"You talk about teaching your son a proper lesson in sniping, yet he still ended up losing in an eating contest."
Shanks, a man who could shift between saintly composure and kingly dominance yet showed none of a Yonko's intimidation in front of his crew, laughed as he mocked Yasopp's situation. Glancing at the empty tables that Usopp had nearly cleared on his own, he turned to Shirogai with a grin.
"So the food you prepared earlier was actually recovery food for your crew?"
"Hahaha, of course."
Shirogai smiled as he worked, his hands moving with effortless precision as he prepared dishes that looked and smelled perfect.
"As a crewmate, I understand these guys well. After facing strong opponents, they suffer from a certain negative state called 'Hunger Games.'"
He continued cooking, plating dish after dish as if he were performing a casual miracle.
"And once that state stacks up, they turn into monsters who only see food. Especially our captain, Luffy. The moment he steps into the kitchen, the entire crew enters a constant state of starvation. Sometimes, in that condition, they even start seeing their own crewmates as emergency rations."
Nearby, Chopper licked his marshmallow, blinking in confusion.
Emergency rations? What emergency rations?
Then he noticed Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp staring at him, drool practically dripping.
"Huh?! Was all that food just now actually prepared for me by Shirogai?!"
Usopp sat on the ground, his stomach swollen like a small hill. His eyes widened as realization struck.
"Wait… now that I think about it, everything I ate was my favorite! Fried fish, fries, mackerel miso stew! Shirogai, you're too good to me!"
His oversized body wobbled as he rocked back and forth, the ground faintly trembling.
"Tch, what a jealous sight."
Yasopp lay flat on the ground, clearly full, though the envy on his face was obvious. He turned to Shanks and sighed.
"Look at their vice captain. And you call yourself a captain? Compared to Shirogai, you're completely useless. Boss, you really disappoint me."
"Hiss, I can cook too!"
Shanks immediately protested, gesturing seriously as if grilling something.
"Didn't you once say my grilled fish was delicious?"
"Oh, hahaha… sorry, Boss. I take that back. Thinking about it now… it was terrible."
Yasopp burst into laughter, completely unapologetic.
Boom!
A massive explosion suddenly erupted in the distance.
Swoosh!
A figure wrapped in black smoke shot through the air, trailing a thick plume as it came crashing toward them.
"Huh? That's Monda. He got sent flying by one of Luffy's crewmates?"
Yasopp's Observation Haki spread outward. The moment he recognized the figure, he flipped up from the ground in one smooth motion, surprise flashing across his face.
"Who could overpower both Binns and Monda together?"
Even from a distance, he could clearly see it was Monda, scorched slightly and unconscious, yet still clutching a large chunk of gold with a stubborn grip.
"They're impressive."
Shanks smiled faintly, clearly pleased.
He showed no concern at all. His crew was not so fragile.
Just as expected.
Swoosh!
A figure shot out from the smoke and caught Monda midair.
"Binns."
Yasopp relaxed slightly as he watched them descend toward the forest.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
A furious roar suddenly tore through the air.
"Ahhh!!!"
The sheer intensity of the scream silenced the forest, as if infused with Haoshoku Haki.
"You stupid monkey! Give me back my gold!"
A dazzling golden figure burst out from the explosion, wielding a golden staff as she chased after them at full speed.
Thunder rumbled behind her as dark clouds gathered, crackling with terrifying energy.
"Is that Nami? Your navigator?" Yasopp turned, clearly surprised. "She's this strong?"
"Hmph!"
Usopp, still shaped like a small hill, immediately seized the chance to boast.
"Nami trained under one of the Four Emperors, Big Mom! Big Mom even wanted to adopt her as a goddaughter!"
He puffed out his chest proudly, picking his teeth with exaggerated confidence.
"When she gets serious, even Luffy and Zoro can't handle her! Even Shirogai avoids confronting her directly. He'd probably worry she'd tie them up and sell them to the Marines for Berries!"
His earlier defeat at Yasopp's hands still lingered in his mind, making him eager to reclaim some pride.
"Hiss… is she really that strong?"
Yasopp's jaw dropped as he turned to Shirogai, disbelief written all over his face.
"You're saying she could even beat you and Luffy, then turn you in for bounty money?"
"Hahaha… in a way, he's not wrong."
Shirogai chuckled, nodding calmly.
Sometimes, things said by him or Luffy were brushed off because of their close bond as crewmates.
But when Nami's temper flared, especially after realizing her wallet was empty after shopping, her thoughts became dangerously practical.
At times like that, the idea of selling her own crewmates for Berries did not feel like a joke.
Even Shirogai chose to stay out of her way in those moments.
Luffy and Zoro, too, remained cautious at night, half worried they might wake up behind bars in a Marine base.
After all, when Nami became obsessed with money, she might actually do it.
And with her sharp mind, she could probably sell someone and have them happily counting the profit for her, even sneaking a few thousand Berries aside for herself.
For example, a certain foolish captain.
Nami in her money-driven state, Luffy when starving, Zoro when lost, and Shirogai when he stopped smiling.
These were known as the Four Great Terrors of the Straw Hat Crew.
◇ I'll drop one bonus chapter for every 10 reviews
(Leave a review/comment)
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100
Power Stones.
◇ Read 100+ chapters ahead on P-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/_Zeph