Chapter 40 – Baratie 03.

[Chapter Size: 2106 Words.]

Third Person POV

Baratie, East Blue.

...

...

"He's Gin, from the Don Krieg pirates!" A customer shouted in amazement, echoing the surprise throughout the establishment.

"The most powerful pirate group in East Blue?" Another voice spoke with evident fear, creating a wave of apprehension among those present.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Luffy, who was still laughing at Gin's situation, completely ignored the common customers' despair around him, receiving strange looks from everyone.

"Hey, this guy is crazy!"

"He may be a 10-million pirate, but he's messing with one of Don Krieg's main members."

"He's asking for death!"

"HAHAHAHAH. I couldn't help but find this man's situation funny." Luffy said to his companions, indifferent to the comments coming from other parts.

"You seem to be in a good mood..." Zoro couldn't help but comment on the side, watching the confusion unfold.

"Stop laughing like that; you're attracting too much attention!" Nami yelled at Luffy.

"If Don Krieg hunts us down, won't we be in trouble?" Usopp asked a bit cautiously, voicing his concerns.

Gin, not liking any of this, ignored it for now and walked to an empty table, sitting down and waiting for service. Silence fell over the place once again, at least for the customers, while Luffy squeezed the last laughs out of his throat.

A waiter with a funny expression approached the solitary Gin, a waiter Luffy had not seen before. When he reached the man from Don Krieg, the waiter seemed like a terrible actor, displaying a forced smile and scratching his hands while saying, "Dear customer, how may I assist you?" The clearly weak performance was quite funny in Luffy's opinion.

"Food, just food, and a lot of it!" Gin said desperately.

"Sure, but may I ask beforehand if you have money to pay?" The waiter said, closing his eyes with his smile more forced than usual.

"Will a bullet do?" Gin simply spoke, pointing a gun at the waiter's head.

"So, you don't have a penny, do you?" The man asked, maintaining that strange smile.

*CRACK!*

Before Gin could react, the waiter clasped his hands and connected the pirate to the ground. Gin didn't even realize when he was hit, lying there like a kicked dog.

"OWWW!" The crowd found this surprising.

"PATTY, YOU BROKE A CHAIR, I'M DEDUCTING IT FROM YOUR SALARY!" Zeff shouted from the kitchen entrance, coming out as soon as he heard another commotion.

"That strength!" Kuina found it surprising.

"If you don't pay, you're not a customer!" Patty said, crossing his arms in front of the man on the ground with a fierce expression, much different from what he had until then. Gin was stunned, his stomach growling at this moment, showing how weak he was to react.

"That's right, waiter!"

"You got him there!"

While customers and waiters celebrated, Luffy noticed Reiju once again, next to the owner, simply turning around to the kitchen when Patty grabbed Gin and dragged him through the restaurant.

The waiter Patty simply threw Gin out of the boat.

"That was harsh..." Nami murmured.

"Is this pirate really dangerous, Luffy-Sama?" Shirahoshi asked, showing her concern for the unusual event.

"No, just an ant in this sea, all pirates are weak here..." Luffy simply spoke, his voice echoing through the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant. His eyes observed the movement around, while his mind seemed to wander in thoughts.

Meanwhile, Luffy couldn't help but notice Reiju once again leaving the kitchen, balancing a plate full of food toward the restaurant's door. 'So, you behave like Sanji in the end?' Luffy thought, making a connection between the mysterious cook and the former crew member.

While everyone returned to enjoying the delicious food, he saw the waitress and cook return to the kitchen with the empty plate. Without worrying about it, Luffy redirected his attention to his companions, ignoring the momentary commotion.

"And what do we do now? I'm so full!" Yamato spoke, patting her slightly swollen belly directly.

"Can't you behave like a woman at least?" Nami yelled, expressing her frustration with Yamato's carefree attitude.

"What do you mean? I'm a man!" She said clearly, provoking strange looks from everyone around.

"Then why are you jealous of Luffy?" Kuina asked in amazement.

"Hm? Because he's my woman!" Yamato said confidently, revealing her momentary drunkenness.

"..."

"..."

"..."

'Wow, I regret approaching her like this...this is getting confusing and out of control...' Luffy exclaimed internally, while everyone around slapped their foreheads, perplexed by Yamato's unexpected declaration.

"Forget about her; she's always like this. During our adventures, she'll understand she's a beautiful and delicate lady..." Luffy broke the silence, prompting a pout from Yamato.

But before Yamato could respond, Luffy changed the subject.

"Anyway, let's stay here for now. Interesting things are about to happen soon!" Luffy said with a mysterious smile.

"Interesting things?" Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ho? Hahahaha, it's going to be quite interesting, especially for you and Kuina!" Luffy said, maintaining the same enigmatic smile.

"Hm?" Kuina found it curious but didn't inquire further, trusting Luffy's words.

Luffy and his crew spent the next two hours in the restaurant, enjoying good food and drink. The atmosphere was lively and noisy, with laughter and conversations filling the air. While the crew ordered more drinks and had fun, the restaurant returned to a relaxed atmosphere.

During this time, Luffy noticed that his cook, Reiju, didn't appear in the area anymore. She seemed to have withdrawn to the kitchen or some other unknown place. Luffy didn't pay much attention to it, as he was busy having fun with his companions.

Fullbody, on the other hand, managed to arrange a ride for himself, the severely injured woman, and his subordinates using a commercial ship that would take them to a nearby naval base. The transition to the ride went without major incidents, and soon, the group was on their way to their next destination.

Back in the restaurant, Luffy and his crew formed a lively and noisy group at the table. Customers and some waiters seemed to dislike the commotion, but no one dared to disturb the group, knowing that all orders had been duly paid.

The table remained a stronghold of laughter and conversation, standing out amid the rest of the restaurant. As time passed, Luffy observed the surroundings, eagerly anticipating the next twists and surprises that awaited him.

It's a pity, in Luffy's opinion, that Reiju didn't appear at the table again; otherwise, he would have teased her a bit more.

As predicted by the captain, after some time, a colossal shadow projected over the restaurant, obscuring the light coming through the windows. Before anyone could react, the entrance door burst open with a bang. Surprise was plastered on everyone's faces as Gin entered, carrying a visibly injured and exhausted Don Krieg. Don Krieg's armor was visibly worn and damaged, indicating a long journey or possible recent confrontations. Its original metallic sheen was obscured by scratches and stains, revealing signs of previous battles. Wood fragments and traces of smoke adorned the surface of the armor, suggesting that its wearer had faced considerable challenges.

Don Krieg's physical state also corresponded to the condition of his armor. His countenance showed marks of exhaustion, with drops of sweat and dust mixed. The expression on his face indicated not only physical fatigue but also a certain dose of despair and need.

While Gin carried him into the restaurant, Don Krieg's clothes were torn and disheveled, revealing wounds and bruises on his flesh. His clothes, which in previous times possessed a pirate grandeur, were now devoid of their former splendor, displaying signs of a difficult and challenging journey.

The immediate reaction of someone echoed through the environment: "WHAT! IT'S DON KRIEG!!!"

Everyone's attention turned outside, where they were met with an impressive sight. Beside the restaurant stood an imposing pirate ship, truly a battleship that commanded respect solely through its imposing presence.

"Look out the window! There's a pirate battleship next to the restaurant!" another voice exclaimed, further increasing the general perplexity in the face of the magnitude of the pirate vessel.

"They're the Don Krieg pirates! Run!"

Everyone crowded around the window to see the enormous pirate boat, whose size overshadowed all other boats in the dock.

"PLEASE! HELP US!" Gin shouted next to his captain, desperate, before anyone else could react.

"OF COURSE NOT!" Patty shouted, crossing his arms as if Gin were a fool.

"Please...help me... I promise... to leave... right after...." Don Krieg seemed so pitiful and weak; his words came out in a pitiable whisper.

"HAHAHAHHAHA. So, this is the strongest pirate in East Blue? How pathetic!" Patty mocked again, looking at the man in front of him, whose appearance didn't match at all with the wanted poster or news in the newspapers.

"Please..." He continued to speak weakly, oblivious to the mockery around him.

"PLEASE, HELP. HE'S GOING TO DIE OF HUNGER, HE HASN'T EATEN IN DAYS!" Gin shouted as people turned their faces, trying to ignore him.

'What hypocrisy...' Luffy thought, considering that this same pirate, starving to death, must have taken thousands of lives, people who were in a more lamentable state than him. Now, he acts like a desperate dog begging for help?

Luffy didn't have to wait long for Reiju, the beautiful waitress, to come out of the kitchen with a plate of food while smoking a cigarette, not caring about everyone around.

She brought the plate in front of the pirate, patiently waiting for him to start eating, under the stunned gaze of everyone.

"Why are you doing this, Reiju?" Patty shouted at his colleague.

"We shouldn't let anyone go hungry..." She replied calmly, while the pirate, Don Krieg, wasted no time and devoured the plate in front of him, not caring about anything else.

Everyone commented on how this was a bad idea, while the beautiful woman patiently waited for the pirate to finish his meal.

As soon as he put the last spoonful of the plate into his mouth, before Reiju could react, Don Krieg stood up and punched the woman who fed him, leaving everyone stunned.

Luffy watched the woman fall backward. He didn't help her because he wanted to see her abilities, but she seemed to be on the same level as Sanji.

Gin, seeing this, demanded to know the reason for the attack on Reiju, the only person who took the initiative to feed them, resulting in a strong blow to his arm from the captain himself.

The man didn't seem to care about his subordinate's questioning. He glared fiercely at everyone present, making his demands.

"I want all the food you have! For all my men over there!" He pointed to the ship.

This left everyone startled, and a crowd of customers began to run to escape on their ships in the docks.

"They're bad people! Shouldn't we run too?" Princess Shirahoshi couldn't help but cry in fear.

"Hm? Why? The salmon is so good!" Yamato said, stuffing a fish into her mouth without paying attention to the commotion.

"How can you be oblivious to what's happening around you!" Usopp grimaced as he shouted at Yamato.

"Hahaha. Don't worry, we have a new guest coming by sea, and I really want to see that!" Luffy spoke excitedly, eager to meet Mihawk for the first time.

"TAKE THIS!" Patty came out with some kind of bazooka, something Luffy didn't imagine seeing in this world, and shot Krieg point-blank.

*BOOOM!* The explosion raised smoke as it subsided, but Don Krieg seemed unfazed by the attack.

"WHAT!" Everyone expressed fear at this moment, seeing that things were getting very bad for them.

"DO AS I SAY, GIVE ME ALL THE FOOD TO FEED MY CREW, OTHERWISE, I WILL DESTROY THIS RESTAURANT!" He exclaimed like a madman and continued announcing his plans.

"I INTEND TO RETURN TO THE GRAND LINE AND PROVE THAT I AM THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD!" He declared.

Reiju got up calmly, a bloodline on her forehead, but she didn't seem bothered by the injury.

Luffy wondered what she would do, and when she headed to the kitchen with the displeasure of her men, shouting at her for feeding their enemy, a hand caught her and stopped her from continuing to walk.

"Hey, why is my cook going to waste food on a dead man?" Luffy casually asked, ignoring the imminent danger.

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