Chapter 38: The Ghost of the Iron Chef
The golden luminescence of the System didn't just brighten; it pulsed with a heavy, pressurized hum that felt like a countdown to an execution. Across the globe, the massive displays in the sky transitioned from battle footage to a single, jagged, glowing question mark.
[System Announcement: Rank 46 — The Heart of the Wings.]
The image of Sanji standing in the cooling blue plasma of the Performance Floor remained, but the text began to carve itself across the sky in letters of ancient, burning gold.
[The System Question: The Blue Flame of 'Ifrit Jambe' is a temperature that transcends even the hottest of stars. Science provided the armor, but the 'Ignition' required a catalyst of pure spirit. What was the exact subconscious thought that triggered the Blue Flame within Sanji's heart?]
[A) "I will never use the Raid Suit, even if it costs me my life."]
[B) "If I am a monster, I will be the monster that protects the Captain's smile."]
[C) "I want to see the All-Blue before I die."]
[D) "My hands are for cooking, and my heart is for my friends—only my legs belong to hell."]
[Only one answer from Strawhat will be taken]
[Reward: 1 System Gold Coin — Can also be used for Rank-Locked Information or Ancient Artifacts.]
[Punishment for Incorrect Guess: For the next 30 days, every meal you eat will taste like fermented sea-slug slime.]
The Global Chat: A War of Eras
The chatbox became a literal storm of history. Legendary names that hadn't been seen in decades flickered into existence, bringing the weight of the old world with them.
> [Rocks D. Xebec]: "♪ OH, LITTLE MONSTER~ SO SAD AND BLUE~ THE FLAME IS HOT~ BUT THE HEART IS NEW~ IT HAS TO BE B! THE WILL TO BE A BEAST FOR A KING! I KNOW THAT HUNGER WELL! ♪"
> [Edward Newgate (Whitebeard)]: "Gurarara! You knew the hunger, Xebec, but you never knew the loyalty. Look at the boy. He isn't choosing to be a monster. He's choosing where he belongs. It's D!"
> [Shiki the Golden Lion]: "Ji-ha-ha-ha! You're both fossils! A pirate's heart is always about the dream! It's C! The All-Blue is the only thing that could burn that hot! I'm locking it in!"
> [Ochoku (Wang Zhi)]: "Dreams are for the weak, Shiki. Survival is the only catalyst. I'm betting on A. The rejection of the Suit is the ultimate defiance!"
> [Captain John]: "Forget the logic! Give me that Gold Coin! I need to buy the location of my lost treasury! I'm clicking D! A cook's hands are his life!"
> [Silver Axe]: "Hmph. I'll follow John. If he's wrong, at least we'll both be eating slime in hell together."
> [Gloriosa (Elder Nyon)]: "Love... it is always a hurricane. But this boy... his love is redirected into his duty. It is D. My intuition as a Maiden of Amazon Lily hasn't failed me yet!"
> [Buckingham Stussy]: "Oh, look at you all acting like philosophers! Judge's brat is just a science experiment gone wrong! I'm picking B, and I'm going to make Judge pay for the slime if I'm wrong!"
>
"DON'T JUST CLICK!" Nami shrieked, tackling Luffy before he could mash his thumb onto Option C. "Luffy, if you get this wrong, I will have to feed you sea-slug slime for a month! Do you understand the nightmare?!"
"But Nami! The All-Blue sounds like it has great fish!" Luffy whined, struggling in her grip. "Sanji always talks about it!"
"It's not about the fish, you idiot!" Zoro growled, leaning against the tree with his eyes narrowed at Option D. He remembered their promise. Only my legs belong to hell. "The shitty cook wouldn't burn for a dream. He burns for the idiots he feeds."
Sanji, the real-world Sanji, was paralyzed. He looked at the prompts and felt a cold sweat. He didn't know the answer. He wasn't that future self yet. He looked at Option D and felt a strange, jarring resonance in his chest.
[00:15... 00:14...]
[Vinsmoke Judge]: "SCIENCE! It has to be A! The rejection is the catalyst! STUPID BOY, JUST PICK A!"
[Vegapunk]: "Fascinating... I've already used my first coin to study the broadcast energy, but another could unlock the secrets of that Blue Flame's Kelvin rating. I will observe... and guess carefully."
[Buggy the Clown]: "I SPENT BOTH MY COINS ALREADY! I HAVE NOTHING! I'M NOT GUESSING! I REFUSE TO EAT SLIME! NOOOOOO!"
[00:05... 00:04...]
In that final second, Nami, Shiki, and Gloriosa were the first three to slam their fingers down on the same option, their names flashing green on the system's backend.
[00:01...]
[TIME EXPIRED. LOCKING ALL ENTRIES.]
The Silence of the World
The screen turned a blinding, clinical white. The chaotic chat froze mid-sentence. From the Marines at Marineford to the convicts in Impel Down, everyone sat in a terrifying silence.
The golden light pooled into the center of the screen, forming the shape of a chef's hat made of blue plasma, resting atop a human heart.
[System Note: Calculating... The essence of the Wings has been identified. The answer is...]