Chapter 443: Recognition from the Master of the Liu Family
Boudica's appearance and her approachable attitude won the favor of almost everyone, both at the venue and those watching abroad.
"Oh, what a strong yet gentle woman she is." Master Liu looked at her long, vibrant red hair, seemingly seeing the shadow of someone very important from his past. He had completely entered his "zone," and a faint, flickering phantom of a burning red dragon seemed to emerge behind him.
"Oh, Master Liu is fired up. The last time I saw a sight like this was over ten years ago in Hong Kong," Nakiri Senzaemon exclaimed in wonder.
"Is the Chinese dragon behind him only visible to me? It feels like the temperature is rising. That would be very convenient in winter, but I wonder if our clothes will actually catch fire?" Shirou quipped.
Since leaving the lounge, Pablo had been silent, scanning his surroundings with a gaze that suggested he already viewed everything as his personal property. Any woman who caught his eye would be added to his harem, men who displeased him would be killed, and everyone else would be his slaves. And he would be the world's only king!
He was satisfied with Boudica's attitude; in his heart, he had already decided to add her name to the list of women to be captured for his harem.
"Alright, everyone, please continue to do your best in the upcoming matches. I have invited a very capable woman from my country to be the gatekeeper for this stage. Please showcase your culinary skills well; I look forward to your arrival at the top." Boudica looked at the chefs and offered her heartfelt encouragement.
Having become a Heroic Spirit and summoned to Chaldea as a Servant protecting human history, she was regarded by everyone as a kind and approachable big sister. For this God of Cooking Tournament, she had naturally invited a Servant from the UK to serve as the guardian of this stage.
"Now! Let us welcome the gatekeeper of the third round!" Cleopatra announced.
Tap, tap. The sound of boots stepping on the floor approached from the passage...
The audience online grew excited.
"A man? A woman? A handsome man? A beauty?" "Could it be that cool, ascetic-looking handsome guy with long black hair from before?!" "Are we watching the same show? Did the chat get hacked? This is a cooking show, right?"
At that thought, Shirou also felt a surge of tension. He opened his eyes and looked toward the entrance passage, wondering which acquaintance he would encounter this time.
Emerging from the passage was a tall, athletic, and hearty beauty: Francis Drake. She wore a captain's hat, and a long scar ran across her face, but it did not diminish her wild charm in the slightest. Big Sister Francis stood tall and shouted:
"No need for extra words! I want a dish that I can drink and eat heartily with while out on the sea. Yes! A dish loved by men of the sea! A manly dish! Bring it on!"
"Hahaha, foreign women are certainly fiery!" Nakiri Senzaemon also laughed heartily.
"Well, a pirate is a pirate, even if she is also a Lady," Shirou nodded and said.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Drake~!" Boudica called the female captain by her nickname and smiled kindly.
"Oh, leave it to me, Queen," the female captain bowed slightly and agreed boldly.
The name "Francis Drake" was renowned. Even in the world of One Piece, she would be a supernova-level figure. Though it was unclear why such a figure had become a pirate big sister here, history remained the same. She was the first human in history to lead a fleet to complete a circumnavigation of the globe from start to finish. After all, the previous person to attempt it, Magellan, had been turned into grilled skewers by local natives while passing through the Philippines.
She was both a pirate and a Royal Navy admiral, transporting supplies for the Queen of England while leading pirates to loot the seas at will. At the Battle of Gravelines, she defeated the Spanish Armada of Philip II, successfully taking the first step in seizing the hegemony of the "Empire on which the sun never sets" for Britain, becoming a national hero.
Francis Drake was thus rewarded by the Queen, becoming a noble and a favorite of the crown. From a mere pirate, she climbed to the peak, becoming an inescapable figure in pirate history.
It seemed that because of this unprecedented achievement, she had become a symbol of human hope, a Heroic Spirit of the Star attribute.
"Hmph! Interesting! Cuisine of the sea, eh? After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, I also spent a period of life at sea traveling the world on cruise ships with students studying abroad. While touring the Americas, I learned fishing techniques from local fishermen. Sometimes, in order to get top-tier ingredients, I had to fight against batch after batch of sharks—that was truly a tough experience." Master Liu reminisced, nodding repeatedly.
"Ah, Master Liu is finally getting serious. The true skill of a chef from the previous generation... it feels a bit terrifying. But... how old are you, really?" Shirou couldn't help but retort. How was it that this brawny old man seemed more formidable than the Servants of Chaldea?
"Hehehe, kid, do you want to know? Then go search for it—the ultimate realm of culinary arts," Master Liu said with a mysterious smile.
"The ultimate realm of culinary arts... could it be the realm of gods?" Shirou thought of Senji Muramasa from his memories and said thoughtfully. If there were blacksmiths who reached
the realm of gods through the memory of forging, perhaps there were also chefs who could elevate cooking to the realm of gods.
Master Liu shook his head, denying Shirou's thought, and continued:
"No... I don't think so. After all, according to Taoist theory, beings like immortals reach the stage of bi-gu (abstaining from grains) at the very beginning of their cultivation. Food is no longer essential for them.
Even if they do eat, it is the immortal fruits and herbs with magical effects passed down from the primordial era. Ordinary human food is not what they desire. Even if there are gods like the God of Cooking or the Kitchen God in the Celestial Court, when their cooking is no longer for humans, but for gods, the taste probably becomes vastly different."
"To say something arrogant, if it's for humans to taste, I don't believe the dishes those gods make would be more delicious than the food I cook with my heart specifically for people. Of course, that's only about taste. If you're talking about effects like extending life, curing all diseases, or bringing the dead back to life, I don't have those skills—you, however, could try to work on that, hahahaha." Master Liu stroked his beard and laughed.
"Ahaha, you're joking. I'm definitely no good at that either. And besides, cooking was created to bring people happiness. A chef is simply someone who handles ingredients to achieve that goal—not a doctor, and not an immortal," Shirou said, waving his hands.
"Then it seems my judgment wasn't off. You and I are the same type of person: a simple chef. A cook who has abandoned other potential paths and walks solely on the road of culinary arts," Master Liu said. "In my eyes, the God of Cooking Cup is not about surpassing humans like gods, but a medal for humans constantly surpassing themselves on the path of culinary arts."
"Well, with your precedent as a gem, I wouldn't dare be conceited about the title of God of Cooking," Shirou said with a smile. Living with a Buddhist mindset, avoiding high expectations, meant one wouldn't feel disappointed.
"That may be so, but... Masked Kid, you've been raring to go for a while now, haven't you?" Master Liu's aura surged, and the phantom dragon behind him, burning with flames, became even more prominent.
"Actually, I just realized something. Money is enough as long as it covers food, clothing, housing, transport, medical care, and retirement. But my Queen has very big ambitions. If I don't work hard, I'll likely become a burden. Since I'm already in the top four, no matter what, I have to fight for it," Shirou said with a faint smile, flames also burning in his eyes.
As a chef, facing the difficult demands of various strange customers and then using your cooking to satisfy them and win their genuine respect was a rare experience. The sense of accomplishment within it was very fulfilling.
First was the mentally vibrant blonde girl, whose taste in cuisine was top-notch. Then the black-haired man with amazing insight—it was disguised as a hangover, but it was actually a heavy test. If the food hadn't been up to par, he surely would have been ruthlessly blocked at the door. And the third was the free-spirited and bold pirate captain...
It really never gets boring.
Honestly, Shirou was infected by the atmosphere of the venue and became eager to try. After all, memories are just memories; since he came to this world, he hadn't seen such interesting judges in a long time.
Although the wonders in his memories piled up like a mountain, in reality, he, like Erina, had only been exposed to the culinary world of this world. As for the Servants, this was his first time meeting them.
A scorching aura gradually rose from Shirou—the high heat of a steel-forging furnace, the temperature capable of melting steel into crimson iron juice. Even though it was suppressed at first, it gradually rose. When it burned to the extreme, it actually collided with Master Liu's fire dragon, contending from left to right.
"Hahahaha, kid! Not bad! Truly not bad! Grow quickly! Let me thoroughly enjoy the pleasures of the past," Master Liu said, looking at Shirou with appreciation. He recalled his distant childhood: that handsome, long-haired boy who was brought home by his mother to learn cooking, who later became a Special Grade Chef and even the genius "Dragon Chef" exclusive to the Emperor.
"Oho... what confidence, what aura. The kid actually held it off..." Nakiri Senzaemon, who had taken all of this in, had a glint in his eyes. It seemed his evaluation of Shirou had to be raised several levels. Looking at it this way, perhaps there really could be a good outcome between this kid and Erina?
"..." Pablo felt the clashing aura and frowned, his heart trembling and cold sweat breaking out. However, he quickly adjusted, touched the bottle of pink granular medicine hidden in his pocket through his clothes, and regained his confidence.
He gave a light snort and spat. 'You're all about to be finished, yet you dare to be this arrogant! Enough! You don't have much time left to be arrogant, so just immerse yourselves in your final moments.'
His gaze scanned the surroundings gloomily. Seeing the cameras on the ceiling, the staff standing around, and recalling that difficult British guy with long black hair, he made a decision and calmed his nerves.
Pablo understood that now was not the time to use the magic medicine; a single judge was not enough to warrant using such a high-priced treasure.
"Oho, the atmosphere is getting heated up. Great! Great! Then let's start cooking! Let me feel more! Let me see your abilities!!" Francis stepped forward and shouted loudly.
"Mm, just as this lady said. Masked Kid! First, let me show you the skills this old man has mastered," Master Liu said, his spirit alert as he looked at Shirou.
"I dare not disobey the words of an elder; please let me observe and learn with full attention," Shirou said respectfully, appearing as if he were ready to learn all the old man's techniques.
"Ahaha, that's exactly how it should be! Grow! Don't leave this old man lonely for too long!" Master Liu laughed and walked toward his exclusive cooking station.
"Ah, what passion. Then I, too, shall make one more effort!" Nakiri Senzaemon seemed infected by the two as well. His collar ripped open, he took off his kimono jacket to reveal firm muscles, and then picked up a slender fish knife from the table.
After hearing the contestants' requests, the supporting staff brought the ingredients to the contestants within minutes. The ingredients provided by the God of Cooking Tournament were the highest quality in the world, and special methods were used to keep them fresh. At this moment, a staff member pushed a small cart and brought over a large water tank.
Floating inside were black-and-white fish. One of them seemed to have felt the vibration while moving and was startled; it bloated its body like an inflated balloon to become a black-and-white ball, with small spikes protruding all over its body—it was a wild pufferfish.
Although pufferfish meat is delicious, it is poisonous; there is even a saying that the more poisonous, the more delicious it is. It is a dangerous ingredient that must never be touched unless the chef holds a professional certificate.
Nakiri Senzaemon would use this to cook a masterpiece of his lifetime.
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