38 Chapter 38 – Baratie 01.

[Chapter Size: 2949 Words.]

Third Person POV

Baratie, East Blue.

...

...After resolving the situation with the Marine ship, the crew continued on their journey, sighting the restaurant on the horizon some time later. As they approached, a sense of awe seized Luffy and his crew. The sea restaurant was a unique spectacle, and the sight of it enchanted everyone.

The Baratie rose imposingly above the sea's waters, a splendid floating restaurant that defied imagination. Built on various interconnected platforms, the venue featured a unique architecture that blended the functionality of a ship with the elegance of a luxury establishment. Graceful towers rose above the waves, adorned with banners swaying in harmony with the sea breeze.

Connected by suspended bridges, the platforms offered a breathtaking view of the vast ocean. Stone lions guarded the entrance, giving a majestic aura to the Baratie. The external structure reflected the fusion of maritime themes and refined details, providing an imposing and intriguing look.

As they approached the restaurant, the Straw Hat crew was amazed by the grandeur of the Baratie. The nautical details and the majestic structure left Luffy and his companions in awe. The spacious platforms and large windows promised panoramic views of the ocean, while the legendary cuisine piqued everyone's curiosity.

"Amazing! The sea outside Wano is so fascinating. Thank you, Luffy, for freeing me from that old tyrant!" Yamato expressed her gratitude to Luffy for freeing her from the shackles imposed by her father.

"It's truly extraordinary. Beyond the sky, there are so many peculiar and amazing things on the surface!" Shirahoshi, also someone previously confined, marveled at the diversity of the world beyond her prison.

"This place is quite luxurious!" Zoro commented, directing his admiration to the restaurant itself.

"I've never heard of this place..." Kuina observed the restaurant with curiosity.

"And to think that such a place exists in this vast sea..." Usopp expressed his surprise, making the most of it even after a few days of leaving Syrup Village.

"This place is highly renowned and certainly lives up to its reputation." Nami, with a knowledgeable tone, shared her observations about the location.

"Sharky!"

"Megalo said if there are some seaweeds, he misses eating some that were served at my father's palace..." Shirahoshi said.

"Doubtful, but we'll see soon..." Luffy replied calmly.

"Arf!"

"Let's go then, I know you'll enjoy the food, Chouchou." Luffy responded to the crew's watchdog's expectation.

"I heard that the place has powerful waiters who can kick out any troublemaker looking for trouble." Johnny said.

"Be careful, Brother Luffy!" Yosaku said next to his partner.

"We're not bullies..." Zoro commented next to him, puffing.

Kuina continued to steer the helm towards the location; the place even had a support for six large boats to dock and seemed to be a busy day, as all the spaces were occupied by tourist and commercial boats.

So the ship didn't anchor but stopped at a conveniently accessible dock, and his crew laid down a plank for them to descend beside the restaurant in the open sea.

Leading the way, Luffy walked off the ship onto the beach straight to the restaurant with everyone on the Marine ship following him, but not before he made the ship shrink that besides needing to leave someone to take care of it, he didn't want to attract too much attention.

The people in the group who hadn't witnessed his power and its possibilities were shocked when Luffy took the boat they were on until a moment ago and turned it into a miniature that fit in the palm of his hand with his ability.

Climbing majestic stairs that seemed to lead to a gastronomic kingdom, Luffy opened the imposing doors of the Baratie. In doing so, he was met with a stunning scene: a huge hall capable of accommodating at least 200 people, far beyond what he had imagined. It was a spectacular and grand vision, in stark contrast to his previous experiences in the original world of the work.

The restaurant was bustling, with about 15 zealous waiters working hard to serve the diverse clientele. Crossing the door's threshold, one by one, Luffy's crew members entered the place, capturing the attention of everyone present with their peculiar group of humans and animals.

"What's that?" exclaimed someone, observing the mini Megalo. Luffy had reduced its mass even further, to only 20 centimeters, a decrease of 100 times from its original size. He used his power to make Megalo less conspicuous, but still, the creature continued to intrigue those present.

"Some kind of dog? Looks so strange, almost reminds me of a shark..." people murmured, still debating about Megalo next to Chouchou.

"Who are these people?" they questioned, curious and bewildered at the Straw Hat crew's triumphant entrance.

"Pirates?! Look behind that man's cloak; there's a Jolly Roger with a straw hat!"

"I know who they are! Saw it in the newspaper. Monkey D. Luffy, the man who killed a Marine commander and held an entire base stationed in Shell City hostage!"

"The recently recognized pirate in East Blue with a bounty of 10 million!"

"There's also the former bounty hunter by his side! He has another bounty of 5 million!"

"Hey, he's clearly dangerous!"

"I heard there's a new bounty hunter, and she's a powerful woman catching pirates above 10 million. Hope she takes down this scum too!" a man spoke, referring to Lami. Luffy raised an eyebrow hearing this, as they hadn't seen the newspaper yet. He hoped to have one soon to check the news about Lami.

"But the captain is so handsome!"

"Never seen a man so beautiful..."

"Hey, he's a pirate; don't start finding someone like that attractive!"

"Look, you're on a date with me, why are you falling for a scoundrel!"

"Someone free this pirate, waiters!"

"Doubt you can make her look at you; see the women surrounding him, they're by far the most beautiful I've ever seen!"

"Didn't know women could be so beautiful! They're goddesses on earth!"

"Damn scum, how does he manage to have that kind of woman by his side."

"They can even be more beautiful than the lovely waitress here!"

"One has horns, and the other has a strange waist, but they're more beautiful than I've ever seen!"

While Luffy listened to the murmurs with his enhanced ears thanks to Ifrit, he didn't care much about this kind of conversation. His attention was focused on the man approaching, ready to help the crew enjoy the place.

"How may I assist you?" said a waiter who approached the group. He exuded a bit of fear with the crew's presence but disguised it very well. Like all the waiters, he appeared stern and fierce on the outside. They might not close the doors to outlaws, but they acted that way with any pirate group that passed through those doors.

"Well, a table for 13 would be a good start..." Luffy spoke mockingly. He could understand and expect them to act this way, but that didn't stop him from responding in kind to this man.

"I see you're good with the pirate tongue, come with me. Are the animals included too?" the waiter said in the same tone, leading us to one of the empty tables.

"And why wouldn't they be?" Luffy retorted, earning a new stern look. The man ignored it and continued his work.

"Why do you have to be like this?!" Nami asked angrily. She started to blend in more with the crew now and took on more of the personality that Luffy remembered from the original work, which made him quite happy with this Nami since he laughed many times with her.

"I'm just answering your questions, simple as that." Luffy shrugged.

Getting a seat under the gaze of all the customers, with some looking indifferent and many dissatisfied with their presence, they took a large table by a window overlooking the sea.

"Can you get a newspaper for our people?" Luffy calmly asked the waiter.

"Sure..." He responded still stern.

"Is that Marine guy okay?" Shirahoshi asked when she sat in her place, hiding her tail. She moved strangely, with her body seeming out of place due to the air bubble at her waist, but at least she wasn't drawing attention as a mermaid.

"Who knows... Maybe he'll learn not to be so arrogant next time..." Luffy said calmly.

While everyone picked up the menus on the table, the man who led them away stepped back to give them time to decide what to order and get the newspaper requested by Luffy.

"So, Luffy, you said you had someone here to recruit, who is it?" Usopp suddenly asked curiously.

"Haven't seen them yet, but I hope they show up soon, whether it's a he or she..." Luffy said, chin in hand, gazing thoughtfully at the ocean on the horizon.

"Wait, you don't even know if it's a man or a woman?" Kuina asked, raising an eyebrow at that.

"I really don't know, but I'll find out soon..." This statement left not only Kuina but also Nami, Zoro, and Usopp stunned.

"Your newspaper..." The man said, handing over the newspaper quite rudely.

"Will you be ordering anything?" He spoke again.

Luffy, annoyed by this attitude, spoke up.

"Not now, but Megalo and Chouchou, place your orders."

"Sharky!"

"Au! Au!"

"You heard, you can jot that down." Luffy smiled at the man.

"You..." He gritted his teeth, being made a fool of by this man with the straw hat. He simply turned and walked away from the table, ignoring everyone.

"Au?" Chouchou asked, confused by the waiter's reaction.

"Don't worry; another waiter will come soon." Luffy tried to cheer up the sad dog.

"Why do you have to act like this?" Kuina said while the others remained silent. Luffy seemed to want to annoy this waiter.

"I acted like this because I'll be classified by these staff as an arrogant customer, so they must have this person serve us..." Luffy stated the obvious. Sanji would be called to attend to them since he must be the best waiter here, and it was necessary to deal with the more troublesome customers.

"Now let's check the newspaper..." Nami ignored this and picked up the paper on the table.

"Some Grand Line information, like a meeting of the Shichibukai at the headquarters. Let's see information in the Blues..." Nami said flipping through the pages.

"West Blue, North Blue, here, East Blue..." Nami said looking at the information.

"There's information about Luffy, as we already saw at Kaya's mansion. Ah, information about Lami!" Nami said and continued.

"Recently, while East Blue loses Zoro, a woman has proclaimed herself the newest bounty hunter. Starting her fame, she captured Buggy, the clown, a pirate with a bounty of 15 million! Her power seems to be even better than that, so there seem to be significant changes in the weaker sea, as this bounty hunter promises to hunt down all the major pirates of the sea." Nami read.

"They seem to be making a big deal about her..." Kuina said solemnly.

"So, Lami is from your crew?!" Johnny asked amazed.

"No need to be surprised..." Luffy commented.

Suddenly, Luffy heard footsteps approaching the table. He knew it wasn't the previous waiter, and the steps were delicate enough to be a woman's.

"So, you're not a man..." Luffy murmured as he turned to look at the woman who stopped in front of his table.

She was called as usual when there's a troublesome group; the waiters ask her to deal with them. As much as she draws attention for her beauty, she always manages to be deadly and beat up all the idiots.

While she was resting and smoking a cigarette, Bob came to the kitchen a few minutes later, complaining that there was an arrogant pirate in the restaurant. Since she owed him a favor, she agreed to come to the table, surrounded by 13 beings, many of whom were strange, including animals...

When she stopped in front of everyone, who had already turned to look at her, she noticed the gaze of the man who seemed to be the leader.

"..."

"..."

Luffy looked at that woman with genuine surprise in his eyes.

She was a tall, slender, elegant woman, with long pinkish short hair that falls in waves. Her eyes are blue and expressive, complementing her beautiful and refined face. She is usually seen wearing a tight restaurant outfit that highlights her figure; Luffy looked for her missing tattoos on her thighs in the next moment, but saw only smooth skin there.

Her presence is marked by an aura of sophistication, and she is known for her calm and calculating behavior.

"..."

"..."

His surprised look didn't go unnoticed by the woman, and she returned a look wondering if he knew her.

"Uh-huh!" Someone choked at the table, observing the silence that stretched between the waitress's gaze and Luffy's...

His crew paid attention when Luffy said they would call the person he wanted to recruit, so they were curious if it was really this woman.

"Do you... know me?" The woman spoke a bit hesitantly, after a moment of silence, as she seemed a bit nervous for the first time, disliking the hawk-eyed and surprised gaze of the man.

The surprised expression in Luffy's eyes didn't go unnoticed by the woman, who began to wonder if he knew her past.

"Does he know my past?!" That was her first question, accompanied by a look full of apprehension.

"N-no, yeah, I mean, No!" Luffy stammered in his response, an unusual reaction for the captain who normally expresses himself with confidence.

The captain's intriguing behavior caused everyone at the table to raise their eyebrows, surprised by this unprecedented reaction.

"I think it's okay... so, can I take your orders?" She tried to dissipate the tension, glancing at Luffy, who still stared at her intensely.

Seeing that Luffy remained silent, the crew members began placing their orders from the menu, with Shirahoshi helping Megalo and Chouchou choose their meals.

"And you, what can I do for you..." She spoke cautiously, feeling strange in front of this man. He was very attractive to her, but the gaze that studied her all the time made her uncomfortable, as if he knew all her secrets. It wasn't the lustful look she was used to receiving from idiots.

"Meat, lots of meat..." was his simple response, and she quickly noted it down to leave.

Seeing her walk away, Luffy noticed that everyone was looking at him strangely, especially Yamato and Nami. However, realizing that the waitress was moving away, he moved quickly, like a bullet. In the next second, he stopped her in the middle of the restaurant, holding her hand. She felt the touch and suddenly turned around angrily, ready to kick whoever held her so rudely.

Her body spun quickly, gaining momentum, and she kicked the person who held her. The noise caught everyone's attention when the waitress was still in the air, with the pen stuck in the man's head.

Surprisingly, the man showed no signs of pain or discomfort from the impact of the kick. He simply looked embarrassed while his foot, with a high heel, still pressed gently against his cheek.

*Boom*

The noise echoed, capturing everyone's attention in the restaurant. The waitress still hovered in the air with the pen stuck in the man's head.

Surprisingly, the man showed no signs of pain or discomfort from the impact of the kick. He simply looked embarrassed while his foot, still with a high heel, pressed gently against his cheek.

"Hmm... Sorry about that, but I couldn't help but ask when I saw you..." He spoke awkwardly, leaving the woman even more stunned when she finally landed on the ground. His arm didn't disconnect from the man's hand, and many waiters watched the scene angrily. They were friends with the woman and always protected her from men who tried something. However, she dealt with all the idiots alone, needing only a few kicks to knock out any smart aleck.

This was the first time a man had approached her without her being able to react, leaving her intrigued. Especially because he took her kick as if it were a child's play, showing surprising indifference.

"What do you want...?" She asked cautiously, trying to pull her hand away.

"I... I want you to join my crew!" He finally declared, creating a silence that spread throughout the place. Employees, customers, and even Luffy's acquaintances were stunned by the revelation.

"Hm?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"WHATTTTTTTTTTTTT?!"

The pink-haired woman with a snail-shaped eyebrow screamed in astonishment, echoing through the restaurant and increasing the commotion among those present.

-------------Author's Notes-------------

[* For me, women with supreme beauty in One Piece are, first of all, Young Big Mom, then Yamato, Hancock, and Shirahoshi, so they will always be on a level beyond any other. Of course, then comes Nico Robin, Nami, and Vivi. Despite all the women in this world, I've always liked Nico Robin the most.]

[* Sometimes I will use the sense of smell to describe some situations because Luffy has a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, so it makes sense for him to use some benefits of the animal.]

[* The fight with Mihawk won't change much for Zoro, but how will Luffy and Yamato react to it, being the two strongest? Will Luffy stay quiet while the world's greatest swordsman leaves, or will he fight with Yamato by his side using his Mythical Zoan?]

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