The Shark Superb, flagship of the Arlong Pirates, floated quietly on the sea.
It was a medium sized sailboat with a broad hull and thick armored plating, its design somewhat reminiscent of a turtle warship. The prow had once been shaped like a long, jagged shark nose that mirrored Arlong's own. Even without that feature, the vessel still looked fierce and imposing.
Ash had liked the ship the moment he saw it.
Naturally, he decided to take it.
Youki and the others had no objections at all.
Youki personally snapped off the shark shaped ram at the bow, the part that resembled Arlong's nose, then guided the ship toward the Dawn Ship's internal dock. When the Shark Superb slid inside, it looked exactly like a large fish swallowing a smaller one.
It had to be said that traveling with a true navigator made a huge difference.
While Nami carefully sorted and updated her sea charts, she occasionally glanced outside and casually gave directions. With only a few brief instructions, the ship avoided dangerous currents and found the correct route with ease.
Three days after leaving Cocoyasi Village, the Dawn Ship finally located the place they had previously searched for without success.
The floating Sea Restaurant, Baratie.
The Dawn Ship stopped a good distance away from the restaurant. After anchoring, Ash and the others disembarked and headed toward the massive floating structure.
Because Ash had mentioned Baratie countless times since arriving in the East Blue, the Kirk siblings decided to come along this time instead of remaining behind to guard the ship.
They were curious.
Just how delicious were the dishes from this famous sea restaurant that Ash had been thinking about for so long?
In the entire East Blue, if there was any place besides Marine bases and Arlong's territory where information flowed constantly, it was Baratie.
Nobles, merchants, Marines, bounty hunters, and pirates from all corners of the seas gathered there. They came to enjoy food, but they also brought stories. News from the Four Seas and even the Grand Line often spread through the restaurant first.
Ash and his group had barely stepped onto the deck when someone greeted them.
"Shichibukai Ash, why have you come to the East Blue?"
The speaker was the head chef of Baratie, Red Leg Zeff.
He had personally led a group of the restaurant's notoriously aggressive chefs to greet them, although his tone was far from welcoming.
Ash looked at him with clear irritation.
"Are you stupid? Of course I came to a restaurant to eat."
He snorted and continued coldly.
"As for why I'm in the East Blue, who do you think you are? What right do you have to question me?"
"You bastard! How dare you talk to the old man like that!"
Before Zeff could react, a blond figure behind him jumped forward angrily.
It was Sanji.
Originally he had been standing behind Zeff, shamelessly staring at the girls behind Ash. The moment Ash insulted Zeff, Sanji immediately rushed forward.
Bang!
Before he could even get close, Tsuki stepped forward and kicked.
Sanji flew backward at twice the speed he had charged in, slammed into the deck, and instantly lost consciousness.
The chefs of Baratie were famous for their violence, but they also understood who they could afford to provoke.
Facing a renowned Shichibukai like Ash, every single one of them instantly fell silent.
Zeff's expression darkened when he saw Sanji knocked out, but before he could say anything, a sheathed blade was already pressed lightly against his chin.
Autumn Water.
Ash held the sword calmly as he spoke.
"Do you really think becoming a chef erases the fact that you were once a pirate?"
He tilted his head toward the Dawn Ship floating in the distance.
"Can't you see that flag?"
Ash's voice carried a clear warning.
"What makes you think you have the right to act arrogant in front of me?"
"I'm willing to dine at your restaurant. That alone is me giving you face. Understand?"
Without waiting for an answer, Ash simply walked past Zeff and the silent chefs and entered the restaurant with his group.
As he passed by, he added casually,
"What are you all doing standing out here? Hurry up and make the food."
Zeff's face looked extremely grim.
Still, he did not dare refuse.
He knew his own strength very clearly. Offending a Shichibukai here would bring disaster to Baratie.
He could only order someone to carry the unconscious Sanji back to the kitchen before returning to prepare the meals.
---
Ash and his group quickly attracted attention the moment they entered Baratie.
They were a striking group.
Handsome men, beautiful women, and even a walking skeleton among them. It was impossible not to notice.
Some pirates stared openly.
Some Marines frowned as they tried to recognize Ash.
A few nobles politely raised their wine glasses in greeting.
Others watched quietly with calculating eyes.
Ash and his companions had come only to eat. As long as no one provoked them, they had no intention of breaking Baratie's rules.
Unfortunately, there were always fools who overestimated themselves.
One of the nobles who had previously raised his glass stood up and walked toward their table.
He was short and plump, his face greasy with arrogance. As he approached, his eyes constantly shifted between Nami, Carina, Nojiko, Saff, and Perona.
Ash watched the man approach and felt speechless.
The five girls sitting at the table were young. The oldest was only seventeen, while the youngest was barely twelve.
Even Ash himself was careful not to entertain inappropriate thoughts, partly out of basic decency and partly because he feared the so called "Great River Crab God" might descend from another world to punish him.
Yet this short man dared to stare so shamelessly.
Aside from the Kirk siblings who were still reading the menu, the others quickly noticed Ash's gaze and followed it.
Tsuki casually activated the Voice of All Things to sense the noble's intentions.
His expression immediately turned cold.
"This guy is full of filthy thoughts," Tsuki said quietly. "He's thinking about selling these girls for a high price."
The moment those words were spoken, Kirk's eyes became icy.
He didn't say a single word.
He simply lifted his leg and kicked the empty air in front of him.
At the exact same moment, the short noble was struck by an invisible force.
His body bent violently, almost folding in half, before he flew backward and crashed into his original dining table. The table shattered into pieces from the impact.
The entire restaurant fell silent for a moment.
Many diners instantly realized that Ash's group was not someone they could afford to provoke. The excessive stares quickly disappeared.
The noble's companions rushed over in panic. They carried the nearly unconscious man and fled the restaurant as quickly as possible.
Kirk was about to stand and follow them.
Ash immediately stopped him.
"Don't kill them yet. Catch them first."
He leaned back calmly in his chair.
"After we finish eating, Tsuki can investigate their background."
Ash's eyes turned cold.
"My guess is that they're human traffickers. Once we confirm it, we'll wipe out the entire group in one move."
Kirk nodded.
By the time he looked toward the door again, the group had already disappeared outside.
He gave a faint sneer.
His figure flashed.
He vanished.
Only a few seconds later, Kirk returned to his seat as if nothing had happened. He casually brushed his pink bangs aside and spoke calmly.
"I threw them and their ship into the Dawn Ship."
Nami, who had just witnessed Kirk's ability for the first time, had been quietly amazed.
She already suspected that Ash's group was extremely powerful. Seeing it with her own eyes made the realization even clearer.
Every single member of this hunter crew seemed ridiculously strong.
Then she heard Kirk's words.
"My treasure, no, my sea charts!"
Nami jumped up in panic.
"They're still on the Dawn Ship! How could you just throw them onto the ship like that?"
Kirk rolled his eyes.
"They're all unconscious and locked inside their own ship. Even if they wake up, they still need time to break their handcuffs."
Then he shrugged.
"If they wake up before nightfall, I might actually respect their physical strength."
"Oh, the food is here," Nojiko said calmly.
A line of chefs began carrying trays out of the kitchen.
Dish after dish was placed on the table until it was completely full.
Zeff himself did not appear again. Clearly he had decided it was better to stay out of Ash's sight.
The dishes were beautifully presented.
Seafood, grilled meats, rich soups, and specialties from different seas filled the table. It was obvious that Zeff had put serious effort into the meal.
However, after Ash and the others tasted the food, their reactions were somewhat underwhelming.
For ordinary people like Monkey D. Luffy, who had never eaten truly refined cuisine, Baratie's dishes would indeed taste incredible.
But Ash and his group had eaten meals prepared by the Kirk siblings for a long time.
Compared to that level of cooking, Baratie's dishes felt merely average.
If placed in a true culinary competition, the food here would be considered decent but not exceptional.
At best, it could reach the middle tier.
Even Nami, Nojiko, and Carina, who had only recently started eating the Kirk siblings' cooking, quickly lost interest.
Fortunately, Ash and Youki were not people who wasted food.
Even if the taste failed to meet expectations, they still finished everything on the table.
When the meal ended, Ash casually left a thick stack of Berries on the table.
They had arrived with high expectations.
They left slightly disappointed.
As the group returned to the Dawn Ship, one thing became certain.
The unfortunate human traffickers trapped inside the ship were about to have a very miserable night.
___
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