Arashi didn't go all the way to the harbor to see them off. Instead, he stood at a distance, watching as Belle-Mère and the others boarded their ship under the escort of Marine soldiers.
This arrangement had been made by Arashi earlier, when Stork came to support his restaurant. Although the villagers hadn't encountered any pirates on their way here, Arashi still felt uneasy, so he asked Stork to assign soldiers to escort them back.
What Arashi didn't expect was that as soon as Belle-Mère and the Cocoyasi villagers boarded their ship, Stork personally set sail in a warship to escort them!
Of course, Stork wasn't doing this solely for Belle-Mère's group. The Marine rectification in Loguetown was nearly complete, and his next step was to visit various branches to continue his mission.
With Stork's current strength, he could easily dominate any pirates in the East Blue.
So with him personally escorting them, Arashi felt completely at ease. After watching the warship and the villagers' vessel disappear from the harbor, he turned and headed back toward his restaurant.
But the moment he entered the food street, he was stunned by the scene before him!
The entire street was packed with people, and the area in front of his restaurant was especially crowded and lively.
What was going on?
Did hunger marketing really work this well?
With that thought in mind, Arashi squeezed through the crowd and made his way to the front of his restaurant.
"Boss?"
"Wow, you're the owner of this place?"
"Open up already, boss! We've been waiting here so long our legs are numb!"
"Yeah, yeah! We all want to try your Ultimate Yangzhou Fried Rice! Price isn't an issue, right? As long as it tastes good, even 20,000 Beli per serving is fine!"
Well then…
It seemed the news of Stork crying as he left yesterday had already spread throughout Loguetown.
Fried rice that could make someone cry—who wouldn't be curious?
More importantly, although Stork had only been in Loguetown for a few days, his name had already begun to carry weight across the East Blue.
With such a famous Marine captain acting as free publicity, the effect was bound to be explosive!
But here came the problem—
With so many customers gathered outside, how was he supposed to handle it all alone?
After a moment of hesitation, Arashi walked into the restaurant. Soon after, he came out holding a wooden board with writing on it and placed it at the entrance.
"Notice!"
"This shop only serves 'Ultimate Yangzhou Fried Rice.' No other orders allowed!"
"Price per serving: 18,888 Beli"
"Limit: One serving per person!"
"Daily limit: 50 servings only!"
As the customer at the front read the board aloud, the crowd instantly erupted.
"Wow, limited supply!"
"Only one serving per person? And only fifty servings per day? This… this just makes me want it even more!"
"Alright, those beyond the first fifty, just go home! Everyone understand the boss—he can't handle more by himself!"
"Hahaha, I'm first!" The man at the very front cheered excitedly and dashed toward the entrance.
But before he could take more than two steps, a burly man pushed through the crowd and blocked the doorway.
"Everyone, today this place is reserved by me!"
The man swept his gaze across the crowd and said coldly, "I just happen to have brought fifty brothers with me today. So everyone else—please leave!"
"A-Aaron?"
As soon as he spoke, several shocked voices rang out from the crowd.
"Damn it, why is he here too?!"
"Let's go… we can't afford to mess with him!"
Clearly, many people recognized the man standing at the entrance—and feared him greatly.
Even those who didn't know him were frightened off upon hearing his name.
Aaron was a local gang leader born and raised in Loguetown.
Although he wasn't a pirate, even minor pirates would avoid him.
Because he was the biggest gang boss in Loguetown, with hundreds of subordinates under him, controlling more than half of the streets. In Loguetown, he was practically a local tyrant.
Aaron seemed very satisfied with everyone's reaction. As the crowd gradually dispersed, he turned and swaggered into the restaurant. The arrogance from before vanished instantly, replaced by a friendly smile.
"Boss, one serving of Yangzhou fried rice! No—make that Ultimate Yangzhou Fried Rice!"
Aaron's rise to power wasn't just because he could fight—it was also because he was clever and knew when to advance and when to retreat.
That was one of the reasons he had managed to stay out of trouble during Stork's strict crackdown.
As for Arashi—the restaurant owner who made Captain Stork walk in smiling and leave crying—Aaron wouldn't dare cause trouble even if he had five hundred men.
So he behaved extremely politely, his smile almost flattering.
Looking at Aaron's silly grin, Arashi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Just moments ago, this guy had looked like a ruthless figure.
And now, in the blink of an eye, he had turned into a docile kitten.
The drastic shift in demeanor made Arashi feel a bit uncomfortable. Most importantly, seeing a two-meter-tall burly man smiling ingratiatingly at him really killed his mood for business.
Fine—just for the sake of the mysterious gift package, he'd endure it!
Without another word, Arashi turned and headed into the kitchen, getting to work.
Meanwhile—
A merchant ship slowly docked at Loguetown harbor.
As it came to a stop, merchants and travelers began disembarking one after another.
Among them was a middle-aged man with a braided golden beard, messy short hair, and a wooden prosthetic leg. His frail body looked almost emaciated as he limped forward.
Beside him walked a blond boy, equally thin to the point of looking like skin and bones.
The boy wore a tattered chef's uniform, had curled eyebrows, and his golden hair covered half of his face, making him appear especially frail.
"We're finally back!"
Stepping off the ship and seeing Loguetown before him, the middle-aged man showed a trace of relief and warmth, as if he had survived a disaster. He turned to the boy beside him and said, "Sanji, we're safe now!!"
Hearing this, the blond boy looked up and instinctively grabbed the man's hand, his eyes filled with hope for a better future.
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