"This is just too delicious!"
"I… I've never eaten anything this good…"
"Me neither!"
They mumbled with their mouths full as they ate.
How long had it been?
Without a proper cook, they could only occasionally dock at bustling towns to spend money on decent meals at local restaurants.
Other than that…
It was either bread or roasted meat every day, and the person in charge of roasting wasn't very skilled. Ever since Thatch was killed by Blackbeard, they had been living in "hellish" conditions.
"Hiss! Ha! Hiss! Ha!"
Fossa's lips were swollen from the spiciness, but he didn't stop. Using the speed he had developed from years of wielding a sword, he quickly grabbed the dishes and filled his bowl faster than anyone else.
"Wow, Captain Fossa is so sneaky!"
"He wants to hog all the food for himself!"
"We can't let him get away with it!"
The pirates shouted, grabbing ladles from who knows where and frantically filling their bowls with food and broth.
The warm broth went down smoothly, followed by a bite of tender, juicy meatballs. The spiciness spread from their tongues, combined with the large amount of pepper Vivian had added, creating a tingling sensation in their mouths.
So, in just a few minutes, the ten large pots were emptied, but everyone was still licking their lips, craving more.
"Hiss~~ Hiss~~ Is… is there no more?"
"But I'm not full yet."
The pirates turned to Vivian, who was leaning against the door, with hopeful eyes.
"Yes, of course, there's more. There are ten more pots cooking on the stove," Vivian said with a smile, a cigar in his mouth.
He knew this amount wouldn't be enough for everyone, so after making the first batch of spicy hot pot, he had prepared more ingredients and continued cooking them on low heat.
Hearing this, the pirates in the dining hall cheered loudly. Many instinctively brought over the drinks stacked around them and excitedly said, "It's rare to eat something this good. Why don't we have a party?"
"Great idea!"
Since Ace's death at the Summit War, they hadn't had a single party. Now, two years later, their savior had returned to the ship and cooked an incredibly delicious meal for everyone. Wasn't that worth celebrating?
So, regardless of whether Vivian wanted to stay, the pirates, with Whitebeard's nod of approval, popped alcohol, put their arms around Vivian, and started singing loudly.
The rough singing quickly filled the entire pirate ship.
Outside, on the warship's deck, the Marines who had been worried about their captain's safety were now utterly confused, exchanging puzzled looks as they heard the joyful singing.
"Should we… still call headquarters?"
"I think we shouldn't. What if they see reinforcements and decide to kill Captain Vivian?"
"Yeah, you're right…"
"So what do we do now? It's been almost two hours. Are we just going to stand here? The sun is about to set."
Someone asked.
Hearing this, everyone turned their eyes to Fujitora.
Having made significant contributions in the operation to eliminate Joker's underground world, Fujitora had been promoted to the rank of Ensign. Although this rank still didn't match his strength, at least his monthly salary had increased to 500,000 Berries.
At least this way, they wouldn't have to borrow money from Vivian every month after losing too much at mahjong…
"How about we eat first?"
Feeling everyone's eyes on him, Fujitora pondered for a moment and then suggested.
The Marines: (⊙_⊙)?
…
Sea Calendar Year 1524, mid-February.
Vivian's small patrol warship encountered the Whitebeard Pirates' main ship, the Moby Dick, in the New World, less than ten nautical miles from the G1 branch. They fought fiercely for ten hours, but since their strengths were evenly matched, they eventually parted peacefully.
"You expect me to believe this?"
Akainu frowned, crossing his arms and resting his chin on his hands, questioning the reporting Marine.
The Thunder Swordsman…
Vivian had some strength, but saying he could match the Whitebeard Pirates was a bit far-fetched, wasn't it?
"I don't know… but according to the marine officer on the scene, it seemed that only the first division commander, Marco, and the second division commander, Loget Larvin, were present on the pirate ship at the time, so…"
"Marco and Larvin?"
"Yes." The soldier nodded, "According to the reports, Vivian and Jinbe fought Marco to a standstill, while… the middle-aged Navy officer named Issho fought Loget Larvin to a draw."
"Issho… that middle-aged man in the purple kimono?"
The middle-aged blind man who always followed Vivian had a mysterious strength. They had noticed him a long time ago. After some investigation, it was found that Issho came from the Grand Line and had lived a solitary, wandering life for over fifty years.
He had no criminal record and had never been a pirate, much like Vivian, with a clean background.
But these two guys together…
Akainu rubbed his chin with his thumb.
"This combination might really be at risk of being swayed by the Revolutionary Army…"
"So… Fleet Admiral Akainu, should we report this to the government?"
"Report it."
Akainu nodded. Since it was recorded this way, there was no need to alter it.
Besides, suspecting these two was one thing, but Akainu still hoped deep down that they were loyal to the government and the Navy.
"Later, write a letter for me to the Five Elders, informing them that we might have a new candidate for admiral." Akainu added.
…
On the other side.
"Vivian, who is this woman?"
In the residence, Domino pointed at Aili, who was holding Vivian's arm, her heterochromatic eyes under her sunglasses radiating anger as she questioned Vivian.
Vivian: ∑(O_O;)