On the waters of Grove 25 in the Sabaody Archipelago, a pirate ship bearing the flag of the Big Mom Pirates floated ominously.
"It's... it's the Big Mom Pirates!"
"Why would a Four Emperors Crew appear here?"
"No idea..."
"Everyone, run! Don't provoke them—you'll die!"
The crowd onshore stared in terror at the pirate ship before turning and fleeing without hesitation, desperate to avoid attracting the attention of such a terrifying presence. While the Four Emperors Crews usually paid no mind to small fry like them, what if today was the exception? Who would dare take that gamble?
Watching the chaos unfold onshore, the crew aboard the ship showed no surprise. It was only natural for their arrival as a Four Emperors Crew to cause such a stir.
Soon, the pirate ship docked, and its occupants disembarked.
"K-Katakuri?!"
The moment the figure came into view, the crowd ran even faster. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that the second-in-command of the Big Mom Pirates would come to the Sabaody Archipelago this time!
Observing the distant commotion, Charlotte Galette sighed. "Brother Katakuri, you really didn't need to come with me this time."
She knew all too well the chain reaction her brother's presence in a place like this would cause. As the second most prominent figure in their crew, Katakuri practically represented the Big Mom Pirates itself. His sudden appearance here might even trigger an overreaction from the Marines.
"I can't let my little sister come to a place like this alone," Charlotte Katakuri replied calmly.
This area was dangerously close to Mariejois. Who knew if those lunatics might suddenly cause trouble? Moreover, this place attracted reckless individuals from all over the world—someone unafraid of the Four Emperors' reputation could easily appear. If a conflict broke out, his sister might end up captured. That was unacceptable, and the very reason he had insisted on accompanying her.
Seeing Galette hesitate, Katakuri said, "Enough. Focus on what you need to do. The Marines won't dare act rashly against us."
With him here, even an Admiral would think twice before making a move.
"Alright, I understand."
Galette nodded, deciding not to dwell on the matter further. After all... she knew her brother had come out of concern for her.
"You," she ordered her subordinates, "scout the island for information on the Straw Hat Pirates. Try not to cause any disturbances. Understood?"
After so many days, the Straw Hat Pirates should have arrived here by now—which was precisely why she had come to Sabaody.
"Yes, ma'am!"
The underlings responded loudly before sprinting off into the distance.
Once everyone had left, Galette suddenly spoke up. "Brother Katakuri..."
"What is it?"
"After we find Meiser... could you let me talk to him properly?" She lifted her gaze to meet her brother's. "I want to convince him... in my own way."
Katakuri paused, then frowned slightly.
So she didn't want to threaten the kid, huh...
Katakuri could see his sister's intentions clearly—she obviously had no plans to obey their mother's wishes and was prepared to directly threaten the other party if they refused.
Although their Pirate Crew didn't always resort to intimidation when arranging marriages... this time, Mother had made her stance explicitly clear!
If Mother were to find out...
Seeing Katakuri's expression, Galette gave a bitter smile. "It's not possible, is it...?"
After a moment of silence, Katakuri spoke. "You understand what this means, don't you?"
In the BIG-MOM Pirate Crew, Mother's orders were absolute—even her own children couldn't defy them.
"I know..." Galette lowered her head. "But I want a husband I can truly connect with, not a resentful tool..."
Her perspective differed from Mother's. What she desired wasn't just the other party's bloodline—it was the person themselves!
Only by winning their genuine affection would they willingly return with her to Totto Land and stand by her side wholeheartedly.
Having finally been given a choice, Galette wanted her life to be a little more fulfilling.
Watching his sister, Katakuri sighed. He couldn't bring himself to be harsh with her.
"Do what you want," Katakuri said.
As for Mother... they could deal with that after the guy actually refused.
"Thank you, Brother Katakuri!"
Seeing Galette's joy, the scarf-wrapped Katakuri nodded, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
As her brother, he truly wished for her happiness.
Of course, if that brat dared to mistreat his sister... he'd make sure they learned the wrath of an overprotective older brother!
"Come on, since we're here, let's take a look around."
"Huh?!"
"Brother, we still have to wait for—"
"The subordinates will inform us once they find them," Katakuri said.
Finding people was a trivial task—that's what underlings were for.
Otherwise, why bring them along?
Noticing Galette's hesitation, Katakuri added, "Didn't you say last year you wanted to come here?"
He remembered their conversation—she had mentioned it, but they'd been too busy at the time.
Now that they were here, they might as well enjoy it.
"You remembered that, Brother Katakuri...?"
"Of course," Katakuri replied. "Let's go."
"Yes, Brother Katakuri!"
Elsewhere...
"Aah~!"
"Hachi, your Octopus Dumplings are amazing!"
Luffy devoured the food in front of him at a speed that left everyone stunned.
"Right? Hachi's Octopus Dumplings are the best in the world!" Camie laughed.
Having worked here for so long, she knew just how popular his cooking was.
"They really are delicious," Sanji agreed. "The sauce has a unique flavor too..."
No wonder the guy was so confident—the taste was outstanding.
"I love these!"
"Me too!"
Chopper and Merry exchanged glances before cheering, "Let's see who can eat more~!"
"Ooooh!"
Looking at the two little ones, Hachi smiled and said, "Hahaha, I'm glad you like it."
"Eat as much as you want today—it's on the house!"
As he spoke, his six hands didn't stop, quickly preparing the next batch of Octopus Dumplings.
To keep up with Luffy's eating speed, he was already giving it his all.
"Alright!"
"We'll do our best!"
"Hahaha."
"For an octopus Fish-Man to make such delicious Octopus Dumplings..." Meiser examined the dumplings on his plate, stroking his chin. "It's a pretty strange feeling."
"Because Fish-Men eat fish."
"Fish-Men eat fish?" Meiser raised an eyebrow and glanced at Camie. "Don't the Merfolk eat it?"
"I don't~" Camie shook her head. "For us Merfolk, fish are like companions."
"You said Hachi's Octopus Dumplings are the best in the world—I thought you'd tried them."
"Because that's what everyone says!" Camie laughed.
"So what do you eat then...?" Usopp asked curiously.
As creatures living in the sea... if they don't eat fish, what can they eat?
Grass?
As if struck by a thought, Usopp's expression shifted.
"For meat, we can eat shellfish," Camie tilted her head in thought. "And for vegetarian food, there's plenty."
"Things like seaweed, fruit, grains—we eat all of that."
Fish-Man Island has quite a few places where plants can be grown, which is one of their main sources of food.
As for shellfish... that requires diving into the sea to catch.
Of course, if they had money, they could buy it, but most prefer to catch it themselves.
It's one of their favorite activities.
"Your life sounds really..."
Meiser made a complicated face. With so many things they can't eat, how miserable must that be?
Most Merfolk probably never get to eat large chunks of meat in their lives, after all... they can't hunt large land animals.
"I think it's fine."
Camie handled the Octopus Dumplings in her hands as she spoke. "This is how all Merfolk live."
They've been like this since childhood—long used to it.
"Here, Meiser, this one's with sauce."
"Ah, thanks."
Taking the dumplings from Camie, Meiser's mood was rather mixed.
So this is how they've always lived...
Just then, Hachi stopped what he was doing and cautiously looked at Nami, who had been silent the whole time. "Um..."
"Nami... what... what do you think?"
The moment he said this, the group of gluttons who had been stuffing their faces instantly froze.
"Gulp..."
Swallowing nervously, Luffy and the others didn't dare move a muscle.
"You don't think I'd forgive you for this, do you?"
"N-no, no, that's not what I meant," Hachi quickly clarified. "I just wanted to ask how you liked the taste."
Glancing at the nervous Hachi, Nami didn't say much. She calmly placed an Octopus Dumpling in her mouth and, after a moment, smiled. "Mm, it's really good."
"That's great... that's great!"
Hachi was so moved, tears welled up in his eyes.
In a way, Nami's words... could already be considered forgiveness towards Hachi.
But because of past events, Nami couldn't bring herself to say the words "I forgive you" outright.
Hachi understood this too, so he didn't dare hope for anything more—just not being hated was enough.
"Phew..."
Luffy and the others exchanged glances, all letting out a long sigh of relief.
If Nami had said she wanted to leave at this moment, they really wouldn't have been able to continue eating with a clear conscience.
"Today, you can all eat to your heart's content!" Hachi declared. "I'll give it my all and make sure you're stuffed!"
"Whoo!"
"Black Leg, if you want to learn, I can even give you the secret recipe," Hachi added with a smile. "That way, you can make it for them on the ship too."
"Huh?"
Sanji looked at Hachi in surprise. "You'd really give it to me?"
After all, a recipe was like a chef's lifeline—their means of survival. Yet... he was willing to hand it over just like that?
"Yes!"
Hachi nodded without hesitation, even though it was something he relied on to make a living.
Sanji fell silent for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Alright, thanks a lot."
As a chef, he certainly didn't mind learning another dish.
"That's awesome!"
"Now we can have such delicious Octopus Dumplings on the ship too!"
"What, my Octopus Dumplings aren't good enough?!" Sanji snapped irritably.
"No, no, Sanji's Octopus Dumplings are great too, but the flavor is just different from this one~"
"Hahahaha!"
"Fine, fine, I'll learn it," Sanji relented with a sigh.
What else could he say?
After all... as a proper chef, satisfying his crewmates' appetites was part of the job, wasn't it?
Just then, shouts came from the distance.
"Hey~"
"Young master, you're here, aren't you~"
"Huh?"
"Young master?" Usopp looked up, puzzled. "Who's that calling for?"
Among their group... was there anyone who could be called a young master?
Thinking about it, the only one whose background they didn't know much about was Meiser... maybe it was him?
With that in mind, Usopp turned to Meiser. "Is that you?"
"Of course not," Meiser retorted. "I'm no young master."
"Besides, can't you recognize that voice? It's obviously those guys from earlier."
"Those guys from earlier?"
Luffy and the others turned toward the source of the voice, scrutinizing the approaching figure before asking, "Who is that?"
Meiser facepalmed. Hadn't he already mentioned that Sanji had given the guy a makeover?
"That's Duval, isn't it?"
Nico Robin, sitting on the edge of their ship, studied Duval and remarked, "The transformation is quite thorough..."
The once flat-faced Duval was now unrecognizable—Sanji had turned him into a downright handsome man.
It had to be said, this makeover was a resounding success.
Soon, Duval arrived with his lackeys in tow.
"Ahahahaha, the handsome one has arrived~"
Everyone: "..."
Watching the guy preen in front of a mirror, they were momentarily speechless.
"Huh?"
"Did you just call me... handsome?"
"Nobody called you that!" Sanji roared, his mouth morphing into a shark-like grimace.
They hadn't said a word!
"Don't be so cold, young master~"
"Cut the nonsense," Sanji said irritably. "After fixing your face, you shouldn't have any reason to complain about me anymore. What are you doing here?"
"Now, now, Black Leg young master~" Duval chuckled. "To me, you're my benefactor~"
"Ah~"
"After getting kicked around by you, I've become a handsome man that everyone loves. Maybe lots of girls will fall for me now~"
"Ah!"
"This is truly a rose-colored life!"
Duval grew increasingly excited as he spoke, eventually standing up and declaring, "From now on, we shall be called the Rose Life Knights!"
"Yes, boss!"
"Call me handsome!"
"Yes, handsome!"
"Ahahahaha!"
"What a lunatic..." Meiser muttered.
After Sanji's "modifications," it seemed this guy's brain wasn't quite right either.
Oh wait... he was probably always this stupid.
Thinking this, Meiser found it all made sense.
"So why did you come looking for me?"
"To repay my debt, of course!" Duval declared. "If I just returned to the countryside to live leisurely, my conscience wouldn't rest. I must repay this kindness."
"By the way, this must be your first time here. If there's anything I can help with, don't hesitate to ask!"
As he spoke, Duval attempted to wink at everyone, but his newly reconstructed face couldn't quite manage the expression, resulting in a grotesque facial contortion.
Sanji: "..."
"Until you get used to that face, maybe don't try that."
"And... forget about repaying anything," Sanji waved dismissively. "Just stay out of my sight from now on."
"Like that would..."
"Hey bastard, are you even listening to me?!" Sanji roared with shark-like fury as Duval immediately resumed admiring himself in a mirror.
"Huh?"
"Did you just call me... handsome?"
"Bastard! Who called you handsome?!"
"Want me to change you back to your original face?"
"Ahaha, spare me that~" Duval laughed.
Being restored to his original appearance would be worse than death.
"Even though Sanji's kicks made him handsome, his brain's still the same," Usopp observed. "Still just as stupid."
"St...stupid?"
Duval froze as if struck, then a thought occurred to him.
"Could it be... jealousy?"
Usopp: "???"
"Bastard! Who'd be jealous of you?!" Usopp roared with shark-like fury.
"This guy's personality is truly unmatched..."
"Mhm."
Chopper and the others nodded in perfect unison, fully agreeing with Meiser's assessment.
"Ahahaha, regardless, Black Leg young master gave me a second life," Duval said, producing a slip of paper. "So I must repay you."
"Here, take this."
"What is it?"
Sanji took it curiously and saw it was a string of numbers.
"This is my Den Den Mushi number," Duval said. "If you ever need anything, just call me. I'll definitely be able to help you~"
"Ahahaha~"
As he spoke, Duval started batting his eyelashes at everyone again.
"Stop batting your eyelashes, you idiot!" x6
"Ahahaha, just call me if you need anything, Black Leg~" Duval said before gathering his underlings and leaving.
"Let's go, Rose Life Knights! Time to enjoy our lives!"
"Yes, handsome!"
"Hahahaha."
"What a weirdo," Sanji remarked.
He glanced at the note in his hand, thought for a moment, then tucked it into his pocket.
Though the guy was clearly off his rocker... he was still the local big shot here. Might come in handy someday.
At the very least... keeping it couldn't hurt.
Shaking his head, Sanji returned to his seat and continued enjoying the delicious octopus dumplings.
Soon, thanks to Luffy's efforts, every last octopus dumpling Hachi had made disappeared into his stomach, successfully filling him up.
"Ah, that hit the spot!"
"Yeah."
The crew lounged comfortably on the deck, enjoying a leisurely post-meal moment.
"I'm... exhausted..."
Hachi lay drenched in sweat, completely spent.
How could anyone eat this much? How did Black Leg manage to feed them every day?
For the first time, Hachi felt a newfound respect for Sanji.
"Let's go rest on our ship," Luffy said, standing up. "And tell us how to get to Fish-Man Island."
"Ah, sure."
Invited aboard, Hachi got up and followed Camie onto the Thousand Sunny, while their own boat was tied behind it.
"Head in this direction," Camie said, pulling out a map. "This is the route to Sabaody Archipelago."
"To reach Fish-Man Island, we have to go there first?" Usopp asked curiously.
"Yes."
"Alright then!" Luffy declared, waving his arm. "Merry, change course! We're heading to Sabaody Archipelago!"
"Aye!"
Nami checked the map and added, "Nine o'clock, straight ahead."
"Got it."
Soon, under Merry's control, the Thousand Sunny began moving toward its destination.
"Eh?!"
"How is the ship changing direction by itself? No one's at the helm!"
Hachi stared in shock at the ship's wheel, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Now that you mention it..."
Camie and Pappag also realized they'd never seen anyone from the Straw Hat Pirates touch the ship's controls, yet it always moved on its own... How was that possible?
"You guys are a bit slow on the uptake, huh..."
It took them this long to notice?
"Because I'm the Ship Spirit~" Merry said, raising her hand. "So I can control the ship with my powers."
"EH?!!"
All three gaped at Merry, their eyes bulging in utter astonishment.
"Sh-Ship Spirit?!"
"Isn't that just a legend?!"
"I've never seen a real one before..."
"This is unbelievable," Hachi muttered. "To think they even have a Ship Spirit..."
As he spoke, Hachi glanced at the composition of the Straw Hat Pirates.
A skeleton, a reindeer, a Ship Spirit... What kind of people were these?
"A Ship Spirit... It's just too adorable."
"Come here and let big sister hug you!"
Camie immediately pulled Merry into a hug, rubbing her face against Merry's affectionately.
"Wow, she accepted that way too fast..." Usopp commented dryly.
Truly a woman who could quickly accept even someone as unusual as Brook without hesitation.
After watching Camie interact happily with Merry, Franky turned to Hachi and asked, "So why do we need to go to Sabaody Archipelago first?"
"Because the ship needs coating first."
"Coating?"
"Yes," Hachi explained. "Fish-Man Island is located 10,000 meters underwater. We fish-men can dive directly without worrying about being killed by the seawater pressure."
"But you humans can't withstand that kind of pressure, and neither can your ship."
"So... to reach there, the Pirate Ship must be coated first. Only then can it pass through the underwater tunnel and arrive at Fish-Man Island."
"And the place for coating is at Sabaody Archipelago."
Listening to Hachi's explanation, Franky stroked his chin and said, "I see. So that's how we get to Fish-Man Island."
This was somewhat unexpected for him.
"After coating, you can pass through the underwater tunnel," Camie said cheerfully. "I can guide you there when the time comes."
"Miss Camie is coming with us?!"
Sanji began wriggling excitedly, his enthusiasm overflowing.
"Tch, damn perverted cook."
"What did you say?!"
Sanji's eyes flashed as he immediately turned to fight Zoro. Their brawl became so intense that Hachi could only stare in shock.
"Don't mind them. They're just digesting their meal," Meiser remarked casually.
"D-digesting...?"
Hachi blinked at the two, completely baffled that anyone would "digest" like this.
"Meiser, you absolutely must visit my shop when we arrive!" Pappag said excitedly.
"Sure."
"I'll definitely go!"
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