Chapter 51: An Unexpected Encounter with Nami
It wasn't long before all the dishes Cosette had ordered were served.
One by one, Cosette began to taste them.
Yumesaki and the others also picked up their cutlery, but they were a far cry from Cosette's professional critique. While she was busy making notes like, "This fish is perfectly cooked; the heat has penetrated right to the core," "This crab is incredibly fresh," or "The profile of this sauce is truly unique," Yumesaki had only one thought in his head: This is seriously delicious.
By the time the meal ended, Yumesaki, Cosette, and the rest of the group felt a deep sense of satisfaction. The quality of the food was, without a doubt, top-tier.
As they were settling the bill, Cosette's eyes sparkled with a sudden realization. "Lord Yumesaki," she said, "the cooking at this restaurant is truly extraordinary. I'd like to join them and study here for a few days, if that would be alright with you."
"I don't see why not. Go for it," Yumesaki replied bluntly.
If Cosette could master the essence of the Baratie's kitchen, she'd be able to whip up even more incredible dishes later. That meant Yumesaki would get to eat better food in the long run, so there was no way he was going to say no to that.
"However, my permission isn't enough. The real challenge is getting a 'yes' from him." Yumesaki pointed toward Zeff, the owner of the Baratie, who was busy attending to customers.
Plucking up her courage, Cosette walked over to Zeff and gave a deep, respectful bow. "Please, allow me to join the Baratie!"
Zeff was stunned for a moment before giving a firm rejection. The Baratie didn't take on women; the back-breaking labor in this kitchen was something he believed a woman couldn't handle. But Cosette stood her ground, declaring that she was a chef herself and was more than capable of doing any job a man could do.
After a heated back-and-forth, Zeff finally relented under the weight of Cosette's sheer persistence.
"One week." Zeff held up a thumb and barked, "I'll give you exactly one week. If you haven't earned everyone's recognition by then, you're out."
"Understood!" Cosette agreed without a second thought. When it came to her craft, she had more than enough confidence.
And so, for the next week, Yumesaki's group stayed near the Baratie. They had all three of their daily meals at the restaurant, and afterward, Yumesaki, Robin, and the others would spend their time strolling around the neighboring islands.
Boom!
One day, while Yumesaki's group was out sailing, they were suddenly blindsided. A cannonball tore through the air with a sharp, whistling shriek, hurtling straight toward their ship.
Swoosh!
Before the projectile could even get close, Minato Namikaze had already sensed it. With a casual flick of his wrist, he threw a Kunai. It soared dozens of meters through the air, striking the cannonball with pin-point accuracy.
The cannonball detonated mid-air with a deafening roar. Since the explosion happened quite a distance away, Yumesaki's ship remained completely unscathed, though the resulting shockwave sent a gust of wind that made the vessel rock slightly.
But a second later...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three more cannonballs followed in quick succession, flying in a triangular formation toward the group. This time, Minato didn't reach for a Kunai. Instead, his fingers blurred as he wove a series of hand signs.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Instantly, the surface of the sea began to churn violently. A massive dragon made of water surged toward the sky, its jaws snapping shut around the three cannonballs. It easily neutralized their kinetic energy, trapping the iron spheres within its fluid body.
Yumesaki scanned the horizon and spotted a pirate ship about a hundred meters away. That was definitely the source of the attack.
What Yumesaki could see, Minato had seen as well. Under Minato's perfect control, the lifelike water dragon lunged toward the distant pirate ship. Yumesaki could faintly hear the sounds of panicked shouting coming from across the water. It was clear the pirates were absolutely terrified by the sight of the towering elemental beast.
In a desperate struggle, the pirates fired a few more rounds. It was useless. Minato manipulated the dragon to spit the three original cannonballs back at them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The collision triggered a massive explosion. The resulting pressure wave slammed into the hull of the pirate ship, causing it to lurch violently. Several pirates standing on the deck were sent flying into the sea.
At the same time, the Water Dragon Bullet surged forward, smashing into the pirate ship without resistance. The hull shattered into two pieces instantly. With loud splashes, the rest of the pirates tumbled into the ocean.
As far as Yumesaki was concerned, they got exactly what they deserved. This was entirely their own fault; he was just minding his own business, sailing along, when they decided to pick a fight. It was a good thing they attacked him—if it had been anyone else, they likely would have been robbed blind or worse.
Lelouch had once said that only those prepared to be killed should have the right to pull the trigger. Since these people had opened fire, they should have been prepared for the consequences. Yumesaki didn't mind seeing them off; he felt zero sympathy for pirates who made a living through arson, murder, and robbery.
If he started pitying pirates, who was going to pity the innocent people those pirates had killed?
"Oh?"
Just then, Robin noticed something. She extended her right hand, and suddenly, another arm sprouted from her palm. From that palm, another arm grew. One after another, a chain of arms snaked out from Robin's body, crossing the hundred-meter gap to pluck someone from the sea and bring them back to their deck.
The person was dropped onto the wood with a wet thud.
Yumesaki looked down, feeling a bit confused. He recognized this person. Wasn't this the thief, Nami?
"What are you doing on that ship? I thought the Arlong Pirates situation was dealt with," Yumesaki asked curiously, eyeing her with suspicion. This woman couldn't possibly be addicted to stealing from pirates, could she? Even with Arlong out of the picture, she was still at it.
Nami, still shivering from the water, was terrified. she was just about to cook up some lie to trick these people when she heard Yumesaki mention the Arlong Pirates.
She blurted out subconsciously, "How do you know the Arlong Pirates were taken care of?"
The moment the words left her mouth, a realization hit her. She reflexively jumped up from the deck. "It was you! You're the saviors who defeated Arlong and saved the village!"
Yumesaki nodded. "Yeah, that was us. So, what's the deal with you? Are you actually hooked on robbing pirates?"
"Who's hooked on robbing pirates!?" Nami snapped back instinctively. "Actually... I came looking for you guys."
"Looking for us?" Yumesaki raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"To thank you, obviously," Nami said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Yumesaki waved a hand dismissively. "There's really no need. The villagers already thanked me."
Nami stood her ground. "They are them, and I am me. They thanked you, but I haven't yet."
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