Inviting Reiju

"Oye Patty don't go breaking tables and chairs." An old man's voice sounded from the upper floor beside the stairs. It was the owner of the restaurant Zeff.

"If you can't pay up, you can't eat." Patty said to Gin. The crowd started to cheer for the cook.

"Oh, your stomach's growling there, you filthy pirate." Patty said to Gin.

"It's Gas asshole. You jerk, hurry up and get me something to eat." Gin demanded again. Patty lost his patience with Gin and pounded him into the ground and then proceeded to throw him outside.

Reiju made her way to the kitchen. After some time Luffy then saw her going outside with a plate of food. Luffy followed her outside.

"Make sure to convince her." He heard Ann saying from behind.

Luffy saw The interaction between Reiju and Gin.

Reiju placed the plate of food with a glass of water beside Gin.

"Eat up." Reiju said to the man. Who looked at the food in hunger but looked away.

"I don't want your charity. Take it and go." He said to her. She just looked at him emotionlessly.

"Forget what they said. If someone is hungry, they are customers." Reiju said to him.

"I am not a customer." Gin said as his stomach grumbled. In reality she didn't care if this kind of scum died or not she may even kill him herself. It was only because of her experience with starvation that she didn't want anyone to die from hunger.

"I know what it's like to starve because of the sea more than anyone else. If you want to die with some kind of pride, fine. But if you eat and live that will give you a chance to fight for your pride in the future." She said to the man even though she was thinking why this man was acting like he had any kind of pride, while he wouldn't think twice before killing any number of innocent people and looting villages for some small amount of Gold as He was part of the most cruel pirate in the whole East blue Said to be the King of East Blue.

After that the man started mumbling how the food was delicious and all.

"Just as I thought, you are really interesting." She heard from behind her. It was the guy from before. He had already left an impression on her first because of his strange group and him not perving at her then With his speed.

"How did you get behind me?" she asked him with curiosity in her tone.

"Isn't it really simple to figure out, I am faster than you and I am good at hiding my presence." He replied to her casually. She could kinda see that but she was still really surprised by that as in this sea, she has never seen anyone as powerful or faster then herself because of her father's experiments. But here was a guy who was most probably faster than her.

"I have decided, you will be coming with me." Luffy said to Reiju. Causing hers to widen a bit and a little blush crept on her face. Was this guy flirting with her? She was used to men hitting on her but this was the first time someone just up and said that they will just take her. This guy just said he will be taking her not even putting regular moves that boys do. She had to admit though that she didn't hate the guy as he didn't ogled her like most men do. And didn't seem like a bad guy by nature, so why was he doing something like that all of a sudden.

She was only able to say one thing to that "What?"

"Yeah, I would like you to come with us to be a cook in my pirate crew." Luffy said.

After hearing that she just face palmed. She thought that he was hitting on her but turns out this guy was just asking for her to join his pirate crew. Well it makes sense that he would come here for a cook as Batatie was known for their fighting cooks. Wait Pirate crew then why did he save that marine from this man. Is he really a pirate? Well whatever it's not like matters to her in any way.

"Sorry, But I refuse." She said to Luffy. It's not like she doesn't like the thought of going on the sea. Actually she really wanted to go to sea for adventure and fulfill her brother and now even her dream But she had a debt to pay to the old man who was like her foster father. He had saved her by giving up his own leg and then even giving her all the food they had and starved himself. And that old man was also very protective of her and chased away all the pirates that asked her to join. Not like there has been anyone she wanted to go with.

Even though she did not hate this man and his crew also seems interesting with all the females in which she can also sense some were very powerful, well this guy can be considered a monster for this kind of sea just like her so his companions were also probably very strong. but she still had to pay her debts so she refused him.

"I will have to refuse your refusal, you will be our cook, that's final." Luffy said with a matter of fact tone getting in the persona of old Luffy, well it worked for him.

Reiju had tick marks on her forehead now. And was about to argue more with him but Gin interrupted them.

��Sorry to interrupt, but I am part of the Kreig pirates crew. The name is Gin, so you are a pirate too eh? What exactly is your goal?" Gin said, interrupting them both.

Luffy just looked at him and thought, 'Did this guy forget what happened earlier, well whatever.'

"One piece, I am going to become the pirate king." Luffy said like there was no doubt of it being true. He didn't say it for him to hear but for Reiju to hear and Also for Zeff who was standing on the upper deck which Luffy had felt arriving some time ago.

Reiju's eyes widened at his proclamation and she also remembered a dream from her childhood not of herself but of her brother.

Then Gin went on and on to warn him against going to the Grand line, telling Him how it was a very dangerous place where nothing made sense how the weather was all messed up. their compass didn't work and such. how they with their crew of more than five thousand people couldn't even last a week in the Grand line. He then told Luffy that he was still very young and there are many other places where he can go.

Luffy paid no mind to what the guy was saying, "No one asked you for your opinion and you and your crew are most likely nothing more than weaklings, to not even last a week in the grand line. And that's why I am recruiting a strong girl like her." Luffy said to the guy.

Reiju was a bit happy hearing the reason he was trying to recruit her.

The guy made an enraged face "Don Kreig is the best pirate on all seas."

"Really didn't that Kreig got his butt kicked in just a week of traveling in the Grand line." Luffy said to him.

Before the man could say anything they heard a gruff voice coming from the upper deck behind them, "You are again giving away food to people for free, Reiju." He was an old man with a big braided mustache and had a peg leg with a ridiculous long chef's hat.

"You can just take it out of my paycheck." She scoffed at the old man.

"There is no need for that, just add it to my bill as her captain I can't have my cook in debt to anyone." Luffy said to the man.

Reiju just exhaled at the guy's persistence, He just wouldn't take a no for an answer. Well now that Zeff was here he would just probably just chase the guy away but unlike she thought nothing of the kind happened.

The old man just looked at Luffy and asked, "What is your name is kid?" He asked Luffy.

"I am Monkey D. Luffy. Future Pirate King." Luffy proclaimed. He didn't really need to say future Pirate king part but he knew that saying these kinds of things will help him when dealing with retired pirates like Zeff.

"Hahaha… it's been a while since I saw a man like you." Zeff said, remembering his old days.

"Old man, I want to take Reiju here with me to be the cook on my ship." Luffy said to Zeff.

Zeff looked at Luffy for some time before answering "Do whatever you want, But You, Yourself will have to make her agree to go with you."

Reiju was really surprised to hear the conversation between Luffy and Zeff not only had his foster father had not chased him away but even given his permission to him.

Of course If it was someone else asking to take Reiju as their chef Zeff would probably beat them and chase them away. But he had already seen his speed and stopped a bullet with his bare hands but more importantly he saw him stopping the bullet when he shouldn't have known that there was a pirate behind the marine and about to shoot him and He only knew one kind of ability that lets you do that. And that ability certainly didn't belong in this sea. He himself has only heard about it and doesn't know how to use it.

That's why he knew that this guy was a monster of the kind which is only found in the Grand line. That's why he agreed to let Reiju go with this boy. As he always wanted her to live her own life and fulfill her own dreams. But he knew that she felt indebted to him that's why he was even very harsh to her so that she can leave and live her own life and not just follow his.

Reiju would be lying if she said she wasn't tempted to go but she remembered the debt she owed to Zeff. "Sorry, But I have to work here or else they will just destroy this restaurant." After saying that she just returned inside while Zeff just sighed seeing her action.

Gin also left on his boat then Luffy returned to the group and told them about what happened.

"So What are we gonna do Now?" Nami asked.

"We will just wait here for a few days and try to convince her." Luffy told them.