On the deck of the Going Merry, the thick fog showed no signs of lifting.
"Ugh—! We've been sitting here for a whole day already!" Usopp let out a massive yawn, squeezing tears from his eyes. He leaned over the railing, staring into the white void.
"When is this fog going to go away? I can't see a thing. This is so boring."
"Who knows." Zoro leaned back against the mast, arms crossed and eyes shut. He didn't even bother to look up. "What does it matter? It's rare to get some peace and quiet."
"I guess so." Nami sat in a nearby chair, counting the few coins left in her hand. "We have plenty of money anyway, so a little break isn't bad."
"Yeah," Zoro agreed. "We definitely have plenty of money..."
"Wait... money?" Nami's hand froze.
A second later, she snapped her head up, her eyes wide as a horrifying realization struck her. "I FORGOT!! WE'RE SPENDING MONEY RIGHT NOW!!"
Nami's teeth turned into shark-like fangs as she roared toward the silhouette of the restaurant in the distance:
"That bastard Viktor! That bottomless pit Luffy! That fat crow Kray! HOW LONG ARE THEY GOING TO EAT?! THAT'S A HIGH-CLASS RESTAURANT THAT CHARGES BY THE HEAD!!"
Meanwhile, inside the Baratie.
The war of "Gluttony" raged on.
Nom, nom, gulp!
Luffy and Kray were currently locked in a final showdown over lunch. Their eating style was less "fine dining" and more "natural disaster." The chefs had grown numb to the sight, even placing bets on who would burst first.
Patty scurried over to Viktor, who was elegantly sipping tea. He rubbed his hands together with his signature oily smile.
"Hehe, Lord Guest, I hate to interrupt such a fine meal, but..." He pointed to the mountain of plates in front of Luffy. "The bag of money you provided yesterday... it's officially all gone. You see..."
"Oh? Already?" Viktor set down his teacup and raised an eyebrow. "Gone faster than I expected." He glanced at the twin black holes, Luffy and Kray.
Given the sheer volume of ceramics on the table, it made sense. "Fine, let's stop here then. Thank you for the hospitality."
Patty let out a sigh of relief. As a chef, it had been an exhausting but satisfying battle. However, the moment the money was gone, his sycophancy vanished. His back straightened, and his expression turned neutral.
"Very well, guest. We look forward to your next visit." He turned and walked away without a hint of hesitation.
Viktor's lip twitched. "Wow... talk about realistic." He stood up and patted Luffy's shoulder. "Hey, Luffy. We're broke. Time to go."
"Ah! Got it!" Luffy immediately stopped. He reached out and grabbed Kray—who was still face-down in a plate—by one leg and hoisted the bird up. Kray had a whole roast chicken stuffed in its beak, cheeks bulging like a balloon.
"How do you even fit all that? Can you even fly anymore?" Luffy shook the crow.
Gulp. Kray struggled to swallow the last of the bird, eyes rolling back as its round belly wobbled with every shake. "Caw... gaa... Master... I can't... no more... I'm gonna explode..."
With a final twitch, the crow fainted from pure culinary bliss. Who was even feeding you at the end? Did you start hallucinating? Viktor looked at his "Sky Overlord" with a deadpan expression.
Suddenly, a woman sitting by the window dropped her wine glass. Clink. "What's wrong, dear?" her companion asked. He followed her terrified gaze, and his jaw hit the floor as well.
One by one, the diners looked out the window as the mist cleared. A massive, three-decked galleon was looming over the horizon, heading straight for the Baratie.
Its sails were tattered and its hull was covered in scars, but the giant skull emblem still radiated a terrifying pressure.
"It's... there's no mistake!!" someone shrieked, their voice trembling. "That's the Ruler of the East Blue! It's Admiral Don Krieg's ship!!"
"Pirates! Pirates are here!"
The restaurant descended into total chaos. Chairs flipped, people screamed, and panicked diners scrambled for the exits.
"Hmm? What's with everyone?" Luffy wiped grease from his chin, looking around at the panic. A shadow began to loom over the Baratie, blocking out the sun. "Oh! Is it nighttime already?!"
Viktor looked at the broken remains of the massive ship, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "No, it's not night. It's just a group of... remnants."
"Why?! Why is the Krieg Fleet here?!" "We're all going to be killed!"
Amidst the fear, a chef named Carne grabbed Patty by the collar. "Hey! Patty! This is your fault for hitting his subordinate yesterday! The Admiral is here for revenge! What do we do?!"
Patty was pale, clutching his head. "I don't know! Why would a big shot like that come all this way for revenge over one tiny subordinate?!"
"Whoa, big ship!" Luffy ran to the window, eyes wide. Then he added, "Man, it looks trashed."
As the ship drew closer, others noticed the anomaly. Though the ship was gargantuan, it was deathly silent—like a ghost ship. Zeff stood on the second-floor balcony, his brow furrowed.
Creeeeeak...
The main doors of the restaurant were pushed open slowly. Two figures stumbled in, leaning on each other for support. It was the "Overlord of the East Blue," Don Krieg, and his commander, Gin.
But the Krieg standing there now looked nothing like a ruler. His famous golden armor was cracked and dull; his face was gaunt, his eyes sunken. He looked like a man on the verge of collapse, barely held upright by an equally exhausted Gin.
The silence was absolute. No one could believe this was the man who terrorized the seas.
"P-Please..." Krieg's voice was a raspy, pathetic whisper. He kept his head low. "Could I... have some food and water? Money... I have as much as you want... please..."
Gin grit his teeth, holding his captain up, his eyes filled with a mixture of agony and shame.
"What's wrong with him?" "He has no dignity at all. Is this really the Ruler of the East Blue?" The diners began to whisper.
Thump.
As if he'd used the last of his strength, Krieg's massive body collapsed onto the floor.
"Captain!!" Gin cried out. He looked at the crowd with desperate eyes. "Please! Save our captain!! He's starving to death! If this keeps up, he'll die! I beg of you!"
The room was paralyzed. Save him? Or let him rot? This was the notorious Don Krieg.
"Sure."
In the dead silence, a calm, gentle voice rang out.
Shing—
The sound of steel leaving its scabbard followed. Viktor drew his long sword, the tip pointing toward the ground as he walked toward the fallen Krieg with slow, deliberate steps. Each footfall echoed in the silent room.
"'Please don't kill me... please let me go...' You've heard those words a lot, haven't you, Captain Krieg?" Viktor's smile was bright, but his red eyes—the Sharingan—began to spin slowly. "How does it feel to be the one saying them?"
Gin looked at the "Red-Eyed Devil" approaching with a glowing blade and felt a surge of terror. He forced himself to stand in front of Krieg, arms wide. "Stop!! Don't come any closer! We just... just want to buy some food!"
On the floor, Krieg seemed to sense the threat of death. He struggled to lift his head, trembling. "No... no... I won't do anything... just give me food... after I eat... I'll leave quietly... I swear..."
He looked so humble. So pitiful.
"Since you are a pirate, you should have the resolve to die at any time," Viktor said, his smile vanishing, replaced by a mask of cold indifference. "I trust the Great Overlord of the East Blue won't disappoint me in that regard."
Viktor raised his blade, pointing it at the figure who had suddenly stepped between his sword and Krieg—Sanji.
"Move, Cook."
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