Chapter 62

62

"Of course its good." A voice called out, grabbing both of there attention, "You are the future pirate king's cook for God's sake."

Sanji frowned at Luffy. "And you are?"

"Oh, where are my manners." Luffy said as he sat on the railing of the floating restaurant. "Name's Luffy. Monkey D. Luffy. The one who will become the king of the pirates and the strongest man in the world. So wanna join my crew?"

"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!" Sanji, and Gin yelled, sending the latter into a coughing fit. Luffy remained unfazed.

No one spoke for a minute while Gin gulped his food down, before Luffy looked at him. He was the only one in the marine ship that didn't get knocked out, by his haki. And he was food deprived prisoner.

"Well I'm not gonna leave until I have you on my crew," the teenage pirate captain declared. Sanji stood up ignoring Luffy as he went back into the restaurant.

Gin just ate the food, only glancing at the boy from time to time.

"I have decided…" Luffy said, "Hey, what's your name?"

Gin who was finished looked at Luffy, "Gin" he said, "But they call me man-demon Gin."

"So join my crew?" The straw hat boy said.

Gin looked at Luffy thinking if Luffy was thinking straight, but he didn't want to reprimand the boy. "Sorry, but I'll have to refuse," he said politely.

"No!" Luffy said.

"What?"

"I refuse your refusal!"

"Ah, this again!?" Gin was almost finding it a headache.

"You're strong and good, so come sail the sea with us," Luffy said as if that was the end of it.

Gin grew annoyed. "Hey, do you listen at all?"

"Sure," Luffy said. "What's your reason?"

"I already serve someone!" Gin said in frustration. "And I am not going to betray him."

"But what if he… betrays you?" Luffy added, half knowing he will. This world was different, but he didn't think that bastard would change.

"He won't!" Gin said with resolve, "Don Krieg is a great man!"

"Luffy-san, wait!" Coby cried, exiting through the door. "You don't know who that is!"

"Yeah, he's Gin. And he's gonna join the crew." Luffy said smiling.

"Luffy-san, 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!"

"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." Luffy said, "And I'm also aiming to be the strongest, and you don't do that being a whimp and scared because of some sea… people die all the time. What matters is how you live it."

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

"No… you are not going to stop me." Luffy said, grinning, pointing his thumb to himself, "Soon enough, you will follow me. And join my crew."

"Here, Gin," Sanji came back dragging a small boat by the rope. "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 mustache, a small beard, and short hair. He was dressed in a regular chef outfit with the exception of his pants being shorted, 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.

"I found us a cook!" Luffy announced as he reached the table, everyone else now finished with their food. "The blonde curly brow that 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." Kuina seemed to agree as well, as she chowed on her food.

"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!"

Coby sighed

"Oh, also there's this Gin guy…" Luffy said. "Yeah, Gin, the man-demon, I think he would fit right in the crew."

"He also refused."

"You are too negative Coby. And I refused his refusal as well," Luffy nodded. "Shishishishi."

"But… he already left." Coby said.

Luffy just laughed heard, before leaning forward, "I got this mystery felling that he would be back." The straw hat rubbed his chin.

"Sometimes I question the sanity of our captain," Zoro said.

Usopp patted Zoro, "It gets better… hopefully."

Sparky shook his head, as if saying, it only get's worse.

Luffy rolled his eyes.

"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 the 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 I finish the last batch for this month."

"Fat chance, runt! Just get out with those brats and leave!"

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 for a while," Zoro said, there were a few days left for the month to end.