Chapter 39: The Taste of Hell and the Gold of Heaven
The blinding white light on the screens didn't fade; it crystallized into a high-definition image of Sanji's future self. He wasn't kicking. He was standing in the middle of a burning kitchen, his hands behind his back, looking at the viewer with a gaze that felt like it was cutting through the screen and staring into the soul of every Vinsmoke alive.
[The Correct Answer: D — "My hands are for cooking, and my heart is for my friends—only my legs belong to hell."]
The text pulsed with a deep, melodic chime.
[System Logic: Science provided the 'Internal Exoskeleton,' but a Vinsmoke's fire is fueled by hate. To reach the Blue Flame, Sanji had to reject his father's hate and replace it with a 'Contract of the Spirit.' By sacrificing his legs to the heat of Hell to protect his family, his fire transcended the laws of physics.]
The Global Reaction: A World Divided
For a split second, there was silence. Then, the sound of millions of people gagging echoed across the four seas.
> [Vinsmoke Judge]: "GAUGH—! Cough! What is this?! My wine... it tastes like... like a sewer filled with rotting squid! NO! I picked A! I picked the logic! THE SYSTEM IS WRONG!"
> [Monkey D. Garp]: "BLEGH! Ptooey! Sengoku! My donuts! They taste like they were fried in the sweat of a sea-king's armpit! Why did I listen to my stomach?! Hacking cough."
> [Sengoku]: "SQUEAK! (I told you! I told you not to guess! Now I have to smell your breath for a month! SQUEAK!)"
> [Buggy the Clown]: "HEHAHAHA! I'm a genius! I didn't guess and I'm eating fine! This is the greatest day of my life! Wait... why is everyone looking at me like that? STOP!"
> [Akainu]: "The boy chose 'friends' over 'survival.' Typical pirate sentimentality. Though... the fact that such a weak thought generated that much heat is... concerning."
>
The Winners: The Claiming of the Gold
The screen flashed three names in brilliant, shimmering emerald.
[First 3 Correct Respondents: Nami (Straw Hat Pirates), Shiki (Golden Lion), Gloriosa (Elder Nyon).]
[Rewards Distributed: 1 System Gold Coin each.]
At Sabaody, a gold coin materialized out of thin air, falling directly into Nami's lap. She grabbed it with a predatory glint in her eyes that was scarier than any Emperor.
"Five," Nami whispered, her voice trembling with greed and relief. "We have five Gold Coins now! We can buy Prime Card for Luffy anytime we want. And more importantly... I CAN STILL TASTE TANGERINES!"
Luffy slumped against a tree, patting his chest. "That was close... I almost picked the fish. Thanks, Nami! You saved my tongue!"
Sanji was staring at the screen, a single tear rolling down his cheek. He looked at his hands—the hands he used to feed the hungry—and then at his legs. "Only my legs belong to hell... yeah. That sounds like me."
In the New World, Shiki tossed his new coin into the air and caught it with a smirk. "Ji-ha-ha-ha! I knew it! To be a King, you have to be willing to walk through hell. Luffy, you brat, your cook has some guts!"
The image of Sanji began to dissolve into embers. The blue flames flickered out, leaving the screen pitch black for a few seconds. Then, a low, metallic clink echoed through the sky—the sound of a katana being slightly unsheathed.
A deep, moss-green mist began to swirl across the screen. The temperature in the air didn't rise this time; it dropped. It felt sharp. It felt like the edge of a blade pressed against the world's throat.
[System Note: The Cook has served his masterpiece. Now, the Swordsman demands his due.]
The mist cleared to reveal a different part of the Onigashima rooftop. A man stood there, three swords at his waist, a black bandana tied around his head. His left eye was closed, but his right eye was burning with a demonic, green light. He was facing a King, and he looked like he was about to tear the throne down.
[Current Rank: 46 (Co-Ranked) — 'The King of Hell' Roronoa Zoro.]