GIVE UP ON THAT SEA

Don Krieg stands in full armor, glaring down as he addresses the man before him. "THE PEERLESS CAPTAIN AND COOK OF HIS OWN PIRATE CREW. SO YOU WERE ALIVE, RED-LEG ZEFF..." Zeff, wearing a tall chef's hat and apron, stands calmly among the restaurant patrons and replies, "AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M LIVING AS A MERE COOK NOW. IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. SO WHAT IF I'M ALIVEI" Krieg's massive spiked shoulder pauldron and skull-emblazoned cloak dominate the foreground while the Baratie dining hall fills with seated customers and staff in the background.

Krieg continues, gesturing with his armored arm and shield. "BUT BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO. BUT FROM THE WAY I SEE IT, YOU'RE LIVING AS A COOK NOT BY CHOICE, HAHAHA... INTERESTING TO HEAR IT PUT THAT WAY..." A close-up shows Krieg's intense face as he declares, "WITH THE WAY YOU ARE NOW, YOU CAN'T WEAR YOUR INFAMOUS 'RED SHOES.'" Zeff listens with a stern expression. The final panel dramatically reveals Krieg's silhouette looming over Zeff while narration states: "THE PIRATE WHOSE DESTRUCTIVE KICKS COULD PULVERIZE BEDROCK, AND LEAVE A CLEAR IMPRINT EVEN ON STEEL! TO SPEAK OF RED-LEG ZEFF, IS TO SPEAK OF THE MASTER OF KICKING WHO REFUSED TO USE HIS HANDS IN BATTLE!"

Krieg presses on: "THAT WOULD BE DIED IN THE BLOOD OF YOUR ENEMIES AFTER A FIGHT. YOUR NICKNAME 'RED-LEG' REFERS TO YOUR LEGS, THOUGH I'VE HEARD FROM RUMOURS THAT YOU DIED DURING A SHIPWRECK." Zeff retorts, "WITH ONE OF YOUR LEGS GONE, YOU SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIGHT ANYMORE. BUT JUST WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT EXACTLYI" Zeff raises his hands and answers, "I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FIGHT ANYMORE BUT I CAN STILL COOK AS LONG AS I HAVE THESE HANDS." Sanji stands nearby, watching the exchange with a serious expression. Krieg's armored legs are visible towering above in the upper panel.

Don Krieg looms in a massive close-up, armored and grinning, arms spread wide as he demands Zeff's Grand Line logbook. "YOU MUST'VE KEPT A LOG DURING YOUR TIME IN GRAND LINE. SO WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS... HAND OVER THAT LOG TO ME!" he roars. He continues praising Zeff: "RED-LEG ZEFF, YOU'RE A MAN WHO ONCE BRAVED THE WATERS OF THE DEVIL'S HIDEOUT, THE GRAND LINE ITSELF! NOT ONLY THAT, YOU RETURNED WITHOUT INJURY." In the lower panels Zeff, braided beard and chef's hat, flatly refuses: "BUT I SHAN'T HAND IT OVER TO THE LIKES OF YOU. YOU ARE CERTAINLY CORRECT TO ASSUME THAT I KEPT A LOG, AND I INDEED HAVE IT TO THIS DAY." Luffy, standing nearby in his straw hat, reacts with excitement: "COOL, YOU'VE BEEN TO GRAND LINE, OLD MAN." Zeff finishes sternly, "IT'S MUCH TOO VALUABLE TO GIVE TO THE LIKES OF YOU! THAT LOG IS THE PRIDE OF ME AND MY MEN WHO BRAVELY VENTURED GRAND LINE TOGETHER."

Krieg's massive fist swings forward as he declares, "THEN I'LL JUST STEAL IT FROM YOU!" Zeff stands firm in the background, replying, "IT'S TRUE THAT I CAME BACK DEFEATED FROM GRAND LINE...! BUT EVEN SO, I'M STILL THE MIGHTY DON KRIEG!" Luffy stares in shock, sweat dropping, thinking aloud: "THE ONLY THING I LACKED WAS INFORMATION! THAT WAS MY ONLY FLAW!" Behind him the Baratie cooks glare with grim expressions. Krieg's face fills the bottom panel, eyes narrowed: "WHICH IS WHY I'LL STEAL YOUR TRAVEL LOG AND THIS SHIP! I SIMPLY DID NOT KNOW ENOUGH..."

The Baratie cooks rally around Zeff, shouting, "WE AIN'T LETTING YOU PIRATES STEAL OUR HOME AWAY! OWNER ZEFF IS THE ONLY ONE WHO ACCEPTED US AS CHEFS! HE'S OUR SAVIOUR! THAT'S RIGHT! ALL THE COOKS HERE WERE CHASED OUT BY OTHER RESTAURANTS BEFORE FINALLY FINDING THEIR HOME IN THIS PLACE! LIKE HELL WE'LL LET YOU! IF WE LOSE THIS SHIP, WE'VE GOT NOWHERE TO GO!" Krieg powers up, gauntlets clashing with heavy SFX "ゴウッ!!" and "ズン!!" as he boasts, "I EVEN PROVED IT TO YOU JUST NOW! DON'T YOU DARE FORGET THAT I'M THE STRONGEST! SILENCE! THE DIFFERENCE IN STRENGTH BETWEEN YOU AND I IS CLEAR AS NIGHT AND DAY!" In the final panel he points dramatically, declaring, "AND FIND ONE PIECE TO BECOME THE GREATEST PIRATE OF THIS ERA! ONCE I OBTAIN ZEFF'S TRAVEL LOG, I'LL REASSEMBLE MY PIRATE FLEET," while a small wanted poster of himself is visible on the wall.

Luffy stands tall, pointing straight ahead with fierce determination, large bold SFX behind him. "THE ONE WHO'LL BECOME PIRATE KING IS ME," he states. Krieg's face twists in rage: "OR YOU'LL BE KILLED!" Sanji appears in profile, cigarette in mouth, calmly telling Luffy, "HEY, STAND BACK DOWN KID." Luffy refuses, eyes blazing: "W-WHAT DID THAT ERRAND BOY SAY JUST NOW!I I'M NOT STANDING DOWN, ESPECIALLY ON THIS POINT!" The Baratie cooks watch in shock from the background as the confrontation intensifies.

Inside the Baratie dining hall, Don Krieg looms over the counter while Luffy sits nearby. Krieg growls, "DID YOU SAY SOMETHING, LITTLE BRATI" Luffy replies calmly, "IT'S FINE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LET IT SLIDE. I WAS ONLY STATING THE TRUTH." Krieg answers, "I'LL BE NICE ENOUGH TO LET YOUR COMMENT JUST NOW SLIDE..." Luffy grins and says, "OF COURSE." Krieg's face twists in fury as he snaps, "THIS AIN'T A GAME." In the background the cooks and patrons watch tensely. One cook warns, "JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT." Another adds, "I WON'T SAY ANYTHING BAD SO LET'S JUST GIVE UP ON GOING TO A PLACE LIKE THAT!" A third voice asks, "DID YOU HEAR THAT JUST NOWI EVEN KRIEG COULDN'T MAKE IT IN THERE!"

Sanji leans on the counter with a smirk and asks, "NEED A HANDI" Usopp peers over beside him. Luffy turns and says, "NO IT'S FINE, YOU CAN JUST STAY SITTING DOWN. OH HEY, ZORO, USOPPI" Krieg bursts into loud laughter, "AHAHAHA! THOSE ARE YOUR CREWMATESI A RATHER SMALL BUNCH, AREN'T THEY!I" He continues cackling, "HA HA HA!" while the impact of his voice rattles the room.

Krieg roars, "WE'RE UTTERLY DECIMATED BY THAT DEVILISH SEA IN JUST 7 DAYS ONLY BECAUSE WE LACKED INFORMATION! DON'T JOKE WITH ME, PUNK! EVEN MY FLEET OF 50 SHIPS AND 5000 PIRATES," Luffy interrupts by holding up two fingers and saying, "HEY, YOU JUST COUNTED ME IN, DIDN'T YOUI WHAT'RE YOU TALKING ABOUT!I I'VE GOT 2 OTHERS AS WELL!" The cooks react in shock. One whispers, "D'YOU HEAR THAT JUST NOW!I 50 SHIPS GONE! IN JUST A SINGLE WEEK!" Another stammers, "J-JUST WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED TO THEM!I THE ENTIRE KRIEG PIRATE FLEET WAS ANNIHILATED IN JUST A WEEK!I S-SEVEN DAYS!I" Krieg threatens Luffy, "KEEP SAYING THAT AND I'LL KILL YOU RIGHT ON THE SPOT ONCE I GET BACK FROM UNLOADING THIS FOOD! EVEN AS A BLUFF, YOUR COMMENTS JUST NOW SHOW HOW COMPLETELY IGNORANT YOU ARE TO REALITY! IF THERE'S ONE THING I HATE, IT'S EMPTY BOASTING LIKE YOURS!"

Krieg stands with his massive shield and declares, "I'M GOING TO GO GIVE THIS FOOD TO MY SUBORDINATES, AND THEN RETURN BACK HERE. I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE EXTENSION. AS FOR THE REST OF YOU... THE ONLY THINGS I NEED ARE THIS SHIP AND ZEFF'S TRAVEL LOG. I'D SUGGEST YOU LEAVE THIS PLACE WITHIN THAT TIME IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE." Zeff steps forward and answers firmly, "THEN SO BE IT! I'LL BURY YOU TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA FOR ETERNITY!" Krieg replies, "IF ANY OF YOU STILL FEEL LIKE DYING EVEN AFTER I WARNED YOU," while the restaurant doors stand open behind him.

A large damaged pirate ship floats on the open sea near the Baratie restaurant ship. Gin kneels on the deck, head bowed low with sweat dripping, pleading desperately, "SANJI... PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I HAD NO IDEA..." He continues, "NO IDEA AT ALL THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN...! I..." In the restaurant interior, the cooks stand firm. One declares, "THE COOKS OF THIS RESTAURANT ACTED OUT OF THEIR OWN FREE WILL, AND THIS IS THE RESULT OF THAT." Another voice answers Gin, "SIR! THERE'S NO NEED FOR YOU TO APOLOGIZE."

The Baratie cooks erupt in anger, pointing accusingly. One shouts, "HE JUST WANTS TO DESTROY THIS RESTAURANT THAT'S SO IMPORTANT TO YOU, SIR!" Another yells, "THAT'S RIGHT! HE'S THE ONE TO BLAME FOR ALL THIS!" and "SIR! HOW COULD YOU SIDE WITH SANJI ON THIS!I" Zeff, the head chef with braided hair and a chain, glares furiously and roars, "SILENCE, YOU NUMB-SKULLS!" He demands of Sanji, "OR HAVE YOU JUST COMPLETELY LOST IT!I WHICH IS IT!I WERE YOU PLANNING ON USING THIS MESS WE'RE IN TO BECOME THE NEXT HEAD CHEF!I" Sanji, seated on the floor, clutches his face and replies quietly about starving in the ocean, asking if any of them have ever been hungry enough to die.

Zeff orders Sanji, "THEN JUST LEAVE THIS PLACE USING THE BACK DOOR!" and "IF YOU'VE GOT TIME TO CRY OVER SPILT MILK..." The cooks react with shock. Sanji refuses, stating, "NOT LIKE I'VE GOT ANYWHERE ELSE TO GO TO..." and "...SAME HERE. THIS IS THE PLACE I LIVE AND WORK AT. I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH MYSELF IF I JUST LEFT WITHOUT A FIGHT. I'M... I'M GONNA STAY HERE." He turns to the starving Gin on the floor and declares, "IT'S MY DUTY AS A COOK TO FEED ANYONE WHO'S STARVING." Gin looks up in disbelief as the cooks protest, "HEY, GIN... HAVEN'T YOU REALIZED HOW POWERFUL THE DON IS BY NOW!I YOU NEED TO RUN AWAY!"

Sanji stands with a cigarette, coldly warning, "SO YOU BETTER NOT COMPLAIN WHEN I KILL THEM. BUT THE ONES WHO'RE COMING TO ATTACK THIS SHIP ARE THOSE WHO'VE ALREADY BEEN FED." In close-up he adds, "THEN I'LL KILL THAT PERSON WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT, EVEN IF IT'S YOU. IF SOMEONE IS PLANNING ON STEALING THIS SHIP..." The cooks react in fury. One snaps, "SHUT UP, YOU SHITTY COOK." Another mocks, "SOME GUY YOU ARE. HMPH. YOU SAVE A PERSON ONLY TO KILL HIM AFTERWARDI" Zeff glares as the tension peaks with the cooks brandishing weapons.

Luffy grins confidently at the table. "THAT'S RIGHT. AND BESIDES, I HAVE TO FIGHT WITH THAT GUY. IF HE TRULY IS STRONG, THEN HE AND I ARE GOING TO BUTT HEADS EVENTUALLY ANYWAYS!" Usopp kicks back with his feet on the table while Zoro and Luffy react. "CALM DOWN. OUR ENEMIES ARE WOUNDED PIRATES. WHO CARES ABOUT HIM! IF WE DON'T GET OUT OF HERE SOON... HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HIMI PRETTY GOOD, RIGHTI" In the restaurant, Sanji turns toward Gin. "YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE GRAND LINE. BUT DIDN'T YOU GUYS GO THEREI" Gin, seated with his back to the viewer in his large hat, replies, "HMI OH THAT'S RIGHT, GIN." Gin then collapses forward onto the floor, clutching his head in distress. "I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THOSE 7 DAYS WE SPENT IN GRAND LINE WAS REAL OR JUST A NIGHTMARE... I'M STILL WRESTLING WITH IT IN MY MIND... WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS THE TRUTH... I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT..."

Gin clutches his head in anguish as a massive flashback shows the Krieg Pirate fleet being torn apart on stormy seas. "TO THINK ALL 50 SHIPS OF THE KRIEG PIRATE FLEET, WERE DESTROYED BY A SINGLE MAN...!!!" The cooks and Straw Hats react in shock inside the Baratie. "IMPOSSIBLE!" Luffy yells, "WHAT!I" The entire dining room stares in disbelief at the revelation. "THE ENTIRE KRIEG PIRATE FLEET WAS CRUSHED BY A SINGLE MAN!I"

The Krieg fleet is shown being scattered by a violent storm and whirlpool. "AND IF IT WEREN'T FOR THAT STORM THAT WHISKED US AWAY, EVEN OUR MAIN SHIP WOULD'VE SUNK... WHILE WE STILL HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON, OUR SHIPS SANK ONE BY ONE..." Inside the restaurant Gin lies on the floor continuing, "IT'S JUST TOO TERRIFYING TO BELIEVE AS REAL...! I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY OF OUR SHIPS MANAGED TO SURVIVE... I DON'T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT..." A close-up reveals Sanji's intense, sweating face with an X-shaped scar. "WHAT!I THAT HAWK-EYED MAN WHOSE GLARE IS SHARP ENOUGH TO KILL A MAN...! I DON'T! I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT HIM!"

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