Inside the restaurant, under the warm yellow light, two girls sat at the counter, holding bowls of hot soup.
"Haaah..." The girls let out a synchronized sigh after sipping the broth.
After freezing for an entire day, that single mouthful of warmth spread through their bodies, bringing a comfort akin to soaking in a hot spring.
Both girls narrowed their eyes, happiness welling from the depths of their hearts.
In front of them sat the fish Yuto had pan-fried.
Among the seafood prepared in the kitchen, a fair amount of bluefin tuna remained—an enormous fish by nature
As for the others, like the hilsa herring, little was left. Yuto had taken those few leftover pieces and pan-fried them for Chito and Yuuri.
The hot soup they drank was brewed from fish bones, seasoned with ginger slices and white sugar.
Strictly speaking, the broth did not need those ingredients to enhance its flavor.
However, considering Chito and Yuuri had spent the day freezing, Yuto added them to warm their bodies.
"Aah~ So comfortable~" Yuuri smiled in a daze, looking like a sleepy koala.
"This is way better than rations~" Chito narrowed her eyes, speaking with pure enjoyment.
"Did you find anyone today?" Yuto asked from behind the counter.
Chito's expression grew troubled. They had found no traces of anyone else.
"Aaah—mah, maybe we really are the only people left in the world." Unlike Chito, Yuuri's attitude remained optimistic.
She chewed fish as she spoke, muffling her words, but her meaning came across.
Chito's expression grew firm.
"We can't give up. Tomorrow, once the snow stops, we'll keep moving. Maybe there will be people ahead." She was encouraging not just Yuuri, but herself.
"Okay, okay. Before that, let's eat our fill first." Swallowing the meat, Yuuri smiled in her carefree way.
Her simple cheer always made people feel at ease.
In a post-apocalyptic world, an optimistic presence like Yuuri was necessary, though blind optimism would not suffice.
Fortunately, Chito and Yuuri were partners.
One was optimistic, while the other was cautious.
They made up for each other's weaknesses, which was a vital reason they had survived so long in their ruined world.
"Yuuri is right. You should eat properly before thinking about what to do next," Yuto smiled.
"Hehehe, Chito, see? Even the Boss agrees with me!" Yuuri patted Chito on the shoulder.
"I get it, so stop patting me." Chito sounded helpless.
"Hahaha~" Yuuri delighted in Chito's reaction, her laughter bright and lively.
That laughter sounded almost dreamlike inside the warm little restaurant.
Clatter—
When the door opened again, a towering figure appeared.
Yuto's expression shifted, but soon he calm down.
"Gurararara~ Kamisaka boy, I'm here." Whitebeard had to bend down just to enter.
His massive body nearly reached the ceiling, blocking the light from the bulbs.
His expression was open and relaxed, a stark contrast to his last visit.
Recalling what Whitebeard had said before leaving, Yuto guessed he had succeeded.
Otherwise, he would not look like this.
"Whitebeard-san, has everything been resolved?" Yuto asked.
"Gurararara! It's resolved. I owe you thanks for those three potions. Without them, I probably would've died there." Whitebeard's mouth split into a grin, his expression filled with satisfaction.
His presence was bold and heroic.
Among the people in the restaurant, aside from Yuto and Tohru, who remained calm, the other four looked shocked by the newcomer.
"That's good. Then what would you like to eat tonight?" Yuto nodded.
"No. I didn't come here to eat tonight." Whitebeard shook his head, a smile appearing on his face.
On an ordinary person, that smile might look gentle, but on him, it carried an intimidating force.
Yuto looked at him in confusion.
"I came to invite you to a banquet."
Yuto understood.
He knew Whitebeard had gone to save his son, and judging from his demeanor, he had succeeded.
With Whitebeard's personality and status, holding a banquet was natural.
A pirate banquet.
Just hearing those words made his blood stir. Men carried a longing for that adventurous, unrestrained life. No matter how quiet and refined a man might be, somewhere deep inside, a corner always belonged to the wild.
"If it's at night, that might be troublesome for me." Yuto had no intention of refusing.
He only worried the banquet time would clash with the restaurant's business hours.
"Gurararara! That's no problem. If it's because of your customers, then bring everyone along to the banquet!" Whitebeard laughed.
"Hmm... If that's the case, it might work. It's just that I don't know how many customers there will be. With so many people going over, will things be all right on your side?" Yuto found the suggestion feasible.
They could use the banquet as a gathering for the customers.
However, he had to ask in advance.
"Gurararara! No problem. If it's a banquet, the more people there are, the better! Those idiot sons of mine won't care about something like that. Kamisaka boy, just invite whoever you want. It'll be lively for sure!" Whitebeard did not care about the number of guests.
For pirates, a banquet had to be lively!
"All right. What's the exact time?"
"Three days from now. Some old friends of mine should be arriving around then as well."
After settling the details, Whitebeard left.
Yuto stood in the restaurant and let out a helpless sigh.
Three days.
That meant he needed to notify the customers.
"Kamisaka-kun, who was that man?" Erina could not hold back her curiosity.
Whitebeard was the person with the strongest presence she had ever seen.
His aura was vast and overwhelming, like the open sea itself.
It had shaken her.
"Just call him Whitebeard," Yuto answered.
"Is he some kind of general? Or maybe a king?"
Yuto sighed, the corner of his mouth curving up.
"No. He's a pirate."
....
On the Moby Dick.
Whitebeard stood at the bow, looking out over the countless people gathered on the deck.
"You idiot sons! Start preparing the banquet! Three days from now, the Whitebeard Pirates will hold the grandest banquet we've ever had!" He raised his thick arm and shouted.
His rough voice could not be called pleasant, but it brimmed with heroic spirit.
"Oooooohhhh!" What answered him was the roar of countless men.
Whitebeard's grin widened.
"Gurararara!"
He laughed, arrogant and free, like a father refusing to admit he was old while looking at his sons.
Even the sea, normally rough and terrifying, was calm at this moment, as though afraid to disturb the scene.
....
"Eh... So he likes taking other people in as his sons? What a weird hobby."
Back in the restaurant, Yuto had just explained Whitebeard's story to everyone curious enough to listen.
Hearing about the pirate's life drew different reactions from the girls.
Some were moved, while others felt impressed or full of admiration.
Yuuri's train of thought, however, strayed in a different direction.
Her sudden question made the atmosphere in the room feel much lighter, verging on comical.
Yuto chuckled.
"Mm, it is a strange hobby," Yuto said.
"See? I knew it." Receiving his agreement made the girl look happier!
"Yuuri, that's not what it means," Chito said with a sigh.
Although she couldn't claim to understand the deeper meaning behind Whitebeard's actions, she knew it was not a mere hobby.
"Huh? Then what is it, Chito?"
"Umm... Forget it. Let's just call it a hobby," Chito replied, giving up.
She had no intention of wasting energy arguing. With Yuuri's memory, even a proper explanation would be forgotten a moment later.
"Hehe~" Yuuri laughed, causing Chito to sigh again.
"By the way, Boss, could I trouble you to fill this with the soup from earlier?" Deciding to ignore Yuuri, Chito turned her attention to Yuto and handed him her canteen.
The water inside had run out.
She had planned to fill it with hot water, but after tasting the broth, she decided to ask for soup instead.
"No problem." Yuto accepted the canteen with a smile.
The fish soup had been made for these two girls in the first place.
There was still some left, making the request a simple matter.
Yuto turned and went into the kitchen.
At the counter, Yuuri looked at Chito.
"Are we leaving?"
"Mm."
Although the two bickered, they understood each other better than anyone.
Hearing Chito's answer, Yuuri sighed in disappointment.
She wanted to stay in the restaurant forever. It was warm, and there was endless delicious food!
"Our vehicle is still outside. We can't stay here forever." Chito saw through Yuuri's feelings.
Her friend had always been a simple person who couldn't hide a single thought on her face.
"Sigh, can't be helped. Let's go." Yuuri let out another sigh.
She felt regret, but nothing more negative than that.
Yuto walked out from the kitchen with the canteen filled with fish soup.
The broth was hot enough that warmth had spread through the metal surface.
"Here."
Chito accepted the canteen.
"Thank you," she said, hopping down from the stool. Her companion did the same.
After saying their goodbyes, Chito and Yuuri left.
Yuto watched them go with a sigh. He couldn't change Chito's wish to keep exploring, leaving him to pray that the two girls would have a safe journey.
"It's hard to imagine what a world with only two people left would be like..." Erina, having learned about their situation, let out a wistful breath.
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