The aftermath of the duel lingered over the Baratie like a storm that refused to move on.
The air was thick with shock, awe, and the quiet hum of a world that had just shifted beneath everyone's feet.
A man who stood at the summit of swordsmanship had appeared.
A man who acknowledged Roronoa Zoro.
And a boy who declared himself future Pirate King stood unbroken on the deck.
Destiny had arrived.
And it left the Baratie trembling.
—————-
The Baratie was chaos.
Not because of fighting—
but because of the frantic scramble around the blood-soaked swordsman lying on the deck.
Zoro.
His green haramaki was torn. Blood stained the wood beneath him. His breathing was shallow, ragged.
Luffy knelt beside him, fists trembling.
"Zoro… hang in there."
Usopp was crying. Not quietly—ugly, messy sobs. "H-he's alive, right?! RIGHT?!"
Sanji lit another cigarette, but his hands weren't steady. "Idiot swordsman… look at the mess you made."
Johnny and Yosaku worked fast, binding the wounds with strips of cloth, forcing Zoro's body still.
Zeff stepped in, gruff voice firm. "That boy fought a battle no ordinary human survives. Patch him up. Keep him warm. He'll live… if he wants to."
Luffy stared at Zoro's unconscious face. "He wants to. He will."
Because Zoro still had a promise.
Because Zoro wasn't done yet.
——————-
Inside the Baratie's infirmary, Sanji worked with surprising calm. "Hold him still."
"I'm trying!" Luffy said, nearly shaking the table apart.
Usopp kept shouting: "HE'S BLEEDING! IS THAT TOO MUCH BLOOD!? PEOPLE NEED BLOOD, RIGHT!?"
"SHUT UP, LONG-NOSE!" Sanji roared.
They worked quickly.
Bandages wrapped tight.
Herbs pressed to wounds.
A cold compress laid across Zoro's forehead.
And through all of it, Zoro never screamed.
Never complained.
Never moved.
He simply clenched his teeth and endured.
Luffy sat beside him, fists trembling, staring at the swordsman who had just fought a god.
Sanji glanced over. "He'll live. Barely. But live."
Luffy exhaled, relief washing through him.
Zoro snored.
"…He fell asleep!?"
Sanji rolled his eyes. "He's a monster. Let him rest."
————————-
The peace shattered as Don Krieg roared back onto the deck, furious and humiliated.
"You brats! You think you won?! I'll TAKE THIS SHIP BY FORCE!"
His golden armor slammed into place—Guns. Shields. Poison. Explosives.
BANG!!!
A chunk of the Baratie's outer wall exploded inward.
"KRIEG IS BACK!!!" a chef screamed.
The armored tyrant stomped inside, fully fueled from the food Sanji had given him earlier.
His men followed, weapons raised.
"THIS RESTAURANT—!"
Krieg snarled.
"—WILL BE MY FIRST STEP TO GRAND LINE DOMINATION!!!"
Luffy stepped forward immediately, carcking his knuckles. "Oi. I'm still not done with you. You hurt this place… and you hurt my friends."
Krieg sneered. "You again?! You're nothing but a brat with stretchy arms!"
Luffy didn't bother answering.
He just cracked his knuckles.
Krieg lunged first, firing his MH5 poison gas bomb.
Chefs screamed. "EVERYONE GET DOWN!!!"
But Luffy didn't move.
He inhaled deeply—
—and blasted the poison cloud away with a single roar.
"GOMU GOMU NO… FUUUUSEN!!!"
The gas scattered like dust.
Krieg's eyes widened. "What—?!"
Luffy charged. "GOMU GOMU NO… PISTOL!!!"
SMASH!!!
The punch crushed Krieg's metal plating and sent him skidding across the deck.
But Krieg wasn't the strongest pirate in East Blue by accident.
He roared and unleashed every weapon he had.
Explosive lances.
Spiked chains.
Shrapnel bombs.
Full-Body Armor Mode.
The deck became a warzone.
Luffy dodged a flurry of spears, leapt over exploding tiles, and slammed his foot into Krieg's helmet.
"Your armor is annoying!"
Krieg lunged back.
"AND YOUR EXISTENCE IS ANNOYING—!!!"
He grabbed Luffy in his spiked cloak and spun.
The spikes tore into Luffy's flesh.
Luffy screamed—
—then bit the cloak and tore it apart with his teeth.
Krieg staggered, horrified. "WHAT ARE YOU!?"
"A man who'll be King of the Pirates!"
Luffy sprang high.
"GOMU GOMU NO… AXE!!!"
His leg came down like a hammer—
SLAM!!!
Krieg crashed into the deck so hard the entire Baratie tilted dangerously.
But as the smoke cleared—
Krieg rose.
Barely.
"You… can't win… I'm invincible…!"
Luffy glared. "Shut up already!"
He launched forward—
Both fists pulled back—
"GOMU GOMU NO—!!!"
Krieg fired his explosive spear "BLAS—
"—BAZOOKA!!!"
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
The force shattered whatever armor Krieg had left and blasted him straight off the Baratie into the ocean.
SPLASH!!!
The battle was over.
Luffy's chest rose and fell—
Then he fell backward—
Straight into the ocean.
———————-
"LUFFY!!!" Usopp shouted.
Zeff stepped out immediately. "Oi, Sanji."
Sanji snapped to attention.
"Save him."
Sanji blinked. "Huh—?"
"You idiot," Zeff growled. "Devil Fruit users sink like hammers."
Sanji's face changed instantly.
He tossed his cigarette, dove into the water with flawless form, and grabbed Luffy before he sank fully.
Johnny and Yosaku threw down a rope.
"SANJI-BRO!!!"
With a final kick, Sanji broke the surface and heaved Luffy onto the deck.
The boy coughed up water, gasping.
Usopp collapsed with relief. "DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT, YOU RUBBER IDIOT!!"
Luffy sat up, drenched and panting. "Ahhh… thanks, Sanji!"
Sanji rolled his eyes. "You're a pain in the ass."
But his smile betrayed him.
———————-
The deck creaked under the weight of exhausted silence.
Krieg's broken armor floated far out at sea, drifting like scrap metal from a forgotten war.
Luffy coughed seawater onto the planks while Sanji smacked his back.
"Don't swallow the ocean, dumbass."
But the chefs of the Baratie…
They could only stare.
Patty's jaw hung so low it nearly unhinged.
"W-Wait… hold on—"
Carne rubbed his eyes like he was hallucinating. "No way. No freaking WAY."
A younger cook whispered, trembling. "T-That brat… that chore boy…"
Zeff crossed his arms, beard bristling. "Hmph."
Patty grabbed Sanji by the shoulders. "OI, SANJI! YOU'RE TELLING ME THIS KID—"
He pointed dramatically at Luffy, who was still coughing and slapping his chest.
"—THIS RUBBERY IDIOT—FOUGHT DON KRIEG!?"
Sanji lit a cigarette. "Yeah."
The chefs froze.
Carne's voice cracked. "AND HE WON?!"
Sanji exhaled smoke. "Yeah."
Every single chef in the Baratie shrieked at once.
"HE WON!?!?!?!"
Luffy blinked. "Huh?"
A small chef hid behind Zeff's leg.
"H-He… he beat Don Krieg…!"
"The same Don Krieg who wrecked dozens of ships…"
"The tyrant of East Blue…"
"The monster who terrorized everyone…!"
Patty slumped onto the deck like his soul left his body. "We just got saved… by a wet mop with arms."
Carne wiped tears dramatically. "A CHORE BOY BEAT THE PIRATE DON KRIEG!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD!?"
Sanji scoffed. "He's not just a chore boy. He's aiming for the top."
Zeff didn't smile, but there was a strange flicker in his eye. "That 'chore boy' is something else."
One of the chefs whispered, awed. "His body… it stretched…"
"His punches shattered Krieg's armor…!"
"What… is he?"
Zeff stepped forward, planting his peg leg on the wood with a heavy thunk.
"He's a pirate."
Luffy grinned at them with meat still stuffed in his cheek.
Sanji facepalmed. "You guys are dramatic."
Zeff snorted. "Coming from you."
——————-
Before anyone could rest—
Johnny and Yosaku ran up, panting. "LUFFY-BRO! USOPP-BRO! BAD NEWS!"
Everyone tensed.
Johnny continued. "NAMI-SIS… TOOK THE MERRY!"
Usopp screamed, "WHAT!?!?"
Sanji lit a cigarette. "Huh…"
Yosaku added, "Before leaving, she was staring at a bounty poster. Of Arlong."
The name struck like lightning.
Sanji's cigarette fell from his lips. "A fish-man…?"
Usopp snatched the wanted poster. "ARLONG…!? THAT FISHMAN PIRATE!?"
"She also has a tattoo…" Johnny whispered. "Arlong's mark. On her shoulder."
The room went silent.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Luffy stood slowly. "We're getting her back."
Johnny saluted. "We'll take you! She's heading to Conomi Islands!"
Luffy nodded. "Good. But first…"
He turned to Sanji.
"I need my cook."
Sanji looked away. "…I'm not joining you."
"Why not?"
Sanji's jaw tightened.
"I owe Zeff my life."
Luffy scratched his cheek. "He wants you to be free."
Sanji froze. "…What?"
"He wants you to follow your dream. Not stay here forever."
For once—
Sanji couldn't speak.
——————-
When Luffy approached Sanji behind the restaurant, the cook was already lighting a fresh cigarette.
"Oi. Sanji."
"What?" he muttered, blowing smoke.
"Join my crew."
Sanji didn't turn around. "I told you no. I owe Zeff my life. I'm not leaving."
"The old guy wants you to live your own life," Luffy said simply.
Sanji's hand twitched. "What do you know about it?"
"He told me. You're holding yourself back."
Sanji froze.
—————-
Later, in the kitchen, as Sanji prepared dishes for the chefs, Patty and Carne tasted his food—
—and made disgusted faces.
"GET OUT, SANJI! THIS FOOD SUCKS!"
"You're fired today! SCRAM!"
They shoved him out… but whispered the moment he was gone.
"That idiot's too good for this place."
"He's the best chef we've ever seen."
"He has to follow his dream. Zeff wants it. We all do."
Sanji paused outside the door.
His breath hitched.
Patty and Carne whispered in the hall, unaware Sanji was listening.
"That stupid curly-brow…"
"He's got dreams bigger than this ship."
"If he stays here with us… he'll rot."
"He needs to go."
Sanji's eyes widened.
They… wanted him to leave?
Carne sniffed. "That idiot… chasing after the All Blue… he's insane. But…"
Patty's voice softened. "…we want him to chase it."
Sanji's knife slipped.
For the first time in years—
his hands shook.
Luffy walked up beside him. "See? They want you to live."
Sanji didn't speak.
Not yet.
———————
The next morning, soft sunlight spilled across the Baratie's deck, glinting off the railings and the waves below.
Every chef stood in a tight line — Patty, Carne, the cooks, the waiters — all stiff, formal, and trying very, very hard not to cry.
Sanji stood before them, a small travel bag slung over his shoulder, freshly tied cravat, cigarette in his mouth trembling ever so slightly.
Zeff stood in front of him, towering, arms crossed, peg leg planted firmly on the deck like an anchor.
The wind stilled.
Sanji took one long, shaky breath—
—and bowed.
A perfect, deep bow.
So deep he nearly touched his forehead to the floor.
"THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!"
His voice cracked, raw and loud, echoing across the sea.
Patty immediately burst into tears.
Carne sobbed into Patty's shoulder.
The younger cooks wailed like children.
"DON'T GO, YOU USELESS TWIG!!!" Patty shouted between sobs.
"WHO'S GONNA EAT ALL OUR FOOD NOW!?" Carne howled.
"You were our best cook!!! AND OUR WORST COWORKER!" one chef bawled.
Sanji clenched his teeth, shoulders trembling as he held the bow.
Zeff stared down at him.
Unblinking.
Expression unreadable.
Then he exhaled lightly through his nose.
"…Sanji."
Sanji tightened his fists on the deck.
"Yes, old man?"
Zeff's voice rumbled. "Don't catch a cold."
Sanji froze.
"…!"
His breath hitched — then broke completely.
Zeff continued, gruff and quiet. "And take care of yourself… out there."
Sanji dropped to his knees.
His forehead hit the wood with a loud thud.
Tears streamed down his face, shoulders shaking violently. "OLD MAN ZEFF… THANK YOU!!!"
"For saving my life.
For teaching me to cook.
For kicking my ass when I needed it…"
He clenched his fists. "Thank you… for giving me a place to belong."
He cried so hard the entire deck started crying with him.
Patty slapped a hand over his own mouth.
Carne bawled like a baby.
Zeff didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Then he snorted. "You're an awful cook."
Sanji sobbed harder. "And a worse fighter."
Sanji covered his eyes.
"But… go.
Live your life.
See the All Blue.
And never—NEVER—come crawling back unless you got a feast worth bragging about."
Sanji cried openly. "OLD MAN—!!!"
"GET LOST ALREADY!!!" Zeff shouted, kicking him one last time.
Even some customers watching from inside sniffed into their napkins.
Zeff then grunted. "Idiot. You're soaking the deck."
Sanji laughed through tears. "I'll repay everything someday! I swear it!"
Zeff shook his head. "You already did, brat."
Sanji looked up, eyes burning red. "…I'll make you proud."
Zeff scowled. "You better. Don't bring shame to my restaurant. And don't come crawling back unless you've become a great man."
Sanji wiped his eyes, stood, and adjusted his travel bag.
Luffy grinned from the railing. "Sanji! Let's go!"
Sanji turned one last time.
Every chef saluted him.
Even Zeff.
Sanji bowed again.
Then he walked down the gangplank, tears still falling — but smiling.
The cooks shouted after him.
"COME BACK WITH STORIES, YOU DAMN EGGPLANT!"
"DON'T DIE, SANJI!"
"MAKE US PROUD!"
"AND DON'T YOU DARE STARVE YOUR CREW!"
Sanji waved without looking back, voice rough. "THANK YOU, YOU LOUSY COOKS!!!"
The wind carried his words across the sea.
———————-
Far across the sea—
The small coffin boat cut across the fading light, the waves calm and golden as dusk settled over the East Blue.
Perona floated lazily beside Mihawk, her pink parasol tilted back as she hugged it close. Despite the calm, her mind still spun.
"So…" she muttered, voice unusually soft, "That Straw Hat kid… Monkey D. Luffy…"
She swallowed, shoulders stiffening. "He really is Captain's son."
Mihawk did not deny it.
"Yes."
Perona wrinkled her nose. "Do we… tell Ada?"
For a moment, Mihawk said nothing.
Only the splash of the waves answered.
Then.
"Not yet."
Perona whipped around. "What? Why?!"
Mihawk's gaze remained steady on the horizon. "By the time we return to her… the boy will likely have a bounty already."
Perona blinked. "A bounty? He just started sailing!"
Mihawk let out a faint breath — not quite a sigh, not quite amusement. "That boy's fate won't allow him to remain obscure for long."
Perona frowned, floating a bit closer. "That's vague and annoying. Say something normal."
Instead, Mihawk added. "I wonder what Shanks would think."
Perona tilted her head. "Shanks?"
Mihawk nodded. "After all… he gave his arm for that boy."
Silence hit Perona like cold water.
Her jaw fell open.
Her eyes widened.
Her parasol drooped to her side.
"W-WAIT— WHAT?! THAT WAS FOR HIM?!"
Mihawk gave her a sidelong look, unbothered. "Of course. Shanks does not lose limbs carelessly."
Perona gaped at him. "But— but— you're telling me that Yonko Shanks actually—"
Mihawk arched a brow, voice cool and razor-sharp. "Were you not listening when Shanks visited us back then and told his story?"
Perona blinked hard. "…I thought he was exaggerating! He was drinking! He always exaggerates when he's drinking!"
Mihawk sighed—long, tired, as if remembering that conversation physically pained him. "He was not exaggerating. Shanks gave his arm to save that boy."
Perona's jaw dropped even further. "That wasn't a joke…? That was REAL?!"
"Yes," Mihawk replied. "And now you understand why I said that child carries fate on his shoulders."
Perona sputtered. "So — so let me get this straight. Luffy is Ada and Dragon's son, Shanks sacrificed an arm for him, and now he's aiming to be Pirate King?!"
Mihawk folded his arms, his cloak fluttering in the wind. "It seems the boy is… rather well supported by destiny."
Perona threw her hands up. "Oh, sure, why not — let's just add fate's favorite child to the list! This is ridiculous!"
Mihawk ignored the dramatics and continued. "When we return to Ada, we will tell her only when the moment is right. Not before."
Perona frowned deeply but didn't argue further.
She floated beside him in brooding silence.
Finally. "…You really think he'll get a bounty soon?"
Mihawk's lips curved — the faintest, rarest smirk. "If he continues on this path? Yes. It's inevitable."
Perona sighed, staring at the horizon. "Captain's gonna freak out."
Mihawk nodded once. "And the world… will soon learn the name Monkey D. Luffy."
She floated backward and crossed her arms.
"But hey… you found what you came for, right? You said fate was pulling you to East Blue."
Mihawk opened his eyes, golden irises reflecting the fading light. "Yes. Fate showed me two things."
He paused.
"One — a young swordsman with the will to surpass the heavens."
"And two — the son of the woman who we follow and will probably reshape the world."
Perona blinked, stunned at the softness in his voice. "So… you're satisfied?"
Mihawk smirked — the smallest, rarest curve of his lips. "For now."
Perona huffed. "Well, don't expect me to carry you around if you get sentimental."
Mihawk lifted Yoru slightly. "Don't worry. I have no intention of dying before witnessing what those two become."
Perona stared out at the horizon, voice quiet. "…Yeah. Me neither."
The coffin boat sailed on.
Toward the next storm fate had prepared.