The Krieg Pirates

As soon as Moya and the others boarded the ship, they saw the yellow-haired chef Sanji beating up Fullbody, a Marine captain known as Iron Fist.

Gin was sprawled on the ground from hunger, and Luffy was there too, actually working as a waiter. The plot really did have a powerful pull.

Zoro and Usopp were also surprised to see Moya and his crew. Running into each other at sea was all down to luck! They came over to greet Moya.

"Moya, what a coincidence! Fancy running into you here again!"

"Zoro, since you say it's fate, how about joining my crew?" Moya couldn't resist trying to recruit him.

Zoro gave him a deadpan look and refused to answer.

Just then, Luffy came over and shouted.

"You again, Moya, you jerk! You stole my navigator, Nami, and now you want to steal my swordsman too! I'm challenging you to a duel! I've come up with an even stronger move, and I'll show you how powerful I am!"

"Heh heh~ Nami isn't your navigator! I've always respected her choices!"

Moya fired back with a serious expression.

Luffy pulled down his hat, shadowing his eyes. Then he suddenly raised his head, grinned broadly, and laughed.

"Doesn't matter! I've found my navigator. Let me introduce you. This is Yosaku and Johnny. For now, they're our navigator and fighters."

"We haven't officially joined your crew yet!" Yosaku and Johnny immediately yelled.

"But we saved you! I said you're my crew now." Luffy scratched his head and stubbornly insisted.

Yosaku and Johnny wilted. A few days ago, they'd run short on food at sea and nearly died of malnutrition. Luffy and Usopp had saved them.

That was why they'd agreed to repay Luffy and the others.

They never expected the stubborn Luffy to appoint them as navigators. No matter how they tried to explain it, they couldn't get through to the idiot, and they couldn't beat him either. So they had no choice but to stay. Besides, they wanted to sail on the same ship as their big brother Zoro.

"Who said you could stand around chatting? Get back to work."

A wooden plank smacked Luffy hard on the head. An old man wearing an extremely tall chef's hat and using a wooden leg shouted at him.

"Zeff?" Moya murmured.

"Kid, you know me?" Zeff asked.

"Senior Zeff, the Red-Legged, I've heard all about you. Would you be willing to teach me your kicking techniques?"

Moya asked outright, looking at him expectantly.

"The Red-Legged is gone. I don't know any kicking techniques, so there's nothing I can teach you. What would you like to order, sir?" Zeff replied.

Moya wasn't disappointed. His main reason for coming to Baratie this time was Hawkeye.

As for the kicking techniques, he'd take them if he got them, but if not, so be it!

"Then bring us some of your signature dishes. There are over a hundred of us," Moya said.

"That many?" Zeff gave Moya a knowing look.

Moya pulled out a stack of Beli. "Here's one million Beli as a deposit. Will that do?"

Carne, the thuggish chef, promptly snatched the money, beaming.

"Honored guests, it's our pleasure to serve you!"

Baratie's Fish Sub was spacious, with enough room for more than a dozen tables. Everyone sat down.

"Hey, yellow-haired chef! Bring a few drinks for the girls sitting with me."

Moya called out to Sanji, the curly-browed cook.

When Sanji saw beauties like Nami and Kaya, he immediately stopped beating up Fullbody and gazed at the women with lecherous eyes.

"It would be my pleasure to serve such beautiful ladies!"

Moya was so annoyed that he decided he absolutely would not let that lecher join his crew as a cook—even if his sister was the stunning Reiju!

Nami and the others also looked at the lecherous chef with distaste.

Moya happened to glance over at Fullbody and noticed a beautiful woman there. She seemed to be the girl Fullbody was pursuing, and her name might have been Maddie.

His "anime beauty collecting" and "game card collecting" instincts suddenly kicked in.

He pretended to walk over to where Fullbody lay on the ground, took a look, then turned to invite Maddie.

"Miss, would you like to join us for a drink? It's not safe over here. There are a few other girls at our table."

Maddie was about to answer when her eyes met Moya's. His Slip-Slip Devil Fruit's passive ability activated, increasing his charm by one.

A perfect man appeared before Maddie's eyes. He was strong, handsome, gentle, and irresistibly charming.

Maddie's pretty face flushed. "Then I'll accept your invitation, Captain."

Moya and Maddie exchanged glances, and it seemed as if starlight swirled in their eyes. No one noticed.

Nami looked at Moya jealously. He was flirting with another woman again, and it made her furious.

Moya brought Maddie over to the table and introduced everyone. "This is Nami, Kaya, and our adorable Rika."

"Hello, big sister!" Rika greeted her politely.

Kaya also greeted Maddie kindly, while Nami lifted her chin with an air of pride.

"This is Maddie. I thought it was unsafe over there, so I invited her here to have a drink," Moya explained.

Maddie greeted everyone too, then sat down beside Moya.

"Maybe it's the lecher you should be worried about! You'd better watch out for him, big sister!" Nami said fiercely.

"I'm sure Captain Moya isn't that kind of man. Please don't worry, Miss Nami," Maddie replied with an air of nobility.

Looking at the graceful noblewoman, Nami suddenly felt a pang of sadness. She thought of herself as nothing more than a thief from a village enslaved by others. How could she compare to Maddie?

She looked at Moya and Maddie, and her mood immediately turned gloomy. She fell silent.

Moya could tell something was wrong. How could he not know what was going on?

He quickly deployed the protagonist's signature move: the head pat.

"You silly cat, what are you thinking about now? You're the first person I've ever loved in this world, and I'll always cherish you. Not even the Four Emperors or the three Admirals could stand in the way of my love for you! I mean it."

Moya gently held Nami and spoke softly.

Hearing Moya's blunt, domineering confession in front of everyone, Nami felt both embarrassed and touched. Still, she couldn't help holding him tight, savoring his affection.

Moya himself was so embarrassed by his cheesy lines that he got goosebumps. So cringeworthy.

Kaya and Maddie watched the scene with envy, wishing they too could be in Captain Moya's arms, basking in his warmth.

Just then, Rika piped up in a sweet little voice. "Big brother Moya, I want a hug too."

"All right, all right. A hug for adorable Rika!"

The cozy moment passed quickly, and the peaceful scene was soon shattered.

A group of sickly-looking pirates boarded Baratie. Their leader said, "Please give us water and food. We've been hunted by a devil at sea for days!"

After eating his fill, Gin shouted, "Captain, you finally made it back!"

He then turned to Sanji and pleaded, "Please save my captain."

Carne, the thuggish chef, immediately objected. "They're pirates! If we save them, they might rob our ship!"

Sanji puffed on his cigarette. "A real chef gives food to those who need it."

"Well said! I've decided—you're going to be the cook for my Straw Hat Pirates!" Luffy desperately tried to get everyone's attention, but no one paid him any mind.

Sanji went back to cook, leaving Carne behind to rant. Moya watched the scene thoughtfully. Should he step in early and bring the Krieg Pirates under his command?

But on second thought, he decided against it. If Hawkeye misunderstood him, things could get serious, even if the Krieg Pirates were nothing more than a way for Hawkeye to kill time.

Sure enough, events unfolded just like they had in the story. As soon as he'd eaten his fill, Krieg attacked Baratie.

"Ha ha! I'm going to take your ship! I'll rebuild my forces! The Grand Line is terrifying. That devil destroyed several pirate ships with a single slash. He's a monster!"

Krieg shouted like a madman, seemingly out of his mind.

"My fleet of five thousand men and fifty ships is gone! Ha ha ha!"

Zoro's ears perked up. Several pirate ships with a single slash? Whoever did that was at least a swordsman, maybe even the World's Greatest Swordsman!

Could it really be like Moya had said? Was Hawkeye here? Zoro had set out to sea for the sole purpose of challenging that man!

Zoro immediately stood up and ran outside to look.

Baratie's combat chefs couldn't defeat Krieg and his men, and Sanji had also been knocked down by Gin. Luffy turned to Zeff and said,

"I'll help you defeat them if you let me stop working as a waiter. Deal?"

"If you can defeat them, I'll agree."

Zeff thought it over, then agreed to Luffy's proposal without joining the fight himself.

Just then, one of Krieg's lackeys shouted in terror, "Captain, that devil's here! We have to run!"

Krieg was terrified too. They had to seize the ship and escape—fast.

Both sides fought for control of Baratie, and chaos engulfed the scene.