on the other side of the room. "I don't like him," Zoro grumbled.

"He's just our waiter," Usopp pointed out.

"Sous chef," Coby corrected.

"Whatever. Point is, it's not like he's the one that's going to join us."

"Don't fuck with me!" The yell came from across the room, the marine from before now standing. He had a fist held in front of Sanji's face, a bowl of soup shattered at their feet. The marine punched his table, shattering it as well. "You think you can get away with embarrassing Marine Lieutenant 'Iron Fist' Fullbody, you damn no-name waiter?"

"That soup took all night to make," Sanji muttered, falling to one knee to lament the wasted food.

"What was that?"

Sanji didn't answer verbally. He shot to his feet, one leg coming up into a split to kick the marine in the chin. His date gasped and backed away as Sanji proceeded to turn Fullboby into a bloody mess, grabbing the man by the neck and lifting him into the air.

"Sanji, you asshole!" a cook with giant arms raged. "That man is a Marine Lieutenant!"

"He disrespected the food and he disrespected me," Sanji spat, as if that explained why he had used the marine as a punching bag. He dropped the man who landed in a crumpled and moaning heap.

"And for the last time, I'm the sous chef, not a damn waiter."

"That's not the point here, Sanji! Jerk or not, he's a paying customer!"

"Shut up, Patty. He's an asshole who's not worthy of his beautiful date." Blonde who had come with Fullbody blushed.

As Sanji began arguing with the other chefs, Fullbody started to crawl away, trying to leave them behind. He left a trail of blood along the wood floor, nearly reaching the door before it was thrown open by a marine grunt. He was leaning on the doorframe, his shoulder covered in blood from a bullethole.

"Lieutenant Fullbody!" he cried, scanning the restaurant before finding his officer on the ground. He seemed confused, but there were more pressing matters than why Fullbody was on his hands and knees and bleeding. "Lieutenant! The prisoner has escaped! He's killed seven of us already!"

"Impossible!" Fullbody yelled, pushing himself to his knees. "He was on the verge of starvation when we caught him three days ago and we haven't fed him since! He shouldn't have the energy to move! How did this happen?"

"The mast-" the marine began, only for a thin arm to wrap around his neck. Terrified, the grunt was dragged out of the door before a gunshot sounded, followed closely by the wet thump of a body hitting the ground.

Replacing the presumably-dead marine in the doorway was a man with a smoking flintlock dressed in gray pants, a green shirt under a gray jacket with red sea serpent designs, and a blue and gray striped headband. The man himself was tan and rail thin with scruffy black hair and a scraggly beard from not shaving while in captivity. He also had bags under his eyes and two large bead earrings on each ear.

The murderer limped into the establishment, ignoring the sniffling Lieutenant, and fell into a seat while throwing one leg onto the table to try to hide his misery. The chef who'd yelled at Sanji walked over with a big and obviously fake smile.

"Welcome to the Baratié, ya damn crook. My name's Patty. What can I get you?"

"Ah don' care," the man growled over the sounds of his empty stomach. "Ah have't eaten inna week. Jus' bring me food."

"May I ask how you're going to pay for this meal?"

Gin pulled out the gun he'd used to kill the marine and pointed it at the chef. "Do ya take lead?"

Patty wasn't fazed by the obviously loaded weapon, but he did seem to get a mixture of excitement and disappointment from the answer. "So you don't have any money?" The chef brought his two huge fists up and slammed them down on the pirate, breaking the chair the man was sitting in.

What followed was almost a recreation of Sanji beating up Fullbody, the murderer receiving the horrible treatment this time around. Unknown to either of the fighting men, Sanji had made an exit to the kitchen. Finally, after kicking him while he was down for a good five minutes, Patty threw the man over his shoulder and carried him out behind the restaurant.

"And stay out!" Patty's voice called, leading to many of the patrons cheering.

"I've got a good feeling," Luffy smirked, downing the rest of his meal in a second and standing.

"Captain, wait!" Coby cried, abandoning his food to chance after the rubberman. "You don't know who that is!" Luffy didn't listen, Coby following him up the stairs to the second floor and out onto the deck. Down below, the pirate from before moaned hungrily as Patty walked back inside.

"That's not nice," Luffy muttered, preparing to jump over the rail.

"Captain, are you crazy?" Coby yelled, grabbing Luffy by the arm. "That's 'Man-Demon' Gin of the Krieg Pirates! He's one of the deadliest men of the East Blue, wanted for 12-million Beris!"

"So?" Luffy grinned, grabbing Coby's face and turning it toward the criminal down below. Sanji had walked out of the kitchen with a plate of fried rice and a glass of water and now stood before the emaciated Gin.

"You look like shit," Sanji said, setting the plate and glass before the starving pirate. "Here. Eat."

"Ah don' want yer charity," Gin spat, turning away from the food he so obviously wanted. The pirate's stomach protested his choice.

"The sea is crazy, isn't it?" Sanji sighed, sitting down next to the dangerous man and lighting a cigarette. "It can mean absolute death if you run out of food. I know what it's like to starve because of the sea and I can't stand seeing anyone go through that, so eat. Survive today so you can defend your honor tomorrow." Gin's resolve crumbled and he dove for the food, scarfing it down like he hadn't eaten in days (which he hadn't).

"It's so good," he cried happily, tears streaming down his face as he shoveled more and more food into his mouth, "but Ah can't help bu'…" He cleared his throat. "I can't help but think you're going to get fired because of me."

"Don't worry about it," Sanji replied as Gin finished his food. "This isn't the first time I've done this. What's your name? I'm Sanji."

"Gin. Thank you, Sanji."

"I like you," Luffy stated before Coby could stop him, making their presence known. Sanji and Gin jumped at the interruption. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm looking for a cook for my pirate crew and I've decided I want you. Join my crew, Sanji!"

"I'm sorry," Sanji blinked, "but I can't leave. I owe the old man too much."

"So you refuse?"

"Yes."

"I refuse your refusal," Luffy responded, crossing his arms.

"That's not how it works!" Coby, Sanji, and Gin yelled, sending the latter into a coughing fit. Luffy remained unfazed.

"Well I'm not gonna leave until I have you on my crew," the teenage pirate captain declared.

"You're a pirate, right?" Gin asked as he got his coughing under control, getting a nod from the rubber-man. "Obviously you're just starting if you're looking for a cook. Let me give you some advice. Stay away from the Grand Line. That sea defies logic and is only a death sentence."

"Well, thanks," Luffy smiled, "but I'm going to the Grand Line no matter what you say. I'm after the One Piece and that's where it is."

"I can't stop you," Gin sighed. "It's your death."

"Here, Gin," Sanji interrupted, untying a small boat. "You can take this to leave."

"Thank you."

"Eggplant! Get back to work!" a large man yelled from somewhere over them. He was a tall, rotund man with a braided blond moustache, a small beard, and short hair. He was dressed in a regular chef outfit with the exception of his pants being shorts, revealing that his right leg was missing from the knee down and was replaced with a peg leg. His chef hat was so tall that it would have brushed the ceiling if they were inside.

"I'm sorry, Sanji," Gin apologized. "You'll probably get yelled at because of me." In response, the chef picked up the empty dishes and threw them into the ocean.

"There. No evidence, no problem." Gin balked before falling to the deck.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! I'll never forget your kindness!" Accepting Sanji's charity, Gin climbed into the boat and set a course southeastwardly. As he sailed off into the distance, Sanji, Luffy, and Coby went back inside, the former to work and the latter two to join their crew at their table.

"I found us a cook!" Luffy announced as he reached the table, everyone else now finished with their food. "It's that not-waiter who served us. He's a real nice guy who won't let any of us go hungry."

"Great," Zoro grumbled into his beer. "All the cooks on this boat, and you pick him?"

"You don't like him?" Nami asked. "I think he's pretty nice."

"That's 'cause he gave you free food," Usopp interjected.

"Captain, Sanji said he doesn't want to join," Coby reminded. "He refused."

"And I refused his refusal," Luffy nodded. "We aren't leaving until Sanji agrees to join us!"

"Dammit," Zoro growled. "Maybe I should go beat him into submission so we can just leave."

"You stupid eggplant!" the voice of the head chef shouted as Sanji shot out of the doors to the kitchen, landing on his back hard. Zeff stepped out of doors as they tried to close. "Get the Hell out of my restaurant! I don't need a shitty chef like you ruining our reputation!"

"Shut up, you old fart!" Sanji shouted back. "I'm staying here until you drop dead! And my food is just as good as yours, bastard! I can do everything you can!"

"Fat chance, runt! I've still got a hundred years before I give out and I haven't taught you everything!"

Sanji pushed himself to his feet and shoved past Zeff, stomping back into the kitchen. The older blond glanced at the pirates. Luffy's grin widened.

"We're gonna be here a while," Usopp sighed.

The Straw Hats stayed docked at the Baratié for six more days, Luffy pestering Sanji to join his crew the whole time. Zoro and Coby used that time to train. The older man would push the younger far past the breaking point each day, but it had noticeable results. By their third day on the Baratié, Coby was able to lift two bokken at once and he could use them decently on the fourth. He'd also taken to wearing them strapped across his back in an X shape so there was one handle over each shoulder.

Nice weather became prominent in the area, so Zoro had them training outside on the decks. The customers, most of them anyway, enjoyed watching the boy run laps to increase his speed and stamina in the mornings. In the afternoons, Zeff would raise the ship's extra platform from below the sea so Coby and Zoro could spar and give the customers a show, the former with both wooden swords and the latter with only a sheathed Wado Ichimonji, sometimes in his mouth, sometimes in his offhand. After dinner, they would go into the dojo on the Going Merry and lift weights until Coby couldn't move. Zoro would then take him to the men's quarters before going back to training. By the sixth day, Coby had lost most of his extra weight and would probably be able to hold his own in a fight.

Zoro smirked at his student through his sword on the afternoon of the seventh day, the young rosette scowling as he tried in vain to overpower the man's block with his own double overhead swing. With little effort, Zoro pushed up and dislodged Coby, causing the boy to stumble backwards and lose his balance as well as his weapons. Almost casually, Zoro strode forward and tapped his sheathed weapon on the boy's neck.

"Dead."

"For the fifth time," Coby grumbled, reaching over to grab his bokken.

"Hey, look at it this way," Zoro offered, taking his sword out of his mouth. "It took me almost two minutes to overpower you that time."

"It's still not enough," Coby whined, securing his wooden weapons on his back. "I won't be of any use to Captain Luffy until I'm strong enough to beat anyone who threatens our crew. I can't be a hero until I can stop any asshole who does wrong. At this level, I'm nothing but a reliability."

"I wouldn't say that," Zoro replied as they stepped into the restaurant. "I bet you would be able to take down any of those pirates from Usopp's island one on one at your level, except for the captain."

"Really?" Zoro only smirked in response as they reached what had become their table with the rest of their crew. Sanji danced away with a dopey grin on his face, leaving a giant sundae in front of their only female crewmember. Nami shook her head, taking only a single bite from the ice cream before pushing it toward Luffy and Usopp, the former of who swallow the rest in one gulp.

"I'm going to go change," Nami announced, standing.

"Okay!" Luffy answered as Zoro and Coby sat down. "Johnny and Yosaku are out there!" Nami ignored him as she left.

"So what now?" Usopp asked, somewhat sour at not getting any of the ice cream Luffy had snatched from under his long nose. "It's getting really boring here."

"You could train with us," Zoro suggested with an evil smile, Usopp paling at the idea.

"I think I'll pass," the sniper swallowed.

"I'm getting close to breaking Sanji," Luffy said. "I can feel it."

"What is that?" one of the other customers asked. Her chair scraped against the floor as she stood and pointed out the window.

"It's Don Krieg!" another patron yelled, standing so quickly that his chair toppled. "Don Krieg is here!" The customers panicked and fled. Looking out the window, a great shape grew closer, a ragged ship tapping the fins of the seafaring restaurant. The panic ended as quickly as it began, leaving the ship empty of everyone but the chefs and the Straw Hats. Luffy and his crew rose as the rhythmic, uneven thump thump thump of boots on wood announced the approach of unsteady people. A moment later, the front door flew open. At the entrance stood Gin once more, this time with a large man slung over his side.

"Please," the man begged, his voice raspy. "Help 'im. Please!"

"Yeah right!" Patty laughed. "This is a golden chance! Someone call the Marines right now!"

"No!" Gin cried. "Iffin it's money ya want, we can pay this time! Jus' help 'im!"

"Like we'd help a man like Don Krieg," Carne scoffed. "The world would be better off without a man like him and all of his followers!"

"I promise I won't attack the restaurant," the man, who Luffy suspected was Krieg, vowed, pushing off Gin's shoulder to get on his knees and bow. "Just give me food." Don Krieg was an older man with short, gray hair, long sideburns, and a square face that was ragged and gaunt from hunger. His dress involved golden, fur-lined armor with his jolly roger on each shoulder covered by a floral t-shirt the jacket he was using as a cape. Under his chest plate was a gray shirt and dark pants hung on his waist. Bandages were wrapped around his head and various parts of his body.

"Don, no!" Gin cried. "This 's unb'comin' o' ya!"

Patty laughed. "Haha-urk!" With a sudden jolt, the large chef was thrown to the side. Sanji walked through the space Patty had previously occupied, a plate of food coming to rest in front of the sickly villain. The older man forwent table manners and dug in with his hands, Gin thanking the chef profusely.

"What's so special about this guy?" Luffy wondered aloud.

"You don't know?!" Coby all but yelled. "Don't you know about anyone in the East Blue? 'Admiral' Dog Krieg is a man wanted for 17 million Beris for unspeakable acts! He got his start as a pirate by enlisting in the Navy before killing his commander and stealing his ship! Since then, he's used every dirty trick in the book to win including using Marine flags to enter cities before killing everyone there!"

"I though you said his actions were unspeakable," Zoro commented.

"Oh," Luffy blinked, glaring at the man finishing his meal. "He's one of those."

"Thank you," Krieg whispered, drawing Sanji in to take the empty plate away. When Sanji was close, however, Krieg surged upward, punching the blond man in the gut. Sanji coughed as he was thrown backward into a table, shattering it. Gin could only watch as his captain struck the man who had saved them both.

"Don Krieg!" Gin shouted. "Why'd'ya do that?! He saved our lives! Ah only brought ya here b'cause ya'd promised not ta attack!

"Yes," he'd responded. "The food was delicious. Now drop that damn accent like I've always told you to."

"Ah… Yes, Don." Gin could meet no one's eyes, only staring down at the floor in shame. His captain, however, did not have any problems with his own actions, the man eyeing the ship with a growing smirk.

"This is a pretty nice ship. I think I'll take it."

"Don Krieg," Gin whispered. "Please." Krieg ignored him, leading the tanned man to look to Sanji on the floor in the debris of a table. "Sanji, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean for th-this to happen."

"I have about a hundred men on my ship," Krieg continued, ignoring his subordinate. "All are weak with hunger. Feed them and leave, and I'll leave you alive."

Sanji shifted, standing and turning away from the attacking pirates. He began walking toward the kitchen, a dribble of blood running down the side of his face.

"Sanji?" Patty asked. "Where are you going?"

"To the kitchen. I have a hundred meals to make."

"What?!" Every one of the cooks gathered around Sanji, the one named Patty stepping forward and punching the sous chef into the ground without resistance.

"I don't care who was right and wrong all those times you fed the scumbags I'd thrown out of here," Patty hissed, "but this time you're just wrong, Sanji." Confirming the other chefs wouldn't let Sanji into the kitchen, Patty walked over to one wall that he slid open to reveal a hidden compartment. Out of it, he pulled a lobster-shaped cannon. "I hope you saved room for dessert, Don Krieg, 'cause here's the Meatball of Doom!" He shot a cannonball at Krieg who took the shot head-on, filling the surrounding air with smoke. As it started to clear, the first thing many noticed were the ripped and broken hinges on the doorframe "Oops! Looks like I broke the doors."

The smoke cleared as the cooks laughed, revealing Krieg without a scratch.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" Krieg asked, shrugging off his ruined floral-pattern shirt. Light glinted off his golden, Wootz-steel armor. The grey-haired man shifted, activating his armor's weapons, twin gatling guns appearing from his shoulders.

"Get down!" a chef known as Carne yelled, himself, Patty, and a half-dozen other chefs diving for cover. Those who didn't move in time were left exposed when Krieg's guns roared to life, bullets blowing holes through several unlucky chefs. Most of the injuries were non-life-threatening, but Coby squeaked as a body with a bullethole through the face hit the floor beside him.

Krieg smirked as his guns slowed to a stop, smoking. He was clearly proud of his work, surveying the damage and death until his eye was dragged to the door to the kitchen where a newcomer entered the scene. Zeff trod his way past his wounded and lost employees, a large sack over his shoulder like a one-legged Santa. He dropped it in front of the notorious pirate.

"Here," he said. "That's about a hundred meals."

"Head Chef Zeff!" the cooks cried, aghast at the actions of their boss. Krieg seemed to recognize the name because his eyes widened.

"You're 'Red Foot' Zeff," he gasped in reverence. "The unrivaled captain who was also the ship's cook. They say you got your name because you only used your feet in battle and they were always covered in the blood of your enemies. So you are alive."

"I am," Zeff nodded. "I lost a leg, but I can still cook."

"Give me your logbook," Krieg demanded. "The Grand Line may have bested me once, but with your logbook, I would be unstoppable! I had the best men. The best equipment. I just lacked the needed information. With it, I'd become the King of the Pirates!"

"No way!" Luffy yelled, apparently that part of the encounter warranting his intervention. "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"

"Shut up, Luffy!" Usopp shouted in worry. "He'll kill you!"

"Brat," Krieg growled, "I don't have time to deal with you right now. After I feed my men, I'll finish you off." The Admiral carried the food out of the broken doors and onto his flagship. Gin stayed behind, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Ah'm so sorry," he cried, his accent back with the absence of his captain. "Ah'm so, so sorry."

"Don't apologize, Gin," Sanji told him. "Once they're fed, I have no obligation toward them. I'll kill any man who attacks this restaurant as long as they have food in their stomachs."

"Please," Gin begged. "Please leave, Sanji. Ah don' wanna see ya die."

"I don't care," Sanji shot back, gesturing to the chefs around him. "We don't care. This restaurant is our livelihood and the old man's dream. We won't abandon it until we're dead."

"Hey, Gin," Luffy interrupted before he could say more. "I thought you said you didn't know anything about the Grand Line."

"Ah don' know anythin' anymore. Our entire fleet was wiped out in only seven days! All by one man. Ah can still feel his murderous gaze like tha cold hand o' death. His eyes were like a hawk's."

Zoro and Coby tensed.

"Wait, you mean…" Coby trailed off.

"'Hawk-eye' Mihawk," the older of the two muttered.

"You know him, Zoro?" Luffy asked.

"How could you not know him, Luffy?" Coby questioned. "He's the world's greatest swordsman and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea! He's one of the strongest men in the world!"

"Huh. Neat."

"Ah'm sorry," Gin cried again as the remaining cooks prepared for war. "Ah'm so sorry."

The Baratié rocked violently, throwing Gin to the floor. At the same time, some force raced through the building. Gin shivered on the floor, his eye widening.

"No," he whispered, pushing himself to his feet and racing for the door. "Not him! Not again!"

The rest of the Baratié's occupants followed him, just reaching the outside to see Gin dive into the water. Krieg's ship outside was in tatters; masts leaning, sail's torn, and planks broken. It was a miracle that the ship had made it to the floating restaurant, but it wouldn't be going anywhere else. The flagship, a three-masted galleon, had been split into three separate pieces as if cut by a sword, the interior now taking on water at an unstoppable rate. Within the wreckage, Gin surfaced with two of his crewmates, depositing them on a larger piece of ship that could hold them before sucking in a breath and diving again. Others able to save themselves swam to the fins still up from Coby and Zoro's daily training.

A little way to the side floated a small, coffin-shaped raft with giant candles burning green fire. The man aboard it was dressed in a red musketeer outfit complete with a white feather. On his back was a grand sword with a gold handle encrusted with various jewels. Around his neck was a pain gold cross. He had a small mustache and goatee and his eyes were yellow and cold. He was, slowly, returning the giant sword to its position on his back.

"That's crazy," Usopp gasped. "Did he just cut that ship? I'm glad the Merry is on the other side of the restaurant."

"Big Bro Zoro!" Johnny and Yosaku yelled, running around from the other side of the deck "Big Bro Luffy! Big Bro Usopp! Little Bro Coby! Big Sis Nami took the ship and left!"

"What?!" Usopp demanded. "You better be joking!"

"We aren't! She stole the ship!" They explained in overlapping voices that she'd pushed them off before saying that they would see each other again if it was meant to be.

"We have to catch up to her," Luffy said. "Nami is the only navigator I'll accept on my crew."

"Why does it have to be her?" Zoro questioned, turning to Luffy. "She stole our-" Zoro's eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on the swordsman. "That's him."

"Why are you doing this?" the Krieg Pirates shouted at the man on the raft.

"Just killing time," he replied nonchalantly.

Zoro broke away from his crew, pulling his bandana off his bicep and tying it around his head. He hopped from flotsam to flotsam until he reached the biggest intact piece of the ship. "You are Hawk-eye Mihawk, are you not? My name is Roranoa Zoro and I challenge you to a duel."

"Holy shit!" a pirate cursed. "Three swords!"

"Roranoa Zoro!" another gasped, the pirates backing away. "He's the Demon Butcher of the East Blue! Why are two monsters here at the same time?" Mihawk calmly made his way onto the ship before pulling off his necklace. He opened it to reveal a blade no bigger than a butter knife.

"So you are well-known around these parts," the swordsman observed. "Still, this is the most peaceful of the Six Seas and the weakest of the Four Blues. One shouldn't use a cannonball to kill a fly, but it still feels like I'm shooting a mouse. I'm sorry; I don't have anything smaller than this." The Warlord said this without any mocking tone. Zoro was insulted anyway.

"Demon Slash!" He pulled his swords out and charged, but the man held him back with ease. Zoro pulled back and dove forward, attacking with everything he had.

"Tell me," Mihawk said without emotion, countering effortlessly. "What drives you forward? Why do you fight?"

Zoro stopped his assault to reply, backing away to put distance between the combatants. "I fight for my dream and my ambition," he answered. "I will be the world's greatest swordsman, and to do that I must defeat you. Tiger Trap!" Zoro attacked again, but his swords never connected. He continued to swig, his attacks becoming more frenzied as the time drug on. Mihawk's eyes stayed on the green-haired man as he began to sweat. Finally, Zoro overextended, the warlord's small knife stabbing Zoro just over his heart, piercing his left lung.

"You aren't stepping back," Mihawk observed as blood dripped from the wound. "Why not?"

"I don't know," the younger pirate coughed, "but I can't step back... If I retreat even a single step, I'd be turning my back on all the promises I've made."

"I like your determination. State your name."

"I am Roranoa Zoro."

"I will remember your name, Roranoa Zoro," Mihawk stated, pulling his knife out of the pirate. Zoro almost sagged, but be caught himself. "You have a strong heart, so I'll fight you with the world's strongest Black Blade."

"I'm honored." Zoro began spinning his swords. "Three Sword Style Secret Technique: 3000 Worlds!" The two attacked, stopping behind each other. The two swords Zoro held in his hands shattered and blood spurted from a new wound in his chest. Disappointed but content, Zoro removed Wado Ichimonji from his mouth, sheathed it, and coughed red. He turned to face his adversary, raising his arms wide but without fear.

"Why do you not run?" Mihawk asked, having never seen this sort of show from any of the beginners he'd outclassed over the years. "It is obvious you are beaten."

"Scars on the back are a swordsman's shame," Zoro responded. "If I die with a scar on my back, I'll have tainted everything I ever stood for."

"Very well." Hawk-eye smirked, liking the phrase, and brought his sword down across the green-haired man's chest. Zoro fell into the ocean with another spurt of blood.

"BIG BRO ZORO/ZORO-SENSEI/ZORO!" The bounty hunters dove into the water after him, pulling him into the ship Johnny and Yosaku had arrived in.

"You bastard!" Luffy shouted, Usopp and Coby grabbing each of his arms as he struggled to reach the Warlord.

"He will not die," Mihawk stated. "It has been a long time since I have found a worthy opponent. My name is Dracule Mihawk! Become stronger, Roranoa Zoro, and seek me out! We will have a proper duel then."

Zoro raised his now-only sword, his body trembling with emotion and pain. "Luffy," he wheezed for all to hear, his voice calming the still-irate pirate captain. "I'm sorry. I've failed you. From this moment on, I will never lose again. Not until I am the strongest. Is that alright, King of the Pirates?!"

"Yeah," Luffy smiled, turning to his crewmates. "Coby, Usopp, Johnny, Yosaku, take a boat and follow Nami. Sanji and I will follow after we've kicked Krieg's ass."

"I'm not joining your crew!" Sanji yelled.

"With all due respect, Captain Luffy, I think I should stay," Coby offered, his knees shaking. Zoro's words about his improvement passed through his head, inflating his courage. "Zoro-sensei can't fight, so I should fight for him. Not only that, but Krieg use to be a Marine. You know how I feel about that."

"You Warlord bastard!" Krieg yelled as Usopp and the bounty hunters departed with Zoro, the foul-play pirate firing two bombs and a dozen bullets at the world's greatest swordsman. The bomb exploded, leaving a cloud of smoke that dissipated to show nothing but sea. "He's gone. No matter, we'll track him down again on the Grand Line. Men, take that ship! Kill the geezer and take his logbook!"

The man's crew, their spirits lifted with the disappearance of the Warlord, complied and attacked. The cooks didn't seem to be a match for the pirates, their tools shattering under the onslaught of the pirates' superior weapons. Sanji, on the other hand, was a beast on the battlefield. He fought with only his feet, spinning, jumping, and all around taking the pirates by surprise.

"Krieg!" Luffy yelled, stretching his arm to grab one of the masts of the sinking ship. His move shocked everyone with the exception of Coby and Zeff. "I don't like you, so I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"What the Hell is he?" Sanji asked as he watched the man who wanted him to become a pirate perform such an inhuman act.

"Kid's obviously eaten a Devil Fruit," Zeff answered with a grunt, using his peg leg to kick a pirate into the sea. "It's been a while since I've seen something like that."

Krieg got over his shock quickly. "You've eaten a Devil Fruit, haven't you?" he growled.

"Yup. I'm a rubber-man."

"Either way, I'll still kill you, brat." Luffy and Krieg started fighting on the wrecked ship, Luffy jumping around like a monkey and Krieg trying to hit him. "Stay still you damn monkey!"

"That is my family name!" Luffy taunted.

On the fins of the Baratié, many of Krieg's men were still confused at what had just happened. Coby, in a showing of just how much of Luffy's personality had rubbed off on him, was running around and knocking pirates unconscious with his bokken. He was at the edge of the platform when a pirate finally tried to fight back.

"You little brat," the larger pirate questioned, a sadistic scowl revealing his missing teeth as Coby held back his sword with a cross block. "What do you think you can do with a couple of sticks against a real sword?"

"You'd be surprised how durable wood can be," Coby responded. He pulled back, smacking the man in the arm for good measure.

"You little shit!"

Coby cut him off by spinning both his bokken into reverse grips and bringing them up next to his head. "Bull Needle!" Using one of the first moves he'd learned from Zoro, Coby ran forward and slammed his wooden swords into the man's chest, flinging him out into the ocean. Coby smirked at the shocked pirates; they were nothing compared to his teacher and still weakened from long-term hunger.

Apparently, fighting against a far-superior opponent is a fast-track to getting stronger than the average mook. Who knew?

Meanwhile, a new pirate had found his way onto the Baratié's fins. This man, with droopy black hair and an 'I'm better than you' expression, was covered in pearl and steel armor (complete with a matching hat). This was Pearl, the Invincible Wall.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked as Sanji challenged him. "I am the Invincible Wall, Pearl of the Krieg Pirates! I have fought in 61 battles and never lost even an ounce of my blood! You can never beat me!" He was cut off when Luffy, who had been hit with Krieg's spiked ball, fell onto his head, causing a nosebleed. Of course, Luffy being rubber, the younger pirate wasn't effected.

"Ow," Luffy complained as he stood and wiped his hat off. "That actually kinda hurt, you bastard."

"M-My blood," Pearl whispered in horror, his crewmates trying to convince him that it wasn't a battle wound without success. "These people are nuts!" He started banging his two giant shields together. "Danger! Danger! DANGER! FIRE PEARL!"

His armor started burning blue and small pearls, also on fire, shot out and ignited the surrounding deck, pirates, and cooks indiscriminately. He shot six more pearls at the restaurant, but Zeff put them out with a single kick. Pearl was even more surprised when Sanji's leg met his face.

"B-But," he stammered, more blood dripping from his nose. "My fire scares away everyone! Why aren't you scared, you monster?!"

"If I was afraid of fire, I wouldn't be a cook." Just to add insult to injury, Sanji lit a cigarette with the fire around them.

"Danger! DANGER!" Pearl panicked.

"Pearl, stop! You're going to burn down my new ship!" Krieg yelled. Pearl didn't listen, his fire continuing to spread over the wooden deck. "Godadammit." Lifting the spiked flail he had been using to try to crush Luffy, the ex-marine threw the ball as hard as he could, hoping to kill Sanji or knock Pearl unconscious. Luffy, however, had a different plan.

"Gum-Gum Bazooka!" Luffy shouted, jumping into the weapon's path and blasting back from whence it came, forcing Krieg to dive out of the way with an unmanly scream. It crashed into the base of one of the masts which fell like a cut tree. Coincidentally, it landed on Pearl, knocking him out. Small fires raged on.

"Stop where you are or I'll kill Zeff!" Gin yelled, grabbing everyone's attention. He had finished rescuing his drowning crewmates but was still dripping water. He had snuck up behind the old chef through the restaurant and shoved him to the deck, now standing over him with a flintlock pressed to the old man's temple. They may have been notoriously inaccurate, but there was no way he could miss at that distance. "My captain wants this ship!"

"Do it!" Krieg roared. "With Zeff dead, the cooks will give up!"

"But… Don Krieg!" Gin tried to protest, his sense of honor telling him to spare Zeff like Sanji had him. "We owe Zeff and Sanji our lives!"

"When I give you an order, you do it without question! Kill him!"

"No," Sanji argued, pulling Gin's attention to himself. "Point that gun at me. Leave the geezer out of this."

Gin wrestled with himself again, but in the end, his hesitation took the decision from him. A blob of white and pink in the corner of his vision was all the warning the Man-Demon had before one bokken slammed into his face and another knocked the gun out of his hand.

"Sanji! Behind you!" the little swordsmen shouted as Gin began to recover. Coby's warning came in time, allowing the chef to turn, see a now-awake Pearl try to attack, and counter by roundhouse kicking him in the face.

Pearl flew toward Gin who pulled out his weighted tonfa. His tonfa slammed into Pearl's circular armor in the center, shattering the so-called "Invicible Wall" and redirecting the ballistic man. Pearl coughed up a glob of blood as he was knocked into the ocean, unconscious and down for the count.

"You were in my way, Pearl," Gin commented emotionlessly as he started to spin his tonfa. Killing a defenseless Zeff was different than fighting an awake Sanji and his duty to Krieg hardened. "Sanji, I'm sorry it has to be this way, but you will die by my hand. Now." He lunged, swinging at the chef who cartwheeled out of the way. While on his hands, Sanji twisted his body and kicked his foe in the head. Gin saw stars as he was hit with the unexpected attack, but was able to lash out with his right-hand weapon as he fell. The iron weight hit Sanji in the ribs, cracking two of them. Sanji stumbled away from Gin as the pirate fell onto his back, both clutching at whatever part of their body was struck. Both had blood dribbling from their mouths, but it seemed obvious that Sanji was worse off because of his labored breathing.

"Please, Sanji," Gin begged, standing and righting himself. "I don't want to hurt you. If you'd just leave-"

"I will not leave until my debt to the old man is repaid!" the chef growled. Gin swung his right tonfa again, but the Sanji was able to stop it with the sole of his left foot. There was a clang, evidence that Sanji's polished shoes were made of more than just leather.

"Is that all you've got, Gin?" he questioned, slamming the weight into the fin and standing on it. The blonde brought his other leg up and kicked Gin in the chest, causing him to lose his hold on the weapon stuck in the wood.

Gin stood from where he'd landed several feet away and shifted his only weapon from his left hand to his right, spinning it with the ease of several years' training. He charged and swung vertically, but overextended, which could be explained on the probable concussion the chef had dealt to him. Sanji responded by jumping up and locking both feet on either side of his foe's torso before spinning him so that Gin's head crushed the wood beneath them, which certainly didn't help the poor pirate. Gin tried to get up and shrug the blow off, but he was too disoriented to stand.

"Ah'm sorry, Don Krieg," he slurred. "'e's too much fer me."

"Too much?!" Krieg roared. "Too much?! Krieg pirates never have a 'too much'. I have no need for a worthless pirate that faces 'too much'! You're fired, Gin!"

"Bu' Don Krieg-"

"You're fired! Kill yourself now!"

"Ah... yesser." Gin crawled over to where his flintlock had fallen and raised it to his head, ready to pull the trigger, but before he could do so, Luffy's fist met his face. Gin fell unconscious and the gun tumbled from his relaxed grip.

"Oh no you don't," Luffy chastised. "I like you, so you aren't gonna die on my watch."

"That bastard couldn't even follow my last order," Krieg sighed. "Well, it doesn't matter; he'll die anyway. Men! Get your masks!"

"No!" shouted a pirate. "Not the MH5!" Krieg didn't listen. He lifted up the shield from his left shoulder and pointed it at the Baratié as the plates separated to point the barrel of the firing mechanism. Pirates scrambled to get gas masks from within their clothes and cooks dove into the sea. Luffy, worried for his crewmates (though Sanji wouldn't admit he was one) stretched his arms to a couple of pirates and ripped their masks off before tossing them to Coby and Sanji. The chef hurried to Gin's side, shuffled though the unconscious man's jacket, and placed his mask on his face. Krieg fired the poison bomb.

Luffy was surprised when a gas mask was shoved onto his own face, but he was too concerned to question it at the moment. Krieg laughed as he watched the purple poison cloud cover the fish-shaped ship. He was certain that Gin, the cook, and Straw Hat were dying from the gas.

Coby kept his eyes shut, his cheeks bulging as he tried to hold his breath. The toxic gas around him didn't hurt to touch, but actually was almost soft. To that end, however, it was still obvious the gas hung in the air as his lungs started to beg for oxygen. His hands came up to cover his mouth, but fighting your own body is something one can only do for so long. Without his consent, Coby sucked in.

Then his lungs burned for a whole new reason. It felt like his insides were on fire, the young pirate falling to his hands and knees and curling in on himself. Every ragged breath, because he could not take only one, felt like the end of the road. He felt the wind blowing the purple cloud away, but the horrible fire inside him remained.

The cloud cleared to show Luffy on the fins, a gasmask pressed to his face, with a certain pink-haired teen beside him. The boy was curled up on the ground, deathly pale with a sickly blue tint. Indeed, the mask that had saved Luffy had not come from nowhere. Zoro's student had dropped his wooden swords to catch the mask and had prioritized his captain's life over his own.

"No!" Luffy wailed, dropping his mask. and rolling Coby over. Bits of purple smoke were laced in every exhale of the poor boy. "Coby! Come on, Coby!" Luffy pleaded as Patty, Carne, and Zeff came back out of the restaurant where they'd been hiding from the gas. Luffy dropped to his knees next to his youngest crewmate. "Speak to me!"

"C-Captain," Coby wheezed. "Tell Zoro-sensei, I-I'm sorry."

"Oh no. Oh no no no. You are not dying here!"

"Patty! Carne! Get the kit!" Sanji ordered.

"But Sanji," Patty argued. "The kit's for food poisoning."

"It's his best chance!" Sanji ran over, stopping next to the two friendly pirates. "Give him to me."

"Take care of him," Luffy ordered, Sanji picking up the poisoned Coby and carrying him to the doors where the other two chefs took him into the building. Luffy's eyes were shaded by his hat, a sign to anyone that knew him that someone had just pissed him off and royally screwed themselves over.

"Krieg..." Luffy's voice was low, danger-filled and murderous. "You have just signed your death warrant. No one tries to kill my Nakama in front of me and lives. Sanji, hold my hat." Luffy threw his straw hat back toward the cook and began taking slow, deliberate steps toward the older pirate. Krieg stayed where he was and formed his Battle Spear.

When Luffy was on the fallen mast, Krieg attacked. He struck the end of the mast with his spear which caused a large explosion. Luffy didn't even flinch. Using the momentum of his side of the mast being forced up like a giant pivot, he jumped into the air and put his feet together.

"Spear!" He thrusted his feet forward, kicking the foul-play admiral in the face. Luffy's voice had lost the airy tone it usually held when he called out his attacks. Krieg went down as the teen landed, but Luffy didn't let up. He leapt forward and grabbed Krieg's shoulders, flipping and spinning as he did so. When his feet touched down, Krieg was lifted into the air. "Hammer!"

They wood splintered where Krieg landed and he coughed up blood. The wanted pirate pulled himself up and glared at the younger man. He pointed his right hand at the teen and unleashed his flamethrower, but Luffy only shifted out of the way. The teen's right arm shot out along the edge of the fire, blistering but not slowed.

"Pistol." The fist hit Krieg in the face, throwing the older pirate to the edge of the wreckage, but Luffy wasn't done. He reached over, grabbing the man's spear, and chucked it as the armored pirate was just getting up, not giving Krieg any chance to dodge. Krieg, however, had other tools up his sleeves.

Or in this case, the inside of his cape. Said cape was lined with steal and spikes that absorbed the explosion the spear released, the force still pushing Krieg into the railing behind him. He smirked as the explosion cleared, shifting the cape so he could go on the attack again and saw Luffy charging.

"You're getting on my nerves, boy!" Krieg shouted, pulling spiked gloves from within his armor. Luffy approached, his shorter height causing Krieg to stare down at his opponent. The man raised fist, punching downward. "Die!"

Luffy didn't respond, his own fist meeting Krieg's gauntlet without flinching, even as the spikes tore into his knuckles. His other plowed into Krieg's Armor-covered torso, the armor ringing like a bell as the ex-marine was thrown into the ocean.

"Ha!" Krieg laughed when he surfaced. "Now you can't attack me! Those with the powers of the devil can't swim!"

"How heavy is that armor?" Luffy questioned.

"What are you blabbering about now?!" Krieg yelled back.

"How heavy is your armor?" Luffy asked again. "You're pretty far out there and that armor must be heavy. How long can you tread water before you drown?"

"We could be here all day!" the other pirate shouted.

"Then how about this?" Luffy's arm reached over to the Baratié's fins and grabbed Gin's discarded tonfa. The weapon ripped through the wood as the rubber-man's arm snapped back. He threw his arm behind him before shooting it forward. "Gum-Gum Loaded Pistol!" The weight on the end of the tonfa slammed into Krieg's face, breaking his nose, giving him a concussion, and leaving him unconscious in the middle of the ocean in heavy Wootz-Steel armor.

Luffy wasn't done, however, his free hand reaching out to grab Krieg by the face and drag him back. He didn't deal anymore damage to the man, but threw his limp form onto the Baratié's fin.

"He's some sort of big shot, right?" Luffy asked. "Take his bounty. Call it payment for Sanji."

"You're trying to buy me now?!" said blond demanded.

The rest of the cooks threw up a cheer. Their restaurant was saved and Krieg was powerless. His opponent defeated, Luffy's worry about his youngest crewmember's well-being came back to the forefront of his mind.

"Coby!" Luffy dropped Gin's weapon and dashed to the doors of the Baratié, but he was stopped by Sanji and Zeff. "Let me through! I have to get to Coby!"

"He's fine," Zeff told him. "The runt's sleeping off the poison still in his system. We were lucky enough to get most of it out by using a gas mask to clear the air in his lungs, but he won't be able to move for at least 12 hours." Luffy calmed down. "On the bright side, he'll have a slight immunity to some poisons and toxins from the amount of damage the MH5 gas did."

"You really care for your crew, don't you?" Sanji asked, handing the pirate his hat.

"Of course," Luffy answered as he placed his treasure back on his head. "They're my Nakama, my family. I'd never turn my back on them."

"I... I've made a decision," Sanji said. "You don't have to buy me. I've decided to join you as your cook."

"About damn time, you stupid eggplant."

"Wonderful!" Luffy cheered as Zeff mumbled. "What's your dream?"

"What?"

"Your dream. Everyone on my crew has to have a dream to chase. Mine is to be the Pirate King. Zoro's is to be the world's greatest swordsman. That sort of thing."

"Well... My dream is to find the All Blue, a place where fish from all four Blues swim together. It's only a legend, a rumor, but I'm going to find it."

"Welcome to the crew, Sanji. How's Gin?"

"He regained consciousness during your fight with Krieg," Zeff answered. "He's sitting inside rethinking his life choices."

"I want to talk to him."

"Why?" Sanji asked.

"I want him on my crew. He's a good guy."

Sanji smirked. "I can't disagree with you there… Captain." Luffy passed them by and entered the establishment. At the only table standing was Gin in a chair, his head in his hands. He made no motion as Luffy approached, but he did speak.

"Leave me alone," the Man-Demon moaned. "Ah've no purpose anymore."

"Then let me give you one, Gin."

Gin's head snapped up. "What?!"

"You heard me," Luffy stated, crossing his arms. "Join my crew." Gin floundered for several seconds.

"Ya... Ya want me on yer crew? But Ah disobeyed mah captain. Ah talked back ta him."

"I don't have underlings. I have friends. We're all equal on my crew. You can refuse to follow anything but a specific captain's order and I will never order you to kill someone. Especially someone as nice as the old man."

"Do Ah…" Gin swallowed. "Do I know anyone? Are there any rules?"

"Sanji joined as our cook, but I'd have one condition."

"And what would that be?" Gin asked, the excitement that had appeared in his eyes slowly turning into fear.

"You'd have to find a dream to follow. A big one. Something you'd risk your life for."

Gin blinked in surprise. "I... I was only there for a short time, and that week was terrifying, but I want to sail on the Grand Line again. Not only that, but I want to conquer it. I can't explain it, but I want to. Not just for me, but also for all the friends I lost there. I hired deckhands for Krieg, so a lot of them were there because of me. I need to do it for them. May I follow you, Don Luffy?"

Luffy smiled. "Welcome to the crew of the Straw Hat Pirates, Gin."

The surviving Krieg pirates were piled onto the Baratié's errand boat and sent off to sea. Gin had been able to say his goodbyes to them and they to him, each wishing luck on their paths. Most of them, as a matter of fact, had sworn off piracy in totality and a select number applied for jobs on the Baratié since they didn't have anywhere else to go. Yosaku had returned in the mouth of a pan shark (how was still a mystery) and had informed Luffy that he thought they'd figured out where Nami was going. Luffy, a still-pale Coby, Sanji, Gin, and Yosaku prepared depart as soon as they could on Sanji's personal ship, a small boat painted with green stripes. They were waiting for the chef at the moment since he needed to gather his things.

"Are you sure you're ok, Coby?" Luffy asked for the third time, his rubber body stretching in every angle to make sure none of Coby's body parts were going to fall off.

"I'm fine, Captain!" Coby insisted. "The chefs said I just need a couple days' rest and good food."

"Good food is something we'll get with Sanji around," Gin commented as he stepped out of the bathroom and joined Luffy, Coby, and Yokasu by the boat. "I don't know if you have a great taste in crewmates or a horrible one, Don."

"You can just call me Luffy, Gin," the captain offered, snapping back into shape. "You too, Coby. I'm no more important that you guys."

"Sorry, Don, but it's a habit. Just… it's a sign of respect for me."

"Same here, Captain."

"That's Why Johnny and I call you all Big Bro!"

"Well, alright, as long as you aren't forcing yourselves to call me that, then I guess it doesn't matter. Say, Gin. Why aren't you talking the way you did before?"

"What do you mean, Don?"

"Yeah, like that! Earlier, you would have said," -Luffy's face contorted until he looked like Gin- "Wha'd'ya mean?" His face returned to its normal shape. "You're talking, I don't know, standard."

"That's, uhh," Gin shifted. "I don't know what you're talking about, Don. It must have been the hunger or the concussion."

Gin tried to stop fidgeting as Luffy's stare continued to bore a hole into him.

"Well, it's not my business," Luffy finally shrugged. "If you wanna talk different, that's up to you."

"Uhh, thanks?"

"Oh, there's Sanji!" Coby pointed out, hoping to break the awkward tension that Luffy had created. As Coby had said, Sanji stepped out of the front doors with a simple rucksack, trying not to look back. The chefs that stood by were stoic and tense.

"Come on," Sanji said as he got closer. "Let's-"

"Oi, eggplant," the voice of Zeff grunted from the second floor, causing Sanji to stiffen. "Be safe out there."

"Chef Zeff!" Sanji yelled, dropping his things to bow to the man who had essentially raised him. "I can never repay you for all the kindness you've shown me, but I'll do it! I'll do what you didn't! I'll find the All Blue, no matter what! So… So thank you!"

"Stupid eggplant," Zeff muttered, and Coby could have sworn he was holding back a few tears himself. "Get going. That pretty girl needs your help, doesn't she?"

"Right!" Luffy interrupted. "Let's go! We have to get to… To…? Where are we going?"

"The Conami Isles," Yosaku answered. "It's said to be the base of Arlong the Fisman."