Eating in Rainbase

They had spent enough time aboard the ship. Now that they had finally reached land, there was no way they were going back to check on it.

But leaving the ship at the docks wasn't safe either. Thieves were around, and there were plenty like Nami who specialized in stealing from pirates.

They also had a lot of money aboard, so Rogge hid the ship in a secluded spot and placed Surveillance Den Den Mushi on it. If anyone showed up, the Den Den Mushi he carried would sound an alarm.

Three Surveillance Den Den Mushi covered the ship from every angle. Anyone who boarded would be spotted, and Rogge would be notified.

Rainbase was Alabasta's most prosperous city and had the most entertainment. Nearly any amusement you wanted could be found there—adult entertainment, that was, not the kind meant for children.

Casinos, the Pleasure District, taverns... Rogge's destination was naturally the Pleasure—no, the tavern next to the Pleasure District.

Even Jelly's cooking could get a little repetitive. It wasn't that his food tasted bad; they just had limited ingredients at sea. They stocked up on food that was easy to carry, and there was no telling how long it would take to reach the next island or whether bad weather would delay them.

Jelly was responsible for feeding the entire ship, so he couldn't let everyone eat their fill whenever they pleased. Otherwise, all their stored food would probably last the crew only a single day.

Now that they were on an island, the first order of business was to eat their fill. They would probably keep going for quite a while.

The others clearly felt the same way. Even Jelly had no objections. After cooking for this lot all the time, he wanted a chance to taste the local specialties too.

Back on Earthfire Island, Jelly had wanted to try its famous earthfire cuisine. But because Rogge had started a fight, he had missed his chance.

The people of Earthfire Island had a special way of cooking. They wrapped food in lotus leaves or foil, then buried it in the warm ground to heat slowly. Food prepared in the morning was ready by afternoon; food buried in the afternoon was ready for dinner. What went in at night became a late-night snack, and what went in after midnight was ready for breakfast.

Having missed Earthfire Island's cuisine, he wasn't about to miss Alabasta's. He had heard the cactus here could be made into all kinds of dishes. Anyone who became a chef was bound to love eating.

They reached the biggest tavern in Rainbase. A cactus adorned the sign above its entrance.

"Passion Desert. This is the place." Rogge grinned at the sign.

"Cactus dishes. Let's give them a try. I've heard they have that specialty over in the South Blue," Jelly said.

"Desert countries are short on water. Vegetables must be hard to grow here, but cacti can survive the drought," Ham said.

Rogge went straight in. The seven of them took a large table. The waiter needed only one look to tell they had just arrived in Alabasta.

Their clothes were completely different, and one of them was a Fish-Man. They clearly weren't locals or merchants who came through regularly. Pirates were the most likely answer.

Working in a tavern had taught the waiter to read people. He hurried over to serve them first.

"One of everything on the menu. Three of each," Rogge said, tossing the menu back without looking at it.

"Sir..." The waiter tensed. He glanced at Rogge but met Cook's eyes instead. It was his first time seeing a Fish-Man, and Cook's fierce stare gave him a fright.

"Of course. I'll tell the kitchen right away." The waiter hurried off.

The food arrived soon after. Without a word, they started fighting over it. Rogge regretted his order. He had asked for three of every dish, but that was only enough for him. Who could have guessed the other six would eat from his order instead of placing their own?

"You didn't order enough, Rogge. Get more food. Who's supposed to fill up on this?" Jelly grumbled.

"Come here! Bring more—five of every dish. No, ten!" Rogge grabbed the waiter bringing over a plate and shouted through a mouthful of meat.

The waiter broke into a sweat. They ate like starving men, and all he could worry about was whether they had any money.

Unable to tell if they could pay, he went to find the owner. The owner had seen this sort of thing before. Plenty of pirates arrived looking half-starved.

"Tell the kitchen to keep cooking for them. I'm going out for a bit." After glancing at Rogge's table, the owner sent the waiter to the kitchen and slipped out to an alley behind the tavern.

"Well, if it isn't the boss. What brings you here?" A group of men smoking and chatting in the alley looked up at him.

"A bunch of pirates came into the tavern. I'm afraid they might cause trouble." The owner wrung his hands, sweat covering his forehead.

"Pirates, huh? Heh, we haven't had anything to do anyway. Even better if there's a bounty on them." Several men stood up with a grin.

"Sorry for the trouble." The owner wiped his brow and returned to the tavern.

Rogge and the others were still eating in great gulps. Not long after the owner returned, a group of rough-looking men came in. Rather than make a move, they sat at the next table and studied Rogge's crew in secret.

One of them discreetly pulled out some wanted posters and began comparing the faces.

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

Rogge. Fifty million Beli. No mistake about it.

Just as they confirmed his identity and prepared to leave, their leader stopped and looked at Simon. Something seemed to occur to him. He took a photograph from his coat, glanced at it, then tucked it away and led the others out.

"Some petty thieves," Jelly said between bites.

"Just a few rats," Rogge said, chewing his meat.

"I think they recognized me. Captain, we'll probably have to face Baroque Works' officers," Simon said quietly.

"Let's finish eating first. We already know who their boss is, so why be afraid of the officers?" Ham said.

Cook clapped Simon on the shoulder. "If the sky falls, the captain will hold it up for you. What are you worried about?"

"You wish. If the sky falls, I'll be the first one flat on the ground," Rogge said.

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

"When you beat me."

"Forget it."