Chapter 302: The Active Marines of Loguetown
It was unclear whether the Baratie restaurant was used to seeing chefs and customers fight like this, but when Sanji, Patty, and the others ganged up on Ian, the customers dining in the restaurant weren’t scared off at all. Instead, they watched with keen interest from their seats.
However, what surprised them a bit was that the Baratie’s battle chefs, known for their fierce combat skills, couldn’t take down the young freeloader even when they all attacked together.
Just then, the restaurant’s owner, Red-Leg Zeff, appeared. As soon as he showed up, the onlookers, eager for drama, got even more excited.
“Boss Zeff is here!”
“That kid’s in for it now! He’ll probably get kicked to death by Zeff!”
Some of the more knowledgeable customers had heard of Red-Leg Zeff’s reputation, especially the regulars. They knew well that although Zeff stopped the fight as soon as he came out, he was even more ruthless when dealing with freeloaders like this.
So, the restaurant’s patrons settled in to watch the show continue.
As soon as Zeff appeared, Patty and the others backed off. Only Sanji, who had been knocked down by Ian’s sword hilt, got up clutching his stomach, intending to charge at Ian again.
But at that moment, Zeff suddenly swung his prosthetic cane leg and delivered a vicious whip kick to Sanji’s head from behind.
Sanji’s head felt like it had been hit by a giant iron hammer, and he collapsed on the spot.
Red-Leg Zeff was known as a man who could shatter rocks with a kick and leave footprints in steel. Even without his real leg now, his kick was still formidable. Sanji had a huge bump swelling on his head, blood dripping from his nose, and he turned back angrily, shouting, “Old man! What are you doing!?”
Zeff snorted and said, “You blind fool! Stand down now!”
Then he looked around at Patty and the other chefs and scolded, “And you lot! Is this how you treat a guest!?”
Patty and the others were baffled, not understanding what was wrong with Boss Zeff. How could this freeloader be considered a guest?
But Zeff ignored them completely, clacking over to Ian and saying, “Sorry about that, guest. These idiots are too rude!”
Ian glanced at him and said irritably, “Don’t you people even give someone a chance to explain? I didn’t bring any money, but who said I was going to skip out on the bill!?”
Sanji had gotten back up by then, relighting a cigarette, and said to Ian, “You’re not thinking of washing dishes or doing chores here to pay it off, are you?”
Before Ian could respond, Zeff shot Sanji a harsh glare and said, “Shut up!”
Then he turned to Ian and said, “No need, guest. This meal is on me.”
When he said that, not only the customers but even Sanji and Patty were stunned. Boss Zeff was treating someone to a meal!? That was unheard of!
Could this guy be someone Zeff knew?
Sanji and the others looked Ian up and down, but no matter how they looked, Ian seemed way too young to be an acquaintance of the old man Zeff…
Ian, however, realized that Zeff might have recognized him. Even though he wasn’t wearing his hat now, his outfit and the bandaged bell on his wrist were still the same.
Sure enough, Ian noticed Zeff’s eyes fixed on the bell on his wrist.
Shaking his head, Ian said, “No need. I’ll pay for my meal. Just wait a bit—that’s not too much to ask, is it?”
Seeing Ian insist, Zeff didn’t push it. He sat down at Ian’s table and turned to Sanji, saying, “Go get some dessert!”
Sanji was dumbfounded. What did the old man mean by that? Was he going to throw in a free dessert too?
After giving the order, Zeff ignored Sanji and asked Ian, “What brings you back to the East Blue?”
So Zeff had indeed recognized Ian. As a once-famous pirate, Zeff’s eyesight was far sharper than Sanji’s or Patty’s. He had been in the back kitchen earlier, but when the fight broke out, he heard the jingling of bells. At first, he was startled, then puzzled, and came out to check. When he saw Ian’s appearance, he immediately sensed trouble and stopped Sanji and Patty.
Although Ian’s title as a Warlord of the Sea had spread across the entire East Blue, most people only knew him from his old wanted poster—a black-and-white sketch-like photo showing just a headshot without the full picture. Many had never seen the real Ian and never expected him to suddenly return to the East Blue, so how could they recognize him instantly?
Moreover, while many knew the title of Warlord, they didn’t truly understand what kind of figure a Warlord represented.
Only someone like Red-Leg Zeff, who had returned from the Grand Line, would grasp what a Warlord truly meant…
His biggest relief now was that Ian hadn’t flown into a rage and torn down the entire Baratie!
Of course, because of Ian’s age, Zeff couldn’t show him too much deference, but he still offered to treat him, using that gesture to convey goodwill.
Hearing Zeff’s question, Ian simply said, “I’m just passing through.”
Then Ian asked Zeff, “Do a lot of pirates come here?”
Zeff nodded and said, “Yes, and not all of them come just to eat. Especially lately—there are more than usual. So please understand Sanji and the others’ actions.”
Ian didn’t mind and said, “Well, if there are plenty of pirates, that’s good. I’ll just catch a few to cover my meal. That works, right?”
Zeff hadn’t expected Ian to pay this way. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Fine, suit yourself.”
With that, he got up and left, leaving the restaurant customers whispering among themselves, wondering why Boss Zeff was so easygoing today. Sanji, Patty, and the other chefs exchanged confused glances, unsure what to do.
Just then, Zeff’s roar came from the back kitchen: “You idiots! Get back to work in the kitchen!”
Patty scratched his bald head and turned to leave. Sanji did the same, but as he was about to go, Ian reminded him, “Don’t forget my dessert.”
Sanji stumbled slightly, frowned, and walked back to the kitchen with his hands in his pockets, ignoring Ian’s comment.
Ian wasn’t bothered. He propped his legs up on the table, leaned back in his chair, and waited patiently.
Generally speaking, Ian didn’t have a habit of skipping bills. Even though the Baratie’s prices were steep—Patty had said 84,000 Berries, with a 9,000 service charge—Ian intended to pay. On these seas, pirates with bounties were plentiful, especially at a place like the Baratie, which was frequently visited by pirates. He could easily grab one or two pirates, let the restaurant turn them in for the bounty, and call it even.
Come to think of it, this might be fate or destiny. Back in the East Blue, Ian had started out as a pirate hunter. Now, returning here, his first act was to fall back on his old trade…
At that moment, there were a few pirate-looking types in the restaurant. Ian couldn’t help glancing at them, wondering if they had bounties. Should he just grab them to settle his debt?
Those pirates felt a chill under Ian’s ominous gaze, but since Ian had just faced down the entire restaurant’s chefs and even Boss Zeff had treated him politely, they had no idea who he was. Not daring to provoke him, they quickly paid their bills and fled.
Ian looked at their outfits and weapons and figured they were probably just small fry, so he ignored them.
Just then, a soft clink sounded on the table. Sanji had brought Ian the complimentary dessert—a delicate chocolate cake. After setting it down, he sat beside Ian, lit a cigarette, and asked suspiciously, “Who are you, really?”
Ian pulled the plate over and started eating the cake with a fork, saying, “Didn’t your boss tell you?”
Sanji shook his head and said, “The old man’s being all mysterious. He didn’t say anything.”
Ian nodded inwardly. It seemed Boss Zeff was sensible. Even though he recognized Ian, he hadn’t dared to reveal Ian’s identity without permission. Ian was satisfied with that and continued eating his cake slowly, ignoring Sanji’s question.
The restaurant was busy, and Sanji was eventually called away to serve customers. But as he moved around the restaurant, he kept an eye on Ian.
When Ian finished the cake, Sanji brought him a cup of tea, and Ian sat there sipping it leisurely.
This waiting went on for over two hours, which annoyed Ian. Hadn’t they said there were lots of pirates lately? Why hadn’t any shown up? Was he going to have to eat dinner here too?
Just as Ian was thinking this, he faintly heard a rumbling sound.
Huh? Cannon fire? Ian perked up and immediately stepped out of the restaurant, standing by the railing to look around.
On the sea south of the Baratie, two ships appeared. The one in front flew a pirate flag, while the one behind was a Marine battleship.
“Ha, business is here!” Ian rubbed his hands together excitedly. Zeff was right—there were indeed plenty of pirates.
Just as Ian was about to set out, he overheard some chatter nearby.
A few restaurant customers, who had also come out to watch the commotion after hearing the cannons, were discussing: “That battleship must be from the Loguetown Marines, right?”
“Probably. The Loguetown Marines have been hunting pirates pretty frequently lately.”
“Isn’t that a good thing? Or would you prefer them to be as lazy as before?”
“Hey, what do you know? It’s all because a tough female Marine officer joined the Loguetown Marine base!”
“Yeah, I heard she’s been leading the pirate hunts recently. And every time they go out, they win. This time, the Loguetown Marine base really recruited someone impressive…”