DEBT

The Baratie restaurant floats amid smoke and debris. A large onomatopoeia “ゴォオオオオ” shakes the scene. Someone shouts “REPAY HIS DEBT...!I” In the lower panels, Sanji, bruised and chained, glares at Zeff. Sanji yells, “IF YOU HADN'T GIVEN UP YOUR LEG FOR MY SAKE, THEN THESE GUYS WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PUSH YOU AROUND!” Zeff replies, “HMPH, YOU'RE ONE TO TALK.” Zeff continues, “I'M NOT SO OLD AND FEEBLE ENOUGH YET THAT I NEED TO BE RESCUED BY A LITTLE EGGPLANT!” Sanji snaps back, “SANJI! DON'T DO ANY MORE UNNECESSARY THINGS.”

Onlookers react in shock. Speech bubbles read: “THEN THE REASON WHY HE'S STAYED HERE ALL ALONG,” “TO SAVE SANJI...I” “SO OWNER ZEFF GAVE UP HIS LEG,” and “SANJI'S BARELY STANDING...!” Luffy stares with wide eyes and a sweat drop. Cooks discuss: “NEVER WOULD'VE IMAGINED THAT TWO PEOPLE WHO ARGUE WITH EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME WOULD SHARE SUCH A DEEP RELATIONSHIP...” and “MUST'VE BEEN TO REPAY HIS DEBT TO OWNER ZEFF...!” A close-up of a sweating man with a striped headband demands, “WHY DO YOU STILL STAND UP, SANJI...!I” Another voice asks “WHY...”

Don Krieg stands with his back turned as a massive spiked weapon spins toward Sanji. Krieg taunts, “YOU AIN'T GOT A CHANCE OF WINNING!” and “STILL HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH OF MY PEARL PRESENTS!I” Pearl laughs “HAAAHA HAHA!” Someone yells “ISN'T THAT RIGHT, DON KRIEG!I” Gin grins and declares, “IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU TAKE HOSTAGES! THE LAST MAN STANDING IS THE VICTOR!” He adds, “THE FINAL RESULT IS ALL THAT MATTERS IN THIS WORLD! IF YOU LOSE, THEN YOU'RE A LOSER! NO OTHER WAY ABOUT IT!” Don Krieg answers “EXACTLY.”

A stern man with a striped headband glares forward. In the background, Gin lies injured on the floor while Sanji stands watching from the restaurant entrance. The headband man calls out, "RIGHT, GIN!I" He continues, "SO WHY DO YOU STILL STAND!I YOU'LL ONLY BE BEATEN TO A BLOODY PULP IF YOU DO!" Another pirate adds, "IN ANY CASE, YOU'LL LOSE WITHOUT LAYING EVEN A FINGER ON US IN THE END." A third voice notes, "YOU ARE THE ONE HOLDING HIM AT HOSTAGE, AFTER ALL..." and concludes, "GUESS IT'S NOT EVEN NECESSARY TO ASK..." Sanji, sweat dripping and eyes narrowed, declares with fierce resolve, "IF EVEN JUST ONE SECOND LONGER. I WANT TO PRESERVE THIS RESTAURANT." A small smirk forms as the SFX "ニッ" appears beside him.

Luffy stares in shock as Pearl looms over the injured Gin, shouting "AGHHH! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF!I" Pearl's crew watches tensely. The headband man (Pearl) grits his teeth with a massive impact SFX and growls, "DAMN BRAT..." Luffy's expression hardens. Pearl roars triumphantly, "FROM NOW ON, IT'LL BE A PIRATE SHIP! BUT THE TIME TO CLOSE UP THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW AT HAND! HAH! WELL, WELL... AIN'T THAT A FLASHY LAST STAND!I" The panel labels him "DOUBLY-CERTAIN PEARL..." as chaos erupts around the Baratie deck.

Sanji launches a powerful spinning kick that smashes into Pearl's massive shield, sending the armored pirate flying backward with a huge impact. The word "PRESENT!" explodes across the panel. Luffy watches wide-eyed from the side, reacting with "UGH!" as debris flies. Below, the Baratie cooks panic amid spreading flames: "CRAP! THE FIRE'S GROWING LARGER!" and "AHHH!" One yells "SANJI!" as the fire rages out of control.

Luffy grits his teeth, sweat flying, shouting "I'M TRYIN' BUT THE FIRE'S TOO BIG!" Nearby voices cry, "H-HEY! WE GOTTA PUT OUT THIS FIRE OR THERE'LL BE NO POINT IN TAKING OVER THIS SHIP!" and "THE RESTAURANT'S GOING TO BURN DOWN FOR SURE THIS TIME!" Sanji, locked in combat with Pearl, is told "FEEL FREE TO FIGHT BACK IF YOU WANT! THAT IS, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T MIND LETTING THE OLD MAN DIE!" Pearl laughs maniacally "HAAAA HAHAHA!" while massive SFX "ゴォ" and "オォオ" shake the scene. Luffy's eyes widen in alarm as the fire engulfs the deck.

High above the shattered deck, a massive rubber foot descends amid roaring impact lines. A frantic voice yells, "STOP YOU IDIOT! DON'T ATTACK HIM!" Below, wide-eyed crew members stare upward in shock, one gasping "THAT SON OF A..." while another shouts "WHAT'S HE PLANNING!I" Luffy's determined face fills a panel as he stretches and yells "GOMU GOMU..." The colossal sole slams down with a thunderous crash, sending debris flying. An unseen pirate screams "ARGHHHHH!" and another voice cries "THE HELL!I" as the ship buckles under the blow.

The colossal impact erupts in a blinding explosion of splinters and smoke. Massive "AXE!" sound effects tear across the page as the ship’s structure shatters. Crew members are hurled through the air amid flying debris and broken railings. The entire vessel rocks violently, water spraying upward. A collective scream of "!!!!I" erupts from the surviving pirates as the devastating strike lands.

The ruined deck tilts wildly. A Krieg pirate with a checkered headband roars "AGHHHH!" as flames and smoke billow around him. In the distance the broken fins of the ship drift in the waves while someone yells "THE "FINS"... HAVE BEEN BROKEN!" On the listing vessel a skull-masked figure points and shouts "GIN! JUST BLOW THAT DAMN GEEZER'S HEAD OFF!" Another voice growls "THAT LITTLE BRAT...!" as the chaos spreads across the water.

Luffy stands calmly on the broken deck, hat shading his eyes. An angry voice demands "THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, ERRAND BOY!I" Luffy replies evenly, "ALL I DID WAS BREAK THE FINS." A striped-hat pirate stammers "B-BUT..." while another crewman shouts "HEY, I HAVEN'T LAID A SINGLE FINGER ON YOU GUYS AT ALL." Luffy’s face fills a close-up panel as he declares, "I'LL SINK THIS SHIP." The surrounding pirates react in stunned disbelief: "WHA...!I" and "WHAT DID HE JUST SAY!I" echo across the wreckage.

The Krieg Pirates' ships loom around the floating restaurant Baratie as a massive pirate bellows in panic, "HE'S GONNA SINK THIS SHIP!I" Below, the crew swarms the deck in fury. One pirate roars, "THIS SHIP IS OURS!" while others shout "DON'T YOU DARE!" and "OH HELL NO!" amid wild Japanese cries of "うわあああ". In a close-up, Gin glares with bloodshot eyes and screams at the top of his lungs, "DON'T JUST STAND THERE! KILL ZEFF ALREADY! GIN!"

Luffy grabs Sanji by the collar and yells, "BUT IF THE SHIP'S DESTROYED, THEIR PLANS WILL BE RUINED." Sanji snaps back, "JUST WHAT THE HELL FOR DO YOU THINK I'VE BEEN WORKING IN THIS RESTAURANT!I ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!I" In the next panels Sanji continues fiercely, "NOR THE GRAVITY OF MY DEBT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS RESTAURANT MEANS TO ME," while Luffy stares in shock, "WHAT!I" and "WHAT'RE YOU, STUPID!I SO YOU'RE PLANNING TO DIE FOR THIS RESTAURANTI"

Luffy shouts directly into Sanji's face, "YOU WON'T BE REPAYING ANY DEBT BY DYING!!!" Sanji's eyes widen as he retorts, "TO THROW AWAY YOUR LIFE AND DIE LIKE THIS AFTER BEING SAVED..." Luffy fires back, "THAT'S NOT WHAT HE SAVED YOU FOR!" The argument peaks with Luffy declaring, "WELL, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU KNOW OF A BETTER WAY OUT OF THIS MESS!" and Sanji answering coldly, "THAT'S WHAT A WEAKLING DOES!"

Inside Baratie a voice warns, "IT'S JUST YOUR BAD FORTUNE TO HAVE GONE UP AGAINST THE KRIEG PIRATES. YOU PICKED THE WRONG ENEMIES." Another adds, "NOW, NOW. STOP THE FIGHTING, YOU TWO." Pearl, chained to a cannon, sneers, "AS LONG AS WE HAVE A HOSTAGE, THAT IS! THERE'S NOTHIN' YOU CAN DO AGAINST US!" He then spins his fiery weapons with metallic SFX "ガチン..." "ガキーン!!" and roars, "WITH MY FIRE PEARLS! I'LL BURN YOU TO DEATH," as Luffy and Sanji turn toward the threat.

A striped-helmet fighter glares with intense focus as a massive impact erupts nearby. Pearl recoils in shock, shouting "WHA!I" as debris flies. In a chaotic clash, Gin swings a heavy spiked mace into Pearl's ornate shield, shattering armor plates and sending Pearl sprawling amid smoke and impact lines. The force knocks Pearl off balance completely. Below, Sanji and Luffy stare in disbelief. Sanji yells "GIN!I" while Luffy's eyes widen in surprise at the sudden betrayal unfolding before them.

Gin stands with his back turned, smoke rising from his weapon as he speaks: "SORRY PEARL... BUT I NEED YOU TO GET OUT OF MY WAY FOR A LITTLE WHILE." Pearl, bloodied and furious, roars "W...WHY... GIN...I" and "YOU DARE BETRAY ME!I GIN!" while clutching his head in rage. A background pirate gasps "WHY DID YOU ATTACK PEARL!I G-GIN!" Gin then faces Don Krieg on the ruined deck, bowing slightly amid scattered debris and saying "MY APOLOGIES, DON KRIEG. BUT PLEASE ALLOW ME..." as Luffy and Sanji watch from the side.

Sanji reacts with "HM!I" as Luffy grips his weapon and declares "TO PUT AN END TO OUR SAVIOURS WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS." In the background, Luffy smiles confidently with arms crossed while explaining his decoy strategy to the cooks. One cook shouts "YOUR STRATEGY WAS TO DESTROY THIS SHIP! SHUT UP, YOU LIAR!" Another notes "THINGS WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL, DIDN'T ITI THERE, SEE." A third exclaims "H-HE JUST SHATTERED THE SHIELD OF THAT GUY WHO SAID HE COULD EVEN WITHSTAND A CANNONBALL!" Don Krieg glares and growls "MY PIRATE FLEET'S BATTLE COMMANDER GIN...I HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND," as Luffy and Sanji stand ready.

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