[12] The Krieg Pirate Crew
"Owner Chef!"
"Luffy!"
The chefs of Baratie and Luffy's crew exclaimed in unison.
The 'Owner Chef' was someone Rengoku recognized.
It was Zeff, the "Red-Leg."
"What's going on here! Who chased away the customers from my restaurant?"
Zeff shouted angrily as he surveyed the dining area, filled with half-eaten food.
At that moment, a burly chef named Patty approached Zeff and whispered in his ear.
"Owner Chef, the truth is... whisper whisper..."
After hearing the full story from Patty, Zeff's veins popped in anger as he delivered a spinning kick to Sanji.
Bam!
"Sanji! Is this your restaurant? Why are you doing whatever you please and causing a ruckus?"
Sanji, who had been sent flying to one side by Zeff's kick, immediately got up and glared at him, retorting sharply.
"I can't stand people pretending to know about food when they clearly don't!"
"This is a restaurant for the customers! It's not your personal playground!" Zeff yelled, his voice booming.
Watching Zeff beat up Sanji, Fullbody smirked slightly, his lips curling upward.
But his satisfaction didn't last long, as Zeff's next kick came flying toward him.
"Eek!"
Thwack!
"Hmm! Quite a powerful kick! Zeff, the 'Red-Leg'! As expected of a pirate with a bounty of 77 million berries, you're still as spry as ever!"
Rengoku blocked Zeff's kick with the sole of his foot and spoke with a calm tone.
"A b-bounty of 77 million berries?"
Nami and Usopp's astonished voices echoed in the room.
"Hah! Are you some kind of Navy officer?"
Bang!
The door burst open, and a Marine barged in.
"What now!"
Zeff, irritated by yet another 'guest' mishandling his restaurant, snapped.
"S-sir! There's trouble! One of the prisoners from the Krieg Pirates we had captured has escaped!"
"The Krieg Pirates? Captain Fullbody, what is the meaning of this? Why was there a pirate aboard a conscripted Navy ship?"
Rengoku kept his smile as he asked, but the crimson hue of his eyes bore into Fullbody with enough intensity to make him flinch.
"W-well... the plan was to use that guy as bait to lure in the entire Krieg Pirate crew," Fullbody stammered, visibly nervous.
"From what I see, you seem to crave quite a bit of attention," Rengoku remarked with a sharp edge to his voice.
"I-I'm sorry! B-but don't worry, sir! We've starved him for days, so he shouldn't have gotten far!" Fullbody added hastily.
"Hmm! As I thought, you came right on time!"
Shave (Soru)!
In an instant, Rengoku dashed to the Marine who had been reporting.
Bang!
A gunshot echoed throughout Baratie.
Yet, no one was hurt.
"Hmm! Are you the fugitive from the Krieg Pirates?"
Rengoku stood with a bullet clutched in his hand, the same one fired from the gun. Behind the reporting Marine, a pirate wearing a gray hood held the smoking pistol in disbelief.
"W-what... how did you catch the bullet...!"
"I'd advise you not to underestimate the Navy."
Rengoku moved swiftly, seizing the pirate's pistol with a single motion.
No, it wasn't even a grab—it was as if he had merely waved his hand, and the gun was already in his grasp.
"Ugh... ugh!"
The pirate collapsed immediately after the pistol was snatched away.
"I'm... so hungry..."
The pirate's voice was raspy and weak. Sanji, noticing this, quietly left his spot and disappeared into the kitchen.
Rengoku, however, paid no attention to the pirate's plight. Hunger was the pirate's problem, and as a Marine, Rengoku had his own duties to fulfill.
First, he cuffed the pirate, who was too weak to resist due to his hunger. Afterward, he conducted a quick body search, discovering a small Den Den Mushi and a flare gun.
The Den Den Mushi, with its gold-coated shell, appeared to be a special communication device meant only for the captain of the Krieg Pirates. The flare gun, however, was an ordinary, run-of-the-mill signal device.
"Captain Fullbody."
"Y-yes, sir!" Fullbody stammered, snapping to attention.
"This flare gun seems to be a signal to summon the Krieg Pirates, am I correct?"
"Y-yes, sir! That's correct!"
"Well then, even a rotten fish still has its bones. Since you're still a captain, I'll issue orders to you."
"Y-yes, sir! Please give me your instructions!"
Rengoku handed the flare gun to Fullbody before giving his commands.
"Captain Fullbody, fire the flare gun into the sky to lure the Krieg Pirates to this location! The two naval ships are to move away from Baratie and maintain a safe but observable distance."
"The 1st Rifle Squad will keep a close watch on this half-starved pirate. The rest of the units should prepare for immediate deployment and be fully armed! That is all!"
"Yes, sir!"
Following Rengoku's orders, the 13 members of the 1st Rifle Squad dragged the gray-hooded pirate to a corner of the restaurant and kept him under watch.
It didn't take long for Captain Fullbody to fire the flare gun into the sky. The bright light soared high, signaling the Krieg Pirates to converge on this location.
The naval ships were strategically positioned at a safe distance to ensure the Krieg Pirates wouldn't be deterred by their presence. This setup minimized the chance of the pirates spotting the warships and avoiding the area.
As all the preparations were completed, Sanji emerged from the kitchen, carrying a plate of seafood fried rice and a glass of water. He approached the gray-hooded pirate.
"Uh..."
The rifle squad members hesitated, unsure whether they should stop Sanji. Their uncertainty was resolved when Rengoku gave his orders.
"Let him eat! If he dies of starvation, it'll only cause unnecessary complications!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Hmph," Sanji snorted, clearly unamused but compliant.
With Rengoku's permission, Sanji handed the food to the starving pirate, his actions laced with his own quiet defiance.
Not long after, the golden-coated Den Den Mushi began to ring.
Brrrr-brrr!
Brrrr-brrr!
Brrrr-brrr!
"What's this? Aren't you going to answer it?"
Zeff glanced at the ringing Den Den Mushi and asked Rengoku.
"I will."
Click.
"Hey, Gin. Still alive, I see. Judging by the direction of the flare, you're at Baratie. Didn't expect you to take over that place. I'm on my way now."
Gulp, gulp!
Rengoku placed the receiver of the Den Den Mushi next to Gin, who was hurriedly scarfing down his meal, ensuring that the sound of him eating was transmitted directly to Krieg.
Before Krieg could respond, Rengoku abruptly ended the call.
...
"Huh?"
Meanwhile, aboard the Krieg Pirates' ship, confusion began to spread among the crew.
"Hey, what's this all about?"
"Yes, Don Krieg, it seems like that's Captain Gin eating at Baratie. Considering we've all been starving for a while, it's not surprising."
"Tch… that ungrateful bastard, stuffing his face alone."
"Haha… well, since the signal flare for occupation was fired, I'll set our course for Baratie."
"Good. You never know when Hawk Eyes might show up. Baratie's supplies, funds, Red-Leg Zeff's logbook, and even that Devil Fruit worth 100 million berries… With these, we'll challenge the Grand Line once again!"
"By order of Don Krieg! Set sail immediately! Target: the floating restaurant Baratie!"
"Yes, Don Krieg!"
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