Chapter 48: Drawing Swords! Sanji and Tatsuya's Standoff!
On the deck of the Going Merry, the thick fog showed no sign of dispersing.
"Ah! We've been stuck here for a whole day already!"
Usopp let out a long, bored yawn, squeezing tears from his eyes.
Leaning over the ship's railing, he looked at the white expanse of fog before him and sighed.
"When is this fog finally going to disappear... I can't see a thing, it's so boring."
"Who knows."
Zoro rested his head on his arms, leaning against the mast with his eyes closed to rest. He didn't even bother to lift an eyelid. "What does it matter? Isn't this fine? It's a rare moment of peace."
"True."
Nami sat in a nearby chair, counting the few remaining coins in her hand, and said casually:
"Anyway, we have plenty of money now, so taking a little break isn't bad."
"Yeah, we do have plenty of money..." Zoro echoed.
"Wait... money?"
Nami's hand, counting the coins, suddenly froze.
The next second, she snapped her head up, her large eyes blinking as if she had just realized something terrifying.
"I totally forgot!! We're spending money right now!!"
Nami's teeth instantly turned sharp as she roared toward the restaurant:
"That bastard Tatsuya! And that bottomless pit Luffy! And Clay, that fat Crow!
"Just how long are they going to keep eating?! That's a high-class restaurant that charges per person!!"
...
Meanwhile, inside the Sea Restaurant.
A war named 'Gluttony' was still ongoing.
"Nom! Nom!"
Luffy and the Crow named Clay were enjoying their lunch.
Though their eating habits were far from elegant—one could even say they were like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds.
This visually impactful way of eating had left the restaurant's chefs somewhat numb to the sight. They weren't even surprised anymore; some were even betting on who would burst first.
At that moment, Patty rubbed his hands together, a signature sycophantic smile on his face, as he jogged over to Tatsuya, who was elegantly sipping tea.
"Hehe, God, I really hate to interrupt everyone's enjoyment, but..."
Patty pointed at the mountain of plates in front of Luffy and said with some regret:
"The bag of money you paid yesterday has been completely spent. You see..."
"Oh? It's already gone?"
Tatsuya set down his teacup and raised an eyebrow. "It went faster than I imagined."
He glanced sideways at Luffy and Clay, who seemed like two bottomless pits.
Looking at the staggering number of plates, it actually seemed normal.
"Alright, let's stop here then. Thank you for your hospitality."
Hearing this, Patty breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a bit of regret.
As a chef, meeting customers who could eat this much was truly a hearty battle.
Since there was no more money, the sycophancy on Patty's face vanished instantly, his expression changing as fast as flipping a page in a book.
He straightened his back and said flatly:
"Very well, guest. We look forward to your next visit."
With that, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation.
Tatsuya watched his retreating back, his lip twitching involuntarily.
"I mean, you're a bit too pragmatic..."
Then, he stood up and patted Luffy's shoulder.
"Hey, Luffy, the money's out, it's time for us to go."
"Ah! Wakatta (Got it)!"
Luffy was quite obedient and immediately stopped eating.
He reached out and grabbed one leg of Clay, who was still buried in food at the table, lifting the Crow upside down.
Clay's mouth was still stuffed with a whole roast chicken, his cheeks bulging like balloons as he continued to chew vigorously.
"How do you even manage to eat so much? Can you still fly?" Luffy shook the Crow in his hand.
Gulp.
Clay struggled to swallow the food in his mouth, his eyes rolling back as his round belly wobbled with Luffy's shaking.
"Coo... caw... Boss... I really can't eat anymore... don't feed me anymore... I'm going to explode..."
With that, its eyes rolled back, and it fainted away in bliss.
Who exactly is feeding you? Are you eating so much you're hallucinating?
Tatsuya looked at this disgraceful'Sky Overlord' with a face full of black lines.
Just then.
A lady sitting by the window, enjoying red wine while admiring the sea view, suddenly looked as if she had seen something unbelievable, her eyes widening in shock.
Clink.
The wine glass slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor with a crisp sound.
"What's wrong, dear?" the man opposite her asked in confusion.
He followed the lady's terrified gaze, and then his jaw dropped to the floor as well.
This abnormal reaction caught the attention of those around them, and the other guests in the restaurant also looked out the window in confusion.
Out on the sea where the mist had cleared in the distance, a massive, breathtaking three-deck pirate ship was cutting through the waves, slowly approaching.
The sails were tattered and the hull was covered in scars, but that giant skull emblem still radiated a terrifying pressure.
"T-There's no mistake!!"
Someone recognized the flag and screamed with a trembling voice:
"That's... the Hegemon of the East Sea! It's admiral Don Krieg's ship!!"
"Ah, pirates! The pirates are here!"
Boom—
The restaurant instantly fell into total chaos, with screams and the sound of colliding tables and chairs echoing everywhere.
"Hmm? What's wrong with these guys? What happened?"
Luffy wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth, looking at the panicked crowd with a bewildered expression.
Then, a massive shadow gradually loomed over the Baratie, blocking out the sunlight.
"Oh! Did it get dark?!" Luffy looked up in surprise.
Tatsuya looked at the battered giant ship, a cold smile curling on his lips.
"No, it's not getting dark. It's just a bunch of... remnants of a defeated army."
"W-Why... why would the Krieg Pirates come here?!"
"It's over! We're going to be killed!"
Amidst the panic, a chef named Nerve, drenched in cold sweat, suddenly rushed over and roared at Patty:
"Hey! Patty! This is all your fault for hitting his subordinate yesterday! Now that admiral must be here for revenge! What are we going to do!!"
Patty's face was also pale with fear as he clutched his head and yelled:
"I... I don't know! Why would a big shot like that come all this way just to get revenge for a lowly subordinate!!"
"What a huge ship!"
Luffy ran to the window, his mouth agape in wonder, before adding, "Man, it's so beat up."
As the distance closed, others also began to notice something was wrong.
Though the ship was massive, it was deathly still, like a ghost ship.
"What... is going on?"
"Could it have been in a naval battle?"
Zeff stood on the second floor, looking at the ship, his brow furrowed deeply.
Creak...
As the giant pirate ship docked, the restaurant's doors were slowly pushed open.
Two figures entered, supporting each other with staggering steps.
It was the 'Hegemon of the East Sea' Don Krieg and the Battle Commander Gin.
But at this moment, where was there even a hint of a hegemon in Don Krieg?
His once-imposing golden armor was now tattered and broken; his face was sallow, his eyes sunken, and he looked utterly exhausted.
He had to rely on the equally weak Gin for support just to barely remain standing.
The scene was deathly silent.
Everyone held their breath, unable to believe this was the admiral who struck fear into people's hearts.
"S... Sorry..."
Don Krieg's voice was hoarse as he lowered his head and spoke weakly:
"Could you... give me food and water... as for money... I have as much as you want... please..."
Gin gritted his teeth hard, supporting his Captain, his eyes filled with pain and shame.
"What's wrong with this guy?"
"No dignity, no power—this is the Hegemon of the East Sea?"
The surrounding diners whispered among themselves.
Thud.
Having seemingly exhausted his last bit of strength, Don Krieg's massive frame collapsed directly onto the floor, letting out a dull thud.
"Captain!!"
Gin was struck with horror, then yelled desperately at everyone in the restaurant:
"Please... please save our Captain!! He's really starving to death! If this continues, he'll die! I'm begging you!"
Watching this dramatic scene, everyone in the restaurant was at a loss for what to do.
Save him? Or not?
That was the notoriously evil Don Krieg!
"Sure."
In the middle of that dead silence, a gentle voice suddenly rang out.
Clang—
Then came the sound of a blade being unsheathed.
Tatsuya drew the long sword at his waist, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, as he walked step by step toward the fallen Don Krieg without haste.
The sound of his footsteps was exceptionally clear in the quiet restaurant.
"'Please don't kill me please let me go' You must have heard many such pleas for mercy, haven't you, Captain Don Krieg?"
"And what did you do? You would kill them without mercy, wouldn't you..."
Tatsuya looked down at the man with a smile, his crimson Sharingan slowly spinning.
"Now that it's your turn to say these words, how does it feel?"
Gin looked at the approaching red-eyed demon and the cold light glinting off the sword in his hand, a massive fear surging in his heart.
But he still gritted his teeth and suddenly stood in front of Don Krieg, spreading his arms to block and protest.
"Stop!! Don't come any closer! We just... want to buy some food!"
On the floor, Don Krieg seemed to sense the threat of death.
He struggled to lift his head and said tremblingly:
"No... no... I won't do anything... just give me food... after I eat... I'll go back quietly... really..."
How humble, how pitiful.
"Since you are a pirate, you should have the resolve to die at any moment."
"I trust the great Pirate Hegemon won't disappoint me in this regard."
"Hmm?"
The smile on Tatsuya's face suddenly vanished, replaced by total indifference.
He lifted the blade slightly, pointing it at the figure that had suddenly appeared in front of Don Krieg—Sanji.
"Move aside, cook."
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