Krieg Pirates

"Boss! Stop Sanji! Don't let him cause any more trouble!" The other chefs panicked, grabbing Sanji's arms to hold him back while shouting at Zeff.

"Hey! Sanji! What the hell are you up to now, you brat?!" Zeff suddenly turned around and glared fiercely at Sanji.

"Shut up, old man." At the sight of Zeff, some of the hostility around Sanji subsided, though his words remained as impolite as ever.

"Who do you think you're talking to?! Trying to ruin my reputation?!" Zeff roared, swinging his wooden leg hard into Sanji's cheek and sending him flying.

"Hmph." Fullbody wore a gleeful, gloating smile at the sight.

But the next second, there was a dull bang.

"And you! Get the hell out too!" Zeff's wooden leg left an afterimage through the air before striking Fullbody squarely in the chest and knocking him to the floor as well.

"What... what the hell? Even the boss is this violent?! Are these people really chefs? They're more vicious than pirates!" Fullbody curled up on the floor clutching his stomach, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

"Hey, before you get the hell out... don't forget to settle your bill." A leisurely voice rang out through the spacious restaurant, making Fullbody shudder again.

Had he forgotten to check the almanac before leaving today? How had he gotten this unlucky?!

"Rayson? So you guys were here?" The moment Luffy spotted Rayson and the others, his face lit up.

"Could you pay off my debt too? I wrecked the kitchen just now, and I knocked over that old man... He said I have to work here as a menial laborer for a year to pay it off!" Luffy ran up to Rayson with a miserable expression, pressing his hands together in desperate plea.

"Wasn't all of that trouble your own doing, you idiot?!" At the mention of paying money, Nami immediately clutched her purse tight and smacked Luffy irritably.

The commotion drew the attention of the Sanji who had been sent flying. When he clearly saw Nami's lovely face, his entire body instantly turned into a pink ghost as he rushed over in a flash.

"Ah! Beautiful lady, this must be fate, allowing me to encounter you here!" Sanji somehow produced a delicate flower, but before he could strike a more passionate pose, his entire body froze.

Because that beautiful lady was sweetly holding the arm of the handsome man beside her, leaning against Rayson like a little bird.

Drip.

Sanji seemed to hear the sound of his heart shattering into dust.

He had fallen in love again.

"Hey, are you okay?" Usopp asked with some concern as he watched Sanji's overdramatic, grief-stricken expression.

"I'm fine... I was merely lamenting why I hadn't met this lady sooner... You! You'd better treat this beautiful lady well!" Sanji wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye and stared solemnly at Rayson.

Though he usually liked to flirt, under Zeff's guidance, he held an unparalleled respect for women deep in his heart.

Since the lady before him already had someone she loved, all he could do was offer his most sincere blessings.

Stealing another man's love was not the act of a gentleman.

"Don't worry, I'll naturally cherish her. Right, Nami?" Rayson smiled as he looked at the girl pressed close against him.

Rayson understood Nami's feelings at that moment.

...The instant Sanji had taken out that rose, Nami had instinctively made her choice.

Her pretty face was slightly flushed. Not only did she not let go, she hugged Rayson's arm even tighter.

Bang!

Just as the restaurant had descended into chaos, a Marine soldier burst through the door in a panic.

"Captain Fullbody! Sir! Something terrible has happened! One of the remnants of the Krieg Pirates we were holding... escaped!" The soldier urgently reported, drenched in sweat.

"Nonsense! When we caught him three days ago, he was already starving to death! We haven't even given him a drop of water since then. Where would he get the strength to escape?!" Fullbody's face was filled with disbelief.

At the mention of that name, the guests who had been watching the spectacle immediately went pale and began whispering fearfully.

"Krieg Pirates?"

"That's the largest pirate fleet in the East Blue!"

"The strongest fleet in the East Blue?" Luffy looked interested instead.

"Sir, I'm truly sorry! We..."

Bang!

A sudden gunshot cut off the soldier's words. He screamed and collapsed at the doorway.

A man wearing a tattered gray overcoat and holding a short gun staggered into the restaurant.

"This... is a restaurant, right?" A plainly built man in a tattered gray overcoat, holding a short gun, staggered inside. His hair was disheveled, his beard unkempt, and his thick lips were pale. He swayed over to an empty table and sat down, as though even the simple act of placing his legs on the table had exhausted every last bit of his strength.

"I don't care what this place is... Hurry up and bring me something to eat." Gin's voice was hoarse and weak.

"Honored guest, our restaurant does not serve freeloaders. May I ask whether you have brought enough money?" Patty sidled up with a fawning smile, greedily rubbing his hands together.

"Since you run a restaurant, stop talking and bring me food! Or do you want to taste a bullet?!" Gin's face turned vicious as he raised his short gun, its dark barrel pointed straight at Patty's forehead.

"So you don't have any money." Patty's smile vanished without a trace.

Bang!

Patty slammed down with both fists crossed, smashing Gin and the wooden table beneath him hard into the floor with explosive force.

"If you're not a customer, get the hell out!" Patty then mercilessly punched and kicked Gin, brutally stomping the helpless man who lay on the floor without any ability to resist.

The surrounding diners loudly cheered at the sight. In the Sambas Sea, watching the violent chefs of the sea restaurant beat a notorious Krieg Pirates member senseless was undoubtedly the finest seasoning imaginable.

"I... I've had enough! What kind of hellhole is this?! I'm never coming here again!" Fullbody was still sprawled on the floor, his face deathly pale. A Krieg Pirates officer whom even he usually feared was being publicly beaten like a homeless dog by an ordinary chef here. Icy sweat instantly soaked his forehead.

He scrambled desperately toward the door.

However, just as he was about to cross the threshold, a terrifying pressure as heavy as a mountain locked onto him once more. Fullbody instinctively swallowed.

That killing intent... came from Rayson, the "Heavenly King."

Fullbody did not dare hesitate in the slightest. He hurriedly emptied every pocket on his body, throwing a thick stack of Beli bills onto the ground before scrambling away from the terrifying building as fast as he could.