"Ah, got it."
Sanji replied casually, lit a cigarette, and went back in to tidy up the workstations.
He indeed needed a few helpers. Otherwise, handling three meals a day for eighty people alone would be impossible.
As for kitchen assistants, no high skill was required; anyone could do basic ingredient prep and tool cleaning.
Anyone interested in cooking could learn from him, and little by little, they could cultivate a team of onboard chefs.
Alan said no more; none of this required his concern. The kitchen was fully Sanji's domain now.
By noon, when the blazing sun was high, the pirates on the ship began waking up.
In the first-floor dining hall, Sanji had already prepared a large pot of hangover drinks.
Only then did most pirates notice the ship's new chef.
"Let me introduce our new companion, Sanji, a top-class chef I put in great effort to recruit from the ocean-going restaurant."
Alan grinned while wrapping his arm around Sanji's shoulder as he addressed the pirates: "You haven't forgotten how delicious yesterday's dishes were, right? Sanji is the direct disciple of the boss and the most skilled chef in Baratie."
"Even across the whole world, Sanji is a top-tier first-class chef! You idiots better be happy, you're going to eat well from now on, hahahaha!"
"Wahoo!!"
"Long live the captain! Long live head chef Sanji!"
"This is awesome, hahaha!"
All the pirates erupted in wild cheers.
Yesterday's feast was the most luxurious and delicious meal they had ever eaten.
Thinking about how every breakfast, lunch, and dinner from now on would be at Baratie's level, they couldn't help feeling excited.
Next, Sanji picked several pirates from the third squad, some who used to cook and some who volunteered to learn under him.
Karl was included as well.
This instantly cut the third squad, which originally had just over twenty people, by half, leaving only those responsible for steering and miscellaneous tasks.
Alan hesitated over whether to simply merge them under the Nyaban Brothers, but after thinking it over, he decided not to.
In the future, the pirate crew would grow larger, and he would divide squads based on functions anyway.
For now, he would leave this squad as is and let Karl continue to lead.
After settling everything, Sanji took his helpers to the kitchen to prepare lunch, while Alan returned to the captain's quarters, lit a cigar, and lay on the sofa thinking about formally establishing the pirate crew.
Although not long had passed, everyone was already forming a sense of belonging.
With Sanji's addition, plus Sham and Buchi, the crew finally had a few reliable core fighters.
Now that the scale was beginning to take shape, still flying under the Black Cat Pirates name made him uncomfortable.
First was the name.
After thinking up a bunch of over-the-top, edgy, flashy, ridiculous names, Alan ultimately decided to return to basics and follow this world's naming style, pick a color, and an animal.
As for color, with his black hair and dark eyes, black suited him and matched the naming conventions.
As for the animal… Black Dragon? Too edgy. He couldn't even bring himself to say it.
The king of beasts, the Lion, was pretty good, but…
"Black Lion Pirate crew, Black Tiger Pirates, Black Lion… Black Tiger..."
After muttering to himself a few times, Alan felt that Black Lion sounded better.
Wait, Black Lion…
Black Silk…
Black Stockings Pirates…
Alan's mouth twitched several times, and his face instantly darkened.
Great, no turning back now.
...
When lunchtime was approaching, Alan walked out of the captain's quarters and crossed the deck, heading toward the bow of the ship.
Bang!!
Under the gaze of all the pirates, Alan lifted one foot and struck directly at the ship's black-cat figurehead.
Crack! Crack!
With the sound of wood splintering, a crack spread, circling around the black cat's neck, and then it completely broke.
The black-cat-shaped figurehead fell into the sea with a loud bang!
"Brothers!!"
Alan turned and looked down at the deck, loudly addressing the pirates: "The name Black Cat Pirates is now a thing of the past! No matter what you were before, from this moment on, you have only one identity! My subordinates!"
The pirates looked up at Alan, their emotions running high.
Alan raised his arm and shouted: "Starting today! Our brand-new name would be… the Ghost Lion Pirates!!"
"Oooh!!"
As soon as his words fell, a massive uproar surged from the deck below.
The pirates' eyes shone with excitement as they raised their weapons high and roared in unison: "Ghost Lion!!"
"Ghost Lion!!"
"Ghost Lion!!"
"Now! Raise our brand-new flag to the highest point above the sea!"
Alan shouted as he unfurled a black flag, grabbed one corner, and lifted it high.
The sea breeze caught the pirate flag, revealing a vicious roaring-lion skull with blood-red, feral eye sockets and two pairs of jagged, interlocking fangs, like a demon.
Behind the skull was a mane and two crossed blades.
He had drawn this pirate flag himself, and the drawing was extremely rough.
But it didn't matter.
From today onward, this demon-faced lion-skull flag would be the symbol of their pirate crew!
"Boss, boss! Target spotted, there's a marine ship heading toward our position!"
Inside the ship's dining hall, the pirates were noisily enjoying lunch when a pirate came running in, shouting in a panic.
At the main seat in the innermost area, Alan lifted his head.
Hearing the report, he couldn't help but feel pleasantly surprised.
After leaving the ocean-going restaurant, they hadn't gone directly to their next destination but had instead wandered around the nearby waters.
Alan was now dead broke. Yesterday's banquet had emptied his entire fortune, so he had to take advantage of the ocean-going restaurant, acting as a natural fat sheep lure to thoroughly plunder any passing ships.
Under Alan's orders, every discovered ship was to be listed as a target, even if it was the Marines.
Alan grinned, swung his large hand, raised his cloak, and strode toward the door.
"Time for post-meal exercise, brothers! Pick up your weapons and come with me!"
"The Marines are bringing us supplies and weapons, follow Captain Alan, brothers!"
Sham and Buchi shouted excitedly.
Yesterday at the ocean-going restaurant, they had personally witnessed Alan's fight with Captain Smoker.
Even a rumored logia Devil Fruit user was defeated, so what marine in the East Blue could still be Alan's opponent?