The Uninvited Guest

"Ah, you're all here!" Inside the Baratie, Luffy found William and the others enjoying a delicious meal in the dining hall, making him burn with envy.

When the Golden Merry had been approaching the Baratie earlier, Luffy had impatiently launched himself over with Gum-Gum Rocket. He ended up smashing the restaurant's rooftop loft and was caught by the owner and head chef, Zeff. Since the restaurant often had chefs fighting with pirates, most of the waitstaff had been too scared to stay and had quit. So, Zeff decided that Luffy, who had no money to pay for the damages, would work as a waiter for a year to pay off his debt.

Although the process had been quite different from the original story, Luffy being forced to become a waiter at the Baratie had somehow remained completely unchanged.

"Hey, waiter!" Nami greeted Luffy when she saw him in his waiter uniform. She truly found it hard to believe that this man dressed as a server was Luffy, the one who shouted all day about becoming the Pirate King.

"I heard you're working here for a year?" Usopp, seated beside Nami, could not help saying. The chefs here had already told them that Luffy would be working as a waiter for a year to compensate for the damage. Though it sounded unbelievable, considering Luffy's personality, it was not impossible.

"Why not change the ship's flag? What do you think?" Zoro kicked him while he was down without hesitation. In other words, if Luffy kept working here as a waiter, they would have to replace the captain.

But if they really changed captains, probably no one here except Usopp would be willing to remain a pirate. William and Zoro had agreed to become pirates because of Luffy. If someone else became captain, they would probably either kill the new captain or quit being pirates altogether. And Nami hated pirates more than any other profession. If not for a special pirate like Luffy, she would still have been a thief specializing in stealing pirates' treasure. Although Usopp wanted to become a pirate and a brave warrior of the sea, his courage was not suited for sailing alone.

"Work hard. Being a waiter has a promising future," William said with a soft smile.

Because the Baratie was quite famous in the East Blue, all kinds of people might appear here. So, besides wearing his usual newsboy cap, William had deliberately put on a pair of thick-framed glasses. However, he had long since told the Straw Hat Pirates that he was a former Marine colonel who was being hunted by the Marines for making a mistake.

Though they half believed him and half doubted him, it was the truth. He simply could not explain his transmigration, nor was there any need to.

"You actually left me behind while you ate such delicious food here! That's too much!" Seeing his companions enjoying fine food while he, the captain, had to work, Luffy was deeply annoyed. But who would dare let Luffy work? If they told him to wash dishes, he would break as many as he washed. If they told him to wash vegetables, he would sneak food in the kitchen. William had no idea why Zeff insisted on keeping him, but it definitely was not as simple as making Luffy serve as a waiter for a year. If that were really the case, this restaurant would probably shut down before the year was over.

"It's nothing. We're free to do as we please," Zoro said as he drank. Still, he felt that beer would have tasted better, yet this restaurant had everything except the beer he wanted.

"Still, the food here is delicious." William picked up his glass, about to drink, when he suddenly forced the water from it into Luffy's mouth and shouted, "Drink this disgusting crap!"

"What are you doing? Blech!"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" William had noticed Luffy picking his nose earlier. Seeing Nami and the others grinning slyly, he knew something was up. Sure enough, because he had not gotten to eat the feast, Luffy had used this disgusting method to get revenge on them.

But judging by Luffy's expression, he had brought it on himself. He had actually put a booger into William's glass. Did he really think William would not notice?

"Ah, ocean, thank you for letting me meet her today! Ah, love! Mock me all you wish as I suffer in agony! ... But how tragic! There is such a massive obstacle between us!" A blond young man suddenly appeared beside Nami. From his hairstyle, clothes, and casual declaration of love to a beautiful woman, this was Sanji, the person William needed to invite.

"Is your obstacle me, Sanji?" a one-legged middle-aged man with a braided beard asked unhappily. The presence he gave off made it clear that this old man was definitely no ordinary restaurant owner.

"Huh? You old bastard?" Sanji froze when he discovered that the newcomer was Zeff, the restaurant's owner and head chef. He knew he had carelessly gone too far just now.

"Take this chance to become a pirate. This place doesn't need you anymore!" Zeff said with a look of disgust.

"Hey, old bastard, I'm the sous-chef here! You're saying this place doesn't need me? What are you talking about?" Sanji said in irritation when he heard Zeff wanted to kick him out.

"You constantly offend customers, love harassing girls, and your cooking is terrible. You're nothing but dead weight to this restaurant. Whether you become a pirate or whatever else, get the hell out of here!"

"What? You think I'm easy to bully just because I don't say anything? Old bastard, no matter what you say, I'm the sous-chef here. You don't get to complain!" But Sanji clearly had no intention of leaving the Baratie, nor was he afraid of Zeff's disdain.

"You punk, what are you doing grabbing the head chef by the collar?" When Zeff knocked Sanji down with his chef's hat, William actually sensed Haki. As expected of a pirate who had sailed the Grand Line for more than a year and emerged unscathed. He really was strong.

"Great, he agreed! That means you can become my companion!" The moment Luffy heard Zeff wanted to fire Sanji, he immediately seized the chance to recruit him.

"No way!" Sanji rejected him readily. However, William could tell that Sanji truly wanted to sail out and seek adventure. He had only decided to remain here for the rest of his life to protect Zeff's life's work out of gratitude for Zeff's kindness.

Although Sanji had rejected Luffy's invitation, William felt there was no need for him to personally invite Sanji anymore. The timing was not right yet, and no one could persuade Sanji now. But that time would arrive within the next few days. To keep things the same as the original story, William had even placed the treasure Nami had stored inside his body into the Golden Merry's warehouse. Of course, that had been Nami's request.

"My apologies for earlier. As an apology, I have specially prepared mixed-fruit cheese. Sweet wine will be served after the meal. Please enjoy, Princess." Having just argued with the boss, Sanji turned around and immediately began fawning over Nami again.

"Wow, thank you! You're so thoughtful!" Nami acted very ladylike at that moment. Anyone unaware of her identity would have thought she was a young lady from some noble family.

"Hey, aren't you going to apologize to us too? Perverted cook!" Usopp said unhappily at Sanji's different treatment.

"Didn't I already serve you guys coarse tea? Don't push your luck, idiot!" Unlike his gentleness toward beautiful women, Sanji treated men like a gangster in a negotiation. He was practically a hooligan.

"You're asking for a beating, aren't you? William, Zoro, take down this perverted cook!" As expected of Usopp, his mouth was invincible, but the moment things got serious, his cowardly nature was immediately exposed.

"You handle it yourself." Neither William nor Zoro had any intention of helping Usopp. They were not going to deal with children's squabbles.

"Who told you, a waiter, to sit here slacking off? Get back to work!" Sanji smashed his foot into Luffy's head. Fortunately, Luffy was made of rubber, or his head would have been split open.

"Yes, sir!" Luffy was dragged away by Sanji, helpless and unwilling. Yes, dragged away, because Luffy had absolutely no desire to leave the table.

"Boss, Commander Krieg's ship is outside!" Patty, one of the Baratie's chefs, rushed in and anxiously told Zeff about the situation outside.

When he heard that Commander Krieg's warship had appeared outside the restaurant so quickly, William knew that he and the Straw Hat Pirates had still arrived at the Baratie later than in the original story. Otherwise, Krieg would not have shown up so soon.

"You've got to be kidding! Isn't Krieg the commander of that pirate fleet with five thousand men? Why is he here?" The restaurant's customers began discussing it among themselves. After all, the person before them was no ordinary pirate, but the East Blue's most terrifying pirate fleet admiral, the overlord of the East Blue, "Commander" Krieg!

"But that ship is really beat-up," Luffy said as he looked at the huge warship. No other warships accompanied it, and the one before them was severely damaged, making it incredibly suspicious.

"They must have encountered some kind of maritime disaster. Human strength alone couldn't have damaged such a massive warship to this extent!"

"Excuse me... could you... give me some water and food? I have money. I can pay whatever you want." Commander Krieg was carried inside by his subordinate, Demon Man Gin, and pleaded weakly.

"What's going on? He has no dignity or presence at all. Is that really Krieg?" Neither the restaurant's customers nor its staff could believe that the disheveled man being carried inside was the feared East Blue overlord, "Commander" Krieg.

But Sanji did not refuse to provide food despite the objections of the restaurant's guests and staff. Yet the moment Krieg had eaten his fill, he immediately repaid kindness with hostility and shouted, "Not a bad restaurant. I'm taking this ship!"