Johnny and Yosaku, who were finally full after nearly starving, leaned back in their chairs with satisfied groans.
"That was the best meal I've had in weeks," Johnny said.
"Yeah," Yosaku nodded. "Though, uh… where did you get all this food? Your ship's kinda small, isn't it?"
Jack smirked. "You think this ship is small? Let me show you something."
He stood and gestured for them to follow. Curious, Johnny and Yosaku trailed behind him as he led them below deck.
When Jack opened the door and stepped inside, their jaws dropped.
"W-WHAT THE—?!" Johnny shouted.
"This can't be real! This ship… it's huge!" Yosaku yelled, spinning in circles.
The interior was far bigger than the outside suggested, a fully lit hallway stretched before them with multiple doors on either side.
"This is impossible!" Johnny cried. "I swear this ship was tiny when we climbed aboard!"
"Maybe we were hallucinating from hunger," Yosaku whispered.
Jack just chuckled and opened one of the doors. Inside was the radar room, glowing with light, screens showing the surrounding sea and dots representing nearby ships.
"See this?" Jack said proudly. "With this, we can track enemy ships before they even know we're here."
Johnny's jaw nearly hit the floor. "You… you have a MARINE radar system on a pirate ship?!"
Yosaku poked the screen nervously. "This is way too advanced! Are you sure you're not secretly a government agent?"
Jack just smirked and led them to the next room, the gravity chamber.
"What's this?" Johnny asked.
"Training room," Jack said simply.
He pressed a button, and suddenly the room's gravity multiplied, making everyone drop slightly.
"WAAAH!" Yosaku yelled, clinging to the floor. "WHY IS IT HEAVIER?!"
Johnny's knees trembled. "I-I can't move!"
Jack laughed and turned it off. "You'll get used to it. This is where Zoro and Luffy will train so they doesn't slack off."
"Oi," Zoro's voice came from the hallway. He had followed them, arms crossed. "Who said I was slacking?"
"Your nap schedule," Jack replied flatly.
The bounty hunters watched Zoro and Jack bicker for a moment before Yosaku grabbed Johnny arm.
"Bro… I think we just got kidnapped by a bunch of super pirates," Yosaku whispered nervously.
Johnny nodded. "Yeah… and that guy probably an alien or something."
Jack just grinned. "You're not entirely wrong."
"W-WHAT?!" both shouted in unison, backing away.
"Relax," Jack said with a smirk. "If I wanted to blow you up, I'd have done it before dinner."
"…That's not very comforting," Johnny muttered.
By the time they returned to the deck, both bounty hunters were pale and quiet.
"What's wrong with them?" Usopp asked.
"Nothing," Jack said, sitting back down with a satisfied grin. "They just had their first tour of the Merry."
Luffy laughed. "Oi, oi, don't scare them too much! Shishishi!"
The rest of the crew laughed, the sound carrying across the calm night sea as the Going Merry sailed on toward Baratie.
...
The Going Merry finally reached its destination, the famous floating restaurant, Baratie. The massive ship-restaurant gleamed under the midday sun, the smell of freshly cooked food drifting across the sea.
Before anyone could get off, Jack stopped them.
"Wait a second."
He knelt on the deck and touched the wood. Cosmic energy flowed through his hands as the wooden planks turned into solid gold.
Nami's eyes instantly turned into berries. "G-G-Gold…!"
Jack raised a hand before she could leap forward. "Hold it. This isn't for you, Nami."
Her face turned into a pout. "Why not?! You're literally making treasure!"
Jack smirked. "Because we're not here to rob a restaurant. If we plan to take one of their chefs, we should at least pay them enough to make up for it."
Luffy, who had been hanging on the railing upside-down, nodded. "Yeah! That's fair!"
Zoro shrugged. "Makes sense. I'm just here to eat anyway."
With that settled, they docked the Merry and stepped onto Baratie deck. The place was bustling with customers, sailors, and even Marines. The smells made everyone stomach growl, especially Luffy's.
They took a seat, and before long, a tall blond man with a curly eyebrow appeared, holding a tray of food.
Sanji placed the dishes in front of them with effortless style, then struck a gentlemanly pose as he spotted Nami. "For the beautiful lady, a special plate — on the house."
Nami giggled softly, clearly pleased by the attention.
Luffy didn't even wait. He grabbed the food and started eating like a starved animal.
"DELICIOUS!" he shouted through a full mouth. "THIS IS THE BEST FOOD I'VE EVER TASTED!"
Sanji smirked. "Of course it is. I'm the assistant head chef here. If you're impressed, thank my hands."
Luffy slammed his hands on the table, startling everyone.
"JOIN MY CREW!"
Sanji blinked. "…What?"
"I said, join my crew!" Luffy repeated, grinning wide.
The entire restaurant went silent for a moment before laughter erupted from nearby tables.
Sanji lit a cigarette, exhaled, and smirked. "No thanks. I'm a cook here. Not a pirate."
Luffy crossed his arms and frowned. "I'm not taking no for an answer."
Before the conversation could continue, the restaurant doors slammed open. A tall, thin man with tattered clothes staggered in, clutching his stomach.
It was Gin, one of Don Krieg's pirates.
The customers went quiet, some of them whispering nervously.
"Please…" Gin said weakly, falling to his knees. "I… I just need food…"
The other cooks immediately glared at him.
"No way!" one shouted. "We don't serve pirates!"
"Get out of here before you cause trouble!" another barked.
Gin collapsed, too weak to stand.
Before anyone could throw him out, Sanji stepped forward, kneeling beside him. He placed a plate of steaming food in front of Gin and said simply:
"Eat," Sanji said with a shrug. "A man shouldn't starve to death when food is right here."
Everyone in the restaurant went silent as Gin devoured the food, tears streaming down his face.
Jack crossed his arms, watching carefully. So this is Sanji's kindness… I can see why Luffy wants him.
Luffy grinned widely. "See?! This is why you should join my crew! You're a great guy!"
Sanji just took a drag of his cigarette and looked away. "Not happening, love-cook or not."
But Jack had a feeling Sanji's answer would eventually change, because this was just the beginning.
P/S: Cosmic energy is more powerful than Haki because Haki is limited to the One Piece world, while cosmic energy represents the power or energy of the universe itself.
Its effects on the enemy are far more devastating. For example, if cosmic energy were to destroy Garling hand, it would never regenerate. Even if he returned and met Imu to reverse it, the hand would not grow back, and he would live in constant pain every day.
Only minor injuries, like the cut Klahadore received, can still heal naturally. However, even then, the scarred area might sometimes throb with pain (for example itchy), though far less than a severed limb. That is why, unless the enemy is too hateful, he will always use 5% of his power.
The only true solution for such damage is to use AJAK power, the power of healing capable of healing the robot and also human.