More Than Just a Chef

Having left Bear Paw Island, Shuma showed no sadness at parting with his kin. Instead, he was in high spirits, brimming with curiosity as he touched everything in sight.

"Wow~ so this is a sea beast 'ship.' It really isn't made of bone and flesh... wait, it seems to be made of wood."

...Clatter...

"Don't eat the ship!!!"

"Wow, Lion ingredient, why is your hair gone? You look so stupid!"

"Awoo!" (You're the one to blame, you jerk!)

"Wow, the ocean is so big! What's over there? Hey, Fur ingredient, why are you staring at me?"

Mohji pointed his thumb at himself. "I'm Mohji, the first mate of the Buggy Pirates. From today on, you're my subordinate!"

Shuma curled his lip. "No."

Buggy spoke up, "Alright, alright. Shuma, introduce yourself."

Shuma rubbed his finger under his nose, flashed a bright, sunny smile, and extended his right hand toward the group. "My name is Kumat Shuma. Please take care of me."

Then, he shook his own right hand with his left, saying politely, "Hello, hello! Thank you for your patronage!"

Buggy and the others had black lines running down their faces. "Stop playing out a one-man show!!!"

This guy was hopeless...

"Are you a cook?" Cabaji, with his sharp eyes, spotted a large pot peeking out from under the other man's pack.

"A cook?" Shuma scratched his head for a long time before saying airily, "Sure, close enough. Oh, right! I brought you all a very precious gift inside!"

He patted the pot, which stood taller than a person under the wrapping, making a "thud-thud" sound.

At this, everyone except Buggy walked over out of curiosity, gathering around his pack. What could possibly be inside such a massive pot?

It definitely wouldn't be anything good... Although Buggy was a bit curious himself, after spending these days together, he was certain that whatever this idiot had packed, it wasn't gold or jewels.

Shuma ripped the large cloth covering away with a "whoosh."

Instantly, a choking, spicy scent soared into the air. Without exception, everyone nearby collapsed onto the deck, foaming at the mouth. Buggy, standing further away, quickly covered his nose and fled into the cabin as if escaping. What was this jerk doing?!

Shuma inhaled the fiery, pungent scent of the peppers with intoxication and said excitedly, "Everyone, this is the local specialty, the Destruction Pepper. It's a treasure that can bring the dead back to life... Hey, what's wrong? Are you all dying? Come on, eat a Destruction Pepper and you'll be full of energy!"

All the pirates on the deck scrambled to their feet and ran away as if they had seen a monster, leaving a triumphant Shuma behind. "Haha, I told you the Destruction Pepper could bring the dead back to life!"

After a stern reprimand and lecture from Buggy, Shuma put away the pot and behaved much better.

"I am Cabaji, Chief of Staff of the Buggy Pirates, and a swordsman." Cabaji waved his Sakura Blizzard like a circus act, spun the blade, and sheathed it.

Shuma looked solemn. "Hello, Cabaji."

"I am Mohji, first mate of the Buggy Pirates, and a beast tamer. This is Richie." Mohji pulled the bald Richie forward.

"Awoo!" Richie hid behind Mohji, looking somewhat fearful.

"Yes, Richie and Mohji ingredient."

Veins popped on Mohji's forehead. "You jerk, why can't you get my name right!"

Buggy held back the enraged, clawing Mohji with one hand and said to Shuma, "It's your turn, Shuma."

"I'm a cook, I guess, and also..." Shuma pulled out a peculiar boomerang he carried with him. "A boomerang sniper!"

"A sniper..." Buggy automatically filtered out the man's words. Seeing the weapon again, he still found it quite novel. Only one end of the boomerang had leather for gripping, while the other end and the triangular tip were sharp blades that seemed to be foldable.

"That's right, the Raptor Boomerang." Shuma stood up, the boomerang spinning on his fingertip. He spun his body rapidly in place and flicked his wrist, sending the boomerang soaring into the cloudless sky.

All three pairs of eyes tracked it into the air. Then, the disc-like weapon flew back like lightning. Despite its terrifying rotational speed, Shuma caught it lightly in his hand. Watching his skilled movements up close was truly surprising. How did he do that?

Shortly after, a seabird in the sky grew larger and larger until it appeared in everyone's field of vision, falling straight down.

Cabaji leaped, drawing his sword in mid-air. Before anyone could even perceive his strike, he landed, and the feathers from the seabird drifted down like snowflakes.

"Richie!" Seeing Cabaji's performative move, Mohji refused to be outdone and ordered Richie to take the bird.

Richie jumped high, opened his mouth, and bit down on the bird—which was already plucked and ready for the pot—and then...

With a "gulp," he swallowed it whole...

What followed was a sound thrashing from Mohji. "What are you doing, you idiot!"

Buggy couldn't bear to look at Richie anymore. He looked at Shuma, who possessed long-range striking capabilities, as if he had found a treasure. His naked-eye vision was absurd, and he had no major shortcomings in agility or strength. He had no obvious weaknesses in either long-range or close-quarters combat... except for his overly simple brain.

Buggy coughed. "Alright, now that everyone has been introduced, we are all comrades on the same ship from here on out."

"Comrades." Shuma repeated the word. "Is there a difference between that and 'friends'?"

"No difference. The person you can trust with your back is your comrade."

Buggy said this with extreme seriousness; he had to instill a reliable worldview in this simple-minded guy.

Hearing Buggy's words, Shuma scratched his head in confusion. Mohji and Cabaji exchanged a look, then awkwardly looked away.

"Comrades?" Shuma's eyes suddenly lit up. "I get it! It's a type of animal, right!"

Buggy sighed internally. As expected... he would have to keep re-educating this guy throughout their journey. This wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight.

"You will understand in time."

Shaking his head as he finished speaking, Buggy walked toward the ship's railing and gazed out at the boundless sea before him. The briny sea breeze whipped his magnificent captain's cloak behind him as he began to analyze his current strength.

The combat power of the remaining ordinary pirates could be ignored; the focus was on his few officers: Cabaji, who had grasped the knack of things; Mohji, who had eaten a Devil Fruit; Shuma, who possessed long-range striking capabilities; and himself, who wielded the Six Powers and Life Return of the Navy.

If he only set his sights on this small patch of the East Blue, they could be considered formidable, but they were not worth mentioning once they reached the Grand Line.

Moreover, neither Devil Fruits nor the Six Powers could be mastered easily, and the upcoming special training would likely be quite grueling...