Super God of Cooking

"Of course it's true."

Although Xikexin said that, there was hardly any pride in his eyes. It seemed that this impressive title meant very little to him.

But that was enough to leave Freya dumbfounded. It was as if she were seeing her father in a whole new light when she spoke.

"Dad, you used to be that amazing..."

"You little brat, I've always been amazing... You just didn't know it, that's all..."

At that moment, Ye Mu, who didn't quite understand the details, asked curiously,

"Hey, Tiger, what exactly does that mean? What's this Gourmet Country you mentioned?"

Tiger carefully explained,

"It's like this, Captain. In the New World, near the Calm Belt by the North Blue, there's an island known as the Gourmet Country. Because of its unique terrain, the island is incredibly rich in resources, and the ingredients found everywhere are all top-notch. That's why the Gourmet Country is the place every chef dreams of visiting. Every four years, the Gourmet Country holds the Food God Competition to determine who will earn the title of Food God. Anyone who can retain the title of Food God three times or more is called a Super God of Cooking."

At this point, seemingly worried that everyone didn't understand what a Super God of Cooking represented in the culinary world, Tiger offered an analogy.

"You could say that a Super God of Cooking is the One Piece of the culinary world."

Ye Mu's eyes lit up completely.

He had originally taken an interest in the girl only because of her strange Devil Fruit, but now, things were completely different.

"But... Dad, if you're really that amazing... why didn't I know anything about it? And why have you been hiding your identity here...?"

Xikexin didn't care about the empty title at all.

"Super God of Cooking or whatever... It's nothing special. I'm just a chef who cooks for his customers..."

"But... but..."

Freya had thought of many things, but in the end, she didn't know how to express her astonishment. She could only continue asking,

"Then why did you leave that Gourmet Country and come here?"

"It's nothing. I just didn't like that place..."

This time, Freya was truly stunned.

"Isn't that the holy land every chef dreams of? How could you, Dad...?"

Xikexin's face was filled with disdain.

"What holy land? Everyone there went astray long ago..."

"!!! Dad... what do you mean by that!!!?"

Xikexin let out a long sigh. He thought for a moment, looked at his curious daughter, then at the important figures before him, especially Ye Mu.

Suddenly, as if he had made up his mind, he asked everyone present,

"This may be presumptuous, but I'd like to ask you all a question. What do you think is the most delicious dish in the world?"

The sudden question left everyone present stunned.

Although the question had come out of nowhere, everyone still showed respect to this man who had once stood at the pinnacle of the culinary world. It was just that...

"Ara ara... I'm not very good at cooking, so unfortunately, I don't know the answer either."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not picky about food..."

"As long as it wasn't made by Ye Mu..."

"!!!"

"As for me... I've been to many places, but the food I miss most is the grilled meat and liquor from Fish-Man District."

"Cooking? As long as Lord Enel likes it, I like it too..."

Everyone's answer was different, but none of them seemed to be what the owner wanted. In the end, the owner looked toward Ye Mu, hoping to get a final answer from him.

By this point, Freya no longer understood what her father was doing and asked,

"Old man, what are you doing? Why are you asking this question?"

The owner shook his head.

"I just want to know the answer."

Recalling everything that had happened since he entered the Life Cuisine Restaurant that day, Ye Mu asked,

"Is this answer really that important?"

"Yes, it's very important. If your answer doesn't satisfy me, I won't let you take Freya with you..."

"Old man, what are you talking about? I don't want to become a pirate..."

Freya shouted in protest.

But neither Ye Mu nor the owner paid her any attention.

Ye Mu had actually thought a lot about the question, but in the end, his mind still gave him only one answer.

His memories seemed to drift toward another world as he gave his answer.

"If I really have to say, then to me, the most delicious dish would probably be the food my mother made..."

"Unfortunately, I'll never be able to taste it again..."

"!!!"

No one had expected that answer, but after everyone came to their senses, none of them could deny that it was the right one.

Freya stared at the young man before her in shock.

It was also an answer she had never expected to hear from Ye Mu, the great pirate.

At that moment, Ye Mu's image in her heart completely changed. He went from a vicious great pirate to an ordinary young man.

"Mother..."

Freya also recalled her own mother.

The dishes her mother had made were nowhere near as exquisite as those prepared with her father's superb skills, but the meals Freya was most accustomed to and remembered most deeply were the ones her mother had personally made for her when she was little.

At that moment, Freya's father finally couldn't help letting out a long sigh.

"That's right. Such a simple answer, yet the people of the Gourmet Country completely failed to understand it."

Then Xikexin spoke in recollection.

"After I retained the title of Food God for the third time and became a Super God of Cooking, I suddenly began to doubt myself. I felt as if I didn't understand cooking at all anymore, as if I no longer knew how to prepare food..."

His seemingly unprompted words left everyone stunned.

"Because, just as Mr. Tiger said earlier, the Gourmet Country truly is a wonderful place. Every ingredient there is top-notch. But it isn't actually a paradise for chefs. It's a graveyard for chefs. The ingredients there are simply too good. Even a child can casually make a dish that tastes heavenly. As a result, every chef who comes to the Gourmet Country suffers a tremendous blow and then takes the wrong path..."

"They forget the essence of cooking and begin chasing the finest ingredients, never turning back..."

"!!!"

Freya couldn't understand.

"What's wrong with that? Aren't the finest ingredients necessary for the finest dishes...?"

"No... Freya... you're wrong..."

Xikexin's entire presence changed at that moment, becoming incredibly serious.

"The essence of cooking is food. Therefore, any dish that makes the person eating it feel happy, healthy, and satisfied is the finest dish. Those creations piled together from the finest ingredients are nothing more than meaningless gimmicks created for the sake of fame and profit."

As he spoke, a nostalgic smile appeared on Xikexin's face.

"Your mother was the one who taught me that. It's also the spirit of our Life Cuisine Restaurant..."