The Inferno's Test

Jonathan's first impressions of Sanji were extremely ordinary; he didn't notice anything different about that person, just as he didn't notice anything special about Usopp when he met him.

He knew that any malicious action or thought would soon be noticed by the Celestial Will. Well, he didn't necessarily need to kill Sanji to earn a reward, just affect him, change the course of something. Just by negatively affecting Usopp, he earned a decent reward. But when he thought about eliminating him, the story changed. The Celestial Will made sure to intervene.

"Just by considering eliminating a son of luck, I had my head hunted by a Marine captain. And what if I had actually killed him at that moment?" Thoughts and more thoughts swirled in Jonathan's head. In the end, he decided not to kill the man in front of him named Sanji, just to torment him with one of his worst memories.

Sitting back down, Jonathan returned to enjoying his meal while observing what would happen next.

"Another one trying to challenge me, are you sure you want to ruin your pretty face?" Don Krieg mocked, his scornful smile challenging Sanji. He wore his imposing armor, loaded with an arsenal of hidden weapons, while his spiked mantle exuded a threatening aura.

Sanji watched intently, his sinic gaze indicating that he was looking at Krieg ironically. "You use so many tricks, but none of them can hide your cowardice behind those disguises." A sarcastic smile intensified on Sanji's face.

"You bastard, I'll show you what I'm capable of, boys. Go!" Krieg ordered, and his henchmen surged forward in unison, each wielding brutal weapons.

Sanji remained calm amid the chaos. With agile movements, he dodged the coordinated attacks of the henchmen, dancing between the blows with his exceptional skills. He didn't underestimate the danger of Krieg's armor.

Ignoring that his henchmen were still fighting, Don Krieg unleashed his main assault, firing projectiles and trying to catch Sanji off guard. However, it was futile. Sanji skillfully evaded, staying out of reach of the attacks.

With a swift spin, Sanji advanced, launching a series of precise kicks toward Krieg. The pirate's mantle acted as an effective defense, but Sanji persisted, adjusting his attacks to exploit the gaps in Krieg's defense.

Surprise flickered on Krieg's face, taken aback by Sanji's skill and tenacity. He momentarily retreated, reassessing his strategy. He desperately tried to activate more weapons from his armor, but some of them failed, revealing flaws in the technology he blindly trusted.

"Damn it!" Those were his last words before feeling Sanji's powerful kick directly to his face. The impact sent Krieg crashing down, creating a small crater in the restaurant's floor, leaving Krieg stunned and momentarily incapacitated.

Sanji, watching Don Krieg fall, remained vigilant, knowing that even in that state, the pirate still posed a threat. He prepared for Krieg's next move, anticipating any attempt at a counterattack.

However, even dazed, Krieg wouldn't give up easily. With fierce determination, he rose from the ground, displaying an expression of desperation and anger. Concentrating all his energy, he activated the Kaen Hosha, the flamethrower mounted on his wrist.

The flames roared intensely, crackling and shooting a fiery jet towards Sanji, filling the surroundings with a wave of heat. The flames advanced, seeking to consume everything in their path.

Sanji reacted swiftly, agilely evading the approaching flames. But not everything was perfect; the flame fully hit his arm, burning the area where the suit was and rendering his arm completely useless.

Feeling the immense pain of having his arm burnt and his body pierced by spikes, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Please, I promise that..."

Krieg tried to say his final sentence when the last thing he saw was a leg heading towards his head and complete darkness.

The entire crowd in the restaurant, for the first time, released the air held in their lungs. Since the beginning of the battle, they dared not to breathe, fearing to provoke the anger of those two monsters.

Emotions were mixed; applause could be heard from the cooks at the kitchen's entrance. Civilians also clapped, and some even cried. On the other hand, some pirates and marines were only wondering if it had finally ended.

Sanji couldn't take it anymore and sat on the ground next to Krieg's body. The pain in his arm was almost making him faint. He didn't know if he would make it out alive.

"Zeff" - these were the thoughts that accompanied Sanji from the moment he confronted Krieg. He could never forget the situation of his old man.

"Clap, clap, clap."

Claps could be heard from afar, but unlike the claps of joy or congratulations, they were dry, as if they were an insult. They stood out from the others resonating in the place. Soon, people began to search for where this contempt was coming from.

Clapping and finishing his last sip of wine, Jonathan stood up from his table, looking at the crowd staring at him with curious eyes and some with anger.

Finally, his attention returned to Sanji, who was lying on the ground.

"That was impressive, but nothing unexpected for one of the blessed in this world. Ready for the second round, kid?"

Silence fell across the entire restaurant once more.