"Boss!"
Patty shouted loudly, still clutching the rocket launcher in his hands.
The moment Zeff appeared, a wave of relief washed over the chefs. The fear that Don Krieg brought with him seemed to lessen ever so slightly.
However, what happened next completely shattered the chefs' sense of security.
Zeff stood calmly in front of Krieg and said,
"Here. This is food for a hundred people."
"Take it to those starving men."
"What?!"
With just two simple sentences, Zeff's words were like lighting a fuse, the chefs' emotions exploded like a powder keg.
All of them widened their eyes in disbelief, staring at the man they trusted most, their boss, Zeff, as if they were trapped in a bad dream.
"Boss! What are you doing?! What do you mean by that?!"
"If those pirates on his ship come here too, we'll never be able to protect this place!"
"Then he'll have to actually want to fight, won't he…"
"Hm?"
Zeff's sudden remark cut through the rising protests like a knife. The chefs all looked at him, confused, hoping he would explain.
But Zeff didn't answer them. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Krieg, calm and unwavering, speaking in a tone that carried absolute certainty.
"Am I right… loser of the Grand Line?"
"You!"
Krieg froze under Zeff's steady stare, as though the old man could see straight through him.
He stumbled a step back, bloodshot eyes widening in disbelief as he pointed at Zeff, wordlessly asking how the man could possibly know that.
Zeff's words struck directly at Krieg's buried memories, ones he desperately wanted to forget, dragging him back into that endless nightmare of fear and failure.
It took him a long moment to steady himself, to calm the panic clawing at his chest. His eyes cleared, and he glared at Zeff.
"You… you're Red-Leg Zeff?!"
Zeff didn't answer, but the silence was as good as confirmation.
After a while, Krieg exhaled heavily.
After all, he was a man who had faced the storms of the Grand Line. His mind was tougher than most, far beyond the reach of a so-called "defeated man" like Zeff, who'd barely escaped that deadly sea alive.
Krieg's face darkened again as he spoke slowly,
"So, you're still alive?"
"I am. So what? What does that have to do with you?"
"And as you can see, I'm just a cook now."
Zeff wasn't the least bit fazed that his identity was exposed.
After all, he had once been a famous pirate, a name well-known across the East Blue, an idol among pirates.
"Ha… hahaha… hahahahahaha!"
Krieg suddenly burst into laughter. It started as a chuckle, then grew louder and louder, until it filled the room with manic energy.
In that laughter were regret, realization… and ambition.
"Zeff!"
Krieg abruptly stopped laughing and shouted,
"I've heard you once sailed the Grand Line! And that you came back alive!"
"During that time, you must've kept a detailed record of your voyage!"
"Now, hand over your logbook!"
"My logbook?"
Zeff's tone was calm, reflective.
"That logbook is something my old crew and I were proud of… a record of our lives."
"I would never hand it over so easily."
"I suggest you think very carefully before asking me again."
This time, Krieg didn't argue.
He simply lifted the crates of food meant for his crew, then looked at Zeff one last time and said,
"I'll give you time to think about it. But if you still refuse when I come back…"
"I'll take it from your cold, dead hands!"
"Boss…"
The chefs looked at their one-legged captain, their faces filled with uncertainty. None of them knew what to say.
But the silence didn't last long.
Zeff spoke first.
"You all… should leave."
"There's a small boat at the back. It's not much, but…"
"It'll be enough to get everyone away safely."
"What are you saying, Boss Zeff?!"
CRACK!
Patty slammed his fist into a stone pillar, leaving a spiderweb of cracks as he shouted in fury,
"Aside from this ship, there's nowhere else in the world we belong!"
"That's right, Boss Zeff!"
"We were all chefs no other restaurant would hire!"
"You were the only one willing to take us in and teach us how to cook!"
"You're our savior! There's no way we'd abandon you now!"
"Yeah!"
Patty suddenly pulled open a hidden compartment and drew out a gleaming steel fork.
"We'll fight! We'll live and die with this ship!"
"Right! If we lose this place, we've got nowhere else to go!"
One by one, the chefs rushed to the armory behind the wall, grabbing steel spears and long blades.
Normally, their battles were against pots, pans, and flames, but when it came to real fights, each of them could take on ten men at once!
"You guys…"
Zeff's eyes shimmered faintly with tears, but his weathered skin quickly absorbed them.
"Hey!"
Gin, clutching his shattered shoulder, looked at the armed men in shock and shouted,
"What are you all doing?!"
"You saw it yourselves! Captain Krieg can't be beaten, even a rocket launcher didn't hurt him!"
"You'll just die! Run while you can!"
"I say…"
Before Gin could finish, another voice broke in.
Luffy raised one hand high, as if demanding everyone's attention, his face showing mild annoyance.
"Why hasn't our food come out yet?"
"If you keep us waiting, I'm gonna complain!"
"Sorry about that~"
Zeff limped over on his steel-supported leg, stopping by Luffy's table.
"As you can see, we're having a bit of trouble today. Please, go out the back and get to safety."
But Luffy just smiled.
"Out the back? Don't be ridiculous. Our ship's parked out front. No way we're leaving that way."
"Yeah," Zoro added, leaning back in his chair, nodding toward Zeff with his chin.
"Didn't that curly-brow guy just say it himself?"
"When someone wants to eat, you give them food."
Sanji, sitting nearby with a cigarette between his lips, froze when he heard those words.
He looked up, met Zoro's gaze, and something flickered in his eyes.
He stood up silently and walked toward the kitchen.
Moments later, the sound of a lit stove filled the air.
Then came the rhythm of ladles clashing against iron pans.
"Heh…"
Luffy and Zoro both smiled faintly.
This meal… was going to be satisfying.
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