Wusi loved cooking, but his menu was small: meat and egg stew, puff pastry, and marinated eggs. "It is easy to eat, but we are sick of it!" the crew whispered, stopping at a wooden door in the ship.
"Here is the kitchen," a pirate said. "Check it out. You cook breakfast for 130 tomorrow." He opened the door and left, humming.
Nobita dragged his starving body inside. The kitchen was clean, one of the best he had seen. No mess, shiny tools, no bad smells. He went to the stove, checked the food supplies, and lit the fire. Soon, a bowl of fish noodle soup steamed on the counter.
Nobita's eyes gleamed, but he held back. He ate slowly, savoring every bite. On Earth, he had cooked for six months. He knew enough home-cooked meals to survive in the *One Piece* world, even if he exaggerated about thousands of dishes.
He drank the last of the soup, pushed the dishes aside, and spread a checkered cloth on the table. He lay down and slept, exhausted. Dark circles framed his eyes from days at sea.
A strange feeling woke him. * Did I forget something? * He shrugged and slept again.
Cold water splashed his face. Nobita opened his eyes. He was tied in a fishing net, hanging above the deck. Shouts filled the air.
"You do not take us seriously!" Mafei yelled, dumping another bucket of water on Nobita. "Where is breakfast?"
Nobita blinked, shivering. * Oh no. * "I am sorry! I overslept. No alarm clock."
"This is not about alarms!" Mafei roared. "Do you know what pirates do when angry?"
Nobita groaned. "How can I cook for hundreds alone? I quit. Let me off this ship."
"You think this is a game? Join and leave when you want?" Wusi stepped from the cabin, holding a long knife.
Nobita squirmed, ropes cutting his wrists. "Do not push me. I am not responsible for what happens."
Wusi ignored him. His front teeth glinted in a grim smile. The knife flashed in the sunlight.
A voice shouted from the lookout. "Captain! A fleet ahead! It looks like Miller's!"
Wusi froze. "Miller the Abuser?"
The crew gasped, staring at Wusi. His smile faded, eyes dark.
"Turn the ship! Avoid him!" Wusi ordered.
Mafei winced and waved. "Gunners, follow me!"
Black smoke burst around the Eggskull Pirates' ship. Four small boats zoomed in, circling fast. Each boat, powered by jets, carried four to six men with long rifles.
On one boat, a rough man with blue eyes and a black turban raised a mortar launcher. He sang loudly, his voice booming across the Eggskull ship. "I count to ten. Stop, or I sink you!"
"One!" The sound shook Nobita's ears.
"Who is this guy? So loud!" Nobita muttered.
The pirate who brought him to the kitchen stood nearby, face pale. "Miller the Abuser. A top bounty hunter in the Grand Line. Caught a pirate worth 200 million Baileys. Loves hunting weak crews under 100 million. He sells them to the Marines."
Miller's boats closed in.
"Two!" Miller shouted.
"We are done. Why did we meet him?" the pirate moaned.
Nobita ignored him. "Can you cut me down? These ropes hurt."
The Eggskull ship's cannons fired. Shells missed Miller's speedy boats.
"Ten!" Miller roared. He fired his mortar. The shell arced, tail flaming, and hit the Eggskull pirate flag. The blast was small, but a shockwave twisted the air, crumpling the flag.
Men in white turbans boarded the deck, clashing with the crew. Blood sprayed. Swords rang.
"Captain, what do we do?" the crew yelled, looking to Wusi.
Wusi was gone.
"Where is he?" a pirate cried. The turbaned men overwhelmed them.
Nobita squinted at the sea. A shadow swam fast underwater. A head popped up, showing two front teeth, then dove again.
* Your captain ditched you, * Nobita thought.