Chapter 27 Sanji's Daily LifeAs dawn broke, Luffy sat cross-legged at the bow of the Going Merry.
His eyes were closed, but his Observation Haki, like an invisible spiderweb, seeped into the deep blue sea.
Last night, he had sensed a vibrant life force lingering at the confluence of specific ocean currents deep within this area.
"Awake?" Luffy suddenly spoke, his voice clear in the morning sea breeze.
A rustling sound came from behind him. Nami rubbed her eyes and emerged from the cabin, her orange hair sticking up in sleep. "What are you doing so early…?"
"Fishing," Luffy said, his right arm suddenly stretching like rubber, plunging into the sea like a giant black python, so fast it left only a blur in the air.
His arm plunged dozens of meters underwater, precisely navigating the undercurrents, instantly catching a glimmer of silver-blue light.
Splash—!
A splash erupted as a giant fish, nearly a meter long, was pulled from the water, struggling wildly with its tail thrashing, creating a whooshing sound.
"Wow, what a huge fish!" Nami exclaimed, instantly snapping out of her daze, her eyes wide.
Luffy retracted his arm, his dark Armament Haki covering it, and gently tapped the fish three inches behind its gills.
The giant fish shuddered and immediately stiffened.
Luffy, holding the fish by the tail, examined his still slightly twitching prey, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Moon Silver Snapper. It tastes best within three days of the full moon. Its bone marrow has a slight nourishing effect. Kaya needs this."
Luffy muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping over the bright red gills and the clear eyes.
Nami leaned closer, her money-grubbing instincts kicking in as she quickly estimated the price: "This fish...it looks incredibly expensive! It'd probably fetch over a million Berries at the high-end fish market in Loguetown, right?"
"It's for breakfast."
Luffy, carrying the fish, headed towards the kitchen. He stopped as he passed Nami, his other hand naturally wrapping around her waist, and gently tapped her still-sleepy cheek.
"Go wake up Nojiko and Kaya. We're going to Baratie today, it's on me."
Nami blushed, muttering "Who asked for your treat?" but her eyes sparkled, and she skipped off to fetch them.
Fifteen minutes later, the four of them boarded the Baratie deck.
The restaurant had just opened in the early morning. Sanji was wiping glasses behind the bar when he heard the door open. Looking up, his gaze fell upon the three women—
"Ahhh!!!"
Sanji sprang out from behind the bar like a spring, stopping precisely in front of the three women in an almost sliding kneeling motion. Three roses, glistening with morning dew, had appeared in his hands, his eyes sparkling with hearts:
"This must be a gift from the Sea God! Three goddesses have descended upon me in the morning light!!"
Luffy, holding a fish, stood behind, watching Sanji's performance, his face expressionless.
Luffy didn't speak, but simply took half a step forward, placing himself between Sanji and Nami, and tossed the still-dripping moonfish onto the floor at Sanji's feet with a "thud."
The dull thud of the fish tail hitting the ground interrupted Sanji.
Sanji's bright smile vanished instantly, replaced by undisguised disdain. He glanced at the fish on the ground, then swept his eyes over Luffy:
"Oh, it's you. Put the fish in the kitchen sink, don't get the blood on the deck."
Luffy replied, "This is a Moon Silver Snapper, a specialty of the deep-sea currents that converge after the full moon. Every year at this time, there are no more than ten in the East Blue. Its marrow is incredibly effective for those who are weak and anemic."
Sanji paused, his hand stilling as he bent down to pick up the fish. He looked down again, scrutinizing it closely.
The silver-blue gradient scales, the perfect streamlined shape, the distinctive golden-red hue around the gills… it was indeed a Moon Silver Snapper!
And a top-quality adult!
This fish is not only rare, but also requires extremely precise handling. More importantly, knowledge about its medicinal properties is considered obscure even within the culinary world. How did this Straw Hat kid know so much about it?
Sanji looked up, scrutinizing Luffy again, his eyes lessening their previous disdain and replaced by surprise and doubt.
Luffy continued, his tone like he was instructing his chef:
"Half sashimi, half fish bones for broth, the fish meat steamed.
Add a pinch of your ten-year-old snow sea cucumber whiskers to the broth, just three grams.
Steam for seven minutes and twenty seconds. The sauce should be a triple extract of kelp and bonito flakes, with freshly grated wasabi root, no commercially prepared wasabi."
This barrage of incredibly professional requirements left Sanji stunned, and even Paddy and Carne, who had just peeked out from the kitchen, gaping in disbelief.
"Is this a pirate? What kind of pirate in the East Blue knows so much about food?!"
"You…" Sanji opened his mouth, momentarily speechless.
Luffy's requests were almost perfectly aligned with the optimal method for preparing moon silver sea bream; some details were even new to him, but based on experience and intuition, it seemed correct.
"Well done. I can trade you the recipe for 'Flaming Dragon's Reverse Scale Steak'," Luffy added, looking into Sanji's eyes.
"What?!" Sanji's pupils constricted, almost causing him to cry out.
Flaming Dragon, a legendary rare creature said to live in the volcanic islands of the Grand Line. The meat from its reverse scales is hailed as the crystallization of flames, and the cooking methods for it have long been lost, only vaguely recorded in the oldest culinary manuals! How could this Straw Hat kid possibly know about it?!
Luffy didn't say anything more, simply looking at him calmly.
His eyes seemed to say: To do it or not to do it?
Sanji's breathing quickened. As a chef who considered cooking his life, the allure of the lost legendary recipe was no less than the allure of All Blue for his dreams.
Sanji stared intently at Luffy for a few seconds, then bent down carefully to pick up the moonfish from the ground and turned to head towards the kitchen:
"Paddy, prepare some spring water to chill it! Carne, go to the cellar and get the No. 3 stored sea salt and my personal treasured snow sea cucumber!"
Without turning his head, Sanji told Luffy and the three girls, "You three sit by the window. The food will be served in twenty minutes."
The kitchen became Sanji's personal stage. His handling of the moonfish was graceful, each cut showing utmost respect for the ingredient.
Luffy didn't watch; he simply led the three girls to sit by the window, but his Observation Haki enveloped the entire kitchen, sensing every step Sanji took.
"Luffy, how do you know so much?" Nami asked curiously in a low voice, her eyes sparkling.
Although she was greedy, she also admired strength; the more capable her captain was, the more secure she felt.
"I've eaten it, I've seen it," Luffy replied briefly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.
The vast information database within fragments of past life memories is especially useful in situations like this.
Luffy not only wanted to eat well, but also wanted to use this opportunity to teach that lecherous chef a lesson, letting him know who the real boss was!
Nojiko, meanwhile, seemed thoughtful: "That snow sea cucumber...it's a very precious medicinal herb, isn't it? Luffy, you specifically brought it up for Kaya?"
Kaya blushed slightly upon hearing this, her eyes filled with gratitude and dependence as she looked at Luffy.
Luffy didn't deny it, reaching out to ruffle Kaya's hair: "Kaya needs to replenish her blood and energy. The bone marrow from that fish combined with the snow sea cucumber's whiskers will be the most effective."
Kaya lowered her head, her heart overflowing with warmth.
Twenty minutes later, Sanji personally brought out the dishes.
The moon silver sea bream sashimi was as thin as a cicada's wing, almost transparent in the morning light, arranged in the shape of a blooming flower.
The steamed fish meat was as white as jade, drizzled with an amber-colored sauce.
The fish soup was a rich, milky white, exuding a strange aroma of freshness and medicinal fragrance.
Each dish was a work of art.
"Please enjoy." Sanji didn't put on an exaggerated performance this time; he simply stood by the table, his gaze fixed on Luffy, awaiting his evaluation.
His eyes held the same intensity as someone waiting for a teacher's score.
Luffy didn't speak, but first scooped up a spoonful of fish soup, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.
Luffy closed his eyes and savored the flavor for a few seconds, then nodded, saying, "The cooking time is perfect, and the amount of sea cucumber is just right; it didn't overpower the sweetness of the fish marrow."
He tasted another slice of sashimi, dipping it in freshly grated wasabi: "The knife skills are excellent; the spiciness of the wasabi brought out the deep sweetness of the fish."
Finally, he tasted the steamed fish, carefully savoring the sauce: "The kelp and bonito extracts are layered, but the third extraction was a little too long, leaving a very faint astringent aftertaste. I'll pay attention to that next time."
Sanji listened, his expression shifting from tension to surprise, and finally to realization when the slight astringency was pointed out. He had indeed felt the third extraction might have been a bit overdone when making the dish, but he wasn't sure; he hadn't expected it to be detected in a single bite!
"I've learned a lot," Sanji said, bowing slightly to Luffy—a rare gesture of respect from a chef to someone truly knowledgeable.