Boom!
A cannon roared.
Fullbody had already set off for the Baratie in a small boat, paying no mind to the pirates he left behind.
"Hey, what's the big idea? What are you trying to do to my ship?!"
With almost no warning, before Zoro could even grip his sword hilts, Luffy, who was standing beside him, suddenly moved.
It wasn't his usual elastic launch. Instead, his entire body instantly turned bright red, and dense white steam erupted violently from every pore on his body as if he were boiling!
"Second Gear: Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol!"
What was that?
Nami covered her mouth.
Whoosh!
Luffy's figure left an afterimage where he stood, reappearing mid-air in an attacking pose, the movement accompanied by a sound that tore through the air.
"So fast!" Zoro's eyes widened. That speed was faster than his sword.
This technique was a success!
By accelerating his blood flow, he strengthened his body, just like taking a stimulant. An ordinary person would have ruptured blood vessels from the pressure, but Luffy felt no strain at all.
He was a rubber man, after all!
"So? It's fast, right? It's a new move I just developed." Luffy was eager to see the surprised expressions on Nami and the others' faces.
He hadn't been training these past two days. Developing cool new abilities with his Devil Fruit was the most important thing.
"Very fast, very fast."
"Thank you, Luffy! I thank you on behalf of the Going Merry!"
"Yeah, that's right, it was him."
Usopp and the others were merely going through the motions.
Nami had chosen her wallet over Luffy, as a place like the Baratie definitely didn't look cheap.
The solid cannonball Luffy had punched was flying straight towards the glass dome atop the floating restaurant, Baratie.
It blew a huge hole right through it.
Who knew how much the compensation would cost?
Amid the smoke billowing from the hole, the faint outline of a man in a chef's uniform, not particularly tall, could be seen being sent flying by the blast wave.
The head chef of the Baratie, "Red-Leg" Zeff!
For pirates, being asked, "Would you like some cannonballs with that today?" was practically normal.
But Zeff hadn't been a pirate for many years.
"Who did that?!" Anyone would feel hard done by such an unjust disaster.
[Warning. Half of the Crew Recruitment Daytime remains. Please recruit a crew member immediately...]
As the countdown sounded in his head, Luffy was already brought before Zeff by the Baratie's staff.
"I already said I'm fine. Get back to work! Go keep an eye on that idiot, Sanji. Who knows what trouble he'll cause if I'm not around..."
Luffy saw the owner of the voice.
He looked to be in his forties or fifties, with a fierce face that made it clear he was no pushover in his youth. Luffy almost thought he'd met a fellow pirate.
"Mister, are you a pirate?" Luffy asked.
"Huh? That was a long time ago. That's not important. Let's talk about compensation." Zeff sat down, crossing his arms, and propped up his leg, the one missing a foot.
"Your l-leg... it's broken?!" Luffy's jaw dropped. "Are you trying to scam me?!"
"This is an old injury. I'm not making you pay for it." Zeff struggled to keep up with Luffy's train of thought. Shouldn't a normal person be concerned about his current injuries? What was so interesting about this leg?
"Oh, then I'll be going now."
"Hah?"
"You said you're not making me pay." Luffy paused. "And besides, I don't have any money."
Zeff: "..."
"You've got some nerve saying that, you brat." Zeff was angered into a laugh.
Luffy prided himself on honesty; he truly had no money. Finally noticing Zeff's chef attire, and with half of the Crew Recruitment Day left, he clapped his hands together, having thought of a perfect solution.
"Mister, come be the cook on my ship!"
This way, he wouldn't have to pay back the money and he could recruit a cook. Luffy had never felt so clever.
"You really know how to push your luck, you little brat." Zeff was truly amused now. "What makes you think you're some famous great pirate? State your name."
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! The man who will become the Pirate King!"
"Heh ha ha ha ha!" Zeff was tickled by the declaration. "Do all pirates these days have such unrealistic dreams?"
"What's the difference between having no dreams and being a salted fish? Mister, it's very rude to laugh at someone else's dreams."
Luffy clenched his fists, making a sharp cracking sound.
A person's dreams will never end.
The young man's unbridled spirit reminded Zeff of his former self. The scene shifted in his mind, and he saw a certain blond kid spouting nonsense about dreams.
Those two would probably get along well.
"Fine, I apologize." Zeff acknowledged Luffy.
"Then I'll take my leave!" Luffy seized the opportunity.
"What does acknowledging you have to do with compensation? If you have no money, you'll work it off as a busboy on this ship!"
...
Inside the Baratie restaurant.
Nami and the others sat around a table by the window. Almost the instant they finished ordering, beautifully presented, aromatic dishes began arriving one after another.
Setting other matters aside, the Baratie's speed and efficiency were unquestionable.
Seafood paella, a massive steak, perfectly grilled sea fish, and fragrant, rich soup soon covered the table.
"This is amazing! This is the Seaside Restaurant!" Usopp drooled, can't wait to dig in.
"Hey, Usopp! Don't be so rude!"
Though Nami scolded him, her own fork swiftly darted towards a delicate and delicious-looking pudding. Don't doubt it; you couldn't get something like this out at sea for weeks on end.
Zoro, looking satisfied, took a large gulp of beer before cutting into the thick steak in front of him.
Seeming to remember something, he couldn't help but say, "Did we forget something?"
Forget what?
It seemed they had forgotten their captain.
They exchanged glances, then skipped over the topic with tacit understanding.
Just then, a commotion arose from the other side of the restaurant.
A young chef with blond hair and swirly eyebrows was elegantly serving a dish to a female customer. This elegance didn't sit well with the lady's male companion. Fullbody felt like he should check if he was wearing any green.
"Hey! You, swirly-browed waiter! Where's the fish I ordered? Quit dawdling! I've got pirates to catch after I finish eating!"
"I'm not a waiter. The waiters all ran off. Call me the Sous Chef."
...
"It looks like a fight's about to break out over there." Usopp looked up. "It's that Marine."
"The guy who tried to wreck our ship," Zoro said, his voice low. "Keep an eye on him. After we eat, we'll find Luffy and ask our captain if we're starting a fight."
The noise quickly attracted Zeff.
"Everyone who comes here is a guest. Don't cause trouble in my restaurant, you damn idiot, Sanji!" Zeff scolded Sanji, suppressing the disturbance.
"Marines are all just bullies who throw their weight around."
Zoro grunted quietly, clearly disliking Fullbody's attitude.
"Let's just focus on enjoying the food."
Worried about complications, Nami hurriedly urged everyone to keep eating.