Chairs scraped back as guests leapt from their seats, scattering across the dining hall in a frenzy. The pirate captain's crew had drawn their weapons, encircling the elegant floor of Baratie with blades and pistols flashing under the candlelit chandeliers. Panic filled the air, and the once-cozy sounds of clinking cutlery were replaced by shouts of alarm and the thud of boots against wood.
Sanji, the blond chef, remained poised—calm yet deadly. His cigarette still hung from the corner of his mouth as he turned his foot slowly on the ground, loosening his stance. The polished floorboards beneath him groaned slightly, like the ship itself sensed a storm was coming. His eyes, sharp as blades, never left the enemy.
"You wanna fight here, you'll leave in pieces," Sanji said, his voice a low growl, filled with both confidence and contempt.
The pirates didn't waste time. With a roar, they rushed him from all directions, confident their numbers would overwhelm him.
But Sanji moved like wind.
He launched forward like a bullet, suit coattails fluttering behind him. His leg whipped high, catching one pirate square across the jaw. The man's body twisted unnaturally as he crashed into a stack of wine barrels with a crunch of splintering wood. Another pirate lunged from behind with a dagger, but Sanji twisted, ducked low with the grace of a dancer, and drove a spinning heel into the man's ribs. The crack of bone echoed through the hall as the pirate was sent flying.
At the far end of the room, Luffy stood up from his seat, brushing crumbs off his shirt. His smile widened into a feral grin. "Can't let the cook have all the fun."
From his shadow, a faint black mist leaked out, swirling around his feet. His pupils gleamed with a dark glint as his body pulsed with rising energy. The Shadow System stirred—awake, alert, and hungry after days of rest.
"Shadow Bind," Luffy whispered under his breath.
Tendrils of darkness snaked from under the nearby table, silent and precise. They wrapped around the ankles of two pirates sneaking up on Sanji. In one violent tug, the tendrils yanked the men into the air before slamming them together with enough force to knock them out cold.
One pirate turned in horror. "What the hell?!"
He tried to swing his saber at the creeping darkness, but before he could react, Luffy appeared in front of him. The captain's straw hat cast a shadow over his face as he raised a fist infused with surging black energy.
"Phantom Impact!"
The punch struck the man's chest like a cannonball. He flew backward, smashing through a wooden pillar, groaning before falling unconscious in a heap.
Zoro, leaning casually against a wall, arms crossed, smirked as he watched the chaos. "Now you're showing off."
Luffy grinned without looking back. "You say that like you're not enjoying the show."
Under one of the nearby tables, Usopp curled into a ball, peeking through a gap in the cloth. "Can't we just eat like normal people?!"
Back in the center of the room, Sanji squared off against the pirate captain, who was finally on his feet again. Blood trickled from a split lip as he seethed with rage, veins bulging on his temple.
"You're dead, chef-boy. No one humiliates Captain Krieg's scouts!"
Sanji's expression remained unreadable as he flicked his cigarette onto the floor and ground it beneath his heel. "Try me."
The pirate captain roared, sword flashing as he charged. Sanji met him head-on. Their clash was a blur—steel against leather, fury against precision. Sanji's leg collided with the blade in a high arc, and sparks flew as their eyes locked.
Before either could strike again, a deep tremor shook the entire restaurant.
The chandeliers rattled. Glasses tumbled from tables. Diners screamed, diving for cover.
Nami, who had moved closer to a window during the fight, looked out and froze. Her face turned pale.
"Guys... something's coming."
Everyone paused.
The battle ceased as every eye turned toward the wide glass windows. A cold wind blew in through a crack in the frame.
Out on the open water, emerging slowly from the thick fog, was a massive black ship—its wooden hull rotted and patched with iron, its torn sails fluttering like ghostly banners. The figurehead was a twisted demonic skull with glowing red eyes carved into the wood, and no flag flew on its mast.
The ocean around it was eerily still, as if the sea itself feared the vessel.
"What... is that?" Usopp whispered, inching toward the window.
Sanji narrowed his eyes. "That ship wasn't there five minutes ago."
Luffy stepped forward, shadows coiling tighter around his feet, his smile fading.
And then—a thunderous cannon blast echoed from the ghostly ship.
The wall behind Luffy exploded.
Flames and debris filled the air as the restaurant rocked violently.
—To be continued.
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