At Tom's enthusiastic insistence, the unfortunate Sea King was hauled up after everyone worked together to break through the ice. The moment the massive creature was freed from its frozen prison, it attempted to struggle, but Po ended its suffering with a single decisive punch.
The Sea King bore a striking resemblance to a colossal squid, so they dubbed it the King Squid.
Measuring over 100 meters in length and weighing nearly 1,000 tons, the King Squid immediately captivated Tom's attention. His eyes sparkled with the unmistakable gleam of a cat who had found the ultimate prize.
However, the sheer size of the creature presented a logistical nightmare. Even with their ship's storage capabilities, Gustave and his crew couldn't possibly transport the entire beast. They carefully selected and harvested the choicest portions, then graciously donated the remainder to the G-3 branch.
At Aokiji's cordial invitation, Gustave and his friends decided to spend the night at the G-3 branch.
But Gustave wasn't the type to accept hospitality without offering something in return. To express his gratitude for Aokiji's invitation, he resolved to demonstrate his culinary mastery by preparing the King Squid for the entire base.
Given the King Squid's enormous proportions, Gustave couldn't create the varied, intricate dishes he was known for at Bamboo Staff. Instead, he would have to focus on a single preparation method that could handle such massive quantities.
Initially, Gustave considered making teppanyaki-style grilled squid, but the G-3 branch lacked cooking surfaces large enough to accommodate even sectioned portions of the beast. In the end, he settled on traditional barbecued squid skewers.
Fortunately, the Marine's accommodation of giant vice admirals meant they had an abundance of sturdy wooden beams that, when properly cut, would serve perfectly as barbecue skewers.
After removing the inedible portions, the King Squid's weight dropped from nearly a thousand tons to a more manageable seven hundred tons—still an unprecedented cooking challenge.
The G-3 branch housed over 3,000 marines. While many of these sailors couldn't withstand the overwhelming pressure generated by Po and Aokiji's battle, they would all be considered officers if stationed in any of the Four Seas branches. Their enhanced strength meant correspondingly enhanced appetites, so Gustave committed to preparing the entire 700-ton King Squid in one massive cookout.
This represented the largest single meal Gustave had ever attempted—a true test of his culinary skills and stamina.
He methodically divided the King Squid into manageable sections, then cut each piece with precise cross-hatch patterns to maximize flavor absorption. Using ingredients available in the G-3 branch's stores, Gustave crafted a complex marinade that would complement the squid's natural sweetness while adding layers of savory depth.
After allowing the meat to marinate thoroughly, he carefully threaded the pieces onto the improvised skewers, brushing each portion with oil and his signature barbecue sauce before placing them over the roaring fires.
The grilling process required constant attention. Gustave continuously basted the squid with his sauce, ensuring each piece developed the perfect caramelized exterior while remaining tender within. When the meat reached seventy percent doneness, he added a final flourish of freshly chopped onions that would caramelize into sweet, aromatic gems.
Before long, the heavenly aroma of barbecued King Squid permeated every corner of the G-3 branch. Marines found themselves unconsciously gravitating toward the cooking area, their mouths watering and stomachs growling in anticipation.
Even Aokiji, typically the picture of composed professionalism, found himself drawn by the incredible fragrance wafting through the air.
Finally, after hours of careful preparation, Gustave announced that the feast was ready. Aokiji immediately ordered the meal to commence!
The marines, who had been waiting with barely contained excitement, descended upon the grilled squid like men who hadn't eaten in weeks. The moment they took their first bites, the explosion of flavor sent waves of pure bliss straight to their heads.
Aokiji sampled a piece and felt his entire perspective on fine dining shift dramatically. After half a lifetime of eating what he had considered excellent food, this was the first time he truly understood what culinary perfection tasted like.
It was at that moment that Aokiji became completely convinced that Gustave had indeed come to the Grand Line purely in search of premium ingredients. Only a chef with such absolute dedication to his craft could create dishes of this caliber.
Gustave remained unaware of Aokiji's newfound respect, as he too was marveling at the King Squid's extraordinary flavor profile.
"Sea King meat is definitely superior to ordinary ingredients," Gustave mused to himself. "I need to find ways to acquire more of this quality protein in the future."
After spending a comfortable night at the G-3 branch, Gustave and his crew prepared to depart for Water 7 the following morning.
Having learned from previous navigation mishaps, Gustave approached Aokiji about obtaining a proper sea chart. Unfortunately, after searching through their supplies, Aokiji's subordinates reported that they had none available.
However, while they lacked conventional charts, Aokiji presented Gustave with something far more valuable: a Log Pose permanently locked onto Water 7. This navigational tool was infinitely more reliable than any paper chart.
Additionally, to smooth any future encounters with Marine personnel, Gustave shamelessly requested that Aokiji provide them with official documentation of their neutral status.
Though Aokiji had never issued such a document before, he crafted a handwritten letter of safe passage under Gustave's guidance, sealing it with his personal admiral's stamp.
Armed with the Eternal Pose and Aokiji's letter of recommendation, Gustave departed with his crew and their 406 million Berries shipbuilding fund, spirits high and ready for adventure.
As the Bamboo Staff sailed away from the G-3 branch, the marines gathered at the harbor walls, reluctant to see them go. Gustave had managed to completely win over the entire base with just one extraordinary meal.
The Eternal Pose proved far superior to traditional navigation methods. Where previously Gustave and his crew had constantly adjusted their course to compensate for the Grand Line's unpredictable currents and magnetic fields, they now simply followed the Pose's steady direction.
The One Piece world's vast oceans offered endless scenic beauty, and with their financial goals achieved, Gustave's crew sailed at a leisurely pace, savoring their comfortable journey.
On the fourth day after leaving the G-3 branch, they encountered an unexpected situation.
"Gustave! I see two ships engaged in battle at seven o'clock!" Ace called out from his position as lookout. "Based on their flags, it's Marine versus pirates!"
"What's the situation looking like, Ace?" Gustave asked, preparing to make tactical decisions based on the battle's current state.
"The Marine's in trouble! I can see pirates preparing to board their ship!"
Ace adjusted his telescope's magnification and confirmed that the Marine ship was indeed at a severe disadvantage.
"Tom, set course for seven o'clock! We're going to assist those marines!"
This presented an excellent opportunity to build goodwill with the Marine—and Gustave, ever the pragmatic businessman, suspected that any pirate crew capable of overwhelming a Marine ship probably carried a substantial bounty.
With their current combined strength, Gustave's crew could confidently engage any opponent short of a complete Emperor-level pirate crew. When encountering isolated pirate ships on the open sea, they had the power to challenge anyone. This was the confidence that came with having Po on their side!
Hearing Gustave's command, Tom immediately spun the wheel and adjusted their heading toward the battle.
For a moment, Tom reflected on how Gustave always seemed to give the orders during these situations, making him feel more like a helmsman than an equal crew member.
Feeling slightly indignant, Tom started walking toward Gustave to voice his concerns. However, after taking just a few steps, he heard the distinctive sound of fabric flapping in the wind.
Looking up, Tom spotted their ship's flag—bearing his own feline visage—rippling proudly in the breeze.
Suddenly, Tom felt a surge of captain-like authority. After all, the ship flew his image as its symbol, and who but the captain deserved such representation?
Satisfied with this realization, Tom returned to his position at the helm with renewed enthusiasm.
Gustave watched in bewilderment as Tom stomped away looking angry, glanced up at their cat-head flag, and then walked back with an expression of complete contentment. He had absolutely no idea what had just transpired in Tom's mysterious feline mind.