On the other side, aboard the Going Merry.
"Sorry, Merry. I'll help fix you up later!"
With a deep breath, Genrou retracted his power and turned around. Despite his precautions, the intense energy had still cracked parts of the ship's stern.
He gently patted the hull and leapt back onto the deck.
"Genrou, that was amazing! You fired such a huge laser—it was even bigger than the one fired by the Golden Deer!'"
Luffy ran over excitedly.
"Genrou, that was the Rengoku Musō Bakunetsu Hadōhō (Purgatory Peerless Exploding Heatwave Cannon), right?! Can I learn to use that too?!"
Usopp, just as fired up, looked at Genrou with glowing eyes.
"In terms of navigation, that attack has considerable strategic value."
Zoro crossed his arms, eyes fixed on Genrou.
Genrou gave him a side glance. Although Zoro was talking about the Hadōhō, Genrou knew what he really cared about was the Tsuki no Kokyū (Breath of the Moon) sword technique from earlier.
"You three! We're still not out of danger!"
"Get back to your posts and resume sailing!"
Nami yelled, nearly snapping as she glared at the trio.
"She's right," Genrou added. "Even though I pushed the Marines back, they could still catch up."
"And right now, I'm too exhausted to pull that move again."
"If you don't want to end up in a Marine prison cell, we better get as far from here as possible."
He flashed them a grin and mimed a pair of handcuffs.
Usopp shuddered, then quickly dragged Zoro and Luffy back to help navigate under Nami's command.
Once they were underway, Nami walked up to Genrou with a worried look.
"Are you really okay? That move looked even stronger than my Yōsei no Kōki (Fairy Radiance)."
She remembered how one use of that drained her so badly she slept for an entire day. And Genrou had blasted lasers for minutes.
"Relax. When it comes to stamina, I'm confident."
"But I'll definitely need a ton of food to recover."
"We should start fishing soon to restock our supplies."
Just then, Genrou's stomach growled.
"Nami, I'm heading to the kitchen to whip something up. I'll leave the ship to you."
Rubbing his belly, Genrou walked off toward the galley.
Nami shook her head and was about to say something when—
"I'm hungry too!" came a voice from behind.
She turned to see Luffy watching Genrou with longing eyes.
"Luffy, you just ate. Why are you hungry again?"
"But Genrou's eating too!"
"That's not the same! He just fought off a Marine fleet!"
"But I'm really hungry!"
"No way! Help us sail first!"
—
A few hours later, Genrou emerged from the galley, fully fed and having prepared a full table for the crew.
"Alright, everyone—come and eat."
"Hm? Who are these two?"
Genrou raised an eyebrow at the two unfamiliar men on the deck.
"Genrou, these are old acquaintances from my bounty hunting days. This one's Johnny, and that's Yosaku."
Zoro pointed to each man.
"Ah, them. I remember now."
Genrou nodded. He recalled their brief appearance in the original timeline. He was surprised they still encountered them, even with his presence altering events.
"Care to join us for a meal?"
"I—I wouldn't want to impose…"
Johnny scratched his head nervously, looking at the infamously cheerful Genrou with dread.
He and Yosaku had already heard about the terrifying pirate with a massive bounty. Fear clung to his instincts.
Just as Yosaku opened his mouth to reply, a sudden wave of fatigue hit him.
His eyes rolled back and he collapsed on the deck.
"Yosaku! What's wrong?!"
Johnny dropped beside him in a panic.
Even Luffy, who had been running to the dining table, paused at the scene.
"Looks like scurvy. Happens when you go too long at sea without fresh fruit or vegetables."
"Here, have some lemon juice. A full meal and a bit of rest and he'll be good as new."
Genrou handed Johnny a cup of lemon juice.
Panicking, Johnny didn't hesitate—he poured the juice down Yosaku's throat.
Within moments, Yosaku's eyes fluttered open, and his complexion began to improve.
Before he could start bouncing around like in the original story, Genrou grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the galley.
Luffy and the others—eager for the feast—followed right behind.
—
"Genrou, you really know your food!"
Nami said cheerfully after the meal, patting Genrou on the shoulder.
Zoro and Usopp both nodded in agreement.
Though Nami cooked occasionally, Genrou's dishes were undeniably the best on the ship.
What they didn't know was that before crossing worlds, Genrou already had solid cooking skills—and his Satou Kazuma template came with magical culinary techniques.
Combined, his skill wasn't quite master-level, but it was damn good.
Still, Genrou didn't want to take the position of cook and prevent Sanji from joining the crew.
Besides, with two super gluttons—Luffy and himself—on board, Genrou wanted a proper cook, so he wouldn't have to spend all his time in the kitchen.
"I'll pass. I've already got my hands full helping you guys with your Heroic Spirit training."
"It's not exactly an easy job."
Genrou waved off the suggestion.
"Oh please, you're always slacking off!"
"And it's not like you've spent much time training us either!"
Nami squinted at him suspiciously.
"I can cook—for 100,000 Berries per meal."
Genrou smiled and held up one finger.
"100,000?! You trying to rob us?! Wait—my wallet—!"
Nami frantically checked the pouch on her skirt.
"Nope. You're wrong. It's 100,000 per person."
"Come on, you guys got a share of the Black Cat Pirates' treasure. That's pocket change."
Genrou leaned over the table, opened a cute, flower-patterned wallet, and pulled out a wad of Berries, grinning at Nami.
"Damn you... Wait... did you steal from me?!"
Nami's jaw dropped. She usually stole from others—how had Genrou managed to lift her wallet without her noticing?
"If I really used my 'Theft' skill... you'd probably be missing some more personal items."
"Nami, I'm not the only thief on this ship."
"When I worked for the World Government, I didn't get by just doing clean jobs."
He chuckled and slipped the wallet back into her skirt pocket, patting her thigh on purpose.
Nami blushed furiously—whether from guilt or something else, even she wasn't sure.
"In any case, I'm already Vice-Captain. Taking on another job like cook is just too much."
"That role should go to someone else."
"Luffy, you agree, right?"
"Mmm... yeah. It's a shame Genrou won't take the job…"
"But if he's Vice-Captain, then I guess that's how it has to be."
"But we need a cook just as good as Genrou!"
Luffy grinned, still stuffing his face.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
After eating Genrou's food, it'd be hard to settle for anything less.
"I've got a suggestion!"
Yosaku raised his hand.
Everyone turned to him.
"Not far from here, there's a floating restaurant called Baratie."
"They say the East Blue's best chefs work there."
"If you're looking for a cook, that's the place to go."
The moment he said that, Luffy sprang to his feet.
"Alright! Nami, set a course!"
"We're going to find a chef as good as Genrou!"
"But before that—Genrou, can you make me another roasted bone-meat?!"
Genrou sighed and headed back to the kitchen.
"Yeah… We really need Sanji for this job."
"Maybe I can tempt him with the Color Color no Mi..."
He paused.
"I wonder if Nami or future crewmates like Robin would be okay with Sanji eating the Color Fruit…"
"But if it lets the Going Merry go invisible, it could save us a ton of trouble down the line."
"Wait—if the Klabautermann eventually appears…"
"Can a ship spirit eat a Devil Fruit too?!"
"If so, maybe it could make the whole ship invisible…"
Genrou mulled over the idea.
From the moment he joined the Straw Hats, he was determined to treat the Merry's Klabautermann with respect.
Even if the ship's body would someday be lost, he intended to preserve the ship spirit.
If the system's power could affect the Klabautermann too, maybe he could help it remain—permanently.
"And if I give it a Heroic Spirit Template…"
"Then maybe... just maybe, I can let the Merry's spirit eat a Devil Fruit."
—
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]