The top-floor tea room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The old woman guarding him held her breath, watching as Allen calmly pointed his slender fingers at the seven "flavors" that embodied the ultimate rules.
First Flavor: Pure Water (Remembering the Source)
The moment his fingertips touched that clear drop of water, Allen's consciousness seemed to be pulled into a surging river of time. It wasn't the feeling of him controlling time, but rather, as a speck of dust, experiencing the erosion of time firsthand. He "tasted" the dust and suffering of the Terminal of Uncertainty of the Goa Kingdom, the tranquil sea breeze of Foosha Village, the fierce toast of brotherhood with Ace and Sabo, the sorrow and resolute determination of the Paramount War... Countless fragments of memories transformed into a torrent of the purest emotions, attempting to wash away his will. However, deep within Allen's soul, the Eye of the Torch Dragon calmly surveyed, time and space anchored, all the flavors flowing by were like reflections in Illusion, instead allowing him to have a clearer and more at peace with his own journey. Taste feedback: ultimate purity, yet containing the profound depths of countless changes.
The second ingredient: coarse salt (its importance).
The saltiness exploded! This wasn't ordinary saltiness; it was saltiness carrying the weight of life itself. It instantly amplified Allen's perception of his own existence—the weight of his flesh and blood, the density of his bones, the texture of his soul, and even every pulse of the World Seed within his body. At the same time, he felt the "existential pressure" of the entire material world with unparalleled clarity, as if the weight of the entire planet was pressing down on his taste buds. An ordinary person would be instantly crushed by this "sense of existence," their consciousness collapsing. But Allen's body and soul had already undergone countless trials, resonating with the world; this "weight" only made him more certain of the solidity and uniqueness of his own existence. Taste feedback: a saltiness as heavy as a mountain, yet carrying the solid Echo of life.
The third flavor: Lemon (the sourness of hope)
An overwhelming bitterness surged forth, not merely a sour taste, but a concentrated bitterness encompassing all the unfulfilled desires, setbacks, and failures of life. The bitterness of unattainable dreams, the sorrow of parting from loved ones, the frustration of efforts going to waste... countless negative emotions transformed into acid, attempting to corrode his soul. However, having come this far, Allen had long understood that hope often springs from the deepest despair. This sourness churned in his mouth, ultimately giving rise to a strangely purer, more resilient "sweetness"—the unyielding light of faith that remained undying after enduring hardship. Taste feedback: a heart-wrenching sourness, yet the aftertaste revealed a subtle, rebirth-like sweetness.
Fourth ingredient: Red pepper (Wrath of Destruction)
The raging heat and spiciness erupted like a volcanic eruption! This was the will to destroy, the fury that would burn everything. It stirred the killing intent deep within Allen's heart, the ferocity of the battle with the otherworldly creatures, the decisiveness in his fight against the World Government —all these destructive impulses were amplified infinitely. The flames seemed about to burst forth from his body. But the Power of Zhulong, which governs light and darkness and balance, could not be dominated by a mere will to destroy. After the raging spiciness surged through his body, it was forcibly restrained and compressed by his powerful control, ultimately transforming into a tiny but extremely condensed "seed of destruction" on the tip of his tongue, lying dormant. Taste feedback: The earth-shattering spiciness ultimately returned to the silence of absolute control.
The Fifth Flavor: Dark Chocolate (The Bitterness of Loneliness)
A thick, bitter taste enveloped his taste buds; it was an eternal loneliness. It was the desolation of standing atop a peak, overlooking all beings yet misunderstood; the silence of carrying secrets and walking alone; the bleakness of traversing time and space, witnessing the rise and fall of countless civilizations yet unable to linger. This bitterness seemed to drag him into eternal darkness and solitude. But in Allen's mind, Luffy's radiant smile, Ace's reliable silhouette, the Straw Hat Pirates's noisy yet incredibly warm daily life flashed by... Those bonds, like guiding stars in the darkness, instantly dispelled the thick loneliness. Taste feedback: a bitterness as deep as the night, yet illuminated by the starlight of memory.
The Sixth Flavor: Ash Powder (Fear of Void )
The taste vanished. No, it was the ultimate terror of "existence" itself being denied. Taste buds seemed to be stripped away, consciousness plummeted into absolute "nothingness," without light, without darkness, without time, without space, even the concept of "self" was dissipating. This was the great terror of facing Ultimate Void. Just as consciousness was about to completely sink, within Allen's body, the World Seed suddenly burst forth with a soft yet firm light—the law of "life," the cornerstone of creation and existence! The temporal and spatial attributes of the Power of Zhulong resonated with this, forcefully anchoring a tiny "singularity" in this " Void," Definition "existence"! Taste feedback: the "tastelessness" of all things returning to stillness, yet in the final destruction, a trace of "creation"-like tremor was born.
The Seventh Flavor: Colloid (The Transformation of Chaos )
The final, ever-changing, transparent gel, upon entering his mouth, caused the previous six flavors—pure, heavy, sour, violent, bitter, Void —to intertwine, collide, annihilate, and regenerate in an unpredictable and frenzied manner! It was as if the chaos and disorder of the entire universe were being directly poured into his consciousness. This was the final and most cruel test of his will—to maintain his true self amidst absolute Chaos. Deep within Allen's soul, the Torch Dragon Model let out a silent roar, the forces of light and darkness forming a vortex of balance, the Laws of Space and Time forcibly untangling the chaotic torrent. With absolute willpower, amidst this Chaos storm of taste, he firmly held onto the core belief. "I am Portgas D. Allen!"
Having tasted all seven flavors, Allen slowly opened his eyes. In the depths of his pupils, a fleeting image of starry sky rising and falling, and time flowing, seemed to flash by. His aura was not disordered at all; on the contrary, it became even more profound and restrained.
The old woman guarding the gate was already standing up in shock, her face filled with disbelief and astonishment. "You... you actually... not only did you completely withstand the Seven Flavors of Desperation, but it seems you... digested them? You even triggered a feedback from the rules?!"
Allen felt a surge of more harmonious power within him, and an unprecedented understanding of the rules of "taste," and calmly nodded. "A wonderful experience. Thank you for the treat."
He took out a blank card—the one the waiter had given him along with the invitation—and with a flow of energy from his fingertips, he sketched a simple emblem on it, embodying the cyclical meaning of seven flavors. This was proof of passing the trial, and also a special ticket to the heart of the Gourmet Festival...
When Allen returned to his companions with this unique badge card, everyone could sense that he seemed to have undergone some subtle changes, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it.
The Gourmet Festival opens tomorrow. How will Allen, now fully transformed, influence this extraordinary event?