"Brother Gustave, we conquer the worlds!" Shin-chan announced loudly as soon as he emerged through the Gate of All Worlds, immediately rushing down the stairs while shouting with characteristic enthusiasm.
"Shin-chan, the correct phrase is 'we're back!'" Kazama corrected with his typical attention to proper grammar, following close behind his energetic friend.
"I know perfectly well—you're back!" Shin-chan replied with an expression that suggested this was the most obvious statement in the world.
"Shin-chan, show some politeness when you're visiting someone else's home!" Misae scolded upon witnessing her son's casual behavior.
Her maternal irritation activated her signature magical technique—the dreaded head-spinning attack that she deployed with devastating precision.
"Mom, I was wrong! I'm sorry!" Shin-chan cried out in immediate submission.
What Shin-chan feared most in the entire universe was Misae's legendary spinning technique. After being subjected to this maternal discipline, he always apologized with lightning speed.
Hearing the commotion from below, Gustave approached the staircase to investigate and discovered Shin-chan receiving punishment from Misae in the middle of their reunion.
Misae felt embarrassed about using her disciplinary techniques in front of their host. She quickly ceased her spinning attack, forced a polite smile, and performed a formal bow while expressing her gratitude:
"You must be Mr. Gustave, correct? Shin-chan and Himawari caused you considerable trouble during their previous visit."
Gustave felt genuinely uncomfortable with such formal treatment, so he quickly stepped forward to help Misae rise from her bow:
"Please don't be so ceremonious! Shin-chan and the others simply shared a meal with us—there's absolutely no need for such formality."
"That's right, Mom! I just had a meal here," Shin-chan chimed in, completely oblivious to the social nuances of the situation.
"Oh!" Misae responded ominously, turning her head to fix Shin-chan with a murderous glare that promised future consequences.
"Mom, I think I'll go play with Po and the others now," Shin-chan announced nervously, finally recognizing the danger signals and slowly backing away while searching for a convenient excuse to escape.
"Oh my, I'm so terribly sorry for that display," Misae said with an embarrassed chuckle after Shin-chan had fled the scene, covering her mouth with obvious mortification.
Gustave couldn't help but sigh with amused recognition as he witnessed the lightning-fast transformation in their emotional dynamic. This represented the classic interaction pattern between Shin-chan and Misae that he remembered so well. Although Kazama had observed such scenes countless times, he still broke out in nervous perspiration whenever these family conflicts erupted.
At this moment, Hiroshi, Kazama's mother, Kizaru, Chu Zihang, baby Himawari, Luffy, and Ace also descended the stairs to join the reunion.
"Mother!" Kazama called out immediately upon seeing his parent, running forward with obvious joy.
"Mom, this is Brother Gustave that I told you so much about," Kazama announced, taking his mother's hand and performing the introduction with characteristic politeness.
"Kazama and his friends truly caused you considerable trouble during their last visit," Kazama's mother said with gentle courtesy.
Unlike Misae, Kazama's mother not only appeared gentle and refined, but also spoke with consistently soft and measured tones.
Of course, Misae had once been equally gentle and patient, but after years of raising Shin-chan, she could no longer suppress her natural temperament under such constant provocation.
"Not at all! I simply prepared a meal for everyone," Gustave replied with genuine warmth.
"Hello, Mr. Gustave. I'm Nohara Hiroshi, Shin-chan's father," Hiroshi announced, extending his hand in formal greeting.
"Hello, Mr. Hiroshi. It's a pleasure to meet you," Gustave responded, clasping Hiroshi's hand with sincere appreciation.
"Hiroshi, hurry up and present the gifts we brought!" Misae whispered urgently, delivering a strategic pinch to Hiroshi's waist.
"Yes, of course! Mr. Gustave, these are some local specialties we brought with us from our world. Please accept them as a token of our gratitude," Hiroshi explained, gathering several carefully wrapped packages and presenting them to Gustave.
"This is far too generous of you," Gustave protested with appropriate embarrassment.
Despite his polite objections, he accepted the packages that Hiroshi offered. He genuinely appreciated courteous people like Hiroshi who understood proper social etiquette.
Meanwhile, Kazama's mother also presented her own carefully selected gifts, which Gustave naturally accepted with gracious smiles and heartfelt thanks.
"Ace, Luffy," Gustave called out after finishing the gift exchange, directly addressing the two young men.
"What is it, Uncle Gustave? We literally just returned!" Luffy complained with obvious reluctance as he accepted one of the bags that Gustave handed to him.
"By the way, Ace, did you encounter anything particularly entertaining during your stay?" Gustave inquired while passing another bag to Ace.
"Yes, Uncle Gustave! When we visited Kasukabe, we experienced many wonderful activities, especially the video game arcade that Shin-chan took us to one day. That was absolutely incredible!" Ace replied enthusiastically, his eyes lighting up as he recalled the electronic entertainment.
"Really? Since you both enjoyed it so much, I could consider purchasing some gaming equipment to install here on the Bamboo Staff restaurant," Gustave mused with calculated casualness.
"Of course, who gets to use the games after I buy them will depend entirely on their behavior and work performance."
"Uncle Gustave, I promise I'll work incredibly hard!" Luffy declared immediately.
Before Ace could even respond, Luffy had snatched the bag from his brother's hands, demonstrating his newfound dedication to diligent labor.
"Little guy, I can definitely manage you effectively," Gustave chuckled, knowing exactly how to motivate Luffy through strategic incentives.
Witnessing this amusing exchange, everyone present burst into laughter—everyone except Luffy, who remained completely confused about why his earnest dedication was generating such amusement.
Observing his perpetually clueless brother, Ace thought to himself: "That's it—I've completely given up hope for him."
"Hahaha! You haven't eaten yet, have you? Since everyone's here together, how about I prepare a special meal for the entire group?" Gustave suggested with generous hospitality.
"No, no! We already had breakfast this morning before making the journey," Hiroshi protested quickly, not wanting to impose further on their gracious host.
"That's perfectly fine! We can have lunch after breakfast—it's never too early for good food. Let everyone experience my cooking firsthand," Gustave insisted with warm enthusiasm.
"Don't you agree, Himawari?" he added, playfully addressing the baby nestled in Chu Zihang's protective arms.
Ever since her first encounter with Chu Zihang, Himawari had become completely attached to him. Except during feeding times and sleep, Chu Zihang essentially carried her everywhere they went.
"Yeah!" Himawari agreed with Gustave's assessment through enthusiastic babbling.
Therefore, under Gustave's leadership, the entire group proceeded to the outdoor dining area located on the ship's deck.
When Gustave and his friends arrived at the outdoor restaurant space, they discovered Shin-chan energetically circling around the Moral Lord, while Po, Tom, and Yang Chan observed nearby with obvious interest.
Shin-chan had never encountered anyone quite like the Moral Lord before. The combination of traditional Taoist robes, distinguished white hair, and flowing white beard immediately captured his boundless curiosity and fascination.
The Moral Lord was equally intrigued by Shin-chan, because he could sense the powerful threads of destiny and world-favor surrounding the boy. Such individuals always attracted the attention of cosmic entities like himself.
"The gentleman playing with Shin-chan is my master, and the little girl beside him is my brother's sister, Chan'er," Gustave explained to the newcomers.
"As for the other two friends, I believe everyone already knows them from Kazama and Shin-chan's descriptions—they are Po and Tom."
When the parents heard that the Moral Lord was Gustave's master, Hiroshi, Misae, and Kazama's mother immediately hurried forward to offer proper respects. Chu Zihang and Kizaru followed their example, though both remained internally confused about when Gustave had acquired such a distinguished teacher.
"We are honored to meet the master," Hiroshi, Misae, and Kazama's mother declared in unison, performing appropriate bows of respect.
"Haha! You must be Shin-chan's family members," the Moral Lord responded with genuine warmth and amusement.
"This child causes you so much trouble," Hiroshi said quickly, assuming parental responsibility for any potential misbehavior.
"Not at all! Shin-chan and I get along wonderfully. I find him absolutely delightful," the Moral Lord assured them, expressing his sincere fondness for children like Shin-chan.
"Did you hear that, Dad? Grandpa likes me very much, and I haven't caused him any trouble at all!" Shin-chan protested with obvious indignation.
He felt genuinely frustrated that Hiroshi and Misae always assumed he was problematic whenever they met new people, despite his obvious popularity with everyone he encountered!
"Hahaha!" the Moral Lord laughed heartily upon hearing Shin-chan's spirited defense.
Even without the boy's special world-favor, he would still appreciate such naturally honest and unguarded individuals.
At this moment, Misae and Kazama's mother noticed Yang Chan, who had been hiding shyly behind Po while observing everyone with obvious timidity.
"What an absolutely adorable child! Are you Chan'er? May auntie give you a hug?" Misae asked with genuine maternal warmth.
Yang Chan was undeniably precious, and with Tom and Po's special attention to her clothing and appearance, she inspired immediate protective instincts in anyone who saw her. This was especially true for mothers like Misae and Kazama's parent, who felt instant affection for the vulnerable little girl.
Although Yang Chan had learned to accept Gustave and his crew, she remained somewhat fearful of strangers like Misae.
"Chan'er, it's perfectly safe. This auntie is a very kind person," Po assured her gently.
"That's absolutely right! Auntie is definitely not a bad person," Misae confirmed with vigorous nodding and encouraging smiles.
Observing this interaction, Yang Chan looked questioningly at Po and Tom, then turned her gaze toward the Moral Lord for guidance.
"Chan'er, Shin-chan's mother is indeed a good person. You can trust her," the Moral Lord confirmed with gentle authority.
If Yang Chan's favorite people were Po and Tom, then the person she obeyed most completely was The Moral Lord—after all, he was her second brother's revered master.
After receiving the Moral Lord's endorsement, Yang Chan slowly emerged from behind Po's protective bulk. When Misae extended her welcoming arms, Yang Chan allowed herself to be embraced.
"Chan'er is absolutely precious," Misae declared with obvious delight.
"Yes, Chan'er is so incredibly sweet. I wish I had a daughter exactly like you," Kazama's mother added with genuine longing and admiration.