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"Sanji!"
"Sanji! Are you alright?!"
Patty and the other chefs, who had managed to stagger back to their feet despite their own lingering pain, saw the Sous-chef take the brutal hit to his abdomen. Their expressions twisted with worry as they watched him slump against the wall.
"What a despicable tactic!" Satori, who had been watching the duel with a calm, curious gaze, was now gritting his teeth in genuine anger. He poked his head out of the restaurant window and looked at Sanji, who was hunched over on the platform, coughing incessantly. "Hey! Sanji, do you need help? I can beat this hateful guy for you!".
Cough! Cough!
It took a long moment for Sanji to recover his breath and stop the involuntary tears caused by the red smoke. He wiped the grime and blood from his face, his eyes still bloodshot. He looked toward the young boy in the window.
"Thank you for the offer, kid... but no. This is my fight," Sanji replied, giving Satori a long, searching look.
Sanji knew that anyone venturing toward the Grand Line carried secrets, and the duo of Nami and Satori—a woman and a child—was particularly unusual. He had been observing them. Despite Satori's small stature, he didn't act like someone being protected; he acted like the protector. Sanji had noticed how their seating arrangement shifted when the Blood Demon Pirates arrived, putting Satori on the outside to shield Nami. Furthermore, Satori hadn't flinched when Kennard entered, and most notably, Sanji had spotted a furry tail tucked behind the boy—a feature he had never seen on a human before.
"Are you really sure you don't need a hand?" Satori asked, scratching his head.
Nami leaned out beside him, clenching her fists. "Sanji, Satori is actually really amazing. Don't underestimate him!".
Sanji's eyes instantly transformed into hearts at Nami's concern. "Ah! Miss Nami is too cute! But please, rest assured—I will definitely crush this guy".
Sanji stood up and walked back to face Kennard. He calmly lit a new cigarette and exhaled a plume of smoke. "Hey... you're a real piece of work, you know that? Completely despicable".
"Despicable?" Kennard's lips curled into a smirk. "This is a pirate fight, not a playground. Did you think we were playing house? I punch you, you kick me? Hahaha!". Behind him, his crew erupted in mocking laughter, telling Sanji to go home and drink milk with the other brats.
Sanji ignored the taunts. He took one last drag, dropped the cigarette, and crushed it under his heel. In an instant, he dropped into a handstand, his long legs spinning like a black whirlwind.
"Back Meat!" A heavy kick slammed into Kennard's ribs.
"Saddle Meat!" Sanji followed up immediately, striking the pirate's lower back.
"Shoulder Meat!" Kennard staggered as his shoulder took a brutal hit.
"Breast Meat!" The air left Kennard's lungs as a heel buried itself in his chest.
Sanji became a blur of motion, a black tornado of precision strikes. He gathered every ounce of his strength into his final move, aiming directly for Kennard's chin.
"Mutton Shot!!".
Bang!!
The impact sent Kennard soaring into the air in a high, curved arc. He sailed over the edge of the platform and crashed into the sea, disappearing beneath the waves.
"Captain!!" The Blood Demon Pirates roared, but instead of fleeing, they drew their weapons with fierce intent. "Kill him! Avenge the Captain!".
As the mob charged Sanji, a figure blurred from the second-floor balcony. Zeff landed in the middle of the pirates with a heavy thud, his prosthetic leg spinning in a deadly circle that sent men flying like bowling pins.
"You really thought I was just an old relic, didn't you?" Zeff muttered, stroking his braided beard after clearing a path.
"Hmph. Keep your eyes open, old geezer. What are you even doing down here?" Sanji asked, executing his own sweeping kick to knock back a group of boarders.
"Doing what? Don't forget who taught you how to use those legs," Zeff retorted, kicking another pirate into the sea.
"I haven't forgotten, but I passed you a long time ago," Sanji countered.
"Then let's see who can take down more!".
"My pleasure!".
The two chefs tore through the pirate ranks, turning the deck into a chaotic display of high-speed kicking. Patty and the other chefs stayed on the perimeter, using their heavy kitchen tools to knock out any pirate who tried to crawl back into the fray. Soon, the platform was carpeted with defeated men.
"Hey, old man, I took down $58$. What's your tally?" Sanji asked, calmly lighting a cigarette among the fallen.
"Fifty-eight? Well, it looks like—".
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before Zeff could finish, two flying knives hissed through the air with lightning speed. They buried themselves deep into Sanji and Zeff's thighs.
"What?!" Both men gasped, looking toward the edge of the platform. Kennard was climbing back up, dripping wet, with a sinister smirk on his face.
"You're still alive, you bastard," Sanji hissed, gritting his teeth as he yanked the blade from his leg. Zeff did the same, tossing the bloodied knife into the ocean. "Resorting to petty tricks... you aren't fit for the big stage. You aren't a 'ruler' of anything".
Kennard's face twitched with rage. "Whether I'm worthy doesn't matter, because you won't live to see the sunrise. I don't want you as chefs anymore. I want you dead!".
Sanji tried to lung forward, but his leg buckled, and he nearly collapsed.
"Hahaha! It's working!" Kennard laughed.
"You bastard... poison?" Zeff growled, feeling his muscles turn to lead.
"Not poison," Kennard clarified, his eyes dancing with cruelty. "A paralyzing agent. It'll keep you helpless for at least thirty minutes. I earned the name 'Blood Demon' because I like to taste the blood of my enemies while I take my time with them. Try to stay awake for the torture".
Patty and the chefs rushed to shield their paralyzed leaders. "If you want the Boss, you go through us!".
Kennard picked up a massive sledgehammer from the deck, his $3$-meter frame casting a terrifying shadow. He raised the weapon to crush the line of chefs—but then, a blur of motion exploded from the restaurant window.
A small foot caught the hammer mid-swing, sending the massive weapon flying from Kennard's grip. The force was so great that the pirate captain staggered back, nearly falling over.
"I can't just watch anymore!" Satori shouted, landing on the platform with his tail swishing behind him. "I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget!".