Pirates: Invincible from the Start

They laughed and slapped the table, making it go bang, bang, bang...

Kuina covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking wildly as she laughed like a tinkling bell.

Zeff straightened up and smiled at the four of them as they laughed themselves silly.

He had known all along that Kuta was joking and had played along.

Did anyone really think he had done it for the money on the table?

Once Kuta and the others had laughed enough, Zeff asked, "You kids don't look like pirates. Are you out sightseeing, or are you really planning to go on an adventure?"

"An adventure, of course! We're planning to sail all the way around the Grand Line," Ahua answered excitedly.

Ever since they had set sail, Kuta

had told them that was their goal.

"The Grand Line. That place brings back memories."

Nostalgia crossed Zeff's face.

Ahua and the others only knew Zeff was a chef. They had no idea he used to be a pirate. They weren't Kuta or Marines, after all.

"Oh? From the sound of it, Mr. Zeff, you've been to the Grand Line?" Ahua asked with interest, pushing up his glasses.

Zeff smiled and looked back on the past. "Yeah... I had a dream once, so I gathered some like-minded companions and headed for the Grand Line."

He paused. His expression gradually turned grave as he looked at Kuta and the others. "We only sailed there for a year before our entire crew was wiped out. If a kindhearted ship hadn't found me, I wouldn't have made it back either."

"What happened after that? What made you decide to open a restaurant at sea?"

A-Luo braced both hands on the table and looked at Zeff in confusion.

Ahua and A-Tao nodded too, watching Zeff curiously.

They weren't concerned about the dangers of the Grand Line. They had never experienced them, so they couldn't truly understand. Besides, Kuta had seemingly invincible strength.

What interested them was what could drive someone to open a restaurant at sea.

He must have been through plenty of interesting things to come up with an idea like that!

Meeting the three curious gazes, Zeff showed a flicker of lingering fear.

He pulled out a chair and sat beside Kuta, then slowly recounted, in understated terms, the miserable experience of being shipwrecked and stranded on a deserted island.

He didn't say much about his leg or Sanji.

After hearing Zeff's story, Ahua pushed up his glasses, his eyes gleaming.

"So, Mr. Zeff, you experienced extreme hunger yourself. You wanted people at sea to have somewhere to eat when they were starving, and that's why you decided to open a restaurant on the water?"

"Yes."

At Zeff's brief confirmation, all of them looked at him with admiration.

For a chef, what a noble, magnificent idea!

Zeff looked at the kids across from him. They were interested in Baratie, yet seemed utterly unconcerned about the dangers of the Grand Line. He offered them a kind warning.

"Kids, I'd advise you to make sure you're prepared before setting off. The dangers of the Grand Line are nothing like those of the Four Blues. The most vicious pirates from all four seas gather there."

"Pirates?"

A-Tao shrugged indifferently, took out her pack of cigarettes, and offered it to Zeff with a smile.

"Mr. Zeff, want one?"

Zeff looked at A-Tao and hurriedly waved her off. He explained to them,

"These hands of mine never touch that stuff. I don't want it tainting my cooking."

Seeing that Zeff was sincere, A-Tao put the pack away, took out a cigarette for herself, lit it, and took a drag.

Zeff could see that Kuta and the others weren't taking pirates seriously. He continued in a grave tone.

"Pirates are one thing. You might still be able to escape. But if your luck runs out and you encounter weather as terrible as a natural disaster, your whole crew might well be wiped out."

"That's what happened to me. A natural disaster wiped out my crew."

Seeing how seriously Zeff was warning them, Kuta stopped smiling and spoke.

"Well, don't worry, Mr. Zeff."

"I waited more than ten years before setting sail. Of course I came prepared!"

A trace of terrifying presence radiated from him as he spoke to Zeff with solemn conviction.

"I went to sea specifically to claim the title of the strongest and see the Grand Line's extraordinary sights for myself!"

Ahua and the other two nodded along.

They might only be along for the ride, but that didn't stop them from looking the part.

"And I set sail to become the strongest swordswoman and keep up with Kuta!" Kuina, seated to Kuta's left, declared with determination in her eyes.

Feeling Kuta's presence and resolve, Zeff couldn't help marveling at the power of dreams.

He himself had once set sail in search of the legendary All Blue.

That made him think of Sanji, who shared his dream.

For Zeff's sake, that kid had always refused to set sail and pursue his own dream.

No sooner had Zeff thought of Sanji than the kid appeared.

A dark figure suddenly rushed out of the kitchen, swept past Kuta, and stopped beside Kuina.

Facing her, he dropped to one knee, pressed his left hand to his chest, raised a red rose in his right, and declared loudly,

"Oh, sea!"

"Thank you for bringing us together today."

Kuina stared at the man before her, dressed in a black suit, with blond hair and strikingly curled eyebrows.

She looked surprised for a moment, then watched his performance without expression.

Seeing Kuina's face grow colder, Sanji grew even more excited. He clutched his cheeks and cried,

"Oh, love!"

"Mock me for being unable to bear this agony! If I can be with you, I'm ready to become a pirate or even a devil!"

The corners of Kuta's, Ahua's, and the other two's mouths twitched.

Kuta was stunned and speechless at Perverted Cook Sanji's sudden appearance and overblown words and gestures.

Ahua and the others were simply mourning the man in advance.

He's asking for it.

Sure enough, what happened next proved them right.

Goose bumps erupted all over Kuina. She sprang to her feet, raised her leg, and lashed out with a diagonal kick to his head.

Bang!

Sanji's head snapped sideways, and he shot toward the floor.

Thud!

His head slammed hard into it.

Even after taking that kick and ending up on the floor, he craned his neck to gaze at Kuina, hearts practically pouring from his eyes.

"Ah, goddess! Even the way you kick someone is beautiful."

Kuina was thoroughly creeped out. She hurried behind Kuta, hugged him, and complained in a coaxing voice,

"Kuta, this guy is so disgusting!"

Kuta glared at Sanji, his face dark. Seeing this guy in person was something else. He really did let his lust run wild

!

"Hey! Who are you? Get away from my goddess!"

Only when he saw Kuina clinging to Kuta's back did Sanji notice him.

Once he got a clear look at Kuta's face, alarm bells rang in his head.

Sanji had always thought he was handsome, but compared with Kuta, he was nothing.

Sanji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up as if nothing had happened.

He stared hard at Kuta, waiting for an answer.

"Me? I'm your goddess's fiancé. Who do you think I am?"

Kuta's reply was cool.

No one would feel particularly good about watching a lecher harass his fiancée.

Even if he knew the lecher meant no real harm and was simply girl-crazy.

Still, Kuta had taken a slight dislike to Sanji from the moment they met.

"Oh... So you're her fiancé."

The realization took a moment to sink in.

Then Sanji stared at Kuta and asked in shock,

"What did you say?"

"I said I'm your goddess's fiancé. Was that not clear enough?"

Kuta looked at Sanji in exasperation.

Sanji froze. His face quickly fell, and he lowered his head, murmuring,

"Ah, love!"

"You came so suddenly, then left in such a hurry. It ended before it even began."

Then he calmly took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag.

He was a lecher, not a creep. He wouldn't pursue someone else's fiancée.

"Hmm..."

Only then did he notice Zeff standing beside Kuta, his expression dark.

Sanji called out casually,

"Hey, old geezer. Weren't you resting upstairs? When did you come down?"

"This is my restaurant. Am I not allowed to come down?"

"And you! That was far too rude a way to treat a customer!"

Zeff strode up to Sanji, raised his prosthetic leg high, and swiftly kicked him.

Thunk!

This time, it was the sound of wood striking a skull.

Bang!

Sanji hit the floor again.

Lying there with a hand on his head, Sanji looked up at Zeff and shouted angrily,

"Hey, old geezer! I'm the sous-chef here! Can't you let me keep a little dignity?"

Zeff looked down at Sanji and said evenly, "You pick fights with customers at the drop of a hat, rush to flatter every woman you see, and can't even cook anything decent..."

He paused, but didn't say what came next.

He had meant to ask Sanji to set sail with Kuta and the others.

From their conversation, he had sensed their resolve. Sanji's dream didn't conflict with theirs; if anything, it fit perfectly.