Minezaki Yaeko fell silent for a moment, memories of the dish she had tasted yesterday and everything she had experienced over the past seven years surfacing in her mind.
A momentary victory or defeat did not really matter, nor did the ten-year contract, but perhaps Boss might change because of this...
"Alright."
"Is it worth it?"
"Yes."
"Is that so?" Sakurai Shirou sneered, looking coldly at Yukihira Soma. "Kid, then let's begin. But there's no dish in this world that can move me."
"You can't be so sure!"
Yukihira Soma let out a long breath, silently thanking Minezaki Yaeko in his heart before returning to the kitchen to start cooking.
This man was far too fat. He must have been used to rich food and meat, so I'll make something centered around vegetables.
After working in the kitchen for over ten minutes, Yukihira Soma carried out a plate of vegetable rolls and walked confidently toward the front hall.
Today's dish was a masterpiece that surpassed even his usual standards. He believed it could move this arrogant, annoying fat bastard just as it had moved Ms. Minezaki yesterday.
"Please enjoy!"
Sakurai Shirou glanced at him, picked up a vegetable roll with his chopsticks, and took a small bite.
"Pah..."
After chewing, he spat it onto the floor, his expression ugly.
"Disgusting. This is your cooking? Stop running a restaurant! Go back to school and study."
Sakurai Shirou got up and left. When he reached the entrance, he looked back and sneered.
"Don't forget to close down and clear out, kid."
Yukihira Soma stared blankly at the plate of spring rolls on the table, frozen stiff.
After a long while, as if recalling something, he tremblingly reached out, picked up a spring roll, and put it into his mouth.
Why?
It was obviously even tastier than his usual cooking. Why did that man act as though he had eaten something inedible?
In the car returning to the company, Minezaki Yaeko pressed herself against Sakurai Shirou and cautiously asked:
"Boss, I also tried a bite of those vegetable rolls. They were extremely delicious, far better than similar dishes on the market. Why...?"
Sakurai Shirou glanced at her and slowly spoke.
"Do you remember the scar beneath my tongue?"
"Yes, yes."
"I cut it myself."
"Huh...!?... Why?"
"There are too many unreasonable chefs in this world. The dishes they make are like magic, making people hallucinate and say sincere things they would definitely regret afterward."
A trace of disdain appeared on Sakurai Shirou's face as he continued.
"So I injured my tongue and severed my own taste nerves."
"That way, I can decide for myself whether a dish is good or bad."
"And, as it happens, famous chefs in this world possess a chef's particular arrogance. They believe that if they cannot move someone's tongue with their cooking, it must mean their skills are lacking."
"Heh... How naive. They deserve to go out of business."
Minezaki Yaeko clutched his arm tightly, suddenly feeling as though she were standing in the dead of winter.
Since when had this man become so cold-blooded?
Pirate World.
After passing through the Calm Belt, the luxurious ship carrying the Celestial Dragons smoothly entered East Blue, the first stop of the Four Seas Pilgrimage.
At the same time, on a desolate island.
Two people who had gone hungry for a long time sat back-to-back, leaning against each other.
Having starved for too long, both had become little more than skin and bones as they stared weakly at the sea.
"Stinky old man, I think there's a ship."
"Really? Hurry and call for help!"
"B-but I can see Marines at the bow."
"Is that something to worry about now? As long as we can survive, it doesn't matter even if we spend the rest of our lives in prison."
"Alright."
The young child struggled to his feet and repeatedly waved both hands.
"The ship's coming over!"
"Good..."
After saying that, the barely conscious man fainted.
After an unknown amount of time, he opened his eyes again. The first thing he saw was a monkey.
No, it was a monkey-faced middle-aged man wearing a Marine coat.
"How are you feeling? You're alright now, aren't you, Red-Legged Zeff?"
The sudden childish voice made Zeff instinctively look toward where it came from.
On the deck, a meter away from him, stood a child dressed in luxurious clothing. Beside him stood a group of people wrapped tightly from head to toe.
As someone who had traveled the Grand Line, Zeff had seen his fair share of the world. After a moment's thought, he quickly guessed their identities.
Someone protected by a Vice Admiral and so many CP Agents could only be a World Noble.
Turning to look at Sanji, who was sleeping beside him, Zeff secretly let out a sigh of relief.
It was good that he was alive!
"Thank you for saving me."
"You're welcome. It was just a small favor." Shirou smiled. "How long were you on that island? With no food at all, how did you survive?"
"Seventy-five days. We stayed on that island for a total of seventy-five days. No food, no water. We just endured it."
As he spoke, Zeff unconsciously lowered his head to look at the leg he had lost.
The other party was a World Noble. If he told the truth, that he had used his own leg as food, he might frighten the child.
"Impressive."
Shirou paused, then asked curiously:
"But I'm a little confused. Why didn't you catch fish or seabirds for food? The island may have been barren, but the sea is full of food."
"You overestimate me, sir. I'm just an insignificant pirate. How could I possibly do something that outrageous?"
"Is that so outrageous?"
Shirou instinctively looked toward Borsalino, trying to ask for his opinion.
"He's right. Seabirds fly very fast, and the sea is filled with Sea Kings. Even among the Marines, only a small number can feed on those two kinds of prey." Borsalino paused. "And this is East Blue, the weakest of the Four Seas."
"So that's how it is."
Shirou fell into thought. It seemed he had made the subjective mistake of taking things for granted.
Still, Zeff had traveled the Grand Line for a year, so he must have had some ability. Sanji had probably held him back.
"What do you intend to do with me?" Zeff could not help asking.
Seeing his nervous expression, Shirou thought for a moment and smiled.
"Until we leave East Blue, could I trouble you to be my chef?"
"You're not going to arrest me?"
"There's no need. You're just an unknown little pirate. Although you look fierce and aren't very pleasant to look at, I can tell that you're a good person."
"Me... a good person?"
"As the person who saved your life, I'm asking you to work as my chef for a while. That isn't too much to ask, is it?"
"It's indeed not too much. I agree."
Zeff secretly sighed. Wasn't there simply no room for refusal?
With a Vice Admiral nearby and a group of CP Agents watching him like hawks, if he refused, he would probably be thrown into the sea immediately.
Still, if he remained safe after they eventually left East Blue, this experience would likely become a legend.
After all, not everyone could be saved by a World Noble.
"May I borrow the bathroom and kitchen?"
"There's no need to rush into work. You've been starving for so long, so you should rest for a couple of days first."
"I..."
Zeff was about to ask them for food when he suddenly realized that his stomach did not seem particularly hungry. Surprised, he asked:
"While I was unconscious, did you feed me something?"
"We gave you some Recovery Potion and fruit juice. If you're hungry..."
Before he could finish, Shirou realized he had said something pointless and changed his words.
"Hyman, take him to the kitchen. Also, once he starts working, have the ship's chefs assist him and try to learn more cooking skills."
"This... Young Master, forgive my presumptuousness, but can a minor pirate like him really compare to those carefully selected famous chefs?" Hyman looked hesitant.
"Fame does not equal cooking skill. As a pirate, Zeff is indeed nothing special. But as a chef, he is at least world-class."
Although he had not cooked personally in a long time, several versions of himself in other worlds cooked every day. They were extremely experienced.
By a veteran like Shirou's standards, the chefs on his ship were roughly on par with him and could at most be considered second-rate in the world.
Seeing the seriousness in Shirou's tone, Hyman lowered his head and answered, "Yes," without saying anything further.
Zeff was momentarily stunned. He truly could not understand why this young World Noble thought so highly of him.
Although he was very confident in himself, being valued by someone else was an entirely different matter.
Still, the feeling was not bad.
For a chef, having his cooking acknowledged as world-class by a World Noble was the highest praise imaginable.
"In that case, please allow me to bathe and change immediately. I will present you with my finest dish shortly afterward."
"Oh, oh... Then that is truly something to look forward to." Shirou smiled. "But is your body really alright? Recovery Potion can heal injuries, but it cannot restore stamina."
"No problem! I feel extremely healthy right now."
Zeff raised his arm and moved it a few times, then followed Butler Hyman toward the cabin.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly seemed to remember something. He hurriedly turned back, picked up the sleeping Sanji from the deck, and only then left.
Watching him go, Borsalino leisurely said:
"He isn't suited to being a pirate."
"There are quite a few people like him at sea." Shirou paused, filled with emotion. "They go to sea not to burn, kill, and plunder, but for adventure and treasure. Such people should not be lumped together with the vicious scum of the seas."
"Perhaps. But those who can always hold true to their own ideals have always been few." Borsalino spoke slowly.
That night, in the White Mist Space.
"Come on, come on... Shake hands, shake hands."
Before you continue