426-430

Chapter 426: "You Dare Insult Me?!" - Shinra Tensei! 

So, naturally, he completely disregarded Kazama. In a flash, he ordered his subordinates to speed up loading the bombs. Then, with a deafening boom, dozens of cannonballs immediately soared towards Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates' ship. 

"Heh, you little punk! Weren't you saying these cannonballs were nothing to worry about? Now I wanna see how you're gonna stop 'em!" 

"Alright, no problem!" Seeing the Marine leader dare to challenge him, Kazama scoffed. He stomped his foot, flying into the sky, then extended his hand, unleashing Shinra Tensei! 

As Kazama used Shinra Tensei, the cannonballs, which were about to strike Kazama and the others, instantly froze in mid-air. 

"What?! How is that possible?!" The Marine leader was utterly shocked that Kazama actually had the power to neutralize the cannonballs. He wasn't the only one; Luffy, Zoro, and the others were also stunned. They never expected Kazama to possess such an ability. They thought Kazama only knew Fire Release, Water Release, Shadow Clone Jutsu, and his invulnerability. They certainly didn't foresee him being able to stop cannonballs in mid-air! This completely blew their minds and redefined their understanding of the world. 

However, since Luffy and Zoro's crew had already witnessed Kazama's incredible power, they weren't too surprised anymore. 

Meanwhile, the Marine leader hadn't even processed what was happening when he saw Kazama smirking at him. 

"Shinra Tensei!" Kazama declared with a cold voice. 

The cannonballs hanging in the air instantly shot back towards the Marine leader's ship. Since Kazama wasn't a bloodthirsty person, he didn't want to completely annihilate these Marines. So, Kazama immediately altered the cannonballs' trajectory, ensuring they didn't hit critical areas of the Marine ship. Because of this, while their ship was riddled with holes, there were no casualties. 

Yet, the Marine leader wasn't grateful to Kazama at all. He even thought Kazama was simply too weak, which was why the cannonballs missed him. So, he scoffed at Kazama. 

"Heh, you little punk! Even if your power is somewhat impressive, it's still trash to me! You bounced the cannons back, but you didn't hit any vital spots on our ship! You just hit some random corners and didn't harm any of our men, so you're still trash in my eyes!" 

"This is infuriating!" Luffy, Zoro, and the others had already figured out that Kazama had deliberately spared the Marine leader out of kindness, preventing the cannonballs from hitting their ship's vital points. But they never imagined this Marine leader would be so arrogant and self-important. This naturally infuriated them, making them absolutely furious. 

They all turned to Kazama and said, "Kazama-san, you were kind enough to spare these Marines' lives, but they're acting so high and mighty! This is just unbearable!" 

Chapter 427: You dare defy me? Shinra Tensei! 

"Kazama-aniki, if you ask me, we should just beat 'em black and blue right now! Then let's see how arrogant and bossy they can act!" 

"With just you guys? What makes you think you have what it takes to beat me black and blue?!" 

The moment that Marine leader heard what Luffy and Zoro said, he immediately started cussing them out again. 

"Let me tell you, you worthless pirate scum! I know your so-called 'leader' here has that ability to bounce our attacks back. But now that I know your little trick, I just won't use cannonballs on you! I'll just stall you right here, then I'll notify Marine Headquarters, and we'll grind you pirates into dust! Let's see how cocky and tyrannical you can be then!" 

As the Marine leader spouted this, he immediately burst into wild, maniacal laughter. 

Now, Kazama hadn't really wanted to pay this Marine leader much mind. 

But since this Marine was acting so high and mighty, throwing his weight around like that, Kazama, naturally, wasn't going to stand for it anymore. 

So, Kazama shot him a cold sneer. 

"You really think that just because you don't attack me, I have no way to hit you back?" 

"Heh, sure. If you think you've got the guts to fight back, then bring it on! I'm eager to see just how awesome and powerful you really are!" 

"Fine. If that's what you want, you got it!" 

With that, Kazama instantly unleashed his Banshō Ten'in (万象天引 - Universal Pull) once more. He pulled the Marine leader's entire ship right up into the sky. 

"What?! How is that even possible?!" 

Seeing his own massive, ten-thousand-ton class warship effortlessly yanked into the air by Kazama, the Marine leader was utterly dumbfounded. 

And before that Marine leader could even process what was going on, Kazama immediately unleashed a Shinra Tensei (神羅天征 - Almighty Push). 

In a single instant, he slammed the airborne ship straight down to the ocean floor, effectively turning it into a submarine. 

Then, under the devastating power of Shinra Tensei and the immense pressure of the ocean depths, those Marines and their vessel were completely obliterated, blown to bits. 

It wasn't that Kazama was bloodthirsty; it was because these Marines had bullied them excessively. Besides, Kazama was a man of strong principles. Even though he was a pirate, he'd never engaged in any pillaging, murdering, or plundering. Yet now, these Marines, without understanding the first thing about him, were out to kill him. So, Kazama naturally wasn't going to show them any mercy. 

As the old saying goes: "To be soft on your enemies is to be cruel to yourself." Kazama was a veteran of countless battles; there was no way he wouldn't understand that. 

At that moment, when Luffy, Zoro, and the others saw Kazama so easily annihilate all those Marines, they were instantly filled with awe. After all, they knew that anyone who became a Marine was bound to be seriously strong and capable. So for Kazama to take them all out with such ease, they were naturally deeply impressed. 

And just at that moment, as Kazama and the others were getting ready to set sail again, they suddenly spotted a large, strangely shaped ship appearing not too far ahead of them. What's more, sounds of merry laughter and chatter drifted over from it, which immediately made Kazama and his crew quite curious. 

Luffy and Zoro were also pretty bewildered. After all, in their experience, most ships sailing the seas weren't nearly as odd-looking as this one. 

Chapter 428: Getting Ready to Recruit Sanji 

So, Kazama immediately turned and asked their navigator, Nami. 

"Heh, well now, Kazama-bro, you're really a bit out of the loop. You should know, this ship is an actual, honest-to-goodness sea restaurant!" 

"What! A sea restaurant!" 

Hearing Nami's words, Luffy and Zoro were instantly shocked. 

Even though they'd never seen a proper sea restaurant before, they had certainly heard the rumors about them. 

You see, this sea restaurant was a favorite dining spot for many Marines and wealthy merchants. 

Don't let the fact that it's not as easy to find as a restaurant on land fool you. The food here looked, smelled, and tasted amazing, and the atmosphere was beautiful. 

Because of this, all food lovers hoped to eat their fill at this sea restaurant. 

Just then, when Kazama heard about this sea restaurant, he secretly smiled to himself. 

Because Kazama knew that the next crewmate he was planning to recruit was right here, in this very sea restaurant. 

That would be Sanji, the current sous chef of the sea restaurant. 

This Sanji was known by the Marines as "Black Leg" because his kicking techniques were incredibly powerful. 

Not only that, but Sanji's cooking skills were also top-notch. 

Therefore, Kazama naturally wanted to get Sanji to join his crew. 

This way, not only would they get to eat well, but they'd also gain a powerful comrade. 

With this, Kazama would be even more confident in defeating that Otsutsuki Clan Ancestor in the future. 

At that moment, Kazama immediately said to Luffy and the others, "Everyone, talk about perfect timing! Since we've arrived at this legendary sea restaurant, let's head right in and see just how delicious the food really is!" 

"No problem!" 

Having heard Kazama, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and the others were instantly overjoyed. 

After all, they had been sailing on the sea for dozens of days, eating nothing but dry rations that could only fill their stomachs. 

While these rations could stave off hunger, they didn't have much flavor. 

So, naturally, they were eager to have a proper feast at the sea restaurant. 

And so, in no time at all, Kazama and his group arrived on the restaurant ship. 

However, what Kazama and the others didn't expect was this: 

The moment they set foot in the sea restaurant, before they even had a chance to push open the main doors, they saw several burly men in chef's uniforms storming towards them aggressively. 

"You pirate scum! Let me tell you, our sea restaurant doesn't welcome pirates like you! So, I suggest you get lost, the farther the better!" 

"What? How dare you look down on people like that!" 

At this, Luffy, seeing that even people at a sea restaurant were looking down on them because they were pirates, erupted in anger, absolutely furious. 

And just then, Zoro, who was usually calm and collected, also started yelling angrily at these sea restaurant chefs. 

"I say, you chefs really like to judge a book by its cover! That's right, we are pirates, but we're not the irredeemably evil kind! We're pirates of justice!" 

"Heh, that's hilarious! I've never heard of such a thing as a 'righteous pirate'!" 

Hearing Zoro's words, the chefs once again burst into wild laughter. 

Chapter 429: Black Leg Sanji Appears 

"I'm telling you, you little punks, if I tell you to scram, you scram! Don't stand here trying to play word games with me. Let me tell you, all pirates are bastards! It's like coal briquettes – they're only black. Have you ever seen a white one?" 

"Of course not," . 

"And since there are no white ones, there are no good pirates!" 

"This is infuriating!" 

When Luffy saw how arrogant and domineering these chefs were, and how they were unjustly accusing him, he was ready to argue with them again in an instant. 

But these guys already had a bad impression of Luffy and his crew because they were pirates. So, when they saw Luffy looking like he was about to charge, they assumed he wanted to fight them. 

Before you knew it, these chefs, armed with various guns, started firing at Luffy. 

In just a few moments, Luffy was riddled with bullets. 

Even though Luffy's body was made of rubber and could repel the bullets, he could still feel the very real pain. 

And so, in a flash, Luffy was jumping all over the place, trying to dodge the onslaught of bullets. 

Just then, Kazama saw these chefs attacking his good friend Luffy without a word of warning. He was instantly enraged. With a cry of "Shinra Tensei!" he sent them flying straight into the sea. 

"You scoundrel! How dare you lay a hand on my chefs!" 

At that moment, the owner of the Sea Restaurant, the head chef himself, stormed over to Kazama, looking furious. 

Now, Luffy, Zoro, and the others had never been to the Sea Restaurant before, so they didn't recognize this head chef. 

Kazama, however, knew exactly who this head chef was, even though he'd never been to the Sea Restaurant either. He was very familiar with the One Piece manga, you see. He knew that this head chef had once been a genuine pirate himself. 

So, Kazama immediately said to the head chef, "Now hold on, Head Chef. It's not me, Kazama, who's being arrogant here. It's your men who were acting all high and mighty. We just came here to eat. We're not trying to dine and dash, so why won't you let us eat here?" 

"Heh, that's because you're pirates! And all pirates are scumbags!" the head chef retorted. 

"Oh? If that's the case," Kazama replied smoothly, "then perhaps I should call you 'Senior Scumbag,' since you were a pirate for much longer than I've been!" 

"What! You...! I'm so mad!" 

With his silver tongue, Kazama had rendered the Sea Restaurant's head chef speechless in just a few exchanges. 

"Well said! Brilliantly said!" 

Just as the head chef was turning red-faced with anger from Kazama's words, a tall, yellow-haired young man with a cigarette dangling from his lips walked over, clapping and smiling. 

And this person was none other than the crewmate Kazama was planning to recruit next: Sous Chef Sanji. 

"Sanji, you traitorous bastard! You good-for-nothing scumbag! Don't you forget you work for me! You're the sous chef of this Sea Restaurant! But now, not only are you not backing me up, you're siding with these pirates! This is absolutely intolerable!" the head chef roared at Sanji. 

Hearing the head chef's furious accusations, Sanji just smiled again, completely unfazed. 

Chapter 430: The Terrifying Captain Krieg! 

"Hey, Head Chef, don't sell yourself short now. Listen, even though I, Sanji, am the sous-chef here, I'm not your subordinate, you know? We're partners. Besides, since we're chefs, the customer is king! As long as they're willing to pay for a meal, we don't care who they are!" 

"And what's more, even though these guys look like pirates, I can see their eyes are clear. Plus, they sound pretty sincere. So, I reckon these guys aren't the bloodthirsty, murdering type!" 

"You're really grinding my gears!" 

The moment the Head Chef heard what Sanji said, he couldn't even be bothered to argue with him. He just turned to leave. 

With that, Sanji immediately went to serve Kazama and his group. He brought out all sorts of fancy dishes and fine wines for them. 

"What have we got here... roasted duck, spring chicken, deep-fried meatballs, fish-fragrant shredded pork, shredded pork with Beijing sauce, Chateau Lafite, Rémy Martin!" 

Meanwhile, the Head Chef, seeing Kazama's group feasting on such a lavish spread, started to worry they wouldn't have the money to pay up. So, he went over and started lecturing Kazama's group again. 

"Listen up, you pirates! Don't blame me for being blunt, but this meal you've ordered costs hundreds of thousands of Beli (ベリー)! So, I seriously doubt you guys actually have that kind of cash!" 

Before the Head Chef could even finish, Kazama just waved his hand. Instantly, a mountain of gold, silver, and jewels from his Tsukuyomi異空間 (Tsukuyomi Pocket Dimension) appeared right in front of the chef. 

There was so much treasure that the Head Chef, caught completely off guard, was practically buried under it. 

"Well? Is this enough to cover our meal now?" Kazama asked. 

"Enough! More than enough! It's definitely enough!" 

That Head Chef was notorious for his eyes lighting up at the sight of money. So, seeing Kazama was this loaded, and could even make all this treasure appear out of thin air with some unbelievable method, he was completely stunned. 

And it wasn't just him; the other customers eating in the restaurant were equally shocked. You see, anyone who could afford to eat at this sea restaurant was either rich or noble, all of them loaded. But even with all their money, none of them had ever seen someone casually whip out so much gold and jewels at once. 

"Just how rich are these guys?!" The crowd immediately started whispering amongst themselves about Kazama and his crew. 

"Heh heh heh, who would've thought a mere sea restaurant would have such a fat sheep ripe for the fleecing!" 

Just as Kazama was about to dig into his meal, he suddenly heard an angry shout. He turned his head and saw a burly, fierce-looking pirate leading a bunch of his underlings, storming aggressively into the sea restaurant. 

"What is this, some kind of pirate reunion day? Why are all you scallywags suddenly showing up at my restaurant to eat?!" The hot-tempered Head Chef immediately started yelling at this newly arrived pirate. 

But he had no idea that this pirate was the real deal – a genuinely bloodthirsty and vicious type. He wasn't easygoing like Kazama. 

So, the moment this pirate heard the Head Chef daring to insult him, he flew into a rage. With a single kick, he sent the Head Chef sprawling to the ground. 

"What! You dare lay a hand on our Head Chef?!" 

Now, Sanji might have loved to bicker with the Head Chef, but at the end of the day, the Head Chef was his comrade. So, there was no way Sanji was going to let some bad guy push him around. 

Without a second thought, Sanji unleashed his famous, badass kicks and launched himself straight at the burly pirate. 

But what he didn't expect was that this pirate was notoriously powerful. So, the pirate just casually raised a hand and swatted Sanji, sending him crashing to the floor too. 

"You little runts! You dare to oppose our Captain Krieg?!" 

"What! Captain Krieg?!" 

Hearing the newcomer identify himself as Captain Krieg (首領・クリーク - Don Krieg), everyone present felt a chill run down their spines. 

Kazama, too, was shocked. Because this Captain Krieg, from what Kazama knew, was the most formidable and powerful opponent he had encountered so far. Although Kazama hadn't actually fought Captain Krieg yet, he'd definitely heard of his reputation. 

But no matter how badass Captain Krieg was, in Kazama's eyes, he was still just trash. 

Just as Kazama was about to step in and right this injustice, Captain Krieg, a cold smirk on his face, led his men and walked directly towards Kazama.