The lights in Baratie's kitchen were already on before dawn.
Sanji stood in front of the stove, focusing intently on preparing the ingredients needed for breakfast.
His movements were precise and efficient, but the shadows under his eyes betrayed a night of sleeplessness.
Krieg's fleet was still faintly visible on the distant sea, like a group of sharks waiting for the right moment.
Baratie's crew took turns standing watch, vigilantly observing their movements.
As the first rays of morning sunlight touched the horizon, the kitchen door gently opened.
Sanji didn't even turn his head. "Breakfast will take a while longer. Guests, please wait."
"A special omelet, no onions, extra cheese."
A lazy voice called out.
Sanji turned to see Renzo leaning against the doorway, still half-asleep.
Surprisingly, Potts followed him, carrying a basket of fresh ingredients, clearly purchased from the nearby morning market.
"These are…"
Sanji looked at the basket, his eyes widening slightly at the rare spices and top-quality cheeses inside.
"The Commodore said to use the best ingredients," Potts explained, placing the basket on the counter. "We also got some eggs from Sky Island, they're said to be perfect for omelets."
Sanji picked up one egg; its shell had a faint golden hue, reflecting the light. Such high-quality ingredients were extremely rare in the East Blue.
Renzo yawned. "Hurry up, I'm hungry."
Sanji glanced at him, seemingly wanting to say something, but simply nodded and began preparing the omelet.
His handling of the ingredients grew even more focused, as if the rare items had awakened his passion as a chef.
When the omelet was plated perfectly, a tempting golden color, Renzo was already seated at the best spot in the restaurant, waiting.
Sanji personally brought the plate over.
The omelet's appearance was flawless, releasing a combined aroma of cheese and herbs.
Renzo cut a small piece and tasted it, his eyes lighting up slightly.
The texture was incredibly tender, with the richness of the cheese balanced perfectly by the freshness of the herbs, and the unique flavor of the Sky Island eggs fully realized.
"Not bad."
Renzo gave a rare compliment, noticeably speeding up his eating.
Sanji stood by, watching Renzo enjoy the meal, and suddenly asked, "Why are you so obsessed with food?"
Renzo didn't even look up. "Because bad food is the biggest nuisance."
Sanji was taken aback.
He had expected some lofty talk about the art of cooking or the enjoyment of life, not such a practical reason.
"Just because of that?"
Sanji pressed.
Renzo finished the last bite, putting down his fork. "Bad food puts people in a bad mood. When you're in a bad mood, everything becomes troublesome. Good food makes people content, and once you're content, you just want to be quiet."
He paused, then added, "Your cooking can prevent a lot of unnecessary trouble."
Sanji chuckled quietly.
It might have been the strangest compliment he had ever heard, but somehow it felt more meaningful than any flowery words.
Just then, Potts hurried into the restaurant, face tense. "Commodore, Krieg's fleet is making a move. They've sent another small boat, this time under a white flag."
Renzo lazily wiped his mouth. "Let them wait. I'll deal with it after dessert."
Sanji frowned. "A white flag? That's not Krieg's style."
"It's a negotiation tactic," Renzo said, motioning for Sanji to sit. "He wants you to join intact, not as a corpse or a resentful chef."
Sanji stared at Renzo in surprise. "How do you know?"
"Because that would be too troublesome," Renzo said matter-of-factly.
"A resentful chef might poison the food, and a corpse is useless. Krieg is a pragmatist, he'll choose the easiest method to achieve his goal."
Sanji couldn't help but be impressed. Renzo wasn't just strong; his insight into human nature and strategy was remarkable.
Sure enough, when Krieg's messenger boarded Baratie again, his attitude was even more respectful than the previous day. He even brought a generous gift, a crate of rare spices and ingredients.
"Our Admiral deeply regrets last night's impudence," the messenger bowed, "These small gifts are to express our apologies and our respect for your culinary skill, Chef."
Sanji looked coldly at the crate. "I'm not joining you. Take it back."
The messenger was undeterred. "Perhaps the Chef hasn't yet fully understood our Admiral's grand ambition. Don Krieg plans to build the strongest fleet in East Blue's history and venture into the Grand Line to explore unknown territories."
"Imagine having the chance to cook rare ingredients from around the world and challenge the limits of your culinary skills…"
Sanji's expression twitched slightly. For any chef, the allure of unknown ingredients was irresistible.
The messenger noticed and pressed on. "Don Krieg has already collected numerous rare recipes and ingredient information, including the legendary 'Warmwave Island'…"
Both Renzo and Sanji raised their heads.
"Warmwave Island?"
Sanji asked, intrigued. "You know that place?"
The messenger smiled confidently. "We have its exact location, and it's home to a special 'Hot Spring Fruit,' said to enhance the flavor of any dish."
Sanji's eyes lit up.
Renzo slowly spoke: "Warmwave Island, huh… I've heard their hot spring eggs are exceptional."
Those words lit a fire in Sanji's culinary curiosity. Mastering hot spring eggs had always been a goal of his.
The messenger, sensing the opportunity, added, "If the Chef joins, we can set sail immediately for Warmwave Island. Don Krieg promises that all ingredients there will be prioritized for your use."
Sanji pondered.
As a chef, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But as someone with his principles, he couldn't align himself with Krieg.
Suddenly, Renzo stood and interrupted his thoughts. "Let's go."
The messenger and Sanji froze. "What?"
"To Warwave Island."
Renzo said to Sanji, "Come aboard my ship."
The messenger's face changed. "Sir, you are, "
"Shut up."
Renzo didn't even look at him and continued to Sanji, "You want to know how to make their hot spring eggs perfectly, right? Go see for yourself."
Sanji stared at Renzo in surprise. "You can find Warmwave Island?"
Renzo pulled out a yellowed treasure map. "With this, plus my 'intuition'."
He added, "And my ship is faster than Krieg's, with better kitchen equipment."
This hit another soft spot for Sanji, a chef's obsession with professional tools.
The messenger scowled. "Sir, you are openly opposing Don Krieg."
Renzo finally glanced at him, eyes lazy yet filled with undeniable authority. "Tell your Admiral: this chef is coming with me. If he finds it troublesome, he can come discuss it with me."
The messenger instinctively stepped back, unable to reply.
Sanji laughed, "You know? You're even more domineering than Krieg."
"But I won't force you," Renzo shrugged.
"I'm only offering a choice: stay at Baratie and wait for Krieg to cause trouble, or come with me to explore a culinary paradise. You decide."
With that, he truly turned and left, leaving Sanji deep in thought and the messenger pale.
Potts hurried after Renzo and whispered, "Commodore, do you really think Chef Sanji will come?"
Renzo yawned. "He will. For a true chef, the lure of unknown ingredients is stronger than any threat or reward."
"And Krieg's side…"
"No need to worry."
Renzo looked toward Krieg's flagship. "He's about to have his own problems."
At that moment, several Marine ships appeared on the horizon, heading toward Krieg's fleet.
Apparently, the East Blue Naval Branch had finally noticed the massive fleet near the trade routes.
Potts' jaw dropped. "Commodore, you knew the Marine would come?"
"Guessing," Renzo said lazily.
He walked toward the dock. "I'm too lazy to 'deal' with them myself. Someone else will naturally 'deal' with them."
By the time Sanji had packed his chef knife set and reached the dock, Krieg's fleet was already facing off with the Marines, unable to interfere.
Sanji looked at the chaos ahead and then at Renzo, calm as ever, and asked, "This was part of your plan too?"
Renzo, stepping onto the deck of LC-02, glanced back at Sanji. "I told you, I just hate trouble."
Sanji shook his head but finally stepped aboard. "I hope your ship's kitchen is as you said."
"You'll be satisfied," Renzo said, pointing toward the ship's cabin.
"Go see your new battlefield, Chef."
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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