"Hmph."
After having his chefs move the ingredients onto the cooking platforms, Streusen still didn't stop.
Flashes of blade light continuously appeared. Stone, soil, trees, even floor tiles were transformed into various ingredients under the effect of his ability.
Yes, ingredients.
Streusen didn't magically conjure gourmet food. Instead, he took the extra step of first creating ingredients, then transporting them back for cooking.
The Kuku Kuku no Mi allowed the user to directly transform inedible substances into edible food.
But there was one issue.
What kind of food could the user create? And how would it taste?
Actually, the Kuku Kuku no Mi's basic ability was simply to make inedible things edible, but the flavor couldn't be guaranteed.
The reason Streusen could easily create delicious roasted meats, cakes, and other dishes with a casual slash in front of Big Mom was that he already possessed considerable culinary skills.
In other words, the [Kuku Kuku no Mi] could only fully display its power when eaten by someone with a sufficiently high level of culinary expertise.
If Naruto had actually eaten this fruit back then, with his average cooking skills, the food he created wouldn't be considered anything special.
The reason Streusen went through this extra step was that food made directly with the Kuku Kuku no Mi's ability couldn't surpass the level of deliciousness of dishes he had previously created.
Simply put, the highest level of deliciousness he had achieved in his cooking was the maximum limit for the food mass-produced by his ability.
It was closer to the assembly-line 'manufacturing' of a food factory, rather than the careful 'creation' of a chef.
Originally, he intended to mass-produce a batch of delicacies this way to satisfy the huge appetites of Big Mom and Kaido. But after encountering Zeff, a chef of such high caliber in the 'way of cooking', Streusen felt an itch to compete.
He decided to get personally involved and have a culinary showdown with that peg-legged old man across from him.
As if by telepathy, Zeff also understood Streusen's intention the moment he saw his actions.
An intangible aura suddenly emanated from the two master chefs, causing many of the surrounding cooks to unconsciously swallow their saliva.
"Pay no attention. Keep working."
Without looking back, Zeff directly ordered the chefs from the Baratie to continue their work.
Streusen gave a similar instruction.
Neither intended to use sous chefs.
Bring it on!
Zeff pushed the grilled meat and seafood fried rice aside to Patty, then quickly grabbed a lobster half the size of a person and unsheathed his kitchen knife.
In terms of culinary skill alone, this old geezer Zeff's 'swordsmanship' was surprisingly strong.
The large lobster with its thick shell was precisely dissected by Zeff's kitchen knife in just a few seconds.
After finishing the lobster, his hands didn't slow down at all. He continued processing various other types of seafood with the same fluid motion.
On the other side, Streusen showed an amused smile, grabbed a lump of unknown creature meat that looked like a cloud, which is created by his ability, and began processing it quickly.
Although his physical fitness was far superior to Zeff's, Streusen was already ninety years old. Compared to the 'youngster' Zeff, who was in his sixties, his stamina was somewhat weaker.
With these factors balancing out, the speed Streusen displayed in cooking was only on par with Zeff's.
The surrounding cooks were dazzled by the various exquisite culinary techniques. Some even accidentally cut their fingers but dared not cry out loudly, afraid of disturbing the competition between the two masters.
Just then, Sanji, who had separated from his other crewmates after landing because he was captivated by the beautiful women of Kuja, also arrived on the scene.
Sanji, who had been utterly enchanted by a passionate big sister in cool attire, immediately snapped back to reality when he saw the familiar figure not far away.
'Boss!'
Although he always called him 'old fart' verbally, Zeff was probably the person Sanji respected most in the world.
He truly hadn't expected that coming with Luffy to freeload at a wedding party would give him the chance to run into Zeff.
But before Sanji could step forward to greet him, the heated competitive atmosphere made his open mouth slowly close.
'Boss Zeff was in a cooking competition!'
'And judging from how Zeff hadn't even noticed my arrival, he was completely serious right now.'
Just as Sanji stopped in his tracks, Boss Zeff completed his first dish.
"Wild Storm Seafood Stew."
An explosive aroma swept through the venue the moment Zeff lifted the lid.
It was the most primal flavor from the deep sea. Cooks possessing a [Chef's Soul], upon smelling this scent, could almost hear the roar of a storm in their ears.
One by one, they seemed to transform into sailors battling the waves, desperately hurling harpoons at the massive claws beneath the sea.
'So fragrant!'
But before everyone could voice their admiration, Streusen's dish was also ready.
"Cloud Sea Marshmallow Platter."
Sweet, but not cloyingly so like honey.
A refreshing sweet fragrance quietly permeated everyone's nostrils, like the humid air after a heavy rain.
This light, sweet scent momentarily overshadowed the bold aroma created by Zeff.
For an instant, everyone felt as if they were in a dreamland, their limbs becoming light and airy.
Although there was no judge, both master chefs had a pretty good idea of the outcome.
In the first round, Zeff suffered a narrow defeat.
But a single failure wasn't enough to make Zeff stop. He quickly began cooking again.
Seeing this, Streusen didn't back down either.
In the second round, Zeff's [Volcano Secret-Grilled Lizard Tail] narrowly won against Streusen's [Chocolate Lava Cake].
Perhaps because both were sweets, Streusen's dish didn't captivate everyone as much as his first.
Conversely, Zeff's mysterious spices added while grilling the giant lizard tail erupted like a volcano, overpowering the chocolate cake.
One to one, tied.
For the final round, Zeff brought out a soup pot and cooked a pot of [Four Seas Illusion Soup].
Streusen, meanwhile, used mysterious ingredients Zeff had never seen to create a [Pink Passionfruit Mille Crepe].
This time, instead of sending their dishes directly to the dining hall, they each plated a small portion and sent it to the other.
Then came the silent tasting.
After just one small sip, Zeff felt dozens, even hundreds, of different fruity flavors explode in his mouth.
He lost.
Zeff's hand lowered gently, his body relaxing unconsciously.
Those three dishes just now were the old man's peak creations. Although they hadn't taken much time, they were mentally and physically draining.
So, upon confirming his loss, Zeff's mind relaxed, and he started to fall backward.
On the other side, Streusen, despite sweating slightly, was generally still in good shape.
It made sense. Zeff had already been cooking frantically for a long time before Streusen even arrived here.
'Ah, I lost…'
Without much bitterness, Zeff's mind was filled more with admiration for the dish Streusen had created.
Just as Zeff was thinking this and about to fall, a pair of strong hands steadied him from behind.
At the same time, a voice Zeff knew all too well sounded.
"Old fart, take a good rest if you're tired. It's my turn now."
After confirming Zeff was steady, Sanji let go, stubbed out his cigarette, and looked towards Streusen in the distance.