Close to a New Year, hopefully faster updates, but unlikely as I have other things to do. Trying to find my place in the world, my career and such causing me to have less time in writing. I apologize for that, but what can I do...I have bills to pay damn it!

I won't answer any review questions because there are just so many from the last update I made. Maybe I'm getting told too quickly and getting grumpy.

Luffy's Harem:

Nami
Robin
Hancock
Vivi
Koala
Shirahoshi
Rebecca
Reiju
Nojiko

Current One Piece chapter is 890.

Chapter 9: Welcome Aboard, Cook

Mihawk, the greatest swordsman in the world, slowly drifted towards Luffy and co, his head lowered, hiding his eyes from them all. Luffy stared at him, expressionless. His intimidating presence was still so strong. He could feel it.

"W-Who is that?" Usopp asked, noticing the powerful presence he emitted.

"Dracule Mihawk..." Zoro muttered as everyone looked at him. "The Greatest Swordsmen in the world." He smirked. His hands went do to his swords, clenching them tightly as sweat rolled down the side of his face. "My goal."

"That man...it can't be...he chased us all the way here!" One of Krieg's crew shouted in horror.

"Does he want to kill us!?" Another shouted.

"Oi...what do you think he wants?" Usopp asked, his legs shaking in fright.

"I don't know...but I can't let this opportunity pass me by." Zoro told him as he made his way towards Luffy. "I hope you don't mind...Luffy?"

"No..." Luffy responded. He wasn't going to like seeing Zoro lose and get dealt such a dangerous blow which left him a scar across his chest. However, he knew Zoro needed this. To see, just how weaker he was compared to Mihawk.

"Damn you! Why are you following us!?" One of Krieg's crew shouted as Mihawk's boat came to a stop.

"To kill time." Mihawk replied without budging a single inch.

"You bastard! A group took out their guns and pointed it at the swordsmen, firing shots at him.

Mihawk grabbed his black blade and used it to simply deflect the bullets away with ease. The pirates all looked stunned, not understanding what he did.

"W-What just happened?"

"He deflected your bullets with his sword. A simple thing for a man of his caliber." The pirates turned around and panicked when they saw Zoro standing behind them. He had his bandanna on his head and one of his swords unsheathed. He walked past them and then pointed his sword towards Mihawk. "I have looked for you for a long time. You were the one who cut this ship, no? That power...it's as legit as you are."

"And...who might you be?" Mihawk asked, putting his black sword back behind him.

"I'm the man...who will surpass you." Mihawk stayed motionless before sighing. Zoro grunted as he took out his other swords, preparing to do battle.

"Foolish." Mihawk told him, standing up. "Your swordsmen, no? Clearly you realize the difference in our power? So why do you try?"

"I guess I'm just an idiot with a dream. A dream of surpassing you and a promise I made to a friend." Mihawk turned his head toward him, eyeing the green haired man.

"Fool. You don't stand a chance." Mihawk warned him.

"I won't know unless I try." Zoro responded.

"We need to stop this..." Koala whispered. Even she knew the difference in strength. She was afraid what might happen to Zoro if he continued with this fight.

"No." Luffy told her as everyone behind him turned their heads to him. "This is his fight. No matter what happens, we will not interfere."

"But!" Koala shouted in surprise.

"That's an order." Luffy exclaimed sternly, making his decision firmly.

"Luffy-kun..." She muttered before looking back at Zoro.

"What are you waiting for?" Zoro asked, preparing his stance. "Are you not going to draw that blade?" Mihawk scoffed at his suggestion. Instead of reaching for the black blade, he grabbed a smaller dagger that was around his neck and pointed it at Zoro. "Oi, is this some sort of joke?" Zoro asked, offended.

"Of course not. The joke will be using my black blade against a weakling like you." Zoro felt his blood boil. He hated being underestimated. "I only use that blade against people I find worthy or strong enough...like that Straw Hat wearing boy."

Zoro's eyes widened as he turned his head towards Luffy. Luffy didn't react to his statement and simply stared back at Mihawk. 'W-What...? What is he talking about? I-Is Luffy...really that strong?' He looked back at Mihawk and at the dagger in his hand. 'A-Am I really that weak? No!' He shook his head. 'He's just fucking with me! I am not weak!'

"Come. Let's end this quickly." Zoro gritted his teeth against his sword and charged at Mihawk.

"You better watch those words...or you'll regret them! Oni..." Zoro went into his Onigiri pose. "...Giri!"

"Foolish boy. You have yet to see the world." Mihawk stopped Zoro's go to move by connecting his dagger at the point where all three blades would cross. Zoro's eyes widened. He looked down at the dagger and saw how easily it was for Mihawk to stop him. Zoro tried to push forward, but it was no use. He couldn't even budge.

'I-Impossible...' Zoro was stunned beyond belief. 'The difference between us...it can't be this large...'

"No way! He stopped Aniki's best attack!" Johnny and Yosaku had their jaws hanging. Standing next to them was Usopp, who was also in disbelief. Koala eyes widened a bit, but predicted this outcome. Luffy just stayed still.

'No way! I can't...this is impossible!' Zoro growled, backing away for a brief moment before raising his arms and began to swing his blades at Mihawk. Mihawk stood still as he used the dagger to block or deflect Zoro's attacks with ease. Getting bored, Mihawk swung his own arm and pushed Zoro back, causing the younger swordsman to roll back from the force.

"Aniki!" Johnny yelled in shock.

"What are you doing!? This isn't the time to be joking!" Yosaku added. Zoro growled again and got back up to try his luck again. Mihawk continued to block his attacks.

"Your skills...are so wild..." He commented. "Not exactly refined..."

"Shut up!" Zoro shouted, getting frustrated that his attacks were doing nothing. 'I've worked so hard...practiced every day till my hands bleed...I did everything I could...this can't be happening...'

Mihawk observed him. "Why do fight? What is your goal?" He asked. Zoro gritted his teeth. "You're nothing, but a weakling."

That word hurt the most of his mouth. Zoro was absolutely stunned at how great the difference in power was. It also hit a nerve in both Johnny and Yosaku.

"You bastard! How dare you call Aniki a weakling!?"

"Yeah, we'll show you!" Johnny and Yosaku were about to go and attack Mihawk, but were quickly grabbed by Luffy and tossed back behind him. "Luffy-aniki! Why...?"

"This is his fight...I won't let anyone interfere." He told him, crossing his arms.

"B-But..."

"No means no." Luffy replied with a stern voice.

"Luffy-kun..." Koala eyes soften.

Zoro backed away once again, panting as he stared at the man considered the strongest swordsman in the world. 'Damn it...I have to do something...maybe...' Zoro took a deep breath and swung his blades again. Mihawk noticed his much calmer demeanor and eyed him carefully. Zoro spun around, turning his body to slash at Mihawk, but quickly faked it and jumped before swinging his legs at him. Mihawk watched with slight surprise as two compressed air blades were coming at him. "Rankyaku!"

Despite the surprise move, Mihawk simply used his dagger and cut the air blades in half as they crashed into Don Krieg's sliced up ship behind him. Zoro's eyes widened as not even that was enough. "I was not expecting someone like you knowing that move. However, it was losing it's power the closer it got to me...it was unrefined...just like your sword skills."

"Damn it!" Zoro growled backing away from Mihawk, before putting both of his swords behind his back, preparing his next attack. "Tora...Gari!" He went for another death blow, but Mihawk simply thrust his dagger forward and stabbed Zoro in the chest. Zoro gritted his teeth in pain as blood trailed down his shirt.

"Aniki!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted. Usopp and Koala had their eyes widened with the former's jaw left hanging.

Zoro's legs shook as pain coursed throughout his entire body. He panted as he stared at Mihawk. Mihawk, despite not showing on his face, was surprised Zoro was not backing away. "Why aren't you moving? Do you want this dagger to go through your heart?"

"I...I don't know...but for some reason...if I do take a step back...I'll never be able to go forward again. I would have broken my promise..." Mihawk simply stared.

"That's correct. That's what we call losing." Zoro looked down at the dagger.

"Then...I really can't step back." Zoro added.

"Even if it means you'll lose your life?"

"If I have to lose, I rather die." Mihawk narrowed his eyes, impressed by the young man's willpower.

"I see...tell me your name, kid." Mihawk pulled the dagger out of his chest.

"Roronoa...Zoro..." Zoro took a stance to prepare his final blow.

"I see. Roronoa...Zoro...then I'll remember your name. It's been a long time since I met someone with your will power." He stated putting the dagger away and unsheathing the black sword on his back. "With that, I will be using this sword...the strongest sword in the world to finish you off." He stated as Zoro simply stared at him.

"Oh no! He's going to kill Aniki!" Johnny shouted in terror.

"Oi...is he for real..." Sanji muttered, his eyes widening a bit.

"Luffy-kun!" Koala shouted, trying to get him to intervene before Zoro dies. Luffy didn't reply and only watched.

'This is my last chance...if I don't hit this move...I'm dead...' Zoro bent his knees and began spinning the blades in his hands.

"Die." Mihawk charged at him.

"Aniki!"

"Santoryu Ogi: Sanzen Sekai!" Zoro slashed his way past Mihawk as the two swordsman stood still. Everyone waited with anticipation, to see the outcome of this fight. Suddenly, Zoro's blades in both of his hands shattered, surprising everyone.

"No way...aniki..." Johnny had his jaw dropped.

'I...lost...' Zoro felt so weak. He couldn't believe the gap between him and the world's greatest swordsman. It was humiliating how different they were.

He dropped the blades in his hand grabbed the Wado Ichimonji in his mouth, putting it back in his scabbard. Mihawk turned around, ready to deal the final blow, but was surprised when he saw Zoro turn around to face him and spread his arms apart. "What are you doing?"

"Wounds on the back are a swordsman's shame..." Mihawk smirked, for the first time in a long time.

"Marvelous." He said before delivering a vicious slice across Zoro's chest. Blood splattered as everyone cringed or screamed in horror. Zoro closed his eyes as he fell back and into the sea.

"Aniki!" Johnny and Yosaku cried out as they, plus Usopp and Koala got onto the dinghy and sailed toward Zoro to rescue him. Mihawk placed the black sword back on his back and then turned to Luffy who stared right back.

"You...you're not like everyone else here...I can tell...you are a very dangerous man...why...? I never heard of you...but that Straw Hat..." Mihawk narrowed his eyes.

"It's the same..."

"Hm?"

"What you're thinking is correct...it's the same one..." Luffy told him as Mihawk stared.

"I see...what's your goal?"

"To become the Pirate King." Luffy declared proudly.

"I see...your quest is more dangerous than his...however, your eyes tell me you already know this. Your eyes...they are not ones of someone who is naive of this world...that is something you need...especially for your goal..." Mihawk told him.

"You're really good..." Luffy replied, a small smirk on his face.

"Hmph..." Mihawk then turned to see Zoro getting dragged out of the water. "Roronoa Zoro!" He shouted, alerting everyone. "It is still too young for you to die! My name is Dracule Mihawk! Get stronger, explore the world, learn more and then, one day, when you are ready, I shall await for your arrival. Until then, I forbid you from dying! It doesn't matter how long it takes, I will be waiting! Train both your skills and with your heart! Then, dare to challenge me again, Roronoa Zoro!"

Zoro coughed up water as he heard every word that came out of his mouth. Johnny and Yosaku was extremely glad Zoro was okay.

Koala let out a sigh of relief. She then turned to Luffy with a scowl. "Usopp-kun...can you take care of him?"

Usopp looked at her and nodded. "S-Sure."

"Thank you. Then, go after Nami-chan, okay?" Koala told him before jumping off the boat and back to the Baratie.

"Oi!" She heard Usopp shout, but she ignored him as she had to tell Luffy off.

"Luffy-kun! What the hell!?" Koala demanded an explanation. "Zoro-kun could have died!"

"He wasn't." Luffy told her.

"I don't care if you know the future or whatever..." She whispered. "...anything can change! You have to remember that!" Luffy made a noise in slight surprise at his words. She was right. However, he also knew this wasn't going to kill Zoro. No, he was not planning on dying. However, her words were true. Anything can happen. Anything can change. Nothing is certain. Time travel was not something to play around with.

"L-L-L-Luffy..." Everyone turned to the boat Usopp and the others were on and saw Zoro raising his hand with his sword pointing towards the sky. "...c-can you hear me?" Everyone was stunned that he was still breathing.

"No way...he's still talking...even after all of that...?" Sanji was stunned by the man's determination.

"Aa...I can..." Luffy responded back.

"S-Sorry...I...made you worry about me...right?" He spoke. "If I can't become the world's greatest swordsman...then that would be an embarrassment for you, right, King of the Pirates." He then let out a scream as he spat out blood.

"Aniki! Stop! Don't talk anymore!" Johnny cried.

"I-I promise you...from now one...I WILL NOT LOSE EVER AGAIN!" He shouted straight to the heavens as tears streamed down his face. "Until I beat that man...I swear...I WILL NEVER LOSE AGAIN!" Luffy smiled. "Is that alright with you, King of the Pirates?"

Luffy snickered. "Yeah! That's okay with me!" Zoro sobbed, covering his eyes with his hand before dropping his sword.

Mihawk smirked. "You two are some team." He acknowledged, waiting for the day he would meet the two of them again. However, he turned his head back to Luffy. He was very intrigued by the boy's strength.

"Usopp! Get going! Go after Nami! Take care of Zoro too, okay!?" Luffy shouted over to him.

"O-Of course! We'll see you soon!" Usopp shouted back as Yosaku started steering the boat after the Going Merry. Usopp and Johnny began to patch up the wound on Zoro's chest, preventing him suffering massive blood loss.

With the boat sailing away, Luffy turned back to Mihawk. "So...is there anything else you want from us?"

Mihawk eyed him and closed his eyes. "If you don't mind...I will like to stay for a while..." Luffy's eyes widened. This was not what happened last time. However, he had no objection. He just hoped this didn't change anything in the future. Mihawk nodded and walked over to his boar and sat down. Putting one leg over another and clasped his hands on his knee, he made the boat sail away a couple of feet to watch from afar.

"Geez...why are men so difficult...?" Koala sighed, slightly annoyed about the whole thing.

"Shishishi. I guess we're just stubborn." Luffy snickered.

"Yeah, and you're the most stubborn of them all." She sweat dropped as Luffy only chuckled.

"Oi! Mihawk!" Mihawk raised his head as Don Krieg shouted out to him, alerting everyone. "Why are you cowering over there for, huh!? Are you scared to fight me?"

"Don't be foolish...I'm not your opponent." He responded, closing his eyes.

"Huh!?" He shouted in response.

"He's right...your opponent is me." Krieg turned to Luffy, who was cracking his knuckles.

"You...oh right...you hit me so hard...heh, I guess I'll deal with you first before going after that asshole over there." He smirked. "Pearl! Go and secure our new ship!" Pearl slammed his shields together in joy.

"As you wish, Captain!" Pearl made his way towards the Baratie. He hopped onto the floating pieces of wood to get to Sanji and the others.

"Patty." Zeff called him.

"Yeah?"

"Pull up the front porch." He ordered.

"Right away!" Patty ran over the lever and activated it. There was a soft rumble before a platform raised itself from below the water. The two platforms moved to each other before connecting, making one large platform for Luffy and the others to move around. Luffy and Koala jumped onto the platform as the pieces of debris they stood on floated away by the waves caused by the platforms.

"Now then...seems like it would be easier for you to fight." He smirked at Luffy who nodded.

"Thanks!" He smirked back as Pearl landed on the platform, grinning like an idiot.

"Fantastic! Now I have room to destroy every one of you! Prepare yourselves for the Pearl Smash!" Pearl shouted as he jumped in the air, prepared to slam his shields down at Sanji and the others. Sanji looked up and glared at Pearl, preparing to jump up to intercept him. "Here I come!" Pearl descended, falling at a destructive speed.

However, Luffy was not going to have any of it as he timed Pearl before stretching his leg and planting his foot across his face and sending him flying to the middle of the ocean. Everyone, except Mihawk, were stunned by how easy it was for Luffy to knock the man away with just one kick. Krieg gritted his teeth in anger as a drop of sweat rolled down his temple.

Sanji stood there in disbelief as he watched Luffy's leg stretch back towards him. "What the...how strong is this guy...?"

"Annoying..." Luffy groaned as he hated that guy.

"Impressive as always Luffy-kun..." Koala sighed, wondering why she was even shocked anymore.

"Shishishi! Yosh! It's your turn armor head!" Luffy pointed a finger at Krieg who got annoyed by the boy.

"You bastard..."

"Whoa...that kid is strong..." One of the chefs commented.

Zeff smirked. However, he was suddenly pushed to the ground from behind and felt a foot planted behind his head. "Sanji!" Everyone turned around to see Gin holding a shotgun to Zeff's head.

"Gin! What do you think you're doing!? Sanji shouted.

"Gin..." Krieg muttered in surprise, but smirked when he now had the upper hand. "Excellent Gin! Blow his head off!"

Gin closed his eyes and ignored his captain. He looked up towards Sanji. "Sanji...please...give up this ship...if you do...we won't hurt you or anyone else."

"What!? Gin! I said shoot him!" Krieg's eyebrows twitched in anger.

Gin again ignored him as he stared at Sanji. "Please..."

Sanji took a drag on his cigarette and tapped his shoes against the platform. "Oi, old geezer...you looking kind of pathetic down there..."

"Shut up, you brat." Zeff replied.

"Brat! I'm not a kid anymore!" Sanji yelled back.

"Sanji!" Gin shouted.

"Sorry, Gin. I can't do that. This place...it's this old geezer's dream...I just can't let you take it. So, instead, point your gun at me." Sanji's words surprised everyone.

"What?"

"Are you insane Sanji!?"

Luffy frowned as he looked at Sanji.

"Sanji...why...?" Gin asked him, confused.

"I've already taken everything from that man...his power...his dream...that's why...I don't want that man to loose anything anymore!" Sanji declared as everyone stared at him in either awe, confusion or in Luffy's case, a frown.

Mihawk observed the scene and closed his eyes. "What a foolish thought..."

"He gave me the food and ate his own leg in order for me to survive. I won't give this restaurant to anyone! I won't allow anyone to kill that man! In order to save my life, he payed the ultimate price!" Sanji shouted and fixed his tie. "If I don't risk my life, then I will never be able to pay back my debt! To pay back what he has done for me!"

"Sanji-kun..." Koala whispered with sadness in her eyes.

Luffy growled. "Oi, Zeff-ossan..." Everyone turned to Luffy. Even Mihawk was curious to what he was going to say. "...I'm going to destroy this ship..alright?" Sanji's eyes widened in shock.

"What did you say, you brat!?"

"This is our ship! We won't let you!"

"What the hell!? Didn't you hear what I said!?" Sanji yelled at Luffy, walking towards him and grabbing his cardigan.

"I did."

"Then why!?"

"Are you telling me..." Luffy slapped his hand away. "...that you want to die for this restaurant? Are you an idiot!?"

"Huh? What did you say!?"

It was Luffy's turn to grab Sanji by the collar. "Dying is no way to repay back your debt! He saved you! Let you live and you want to repay him by dying!? Are you an idiot!? If you die, then everything hes done would have been worthless!" Sanji's eyes widened at his words.

Mihawk smirked. "This boy..."

"T-Then...what do you want me to do!?" Sanji shouted back.

"Live!" Luffy responded.

"Luffy-kun..."

"Live! Fight!" He said before shoving him away. "That's how you can repay him for everything!"

Sanji was speechless. Never did he think that you could repay someone by just simply living. Was he wrong the entire time?

"I've had enough! Gin! Shoot the man or I will do it for ya!" Krieg yelled as his patience grew thin.

"Captain...I..." Gin felt his hand shake as he looked down at Zeff. He then lifted his gun and tossed it away.

"What are you doing!?" Krieg yelled.

"I've decided..." Gin took his foot off of Zeff and walked over him to confront Sanji. "...I will end this man's life first...is that alright with you, Captain?" He said as he took out two tonfas with a metal ball attached on one end.

"Those weapons..." Sanji narrowed his eyes as he turned to face him.

Krieg gritted his teeth before answering. "Do whatever you want..."

"Thank you..." Gin replied back as he began swinging one of his tonfas slowly in a circle. "Are you ready, Sanji?"

Sanji took a drag of his cigarette. "Don't be stupid..."

"Tch, fine then." Gin charged at him, swinging his tonfa at Sanji. He jumped up to avoid the weapon and went for a kick to Gin's head, but he used his other tonfa to block the kick. Sanji gritted his teeth slightly, feeling pain run up his leg from the impact with the metal ball. "So...you use your legs..."

"Yeah well...that geezer was good for something at least." Sanji commented before pushing away and landed back on the platform. He raised his head and saw Gin gaining on him. He swung his tonfas as Sanji either avoid, or deflected the tonfas with kicks.

"...you really do only use your legs...just like Zeff did..." Sanji narrowed his eyes, kicking another tonfa strike away. Sanji dodged a strike from left before spinning around and aimed a kick at Gin's side. Gin raised his arm to brace himself as Sanji's legs made contact. Gin groaned at the power of his kick, sliding a couple of inches to the right.

Sanji lowered his leg, eyeing Gin. "Don't compare me to that geezer. My kicks happen to be better."

"My ass." Zeff muttered.

"Shut up!" Sanji yelled back at him. Gin took advantage of the distract as he swept Sanji's leg and turned his body to slam his tonfa against Sanji's neck, pinning him to the floor. Gin sat indian style as he held the tonfa tightly against the blond cook.

"Don't underestimate me." Gin told him, spinning the other tonfa quickly, preparing to slam it down on Sanji's face. Just as Gin was going to hit him, Sanji spit his cigarette onto Gin's face, burning just outside his eye. The distraction allowed Sanji to lift himself and slipped through the tonfa that held him down before the other slammed hard onto the floor. Sanji planted his legs down before launching them at Gin's chin. His head went back, but it wasn't enough to knock him out, allowing Gin to swing a tonfa at Sanji.

Sanji was hit hard in his stomach as both men were sent flying from each other. Sanji groaned as some blood came out of his mouth. Both men however, got back on their feet.

"They're even..."

"I never seen Gin so easily matched..."

Others commentated as both me stared at each other. Gin smirked a she licked the blood rolling down the side of his mouth, excited about finally getting a good challenge. Gin immediately charged at Sanji, swinging his tonfas. Sanji dodged, but his movements were a bit slower, as the pain on his sides made it difficult for him to avoid his attacks.

Sanji ducked and tried a back flip kick to Gin's chin, but he reacted quickly and leaned his head back to avoid him. Sanji landed back on his feet and jumped towards Gin, aiming a kick to his head. Gin raised his tonfa to block it and use the other to attack Sanji, but he used his momentum to push off of Gin, get behind him, and try another kick to the back of his head. Gin reacted once again and raised his arm to block the kick again, turned his feet and thrust the metal ball part of his tonfa into Sanji's ribs. It managed to connect as Sanji coughed up blood.

Sanji managed to recover and land on his feet, sliding to a stop. He wiped the blood trailing down his jaw and glared at Gin. "Have you had enough?" Gin asked him as Sanji smirked.

"Nah...I'm just getting warmed up." He replied. 'Damn...he's good...'

"That so...then...it's time I finish this!" Gin raced towards him, gripping his tonfas tightly and spinning both of them in circles. Sanji stood up and then dodged Gin's charge by somersaulting to his left and then turning his body to land a powerful kick to the back of his head. Sanji gritted his teeth as he felt a sharp pain on his side. However, Sanji landed on his feet and looked down at Gin. The man lifted himself up, grabbed a tonfa and then tried a sneak attack on Sanji, but he was able to back away, spin around and connect with a powerful kick to his face. Gin landed back on the floor, groaning in pain.

"Yeah! Go Sanji!" The chefs cheered as Sanji stood above Gin.

"Shut up, you damn shitty cooks!" He yelled at them. They were surprised by his outburst.

"Well, screw you then!"

"Yeah, I hope you go drown!"

"Die!"

"What's the matter with them?" Koala sweat dropped. She looked over at Sanji was impressed with his kicking abilities. Luffy smiled. It wasn't exactly how it went down, but he was glad Sanji got a victory nonetheless.

"Oi! Gin! Get your ass up and fight!" He yelled at him. However, Gin was unresponsive. "You bastard..."

Sanji sighed as he took out another cigarette and began to light it. Gin saw this and quickly swept his leg over Sanji's. Sending him to the floor in shock. He then grabbed Sanji by the throat with one hand and held a tonfa in the other.

"Oh no! Sanji!"

"Hahaha! That's it, Gin! Finish him off!" Krieg yelled, cheering him on to finish the job.

Gin panted as he looked down at Sanji. He raised the tonfa slightly, looking like he was prepared to strike Sanji down, but he couldn't find the strength to do it. Sanji's eyes widened when he saw Gin crying. "I can't...I can't do it..."

"Huh?" Krieg raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry Captain! I can't do it! I can't kill this man!" He shouted as tears ran down his face.

"What did you say!?" Krieg felt his blood boil.

"Because...because...it's the first time I received such kindness from some one else for so long...I can't do it..." He cried letting the tonfa drop to the floor and placing a hand over his bandanna to try and cover his eyes from the shame he felt.

"You damn coward..." Krieg had enough as he took out a shield and propped it in front of him. Some of the remaining Krieg pirates screamed in horror as a hole opened up in the shield and a small cannon came out.

"Oh no! Captain Krieg is going to use that!?" They screamed. Those in the water began splashing in panic.

Mihawk eyed the weapon, wondering exactly what the man was planning. He hated seeing anyone using dirty tactics to win a fight. Especially when he was amused by the scuffle the blond man had with the man named Gin.

"What's going on?" A chef asked.

"Oh no...captain, surely you wouldn't..." Sanji saw Gin's look of horror and was curious at what Krieg was planning.

"Hahaha! Prepare yourselves! For the ultimate weapon of destruction! The MH5!" He laughed hysterically as Koala noticed some of Krieg's henchman putting on masks.

"Oh no! It's poison gas!" She shouted as everyone's eyes widened. Mihawk scowled.

"Shit! Everyone either inside the Baratie or jump into the water!" He told everyone as Patty and Carne helped Zeff get inside. Some of the chefs followed them or jump into the water to avoid the gas attack. Luffy acted quickly as he stretched his arm to grab a couple of masks.

"Hahahaha! It's time to end this!" He said and fired the gas. "MH5: Poison Gas Bullet!" Luffy quickly tossed a mask to Koala, who took it and put it on quickly. "Gin! Don't you dare put your mask on." Krieg glared at him. Gin, who was about to put on the mask looked horrified at Krieg's request, but was about to oblige, if it wasn't for Monkey D. Luffy.

Luffy took the mask he had and placed it over Sanji's face and then took Gin's hand with the mask in it and pushed it up towards his face as the gas bullet exploded and covered the entire area with its poison. Krieg made sure to put his mask on as he smirked maliciously.

Mihawk stayed still as the poison gas headed his way. He closed his eyes, grabbed the sword behind his back and took a mighty swing, causing a large gust of wind to disperse the poison gas. Krieg's eyes widened as his gas was easily dealt with. He turned around to Mihawk and glared at him.

"Such an underhanded technique...you should be ashamed to call yourself a captain..." Mihawk told him, placing the sword back behind his back. Krieg growled at him as he took off his mask.

'Hmph...just you wait...I'll get my hands on you...' He turned back towards the Baratie.

Koala removed the mask as she took a deep breath. "That was close. It's a good thing you got us these mask, Luffy-kun." She smiled. "Luffy-kun?" She searched for him, finding him next to Sanji and Gin. Her eyes widened in horror when she noticed that he was not wearing a mask and instead had pushed masks onto both Sanji and Gin's face. Both men struggled against his grip, but had their eyes widened at Luffy.

He let go of the masks, as both men removed them. "Oi! What the hell!?" Sanji shouted, sitting up.

"You...why didn't you use...?" Gin was in confusion as Luffy backed away from them.

"You dumbass!" Sanji couldn't believe that the guy took in all that gas.

"Luffy-kun!" Koala ran over to him, fearing for his life. "Luffy-kun! Say something!" Her heart raced, fearing the worst.

Luffy didn't respond for several moments. He then raised his head, turned to Koala and to her shock, had a smile on his face. "Phew. That was a close one. Glad you guys had masks to wear." Koala blinked.

"Huh?" She was so confused as were the other two.

"T-That's impossible...how are you not...?" Gin couldn't understand this. The poison gas should have started choking him to death and yet, here he was, perfectly fine. "You should be writhing in pain and having difficulty breathing! Why are you...completely fine?"

Krieg had a look of utter shock. The Straw Hat wearing boy survived his poison gas, an attack that rendered countless people dead. So why? Why was he not dying?

Mihawk was stunned as well, but he knew something was off about the boy. This only made him more curious about him.

"Luffy-kun! Are you really okay?" Koala asked, looking over him to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Mm. I'm fine." Luffy replied with a smile.

"But how?" Sanji asked.

"I don't know...guess I'm just lucky." Luffy knew the answer. His body made him immune to many gases after the incident in Impel Down. There was some poison that still affected him, but he was glad the MH5 gas was not one of them. He took a chance and it payed off.

"Like hell this was because of some good luck!" Krieg shouted. "What the hell did you do!?

Luffy turned to him. "I didn't do anything. Ah, wait right there. I'm going to kick your ass now." Luffy stated.

"Huh!? I like to see you try." Krieg told him.

Luffy turned to Gin. "Gin, you just saw what he is like...he doesn't care about your life...I understand that he is your captain and you have the highest respect for the man who is your captain...however, he is not worthy of your respect." Gin lowered his head, gritting his teeth. He hated to admit it, but he was right. He had all the respect in the world for Krieg and here he was, doing his best to shatter all that was left of it. "So..." He raised his head to look at Luffy. "...I'm going to kick his ass. Once that is done, you can do whatever you want..."

Luffy walked toward Krieg as everyone watch in anticipation of what he was going to do. Mihawk especially was interested, leaning forward a bit. He eyed every movement he made, his sharp eyes managing to catch even the slightest twitch.

"Heh! So you think you can beat me. Think again! I am the all mighty Krieg! I will not lose to a skinny little brat like you!" He stated and took out his ultimate weapon, a large spear.

"Ah! That's the..." Gin eyes widened, recognizing the explosive spear weapon that Krieg used to decimate countless of other pirates and marines.

"Hahahaha! That's right! The perfect weapon in for dealing idiots like you. The Daissenso!" He smirked, hoping to see the straw hat wearing boy cower in fear. However, Luffy was far from that as he bent his knees and began stretching his legs. "Why aren't you cowering inf ear!?"

Luffy jumped up landed on the platform, finishing his warm up. "Why?" Luffy spoke . "Why should I be?"

"Huh!?" Krieg was getting rather annoyed by him.

"You're nothing but a coward who hides behind weapons. Someone who uses his crew like fodder...I hate people like you." He raised his arms and slowly started cracking his fingers one by one until they closed into a fist. "So...I'll finish this with one last punch."

Sanji and Gin's eyes widened at his statement. Koala smiled and Mihawk put on a small smirk. Zeff appeared from inside to look at Luffy and smiled. 'He really is like his father...'

"I would like to see you try!" Krieg roared and jumped up, raising his giant battle spear above his head, ready to slam it down on Luffy. Luffy didn't move as he kept his head down.

"Watch out!" Gin shouted as Krieg slammed the spear right on Luffy's shoulder. A sudden explosion erupted as Sanji, Gin and the other chefs looked in horror.

"What!? That thing can explode!" Sanji was completely stunned.

"That's why it was dangerous! Krieg always has a trick up his sleeve." Gin gritted his teeth, afraid of what might have happened to Luffy.

When the black cloud from the explosion dispersed, everyone's eyes widened as they say Luffy catching the spear with his left hand, completely unfazed by the explosion. Krieg's eyes widened in complete shock. His ultimate weapon was practically useless against this boy. Mihawk was impressed as he closed his eyes, knowing the outcome of this fight.

"No way...that's impossible..." Krieg muttered as the Krieg pirates, the chefs, Sanji and Gin were in utter shock. Koala smiled, placing a hand on her hips.

"Checkmate." She said proudly as Luffy tightened his fist. His fist suddenly turned black as he activated his armament haki, surprising everyone beside Koala. Even Mihawk was surprised by his usage of haki.

'This boy...he even knows haki...and it feels very strong...' Mihawk hadn't felt this surprised and excited in such a long time. He expected great things from this boy and the swordsman under his wing. He had high hopes for the future.

"W-What the...?" Krieg was left speechless, never seeing someone's arm turn that way. He tried pulling his spear away from Luffy, but it was no use. It wouldn't budge.

"It's over..." Luffy told him.

"What!? Like hell it is! It can't be!" He shouted as Luffy pulled Krieg toward him and then landed a powerful punch straight down on Krieg's cheek, sending the man of 50 battleships, straight down, blasting through the platform and into the sea. A large explosion of water erupted from the spot, signaling how powerful the punch was. Everyone, aside from Mihawk and Koala was in absolute shock at the strength Luffy showed. He did indeed, end the fight with one last punch.

"Krieg...lost..." Gin let his arms relax against his sides as his captain was defeated. The man who he respected was defeated by this boy standing just a few feet in front of him. Sanji was also at a loss for words. He wondered just how strong this guy was.

Zeff chuckled, smiling at the young boy. Dragon was right, Luffy will no doubt, be the man who would change the world. He slowly approached Sanji, who turned his head to face after hearing his peg leg hitting against the wooden platform. "Sanji...that kid...he will one day change the world...a man who no matter what, will follow his ideals and face death with a smile on his face. Men like him...are so few and rare today...what you just witnessed...is nothing more than a man who will one day change the world."

"Old geezer..." Sanji muttered, shocked to hear him praise someone as such. He turned to look back at Luffy, who was heading back towards them.

Koala smiled, glad that all of this was finally over. "You did it, Luffy-kun!" Luffy's arm returned to normal and then turned around to show off his signature grin.

"Shishishishi!"

Mihawk smiled. He lost track of how many times hes done that today. Unfortunately his time was up. He felt tired and wanted to rest, so without uttering a word, he moved his boat and sailed off towards the sea. One day, hoping to see both of them, especially Roronoa Zoro. With Luffy being his captain, he had high hopes for the young man. The future was bright and he couldn't wait for the day they reunite to come.

Gin tossed Krieg over on top of the other members of the Krieg pirates. Sanji stood by him as he watched the dinghy get filled with a bunch of unconscious pirates. "So...you're heading out." He asked, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Yeah...I've decided that...no matter what Krieg has done...he is still my captain and I can't just leave him...I'm hoping I can change him...but...even I know that probably wouldn't work..." Gin confessed, turning to Sanji.

"I see..." Sanji simply responded.

"What about you?" He asked the cook, who stared down at his feet.

"Don't know yet...but...I think I have my mind made up..." Sanji replied.

Gin nodded. "Do what you want...that kid...he's definitely something special...even I can tell."

"Hmph...I guess so..." Sanji smiled and closed his eyes.

"By the way, where is he?" he asked, looking around for Luffy.

"Oi, Sanji! Gin!" Both heard Luffy calling them as he ran toward them, carrying a bone of meat.

"Speak of the devil..." Gin smirked as Luffy caught up to them.

"Awesome, you didn't leave yet." He grinned, taking a bit of the meat.

"Hmm? You need something from me?" Gin blinked curiously.

"Yeah, here." Luffy handed him a torn piece of paper.

"Paper? It's blank." Gin turned it around to check it out.

"Yeah, it's called a Vivre Card." Luffy told him.

"Vivre card?" Sanji asked. For some reason, he felt like he heard Zeff talking about it at some point. "What's that?"

"It's a piece of paper that can tell you the location of a person." Luffy told them. "I'm not sure how it works exactly, but I asked Koala to make one, using her DNA. Basically, if you ever need help from us, just find us using that." He explained as Gin looked down and saw that it was moving towards the Baratie where Koala was located.

"Wah, it's moving." Luffy snickered.

"Yep, as long as you have that, you can always find us if you need help." Luffy told him. "So, good luck, Gin." Gin closed his fist and nodded.

"Thanks." He said before pushing off, letting the dinghy sail away from the Baratie.

"Bye!" Luffy waved at him. Gin did the same as Sanji gave him a nod. The two watched Gin and his crew sail away as the hectic day they shared was finally over. "So...you joining my crew?"

"No." Sanji stated instantly.

"I see..." Luffy smiled and walked away. Sanji smiled taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Hey..." Luffy stopped as he turned back around. "You want to learn more about the All Blue, right?"

"Yeah." He grinned.

"I see...why don't you stick around then? You said you wanted to be an apprentice chef, no?" He offered.

"No thanks. I can't stay in one place forever. I have a dream as well. Besides, staying here won't help find All Blue. You would have to go out and find it." He told him before heading inside.

"Damn..." Sanji muttered, blowing some smoke away. Zeff watched from above, a small smile on his face.

"What is this, this is shit!" Patty spat out the soup that Sanji prepared.

"Ew! This is the worse thing I ever tasted!" Carne added. Other chefs also expressed their opinion as Sanji's blood boiled.

"Shut up! All of you wish you can make this soup as good as I can!" Sanji yelled at them.

"You shut up! This is the worst thing I ever tasted!" Patty fired back.

"Want to say that to my face!?"

"I just did!"

Koala frowned as she watched the cooks argue with one another. She looked down at the soup and was confused why they were saying it was awful. It was one of the best soups she ever tasted. It made no sense to her. She looked over at Luffy who was having seconds.

"Silence!" Zeff yelled, stopping all the arguments as he drank the last bit of soup on his silver ware. He placed the spoon on top of the dish as Sanji eyed him. "Sanji..." Zeff suddenly tossed the silverware to the floor, breaking it into pieces. Sanji's eyes widened. "This soup is the worse I ever tasted. I would never sell this to any customer!"

"What the hell are you doing, old geezer!?" Sanji furiously yelled at him, walking up to him and grabbing him by his collar. "How the hell is my soup any different than yours!?"

"It just is! Don't compare my soup to yours!" Zeff stomped his peg leg on the floor and then punched Sanji in the face, knocking him down.

"Whoa...head chef can punch?" Patty was shocked as was every other chef in the room.

Sanji was shocked as well, wiping some blood off of his mouth before glaring up at Zeff. "You damn brat! You are 100 years too early to compare my food to yours. I have been cooking all over the world! What have you done!? Stayed here and rotted away with the same cooking style as always. You've gotten bland."

"W-What?" Sanji couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You've stagnated, Sanji. I don't need a chef like that here." Zeff coldly told him. Sanji glared in anger before getting up and walking out, slamming the door behind him.

"Damn it!" The chefs heard him say as they all sighed.

"Stubborn bastard..." Some of them muttered.

Koala was confused at what just occurred. She heard sipping sounds and turned to see Luffy continuing to drink the soup. "Oi, Luffy-kun...I don't think this is the time to-"

"It's good." He suddenly said,s topping Koala mid sentence.

"Of course it is." Zeff replied, sitting down. "He's still one of the best chefs around."

"Then why?" Koala asked, hoping for some sort of answer.

"I wasn't wrong though...about him stagnating. He is a stubborn brat. He really needs to experience the world...just like Mihawk told your swordsman friend. He can't stay cooped up here...that brat...smiling like that every time he talked about the All Blue." Zeff muttered, placing his hat on the table. He looked over at Luffy. "Hey, are you sure you can't just take him with you?"

"Nope...not my choice." Luffy responded.

"I see...that's fair." Zeff sighed. "If only he wasn't so stubborn. He could become a great chef by traveling with you...see the world...get stronger in both fighting and cooking...yet he still stays behind because of some foolish sense of righteousness."

Koala frowned and turned to ward the door. "Sanji-kun..."

"Hey! Stop drinking all the soup! Save some for the rest of us!" A chef yelled at Luffy who continued to have the soup.

"Ehh!? But it's good!" Luffy whined.

"That's why we want some too, you idiot!"

Sanji leaned against the door, listening to the entire conversation. He tilted his head back and stared up at the sky. His mind wandering and trying to make a decision.

He was suddenly distracted when he heard a rush of water get louder. He looked forward and saw something that made his eyes widen. A large killer whale shark was heading towards him and if he payed attention, he would see Yosaku in the mouth of the shark. Sanji couldn't react fast enough as the shark crashed into him, sending both of them trough the wall and into the room with all the other chefs.

"Nani!? What is that!?" Koala asked, getting out of the way.

"Oi, Sanji! What did you do now!?" Patty shouted at Sanji as he watched the blond cook back away from shark.

"I didn't do anything! This shark just suddenly crashed into me!" He defended himself. Luffy crouched them and saw Yosaku with tears in his eyes.

"L-Luffy-aniki...I'm so glad I finally found you..." He told him.

"Yo!" Luffy simply raised his hand.

"Yosaku-kun!? What happened!?" Koala asked bending down next to Luffy.

"Yeah, where is Nami and the others?" Luffy asked.

"Ah! That's right!" Yosaku snapped out of his shock and pulled himself out of the shark's mouth. "Listen, Luffy-aniki! Koala-neesan! I know where Nami-neesan went." Luffy frowned.

"Really, where?" Koala asked.

"Arlong Park!" Koala's eyes widened.

"A-Arlong...did you say Arlong?" Yosaku nodded.

"Yeah. The fishman Arlong and his crew." Koala bit her bottom lip at the familiar name. She had heard about what Arlong has done to the East Blue. However, she didn't want to believe any of them were true. Luffy noticed her reaction and tilted his head slightly in confusion. Did she know Arlong?

"Listen Luffy-aniki! Nami-neesan is a dangerous woman. If she is affiliated with someone like that, she is definitively not good." Yosaku told him as he stood up.

"Doesn't matter. Only Nami can be our navigator." He sternly told him. "We're going." He said and turned to Zeff. "Zeff-ossan...can we borrow a boat?"

Zeff nodded. "Of course." He turned to Patty. "Oi, Patty. Go get him and his friends a boat ready."

"Right away!" Patty and Carne both ran off to do as the head chef requested.

Koala frowned as she stared at her feet. "...I didn't know..."

"Koala?" She looked up at Luffy and shook her head.

"It's nothing, Luffy. Come on, we should get ready." He nodded.

"Oi..." Sanji suddenly spoke as everyone turned to him. "...do you mind if I join you guys?"

"Huh?" Koala blinked in surprise.

Luffy smiled. "Sure."

"Just like that?" Sanji asked, a bit surprised.

"Just like that." Luffy replied back with his signature grin.

"Tch...you cheeky bastard..." Sanji muttered, but smiled. "We're both a bunch of crazy bastards, following some crazy dream...but...I will become your chef...do you have any problem with that?" Sanji asked again with a serious expression on his face.

"Of course. Glad to have you on board." Luffy replied, nodding his head.

"Hmph...alright then. Koala-chwan! Are you overjoyed at me being a member of the crew!?" Sanji asked her as he entered his love mode.

"Oh...ummm...sure...hehehe..." Koala sweat dropped at the sudden change.

"Shishishi. Same old Sanji." He muttered to himself.

"Zeff-ossan..." Zeff turned around to see Luffy standing in the doorway to his room.

"Luffy...what can I do for you? You already cleaning out my pantry, you know." He gave him a soft smile.

"Shishishishi. Thanks for that, by the way."

"Of course. No problem." He told him. Luffy then got serious, which made Zeff serious as well. "What is it?"

"You know about me, right? I'm from the future?" Zeff nodded.

"Of course, otherwise we wouldn't be talking about me being a member of the Revolutionary Army...well used to be." Zeff replied.

"Right...just wanted to make sure..." Luffy told him and then looked down at his sandals.

"What is it? It's not like you to act this way." Luffy frowned before letting out a sigh.

"Int he future...particularly two years from now...Sanji is going to get involved in something that will affect you too. From what I can remember, it's not necessarily a serious threat, but..." Luffy started as Zeff raised his eyebrow.

"What the hell did that brat get into?" He wondered.

"He gets involved with Big Mom." Luffy told him.

"Heh!? Big Mom! The Yonkou!? What the hell did that brat do to get involved with her? Don't tell me...that brat actually becomes one her husbands!? I knew that brat a thing for every woman, but that's just..."

"Ah wait, no that's not the case." Luffy stopped him from drawing the wrong conclusion.

"I see..." He sighed in relief. "Then, what is it?"

"He gets forced to marry one of Big Mom's daughters...thanks to his real family..." Luffy answered him.

"His real family...so they still exist...huh...so what do you want me to do? Do I like go to the wedding or something?" Zeff asked.

"No...but...Sanji is going to be forced to marry and they threaten him by saying they'll cut off your head if he doesn't go through with it." Luffy explained as Zeff sighed.

"I see...that damn brat...worry about yourself..." He muttered. "Thanks for telling me." Luffy nodded.

"Ah, but this won't happen for 2 years so..."

"I see...but, I'll make sure I'm prepared anyway...regardless, don't tell Sanji about this...time travel is not something to mess with too much. If that is what happened, then you have to let him go through it." Zeff told Luffy.

"But..." Luffy frowned, unsure about this decision.

"Don't worry. I won't go down so easily. Besides, my old connections will help me out anyway. No assassin would dare attack me when the time comes." Zeff smirked. "So, don't worry about this old geezer." Luffy stared at him before smiling.

"Okay!"

Luffy, Koala and Yosaku prepared the boat as the door to the Baratie opened and out came Sanji. The chefs were lined up one either side as Sanji walked past them, a small bag hung over his shoulder. The chefs all looked as if they didn't had a care in the world that he was leaving, something Sanji expected. Patty and Carne tried to attack, but he pounded away at them with kicks and then continued walking. When he stood in front of the boat, he turned to Luffy. "Alright. Let's go." He told him.

"Are you sure? Are you finished with your goodbyes?" Luffy asked.

"Don't worry about it." Sanji told him. "Let's just go." He prepared to board, but stopped when Zeff spoke to him.

"Oi brat...don't catch a cold...alright?" That was enough to break Sanji as tears welled up in his eyes. He swiftly turned around, got down to his knees and lowered his head to the floor. "HEAD CHEF! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING! I WILL NEVER FORGET YOUR KINDNESS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" He shouted as the chefs all began to bawl their eyes out. Zeff smiled as tears welled up in his eyes, with one escaping and falling down his cheek.

"You idiot!"

"How do you think we feel!?"

"This is sad!"

"Very sad!"

The chefs cried out as Sanji couldn't help but smile at the bunch of idiots he called his family. "See you later, you idiots!" He shouted to them as Zeff sobbed quietly above.

"What a bunch of idiots...goodbyes should be done quietly..." Zeff muttered, feeling both sad and happy.

Koala wiped some tears that showed up in her eyes as Luffy smiled along with Yosaku. Sanji turned around and quickly got on the boat, telling them to set sail already. Luffy snickered. "Then, Let's go!"

In a far off island, a man ran through the jungle, carrying a limp body on his shoulder. He turned his head to see if his pursuer was still behind him. The masked wearing man was indeed still behind him. The man gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Damn...he's persistent." The man muttered, his fedora cap flapping against the wind as he ran. He looked behind him and saw the masked man raising his arm. The fedora hat wearing man narrowed his eyes as something red and sharp headed his way. He expertly dodged it by jumping up and began to jump across the branches. His suit was covered in scratches as the sharp branches tore through it.

Unfortunately, not even the branch hopping helped, as the sharp red objects appeared above him and went after the man. The man dodged and dodged, making sure none of the weapons lay a single scratch on him or the limp body. He fell to the ground to avoid the objects above, but he was then caught in a trap as four sharp and red objects appeared from the ground, surrounding him. They spun in a circle around him, almost teasing him.

'Damn...such a bothersome devil fruit ability...' He eyed the objects, getting ready for any one of them to strike. The dark red objects continued to spin until he noticed a short pause. He quickly tossed the limp body up in the air, clenched his fist and then slammed it down to the ground as a strong force destroyed the objects, shattering them or turning into a red liquid. Once the objects were destroyed, he looked up and caught the limp body on his shoulder. The man turned around to see the masked man still approaching him.

He turned around to face him and clenched his fist again. "Get away, you bastard." He calmly told him and then punched the air in front of him, sending a powerful force towards the masked man. The masked man braced himself and held his ground as the attack created a strong force of gust that tried to push him away.

Taking advantage of this, the fedora hat wearing man turned tail and ran. Unfortunately, without his knowledge, while the man performed his attack, a sharp red object slashed against the skin of the limp body. When the attack subsided, the masked man composed himself and summoned the red object towards him. He raised his hand as a drop of blood fell from the tip of the object and landed onto the pale, white hand of the masked man.

In a dark and sinister voice, he said, "Got you..."

To be Continued...

Author Notes 2: So, I don't know when the next update will be. However, the Arlong Park arc is next and it's one of the most anticipated arcs in stories like these. So, I might get motivated to write the next chapter because its one of my favorite arcs. Don't know though so set your expectations low. Also, I hope you like the last portion of this chapter. It introduced two characters, OCs, that will be important in the story later on, maybe sooner than you think ;) See ya!