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Baratie – The Floating Restaurant
The dining room was packed but eerily silent.
Every guest had paused mid-bite, and even the waitstaff stood frozen, staring out the large bay windows toward the sea.
In the kitchen, chefs poked their heads out to see what had triggered the sudden silence.
A single, modest sailboat was approaching the restaurant.
It wasn't large, but its flag bore the skull of a hurricane a symbol that struck fear throughout the East Blue.
And perched boldly at the bow of the ship… a white dove.
As the gangplank hit the deck, the diners' fears were confirmed.
Dozens of pirates in black cloaks stepped ashore.
Their hoods were down, faces visible and all too recognizable.
"Wait a minute… is that—?!" one man near the window stammered.
More heads turned. Murmurs began to ripple through the room.
"That kid in front is that Aero Aegis? The 'Hurricane' himself?"
"And the guy on his left he's Dylan, right?"
"Then the one with the red hair must be 'Bullet' Eddie Cahill!"
"And that one next to him could it be 'Demon' Gin? He's got a bounty, too, eight million!"
One man, clutching a stack of bounty posters, trembled as he matched the faces. "It's all of them… The whole Hurricane Pirate Crew is here!"
"Gulp."
"Should we run? Those are real pirates!"
Silence broke like glass.
Suddenly, the once-bustling restaurant erupted into chaos.
Nobles, pirates, bounty hunters they all shoved their way toward the exits. Status meant nothing now. No one wanted to be collateral.
Within moments, half the restaurant had emptied into the sea breeze.
"You haven't paid yet!" a furious cook shouted after them.
But no one listened.
Their lives were worth more than a dinner tab.
---
Aero and his crew ignored the scene, walking into the now-quiet dining hall like it was any other day. They took the nearest empty table, Aero, Dylan, Eddie, and Gin, together while the rest of the crew settled in nearby.
A nervous waiter approached them, clutching a notepad, hands shaking.
"W-welcome. What c-can I get you?" he stammered.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed on the deck—tap… tap… tap…
A tall man with a wooden leg and a white chef's hat pushed the waiter aside and stepped forward.
"Got money?" he asked bluntly. "No money, no food."
Aero nodded calmly and looked to his crew.
From the next table, one of Aero's officers chuckled and tossed a heavy pouch of coins to the chef.
The man caught it mid-air, gave it a squeeze, then nodded. "Alright. What'll it be?"
Aero answered plainly, "We're pirates. Bring us everything that'll fill our stomachs."
The chef nodded once and turned toward the kitchen.
As he left, Aero noticed a few heads peeking out from the kitchen door curious eyes watching silently.
But Sanji wasn't among them.
---
Gin pulled out a bottle, uncorked it, and took a long swig.
"That'll dull your tongue," a voice behind him said.
They turned to see a young man in a black suit, golden hair swept to the side. He lit a cigarette casually and exhaled before continuing:
"I'm the sous-chef here. Don't waste our cooking with liquor."
In the kitchen, chatter broke out among the staff. But when Zeff entered, they immediately fell into line.
One chef scowled. "Boss! That punk pirate scared off all the guests and didn't even pay!"
Another chef, wearing round glasses and a white coat, countered, "Then why didn't you confront him?"
"Enough!" Zeff barked.
He held up the heavy coin pouch. "They did pay. He covered the whole floor. Now get back to work!"
"Yes, Chef! Carne—help me out!" the angry chef said, dragging his reluctant partner along.
Zeff glanced around the room.
Something was off…
"Sanji," he called out loudly.
Sure enough, there he was leaning against a beam, chatting with the pirate crew.
Sanji smiled at Aero. "The old man's calling. I'll personally handle your order. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Aero nodded. "I'm looking forward to seeing what Baratie's second-in-command can do."
Sanji grinned and headed back to the kitchen.
Zeff eyed him as he passed but said nothing.
---
As things calmed, Eddie leaned over and whispered to Aero, "Boss, you really think that place, All Blue, actually exists?"
Aero was quiet. He shook his head, then nodded. "Maybe."
Earlier, Sanji had asked him the same thing. When Aero answered with a nod, the chef broke into a rare, excited smile.
To Sanji, having even one more believer in All Blue meant the world.
Especially when that person was a pirate someone who might help him reach it.
Someone who understood what it meant to chase dreams.
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