It did not take long for Amon to finish cooking.
Soon, he carried all the dishes out and laid them neatly on the table.
Across the table, Kaya and Coco were already like two little hungry kittens, eyes locked on the plates, noses twitching.
If not for her upbringing and shy girlish restraint, Kaya would probably have already started eating.
...
"Hahaha, well, how is it? Does my cooking smell good?"
Seeing Kaya practically drooling, Amon deliberately held off on announcing dinner, teasing her with a smile.
"Mm, it smells too good. I am about to drool dry. Sir, when can we start eating?"
She nodded quickly, though her gaze never once left the food.
Merry and Kaya's father had not expected Amon's cooking skills to be this good either.
At first, they thought he only cooked because he did not want to bother the servants.
Looking at the dishes now, they realized the truth: it was probably because other people's food simply did not qualify in his eyes.
And honestly, it made sense. With culinary skills like his, anything he put together casually already looked more delicious than their usual fare. Why would he force himself to eat anything less?
...
"Do not rush. There is still one last step. Give me a moment."
Amon grinned. His figure blurred, and in the next second he vanished from their sight.
Before anyone could react, he was back again, holding several thin wooden sticks in his hands.
Eating Japanese food without chopsticks had no soul.
...
"Here, these are for you."
Under their puzzled stares, Amon handed out the chopsticks one by one.
"All right, everyone. Let us eat. In this world, only love and good food must never be betrayed."
Amon picked up his own pair and demonstrated how to use them.
It was the first time Kaya and the others had seen someone eat with chopsticks, and their eyes sparkled with curiosity.
They quickly discovered that, especially when picking up pieces of fish, the chopsticks were actually easier to use than a knife and fork.
The only issue was that none of them really knew how to handle them yet.
...
"Hahaha. If you cannot get the hang of it, you can always switch to knife and fork."
Amon did not force them. Chopsticks were not something you mastered in an instant.
Kaya, however, surprised him.
Her grip was not very standard, but she could already pick up pieces of food without dropping them.
...
"How about it, sir? Am i not amazing?"
She mimicked his movements, carefully lifted a piece of fish to her mouth, took a happy bite, then looked up at him proudly for praise.
"Hahaha, not bad. When I was your age, I was much more standard than you."
"And Coco's posture is even better than yours."
He could not help teasing her a little.
To be fair, Kirlia's learning speed really was terrifying.
Amon had demonstrated only once, and Coco had already grasped the trick, holding and using the chopsticks smoothly. Truly worthy of a Psychic type.
"Kiru."
Being praised, Coco let out a soft, happy sound.
Kaya immediately pouted.
"Humph. This is Kaya's first time. I will definitely be better than you in the future, sir."
...
Laughter spread around the table.
Everyone ate with real enjoyment, but Amon was the one who felt truly satisfied.
The spicy burn of the dishes made his whole body relax. After so many bland grilled fish days at sea, this was exactly what he needed.
Kaya's father and Merry had originally been wary when they saw the sheer amount of chilies he poured into the cooking, but after cautiously trying a bite, they were completely conquered by the flavor.
By the end, Kaya's father specifically asked Amon to teach their cooks how to make this kind of dish.
Amon did not refuse. He wrote out the general method and had Merry keep it safe. It would be up to their kitchen to practice.
When every plate had been cleaned so thoroughly it was practically shining, everyone finally put their chopsticks down.
...
"I never expected you to be a gourmet as well, Mr. Amon."
Kaya's father dabbed at his mouth with a napkin, still a little stunned.
"Hahaha, when you spend your life wandering, you have to learn a bit of everything."
Amon smiled.
He did not mention that he had quite literally drawn his cooking skills from a jar.
...
"By the way, Mr. Amon, what are your plans from here on?"
As soon as her father asked, Kaya's little ears perked up.
She wanted to know that too.
Although they had not known each other long, she already liked Amon a lot.
"Me? I will probably stay here for a while, then set off again and visit other islands."
He still had jars to sell. He could not linger forever.
"But there is no rush. Syrup Village is quite a charming place. I will stay for some time."
He smiled and added that part on purpose.
Kaya's tense expression relaxed at once.
She had been worried that he would leave first thing in the morning. Hearing that he would be here for a while made her visibly brighten.
…
"That is wonderful. Then I can keep eating Mr. Amon's cooking."
"Hahaha. So that was what you were really after."
Kaya's father, afraid Amon would take it wrong, quickly said,
"Kaya, Mr. Amon is a guest. You cannot expect him to cook for you all the time."
"It is all right. I enjoy cooking."
Amon waved it off with a chuckle, genuinely unconcerned.
"Father, you are so mean. Mr Amon treats me the best."
Kaya's words made her father's mouth twitch.
...
After the meal, Amon chatted with them about his journey and some of the strange things he had seen.
When Kaya heard that there were elephants bigger than entire islands, she simply stared, completely dumbfounded.
Her admiration for him grew even more.
Then he talked about the New World. Sky islands, giant beasts, bizarre climates, islands where it snowed candy... every story made her gasp in wonder.
In the end, she clung to him and refused to sleep until he had told her ten stories in a row.
...
"Goodnight, sir."
"Goodnight, Kaya."
He waved at her gently and then returned to his room.
...
While Kaya and the others were drifting into peaceful sleep, down at Syrup Village's port, a ship flying a pirate flag silently slipped into the harbor.
On the deck, a sharp-eyed young man narrowed his gaze at the quiet village, a cold, calculated smile spreading across his face.
If Amon had been here, he would have recognized him at a glance.
It was the man who had shattered Captain Morgan's jaw with a kick, then later hypnotized him, used a body double as a scapegoat, and faked his own death.
The former Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates.
Now, with his "death" staged, he was about to begin a new life under a new identity in Syrup Village.
Tomorrow would be the first step in his plan.