Chapter 470: The Aberrant Pirate World and Yakumo Ran's Excitement
Yakumo Yukari's idea, upon reflection, felt utterly absurd, and a thread of genuine worry began to weave through her thoughts. Yuuka Kazami's words echoed in her mind: this shop sought out Great Youkai.
And those beings shared another characteristic: their domains were not places one could simply wander into. One should not be fooled by Yakumo Yukari's perpetually smiling and benevolent facade; to believe she was easy to understand was a grave miscalculation.
As for Yuuka Kazami, if one dared to trespass into her residence, they must have a death wish, foolishly believing her sunflowers didn't require fresh fertilizer. Her title, the Tyrant of the Sunflower Fields, was not earned for nothing.
It was precisely this fact that worried Yukari. Such powerful Great Youkai would never allow the existence of this shop to become common knowledge. So long as they remained silent, no one would ever discover the anomaly nestled between worlds. But… what if it wasn't the Great Youkai who opened the doors?
This was the true source of her anxiety. While the Great Youkai possessed immense power, they also wielded deep wisdom. They would not carelessly connect worlds. But what about the lesser youkai? What if they stumbled upon a door and connected worlds without even realizing the consequences?
At this thought, Yukari finally understood why Yuuka had warned her not to tell anyone. For one, a certain insatiably curious witch might very well be the type to blunder her way into another dimension.
Yukari let out a soft sigh. "This is rather troublesome, Yuuka. What are your thoughts?"
"There is no need for fear," Yuuka replied, her voice calm as a windless lake. "You understand my meaning, don't you…?"
"I understand…"
Just as Yuuka was about to elaborate, Ren emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray with her flower tea. Yakumo Ran, who had been listening with half an ear, didn't grasp the nuances of the conversation between these two titans; she was simply waiting for the promise of delicious food.
"Miss Kazami, here is your flower tea," Ren said with a gentle smile. "Both of your dishes will be ready shortly. Please wait just a moment longer."
Yakumo Ran nodded eagerly, her tails giving a slight twitch. Now this was the topic she wanted to hear. Yuuka, however, said nothing, merely sitting in quiet contemplation.
Yukari tilted her head, a playful glint in her eyes. "Today's flower tea arrived faster than the flower cake, Yuuka. Aren't you going to drink it?"
Yuuka's reply was soft, almost a whisper. "No flower tea without flower cake."
"Eh?" The sound of surprise came from both Yukari and Ran simultaneously.
"Ren said so," Yuuka added, her gaze shifting towards the kitchen with a flicker of something that might have been dissatisfaction.
Yukari sighed, a genuine smile gracing her lips. "Yuuka, you've really changed so much…"
Yakumo Ran nodded in silent agreement. Who would have ever imagined that this fearsome tyrant would become so… obedient? To not only follow a rule set by another but to willingly give away the sunflowers from her own sacred fields to be made into a dish! It was unthinkable.
Yuuka offered no response, simply turning her head to gaze at a potted plant by the window.
"What was that incredible fragrance I caught a moment ago?" Yakumo Ran asked, her nose twitching as she tried to recall the scent.
"I don't know," Yukari mused, "but it certainly wasn't Yuuka's cooking. A flower cake would never smell like that, no matter how it's prepared. Speaking of which, Yuuka, are you truly not going to try any other dishes? From the looks of it, your entire diet consists of flower cakes, flower pastries, and flower tea."
Yuuka considered this for a moment before replying with a single, decisive phrase. "No need."
"And that's why your life lacks a certain… fun, Yuuka."
"That is merely your perception," Yuuka countered evenly. "I do not find my life boring in the slightest."
"Then imagine, Yuuka, if you became like this," Yukari said, her tone dripping with mischief. "The Tyrant of the Flower Fields… A tyrant should be akin to one of those cold, ruthless business empresses from the human world, shouldn't she?"
Yuuka froze. She turned to look at Yukari, who slid a paperback novel across the table towards her. After scanning a few pages, a muscle in Yuuka's eyelid began to twitch. Good heavens. Humans were truly a complicated species.
This was Yuuka Kazami's final thought on the matter.
Meanwhile, in another world entirely, Nami had been flying for an unknown amount of time, sent an unknown distance across the sea. A faint residue of Lucifer's earlier spell still clung to her, a small mercy that kept her from losing consciousness, though her body ached with injuries.
"Where in the world am I going?!" she screamed into the rushing wind, her voice swallowed by the roar.
She was utterly lost. The distance she had been sent by that single, palm-shaped blow might have been greater than the entire distance the Straw Hats had sailed so far. The sheer scale of it filled her with a chilling despair, making her wonder if she could ever find her way back.
Compared to Nami, who had that lingering trace of magic, Roronoa Zoro had no such protection. And yet, he hadn't passed out either. Instead, the swordsman had somehow managed to fall fast asleep while soaring through the sky, completely unconcerned about where—or how—he might eventually land.
"What is the meaning of this infernal door?! Is this not a phenomenon fit only for a common washroom?! Why has it appeared in my private chambers?!"
Within her lavish quarters, a woman of unmatched beauty stared in utter distress at a glowing door that had materialized before her. It had been two days, and the door was still glowing. She had already ordered the original door removed and replaced during the day, but that had only caused the glow to shift from her bathroom to her personal chambers!
The woman gritted her teeth, her voice a low hiss of fury. "I refuse to believe you will still be glowing by nightfall!"
On the other side of the world, aboard a warship making its way back to port, a tall man with a lazy, almost lecherous expression spoke into a snail-like device. "Yeees, we're on our way back now. They were all sent flying by Bartholomew Kuma."
A tinny voice crackled from the snail.
"Eh? How would I know something like that?" he drawled.
Another question.
"Other things? Hmm, does meeting Dark King Rayleigh count?" The man's tone shifted, a hint of genuine caution beneath the lazy veneer. "Ooooh, now he was a scary one. A real monster, you know."
He paused, listening.
"Ah… I did hear that green-haired boy from the Straw Hat Pirates, Roronoa Zoro, yell something to the little Cat Burglar Nami. Told her to go to 'the shop.' As for what kind of shop, I have no idea."
He listened again, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
"Otherwise? What else could there be? This is already quite frightening, wouldn't you agree…?"
After the call ended, the man tilted his head, gazing out at the calm, sun-dappled sea. He pondered for a moment, his lazy expression unchanging. "The shop… what kind of shop could that be? And it seems only Roronoa Zoro and Nami know about it…"
He let out a soft, drawn-out hum. "Hmm… Could it be they have some terrifying outside help? They really are a few scary kids…"
While some were sent flying and others drifted upon the sea, Ren emerged from his kitchen, pushing a dining cart laden with their long-awaited dishes. The moment Yakumo Ran saw him, a thrill shot through her. Her nine tails swayed in unison, a fluffy, uncontrollable display of her mounting excitement.
"Alright," Ren announced with a warm smile. "Miss Yakumo, for you, we have the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish. Your dessert is being kept fresh, and here is your wine."
He then turned to her shikigami. "And for you, who appears to be a fox… I debated whether to prepare poultry, but then I considered it needed to pair well with wine. So, I have prepared this for you: Dong'an Chicken. And with it, fried tofu and your wine. I've prepared several different seasonings for the tofu, so please choose as you like. Now, all the dishes are served. Please, enjoy."
Staring at the exquisite plate placed before her, Yakumo Ran nodded repeatedly, swallowing hard. Her hand trembled slightly as she slowly reached out to lift the silver cloche covering her meal.
The next moment, a rich, complex aroma exploded outwards, a wave of savory, sweet, and tangy notes that washed over her senses.
Yakumo Ran stared blankly at the masterpiece before her, a single thought echoing in her mind. "It really is… delicious…"
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