Monet and Sugar

"Soul Magnetic Field: Activate!"

With his eyes closed, Gray let the spiritual energy spread across a radius of a thousand meters as the Soul Magnetic Field rotated, observing everything around him that gave off a magnetic field.

He had to pick out the magnetic fields beneficial to the soul from among the countless others, then have his own Soul Magnetic Field absorb them. This would strengthen his soul and ultimately allow it to evolve.

"This one's no good!"

"This one won't work either! What garbage!"

"This one's a little appealing, but unfortunately, it's not the one!"

Each time he captured a magnetic field, Gray sped up the rotation of his Soul Magnetic Field and forcibly pulled it in, making it join the cycle of his personal Soul Magnetic Field. That was how he digested the foreign magnetic field.

Unfortunately, there were countless magnetic fields in the world around him, some powerful, some weak, and some so weak they could barely be noticed.

He had to examine every one and find even a single magnetic field that benefited the soul. The amount of work involved was so tedious that it was no different from buying a bag of salt and counting every grain.

"Let's take it slowly! At least I've seen a glimmer of hope!"

Day after day passed. The Donquixote Family's officers continued drifting across the sea. Whenever they went ashore, they quickly restocked their supplies before setting sail again.

The Navy following behind them was furious.

As for Kizaru Borsalino, he seemed completely unconcerned, always trailing behind them. He neither used his Devil Fruit power to catch up quickly nor showed any sign of being in a hurry.

The two sides kept this up, drifting across the sea for nearly four months. Before they knew it, it was the end of 1509 on the Marine Calendar.

"Gray-sama, would you like to go ashore and have a look around?" They had drawn close to another island, and while the family's underlings busied themselves restocking supplies, baby-5 asked Gray what he wanted to do.

"Let's take a look around!" The tedious work of sorting through magnetic fields had left Gray feeling dizzy. He also wanted to relax on the island and clear his head.

For once, Gray didn't ride in his Flying Chair. Instead, he walked toward the island with baby-5 like an ordinary person.

"After being tossed around at sea for so long, it really is reassuring to have solid ground beneath your feet." Feeling the firmness of the earth underfoot, Gray's gloom lifted at once.

"Gray-sama, let's check out the restaurant on this island! I heard Trebol say there's one here with really good food."

That perked Gray right up. "Then let's go!"

To Gray, the food of this world was another treasure he couldn't afford to miss.

As a glutton from the land of Hua, food was an essential part of life. The specialties of another world were every bit as good as those from his previous life.

The island had only one small town, with a straight main road running from the port through its center. Shops and restaurants lined both sides of the road.

The place the two of them were heading to was halfway along it.

"Is this the place?" Gray looked at the restaurant, which was about the size of a Sha County snack shop from his previous life, and glanced at baby-5 in puzzlement.

"Trebol said the little shop is called 'Monet and Sugar's Cottage.' If he got the name right, this should be it!"

"Monet and Sugar!" Gray couldn't help wondering about the name. The women who ate the Snow-Snow Fruit and Hobby-Hobby Fruit in the original story, sisters in the Donquixote Family, had the same names. He didn't believe that was just a coincidence.

Though he was puzzled, Gray and baby-5 still pushed the door open and went inside. "Welcome! Would the two of you like something to eat?"

As soon as they entered, a little girl with blue-green hair came over to greet them.

Seeing her familiar hair and face, Gray's earlier question had already been answered.

"Bring us one of everything on the menu. If it suits our tastes, we'll order five servings." Three servings were for Gray himself and two for baby-5.

As his body grew stronger, his appetite naturally grew along with it.

Gray's words made the little girl beam. "Please wait a moment!"

"It'll be ready soon!" As she spoke, the girl hurried off toward the kitchen.

"Big Sis, Big Sis! We've got a big order!"

The green-haired woman preparing food in the kitchen quickly called out, "Slow down, Sugar. What did the customers order?"

"Two customers just came in. They want five servings of the house specialties." Sugar spread her little hand open, happily holding up five fingers.

"Great!" The woman smiled gently and immediately began heating oil in the wok to cook for Gray and baby-5.

Her movements were deft and efficient. In no time, Sugar had carried out one dish after another.

"Here you are, customers! The food's ready!"

Gray picked up his chopsticks and took a small bite. He was instantly won over. Honestly, the cooking here was on par with Jora's, taste-wise.

But the dishes here didn't use the finest ingredients. They were made with ordinary, fresh ingredients from the island. Making such delicious food with those was even harder than what Jora managed with her precious ingredients.

"Not bad!" Gray nodded, his appetite immediately taking over. He turned into a glutton, devouring everything that came his way in great mouthfuls.

Just as Gray and baby-5 were wolfing down their food, a group of people who clearly meant trouble came into the restaurant.

"Boss! Where's the boss?" One of the men at the front wore sunglasses and looked like a street punk. He kicked chairs and tables as he bellowed.

"Leonard, what are you doing here?" Sugar clearly recognized the people who had come in. With a sour look, she asked the punk what he wanted.

"Well, well! It's little Sugar. Go call your sister out. We've got something good to discuss with her!"

"Get out of our restaurant! We don't want any of your so-called good offers!" Sugar clearly knew Leonard's ways. Whatever he called a good offer, it definitely wasn't good.

"What would a little kid know? If you don't call your sister out, I'm going to get angry."

"You know what happens when you make me angry, right?"

"You!" Sugar was clearly intimidated. Her little cheeks puffed up with anger as she glared at Leonard, indignant.

"I'm here, Leonard. What do you want?" A gentle voice from the front drew Leonard's attention.

Her long green hair and curvaceous figure at seventeen stirred his desire.

"Heh-heh! Monet!" Leonard smirked lewdly before speaking again. "I came to tell you that it's time to pay protection money."

"You're full of it! We paid this month's protection money just yesterday. How could we have to pay again today?" Before Monet could respond, Sugar snapped, angrily challenging him.

"What you paid yesterday was the Black Bear Gang's protection money. What you need to pay today is the protection money for my newly founded Fierce Tiger Gang." After casually explaining, Leonard spoke again with ill intent. "Of course, if you can't afford it, Monet, you can become the gang leader's wife. Then you won't have to worry about protection money."

"Damn it! Aren't the Black Bear Gang and the Fierce Tiger Gang both under your control?" In this town, the gangsters ran wild, and Leonard's gang was by far the most powerful.