Chapter 126: Mai Shiranui, Roronoa Zoro
Ren stood behind the counter, a towel in his hand, looking at the situation unfolding before him with a mix of amusement and bewilderment.
It was normal for the Dimensional Restaurant to receive guests. It was understandable that these guests often came from worlds governed by different laws of physics. But Ren could guarantee that a situation like this—where a scantily clad female ninja rolled in, followed immediately by a lost swordsman walking in—was a first in the history of his establishment.
The second guest, the man who had just stepped through the door, was a striking figure. He had short, moss-green hair, a stern face with a scar over one eye (suggesting a post-timeskip timeline), and a green haramaki wrapped around his waist. Three katana were strapped to his right hip, clinking softly as he moved.
He looked around the cozy, amber-lit restaurant with a deep frown of confusion.
"Eh?!" The man scratched the back of his head aggressively. "Where is this?! Isn't this supposed to be the lounge on the ship?! I just went down the stairs!"
Ren paused, exchanged a glance with Lucifer, and then smiled professionally.
"This is not a ship, sir. This is a Restaurant located in Another World."
"Oh. So it's a Restaurant..." The man nodded, accepting this information with surprising ease. Then, his brain caught up. "Wait... wait a minute?! Another World?!"
Ren, Lucifer, and even the kunoichi girl who was still adjusting her revealing outfit, all looked at the thick-skinned swordsman with speechless expressions. His directional sense was apparently so bad it transcended dimensional barriers.
Just then, the reality of the situation hit the first guest.
The girl, Mai Shiranui, stiffened. Her proud, ample figure—barely contained by the red and white cloth—went rigid. She looked at Ren with a terrified expression, her fan snapping open defensively.
"This is... Another World?!" she cried out, her voice delicate but laced with panic. "Did I roll too far?!"
This time, it was the green-haired man's turn to look at the girl speechlessly.
Mai seemed to realize her gaffe. She coughed, snapping her fan shut, and bowed slightly, though her cheeks were flushed.
"Sorry for my gaffe," she said somewhat awkwardly. "What I mean is... can I still go back? I was in the middle of... well, something important."
Ren smiled reassuringly. "Of course, no problem. This is just a Restaurant. A neutral ground. You can choose to eat something here, replenish your stamina, or rest for a while. It's all fine. If you want to go back, you just need to open the door and walk out. It will take you exactly where you need to be."
Hearing this, Mai breathed a long sigh of relief. Her posture relaxed, causing her significant assets to bounce slightly—a phenomenon that did not escape the sharp eyes of the Queen of Hell.
Lucifer looked down at her own chest, then at Mai's.
'Hmm! I can't see my toes either!' Lucifer thought, nodding with satisfaction. 'I am not defeated.'
The green-haired man twisted his neck, cracking it loudly. He unclipped the three swords from his obi sash and placed them on a nearby table with a heavy thud. He sat down, sprawling his legs.
"This place looks good," he grinned, a predatory but friendly expression. "Since I'm here, I might as well eat. What's there to eat? I'm starving."
"All the ingredients here can be made into dishes," Ren explained. "We don't have a set menu."
The man was stunned. His single eye widened.
"Amazing! Anything? Let me think...." He rubbed his chin. "I know.... then it's Meat! Big chunks of it! Ideally something from a Sea King, but land meat works too."
Ren chuckled. "Meat it is."
He then turned to the girl.
"Then this..." Ren paused. He really didn't know how to address her. She was clearly a ninja (kunoichi), and calling a ninja 'Miss' felt too modern, while 'Madam' felt too old. Her outfit was... distinct.
The girl quickly stepped forward, introducing herself with a graceful bow.
"I am Mai Shiranui. A practitioner of the Shiranui-style Ninjutsu."
"Welcome, Miss Mai," Ren nodded. "Can anything be made here?" she asked, repeating the swordsman's question.
"Yes. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
Mai tapped her fan against her chin, thinking.
"I'd like to eat Botan Mochi (Sweet Rice Cakes with Red Bean Paste), is that okay? It's my favorite."
"No problem," Ren replied. "A very nice traditional snack. But is just a snack enough for dinner?"
"Hmm..." Mai rubbed her stomach. "I suppose I should have a proper meal. A stew, perhaps? But I don't know what to eat. Do you have any recommendations, Shopkeeper?"
Ren tilted his head and thought for a while.
"Do you want meat or vegetarian? Judging by your name and preference for Botan Mochi, you seem to have Japanese tastes. However... I highly recommend Chinese Cuisine. The Shiranui style... it reminds me of the fluidity of Chinese martial arts. And of course, Chinese Cuisine pairs best with tea and traditional desserts~"
Mai's eyes lit up. "Chinese Cuisine?! I love it! In that case, I'll leave the recommendation to you, Shopkeeper. If possible, I'd like some vegetarian dishes to balance my diet, since it's evening."
"Vegetarian Chinese it is," Ren confirmed. "Please have a seat and wait a moment. Would you two like anything to drink?"
"Plum wine~" Mai requested.
"Hard liquor!" The swordsman barked. "Sake. The strongest you have."
Ren glanced at the man, then at the three swords resting on the table. Specifically, his gaze lingered on the white-sheathed blade—the Wado Ichimonji.
The man paused, noticing the look. He raised an eyebrow, his hand hovering near the hilt.
"Boss," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "You seem very interested in my swords?"
Ren shook his head, wiping a glass. "No, it's just that you mentioned 'on the ship' earlier, and that way of carrying three swords... it reminds me of two people. Two guests I've had here before."
"Oh? Who are they?" The man leaned forward. "Maybe they're even from the same world~"
Ren thought for a moment. "One is a man with eyes like a hawk, carrying a black blade larger than himself. The other is a red-haired man with a missing arm and a cheerful disposition..."
"Hawkeye?! Hawkeye Mihawk?!"
The green-haired man slammed his hand on the table, standing up so fast his chair scraped loudly against the floor.
"And Red-Haired Shanks?!"
Ren nodded. "I think so. I seem to have heard those names. Are you from the same world as them? That's quite a coincidence~"
The man's face split into a fierce, excited grin.
"Of course! Hawkeye Mihawk! The strongest swordsman in the world!" He clenched his fist, his aura flaring up. "He's the man I aim to surpass! To think he ate here... this place must be legit."
Mai Shiranui, standing nearby, clapped her hands in polite surprise. Lucifer watched with amusement, sipping her tea.
"Hmm, a good ambition," Ren said calmly. "Then I wish you success~"
The man suddenly extended his fist towards Ren.
"Hey! Hawkeye has eaten here, so this must be an extraordinary place! Are you also a great swordsman?!" he challenged. "You have the look of someone who fights."
Ren smiled and shook his head. "I'm just a chef. And... I also moonlight as a tennis player and a participant in the Kengan Matches..."
Upon hearing that Ren participated in Kengan Matches, Mai Shiranui's eyes lit up. She didn't know what "Kengan" meant, but she understood the concept of a martial arts tournament.
"A fighter?" Mai asked. "Like the King of Fighters tournament?"
"Something like that," Ren agreed.
The swordsman paused, assessing Ren. Then, his enthusiasm doubled.
"Then you must be a very strong guy!" he declared. "I can smell it. The scent of a warrior."
Ren thought for a moment. He looked at the man—Roronoa Zoro—and shrugged.
"Probably very strong," Ren admitted without humility. "If you want to try, I won't go easy on a man~"
Zoro kicked the table aside and grabbed one of his swords—the black blade, Shusui. He didn't draw it, but held the scabbard.
"Even better!" Zoro laughed. "Whether a warrior or a swordsman, you have to fight to understand each other! My name is Zoro! Roronoa Zoro! You don't have a weapon, so I'll just use the blunt side... actually, no. I'll use the 'No Sword Style' to start."
"The evening is precious," Ren countered, stepping out from behind the counter. "So go all out. But we'll only fight one move. There are other guests who need to eat, and I don't want dust in the food. If you can make me take a step back, you win~"
Zoro was startled by the arrogance. His grin became savage.
"One move? You're looking down on me."
He grabbed his white sword, Wado Ichimonji, and placed the hilt in his mouth.
Clack.
Mai Shiranui and Lucifer both watched the scene with anticipation. It turns out that a love for watching excitement—specifically violence—is a natural instinct for all species, whether human, ninja, or demon.
Zoro, with the sword in his mouth and two hands free (opting for a One-Sword style stance but keeping the mouthpiece for focus), mumbled around the blade.
"Since you say so... then here I come! Don't die!"
The air in the room tightened. Zoro's killing intent flooded the space, sharp enough to cut skin.
"Ittoryu... (One Sword Style)..."
Zoro launched himself. He was a blur of green and steel. The speed was monstrous, easily supersonic.
"...Iai: Shishi Sonson! (Lion's Song)"
It was a draw-and-cut technique of immense power.
Ren didn't draw a weapon. He didn't dodge. He didn't even blink.
Five seconds later.
The dust settled.
Mai Shiranui covered her mouth with her folding fan, her eyes wide with shock. She looked at Zoro, who was lying face-down on the wooden floor on the other side of the room, groaning.
Then she looked at Ren, her eyes sparkling.
This is what happened: Zoro had charged straight in, his blade inches from Ren. But before the cut could connect, Ren had simply raised his leg.
It was a front kick. Simple. Direct. Faster than thought.
It impacted Zoro's stomach with the force of a cannonball, launching the swordsman backward before he could complete his swing.
As a martial artist, Mai Shiranui could naturally see the terrifying technique behind that movement. The timing was perfect. The control was absolute. He had neutralized a master swordsman with a single, non-lethal blow.
'This shopkeeper... is a monster!'
This was Mai Shiranui's sole impression of Ren.
Lucifer, on the other hand, stood with her arms crossed, a smirk on her face.
"You really do treat them differently," Lucifer commented dryly. "You flick women's foreheads gently, but you directly beat up men like sandbags..."
Ren smoothed his apron, completely unruffled.
"Mainly because the men who come here wanting to fight are basically those who crave battle," Ren explained with a smile. "They are stubborn. You have to beat them into submission to earn their respect. Right, Mr. Zoro?"
From the floor, Zoro raised a thumb. He coughed, sitting up and sheathing his sword.
"Heh..." Zoro wiped his mouth. "As expected of a shop Hawkeye visited! Shopkeeper... your strength is incredible! That kick... it felt like getting hit by a giant."
Ren ignored Zoro's praise and instead turned to the stunned ninja.
"There was a slight unexpected event," Ren said softly to Mai, his gentlemanly persona returning instantly. "Please wait a moment, Miss Mai. Your meal will be ready soon."
"And you," Ren pointed at Zoro. "Sit down. No more fighting until you pay the bill."
"Understood," Zoro grumbled, picking up his chair. "Just bring the booze."
With that, Ren turned and entered the kitchen.
Zoro sat back down, rubbing his chest, his eyes burning with a new goal. He had found a training partner.
Mai Shiranui, however, looked at the kitchen door with sparkling eyes—not necessarily eyes of romance yet, but of deep admiration for a strong male. In the KOF world, strength was beauty.
Lucifer twitched her lips. She saw the look on the ninja's face.
She muttered angrily to herself, grabbing a napkin and crumpling it.
"Why does this smelly man have such good luck with women! It's too much! First the General, now a Ninja? What's next? A Goddess?!"
(Ren, from the kitchen: "Please don't jinx it...")
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