Raphael: <>
System: []
******
It had been a day since Luffy and the crew departed from Baratie, and today, he had Uta take Reiju under her wing to begin training her in Haki and Total Concentration Breathing. A few hours later, Uta reported that Reiju had potential and that the training session had gone well. However, the girl in question had a very different opinion.
"You're all monsters!" Reiju groaned dramatically as she collapsed onto the dining table in the ship's kitchen. "I can't feel my limbs, my lungs are on fire, and I think I died at least twice back there!" she grumbled, shooting a glare at Luffy as if this were all his fault.
Luffy chuckled, unfazed, as he set a glass of water in front of her. "Quit whining. You're the one who wanted to get stronger to save your brother," he reminded her, his tone light but firm. "Besides, today was just the beginner's routine. Once you get used to this, we'll step it up."
Reiju lifted her head just enough to give him a look of sheer betrayal. "You mean that wasn't even the hard part?"
Her horrified expression only made Luffy grin wider, making him smile in pure glee. "Nope!"
She groaned again and let her head drop back onto the table with a soft thud.
"Anyway, where is everyone?" Luffy asked, turning his attention back to the simmering pan on the stove. He added vegetables to the gravy, stirring slowly as the rich aroma filled the room.
"Uta went to take a bath, Kuina is practicing with her spear, Kaya's reading something, and Zoro is still outside training," Reiju mumbled before scowling at the mention of training. Then, her expression shifted as she caught another whiff of whatever Luffy was cooking. Her stomach growled in betrayal. "By the way... what is that? It smells amazing!" she added, hunger gleaming in her eyes.
Luffy glanced at her, amused, before nodding toward a worn-out notebook sitting open on the counter. "It's a recipe from Zeff's cookbook," he said.
Reiju's brows rose slightly. "Zeff actually gave you his cookbook?"
"Yeah," Luffy said, his tone unusually appreciative. "He gave it to me as thanks for saving and healing his men. Didn't even hesitate." His fingers lightly tapped the edge of the book, as if acknowledging its value. "Honestly, this thing is a goldmine. The way Zeff breaks down measurements and techniques... even a total amateur like me can make something decent."
Reiju smirked. "Decent, huh? We'll see about that."
Luffy just grinned. "You'll be begging for seconds."
She rolled her eyes but didn't bother denying it. Her stomach grumbled again. "Yeah, yeah. Just hurry up. I think I deserve a reward for surviving your version of training hell."
Luffy only laughed, turning back to the stove as the scent of the dish grew even stronger.
For a moment, a peaceful silence settled between them, broken only by the gentle simmering of the pan and the rich aroma of food filling the air.
"So, Reiju, can you tell me more about your situation?" Luffy finally asked, breaking the quiet.
Reiju remained still, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her glass. She stared into the water as if searching for answers before slowly looking up at him. "What exactly do you want to know?"
"My main concern is why your brother was abducted now, after all these years of being left alone despite your father knowing exactly where he was," Luffy said as he placed the lid on the pan. "What is your father trying to pull when Sanji hasn't even awakened his genetic enhancements yet?"
"What?! How do you know about our genetic enhancements?" Reiju exclaimed, abruptly standing up, her eyes wide in shock.
Luffy, unfazed by her outburst, gestured for her to sit back down. "Relax. Breathe first," he said evenly, waiting until she did so before continuing. "As for how I know… let's just say I have my ways." He offered her a small, almost apologetic smile. "And no, this isn't about trust—my sources aren't something I can explain in simple terms." He reached out and gave her shoulder a light pat, grounding her.
Reiju swallowed, still watching him warily, but eventually sat back down.
"Now," Luffy continued, his voice softer, "when I healed you yesterday, I discovered that aside from that tracking chip, you don't have any other enhancements at all." He leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady. "Why is that? Judge's eldest daughter—yet he spared you from the experiments while your brothers weren't?"
Reiju let out a humorless chuckle, her expression twisting into something bitter. "Who said I was spared?"
Luffy stayed silent, giving her the space to speak at her own pace.
She exhaled slowly, her fingers gripping her glass a little tighter. "I don't remember much from my early childhood, but I know I was experimented on. My father subjected me to the same modifications as my brothers, but by the time I turned thirteen, he realized my body didn't support his enhancements as well as Ichiji's or Niji's. I was… defective." Her voice wavered, just for a moment before she forced a small, hollow smile. "And failure isn't something my father takes lightly. So instead of continuing the genetic modifications, he decided to experiment with cybernetics on me instead. That's when my mother finally gathered the courage to step in."
Her smile faded, and her voice turned distant. "I don't know how she did it. Maybe she threatened him, or maybe she begged. But somehow, she got him to stop. And after that…" She let out a shaky breath. "He stopped acknowledging me altogether. To him, I was a reminder of a failed experiment—one not even worth looking at."
She fell silent, staring at the table as if seeing something far beyond it.
Seeing Reiju's downcast expression, Luffy felt a pang of guilt for bringing up such painful memories. But before he could say anything, Reiju took a deep breath, blinking away the moisture in her eyes. By the time she looked up, her expression was carefully schooled back to normal.
"By the way, I don't think your sources are as accurate as you think," Reiju said suddenly as she pushed off the table and walked over to the kitchen counter. She grabbed a nearby spoon, scooped up a bit of gravy, and tasted it. "Hmm… delicious," she admitted before tilting her head thoughtfully. "But it could use a little more salt," she added, placing the lid back on the pan.
Luffy raised an eyebrow. "You were saying something about my sources being inaccurate?" he repeated as he stepped over, grabbing a pinch of salt and sprinkling it into the gravy before giving it a slow stir. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes.
Leaning against the counter, Reiju folded her arms over her chest. "You said my brother—Sanji—hasn't awakened his genetic enhancements yet, but that's completely false. Not only did he awaken them, but he was also my father's best soldier," she said, clenching her fists, unaware of the astonished yet curious expression on Luffy's face.
"Sanji was kind, you know," Reiju went on, her voice softening. A fond, almost sorrowful smile ghosted her lips. "The only one among my brothers who treated me like a sister… the only one who respected our mother." Her gaze turned wistful. "During my father's brutal training sessions, he used to wipe the floor with my other brothers, but he never gloated about it—never took joy in it. He just… did what he was ordered to do. And when training was over, he spent the rest of his time with us—or cooking for us."
"But then, one day… something changed," she murmured. Her arms tightened around herself. "He started acting differently. He smiled less, lost interest in cooking, stopped spending time with me and our mother. At first, we thought it was just exhaustion, or maybe he was growing up… but then, before we even realized it, he stopped smiling entirely. And he stopped cooking too. He became exactly what my father had always wanted—an emotionless, obedient enforcer. Until..."
"Until?" Luffy prompted.
Before he could get an answer, a wave of overwhelming killing intent flooded the room.
Luffy immediately tensed. Reiju's entire body had gone rigid, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She glared at the floor with such intensity it seemed as if she were trying to burn a hole straight through it.
The suffocating pressure spread throughout the ship, alerting the rest of the crew. Within moments, the kitchen door burst open as Uta, Kuina, Kaya, and Zoro rushed in, weapons at the ready—only to pause in confusion when they saw Luffy and Reiju simply standing there.
Luffy met their questioning gazes and, with a subtle look, silently reassured them that everything was fine. A moment passed before the crew hesitated, then reluctantly exited the kitchen, closing the door behind them.
As they left, Reiju took a deep breath, the killing intent slowly dissipating. But even as she calmed, there was still a quiet rage simmering in her eyes.
"Luffy," she said, her voice tight, "I need to clear my head. We'll talk later." She turned on her heel and headed for the door.
"Wait."
She paused, glancing back just as Luffy quickly scooped some rice onto a plate, pouring a generous serving of gravy over it. He handed it to her with an easy chuckle.
"An empty stomach won't help you cool your mind," he said with a grin.
Reiju blinked in surprise before a small, genuine smile crept onto her lips. She accepted the plate, warmth filling her chest—not just from the food, but from the unexpected kindness.
"Thank you," she murmured before leaving the kitchen, her steps feeling just a little lighter.
As the door shut behind her, Luffy leaned against the counter and let out a heavy sigh.
"Oh boy," he muttered to himself as the rest of the crew poured back into the kitchen for lunch. "This world is a fucking mess."
******
Meanwhile, as Luffy and his crew enjoyed their lunch, a Marine warship was docked near the Baratie.
"Wow, this place is a mess," Rear Admiral Iron Fist Koby whistled as he surveyed the wreckage of the once-pristine floating restaurant.
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious," Zeff scoffed, arms crossed over his chest. "Perhaps you'd like to tell me the sea is blue next? That might really enlighten me," he added dryly.
Koby smirked. "Nah, I'll keep those kinds of clever observations to myself," he shot back before his expression turned serious. "Now, enough with the small talk—tell me what happened here?"
Zeff raised a bushy eyebrow. "What's there to tell? Some bastards from the Big Mom Pirates came to dine at my restaurant. One of my chefs said something rude, and they didn't take kindly to it. Next thing we knew, this mess happened," he said with an easy shrug, smoothly weaving a half-truth without hesitation.
Koby didn't look convinced. He let out a slow sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's it?" He arched a brow. "Come on, Zeff, we both know there's more to the story. We can't help you if you don't tell us the truth."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, unexpectedly, Zeff let out a deep, hearty laugh, catching everyone's attention.
"Help me!?" he barked, shaking his head in amusement. "You've got quite the sense of humor, young Marine!" His tone turned mocking, his piercing gaze locking onto Koby. "Say those words when they mean something—because we both know you don't have the power or authority to make the Big Mom Pirates pay for their actions. So spare me the platitudes and get this over with."
Behind Koby, Rear Admiral Kujaku—who had been watching the exchange with an increasingly impatient expression—finally decided she had heard enough.
"Or," she cut in sharply, stepping forward, "we could charge you with non-cooperation and reopen your and your crew's bounties. How does that sound?" She leveled a sharp glare at Zeff. "Just because you stopped being a pirate doesn't erase your past sins. In fact, you should be grateful that we've left you alone all these years. It's only because we don't have the manpower to waste on old fossils like you."
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Then Zeff let out a low chuckle.
"You think I'm scared of some bounty placed by you Marines?" He shook his head, his smirk widening. "You're fifty years too young to be threatening a man like me, girl." His tone was light, almost amused, but his eyes carried the weight of decades of experience as he assessed and immediately dismissed Kujaku.
Kujaku's eye twitched. "Is that so?" she growled, her fingers curling into fists. "Let's test that, shall we—"
She spun on her heel, fully prepared to storm back to the warship and issue an order, but before she could take a single step, Koby grabbed her arm.
"Kujaku, stop!" His voice was firm, his grip just tight enough to hold her in place. She turned to him with a scowl, but Koby didn't back down. "We're not here to harass them," he said, his eyes narrowing. "They're the victims here." He sighed and released her arm. "Do me a favor and calm down. Let me handle this."
For a long moment, Kujaku glared at him, jaw clenched. Then she scoffed and yanked her arm away. "Fine," she snapped before stomping back toward the warship, her coat billowing behind her.
Koby exhaled, shaking his head. "Sorry about that. She can be a little prickly, but she's a good person with a strong sense of justice," he said, attempting to salvage his partner's reputation. But judging by Zeff's unimpressed expression, Koby could tell it was a lost cause. Deciding not to push it, he moved on to the next topic.
"Anyway, what's the deal with these guys?" Koby asked, gesturing toward Don Krieg. The former pirate captain sat motionless, slumped against a broken pillar, his once-proud posture replaced with a hollow, vacant stare. His eyes were dull, as if all the fight had drained from him, and he made no effort to move—no struggle, no defiance, not even a flicker of recognition as the conversation unfolded around him, not even attempting to flee despite being completely unrestrained.
Beside him, Gin was in stark contrast. He sat bound head to toe, his wrists and ankles tied so tightly that the ropes dug into his skin. A thick cloth gag covered his mouth while his head was bowed, fists clenched, and his entire body radiated frustration and humiliation.
Koby quirked a brow at the sight, amused by the irony. Krieg, the so-called "Invincible Admiral," was broken beyond repair, while his once-loyal right-hand man seethed in silence, still refusing to submit. Holding back any sarcastic remark, Koby turned back to Zeff for an explanation.
"Oh, these fools?" Zeff scoffed, barely sparing Krieg and Gin a glance. His disdain was evident, as if he were looking at nothing more than trash. "Showed up right after those Big Mom bastards left. Figured we were weak since we couldn't defend the restaurant. Thought they could just waltz in and take over." He snorted. "Too bad for them, I had some unexpected help from a Straw Hat boy who put them in their place. Left them here so I could cash in on their bounties."
At the mention of Straw Hat, Koby's eyes lit up. "Straw Hat boy, huh?" He tried to sound casual, but there was no hiding his interest. "So he helped you?"
"Yeah," Zeff admitted, his voice carrying a rare note of gratitude. "He healed my men and protected my restaurant."
"Oh?" Koby's intrigue deepened, his lips quirking into a small smile. "Do tell me more."
Zeff frowned, noticing the Marine's keen interest in Luffy. It put him on edge, but he answered anyway, keeping his tone neutral. He briefly recounted how Luffy had arrived, fought off Krieg and his men, and tended to the injured chefs.
Of course, Zeff left out the important details. He didn't mention Sanji's abduction, Reiju's involvement, Kaya's healing abilities, or Baroque Works' connection to Krieg. He was an old pirate, after all—he knew better than to give the Marines anything they didn't need to know.
Meanwhile, Koby listened intently, pleased by Luffy's actions. It only reinforced his belief that Luffy, despite being on the wrong path, was still a man of justice, someone who helped people when they needed it. Of course, Koby wasn't naive—he could tell there were gaps in Zeff's account. But pressing the old man wouldn't get him anywhere unless he wanted to escalate things, which he had no intention of doing.
"Well then, Zeff," he said, stretching out a hand, "thanks for the hospitality."
Zeff simply stared at the offered handshake.
After a moment of awkward silence, Koby sighed and retracted his hand, muttering something about "stubborn old men" under his breath. He waved to his subordinates. "Get them on the ship."
The Marines moved in, hoisting Krieg up like a lifeless puppet while two others struggled to lift a thrashing Gin. Even bound, Gin fought them, growling against his gag, but the Marines had no patience for his antics. A sharp blow to the gut sent him doubling over, and after that, he was hauled onto the ship without further trouble.
Before leaving, Koby turned back to Zeff. "We'll make sure you get your bounty payout. You have my word."
Zeff scoffed but didn't argue. He simply watched as the Marine vessel pulled away from the dock, the warship's imposing frame growing smaller as it sailed off toward the horizon.
Once they were nothing but a dot in the distance, Zeff exhaled through his nose and turned back toward the ruined restaurant.
"Fucking morons," he muttered before trudging inside. There was still a hell of a lot of work to do.
******
"Well, well, the infamous pirate of the East Blue—Don Krieg," Koby mused as he settled into a chair in front of the cell where Krieg and Gin were being held. "Since fate has seen fit to land you in my custody, why don't you tell me about that little skirmish you had with Baroque Works?" he said and noticed Gin's body tensed, but Krieg remained disturbingly still, staring blankly ahead, as if he hadn't even heard Koby speak.
Koby tapped a finger against the arm of his chair, studying them both before continuing. "My sources say it was a brutal battle… and yet, it ended abruptly. And what's more surprising—you were the one who backed off, Krieg." He leaned forward slightly, watching for the smallest flicker of reaction. "That doesn't quite add up, does it?" His voice dropped just enough to sound almost amused. "So, be good prisoners and fill me in—what exactly happened?"
Silence stretched between them.
Koby waited, giving them a chance to speak, but neither Krieg nor Gin so much as twitched.
With a sigh, he was about to press further when the sharp sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the brig. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, already knowing who it was before she even spoke.
"What the hell was that?!" Kujaku snapped, coming to a stop beside him, arms crossed and fury written all over her face.
Koby glanced up, meeting her glare with a tired expression.
"How dare you tell me to back off in front of a damn pirate?" she continued, her voice rising with every word. "Do you have any idea how humiliating that was?!"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Koby exhaled slowly. "Look, I'm sorry. Maybe I overreacted a little," he admitted, keeping his voice calm, "but you were about to escalate things unnecessarily."
Kujaku scoffed, flicking her hair back with a sharp motion. "Escalate things? Zeff is a pirate. That old fossil deserves whatever's coming to him."
"Zeff was the victim here," Koby countered, his patience thinning. "He didn't attack the Big Mom Pirates—his restaurant got wrecked because some idiots picked a fight with the wrong people. There was no reason for you to start throwing threats around."
"Victim, my ass," Kujaku muttered, rolling her eyes. "Just pirates hurting pirates. I don't see the loss."
Koby sighed, rubbing his temples. "You know, Kujaku, sometimes I wonder if you working under Admiral Akainu was such a great idea."
"At least he's efficient and gets things done," Kujaku shot back, lifting her chin and flicking her hair sassily.
Koby let out another sigh, deciding there was no point in arguing further. Instead, he shifted the conversation. "Anyway, did you know Luffy was involved in this mess too?" His voice lightened with interest. "Zeff told me about what happened—how Luffy fought off Krieg and even helped the restaurant staff. I told you—he's quite the hero, just like his grandfather!"
"Yeah, like hell he is!"
The sudden outburst snapped both Koby and Kujaku's attention to Gin, who had been silent until now. The venom in his voice was unmistakable, his glare burning with raw hatred.
Koby blinked, then arched a brow. "Oh, so you do have a mouth," he said dryly.
Kujaku, now intrigued, grabbed a chair and spun it around, straddling it as she rested her arms on the backrest. "Please, do tell," she said with a smirk. "What exactly do you mean by 'he's a monster'?"
Gin's glare darkened as he recounted what he had witnessed—the sheer horror of Luffy single-handedly slaughtering 300 people in one single move before paralyzing Krieg for life, leaving him as nothing more than a broken shell of his former self.
By the time they stepped onto the deck, the air between them felt heavier than before. Kujaku, who had initially been intrigued by Gin's story, now looked serious, her brows furrowed in deep thought. The wind tugged at her coat as she turned to Koby, eyes sharp with scrutiny.
"Koby, are you seriously still holding out hope for that boy after everything we just heard?"
Koby shrugged, offering an easy grin. "I mean, he was protecting people, so that's gotta count for something, right?" His smile widened. "Besides, think about it—if I can pull this off, we'd have someone with Admiral-level potential who wouldn't even need to be trained from scratch. Tell me that doesn't sound awesome."
Kujaku folded her arms, unimpressed. "Sure, in theory. But from everything I've heard, that kid is too reckless and unpredictable to be a Marine." She gave him a pointed look. "He doesn't sound like someone who will follow orders without asking questions."
Koby chuckled. "Well, not surprising, considering who his grandfather is." He glanced at her with amusement, and after a beat, Kujaku smirked as well. "And come on, even we try to twist the orders to find any and all loopholes for our convenience."
"Yes, we do bend orders, Koby. We find loopholes, sure, but we always see the mission through, even if it means going against our own conscience." Kujaku's voice turned steely. "One of the things Admiral Akainu drilled into me is that a soldier who can't follow orders is as good as dead."
For a moment, Koby said nothing. His gaze drifted toward the open sea, watching the waves rise and fall in a steady rhythm. "Yeah, you are right, some things are more important than morals and conscience. Sometimes... following the orders blindly is a must and relatively a right thing to do," he said, as memories of past flashed through his mind—decisions he'd made, orders he'd carried out, the weight of lives forever changed by his choices. Some things he couldn't take back. Some things he wouldn't take back.
And yet…
He shook his head, forcing a small smile as he turned back to Kujaku. "Still," he said, his voice lighter, more determined, "I have to try. I want to try."
Kujaku studied him for a long moment before exhaling softly. "I won't stop you," she said, her tone almost gentle. For a brief second, she sounded less like a Rear Admiral and more like a friend.
But then her expression hardened, her stance shifting back to one of authority. "But know this—if you fail to bring him to our side, we will have to find a way to arrest or eliminate him. Because if we don't…" She narrowed her eyes. "I have a gut feeling he'll become a huge problem for the Marines."
Koby didn't flinch. Instead, he slowly clenched his fist, the metal of his coated knuckles gleaming in the sunlight. "Fine," he said quietly, meeting her gaze head-on. "If push comes to shove…" His eyes steeled with resolve.
"I'll do it myself."
To be continued...