Wayne blinked as though he had mis-heard. "Nani? Say that again I didn't catch it."
Sanji repeated, bowing deeply. "Sir Wayne, please teach me to cook! I want to learn your cuisine that can heal the sick."
Wayne glanced uneasily at Zeff, half-expecting the old man to explode. Yet Zeff merely watched in silence.
"All right, stand up. We can talk on our feet."
Sanji straightened, hope shining in his eyes. Wayne felt a pang of doubt; this was not the eyebrow-curled Casanova he remembered from the comics always fawning over women, snarling at men. Worse, Wayne's healing dishes relied heavily on his Culinary Healer title; he wasn't sure he could pass that on.
The system chimed:
Quest Available: "Culinary Apprentice." Accept?
Culinary Apprentice - Sanji, future crewmate of Pirate King Luffy, wishes to study your art.
• Form a mentor-student bond.
• Teach him cooking that restores wounds and stamina.
• For every skill level Sanji gains, a portion of Life Points is returned to you.
• One-time reward: 500 Life Points.
"A built-in apprentice system?" Wayne thought. Free Life Points on tap too good to refuse.
"Very well," he said aloud, "but I'm only half a master. I'll teach you recipes that speed recovery nothing more."
Sanji accepted instantly.
"All things arise from cause and effect," Wayne lectured. "Medicine heals the body; cuisine nourishes the soul. My dishes fuse both…"
For the next ten days Wayne drilled Sanji in basic medical theory and the principles of restorative cooking. Sanji's talent was outstanding; he grasped seventy percent in no time and needed only practice to refine the rest.
At last the system announced:
Instruction complete. Sanji's culinary skill has risen.
• Life Points +101 → 5 001.
Wayne's grin was unhidden. A portable Life-Point generator nice. Sanji, now armed with medical knowledge, would boost the Straw Hats' overall strength.
"Looks like you have the fundamentals," Wayne said. "It's time for me to leave Baratie."
"So soon? Won't you stay a little longer?"
"What, miss me already?"
"Hardly." Sanji scowled. "The female guests keep gawking at you move along."
Wayne laughed, then grew serious. "I'll wait for you in the Grand Line. That's where real men make their mark and where you'll find your dream, the All Blue."
A spark of yearning flashed in Sanji's eyes, but when he looked up, Wayne had vanished.
A Change of Course
Aboard the dreadnought Apocalypse, Wayne stood at the bow while Robin read her report.
"Boss, that mother and daughter come from Syrup Village. The husband was killed two months ago by remnants of the Black Cat Pirates-"
"Syrup Village? There's an interesting fellow there."
"Adjust our heading," Wayne ordered. "We're paying Syrup Village a visit."
Robin had already found the pair work and lodging, but Wayne's true interest lay in Captain Kuro of a Hundred Plans, now hiding as mansion butler Klahadore. Kuro's sharp mind and modest ambitions a quiet life of wealth could be valuable. With Wayne's training or a Devil Fruit in hand, Kuro might blossom into a formidable strategist.
Far away, Kuro sneezed, pushed his glasses, and wondered if the weather was turning chilly.
Syrup Village
Days later the Apocalypse loomed off the coast. From a hilltop, long-nosed Usopp peered through goggles. Cold sweat trickled down.
"Pirates! Pirates are coming to pillage the village!"
He dashed through the streets, warning everyone and finally shouting at the mansion gates, "Miss Kaya, run! A pirate crew is on its way!"
In the shadows, Klahadore/Kuro heard the commotion. Scowling, he flipped open a small Den-Den Mushi.
"I gave up piracy to live peacefully here. I won't let some upstart crew ruin it. Assemble the Black Cats quietly."