"Captain! I've spotted the Sea Restaurant Baratie!"
A pirate standing at the bow put down his telescope and turned back to shout.
"Oh? Let me see."
Standing three meters tall with a hulking physique and armored torso, Kennard strode forward. He took the telescope from his subordinate and peered ahead.
"It really is the Sea Restaurant Baratie."
With his target confirmed, he smirked and waved a large hand. "Men! Steer the ship toward it!"
"Yes, Captain!"
...
Inside the Sea Restaurant Baratie, many patrons sitting by the windows quickly looked outside after a woman's scream pierced the air.
As the blood-colored skull became unmistakable in its approach, their faces turned pale as they cried out in terror,
"Th-that's the Blood Demon Pirates!!"
Boom!!!
The entire restaurant erupted in chaos instantly.
The Blood Demon Pirates were the rising powers of the East Blue, having filled the vacuum left after the Krieg Pirates departed.
They were as powerful as they were ruthless; they would butcher even a stray dog that dared block their path.
Their captain, Kennard, was known as the 'Blood Demon' for his habit of licking the blood of his enemies—a moniker that gave the crew its name.
Upon realizing such a vicious crew was arriving, several guests who had been calmly enjoying their meals trembled, knocking over their wine glasses.
Red liquid bled across the white tablecloths, a jarring sight. Wine glasses spun and rolled, teetering on the edge of tables before falling.
Ignoring the spills, the guests scrambled to their feet, grabbing their companions and rushing for the exit.
At the same time, the nobles who previously carried themselves with such grace abandoned all etiquette. Some pulled their partners toward the door, while others simply abandoned them to bolt for safety alone.
"Out of my way! Move!"
"Get lost, you fat pig!"
A crowd quickly bottlenecked at the exit, shoving and pushing in a desperate attempt to reach their boats and escape the area.
While the others fled in a panic, Goku and Nami remained seated, looking completely out of place in the chaos.
Goku watched the fleeing crowd with a bewildered blink. "Nami, is that Blood Demon crew really that tough? Why is everyone so scared of them?"
Nami's expression grew serious. "The Blood Demon Pirates are a formidable crew. Their leader, Kennard, has a sixteen-million-berry bounty—higher than even Buggy the Clown's."
"I see. Should we capture them for the bounty then?"
Nami paused for a moment before shaking her head. "Let's hold off for now. This is Sanji's home. If we start a battle with pirates here, it'll cause too much trouble for them."
"Besides, these pirates came out of nowhere. We don't know anything about them, and we aren't prepared. It's all too sudden."
Usually, they would prepare meticulously before hunting pirates—scouting numbers, gauging strength, identifying typical tactics, and even mapping out escape routes.
But right now, all they knew about this crew was the captain's bounty.
Picking a fight without being prepared was simply unwise.
As they spoke, the rest of the diners finished their escape, sailing away from the restaurant and the approaching Blood Demon Pirates.
Sanji descended from the second floor, hands in his pockets and a cigarette in his mouth, strolling toward the entrance with an unhurried gait.
"Aren't you two running?"
Nami took a blissful sip of her soup.
"Run? Why would we? This food cost us a fortune. We're not leaving until we finish every bite," she said with total conviction.
They might not have been ready to start a war, but that didn't mean they were going to flee just because a pirate arrived.
So what if he was the Blood Demon? He only had a million berries more on his head than Buggy. They weren't intimidated.
If the pirates didn't provoke them, they'd stay out of it. But if they were foolish enough to start something, they'd find out whose fist was harder.
"Is that so."
Sanji didn't bother turning back at her reply. He stood at the entrance, his eyes fixed on the Blood Demon Pirates as they pulled alongside.
Meanwhile, Patty, Carne, and the other chefs stood ready in the center of the restaurant, murderous intent radiating from them as they concealed meat cleavers and maces behind their backs.
If the Blood Demon Pirates were here to eat, they were welcome guests.
But if they were here to cause trouble, these brawny chefs would prove they could do more than just serve food!
A chaotic rhythm of footsteps soon echoed from outside.
Shortly after, the towering figure of Kennard marched in alone.
He spared a glance for Sanji at the door before scanning the chefs' formation. He swaggered over to an empty table and sat down, kicking his boots up onto the tabletop.
"Hey! Isn't this a restaurant? Where's the food?"
Kennard grinned, his fierce gaze sweeping over the assembled chefs.
From the second-floor railing, Zeff watched the scene in silence, saying nothing.
The tension among the wary chefs, including Patty and Carne, eased slightly upon hearing Kennard's demand.
Patty even broke into a grin. "Well, well. Just a customer after all! In that case, you're welcome here!"
"Welcome! Sir!"
He approached Kennard with a wide smile, his hidden weapons already put away.
"What can I get for you, sir?"
Kennard looked at him with amusement. "Bring me everything you're famous for."
"Right away! One moment, please!"
With that, Patty and the rest of the chefs returned to the kitchen on the second floor.
Sanji watched the scene without emotion before heading toward the stairs. As he passed Kennard, he said, "We welcome any guest. I hope you have a pleasant meal."
He continued upstairs without a second look.
Kennard watched him go, a mysterious smirk touching his lips.
He then casually scanned the room. His brows quirked when he noticed a woman and a child eating as if the world weren't ending, but he didn't move. He retracted his gaze and tapped his fingers against his arm, waiting.
...
In the kitchen, the chefs conversed as they prepared the orders. "Hey! Do you really think this guy is just here for a meal?"
"I've got a bad feeling. He's got to have an ulterior motive," Carne said.
"Motive? You're just paranoid. Why wouldn't he come here to eat? We're the best in the business," Patty said dismissively while tossing a pan.
"Hmph! You're just a muscle-brained idiot!" Carne snapped back.
"What was that? You want to go right now?!" Patty instantly rolled up his sleeves, ready for a brawl.
Since they never got along, fights were a daily occurrence. The other chefs, well-practiced in this routine, stepped in to pull them apart.
"Enough, both of you! Don't keep the customer waiting."
At the others' intervention, the two settled down. With mutual huffs, they returned to their work.
Sanji joined them shortly after, working in silence.
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