NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: 19. Gin
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"Hmph! Sanji, why don't you just go ahead and become a pirate with them?"
Hearing this voice, everyone turned to see Chef Zeff standing behind Sanji. He wore his trademark tall chef's hat, his beard tied into two neat pigtails, and leaned on his prosthetic leg with an air of authority.
Luffy turned to look at the old chef, who spoke in an expressionless tone. "Go on and take this troublesome brat who causes me grief every day! This restaurant doesn't need him anymore."
Luffy grinned and gave Sanji a hearty pat on the shoulder. "See? The old man agrees! Come on, join my crew and become a pirate with me!"
Sanji shook off Luffy's hand, gritting his teeth as he growled at Zeff, "You old geezer! I'm not leaving this place!"
With that, Sanji stormed back to the kitchen, clutching the menu tightly. Zeff glanced briefly at Luffy and the others before quietly walking away.
Scratching his head in confusion, Luffy muttered, "The old man gave the okay, so why won't Curly Eyebrows agree?"
Ikki, observing Luffy's puzzled expression, smirked knowingly.
He understood the real reason behind Sanji's resistance. Zeff was once a pirate, known as "Red-Leg Zeff," while Sanji had been a trainee cook aboard a merchant ship. At first glance, they had nothing in common, but they were bound together by their shared dream: All Blue.
All Blue was a legendary sea said to contain ingredients from every ocean in the world—a paradise for chefs. It was the ultimate dream for any sea cook.
But what truly forged their bond wasn't just their dream. It was the tragedy that followed.
Sanji had fallen into the sea, and Zeff saved his life.
Stranded on a deserted island, Zeff gave Sanji all the remaining food he had, keeping nothing for himself. As the number of days increased, they struggled to survive, and Zeff ate his own leg as his food.
The nickname of the pirate Zeff is Red-foot Zeff. You can imagine what a foot means to him.
This act of selflessness became the foundation of Sanji's loyalty to Zeff. Even if he had the chance to chase his dream, Sanji chose to stay at Baratie. He felt indebted to Zeff and wanted to repay him for saving his life.
Luffy's expression remained confused until Ikki finally explained the story of Sanji and Zeff.
When Ikki finished, Luffy placed a hand on his straw hat and smiled. "Sanji? He's the chef on our ship! That's final."
Usopp, on the other hand, tilted his head curiously. "Hey, Ikki, how do you even know all that about the chef's past? You made it sound like you saw it happen with your own eyes."
The rest of the crew also turned to Ikki, their curiosity piqued.
Ikki, however, shrugged and waved off the question. "I've got super intelligence-gathering skills," he said dismissively.
As they chatted, Sanji returned, bringing out dish after dish of beautifully prepared food.
The sight and smell of the meals lit up the group's faces, though Sanji remained stoic. Throughout the meal, Luffy made several more enthusiastic attempts to recruit him. Each time, Sanji vehemently refused, declaring, "Even if I die or jump from here, I won't leave Baratie or join your pirate crew!"
Hearing Sanji's stubborn refusal, Ikki silently thought to himself, "This smells like victory already."
Everyone enjoyed the meal thoroughly—except Fullbody.
The food at Baratie was undeniably delicious, earning praise from all, but Fullbody was too preoccupied with his empty wallet to savor anything.
Fullbody hadn't expected that just Luffy's appetite alone would shrink his already slim wallet. Adding Zoro, Ikki, Usopp, and the swordsman Johnny to the mix had turned the meal into a full-scale raid on his finances.
As Fullbody mulled over ways to make some extra money, a Marine soldier suddenly burst into the restaurant, covered in blood and panting heavily.
"Cap... Captain Fullbody! This is bad... Krieg's men—the ones we captured—have escaped!"
Fullbody's eyes widened as he slammed his hands on the table and stood up. "What?! How's that possible? When we caught him three days ago, he was practically starving to death! We didn't feed him a single crumb, so how could he have the strength to escape?"
Before he could process what was happening, a gun barrel appeared, aimed directly at the Marine soldier's head.
Ikki's eyes narrowed. He knew exactly who was behind the ambush: the infamous Gin, often called the "Man-Demon" of the Krieg Pirates.
Before Gin could fire, Ikki lashed out with his wind-formed whip, knocking the Marine soldier to the ground. But the sound of gunfire still rang out, echoing through the restaurant.
The source of the shot soon stepped into view: a man with a cold expression, holding a still-smoking musket. Gin, looking as dangerous as ever, slowly walked into the restaurant. His movements were deliberate, and his menacing aura filled the room. He glanced at the fallen Marine but chose not to fire another shot. Instead, he slumped into a chair, resting the musket on his lap.
"Hurry up... I need food. Serve it now," Gin growled, his voice chilling and his expression terrifying.
Usopp, already trembling, quickly ducked behind Zoro. Turning to Fullbody, who looked equally shaken, Usopp barked, "Hey, Iron Fist Fullbody! You're a Marine captain, right? Go capture him already!"
Fullbody turned pale and waved his hands frantically. "Don't slander me! I'm not an Iron Fist! I'm... Cotton Fist Fullbody, remember? Cotton Fist!"
Usopp rolled his eyes. "Fine! Cotton Fist, Iron Fist, whatever—just go take down that pirate!"
Meanwhile, Johnny, rifling through his stash of wanted posters, found Gin's bounty notice. "There he is! Gin, the Man-Demon of the Krieg Pirates. Bounty: 12 million berries!"
Fullbody's face turned ashen. Of course, he already knew about Gin's bounty. When he'd captured him three days ago, it was only because Gin had been too weak to resist, starving nearly to death. A bounty of 12 million berries was far beyond anything Fullbody could handle.
"I-I'll... I'll go get reinforcements," Fullbody stammered. He edged toward the exit, hoping to make it back to his warship without anyone stopping him. There, he could call for backup. No way would he risk his neck against Gin.
Just as Fullbody reached the door, one of Baratie's chefs approached Gin and asked if he had any money to pay for food.
Gin, enraged, raised his musket, aiming it at the chef's face. But before he could fire, another chef, Patty, appeared out of nowhere and slammed a fist into Gin, sending him sprawling. The force of the blow shattered the chair Gin had been sitting on.
The other chefs and patrons erupted in cheers at Patty's bold action.
Meanwhile, Sanji, silent and resolute, returned to the kitchen. A few moments later, he came back holding a plate of fried rice. Without a word, he walked past the cheering crowd and toward the fallen Gin.
After the beating, Patty dragged Gin's limp body to the deck at the restaurant's back door and dumped him unceremoniously. Fullbody breathed a sigh of relief, already planning his next move. Now's the perfect time to haul Gin back to the warship. This guy's bounty is my ticket to a promotion! I can't let him escape!
As he prepared to leave, Ikki clamped a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be so hasty," Ikki said with a knowing grin. "The big fish hasn't taken the bait yet."
Fullbody hesitated, confused by Ikki's words, but reluctantly returned to his seat.
Ikki's "big fish" was none other than Don Krieg, the ruthless leader of the Krieg Pirates. A villain infamous for his despicable deeds, Krieg was the type of criminal whose capture would bring massive rewards—and an even bigger boost in reputation.
As Fullbody sat, reluctantly staying put, Ikki noticed something odd: Luffy was gone.
Out on the deck, Luffy stood silently, watching Gin devour the plate of fried rice Sanji had prepared for him. Tears streamed down Gin's face as he ate, his gratitude clear in every bite.
In that moment, he realized just how good a person Sanji truly was. It only strengthened his resolve to bring Sanji aboard as the crew's chef.