"Boss, I want to eat meat!"
It was late at night, and even though the sea restaurant was open twenty-four hours, there were no customers. Luffy and Zoro walked in, dragging a tightly bound Nami with them.
"You two rascals!"
The moment the door was pushed open, Sanji appeared, his eyes burning with fire. "How could you tie up such a beautiful lady so roughly?!"
Zoro, looking at the raving Sanji, developed a dark line on his forehead. He casually waved his hand. "Huh? Didn't you chain her up too?"
"That's to make her..." Sanji was about to speak when the innermost door opened, and Giru walked out, saying calmly, "Alright Sanji, that lady has turned into a ghoul, she should indeed be tied up."
A ghoul?
Sanji naturally didn't know what a ghoul was, but Zoro and Luffy understood. Compared to the simple-minded Luffy, Zoro was more astute and said, "You know about ghouls?"
After speaking, Zoro couldn't help but want to smack himself. Of course, if he didn't know about ghouls, how could he have asked Sanji to save them in Orange Town?
He looked warily at the chef who had come from the New World.
Giru chuckled and said, "Seven years ago, the person who had already sheathed his sword once again drew it in the East Blue. This event baffled even the top powerhouses in the Grand Line."
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"..." Zoro knew he was talking about his master, Himura Kenshin. But his master had sheathed his sword?
Thinking of his master's decadent state in Shimotsuki Village, Zoro nodded inwardly.
It seemed his master's identity was extraordinary. Even drawing his sword once in the East Blue could make the big shots in the New World take notice.
"Did you come for that reason?"
If he remembered correctly, Giru had come to the East Blue around seven years ago as well.
"No, for me, whether it's the world's greatest swordsman or the legendary ghoul of the blade means nothing. I just heard that the East Blue is the most peaceful sea, so I came here. I just want to focus on researching food, that's all."
Giru leaned against the counter and said calmly, "Although I rarely leave the sea restaurant, I did see the Ghoul King once. He was looking for something, but I never saw that thing either."
"How come I don't know anything?" Sanji pouted. He knew none of the things Giru was talking about.
"Because before, you had no reason to get involved with ghouls." Giru glanced at Sanji. Although Sanji seemed fine on the surface, he was actually in a rather weak state.
Then, he looked at Luffy. "Straw Hat Luffy, your ship doesn't have a cook, does it?"
"Yeah," Luffy nodded. "It would be great if you could join us, uncle!"
"He retired from the Big Mom Pirates, so why would he join a little-known pirate crew in the East Blue?" Zoro couldn't help but say. "You're being too unrealistic."
But it was true. In the time he had spent with Luffy, he had indeed seen too many of Luffy's unrealistic ideas.
Giru couldn't help but laugh heartily. "I'm retired. I just want to make even tastier food, or find legendary kitchenware. I don't have the energy to get involved in the adventures of you young people anymore."
Luffy was a little disappointed, but Giru's next words made him excited. "However, although I can't join you, this kid Sanji will be even more outstanding than me. How about it, want to take Sanji in?"
"Hey, what are you talking about?" Sanji had a bewildered expression. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm not giving up my position as head chef of the sea restaurant to become a pirate. You should save it, old man. I can handle my own physical condition."
Normally, Sanji called Giru "uncle," but now he called him "old man," so Sanji was indeed serious, and Giru was also serious.
Giru scolded him, "If you don't get powerful life nutrition, your body will be worn out! You must leave the East Blue and head to the Grand Line!"
"Why do I have to go to the Grand Line?" Sanji couldn't help but say. "The East Blue must also have food that can satisfy the gourmet cells!"
"If it did, would you have become like this?!"
"I just haven't found it yet. I'll go look again now!" Sanji said, and then ran out the door. He was so fast that he disappeared from the restaurant in an instant.
Luffy and Zoro watched the two argue and were stunned for a moment. However, after Sanji left, Luffy couldn't help but say, "Uncle, what's wrong with Sanji?"
Giru wasn't angry that Sanji had left. He said calmly, "Sit down, you two. I'll make you some food, and then we'll talk about it."
After speaking, he turned and walked towards the kitchen.
Luffy didn't understand, but he was very excited to hear that there would be food soon. "Uncle, we brought money this time!"
Upon hearing the word "money," Nami, who was tied up and gagged, immediately started struggling again.
Zoro wished he could go to his previous mission location immediately and bring his ship over.
He had never been troubled by money before. When he worked as a bounty hunter, if he ran out of money, he would just take on a mission. There were plenty of missions, so he didn't care much about money. Now, he truly understood what it meant to be unable to do anything because of a lack of money.
Looking at the struggling Nami, Zoro whispered, "Alright, I'll give you all my money later!"
That sentence actually worked. Nami, who had been struggling violently before, immediately closed her eyes upon hearing this. And it looked like she was...
Asleep?
Are all ghouls like this? Eat when they're hungry, and sleep when they're not?
Zoro's expression was a bit stiff, but he still sat down next to Luffy.
He was also very hungry.
Soon, a delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. Although he didn't know what Giru was cooking, judging by the smell alone, one had to say he was worthy of being a chef for the Four Emperors.
It smelled so good!
"I... I can't wait any longer!" Luffy's mouth was watering. Zoro looked at him with disgust, feeling that the current Luffy was no different from Nami before, like a ghoul.
When Giru pushed the serving cart out, he saw Zoro pressing Luffy's head with his hand and looked confused.
Seeing this, Zoro quickly let go. He was just trying to prevent their newly acknowledged captain from shamefully running into the kitchen.
He did know one rule of the sea restaurant: unrelated personnel were absolutely forbidden from entering the kitchen!
After placing some pastries and a large amount of meat on the table, Giru also sat down. Watching the two devour the food, he said, "Inside Sanji, there is a demonic power that evolves through eating delicious food. But at the same time..."
"If he doesn't get nourishment from food, those cells will become incredibly hungry, and eventually... it will even wear down Sanji's body!"
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