17 The Black Legged Cook.

"What's the matter, you shitty cook? Don't speak to me" Sanji.

"Shitty cook…Shitty cook…STOP CALLING ME THAT YOU, SNOTTY BRAT! The customers are the more important thing in a restaurant! What do you think you're doing punching a customer?!" Patty.

"He aint no client. This guy not only wastes our food, he also insults the cooks!" Sanji.

Sanji drops Fullbody.

"That's why I gave him a lesson." Sanji.

The Strawhats look and the scene and are eager to invite Sanji as their cook. Except for Zoro. The situation gets so heated that Zeff appears.

"What's all the ruckus over here?!" Zeff.

"Boss, Sanji is messing everything up again!" Patty.

"Shut up! It's just that this guy was getting on my nerves!" Sanji.

"That's messing everything up!" Patty.

"ENOUGH!" Zeff.

Bot Sanji and Patty shut up and look at Zeff. Zeff uses his wooden leg to kick Sanji in the face, Sanji backs off a little and looks at Zeff.

"Mind your manners in front of the clients!" Zeff.

He then proceeds to deliver another kick to Fullbody. Zeff believed that he had defused the situation. Fullbody however, is cursing on the floor.

"What's wrong with this place? How can a place like this exist, if they treat customers so badly? I'll destroy it! this establishment…I'LL DESTROY IT! I'LL DESTROY IT! I'LL DESTROY IT! I'll contact the World Government immediately!" Fullbody.

"Then…I guess I'll have to put you down." Sanji.

"Huh?" Fullbody.

Sanji walks towards Fullbody with a cold look, ready to kill him for the Baratie. The other cooks try to stop him but Luffy suddenly throws a punch at Fullbody, knocking him out into a restaurant wall.

Everyone looks at Luffy in surprise, even Kaizo.

'Well, he was with Zeff in the original, guess he punches what he doesn't likes.' Kaizo.

"Heh, that boy has spunk." Zeff.

"Oi! Blondie!" Luffy.

Sanji notices Luffy and the group that he's eating with. More precisely, Nami.

"WOOOOO!" Sanji.

Sanji spins around with heart in his eyes and arrives at the table, ignoring Luffy and focusing on Nami.

"Such a beautiful lady. The orange hair and eyes, the silky skin, her natural fragrance." Sanji.

"See, I told you he looks like a pervert." Zoro.

Sanji gets a tick mark.

"Oi, Patty! I told you to make sure there was no moss in the restaurant!" Sanji.

"Idiot! There's no moss!" Patty.

"Then why is there a mosshead in here?!" Sanji.

"Who're you calling a mosshead?! You, swirly eyebrows!" Zoro.

'Not even a minute and they're already at each other's throats, talk about destiny.' Kaizo.

Luffy interrupts the quarrel.

"Stop that, Zoro. I still have to ask him." Luffy.

"Ask me? I want to be clear; I'm only interested in women." Sanji

"Ok…that's not what I was gonna ask you about. Hey, become…" Luffy was interrupted by some screaming outside.

"L-lieutenant, lieutenant Fullbody!" A marine officer arrived at the restaurant.

"Where's the lieutenant?!" The marine officer asked worryingly.

"There." Luffy pints at Fullbody whose unconscious on the floor.

"N-no, we're doomed now."

"Why so bothered by him? He's just a piece of shit." Sanji.

"OI, SANJI! WHAT DID I…" Patty.

"One of the Krieg Pirates has escaped from our ship."

Most of the cooks and customers freak out.

"K-Kreig Pirates?!"

"Aren't they the strongest ones of the East Blue?!"

*BANG*

Everyone at the restaurant was surprised when they saw the marine officer getting shot in the head.

"AHHHHHH!" Yelled in horror the customers.

"It's the first time this customer comes." Patty.

"He better not cause trouble on my restaurant." Zeff.

"So, he's a pirate. I wonder what he looks like." Luffy.

The pirate known as Gin walks slowly and sits at one of the restaurant's tables.

"Anything…but give me something to eat…this is a restaurant, right?" Gin demanded.

"Good evening customer." Patty made an ugly smile.

"I'll just say this once, bring me something to eat." Gin.

"That cook…is going to get killed."

"Sir…we don't attend poor customers so…do you have enough money to pay?" Patty.

Gin points his gun to Patty's face.

"How about a bullet?" Gin.

"So, you've got no money, eh?" Patty asked annoyed.

Patty smacks Gin in the head with both of his hands, breaking both the table and floor with him.

"Darn Patty, you broke the table and a few chairs!" Zeff.

Everyone compliments Patty for defeating Gin. Sanji goes to the kitchen and a curious Luffy follows him.

Patty kept beating the shit out of Gin until he finally throws him out of the restaurant. Sanji came out of the kitchen and gave Gin a plate of fried rice, while Luffy observed them.

"Eat." Sanji spoke while taking a smoke.

"Shut up! I don't need your pity." Gin.

"Don't be stubborn and eat. For me, everyone who's hungry is a client." Sanji.

"Sorry…I'm no client." Gin.

*GRUMBLE…GRUMBLE…GRUMBLE* Gin's stomach grumbled in pain.

"The big ocean is cruel, right? This sea…is quite horrible when there's no water nor food around. So horrible. There's probably only a handful of people, including me, who knows how terrible it actually is to be extremely hungry. I really don't care if you die due to your pride…but if you eat today, you'll be able to see what tomorrow brings you." Sanji.

Gin eyes widen as he grabs the plate and begins to devour the rice. He begins to cry and thanks Sanji for the food. Sanji smiles at the scene.

"It's quite good, right?" Sanji.

"HAHAHAHA! Kaizo was right, you're really fit to be my cook!" Luffy interrupted the scene.

"It was really good, right?! You must thank him for giving you such delicious food! HAHAHA!"

"OI, COOK! Would you like to become my Nakama?!" Luffy.

"Eh?" Sanji.

"Be the cook of my pirate ship." Luffy.

"You…are a pirate?" Sanji.

"Yeah." Luffy.

"Then, aren't you trashing the place like other pirates tend to do?" Sanji.

"Do I need to trash the place just cause I'm a pirate?" Luffy.

"Well, to be honest. The old geezer that handles this place used to be a pirate." Sanji.

"Really?" Luffy.

"Not just him, most of the other chefs used to be pirates as well. For him, this place is his treasure." Sanji.

"Really? I'm starting to like this place more and more." Luffy.

"Whatever, I've grown accustomed to it. Most of the customers come to enjoy the battles between the cooks and the pirates. And, due to that, the waiters quit after a few days of working here." Sanji.

"I see, no wonder a cook like yourself is doing waiter duties. Hey, be my Nakama." Luffy.

"I refuse! Besides…there's a reason as to why I can't leave this place." Sanji.

"NOPE! I REFUSE!" Luffy.

"Refuse what?" Sanji.

"I refuse your refusal. You're a good cook so…let's be pirates." Luffy.

"Oi, oi! Listen to what I'm saying!" Sanji.

"Listen to what?" Luffy.

"Don't make me repeat myself!" Sanji.

"Eh? Weren't you the one who wanted to be listened?" Luffy.

"What I'm trying to say is, accept the decision I made! You're an idiot, doofus in the straw hat!" Sanji.

"What did you say! I'll beat the shit out of you if you dare insult this straw hat! YOU BASTARD!" Luffy.

"Em…sorry to interrupt." Gin.

"WHAT?!" Sanji/Luffy.

Gin then proceeds to introduce himself as part of Don Krieg's pirate crew. The Krieg's Pirates were vastly known for having quite the big fleet and being a crew with lots of weapons at their disposal. However, they had the bad fortune of crossing paths with one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who pushed them all the way to the East Blue.

"But, the adventure's worth it." Kaizo spoke.

Kaizo jumped down from the upper part of the ship.

"The Grand Line is one of the most dangerous places in the whole world. But the adventure to find the One Piece is truly one of a kind." Kaizo.

"You've been to the Grand Line?" Gin asked surprised.

Luffy was also a little bit interested in Kaizo's past.

"Not really, I've just heard things here and there. They say that experiencing said things are at least three times more exciting than just listening to them." Kaizo.

"Don't underestimate that sea, boy." Gin.

"I'm not underestimating it, in fact, I'm doing my very best to make sure that our crew has all what it takes to sail through it safely. That's why we want to recruit you as our cook." Kaizo pointed at Sanji.

"I already refused." Sanji.

"Did you try the refuse your refusal tactic?" Kaizo asked Luffy.

"Yeah…" Luffy.

"Damn! That tends to work. Oh well, listen here blondie, I have a keen eye for people, and I can assure you that you're key to our crew." Kaizo.

"As I already said to your captain. I don't have any intentions of leaving this restaurant." Sanji.

"I see, then how about a bet?" Kaizo.

"A bet?" Sanji.

"Luffy and I will work here as waiters for a whole week. If we manage to persuade you, you join us, if you don't, we'll leave and go to the Grand Line without you. How about it?" Kaizo.

'I need the arc to progress naturally, but learning some cooking skills won't hurt me when being on my own, or when I piss Sanji off and are too prideful to eat his food.' Kaizo.

"A week, huh? I accept, no matter what you guys do, I'll never leave this restaurant." Sanji.

Zeff, who was eavesdropping, found the situation quite irritable and decided to intervene. He called out Sanji, Luffy and Kaizo for them to begin their shifts and they bid Gin a farewell.

"I'm Luffy! Your new temporal waiter, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Luffy.

He was ignored by the ruckus at the kitchen.

"Just sit over there and try to NOT eat anything they give you." Kaizo spoke as he began washing his hands.

"Why are we doing this again?" Luffy.

"To bring Goldie-no-locks to our crew." Kaizo.

"The fuck did you just called me?!" Sanji.

"GOLDIE-FUCKING-NO-LOCKS! ARE YOU DEAF?!" Kaizo.

'I enjoy these chaotic moments.' Kaizo.

"Aren't you making things worse?" Luffy.

"Maybe, go and wash some dishes in the meantime. DON'T BREAK THEM, OR NAMI WILL CUT DOWN YOUR MEAT RATIONS." Kaizo.

Luffy immediately went to was some dishes as carefully as he could. Kaizo went towards the fish station and began to prepare some orders.

"We have and order for a Baked bream!" Cook A.

"On it! I'll take care of it!" Kaizo.

Kaizo started to prepare the dish, he prepared the garnishes, cleaned thoughtfully the Bream, put the oven at the right temperature and finished the dish.

'Good thing the ship came with some cooking books, or else, I would be the one getting yelled at.' Kaizo.

Surprising everyone, including Zeff, Kaizo made very few mistakes while cooking. Most of his mistakes were: slightly overcooked food, over-spiced, under-spiced, wrong cuts and spices displacement. But given it was his first day, Zeff was "lenient" with him.

It means he only got kicked in the gut every time he made a mistake, instead of the face and head as it's the normal protocol.

After a hard day of working, nothing unusual happened besides Luffy trying to make Zoro eat a booger because he made fun of him working, Sanji tried to flirt with Nami and got in a small fight with Zoro, Zoro got banned from the restaurant for breaking three tables in his fight against Sanji, a normal day of work in the Baratie, or at least that's what Kaizo said to himself.

"Man! I'm beat!" Kaizo commented as he laid on hi hammock.

"Why are you doing this for that pervert-cook?" Zoro.

"You're just salty cause he kicked you in the chin." Kaizo mocked Zoro.

"WHAT?!" Zoro.

"He's necessary." Kaizo.

Everyone paid attention to him, except Nami who was in her separated room.

"He has many qualities of someone to be in this crew." Kaizo.

"What are these qualities?" Usopp.

"First: He has a dream. Second: He's a nice person. Third: He can defend himself. Fourth: He covers one of our necessities as a crew. And finally: Luffy has already decided to make him our cook, aint that right, Luffy?" Kaizo.

"Shishishi! Right! I really want him as the cook of our crew." Luffy.

"Then, let's do our very best tomorrow to win him over our side." Kaizo.

"Yeah!" Luffy.

"What about us?" Usopp.

"Just train yourselves in the ship and eat at the restaurant. Simple as that." Kaizo.

"We should just ditch him already." Zoro.

"On a side note, I heard a rumor that Mihawk is quite near this restaurant." Kaizo.

Zoro shivers of excitement after hearing this and grabs Wado Ichimonji.

"How long?" Zoro.

"Don't know, maybe we'll be lucky and he'll visit this week?" Kaizo.

"I better take my chances. We'll wait the week, but I still think it's a bad idea to bring that pervert on board." Zoro.

'Geez, at this point the hatred seems more like and obsession to be against the other.' Kaizo.

(Meanwhile, Nami)

'I should really leave these guys right now. If I don't, "he" will definitely come here and will kill them.' Nami.

Nami remembers a certain someone dying from a shot to her head.

'I won't let anyone else die at my expense! I'll hear their plan tomorrow and then; I'll leave with all the treasures of the ship.' Nami.

A hint of regret is perceived from Nami's thoughts and a small tear falls down her cheek. She then sleeps while dreaming of navigating the Grand Line…aboard a ship with a Jolly Roger with a Skull and a Straw Hat.