After more than a day of sailing, Gustave's crew finally returned to familiar waters. This voyage had been their longest yet—nearly a week away from home compared to their usual two or three-day expeditions. The extended journey felt strange after years of shorter adventures.
During the return trip, Garp had continued offering Devil Fruit development advice while also learning about Po's recent awakening of Conqueror's Haki. This revelation had nearly caused the Marine hero to kidnap the gentle panda on the spot.
"With Po's learning ability and that kind of Haki potential, he could reach Admiral-level combat power within a year," Garp had muttered, clearly calculating how such a fighter could shift the global balance of power. "The Marine desperately needs someone with mastery of all three Haki types."
However, Po remained steadfast in his desire to continue running their restaurant and continue the dream of the sea restaurant alongside Gustave and Tom. No amount of Marine recruitment pressure could sway his peaceful intentions.
Gustave had eventually calmed Garp's frustration by pointing out that while they lacked official Marine titles, they were essentially doing Marine work anyway—and without the burden of protecting those despicable Celestial Dragons that came with higher Marine ranks.
This argument had resonated strongly with Garp, whose refusal to accept Admiral promotion stemmed largely from his unwillingness to serve those "World Nobles" directly.
"MAKINO! WE'RE BACK!" Luffy shouted the moment their anchor hit the harbor bottom.
Without waiting for anyone else, he sprinted toward Makino's tavern to announce their return with characteristic enthusiasm.
"You were gone longer this time," Makino observed with a warm smile, patting Luffy's head affectionately. "Did you visit somewhere particularly exciting?"
"We went to this amazing village where I met this swordsman named Zoro, and there was also this girl Kuina who was really strong, and then we had this huge feast, and Tom had this crazy sword fight..." Luffy launched into an animated retelling of their adventures.
Makino listened patiently, offering encouraging comments and praise for his heroic deeds throughout the tale.
When Gustave arrived after securing their ship and gathering their belongings, he approached with a small package.
"Makino, thank you for watching over the Bamboo Staff Bistro while we were away," he said gratefully. "This contains some specialties from Shimotsuki Village—Koshiro insisted we bring them for you."
"How thoughtful of you to remember me!" Makino replied, accepting the gift graciously. "I have something for you too—I recently brewed these wines and thought you might enjoy them."
She handed him two bottles of her homemade alcohol, their contents glowing amber in the afternoon light.
"I've been craving your brewing during the entire voyage," Gustave said with genuine appreciation. "Tonight I can finally satisfy that craving!"
"By the way," he added, "please join us for dinner tonight. Garp is back too, and we haven't all gathered together in quite some time."
"Mr. Garp is here?" Makino's eyes lit up with delight. "I wouldn't miss it! I've been looking forward to your cooking as well, Gustave."
After exchanging pleasantries, Gustave collected Luffy and headed back to prepare for their welcome-home feast.
Once they'd stored their travel gear, Gustave assigned tasks: Luffy would purchase fresh meat and rice from the village market, while Ace would harvest vegetables from their carefully maintained garden plot.
Meanwhile, Gustave planned to enlist Po and Tom for cooking duties, but discovered Tom had already retreated to his favorite napping spot and fallen into deep slumber. With no hope of rousing the exhausted cat, Gustave and Po began dinner preparations as a duo.
For this special homecoming meal, Gustave planned an elaborate spread:
First Course: Stir-Fried Beef with Scallions
The meal began with a timeless classic—tender strips of beef wok-tossed with scallions, fresh ginger, and a splash of soy sauce. Cooked over high heat, the dish captured that elusive wok hei, the "breath of the wok," which infused the ingredients with a smoky depth no seasoning could replicate. The beef was juicy, the scallions crisp yet sweet, and the aroma alone was enough to silence the room as the first bite was taken.
Second Course: Garlic Vermicelli Prawns
Plump, fresh prawns were steamed to perfection atop a bed of delicate glass noodles, richly layered with minced garlic, ginger, and a touch of light soy sauce. As they cooked, the prawns released their sweet, briny juices, which soaked into the vermicelli below—transforming the simple noodles into a fragrant, flavorful base. The garlic lent the dish a warm, aromatic depth that lingered long after the last bite.
Third Course: Red-Braised Beef Shank
Luffy's absolute favorite—thick cuts of beef shank, slow-braised until fork-tender in a fragrant blend of dark soy sauce, rice wine, rock sugar, and star anise. The long simmer rendered the meat so soft it fell apart at the slightest touch of chopsticks, while the glossy sauce clung to every strand with deep, complex flavors—equal parts savory, sweet, and aromatic. It was the kind of dish that silenced even Luffy… for a few precious seconds.
Fourth Course: Sweet and Sour Cabbage
Made with crisp cabbage freshly harvested from the dojo's own garden and dressed in rice vinegar from Gustave's personal brewing experiments, this dish offered a bright, refreshing contrast to the richer courses. Lightly stir-fried with a touch of sugar, vinegar, and chili oil, the cabbage retained its crunch while delivering a delicate balance of tang and sweetness that cleansed the palate and readied it for the next bite.
But this was just the beginning—Gustave planned approximately twenty dishes total. After a week away from his kitchen, he intended to celebrate their return properly.
This include the like of Chawanmushi with Crab and Shiitake, Duck Confit Spring Rolls, Chicken Teriyaki Skewers with Roasted Garlic, Lobster Bisque with a Hint of Sake, Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Sakura Jelly, Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chestnut Cream, Caramelized Shallot and Anchovy Tartlets and more.
The preparation took over two hours, mainly due to ingredient processing time. In a professional restaurant with prep work completed in advance, service would be much faster. However, the extra effort resulted in dishes crafted exactly to his exacting standards.
Ace and Luffy served as waiters, carrying steaming platters to their dining area as the evening feast commenced.
Just as everyone settled in, Gustave realized Tom was still missing. Before he could go upstairs to wake their sleepy captain, Tom appeared on the staircase—eyes closed but following his nose toward the aromatic feast with zombie-like precision.
This sleepwalking routine had become legendary over the years. Gustave decided to have a bit of fun.
He held a plate of food directly under Tom's twitching nose. The cat opened his mouth expectantly, but Gustave yanked the dish away at the last second. Tom's formidable teeth snapped together on empty air, immediately shattering into cartoon fragments.
The pain jolted Tom awake to find Gustave grinning mischievously while everyone else struggled to contain their laughter.
Realizing he'd overslept again, Tom clasped his hands behind his back and produced that classic awkward-but-polite smile that somehow conveyed both embarrassment and charm.
"Alright, Tom, let's eat!" Gustave announced, his stomach rumbling audibly.
Tom casually gathered his broken teeth from the floor, stuffed them back into his mouth, and shook his head vigorously. When he opened it again, his perfect white teeth had completely regenerated.
The moment Tom sat down, Luffy lunged for the Braised beef shank with predatory intensity—only to have his chopsticks intercepted mid-flight by Ace.
"What are you doing?!" Luffy demanded indignantly.
Ace smirked, discarded Luffy's chopsticks, and claimed a massive piece of meat for himself.
"ACE!" Luffy started to protest, but seeing the shank disappearing rapidly, he abandoned verbal warfare in favor of joining the feeding frenzy.
"Excellent work as always, Gustave!" Garp praised between bites. "I missed this cooking terribly at headquarters!"
"Your skills remain absolutely perfect," Makino agreed warmly.
"If you enjoy it, eat quickly!" Gustave laughed while securing his own portion. "Otherwise these three will devour everything!"
At six o'clock the following morning, Garp's booming voice shattered the peaceful dawn as he dragged everyone from their beds.
"GUSTAVE! GET UP! TIME FOR MORNING TRAINING! How do you expect to develop that Devil Fruit while lying around like a lazy slug?!"
The sudden awakening made Gustave think an earthquake had struck Windmill Village.
I've lost my training rhythm during our voyage, he realized groggily. I'll need to install exercise equipment on our next ship to maintain my habit during travel.
Gustave quickly discovered that asking about Devil Fruit development had been a terrible mistake. Garp had dramatically increased the training intensity—the boulder Gustave usually carried was replaced by something resembling a small mountain.
Once again, he found himself dead last during their morning run, with Tom gleefully circling around him in a display of superior conditioning. It felt like their earliest training days all over again.
Garp's two-week vacation passed in a blur of intensive conditioning and specialized Devil Fruit exercises. While Gustave felt thoroughly tortured by the regimen's intensity, the results were undeniable—his mastery of Rumble-Rumble Fruit abilities had reached entirely new levels.