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  Ihe restaurant, Usopp looked at the door where Gin had bee flying. He turo Coby with a puzzled expression. "Who is that guy?" he asked, curiosity g his voice.

  Coby, with a knowing smirk, replied, "Right-hand man Pirates, Gin the Man-Demon."

  Zoro, overhearing the versation, hummed in reition, his memory fshing back to his days as a Pirate Hunter. He seemed to heard those names. Nami, too, was familiar with the Krieg Pirates, a look of uanding crossing her face.

  Usopp, the only one unfamiliar with the name, looked between his friends, his fusion evident. "Is he that famous?" he asked, seeking crification.

  Nami nodded, her expression serious. "They are infamous, the Krieg Pirates." Her voice carried the weight of her knowledge, a hint of dread underlying her words.

  She began to expin, her voice steady and informative. "Krieg Pirates are known for their ruthlessness and strength. They've pilged tless towns aed many strong oppos. Their reputation precedes them, and entering them is feared by many."

  Coby took over the expnation. "The Krieg Pirates aren't just feared for their ruthlessness; it's their sheer hat make them a formidable force. They and an armada of 50 ships and 5,000 soldiers. Imagine fag an enemy like that; it's like an unstoppable wave of destru. Although most are on fodders, they are blood-hungry hounds. "

  Nami too listened ily, her eyes narrowing as she absorbed the information. She was well aware of the pirates' reputation, but hearing the details made the threat even more tangible.

  Zoro, leaning against his chair with his arms crossed, added, "Krieg is ing. He's known for using every dirty tri the book to win. He once hijacked a Marine ship and used it as a cover to start his reign of terror. He doesn't care about honor or rules. To him, victory is all that matters."

  Coby nodded in agreement. "Exactly. They've been known to raise white fgs to trick their enemies into letting their guard down, only to unch a surprise attack. They've even used poison gas to obliterate entire vilges. Their methods are merciless."

  Coby then said, "Due to their active pilging and high numbers, the Marines saw the Krieg Pirates as a deadlier threat than the more powerful but docile Arlong Pirates." As he said the st part, he g Nami, watg for aion to the mention 's name. Her face tightened ever so slightly, a shadow passing over her eyes, but she remained silent, her gaze fixed on the floor.

  Coby reached out to hold Nami's hand, although he didn't meet her gaze. His touch was reassuring, a silent promise of prote. Usopp shivered visibly, the mention of the Krieg Pirates sending a chill down his spine. "Krieg Pirates sound strong," he murmured, his voice a mix of awe and fear.

  Coby smirked, his fidendiminished by the grim tales they had just shared. "Don't worry. You are now part of the future Pirate King's crew. You shouldn't be afraid of pebbles," he decred, his tone light but carrying an underlying strength.

  Nami, her hand still in Coby's, allowed herself a moment of fort. The stories of the Krieg Pirates had stirred old fears, but Coby's unwavering presence provided a sense of security she hadn't realized she needed.

  Outside, Luffy and Sanji bid farewell to Gin as he boarded a small boat to return to his ship. Unbeknownst to them, this simple act would iently lead the fearsome Krieg Pirates straight to Baratie. Gin, with no ill i, believed that Krieg, as a fellow pirate, would respect those who offered help. He couldn't have been more wrong about Krieg's ruthless nature.

  As Luffy settled back at the table with Coby and the others, his curiosity piqued. "What you guys talking about?" he asked, gng around.

  "Krieg pirates," Coby responded suctly, his eyes following the small boat that was floating away from the window.

  Luffy hummed in response. He had heard Gin's words but didn't thought much. He rarely cared about pirate reputations. It hardly ed him. What Luffy cared was his intuitions. Instead, he turned his attention to the more immediate and appealing task at haing.

  While Sanji returo work, preoccupied with the day's chaos and the visitors' impact, Zeff approached him with a stern expression. The atmosphere around them tensed as Zeff fronted Sanji about his behavior and role at Baratie.

  "Hey crap-geezer, I'm the assistant chef here. What do you mean, I'm not needed?!" Sanji protested, his voice rising in frustration. His respect for Zeff was evident, but so was his indignation at the suggestion that he was dispensable.

  Zeff, unimpressed and unfazed by Sanji's outburst, retorted sharply, "You fight with the ers. You waste hours fring your nostrils for women. And you're a lousy cook. You're nothing but dead weight, Sanji. The other cooks don't much like you. So, go be a pirate or whatever." His words were harsh, cutting deeper than any knife i.

  Sanji, his pride wounded, ched his fists, his anger simmering just below the surface, as he held Zeff from his colr. "Don't step over the line, old man. You insult me, but don't ever insult my cooking! I'm staying right here! You have no say iter." His voice was a mix of defiand a deep-seated o prove his worth.

  Zeff smmed Sanji to the ground, shot back, "Don't y your hands on me, you unripe eggpnt!" His own temper fred.

  As Zeff started to walk away, Sanji, still on the ground, called out defiantly, his voice eg across the bustliaurant. "You 't kick me out. I will forever cook here. Until you die." There was a raw edge to his words, a promise to himself and the old man he wouldn't leave him alone.

  Zeff, without turning, responded with equal firmness, his back to Sanji. "I won't die. I will live another 100 years." His words, sharp and final, hung in the air as he tio walk away, leaving a palpable tension behind.

  Luffy, who had been the exge with i and amusement, turo Sanji, his eyes gleaming with the prospect of adventure. "Great, you got permission. e be my cook!" he excimed.

  Sanji, his temper fring at the suggestion, shot back, "NEVER!" His refusal was vehement, he was refleg his ao poor Luffy.

  As Sanji carried a dessert and wine near Nami, he remembered the cold steel of Coby's sword at his neck from their previous enter. The memory made him gulp, his flirtatious nature momentarily subdued by the realization that ag foolishly around Nami wasn't wise. He dropped the dessert and walked back, diverting his attention to other women in the restaurant.

  Zoro, the se, turo Luffy with a raised eyebrow. "What now?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity and skepticism. It didn't seem like Sanji would join them anytime soon.

  Luffy, unfazed by the setback, started to py with his nose, a telltale sign of his stubborermination. "He is ing," he said fidently, as if stating aable fact rather than a mere hope.

  Usopp, still shaken by the tales of the Krieg Pirates, voiced his fear. "Let's find another cook. I feel like I'm developing a disease called 'if I stay on this ship, I will die.'"

  Coby, with a knowing smirk, responded, "Wait two days. Then he will be part of our crew." His fidence was unshakable, a stark trast to Usopp's nervousness.

  Luffy gri Coby's assurance, his faith in his friend's judgment unwavering. The others, however, were baffled by Coby's certainty, their expressions a mix of doubt and curiosity.

  --

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