A Calm Afternoon

"Knock, knock, knock~"

"Captain Kaido, are you in?" Ra gently knocked on the door of Kaido's residence, but only the snoring from inside responded to her.

"He's still sleeping, as expected."

Not choosing to go in and wake Kaido, Ra turned and left, thinking she'd explore the island first.

The island occupied by the Beasts Pirates wasn't very large, but there was a tall mountain peak in the center that offered a view of the distant sea.

The port was on the east side, where three large pirate ships and several smaller vessels were docked. Pirates could be seen busy on the decks and along the harbor.

A wide road led straight from the port to the small town on the island. Yes, this small island was inhabited by townspeople.

Pirates didn't engage in production; a large portion of their supplies came from the townspeople's offerings, a very common practice in the New World.

The pirates protected them from raids by other pirates, and in return, the townspeople submitted a substantial amount of supplies each month.

Generally, pirates wouldn't plunder their own base, and they mostly paid for things bought in town, with some even being quite generous.

Few people in such a precarious profession saved money; most pirates spent lavishly.

Walking through the town, Ra browsed the shops and stalls lining the streets. She didn't have any money at the moment.

Neither Captain Kaido, nor the meticulous Deke, nor fellow executives King and Burufatt seemed to have thought of giving her any Beli.

Or rather, they hadn't even realized that Ra and the others were penniless.

Of course, Ra didn't have any desire to shop.

"Grilled Rock Sheep Skewers~ Fresh Rock Sheep Skewers, one skewer makes you want two~"

"Yuzu Juice, sour and sweet Pomelo juice, 20 Beli a cup~"

"Sumo Panda's latest T-shirts, starting at five thousand Beli~ Come and take a look, come and see!"

[It's not as oppressive as I imagined; instead, it's quite lively. What an interesting symbiotic relationship.]

As Ra listened to the hawkers' calls, she mentally calculated the prices and the purchasing power of the currency called Beli.

[It seems the so-called Beli has about the same purchasing power as the Japanese Yen from the last century.]

In fact, the purchasing power of Beli during this period was quite strong. Many famous pirates had bounties of only a few hundred million Beli, the same as the Supernovas of later generations.

Kaido's initial bounty was only 70 million Beli, and now it was around 400 million Beli.

It wasn't until the "Great Pirate Era" that Beli seemed to inflate, becoming less and less valuable.

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

"Ahem~ Excuse me, young lady with the golden hair over there, would you like to try our restaurant's newly launched pineapple pizza? This is a West Blue specialty dish improved by our head chef."

A restaurant owner, dressed in a smart black suit and a fur coat, gestured and tried to sell to Ra, oddly holding an orange in his hand.

His attire didn't look like that of a restaurateur at all; rather, he resembled an elegant old gentleman.

Ra took a step back and looked up at the sign, which read [Syracuse]. She assumed it was the restaurant's name.

"I'm very sorry, although I'm quite curious about your restaurant's new product, I unfortunately don't have any Beli on me." Ra said with some regret, as she was indeed interested in pineapple-flavored pizza.

"Is that so... Hmm~"

The old owner didn't give up when he heard Ra had no money. Instead, he quietly leaned in and whispered in Ra's ear:

"Little girl, how about this: I'll pay for you, and all you need to do after eating is act like it's delicious, regardless of the taste. How about it?"

"Was the person who created this dish your family member?"

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

"Eh?! Of... Of course not! It's because... Here, it's this, this... Hmm!

Ah, just do as I say, okay?"

The old gentleman, who seemed to always maintain his elegance, now looked a bit flustered.

"Hmm, the contract is made, I agree." Ra nodded and then pushed the door open, sitting down at the nearest table.

"Thank you, beautiful young lady."

The old owner was very happy to see Ra agree. As soon as Ra sat down, he immediately shouted towards the kitchen, as if afraid Ra would change her mind.

"Hey! Lap! One pineapple pizza!"

"Eh? Someone's finally ordering this dish?!"

A white head popped out from the kitchen. It was a young girl with white hair.

The girl was wearing a black fur coat over what seemed to be a women's suit, with a black and white apron tied around her. She looked a bit mismatched.

[With that attire, are they father and daughter?]

Before she could take a second look, the white-haired girl had already retreated into the kitchen and began enthusiastically preparing the dish, appearing full of energy.

Time passed quickly amidst the clatter of bowls and plates. Soon, a steaming hot pineapple pizza was placed before Ra.

"Your pineapple pizza, enjoy, my lovely little lady."

The young girl named Lap bowed elegantly after placing the pizza down, seemingly a custom from the West Blue, and one used by gentlemen.

Ra looked at the girl's proud creation on the plate—pale yellow pineapple and golden crust gleamed together, the fruit's fresh aroma and the sausage's meaty scent mingled in the air. It was an eight-inch pizza.

The pizza was thoughtfully cut into small pieces, each with pineapple and sausage, as if hoping the guest could experience the flavor of the entire pizza in every bite.

Ra picked up a slice with her fork and put it in her mouth, then closed her lips and savored it.

"Mmm~ The texture is very novel, truly unique."

After swallowing the pizza, Ra picked up another slice and slowly chewed it again.

"The crispness of the pineapple and the richness of the cheese complement each other perfectly without interfering, and the heat control is quite skillful."

One slice after another, by the time she came to her senses, the remaining pizza was gone.

Ra didn't eat quickly; on the contrary, she savored every bite. However, her movements were so pleasing to the eye that one unconsciously lost track of time.

Seeing the clean plate with no crumbs left on the table, the owner immediately approached Ra, who was wiping the corner of her mouth, and deliberately asked in a slightly higher voice, "Guest, how did you like the taste?"

At the same time, he didn't forget to wink energetically at Ra, and Miss Lap from the kitchen also quietly perked up her ears.

"It's very unique and very delicious, truly an ingenious dish," Ra commented seriously.

This wasn't a lie. Although Ra now only had a conceptual sense of taste, she could still distinguish what was delicious and what was not.

To Ra, the taste of pineapple pizza was merely strange, but not bad.

And Ra didn't dislike this strange texture. On the contrary, it was precisely this strongly personal ingenuity that she was currently seeking, something that could anchor her emotions.

[Should I learn to cook when I go back…]

"Yay!"

An excited voice came from the kitchen. Ra felt as if the white-haired girl had suddenly grown a tail and was wagging it furiously.

"In that case, thank you for the meal, owner. And to the ingenious chef, miss." Feeling the girl's joy, Ra stood up, preparing to leave.

"Wait a moment!"

The white-haired girl rushed out from the kitchen, still holding a paper bag.

"As the first customer to try our pineapple pizza, you will receive a complimentary signature mille-feuille. Please take it, beautiful young lady." With that, she bowed elegantly again.

"Thank you, I'll take it back to try with my sisters."

Ra didn't stand on ceremony, took the paper bag, and waved goodbye to the restaurant called [Syracuse].

Hugging the paper bag with both hands, Ra continued to wander the streets, the town's outline becoming clearer with each step she took.

Time passed quickly, and it was almost dark in the blink of an eye. However, in Ra's perception, Kaido still showed no signs of waking up.

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

Thinking this, Ra changed direction and slowly walked towards the cafeteria.