Chapter 183: Baroque Works Needs Talents Just Like You!
"So... what do we do with this okama now?"
Zoro poked the unconscious Bon Kurei, who was sprawled on the deck, with his scabbard.
The senior agent of Baroque Works lay in an extremely flamboyant pose, his face still wearing the pained expression from when Sanji's final heavy kick had struck him.
"Just wait for him to wake up on his own."
Sanji lit a cigarette and nudged the wooden barrel at his feet.
"With this level of skill, he won't be able to cause any trouble even if he wakes up."
He said it lightly, but the underlings on the Swanda Express didn't feel the same way.
They had watched their boss get taken down by a mere cook from the other ship in just a few moves, and now they were crowded by the railing, wanting to rush over and rescue him but not daring to.
After all, their boss was still being held as a "hostage" by the others.
The two ships drifted quietly on the sea, locked in a delicate stalemate.
"Then let's cook."
Sanji shrugged.
"It's mealtime anyway."
He said it so naturally, as if this wasn't a tense, hostile situation but just an ordinary afternoon.
He turned and walked toward the kitchen, patting the green-haired head's shoulder as he passed Zoro:
"Go, process that shark we just caught."
"Huh? Who are you to order me—"
Zoro instinctively retorted, but a few seconds later, the great white shark was reduced to pieces of fish meat under his blade.
The fish head fell into a prepared soup pot, the fish fillets were caught by Sanji and sprinkled with salt and pepper, and the fattiest belly meat was carefully separated to be made into sashimi.
Even the fish bones weren't wasted—Sanji deftly chopped them into sections and tossed them into another small pot with some unknown spices, preparing to simmer them into a broth.
"..."
One of the underlings on the Swanda Express rubbed his eyes.
"Using a famous sword to process ingredients? That's the Sandai Kitetsu!"
"What's the Sandai Kitetsu?"
His companion beside him asked blankly.
"It's a cursed demon sword that's said to bring misfortune to its owner! And now it's being used to cut fish!"
While they were still in shock, the aroma wafted over.
"Mealtime!"
At Sanji's call, the members of the Straw Hat Crew instinctively gathered around.
Mr. 2 Bon Kurei was suddenly left unguarded.
The crew of the Swanda Express suspected it might be a trap and still didn't dare to approach.
They watched the Straw Hats eat, their throats unconsciously moving.
The first to give in was their own ship's cook.
He tremblingly raised his hand:
"Um... could I try your soup? We'll pay with Berry!"
Sanji raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ralph.
Ralph was holding a bowl of fish soup, blowing on it. Hearing this, he looked up and smiled:
"Why pay? Come join us. After all... we're all friends, right?"
Those words seemed to flip a switch.
The crew of the Swanda Express looked at each other, and finally, someone took the first step—
Within minutes, a plank was laid between the two ships, and over twenty men who had been hungry all day swarmed onto the deck of the Going Merry.
"Delicious! How is this soup so flavorful?"
"This fish fillet... it's crispy on the outside but tender like tofu inside!"
"The sashimi! This sashimi with the dipping sauce is absolutely perfect!"
Sanji leaned against the kitchen door, smoking a cigarette, watching these ravenous guys, a smile unconsciously curling at the corner of his mouth.
Ralph sat down beside him with a bowl in hand and sighed with emotion:
"This is the power of food."
It was a pity his ambitions lay elsewhere, otherwise he would have definitely maxed out his culinary skills to create dishes that literally glowed.
He'd show the people of this world what real gourmet food was!
When the okama gentleman opened his eyes, his mind was still foggy.
His last memory was of that blond cook's fierce kick, and the sky he saw as he was sent flying.
"I am..."
He propped himself up and sat, then froze.
The scene before him made the now-conscious Bon Kurei wonder if he was still dreaming.
His underlings were currently squeezed together with the members of the Straw Hat Pirates, each holding a steaming bowl of fish soup, drinking it with blissful expressions.
"What... are you all... doing?"
Bon Kurei's voice was a bit hoarse.
Everyone turned to look at him in unison.
"Boss, you're awake!"
One of his underlings ran over with a bowl, "Come try this soup! It's super delicious!"
Bon Kurei looked at the bowl offered to him, then at the sincere face behind it, momentarily unsure how to react.
"Never mind the soup for now."
A voice spoke up.
Bon Kurei followed the sound. The speaker was that black-haired man.
Not the cook who defeated him, not the swordsman who looked fierce, but the ordinary-looking handsome guy who had been standing off to the side the whole time.
But Bon Kurei's intuition told him this man was the most troublesome one in the group.
Ralph walked over to Bon Kurei, crouched down, and met his eyes.
"Awake? Then let's talk."
Bon Kurei instinctively straightened his posture.
As a high-level agent who had long operated in the underworld, his sense for danger was sharp.
This man before him seemed gentle, but the look in his eyes... he couldn't read it.
"Who are you people?"
Bon Kurei forced himself to calm down,
"Sent by the Navy? Or is another organization targeting Baroque Works?"
Ralph didn't answer directly.
He stared at Bon Kurei for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.
"You're pretty good."
"Huh?"
Bon Kurei was stunned.
"I said, you're a pretty good person."
Ralph repeated, his tone sincere, "Loyal and righteous, you value friendship."
"And when the newly formed friendship clashed with the company's rules, you didn't hesitate to uphold the rules—even if it meant having to act against your 'friend'."
Bon Kurei blinked.
Was he... praising me?
But why did the content of this praise feel so strange?
Ralph continued:
"As a boss, I am deeply gratified. Baroque Works needs talents like you."
These words struck Bon Kurei's mind like a thunderbolt.
"B-boss?"
He stammered,
"You're the boss? Which Baroque Works? Don't lie to me, I just received orders—"
"The orders you received were to eliminate Mr. 3 and the other agents with him at Little Garden."
Ralph calmly took over, "Because the Alabasta mission no longer requires so many people, Crocodile decided to clean up the excess personnel."
"But you didn't find them at Little Garden, so Miss All Sunday directly recalled you."
"Am I right?"
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Bon Kurei's back.
Not just right.
How did this person know his mission!
How did this person know he hadn't found Mr. 3!
As for the reason for silencing them, even he didn't know—he was merely following orders.
Yet this man knew, even knew about Alabasta!
And the recall order for Miss All Sunday had only been transmitted via Den Den Mushi this morning!
How could this man know such details?
"..."
Bon Kurei's voice trembled slightly.