Chapter 14At that moment, Usopp pointed at a massive object floating in the waters near the restaurant and cried out in shock, "What is that?!"Everyone looked over.They saw the wreckage of a ship so vast it far exceeded any ordinary sea vessel, half-submerged in the seawater. The massive hull, broken into two sections, told a story of the devastating blow it had once suffered; the enormous holes and jagged tears in the ship's body were a shocking sight."The Krieg Pirates' flagship!"As a bounty hunter born and raised in the East Blue, Johnny recognized that famous symbol at a glance. "The largest pirate fleet in the East Blue! They have 50 ships and 5,000 men in their entire fleet. How did it end up like this?""How could such a large ship sink?""It wasn't sunk by cannon fire; that cut looks like it was sliced clean through with a single blade.""Stop joking around. How could anyone possibly cut a ship like this in one strike? Do you think it's made of paper?!"Usopp waved his hand dismissively.Just as everyone was reeling from the shock of the Krieg flagship's wreckage, a warship flying the Marine seagull flag appeared in their field of vision, sailing straight toward the Baratie.Standing on the warship's deck was a robust-looking Marine officer with a face full of impatience."Hm? Remnants of the Krieg Pirates? Of all times, they have to come and disturb my meal!"Marine Headquarters Lieutenant 'Iron Fist' Fullbody looked at the approaching going merry, his face written with annoyance. "The Baratie is a restaurant I've already made reservations for. Don't think you're going to spoil it."He commanded his subordinates."Pull out my cannon!"Chapter 15: People's Dreams Never EndBoom!The sound of cannon fire rang out.Fullbody had already boarded a small boat to head for the Baratie, not paying the slightest attention to the pirates behind him."Hey, are you kidding me? What do you think you're doing to my ship?!"With almost no warning, before Zoro even had a chance to reach for his sword hilt, Luffy suddenly moved beside him.It wasn't his usual catapult launch; instead, his entire body instantly turned a bright red, and fine white steam erupted from every pore of his body as if he were boiling!"Gear Second, Gum-Gum Jet Pistol!"What is that?Nami covered her mouth.Swoosh!Luffy's figure left an afterimage where he stood as he appeared in mid-air, striking an attacking pose. Then, a piercing whistle tore through the air."Such incredible speed!" Zoro's eyes widened; that speed was even faster than his swords.This technique was a success!By accelerating his blood flow to enhance his physical strength—much like taking stimulants—an ordinary person would have suffered ruptured blood vessels from the blood pressure, but Luffyfelt no pressure at all.After all, he was a Rubber Human!"How was that? Pretty fast, right? This is a new move I just developed."Luffy couldn't wait to see the surprised expressions on Nami and the others' faces.He hadn't been mindlessly practicing for the past two days; developing cool abilities for his Devil Fruit was what mattered most."Very fast, very fast.""Thank you, Luffy. I'm thanking you on behalf of the going merry!""Yeah, exactly, it was him."Usopp and the others were just humoring him.Between Luffy and her wallet, Nami chose the latter. After all, a place like the Baratie looked like it wouldn't be cheap.The solid cannonball Luffy had punched back shot toward the glass dome on the top floor of the sea restaurant, Baratie.It exploded directly into a massive hole.If they had to pay for damages, who knew how much it would cost.At the edge of the smoke-filled hole, a figure in a chef's uniform, not particularly tall, could be seen vaguely being blown back by the shockwave.The Head Chef of the Baratie, 'Red-Leg' Zeff!For a pirate, a question like 'Would you like some cannonballs today?' was perfectly normal.However, Zeff hadn't been a pirate for many years."Who did that!" Anyone would feel frustrated by such an unprovoked disaster.[Warning: Only half of the Companion Day time remains. Please recruit a companion immediately...]As the countdown rang out, Luffy had already been brought before Zeff by the staff on the Baratie."I told you I'm fine. Go back to work and keep an eye on that idiot Sanji. I don't know what kind of trouble he'll cause if I'm not around..."Luffy met the owner of the voice.He looked to be in his forties or fifties with a fierce face. It was clear he hadn't been a peaceful character in his youth; Luffy almost thought he had run into a fellow pirate."Old man, are you a pirate?" Luffy asked."Hm? That's something from my youth. That's not important. Let's talk about compensation." Zeff sat down with his arms crossed and stuck out his leg, which was missing its lower half."Your... your leg is broken?" Luffy's mouth fell open. "This is extortion!""This is an old injury; I'm not asking you to pay for that." Zeff struggled to follow Luffy's train of thought. Shouldn't a normal person look at the injuries he just sustained? What was so interesting about his leg?"Oh, then I'll be going now.""Huh?""You said you weren't making me pay." Luffypaused. "And besides, I don't have any money."Zeff: "...""You brat, you actually dare to say that?" Zeff was almost amused by his audacity.Luffy was nothing if not honest—he really had no money. Finally noticing Zeff's chef attire and seeing that half of the Companion Day time was left, he clapped his hands as he thought of a way to kill two birds with one stone."Old man, come be the chef on my ship!"This way, he wouldn't have to pay the money back and could recruit a chef. Luffy had never felt so clever."Brat, you really know how to push your luck." Zeffwas laughed in spite of himself. "Do you think you're some kind of famous great pirate? State your name.""My name is Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will become the Pirate King!""Hahahaha!" Zeff was amused. "Pirates these days have such unrealistic dreams?""What's the difference between having no dreams and being a salted fish? Old man, it's very rude to mock someone else's dreams."Luffy's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists.People's dreams never end.The boy's high spirits made Zeff feel as if he were seeing his former self. Then the scene shifted, and he saw a certain blond-haired brat talking about dreams.If these two were together, they would probably have a lot to talk about."Alright, I apologize," Zeff said, acknowledging Luffy."Then I'll take my leave now!" Luffy said, seizing the opportunity."What does acknowledging you have to do with paying the money? If you have no money, then stay on this ship and work as a chore boy to pay off your debt!"...Inside the Baratie restaurant.Nami and the others were gathered around a table by the window. Almost the moment they finished ordering, food that was perfect in color, aroma, and taste began to be served one after another.Ignoring everything else, the Baratie certainly had no issues when it came to speed and efficiency.Seafood rice, massive steaks, perfectly grilled sea fish, and fragrant soups instantly filled the table."This is great! So this is a sea restaurant!"Usopp's mouth watered as he couldn't wait to start eating."Hey, Usopp! Don't be so ill-mannered!"Although Nami scolded him, her own fork quickly reached for a piece of exquisite-looking, delicious pudding.Don't doubt it—at sea, you couldn't eat things like this even once in ten days or half a month.Zoro took a satisfied, large gulp of beer before cutting into the thick steak in front of him.Seeming to remember something, he couldn't help but say, "Did we forget something?"Forget something?It seemed they had forgotten their Captain.The group exchanged looks and then tacitly skipped over the topic.Just then, a commotion broke out at the other end of the restaurant.An elegant young chef with blond hair and curly eyebrows served a meal to a female customer. This kind of elegance wasn't very pleasant for the lady's male companion; Fullbody even had to check if he was wearing green."Hey! You, curly-browed waiter! Where's the fish I ordered? Stop dawdling; I have to go hunt pirates after I finish eating!""I'm not a waiter. The waiters have all run away. Call me the Sous Chef."..."It looks like a fight is about to start over there," Usopp said, looking up. "It's that Marine.""The guy who wanted to destroy our ship, right? Keep an eye on him," Zoro spoke up. "After we eat, find Luffy and ask if our Captain wants to start a war."The noise soon attracted Zeff."Everyone who comes here is a guest. Don't cause trouble in my restaurant, you bastard Sanji!" Zeffreprimanded Sanji to settle the disturbance."Marines are just a bunch of people who use their power to bully others."Zoro snorted quietly, clearly unable to stand Fullbody's attitude."Let's just focus on enjoying the food."Nami, worried about further complications, quickly urged everyone to continue eating.Chapter 16: I Don't Believe Your Eyes Are EmptyIn the dishwashing room, the sound of splashing water mixed with the clattering of pots and pans."Stupid old man! Tyrant! Dictator! Stubborn geezer!!""Damn old man! Evil capitalist! People-exploiting devil!!"Luffy and Sanji stood almost shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the massive sink. One was washing vigorously while the other was washing with resentment, but their complaints rose and fell in turn, making them surprisingly in sync."Hm? Who are you?"Sanji looked at Luffy with some surprise. "I haven't seen you before.""Oh, I'm new. Keep cursing."Hearing that he was cursing Zeff, Luffy continued to egg him on; he had been watching everything that happened outside just now. Well cursed!Moreover, after that pirate was kicked out, Sanjihad given him a meal. Luffy grinned; this guy was quite to his taste."That bastard old man actually sided with a Marinewho was wrecking the restaurant!" Sanji angrily slammed a plate down."Exactly, exactly! How can you kick out a hungry guest! What kind of restaurant is this!""Hey, hey, you guys be careful! Plates are expensive!" a handyman poked his head in to warn them."Shut up!"The two turned back and shouted simultaneously, scaring the handyman into shrinking back.Just then, that emotionless mechanical prompt rang in Luffy's mind: [Remaining Companion Daytime: Two hours. Please complete the recruitment of a core companion immediately.]Time was almost up?
