After Gin left the restaurant with extra food for his captain, Luffy still continued eating while thinking how to convince Sanji to become part of the crew.
The Strawhats Pirates were halfway through their meal when a loud thud echoed across the restaurant.
A Marine officer, dressed in his pristine coat of justice, stood near the door with several subordinates behind him.
"There they are!" the officer barked, pointing at Luffy and Zoro wanted posters pinned to a paper in his hand. "Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro… and that one!" He pointed at Jack. "You're all under arrest. Come quietly or we'll drag you to Impel Down!"
Luffy just kept eating meat without a care in the world. "Nah. Not interested."
Zoro smirked, hand already on his sword. "Try it."
"Wasn't it the same, we follow you and we will be thrown to the prison?" asked Jack while looking at Usopp and Luffy.
"Yeah, it is the same," said Luffy while his right hand fisting downward to his left hand.
"You give us no choice," said the Marines captain.
But before the Marines could even take a step, Jack stood up. His cosmic gun shimmered into existence, glowing with golden energy.
"Listen," Jack said calmly. "We're here to eat. You really want to ruin the mood?"
The officer sneered. "Threatening a Marine is a crime...."
BOOM!
The blast from Jack cosmic gun tore into the floor right in front of the Marine's boots, sending shards of wood flying. The officer was thrown backward, barely avoiding being vaporized.
Gasps erupted across the restaurant as customers scrambled toward the exit, dishes crashing to the ground in panic.
"Next one won't miss," Jack warned.
The Marines hesitated, then drew their swords and rifles.
Jack sighed. "Wrong choice."
Pew!Pew!Pew!
Each shot from Jack weapon didn't hit the Marines themselves, instead, it disintegrated their weapons, leaving them holding nothing but dust and broken hilts.
"You still want to fight?" Jack asked, glaring.
The Marines didn't wait for another word, they grabbed their injured officer and bolted out of the restaurant, tripping over chairs as they went.
Luffy reaction is the most funny, even he had seen the power of cosmic energy projection, he stil feel excited watching it again.
Now there is also Usopp, he also joined Wagon and become a fan of cosmic projection.
The restaurant was dead silent after everyone left the restaurant except Strawhat Pirates, it was then the owner of this Baratie come out, Black Leg Zeff finally appeared, his peg leg thumping against the floor with every step.
"You brats…" Zeff growled, his mustache twitching. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! You scared off my paying customers! This restaurant doesn't run on air!"
Luffy just grinned. "Sorry, old man. The food good though!"
Before Zeff could shout again, Jack stepped forward and tossed something heavy onto the counter.
THUNK!
A large stack of gold bricks... enough to blind the restaurant with its shine, clattered in front of Zeff.
The entire restaurant went silent again.
"That," Jack said casually, "should cover the damages. And the food bill. And the fact that we're about to take one of your cooks to sea."
Everyone turned to Zeff, waiting for his reaction.
The old man scratched his beard, eyeing the gold. "…That's more than two hundred million beri. Are you trying to buy my entire restaurant?"
Jack smirked. "No. Just Sanji."
Sanji nearly dropped to the ground. "Hey! You can't just buy me like a sack of rice!"
But Zeff eyes softened. In truth, he'd always known Sanji heart belonged to the sea. The boy wanted to find all blue like him when he was a pirate.
Before Zeff could answer, the doors burst open again, this time not with Marines but a new person, with the hulking silhouette of Don Krieg, his battered armor covered in scratches and soot.
Beside him was Gin, now standing straight, his face grim.
Krieg bellowed, stepping forward. "Bring me food for a hundred men and I will take this restaurant.!"
Everyone froze.
Luffy stopped eating, Zoro tightened his grip on his weapon.
Jack raised his hand, signaling the crew to stand down.
Then it happen, Don Krieg pirates finally are attacking.
Luffy and Zoro wanted to step forward but Jack stopped them.
"Not yet captain," he said calmly. "Watch first. There's something to learn here."
Luffy frowned. "But the restaurant..."
"Trust me," Jack interrupted. "If we step in too soon, we'll ruin something important."
Sanji gritted his teeth as Gin weapon struck his side, forcing him back. Zeff blocked another attack with his peg leg, barely holding his ground.
"Gin!" Sanji shouted. "Why are you doing this?"
Gin face twisted with guilt. "I can't disobey my captain!"
Jack watched quietly. He had seen enough anime to know Gin heart wasn't truly in this fight but because of his loyalty towards Don Krieg that he fought with Sanji.
Then the air suddenly changed, the sound of a single sword slash rang out and cut part of Don Krieg ship.
CRASH!
The last remaining Don Krieg ship split in half like butter, sending wood and screams into the sea. Few died after receiving that slash and some had survived.
A small coffin-shaped boat slowly approached. On it stood a man with a black coat, a wide-brimmed hat, his eyes gleamed yellow like a hawk.
"Dracule Mihawk…" Zeff muttered under his breath, his voice heavy. "The Greatest Swordsman in the World."
Zoro entire body tensed. He slowly reached for his bandana, tying it tightly around his head.
"Luffy," Zoro said without turning around, "my dream… is to be the greatest swordsman in the world."
Luffy just grinned. "Then beat him."
Jack stayed silent but his eyes narrowed. 'So this is the test that will define Zoro path.'
Mihawk stepped onto the Baratie, his presence alone suffocating the air around them.
"Why are you doing this," screamed Don Krieg while trembling. "You destroyed my dream."
"I never let my prey ran away," said Mihawk but before he could do anything.
Zoro stepped forward, three swords gleaming in his hands. "I.... Roronoa Zoro, pirate hunter… no, I am a strawhat pirates and one day, I'll be the greatest swordsman alive. If I can't defeat you now, my dream means nothing."
Mihawk stopped and trying to sense Haki from Zoro but found nothing, he looked bored at Zoro, "Every swordsman know the other strength without even needing to draw the sword," he then drawing the smallest sword, the tiny cross-shaped dagger to humiliate Zoro.
"I rather die than run away from achieving my dream," shouted Zoro.
"But dreams… should be tested," said Mihawk.
Jack glanced at Luffy, he saw Luffy looks worried and Jack knows why. Luffy had this sixth sense ability and can know either that person is strong or not.
And he could feel Mihawk is very strong and Zoro could die fighting with him but he manage to control himself from disturbing the fight.
He didn't interrupt with someone dream even if Zoro win or loss, he will try to respect his choice.
Zoro crouched low, his bandana fluttering in the wind.
"Three Sword Style…" Mihawk become interested because this is first time someone wanted to duel with him using three sword.
"Prepare yourself, Dracule Mihawk!" said Zoro.
The Baratie fell silent, every pair of eyes fixed on the two swordsmen