Baratie Arc

The Baratie Arc is the fourth story arc in the East Blue Saga of the manga and anime, One Piece. The Straw Hats meet Johnny and Yosaku, who direct them to the restaurant ship Baratie, a sort of "floating oasis" in the middle of the ocean where they meet Sanji. However, a pirate admiral named Don Krieg sets his sights on the Baratie as a replacement for his devastated fleet, and the restaurant soon comes under siege. The arc begins with the Straw Hats (Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, and the newly-joined Usopp) checking out their new pirate ship as well as designing a Jolly Roger for it. As a test of the ship's capabilities, Luffy and Usopp test out one of the cannons on board by shooting at a rock formation. However, unbeknownst to them, two pirate hunters happen to be on the rock, and one of them attacks the ship in retaliation. Luffy fights him, but Zoro points him out to be a friend of his. It is here the Straw Hat Pirates meet Johnny and Yosaku, who were on the rock that was shot at. After the Straw Hats apologize and Nami cures Yosaku of his scurvy, the crew realizes that they are going to need a cook for the ship to maintain the healthy quality of their food stores before they can go to the Grand Line. To repay the favor for helping them, Johnny and Yosaku tell the crew of a floating restaurant in the middle of the ocean where they might find a cook, and then help navigate the crew to said restaurant, the Baratie.

Upon arrival, the group runs into trouble with a Marine Lieutenant, Fullbody. In the scuffle between the two, Luffy accidentally redirects a cannonball into the Baratie's roof. While Luffy tries to make a deal with the captain, head chef and owner of the ship, Zeff, to pay for the damages caused to the roof, we meet Sanji, the assistant chef. Sanji has an encounter with Fullbody as well, and almost kills Fullbody for insulting the Baratie's food. However, an even bigger incident occurs when a pirate named Gin comes onto the ship demanding food (he was being detained by Fullbody, because he is a member of Don Krieg's armada). Although denied food, beaten, and thrown out of the restaurant by the crew, Sanji secretly serves the man a savory meal, saving Gin from starvation. Despite this act of kindness, when Gin leaves and returns to his ship, he tells Don Krieg about the Baratie. After hearing about the ship, Don Krieg comes to believe that taking over the Baratie is a key step in resurrecting his fleet. Eventually, Krieg comes to the restaurant under the pretense that he will not hurt anyone if he receives some food. Of course, Krieg attacks the cooks onboard and claims the Baratie as his own, since his original ship and his entire fleet were destroyed seven days into the Grand Line by a mysterious figure. Just as important, his crew is on the verge of death from starvation. Surprisingly, Zeff gives a sack of food to Krieg and warns his cooks about the upcoming battle. The Baratie raises the battle fins, which protect the restaurant part of the Baratie, and the cooks and the Krieg Pirates begin to fight.