Battle Begins

The half-hour countdown ended.

Krieg stood at the bow of his ship and gave an order.

"My men, kill all the chefs, seize this ship, and continue our assault on the Grand Line!"

"Hoorah!"

Numerous subordinates charged down from the ship as if injected with adrenaline.

Gin, standing nearby, wanted to stop them. He didn't want to repay kindness with treachery, but after receiving a fierce glare from Krieg, he also moved towards the lower decks.

On the Baratie's side, Paddy and Carnage had raised the 'fins' on both sides of the Baratie, forming a battle platform of suitable size.

Many chefs grabbed their combat-ready kitchenware, standing ready for battle.

The two sides soon clashed.

The seemingly strong and rough chefs were instantly defeated and fell to the ground.

The Krieg Pirates' subordinates burst into laughter, "Hahaha, no matter how well you fight, you're just cooks. We are pirates who specialize in combat."

Seeing this, Paddy and Carnage turned and headed downstairs from the restaurant.

Sanji was still observing, as the enemy's executives had not yet made a move. He needed to hold back for any unforeseen circumstances.

As soon as the battle began, it was a complete rout for the chefs, a one-sided affair.

Can Yue, who was already on the restaurant's rooftop, brewing his fighting spirit, saw the current situation and fell into thought.

According to his memory, Hawk Eyes should have appeared by now and sliced Krieg's pirate ship into pieces.

But why hadn't Hawk Eyes made a move? He had only moved forward slightly, stopping about a kilometer away. Was he truly just watching the show?

'No matter, what's meant to happen will happen.'

The battle continued. Seeing that the chefs were about to be defeated, Sanji couldn't sit still any longer.

With a single inverted spinning kick, he sent many enemy pirates flying off the platform.

With Sanji's intervention, the chefs gained some breathing room and gradually gained the upper hand.

Just then, a peculiar man, whose form resembled a turtle and was covered in shields, emerged from the sea. He was Krieg's pirate fleet executive—Iron Wall Bara.

At the same time, Gin, holding a handheld spinning hammer, also arrived on the ground.

Gin looked at Sanji, "Mr. Sanji, I'm grateful for that meal you gave me. If it weren't for Captain Krieg's orders, I wouldn't have attacked. Please surrender."

Upon hearing this, Sanji lit a cigarette and replied, "I absolutely will not allow anyone to damage this restaurant. No matter who it is!" He then entered a combat stance.

Because Sanji was tied up, the chefs once again fell into a disadvantage. Paddy and Carnage, who had gone to get the Pepper Fish Head, saw that the situation was not good and had to return to the upper deck.

The two looked at Sanji and said, "Leave the guy with the hammer to us. You go defeat that Iron Turtle first."

The battle continued. Sanji quickly gained the advantage against Iron Wall Bara, defeating him in just two moves.

However, Paddy and Carnage, the moment they started fighting Gin, were sent flying, their eyes rolling back and blood spewing from their mouths.

Sanji, concerned for his comrades, momentarily lost focus. As a result, his head was heavily struck by Iron Wall Bara, and he was briefly stunned.

It seemed the chefs were doomed to complete failure.

However, Can Yue was not worried, because reaching this point meant it was time for the Straw Hat Crew to join the fray.

Luffy grinned, "Brothers, it's time for us to make a move."

Zoro gripped his sword hilts with both hands, following closely behind Luffy.

Nami took out her connectable wooden staff from her chest, responsible for guarding the restaurant entrance and blocking any pirates who might break through the defenses.

Usopp hid by a restaurant window, pulled out his slingshot, and prepared to support the battlefield.

Shushu trotted forward with small steps, 'dada-da', following Zoro.

Krieg, standing at the bow of his ship, looked at the group and disdainfully asked, "Who are you guys, daring to interfere with the great me, Pirate Admiral Krieg?"

Hearing this, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp were a little surprised.

So he doesn't know us at all?

Luffy didn't think about it at all.

Zephyr was also a bit surprised at first, as the Straw Hat Crew was the hottest team in the East Blue pirate circles recently.

However, upon closer thought, Krieg and his crew had likely just returned from the Grand Line. Their fleet of 5,000 men was nearly wiped out, and they were all starving. They probably didn't have the mood to pay attention to recent events.

With that thought, Zephyr began to anticipate Krieg's reaction when he learned the truth later.

Zoro blocked Bara.

Shushu let out an angry roar and transformed into its Dog Demon form, with a body length of 5 meters. Its terrifying demonic aura intimidated all the pirates.

Luffy walked towards Sanji, who was lying at Gin's feet.

The battlefield instantly changed with the appearance of the Straw Hat Crew.

Even if the Krieg Pirates didn't recognize Luffy.

One Shushu alone was enough to intimidate the pirates, making them struggle to breathe.

Just as the Krieg Pirates were recoiling in fear from Shushu, Krieg shot and killed a retreating subordinate from the ship's prow.

He shouted, "It's humiliating to be scared like that by a mere beast! Anyone who dares to retreat, I'll kill them."

The subordinates, intimidated by Krieg's ferocity, calmed down and considered their options. If they retreated, it would be a certain death, whereas facing Shushu wasn't necessarily a losing battle.

So, one by one, they shouted and charged towards Shushu.

Zoro looked at Iron Wall Bara, the corners of his mouth turning up in a confident smile.

"Don't disappoint me."

With that, Zoro, without his headscarf, drew his twin swords to face the challenge.

Iron Wall Bara looked displeased. How dare some mere combatant from an unknown pirate crew look down on him? Enraged, he didn't waste time with taunts and charged directly at Zoro.

He swung his shield, aiming to smash it down on Zoro's head.

Zoro easily dodged to the side, swinging the single sword he held in his right hand. Bara's exposed shoulder and neck, not covered by his shield, gushed with blood.

"Bastard!" Bara roared. Ignoring the pain from his wound, he leaped up, preparing to use his Heavy Pressure attack.

Zoro smiled slightly. This time, he didn't intend to dodge. He crossed his swords in front of his chest and raised his hands to meet the attack.

Bara, who seemed incredibly heavy, was thus lifted into the air by Zoro.

At this moment, Bara's legs were in the air, with only his shield resting on Zoro's swords as a fulcrum to maintain balance.

If he were to flip and land, his entire body would be exposed, and he would surely be cut down.

Unable to move freely, he had completely lost the initiative.

Zoro looked at Bara and said, "If that's all you've got, then prepare for the fight to end."

With that, Zoro's arm muscles bulged, veins popping, and he directly shoved Iron Wall Bara away, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Let me see your trump card. If you don't have one, you'll become a turtle swimming in the waters of the underworld."

Bara, having fallen from a great height and landed face-first, had a bloody nose.

Once again injured and his dignity insulted, Bara instantly lost his composure, and flames erupted from all his shields.

He looked like a giant turtle hiding within a fiery shell.

"Damn you, green-haired brat, I'm going to kill you!"

As if driven mad, Bara charged at Zoro, engulfed in flames.

Upon seeing this, Zoro immediately lost interest.

"Is your ultimate move just a more intimidating-looking turtle shell? This is the end."

"Two Sword Style, Rhino Return!" Zoro thrust both swords forward, converging into a single point, like a rhino's horn, charging ahead.

"Let's see if your turtle shell can withstand a rhino's charge!"

In an instant, they collided.

Bara, seeing Zoro charge into the flames, was shocked. "Why would you dare charge into the flames? Aren't you afraid of being burned alive?"

Zoro said dismissively, "The pain from these flames is nothing compared to the daily training I endure from Can Yue."

"Also, your turtle shell has too many openings!"

As Zoro finished speaking, the shield on Bara's chest, centered on the point of impact from Rhino Return, instantly shattered like a pizza cut into slices.

The terrifying impact of 'Rhino Return' then surged from the point on the shield to the rear, and Zoro's swords pierced straight through Bara's abdomen.

Bara's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed completely.

Zoro sheathed his swords and turned away with a flourish.

Luffy, who had already pulled Sanji aside, watched the scene unfold. He then asked Gin, who was still standing upright, "Aren't you going to help your comrade?"

Gin shook his head, sighed, and replied, "You can't possibly defeat Captain Krieg. Victory has already been decided. As for me, I only wish to personally bury my benefactor, Sanji."

Hearing this, Luffy tilted his head to look at Sanji.

Sanji managed to stand steady, lit a cigarette, and then said to Luffy, "Krieg is your problem. I'm going to settle things with Gin."

Luffy was silent for a moment, then adjusted his Straw Hat and said to Sanji, "Don't die. You're the cook on my ship, after all."

Sanji looked displeased but didn't retort immediately, instead preparing himself for a fierce battle with Gin.

With that, Luffy clenched his fist and looked up at Krieg, saying, "Are you ready? You heartless bastard of a gorilla!"