"I? I'm here looking for a cook!"
Luffy replied to Fullbody's question while casually picking his nose.
Obviously, that wasn't the answer the Marine captain wanted to hear.
Fortunately, at that very moment, Red stepped in and abruptly cut off the exchange.
He offered a refined smile. "Greetings, Marine sir."
"You've come here to dine as well, haven't you?"
"Although we stand on opposing sides, Baratie is ultimately a sanctuary of fine cuisine. Fighting and bloodshed here would truly be uncivilized~"
"How about we set aside our differences and enjoy a quiet meal together?"
"Ah… y-yes! Yes, of course!!!"
Already wary of provoking great pirates, Iron Fist Fullbody immediately nodded repeatedly, not daring to argue.
"Thank you for your cooperation." Red smiled in satisfaction.
After all, he still needed the plot to proceed normally—so that the Krieg Pirates would eventually draw in Hawkeye…
This was no time to scare Fullbody and his men away.
And so, in a rare moment, pirates and Marines reached an agreement.
Both sides boarded the ferry and headed toward Baratie.
"Hey~ Sanji, we're back again!"
The moment they entered the restaurant, Luffy laughed loudly and greeted Sanji, who was currently working part-time as a waiter.
Though Sanji still hadn't made up his mind, after spending several days together, they had already grown familiar with one another.
And more importantly…
Given Sanji's nature, it was practically impossible for him not to get along with the Straw Hats.
"Nami-swan~!!!"
The instant he spotted Nami, Sanji's eyes transformed into pink hearts. He rushed over and dropped to one knee in front of her.
Thanks to prior experience, he didn't pull out roses this time. Instead, he handed her a glass of sparkling wine that had originally been intended for another table.
"I thank the God of the Sea for allowing our destinies to meet once more~"
"May this wine bear witness to my unwavering and eternal devotion to you!"
"Hey, cook—there's another beauty coming in over there~!"
For reasons unknown, Zoro found himself irritated just looking at Sanji's smug expression. He reached out and pointed toward the entrance.
A mature woman in a vivid red evening gown, her figure elegant and alluring, entered the restaurant alongside a visibly tense Fullbody.
"!!!"
Sanji's heart-shaped eyes expanded as though they were about to burst out of his face.
"My apologies, Nami-san."
He offered a gentlemanly apology, stepped back gracefully two paces—and then suddenly spun away like a whirlwind, appearing beside Fullbody and delivering the exact same speech to the mature beauty.
Sanji…
Loved every beautiful woman equally.
"Pfft—so that's what you call unwavering devotion~!!!"
Zoro burst out laughing.
As for Nami, she didn't care in the slightest. After all, she'd gotten a free glass of wine—no losses there~
Red and the others shared amused smiles. They were already used to Sanji's personality.
The group returned to the same table they'd used on their first day and took their seats.
This table near the entrance had effectively become the Straw Hats' reserved spot.
No one else dared to sit there.
And if a newcomer accidentally did, someone in the know would immediately drag them away.
Now, the round table was already piled high with dishes, stacked like a small hill.
Because of this, Patty had been scolded by Zeff more than once over the past few days…
The arrival of the Straw Hats hadn't just driven customers away—over just a few days, the food they'd consumed, calculated at market price, had already exceeded 10 million Beli!
If the Straw Hats didn't leave soon—
Baratie would suffer an enormous loss.
Elsewhere.
Although his companion was being harassed by Sanji, Fullbody didn't dare make a scene as he originally had.
Thanks to his fear of Luffy, he swallowed his anger and resolved to simply finish his meal in peace.
Unfortunately…
Today, disaster was written into his fate.
Bang!
Before all of Fullbody's dishes had even arrived, Baratie's doors were slammed open by a Marine, battered and bleeding.
"Captain Fullbody! This is bad!!!"
"The Krieg Pirates officer we previously captured—Demon Man Gin—he… he escaped!!!"
"What?! How is that possible?!"
Fullbody's expression changed instantly as he stood up and slammed the table.
"What happened?! Explain yourself!"
"I—"
The injured Marine was just about to speak when—
BANG!!!
A flash of fire erupted.
The Marine's eyes widened as a lead bullet struck him, and he collapsed to the floor.
"Gah!"
Usopp, seated near the entrance, flinched at the sudden gunshot.
The rest of the Straw Hats halted their movements and turned toward the door.
A ragged man wearing a striped bandana staggered into the restaurant and dropped heavily into a chair.
Demon Man Gin.
What followed unfolded almost exactly as it had in the original timeline.
Starving and desperate, Gin targeted Patty—the sort who believed money ruled all—and threatened him with a musket, demanding food.
But Patty, a man who wasn't even afraid of Luffy, showed Gin no mercy. After learning Gin couldn't pay, he smashed him with a massive hammer, beat him half to death, and threw him out of the restaurant.
This brutal scene terrified Fullbody, who no longer dared remain in Baratie. He hurriedly fled in disgrace.
Throughout it all, the Straw Hat crew never moved, calmly eating as though they were watching a play.
Then suddenly, Zoro frowned.
"Hey, Red…"
He called out and pointed ahead.
"What is it?" Red followed his line of sight.
Sanji was carrying a bowl of fried rice, heading toward the deck where Gin had been thrown.
Seeing this, Red couldn't help smiling.
Knowing what would follow, he sighed softly.
"Looks like our cook really is extraordinarily kind-hearted~"
"Hmph." Zoro snorted. "Let's just hope his kindness doesn't get repaid with betrayal."
"The Krieg Pirates are infamous across the seas for being ruthless and deceitful."
Before, Zoro wouldn't have cared what Sanji did.
But now that he knew Sanji would surely become a crewmate, he couldn't help feeling uneasy.
Showing kindness to people of unknown origin could easily backfire—on oneself and one's companions.
Red, however, merely chuckled.
"What's wrong with that? Isn't a cook's job to make sure no one goes hungry?"
"Everyone has flaws. That's exactly why we end up together, isn't it?"
As a transmigrator, Red knew Sanji's flaws—and those of the entire Straw Hat crew—inside and out.
Luffy's impulsiveness and love of excitement dragged the crew into danger;Zoro's world-defying sense of direction caused him to get lost at critical moments;Nami's obsession with money forced the crew into unnecessary work;Usopp's cowardice made direct combat difficult for him;
Even Red himself…
Though he possessed knowledge of the story and a cheat, he'd once been nothing more than an ordinary college student.
Since setting sail, he appeared to have everything under control—but he knew his limits.
One day, the world would diverge from his knowledge.
So before that day came, he had to use the Pokémon world to make the Straw Hats as strong as possible.
And truthfully, Sanji's refusal to let others go hungry wasn't his greatest flaw.
His real weakness was his chivalrous code—
Never kicking a woman.
Yet precisely because everyone had something they couldn't do—and something only they could—
They became companions, braving storms together and uplifting one another.
"…You're right."
Zoro fell silent, his dissatisfaction fading away.
Moments later, he relaxed, placing his hands behind his head and laughing.
"Guess the vice-captain really does think ahead~ Looks like I'll just focus on being the crew's combatant!"
"Just being a combatant isn't enough."
Red raised his glass with a smile.
"Our crew is only just beginning. If we end up with younger companions who need looking after, I'll be counting on you too~"
"Zoro the babysitter."
Zoro frowned. "What kind of weird title is that?"
Even so, he lifted his glass and clinked it lightly against Red's.
Clink.
The crisp sound slowly faded into the restaurant's noise.
(End of Chapter)