Chapter 34

Tying their little boat to the small outer deck of the fish-shaped restaurant, they finally reached Baratie! The place with fighting cooks. They would either be going from here or have a cook in tow with them. But knowing Luffy, he would eventually make a cook join them. That was what Zoro was sure about his captain.

"Meat! Meat! I want lots of meat!" Luffy chanted cheerfully, the others following behind him.

Nami was shaking her head with a soft smile grazing her lips at the childish boy, while Zoro had a small smile on his face too, wanting to get sake or booze. Usopp was reciprocating Luffy's childishness with his smile. The boy was no longer afraid of the teen. He was coming to a mental acceptance that Luffy is freaking stronger than anyone he knows, even if he is younger than him. His captain is childish and won't harm him. That was what he kept explaining himself.

Walking inside, they were met with tension hanging in the air followed by loud shouting. The diners were all staring at a table where two people were arguing. There was a blonde guy, who wore a black suit and the marine captain who had threatened them, but left with his date. At the sight of the angry marine, Nami and Usopp were about to hide behind Zoro and Luffy, but they didn't require it.

"I'M A PAYING CUSTOMER!" The Marine Lieutenant yelled, standing over the broken pieces of the table that he had broken a few seconds ago. "FOR A DAMN COOK, DON'T YOU HAVE LOTS OF ATTUTUDE?!"

"Fullbody, stop!" The blonde date of the marine tried, but it was all in vain, as it went unheard.

"Can money fill your stomach..?" The blonde waiter, with a cigarette in his mouth, asked, feeling annoyed by the marine.

"AGH! We need to stop him!"

"Stop the assistant Head Chief Sanji!!"

The cooks from the Baratie shouted in unison.

"Shouldn't they be stopping the marine?" Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow, his one hand on the hilt of his swords.

"Nah, he is strong!" Luffy replied looking at the fight. He had a feeling that the cook which he wanted for his ship had been found.

"Oh?" Nami added from beside Usopp who was looking at the fight.

They didn't need to discuss anymore, as the cook raised his leg and with a kick, the marine Lieutenant started bleeding. He lost. He was defeated with his pride and pompousness. The marine had also lost the remaining dignity that he had among the diners in the restaurant after the conversation with the blonde cook.

"Remember this," The blonde cook said through his cigarette, breaking the silence which had encompassed the restaurant. "Going against a cook on the seas is tantamount to death." He threw the marine aside and turned to him, finishing his speech. "And don't you dare waste food!"

"WHAT?!" A loud yelling caught the crew's attention and they turned to see another chef coming in. The man was clearly angry at the blonde cook and seeing the bloodied marine on the ground his anger spiked even more. "You again Sanji?!!" The man yelled pointing his index finger at the blonde cook, called Sanji.

"What the hell do you think you are doing to our customers?!" The new cook asked angrily. "Not only that, that man is also a marine Lieutenant!"

"What is it, shitty cook?" Sanji asked turning towards the new chef. "Don't call my name as if I am your friend."

That clearly angered the man more.

"I ain't gonna stand by and let you call me a shitty cook!" The new cook yelled in retortion. "It's a cook's duty to serve their customers. Just how will you explain your act?!"

"So, what if he's the customer? He dared to waste food and insult a cook," Sanji said flicking his hand to get rid of the marine's blood. "I was just teaching him a lesson."

"What's with this place..?" Fullbody asked tremblingly. "How can there be a restaurant that treats its customers like this? I'll close down the restaurant. I'll report this restaurant to the government."

"That bastard!" Luffy cursed feeling the same anger coming from the blonde cook, if not more. But it wasn't his fight, not right now the least.

"You're going to report us now? Well, then I guess I have no choice but to kill you right now." The blonde cook returned the threat to the marine. Luffy smiled wide, deciding that this guy would be their cook and no one else. He won't take anyone else in place of him.

"We got a cook!" Luffy announced to his crew, who absent-mindedly nodded, already having predicted it.

"W-What?" The marine asked in disbelief.

"No, stop!" The cooks from Baratie yelled and ran to the angry blonde who wanted nothing more than to beat the man to a bloody pulp. The little straw hat crew watched the drama while sitting at a table.

Luffy was getting impatient. He wanted food but the fight was good. But food...

"IT JUST GETS ME SO ANGRY-!" Sanji growled from his restraint.

"Not bad," Zoro commented, whistling a bit, as he counted the number of cooks required to restrain the blonde. Moreover, the guy has the guts to go against a marine. He was surely suitable to be a pirate.

"Hold him down or he might seriously kill him!"

"TO SEE A SPOILED SON OF A BITCH LIKE YOU!"

"Stop, Sanji! You've gone too far!" One of the chefs, who got a kick to his face yelled at the blonde who was fighting in the restraint where he was held.

"JUST WHO THE DAMN HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Sanji barked at the marine trying to reach him with one of his hands in a vain attempt.

'W-What's with this guy?!' Fullbody thought creeping back from the blonde who looked ready to murder him, without thinking twice.

"Owner!" Another one of the chefs holding Sanji yelled, seeing a blonde man with braided nose hair coming out of a room. "Please stop Sanji for us!"

"Sanji! Are you running wild in my restaurant again?" The owner asked coming in full view of the crew, making Luffy's eyes turn to literal stars. The man had a peg leg and his moustache looked so awesome!!!!

"So cool~!" Luffy whispered enthusiastically, making Usopp silently agree with his thoughts and Nami and Zoro shake their heads fondly at his childishness.

"Shut up, shitty geezer!" Sanji said calming down a bit and shrugging off the cooks from him. He stood there glaring at the owner. But Luffy could tell that there was no real heat behind those glares. It made him reminisce of Ace and Sabo when they would have an argument or fight and glare at each other but never meant true harm to the other.

"It's exactly as it seems, sir!" The chef, Patty, who had come earlier said. "And this time Sanji beat up some idiot Marine Lieutenant."

"Are you trying to ruin my restaurant, you little shit?!" The owner kicked the blonde and then turned towards the marine and kicked him too. "Get the hell out of here, you damn marine!"

Fullbody rolled off to the side, holding his bloodied self. He couldn't digest the fact that he was so easily insulted by the cook and owner of this damn place. And the fact that he, a customer, a marine, someone who has enough power to make this place rot is being treated this way. But one thought stuck up to him. Were these guys truly cooks? 'Cause like hell he'll believe it. This ship just gave him enough vibes and beatings to declare it a pirate ship!

He was starting to sit up when one of his subordinates came rushing in.

"Lt. Fullbody!" Fullbody turned towards the bloody marine who looked bloodied and had soot on his face and uniform. "It's an emergency!"

Just what the hell is happening?! Then his eyes fell on the kid crew which he had underestimated and he found the source of the soot and blood on the marine. He gritted his teeth when the kid captain teased him with his tongue out.

"Forgive me sir but he escaped from the ship's prison!"

That stilled his thoughts of teaching the kid a lesson. He escaped!?! He fucking escaped?!

"The underling of pirate Krieg has escaped. It took 7 of us to just capture him in the first place, but now he is gone!" The marine frantically explained the situation to him, making Fullbody straighten his back instantly.

"That's impossible! He shouldn't even have the strength to move!" Fullbody said through gritted teeth. "He was on the verge of death when we captured him 3 days ago, not to mention he hasn't had a single scrap of food since then!"

"A member of Krieg's crew?"

"The same pirate Krieg whose crew is said to be the strongest in all of the East Blue?!"

The diners had already started panicking in the restaurant.

"Who's this Krieg guy?" Luffy asked tilting his head to the side in confusion. The name did sound as if he had heard it but he doesn't remember much about the guy.

"He's the-" Usopp got interrupted in his explanation as a loud bang came from the door making him stop. The marine who was trying to explain the situation was lying dead on the floor with another man coming slowly from the entrance.

The diners began running here and there. It gave Luffy a free pass to have their food and not complain anymore about his hungry stomach to Nami, who sat beside him. Zoro followed Luffy's example and picked up a good number of bottles from abandoned tables and started drinking.

"One customer, coming this way," Patty announced, seeing the silhouette of the pirate coming in.

"He better not start any trouble in my restaurant," The owner said through his teeth.

"Swo hwe iz aw piwate?" Luffy asked with food in his mouth, getting a nod from Zoro.

The man staggered forward, holding the pistol in his hand. "Anything will do, just bring me some food." He said. Luffy could feel how weak he was just because of a lack of food.

"This place is a restaurant, right?" The pirate man asked sitting on an empty chair.

"Welcome you shit-faced bastard!" Patty greeted trying to act polite, but came off way too rude.

"I'm going to say this one more time. I'm a customer, so bring me food!" The underling of Krieg said with his feet resting on the top of the table.

"That cook is as good as dead!" Fullbody gave his point of view, only to be proved wrong.

"Pardon me, dumbass, but do you have any money?" Patty asked rubbing his hands.

"You accept lead?" The Krieg underling asked pointing the loaded gun to the cook's head.

"So you don't have any money?" Patty stated with a bored expression, unfazed by the gun pointed at his head. He didn't wait for an answer from the pirate and slammed him on the table, breaking it in the process and shocking some of the diners while some started smiling feeling safe.

"That dumbass broke the table," The owner muttered angrily.

"H-He's strong!" Usopp stated looking at the cook.

"Mhmm," Luffy nodded eating from another abandoned plate.

"If you can't pay the bill, then you ain't no customer!" Patty said, making the customers and cooks cheer up.

"Nice going, cook!"

"Show that pirate who's the boss, Patty!"

The cheering was accompanied by whistles making Patty grin. A rumble was heard by both Patty and the straw hats, making them look at the fallen man who was on his knees holding his stomach.

"Oh? Is that your stomach rumbling?" Patty asked him as if the man himself didn't notice it.

"That was.. just me farting, you bastard. So hurry up, and bring me some food!" The pirate demanded once more, glaring at the cook.

Luffy pushed away his plate not wanting to eat anymore, feeling the pain coming from the hungry and starved pirate. He had seen and saved many people during his stay in Baltigo, who were malnourished and wanted nothing but some food. He could feel the same pain from the man who was down. He might not know how it feels to be starved but he knows that he wouldn't like it.

"If you are not paying, then get the hell out of here!" Patty shouted, making Luffy cringe inwardly.

"This is a restaurant for paying customers! I ain't giving a single crumb of bread to a broken-ass pirate scum like you!" He kicked the pirate out not noticing the marine who was beat by Sanji walking away dreadfully and swearing to never come back here.

"Now then Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy your food!" Patty said with a smile on his face, making the diners return to their places.

"I'll be right back," Luffy stated getting up from the table and going out, feeling Sanji coming out too.

"What? Where are you going Luffy?" Nami asked in surprise to the teen. Luffy didn't reply and went off, leaving the crew to watch him from afar.

"Might get some more booze while we are here," Zoro said with a shrug, but kept an eye on his captain, not wanting him to drown if he gets near the railing. Hell knows how the boy can get into trouble even if he wouldn't voluntarily want it.

"And food," Usopp added forgetting his previous fear.

.

Meanwhile, Luffy climbed onto the upper part of the fish-shaped restaurant and walked over to the place where he could sense the pirate. He just got there in time to see Sanji placing a plate of fried rice and a glass of water before the hungry man.

"Eat," Sanji said, sitting on the deck with his back leaning on the railing of the ship and taking out a cigarette.

The smell of the cooked rice made the pirate look up from the ground but his pride held him back.

"Shut up! Even when I'm down and out, I won't take charity from others. Take this food away, now!" He told Sanji, turning his head away with his teeth clenched, visibly struggling not to pounce on the food.

"Stop whining and eat it already. To me, anyone who's hungry is a customer." Sanji stated making Luffy smile wider. He really has chosen a good cook for his crew and now all that is required is to make him join him in his journey to be the King of Pirates!

"Sorry, but I'm not a customer." The pirate stated with his gritted teeth and continued to deny the food.

"How large and cruel the ocean is.." Sanji started, making Luffy think about it. His mother was cruel, that is true, but she can be gentle too.

"How scary it is to lose food and water on the ocean... How hard it is.." Sanji said looking far away and Luffy felt that the man was not lying. He was speaking from experience. "I can understand how a hungry person feels more than anyone. You can die for your pride if you want, but if you eat and survive, don't you think there's a future for you?"

That crumbled the remaining strength in the pirate to not eat. His shaking hands held the edges of the plates and with tears streaming down his face he attacked the food like a wild animal, who had not eaten for months.

"I don't know what to say," The pirate said honestly, gulping down the food. "I've never had such a delicious meal in my entire life! I'm so grateful... I thought I was going to die..! I thought it was all over for me..!"

Luffy smiled wide at the happy emotions coming from both the cook and his diner.

"It's damn good, right?" Sanji asked with a smile of his own.

"Shishishishishi!" Luffy laughed freely, happy that the pirate finally got food, happy that he finally got a good cook! "You finally got some food. That's good!" Luffy said to the eating man and then turned towards the blonde.

"Hey cook! Join my crew! Be the cook for my pirate ship!" Luffy chirped happily, not minding the shocked expression on the said people's faces.

"You're a pirate?!" Both the underling of Krieg pirate and Sanji asked in unison. Luffy hopped down from the railing and to the people below the deck and claimed a seat on the railing of the ship.

"Yep! I'm!" Luffy answered truthfully.

"I don't care who you are, just don't do anything stupid to this restaurant. The owner of this place used to be the cook of a pretty infamous crew." Sanji said, brushing off the invitation and more worried about the crew that the kid might have, if any.

"Yeah, I know, Red Leg Zeff, right?" Luffy asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah, the restaurant's like a treasure to the damn geezer and the rest of the cooks who came to work here out of their admiration for that geezer are all hot-blooded and crude enough to be pirates!" Sanji continued in the same way. "But it is quite right considering all the pirates that frequently visit these parts."

"Not a quiet moment in this place, eh?" Luffy asked with a wide grin on his face.

"Yeah, but it's a daily routine for us," Sanji replied. "There've even been some guests lately who come to see the pirate and the cooks duke it out. 'Cause of that all the waiters got scared and ran away."

"Eh, whatever!" Luffy said not caring about the information. "Join my crew!" He asked looking at Sanji, unknowingly turning his eyes golden red.

Sanji was about to say no to the kid but as soon as he turned his head towards the said kid, he stilled. He froze. He felt as if he stood naked before the kid, who was reading his whole history, his past, his life up until now, from his reddish-golden eyes. How the heck did the kid even change his irises?! He was sure that the kid had brown doe eyes, not those red-golden eyes, which looked... holy and ethereal.

The kid was no joke, that was what Sanji was sure of now. He held powers that would be enough to make him greet his death. He felt vulnerable in front of the teen but at the same time, there was something in those red-golden eyes that made his heart want to see it and look for it.

Sanji was about to remove his gaze from the teen's eyes when the teen blinked. His brown owlish eyes were looking at him like he was the most amazing person to ever live. Sanji took a stuttering breath and took a swig from his cigarette, processing the feelings that he had just faced in a matter of five seconds and calming himself.

"I'll have to refuse that offer," Sanji said. There was a part of him that hesitated to speak the sentence. Maybe that was due to fear of finding out what lay behind the laid-off persona of the boy, but he felt that he wouldn't be harmed or rather killed if he said the truth. "I've got my own reason to keep working here," Sanji said looking at him.

"No! I refuse!" Luffy shot back.

"What?" Sanji asked not getting what the boy meant, forgetting his earlier thoughts easily on him.

"I refuse your refusal!" Luffy retorted crossing his arms on his chest and pouting, like a kid he was. "You are a good cook so we can be pirates together!"

"Hey, at least hear me out!" Sanji said trying to reason with the boy. He is not like the ones to lash on kids without a proper reason but something told him the boy won't be giving up on him easily.

"Fine then, what's your reason?" Luffy asked with a pout.

"No need to tell you," Sanji replied, making Luffy comically fall on the deck.

"But you told me to just hear you out!" He replied, getting up and plopping on the railing again.

"All I meant was that you should hear other people's opinions when talking!"

"Sorry to cut in the conversation but.." The pirate who had finished eating said before Luffy could speak again.

"My name's Gin. I'm a member of the Krieg Pirates." The pirate, now, Gin, introduced himself. "So you said you're a pirate? Can I ask what your objective is?"

"I'm going to be the King of Pirates! That's why I'll go to the Grand Line!" Luffy announced with his hands in the air.

That shocked Gin, but he quickly composed himself. "If you're still looking for a cook, I'm assuming you don't have many people on your crew yet. Right?"

"With him," Luffy said pointing at Sanji. "That makes 5!"

"Why're you counting me in?!" Sanji growled angrily.

"You don't seem to be a bad.. person," Gin continued, not wanting the kid to die young. "So, let me give you a piece of advice." He turned seriously and looked at the kid. "Give up on going to the Grand Line. You're still young, no need to recklessly rush into things. Besides the Grand Line is just one part of all the oceans in this world. If you still want to be a pirate, there's plenty of other seas for you to roam out there."

"But I want to go to Paradise and the New World!" Luffy stated not considering that he is practically revealing secrets which he shouldn't.

"Paradise? New World?" Gin asked in disbelief.

"What the heck are you even sprouting?!" Sanji asked nonchalantly chewing the end of his cigarette.

"Shishishishishi! Nothing!" Luffy just waved it off.

"Whatever!" Gin said looking the other way. "But I still suggest you not go to Grand Line." He gulped remembering the hellish events which followed in the Grand Line to him and the crew. "It's so terrifying!"

"It's not terrifying!" Luffy said with his hands on his hips.

"You don't know since you have never been there," Gin stated, trying to make his point.

"But I have lived in the Grand Line for more than a decade!" Luffy said in an obvious tone, making Gin and Sanji both look at him in surprise.

Gin didn't believe that, even if Sanji seemed to consider it. A child like the kid escaping from Grand Line with his life and no obvious scars? That's impossible!

"Don't joke around kid!" Gin said, making Luffy frown.

"But I really am from there and am not a kid!" Luffy said with a pout and suddenly started to sweat. He waved his hand and said, "I-I am not giving any more information to you!"

"Whatever!" Gin replied, not wanting to think about the hellish place he had been.

"Ne, you seem to know about Grand Line, have you gone there?" Luffy asked looking at the man with his doe brown eyes filled with curiosity.

"No... I don't know anything... I don't understand anything about it... That's exactly why I fear it!" Gin stated holding his head and shaking a bit in fear.

"For an underling of Krieg, you are quite wimpy," Sanji stated with his hands in his pockets, looking for another cigarette.

"Who's Krieg?" Luffy asked tilting his head. He had asked the question to his crew but he wasn't able to get the answer.

"You haven't heard of him? Don Krieg is said to be the strongest and most evil pirate in the East Blue." Sanji told Luffy, who realized why the name rang a bell.

"It's true. My Captain's the don of a fleet that controls the Captains of 50 pirate ships. We have more than 5000 men in our ranks." Gin added though Luffy didn't seem intimated at all. Seeing this, Gin frowned and decided to give up on the kid. It would not be his fault if the kid died.

"In any case, I've warned ya." He said as he hopped onto the boat, which was sitting on the water. "See ya then!"

"I'm still gonna go to the Grand Line!" Luffy said stubbornly, hoping from the railing to the deck, to see off the pirate.

Gin laughed.

"Well, you are free to do what you want. It's not like I have the right to stop that." Gin replied to Luffy and then turned to Sanji. "And Sanji, thank you so much for the food. You're my saviour. That meal was really the best I've ever had! Would it be alright to come here to eat again?"

"Sure, anytime!" Sanji replied.

"Hey, Sanji!" Luffy and Sanji both turned to see the owner standing on the upper floor, looking at them.

"Geezer.." Sanji said with a sigh.

"There you are." The man said as if he wasn't here from the very beginning and acted as if he noticed the empty plate on the ground just right now.

"Go Gin," Sanji told the still-waiting pirate, who was hesitating.

"Sorry, just because you gave me food you're gonna get scolded." Gin apologized feeling ashamed.

"Well," Sanji started picking up the empty plate, spoon and glass and threw them in the water. "How can I get scolded when there's no proof?"

Gin looked close to tears but nodded and bowed down to the man. "Thank you, Sanji for everything!"

"Don't you get caught again, Gin!" Sanji waved off the man.

"Sanji! Get back to work!" The owner shouted with a small smile on his face, yet his voice came off as demanding as he wanted.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed gleefully, feeling the owner funny as he loved the blonde but didn't show it and the same with Sanji. His stomach made its hunger known to him, making him grin wide. It's time to eat now! "See ya soon Sanji!"

Sanji wanted to retort, but seeing the boy was just an energetic kid, who was also apparently a pirate- a powerful one if the earlier encounter points to something- he let him go.

.

"Luffy! You are back!" Usopp waved to Luffy to show the new table in which they were sitting and had already ordered food.

"You guys started eating without me?" Luffy pouted as he saw the plates filled with rice, vegetables, fruits and whatnot! There was even meat on some plates.

"We got something for you too," Nami said with a smile and pointed to the empty seat left for him, making him grin and sit beside her.

"Nami's the best!" Luffy chirped as he was given a plate of meat, which was untouched and waiting for him to be gobbled. He absently noted the vegetables in the food but didn't mind much as it also had meat in it.

"Hey! Isn't that favouritism, captain?" Zoro asked playfully to his kid captain. Sometimes, it felt good to indulge in the boy's silly antics and get a sunny bright grin and carefree laugh in response. It always brings a smile to his face and makes him forget his worries.

Luffy gasped and stopped in the middle of gobbling his steak. "No! Zoro and Usopp are the best too!!!"

That made the said people flush with embarrassment.

"Anyways, where were you?" Nami asked curiously, seeing that the other two were in no condition to reply. She understood that as she had also reacted the same way. And it doesn't help when Luffy is so adorable and has such a sunny smile which could even put the sun to shame.

"Oh, I was trying to recruit Sanji!" Luffy answered between his bites of food.

"Did he agree?" Usopp asked, sipping his tea.

"He'll-"

"O' blessed are the oceans for bringing me this fine day." A voice cut Luffy off and presented Sanji with his arms stretched wide. "O' love! Laugh if you will, at my poor self who cannot endure his tortuous passions!"

With his hands on his heart and eyes literally changing to heart, Sanji continued. "As long as I can be with you, I'm prepared to walk across any path, be it the path of a pirate or a devil."

"But alas! 'Tis tragic there is such a great obstacle standing between the two of us!" Sanji finished at last, getting sweat drops in return from Zoro and Usopp and the thoughts about which crazy love cook was gonna join them.

"By obstacle, do you mean me, Sanji?" Another gruff voice asked, which was of the owner, who was leaning on a chair and looking at the blonde.

"Damn it, Geezer!" Sanji cursed turning his head to the man.

"It's a good chance. Just go and become a pirate. I don't need a guy like you in my restaurant." The owner responded with a bored expression.

"You damn geezer! I'm the assistant chef here." Sanji said with his hands in his pockets. "What do you mean I am not needed?!"

"You cause too much trouble with the guests, and if they happen to be female you swoon over them!" Zeff said crossing his arms over his chest. "You can't even cook a decent meal. You are just a dead weight and none of the cooks even like you."

Luffy couldn't understand why the man was lying through his teeth and agitating Sanji, but he remembers his Dad saying that some people lie for a greater reason and he shouldn't point them out. Maybe that is what the owner was doing, lying for some greater reason.

"I don't care if you wanna be a pirate or something else! Just get the hell out of my restaurant." The owner finished making Sanji angrier and turned fully towards the owner.

"Is that you wanted to tell me all along?" Sanji asked feeling hurt, but he refused to show it and walked towards the owner. "I could overlook everything, but I won't let you say rubbish about my cooking!" He yelled the last bit and grabbed the shirt of the head chef.

"Grabbing the collar of the head chef?!" The owner asked with an eyebrow raised and slapped away Sanji's hands from his collar and threw him to the Straw hat's table, who was listening silently. They had already sensed that and had lifted their plates from the table, not wanting them to get destroyed as collateral.

"Damn it!" Sanji cursed, sitting up on the floor. "You can try as hard as you want but I am not gonna leave! I'll continue to cook here until the day you die!"

"I ain't dying," The owner replied, turning his back towards the fallen assistant cook. "I will live for another 100 years."

"Pretty mouthy for a damn geezer, aren't you?" Sanji muttered getting back up and dusting his suit pants.

"You got the permission, you can be a pirate now!" Luffy chirped, not minding Sanji's anger which was flaring up.

"Shut up!" Sanji yelled at Luffy, whose smile didn't falter even a bit and ended up laughing.

Sanji turned to see Nami still sitting on the chair and quickly set the table properly. He flared his nose and started serving Nami as a gentleman.

"Forgive me for the ruckus, My Lady. As an apology, please have this fruit Macedonia and this glass of Grand Marnier." Sanji said pouring the said drink and presenting another side dish with fruits to the beautiful orange-haired young lady.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Nami said taking the glass gleefully, enjoying the treatment. "You are so nice~!"

"Oh, it's nothing.!" Sanji responded as a gentleman.

"What about us?" Usopp asked taking a seat. "This is gender discrimination! I'll sue you, you stupid love cook!"

"I already gave you some tea!" Sanji retorted changing his mood from the love cook to a pissed cook. "At least you can say thanks for it!"

"What you gonna start something?" Usopp inquired, with his eyes bulging a bit. "Get him Zoro!" He said. He wanted to ask Luffy to do it, but he didn't want to make fun of himself by asking the youngest.

"Do it yourself," Zoro said sweat dropping a bit and continuing to drink his sake and looking at the stack of plates that were beginning to pile up beside Luffy's current plate.

"You haven't even cleared the plates," Usopp said changing the subject and pointing to the plate which still had mushrooms in it.

"You haven't finished it yet, shithead!" Sanji replied.

"I left those on purpose. I was once poisoned by it when I was a kid and since then I hate mushrooms!" Usopp said back, his long nose poking the blonde cook's forehead.

"Well, this ain't poisoned, Long-nose!" Sanji retorted back.

"Please don't fight just 'cause of me!" Nami said dramatically, trying to act charming by batting her eyes at the two males.

"Anything for you, miss," Sanji immediately said, leaving a pissed-off Usopp behind.

"Just who the hell are you taking the side of?" Usopp asked with his teeth getting sharpened edge.

"By the way, Mr. Cook!" Nami said looking at Sanji who was too close to her. "The food is too expensive for me here."

"Then it shall be free of charge for you, miss!" Sanji replied instantly, mesmerized by the sweet girl hugging him.

"Thank you so much~!" Nami replied, grinning.

"You're paying though," Sanji said turning towards the rest of the boys.

For once, he really wondered how the stack of plates had increased since it is not humanely possible for even the long nose, moss head and the boy to eat so much at once. He wouldn't count the young lady in since she is a woman and she is practically not eating anything but drinking. It doesn't matter as long as they pay and do not cause any ruckus in the restaurant.