"So that's Krieg?"
"The pirate with a bounty of 17 million Berries."
"He's known for his cruelty, commanding fifty warships and over five thousand crew members—East Blue's largest pirate fleet."
"But look at him now; he's in pathetic shape! Who could've beaten him this badly?"
The patrons murmured amongst themselves, completely ignoring Krieg and Gin standing helplessly at the restaurant entrance.
In the end, it was Sanji who stepped forward again.
"Thanks," Krieg said briefly, eyeing the fried rice Sanji offered before devouring it greedily.
"Now leave," Sanji commanded firmly.
"Leave? Not happening!" Krieg suddenly grinned maliciously, striking Sanji hard and sending him flying. "I'm Don Krieg, East Blue's strongest pirate with a 17 million Berry bounty! From today onwards, this restaurant belongs to me!"
"Just as expected," murmured the customers calmly, unsurprised by Krieg's sudden hostility. With Eden—the East Blue's most notorious pirate, boasting a 40 million Berry bounty—seated nearby, Krieg's bravado barely registered.
"Are you deaf? Or do you not know who I am?" Krieg demanded, baffled by their indifference.
"Calm yourself, Krieg," Red-Leg Zeff, the head chef, limped from the kitchen, pointing subtly to Eden and Buggy sitting casually nearby. "Look carefully over there."
Krieg followed Zeff's gaze, and his face paled dramatically. "You're 'Sea Emperor' Eden, the 40 million Berry pirate! What are you doing here? And that's Buggy the Clown beside you? You're working together now?"
Eden didn't even bother looking up, dismissing Krieg entirely.
"Dammit," Krieg growled after a long pause. "Prepare food and water for a hundred men. I'll pay you handsomely and leave immediately afterward."
Zeff nodded reluctantly, agreeing to Krieg's terms.
"I'll remember this," Krieg said darkly as he took the supplies and left with Gin.
"I'm so sorry," Gin apologized profusely to Sanji, bowing deeply. "I didn't know Krieg would do that."
"Just leave," Sanji shrugged nonchalantly, dusting himself off.
The restaurant sighed collectively as Krieg finally departed.
"Finally, we can eat peacefully," a customer remarked. "Today's been weird—it's like all the East Blue legends decided to meet here at once. Even if a Shichibukai showed up now, I wouldn't be surprised."
Suddenly, a deafening explosion ripped through the air. Outside, Krieg's massive battleship was sliced cleanly in half.
"Krieg's ship… split apart?" diners exclaimed in shock.
Approaching calmly on a coffin-shaped boat was a figure clad in a dark coat, a cowboy hat shading fierce, eagle-like eyes. A massive sword shaped like a cross was strapped to his back.
"That's Dracule Mihawk, the greatest swordsman in the world, a Shichibukai!" Zeff announced grimly.
"Mihawk!" Zoro instantly stood, eyes blazing with determination.
"Why do you keep chasing us?" Krieg shouted from the remains of his ship.
"Just killing time," Mihawk responded dismissively.
Simultaneously, a massive Navy warship, flying the World Government and Fairy Tail flags, approached from the opposite direction. Standing proudly on deck, a scarlet-haired woman in knightly armor gripped her sword tightly.
"Commodore Erza! Finally!" Fullbody cried, nearly in tears. "East Blue pirates, it's over! Erza and I will crush you!"
At that moment, Eden neatly set down his cutlery, wiped his mouth gently, and stood from his seat.
"He's standing! Eden, the strongest pirate of East Blue, is finally on the move!" whispered diners anxiously. "Shichibukai, Navy Commodore, the strongest pirate—what's going to happen now?"
All eyes turned toward Eden and Erza as the tension peaked.
"Eden."
"Erza."
The two faced each other from afar, voices overlapping perfectly: "It's been a long time."
"Huh?" Fullbody gasped, suddenly realizing something was terribly off.
~# Every 20 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter