Chapter 12 Luffy Invites Enemies to a Feast to Eliminate Them from the OutskirtsHobbdy nodded subconsciously, "Oh, okay, I'll catch him right now... Wait, Luffy-sama, what did you just say?"
Luffy stared into Hobbdy's eyes and repeated, word by word, "I said, get him some food, fill his stomach, and then let him go back."
"But... but he's a wanted criminal..."
Hobbdy was completely dumbfounded, utterly confused about what this guy was up to.
Even Nami was baffled, not understanding why Luffy would let a tiger return to the mountains.
Ignoring their questions, Luffy stepped forward, squatted down, and patted Gin's blood-stained face. "Aren't you resentful? Want to get revenge?"
"Go ahead, call your starving boss, Krieg. You should still have plenty of people on your ship, right?"
Luffy grinned like a devil. "You're all starving, aren't you? Bring your boss along, this meal's on me."
Then, he waved dismissively at Hobbdy. "Hurry up and throw him out; he's ruining my appetite."
Nami frowned and leaned closer, whispering, "What are you up to? Why are you helping pirates? This isn't like you."
Luffy shook his head with a smile, a cold glint in his eyes. "Helping pirates? No way."
"I call this—cutting the weeds and eliminating the root of the problem!"
In the original story, after Luffy defeated Krieg, Gin ran away with his men, saying they'd see each other again.
Given Krieg's despicable and incorrigible nature, letting him go back would only lead to the deaths of countless civilians.
Therefore, this time, Luffy had no intention of letting a single member of the Krieg Pirates leave Baratie alive.
Since they were going to kill, they might as well gather the monsters together and wipe them all out with a single, powerful attack, rather than causing trouble one by one.
Just then, an enticing aroma wafted out.
Sanji emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming plate of seafood fried rice.
Having experienced the despair of nearly starving to death on a deserted island, he couldn't bear to see anyone go hungry in front of him.
You see, Zeff's leg wasn't severed by the anchor like in the anime; he ate his own leg to leave all the food for Zeff!
Reality is far more cruel and bloody than anime.
So even if the person in front of him was a ruthless pirate, Sanji was willing to let him fill his stomach first; he could fight later when he had the energy.
Plus, there was his chivalrous principle of never hitting women. In Luffy's eyes, this guy was simply a severely delusional teenager poisoned by so-called chivalry.
However, silly youths bring joy, which was one of the reasons Luffy agreed to let Nami eat here.
This kid is a top chef in the pirate world!
Who wouldn't want to eat Michelin-starred meals every day on their adventure?
Although Luffy actually craved Jessica's cooking at G8 Fortress, he figured if he dared to poach her, Vice Admiral Jonathan would hunt him down to the ends of the earth.
Sanji placed the fried rice in front of Gin, who was lying on the ground, and the aroma wafted into his nostrils.
Although Gin was starving and his stomach was cramping, he still disdainfully turned his head away, remaining defiant.
"Tsk tsk, quite the backbone."
Luffy, arms crossed, sighed, "Refusing handouts, insisting on eating what they've stolen—is this what pirate dignity is? How ironic."
Nami rolled her eyes beside him: "So this is the twisted value system of pirates!"
Suddenly, Sanji's gaze fell on Nami, and he froze instantly, as if struck by lightning.
The next second, he conjured a vibrant red rose from nowhere, kneeling before Nami, the background seemingly enveloped in pink bubbles.
"Ah! The sea! Thank you for this fateful encounter!"
Nami was stunned: "Huh?"
"Love! Go ahead and mock this poor soul unable to bear the pain of unrequited love!"
"As long as I can be with you, beautiful lady, whether I become a wanted pirate or fall into the deepest hell, I'm prepared to be shattered to pieces!"
Sanji opened his arms, his eyes turning into two beating red hearts, making a heartfelt confession.
In Luffy's previous life, this would have been textbook-level sycophancy.
"Unfortunately, there's such a huge obstacle between us, I..."
Thump!!
A muffled thud interrupted his eulogy.
Zep's sturdy wooden prosthetic leg mercilessly slammed into Sanji's skull, making him see stars.
"You idiot, the obstacle you're talking about is me, isn't it?"
Zep withdrew his leg, his face darkening as he said to Luffy, "Sorry, Colonel, the shop assistant is being unreasonable. I'll drag him away right away."
Luffy, watching this farce, couldn't stop laughing: "No way! I think this kid's quite interesting. My ship happens to need a cook, so I've requisitioned you as the sous-chef."
Zeff's expression instantly changed; this was exactly what he wanted to see.
To flirt with a Marine captain's female companion in front of him—wasn't that like lighting a light in the toilet—asking for trouble?
"Captain, you're joking. Sanji's cooking is so bad, even a dog wouldn't eat it. How could he be worthy of being the head chef of a warship?"
Zeff didn't want Sanji to get involved in trouble, especially since the other party was a Marine. Who knew if he might use his position for personal revenge?
"That's not up to you."
Luffy looked at Zeff with a smile, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Zeff's face darkened, his muscles tensed, and he was secretly gathering his strength, ready to protect his man at any moment.
Unexpectedly, Luffy abruptly changed the subject, turning to Sanji, who was clutching his head, and said, "Shouldn't we ask the person involved for their opinion?"
"Huh?"
Sanji looked at Luffy with disdain, rubbing the large bump on his head. "I don't want to be some lousy cook for you. I have reasons why I absolutely have to stay at this restaurant."
"Oh? Don't you want to go find All Blue anymore?"
Luffy, like a cunning fox, dropped a bombshell.
"All Blue!?"
Sanji's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, his whole body jolting.
Zep frowned, staring intently at Luffy, wondering why this kid had brought up this vague legend.
"Do you know where All Blue is?"
Sanji rushed over, breathless, grabbing Luffy's shoulder.
"Of course!" Luffy boasted without batting an eye. "The so-called All Blue is the place where the four seas converge. Besides Laugh Tale, where One Piece is located, there's nowhere else."
"It's located at the end of the Grand Line, the true end of this sea."
"Really?" Sanji's eyes sparkled, as if he could already see that dreamlike ocean. "Is the legendary All Blue really there?"
Zoro, standing beside him, frowned and whispered to Luffy, "Are you serious? It sounds so far-fetched."
Luffy lowered his voice and replied confidently, "How the hell would I know? Just kidding this idiot."
Zoro: "..."
He looked at the starry-eyed Sanji with pity, as if he were an idiot.
Zep looked at Luffy with skepticism: "How do you know all this? I've been sailing the seas for so many years, and I've never heard of anything concrete about it."
You see, Zep initially set sail to find All Blue, and for that, he even formed the Chef Pirates.
Unfortunately, the brutal battles of the Grand Line gradually buried this dream deep in his heart.
But his knowledge and experience far surpassed that of the frogs in a well in the East Blue.
"Of course! Don't you know who I am? My grandfather is Garp!"
Luffy gave Zeff a thumbs-up, emphasizing his prestigious title.
Zeff's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.
"Marine Hero Garp!?"
If Garp was a legend in the East Blue, then in the hearts of the older generation of pirates on the Grand Line, Garp was a veritable nightmare.
The mad dog vice admiral who destroyed Rocks and chased the Pirate King Roger all over the world.
On the Grand Line, except for a very few reckless pirates, almost everyone avoids Garp's warships.
Moreover, Garp's footprints are almost all over the world; even the territories of the Four Emperors in the New World are like his own backyard to him.
Even the Four Emperors wouldn't want to confront this old madman head-on.
Simply because they genuinely couldn't win, and even if they did, there would be no benefit, only trouble.
If it was Garp who revealed this information, then perhaps… Luffy was telling the truth?
After all, besides the Pirate King Roger, only Garp has truly conquered this sea.
Zeff pondered, looking at Sanji's longing eyes, and made his decision.
He suddenly raised his foot and kicked Sanji hard, sending him flying. "Get lost, brat! Go out to sea! Since you have the chance, get out of here with them. This place doesn't need a half-baked lad like you!"
"You old geezer!"
Sanji scrambled to his feet, clutching his stomach, and roared through gritted teeth, "I'm the sous chef here! What do you mean by saying we don't need me? Are you trying to burn me under the table?"
Zep leaned against the table, arms crossed, and said coldly:
"Just like the literal meaning, your temper is always getting into fights with customers, you can't resist women, and your cooking is just so-so… You're a burden to this place. I've wanted to get rid of you for a long time."
"What… did you say?!"
Sanji trembled with rage, glaring at Zep.
The chefs nearby joined in with forced laughter.
"Anyway, nobody likes you, so get lost and stop getting in the way."
Zeff waved his hand impatiently and turned away, refusing to look at him again.
Nami muttered quietly beside him, "That's too much! He clearly wants him to pursue his dream."
Luffy chuckled; knowing the plot well, he naturally knew Zeff was acting.
Zeff didn't want Sanji to be trapped in this small sea restaurant for the rest of his life because of the favor he owed him.
He wanted Sanji to pursue their shared dream—ALL BLUE!
But Sanji, so stubborn, felt guilty for causing Zeff to lose a leg and vowed to protect the restaurant for life.
"Damn it! I won't argue with you, you old codger, you're not getting rid of me!"
"Putting everything else aside, I absolutely will not allow you to belittle my cooking! No matter what you say, I'm staying here as a chef! This is my way of repaying your kindness!"
Zep frowned, then kicked Sanji far away again: "You hopeless idiot!"
Luffy glanced at Gin, who had finished eating sometime earlier and was preparing to sneak away, and sneered inwardly. This tool was actually somewhat useful.
Zep turned and left the hall angrily, his back looking somewhat lonely.
The Baratie Hall returned to its superficial calm.
Hobby turned around and suddenly noticed that only an empty plate remained where Gin had been sitting, licked clean.
He shouted to Luffy in a panic, "Colonel, it's bad! That guy named Gin ran away!"
Luffy's lips twitched. This Hobby was both incompetent and blind; he only noticed when such a big, living person had left.
It seems this guy, like me, got in through connections. No wonder he'll be demoted later.
If he really had any talent, the Navy wouldn't have thrown him into such a remote place.
Luffy waved his hand: "Alright, alright, he was supposed to leave anyway. Otherwise, who would go and call that Krieg for us?"
Watching Zeff leave, Sanji's mood changed instantly, like a Sichuan opera face-changing act.
He magically produced two exquisite fruit salads and placed them in front of Nami and the blonde beauty.
"I was truly rude earlier. To express my apology, this is a fruit salad specially prepared for the two princesses. Please enjoy."
As he spoke, he elegantly poured freshly squeezed juice for them.
"Thank you so much. You're such a kind person."
Nami, seeing free high-class desserts, smiled sweetly and casually gave Sanji a "good guy" card.
Sanji, cupping his face in his hands, beamed with delight: "Oh, it's my pleasure to serve such a beautiful lady!"
Usopp, standing nearby, roared in frustration: "Hey! Don't we have to apologize? We were scared by that old man too! I'll report you to the consumer protection agency, you perverted cook!"
Sanji immediately switched to a disgusted, deadpan look, glaring at Usopp: "Didn't they serve you barley tea on that table over there? It's free, what more do you want? Be grateful, you long-nosed brat!"
"Want to fight, you idiot?! I'm very strong, you know!"
Usopp, enraged, stomped his feet, hurling a vicious threat, then abruptly turned to Zoro and shouted: "Go, Zoro! Take him down!"
Zoro was speechless, his face a mask of exasperation.
"Go ahead and do it, you idiot! What's it to me?!"
Luffy, watching this, couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Sure enough, having more goofballs on board made the otherwise monotonous seafaring life much more interesting.
Many transmigrators dream of instantly conquering everything in the world of One Piece and dominating the world.
But in Luffy's eyes, what's most appealing about One Piece is the Straw Hat crew's hilarious daily lives and their deeply moving bonds.
The only thing that bothered him was that the Luffy in the original story was a simpleton, constantly shouting that he wanted to be the Pirate King, which resulted in chaos in the world.
In Luffy's view, the one who could truly save the world might be the Revolutionary Army, dedicated to overthrowing the Celestial Dragons.