Pirate: It’s not a phantom beast, it’s a phantom god!

Chapter 34 Kitchen Anecdotes
Canteen, kitchen.

Hot water was boiling in iron pots in advance. The steam condensed into water droplets on the skylight and dripped onto the cast iron stove with a sizzling sound.

"Miss La, you said you wanted to learn literacy and cooking from me?"

Old Cook put down the iron spoon that was stirring the pot, and his voice was filled with shock.

He didn't expect that this girl, a new and popular cadre of the Beasts Pirates, who exuded an incredible temperament, would condescend to find him, an old cook who no one cared about.

Although he had been on a noble cruise ship for some time and knew a few words, there was no shortage of them among the beasts... Well, Captain Kaido might have slightly neglected the cultural education within the group.

But there is no need for the other party to come to you in person. It is enough to have someone give you instructions.

"That's right, just teach me to read the newspaper in your free time. And you don't have to bother giving me any guidance when it comes to cooking." La's tone was gentle and calm, but there wasn't a hint of joking in it.

"..."

"Well, since you've spoken, my lady, I'll obey your orders."

Cook was silent for a long time, but he didn't refuse. He couldn't refuse.

But this is not a big deal for him, as La is not as difficult to deal with as other pirates.

Although they had only met once during a meal, he was still deeply impressed by the other party's sensible personality and elegant and calm temperament that were out of tune with the entire Beasts Pirates.

Another reason why he didn't want to refuse was that there was a strange affinity field around Ra himself. Whenever he was immersed in that feeling, he could always clearly recall those memories that had originally been blurred.

Among them was the most beautiful memory of his life—decades ago, in the flower fields of his hometown. The morning dew had not yet dried, and the girl, holding a bunch of wild daisies, smiled at him, her skirt stained with such an incongruous cleanliness.

"In that case, I will call you Master from now on." La smiled when he heard Cook's answer.

"Miss, please don't bother me, my old bones. Just call me Old Cook like everyone else." Cook quickly declined when he heard what La said.

"No, not to mention that you will soon be my teacher, you are much older than me. Addressing me like that is really not polite."

La's attitude was very firm. Whether as a 'wandering spirit' in her previous life or as 'La' now, she was always used to maintaining the most basic courtesy towards the elderly.

[Sure enough, he is a good kid who is incompatible with all the beasts...] A trace of helplessness and regret flashed through Old Cook's heart.

"Well, how about calling me Grandpa Cook... No, no, as expected... Well, call me Daddy Cook. That's what the kids around your age call me when I buy groceries."

Old Cook seemed to have remembered something, and his eyes suddenly flashed with light, then quickly dimmed. In the end, he did not choose that name.

"Okay, Daddy Cook."

The moment Dara pronounced the name in his ethereal and gentle voice, Old Cook was silent for a long time and his heart trembled violently.

He seemed to see the small figure that existed only in his imagination, and just stood there in a daze.

"Hey, Brother Cook! We've bought all the ingredients, it's time to prepare lunch."

At this time, the deputy chef wearing a tall hat pushed the door into the kitchen with many waiters from the cafeteria, carrying a lot of fresh ingredients bought from the town.

"Hey! Miss La, why are you here? Sorry, lunch isn't ready yet."

"It's okay. I'm not here to eat, but to learn cooking from Daddy Cook. From today on, I'll be a kitchen helper." Looking at the other party's surprised and flustered look, La explained with a smile.

"Help, help, helper?! Miss La, you are a cadre of our Beasts Pirates! How can we let you be a helper! If Boss Kaido finds out, we, we..."

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll talk to Captain Kaido."

"As for the helpers, that's just my personal idea. If you feel uncomfortable ordering me around, just think of me as a supervisor~" In order to relieve the pressure on the sous chef, he made a little joke.

"but……"

The sous chef wanted to say something else, but Old Cook spoke up at this moment and finalized the matter.

"Okay, that's it. Don't worry about Miss La's affairs. I'll take care of it."

"Let's start preparing lunch now. Those hungry ghosts won't wait for us."

I took out a fish that looked rather casual from the ingredients on the table. The fish tail was splashing with water droplets, and it looked very fresh and energetic.

"Miss, I will now teach you how to prepare these ingredients." Cook wiped the water stains that had just splashed on his face and prepared to start teaching.

"Just call me La, no need to use honorifics, Dad Cook." La seriously corrected Cook's address.

"Haha... okay, okay." Old Cook adjusted his apron with one hand and didn't bother about it anymore.

He hit the fish's head hard with the blade of the knife. His action was so sharp that it was impossible to tell that he was an old man in his seventies or eighties. With just one hit, the sea fish with casual features stopped moving immediately.

"This thing is called a clownfish, a marine fish unique to the New World. Don't be fooled by its ugly appearance, but when it grows up, it's a ferocious carnivore capable of preying on sharks! It's said to even have some Sea King bloodline."

As Old Cook spoke, he skillfully cut open the fish's belly and took out the internal organs...

"This is a juvenile fish. Its weak spot is the bump on its head. If you hit it hard, it will faint."

"We can remove the scales and organs while it's unconscious to ensure the fish tastes as fresh as possible."

Although La said not to distract her while teaching, Old Cook still explained every step carefully.

Frankly speaking, it's a waste of talent for a high-class chef like him who only serves the nobility to serve these rough guys like Baishou who are just chewing on peonies. They won't be able to tell the quality of any piece of meat even if they roast it.

But Old Cook still strives for excellence and perfection in every step. Perhaps this is the so-called pride and persistence of a chef.

La on the side listened very carefully and memorized his every move.

The rough-looking sous chef and the waiters looked at each other, not knowing what to do when they saw the old man and the young man.

"What are you still standing there for? Start a fire!"

Cook turned around and looked at the people who were still standing there motionless, and shouted. Only then did everyone react and start preparing lunch.

It seems that this white-haired old man still has a lot of prestige in the kitchen.

……

(End of this chapter)