Rainbase, Eating

They were all on the ship, and now that they had finally reached land, there was no way they were going back to watch the ship.

Still, leaving the ship at the dock was not very safe. Thieves were everywhere, and there were plenty like Nami who specialized in stealing from pirates.

Besides, they had a lot of money on board. So Rogge docked the ship somewhere hidden and placed surveillance Den Den Mushi on it. If anyone showed up, the Den Den Mushi on Rogge would sound an alarm.

The three Den Den Mushi covered every angle. As long as anyone appeared on the ship, they would be spotted by the Den Den Mushi and reported to Rogge.

Rainbase was Alabasta's most economically developed city, as well as the place with the most entertainment. Most forms of entertainment could be found here—adult entertainment, of course, not the kind for children.

Casinos, pleasure districts, taverns... Rogge's target was naturally the pleasure—pah, the tavern next to the pleasure district.

Eating Jelly's cooking all the time could get a little tiresome. It was not that his food was bad, but their ingredients were limited. Since they were at sea, they had to stock up on food that was easy to carry. Besides, they could not know how long it would take to reach the next island, or whether they would encounter bad weather and be delayed.

So Jelly had to take responsibility for the food for everyone on the ship. He certainly would not let them eat without restraint, or else all the provisions aboard would probably only last everyone one meal.

Now that they had arrived on an island, the first thing to do was naturally eat their fill. They would probably keep eating without stopping.

The others clearly felt the same way. Even Jelly had no objections. After cooking for these guys day after day, he also wanted to take the time to sample the local specialties elsewhere.

Back on Earthfire Island, Jelly had wanted to try its famous Earthfire cuisine, but Rogge's actions had made him miss out on it.

The people of Earthfire Island had special cooking methods. They liked to wrap food in lotus leaves or foil, then place it underground where the heat slowly cooked it. Food prepared in the morning could be eaten in the afternoon; food prepared in the afternoon could be eaten at night; food made at night could serve as a late-night snack; and food prepared at midnight could be eaten upon waking in the morning.

Having missed Earthfire Island's cuisine, he was unwilling to miss Alabasta's, especially after hearing that cacti here could be made into all kinds of dishes. Anyone who could become a chef was definitely a foodie.

They arrived at Rainbase's largest tavern, whose sign bore the image of a cactus.

"Passion Desert. This is the one," Rogge said with a smile as he looked at the sign.

"Cactus cuisine. Let's give it a try. I heard the South Blue has this kind of specialty food," Jelly said.

"Desert countries lack water to begin with. Vegetables and the like are probably difficult to grow, while cacti are drought-resistant," Ham said.

Rogge did not waste words and walked inside. The seven of them found a large table. The waiter did not think much when he saw them enter; one glance was enough to tell that Rogge and his group had just arrived in Alabasta.

Their clothing was completely different, and they even had a fish-man among them. They were clearly neither Alabasta natives nor merchants who frequently traveled here. The most likely possibility was that they were pirates.

Working in a tavern had long sharpened the waiter's ability to read people. Without hesitation, he came over to serve Rogge's group first.

"Bring every dish on the menu. Three of each," Rogge said, tossing the menu back without even looking at it.

"Sir..." The waiter immediately grew nervous. He glanced at Rogge, only to meet Cook's eyes. It was also his first time seeing a fish-man, and Cook's fierce gaze gave him a fright.

"Understood. I'll inform the kitchen right away." The waiter hurried off.

Before long, the dishes arrived. There was no nonsense; they immediately began fighting over the food. Rogge regretted it. He had ordered three of each dish, but that was only enough for him. Who could have imagined that the other six would not order for themselves and would instead eat along with him?

"Rogge, you didn't order enough. Hurry up and get more dishes. Who is this little food supposed to feed?" Jelly said irritably.

"Get over here, hurry up and order more. Bring five of every dish—no, ten," Rogge shouted at the waiter bringing dishes over, his mouth stuffed full of meat.

The waiter was drenched in sweat. Looking at Rogge's group like a pack of starving ghosts, he did not know what to say. What worried him most was whether these people had any money.

Unsure whether Rogge and the others could pay, he could only go find the owner. The owner saw the scene and was not unfamiliar with it. Many pirates came here looking like starving ghosts.

"Tell the kitchen to keep cooking for them. I'll head out for a moment." The owner glanced at Rogge's table, sent the waiter to notify the kitchen to prepare more food, then left the tavern and entered an alley behind it.

"Well, if it isn't the owner. What brings you here?" A group of men in the alley were smoking and chatting. When they saw the owner approach, they asked curiously.

"A group of pirates came into the tavern. I'm afraid they'll cause trouble," the owner said, rubbing his hands nervously.

"Pirates, huh? Heh heh, the brothers have nothing to do anyway. It'd be even better if they have bounties on them." Several men rose with grins.

"Then I'll leave it to you." The tavern owner wiped away his sweat and returned inside.

Back in the tavern, Rogge and the others were still eating nonstop, shoveling food into their mouths. Not long after the owner returned, a group of shady-looking people entered. They did not rush to act, instead sitting at the neighboring table and secretly sizing up Rogge's group.

One of them quietly took out wanted posters and began comparing them with Rogge and the others.

At last, he found Rogge's wanted poster and placed it on the table.

Rogge, with a bounty of fifty million Beli. Confirmed.

Just as they confirmed Rogge's identity and prepared to leave the tavern, the leading man stopped. His gaze fell on Simon, as though he had remembered something. He took a photograph from his pocket, glanced at it, put it away, and led his men out of the tavern.

"Some thieves showed up," Jelly said between bites.

"Just a few rats," Rogge said as he chewed his meat.

"They probably discovered my identity. Captain, I think we're about to face Baroque Works officers," Simon said quietly.

"Eat until you're full first. We already know who their boss is, so why fear their officers?" Ham said.

Cook patted Simon on the shoulder. "If the sky falls, the captain will hold it up for you. What are you afraid of?"

"You're overthinking it. If the sky falls, I'll be the first one lying flat," Rogge said irritably.

"When are you giving up the captain's position?" Jelly asked.

"Beat me first."

"Forget it."