THE 4TH

Out on the sea, the Baratie restaurant ship floats peacefully. A voice asks, "Take, Sanji along...?" Inside, Luffy stands with a determined expression, flatly refusing, "DON'T WANNA." This causes an uproar among the Baratie staff. Zeff, looking stern with his arms crossed, demands, "WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS? DIDN'T YOU WANT A COOK FOR YOUR SHIP!? WHAT, ARE YOU NOT SATISFIED WITH HIM?" Behind Zeff, Patty, Carne, and the other cooks react with exaggerated shock, their jaws dropping as they scream, "WHAAAAAAAT!?" A large impact sound effect emphasizes their disbelief.

Inside the Baratie dining room, Luffy sits on the floor casually eating a bowl of soup while Zeff stands nearby. Luffy explains, "NO, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M DISSATISFIED OR ANYTHING. I DO WANT HIM TO COME ALONG WITH ME," and adds, "BUT HE SAID HE WANTS TO STAY HERE AND BE A COOK." He concludes, "SO EVEN IF YOU TELL ME TO TAKE HIM WITH ME, I'M NOT GONNA." Zeff says the real problem is whether that rebellious brat will be honest with himself or not. Luffy, still eating, agrees, "...WELL, YOU DO HAVE A POINT." Zeff summarizes, "SO YOU WON'T ACCEPT UNLESS HE SAYS IT HIMSELF." Luffy confirms, "YUP. MORE SOUP." Outside on the deck, Sanji sits alone, smoking a cigarette and silently listening through the wall as Zeff says, "IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! HE'S TOO HARD HEADED FOR HIS OWN GOOD."

Suddenly, a massive splash erupts in the ocean near the Baratie. A frantic voice yells out a string of gibberish: "DABA DBABA BABA BABA BA! ABABABA BABEBU BABABAD ABA!" The water churns violently around the restaurant ship. Sanji, still smoking on the deck, turns his head in surprise, muttering, "WHA? HM?" The yelling continues, "DABABABABA!" A large, bizarre creature resembling a shark with panda markings bursts out of the water and flies toward the Baratie. Someone screams "AGHHHH!" as it hurtles toward the ship.

The Pandashark crashes violently onto the deck, smashing through the wooden railing with a loud "AGHHH!" and scattering debris. The creature lies motionless on the splintered wood. Sanji and several Baratie cooks gather around it in confusion. "SANJI!" one calls out. "WHAT IS THIS GUY?" asks another. "A MERMAID!?" Luffy and Sanji inspect the creature closely. Suddenly, the shark's mouth opens, revealing a battered and bandaged man inside. It's Yosaku. He weakly calls out, "AH... BROTHER LUFFY...!" Luffy, surprised, asks, "WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE ALONE? WHERE ARE THE OTHERS? AND WHAT ABOUT NAMI?" The cooks are baffled. "DID HE COME ALL THE WAY FROM FISHMAN ISLAND TO TRY OUR COOKING?" one wonders. Another retorts, "YOU IDIOT, THIS IS JUST A GUY IN A PANDASHARK." Sanji stares in disbelief, "WHAT THE..." while Luffy exclaims, "YOSAKU!"

Yosaku, now sitting on the floor inside the Baratie and covered in bandages, explains the situation to Luffy. "WE COULDN'T CATCH UP WITH SISTER NAMI BUT JUDGING FROM THE WAY SHE WAS HEADED, WE'RE PRETTY SURE WE KNOW WHERE SHE'S HEADED." Luffy, relieved, says, "OH GOOD. THEN LET'S GO AND BRING HER BACK." Yosaku's expression turns grave. "WELL UMM.. IF SHE'S HEADED TO WHERE WE THINK SHE'S HEADED TO, THEN IT'S AN INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS PLACE...! WELL, I'LL FILL YOU IN ON THE DETAILS LATER! IN ANY CASE, WE NEED YOUR STRENGTH, BRO! PLEASE COME RIGHT AWAY!" Luffy puts on his straw hat, looking determined. "OK! I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT FINE! LET'S GO!" Just as they are about to leave, a voice from off-panel interrupts, "WAIT." Luffy stops and looks back with a confused "?" expression.

Sanji is leaning casually against the wall, smoking his cigarette. He looks over and says, "I'LL GO TOO. TAKE ME WITH YOU." Luffy turns around, his eyes wide with surprise, and says, "SANJI..." In the background, the Baratie cooks react with shock, exclaiming, "WHAT!?" Sanji maintains his cool demeanor, hands in his pockets, and explains his reasoning. "I'LL ACCOMPANY YOU ON YOUR WAY TO BECOMING THE PIRATE KING. SO I'LL TAG ALONG TO FULFILL MINE. AFTER ALL, WE BOTH HAVE CRAZY DREAMS."

Sanji looks directly at Luffy, offering his services. "I'LL BE THE COOK FOR YOUR SHIP. SOUND GOOD? OR BAD?" Luffy's face lights up with a massive, ecstatic smile. He throws his arms wide in the air and cheers, "SOUNDS GREAT! WOOHOO!" Sanji turns and begins to walk away, waving a hand dismissively over his shoulder to the rest of the crew. "THAT'S HOW IT'S GONNA BE, GUYS. SORRY FOR ALL THE TROUBLE I PUT YOU THROUGH." In the background, Luffy and Yosaku are celebrating their new crewmate, dancing around joyfully. "ALRIGHT, BROTHER LUFFY!" Yosaku cheers. "YEAH!" Luffy agrees.

Zeff stands with his arms crossed, looking sternly at Sanji. "HMPF, I DON'T LIKE IT ONE BIT! I WANTED TO THROW YOU OUTTA HERE WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS, BUT NOW YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE ON YOUR OWN? SORRY FOR MAKING YOU PUT ON THAT SHITTY PERFORMANCE." Sanji is taken aback, his cigarette dropping slightly. "WHA!? YOU KNEW!?" Zeff replies bluntly, "I COULD HEAR YOU CRYSTAL CLEAR FROM OUTSIDE, YOU NUMBSKULLS." Sanji is shocked, "WHAT!?" Sanji's expression turns to anger as he glares at Zeff. "SO... YOU WANTED TO KICK ME OUT THAT BADLY, HUH? IS THAT RIGHT, YOU DAMN GEEZER?" Zeff yells back, veins popping on his head, "WHY THE HELL DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO TALK LIKE THAT!?" The two glare intensely at each other. Zeff says, "THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT, LIL' EGGPLANT. I'VE ALWAYS HATED BRATS. THERE HASN'T BEEN A SINGLE DAY WHEN I DIDN'T REGRET SAVING A BRAT LIKE YOU." Sanji smirks dismissively, "HA.. WHATEVER YOU SAY, GEEZER. ENJOY THE FEW YEARS YOU HAVE LEFT."

Outside, Luffy and Yosaku are preparing to leave on a small, peculiar boat shaped like a fish's head. A Baratie cook hands them a large sack of supplies. "WOAH, NICE BOAT," someone remarks. "CAN WE REALLY USE THIS?" "OF COURSE. IT'S SANJI'S AFTER ALL." Luffy, holding a sack, asks, "YOU WANNA TAKE MORE!?" Yosaku replies, "YUP, GIMME MORE MEAT." The cook asks, "HOW MANY DAYS ARE YOU GONNA BE SAILIN' FOR?" Yosaku answers, "DUNNO." Meanwhile, inside the Baratie, Zeff is sitting quietly in his room. He begins to speak, his voice carrying over to Sanji's room. "SANJI, LET'S SAY FOR EXAMPLE..." Sanji is shown packing his belongings into a bag. Zeff's voice continues, "NO MATTER HOW VILLAINOUS THE SCUM, ESCAPED CONVICT, OR WHATNOT... AS LONG AS THEY COME HERE WANTING TO EAT BEYOND ALL ELSE..."

Sanji sits alone in the empty, dimly lit dining room of the Baratie, smoking a cigarette. Zeff's voice continues to narrate his thoughts: "THEN DOESN'T THAT MAKE ALL THE HASSLE WE GO THROUGH TO KEEP THIS PLACE RUNNING, ALL THE WORTHWHILE?" Sanji listens silently, his expression contemplative. A view of the Baratie's exterior is shown, floating peacefully on the sea. Sanji's own voice from the past echoes, recalling a conversation with Zeff: "HEY OLD GEEZER, THIS IS AMAZING! SO THIS IS THE RESTAURANT ON THE SEAS! THAT'S RIGHT. EVEN ALL THAT TREASURE STILL WASN'T ENOUGH TO PAY FOR THIS SHIP. SO WE'LL BE WORKING OVERTIME FOR AWHILE! IT'S FINE SINCE I'LL BE HERE TO HELP!"

The flashback continues with Sanji and Zeff arguing. Young Sanji snaps, "STOP CALLING ME A LITTLE EGGPLANT, YOU DAMN GEEZER!" Zeff needles him back, "DID I HURT YOUR FEELINGS, LIL' EGGPLANT?" Young Sanji is shown coughing violently, "COUGH COUGH COUGH!" Zeff advises, "STOP SMOKING. TOBACCO WILL DULL YOUR TONGUE." Sanji stubbornly blows smoke, "BLOW..." Sanji then smiles confidently, "HEH HEH... I'M ALL GROWN-UP NOW, RIGHT!?" Zeff looks at him seriously. The scene shifts to another memory of a rowdy pirate customer yelling in the restaurant: "YOOO! THIS THE PLACE THAT RED-LEG ZEFF IS SUPPOSEDLY RUNNING!? YOU SERIOUS ABOUT THIS WANTED AD ABOUT HIRING 'TUFF COOKS!?'"

The flashback shows the chaotic daily life at the Baratie. An angry customer yells, "YOU NINCOMPOOP! YOU EXPECT ME TO SERVE THIS CRAP TO OUR GUESTS!?" Sanji responds by violently kicking him in the face, shouting, "YOU CAN EAT THIS INSTEAD!" The other cooks react to the commotion. "HEY, DID YOU HEAR? THE OWNER OF THIS PLACE IS A WASHED-UP PIRATE," one says. Another angrily retorts, "TRY SAYIN' THAT AGAIN, YOU PUNK!" Someone yells, "OWNER ZEFF! SANJI BEAT UP ANOTHER CUSTOMER AGAIN!" In another memory, a pirate captain threatens the staff: "ALRIGHT, YOU DAMN COOKS! IF YOU FEAR FOR YOUR LIVES, THEN HAND OVER ALL YOUR FOOD!" A man is hurled across the room as the cooks shout, "WE GOTTA STOP OWNER ZEFF!" Zeff attacks the pirate and yells, "STOP AGITATIN' MY COOKS, YOU BASTARD!" The Baratie cooks are then shown standing together in a menacing line, armed with giant forks and knives, ready to fight. "WHAT'D HE SAY?" one asks. "NOT SURE, I THINK I MISSED THAT!" another replies.

Back in the present, the Baratie sits on the calm sea. On the small boat, Yosaku remarks, "BROTHER COOK IS SURE RUNNING LATE." Luffy and Yosaku wait patiently. Suddenly, Yosaku notices, "AH, HE'S HERE." Sanji steps out of the restaurant doors onto the deck, carrying his bag. The entire Baratie cooking staff is lined up on both sides of the deck, forming a pathway for him. They all stand in complete silence, their expressions serious and unreadable. Sanji walks slowly past them, his face equally stoic.

As Sanji walks down the line of silent cooks, Patty and Carne suddenly leap into the air behind him, wielding giant kitchen utensils as weapons. "THIS IS PAYBACK FOR ALL THOSE YEARS!" Carne yells. "DIE, SANJI!" Patty screams. Sanji doesn't even turn around; he effortlessly avoids them, and in the next panel Patty and Carne are lying defeated and groaning on the deck. One of the other cooks casually remarks, "TOLD YA YOU CAN'T BEAT HIM." Sanji continues his walk towards the boat without missing a beat, his footsteps carrying him away from the Baratie.

Sanji reaches the edge of the deck where Luffy and Yosaku are waiting in the small boat. Sanji says simply, "LET'S GO." Luffy, looking confused, asks, "JUST LIKE THAT? WHAT ABOUT SAYING GOOD-BYES?" Sanji replies dismissively, "IT'S FINE." Suddenly, Zeff appears on the upper balcony of the Baratie. He calls out, "HEY, SANJI." Sanji stops in his tracks, a question mark appearing above his head. He looks back over his shoulder, sweating slightly. Zeff looks down at him and says softly, "DON'T CATCH A COLD." The simple words hit Sanji hard. His eyes widen in shock, and tears immediately begin to well up. He breaks down, crying heavily, his face contorted with emotion. Luffy watches with a gentle smile. Sanji screams out, "OWNER ZEFF!"

Overcome with emotion, Sanji drops to his knees on the deck and bows deeply, pressing his forehead against the wooden floor. Tears stream down his face as he yells at the top of his lungs, "I'M ETERNALLY GRATEFUL, FOR TAKING CARE OF ME FOR SO DAMN LONG!" The Baratie ship looms in the background, with the cooks watching silently. A close-up shows Sanji's tear-streaked face as he continues his heartfelt declaration, "I SHALL NEVER FORGET FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE... THE DEBT I OWE YOU!"

Sanji's emotional outburst breaks the tough exterior of the Baratie crew. Zeff, still standing on the balcony, has tears streaming down his face as he mutters, "YOU BASTARD!" Patty and Carne, who were just attacking Sanji moments ago, are now bawling uncontrollably, tears and snot flying everywhere. "GODDAMN IT! WE'RE GONNA BE LONELY WITHOUT YA!" Carne cries. "REAL LONELY, YOU HEAR!?" Patty wails. The rest of the cooks join in, waving frantically and crying. "I'LL MISS YOU!" "YOU'RE MAKING US CRY, DAMMIT!" Sanji remains bowed on the deck, sobbing heavily.

Zeff leans on the railing, wiping his tears and trying to regain his composure. "DAMN IDIOTS... MEN SHOULD SAY THEIR GOOD-BYES SILENTLY," he grumbles. Sanji, his face covered in tears and snot, looks up and screams back at them with a mixture of affection and his usual rough demeanor, "LET'S MEET AGAIN ONE DAY! YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING BASTARDS!" The small boat, now carrying Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku, sails away from the Baratie. The cooks continue to wave goodbye from the deck. Luffy, standing at the front of the boat, throws his arms up and yells excitedly, "ALRIGHT! LET'S SET SAIL!"

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