Almost Became Cao Cao (Willful, Bonus Chapter!)

Seeing that the atmosphere was still a bit strange, Gion whispered to Jonathan.

"By the way, Jonathan, it's been a long time since I've seen your lover. How's Jessica doing?"

"Jessica is doing great. She's getting younger and younger. Look at me, I'm almost a fifty-year-old man."

But Jessica, she looks almost exactly like she's in her mid-twenties.

As they were talking, a corporal brought over tea and snacks, and the group gathered around the table to chat quietly.

Not long after, the cafeteria doors opened, and Uta and Shirahoshi walked in happily!

"The stage is all set up, and we're ready to perform anytime!"

Uta rushed to Gawain's side and said excitedly.

"My lord, when do we perform? After the banquet?"

"Um."

Gawain rubbed Uta's head.

"Eat first, then you'll have the energy to sing, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain patted Uta on the head, then reached out and pulled the slightly shy Shirahoshi over, making them sit down in their respective chairs.

Of course, Uta did sit in a chair, while Shirahoshi sat on a soft couch.

This isn't a place like Marine Headquarters, where Giant Vice Admiral come and go.

In the G-8 branch, where there are no Titans at all, there isn't even a sofa or chair for Shirahoshi to rest on.

However, the soft couch was quite nice; after Shirahoshi sat on it, she even happily wagged her tail.

Seeing that Uta and the others had taken their seats, Jonathan spoke to Gawain.

"Sir, now that everyone is here, shall we begin?"

"Um."

Gawain nodded.

Upon receiving a response, Shepherd immediately got up and went outside to make arrangements. Soon after, countless naval soldiers carried in one tray after another.

Leading the naval soldiers was a sophisticated-looking girl with short purple hair and round-framed glasses. She approached Gawain a charming and slightly apologetic expression and nervousness.

"Saint Gawain, due to a shortage of some ingredients, the Celestial Dragon Banquet that should have been prepared for you is missing about thirty-three dishes. I'm so sorry!"

"What?"

Gawain, standing to the side, was somewhat puzzled and couldn't help but ask.

"What exactly is this Celestial Dragon Banquet you just mentioned?"

"Why?"

The purple-haired girl blinked in fright.

"Gao... Saint Gawain, the Celestial Dragon Banquet is... it's the 108-dish feast that's been passed down in the culinary world for a long time, specially prepared to entertain the World Nobles. That's how Sister Jessica introduced it to me."

"Well..."

Upon hearing this, Gawain took a deep breath. Was this some kind of otherworldly version of the Manchu Han Imperial Feast?

There's actually something like this in this world?

Gawain couldn't help but purse his lips, then turned to Kalifa and asked.

"Kalifa, why has our chef never made this Celestial Dragon Banquet?"

"Grown ups..."

Kalifa said with a smile.

"The Celestial Dragon Banquet has always been a tradition only found in countries other than Mary Geoise. It is said to be a special banquet used by countries around the world to entertain the Celestial Dragon, the World Nobles."

In other words, if the Celestial Dragon don't visit other countries, then basically no one will mention this banquet!

At this point, Kalifa's face showed a hint of anticipation.

"Moreover, this banquet has almost been lost over the past few centuries because the Celestial Dragon rarely leave Mary Geoise!"

If the chefs at Navarone Fortress can actually cook these dishes, then we're truly in for a treat!

At this point, Kalifa couldn't help but purse her lips. It seemed that Navarone Fortress really did have a good chef; even she was starting to feel a little excited!

Meanwhile, Jinbe couldn't help but laugh.

"My lord, it seems that our Ryugu Kingdom has indeed been lacking in manners, haha."

After all, when you came to visit us, we really didn't know about the rules of the Celestial Dragon Banquet!

"Hey, don't worry about that, Captain Gawain won't mind."

He's probably just like me now, only wanting to taste this so-called Celestial Dragon Banquet, right?

As he spoke, Rayleigh rubbed his beard expectantly.

"Captain Gawain, I owe this to you! Haha!"

At this point, Rayleigh looked expectantly at the marines carrying countless dishes.

At the same time, after nodding to Rayleigh, Gawain turned to the purple-haired girl.

"Don't be nervous, young lady, it's just a few dishes that are missing."

As for now, let's begin the banquet. Thank you for your hard work.

"Yes, sir."

The purple-haired girl breathed a sigh of relief, and then she placed the first dish in front of Gawain.

Lifting the plate, a lifelike dragon-shaped sugar-carved fish Sashimi, about forty centimeters long, appeared before Gawain's eyes.

The fish Sashimi is like scales, fitting precisely and perfectly to every spot where the sugar dragon should grow scales.

At this, Gawain's eyes couldn't help but light up.

Immediately afterwards, dish after dish was placed in its proper place by the marine officers serving the food, and soon the entire table was completely full.

At this point, the purple-haired girl bowed respectfully.

"Saint Gawain, please enjoy your meal."

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl bowed and retreated without making a sound. As for Gawain, he said to Jonathan with emotion.

"Jonathan Vice Admiral Jonathan, today is truly an eye-opening experience! Even I have never tasted such exquisite dishes before!"

At this point, Gawain couldn't help but point to the large table of dishes in front of him.

"Honestly, looking at these dishes, I almost couldn't bear to eat them!"

It's absolutely gorgeous!

As soon as Gawain finished speaking, he couldn't resist reaching out with his chopsticks and picking up a piece of steamed meat that was most appealing to his taste buds.

Standing beside Gawain, Hancock was about to chime in with a comment like, "Even I can't bear it."

Before she could even open her mouth, Gawain had already started eating!

Hancock immediately gave Gawain a happy look; that's Gawain personality!

No matter how precious something is, it's just an external thing in his eyes. He can pick it up and put it down easily. No wonder he's the man I love!

Thinking of this, Hancock watched with delight as Gawain picked up the steamed meat and slowly put it into his mouth!

"Whoa!"

In that instant, Gawain's eyes widened in astonishment.

The moment Gawain ate the meat, he saw a vision of a serious girl gently killing the cow, taking the best part for stewing, and carefully preparing the dish!

For a moment, Gawain actually felt the same way the chef was feeling!

This feeling made him feel as if he were tasting the fruits of his own labor when he tasted the dish!

This dish is already incredibly delicious, and when you add the feeling of making it yourself, it's even more special.

The flavor was instantly upgraded countless times!

Gawain looked at Rayleigh in surprise and asked softly.

"Is this the kind of... cooking with heart that you've been talking about all this time?!"

"Oh?"

Rayleigh was first startled, then overjoyed!

Judging from your expression, have you really tasted the flavor of love?

This Marine Branch actually has some incredibly talented chefs?!

As soon as he finished speaking, Rayleigh eagerly reached for his chopsticks, and after just one bite, a satisfied expression appeared on his face!

"Ah, this taste is comparable to that of our chef Spencer back in the day!"

What an excellent chef!

"Yes, he's an excellent chef!"

As Rayleigh spoke, Gawain's eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly waved to everyone around him.

"Quick, everyone, try some! This kind of cooking is rare. Even if we get laughed at, we should still eat more, haha!"

Gion, Hancock, and Shirahoshi and Uta —try them all!

At this point, the officers around immediately picked up their favorite cutlery. There are no special rules about cutlery in the Pirate World; knives, forks, and chopsticks can all be used freely.

After everyone tasted it, they all wore happy expressions.

As expected of legendary culinary skills, all the dishes are made with love and can bring happiness!

As for Gawain, he looked at Jonathan and said in an unquestionable tone.

"Jonathan, please have the chef who prepared these dishes come over here!"

I want to thank him in person and also ask him to explain the names of the dishes!

As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain looked at Jonathan seriously, and Jonathan's expression froze.

Seeing Jonathan's less-than-pleasant expression, Gawain was somewhat puzzled.

"What's wrong? Is there some difficulty?"

Upon hearing this, Jonathan took a deep breath, then nodded helplessly.

"You're just asking about the dishes, right? Of course, please wait a moment, Saint Gawain!"

After saying that, Jonathan nervously called over a sergeant and whispered a few instructions in his ear.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen.

With her full head of blonde hair, Jessica exuded both elegance and a touch of both heroism and allure, wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"It's really not easy. I never thought that I would actually be able to prepare a Celestial Dragon Banquet in my lifetime!"

Unfortunately, we didn't have all the ingredients. Even after trying our best to piece them together, we were still missing thirty-three dishes!

In addition, the ingredients of twenty-one dishes do not conform to tradition.

What a pity!

Jessica wrinkled her nose in dissatisfaction. As a chef with extremely high standards for herself, she couldn't bring herself to give herself any praise!

Just then, the girl with short purple hair pushed open the kitchen door with a long sigh.

As soon as she entered, the girl collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted, and said to Jessica.

"Phew, Jessica, I was so nervous! That's Celestial Dragon!"

"Haha, Dr. Kobato, you've really gone to a lot of trouble!"

Jessica laughed heartily as she approached Dr. Kobato.

Jessica patted Kobato's shoulder gently and shrugged helplessly.

"There aren't many women in our branch, and even fewer outstanding ones. The nurses aren't young anymore either. So, you're the only one qualified to be the introducer and head waiter at the Celestial Dragon Banquet."

So, haha, thanks to Dr. Kobato for her help!

At this point, Jessica squatted down next to Kobato and asked mischievously.

"So, did you see that Celestial Dragon? Is he really as handsome as he looks in the photos?"

Ah~~~.

When faced with Jessica's question, Kobato immediately covered her face with both hands.

"My God, if you ask me this, I don't even know how to answer you."

He's completely different from what I thought of the Celestial Dragon!

As expected, rumors spread like wildfire. Based on what others were saying, I thought the Celestial Dragon were all incredibly ugly and wicked big shots.

And then, oh my god!

Kobato immediately grabbed Jessica's arm.

"Sister Jessica, you would never believe it, that Celestial Dragon is more handsome than any of the Marines in our branch!"

Moreover, his voice was both gentle and authoritative, making him sound like a big shot and giving people a great sense of security!

But the girls around him are all so beautiful, sigh...

But it's all good, I met the legendary Rayleigh, and I also met the Pirate Empress, she's so beautiful!

And there's the Mermaid Princess, and the world's most popular singer, ahhh, they're so cute!

At this point, Dr. Kobato, completely absorbed in the moment, swayed back and forth on Jessica's arm, oblivious to the fact that her glasses were askew.

Just then, the kitchen door was pushed open again...

At the doorway, the sergeant's face stiffened as he watched Jessica and Kobato huddled together, nuzzling against each other.

"Cough cough!"

After coughing twice, the sergeant stepped back outside, closed the door, and then knocked lightly.

"Report: Celestial Dragon Saint Gawain invited Chef Jessica to a banquet. Commander Jonathan was reluctant to refuse, but Saint Gawain was adamant."

Therefore, please proceed to the banquet hall..."

"Ha?!!"

In the kitchen, Jessica paused for a moment.

Beside her, Kobato, who had already dodged away, tensed up.

Gently grasping Jessica's chef's uniform, Kobato asked worriedly.

"Could the legend be true?"

Could it be that the Celestial Dragon really enjoy stealing other men's wives?

Otherwise, he didn't even ask me my name..."

"How is that possible!"

Jessica casually ruffled Dr. Kobato's short purple hair.

"Even if there Celestial Dragon like you described in the world, Saint Gawain wouldn't be one of them. After all, he's a man recognized by Gion, haha!"

At this point, Jessica stood up gracefully and strode towards the kitchen door.

"In my opinion, Saint Gawain must have recognized my culinary skills, so he wanted to meet me, the chef, and praise me in person!"

This is the highest honor for a chef, haha!

Amidst laughter, Jessica left the kitchen and confidently walked towards the dining room.

Not long after, she walked into the restaurant and sat down at the table.

From his seat, Gawain's gaze became even more appreciative as he saw a young and beautiful woman emerge from her seat.

Girls naturally find it difficult to handle large ingredients, so a girl who becomes a chef must have a deep passion for cooking!

This beautiful chef, with her exceptional culinary skills, was relegated to a lowly position in charge of the naval mess hall at a Marine Branch.

Shouldn't they be using their skills on their own ship?

So Gawain changed his original plan and decided to talk to the chef about the dishes first, and then invite the chef to the ship.

He stood with his arms crossed on the table, looking expectant, and spoke directly to the chef.

"Hello, Miss Chef, your culinary skills are truly amazing!"

Therefore, I hope you can come aboard my ship and take on the responsibility..."

"Huh? How could this happen?!"

Jessica was completely stunned. Her exclamation interrupted Gawain's words. This situation was not what she had expected!

They're just going to take her away directly!!!

At the same time, Jonathan stood up in shock and slammed his hand on the table.

"Saint Gawain, didn't you just want to chat with the chef for a bit? How could you... how could you make such a decision!"

You... I... I would rather die than..."

"Wait, Jonathan up!"

"Sir, you must have made a mistake. Wait a minute!"

Gion quickly interrupted Jonathan, then yelled at Jessica, who was kneeling on the ground in fright.

"Don't worry, Jessica, the master must have made a mistake!"

After saying that, Gion quickly grabbed Gawain's hand.

"Sir, that woman is not just an ordinary cook; she is also the wife of Lieutenant Vice Admiral Jonathan!"

How could you invite someone else's wife onto your ship? It sounds... it sounds like...!"

"Stop talking, I understand!"

Gawain quickly raised his right hand to stop Gion from speaking, then he took a deep breath.

He first gave Jessica, who was so frightened that she knelt on the ground, an apologetic smile.

"Excuse me, madam, I extended an invitation to you to be my chef without even inquiring about your identity. I was extremely presumptuous. Please forgive me."

After saying that, Gawain looked at Jonathan with annoyance.

"As for you, Jonathan Vice Admiral Jonathan, since Chef Jessica is your wife, why didn't you say so sooner?"

Why didn't you say so sooner?

After saying that, Gawain let out a frustrated sigh.

"Look at the mess we've made now, it's like I'm trying to steal someone else's wife, this is really... really... hahaha!"

Gawain couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Beside him, the Dark Bird cadres at the table exchanged bewildered glances before bursting into laughter.

Only then did Jonathan, who was under immense pressure, sit down weakly.

But less than two seconds after he sat down, Jessica had already figured out the whole situation, suddenly rushed to his side.

Jessica grabbed Jonathan's ear and yelled.

"Saint Gawain is right, why didn't you tell Saint Gawain who I am!"

"Are you just trying to see Saint Gawain and me make a fool of ourselves? How dare you?!"

"Why?!!

I don't!

Absolutely not!

I'm just worried,

Worry..."

"Take your mouth back to me!!!"

Before Jonathan could explain, Jessica twisted his Jonathan.

Suddenly, the laughter at the banquet became even more exaggerated...

Ah, it seems my hometown has become famous again, sigh...

Dandong, when will this finally end...?