I, Kizaru, only came to the chat group after I became invincible

Chapter 400 Mother's Embrace

"By the way, who are you people? Where are you going?"

"We are merchants who deal in spices."

The chubby man explained.

"A ship carrying goods was transported from the Spice Islands in the South China Sea, destined for the North Sea for sale."

"As a result, I encountered a storm on the way and almost lost my life."

"The spice business?"

Sanji's eyes immediately lit up.

"Then you must have seen many precious spices, right?"

"certainly!"

"That's what the bearded man said smugly."

"We specialize in collecting rare spices from around the world, such as saffron, black pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom."

"Everything you could want!"

"Very good!"

Sanji rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Could I take a look? I'm particularly interested in spices!"

"sure!"

The chubby man readily agreed.

"However, our cargo is all on that sinking ship, and now I'm afraid..."

"It's alright, we can salvage the goods!"

Luffy immediately said.

"Frankie, do you have a way to tow that ship over here?"

"no problem!"

Frankie patted his chest.

"Although the hull is somewhat damaged, it should be able to hold on for a while longer."

"I'll use the robotic arm of the Thousand Sunny to drag it over!"

Without further ado, Franky quickly maneuvered the Thousand Sunny closer to the small boat.

Using a robotic arm, they successfully towed the small boat next to the Thousand Sunny.

"Be careful, the ship could fall apart at any moment."

Nami reminded her.

Zoro and Sanji jumped onto the small boat and began transferring the cargo.

The ship's hold was indeed filled with many wooden crates, all containing various spices.

Wow! There are so many spices!

Sanji opened a wooden box containing golden saffron.

"The quality is absolutely fantastic!"

"And this too!"

He opened another box, which contained shiny black peppercorns.

"You can tell this is top-quality just by smelling it!"

"Brother Sanji, please calm down."

Zoro said helplessly.

"Hurry up and move these things onto our ship; this wrecked vessel is about to fall apart."

Indeed, the small boat was creaking and groaning, and it could fall apart at any moment.

They sped up and finally transferred all the cargo to the Thousand Sunny before the small boat sank completely.

"Phew~ They're finally out of danger."

Sanji wiped the sweat from his brow.

"These spices are truly precious; it would be such a waste if they sank to the bottom of the sea."

"Thanks to you all!"

The three merchants were extremely grateful.

“These spices are our entire fortune; if we lose them, we'll be completely bankrupt.”

Don't say that, we're all friends!

Luffy waved his hand dismissively.

"By the way, what are your plans next?"

"this."

The three merchants looked at each other in bewilderment.

"We don't know what to do either. The boat's gone, there's no way to continue doing business."

"Why don't you come with us?"

Luffy suggested.

"We'll figure something out when we get to the next island."

"Is it really okay?"

The chubby man asked excitedly.

"sure!"

Luffy patted his chest.

"Our boat is big enough; a few more people won't be a problem!"

Thank you so much!

All three businessmen were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes.

And so, three more temporary passengers joined the Thousand Sunny.

Sanji, on the other hand, was like he had discovered a treasure, spending all his time circling around those spices.

He carefully studied the properties of each spice, thinking about how to incorporate them into his cooking.

"This cinnamon has a particularly strong aroma; it would be wonderful for making desserts."

Sanji took notes as he tasted the food.

"And this cardamom, it can be used to stew meat, to remove the fishy smell and enhance the aroma."

Seeing Sanji so engrossed, the three businessmen were also pleased.

"Mr. Sanji, you're really professional!"

The chubby man praised.

"Most chefs don't have this deep understanding of spices."

"Haha, I've been interested in cooking since I was a child."

Sanji said smugly.

"My dream is to find the legendary All Blue and taste all the ingredients in the world!"

"All Blue?"

The bearded man's eyes lit up.

"Are you talking about that legendary place where people from all over the world gather?"

"That's right!"

Sanji nodded excitedly.

"It's said that every type of fish in the world can be found there; it's a holy grail for chefs!"

"Mr. Sanji, if you really have such a passion for cooking..."

The tall, thin man said mysteriously.

"We know a place that you might be interested in."

“Where?”

Sanji immediately perked up.

"Here's the thing, there's a small island along our flight path called 'Gourmet Island.'"

The chubby man explained.

"There's a very famous restaurant there called 'Seafood'."

"It's said that the head chef of that restaurant is a legendary figure whose culinary skills have reached a divine level."

"A legendary figure?"

Sanji's eyes gleamed with excitement.

How powerful is it?

"Let me put it this way."

The bearded man lowered his voice.

"It's said that the chef can use the most ordinary ingredients to create dishes that will move people to tears."

"There are even rumors that people who have eaten his cooking lose interest in all other food."

"Because no dish can compare to it."

Hearing this, Sanji's competitive spirit was completely ignited.

"Is it really that amazing?"

He clenched his fists.

"I don't believe there's any dish in the world I can't make!"

"Haha, Mr. Sanji certainly has guts!"

All three merchants laughed.

"Actually, we ate at that restaurant once before when we passed by that island."

"The result truly shocked us."

The chubby man rubbed his belly.

"The deliciousness was truly indescribable."

"Even now, we still miss that taste."

"If we hadn't encountered the shipwreck, we would have planned to go again."

Hearing the three men's descriptions, not only Sanji but also Luffy was captivated.

"That sounds really impressive!"

Luffy's mouth was practically watering.

I want to try it too!

"Seriously, you guys aren't just bragging, are you?"

Sauron looked at the three merchants with suspicion.

"What kind of miraculous cooking is there in the world?"

"I'm not bragging!"

The tall, thin man said earnestly.

"If you don't believe me, you can go and see for yourselves."

"The food island is not far from our current flight path; it should take about a day to reach."

"one day?"

Nami checked the sea chart.

"There is indeed such an island. However, taking this detour will delay our trip."

"It doesn't matter!"

Luffy immediately made the decision.

"We're not in a rush anyway, let's go take a look!"

"I also want to see the legendary divine cuisine!" "Luffy."

Nami felt helpless.

But seeing how interested Luffy and Sanji were, she had no choice but to agree.

"Okay, let's go check out Food Island then."

"However, we can only stay for one day; we can't linger too long."

"no problem!"

Luffy jumped up excitedly.

"Sanji, prepare to be hit!"

"Are you kidding me!"

Sanji said defiantly.

"I'd like to see what this so-called legendary chef is all about!"

"They might not even be as good as me!"

And so, the Thousand Sunny changed course and headed towards Gourmet Island.

Along the way, the three businessmen continued to describe the wonders of the "Seafood" restaurant.

"The owner of that restaurant is called Iron Arm Gustav, a bearded man in his fifties."

"That's what the fat man said."

"It is said that he was a naval cook in his youth, but later left the navy for some reason and opened this restaurant."

"His cuisine is not only delicious, but each dish also carries a special meaning."

"Eating his food is not just a pleasure for the taste buds, but also a profound experience for the soul."

"Is it really that miraculous?"

Usopp was somewhat skeptical.

"Could it be that you're exaggerating?"

"Absolutely no exaggeration!"

The bearded man insisted.

"We ordered the simplest egg fried rice, and..."

He paused for a moment, a look of reminiscence in his eyes.

"The aroma and the taste completely exceeded our expectations."

"Even we businessmen who have traveled all over the country and tasted delicacies from all corners of the world were deeply shocked."

"It's just fried rice, what's the big deal?"

Sanji said dismissively.

"I can also make fried rice, and I guarantee it will taste better than his!"

"Mr. Sanji, we're not questioning your skills."

The tall, thin man quickly explained.

"I just wanted to say that Master Gustave's cuisine truly has its unique aspects."

"Perhaps you'll be able to learn some new skills there."

"Have you learned a new skill?"

Sanji raised an eyebrow.

"That's quite interesting. If he really does have some unique skill, I wouldn't mind learning it."

"But if his cooking isn't as good as mine, I won't be so polite!"

Seeing Sanji's fighting spirit, Luffy and his crew were very excited.

They hadn't seen Sanji take an opponent so seriously in a long time.

As time went by, the food island finally appeared on the horizon.

This is a small island, and it looks very quiet and peaceful.

There is a small harbor on the island, where several small fishing boats are moored.

"This is it!"

The three businessmen pointed excitedly at the island.

"The Seafood Restaurant is located in the center of the island; it's the tallest building!"

Everyone looked in the direction they were pointing and indeed saw a three-story wooden building.

The building has a simple exterior, but it has an indescribable elegance.

"It looks pretty ordinary."

Zoro commented.

"Nothing special about it."

Don't underestimate it!

The chubby man said earnestly.

Sometimes, the most ordinary appearance hides the most extraordinary content.

The Thousand Sunny soon docked.

The group disembarked and headed inland towards the food island.

There aren't many residents on the island, but they all seem very friendly.

When they see strangers, they smile and nod in greeting.

"The people here seem very kind."

Robin observed his surroundings.

"Moreover, there seemed to be a peculiar fragrance permeating the air."

"It's the smell of food!"

Luffy took a deep breath.

"It smells so good! My stomach is rumbling!"

"It really smells delicious."

Sanji also admitted it.

"This aroma is complex; it's not the taste of a single ingredient."

"It must have been created by mixing multiple dishes together."

As they drew closer, the fragrance grew stronger.

Finally, they arrived at the entrance of the "Seafood" restaurant.

The restaurant's doors are made of dark wood and are engraved with exquisite ocean patterns.

A simple wooden sign hangs at the entrance, with the words "Seafood Flavor" written on it.

The font is simple, but the brushstrokes are vigorous and powerful.

“This is it.”

The chubby man said excitedly.

"We're finally back!"

Sanji stood in front of the door and took a deep breath.

The aroma wafting from the restaurant was truly unique, with a refreshing and delightful quality.

"interesting."

A slight smile appeared on his lips.

"It seems our opponent this time is no pushover."

"Then let's go in and take a look!"

Luffy pushed open the restaurant door.

The doorbell rang crisply, as if welcoming the guests.

The restaurant's interior is simply decorated, yet very cozy.

Wooden tables and chairs, soft lighting, and ocean-themed paintings hanging on the walls.

The whole space gives people a feeling of home.

Welcome to Seafood!

A young waiter came over.

"How many guests are there?"

There are eleven of us in total.

Nami counted the number of people.

"Do you have a table this big?"

Of course!

The waiter said with a smile.

"Please follow me, I will take you to our hall."

They were taken to the second floor of the restaurant, where there was a large round table that could seat everyone.

A bouquet of fresh flowers sat in the center of the table, and a faint fragrance filled the air.

"Please have a seat, I'll go get the menu right away."

"That's what the waiter said."

"By the way, is Master Gustav here today?"

"I asked the fat man."

"Of course I am!"

"That's what the waiter said proudly."

"The chef personally cooks for the guests every day."

"Very good!"

The three businessmen were very excited.

Soon, the waiter brought the menu.

The menu was very simple, just one page with a dozen or so dishes listed.

But the names of each dish are very poetic:
"The Sea Breeze's Longing", "Memories Under the Setting Sun", "Mother's Embrace", "The Taste of Hometown".
"These dish names are really strange."

Usopp scratched his head.

"It's impossible to tell what kind of dish it is."

"That's the hallmark of Master Gustav."

The waiter explained.

He believes that every dish should have its own story and emotions.

"So he gave each dish a poetic name."

"interesting."

Robin looked at the menu with great interest.

"So what kind of dish is this 'Sea Breeze's Longing'?"

"That's one of our signature dishes, made with fresh sea fish."

"That's what the waiter explained."

"The master chef said that this dish represents the ocean's longing for the land."

"That sounds so romantic."

Nami said with a smile.

"Then I'll order this."

"I want my mother's embrace!"

(End of this chapter)