A Peaceful Afternoon

"Knock, knock, knock~"

"Captain Kaido, are you in?" Ra lightly knocked on the door to Kaido's residence. The only response she received was snoring from within.

"So he was still asleep, after all."

Rather than going in to wake Kaido, Ra turned and left, intending to take a look around the island first.

The island occupied by the Beasts was not very large, but there was a towering mountain at its center, from which one could see far out across the sea.

The port lay to the east, where three large Pirate ships and several smaller boats were docked. Pirates bustled about on the decks and along the docks.

A broad road led straight from the port to the island's small town. Yes, this little island had townspeople living on it.

Pirates did not engage in production, and a substantial portion of their supplies came from tributes offered by the townspeople. This was a very common arrangement in the New World.

The pirates protected them from being plundered by other pirates, while the townspeople handed over a considerable amount of supplies every month.

Generally speaking, pirates would not raid their own base. Most of them even paid when buying things in town, and some were quite generous with their money.

Few people in such a precarious profession saved money. Most pirates spent like water.

Walking through the town, Ra browsed the shops and stalls lining both sides of the street. She had no money at the moment.

Neither Kaido, the captain, nor the attentive Deke, nor King and Burufatt, who were fellow officers, seemed to have considered giving her any Berries.

Or rather, they had never realized that Ra and the others were completely penniless.

Of course, Ra did not have much desire to shop either.

"Grilled rock goat skewers! Fresh rock goat skewers! One skewer and you'll be craving two, hoo~"

"Pomelo juice! Sweet and tangy pomelo juice! Twenty Berries a cup~"

"The latest Sumo Panda T-shirts! Starting at five thousand Berries! Come take a look~"

It wasn't as oppressive as I imagined. It was actually quite lively. What an interesting symbiotic relationship.

As she listened to the vendors' cries, Ra mentally calculated the prices and the purchasing power of the currency called Berries.

It seems Berries have purchasing power roughly equivalent to Japanese yen from the previous century.

In fact, Berries were quite valuable during this period. Many pirates renowned across the seas had bounties of only a few hundred million Berries, the same as the Supernovas of later generations.

Kaido's first bounty had only been seventy million Berries, and even now it was only around four hundred million.

It was not until after the "Great Pirate Era" that Berries seemed to be watered down, becoming less and less valuable.

As she reached a street corner, Ra suddenly heard someone calling to her.

"Ahem~ Excuse me, little girl with the golden hair over there. Would you like to try our restaurant's newly introduced Pineapple Pizza? It's a West Blue specialty improved by our head chef."

The restaurant's shopkeeper, dressed in a refined black suit beneath a fur-lined coat, gestured as he tried to sell Ra on it, while strangely holding an orange in his hand.

He did not look like a restaurant owner at all. He looked more like an elegant old gentleman.

Ra took a step back and looked up at the sign. It read Syracuse, which was presumably the restaurant's name.

"My apologies. Though I am very curious about your restaurant's new dish, regrettably, I have no Berries on me." Ra sounded somewhat disappointed. She really was interested in pineapple-flavored pizza.

"I see... Hmm~"

Even after hearing that Ra had no money, the old shopkeeper did not give up. Instead, he quietly leaned closer, bent down, and whispered in her ear:

"How about this, little miss? I'll pay for you. After you finish eating, all you need to do is act as though it's delicious, no matter how it tastes. What do you say?"

"The person who created this dish is your family member?"

Ra instantly guessed the reason, then added, "It seems you love her very much."

"Huh?! Th-that's not it at all! It's because... well, it's this, this... um!

Ah, just do as I say. How about it?"

The old gentleman, who seemed to maintain an air of elegance at all times, now looked rather flustered.

"Very well, the agreement is made. I accept." Ra nodded, then pushed open the door and entered the restaurant, taking a seat at the nearest table.

"Thank you, beautiful young lady."

The old shopkeeper was delighted that Ra had agreed. The moment she sat down, he called toward the kitchen, as though afraid she might change her mind.

"Hey! Lap! One Pineapple Pizza!"

"Huh? Someone finally ordered that dish?!"

A white-haired head poked out from the kitchen. It belonged to a white-haired girl.

The girl wore a black fur coat, with what appeared to be a women's suit beneath it, and a black-and-white apron over everything. The combination looked rather odd.

That outfit... are they father and daughter?

Before Ra could take a second look, the white-haired girl had already ducked back into the kitchen and enthusiastically begun preparing the food.

Time passed quickly amid the clattering of dishes. Before long, a steaming Pineapple Pizza was brought before Ra.

"Your Pineapple Pizza. Please enjoy, adorable little lady."

After setting down the pizza, the girl named Lap gave an elegant bow. It seemed to be some sort of West Blue etiquette, and moreover, a gentleman's bow normally used by men.

Ra looked at the girl's proud creation on the plate—pale yellow pineapple and golden crust complemented one another, while the fruity fragrance mingled with the savory scent of sausage in the air. It was an eight-inch pizza.

The pizza had been thoughtfully cut into small pieces, each one topped with pineapple and sausage, as though ensuring that the customer could experience the flavor of the whole pizza in every bite.

Ra speared a piece with her fork and placed it in her mouth, then closed her lips and savored it carefully.

"Mm~ The texture is quite novel. It is truly distinctive."

After swallowing the pizza in her mouth, Ra speared another piece and put it into her mouth, slowly chewing once more.

"The crisp freshness of the pineapple works perfectly with the richness of the cheese, yet neither overwhelms the other. The heat was controlled with considerable skill."

Piece after piece, by the time she came back to herself, the remaining pizza had already been finished.

Ra had not eaten quickly. On the contrary, she had chewed every bite slowly and carefully. Yet because her movements were so pleasing to watch, people unconsciously lost track of time.

Seeing the plate completely clean, the shopkeeper immediately leaned toward Ra, who was wiping the corner of her mouth, and deliberately asked in a slightly louder voice, "Customer, what did you think of the taste?"

At the same time, he kept shooting Ra emphatic looks, while Miss Lap in the kitchen quietly perked up her ears as well.

"It was very unique, and very delicious. It can be called an inventive dish." Ra gave her assessment seriously.

This was not a lie. Although Ra's perception of flavor existed only as a conceptual sensation now, she could still distinguish delicious food from unpleasant food.

To Ra, Pineapple Pizza tasted strange, but it was not bad enough to be called unpleasant.

And she did not dislike that strange texture. On the contrary, this personal touch of ingenuity was exactly what she sought now—something that could anchor her emotions.

Should I learn to cook after I go back...?

"Yay!"

The girl's excited voice came from the kitchen. Ra could almost imagine the white-haired girl suddenly growing a tail and wagging it furiously.

"Then, thank you for the meal, shopkeeper. And thank you to that ingenious young lady chef as well." Feeling the girl's joy, Ra stood and prepared to leave.

"Wait!"

The white-haired girl rushed out of the kitchen, carrying a paper takeaway bag in her hand.

"As the first customer to try our Pineapple Pizza, you will receive one complimentary serving of our signature mille-feuille. Please accept it, beautiful young lady." With that, she gave another elegant bow.

"Thank you. I'll take it back for my sisters and me to try."

Ra did not stand on ceremony. She accepted the paper bag and waved goodbye to the restaurant named Syracuse.

Holding the paper bag in both hands, Ra continued strolling through the streets. With every step she took, the outline of the town became clearer in her mental map.

Time passed quickly. Before she knew it, night was nearly falling, but in Ra's senses, Kaido still showed no sign of waking up.

Looks like I'll have to wait until after dinner.

Thinking this, Ra changed direction and slowly headed toward the dining hall.