One Piece: What Is the Baratie & What Is Its Purpose? What Happened to It?
The story of Sanji and Zeff is something we have already told about here on Fiction Horizon, but we haven’t told you much about its direct consequences. One of the direct consequences of their shared story is the traveling ship called Baratie, which was founded and is being run by Zeff, and which is the place where Sanji worked while he was younger, i.e., before joining Luffy’s crew. In this article, we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the Baratie in One Piece.
The Baratie is the name of a sailing restaurant that Zeff, the former leader of the Cook Pirates, runs. After his experience with Sanji on the rock they were stranded on, and where they almost died of starvation, Zeff kept true to his promise and opened the Baratie as a traveling restaurant where anyone hungry could get something to eat. Zeff was traumatized by his experiences with hunger, so he decided to establish a place to help people not be hungry anymore, regardless of his financial gain. The Baratie is currently located in the Sambas Region of the East Blue, near the entrance of the Grand Line.
As you might suspect, the rest of this article will tell you all you need to know about the Baratie, which was not only the setting of an important narrative arc at the beginning of the series but also a very important part of the franchise’s lore. You’ll find out all the details about its history, goal, and current whereabouts, so this article will serve as a detailed guide to the issue at hand. Of course, the article will have some spoilers, so be careful how you approach it.
The Baratie is a place where those who need it can get something to eat, and it is still active
Nine years before the beginning of the narrative, Zeff opened the Baratie after having saved himself, together with Sanji, from being shipwrecked on a desert island for eighty-five days; the two of them almost starved on that island, and the experience traumatized them so much that Zeff decided to establish a place whose sole purpose would be to help those who are in need of food. The chefs who were kicked out of other places then began to work there.
Luffy unintentionally repels a Navy cannonade against the Baratie, damaging it. He later comes on board to apologize but refuses to work there for a year to pay for the damage, so Zeff jumps on top of him but puts in too much energy, to the point of breaking through the floor and reaching the room where the customers who were eating just saw Sanji beat up Fullbody.
Shortly afterward, Gin kills Lines by shooting him in the back and asking to eat. Knowing he has no money, Patty beats him up and throws him out of the restaurant while Fullbody leaves his ship. Sanji then offers food to Gin, who later leaves.
Two days later, Gin leads his crew to the restaurant because his men are about to die of starvation. After Sanji and Zeff bring some food to the Krieg Pirates, which the cooks would not have wanted to do, the pirate tries to commandeer the Baratie, saying that it would be the perfect means to attack cities and other ships. At that point, the cooks prepare to fight. After a long battle, Krieg is defeated by Luffy. Sanji later leaves the restaurant to join the latter’s crew.
After the invasion of Enies Lobby by the Straw Hat Pirates, Zeff and all the staff who knew Sanji read about the exploit in the newspaper. Everyone laughs when they discover that the picture on the poster of his size is a drawing that only vaguely resembles him.
Two years later, Zeff reads in the newspaper that the Straw Hat Pirates are back in the limelight. In the meantime, the Baratie is under renovation and has expanded with two new support ships. When news of Doflamingo’s defeat and Sanji’s new bounty reaches the Baratie, the entire staff celebrates. Carne and Patty refuse to cook for a crew sitting on a restaurant table, but Zeff says he’ll take care of it.
This is, in short, the history of the Baratie, but there is more to tell about this boat, which is related to its main traits and its purpose. The Baratie is a sufficiently spacious ship. She has an oval shape and a fish’s head as a figurehead. The bottom is rounded, and there are some cannons on the sides. When it first appeared, it consisted of three floors in total: on the lower floor was the main restaurant; on the middle floor were the kitchens; twenty-three cooks lived on the upper floor, and there was their canteen.
Subsequently, the boat was expanded in height; in fact, three more floors were added located between the upper and middle ones.
Two large platforms can rise from under the hull, which serves to stabilize the restaurant during storms and is useful when the latter suffers pirate attacks to fight on top without risking damage. The restaurant chefs also had a boat that they used for supplies, but Sanji donated it to the Krieg Pirates. On board, there is a crew of chefs, of which Zeff is the head chef and manager of the restaurant. They also know how to fight; in fact, they are used to defending themselves from pirate attacks. Sanji worked here as the assistant chef before joining Luffy’s crew. Due to the usual fights between the hot-blooded cooks and the pirates, the waiters have all left.
As you can see, the Baratie is a pretty colorful and dynamic place. It is a place where one can get something to eat, but it is also a very luxurious place where one can actually enjoy a meal. But, it is not without its issues, as the cooks are quite skilled in fighting and that often causes problems for the guests, as well as for Zeff. But, be that as it may, the Baratie is definitely a good and noble idea, and it is undoubtedly one of the most interesting elements of Oda’s series, as it is unique in many ways, as well as special.
It is also a good example of how much effort Oda put in crafting his story. Namely, the Baratie is a ship and it is a sailing restaurant, which is something overly unique, but the fact that it was actually founded as the result of a traumatic experience and the fact that the Baratie actually symbolized a change in Zeff’s story. It was a sign that Zeff wanted to do things right and that while he did retain his fiery personality, he wanted to change his actions and do better. Which is what he ultimately did.
