Johnny, who had followed Zino's group into the Baratie, tensed slightly the moment the weak looking man collapsed near the entrance. His sharp eyes narrowed in recognition. Leaning closer to Zoro, he whispered cautiously, "Aniki… that guy. He's a pirate."
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "A pirate? Really?"
Johnny nodded grimly. "Yeah. From what I remember, he's one of Don Krieg's men. Don Krieg—he's the pirate captain who recently rumoured to went sailing, tried to conquer the Grand Line. This guy… his name is Gin. He's Krieg's right-hand man, also known as Gin the Demon.
As Johnny continued explaining, detailing what he remembered about the feared Don Krieg and his infamous crew, the atmosphere at their table grew heavier.
Nami, sitting quietly nearby, had a serious expression on her face. The mere mention of pirates triggered memories she wished she could bury—memories of Cocoyashi Village, still under the cruel control of Arlong. Her fists tightened slightly as an anxious energy crept over her.
She turned to Zino and asked softly, "Zino… how long are we staying here?"
Zino glanced at her and immediately noticed the unease in her eyes. Though she tried to mask it, he could see her discomfort—perhaps even fear. He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice with reassurance. "Don't worry. As soon as we get the supplies we need, we'll set sail again, and head directly toward Cocoyashi Village. It's a promise."
Nami nodded quietly and didn't press further. Just hearing those words brought her a measure of relief.
A few minutes later, Sanji returned, carrying the supplies Zino's group had ordered—large sacks packed with preserved food, fruits, bread, and other essentials for the journey ahead.
"Here's your order, lady," Sanji said with a charming smile, handing the sacks over to Zoro—but clearly speaking to Alvida instead.
Zoro subconsciously received the sacks, but then raised a brow. "Why are you handing it to me then?"
Sanji ignored him completely.
Zino stood up and addressed the chef. "Sanji, right?"
Sanji looked at him, curious.
"I've been watching you. You've been delivering foods to many of the customers here. And they all look satisfied." Zino said. "Did you cook all of those foods?"
Sanji didn't deny. "Why?"
"So, you did cook them personally." A smile crept on Zino's face. "You are a great cook. Come, join my crew."
Sanji blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
Zino continued, his tone smooth and inviting. "We're a crew of adventurers—sailing across the seas, seeking the wonders of the world. We go where the wind leads us, chasing mystery, freedom, and glory."
From the side, Zoro and Alvida exchanged glances.
"…Here we go again," Alvida muttered under her breath.
Zoro smirked. "That's the fourth time now."
Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Fourth time?"
Zoro nodded. "That's how he recruited all of us. He sweet-talked Alvida into joining him as a 'pirate ally.' Recruited me while pretending to be a fake pirate captain. Told Nami we were treasure hunters."
"And what about you now?" Sanji asked.
"I'm a swordsman on a 'marine expedition,' apparently," Zoro replied dryly.
"Don't listen to them," Zino said with a grin. "We're everything. Pirates, marines, bounty hunters, adventurers—we are what the sea needs us to be."
Sanji chuckled. "You've got a silver tongue, I'll give you that. But I'm a cook. My place is here, in this kitchen-"
"Don't refuse me too quickly," Zino cut in smoothly before Sanji could finish his sentence. "You might not realize it now, but being an adventurer is a dream shared by countless people. We get to travel across the seas, seeking out the wonders of the world."
Zino leaned forward slightly, his voice taking on a more passionate tone. "I've heard stories from my grandfather—tales of islands floating in the sky, underwater kingdoms filled with mermaids, and the legendary All Blue. That's why I set sail. I want to see all of them with my own eyes."
Sanji, who had been folding his arms skeptically, perked up the moment he heard one specific name. "All Blue?" His eyes widened, and the cigarette nearly dropped from his lips. "Did you just say… All Blue? You know about that place?"
Zino grinned. "I don't know where it is exactly, or even if it truly exists. But that's the point, isn't it? That's why we travel. If you are looking for that place, I can bring you to search for it."
For a brief moment, Sanji was silent. His mind raced with images of the mythical sea, where all the fish from every ocean were said to gather—a paradise for any cook.
"All Blue..." he repeated, almost in a whisper. His heart beat faster, his dream reignited by the words of a stranger. But reality quickly returned. Sanji exhaled and looked away. "I can't," he said at last, shaking his head. "I'm a cook here. This restaurant... this place is important to me. I owe everything to the old man."
Zino shrugged lightly, not looking too disappointed. "That's fair. Still, a shame though. I thought someone as cool as you would jump at the chance to travel with not one, but three beauties already on board."
Sanji's head snapped around. "Three... beauties?"
"That's right," Zino said with a smirk, gesturing toward Alvida, Nami, and Kaya. "And I plan to recruit more in the future too."
The girls—Alvida, Nami, and even some nearby female customers—collectively sighed or gave Zino side-eyes.
Sanji, caught between admiration and temptation, scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well... that's tempting, I admit, but... no, I really can't. My place is here."
Zino leaned back and gave a nod. "Understood. But if you ever change your mind, the offer still stands. We're heading for the Grand Line eventually, but we've got a stop to make first—Nami's village. Once we wrap things up there, we might pass by this area again before entering the Grand Line. If we do, I'll ask you again. Maybe by then, you'll be ready to say yes."
Sanji didn't reply immediately. He stared at the table, clearly torn.
"...What's the name of the village?" he asked suddenly.
"Cocoyashi Village," Zino answered.
Sanji smiled, turning to Nami with his usual flirtatious gaze. "What a beautiful name... fitting for such a beautiful lady."
Nami didn't even flinch. She simply sighed and crossed her arms, clearly used to men like Sanji.
The rest of the crew groaned.
"This guy sure knows how to flirt," Zoro muttered.
Zino chuckled. "He's persistent, I'll give him that."
Sanji stood up with a hand over his heart. "My dear lady, should you ever need assistance, know that I—"
"Okay, that's enough, Romeo," Zoro interrupted, waving him off.
Everyone at the table laughed lightly, the mood easing. But in Sanji's mind, something had shifted. The mention of the All Blue had stirred something deep within him. Even if he said no for now... a part of him had already started to say yes.
While Zino and his crew continued chatting at their table, laughter mixing with the clinking of plates and cups, a different scene was unfolding on the other side of the restaurant.
Near the entrance, Gin—the exhausted and pale pirate who had stumbled in moments earlier—was desperately trying to get the attention of the Baratie staff. He staggered from waiter to waiter, his voice hoarse from dehydration and hunger.
"Please," he pleaded, bowing low. "Just a little food. I'll take anything. Even leftovers... Please…"
The waiters eyed him with disgust, clearly recognizing him as a pirate. One of them stepped forward and shoved him back with a scowl. "We don't serve food to pirates. Get lost."
Gin stumbled but caught himself. "I-I'm begging you," he said, ignoring the stares of nearby customers. "Even if you can't feed me, please prepare something for my captain. He's dying of hunger."
"Your captain?" another waiter scoffed. "You expect us to feed some lowlife pirate captain?"
"He's starving," Gin insisted, lowering his head again. "I'll pay... later. Just give me something now. I'll repay you, I swear it."
"Tch. Pirates and their promises. Worthless," the waiter replied coldly. "Even if you did have money, we don't accept dirty pirate coins here."
He gave Gin a hard kick in the side, sending him tumbling to the floor. "Get out of here. You're scaring the customers."
A few people at nearby tables glanced over but quickly turned away, uninterested in the scene. The waiter turned on his heel and stormed back into the kitchen, leaving Gin groaning on the floor.
From across the room, Sanji had been silently watching. He had just finished settling the bill with Zino's crew, handing over a neat stack of change. The moment he saw Gin hit the ground, something in him shifted.
"Excuse me for a moment," Sanji said calmly, slipping his hands into his pockets and walking toward the kitchen door.
"Let's go," Zino said, rising from his seat.
His crew—Zoro, Nami, Alvida, Kaya, and Ussop, also Johnny who tagged along, stood up with him. After settling their tab, they exited the Baratie in a calm and orderly manner. Behind them, Lieutenant Fullbody sat brooding at his table, a sour look plastered on his face. He watched them leave with narrowed eyes, scoffing under his breath.
"Tch… A mere Ensign with a flashy entrance and a few followers… What's the Navy coming to?" he muttered. What bothered him more than anything was the fact that his own subordinate hadn't dared cause trouble for Zino. Perhaps it was the presence of Alvida, a known pirate, or Zoro's intimidating aura. Whatever it was, Fullbody decided to hold off… for now.
Instead, his frustration redirected toward someone else—the cook who had humiliated him earlier by ignoring his attempts at showing off. Moreover, that cook seems to be overly familiar with Zino's group, causing Fullbody to add a few more hate bar on that cook.
"Let's see how smug you are after this," he muttered with a wicked grin.
Looking around sneakily, Fullbody reached under the table and caught a cockroach crawling near the wall. With a glance to make sure no staff were looking, he dropped it into the complimentary appetizer dish Sanji had brought earlier.
Moodie, Fullbody's female companion, noticed the act and frowned slightly but said nothing. She clearly found it disgusting, but she also didn't want to be the one to ruin his moment of petty revenge.
...
Meanwhile, on the Silent Orca, Zino and his crew who just returned on board, were already sailing again.
Nami stood near the mast, the wind blowing gently through her hair as she glanced over the sea. She felt a mix of relief and unease. She was thankful that Zino had agreed to her request—to head for Cocoyashi Village—but her heart still trembled at the thought of what awaited them there.
Could Zino and his group truly stand up against the Arlong Pirates?
She wasn't sure. But there was a glimmer of hope she hadn't felt in years.
On the upper deck, Ussop stood on lookout duty, peering through a basic spyglass he'd claimed earlier. Just then, he spotted something in the distance.
"Guys! I see land ahead!" he shouted suddenly.
Zino and the others looked up.
"Already?" Zino raised an eyebrow. "That's fast. Are we near Cocoyashi Village already?"
He then used his wind based observation skill to check the place ahead, and felt the disturbance in the wind breeze, marking that an island is really ahead. However, the disturbance was significantly smaller, showing that the island ahead is just a small one. It's impossible to be the Conomi Island, where the Cocoyashi Village was located.
"I don't think so," Ussop replied. "It looks too small to be the village."
Zoro leaned on the railing. "So, it's just another random island? Like that place where Johnny and Yosaku were resting?"
"Maybe… But this one's a bit different," Ussop added, his tone more serious now. "There's a ship docked there."
Zino tilted his head. "A ship?"
"It's a battleship," Ussop confirmed, lowering the spyglass. "But not a Marine one. Looks like a pirate ship."
Nami stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. "A pirate ship?"
Ussop nodded. "Yeah. It's beat-up and rusted, like it's been through a lot. Doesn't look like a Navy vessel at all."
"That's suspicious," said Zoro, gripping the handle of his sword instinctively. "What kind of pirates would dock on such a small, empty island?"
"Maybe someone trying to hide… or maybe lying in wait," added Alvida.
Everyone attention now on that pirate ship.