12. Sanji: Dad! How did you know about my dream?

"As for you, you little brat, you dared to fire a cannonball at my Lady! You'll have to pay for the damages!"

Red-Leg Zeff twisted Luffy's face into a knot, barking the vicious order at him.

"I—I don't have any money!"

Luffy was shocked to discover that he couldn't actually overpower this seemingly ordinary old codger. All the funds belonging to the Straw Hat crew were held by Nami, and Luffy truly had no spare Berries to compensate Zeff.

As for Chu Bawang, he had no intention of lending a hand. The kid, Luffy, was always reckless; it was only right that he learned a lesson.

"No money? If you haven't got the cash, then go scrub the dishes! Consider it community service!"

Red-Leg Zeff grabbed Luffy by the collar without a hint of mercy and tossed him into the kitchen's dishwashing area.

A haggard-looking young man in tattered clothes stepped into the sea restaurant, Baratie. Trembling, he drew a pistol from his coat and aimed it at the crowd, trying his best to appear intimidating.

"Everyone, stay where you are! Hand over your food! I just want a full meal; I don't want to kill anyone!"

It was Gin the Man-Demon, a mysterious figure often jokingly referred to by netizens as Admiral Green Bull. Clearly, the Krieg Pirates, the strongest pirate fleet behind Gin, had met their Waterloo after entering the Grand Line. A full 5,000 men and 49 ships had been wiped out by Dracule Mihawk single-handedly, leaving only one battered ship to limp back.

Chu Bawang looked at Gin the Man-Demon with a strange expression. "Hawk-Eye Mihawk's black blade, Yoru, is currently in Zoro's hands. Surely, having lost his weapon, he must be extremely irritable? This means that even when the ill-fated Krieg Pirates encountered a disarmed Hawk-Eye, they were still thoroughly crushed. It seems Hawk-Eye's strength is absolutely not to be underestimated!"

Of course, if he were to ever face the "cheating" Chu Bawang, he would still have to kneel and call him daddy.

Chu Bawang's current strength was enough to crush anyone! This pirate world was, after all, nothing more than a romantic journey around the world with his women.

Patty and Carne exchanged a glance and, without hesitation, gave Gin the Man-Demon a brutal beating before tossing him to the stern of the ship.

"Come on, eat up. Don't hold back. If you want to live and see tomorrow's sun, eat this bowl of rice." Sanji lit a cigarette and handed a plate of fried rice to Gin.

Tears streamed down Gin’s face as he scrambled to devour the meal. "Sanji-san... thank you, truly! You are my savior!"

Sanji exhaled a trail of smoke and grinned. "Providing food for those at sea who have nothing to eat—that’s a rule Zeff established."

Gin asked with concern, "But I didn't pay. You'll be punished by the boss, Mr. Sanji."

Sanji simply tossed the plate and fork into the sea. "There, now he has no evidence."

Luffy popped up from some corner and reached out to Sanji with a carefree grin. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy. My pirate ship is currently missing a cook like you. Mr. Sanji, would you like to join us?"

Sanji was startled. "A chore boy? Who would join your pirate crew! I'm going to be a chef at Baratie for the rest of my life!"

Chu Bawang walked by, arm-in-arm with Kaya, and chuckled softly. "But that restless heart of yours is already stirring! No one can resist the temptation of a dream, not even you."

"Sanji, don't you want to find the All Blue? To find that legendary sea?"

The All Blue, which Sanji dreamed of, was the convergence point of the four seas—East Blue, West Blue, South Blue, and North Blue. Legend said it contained all the ingredients from all four seas. It was the ultimate ocean, home to every fish, animal, and vegetable in existence—a paradise for every chef!

Sanji stared at Chu Bawang in utter shock. "Ba... Bawang? How do you know I want to go to the All Blue?!"

A sense of wariness rose in Sanji's heart. Even more shocking was that, although he had intended to call out Chu Bawang's name, the words that slipped out were "Daddy Bawang."

It was humiliating! As the top chef of Baratie, he had just called a stranger "Daddy"?! If it weren't for the fact that Chu Bawang was a guest, Sanji would have beaten him to a pulp.

Chu Bawang swirled the fine wine in his glass and responded with a light laugh: "I don't just know your dream; I also know all about Red-Leg Zeff's past."

Sanji's pupils constricted, his gaze filled with awe. Red-Leg Zeff... that was the nickname Captain Zeff of the sea restaurant had held on the Grand Line!