I know I was kinda late into this, but I just finished watching Michael.
And what a Movie it was.
And one amazing fact, I share the same birthday as him, crazy that I found about it this late.
LONG LIVE THE KING.
You will always be alive in the hearts of countless.
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Thought of the day:
Life is short, make it great.
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I was writing this chapter and I found this panel. It made me realize that Oda did it way before Gege did.
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Attendance Please:
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4:30 P.M.—
The Going Merry sailed north, cutting through the water with ease. Her hull creaked in a low, steady rhythm, as if the ship itself were humming a sea shanty. The sails were full, and Luffy's newly made Jolly Roger flew high from the crow's nest. The skull's grin seemed to grow wider with every gust of wind.
Down on the main deck, Nami sat beneath the shade of an umbrella, keeping herself occupied by studying maps.
Luffy sat on Merry's figurehead, enjoying the view. The wind rushed past him, nearly blowing his straw hat away—but he caught it just in time and pressed it firmly onto his head, wearing a childlike grin.
Usopp was in the crow's nest, disassembling the old sniper rifle that Old Man Taro had given him. The metal parts clicked and clattered in his lap. He squinted through a broken scope and muttered to himself as he wrote down a list of things he needed.
Meanwhile, Zoro was doing push-ups with Yuji sitting cross-legged on his back.
"Nine hundred fifty-six… nine hundred fifty-seven… nine hundred fifty-eight…"
Sweat poured down Zoro's face, forming a small puddle beneath him. His muscles twitched.
"Come on, Zoro, we're almost at a thousand! I know you can do it!" Yuji said, patting Zoro's back—each pat landing like a small hammer strike.
Zoro gritted his teeth and pressed on.
After five more minutes, he finally finished and collapsed onto the deck. His arms gave out first, followed by his chest hitting the wood with a dull thump.
Seeing this, Yuji jumped off his back and stood nearby.
Zoro took a deep breath, filling his lungs with much-needed oxygen. The air tasted of salt and his own sweat. He slowly stood up and exhaled in one explosive breath—Haaah—like a bellows clearing out ash.
His hands and biceps were trembling from the effort. He looked at Yuji. "How much do you weigh?"
"Oh, I'm 80 kilos!" replied Yuji with a cheerful grin, causing Zoro's eyebrows to shoot up.
"Then why the hell are you so heavy?!" Zoro's voice cracked with genuine shock. "I've done push-ups with a damn boulder on my back that was five times heavier than you!"
Yuji tilted his head. "Hmm… well, to answer your question, I used the Life-Return technique."
Zoro blinked. "Huh? One of the Six Powers you mentioned to us?"
Yuji nodded. "Right. So, do you remember what I told you about the Life-Return technique?"
Zoro hummed and rubbed his chin, trying to recall the lesson. "Uh… something like… controlling your body parts?"
"Bingo!" Yuji said with a snap of his fingers. "That's exactly what I did. By controlling my body parts, I shifted the weight of all my internal organs to one spot, so the area pressing down on you is much smaller than the boulder you used. The pressure you feel is far greater than that of any boulder on your back."
'Also,' Yuji thought, rubbing the back of his neck, 'I made my blood heavier and denser and concentrated it all into one area. But he doesn't need to know that yet.'
"Now…" Yuji spoke up again, his grin turning a bit mischievous, "…let's do sit-ups next… with me sitting over your head!"
Zoro shivered at those words and took a step back. "Oh, hell no!"
"Awwww… come on, Zoro, don't be like that!" Yuji said, pouting.
"Fuck off!" Zoro said, raising his middle finger.
Just then, Usopp shouted from the crow's nest, "SHIP AHEAD!"
The word cut through the deck like a blade, snapping everyone's attention upward.
Yuji, Zoro, and Nami walked to the front upper deck, stood by the railing, and gazed at the distant shape on the sea. The ship appeared as just a blur on the water.
"Who do you think it could be? Another Marine ship? Or maybe pirates?" asked Nami, squinting.
"Whatever it is… it's not moving," replied Zoro as he wiped the sweat from his brow and flicked it away.
Usopp climbed down from the crow's nest and jogged over, his spyglass in hand. He raised it and focused on the distant shape.
"Hmmm… interesting!" Usopp muttered.
"What is it, Usopp?" Luffy asked, sounding impatient.
"It's a strange-looking ship, shaped like a giant fish."
"Huh… a ship shaped like a giant fish?" Yuji muttered under his breath. Then it clicked. "Oh, I know exactly what it is."
Zoro and Nami raised their eyebrows. "You do?"
Yuji nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the floating restaurant, Baratie."
Nami blinked. "Wait, really? That's the most famous restaurant in all of East Blue!"
Hearing that, Luffy grinned so widely it looked like his face might split. "Nice! Then let's go eat there!"
"Oh no, no, no… you idiot! That place is expensive! We'll go broke if we eat there!" Nami shot back.
"Awww… but I'm hungry…" Luffy said, deflating as his shoulders slumped like a popped balloon.
"Tch!" Zoro clicked his tongue. "Don't you have any money on you?"
"So what!?" Nami barked at Zoro, baring her shark-like teeth. "That's MY money, you brute!" She huffed and looked away.
Everyone was quiet. The waves lapped gently against Merry's hull. A seabird cried somewhere in the distance.
Then Yuji spoke up. "Looks like we're going to eat and run, then."
Luffy perked up instantly. "Wait, really!? Shishishishishi… It's been so long since I've done that! Nice, let's do it!"
Zoro also smirked. "Well, at the end of the day, we're pirates."
"Yup. Let's go in there, eat whatever we want, and make a run for it. And if anyone tries to stop us…" Yuji cracked his fingers one by one. "…just beat them up."
Usopp gulped as he looked between the trio. "H-hey, I don't think we should do that!"
"What? Don't tell me you're backing out," said Zoro with a raised eyebrow. "We're an official pirate crew now, so let's do some pirating."
Usopp stammered, not realizing that Yuji and Zoro were actually trying to trick Nami into paying for the food.
And sure enough, it worked.
Nami gritted her teeth, her eye twitching. "ARGH!" She grabbed her hair and pulled. "Why are you guys like this?!" She pointed an accusing finger at Yuji. "Even you, big bro?! I thought you were the only responsible one here! But I was wrong! You're just like them!"
Yuji looked away and scratched his cheek, feeling embarrassed.
"Hey! Don't yell at Yuji! He didn't say anything wrong!" retorted Luffy with a pout. "We're pirates, so why should we follow rules? We'll eat and run. That's final."
Nami immediately climbed onto Merry's head and punched Luffy squarely on the skull, nearly knocking him off the ship. Her fist was smoking as she looked down at Luffy, who was rubbing a fresh bump on his head. "No. We will NOT eat and run. Do you hear me?" She then looked at Yuji and Zoro. "And you two—we're NOT beating anyone up there! We're going to eat like normal, civilized people."
"But what about the payment?" asked Zoro with a perfectly straight face.
Nami closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. Slowly, she forced out, "I… will… pay… for the food. Happy?"
Yuji and Zoro looked at each other and exchanged a fist bump.
'Got her.'
Both thought the same thing, then glanced at the fallen Luffy and gave a mental salute. 'Luffy, your sacrifice will never be forgotten.'
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Slowly and steadily, the Going Merry approached the floating restaurant, giving everyone on board a perfect view of the Baratie.
It was enormous—a massive, multi-level structure constructed from old pirate ships. A giant fish head stood at the front, its mouth frozen open. Inside that mouth was a bar, with customers visible through the teeth. The bottom was rounded, and the hull bore scars from years of waves and weather. A small row of cannons lined the sides. The restaurant had five floors. A neon sign displaying the name BARATIEglowed faintly on the fourth floor. Several wooden docks extended from the front entrance, where dozens of ships were already tied up, and people flowed in and out like water.
"Whoa! Look at that!" Luffy muttered, staring upward. Then he sniffed the air like a hunting dog, and his eyes went wide. "Ahh… what a good smell…" His stomach growled low and demanding. "Oh man, now I'm REALLY hungry."
He grinned and looked at his crew. "Come on! Let's go eat!"
They docked at one of the free docks and went inside.
The dining area was constructed on two levels. The upper level featured a balcony overlooking the lower floor, where round tables and private booths were arranged throughout. The space was illuminated by soft yellow lanterns. The floorboards creaked underfoot, but it was a pleasant creak—the kind that promised good food and fine drinks.
The group walked in and was immediately struck by the grandeur of everything. Gold trim, polished wood, and the aroma, roasting meat, fresh bread, and herbs, that made Nami's stomach growl despite her earlier resolve.
Then a man wearing a white suit and a black bow tie walked toward them, a smile firmly fixed on his face.
"Welcome to the Baratie. How may I assist you?"
Luffy stepped forward and said, "Hi! Where can we eat?"
The man's smile did not waver. "Do you have a reservation, sir?"
Luffy tilted his head. "Do we need one?"
"We're very full today. I can put you on the waiting list, but the wait is about three weeks."
Then Usopp stepped forward with a swagger—chin up, chest out. He looked the man dead in the eye. "Maybe you should check your book again. You wouldn't want to turn away the future King of the Pirates, would you?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "And who might that be, sir?"
Usopp pointed at Luffy. "Monkey D Luffy. Perhaps you've heard of him?" He added a wink for emphasis.
Luffy grinned and looked at the man with hopeful eyes, practically buzzing with excitement.
The man gasped dramatically—a loud, exaggerated sound that echoed off the high ceiling. "Well, in that case, we'll find a table—"
"Yeah, I knew it!" exclaimed Luffy, patting Usopp on the back. The sniper gave a half bow, already savoring his imagined glory.
The man continued, "—in three weeks." The smile never left his lips.
Both Luffy and Usopp froze. "Huh?"
Behind them, Yuji sighed and stepped forward. "You'll have to excuse them; they're idiots."
He pulled out his wallet, took out a few hundred berries, and handed the money to the man.
The money vanished into the man's pocket so quickly, it was like a magic trick.
"Of course. Right this way, sir," the man said, leading them to an empty private booth.
Zoro looked at Yuji with a raised eyebrow.
"What?" asked Yuji.
"You just bribed that man."
"Yeah, so?"
"Nothing."
They sat down in the private booth, leather seats that sighed softly beneath them. A window looked out over the sea, the evening light shimmering on the waves.
Luffy immediately grabbed the menu. "Oooo… look at all these meat dishes!" He began to drool, and a real drop fell onto the paper.
"I hope they have strong alcohol here," Zoro muttered, adjusting his swords and laying them across his lap.
"Oh, please, for the love of God, order something cheap," Nami said, already feeling the dent in her treasure stash. She could almost hear her Berries screaming.
Just then, shouting came from a table near the kitchen door.
"I'm saying, this here is my table—close to the kitchen so I can smell the food." A man wearing a pirate hat slammed his fist down for emphasis.
"Maybe you ought to try a table outside. Because right now, the only thing I smell is you." The speaker was a man in a white pinstripe suit, his pink hair neatly combed back, a scar beneath his right eye, and bolts attached to his knuckles. His voice was sharp, the kind of voice accustomed to getting what it wanted.
The man wearing a pirate hat yelled and shoved the food off the table. Dishes shattered, and soup splattered across the floor.
"Now, now, gentlemen…"
A new voice spoke up, smooth and almost bored.
Both men looked toward a blond man with swirled eyebrows and bangs covering his left eye. He stood with his hands in his pockets, appearing relaxed.
"You know the rules here: we don't waste food."
He stepped forward as the light flickered across his handsome face, illuminating his one visible right eye.
"Now, get the hell out of this restaurant."
"What!?" said the pink-haired man. "Do you know who I am, waiter?"
The blond tilted his head. "Why? Can't you tell me yourself?"
The pink-haired man slammed his fist onto the table, the wood cracked. "I am 'Double Ironfist' Fullbody. I am a Marine lieutenant, and you WILL show me some respect, waiter."
The blond stared at Fullbody with a blank expression. The silence lingered.
"First of all…" He took a slow, deliberate step forward. "…I am not a waiter. And second of all…"
His foot moved.
"Go fuck yourself."
The kick struck Fullbody's face so swiftly it was merely a blur. The Marine lieutenant was propelled backward, crashing into an empty table before collapsing in a heap—unconscious before he even hit the ground.
Then a pistol was aimed at the blond's head.
He turned slowly, deliberately, toward the man wearing the pirate hat. Their eyes locked.
"You shouldn't have done that."
He ducked under the pistol; the bullet passed through the spot where his head had been a second earlier and kicked the man under the chin. Crack. The pirate folded like wet paper.
"Idiots."
The blond dusted himself off, straightened his tie, and walked toward the private booth where Luffy and the others were seated.
He stopped at their table, adjusted his tie once more, and smiled—though the smile never reached his eyes.
"Hi. Welcome to our crappy restaurant, where the only thing worse than the atmosphere is the food. My name is Sanji. I'm the sous chef, but for now, I'm your waiter." He pulled out a notepad. "Now, what can I get for you?"
Luffy's hand shot up. "One of everything, please."
Sanji nodded, jotting it down without hesitation. Then he looked at the others. "Any drinks? Perhaps one of our signature cocktails to help you choke down your meal?"
"Giving us the hard sell, huh?" Nami muttered.
Sanji heard her and looked in her direction. His entire demeanor changed in an instant. His posture softened, and his voice shifted from flat to dreamy.
"Apologies, madam. I didn't see you there." He leaned slightly forward, as if pulled by a string. "Would you care for a drink to start? We have several rare Micqueot wines in stock. Or perhaps you'd like a glass of Umeshu? You know… something sweet for someone sweet."
Yuji, Zoro, and Usopp stared at Sanji with mixed emotions. Luffy simply tilted his head, looking confused.
"Something wrong with your eye?" said Nami, her expression completely flat.
Sanji's right eye somehow grew brighter. "I'm just blinded by your beauty."
Yuji's hand came down on the table with a thump.
Everyone looked at him.
"She is seventeen," Yuji said, staring directly into Sanji's visible right eye. The air around the table seemed to grow colder. "So, she won't be drinking any of that. Okay?"
Sanji flinched. It was small, almost invisible, but Yuji caught it. The intensity of Yuji's stare felt like a physical weight.
"Now," Yuji leaned back slightly. "Bring whatever Luffy ordered. A beer for him—" he said, pointing at Zoro, "—and orange juice for the rest of us."
"Y-yeah. Sure. Right away." Sanji was gone, hurrying back to the kitchen without any of his earlier confidence.
The table remained silent for several seconds.
Then, everyone looked at Yuji.
"What?" he asked.
Zoro smirked and leaned back in his seat. "You're certainly protective of Nami."
"Yeah," Usopp jumped in. "Did you see that Sanji guy? He was like, 'Madam this, madam that.' He was literally sweet-talking Nami, and with every word, Yuji's eyes twitched in annoyance!"
"Shishishishishi…" Luffy grinned, arms crossed behind his head. "Yuji's like a big brother to our crew. Isn't that right, Nami?"
Nami blushed, a deep red spreading across her cheeks like a wave. She covered her face with her hands. "Oh, shut up, you idiots!"
But she couldn't conceal her smile.
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AT SYRUP VILLAGE—
Garp's ship had docked at the back of the island, at Kaya's shipyard, to repair the mast. The yard smelled of freshly cut wood and salt. Workers moved quietly and respectfully, stealing glances at the Marine ship.
"Here, Miss Kaya. For the repairs." Bogard handed her a box filled with cash. The weight of it surprised her.
"Oh, no, no, mister… please." Kaya tried to push the box away. "I just did what was right. Helping a respected Marine like Sir Garp is already an honor for me. I don't want anything else."
Bogard's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes softened. "No, Miss Kaya. It is our failure as Marines that we didn't see the true face of a corrupt Marine like Morgan, which allowed Kuro to fool everyone and caused everything you went through." He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice carried genuine guilt. "If we had done even a little investigation three years ago, maybe none of this would have happened."
He bowed—a full, formal bow.
"For that, I am truly sorry."
Kaya's eyes widened. She began waving her hands frantically. "P-please! You don't need to do any of that!" Her voice softened, growing quieter. "I've already made peace with it. I just want to forget all of that."
Bogard straightened. "I understand, but please—at least accept this payment."
Kaya looked at the box, then at his honest face.
She sighed and took the box. "Fine."
Bogard smiled briefly, just a faint expression, then his face returned to its usual blank look. "We'll talk to Headquarters and request a permit to build a Marine base here, so that nothing like this ever happens again. I hope you don't mind."
Kaya shook her head. "No, I don't."
"Now then, we should leave." He pulled a card from his suit pocket; a Den Den Mushi number neatly printed on the front. "Here. This is our number. If you ever have any questions, please contact us."
He turned and headed back to the ship, his footsteps echoing across the wooden dock.
Kaya watched him leave, then looked down at the box in her hands.
'A Marine base,' she thought. 'Maybe… maybe that's for the best.'
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BARATIE—
The food has arrived.
Dishes covered the table like a treasure trove. Steaming plates of meat. Bowls of rice glistening with butter. A whole fish, its eyes still glassy, surrounded by lemon slices. Sauces in small ceramic pots. Bread that cracked when touched.
Luffy and the others dug in.
Ten minutes passed, and half of the food was gone.
Usopp leaned back in his seat and rubbed his stomach. "I can't eat another bite," he groaned. "But it's so good."
"Oh man, you said it," said Zoro, taking a long swig from his beer bottle. Foam clung to his upper lip, but he didn't wipe it off.
Nami groaned and plopped her head onto the table. "I won't be hungry for a week."
Yuji wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin and looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "Seriously? We're only halfway through, and you're already full?"
Usopp looked at Yuji, then at Luffy—who was still eating like a machine. "What are you two made of? Do you have stomachs or black holes?"
Luffy looked up, his cheeks bulging. "Hey, guys—should we order dessert?"
"Nah, I already got mine here," Zoro said, raising his beer bottle.
Then Luffy's eyes went wide. His grin returned, bigger than before. "Hey, hey… I've got an idea. Let's do a toast. Come on, grab your glasses."
Yuji, Nami, and Usopp each grabbed a glass of orange juice, while Zoro raised his beer bottle.
Luffy raised his glass of orange juice, condensation dripping down his fingers.
"To the best crew sailing the seas! Here's to our victory! Yeah!"
They clinked their glasses together. The sound rang out—clear and bright, like a bell signaling the start of something significant.
Luffy grinned widely as he watched them and downed the entire glass of orange juice in one long gulp.
Then Sanji appeared with the bill.
He placed it on the table near Luffy.
It was, as it turned out, the greatest mistake of his professional life.
Nami leaned forward to grab the bill, but before she could reach it, Luffy snatched it up. He took the pen that came with the bill and began writing on the paper.
The group froze as time seemed to slow.
Luffy handed the bill back to Sanji with a grin. "Thank you, my good man."
Sanji raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the bill.
His lips curled upward.
"No, sir. Thank you."
He walked away.
Yuji, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp remained frozen in their seats.
"Wh-what?" Usopp muttered.
"Luffy," Zoro's voice was dangerously calm. "Did you just give back the bill like that?"
"Huh? Oh, no," Luffy said, tilting his head. "I just helped Nami a bit. With this, she won't have to pay for everything."
"Captain," Yuji's voice was flat. "Please tell me you didn't write 'On my tab.'"
Luffy's eyes widened. "Huh? How did you know that?"
Yuji, Zoro, and Usopp groaned in unison, pressing their foreheads into their palms.
Nami's eyes were obscured by her bangs. A frightening aura emanated from her as she opened her mouth to scream at him—
"WHO THE FUCK IS MONKEY D LUFFY!?"
But someone had beaten her to it.
Zeff's voice cut through the restaurant like a knife. The old chef stood near the kitchen entrance, his peg leg planted firmly, arms crossed, mustache bristling.
And Luffy, having never learned to keep his mouth shut, immediately answered, "Here."
Zeff limped toward them. Tap, tap, tap—his peg leg striking the wooden floor like a countdown to disaster.
"You seem confused about the house rules." He stopped in front of their booth, looming. "But Baratie doesn't offer credit. You eat; you pay."
Luffy looked at Yuji and the others, who were shaking their heads frantically, silently begging him to be quiet.
Luffy shrugged.
"I think you're confused," he said, looking up at Zeff with a grin. "The meal has already been paid for; I just haven't given you the money yet."
Zeff's eyes narrowed. "Yeah? And how's that?"
Luffy pointed at the bill. "You can add it to my treasure tab."
Yuji and the others immediately closed their eyes and looked away, overwhelmed by secondhand embarrassment.
"And what, pray tell, is that?"
Luffy's grin widened. "I may not look like much yet, but you're talking to the future King of the Pirates. As soon as I find the One Piece, I'll come back here and pay this bill in full—with interest."
Zeff stared at him intently.
Then he looked at Yuji, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp—all of whom had averted their gazes, suddenly very interested in the ceiling, the floor, the window—anything except the old chef's stare.
Zeff nodded slowly, his mustache twitching.
"You know what? I have a better idea."
He grabbed Luffy by his red vest and dragged him toward the kitchen. Luffy's sandals scraped against the wooden floorboards.
"Lu—ffy—," Usopp whispered, watching his captain disappear through the swinging kitchen door.
The door swung back and forth, once, twice, then stopped.
The table was very quiet.
"So…" Zoro took a long drink from his beer bottle, draining the last drop. "Should we still pay the bill and just leave this place?"
"Oh, I'm not giving anything now," Nami stated sharply. She finished her orange juice in one angry gulp. "I was ready to pay, but HE had to mess this up."
"Then what should we do now?" asked Usopp, wringing his hands nervously.
Yuji picked up his fork, speared a piece of meat, and popped it into his mouth.
"Eh," he said, chewing. "He'll be fine."
Then he reached for another dish.
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See you on Monday.....