Competition

Fortunately, perhaps considering Locke's feelings standing nearby, Carmen did not chat with Sanji for long before quickly stating that she had come to compete in cooking.

After learning that Locke's group had not come to cause trouble, the chefs who had gathered around gradually dispersed. But upon hearing that Sanji and Carmen were going to have a cooking contest, they came rushing back once more.

Soon, the customers who had been dining in the restaurant became eager when they learned there would be a cooking competition, and they were all willing to serve as judges for the match.

Even some people who had finished eating and were preparing to leave stopped to watch the contest.

Before long, Red-Leg Zeff came down from upstairs and personally arranged the competition venue.

The venue was set up on the fin outside the restaurant. Carmen and Sanji each had a stove, and each chose the dish they believed they made best.

Once they were finished, their dishes would be judged by the customers who had stayed behind. Everyone would have one vote, and whoever received the most votes would win.

Soon, under Red-Leg Zeff's direction, the contest began. The dish Sanji chose to make was a common Japanese dish: salmon sashimi.

Sanji took out a fresh salmon that had been obtained that morning. First, he used his skilled knife work to remove the large bones, then deftly cut the fish into sections and skinned it.

After removing the skin, Sanji spun the knife in his hand and tossed the freshly cut chunk of fish into the air. What followed was a dazzling display of knife skills.

When Sanji set down his knife again, the fish slices drifted down from the air and landed on the ice that had already been prepared. Every slice of salmon was exactly the same thickness. No one knew just how thin they were, but if one casually picked up a slice, one could see the blurry figure of a person on the other side through the flesh.

Then Sanji began preparing the condiments. For salmon sashimi, while the fish itself was important, the seasonings were even more crucial.

The scene shifted to Carmen. The dish she chose was stir-fried pork twice cooked, made according to the recipe Locke had told her from memories of his previous life.

Thinking about it, this was Locke's favorite dish, and Carmen often made it for him. It would not be an exaggeration to say she made this dish best. Moreover, she had put a great deal of thought into improving it, and its method was now completely different from the original.

No one knew whether Carmen lacked confidence or something else, but this time, she did not alter a single step of the dish. She followed exactly the method Locke had taught her.

First, she selected a piece of wild boar meat brought down from the Phantom, choosing pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat. She put it into boiling water to cook, then removed it once it was done and cut it into pieces.

As she did all this, Carmen did not show off her knife skills. She simply worked at an unhurried pace, just as she normally did when cooking for Locke.

The expression on Carmen's face as she cooked made it seem as though she was not looking at a dish, but at the feelings she was preparing for her beloved.

The entire process was calm and steady. After cutting the meat, she poured lard into the heated frying pan beside her. Once the oil had completely melted, she added the prepared seasonings one by one.

Once they had been stir-fried to the right point, she added the sliced pork and stir-fried it over high heat. Before long, waves of fragrance wafted from the pan. The diners watching from nearby were drawn in by the scent, and some even began to drool.

Both moved quickly and did not keep the people waiting long. The two very different dishes were served before the diners. The diners all chose Carmen's twice-cooked pork first, since they had never seen such a dish before, and its aroma was simply too enticing.

The result was therefore obvious. After eating the strongly flavored twice-cooked pork, the comparatively light salmon sashimi no longer seemed as flavorful as it had at first. Although Sanji's dish was also excellent, he had chosen the wrong dish.

When the final result was announced, Carmen, as expected, defeated Sanji by a wide margin.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! We won!" After the contest ended, Locke and the others came to Carmen's side and cheered for her.

Yet Carmen showed none of the joy of victory. Instead, she had fallen into deep thought. She had worn that expression ever since tasting Sanji's dish.

However, the crew were all happy for Carmen at that moment and did not notice her expression at all.

"Sanji, you truly have what it takes to be my lifelong rival," Carmen said as she walked up to Sanji at some point.

"???" Sanji had been rather happy to see Carmen walking toward him, but after hearing her words, his whole mood collapsed.

Hey! What do you mean, lifelong rival? We could be something else, you know! Don't define us so early!

"I lost this contest. I never expected you to make something as simple as sashimi taste so delicious," Carmen said again.

"Miss Carmen, you won this time. I have never seen your dish before, but its deliciousness is indeed rare in this world." Sanji became serious as well.

"The recipe?" Hearing Sanji's words, Carmen thought for a moment, then handed Sanji the notebook she always kept at her side to record recipes.

"I look forward to competing with you again." After saying that, Carmen turned and left, heading toward the Phantom.

The Phantom's crew watched this scene without understanding what had happened to Carmen. At that moment, however, the observant Locke sampled a bite of Sanji's dish and Carmen's dish respectively.

He set down his utensils without saying anything and hurried after Carmen.

Locke's series of actions left Yun Zhinnan and the others completely bewildered. They had no idea what was going on with them.

Locke soon caught up with Carmen. Yet he said nothing. He simply walked over and slowly took her hand.

"Locke, I won't lose next time," Carmen said, raising her head to look at him.

"I'll always stay by your side."

Then the two fell silent for a while.

Suddenly, Carmen raised her head and kissed Locke on the cheek. "Thank you for remembering," she said, then ran off like the wind and returned to her room.

"You silly fool, how could I possibly forget what you said?" Locke murmured with a smile, touching the cheek she had just kissed.

"What are you all still standing around for? Get aboard and set sail. It's time for us to leave!" Locke shouted at the others behind him, who were still standing there in a daze.

After everyone boarded, Locke shouted to Sanji, who was still standing outside, "Sanji, I'll wait for you in the New World. I look forward to seeing you again. Oh, and if you meet a guy with a moss-green head, remember to tell him I'm looking forward to his challenge."

"What?" Locke's final words left Sanji frozen. He had no idea what Locke was talking about.