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Episode 23, “Protect Baratie! The Great Pirate: Zeff the Red Leg,” turns the Baratie arc from a simple pirate vs. restaurant clash into something much bigger. We finally learn what happened to Don Krieg in the Grand Line, who Zeff really is, and why this floating restaurant has suddenly become the center of a storm.
Krieg’s Grand Line Failure And His New Plan
The episode opens with tension still thick in the air. Don Krieg has eaten, regained his strength, and now starts talking big again. Zeff openly criticizes Krieg for his pathetic attempt to enter the Grand Line. Krieg tried to invade the most dangerous sea in the world with a massive armada—around fifty ships and five thousand men—but it ended in a complete disaster.
Krieg reveals what destroyed his dream fleet: a single man. On the Grand Line, their entire armada was wiped out by the notorious swordsman Dracule “Hawk-Eyes” Mihawk, a warrior so powerful he sliced their ships apart like they were nothing. Only the flagship with about one hundred survivors was left, and even that barely made it back to East Blue thanks to a storm carrying it away.
Humiliated but not broken, Krieg now believes his failure wasn’t because he was weak—but because he didn’t have the right information. That’s where Zeff comes in. Krieg demands Zeff’s old logbook from his days sailing the Grand Line, convinced it holds routes and knowledge that will let him conquer it on a second attempt.
The Truth About “Red Foot Zeff”
Krieg then exposes Zeff’s true identity in front of everyone. The calm old chef of Baratie is actually “Red Foot Zeff,” a legendary pirate captain who once sailed the Grand Line with the Cook Pirates. Zeff was famous for fighting only with his legs, never using his hands, and his kicks were strong enough to crush rock and steel.
He eventually retired after losing one of his legs and opened Baratie, but his reputation never truly vanished. To the staff and the Straw Hats, this reveal is shocking—but to Sanji, it changes nothing. Zeff is still the man who saved him and gave him a home. His past as a pirate doesn’t erase the present where he’s a mentor and father figure.
Krieg doesn’t care about Zeff’s current life. He only sees Zeff as a resource—a man who survived the Grand Line and took priceless knowledge out with him, knowledge Krieg wants to steal.
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Ghin’s Perspective And The Hawk-Eyes Threat
While Krieg is busy plotting, Ghin quietly apologizes to the Baratie staff. He explains that he never expected Krieg to betray them like this, even after being saved from starvation. Through Ghin, we get the full picture of just how terrifying the Grand Line really was for them.
He tells the story of how the entire Krieg Pirate armada was destroyed by a single warrior—Hawk-Eyes Mihawk, the world-famous swordsman. Fifty ships, thousands of men, all wiped out, leaving only one battered flagship. It’s both a warning and a preview of how far above East Blue-level threats the Grand Line truly is.
Krieg’s Cruelty And The Calm Before The Cut
Once Krieg returns to his ship with food, he shows his true character again. He feeds his people, but as soon as one crew member dares to question his plan to scrap the flagship and seize the Baratie to go back to the Grand Line, Krieg shoots him on the spot as an example.
His plan is simple and brutal:
Scrap the ruined flagship.
Steal Baratie and turn it into his new warship.
Just as the pirates are about to move in and attack Baratie properly, something impossible happens. The Krieg flagship is suddenly sliced clean in half with a single cut. The ship breaks apart, the crew falls into the sea, and everyone is left in shock.
Out on the water, a small boat appears—a coffin-shaped craft with candles and a tall figure standing calmly on it. It’s Dracule Mihawk, the same swordsman who destroyed Krieg’s armada, now personally chasing them into East Blue and right up to Baratie’s doorstep.
At the same time, Johnny and Yosaku are found floating at sea and bring more bad news: Nami has left with the Going Merry, apparently defecting from the crew and sailing away with the ship. For the Straw Hats, the situation just got twice as complicated—enemies outside, betrayal inside.
Why Episode 23 Hits Different
Episode 23 isn’t just about fighting. It’s about:
How small East Blue pirates really are compared to true Grand Line monsters like Mihawk.
The weight of Zeff’s past and why he settled down to build Baratie.
Sanji’s unwavering loyalty to the man who saved him.
The first real hint that Luffy’s journey will constantly clash with legendary figures.
Baratie is no longer just a restaurant—it’s the stage where legends meet, crews are tested, and dreams start to collide with reality.
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