Sea Restaurant, Baratie.
"You green-haired moss head, are you trying to cause trouble here?"
Sanji glared at Zoro. No matter how he looked at this Marine, he just found him annoying!
Extremely annoying!
Who even has green hair?!
Too ugly!
And this moss head not only wanted to eat without paying, but also wanted to arrest the old geezer.
That was absolutely impossible.
Old man Zeff wasn't just the owner of Baratie, he was also its head chef.
"???"
"Hey, you curly-brow! I'm a Marine — capturing pirates, what's wrong with that?!"
Zoro stared at the blond cook in front of him and also felt totally irritated.
Extremely irritated!
Shouldn't people call him a Marine of justice?!
And seriously, who has eyebrows that curl up like that?!
Too ugly!
"Hey! Who are you calling curly-brow?!"
The vein on Sanji's forehead bulged as he glared at Zoro.
"Of course you!"
"You moss head!"
"I..."
The two of them instantly entered a fiery insult match.
"A mere Seaman Recruit dares to spout off here?"
"Are Marine standards this low?"
"Even penniless beggars like you, who can't pay a bill, can sneak in?"
"Heh—"
"A restaurant that shelters pirates dares to judge the Marines?"
"I..."
"You..."
...
At this moment— clop—
Zeff walked over, leaning on his wooden leg. He blocked Sanji and said to Zoro:
"Marine, today's meal is on the house."
"I was indeed a pirate before, but now I've washed my hands of it. I'm just a cook who wants to make food."
"Baratie often has Marine guests. We don't cause trouble."
"Hm...?"
Zoro froze. Free food?!
Then...
"No way!"
Sanji instantly refused, "If you do that, won't every Marine be able to come eat for free in the future?"
"Even if you let other Marines off, this moss head, no way!!!"
He jabbed a finger at Zoro, enunciating each word:
"He. Must. Pay. Today!"
"Paying isn't a problem."
Zoro smirked dismissively: "Once I take Zeff's head and exchange it for bounty money..."
"I'll naturally pay the bill."
"Whose head are you planning to take?!!!"
Sanji's fury completely ignited.
Before his words finished, his body shot out like a cannonball. His rage-wrapped right leg turned into a black whip shadow, lashing straight at Zoro's neck!
Zoro's eyes sharpened. Wado Ichimonji met Sanji's kick head-on.
Clang—!
The blade precisely blocked the crushing strike.
"Bastard!"
Sanji, seeing his attack blocked, grew even more ferocious.
His body flashed around the restaurant at high speed, stirring fierce gusts.
In an instant, shadows of legs filled the restaurant, winds roaring.
But Zoro, with ease, blocked every attack.
After his duel with Dane, his vision and strength had grown.
Then he spent days training quietly at Isshin Dojo, making his sword heart calmer, his swordsmanship purer.
This curly-brow cook had decent kicks, power and speed among the best in East Blue.
Unfortunately, his opponent was Zoro.
Beating him wouldn't be hard.
"A flaw."
Zoro muttered, seizing the instant Sanji needed to breathe — old strength spent, new strength not yet born.
He swung his wrist.
The sword's back drew a cold arc, striking Sanji's hastily raised leg.
Bang!
Sanji felt a huge force, lost balance, and crashed to the ground.
"This..."
He lay on the cold floor, mind blank.
The pain in his ribs wasn't as shocking as the realization.
Impossible?!
This Marine... was this strong?!
His proud kicking techniques, in front of him, were utterly useless.
The chefs in the restaurant all stared, dumbfounded.
Sanji was Baratie's strongest fighter.
Yet now, he lost.
Lost to a Marine Seaman Recruit.
"Hahaha—"
Zoro sheathed his blade, grinning widely, in an excellent mood.
"Attacking a Marine, I'll have to arrest you!"
Before he could act, Zeff stepped forward.
"Marine, take me instead."
His voice was hoarse but firm, leaving no room for refusal.
"Let Sanji go. He's just a kid, ignorant."
Zoro hadn't replied yet.
"!!!"
Sanji, still on the floor, panicked when he heard Zeff trying to take the blame.
He always called him "old man," but Zeff was like a father to him.
Zeff had lost his right leg because of him!
"No!"
Sanji shot up despite the pain, shouting.
"Arrest me! I kicked first, it has nothing to do with the old man!"
He rushed up to Zoro, desperately selling himself.
"I can join the Marines to atone!"
"I... I can cook! I'm a great chef!"
"And my kicking skills aren't bad either — I can help you catch pirates, earn bounties!"
"Yes!!!"
"I can earn enough to pay the old man's ransom!"
"He's old, his leg doesn't work well, he's no threat at all!"
"Don't take him!"
"Sanji!"
Zeff's wooden leg slammed the floor heavily.
"Weren't you going to find the ALL BLUE?!"
"You can still see ALL BLUE even if you join the Marines!"
Sanji retorted instantly, eyes stubborn and shining.
Zoro was utterly dumbfounded.
He'd only wanted to scare this curly-brow, make him back down, apologize, and be done.
At most, lock him up a few days to show Marines weren't to be messed with.
How did this turn into father-son drama, sacrifice, and demands to join the Marines?!
And besides—he was just a Seaman Recruit!
He didn't even have the authority to decide this!
Everyone in Baratie now stared at Zoro with complicated eyes.
"Uh... do you guys have a Den Den Mushi?"
Soon, a chef handed him one.
Zoro cleared his throat, erasing the word "lost" from his brain.
Then he dialed Dane's number.
"Hello, Lieutenant Commander Dane? It's me, Seaman Recruit Zoro."
"On the way back to the 16th Branch, I happened to recruit a cook. Took a little extra time."
"Now I'm preparing to rejoin. Can you ask Commodore Hawke if we should enlist this cook? His cooking and kicks are decent."
...
"Phew, Zoro..."
On the other end, Dane, who'd been worried sick, let out a long breath.
He'd been wondering why Zoro hadn't shown up yet.
The Marines who vacationed with him had long returned.
Turns out he wasn't missing — he'd gone off to recruit talent.
"I understand, Zoro."
"I'll ask Hawke right away."
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, Hawke received the news.
Holding the Den Den Mushi, he fell deep into thought.
First a swordsman, then a cook, then the archaeologist entrusted by Kuzan... next—
Could it be a navigator?!
Come, all of you!!!
I really want to see, one year later, how Monkey D. Luffy plans to set sail hungry?!
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