After everyone had gathered around the dining table, Gustave ceremoniously lifted the lid of the large casserole, releasing an incredible aroma that immediately filled the entire outdoor dining area with the rich, complex scents of the seafood crab hot pot.
"Mmm, it smells absolutely divine!" Shin-chan exclaimed, practically lying across the table as he gazed longingly at the tempting crab pieces nestled in the casserole, drool beginning to form at the corners of his mouth.
His complete adoration for Gustave's culinary skills was written across his face in the most obvious manner possible.
"Shin-chan, you cannot behave like this! Show some proper manners!" Misae scolded upon witnessing her son's embarrassing table behavior.
"Yes, Mom!" came Shin-chan's surprisingly compliant response.
It was genuinely rare to see Shin-chan refrain from arguing with Misae. After hearing her reprimand, he actually sat down obediently without any of his usual protests or negotiations.
"Has Shin-chan undergone a personality transformation today? It's incredibly unusual to witness such well-behaved conduct from him!" Gustave teased with obvious amusement at this unexpected development.
"I'm always a very well-behaved person!" Shin-chan replied with innocent embarrassment, touching his head and smiling sheepishly.
Though Gustave couldn't quite understand what Shin-chan found embarrassing about this simple statement.
"Everyone, please stop staring and begin eating! The crab hot pot won't taste nearly as good once it gets cold!" Gustave urged, noticing that everyone was still admiring the food rather than actually consuming it.
"But..." Hiroshi hesitated, glancing uncertainly toward the Moral Lord.
Since such a distinguished elder was present at their table, proper etiquette dictated that they couldn't begin eating until he had taken the first bite.
"It's perfectly fine. I don't concern myself with such ceremonial formalities," the Moral Lord assured them with a gentle smile. "Please proceed exactly as you normally would."
"My master truly doesn't care about those traditional protocols," Gustave confirmed, observing that everyone still seemed reluctant to begin. "If no one else wants to eat, I'll gladly start first."
Seeing that no one dared make the initial move, Gustave picked up half a crab and began eating with obvious enjoyment.
Once everyone witnessed Gustave eating and confirmed that the Moral Lord genuinely didn't mind, they hurriedly began serving themselves from the aromatic crab hot pot.
"Wow, Mr. Gustave's culinary skills are truly exceptional!" Hiroshi declared after placing a piece of perfectly seasoned potato in his mouth. "This is better than anything Misae cooks. No wonder Shin-chan can't stop thinking about your food!"
"Oh?" Misae's eyes widened dangerously upon hearing Hiroshi's tactless comparison.
"Haha, I was just joking! Just joking!" Hiroshi immediately realized his mistake and began apologizing with nervous laughter, recognizing the warning signs in his wife's expression.
"Hahaha! Hiroshi is always like that—please don't take him seriously," Misae responded with a bright smile, as if she hadn't just been glaring at her husband with murderous intent moments earlier.
"But speaking of culinary excellence, Mr. Gustave not only prepares delicious dishes, but also cooks rice with perfectly distinct grains that possess a unique and wonderful flavor," Misae observed after taking a bite of the accompanying rice.
"Yes, absolutely! I have no idea how Mr. Gustave prepares his rice, but it tastes infinitely better than anything we usually cook at home," Kazama's mother agreed enthusiastically.
"This superior result is primarily because I use a traditional steamer to cook the rice, which naturally produces a much better taste and texture than conventional methods," Gustave explained with a modest smile.
"A steamer?" Both Misae and Kazama's mother repeated the unfamiliar term with obvious confusion.
"It's a specialized cooking implement with a unique design. I'll be happy to show both of you how it works after we finish our meal," Gustave offered generously.
Not only were Misae and Kazama's mother unfamiliar with steamers, but even many people remained unaware of this traditional cooking method, so their lack of knowledge was completely understandable.
"That would be wonderful! Thank you so much for offering to teach us, Mr. Gustave," Misae responded with genuine enthusiasm.
As a dedicated housewife whose primary responsibilities involved caring for children and managing household shopping, she possessed very few hobbies beyond domestic skills, making this culinary education particularly appealing.
"Chan'er, please eat this chicken drumstick," Kazama's mother said warmly, selecting a perfectly cooked piece and placing it carefully in Yang Chan's bowl.
"Thank you, Auntie," Yang Chan replied with her characteristically sweet smile.
"Chan'er is so incredibly well-behaved," Misae sighed wistfully. "It would be absolutely wonderful if Himawari could be as perfectly mannered as Chan'er when she grows up."
Misae found herself genuinely wishing her own daughter possessed Yang Chan's naturally gentle temperament.
"Yes, exactly! Himawari is usually far too mischievous, constantly stealing toys and food away from me," Shin-chan agreed wholeheartedly with his mother's assessment.
"Gah gah gah!" Himawari protested vigorously upon hearing both Misae and Shin-chan's criticisms, slapping her small hands against her high chair to demonstrate her obvious dissatisfaction.
Her baby expressions clearly communicated: "How could I possibly be naughty? I'm an excellent person!"
However, there were precisely two and a half people who could completely control Shin-chan's behavior. The first was Nanako, whom Shin-chan obeyed without question. The half-person was Misae, who relied primarily on physical suppression to maintain discipline. The remaining full person was Himawari herself, who possessed the mysterious ability to dominate Shin-chan in virtually every aspect of their sibling relationship.
Witnessing Himawari's indignant protests, everyone at the table burst into delighted laughter.
Amid the general atmosphere of laughter and joy, lunch concluded quite rapidly. When Luffy returned from his rescue mission, someone finally took responsibility for washing dishes, which made Gustave extremely happy about this development.
While Luffy diligently cleaned the dishes in the kitchen, Gustave spent time introducing the steamer and demonstrating proper rice-steaming techniques to both Misae and Kazama's mother.
Both women listened attentively and nodded thoughtfully throughout his explanation, having never encountered this particular cooking method before.
Unfortunately, there were no extra steamers available aboard the ship, so Misae and the others could only photograph the equipment with their mobile phones and arrange to have replicas constructed after returning to their own world.
Shin-chan and his entire group remained at the Bamboo Staff restaurant for several enjoyable hours before finally departing. After all, they could return whenever they desired, since the Gate of All Worlds existed within both Shin-chan and Kazama's consciousness, making visits more convenient than simply going next door to see neighbors.
Within a few days, the Bamboo Staff restaurant would sail completely out of the Grand Line and return to the familiar waters of the East Blue.
On this particular day, the Bamboo Staff encountered an unusually severe storm system.
Ace spotted the ominous dark clouds gathering in the distance from his observation post. At his urgent warning, Gustave and the others quickly secured all the outdoor furniture, chairs, and benches on the deck. Tom was immediately awakened from his nap and rushed to the pilot house to take control of their navigational direction.
BOOM! BOOM!
Thunder rumbled menacingly across the sky, and suddenly torrential rain began falling in heavy sheets.
Gustave watched through the window as raindrops struck the glass with increasing intensity. To be completely honest, he found this atmospheric quite appealing and comforting.
In the past, Gustave had enjoyed watching videos of people camping in rainstorms before going to sleep. Observing individuals in these videos as they set up tents during downpours, lit portable stoves, cooked simple meals, and settled down to sleep while listening to the rhythmic sound of rain outside had always provided him with a special sense of security and peace.
Therefore, Gustave genuinely appreciated rainy weather. There was something indescribably satisfying about taking shelter inside a house or vehicle while rain fell outside.
While Gustave was absorbed in watching the rain, Chu Zihang also approached and joined him in observing the weather outside. As the sky grew increasingly dark, with lightning flashing and thunder crashing overhead, Chu Zihang's thoughts began drifting to distant memories.
"Are you thinking about your father?" Gustave's voice suddenly sounded beside Chu Zihang's ear, cutting through his contemplation.
"It's nothing," Chu Zihang replied with a shake of his head, dismissing the inquiry.
"Rainy days are particularly suitable for practicing Observation Haki," Gustave observed thoughtfully. "Close your eyes and listen carefully to the wind and rain outside."
Gustave settled into a cross-legged meditation position on the floor, closed his eyes, and began sensing the storm surrounding them.
Seeing this demonstration, Chu Zihang followed suit, assuming the same cross-legged position and beginning to feel the wind and rain outside through enhanced perception.
The wind and rain over the open ocean were completely different from terrestrial weather patterns. The rain was intensifying rapidly, the wind and waves were growing stronger by the minute, and the Bamboo Staff restaurant was being tossed violently by the increasingly turbulent conditions.
Gustave enjoyed rain, but he definitely didn't appreciate the nauseating rocking sensation. Startled by a particularly violent wave, Gustave looked at the chaotic conditions outside and instinctively prepared to deploy his electromagnetic shield. However, when he noticed Chu Zihang still sitting with eyes closed in deep concentration, he stopped with his hands halfway raised.
Tom piloted the Bamboo Staff through the wind and waves with remarkable skill, demonstrating his exceptional navigational abilities. If this had been an ordinary ship, it would likely have capsized in such conditions long ago. However, under Tom's expert control, the Bamboo Staff not only continued breaking through the waves but actually became increasingly stable. The restaurant and the massive ocean swells achieved a unique kind of dynamic balance.
Suddenly, Chu Zihang opened his eyes and announced with a triumphant smile:
"I can feel it! The Observation Haki training was successful!"
"Excellent! Since you've succeeded, we should definitely leave the center of this storm system!" Gustave declared with satisfaction.
Seeing that Chu Zihang had successfully developed his Observation Haki abilities, Gustave deployed his electromagnetic shield and propelled the Bamboo Staff forward at tremendous speed.
Tom, who had been maintaining their course at the helm, noticed that the electromagnetic shield was now active. He released a satisfied yawn and returned to his quarters to catch up on his interrupted sleep.
After a relatively short time, the Bamboo Staff had completely escaped the storm system. The rain gradually became lighter and lighter, the sky began clearing dramatically, and brilliant sunshine illuminated the restaurant's deck once again, causing the entire ship to sparkle magnificently in the golden light.
Then, as if by magic, a rainbow appeared across the sky. Gustave lifted Yang Chan in his arms and flew up to get a closer look, returning shortly afterward with obvious delight. Soon, other members of their group also took flight to admire the spectacular rainbow, which had formed a perfect bridge across the heavens.
This extraordinary scene happened to be witnessed by a lone figure in the distance, whose small sampan suddenly accelerated and began heading directly toward the Bamboo Staff restaurant with obvious purpose and determination.