As Lieutenant Fullbody strutted off toward Baratie with Moodie on his arm, the atmosphere on the nearby marine ship shifted.
One of the soldiers leaned over to his fellow marine and asked in a hushed voice, "Why did you say that Monkey D. Zino is just an Ensign rank?"
"Is not he an Ensign?"
The other soldier gave him a side glance and sighed. "You seriously haven't read the news, have you?"
"Huh? Don't tell me he's..."
"He's already been promoted," the soldier confirmed. "After capturing the infamous Captain Kuro, Zino was raised to Lieutenant rank."
"Wait—Lieutenant?! He's on the same level as Fullbody now?"
"Yup. And between the two of them..." the soldier glanced at the sleek black ship, "...I'd bet on Zino."
The first marine blinked, stunned. "Damn. That's some rise. No wonder his name's been floating around."
"Exactly. So I say we ignore whatever our 'Lieutenant Playboy' just said. It'd be suicide to provoke someone like Zino, especially over a petty order."
The other marine quickly nodded. "Right. Let's pretend we didn't hear anything about 'sinking ships.'"
Meanwhile, on the Silent Orca, Zino and his crew were stepping off the deck, preparing to head into the Baratie. None of them seemed fazed by the marine ship's presence—or the shallow intimidation attempt from Fullbody.
As they walked toward the entrance of the restaurant, the two marines rushed up and stood at attention.
"Good day, Lieutenant Zino!" the marine who had been more informed gave a crisp salute.
Zino raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what did you just call me?"
"Lieutenant Zino!" the soldier repeated proudly. "Congratulations on your promotion, sir! News just reached the base a couple of days ago."
The other soldier chimed in, nodding. "It's an honor to meet the guy who took down Captain Kuro. That guy had evaded the Marines for years."
Zino paused for a moment, processing the words. Then a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Oho? So I got promoted again, huh?"
Although he didn't care about being a marine, and still feel sore about not getting any reward from the previous pirates capture, a promotion is a promotion. He feel happy on getting another promotion. Such promotion shows that the world is seeing him making some progress in his strength.
The two marines exchanged a look before one of them quickly excused himself and ran off. A few moments later, he returned, carrying a folded newspaper in his hand.
"Sir!" he called out, handing the paper to Zino. "Here's the latest bulletin. Your promotion and the capture of Captain Kuro are both front-page news."
Zino unfolded the paper and gave it a quick glance. Alvida leaned in, skimming the headline. "So, it really *was* about the Kuro incident," she remarked with a smirk. "Looks like you're rising up the ranks fast, Captain."
Zino waved a hand dismissively, though a small, satisfied smile crept onto his face. "Ahaha… It's just a title. I'm not too hung up on rank."
But the way he grinned betrayed how pleased he actually was.
In good spirits, Zino reached into his pocket, but actually he was reaching for the System Storage. He then pulled out two small gold tokens. He casually flipped one to each of the marines.
"Here. Treat yourselves to something nice at the restaurant. My treat."
The two soldiers caught the tokens, stunned. "W-We couldn't possibly—"
"It's fine," Zino interrupted. "Call it a thank-you for the good news."
Just then, a familiar glint appeared in Nami's eyes. She had locked onto the shiny gold the moment it left Zino's hand.
"You've got gold?" she asked, stepping closer. Her voice turned unusually sweet. "Do you have more? Maybe you can share some with me?"
Zino gave her a skeptical look. "Aren't you already in charge of our crew's finances?"
"Yes, our shared money," Nami emphasized. "So naturally, I should manage your gold too."
She held out her hand expectantly.
Zino sighed, seeing the metaphorical Berries signs sparkling in her eyes. He reached into his System Storage again and pulled out a small pouch filled with gold coins, placing it in her open palm. "Here. But don't ask for more."
"Gold!" Nami gasped in delight. She hugged the pouch like it was a long-lost treasure, then, to Zino's surprise, leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Thanks, Zino!" she called cheerfully, already dashing off toward the Baratie's entrance before he could say a word.
Zino stood frozen for a moment, fingers brushing the spot on his cheek. "…Seriously?" he muttered.
Shaking his head with a sigh, Zino composed himself and led the crew toward the restaurant entrance. The remaining crew followed in stride, chatting as they walked.
The two marines watched them disappear into the floating restaurant, still staring down at the gold tokens in their hands.
"…So, should we head in too?" one asked, still wide-eyed.
"I mean, maybe not yet," the other replied, glancing toward the restaurant. "Lieutenant Fullbody's still inside. I don't want to get caught up in one of his tantrums."
"Yeah, good point. Let's wait a bit. No way I'm ruining this lucky day by dealing with *him*."
They both laughed softly and tucked the tokens away, grateful for the unexpected generosity.
...
Inside the Baratie, the floating restaurant bustled with life—clinking plates, cheerful chatter, and the aroma of freshly cooked dishes filled the air.
At one of the tables near the windows, Lieutenant Fullbody pulled out a seat for his date, Moodie, offering a practiced smile. "Please, have a seat," he said with exaggerated courtesy.
Moodie smiled and sat down gracefully. Fullbody took the seat across from her, adjusting his jacket and brushing imaginary dust from his shoulder.
"Waiter! We're ready to order!" Fullbody called out, raising his hand as he spotted a waiter carrying dishes between tables.
It was Sanji—slim, sharp-dressed, with a cigarette in his mouth and a tray balanced effortlessly in one hand. But instead of approaching Fullbody's table, Sanji walked right past him without sparing so much as a glance. He disappeared through the swinging kitchen doors, leaving Fullbody frozen mid-gesture.
The awkward silence at his table didn't last long. Moodie covered her mouth as she giggled, clearly amused.
Fullbody's face flushed. Laughter began to ripple softly among nearby diners. The bold marine officer who had strutted in moments ago like he owned the place was now being casually ignored by a waiter.
His hand slowly dropped to the table. "Tch… these people clearly need discipline," he muttered under his breath, shooting a glare toward the kitchen doors.
From another part of the restaurant, Zino had seen everything unfold.
Seated with Alvida, Nami, Kaya, Zoro, and Ussop at a round corner table, he leaned back in his seat with a faint smirk. "Hah… looks like someone's pride just got dented."
He watched Sanji re-emerge from the kitchen, weaving between tables as he carried another tray of food—still giving zero attention to Fullbody's raised hand.
Zino narrowed his eyes slightly, observing. This guy is exactly as was told in the story, ignoring many arrogance, and especially male customer, but very enthusiastic when it was a female one.
"That waiter… he only seems interested in taking order from female customers."
Alvida raised an eyebrow. "That so?"
Zino nodded. "It's pretty clear. Let's not waste time. We'll just call someone else over to take our order."
Right on cue, another waiter emerged from the kitchen—this one more rugged, broad-chested, and clearly less refined in demeanor. Patty, one of Baratie's main cooks and floor servers, was balancing several dishes in his arms.
Alvida raised her hand. "Hey, waiter! We're ready to order!"
Patty turned his head, immediately spotting the waving hand. His face brightened as he caught sight of Alvida—a striking woman who effortlessly commanded attention.
"Coming right over!" he called out, delivering his current dishes at record speed before making a beeline for Zino's table.
Behind them, Fullbody was still trying to regain composure. He grit his teeth as he saw another table—Zino's table—already getting served. "That damn waiter ignored me again…"
Moodie, still smiling politely, sipped her water. "Maybe try being a little less loud next time."
Fullbody nearly twitched.
Meanwhile, Patty approached Zino's table with enthusiasm, ready to show off his customer service charm, especially in front of Alvida, who's appearance could attract anyone attention in the restaurant. Just then, someone suddenly stepped in front of him.
"What the—hey, Sanji, don't block me!" Patty snapped as he nearly bumped into the blond waiter.
Sanji, completely ignoring him, had already placed a few complementary appetizers on the table with a graceful flourish. He bowed low, addressing Alvida with the flair of a seasoned flirt.
"Mademoiselle… may I take your order?" he said smoothly, his voice practically dripping with charm.
Alvida blinked, slightly caught off guard by the waiter's dramatic elegance. "Uh… sure," she replied after a short pause.
She proceeded to order for the crew, naming off a variety of dishes. Zino watched quietly, his interest piqued.
Off to the side, Patty stood fuming. "Oi, Sanji! She didn't even call for you! Move it!" he shouted.
Sanji turned his head lazily toward him. "Huuuh? Oh, Patty, it's just you. No need to yell. I've already got the orders from this angel here," he said, winking at Alvida.
With that, he spun on his heel and headed toward the kitchen, humming as he went. Patty stood there, clenching his fists.
"Bastard!" he muttered under his breath. But there was no time to argue. He turned toward another table where a few young women had just signaled for service.
However, just as he reached them, a blur of motion shot past him. Sanji once again appeared from nowhere and stood in front of the table, notebook in hand, already chatting with the girls.
"Sanji!! You son of a—"
Before Patty could finish, Sanji was already gone, slipping into the kitchen with a smug grin and another order to his name.
But he didn't stop there.
Just moments later, a different group of ladies called out from across the restaurant—and like a dog chasing a bone, Sanji bolted back out, ignoring the stack of orders he still hadn't prepared.
This time, he didn't get far.
BAM!
A powerful kick struck him from the side, sending him tumbling into the floor.
Everyone looked up in surprise.
Standing over Sanji was none other than Zeff—the old man with the peg leg, head chef, and owner of the Baratie. His one visible eye glared down at the fallen waiter.
"Sanji!" Zeff barked. "Stop running around like a lovesick fool and finish the orders you already took!"
Sanji groaned, rubbing his ribs. "Old man! You saw it—another beauty was calling! I can't ignore that!"
Zeff snorted and crossed his arms. "You think this is a dating agency? Get back to work! I don't care how pretty she is—if you leave another dish unfinished, I'll kick you right out of this restaurant!"
Sanji froze, face twitching. "Tch… fine."
Zeff gave him one last warning glare before turning and stomping back to the kitchen.
Sanji picked himself up, muttering under his breath. "Geez… he's just jealous 'cause no one calls for him…"
Zino, watching from a distance, chuckled quietly. "Looks like their chef's got a weakness."
Alvida sipped her drink, amused. "A hopeless flirt… but I guess he can cook. Let's see if the food lives up to the drama."
The others just smiled as they saw the little drama.
On the other hand, Fullbody, who was sitting by the window, watched as Sanji got scolded by Zeff. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips—some of his earlier frustration from being ignored began to fade.
"Hmph, let's see if you dare ignore me again," he muttered to himself. "Do it one more time, and I'll make sure your head chef tears into you—or better yet, gets you fired."