"Boss! Boss!"
"Krieg! Boss, wake up!"
Gin stared at Krieg's lifeless body, his mind blank. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor, trembling uncontrollably.
His leader — the once-mighty warlord of the East Blue — was gone.
"Unbelievable…"
Zoro stood frozen by the stairs, his expression stunned as he muttered to himself.
"How is that even possible?"
It defied all reason.
To catch cannon shells with bare hands was already beyond imagination.
But to crush them together and pierce through that golden armor — armor forged from the strongest alloys of the East Blue — was madness.
Even if the impact had been strong enough to break the armor, it should have only sent Krieg flying.
How could it tear straight through him?
And that iron sphere — round and solid, as large as two fists — had gone through Krieg's chest as if it were paper.
What kind of strength could do that?
"What a monster… Krieg was killed in one strike," Usopp said, patting his chest, pale and shaken.
"Good thing we didn't make him our enemy! Luffy better not mess with him again."
Luffy, who had been lying on the floor, suddenly jumped to his feet. The pain seemed to vanish the moment he heard the commotion.
"Hey, what happened to that guy?" he asked, confused.
He crouched beside Krieg's body, poking at him curiously.
"His body's cold!" Luffy exclaimed, eyes wide.
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
Seriously?
Did he miss everything that just happened?
Then again, from the moment Krieg fired the cannon to the moment he died, barely a few seconds had passed. Luffy probably didn't even have time to sit up.
"Now then," Ron said, rubbing his stomach as it grumbled audibly, "can we eat?"
"Ah—yes! Right away!"
The chefs snapped back to reality and scrambled toward the kitchen in a panic.
"What on earth happened here?"
A deep, weathered voice came from the back.
A tall, middle-aged man with a thick mustache and a wooden peg leg stepped forward, carrying a sack full of ingredients.
It was Red-Leg Zeff, the owner of Baratie and Sanji's mentor.
His eyes widened when he saw Krieg's body lying motionless on the floor.
"Is that… Krieg?"
"What's he doing dead in my restaurant?"
"Who did this?"
He had heard the shouting from the kitchen earlier and guessed that dealing with Krieg would be trouble.
He'd even prepared enough food for a hundred people just to get the infamous pirate off his ship peacefully.
But now, stepping into the hall, he found the East Blue Warlord lying cold and lifeless.
"Here's what happened…"
One of the chefs quickly explained everything, gesturing wildly as he described the impossible scene — the cannonballs, the iron sphere, and Ron's terrifying strength.
Zeff listened silently, his single leg tapping against the floor in disbelief. Then he looked at Ron.
He walked over and bowed slightly.
"Thank you, stranger, for stepping in," he said sincerely. "You're a true hero."
He set the large sack of food on the table.
"Please, take this as a token of our gratitude."
He opened the bag, revealing boxes of freshly cooked dishes and dozens of neatly wrapped meals.
Ron's eyes lit up.
"Well, now this looks incredible," he said, picking up a box of fried rice.
The scent hit him instantly — rich with diced beef, eggs, and spices.
"So this is Baratie's famous cooking? The reputation is well-deserved!"
He gave Zeff a thumbs-up, his mouth already watering.
"Nami, you must be hungry too. Let's dig in."
"Yeah!" Nami smiled, happily picking up a box of steaming noodles.
Just as she took her first bite, a low rumble echoed from outside.
Rumble… rumble…
The floor trembled beneath their feet.
The restaurant began to shake violently, dishes rattling on the tables.
Since Baratie floated atop the sea, even a strong current could make it sway — but this was something else entirely.
Waves pounded against the hull. The storm outside was roaring.
Then came the shouts.
"It's him!"
"It's that man!"
"He followed them all the way from the Grand Line!"
The atmosphere in the restaurant shifted instantly.
The room fell silent except for the howling wind and the pounding of waves.
"Who's here?"
"What's going on?"
The tension was thick enough to taste.
People glanced anxiously toward the windows, the rocking ship making it hard to stand.
Plates clattered. Tables slid across the floor.
If not for Ron's quick reflexes, their food would have spilled everywhere.
Behind him, Nami stumbled as the floor tilted and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him like a frightened koala.
"Are you serious right now?" Ron muttered, holding the food steady with one hand and supporting her with the other.
But his eyes had already sharpened. He knew exactly who could cause such chaos.
"The eyes," Gin whispered, his face pale as chalk. "Those eyes like a hawk's… that gaze that cuts through souls!"
He was trembling as he spoke.
"Fifty ships. Five thousand men. All crushed by him alone! If not for the storm that day, Krieg's fleet would've been wiped out completely!"
Zeff's face darkened as the realization hit him.
"Eyes like a hawk… Don't tell me…"
Gin nodded, voice quivering. "Yes. It's him!"
At the mention of that name, Zoro froze.
His whole body began to tremble — not from fear, but from excitement.
"Hey, Zoro, what's wrong?" Usopp asked nervously. "Who are they talking about?"
Zoro didn't answer.
He turned and sprinted toward the door, his swords clanking at his side.
He'd been waiting for this moment ever since he first set sail — the chance to meet that man.
To test himself against the one who stood at the summit of swordsmanship.
To fulfill the promise he had made to Kuina.
"Let's go," Ron said with a grin.
Balancing a plate of fried rice in one hand and carrying Nami on his back with the other, he followed after Zoro.
He knew exactly what was coming.
The battle between the Future's Greatest Swordsman and the World's Greatest Swordsman.
How could he possibly miss a moment like that?
And besides, he thought with a smirk, watching the storm rage outside —
it would make the perfect dinner show.