End of the year. The outside world remained in its usual state, a scene of chaos, but here in the East Blue... the latter half of the year had seen immense changes.
Moreover, as the year-end approached, the atmosphere here grew increasingly lively. Even the islands that had still been under construction were preparing for the holidays.
At the same time, the year-end evaluations for the Various Islands under the jurisdiction of the Marine 16th Branch had begun.
East Blue, Syrup Village.
Thanks to the cooperation between the village's wealthiest man and the Conomi Archipelago, Syrup Village had been designated as a key planning island within the East Blue by the Marine 16th Branch.
Consequently, over the past year, to meet the surging demand, the Conomi Archipelago had specifically established brewing branch factories, raw material planting bases, and various processing plants here.
This provided a vast number of jobs for Syrup Village and the nearby islands, boosting the local economy and the village's construction.
Nowadays, the houses in Syrup Village had been rebuilt. The roads were wide, sturdy, clean, and planned in an orderly, uniform fashion. It looked completely unlike the backward landscape of previous years, it had now become a famous, prosperous new model village.
Currently.
With the conclusion of Syrup Village's evaluation for this year, the entire village was immersed in a joyful atmosphere. Everyone was celebrating and cheering for the partners who had received awards, while also welcoming the upcoming holidays.
However amidst this celebratory mood, in a corner, a long-nosed youth stood with his arms crossed, his mouth curled in disdain as he pouted.
"What is there to be happy about? I'm just a worker, just a menial laborer. You know I'm going to become the Brave Warrior of the Sea! This mere job is nothing!"
He seemed completely out of place in this atmosphere.
It immediately caused the villagers, who were clapping for their award-winning partners, to turn their heads and look at Usopp, laughing loudly.
"Usopp, why are you still saying that kind of stuff?"
"You can trick others, but don't deceive yourself!"
"That sounds so sour. I heard just yesterday that you messed up at work again. Did you go beg Ms. Kaya to have her father, Mr. Matt, go to the factory and plead your case for you?"
"No, that didn't happen!" Usopp put his hands on his hips, looking at the mocking villagers. "Mr. Matt just went to the factory to see the Factory Manager about some business. He didn't go to plead for me. How can you slander my innocence out of thin air..."
"What innocence? It's all over the factory. Just last night I saw you in the Factory Manager's office copying out the factory rules as punishment! Brat, are you actually mooching off Ms. Kaya's family now?"
"What copying rules? I was just cleaning the Factory Manager's office." Usopp's face turned red, the veins on his forehead bulging as he argued. "Besides, asking a partner for help doesn't count as mooching. Mooching... it's work-related stuff, how can that count as mooching?"
This was followed by a string of unintelligible words about "friends helping each other," "8,000 subordinates," and "Brave Warrior of the Sea," which caused everyone to burst into laughter: the inside and outside of the factory were instantly filled with a lively air.
Only Usopp still looked indignantly at the crowd, hands on his hips and face flushed, shouting, "Me working? Impossible. I'll never work in my life. I am a man who will become the Brave Warrior of the Sea. I've just encountered a little difficulty. I will inevitably set sail. How could Captain Usopp care about that tiny salary?"
However.
Just as Usopp was explaining angrily.
At that moment.
The loudspeaker Den Den Mushi nearby suddenly transmitted a burst of sound.
"Usopp, Usopp! Why haven't you hurried up yet?"
"Do you still want your wages or not? What? You don't want them anymore? Planning to go to sea tonight to be a Warrior of the Sea? If you don't want them, give them to me."
Just then.
"I want it! I want it!" Hearing that it was finally his turn to get paid, Usopp stopped arguing with the lot of them and happily ran over. "It's not yet time to set sail, so you can't dock my pay. Otherwise, I'll file a complaint!"
This scene instantly brought a joyful atmosphere back to the factory inside and out.
--**--**
East Blue, the Sea Restaurant Baratie.
"Old man!" Sanji flicked the ash off his cigarette, looking with dissatisfaction at the old chef with the wooden peg leg on his right foot. "Have you forgotten the dream we had when we opened this restaurant? What is this now?"
"Busy since morning... Don't tell me the 16th Branch sent someone to buy the recipe again?"
"And what Royal Secret Recipe? Isn't that just a scam? Baratie is a place for eating, not a den of scammers!"
"Brat, what nonsense are you spouting?" Zeff, the Head Chef of Baratie and Sanji's adoptive father, immediately frowned as he looked at him. "What do you mean 'den of scammers'? Aren't we still making good food? Besides, they've already paid! And also..."
As he spoke, he signaled everyone to continue organizing the supplies.
"This time, it's not asking us to research any recipe. They specifically invited us to go over and prepare a banquet for their Year-End Banquet!"
"Traveling all that way just to cook?" Hearing Zeff's words, Sanji pursed his lips. "Since when does Baratie offer that kind of service? You old geezer, don't go forgetting our original dream of building Baratie just for a bit of measly cash!"
"Why do you have to talk like that?" Zeff said with a sigh of exasperation. "Have you forgotten the changes in the East Blue over the last two years? Forget about others not knowing what's going on, but do you seriously believe these changes were brought about by that Shichibukai?"
His eyes gleamed slightly, filled with a trace of emotion.
"Frankly, I'm very curious about that Corrupt Marine Captain!"
"Curious about what? A scumbag who toys with female pirates." At this, Sanji crushed the finished cigarette in his hand. "I wonder how many he's played with all these years, and how many ladies have fallen victim to his clutches! It's truly envi-despicable! It's Despicable! He can't keep getting away with this!?"
"You brat, really... *Sigh*, I just don't think a Marine Captain who could bring this sort of change to the East Blue would do that kind of thing!"
"You can't judge a book by its cover! Old man!"
"Hahaha, old man." Patty laughed loudly. "Sanji here is jealous!"
"Wh-what jealousy?! This is anger, anger, got it? I am a gentleman, how could I envy a guy who plays with women?" Looking as though he had been exposed, Sanji shouted with a stiff neck. "A true gentleman would never play with women!"
"Alright, this isn't the time for talk. Hurry up and get ready, we don't have much time." Seeing the rowdy group, Zeff roared in exasperation. "Our task is very heavy. Patty, Carne, you guys each need to lead a team to other seas. If you disgrace the face of my Baratie Sea Restaurant then, believe me, I'll beat the crap out of you! And you brat..."
His eyes gleamed slightly again, his tone complex yet emotional.
"Whether it's true or false, we'll just have to go see for ourselves when the time comes!"
===============
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