One Piece Shadow Army - Chapter 36
Insight.
Five pirate ships, flying pirate flags, were rapidly approaching the Baratie.
This scene naturally caught the attention of others in the floating restaurant.
Upon realizing that pirates were surrounding them, the tourists from Loguetown were filled with panic and confusion, not knowing what to do.
“Everyone, do not panic. Those pirates are just here for me.”
Tap, tap, tap!
A series of heavy yet crisp footsteps echoed through the restaurant as the elderly Zeff slowly appeared in the customers’ view.
As the owner and head chef of the Baratie, Zeff had a somewhat fierce appearance with two long blond braided mustaches and a very tall chef’s hat on his head.
The distinctive footsteps came from his wooden peg leg on his right foot.
“Deploy the floating platforms.”
Zeff looked at the approaching pirate ships and instructed the chefs who had followed him out.
“Yes.” Paddy, who had already swapped his kitchen tools for weapons, went to the control room to activate the switch for the floating platforms.
On this floating restaurant, large-scale battles often occurred. To avoid damaging the restaurant’s interior, the retractable platforms from the hull to the sides of the ship could be raised to serve as battle grounds.
Led by head chef Zeff, the other chefs, armed with various weapons, walked out of the restaurant and stood on the platforms.
The dining tourists inside watched nervously, worried about being caught up in the conflict.
“Brother, are those pirate ships coming?” Verchiel asked.
“Yes, but it’s okay. Just keep eating,” Curls reassured, ruffling his sister’s blond hair.
“Okay.” Though pirate ships were intriguing, Verchiel preferred to continue enjoying her delicious pizza.
Watching the pirate ships outside, Curls’ expression grew more serious.
The pirate flags were red, featuring a skull with a bottle of liquor.
He recognized these flags because he had seen them before at the naval base. They belonged to the “Liquor Pirates.”
The Liquor Pirates were a large crew of over a thousand members, known for their strength, as previous Navy attempts to subdue them had ended in disaster.
Could the battle chefs of the Baratie handle them?
…
The five ships of the Liquor Pirates were now filled with pirates.
On the main ship, a towering, burly man over two meters tall stepped out from among the pirates.
This pirate leader wore a large shirt and a black coat, with a face full of rough flesh and a long, thick red beard, giving off an intimidating vibe.
He was Barbarossa, the captain of the Liquor Pirates!
With a bounty of 24 million Berries!
In the East Blue, Barbarossa’s high bounty was due to his being a Devil Fruit user.
Though Devil Fruits were rare in the East Blue, they were not entirely unheard of, and Barbarossa had been fortunate to find one.
Before becoming the captain of the Liquor Pirates, he was just a drunken layabout from the Ottoman Kingdom.
Seven years ago, a sudden change occurred. The current king of the Ottoman Kingdom, after the old king died from drinking, announced a prohibition law.
Regardless of the touching and emotional stories told by the new king, the prohibition made alcohol a contraband throughout the kingdom.
Anyone caught hiding or selling alcohol would be harshly punished.
For most citizens, the prohibition was a relief, but for a drunkard like Barbarossa, it was a demonic law.
Unable to drown his sorrows in alcohol, Barbarossa felt parched and in constant pain.
In his desperation, he searched everywhere for a place to buy liquor, but during the strict enforcement period, it was impossible to find any.
While wandering in despair, he found a strange red grape with intricate patterns on a street vendor’s stall.
Parched beyond measure, Barbarossa ate the red grape, hoping it would alleviate his suffering.
However, the grape tasted awful, making him doubt it was a grape at all.
After recovering, Barbarossa continued his quest for liquor but was shocked to discover he now had the ability to produce alcohol.
This special ability thrilled him, as he no longer had to worry about finding liquor.
Then, a crazy idea formed in his mind, and he put it into action.
With alcohol now banned in the kingdom, Barbarossa amassed a fortune by smuggling it.
But his success was short-lived.
Without any backing, he was soon arrested by the kingdom’s guards and imprisoned for three months.
After his release, he devised a comprehensive smuggling network.
For a time, Barbarossa’s liquor circulated widely in the kingdom, earning him vast wealth.
However, this attracted the wrath of certain influential people, and Barbarossa’s smuggling network was crushed by the kingdom’s forces, forcing him to flee.
Filled with resentment, Barbarossa vowed revenge.
Yet, realizing he couldn’t fight the kingdom alone, he joined a pirate crew, using his Devil Fruit ability to gradually grow stronger.
Now, as the captain of the Liquor Pirates with over a thousand subordinates, he still couldn’t challenge the Ottoman Kingdom’s power.
He needed to become even stronger.
Barbarossa called out to Zeff on the floating platform, “So, three days are up. Have you considered my offer?”
Barbarossa’s next goal was to enter the Grand Line and further strengthen himself.
Before that, he had invited Zeff and his battle chefs to join the Liquor Pirates.
Zeff had once ventured into the Grand Line and returned a year later, full of experience.
Thus, Barbarossa needed someone like Zeff to help him navigate the Grand Line.
Zeff’s response was a cold snort and an indifferent expression, “I didn’t even consider it because there’s only one answer. No way!”
Barbarossa’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“If you won’t join, then give me your Grand Line logbook.”
The battle chefs of the floating restaurant were strong, but Zeff’s firm stance meant they couldn’t be recruited.
Bang!
Zeff’s wooden peg leg stomped on the platform, making a loud sound.
At the same time, his expression turned furious, and he roared, “You bastard! My logbook is the record of my pirate life. How could I give it to you? Are you out of your mind?”
Facing Zeff’s tirade, a dangerous glint appeared in Barbarossa’s eyes.
“If you refuse to join my Liquor Pirates and won’t hand over the logbook, you’re leaving me no choice.”
Barbarossa downed a bottle of liquor and then smashed it on the deck.
“It seems we have no choice but to fight!”
Despite losing his famous right leg, Zeff showed no fear.
“If you want to fight, then let’s fight!”
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