"Nani!?"
The shout sent ripples of outrage through the restaurant.
Every guest turned, faces twisted with anger.
Just minutes ago, the self-proclaimed "Warlord of the East Blue," Don Krieg, had stumbled into Baratie with his right-hand man, the "Demon Man" Gin.
Their clothes were in tatters, their faces pale and sunken.
They looked like men who had crawled back from the depths of hell.
They dropped to their knees the moment they entered, begging for food.
Their voices trembled with desperation. They swore that even leftovers, even scraps meant for dogs, would be a blessing.
Who could have imagined that this pitiful sight was once the mighty ruler of the East Blue?
But everyone in the restaurant knew who he was.
They knew his reputation for cruelty, betrayal, and greed.
To call him a backstabbing wolf would be doing him a favor.
So no one moved. Not the chefs, not the guests.
They all turned away, faces cold as ice.
But one man couldn't ignore them.
Sanji.
Moved by compassion, he sighed and handed them a plate of fried rice.
Krieg and his men devoured it in seconds, greedily shoveling it into their mouths.
With a bit of strength returning, the tyrant's true nature resurfaced.
In an instant, the "hungry beggar" turned into a raging beast.
Sanji was struck down.
The chefs who tried to intervene were slapped aside without mercy.
"You bastard!" one of them roared, struggling to stand, his face bleeding.
The sound of the front doors creaking open drew everyone's attention.
Two figures stepped inside.
Ron and Nami.
Ron wore his usual calm smile, as if completely unaware of the tension in the room.
He pulled out two chairs, sat down with Nami, crossed one leg over the other, and casually took out a thick wad of Berries.
"Hey, waiter! Bring us your best food! Your pal Ron's broke except for money!" he said cheerfully.
Nami immediately noticed Krieg.
She leaned in close and whispered, "That guy over there… that's Don Krieg."
Ron nodded lightly, not even glancing at him.
In his eyes, Krieg wasn't worth a second look.
"Broke except for money?"
Krieg's head snapped around at the words, his eyes narrowing.
He glared at the cash in Ron's hand, a greedy light flashing across his face.
Once, he had been a feared warlord commanding fleets of ships.
Now, he was reduced to this — drooling over a handful of coins.
Ron looked like a plump sheep ready for slaughter.
"Kid, hand over that money," Krieg growled, stepping closer. "Or else…"
The chefs' faces went pale.
They had no strength left to protect the newcomer.
Even trying would only earn them another beating.
"M-Ron, he's coming this way!"
Nami instinctively moved behind him, her heart pounding.
"Don't worry, Nami," Ron said calmly.
"As my future navigator, you can't be afraid of small fry like this."
He patted her shoulder gently, then turned his eyes toward Krieg.
His gaze was cold and sharp as steel.
"Hand over my money?" Ron's lips curled into a faint smile. "How amusing."
Then his tone shifted, his voice carrying through the silent hall.
"Nami, let me teach you something."
"Teach me… what?" she asked, confused.
"Why do people die?"
"Why… what?"
Ron's eyes darkened.
"Some die from accidents. Some from illness. But most," he said slowly, his gaze fixed on Krieg, "die because they go looking for death."
The air grew heavy.
The cold glint in his eyes made everyone's skin crawl.
"Don't interrupt me while I'm eating," he said, his tone quiet but deadly. "Or there'll be one more corpse on the floor."
The chefs were stunned speechless.
Ron slapped his hand lightly on the table.
"Well? Why are you all standing around? Bring me the food!"
He gestured grandly. "The best wine and dishes you have. Don't worry, I've got plenty of Berries. No credit needed."
He shot Krieg a disdainful glance.
He was already tired of dry rations after days at sea.
Now that he had arrived at the legendary Baratie, he intended to eat properly.
If Krieg dared interrupt that, Ron wouldn't hesitate to make him disappear.
The idea that someone would defy Don Krieg just to eat peacefully left everyone dumbfounded.
"Is he insane?" one of the guests whispered.
To challenge the East Blue's most dangerous man for the sake of a meal seemed like pure suicide.
Even if Krieg's fleet had been shattered in the Grand Line, leaving him with only a single ship and a hundred men, he was still a monster by East Blue standards.
Just being on his bad side was a death sentence.
At that same moment, someone else was watching from the upper floor.
Monkey D. Luffy leaned over the railing, listening closely. His eyes lit up when he heard the word "navigator."
His crew was in desperate need of one.
This place had Sanji, a first-class chef, and now a potential navigator?
If he could recruit both, the Straw Hat Pirates would become unstoppable.
Excited by the thought, Luffy jumped down from the staircase beside Zoro and Usopp.
He landed in front of Ron and Nami, pointing straight at Krieg.
"These two are under my protection!" he declared. "You're not allowed to touch them!"
"Hey, you fool!" one of the chefs shouted. "Do you even know who that is? That's Don Krieg!"
The entire restaurant stared in disbelief.
Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp had eaten a mountain of food earlier and couldn't pay for it.
To work off their debt, they had been cleaning dishes and sweeping floors.
And now this penniless troublemaker was picking a fight with the East Blue Warlord?
The chefs were panicking. Their only hope was that Red-Leg Zeff, the head chef, would step out and handle Krieg himself.
"Where's the boss? Why isn't he here yet?" someone muttered nervously.
Nami blinked at Luffy. "Who's this idiot?" she asked, baffled.
She turned to Ron. "And why is he saying we're under his protection?"
Ron looked just as surprised for a moment. Then a grin tugged at his lips, amusement flashing in his eyes.
"Heh…" He chuckled softly, his tone light and mocking. "Maybe he's just another fool who doesn't know how high the sky is."