One-Punch Man in the One Piece World

28. The Legendary Sea and the White Hunter!

Norton sat in his chair, legs crossed, elbows propped on the table, fingers interlaced under his chin, a faint smile on his face.

Such a posture, in Zeff's eyes, was nothing short of the most blatant provocation.

"Hmph, one hundred million Berries... Let me see how much of that is real value!"

Zeff snorted, his tall frame sinking as his remaining right leg firmly planted on the floor, the wooden prosthetic adjusted to a delicate angle.

Zeff hadn't really fought anyone in a long time, but his fighting instincts were ingrained in his bones.

Without warning, without even a clear gathering of strength, Zeff's figure suddenly blurred!

"Old man!"

Sanji had barely uttered his exclamation when Zeff's men appeared beside Norton.

Using the restaurant tables and chairs as cover and at an angle, Zeff instantly cut into the ideal attack position! It was Norton's side and rear!

"Head Chef's Prosthetic Flying Kick!"

Zeff roared, his body spinning as his wooden prosthetic arm swept toward Norton like a battering ram!

This kick may have been delivered with a prosthetic leg, but the real power came from the explosive force of the waist, abdomen, and that strong real leg, enough to shatter rocks.

Norton didn't even turn his eyes; he simply raised his left hand casually and swung it behind him.

"Smack."

Zeff's thunderous prosthetic kick was firmly blocked by Norton's palm!

All the violent kinetic energy seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall and dissipated instantly.

Zeff's pupils contracted sharply. Using the momentum, he pulled his leg back, landed, and launched a second attack without hesitation.

This time it was his real leg! He slammed his single leg into the ground, his body leaping into the air, his real leg leaving a trail of afterimages, the tip of his foot gathering even more sharpness than before.

That kick can leave a mark on steel!

Norton lowered his crossed hands and flicked his right hand upwards.

Zeff felt a gentle yet irresistible force coming from the soles of his feet!

That force not only completely neutralized Zeff's stabbing kick, but also pushed Zeff off balance in mid-air.

Zeff landed somewhat awkwardly with a backflip, stumbling back two steps.

"How is this possible..." Paddy muttered, the "food poisoning bomb" launcher slipping from his hand and falling to the ground.

Sanji's cigarette fell again as he stared intently at Norton, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Zoro gripped the hilt of Wado Ichimonji. He could see clearly that it wasn't a contest of speed or strength, but rather... an absolute level of control.

Norton seemed to have anticipated the trajectory and force of each of Zeff's attacks, and then "stopped" them in the most effortless and precise way.

Zeff's breathing became heavy, not because he was tired, but because of shock and a hint of barely perceptible humiliation!

This man... is a monster!

Once he understood this, Zeff stopped trying to find angles or use feints, and instead unleashed all the leg techniques he had honed throughout his life.

Side kicks, roundhouse kicks, downward kicks, and a continuous barrage of thrusting kicks...

Zeff's figure blurred into a blur of attacks around Norton.

The wind from his leg made the surrounding tables and chairs creak!

However, Norton remained seated in his chair, not moving an inch.

No matter how fierce Zeff's attacks were, Norton used only one hand.

Whether it's a palm strike, a finger flick, or a wrist block, each strike precisely targets the most critical and vulnerable point in the transmission of Zeff's attack power.

Sometimes it's the ankle, sometimes the calf, and sometimes just the instep.

After several rounds of fierce attacks.

Zeff jumped back suddenly, creating distance, his chest heaving violently.

His forehead was covered in sweat, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and deep frustration.

Zeff's prized kicking skills, which were enough to survive a year on the Grand Line, were laughable in front of Norton, like a baby waving its arms!

The gap in strength between the two sides is so vast that it is despairing.

"Looks like I've won," Norton said with a slight laugh as he slowly lowered his hand.

"How could this be! The old man actually..." Sanji was already dumbfounded.

He knew Zeff's strength better than anyone else; if he hadn't lost a leg, he would have been the kind of person who was unmatched in the East Blue.

Even with a broken leg, his strength is still superior to his!

However, they couldn't even budge this silver-haired young man!

"So what if you win?" Zeff scoffed defiantly. "Even if you stay in Baratie and talk for ten thousand years, I won't change my mind!"

Norton wasn't annoyed; he smiled at Zeff and said, "Red-Leg Zeff...you used to be a real pirate, didn't you?"

"A master of kicking who doesn't use his hands at all in combat has the power to shatter rocks and leave footprints on steel. The so-called 'red feet' refers to the result of the blood splattered from the enemy you kick down, staining the soles of your shoes red."

Zeff remained silent, a silence born of both his infamous reputation and his long-buried past.

"I can't live without your cooking anymore, Zeff!" Norton's tone suddenly became passionate and direct.

"So direct..." Zeff caught his breath, his face darkening.

"Don't be so selfish! What I want is to cook for the poor people at sea who have nothing to eat! I will not become someone's personal chef!" This is the fundamental tenet of Baratie's existence.

"This restaurant is mine!" Norton said, completely ignoring what Zeff was saying.

"No way!!" Zeff said firmly.

"What will it take for you to agree?" Norton held out his hand.

"No way!" Zeff crossed his arms and turned away from Norton. His attitude seemed resolute, but his slightly trembling braid betrayed his inner turmoil.

It's not just the pressure from the disparity in strength!

Norton's self-righteous attitude in demanding everything also gave him a long-lost thrill, the kind of excitement one feels when facing a great pirate.

He had seen pirates like that before! That domineering aura was unforgettable after just one encounter!

Norton was undeterred and continued, "But if you stay in the East China Sea, you can only soothe the stomachs of the people in this region! Even if you cruise the East China Sea in a Baratie, you can't spread this delicacy to the whole world!"

His voice gradually rose, carrying a captivating, almost magical quality.

"Become my partner!"

"Follow my ship on its voyage, and the islands, kingdoms, and countless people along the way will all savor the unparalleled delicacies of Baratie!"

"Zep! I plan to go to the New World and establish my own kingdom! And by the way..."

Norton paused deliberately.

He saw Zeff's shoulder stiffen almost imperceptibly.

"And let's also search for the legendary 'All Blue'! Come aboard! Didn't you enter the Grand Line to find that legendary sea?"

"ALL BLUE?!" Sanji exclaimed in surprise.

"What did you just say?!" Zeff whirled around, his golden braided beard trembling. "You also believe in the existence of that sea?"

"ALL BLUE" is also known as the legendary sea.

It is a magical sea area that contains all the ingredients from the four major sea areas: the East China Sea, the West China Sea, the South China Sea, and the North China Sea.

In theory, the four seas are separated by the north-south longitudinal red earth continent and the east-west transverse Grand Sea Route, making it impossible for marine life in each sea area to reach the other sea areas.

So whether ALL BLUE really exists remains a mystery.

No one has ever confirmed its authenticity.

The search for this legendary blue sea was the reason Zeff embarked on the Grand Line! It was Zeff's dream!

Unfortunately, after sailing the Grand Line for a whole year, Zeff still hadn't found any clues about that legendary sea.

But now, Zeff heard this long-lost word again from the mouth of a strange man!

"Of course I believe it!"

Norton stood up, his expression incredibly serious, his eyes burning with a flame that was a mixture of ambition and sincerity.

"It is precisely because few people believe in it, or because those who believe are powerless to pursue it, that we, as people, are needed all the more to find it and prove it!"

"Come on, Zeff! My ship can do both: bring your delicious food to the world and find All Blue! Don't give up on your dreams!"

Zeff fell silent.

In Norton, Zeff seemed to see a reflection of his younger self, embarking on the Grand Line with dreams in his heart.

Norton's vision was too grand, and too perfectly aligned with the longings that had been buried deep within him.

Finding ALL BLUE and bringing delicious food to more hungry people is almost a double fulfillment of his ideals.

Seeing Zeff remain silent, Norton knew the time was right.

He sat down again, his tone softening: "I won't force you to agree now. My companions and I will stay in Barati for a few days."

"We haven't had enough of your food yet. My White Pearl is parked right next to us; you can take your time to consider it."

"Old man! You really want to..." Sanji saw that Zeff seemed to be persuaded and hurriedly came forward.

Zeff raised his hand to stop Sanji from continuing. He looked at Norton, paused for a moment, and then said, "I'll think about it."

Seeing this, the chefs opened their mouths as if to say something, but in the end they all fell silent.

...

...

Norton's stay in Barratier became the focus of the entire restaurant.

He didn't order food, but simply had the kitchen serve dishes according to region: one day it would be the cool, fresh sweetness of Beihai, and the next day it would be the rich, sour, and spicy flavor of South China Sea.

Norton's keen palate made the chefs even more apprehensive.

Norton took a bite of the stew, put down his spoon, and exclaimed, "Delicious! Too bad it was cooked too quickly!"

The chef's face turned pale; he had indeed rushed this dish by ten minutes compared to usual.

Faced with a plate of exquisite sashimi, Norton nodded: "The fish is top-notch! It's a pity that it's sliced ​​unevenly, and the freshness is lost at the cut edges."

The chef, who was proud of his knife skills, immediately blushed.

It is worth mentioning that Norton especially liked to call Zeff over after meals and talk about the little things he had seen while wandering around the kitchen.

It was precisely these seemingly unrelated observations that secretly alarmed Zeff.

On the afternoon of the third day, after Norton finished a trial tea that blended four different flavors from the east, west, south, and north, he fell into a rare moment of silence.

"How is it?" Zeff unconsciously became a little uneasy.

"Forcing the flavors of all over the world together is still too strange," Norton wiped his mouth. "Although I don't know how to cook, my sense of taste doesn't lie."

These words were like a key, suddenly unlocking some of Zeff's sealed thoughts, leaving him momentarily lost in thought.

"If I follow you, will we really be able to find 'ALL BLUE'?" Zeff looked at Norton and asked for the first time.

"We'll find it!" Norton asserted.

Looking at Norton's confident demeanor, Zeff suddenly fell silent, wondering where Norton's confidence came from.

Just then, a hurried shout broke the delicate atmosphere in the restaurant.

"Navy! So many warships! We're surrounded!" Nami pushed open the restaurant door.

Norton paused for a moment, then looked out the window and saw three warships from different branches, flying the gull flag, suddenly appearing on the sea around Barraty, forming a tight encirclement.

"What happened? Our location has been exposed?" Zoro stood up, holding his sword, his brows furrowed.

"It must have been leaked by one of the guests who left earlier. After all, your head is worth 100 million Berries. Even if you just leaked the information to the Navy, you would still get a reward of 5 million Berries." Zeff looked at Norton and said in a deep voice.

At the bow of a large warship stands a man with a cigar in his mouth and wearing a "Justice" coat.

"Is the man who killed the King of Sagar in the seaside restaurant? Is the information reliable?" the man asked the soldier beside him.

"Reliable!" The soldier pointed to the White Pearl, docked not far from the Baratie floating restaurant. "Colonel Smoker! That's Norton's ship!"

Smoker nodded and picked up the speakerphone Den Den Mushi: "Baratie, the sea restaurant! Hand over 'King Killer' Norton and his accomplices immediately! Otherwise, you will be treated as harboring a serious criminal and sunk!"

The cannons swung, aiming at Baratie and the White Pearl, which was parked to the side, as well as the Black Cat Pirates' ship next to the White Pearl.

"What should I do?! What should I do?!" Nami covered her head and rummaged through drawers and cabinets, trying to find a place to hide.

"What to do? Fight them, of course!" Zoro sneered.

A few days ago, the fat man sold his knife and paid ten million Berries in compensation to settle the matter and leave Baratie alive.

Zoro felt that no amount of Berries could compare to his own sword, and he was seething with anger.

Not to mention, Nami also used the guise of an intermediary and helper to take away five million Berries.

"It seems..." Norton slowly rose, "that my tea time has been interrupted by an uninvited guest."

His gaze swept across the sea, across a distance of hundreds of meters, and landed on the three warships.

"I'll go meet them! Nami! Funing! You two go back to the White Pearl! Sasuke and Kuro will cover your evacuation!"

Although the Norton Pirates are now taking shape, Norton has no intention of fighting these warships to the bitter end.

Moreover, it would be a gross underestimation of him to only have these few warships!

At least send a naval admiral!

"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?" Fu Ning asked, looking worried.

"Don't worry! I'm invincible!" Norton gave a thumbs-up and pointed to his face.

As soon as he finished speaking, Norton went to the deck of Barraty, stretched his body, and slightly bent his knees.

The marines noticed Norton's commotion: "Hey!! Look! What's that guy up to?"

In full view of everyone, Norton jumped!

"Bang!"

A loud cracking sound.

Across hundreds of meters of sea, he managed to jump from the deck of the Baratie to the bow of the warship!

Smoker took a few steps back, drew his Seven-Foot Ten-Hand from behind his back, and stared intently at the man before him...

Norton, with an arrogant smile on his lips, stood before me!