Sanji, who boarded the ship carrying his ambitions, soon showed the Straw Hats what he was capable of.
That very noon, at Luffy's suggestion, the Straw Hat crew held a welcome party for Sanji inside the Going Merry's dining hall.
Though it was called a welcome banquet, the busiest person throughout the entire event was still Sanji himself, the cook.
Fortunately, he was enjoying it wholeheartedly.
For a chef, being able to cook exquisite food for people who truly knew how to appreciate it was in itself a kind of happiness.
With his outstanding culinary skills and his status as the newest member, Sanji quickly became the most popular man among the Straw Hats that day!
However, once the banquet officially began and his true nature was revealed, Sanji soon became the target of disdain from all the male members!
…
…
"Nami-swan, this sirloin steak uses premium beef fed with special feed from the North Blue. It's been aged at low temperature for a long time, then topped with my personally crafted love-filled sauce."
"Even ordinary royalty would rarely get to taste a dish of this level once a year. Please enjoy~"
Sanji carried a plate of steak arranged into a heart shape, rich aroma wafting into the air, and politely placed it before Nami.
The moment Luffy and Usopp caught that special fragrance, their eyes bulged wide as they shoved their faces forward, greedily inhaling the scent.
"Wah! That looks insanely good!"
"As expected of the Baratie's sous-chef—your skills are incredible!"
As they spoke, the two reached out with their knives and forks, clearly intending to share the steak in front of Nami.
But just then—
Bang! Bang!!!
Two invisible kicks flashed by, instantly sending the utensils in Luffy's and Usopp's hands flying.
Sanji pulled back his long legs, then set two plates of steak before them. Though fragrant, they were clearly far less refined than the one in front of Nami.
"That was a love-filled special made just for Lady Nami!"
"These are yours!!!"
"H-Hey! Sanji, that's way too unfair!" Usopp complained instantly.
Luffy grabbed his own steak and wolfed it down, shoveling it into his mouth. While glaring at Sanji, his other hand quietly stretched toward the steak in front of Usopp.
"Yeah, yeah! I'm the captain! Why can't I eat the best one!?"
"Mmm… this steak is amazing!"
"Hey! Luffy!!!"
Usopp shrieked when he noticed Luffy's little trick.
But it was already too late.
Luffy's arm snapped back, bringing Usopp's steak with it.
"Tch. You idiots, what a racket."
Zoro couldn't help commenting when he saw this.
But to avoid following in Usopp's footsteps, the moment Sanji placed his own steak down, Zoro immediately swung his knife.
In an instant, blades flashed.
In the blink of an eye, the steak was cut into bite-sized pieces and devoured on the spot, leaving no chance for anyone else to grab a share.
Red, sitting beside Luffy, didn't have such cutting techniques. But when he saw that Luffy, even while being dragged by Usopp, still tried to sneak a hand toward his plate—
He calmly picked up his dish. With a crackle of electricity, he floated straight into the air, head nearly touching the ceiling, and quietly enjoyed his meal.
As for the "unofficial members" Johnny and Yosaku, they didn't even dare approach that dangerous dining table.
The two laid out a picnic cloth in the corner of the dining hall and ate furtively on their own.
And so, amid noisy chaos, the Straw Hat crew enjoyed an exceptionally delightful lunch.
Unfortunately, that pleasant atmosphere didn't last long.
Just as the banquet was nearing its end, a loud clamor suddenly erupted from outside.
"Hm?!"
The Straw Hats all perked up and looked out the windows.
Only Red calmly wiped the grease from his mouth with a napkin, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"They're here?"
…
…
Moments later, everyone walked out of the cabin and onto the Going Merry's deck.
"That ship is HUGE!!!"
Luffy and Usopp exclaimed in unison as they stared toward the horizon.
A gigantic warship, enormous in scale, its masts seemingly piercing the clouds, slowly sailed toward the waters near the Baratie.
And the source of the commotion was none other than the restaurant's patrons.
"Th-That flag… there's no mistaking it! It's the Don Krieg Pirates, the tyrants of the East Blue!"
"What!? Didn't the newspapers say they'd already headed to the pirates' grave—the Grand Line!? Why is their ship here!?"
"Forget the reason! Run for your lives!!!"
The Don Krieg Pirates, who had ruled the East Blue for years with ferocity, cunning, and cruelty, inspired terror with just a single flag.
The already dwindling diners—thinned out long ago thanks to Luffy—scattered like startled birds, fleeing in panic!
In the blink of an eye, the only ship left near the Baratie was the Going Merry.
"Tsk tsk~ Compared to those old-timer pirates in the East Blue, Luffy, your reputation's still lacking a bit!" Red teased as he looked at the suddenly deserted restaurant.
Zoro frowned and glanced sideways at Sanji, muttering softly:
"Is this because of that pirate from the other day?"
"Trouble like this should've been cut off from the start…"
"Now's not the time for that!" Nami said sharply.
"Look at them—they're not slowing down at all!"
"At this rate, they'll crash straight into the Going Merry!!!"
"Aaaahhh!!!"
Usopp and Johnny instantly panicked.
"No, no! The Merry's still just a child~! She can't withstand something like that!"
The three rushed toward the helm and sails, preparing to flee.
But Red stopped them.
"No need to go through all that trouble."
A smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he addressed everyone:
"Among pirates, the weak have always made way for the strong."
"A mere Don Krieg Pirates crew isn't enough to make us run, right, Luffy?"
"Yeah!" Luffy swung his arms excitedly, eyes blazing.
"Red's right! Why should we give way to them!?"
"I'm the man who's going to become the Pirate King!"
"Red, take me up there!"
Grinning, Luffy clenched his fist and stared at the oncoming warship.
"I'm gonna stop their ship!!!"
"W-Wait, Luffy!"
"T-That's impossible, isn't it!? Their ship is huge! How could you stop it!?"
Sanji cried out in shock, still unaware of Luffy's true strength.
Johnny and Yosaku didn't stop what they were doing—one gripping the sail ropes, the other holding the helm—waiting for the command.
But Zoro snorted at Sanji.
"Relax, love-cook~"
"Luffy's way stronger than you think!!!"
A wave of electromagnetic light surged into existence.
Grabbing Luffy by the shoulder, Red lifted them both into the air, flying toward the massive warship.
Up close, Luffy exclaimed in surprise.
"Huh? This ship's really beat-up! Did it get hit by a tornado or something?"
"Who knows?" Red replied calmly, not explaining, as he carried Luffy higher and farther.
When they reached a high point directly above the warship, Red finally spoke.
"This should be about right, yeah?"
"Yeah!" Luffy nodded.
Just as he was about to say something else, a wicked grin suddenly appeared on Red's face.
He released both hands at once and shouted:
"Then—"
"Let more people witness your power, Luffy!!!"
"Wait—this is way too high, Red!!!"
Luffy screamed as he plummeted, his voice warping under the rushing air.
But Red wasn't about to let this chance for revenge slip by.
Besides, according to gravity and acceleration—
The higher you rise, the faster you fall!
A famous figure in the pirate world had once said:
Speed is power!
Luffy, who had been "trained" by Garp since infancy, quickly adjusted his posture.
As the distance closed, he shoved his thumb into his mouth and blew with all his might.
"Third Gear! Bone Balloon!!!"
"Gum-Gum—Giant Pistol!!!"
A thunderous roar echoed through the skies!
In an instant—
A colossal arm manifested above the gigantic warship, crashing down like divine punishment!
Both the Baratie's cooks and the fleeing diners froze in utter shock.
"Th-That thing… what is it!?"
On the Going Merry, Sanji's cigarette dropped straight to the deck.
He stared blankly at the massive arm smashing down, his mind completely blank.
Johnny and Yosaku trembled uncontrollably.
"Amazing, Big Bro Luffy! Is this really the pirate with a fifty-million-beli bounty!?"
On the Baratie's top floor—
Zeff, still immersed in the loneliness of parting from Sanji, widened his eyes as he watched Luffy in the distance, filled with shock and reassurance.
"So this is… the man Sanji will follow in the future?!"
BOOM!!!
Amid a crushing pressure of wind, Luffy's terrifying giant fist slammed into the warship with overwhelming force.
The already battered vessel could no longer endure it and split cleanly in two.
Many of the Don Krieg Pirates' remnants didn't even realize what had happened before they lost their lives on the spot.
But in truth, those pirates who died to that single blow were the lucky ones.
At least they didn't have to face a monster like Luffy while suffering from extreme hunger!
…
…
At the same time—
In the waters behind the shattered warship, a man with hawk-like, sharp yellow eyes slowly lifted his head, gazing at the giant fist retracting with a look of intrigue.
"Interesting~"
"So the East Blue, known as the weakest sea, still has someone like this?"
"This journey's finally starting to get interesting."
(End of Chapter)