While Usopp & Luffy fool around with the ship's cannon one day, Zoro dreams about his childhood and the promise he made to Kuina.

The crew meets Johnny and Yosaku, Zoro's former companions, and they set sail for the Baratie restaurant in search of a cook.

Sanji, a cook at the Baratie, helps a starving pirate named Gin. Luffy begins his job as a waiter to pay for the damage he did to the Baratie, and tries to convince Sanji to join his crew.

Gin returns to the Baratie with his also-starving captain, Don Krieg, to whom Sanji once more gives food, but Don Krieg betrays the cook once he regains his energy.

It is revealed that Chef Zeff was a great pirate known as Red Leg Zeff. Gin explains the catastrophe the fleet met in Grand Line when they encountered Hawk-Eyes Mihawk, and Krieg attempts to take control of the Baratie.

As Nami steals the Going Merry, Mihawk has returned to finish the job, but Zoro challenges him to a duel in order to achieve his dream.

Mihawk leaves after defeating Zoro, so Krieg continues his invasion and has Pearl, one of his stronger crewmates, attack, and Sanji reveals his fighting skills. Meanwhile Johnny and Yosaku leave with Usopp and the wounded Zoro to go after Nami.

With Zeff held captive by Gin, Sanji has no choice but to take Pearl's hits, and he reflects on why Zeff means so much to him.

Gin finishes off Pearl, claiming that he wants to kill Sanji himself. Still wounded, Sanji faces Gin while Luffy attacks Don Krieg.

When Gin refuses to kill Sanji, Krieg uses a poison gas on him. Luffy seems to have the advantage in the fight until Krieg pulls out his explosive Battle Spear.

Even after taking several hits from the Battle Spear, Luffy refuses to give up.

After the battle, Gin decides to go back to the Grand Line with Krieg despite still being poisoned, and Sanji makes the difficult decision on whether to stay or to go with Luffy just as Yosaku comes back with news that he knows where Nami is.