Sanji had never struck him as slow on the uptake.
He should understand soon enough.
Sanji looked at his hands, then at Lin Mo's retreating back. "What were you trying to tell me just now?"
Lin Mo didn't look back. "Figure it out yourself."
Sanji watched him walk away, then looked down at his hands again.
Scenes from the past flashed through his mind.
Come to think of it, he had never seen that stinking old man Zeff use his hands in a fight.
Whenever someone caused trouble, or a cook in the kitchen needed a lesson for messing up, the old man always used his feet!
That was right!
A chef's hands were his livelihood!
How could he use them to fight?
Sanji clenched his fists. "I've decided! From now on, I'm not using my hands to fight!"
Then he began turning Lin Mo's other words over in his mind.
Someone who did nothing but complain and couldn't even make an effort...
Was he really that hopeless?
He worked hard too, didn't he?
For months, he had washed dishes and cleaned the Baratie diligently every day. How was that not hard work?
Uh...
Wait!
The realization hit him.
Sweat poured down Sanji's forehead.
"What the hell have I been doing these past few months?"
Floating Restaurant: A Familiar Question, A Familiar Answer
Beep! Guided Sanji and earned his admiration. Check-in progress +20%. Current total progress: 40%. Reward: Flash Step +1 level. Current Flash Step level: Lv2.
Lin Mo had barely walked away when the system notification sounded in his mind.
A fuller understanding of Flash Step flowed into his mind, and his whole body felt noticeably lighter.
"Sanji catches on pretty quickly." Lin Mo was satisfied.
But what was that about admiration?
Why did that count toward his progress?
That part baffled Lin Mo.
Still, a good result was a good result.
He stretched.
Lin Mo had reached the deck by the Baratie's rear door on the second floor.
Warm sunlight fell over him, making him drowsy.
"Time for a nap." Lin Mo took a lounge chair from System Space, settled into it, and closed his eyes.
He had been asleep for only a few minutes.
Not far away,
a Pirate ship flying an unfamiliar Pirate Flag was slowly approaching.
Once the Baratie came within range,
someone lit the fuse of a cannon mounted on the ship.
Several booms rang out.
Cannonballs hurtled toward the Baratie.
The Pirates were trying to catch the restaurant by surprise.
That was why they had attacked from behind.
The cannon fire woke Lin Mo.
He opened his eyes with a slight frown.
The first thing he saw was a black cannonball bearing down on him.
Without a word,
Lin Mo sprang from the lounge chair, leaped off the deck, and kicked every cannonball into the sea with Night Guy.
He landed back on the deck.
Expressionless, Lin Mo stared at the Pirate ship several hundred meters away. It had interrupted his sleep.
He pulled Toyako from his waist without hesitation and slashed once toward the ship.
Then he sheathed his sword, lay back down, and closed his eyes. At that very instant,
a clean cut appeared down the middle of the Pirate ship. It split in two and slowly sank beneath the waves.
Cries and screams carried across the water.
Soon, everything was quiet again.
"No way..." Sanji had come to thank Lin Mo. What Lin Mo had said earlier had finally eased the worry that had weighed on him for so long.
He had followed the direction Lin Mo went,
only to see him kick away cannonballs and split a Pirate ship from a distance with a Wooden Sword.
Sanji had been too frightened to approach him.
He swallowed and slowly backed away.
Then he broke into a jog.
He couldn't stop thinking about Lin Mo kicking those cannonballs.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
He even tried a few kicks himself.
"Lin Mo's incredible! And he's about my age... No. I can't waste any more time!"
With that, he went to Zeff's door.
When Zeff saw Sanji again,
he snapped, "Have you finished washing the dishes?"
Sanji grinned. "Stinking old man, I've decided. I want you to teach me your kicking techniques!"
Zeff froze, then burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You think you can learn my kicking techniques? Keep dreaming! Do your job first."
"I will!" Sanji said earnestly. "And I'll learn to cook properly too. When there's time, you can teach me to fight with my legs!"
Zeff stared at Sanji.
What had happened to the boy since he came by half an hour ago?
Had something finally clicked?
Zeff frowned. "I never said I'd teach you to cook."
Sanji laughed. "That's fine. I work in the kitchen every day anyway. If you won't teach me, I'll learn by watching. I'm not the old Sanji anymore. Just you wait, stinking old man. I'll surpass you soon, in cooking and kicking!"
"Hahaha! You? You won't surpass me in this lifetime. Now get back to your chores."
"Say whatever you want. Once I've made up my mind, nobody can change it!"
With that, Sanji dashed off.
The smile vanished from Zeff's face.
Sanji... Did someone say something to him?
It certainly wasn't Patty or the other roughnecks.
Aside from them and Zeff, only one other person had been allowed into the kitchen—the boy Zeff had just given special permission.
Zeff narrowed his eyes.
Could it really have been him?
Meanwhile,
Lin Mo slept soundly for over an hour. When he woke, the first thing he did was pick up his Wine Gourd.
It was empty.
Before leaving Shimotsuki Village, he had made a point of buying plenty of wine at the tavern.
But he had spent nearly eight days at sea.
Every day, he had done little besides drink and sleep, occasionally fighting off a Sea King foolish enough to attack him.
All he had left were two jars of the special aged wine Koshiro had given him.
After a moment's thought,
he decided against drinking Koshiro's wine.
He got up
and put the lounge chair back into System Space.
Yawning, Lin Mo followed the faint scent of wine to a second-floor storeroom reserved for drinks.
Just then, Sanji came out carrying a bottle of wine.
As the door opened,
he spotted Lin Mo outside.
Sanji paused. "Oh, uh, what are you doing here?"
Lin Mo's gaze settled on the bottle in Sanji's arms. "How much is that?"
"This? Five Beli a glass. You're not thinking of drinking it, are you?" Sanji asked cautiously.
"Yeah," Lin Mo said.
"Then take this bottle. I'll grab another one." Grinning, Sanji pressed the bottle into Lin Mo's hands.
Lin Mo stared at him.
"It's fine," Sanji said lightly. "Whenever you want a drink, let me know. We'll come here together. You can drink inside, and I'll keep watch."
Lin Mo smiled.
The kid knows how to do a favor.
He appreciated the gesture.
But he wasn't the sort to drink without paying.
Lin Mo felt around in his pocket.
He took out a pouch containing a hundred Beli and tossed it to Sanji.
Sanji caught it in a fluster. "Huh? What's this for?"
"The wine."
With that, Lin Mo pulled out the stopper and drank straight from the bottle.
It tasted all right.
Before you continue