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"No... aren't we supposed to head to the Grand Line? Why are we wasting time here?"
Zoro couldn't understand. Wasn't this a waste of their precious time?
"Oh, I forgot to mention it earlier. My original plan was to find a place where everyone could buy supplies and train for three months before setting sail," Luffy explained casually.
Luffy had never been to the Grand Line, but he'd heard plenty about it from others along the way. Words like "that place is extremely dangerous," "on the Grand Line, nine out of ten people die, and the last one is left half-dead!" or "there are countless strong individuals there, and people fall every single day!" were common refrains.
In Luffy's eyes, his crew wasn't strong enough yet. Buggy was laughably weak, and Usopp didn't even need mentioning...
The closer they got to the Grand Line, the more Luffy realized how much they needed to improve.
It was in these past few days that Luffy decided his crew would undergo an intensive three-month training regimen.
He turned to the three bewildered faces around him and said with a grin, "Wherever we train, we still have to eat anyway. Why not enjoy delicious food while we train? Isn't that fun?"
The three exchanged glances, realizing that Luffy hadn't made this decision on a whim. They nodded in unison. "Alright!"
"Wait!!"
Suddenly, Zoro recalled some unpleasant memories and grimaced. "No! We can't train here. Sure, the food is delicious, but it's also expensive. With Luffy's appetite, our savings will vanish faster than you think!"
"Don't joke around! We just earned over 30 million Beri from defeating the Black Cat Pirates. The meal costs are nothing compared to that!" Buggy waved dismissively.
Zoro shot back seriously, "I'm not joking! When I was a bounty hunter, I saved nearly 10 million Beri. But... Luffy ate through all of it in just half a month! And the prices here are outrageous. Even with over 100 million Beri on board, we might still run out!"
"Huh?" Buggy gasped, then turned to Luffy. "Maybe... maybe we should reconsider? Let's find an island and hunt some wild game instead..."
Luffy scratched his head thoughtfully.
Give up the delicious food here???
Such a painful decision...
How could he possibly make up his mind?
He glanced around and suddenly spotted a recruitment notice for apprentice chefs. His eyes lit up!
"Look over there..." Luffy pointed toward the notice.
"Eh? You want to apply as an apprentice chef here?"
The other three stared at Luffy incredulously.
Luffy grinned mischievously. "Nope! What I mean is, all four of us should apply as apprentice chefs together!"
*Rocks D. Gibeck:* "Damn it!!! Is this really the answer??"
*Shiki:* "Ah! So close!!"
*Monkey D. Kain:* "Relax, relax. That Luffy over there hasn't confirmed anything yet!!"
*Gol D. Roger:* "Huh? This is absurd! Wait... wasn't Oden the one who chose this option too?"
*Kozuki Oden:* "That's right, Captain Roger!! Haha! If I get this answer right, do you think they'll let me revive as well?"
*Gol D. Roger:* "Don't worry! You'll definitely revive! I guarantee it!"
If Kozuki Oden were to revive, Roger would be absolutely thrilled.
*Gol D. Roger:* "Oden, if you revive, feel free to choose my ship as your revival point. We'll take care of the Marines first, and then we'll help you reclaim Wano Country."
*Kozuki Oden:* "Of course, Captain! Having died once already, I've learned and grown wiser."
Considering the current situation, reviving alongside Roger to save Ace would clearly be the smartest choice for Oden.
Meanwhile, the scene shifted.
"What's this nonsense?! Didn't you say we're here to train? When do we have time to be chefs?!" Zoro immediately erupted at Luffy's reckless idea.
"Exactly!" Usopp chimed in. "Especially since your appetite alone is several times greater than ours combined. Shouldn't you be the only one applying for this?"
Buggy smirked. "What exactly are you planning?"
Luffy opened his mouth wide and laughed. "I just realized that eating here for three months won't solve the root problem. At least one of us needs to learn cooking skills! That way, we'll always have delicious food on the sea!"
At this explanation, the other three nodded in understanding.
Zoro thought for a moment and suggested, "But... don't we only need to send one person to learn cooking? The other three could focus on training instead, right?"
"Clearly, whoever has the greatest demand for food is the most suitable candidate," Usopp quipped, pointing at Luffy.
"No way!" Luffy instantly rejected the idea.
He elaborated, "We don't know who among us has any culinary talent. What if the person we send has zero aptitude? We'd waste three whole months! If all four of us apply as apprentices, even if none of us are particularly talented, we can at least pick the best one after a month. Makes sense, right?"
"Besides," Luffy added, "we'll work during the day to learn cooking and train in our free time. It's efficient!"
Seeing the others still hesitating, Luffy suddenly flashed a toothy grin. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot—I've made progress with my Conqueror's Haki recently!"
The trio rolled their eyes but unanimously agreed to apply as apprentice chefs.
*In the Kitchen*
"So... you four are applying as apprentice chefs?" Chef Zeff eyed the group—one tall and three shorter figures—with hesitation. He scratched his chin. "Actually, we only need one apprentice..."
At this, Buggy stepped forward and said smoothly, "Oh, that's no problem. My three nephews and I are here purely to learn cooking. We plan to return home and open a restaurant. We don't need wages; just meals will do. We have our own ship."
"No pay?"
"Just meals?"
"Not even lodging?"
"Fantastic!!"
Chef Zeff's eyes sparkled. Without hesitation, he declared, "Great! Welcome aboard the Baratie, the floating restaurant!!"
Usopp snickered. "Pfft! That old man Zeff has no idea what's coming his way, hahaha!"
Sanji: "May whatever deity watches over him protect him from coughing up blood later."
Chopper: "Is that guy's appetite really that exaggerated?"
Zoro: "Under normal circumstances, his appetite is several times that of an average person."
Rayleigh: "So what's the issue? I used to run a restaurant myself. Feeding a few people shouldn't be a problem."
Zoro: "But I haven't finished yet... Luffy trains every day! And when he trains, his appetite increases tenfold. If he trains hard enough, that number doubles—or triples!"
Hearing this, Sanji could only silently pray for his future self.
*Ding! The top three winners of this quiz are Kozuki Oden, Brook, and [empty].*
*Congratulations to the three winners! Your rewards have been granted!*
*Congratulations, Kozuki Oden! Reward: Resurrection.*
*Congratulations, [empty]! Reward: Fifteen years younger.*
*Congratulations, Brook! Reward: Mini Ghost Rider Physique.*
*Rocks D. Gibeck:* "Damn it!! Not another resurrection!!!"
*Gol D. Roger:* "Hahaha!!! Oden!! Congratulations!!"
*Edward Newgate:* "Oden, my brother! Roger and I will wait for you at Marineford HQ."
"Gurararara!!"
Oden's resurrection was fantastic news for both Roger and Whitebeard.
Kozuki Oden had once sailed with Whitebeard and later joined Roger's crew temporarily. Their bond required no further explanation.
Oden's strength was acknowledged by both Whitebeard and Roger. His presence at Marineford HQ would undoubtedly tip the scales heavily in favor of the Whitebeard Pirates!
*Shiki:* "Roger revived, and now Oden too... Could it be... anyone who receives a reward as a deceased person gets resurrected first?"
Based on the current trend, Shiki deduced that answering correctly guaranteed resurrection.
*Rocks D. Gibeck:* "If that's true, then as long as I answer correctly once, I'll revive too!! Damn it, I must stay alert!!"
*Crane:* "Once Kozuki Oden revives, he'll definitely come to Marineford HQ to assist Whitebeard and Roger. Things are looking grim for our generals."
*Sengoku:* "Indeed. But fortunately, Fleet Admiral Kong also received a reward. A fifteen-years-younger Kong is nearly at his peak strength!!!"
*Kong:* "Don't worry! If the situation at Marine HQ worsens, the World Government won't stand idly by!"
*Marineford HQ*
On the deck of the Moby Dick, a golden light flashed.
Soon afterward, a familiar figure appeared—Kozuki Oden, resurrected at the age of 35, his prime.
When Oden appeared, the Marines present tensed visibly.
Kozuki Oden...
And with the Red-Haired Pirates reportedly nearby...
Marineford HQ's forces were now at a severe disadvantage.
*Marshall D. Teach:* "Hahahaha!! What a legendary battle this is turning into!!!"
For Blackbeard, the more chaotic the war became, the more opportunities he'd have to exploit the chaos.
Though he coveted Whitebeard's Devil Fruit, if Whitebeard refused to give him a chance, perhaps seizing it himself wouldn't be so bad.
*Ding! Special Note Regarding Ghost Rider Physique*
Since the Ghost Rider Physique originates from another world, additional details are provided below:
*Mini Ghost Rider Physique:*
- Abilities include Hellfire, Chain Mastery, and Spirit Motorcycle.
*Bartholomew Kuma:* "Ghost Rider... sounds evil~ But why is it the simplified version?"
*Kuzan:* "Maybe the full version was too overpowered??"
*Basil Hawkins:* "Isn't that Brook from the Straw Hat Pirates?"
*Capone Bege:* "Yes! It seems the rewards are somewhat related to the individual's circumstances."
*Trafalgar Law:* "Indeed! My reward relates to my Devil Fruit abilities, and the same goes for Luffy. The older generation mostly got rejuvenated by fifteen years, while the deceased were resurrected."
*Jewelry Bonney:* "Hey, hey, hey!! Aren't you guys curious about the Mini Ghost Rider's abilities??? Hellfire, people! Doesn't that sound awesome??? And that Spirit Motorcycle—can I ride it??"
*Franky:* "Brook, how does your ability work? Is it cool??"
As one of the skeleton enthusiasts on the Straw Hat crew, Franky was brimming with curiosity about the Mini Ghost Rider abilities!
*Monkey D. Luffy:* "Yeah! What are Hellfire, Chain Mastery, and Spirit Motorcycle?? Tell us!!"
Even Luffy was bursting with questions.
*Brook:* "Yohohoho!!! This ability seems ridiculously powerful! Based on the information I received, just the Hellfire alone is terrifying!"
"Not only can it burn everything, but I can control it so that it doesn't harm anything I touch unless I want it to."
*Tony Tony Chopper:* "Wow! That's great! So we can play safely even if you're covered in Hellfire??"
*Brook:* "Exactly! As for the chains, they're my weapons. And the Spirit Motorcycle is my ride—a super-cool bike! Nami-san, would you like to sit behind me on my flaming motorcycle for a ride??"
*Sanji:* "Perverted skeleton, go away!!!"
*Nami:* "Sure, sure! I want to ride with Robin!!"
*Sanji:* "No!! Don't do it... Pfft!!"
While the chatroom buzzed with excitement, the red-framed video continued playing.
*Day 1 of Apprentice Life:*
Chef Zeff grinned widely. Free labor was always satisfying!
*Day 2:*
Zeff patted Luffy on the shoulder. "Kid, you sure can eat!"
*Day 7:*
Zeff grabbed Luffy mid-binge and roared furiously, "You bottomless stomach... YOU'RE FIRED!!!"