After Don Krieg had eaten his fill, he slowly rose to his feet and studied Sanji before him.
Then he slowly said:
"Now, go prepare food for a hundred people. My companions are nearly starving to death!"
Sanji did not move when he heard this. He simply stared straight at Don Krieg.
After a long while, just as the atmosphere between them reached a stalemate, Sanji slowly answered with a single word.
"Fine!"
Then he turned and walked into the kitchen. Patty was furious at the sight and roared straight at Sanji:
"What are you doing? We don't have a tradition of giving people free meals here!"
Sanji did not look back, but his calm voice drifted over.
"We're cooks!"
"You bastard!!!" Patty was still deeply indignant. No, he had to teach those pirates a lesson and show them that the Baratie was not to be trifled with.
Just as he was about to go pick a fight with Don Krieg, a voice stopped him.
"Do as he says!"
A middle-aged man missing one leg, wearing a head chef's hat and sporting a distinctive mustache, walked over and spoke.
"Head chef, but..."
"Do as I say!"
Before Patty could finish, Zeff cut him off. He could only head into the kitchen and get to work, unwilling as he was.
Across from him, Don Krieg found Zeff more and more familiar the longer he looked. Suddenly, as though something had occurred to him, he said in disbelief:
"You... you're Red-Leg Zeff?"
Zeff did not answer. He simply watched him in silence, as he had before.
Don Krieg's expression kept shifting, from surprise to wariness, and finally to calm. Then he slowly spoke:
"So what if you're Red-Leg Zeff? All your strength was in your legs. Now that you're missing one, how much strength do you have left?"
"I'm officially telling you now: I'm taking this ship. I only came here for a ship and food, so don't try anything unnecessary, or you'll bear the consequences!"
With that, Don Krieg walked straight out.
Xia Chen watched the scene calmly, utterly scoffing at Don Krieg's words.
With them here, Don Krieg's plan could never succeed.
He still wanted to enjoy the Baratie's food. What would he do if Don Krieg wrecked it?
For some time afterward, since Luffy kept trying to invite Sanji to join them, they naturally stayed there.
Xia Chen was sound asleep in the cabin. He knew Sanji would never agree to come aboard before going through certain things.
There was no point rushing it. They just had to wait.
Until...
Boom!
A tremendous noise came from outside, and Xia Chen slowly opened his eyes.
He slowly sat up and looked in a certain direction. Even with objects blocking his view, he could sense that presence, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"He's here?"
Meanwhile, outside.
The Krieg Pirates had just been about to disembark and seize the Baratie when their ship began splitting apart down the middle.
The cut was as smooth as a mirror. At the same time, a small boat slowly approached from the distance.
The sudden appearance of a man drew everyone's attention, especially Zoro's. Fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
"He... he's... Hawk-Eyes!"
"Huh? Who's that?" Luffy asked from the side, puzzled.
Zoro spoke with a hint of excitement.
"He's the reason I set out to sea, the man I want to defeat-the World's Strongest swordsman!"
"Awesome! The World's Strongest swordsman?"
Luffy and the others also turned their eyes toward Hawk-Eyes.
At that moment, Zoro could no longer hold back. He leaped straight onto the wreckage of a ship and shouted at Hawk-Eyes:
"Hey, Hawk-Eyes! I challenge you!"
"Hmm?" Hearing him, Hawk-Eyes raised the brim of his hat slightly and looked at Zoro as he spoke:
"You're far too weak. You aren't qualified."
"Tch. Is the world's number one swordsman just someone who's all talk?"
"If you've got the guts, come over here and fight me!" Zoro said provocatively.
"I don't know whether you're overconfident or simply too ignorant to fear anything, but since you want to die, I'll give you that chance!"
As his words fell, Hawk-Eyes instantly leaped over from his small boat.
Looking at Zoro, he spoke coldly once more:
"If you were a first-rate swordsman, you should be able to sense the gulf between us."
"But clearly, you aren't, so..."
Hawk-Eyes slowly removed the cross pendant from his neck and drew a small knife from it, then said calmly:
"Sorry, I really don't have a smaller blade than this!"
"Damn you! That's far too insulting!!!"
Zoro roared, then charged straight at Hawk-Eyes with an Oni Giri.
Then his expression turned to profound shock.
"How... how is this possible?"
All three of Zoro's swords had been stopped by Hawk-Eyes's tiny knife, unable to advance even an inch.
"What? Big Bro's Oni Giri was blocked? That's a finishing move with a one hundred percent hit rate!"
Johnny and Yosaku exclaimed in horror from the sidelines.
"Isn't that perfectly normal? Who do you think that man facing him is? He's the world's number one swordsman!"
Xia Chen, who had appeared beside them at some point, looked toward Hawk-Eyes and spoke calmly.
"Big Bro Xia Chen!"
"Watch closely. This is Zoro's fight!"
Back with Zoro, he felt that his entire understanding of the world was being shaken to its core.
Is the gap in our strength really this huge? Is the world really so far beyond me?
Then Zoro began attacking relentlessly, but no matter how he attacked, Hawk-Eyes easily blocked every blow with that little knife.
As time passed, Zoro's heart gradually sank to rock bottom.
How can I... be toyed with by something like this toy?
Zoro took a step back and assumed a stance.
"Tiger..."
Shhk!
The sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out. At some point, Hawk-Eyes had already appeared before Zoro, his little knife plunged into Zoro's chest.
"Hmm?"
A look of surprise appeared on Hawk-Eyes's face.
"Why... won't you retreat? Aren't you afraid I'll pierce your heart?"
"Because... I have a reason I can't retreat. Even if I die... I absolutely cannot lose!"
Hearing this, Hawk-Eyes's pupils widened slightly, a trace of shock flashing through his eyes.
At that moment, he reassessed the man before him. The conviction radiating from him was so dazzling.
Hawk-Eyes stepped back a few paces and put away the little knife in his hand. Instead, he drew the Black Blade Yoru from his back-one of the twelve Supreme Great Grade Swords!
"A strong warrior, after so long. To show my respect for you, allow me to bury you with this Black Blade!"