Inside the Baratie, within the head chef's office adorned with nautical decor, several burly chefs were gripping Luffy's arms, dragging him like a common criminal toward Head Chef Zeff.
"Chef! Here's the culprit!" Patty shouted, pointing at Luffy. "This is the brat who launched that cannonball through the roof!"
Zeff, sitting behind his desk, looked a bit worse for wear. His once snow-white, towering chef's hat and uniform were now covered in black soot and singe marks.
He was the direct victim of Luffy's "Gum-Gum Balloon" deflection.
Zeff stroked his long, braided golden mustache, his gaze level as he glanced at Luffy. "You the one who did it, Straw Hat kid?"
Feeling the ocean-deep pressure radiating from the man, Luffy didn't hesitate. He dropped into a perfect dogeza, his forehead slamming against the floor.
"I AM... SO INCREDIBLY SORRY!!" Luffy roared, his sincerity hitting its peak.
After a moment of silence, Luffy cautiously tilted his head to steal a glance at the victim. When he saw Zeff's right leg—or rather, the lack of one, replaced by a sturdy wooden peg—Luffy's eyes widened, and he burst into a fountain of tears and snot.
"WAAAAAH!! I'm sorry, Old Man!! Your leg!! Did I accidentally blow off your leg with the cannonball?!!"
"YOU IDIOT!!"
A vein popped on Zeff's forehead. He swung his wooden leg and delivered a sharp kick to Luffy's face.
BAM!
"This leg's been gone for years! There's no way a brat like you could blow it off! Don't flatter yourself!"
Meanwhile, the main doors of the restaurant swung open. A heavily bandaged Fullbody and his companion, Moody, stepped inside.
Though Fullbody had changed into fresh clothes, his right hand was wrapped in a massive ball of gauze, making him look ridiculous.
Moody looked at his hand with worry. "Lieutenant, is your hand really okay? Maybe we should call it a day..."
"Hahaha, it's nothing, it's nothing!" Fullbody forced a grin, though cold sweat beaded on his forehead from the throbbing pain in his wrist. He was determined to keep up his "Marine Gentleman" persona.
His wrist had been crushed by that red-eyed brat, but his hunger for respect—and food—had only grown. He desperately needed to vent his frustrations to soothe his bruised ego.
"Just a... minor scratch. You know how tough training is for a Marine Headquarters Lieutenant. Hahaha." He wrapped his good left arm around Moody's waist. "Come on, the wine here is excellent. Let's go."
Back on the Going Merry.
"Ugh, that idiot Luffy. Why did he run off to apologize? He should have just blamed the Marines. They fired the shot anyway," Nami grumbled, leaning against the railing.
Viktor stretched and let out a yawn, suddenly remembering something. "Ah, right. Luffy didn't bring any money with him."
"Eh?" Nami blinked.
"If he doesn't have money to pay for the repairs, given that head chef's temper, Luffy might be stuck washing dishes for the rest of his life.
I'm getting hungry anyway, so I'll head over with some Beli to settle the bill." Viktor brushed some dust off his clothes. "And I want to taste the skills of the East Blue's most famous restaurant."
Nami winced at the thought of spending treasure, but knowing Luffy needed saving, she sighed. "Fine... I'm coming too! I have to make sure you don't overspend!"
Viktor nodded and turned to Zoro, who was dozing against the mast, and Usopp, who was hammering away at the railing. "Zoro, Usopp. Watch the ship."
"Leave it to us, Big Bro!" Johnny and Yosaku promised with hero-worship in their eyes.
"Bring back something good! I want meat on the bone!" Usopp yelled.
"Caw-caw! Master, Kray wants some too!"
Usopp then realized something. "Wait, Viktor, the rowboat is tied to the back—"
He didn't finish. Viktor suddenly bent down, scooped one arm under Nami's knees and the other behind her back, lifting her in a "princess carry."
"Kya?!" Nami's feet left the deck, her face flushing crimson. She instinctively pushed against his chest. "Hey! What are you doing?! Put me down!"
"Going across," Viktor said innocently. "The boat is too slow, and rowing is a hassle."
Without warning, he leaped straight off the deck toward the open water.
"AHHHHH!!!" Nami shrieked, squeezing her eyes shut and clutching Viktor's shirt. "You moron!! You forgot you're a hammer?! We're going to drown!!"
Whoosh—
The wind whistled past. However, the expected shock of icy water never came. Instead, she felt a stable, vibrating sensation, as if they had landed on solid ground.
"We're here," Viktor's amused voice reached her ears.
Nami cautiously opened one eye and looked down. She nearly screamed again. Viktor was standing perfectly still on the surface of the undulating sea. Under his feet, an invisible film seemed to repel the water, creating only faint ripples.
After weeks of secret practice, Viktor had mastered the art of water-walking using Chakra.
"Hold on tight, Miss Navigator."
Zip!
In a blur, Viktor sprinted across the ocean's surface, a white wake trailing behind them as if they were a speedboat. On the Merry, Usopp and Zoro's jaws hit the deck.
"What the... is that guy a ninja?" Zoro opened one eye, genuinely impressed.
"So cool! I want to learn that!" Usopp drooled.
Seconds later, on the Baratie's outer deck.
Viktor landed lightly and set Nami down. The moment her feet hit the floor, she scrambled back as if she'd been electrocuted. She smoothed her hair, her face still bright red. Without looking at him, she marched toward the entrance with a frantic pace.
Viktor scratched his head. Did I do something wrong again? That was the fastest way, and her shoes didn't even get wet. He shook his head and followed her inside.
Creak—
They pushed open the massive fish-shaped doors. Immediately, a roar of anger shattered the elegant atmosphere of the dining hall.
"Oi! Oi! Oi! What kind of service is this?!"
In the center of the restaurant, Fullbody had one foot on a chair, slamming his bandaged hand onto the table. He was screaming at a blonde young cook with curly eyebrows.
"I am a Headquarters Lieutenant! 'Iron Fist' Fullbody!!" He pointed at a bowl of soup, his face twisted. "You expect me to drink soup with a fly in it?! This is an insult to the Marines!!"
"I can see the defiance in your eyes! Speak up, you bastard! I have the authority to arrest you, you curly-browed hack!"
Opposite him, Sanji, the Sous-Chef with a cigarette dangling from his lips, stared at him with cold, dead eyes.
At the entrance, Viktor watched the scene, his lips curling into a grin.
"Oh? Looks like we arrived just in time."
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: [email protected]/Master_Studios677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.