In the chaotic melee battle…
Bang!!
Fullbody, wearing steel knuckles, shot out a powerful right hook that slammed into a pirate's face and sent him flying back.
After fending off yet another attack, the surrounding pirates grew wary, circling him with their swords but not daring to rush in.
Seeing this, Fullbody regained his confidence: "Hmph! A bunch of small fries, yet you dare attempt a boarding? A Marine Headquarters' Lieutenant isn't as weak as you think!"
"So he's a Marine Headquarters' Lieutenant, no wonder he's strong."
"We'll have to wait for Sham and Buchi."
The pirates looked uneasy, but glancing over, they saw the Sham and Buchi getting held back by a group of a dozen marines.
"What's going on?"
"It's just a dozen marine…"
"How are Sham and Buchi being stalled?!"
Shock was written across their faces.
"Heh. Country bumpkins. You have no idea how strict headquarters' daily training is. It's something trash like you can't imagine."
Fullbody mocked.
At that moment, a figure approached from behind the pirates.
Wearing a blue shirt and a black suit, Sanji walked forward slowly and elegantly.
He took a breath on his cigarette, exhaled a long stream of smoke, and said lightly: "Calling everyone small fry, huh? Let me see just how big a deal you think you are."
"Head chef?"
"Brother Sanji?!"
Seeing him approach, the pirates were stunned.
Fullbody frowned and looked Sanji up and down.
He didn't recognize him at all.
Judging by the build, he didn't look like a fighter; if anything, his entire body seemed full of openings.
"Heh. Pretending to be cool."
Fullbody scoffed and moved without hesitation.
Tightening his steel knuckles, he stepped in quickly, swinging a heavy right hook toward Sanji's face!
"Violent Iron Fist!!"
"Brother Sanji!!"
Hearing the rushing fist tear through the air, the pirates cried out in panic.
But the next moment…
Sanji planted one foot, rotated his body, dodged the incoming punch, twisted his waist, and launched a long, black-clad leg that tore through the air.
"Collier Coup!!"
Bam!!
A flawless spinning back kick!
Sanji's straight, steel-like leg smashed directly into Fullbody's face.
Blood and broken teeth sprayed into the air.
Bang!!
The tremendous force sent him flying. His back slammed into the warship's mast before he slid down like a rag doll.
Fullbody lay on the deck with eyes rolled white, knocked out cold in a single strike!
"Gulp..."
"H... He one-shotted him..."
"He one-shotted a headquarters Lieutenant... In one move..."
The surrounding pirates swallowed hard.
Looking at Sanji again, every one of them wore expressions of disbelief, mixed with fear.
You... call that a chef?!
They thought back to earlier, when Sanji lectured them about not wasting food.
They hadn't cared at that time, but remembering it now, a cold chill swept through them, and tears welled up in their eyes.
Brother Sanji… when you've dealt with the ingredients... Please don't deal with us next, sob sob…
After Fullbody collapsed, the battle on the deck quickly came to an end.
Sanji lifted the unconscious Fullbody, and under the threat to their leader's life, the marines were finally forced to lay down their weapons.
"Exactly, that's right. We don't want unnecessary casualties either. As long as you behave, I won't do anything to you."
Smoke rose as Sanji spoke faintly with a cigarette in his mouth.
Once the Marines had laid down their weapons, the pirates immediately stepped forward and placed their blades against their necks.
Thus, this skirmish came to a complete close.
Alan sat on the railing at the bow of the warship, silently watching everything below.
Aside from initiating the fight at the start, he had not made another move nor said a single word from beginning to end.
Against opponents of this level, nothing major would happen. He intentionally wanted to observe Sanji and the Nyaban Brothers' performance, and at the same time let the newly boarded Sanji establish some presence in front of the subordinates.
Sanji's performance needed no commentary.
He subdued Fullbody, then used him to force the others to surrender, minimizing their own casualties as much as possible.
A very typical rational decision-making process.
As for the Nyaban Brothers...
They were the first combat cadres Alan had ever recruited, and they knew how to flatter and please him.
Now that the two brothers had also decided to follow him into the Grand Line, unless something extraordinary happened, Alan would never demote them.
But truth be told, their combat ability really was lacking.
In the East Blue, they could bully small fry, but once they entered the Grand Line, they themselves would become the small fry.
Fortunately, they were still young, only around twenty. Although they had been pirates for a few years already, during the three years under Jango's command, they had barely fought at all, meaning their potential was almost untouched.
If he squeezed them hard in the future, their strength still had decent room to grow.
At the very least, being a minor cadre on the ship wouldn't be a problem.
Soon, all the captured marines were gathered onto the deck. Among them, the second in command stared coldly at Sanji, "We've already laid down our weapons and surrendered. What more do you want? Hurry up and release the captain, you're not planning to go back on your word, are you?"
"No need to rush. Your lives are useless to us."
Sanji replied indifferently, then turned to glance at Alan, seeking instruction with his eyes.
Alan jumped down onto the deck, walked past Sanji toward the cabin, and waved his hand.
"I'll leave everything here to you. I'm going inside to catch a rat."
Sanji has excellent combat awareness, potential, intellect, and even character; his conduct was steady, and he was a very well-rounded talent.
Alan intended to groom him into the deputy captain.
Now that Sanji had already shown enough strength to command respect, and his cooking had long since conquered the taste buds of every crew member as head chef, all that was left was for him to mingle more with the crew.
After that, no one would object even if he rose above the Nyaban Brothers.
Arriving in front of the cabin structure, Alan waved behind him again.
"Buchi, Sham, you two come with me."
"Coming, coming!"
"Hehe, boss, wait for me!"