Baratie – the floating restaurant.
In the kitchen, Carne was overseeing a team of chefs tallying up recent damages and converting them into an expense report.
He even sneakily added a few zeros to some of the figures.
Patty, watching from the side, looked a little stunned before saying,
"Isn't this kind of shady?"
Carne shot him a glance and replied calmly,
"The memories attached to those broken utensils are priceless. I'm giving him a discount, actually."
"I'm the one who lost money!"
Before Carne could finish, Zeff snatched the bill from his hand. After a thorough look, he ordered Carne to revise the numbers back to something more reasonable.
"Some expenses are worth paying—if you're lucky enough to live long enough to earn them."
Carne scratched his head sheepishly.
Patty, meanwhile, turned to Zeff and asked curiously,
"By the way, what kind of history does that kid Sanji have with the princess from the Goa Kingdom?"
Hearing this, the other chefs dropped what they were doing and quickly gathered around, curiosity lighting up their faces.
Chef hats of all shapes and sizes bobbed in front of Zeff.
Zeff considered brushing them off, as he usually did, but after a pause, he took a seat on a bench and lit his pipe.
He began slowly,
"Back then, the Baratie had just opened. Word was starting to spread. One day, the princess of the Goa Kingdom came here with her knights."
"And among them was a young knight—Gawain. He was one of Princess Guinevere's personal guards, though not nearly as eye-catching as he is now."
"Sanji… that brat couldn't even walk straight when he saw the princess."
Everyone chuckled knowingly. No one knew Sanji's 'type' better than they did. More than half of the Baratie's female regulars came here because of him.
Zeff smiled faintly.
"He made a tomato beef soup he'd just learned. Seized the chance to serve it at her table."
"To be honest, when she opened the lid and looked at that unholy mess, my heart nearly stopped."
"But instead of scolding him, she smiled, finished the whole bowl in front of him, and even kissed him on the cheek before she left."
"That's why Sanji respects all women the way he does."
Meanwhile,
In a guest room, Gawain was devouring bread dipped in tomato soup. The beef was tender, the tomatoes rich and fragrant, and the spices addictive.
"Delicious."
"You've really improved. I still remember how disgusting this used to taste."
Sanji twitched at the remark but said nothing.
In under a minute, Gawain had finished the soup along with several large pieces of bread. He exhaled deeply, feeling human again. Sanji, however, stood silently, gazing out the window.
"So she lied to both of us," Gawain said after a pause. "In a way, we're in the same boat."
Sanji gave a bitter laugh and began clearing the table. He loosened his tie and turned to leave.
But Gawain called out,
"Remember our bet?"
"If I made it out alive, you'd join me. I need a real cook on my ship."
Sanji froze, then waved a hand dismissively.
"I never agreed to that one-sided bet. I've got my reasons to stay."
"That old man saved my life."
Gawain smiled.
"So it's not that you won't go—it's that something's still tying you here, huh?"
Sanji didn't reply. He walked out slowly and shut the door behind him.
"Take care of those wounds," he said.
Bang.
The door closed.
Gawain leaned back, gazing out the window. The meal, the waves, the sea breeze—they all calmed his heart.
Before long, his breathing evened out, and he drifted off to sleep.
Evening fell.
The sea rocked the hull gently as the night wind rose.
On deck.
Zeff watched as the crew finished patching up the worst of the damage. They needed to head to a nearby port—the extended deck had been stripped bare, and their supplies were running low.
Just as he was about to give the order to set sail, a whistle echoed from the sea.
Zeff looked up.
Two pirate ships were speeding toward the Baratie from the distant horizon. Under the moonlight, their flags were clearly visible: a round shield behind a skull.
The Gawain Pirates.
Zeff lowered his hand.
Moments later, the two ships docked. The gangway was lowered from the lead ship.
Kuro disembarked first, followed by Gin and Nami. Their eyes scanned the area, growing more anxious with every passing second. No sign of Gawain. No sign of Hawkeye. Only a battered, bruised ship.
Before they could ask, Zeff said,
"Hawkeye's gone. Your crew's safe."
Relief flooded their faces.
Kuro stepped forward.
"Where's Gawain?"
"Upstairs."
"Take me to him."
Zeff glanced at Patty, who immediately stepped up with what he thought was a friendly smile—though it looked more like a grimace.
"Follow me."
Kuro narrowed his eyes but followed, leaving a few behind to guard the ship. He brought Gin and Nami with him as they followed Patty to the guest quarters.
Inside.
Gawain had just stirred awake when the door burst open. Kuro stormed in, face dark.
"You bastard!" he shouted.
"Did you ever think to ask us if we wanted you to carry everything alone?"
He raised a fist, but noticing the bandages on Gawain's chest, he changed course—grabbing Gawain by the collar and hauling him up.
"If you don't understand what being a captain means, then maybe I should take that role instead!"
"We follow you—not so you can bear the burden yourself, but so we can face it together!"
Gin stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Kuro's arm.
"That's enough, Kuro."
Kuro let go, furious, then turned to glare out the window.
"If you died in the East Blue, who would lead us to the Grand Line? Who's going to challenge the Warlords of the Sea? How the hell am I supposed to steal back the title of captain then?"
Gawain looked at him, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
"You've changed, you cold-blooded bastard."
Then he turned—and saw Nami beside him, tears streaming down her face.
"Captain Gawain..."
The rest of the crew looked at him too. Seeing he was injured but alive, relief washed over them like a tide.
They had their anchor back.
And in that moment, Gawain realized he'd been carrying all of their hopes.
"Guess I've been a little selfish," he murmured.