"Haha, I see. I really like Viola too, and Baby5 is the same!"
Yamato laughed heartily, then suddenly seemed to remember something, her eyes lighting up: "That's right! How about we throw a banquet? Come to think of it, when Viola first arrived, we didn't properly celebrate."
Robin smiled gently: "It's alright, I'm not really one for such things."
Baby5 enthusiastically raised her hand: "Leave the banquet to me!"
"Let me handle it."
Caesar smiled faintly, leisurely rolling up his shirt sleeves: "Seeing you all getting along so peacefully brings me great joy. As a reward, I'll take care of the cooking this time."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yamato and Robin both turned their heads, looking at Caesar in surprise.
"Wait, Caesar can cook?"
"Unbelievable, you don't seem like the type to do something like this, boss."
"Seems I've been underestimated…"
Hearing their astonished tones, Caesar chuckled with a hint of pride: "Alright, what do you all feel like eating?"
"Oden!"
Yamato raised her hand without hesitation.
"Sandwiches…"
Robin instinctively replied. She liked this kind of convenient food, or rather, food that was easy to carry while on the run, as it gave her a sense of security.
Baby5 beamed brightly: "I'll eat anything my dear makes!"
"Heh…"
Caesar sighed with a smile, rubbing his forehead: "Fine, I'll just make whatever, and you'll eat whatever I serve."
Poor Caesar, with these three women in his household—one who had been starved by her father since childhood, another who had been hunted by the World Government for years, and the last who had been abandoned by her mother because the family couldn't afford to feed her.
Oden…
It was likely that during her days of hunger, the oden that Kozuki Oden loved so much was the best thing Yamato could think of.
Sandwiches…
Portable yet flavorful, and perfect to pair with afternoon tea. For a fugitive, it was a rather refined choice.
Yamato couldn't help but ask curiously: "So… what are you going to make, Caesar?"
"No need to ask. Just wait and eat…"
Caesar waved his hand dismissively and walked into the courtyard.
This was the first time he had personally cooked since arriving in Wano Country.
With a wave of his hand, a five-meter-long, three-meter-wide worktable appeared before him, and in an instant, a variety of ingredients covered most of the surface.
[Collection Item: Gobi Marathon Sheep]
[Collection Item: Arrow Dragon Tuna]
[Collection Item: North Sea Snow Rabbit]
[Collection Item: West Sea Fighting Dance Cow]
[Collection Item: Combat Octopus]
Every ingredient on the worktable was something Caesar had spent a fortune to acquire.
The sheep meat had been skinned and laid out, while the tuna had been freshly caught from the sea and immediately preserved.
All Caesar had to do was process them further.
Holding two kitchen knives, his fingers danced with elegant flourishes.
In the blink of an eye, the sheep meat was expertly sliced, tossed into a large basin, given a salt-and-oil rub, and then placed on the grill.
The three-meter-long tuna was cut into thin slices for sashimi. This was one of the most expensive fish in Caesar's collection, and even in the pirate world, its price was absurdly high, despite being useless for anything other than sashimi.
The snow rabbit was perfect for making soup, a nourishing dish for women.
The beef was used for sukiyaki, and Caesar added a bit less bone broth to enhance its flavor.
The Combat Octopus is known for its fierce nature and tendency to strike, with meat that is firm and bouncy. While it's not easy to season, it's perfect for making takoyaki.
The moment the ingredients on the counter were cleared, a fresh batch was immediately brought in.
Caesar's hands moved so fast they became a blur, and an intoxicating aroma gradually filled the entire courtyard.
"Wow—it smells amazing!"
As the fragrance spread, Yamato soon followed the scent, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Caesar. "How does it smell so good?!"
"The food's not ready yet, so don't try to sneak a bite," Caesar replied without turning his head.
"We were playing Old Maid, but the smell of the boss's cooking was too tempting, so someone couldn't resist running out."
Robin approached Caesar, marveling at his knife skills as he expertly handled the ingredients. "It's truly incredible. I had no idea your culinary skills were this impressive."
"There's a lot you don't know about me."
Caesar chuckled lightly, flipping the roasted lamb with ease before evenly sprinkling it with salt, cumin, and chili powder.
"That's a lot of salt. Won't it be too salty?"
"Roasted lamb needs plenty of salt. It's better to have it a bit salty than to skimp on it."
Caesar shook his head slightly. Many people wouldn't believe it, but the key seasoning for the famous Xinjiang lamb skewers isn't cumin or chili—it's the humble salt.
Gobi sheep, raised on a diet of herbs and spices, have little to no gamey taste and don't require marinating. Just salt, cumin, and chili powder are enough to bring out their richest flavor.
"Is that… Arrow Dragon Tuna? How did you manage to get it?" Robin's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the neatly plated tuna sashimi.
"I bought it from a restaurant owner I know," Caesar replied with a smile.
"Arrow Dragon Tuna? Is it something rare?" Yamato asked curiously.
"Not exactly rare. This fish is known for its fierce nature and incredible speed, making it nearly invincible in the ocean. It can be found in all four seas."
Robin explained, "However, due to its physiology, tuna dies if it stops swimming. So once caught, it must be sold as quickly as possible. Typically, it's reserved by nobles and the wealthy the moment it's caught."
"The Arrow Dragon Tuna is among the fastest of its kind, and its meat is top-tier. A fish of this size would cost at least 50 million. If it's auctioned, it could easily go for 100 million."
(Note: In the official setting, Berries are equivalent to yen. Based on the purchasing power of yen when One Piece was first published 20 years ago, the highest historical price for tuna in reality was over 200 million yen, roughly 10 million RMB. It's genuinely expensive. To account for the abundance of seafood in the One Piece world and to avoid confusion, I've set the price as low as possible. Please don't criticize this…)
"100 million?!"
Baby5 was stunned. "That's more than the debt I owed before!"
Robin: "…"
"It smells so good…"
Yamato was already salivating.
"What's that amazing smell?"
At the courtyard entrance, Ulti and Page One peeked in cautiously.
"Oh, it's Ulti!"
Yamato laughed heartily and waved her hand. "Caesar is cooking, and we're about to have a feast. Want to join us?"
"That guy can cook?" Ulti glanced at Caesar with disbelief, hesitated for a moment, but quickly succumbed to the enticing aroma wafting through the air. A faint shadow of moisture appeared on her pink mask.
Page One's face fell. "Sis, your drool is dripping on my head..."
"Shut up! It's just snot from my cold!" Ulti waved her small fist angrily, glaring at Yamato. "Who asked you to invite us, you dummy Yamato! It's Caesar who's cooking, so he should be the one to invite us!"
Caesar, who was flipping grilled eels, casually said, "Well, come on in and have some then."
"Ahem, then I won't stand on ceremony!" Ulti quickly scooted over to Caesar's side, adopting the same posture as Yamato—leaning forward eagerly, waiting for Caesar to feed her.
Page One, feeling a bit embarrassed, followed behind Ulti, nodding and smiling awkwardly at Robin and Baby 5.
Judging by the situation, this was clearly a feast for "Caesar and his women," and his sister was being a bit presumptuous. However, given Caesar's culinary skills, Page One secretly wished Caesar would charm his sister. That way, he could be freed from Ulti's clutches and enjoy Caesar's cooking more often.
"What a delicious smell..." Kozuki Hiyori appeared at the courtyard gate at some point, gazing longingly at the group inside.
Yamato's eyes lit up. "Oh! It's Hiyori! Want to join us?"
"Then I won't stand on ceremony either..." With that, Hiyori quickly ran over to Yamato's side.
"Hiyori~ Hiyori, where are you? Wait! What's that amazing smell?" Queen's bulky figure appeared outside the courtyard, his eyes widening in shock. "What?! Caesar can cook?!"
Yamato looked at him with disdain. "Yeah, what do you want?"
"So cold!!" Queen clutched his chest dramatically, looking heartbroken. "Miss Yamato, I just heard you even invited Ulti!"
"Ha..." Yamato sighed. "Well, do you want to join us and have some?"
"Hehe~ Don't mind if I do!" Queen rubbed his hands together with a sly grin, plopping himself down next to Hiyori, then quickly moving to the other side under Yamato's threatening gaze.
As soon as he sat down, Hanafusa peeked into the courtyard. "Ulti? Page One?"
Yamato: "Come in!"
Black Maria: "I'm here to see Miss Viola..."
Yamato: "Come in!"
King: "I heard Caesar is back?"
Yamato: "Come in!"
Jack: "I'm here to see King..."
Yamato: "Come in!"
Before anyone realized it, the courtyard was filled with people of all shapes and sizes, and the atmosphere gradually became lively.
While Caesar was still cooking, Queen and Hanafusa had already started drinking. Jack, as usual, sat silently to the side, accustomed to the scene. King, on the other hand, looked at Caesar with curiosity, seemingly puzzled by the fact that Caesar could cook.
Yamato and Ulti faithfully stood by Caesar's side, waiting for him to announce that the meal was ready.
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over the sky as a dragon hundreds of meters long descended from above, accompanied by Kaidou's boisterous laughter: "Orohohoho! I heard someone's throwing a party? Quite a crowd here, you brats!"
Yamato's expression hardened: "Stupid Pops! You're not welcome here!"
"Well… one more mouth won't hurt. Please come down, father-in-law."
Casually placing a large piece of roasted bone meat on a tray, Caesar wiped the sweat from his forehead caused by the heat of the stove and smiled.
"Never expected you to have such culinary skills, kid."
Kaidou transformed into his human form and landed from the sky, plopping down on the ground with a heavy thud. The overwhelming pressure caused Robin and Baby 5 to instinctively retreat behind Yamato.
"Just a little hobby of mine. Though, I didn't expect so many people to show up."
Caesar's gaze swept over the crowd, their expressions varied. With a wave of his hand, a crimson curtain enveloped the workstation and the food-laden table, completely blocking everyone's Observation Haki.
Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Caesar snapped his fingers lightly.
With a crisp snap, the curtain before them dissipated, revealing that the workstation underneath had vanished. In its place was a massive round table, upon which a mountain of various delicacies stood prominently!
Surrounding the table were towers of stacked wine barrels and crates of juice and soda piled high.
It might have been an illusion, but the moment Caesar unveiled the curtain, the mountain of food seemed to emit a faint glow!
Looking at the eager faces of the crowd, Caesar chuckled softly. Without realizing it, had he grown so familiar with these guys that he could shamelessly join their feast?
Or was this just how pirates were?
Setting aside moral alignments, Caesar didn't really dislike these guys.
"Though I'm not sure why so many people showed up out of nowhere… let the feast begin, everyone!"
"Orohohoho, seems I arrived just in time! Let the feast begin, brats!" Kaidou laughed heartily.
"YEAH!!!"
The crowd cheered in unison, their faces lighting up with joy.
"Eh? Finally, we can eat? Caesar! I want that roasted lamb!"
"Damn it, you've got your eyes on it too…"
"Let's split it in half!"
"Who's splitting it with you?!"
Yamato and Ulti each grabbed a leg of the lamb and pulled with all their might, tearing the poor roasted lamb in half instantly!
Crunch…
Taking a bite of the crispy yet tender lamb, both of them shuddered in delight: "Delicious!!!"
"Delicious!!!"
King and Queen exclaimed in unison, then glanced at each other. You look at my grilled steak, I look at your grilled eel, and then they both snorted coldly and turned away.
Baby 5 picked up a slice of meat from the sukiyaki pot, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Caesar: "Ah~ To be able to eat a dish made by my dear… I could die without regrets…"
"If you died, he might be quite troubled."
Robin gently blew on a steaming takoyaki ball and chuckled softly, though a hint of caution lingered in her heart.
Facing Kaidou directly, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
Fortunately, her wanted poster still depicted her as a child, and with her makeup as a disguise, she didn't have to worry too much about being recognized.
"Oh ho! I love this snow rabbit soup! Slightly sweet, and so flavorful!" Queen held the soup bowl, hissing and puffing from the heat but still managing to critique it.
"Actually, that's for women..."
Black Maria jabbed her smoking pipe into Queen's butt, startling him while she seized the opportunity to take the entire pot of soup away.
"By the way, why are there so many people here all of a sudden?"
Ulti gnawed on a lamb leg, and it was the first time Caesar saw her face without the mask.
She looked somewhat childish, with pouty lips, more cute than pretty. No wonder she wore a mask all the time—anyone who saw that face would want to pinch it.
"I'm not sure about the others, but I was the one who called Kaidou," Hanafusa laughed, seeming a bit embarrassed.
"I called Jack..." King said nonchalantly.
"I came with Hiyori."
Queen chuckled, "But even if I hadn't followed Hiyori, I would have come. Caesar's cooking is top-notch; I could smell the aroma all the way from the front of the General's residence."
"To have such a level of culinary skill is indeed unexpected," King also praised repeatedly.
"Orohohoho..."
Kaidou took a swig from his wine cup, looking at Caesar with appreciation, "You really know a lot of things, kid. Just this cooking skill alone—I haven't seen anyone match it in all these years. Do you have some secret recipe?"
"Of course, I do."
Caesar said with a serious face, "Drugs! I added drugs!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent. Black Maria spat a mouthful of hot soup onto Queen, and even Kaidou turned pale.
In a moment of stunned silence, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief, their mouths agape.
"Eh?!!!"
"Hahaha, just kidding."
"Don't joke like that, you jerk!!!" ×N