"Thank you, thank you so much."
After eating, Gin finally seemed to have "come back to life," tears streaming down his face.
"Hey, chef! What's your name?"
Luffy jumped out the window and stood casually beside the two of them.
"Join us and be the chef on our pirate ship!"
"My name is Sanji. I'm the Vice-Captain Chef here."
"I'm not getting on your ship."
The man dressed as a waiter, a cigarette dangling from his lips, blond hair covering his left eye and revealing only his right eye and eyebrow, his eyebrow curled, refused Luffy's invitation without hesitation.
"Because I have a reason I have to work here."
"I reject your rejection!"
"Hey, hey, hey, listen when people are talking..."
"What's the reason?"
"I'm not telling you."
"Weren't you the one who told me to listen to you?"
"...I'm going to punch you!"
Still, they were men of the sea after all. Before long, the three of them were chatting away. Talking about the ocean, adventure, and dreams, they even became animated with excitement! The old man silently watching from behind a third-floor window smiled nostalgically. Meanwhile, inside the restaurant:
"Luffy's gone again. He isn't causing trouble again, is he?"
Facing Nami's concern, Roman sliced off a piece of bread and put it into his mouth.
"No. My Scouting Paper Crane is watching outside. Luffy's trying to recruit a chef."
"That's good."
Nami did not seem to have much of an appetite. She forced a smile.
"With Roman around, I'm sure the Straw Hat Pirates will be able to keep going..."
"What are you talking about?"
Roman frowned. Nami's strange behavior puzzled him. Was it that time of the month? He tried to recall the vague plot from over a decade ago. What he remembered more clearly was the Marineford War, then Doflamingo, the New World, and so on. The East Blue arc was just too long ago...
Wait! He seemed to remember—
"You actually left me behind and came here to eat delicious food!"
At some point, Luffy had returned. He plopped down at Roman's table, pulled over a plate, and prepared to eat.
"I found a great chef. I'll be able to invite him soon..."
Smack!
Before Luffy could finish, the "merciless iron hand" behind him grabbed and twisted him upward, accompanied by the displeased voice of the chef named Sanji.
"Aren't you a waiter? What are you doing sitting here?"
"And I'm not becoming some pirate! Because..."
"Isn't this a good opportunity?"
An elderly voice rang out. It was the owner of the restaurant, its head chef, and its captain: an old man missing one leg.
"Go be a pirate."
He looked at Sanji, the blond man with curled eyebrows.
"This place doesn't need you anymore!"
"What? You old bastard..."
Clang!
"N-No... It's Commander Krieg's pirate flag!"
Inside the Baratie, everyone fell into chaos! If the Golden Merry and the Baratie were like a chick standing beside a goose, then the pirate ship now approaching was as enormous as a hunting hound!
"That's ridiculous..."
Watching the enormous warship slowly approach, Roman had to admit that this world's sailing technology had unlocked quite a few absurdly advanced innovations. Something like an ocean liner could actually be made from wood. But—
"Wait, why does it look so battered?"
"Could it have been caught in a storm..."
"Obviously not. No matter how you look at it, that wasn't caused by people."
A colossal warship like an aircraft carrier at sea now slowly docked beside the Baratie like a ghost ship. Just as everyone stood uncertainly watching:
Bang!
The doors were pushed open, and Gin returned. This time, however, he was supporting a tall, heavily built man.
"Ahhhhhhh~~!!!"
"Commander Krieg?"
"We're dead—"
From the shocked cries of the bystanders, Roman and the others easily learned the newcomer's identity. But—
"It looks like Captain Krieg hasn't had much luck."
More than just bad luck. The giant warship outside was battered and ruined, while Krieg himself was barely alive.
Roman estimated that the man was around two and a half meters tall, with light purple hair and a bandana tied around his head. He wore a loose shirt, beneath which the outlines of weapons and armor could be seen, along with black boots and a large cloak.
"So scary..."
As the saying went, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse! No matter how miserable he looked, the two-and-a-half-meter "little giant" still brought a savage sense of intimidation to everyone in the restaurant. For example:
"I... I'm going to the restroom..."
Nami, looking terrified, quietly backed away.
"...Excuse me... could you... give us some food and water..."
The tall captain looked utterly exhausted. Leaning entirely on Gin for support, he pleaded weakly.
"I have money... I'll pay anything..."
"HAHAHAHAHA~~"
The burly chef, who had looked terrified moments ago, burst into laughter. Seeing the pirate who ruled the entire East Blue reduced to such a state, what was there left to fear?
"Food and water? Don't even think about it. Call the Marines!"
"Isn't that lieutenant nearby? The chance to get promoted and make a fortune is right in front of him. There's no way he'll let it pass."
"Wait!"
Gin, supporting Krieg, shouted anxiously.
"We're customers! We have money this time. Ten times, a hundred times the price, anything!"
"Hmph, and then once you recover, you'll go right back to burning, killing, and looting?"
The burly chef disdainfully pulled out a kitchen knife—a vicious weapon a full meter and a half long!
"Someone like you will definitely attack our restaurant after eating. You won't get a single drop of water—"
Smack!
The tall pirate leader dropped to both knees, prostrating himself with his forehead pressed directly to the floor! His humble plea echoed through the restaurant.
"...Please... even leftovers will do."
"We'll eat and leave obediently. Please..."
"Captain!"
"Don't do this! You don't have to!"
Seeing his captain humble himself so completely, Gin became so emotional that tears streamed down his face.
A true savage.
Roman watched the show impassively. As these "characters" appeared before him, his distant memories gradually resurfaced, and the images in his mind slowly matched the people standing before him.
Krieg, a pirate who had long occupied the position of East Blue overlord.
Arrogant, ungrateful, ruthless, and willing to abandon even his own subordinates to death, he was utterly detestable from beginning to end. He believed himself invincible, embodying arrogance, heartlessness, and cowardice. But—
Roman did not dislike him.
At the very least, as a "pirate," he truly did what a pirate ought to do!
Scheming, ruthless, humble when necessary, unyielding through every setback...
Not everyone, upon entering the Grand Line for the first time and encountering Hawk Eyes, one of the world's strongest fighters, could still dare to challenge the Grand Line after being casually slaughtered by him, with more than fifty warships and nearly ten thousand subordinates completely wiped out!
Whether he was a frog in a well or simply arrogant beyond measure.
Roman at least admired that determination.
But—
Bang!
"Move."
With one kick, Sanji sent the burly chef blocking his path flying aside, then placed food and water before Gin.
"Give it to your captain."
"Thank you... thank you..."
As the man named Krieg wolfed down the food, the other chefs panicked!
"Sanji, have you lost your mind?!"
"To a man like Krieg, betrayal is as natural as drinking water..."
"After he finishes eating, he definitely won't leave obediently. He'll—"
BANG!!
In fact, they did not have to wait long.
The moment Krieg swallowed the last bite of food, he suddenly rose and punched Sanji, his "lifesaver," sending him flying!
"Whew, I'm alive again."
Roman had long since stopped wanting to complain about the "digestive systems" of this world's strong people. But—
"Not a bad restaurant. I'm taking this ship!"
Wasn't that betrayal a little too fast?
Meanwhile, aboard the Merry.
"Yo, Boss Nami, you're back?"
Joseph and Johnny, who had stayed behind to guard the ship, watched Nami jump onto the deck and asked in confusion.
"Where are the other bosses? Is that the Krieg Pirates over there? Shouldn't we hurry up and get out of here..."
"They're watching from over there. They told me to come raise anchor and set sail first!"
While directing the two third-rate Pirate Hunters to raise anchor and turn the ship around, Nami nimbly searched the deck, gathering up each inconspicuous paper crane. These were all Roman's creations. Normally, they were ordinary paper cranes, but whenever needed, they could instantly become Roman's "eyes."
Whoosh.
A match struck, and the flickering flame fell onto the paper cranes, engulfing the little things in blazing fire!
"Boss Nami, what do we do next..."
"You two stand at the bow. I need to change clothes."
Faced with Nami pulling up her clothes, Joseph and Johnny could not understand why their "boss" wanted to change clothes now, but they instinctively turned around at once. Then—
Push!
Splash, splash.
"Goodbye."
The Golden Merry, already with its anchor raised and sails unfurled, made a nimble turn and cut across the water, speeding away!
"Th-This... this...??"
"Hurry and inform the other bosses!"
"While they're over there watching the show, I can get away easily."
"Hahaha, what a haul~~"
Aboard the departing Golden Merry, Nami turned the wheel. She knew these waters so well that she would not lose her way even with her eyes closed.
"I never expected Roman's ship to have so much money~~"
"More than thirty million Beli. I've hit the jackpot!"
"My goal of one hundred million has been achieved." The girl raised her head and smiled.
"You should be happy, Nami." As she smiled, liquid slid down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry..."
"I'm sorry, Roman, Luffy, Zoro..."
And Usopp, who had only just joined. You weren't the liar. I was!
The girl lowered her head and bit her lip hard, letting crystalline drops fall onto the deck one after another.
"When we meet again, will you still see me—the one who stole your ship, stole your money, and betrayed your trust..."
"As a companion?"
PS: Mm-hmm, commemorating the first monthly ticket, cast by reader Turbo Quantum. Also the first tip: 100 from Uncle Yao. An extra chapter coming up.
Before you continue