One-Punch Man in the One Piece World

30. Recruit the Barati!

Even though he didn't blink, Smoker couldn't see Norton's movements.

The expected fist did not come. Smoker was stunned and was horrified to find that the Ten Hands in his hand had somehow fallen into Norton's hands!

"Give me back my jitte!" Smoker shouted angrily.

Norton held Smoker's hands, gently stroking the tips of his hands with his warm palm, without looking at the furious Smoker.

"It looks like a decent weapon, but unfortunately, it's no longer yours," Norton chuckled.

Smoker's face flushed red: "Let go of my Jigsaw!"

"Rage in your incompetence, you lowly weakling..." Norton raised his ten hands. "Though they don't suit me, it would be quite interesting to defeat you with your own weapons, wouldn't it?"

"Give it back to me!" Smoker practically spat out the words through clenched teeth, his face turning as red as a pig's liver.

The shame and rage of losing Jigsaw burned away the last shred of his composure. He lunged forward, his right hand transforming into a giant white claw formed from smoke, fiercely grabbing at Jigsaw in Norton's hand.

Norton did not back down. With a flick of his wrist, his ten hands spun lightly half a circle in his palm, avoiding the grip of the cigarette claw.

Then, the arm holding the end of the ten hands naturally extends forward—

The movements were clean, efficient, and even somewhat casual.

The ten-handed end struck precisely on the side of Smoker's exposed jaw as he lunged forward.

Smoker's charge came to an abrupt halt, and the anger in his eyes was instantly replaced by confusion and disorientation.

He swayed, his body went limp, and he fell straight backward, crashing into the cold seawater below with a "plop," splashing up a spray of water before sinking, leaving only a few bubbles floating on the surface.

On the two warships next to them, all the marines stared wide-eyed.

"Colonel Smoker...has also been defeated!"

Colonel Smoker, who was almost an "invincible" figure in their hearts, the Logia-type Devil Fruit user, just like that... fell down?

Who else can restrain this man named Norton?

Norton stood on the floating wreckage, toying with Smoker's jigsaw in his hand, without even glancing at the sinking Smoker.

For him, defeating Smoker was not difficult; it was only because of his Logia-type Devil Fruit ability that Smoker was able to hold out against him for so long.

If it weren't for his natural abilities, Smoker wouldn't have lasted a second longer than the colonels from those three branches.

Let alone enjoying it, it didn't even pique Norton's interest in fighting. It's nowhere near as good as the previous CP0.

The sunlight streamed down, but the sailors felt no warmth whatsoever. The silver-haired man standing in the sunlight seemed to them at that moment to be some kind of inhuman monster that had crawled out of the deep sea.

Norton glanced indifferently at the silent warships and the marines floating and calling for help around him, his eyes showing no emotion.

There was neither pride nor pity.

Norton did it as if it were a trivial matter, casually tucked his hands behind his back, bent his knees, and leaped into the air.

The figure cut through the sea breeze and landed steadily on the deck of the floating restaurant, Barradi.

The White Pearl approached at the opportune moment.

Nami waved vigorously from the bow of the ship, a bright smile on her face: "Norton! Over here, over here!"

Fu Ning also breathed a sigh of relief and waved in greeting.

On the Black Cat Pirates' ship next to them, deafening cheers erupted, with Django even leading the charge in banging on a broken gong.

They never dreamed that the new captain who defeated Crowe was this strong! In an instant, they felt like they had found a powerful ally.

The marines watched from afar as Norton boarded his ship, exchanging bewildered glances.

"He...didn't kill them all?"

"We...survived?"

"Quickly! Pull everyone out of the sea! Request reinforcements from headquarters!"

...

Norton stepped onto the Barratier and headed straight for Zeff, who had been silently observing.

"I'm not staying here any longer," Norton said bluntly and calmly. "I'm leaving tomorrow. Decide as soon as possible."

The Navy has discovered his whereabouts, and the higher-ups know that he is the culprit who killed the Celestial Dragons, so they will definitely send enough troops to surround and kill him.

Those who have ever offended the Celestial Dragons have never had a good ending, let alone killing one.

If the incident hadn't been kept secret and only a very few people knew the truth, even a naval admiral would probably have been mobilized.

Norton was certainly not afraid of the admirals, and even somewhat looked forward to their arrival. However, his goal was the New World, and he wouldn't linger in any sea for long.

Only by reaching the New World can he begin to establish his own nation. He will not let the navy hinder the progress of his plans.

Norton paused, looking into Zeff's complex eyes, and said with unwavering resolve, "Even if you disagree now, I'll be back sooner or later!"

"I won't give up on you, Zeff! Your cooking, and your dreams, are already mine!"

Upon hearing this, Zeff's mouth opened slightly, and he remained silent for a long time.

In the kitchen, Paddy, Sanji, and the other chefs listened with bated breath.

Finally, Zeff shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm not leaving this restaurant! I'm the manager! You idiot! At least not until the next manager comes along!"

Norton looked at him for a few seconds, nodded, and showed little surprise, only a slight regret.

"Really? That's a shame."

He didn't say anything more, turned around and walked towards the waiting White Pearl.

Before leaping onto the ship's railing, Norton paused, turned his head, and said to Zeff on deck, "But... I'll be back sooner or later!"

Norton will never give up what he wants!

...

...

As night deepened, most of the lights in the floating restaurant had been turned off, leaving only the faint glow of the lights on duty.

A tall, somewhat hunched figure, carrying a bulging backpack, carefully stepped across the deck, his wooden prosthetic leg making a soft sound as it touched the deck.

Zeff glanced back at the silhouette of the restaurant sleeping in the darkness, his gaze filled with deep longing and a hint of resolve.

But in the end, Zeff untied the rope of a spare small boat tied to the outside of the restaurant, nimbly slid into the cabin, and picked up the oar.

The small boat silently glided across the calm sea, heading in the direction the White Pearl had left in the afternoon, disappearing into the deep night.

On the table in his room was a letter with slightly messy handwriting.

Almost immediately after Zeff's boat disappeared into the darkness, the kitchen door was gently pushed open.

Sanji walked in with an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, followed by Paddy and several of the main chefs.

No one spoke, and their faces showed no signs of sleepiness.

Sanji walked straight to the table in Zeff's room and picked up the letter.

By the moonlight streaming in through the window, he quickly scanned the contents, his lips tightening as he cursed, "That damned old man!"

The letter was simple; it said that Zeff was leaving the manager's position and the Baratie sea restaurant to Sanji and Paddy, while he would be leaving for a while.

Paddy leaned closer to take a look and sighed, "As expected... I knew the manager would pull this stunt."

"You think you're the only one who noticed?" a chef whispered. "Nobody went back to their rooms after dinner; they're all waiting in the kitchen."

"The old man wants to secretly go and pursue his dreams all by himself..." another chef rubbed his reddened eyes, "leaving us all behind... How can he have such a good deal!"

"What are we waiting for?" Sanji crumpled the letter into a ball, clenched it in his hand, turned and walked out, his voice resolute, "Open a restaurant! Full speed ahead! Catch that capricious old man!"

"oh!!!"

A low chorus echoed through the restaurant at night.

...

Soon, the massive body of the floating restaurant Barradi slowly turned and adjusted its direction, with the "fins" on the restaurant's exterior and the auxiliary sails adjusted to the optimal angle.

The seemingly cumbersome sea fortress began to accelerate in the darkness, cutting through the waves and chasing after the direction in which Zeff's small boat had disappeared.

The speed is getting faster and faster.

Ahead on the sea, a lone light flickered in the darkness—the faint glow of Zeff's small boat.

As Zeff was rowing hard, he suddenly felt an unusual current and vibration on the sea behind him, and he turned around in surprise.

The enormous, brightly lit floating restaurant, Baratie, is rapidly approaching, like a giant beast emerging from the night!

The waves that cut through the bow of the boat almost caught up with his small boat.

The deck was filled with familiar figures.

Sanji, Paddy, and all the chefs, not one missing.

Everyone was looking at Zeff, no one spoke, but every pair of eyes reflected the restaurant lights and something resolute.

Sanji stepped forward, walked to the ship's side, and shouted out the thoughts of all the chefs to Zeff, who was staring in disbelief in the small boat below.

"Hey! Old man! Don't even think about sneaking off alone!!"

Paddy yelled at the top of his lungs, "You abandoned us all to chase after All Blue? How cunning of you, you old geezer!"

"Take us with you, old man!"

"Let's go! Take us to the Grand Line! To the New World! To find the legendary All Blue!"

Shouts rose and fell, echoing across the silent sea.

Zeff looked up at the faces on the deck, some excited, some smiling, some with tears welling up in the lamplight, his hand gripping the oar trembling slightly. The sea breeze blew across his wrinkled face, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, no sound came out.

In the end, Zeff said nothing, but nodded hard and forcefully, then raised his hand and wiped his face vigorously.

The floating restaurant slowly adjusted its angle, paralleling Zeff's small boat. Sanji threw down the rope ladder.

"Aren't you getting on up here, you old geezer! Are you waiting for us to come down and carry you away?"

"You brat!!"

...

...

next morning.

The sea was a deep blue, and unusually, we did not encounter any severe weather.

On the spacious lawn of the White Pearl, an exquisite chessboard sits on a small wooden table. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the mainsail, casting dappled shadows.

Norton held the black king and gently placed it in a corner of the board. Next to it was Smoker... no, now Norton's ten-move set.

"I am dying."

Nami, sitting opposite him, stared at the chessboard for three seconds, then swept it aside, yelling, "That doesn't count! You definitely cheated this game!"

Losing to Norton in chess is one thing, but Norton didn't invent chess! Why did he still lose?

Nami was practically going crazy; she had already lost 30,000 to Norton! It wasn't a huge amount, but it was still money!

"This is the third round," Norton leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. "Three losses in a row and you're cheating? Is this the professional conduct of a navigator?"

"I'm not cheating! It's you..." Nami was about to retort when she was suddenly interrupted by Funing's exclamation.

"King! Look behind you!"

Fu Ning stood by the railing at the stern of the ship, pointing towards the horizon.

Norton and Nami turned their heads at the same time.

At the horizon where the azure sea meets the sky, a familiar outline is rapidly growing larger!

That enormous, fish-shaped floating restaurant is speeding toward the White Pearl!

Norton sat up straight, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

"...Didn't you say you refused?"

The floating restaurant, Barati, approached at an astonishing speed, rapidly closing the distance to a point where the figures on the deck could be clearly seen.

Everyone on the White Pearl gathered at the stern.

Zoro crossed his arms, Sanosuke remained on guard, and Kuro adjusted his glasses.

The Black Cat Pirates' ship also slowed down, and Zango and the others crowded around the ship's side to look around.

On the bow deck of the Barrati, a row of familiar figures stood.

Zeff, leading the group, had his golden braided beard fluttering in the sea breeze. Beside him were Sanji, Paddy, and all the main chefs.

When the two ships were less than a hundred meters apart, Zeff took a deep breath and cupped his hands to his mouth: "Norton—!!"

"I've changed my mind!!"

The sea breeze seemed to freeze for a second at that moment.

Zeff's voice continued, louder than before, with a burning heat.

"Let's go to the new world with you! That legendary sea—ALL BLUE—we'll find it for chefs all over the world, for everyone who craves delicious food!!!"

As the last word fell, only the sound of waves crashing against the ship's side remained on the sea.

On the deck of the Barratier, all the chefs straightened their backs, their eyes fixed intently on the White Pearl and on the silver-haired man at the stern.

After a brief silence.

Norton's lips slowly curled up as he took a step forward and placed his foot on the railing at the stern.

"Welcome to the team!!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted on the White Pearl.

"That's wonderful!" Fu Ning was the first to jump up, clapping her hands. "From now on, we can eat such delicious food every day!"

Nami's eyes transformed into Berserker symbols: "The head chef of the sea restaurant has become our personal chef... Think of how much food money we'll save!"

Zoro smiled, a rare occurrence for him: "The sake should be quite good too."

Sanosuke nodded silently.

Kro adjusted his glasses: "The fighting strength has been replenished, and... morale has been significantly boosted."

On the Black Cat Pirates' ship, cheers erupted deafeningly, and Django even started dancing his comical dance: "Following a boss like this was definitely the right decision! They even managed to take over the sea restaurant!"

...

...

The Grand Line, Marineford, Marine Headquarters.

The atmosphere inside the highest meeting room was as heavy as iron.

The oval table was filled with figures draped in coats that read "Justice".

At the head of the table, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, wearing round-framed glasses, rested his hands on his chin, his expression serious.

On either side are the seats of the three admirals—Akainu Sakazuki, Aokiji Kuzan, and Kizaru Borsalino.

Akainu's face was cold and indifferent, Aokiji leaned back in his chair as if half asleep, and Kizaru tilted his head and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Below them were Lieutenant General Tsuru, Onigumo, Doberman, and other lieutenant generals, as well as officers in charge of intelligence.

At the front of the conference room, a giant projection Den Den Mushi was projecting several reports and photos onto the screen—the ruins of the Kingdom of Sagar, images of the wreckage of three warships, a photo of Smoker lying in a hospital bed, and a bounty poster for a silver-haired young man in the very center.

Norton

"DEAD OR ALIVE"

"100,000,000 Berries"

"Let's begin," Sengoku said in a deep voice.