The one who walked in through the door was none other than Marine Lieutenant, Fullbody. He's dressed in a suit and is accompanied by a female companion.
Holding his head high, he looked down disdainfully at the other diners, standing still as he waited for a waiter to escort him to his seat.
Unfortunately, the entire Baratie had already entered the special mode, and practically every available staff member had been crammed into the kitchen.
Thus, Fullbody stood there foolishly for a long while.
By the time the gazes of those around him had taken on a hint of mockery, he finally flew into a humiliated rage and shouted, "Hey! Where are the waiters in this restaurant!? Is this how you treat distinguished guests?"
Hearing the commotion outside, Sanji walked out carrying a plate of lobster thermidor.
However, he still chose to serve the dish to Naruto's table first.
"Please enjoy your meal."
Perhaps it was because this was the first time he had seen Zeff treat someone with such solemnity that even Sanji's tone had become unusually polite.
Normally, he only displayed such elegance and courtesy when facing ladies.
"Wow, this looks amazing! I'll savor it properly!"
Seeing the half-meter-long lobster, Naruto immediately lit up with excitement. Picking up his knife and fork, he cut off a small piece and chewed it slowly.
As if acknowledging Naruto's table manners, a faint smile flickered across Sanji's face. But in the next instant, his expression darkened as he turned toward the noisy Marine Lieutenant.
"Guest, please refrain from causing a disturbance here."
"Hah!? What did you just say? A mere floating restaurant..."
Fullbody's attitude didn't improve even though Sanji had suppressed his anger. Instead, he grew even more aggressive, jabbing his finger into Sanji's chest.
Hearing this, Sanji glared at the other party coldly, and his anger immediately became uncontrollable, "Y-Yes~ Right this way, sir. Let me show you to your seat."
At that moment, a chef who looked like Popeye suddenly rushed out from the kitchen, wearing an obsequious smile as he shoved Sanji aside.
"Tch."
Seeing that another chef, Patty, had taken over dealing with the Marine Lieutenant, Sanji suppressed his urge to beat the man senseless and turned to head back into the kitchen.
But as he turned around, he saw that Naruto's plate was already completely empty and there was not a single drop remained.
'So… fast!'
Sanji stared in astonishment. Watching Naruto delicately wipe his mouth with a napkin, he finally understood why Zeff had been acting as if facing a formidable enemy.
Meanwhile, after ordering his meal, Fullbody glanced around impatiently once more, ensuring that none of the people who had mocked him earlier dared to meet his gaze before finally settling down.
"Hm? You… You look familiar, kid."
At that moment, he noticed Naruto sitting at the neighboring table.
However, Naruto didn't even bother to pay attention to this Marine, and just started to taste the white wine specially provided by Baratie.
"Damn it, you..."
Just as Fullbody, who was always looking for death, was about to make a move, a panicked marine suddenly rushed in through the door.
"Lieutenant Fullbody, something terrible has happened!"
"The prisoner we captured from the Krieg Pirates has escaped!"
"What?!"
Fullbody immediately jumped to his feet, his face filled with disbelief.
"That guy hasn't eaten for three days! Wasn't he on the verge of death?"
Bang!
At that moment, a gunshot rang out, and the Marine who had just delivered the news collapsed.
A man with a bandana, wielding a pistol, pale-faced but exuding a fierce aura, slowly stepped inside.
The other diners, having heard the Marine's earlier words, now looked at the newcomer with fear and unease.
Gin walked right past Fullbody, completely ignoring the idiot who claimed to have caught him with his own hands. He plopped down at an empty table.
"Hey, you've got food here, right? Bring it out. Now."
The one who came to serve him was also Patty, who still had a fawning look on his face.
"Of course, sir… but do you have the money to pay?"
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Gin's expression turned even more menacing as he raised his gun and pressed it against Patty's forehead.
"Don't waste my time. You want to eat bullets instead?"
"If you don't have money, then you're not a guest."
Before Gin could react, Patty's fist slammed into him like an anchor. In just a few blows, the once-ferocious pirate was nearly knocked unconscious by the burly chef.
Cheers and applause erupted from the surrounding diners.
Only Fullbody took advantage of everyone's inattention and ran out of the door in shame.
As for Naruto-
He was still enjoying the newly served dish, completely oblivious to all the drama going on around him.
It wasn't until four more individuals walked into the restaurant that he subtly lifted his gaze, locking onto a straw-hat-wearing young man among them.
Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, and Nami entered to find the diners cheering, leaving them utterly confused. They simply took the nearest available seats, which is coincidentally the very table Fullbody had just vacated.
Luffy's eyes gleamed with envy as he watched Naruto devouring his meal at the next table. Unable to contain himself, he immediately shouted.
"Meat! Delicious food! I want meat!"
"Shh! Luffy, keep it down!"
Usopp frantically gestured for him to lower his voice, afraid the restaurant staff might recognize them as the ones who had fired the cannonball earlier… even if it had been intercepted midair. Who knew if these people held grudges?
Fortunately, the chefs at the Baratie didn't seem sharp-eyed enough to identify them from such a distance.
Soon, the food for their table arrived.
Thanks to the financial backing of Kaya, the wealthiest heiress in Syrup Village, and the former Black Cat Pirates' funds, they still had plenty of money to spare.
"Woah! So good! Delicious!"
After Sanji brought the dishes to the table again, he looked at Luffy with some disgust as the other party stretched out his hand and stuffed the food directly into his mouth.
It was a sharp contrast to the refined diner at the neighboring table.
But soon, his attention was stolen by the beautiful orange-haired girl in Luffy's team.
"Oh~ Sea, I thank you for today's fateful encounter!"
"Love! Laugh at me, for I can no longer endure this torment~"
Dropping to one knee, he presented a fresh rose to Nami with dramatic flair.
The awkward spectacle made everyone else freeze mid-bite, except Luffy, who remained entirely unaffected, still stuffing food into his mouth at an alarming rate.
'Damn it, that old guy eats so fast!'
At this moment, Luffy's heart was filled with the desire to win.
At some point, he had noticed Naruto's inhuman eating speed.
Luffy, who is always confident in his own appetite, immediately saw it as a challenge.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to keep up with the opponent's speed.
While he was still struggling with the second tentacle of a giant grilled octopus, Naruto had already finished his entire plate and was wiping his mouth.
This near-magical display of gluttony soon drew the attention of the entire room… including Sanji, who had just been rejected by Nami.
Watching the two bottomless pits inhale food at an impossible pace, his expression darkened.
'Damn it, no time to waste here.'
"My beautiful lady, please wait for me. I'll return shortly~"
After sending another wave of affection toward Nami, he hurried back to the kitchen to help.
But at the moment when he held his spatula, he seemed to have thought of something. He silently took out a plate of seafood fried rice.
Thud!
Gin, who was still slumped outside the kitchen door, heard something being placed in front of him and instinctively looked up.
It was a plate of steaming seafood fried rice.
"Eat."
Sanji lit a cigarette, leaning against the railing as he gazed at the horizon.
"Shut up… Get lost."
"No matter how desperate I am, I will never accept charity from others."
Gin growled, clinging to the last shreds of his pride despite the mouthwatering aroma.
"Take this crap away!"
"Quit the tough act and eat. To me, anyone who's hungry is a guest."
After saying that, Sanji turned and walked back toward the kitchen.
"If you want to die with your pride intact, fine. But if you eat and survive… you might just see a new tomorrow."
After he finished speaking, Sanji closed the door of the kitchen. He had no more time to waste on Gin.
The bandana-wearing pirate, Gin, remained silent for a long moment before slowly sitting up and picking up the still-warm plate of fried rice.