The day before the final match between Yamabuki and Rikkaidai was set to begin, new guests arrived at the Bamboo Staff once again.
In the third-floor computer room, the Red Hair Pirates were engaged in their latest heated argument about rotation schedules and fairness in gaming time allocation.
"Hey! If you people keep making this racket, don't even think about using the computer room again!" Gustave's irritated voice cut through the chaos. He'd finally managed to fall asleep for a few precious minutes of his lunch break when their bickering jolted him awake. His patience had reached its absolute limit.
Hearing genuine anger in Gustave's tone, the quarreling pirates immediately fell silent, exchanging nervous glances.
"Shanks, I'm talking to you - stop making all that noise!" Yasopp whispered urgently while tugging at his captain's sleeve.
"You're the one!" Shanks hissed back furiously. It had clearly been Yasopp making most of the racket just moments ago, but now he was trying to pin the blame on his captain? Did he have no respect for hierarchy whatsoever?
"Hmm?" Seeing the Red Hair Pirates about to resume their argument, Gustave let out a warning growl, practically breathing steam through his nostrils.
"Haha, we're leaving now, we're leaving!" Shanks laughed nervously, gathering the displaced crew members and beating a hasty retreat. He absolutely didn't dare provoke Gustave's wrath any further.
"Finally," Gustave sighed heavily after Shanks and his troublemakers departed. Those Red Hair Pirates were becoming far too disruptive for his liking.
At least now the source of the noise was gone. He stretched luxuriously and prepared to return to his interrupted nap.
But as he turned around, Gustave noticed that the Gate of All Worlds had opened just a crack.
"New guests," he murmured with interest.
The gap widened gradually, and a small head peeked through cautiously. The owner was a young girl with a distinctive bob haircut and unusual pink hair that made her absolutely adorable.
She continued leaning forward, emerging with the exaggerated stealth of a cartoon spy, clearly trying to be as sneaky as possible.
Suddenly, the girl let out a startled yelp. Another figure had appeared behind her through the Gate - a man in yellow tights and a cape. Most notably, he was completely bald.
"Ahhh!" The little girl scrambled backward in terror, her left foot tangling with her right as she tumbled to the floor.
"Little sister, are you okay?" Though the bald man expressed genuine concern and extended his hand to help, his completely expressionless face only frightened the child more.
"Ahhh! Don't kill Anya!" she wailed.
The little girl was Anya Forger, the protagonist of Spy x Family - a remarkable child who possessed the ability to read minds.
Seeing that Anya was on the verge of tears, the bald man scratched his shiny head in confusion. Had he done something wrong?
"Little sister, it's alright. Don't be afraid - that big brother means you no harm," came a gentle male voice.
Anya looked up through her tears to see an older boy with a warm smile extending his hand toward her with obvious kindness.
At that moment, her telepathic powers activated automatically, and she heard Gustave's inner thoughts:
I didn't expect two guests to arrive through the Gate simultaneously. One of them is Saitama-sensei! But who's this little girl? I don't recognize her from any anime I've watched.
Well, let me help this child up first. Saitama-sensei's dead fish eyes and blank expression could easily terrify any kid to tears.
"My name is Anya. Anya Forger," she said quietly, accepting Gustave's outstretched hand.
How perceptive this kid is! She introduced herself before I even asked for her name. That's helpful - saves me some trouble, Gustave thought with pleasant surprise. Of course, if he'd actually watched Spy x Family, he might not have been quite so impressed.
"Hello, Anya. My name is Gustave, but you can call me Brother Gustave. Welcome to the Bamboo Staff," he said aloud, helping her to her feet with a reassuring smile.
"Bamboo Staff? Where exactly is this place?" Saitama asked with his characteristic flat delivery. He distinctly remembered watching television coverage of a supermarket discount sale and preparing to go shopping. But the moment he'd opened his apartment door, he'd found himself in this strange location and had nearly scared a small child to death.
"The Bamboo Staff is the name of this ship..." Gustave began explaining the restaurant's unique nature and interdimensional capabilities to both newcomers.
"How incredible! A restaurant that sails the seas!" Saitama exclaimed with what passed for enthusiasm, though his expression remained utterly deadpan.
"Waku waku! Waku waku!" Anya's reaction was far more animated. She stared at Gustave with sparkling eyes full of wonder. A floating restaurant? This was the kind of thing that only existed in television dramas! Had she somehow entered a TV show?
"I've been talking for quite a while, but I still don't know your name," Gustave said, addressing the bald hero directly. Though he already knew Saitama's identity, proper introductions were still necessary.
"Hello, my name is Saitama, and I'm a hero!" the caped man replied, grasping Gustave's hand and shaking it with robotic precision.
Anya looked between them with confusion. Through her telepathy, she knew Gustave already knew Saitama's name, so why bother with this charade? However, her extensive experience as an observer of adult behavior taught her to watch the awkward handshaking in silence.
"Saitama, Anya, this isn't really the best place for conversation. How about we head downstairs and look around?"
"I'm fine with that," Saitama agreed.
"Anya thinks that's good too!" the little girl chimed in.
Gustave led both guests down to the main deck level.
"Wow, so beautiful!" The moment she reached the first floor, Anya was immediately captivated by the stunning ocean scenery visible through the large windows. Completely forgetting her earlier fright, she rushed to the viewing area to admire the endless expanse of blue water.
While Saitama's reaction was far more subdued than Anya's exuberant response, even his eternally stoic expression showed subtle changes - shifting from his usual simple comedy style to something approaching genuine interest.
"Brother Gustave, what's that? A giant panda? Like the ones on TV?" Anya had wandered from one side of the ship to the other and spotted Po conducting training exercises with Chu Zihang.
"Yes, that's a giant panda. His name is Po, and like me, he's one of this ship's..." Gustave walked over with an amused smile, but his explanation was interrupted by a commotion nearby.
Shanks and several other Red Hair Pirates had formed a circle around Tom and Jerry, who were locked in an intense arm-wrestling contest on a makeshift table.
"Come on, Jerry! Crush that cat!"
"Tom, you can't lose now! Beat Jerry and I'll give you half my winnings from the Shanks bet!"
The Red Hair Pirates who'd been denied computer access had apparently decided to find entertainment elsewhere. Upon discovering Tom and Jerry in the middle of another rivalry contest, this group of idle troublemakers had suggested settling their eternal conflict through arm wrestling - and naturally started a gambling operation around the outcome.
"These guys really have too much free time," Gustave muttered, slapping his forehead in exasperation. He quickly guided Anya away from the scene. Children shouldn't be exposed to Shanks and his crew's questionable influence. Gambling was definitely not appropriate behavior to model.
"Brother Gustave, why are you pulling Anya away? It looked really exciting over there!" the little girl asked with obvious disappointment.
"Anya, you just arrived here - you must be hungry, right? Come on, Brother Gustave will get you something to eat," he said, deflecting her attention with practiced ease.
"Saitama, Anya's going to have a meal. Would you like to join us?"
Gustave had correctly identified that food would be an excellent distraction for the energetic child.
"Well..." Saitama hesitated when he heard the invitation. He was definitely tempted, but his wallet contained precious little money, and restaurants this impressive were undoubtedly expensive.
"It's my treat - completely free!" Gustave announced cheerfully.
"I'm in!" Saitama's eyes suddenly blazed with the determination of a soldier heading into battle. Free food was an offer no hero could refuse.