The Siren Seamstress (One Piece X OC)

🏴‍☠️️[23] Baratie Arc ~ {4}🏴‍☠️️

🏴‍☠️️Ch.23: Protect the Baratie! The Pirate Turned Chef: Red-Foot Zeff!🏴‍☠️️

Zeff offers no change in expression at his old epithet or the protests and objections of his chefs, turning on his pegleg to join his chefs side.

Don Krieg, on the other hand, looks utterly petrified at hearing the head chef's name. Frozen in place, eyes wide open in shock.

The chefs continue to object to their head chef's decision to feed those who plan to kill them and take their restaurant, perverting its purpose to the fullest.

"Wh-Wha-What're you doing?! You can't be serious!"

"If all of those pirates get their strength back, the restaurant will be completely taken over!"

"That would be true..." Zeff pauses, finally speaking up for himself. "...if they still have the will to fight."

The chefs gasp softly in confusion at Zeff's remark.

"Tell me..." Zeff turns to look Krieg right in the eye. "Did your will survive defeat?"

Don Krieg remains frozen in shock and fear at Zeff's question that holds more weight to it than anyone else can realize.

The cooks are floored by this bit of information, Krieg's silence only confirming Zeff's inquiry.

"That...can't be..."

"The great Don Krieg was defeated?"

Every chef turns to look at the frozen with fear Krieg.

Carne looks actually disturbed and at the same time astounded at the news of Krieg failing.

"Whoa...Not even he could do it. A pirate fleet with 50 ships couldn't make it on the Grand Line!"

"The Grand Line?" Luffy breathes.

Ula huffs, arms crossed over her chest.

"It is you, isn't it? You're 'Red Foot' Zeff."

His wide-eyed surprise morphs into a glaring sneer.

"So, you are alive. The unrivaled pirate captain who was also the ship's cook."

"Yes, that's right, I'm still alive..." Zeff replies calmly, yet somehow boredly. "But what has any of this got to do with you? I haven't been a pirate for many years now. I chose the life of a cook."

Krieg cackles mockingly.

"'Chose the life of a cook', huh? Yeah, right. You didn't have a choice, old man. You live as a cook because the only thing you can be now is a cook."

He eyes Zeff's pegleg, reminiscing aloud of Zeff's pirate glory days.

"He was known far and wide...'Red Foot' Zeff was a master of deadly kicks who never used his hands in battle. It was said that with his mighty legs, he could crush bedrock to sand, and leave footprints on solid steel. 'Red Foot' referred to his boots which became soaked in the blood of his enemies as he kicked them down."

The Pirate Commodore holds his gaze on Zeff's missing right lower leg and foot.

"You know, it really is a pity that you no longer have that precious leg of yours. I heard that rumor some time ago. How unlucky for you to have such an accident at sea. Now that your greatest weapon has been sacrificed to the sea, you're defenseless, completely unable to fight."

"I don't need to fight anymore." Zeff grunts in response to Krieg's barbs, his tone full of pride and confidence, unlike Krieg boastfulness. "I'm a cook. And as long as I have my two hands for that, I'll be just fine. Enough chit chat, let's get to the point. What do you want from me?"