The fried rice was truly delicious!
Unprecedentedly delicious!
It completely lived up to the name "Ultimate."
Precisely because it was so irresistibly good, whether it was Stork or his soldiers, each of them ate at least three servings! Some even went as far as five!
Stork himself was even more terrifying—he devoured ten full servings.
After filling his stomach and experiencing the most delicious fried rice in the world, Stork still licked his lips in lingering satisfaction.
Arashi had originally thought that since it was opening day, maybe he should just let it slide.
But Stork refused outright, insisting firmly that the bill must be paid.
Thus, with the villagers helping to collect the plates, a total of ninety-eight plates were counted—ninety-eight servings of fried rice, amounting to a total of over 1.85 million Beli!
When Arashi announced the number, Stork nearly fainted on the spot.
But in the end, he managed to steady himself. With trembling hands, he wrote Arashi a check, then stubbornly maintained his dignity as he said, "Mr. Arashi, your fried rice is truly delicious. The price is also quite reasonable. Let's leave it at that for today—we'll come again another time!"
With that, he hurriedly left.
He had thought he could hold on until he exited the food street—but he had clearly overestimated his endurance.
The moment he stepped out of the restaurant, it felt as if the sky had collapsed. He couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs!
How was this a scam shop?!
This was practically daylight robbery!
Nearly two million Beli for one meal—how was he supposed to explain this to Vice Admiral Garp?!
His head would definitely get knocked into a concussion!
This was truly a case of one second in heaven, the next in hell!
"Huh? What's wrong with Captain Stork? Is this fried rice really that magical?"
"Yeah, he looked so happy while eating earlier. Why is he crying now? Is it because he can't bear to leave that fried rice?"
Hearing the murmurs of the onlookers, Stork didn't dare linger. Suppressing his emotional breakdown, he quickly led his subordinates away.
Inside the restaurant—
Watching Stork leave in tears, Belle-Mère finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as tears streamed down her face.
These Marines were just too adorable!
Especially those soldiers—at first, they had been too scared to eat because of the price. But after tasting the fried rice, they scrambled over each other for more.
Then after eating, they left with worried, trembling expressions. Belle-Mère could fully imagine their emotional rollercoaster—it must have been a wild ride from start to finish.
"Alright, that's enough laughing."
Seeing Belle-Mère nearly laugh herself breathless, Arashi spoke up to stop her. Then he turned to the villagers helping in the kitchen. "Everyone's worked hard today. Let's call it a day!"
Arashi hadn't intentionally set such a high price to trap Stork and the others—it was all because of the mission.
At first, he had been just as desperate.
Who would buy fried rice at such an outrageous price?
But after seeing Stork and the others' reactions, he saw hope again.
He believed that after today, the reputation of his restaurant would spread throughout Loguetown, and its popularity would explode!
So even though people outside were already eager to come in, Arashi decisively chose to close for the day.
It was a classic case of hunger marketing.
The next day—
After another wild night, Arashi and Belle-Mère woke up early, freshened up, and headed to the hotel lobby, where the villagers were already waiting.
Since the tangerines had all been sold, the villagers had to return to Cocoyasi Village immediately. They were the pillars of their households and couldn't afford to stay away for too long.
Belle-Mère, too, was worried about little Nami and Nojiko, so she planned to return with them.
Upon arriving at the lobby, Belle-Mère turned and gazed at Arashi with deep affection.
The night before, Arashi had already told her that he would leave Loguetown after selling one thousand servings of fried rice. And she wasn't the type of woman who would cling desperately or fall apart over a farewell.
Even though her heart was filled with reluctance, she still accepted Arashi's decision to continue traveling.
Having given her best self to him, she had no regrets.
She had originally thought Arashi would leave the very next day. Being able to spend an extra day with him, even helping him run the restaurant, already felt like a blessing.
More importantly, her way of thinking was different from many other women.
In Belle-Mère's eyes, a true man should roam freely across the seas—how could he be bound by matters of love?
Although Arashi was young, he was worthy of being called such a man.
After gazing at him for a moment, Belle-Mère suddenly smiled brightly and said, "I'm heading back."
Arashi nodded gently. Back when he left Cocoyasi Village, he had deliberately chosen another way to avoid a farewell like this.
But he hadn't expected that while he managed to avoid Nami and Nojiko, he couldn't avoid Belle-Mère.
And here in Loguetown, the two of them had crossed that final boundary.
In this world, only love and good food must never be disappointed.
"I'll walk you to the harbor."
After letting out a quiet sigh in his heart, Arashi spoke softly and stepped forward.
"No."
Belle-Mère quickly grabbed him and shook her head firmly. "Arashi, don't! If you come to see me off, I won't be able to hold back my tears."
Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile and said gently, "Meeting you is the greatest fortune of my life. Becoming your woman is the happiest thing that's ever happened to me. That's already enough for me. So please don't give up your journey because of me! Because the man I love should roam the seas and stand tall in this world!"
After saying that, Belle-Mère gave Arashi a tight embrace, then turned and walked out of the hotel with the villagers.
Just as she stepped out the door, she suddenly stopped, then turned back to look at Arashi, her face blooming with a bright and happy smile.
"Go travel without worries, Arashi! All the happy memories I have with you will stay with me—they'll accompany me through spring, summer, autumn, and winter until I grow old! And besides, I still have little Nami and Nojiko. So I'm not alone…"
She paused slightly before continuing softly:
"It's just… you'll be drifting alone on the sea again. Please take care of yourself and stay safe."
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