One Piece: I will become stronger by checking in

"Everyone, I see it! The restaurant on the sea!" Luffy, perched on the bow of the Going Merry, turned around excitedly to announce.

"Huh?"

The crew stood up in unison, gazing at the distant ship looming ahead. Kai , sitting nearby, perked up, a grin forming on his face. He'd always had a soft spot for great food, and now that they were finally approaching the famous sea restaurant, Baratie, his anticipation grew.

As everyone's attention was focused on the restaurant, the sound of a ship breaking through the waves came from beside them. They turned to see a Marine warship sailing alongside the Going Merry. A man with a cocky, almost childish look appeared on the deck.

Kai recognized him immediately—it was Iron Fist Fullbody, a Marine Lieutenant with an ego far bigger than his reputation. A weak imitation of the legendary Iron Fist Garp.

"Seriously?" Kai thought to himself. "You call yourself Iron Fist too?"

Fullbody glared at the Going Merry, annoyed that these pirates hadn't even tried to run. "You think you can ignore a Marine officer? Sink that ship!" he ordered one of his men.

Kai narrowed his eyes, standing up. You ugly fool, you're lucky I don't feel like using my fists. But before the Marine could carry out the order, a sudden burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Kai, washing over the entire Marine ship. Every sailor collapsed instantly, unconscious.

It was done.

Kai grinned. The more I use Conqueror's Haki, the easier it gets. It was a fantastic way to deal with nuisances.

Luffy, with stars in his eyes, turned to Kai and begged, "Kai, teach me that! You said I could learn it, right?"

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, in the future. Not now."

"Cheapskate," Luffy huffed.

Kai sighed. Why do I always feel like punching people lately?

A few minutes later, the Going Merry finally reached Baratie, with everyone eager to disembark. Thanks to Kai's intervention, the Marines never got a chance to fire a cannonball, so Luffy hadn't smashed through the restaurant's ceiling as he originally would have. The crew entered the restaurant peacefully, ready to enjoy a good meal.

Luffy and Usopp, both with forks in hand, eagerly tapped on the table. "Food, food, food!" they chanted.

Soon enough, a spread of exquisite dishes was laid before them. Kai, now fully indulging in the meal, grinned at the taste. The food here really was a cut above the rest, and knowing that Nami was footing the bill only made it sweeter. Food always tastes better when it's free.

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached. A man in a black double-breasted suit, with slick blonde hair and a distinctive curly eyebrow, strode up to the table. With a charming smile, he gracefully took Nami's hand and said, "My lovely lady, may I have the honor of offering you a glass of red wine?"

Nami, a bit taken aback by the sudden attention but ever the opportunist, smiled back sweetly. "Why, thank you! Such a gentleman!"

The man, Sanji, smirked. "Ah, I know," he replied, clearly pleased with himself.

━━( ̄ー ̄*|||━━

Kai and Luffy exchanged speechless looks as Sanji continued his shameless flirtation.

Nami, not missing a beat, pushed it further. "This place is pretty expensive, right? How about treating me to a meal?"

Sanji's eyes immediately turned into hearts as he gushed, "Of course, my dear lady! Anything for you!"

But just as quickly, he snapped back to reality and turned to Kai and the others. "As for the rest of you... no way!"

Kai shrugged, too focused on enjoying his meal to care. Not my problem. Nami's paying for me anyway.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the restaurant shifted. Murmurs of disbelief filled the air as several guests stared out the window, their faces pale with fear.

"What's going on?" Zoro muttered, his hand instinctively moving to his swords. But Kai, still calmly eating, already knew.

The restaurant doors creaked open, and two ragged men stumbled in, barely able to support each other. They collapsed after only a few steps, their voices weak and desperate. "Please... give us something to eat. We're starving…"

The other diners recoiled. A large, burly chef, Paddy, stepped forward and shouted, "You! You're with the Krieg Pirates! You think you can just waltz in here after everything you've done? Get lost! You're not welcome in Baratie!"

But the two men—Don Krieg and his subordinate Gin—barely had the strength to react. They were at death's door, too weak to even stand. Still, they begged, "Please… food…"

Paddy, clearly outraged, was about to throw them out when Sanji, who had been silently watching, turned and headed to the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, Sanji returned with a large plate of fried rice. He placed it in front of Krieg, lit a cigarette, and said coolly, "Eat."

Without a word, Krieg began devouring the food. Gin, after a long pause, muttered a quiet "Thank you" before joining him.

The two pirates, for the moment, were saved.