Despite Tom's heartfelt gratitude, Gustave couldn't accept the shipwright's generous offer to waive all construction costs. While the legendary craftsman had refused payment for his labor, the materials alone—everything except the Treasure Tree Adam keel—represented Tom's entire collection and life savings.
After careful calculation, they determined that the Bamboo Staff's material costs totaled 590 million berries. Gustave rounded up to an even 600 million, which happened to match exactly what he'd extracted from Spandine's blackmail fund. The poetic justice of using CP5's money to pay for their restaurant felt particularly satisfying.
Two days had passed since Chu Zihang's emotional meal and departure, with no sign of his return. The Gate of All Worlds' protective mechanisms meant Gustave couldn't simply visit the teenager's world uninvited—according to the rules, hosts required both guest consent and a guided first visit before gaining independent access to other dimensions.
Growing restless waiting for their first interdimensional customer to return, Gustave decided it was time to head back to the East Blue. After heartfelt farewells to Tom, Franky, and Iceberg, the Bamboo Staff crew departed Water 7.
During their stay, Luffy and Franky had become fast friends—a bond that seemed almost destined by the world itself. Their shared enthusiasm for wild inventions and reckless stunts made them natural companions.
With no pressing destination, Gustave chose not to activate the ship's electrical propulsion system. Instead, they drifted peacefully across the Grand Line under sail power alone, enjoying the leisurely journey home.
Two days into their voyage, Ace—serving as their morning lookout—accepted the daily newspaper from a particularly grumpy News Coo.
"Damn bird! The price went up again!" Ace grumbled, forced to pay extra berries when the seagull refused his usual payment. But his irritation evaporated the moment he saw the headline.
"Gustave! Major news!" he shouted, racing toward the kitchen with the paper clutched in his hands.
"What's got you so excited?" Gustave asked, wiping flour from his hands as he accepted the newspaper.
The bold headline screamed across the front page: "KAIDO RAIDS IMPEL DOWN!"
Gustave's eyebrows rose as he read the shocking report: Admiral Aokiji had personally escorted Jack the Drought to Impel Down prison when Kaido himself had suddenly appeared. The Yonko had launched a devastating assault on the underwater fortress, successfully extracting his subordinate despite the combined efforts of Warden Magellan and Aokiji to stop him.
"Mon dieu," Gustave muttered. "Kaido actually had the audacity to attack Impel Down directly. That's either brilliant strategy or complete madness."
Before he could process the implications further, his Den Den Mushi began ringing. The caller's lazy expression immediately identified Kizaru.
"Moshi moshi, is Gustave there?" the snail drawled in perfect imitation of the Admiral's distinctive speech pattern.
"Speaking," Gustave replied with obvious annoyance. The sight of that familiar face reminded him of 400 million berries and countless free meals. "What do you want?"
"Did you see the news about Kaido's little prison break?" Kizaru asked with obvious amusement.
"Just read about it. What's the situation?"
"According to Marine intelligence, Kaido is heading toward the first half of the Grand Line," Kizaru continued, his tone carrying unmistakable glee. "We think he might be looking for you specifically."
"Oh no, how terrifying!" Gustave replied with exaggerated terror. "Admiral Borsalino, please come save us immediately!"
"I'd love to help, really, but I'm stuck at Marineford," Kizaru said with mock regret. "It would take me several days to reach your position."
"Several days?" Gustave scoffed. "The same man who arrives at my restaurant five minutes after his shift ends suddenly needs days to travel? How convenient."
"Oops, terrible signal out here," Kizaru said quickly. "I'm breaking up—gotta go!"
The line went dead, leaving Gustave staring at the now-silent snail.
"Next time you show up for dinner, I'm charging you double," he muttered darkly.
"Is Kaido really coming for us?" Ace asked, his voice tight with concern. During his time with Gustave's crew, he'd learned exactly who the world's most dangerous individuals were—and Kaido definitely ranked among the absolute strongest.
"Don't worry," Gustave said, ruffling the teenager's hair reassuringly. "Po and I can handle whatever comes our way."
If the entire Beast Pirates were mobilizing, Gustave would seriously consider seeking backup from the nearest Marine base. But Kizaru's casual attitude suggested Kaido was operating alone—possibly with the recently freed Jack at most. A full pirate crew assault would have triggered massive Marine responses long before reaching their position.
Just Kaido and perhaps Jack? With Po's growing mastery of advanced Haki and Gustave's own Rumble-Rumble Fruit powers, they could definitely give the Yonko a fight he wouldn't forget.
"Still," Gustave mused aloud, "Bamboo Staff is my treasure. I should find somewhere safe to dock her before this confrontation."
Fighting Kaido on the open ocean risked damaging their beautiful new restaurant—an unacceptable outcome.
"Po, Tom—keep watch over the ship," Gustave called out. "I'm going to scout for the nearest island. We need a safe harbor before our uninvited guest arrives."
His Den Den Mushi rang again almost immediately. This time, Garp's boisterous voice filled the air.
"Gustave! Heard about the Kaido situation!" the Vice Admiral bellowed cheerfully. "When he shows up, you and Po need to beat him senseless! I want the whole world knowing Garp's apprentices can pound Yonko into the ground! Think of how I can lord that over Sengoku and Zephyr!"
Unlike Kizaru's lazy warning, Garp's first instinct was encouraging his students to thoroughly humiliate one of the world's strongest pirates. The news had reached him later at the G-3 base, but his priorities remained characteristically straightforward.
After ending Garp's enthusiastic call, Gustave transformed into lightning and began searching for suitable land. His electrical form allowed rapid reconnaissance across vast ocean distances.
Fortune smiled on the Bamboo Staff—within an hour, Gustave located a perfect uninhabited island roughly two square kilometers in size. Most importantly, its shoreline featured the ideal combination of shallow approaches and deep water anchorage, creating a natural harbor.
However, while Gustave was away scouting locations, an unexpected visitor arrived through the Gate of All Worlds.
Luffy had been conducting his own unauthorized exploration of the third floor. Despite Gustave's clear instructions that the guest quarters were off-limits, the young man's curiosity had gotten the better of him. With everyone else focused on the Kaido threat, he'd snuck upstairs to examine the mysterious guest rooms.
He was in the middle of trying to open one of the doors when another door behind him suddenly swung open with a distinctive creak.
The sound echoed through the empty corridor like something from a horror movie. Luffy froze, his hand still on the door handle, as his imagination ran wild. Not that he feared ghosts—Luffy didn't really understand what ghosts were supposed to be—but he was terrified that Gustave had returned and caught him red-handed.
"Gustave, I'm sorry!" he blurted out, slowly turning around with obvious guilt. "I know I shouldn't have come up here and tried to break into the rooms..."
But when he completed his turn, the person standing in the doorway wasn't Gustave at all—it was someone he'd never seen before.