Chapter Fifty-Five: Sanji

Gazing at the distant Baratie restaurant, Luo Lan smiled as he wiped away the drool trickling from little Donna's mouth.

As for that restaurant—well, it couldn't be said to be identical to the one in the anime, but there was truly no difference at all.

After ordering the pirates to drop anchor, Luo Lan took Nami and the others onto a small boat.

The Baratie, the floating sea restaurant, was indeed grand in scale, no doubt about it. Yet the ship Luo Lan was currently on was Krieg’s flagship, a three-decked tall ship that was not much smaller than the Baratie itself.

If such a massive vessel were to dock directly, it would surely cause unnecessary trouble—and Luo Lan was someone who loathed trouble more than anything.

On the little boat, Donna’s eyes sparkled with stars, full of anticipation.

For this little glutton, Luo Lan merely cautioned her not to fall into the sea and then left her to her own devices.

Seeing Donna now so lively and cheerful was exactly what Luo Lan had always wanted for her; why would he stifle her nature?

Behind Luo Lan sat Zoro, wearing a weary, helpless expression as he rowed the oars with little enthusiasm.

When it came to gourmet food, Zoro really had no interest at all.

What he cared about was strength, swordsmanship, and the question of when he might finally surpass Luo Lan.

Yes, surpass Luo Lan.

Ever since Luo Lan had continually shocked him, Zoro’s goal had shifted from Hawkeye, the greatest swordsman in the world, to the man before him now.

Zoro had become realistic: if he couldn’t even surpass his peer, how could he think of outdoing the world’s best swordsman?

So, he desperately yearned for a breakthrough, with no mind to spare for other matters.

That “cutting iron” technique—Luo Lan had mentioned it before they even boarded the ship, but to this day, Zoro hadn’t grasped a clue. How could he focus on anything else?

Was enjoying fine food really so pleasurable? Zoro was skeptical. Wouldn’t it be better to spend the time honing his swordsmanship?

Unlike Zoro, Koby was quite interested in Baratie.

He’d heard rumors of the Baratie back in Shells Town and had always wanted to see it.

After all, the restaurant’s founder was a pirate who had returned from the Grand Line, a man of great strength, but even greater culinary skill.

“Come on, Zoro, we’re still far from Baratie!” Luo Lan called back, smiling at the two rowing. Zoro wore a blank face, while Koby’s was bright with energy.

Koby’s recent training had clearly paid off; even rowing alongside Zoro, he wasn’t falling far behind.

“Hey, Luo Lan, why did you drag me along too? Wouldn’t I be better off staying on the ship to train and watch those pirates for you?” Zoro asked, his reluctance plain for all to see.

“Training must be balanced with rest. If you keep yourself wound too tightly, how will you ever progress?” Luo Lan explained.

He had noticed Zoro's anxiety about his own strength, so he’d forcibly brought him along to Baratie for a change of pace.

And, well, it wasn’t because he was too lazy to row himself. Definitely not.

Besides giving Zoro a break, Luo Lan had another, more mischievous reason.

He remembered well—in the Straw Hat crew, Zoro and Sanji were eternal rivals; whenever they were together, there was never peace, not even in battle.

Now, coming to Baratie, Luo Lan was curious to see if their bond truly existed, if they would clash at their very first meeting just as they did in the anime.

As they drew closer to the Baratie, Luo Lan couldn’t help but marvel at Zeff’s reputation—despite being far out at sea, the restaurant was crowded with guests.

Boats of all kinds were moored at the landing, a dazzling array, with new boats arriving the moment others left. It took quite some time for Luo Lan and the others to squeeze in and tie their vessel to a mooring post on the deck.

Cradling Donna and holding Nami’s hand, Luo Lan stepped onto Baratie’s deck, looking very much like a family of three.

The moment Nami appeared, something both expected and unexpected happened.

A man with curly eyebrows and short blond hair appeared before them in a flash.

Luo Lan wasn’t exaggerating—he really did appear in a flash, so quick that even Luo Lan’s Observation Haki hadn’t sensed his approach.

“Beautiful lady…”

Sanji’s eyes turned into hearts, and dropping to one knee, he somehow produced a rose, holding it high before Nami.

“My lovely lady, the moment I first saw you, I felt as if…”

Sickly sweet words poured out as Sanji gazed only at Nami, oblivious to Luo Lan at her side.

“Of course!” Luo Lan shook his head helplessly, thinking, “You never disappoint, Sanji.”

“Beautiful miss, this way please…” Sanji said naturally, and, as if moved by his surprise, Nami’s cheeks flushed slightly. Sanji gently slipped her hand from the crook of Luo Lan’s arm and led her toward the restaurant’s entrance.

Watching this, Luo Lan suddenly felt a pang of jealousy.

Granted, he and Nami had no particular relationship, but she had just been holding his arm—Sanji must have seen that, right?

Yet even so, he barged in and brazenly tried to steal her away. Wasn’t Sanji afraid of getting beaten up for that?

Luo Lan had always found Sanji’s lecherous nature annoying in the anime; now, experiencing it in reality, he disliked it even more.

Stepping forward with a dark cloud on his brow, Luo Lan laid a hand on Sanji’s shoulder, his tone cold: “Is it really proper to just walk off with my woman like that?”

Sanji spun around, gave Luo Lan a quick once-over, shrugged indifferently, brushed Luo Lan’s hand off, and went back to fawning over Nami.

Handsome men of Luo Lan’s caliber he usually ignored—after all, he wasn’t interested in men.

Zoro, watching from the side, struggled to hold back laughter. It was the first time he’d seen anyone treat Luo Lan this way.

Even their enemies, when facing Luo Lan, might taunt him or act disdainful, but none had ever simply ignored him.

As for Koby, he was terrified, his scalp tingling.

That blond guy was bold indeed, daring to ignore Mr. Luo Lan outright.

With Luo Lan’s strength, he could destroy this restaurant with ease.

“I said, stop it. Didn’t you hear?” Luo Lan’s temper was not gentle; his kindness and mercy were reserved for the weak and the suffering. Sanji had yet to earn that.

He slapped Sanji’s shoulder forcefully, his eyes narrowing and his voice growing cold.

Yes, he wanted to taste the food, but Sanji’s behavior was making him quite unhappy.

Feeling the weight on his shoulder, Sanji’s expression changed. Releasing Nami, he launched a backward kick, intent on teaching Luo Lan a lesson.

No one had ever dared lay hands on a Baratie chef before.

Sanji’s attack didn’t surprise Luo Lan—after all, in the anime, Sanji had even fought a Marine captain over a woman.

But Luo Lan wasn’t that useless Marine. Nor did he intend to show Sanji any mercy.

With fifth-level speed, Luo Lan didn’t even take Sanji’s attack seriously. After all, Sanji was still someone who couldn’t even defeat Gin.

As Sanji attacked, Luo Lan did only one thing: he caught Sanji’s leg, then casually tossed him overboard into the sea, all while still holding Donna in his arms with effortless grace.

A lust-addled fool like that should go cool his head in the ocean for a while.

“Luo Lan, I…” Nami approached, wanting to explain, but Luo Lan stopped her.

He knew this incident had nothing to do with Nami—it was entirely Sanji’s own doing.

Ruffling Nami’s hair, Luo Lan let her know he didn’t mind, then took her hand and entered the restaurant.

He couldn’t help but admire the luxury of the décor.

Inside, the opulent surroundings were filled mostly with well-dressed, refined members of high society.

A few less well-dressed diners could be seen, but they were clearly the targets of disdainful glances from the upper class.

Luo Lan found this scene a touch ironic. In the original story, Zeff had opened this restaurant simply so that those stranded at sea could have a meal.

Yet after more than a decade, it had become a high-class establishment coveted by the wealthy.

A waiter approached as they entered.

Unlike the high-society guests, the waiter showed no hint of disdain, treating everyone equally.

After clarifying Luo Lan’s preferences and requests, he led them to a table.

Seated at Luo Lan’s side, Donna immediately snatched up the menu.

Her newly awakened gluttonous instincts had her swallowing drool the moment she entered the hall, intoxicated by the aroma alone.

Now, gazing at the menu, her face was aglow with happiness and excitement.

“I want this one, and this, and one more of these.”

Having just begun learning to read with Nami, Donna couldn’t recognize the menu items, so she simply pointed at the pictures she liked.

Though she had become a little foodie, Donna had never wasted food. She ordered only three dishes—just enough to fill her, with not a morsel left over.