Chapter 30: The Agreement to Board the Ship
About an hour later, breakfast was served.
A small place like Shimotsuki Village naturally didn't have a wide variety of ingredients. In the middle of cooking, Zeff had already sent Zoro to buy everything available at the market, which still only amounted to a few types.
But after passing through Zeff's hands, it was as if magic had been performed, instantly turning the mundane into the miraculous.
Plates of enticingly colorful and fragrant dishes were brought to the table one after another.
The little rascals from the dojo crowded around the long wooden table. Before they even started eating, their eyes were wide with amazement. The clinking of chopsticks against bowls was mixed with a chorus of exclamations like, "It smells so good!", "Wow, I can't take it anymore," and "I can't control my drool."
And when Zeff announced they could begin, the scene descended into chaos.
After all, they were all half-grown kids. At first, they could remember the table manners Koshiro had taught them, but the dishes were simply too delicious, and their primal instinct to guard their food was instantly triggered. They all started scrambling and fighting over the food, like starving ghosts pouncing on a meal.
For a moment, Shane was squeezed out and couldn't even get close. He was too embarrassed to compete with this group of little kids, so he first went to a corner and got a bowl of the least popular item: fish-slice congee.
He took a sip. The milky white rice porridge, wrapped around translucent fish slices, slid down his throat. The ginger and scallions perfectly balanced out any fishiness, and the texture was smooth and wonderful, so delicious it could make your eyebrows fall off. He also had some of the side dishes, which were crisp, refreshing, and went perfectly with the congee.
He couldn't help but squint his eyes in enjoyment.
To be able to make even ordinary congee and side dishes so delicious, is this what a professional chef is? Belle-mère's cooking is already excellent, but compared to Zeff, it's a world of difference.
Perhaps I should... Shane looked at Zeff thoughtfully.
Nearby, Zoro was also shoveling down food, looking like he could swallow the whole table. The resentment he felt from being ordered around to do chores had long since vanished. To be able to eat such delicious food every day, he would gladly wash and chop vegetables every day!
"Uncle!" he couldn't help but call out. "Stay here! If I can't taste your cooking anymore, I don't know how I'll live!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Stay here, Chef Uncle!"
The other little kids in the dojo also started clamoring.
These kids who know nothing of the world, Koshiro shook his head helplessly. How could his small dojo afford to hire such a top-class chef?
"Alright, that's enough. No more unreasonable requests."
Koshiro had just begun to speak gently when he suddenly turned his head in astonishment, abruptly remembering that Zeff had specifically asked him before he started cooking if they were short a cook.
"That's right, that's what I meant," Zeff said with a smile. "Mr. Koshiro, it seems the children really like my cooking. How about you take this old man in for the time being? And this kid, too, of course."
He gently ruffled Sanji's small head next to him.
"You little brat, you say you want to find the All Blue, but right now your skills are at the level of a chore boy. A person who isn't even a chef, what right do you have to pursue that sea of dreams?"
"You old geezer..." Sanji pushed his hand away in disgust, then suddenly realized what was happening and looked up in pleasant surprise. "Eh? You mean you're willing to teach me how to cook, old man?"
"Don't be so sure yet," Zeff pouted. "I'm very strict with my official apprentices. If you don't learn anything, I can kick you out at any time."
"Don't look down on me, you old geezer!"
At this point, Koshiro cleared his throat. "Mr. Zeff, for a person of your stature to be willing to condescend to stay at my dojo is truly my honor. Of course, I would welcome you with open arms. It's just..."
It's just that at today's rate of consumption, the Isshin Dojo will probably go bankrupt in less than a month. A year ago, we still had plenty of stored food, but on that night not long ago, he had donated it all to Dragon.
He was a little embarrassed and couldn't bring himself to say the next words.
But Zeff saw his predicament and laughed heartily. "Don't worry, this old man still has some savings. Don't worry about it. From now on, I'll cover all the food ingredients for the Isshin Dojo!"
"How can I allow that!"
Koshiro was shocked. This was the first time he had ever heard of someone paying out of their own pocket to work.
"Say no more! It's settled!"
Zeff roared with laughter. He couldn't be bothered with so much nonsense. He slapped Koshiro firmly on the shoulder, forcing him to swallow the words that were already at his throat.
Shane watched from the side with amusement. The scene of these two together was quite fascinating.
Koshiro, Zeff... tsk, if only Rayleigh were here too, then the teachers of the Straw Hat crew's Monster Trio would all be gathered at once.
"By the way, Mr. Shane."
Zeff pulled Shane outside and, from somewhere, produced a large bag of treasure.
"You take this. It should be worth at least fifty or sixty million Belli. I've kept some for myself, enough for daily grocery shopping."
Fifty or sixty million Belli?
Shane glanced at the large bag of treasure. On the deserted island, Zeff had used this very bag to trick Sanji into thinking it was full of food. And in the original timeline, Zeff had used this money to open the Baratie, right?
Thinking of the four hundred million Belli he had stored in the Loguetown bank, he thought for a moment and shook his head.
"No need, Uncle Zeff. You should keep it all. I really don't need the money. Just consider it my contribution as well, so that these children in the dojo can eat well for the next few years without worrying about nutrition."
"Especially those two."
Shane pointed at Kuina and Zoro and smiled. "They might be my crewmates in the future. Uncle, you can show them a little favoritism. I hope that when they set out to sea with me, they'll be as strong as an ox... no, as strong as me."
Zeff followed his gaze to Shane's ridiculously muscular physique and was immediately amused, bursting into laughter.
"Alright! Don't you worry! With this old man in charge of the kitchen, when you set sail, I'll definitely return two crewmates to you who are as sturdy and well-fed as you are!"
"Or maybe, more than two?"
"Hm?" Zeff was taken aback.
Shane blinked and said with a grin, "I say, Uncle, continuing to be a cook is ultimately your second choice, isn't it? Isn't your biggest dream to continue sailing the Grand Line, in pursuit of that legendary sea, the All Blue?"
"You mean... you want this old man to join your crew as well?"
Zeff was slightly stunned, a flicker of interest in his eyes.
But then his gaze shifted down to his prosthetic limb, and he ultimately sighed. "Let's forget it. The future of the Grand Line belongs to you young people. With the little strength I have left, I'd better not go and hold you back."
He had been a captain, after all. Joining a crew was one thing, but if he ended up being the weakest on the ship, a burden who couldn't help in a fight—his pride would never be able to accept that.
"Uncle, I understand how you feel. But, what if..." Shane pinched his chin. "I have a way to completely heal your leg?"
"..."
Zeff froze, then a brilliant light burst forth from his eyes. His voice even trembled slightly with excitement.
"Really? You really have a way? My entire leg is gone. What kind of medical skill could possibly do that..."
Shane shook his head. "It's not necessarily medical skill. Anyway, I can't do it right now, but I definitely can in the future. How about this, Uncle Zeff, let's set a time limit."
He held up four fingers. "Let's use the day I set out to sea as the deadline. In about four or five years? I'll come to the Isshin Dojo then. As long as I can help you completely repair this leg, you'll come with us on the ship. How about it?"
He was very confident in fulfilling this promise. After all, the things that could be refreshed in the system's Trading Market were truly varied. He had even seen a planetary engine. What was repairing a leg compared to that? He was only thirteen now. He didn't necessarily have to wait until he was an adult to set out to sea, but he should at least wait until he was sixteen or seventeen. There was so much time in between, and the market refreshed once a month. Unless his luck was absolutely abysmal, how could he possibly not find a way?!
"Alright! Let's do it as you say!"
Zeff finally made up his mind. He extended a pinky finger and grinned. "Then let's make a pinky promise to seal it?"
Shane: "?"
Seriously. Why is everyone from the East Blue, regardless of age, so obsessed with pinky promises?