Chapter 56: Sanji Joins The Crew, Setting Sail Once More!
Ralph was delighted about his skill upgrade, while on the other side, the remnants of the Krieg Pirates indeed gave up resistance as he had anticipated.
"Clatter!"
Blades and guns were tossed onto the deck.
"We... we surrender..."
"Don't kill us..."
"The Captain... has lost..."
Krieg's strength and invincibility were the primary core of this crew's cohesion.
A fleet of fifty ships, thousands of members, the title of overlord of the East Blue—all of it was built upon the myth of "Krieg's invincibility."
Once that myth was shattered, the impact on the Krieg Pirates was devastating.
Most members of the Krieg Pirates, including Gin, thought this way.
With hardly any persuasion from Nami, Gin directly tossed his gun aside.
Gin slumped down, leaning against the doorframe of the restaurant, his eyes hollow as he stared into the distance where Zoro had subdued Krieg.
"Krieg... how could he lose?"
Gin muttered hoarsely, "He's the ruler of these seas... I always looked up to him, I truly believed he was the strongest... How could it end up like this..."
It was the sound of faith crumbling.
Nami lived up to Ralph's expectations.
The negotiations proceeded surprisingly smoothly.
Not only did the remnants of the Krieg Pirates collectively surrender and hand over all their weapons, they even offered their remaining treasures in exchange for their leader Krieg's life.
Probably because most of the treasures had sunk to the bottom of the sea along with their ships.
After all, with their captain defeated, there was little point in clinging to worldly possessions.
The only one who couldn't accept defeat was Krieg himself.
Just as Nami finalized all the terms and handed the bound Krieg back to his crew—
"I... will not lose!!!"
Krieg suddenly erupted into action!
Using a hidden dagger, he sliced through his ropes.
"No one can defeat me! I am Krieg, the overlord of the East Blue!"
He roared wildly, charging recklessly toward the scattered pieces of his golden armor!
"I still have so many weapons I haven't used! Poison gas bombs! Rocket launchers! Chain nets!"
Krieg's eyes were bloodshot, his expression maniacal.
"If it weren't for that guy breaking my armor, I would never have lost! A single poison gas bomb could kill everyone here!"
His hand reached for a concealed compartment in the armor.
If he could just get that...
If he could just activate the poison gas bomb...
Yet, just as his fingertips were a step away from the armor—
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
A spray of blood burst from Krieg's right calf.
"Argh—!"
He screamed, his movements freezing instantly as he lost his balance and crashed heavily onto the deck.
Ralph stood between him and the armor, the barrel of his pistol pressed squarely against Krieg's forehead.
The cold touch of metal sent a shiver through Krieg's entire body.
"So, you admit it. Without this armor, you're nothing but trash?"
Krieg gritted his teeth, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"Th-that's impossible!" he snarled. "I am the strongest man on the seas! Even without the armor, I—"
He wanted to resist, to get back up.
But Ralph gave him no chance.
A second shot.
This time, it struck his left shoulder.
The bullet tore through flesh, and Krieg screamed as he collapsed once more.
Ralph stepped forward, planting his foot firmly on the man's back, pinning him to the ground. He shifted the gun barrel downward, pressing it against the back of his head.
It was the exact same posture Gin had used earlier when threatening Zeff.
"Very well," Ralph said. "I'll take the life of the so-called strongest man on the seas."
His index finger slowly began to squeeze the trigger.
"STOP—!!!"
Krieg's subordinates screamed in panic.
"We had an agreement! How can you go back on your word!"
Ralph replied calmly, "According to Captain Krieg's own philosophy, there's no such thing as honor or dishonor on the high seas. Victory alone defines strength."
He paused, pressing the gun harder against Krieg's skull.
"Then, Captain Krieg, if you truly stand by your words, pay for your convictions with your life."
"Just like our captain Lufia, who charged into certain danger to protect her comrades, fully aware it was a trap."
"Just like our swordsman Zoro, who never retreats even when facing certain death against powerful opponents."
"Meet your end upholding your beliefs, Captain Krieg."
"That would be worthy of the title 'Strongest on the Seas,' wouldn't it?"
Krieg's body trembled uncontrollably.
He could feel the genuine killing intent emanating from the young man behind him.
This wasn't a threat or intimidation.
"Three."
Ralph began the countdown.
Krieg's breathing became ragged.
Cold sweat soaked through the back of his shirt.
"I SURRER!!!"
Krieg broke completely.
He screamed like a beaten dog, his voice filled with terror and despair:
"I yield! I was wrong! Everything I said was nonsense! I admit I was wrong! Please... please don't kill me... DON'T KILL MEEEE—!!!"
The final scream was choked with sobs.
Dead silence fell over the deck.
Everyone watched as the once-invincible ruler of the East Blue now lay prostrate on the ground, weeping and begging for mercy.
The belief system of the Krieg Pirates shattered completely in that moment.
The fleet of fifty ships, the thousands of crew members, the invincible conviction—all of it had been nothing but a joke.
Gin was the first to reach his breaking point.
"Enough... ENOUGH!!!"
Gin suddenly leaped up from the ground and charged madly toward Krieg!
Instead of seeing salvation in Gin's approach, Krieg screamed in terror:
"Get away! What are you doing?! He'll kill me—urk!"
Before he could finish.
Gin's fist smashed heavily into Krieg's face.
"THUD!"
A dull impact echoed.
Krieg's eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness.
Gin stood panting heavily, chest heaving.
He looked down at the unconscious Krieg, the last traces of admiration and faith in his eyes extinguished forever.
"I..." Gin raised his head to look at Ralph, his voice hoarse, "on behalf of the Krieg Pirates, formally surrender."
He bent down and hoisted the unconscious Krieg over his shoulder.
"We'll leave. And we're taking him with us."
The other pirates bowed their heads and silently gathered around.
Sanji lit a cigarette and walked up to Gin.
"What are your plans now?" he asked.
Gin remained silent for a moment.
"Krieg's methods and philosophy were indeed flawed," he said slowly, "but that doesn't mean his ambition was wrong. The Grand Line... we'll still go there."
He looked at Lufia, at Zoro, at Ralph, and finally at Sanji.
"Since your goal is also the Grand Line, we'll meet again there."
Gin paused, "Thank you all... for helping me understand some truths. I'll bet my life like you do, hold onto my beliefs, and do what needs to be done."
Sanji glanced at him and took it upon himself to gift them the restaurant's supply ship.
Patty and Carne naturally objected, but their protests were overruled.
Ralph watched the scene with a sigh in his heart.
What a generous guy.
When emotions run high, he gives whatever he has.
In that way, he's exactly like Lufia.
Ralph admitted he couldn't do the same.
"Being a pirate and still taking losses," he muttered under his breath.
Just then...
"Hey—! Everyone—!"
A familiar voice carried across the sea.
They turned to see the Going Merry sailing slowly toward them.
"That must've been awful!"
On the bow, Usopp waved his arms energetically, face full of excitement.
"I'm back! I brought the ship back!"
As the Going Merry approached the sea restaurant, they lowered the gangplank.
Ralph, Lufia, Zoro, and Nami complained about how slow Usopp was—they'd already finished the fight.
Usopp yelled back, "Do you have any idea how hard it was to sail this ship back alone?!"
"Anyway," Lufia's smile shone bright enough to light up the whole world, "It's wonderful that we're all together again! The restaurant is saved, the enemies are driven off, so next we should obviously..."
"Throw a party!!!" She raised both arms high.
"Salvage treasure!!!" Nami shouted simultaneously.
The two locked eyes.
"Party first!"
"Treasure first!"
"Party!"
"Treasure!"
Just as they were about to start arguing...
"Obviously we're doing both!"
Ralph's voice cut through.
He rarely showed this side of himself, his voice pitched higher than usual, carrying a carefree laughter:
"We'll salvage the treasure! And we'll throw a party! Why can't we do both?"
A brief silence fell.
Eh...
"Oooohhhh—!!!"
The sea restaurant chefs and the Straw Hat crew erupted in collective cheers!
That night, the Baratie sea restaurant was ablaze with light.
The deck was cleared and set with long tables and chairs.
The chefs brought out their finest skills: golden crispy roasted whole lamb, aromatic seafood chowder, mountains of assorted pastries, and aged fine wine brought up from the cellar.
Meanwhile, with successive "plop" "plop" sounds, bundles and chests filled with gold, silver, and treasures were being salvaged from the seabed.
"Wow! This chest is full of gold coins!"
"Over here! There's a gemstone necklace!"
"Look! This ruby is as big as an egg!"
Every discovery was met with gasps and laughter.
As treasures piled into hills, as delicacies covered the tables, as wine filled the cups...
Every face glowed with the purest happiness and satisfaction.
Ralph sat at the table, taking a bite of perfectly roasted lamb chop.
A proper restaurant, the finest chefs in the East Blue, combined with the joy of victory and reunion with comrades...
Though every sea gathering with Lufia was joyful, Ralph felt this one was particularly special.
Lufia and Usopp had already begun their impromptu performance.
One was strumming a beat-up guitar found from who-knows-where while belting out off-key pirate songs at the top of her lungs.
The other was dancing animatedly while fabricating exaggerated tales about "that time I single-handedly repelled three thousand pirates."
With the two warming up the atmosphere, the restaurant chefs quickly blended into the Straw Hats' joyful mood.
After witnessing what kind of crew these pirates were, the chefs seemed to have reached some unspoken decision in perfect sync.
...
Early the next morning.
Ralph, Lufia and the others planned to leave after breakfast.
When they entered the sea restaurant, they were met with the sound of a harsh argument.
"...This flavor is practically blasphemy against the ingredients!"
"Even pigs would eat better than this!"
"Throw it out! All of it!"
Several chefs stood gathered in the restaurant holding plates, their faces full of disgust.
"I said, throw it out!" A plump chef raised his bowl of soup, making as if to dump it on the floor.
"Stop!"
Ralph's voice cut through the air like thunder, stunning everyone present.
He strode over and snatched the bowl of soup from the chef's hands.
Under everyone's astonished gazes, Ralph raised the bowl and drank it all in one go.
Soup dribbled down the corner of his mouth, which he casually wiped away before slamming the bowl onto the table with a "bang."
"Sometimes I really don't understand."
Ralph scanned the room. "Weren't you the ones who said we must never waste food at sea?"
His eyes swept across each chef's face.
"What are you doing now?"
"Going this far just to make Sanji leave?"
Ralph's voice suddenly rose:
"Decisions should be made by oneself, not forced by others!"
He turned to look at Lufia:
"Even if you force Sanji away like this and push him onto our ship, Captain Lufia wouldn't accept him, right?"
Lufia nodded firmly, her expression serious:
"That's right! Unless he says it with his own mouth, I won't agree!"
All the pretense, all those "too embarrassed to admit it" little thoughts—in this moment, Ralph laid them all bare on the table.
The deck fell silent.
Everyone's eyes turned to Sanji.
He hung his head low, shadows covering most of his face, making his expression unreadable.
The silence lasted over ten seconds.
"You guys..."
"Not only say my cooking is bad..."
"But you'd even throw the food I made on the ground?"
"You're nothing but a bunch of third-rate bastards!"
"Especially you, old man! You're actually in cahoots with these guys? Making decisions to waste food just to drive me away—I'm disappointed in you!"
Sanji took a deep breath, his voice suddenly rising:
"This isn't you driving me away! I'm leaving of my own accord!"
"When I complete my journey around the world and find the legendary All Blue, I'll come back and take over this..."
He paused, his voice suddenly choking up:
"...this third-rate dump of a restaurant!"
Zeff remained with his arms crossed, his expression unchanged.
"Still just a kid."
The old man snorted. "If you hadn't been crying when you said that last line, I might have acknowledged you as a man. A useless guy like you should just get lost already."
"Who's crying?! You old fossil!" Sanji shouted, but he didn't dare lift his head.
He turned abruptly and strode out of the restaurant.
Stepping out the door with his back to the crowd at the sea restaurant, he finally lifted his head.
The sunlight was blinding.
Tears, at last uncontrollable, streamed down his face.
"Let's go quickly!" Sanji's voice was choked with tears, "I can't wait to become Miss Lufia and Miss Nami's personal chef!"
Though he said this, none of his usual flippant tone could be heard.
Ralph, Lufia, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp exchanged glances, understanding each other without words.
They silently returned to the Going Merry.
The gangplank was already set.
On the ship, they waited for their new companion to finish saying goodbye to his family.
Sanji walked to the gangplank and stopped.
He could hear footsteps behind him.
The chefs had all come out.
The old man... must be watching from behind too, right?
A real man's farewell should be silent.
Don't embarrass yourself, Sanji.
He told himself this.
Yet, this step remained impossible to take.
In the end, Sanji still turned around with a "thump" and knelt down.
His forehead hit the deck heavily.
"Head Chef Zeff—"
His voice trembled,
"Thank you for taking care of me all this time! This debt of gratitude... I will never forget it!"
After saying this, Sanji abruptly stood up and rushed onto the Going Merry without looking back.
"Pull up the gangplank!" Lufia shouted.
"Weigh anchor!" Ralph ordered.
"Hoist the sails!" Usopp pulled the ropes.
The Going Merry slowly sailed away from the sea restaurant.
On the deck, Sanji stood with his back to the increasingly distant restaurant, his shoulders trembling slightly.
From behind came the shouts of Patty and Carne:
"We'll be lonely without you—!"
"We'll miss you—!"
Their voices scattered in the sea breeze.
Sanji clenched his teeth and did not turn around.
Only when the Going Merry had sailed a hundred meters and the sea restaurant had become a small dot on the horizon did Sanji suddenly turn around and, with all his strength, shout in that direction:
"See—you—again—someday—! You bast—"
The sea breeze carried his voice into the distance.
Lufia jumped to the bow of the ship, her straw hat lifted by the wind.
She took a deep breath, then raised her arm high:
"We—set sail—!!!"
A new journey had begun.
[Ding!]
"—ards!"
[System Notification: With your help, you protected the sea restaurant, defeated the Krieg Pirates, and gained a new companion]
[Lufia's favorability toward you +10%]
[Current Progress: Close Friend Level 15%]
The sea breeze blew as the Going Merry cut through the waves.
On the deck, crying continued from dawn until dusk.
Sanji actually stopped crying after a while.
The ones who kept crying were Johnny, Yosaku, and Usopp, who were moved beyond words!
Ralph couldn't take it anymore,
"If you're done crying, let's talk about the fish-men!"
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