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Chapter 34: Chaos and Counter-Chaos
After saying this, he turned his head excitedly towards Ganyu, hoping to see a look of surprise on her beautiful face.
Who could have predicted it?
"If there's only one, then give it to Luffy."
Ganyu pushed the ice cream in front of Luffy without hesitation, her tone gentle.
Crack.
That was the sound of Sanji's heart breaking.
"What right do you have to think you're so great?!"
He grabbed Luffy by the collar, his voice filled with extreme jealousy and envy as he questioned him.
Luffy pushed his hand away, then picked up the sundae, took a big, satisfying bite, and said, "Because, I'm her captain."
"D*mn it! What's so great about that?!" Sanji was furious, mad with jealousy.
At this moment, Zoro spoke calmly, "Hey, you Curly-Brows, there's more than one guest at this table. When are you going to take our order?"
"Hm?"
Hearing this voice, Sanji turned his head, his gaze lingering on Zoro's green hair for a moment, then spread the menu on the table. "Tell me what you want to eat, I'll have the kitchen prepare it for you."
"Hmm..." Zoro glanced at the menu, a trace of surprise in his eyes.
The dishes here weren't expensive, but they all looked like exquisite delicacies only nobility could enjoy.
No wonder this restaurant was so famous.
"Let's start with these." After consulting with Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku, they finally settled on a dozen dishes.
As for why Luffy didn't participate in the discussion, it was because he was still happily eating the ice cream.
"Are you really going to finish all this?" Sanji frowned.
"You don't need to worry about that. You just need to serve the food, waiter." Zoro glanced at him, deliberately emphasizing the word "waiter."
"I am not a waiter." Sanji glared at Zoro, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
Strangely, just talking to this man for a few sentences made him extremely irritated.
"You're wearing a waiter's uniform and doing a waiter's job. If you're not a waiter, are you a cook?" Zoro raised an eyebrow, meeting his gaze without flinching, and retorted.
"Hahahaha!"
Hearing this, Usopp, Luffy, and also Johnny and Yosaku, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Fine, I'll cook this meal myself. I'll show you what a real Baratie chef is like!"
Sanji clenched his fists, ignoring even Ganyu who was standing nearby, and pointed at Zoro.
"But since you ordered so much food, you have to finish it all before you leave!"
With that, he turned agilely and walked into the kitchen without looking back.
After he left, everyone at the table applauded.
"Zoro, you're amazing! You made that guy cook for us with just a few sentences!" Usopp patted Zoro's shoulder.
"Hahaha! Now we can finally see what he's made of!" Luffy laughed heartily.
It was hard to believe this kid had just been acting.
Ganyu glanced towards the exit, then suddenly stood up. "You guys wait here for the food. I have something to do, I'll be right back."
After saying this, she walked straight out of the restaurant, her steps quick, as if she was in a hurry.
"What's she going to do...?" Usopp was puzzled. Anyone could see Ganyu was going out to handle something.
Zoro shook his head lightly. "Don't worry about her, it's nothing major. Maybe she just needs to go back to the ship to change. Women are so troublesome."
"Is that so?" Luffy nodded, but he was a little confused. How come he remembered that Ganyu didn't seem to have any clothes to change into?
...
Ganyu was, of course, not going back to the ship to change.
The clothes she wore weren't ordinary cloth, but scales that transformed when the Qilin took human form.
Her sole purpose in returning to the ship was to find out what Nami, who had stayed behind, was planning to do.
On the Going Merry.
The moment Ganyu stepped onto the deck, she was taken aback.
Nami was standing alone in the middle of the ship, leaning against the mast, tightly gripping a rope used to tie the sail.
"You're here, Ganyu."
She showed no surprise at Ganyu's return to the ship. She turned her head and revealed a faint smile.
"How did you know I would come back?" Ganyu walked towards Nami step by step.
"We've been sleeping in the same bed and living in the same room for the past few days. I'm sure you've already found out."
Nami sighed and said softly.
"Yes, you want to leave."
Ganyu walked up to her, tilted her head slightly to look into her eyes, and asked, "Nami, why do you want to leave us?"
She naturally understood the real reason why Nami wanted to leave them.
The reason I asked again was because I wanted Nami to say those words herself.
"Help me... Ganyu..."
The preparatory work of the past few days had indeed paid off.
Faced with Ganyu's question, Nami hugged her tightly and rested her head on her shoulder.
"My hometown was occupied by a group of Fish-Man pirates for ten years. For these ten years, I've worked day and night to buy back Cocoa Village from them..."
Nami tearfully recounted her entire experience.
"I understand."
Ganyu gently patted her on the back to comfort her. Even while hugging a beautiful young woman at close range, she felt nothing, only saying softly:
"Why didn't you tell us earlier? Luffy, Zoro, and even Usopp wouldn't just stand by and watch your hometown be bullied by pirates."
"I... I was worried that your lives would be in danger too..." Nami said with a sob.
"You underestimate Luffy and Zoro too much. They're just pirates with a bounty of twenty million. Weren't Buggy, with a bounty of fifteen million, and Kuro, with sixteen million, both defeated by Luffy?" Ganyu retorted.
"But that guy is different. He's a Fish-Man, a monster, his strength is terrifying..." A trace of fear flashed in Nami's eyes, the shadow Arlong had cast in her heart over the past ten years.
Ever since she witnessed the terror of the Fish-Men with her own eyes, she had never thought she could take back Cocoa Village by force.
Her only way out was to collect 100 million Berries and buy Cocoa Village from Arlong.
It wasn't until she met Ganyu, met Luffy... and watched them display unimaginable power time and time again, watching them defeat one powerful enemy after another, that a glimmer of hope finally ignited in her heart.
However, what stopped her from revealing her tragic past was not only the fear that her companions would die in a conflict with the Fish-Men, but also a bit of struggle and low self-esteem.
When Luffy helped Usopp, he said it wasn't out of pity, but because Usopp dared to stand up and protect his village, facing an entire pirate crew alone.
It was this courage that made Luffy help him.
But what about herself?
He had no courage to fight Arlong at all, and even had the Arlong Pirates' emblem tattooed on his shoulder...
She was not worthy of help from Luffy and his partners, nor did she want their sympathy.
She still wanted to save Cocoa Village in her own way!
"I'm sorry, Ganyu."
Nami, who was hugging Ganyu, suddenly pulled a wet towel from her bosom and pressed it against Ganyu's mouth and nose.
After holding her hand over Ganyu's for more than ten seconds, Nami finally let go, intending to lay the "unconscious" Ganyu flat on the deck, only to find the other party looking at her with a smile.
"You... How can you...!"
"That won't work on me, little Nami."
As she spoke, she snatched the towel and, under Nami's astonished gaze, pressed it against her face.