Right now, the only thing on the boss's mind was getting the hell out of there.
A pirate with a 540 million Berries bounty and a Marine Vice Admiral showing up at the same time—there's no way this was just a coincidence. They weren't here for small talk.
If a fight broke out, it would be catastrophic. The shop wouldn't stand a chance.
But the icy chill in the air made it impossible for him to even move.
Flare was in even worse shape than her father.
In that moment, she finally understood why her old man had been so tense and afraid from the very beginning.
"S-So scary..."
The Marine standing before her radiated such overwhelming pressure that it felt like a mountain was pressing down on her. Her whole body trembled, and the freezing cold seemed like it could encase her in ice at any second.
And if the Marine was this strong, the pirate probably wasn't far behind.
She had practically been dancing on a knife's edge just moments ago.
But just as Flare was about to collapse from the pressure, a wave of warmth wrapped around her like a gentle embrace, instantly melting away the chill in her body. In its place was a soothing, sun-like warmth.
Before she could even process it, a voice rang out, shattering the silence.
"Hey, Marine—if you're not here to fight, then stop acting so damn scary."
As the words fell, a wave of hot, intense energy burst from Yemu's body, clashing head-on with the cold aura at the entrance and surging straight toward the Marine.
Boom!
In an instant, the two opposing forces—one blazing, one freezing—visibly collided in the confined space, stirring up a powerful gust of wind that whipped through the restaurant.
But Flare had no time to worry about that.
Because in that moment, she realized something: that comforting warmth she felt just now... it came from the pirate standing in front of her.
"A pirate... is protecting me...?"
It was a direct blow to her worldview.
All her life, everything she'd seen and heard had painted pirates as purely evil. That was the lesson drilled into her by the Marines.
The ones she'd seen in Loguetown only confirmed it—ugly, cruel, savage brutes who did nothing but burn, kill, and loot.
And none of those scumbags even had bounties over 100 million.
So what kind of monster must a pirate with a 540 million Berries bounty be? According to the Marines, someone like that had to be the embodiment of evil.
But now...
As Flare stood there, struggling to make sense of it all...
Drip.
A soft sound echoed in her ears, followed by a cool sensation on her arm.
She looked down and saw a single drop of water forming on her pale skin.
Before she could say anything, her father suddenly shouted in a panic.
"Wh-What the hell is going on?!"
She turned to look at him and saw her old man staring up in terror. When she followed his gaze, she froze in shock.
Above their heads, over the roof of the restaurant, a thick blanket of dark clouds had gathered without warning. Raindrops were starting to fall, one after another.
The surreal sight left Flare completely speechless.
"This... How is this possible..."
Her old man finally came to his senses, murmuring in shock.
"Mera Mera no Mi... Hie Hie no Mi... Can powers like that really create a phenomenon like this...? So this is the might of Logia-type Devil Fruits... They can actually affect the weather…"
"No wonder he's worth 540 million Berries... and this Marine is terrifying too..."
"Devil Fruit..."
Flare seemed to recall something and asked quietly.
"Is it the same kind of power I have, old man...?"
But her father had no time to answer—because just then, the Marine's cold voice rang out.
"Ara ara... Who said I wasn't here to fight? Pirates like you, vicious and dangerous, are exactly the kind we Marines are tasked with capturing first."
The tension in the room immediately spiked. Their clash of forces reached a new height, and in the dark clouds overhead, lightning began to crackle, heralding an approaching storm.
But Yemu, unfazed, smiled.
"If the Marines were really here to arrest me, I doubt they'd send just one man."
Silence fell, cold and sharp, as the two locked eyes.
Then, as if someone had popped a soap bubble—pop.
The black clouds dispersed. The tension vanished. Sunlight streamed back into the restaurant, and it was like everything just now had been a dream.
Under Flare and her father's stunned gaze, the Marine seemed to change completely. The oppressive aura was gone, and he now looked laid-back and easygoing, scratching his head.
"Ara ara... What a pain... Looks like I really can't take you down alone after all..."
He walked inside casually, pulled out his wallet, and turned to Flare and her father.
"Sorry about earlier. I think I scared you both. Here—compensation."
But the boss waved his hands frantically, not daring to accept.
"No, no, it's fine! There wasn't any real damage..."
He put on a "sincere" smile, doing everything he could to avoid taking money from a Marine.
Kuzan looked visibly awkward.
Then Yemu chuckled and spoke.
"In that case, Marine, why not do what I'm doing? Join in as a judge for this cooking contest. Call it compensation for scaring the father and daughter."
Kuzan's gaze turned a bit strange as he looked at Yemu, visibly troubled.
"Just like Borsalino said... You pirates really are bold."
"So? You're refusing?"
Kuzan shook his head, his tone lazy.
"Admiral Sengoku ordered me to capture you. But if I can't, then I'm to monitor you instead. As long as I'm watching you and making sure you don't cause trouble, I don't think he'll fault me for sitting with a pirate. Besides... I'm actually pretty hungry right now."
Yemu burst into laughter, his eyes sharpening.
"Hahaha... You're way more interesting than Kizaru. Then allow me to reintroduce myself—Yemu, captain of the Sky Pirates."
Kuzan gave him a glance and replied in kind.
"Kuzan. Vice Admiral."
Then he sat right down beside Yemu without hesitation.
Seeing this, Yemu's grin widened.
"This really is turning into a party. So, Flare, was it? The future Pirate King and a Marine Vice Admiral judging your cooking contest—this kind of opportunity won't come around again. Are you in... hmm!?"
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Yemu turned to look toward the door, then smiled.
"Things just keep getting livelier... Looks like we've got another guest."
Right on cue, a breeze swept through the restaurant, and the battered door creaked open once more.
A man in a deep green coat stepped inside.
At the sight of him, Kuzan's brows furrowed. He called the name with slight discomfort.
"Dragon... Didn't expect to see you here too..."
The man—Dragon—grinned broadly.
"Long time no see, Kuzan. With something as monumental as the Pirate King's public execution, I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't witness it myself."
Then Dragon turned his eyes to Yemu beside Kuzan, his gaze alight with interest.
"So we finally meet—Captain of the Sky Pirates, the Most Evil One... Yemu."
Yemu returned the look with a grin.
"Didn't know I was so famous already. So, Dragon... how about joining this cooking contest as the third judge?"
Dragon pulled back his hood and laughed heartily.
"Of course. I'd be honored."
At that moment, Yemu, Kuzan, and Dragon sat side by side.
The scene looked like a world-famous painting—one that would shape the future of the entire world...
...
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