"Hey! We're the Marines! We're here to catch pirates—why won't you let us in?!"
Chaka and Pell of the Alabasta Royal Guards stood with their arms folded, blocking the Marines' path at the palace gates.
"There are no pirates here," Pell said flatly. "You should go back."
One of the Marines scowled. "For the safety of this country, you'd better not lie! Harboring pirates is a serious crime!"
Chaka frowned. "We said there are no pirates. So there are none."
At that moment, Shirogai, smiling casually, strolled past the Marines with Zoro, who was still stained with blood.
"Yo, are you two busy?" Shirogai greeted.
"Hehehe," Chaka chuckled under his breath.
Pell offered a brief smile. "Mm, you're back? Princess Vivi has been asking about you. She seemed quite worried."
Shirogai waved a hand. "Alright, I'll go see what she wants."
Zoro gave them a silent nod in passing.
"That guy looks familiar, doesn't he?" one of the Marines muttered. His eyes widened suddenly. "That—That's The Plunderer! Isn't he a pirate?!"
Pell turned away, whistling innocently. "Who? The Plunderer? Never heard of it."
Chaka added with a cold snort, "There are no pirates in this palace. Speak nonsense again, and I'll sue you for defamation."
"Yo, Luffy's awake?"
Shirogai pushed open the door, just in time to see Luffy bouncing on the bed, laughing like a wild monkey.
"Shirogai!" the Straw Hats lit up at the sight of him.
Princess Vivi's eyes sparkled with joy when she saw him, though she quickly masked her expression, lowering her gaze. Still, the affection in her eyes was impossible to hide.
"Shirogai!" Luffy beamed with his signature D-shaped grin and launched himself at him, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "Hahaha! I beat that sand guy—Crocodile!"
Shirogai chuckled and ruffled Luffy's hair like taming an overexcited pet. "Not bad. I watched the whole fight—it was beautiful."
"Of course it was!" Luffy laughed triumphantly.
"Zoro!!!"
Chopper gasped as Zoro followed Shirogai inside, bloodied and calm.
"Did you go training again?! You're soaked in blood! Take off your shirt—let me see!"
Zoro grabbed a nearby glass of water, sipped casually, and replied, "What I do is my own business, Chopper."
"No! I'm the ship doctor! You can't remove your bandages without my permission!" Chopper pounced on him, tugging at his clothes.
"Hey, Chopper! Quit pulling!" Zoro grunted. "I'm fine!"
Shirogai laughed, tossing Luffy back on the bed. "Luffy, you haven't eaten in three days. You must be starving."
"Three days?!" Luffy blinked. "That's fifteen meals!"
Usopp groaned. "Now your math's perfect? Why do you eat five meals a day?!"
"I'm starving!" Luffy whined to Vivi. "When do we eat?"
Vivi smiled. "I'll go ask Terracotta to prepare something."
"I'll help too," Shirogai said, rolling up his sleeves. "I've got time."
"Shirogai! Make me three days' worth!" Luffy shouted. "No—four!"
Shirogai waved without turning back.
Vivi, blushing, glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He's so cool...
The banquet began.
Luffy, using his Rubber Fruit abilities to the fullest, vacuumed up food like a black hole.
"Gulp! Gulp! Gulp...!"
Rice ball? Gone.
Meat-on-the-bone? Gone.
Whole fish? Gulp.
Stew? Gulp, plate and all!
Zoro tried to eat, but a rubbery arm snatched his food.
"Oi! Luffy, quit stealing my food!"
Zoro gritted his teeth, ready to turn his utensils into a Three-Sword Style attack.
Nami socked Luffy. "Stop flinging food everywhere!"
"Dangerous!" Chopper yelped, shielding his food. Then he gulped his ramen in one go. "Hah! Try stealing from me now!"
Usopp grinned devilishly, secretly applying chili sauce to a rice ball.
Luffy took the bait. One bite later—his face turned red, and he bellowed, "HOT!!!"
Sanji took his time, savoring each bite. "Hmm... this must be Shirogai's cooking."
Vivi smiled at the joyful chaos. Yet she still glanced at the empty seat beside her.
Where was Shirogai?
"Boom!"
In the royal kitchen, the chefs were stunned. Shirogai was simultaneously handling six cooking stations.
From his Smoke Fruit abilities, arms of smoke wielded cleavers, pans, seasoning brushes, and ladles with machine-like precision.
Terracotta gasped. "Six pots at once... truly, Princess Vivi's admiration isn't misplaced."
"We can't let him show us up!" the chefs cried.
But after tasting Shirogai's dishes, they fell to their knees.
"Shirogai-san, you must be the God of Cooking!"
"I'll go eat now. The rest's up to you," Shirogai said, removing his apron. "I'll leave the recipes behind."
"Please teach us!" the chefs cried.
After he left, Terracotta sighed to Igaram. "I was worried about Vivi falling for the wrong man. Now... I worry that love might be out of reach."
Igaram, now healed, nodded. "He's got a 100 million bounty. A pirate can't marry the princess of Alabasta."
Terracotta shook her head. "That's not it. I doubt he even can fall in love."
"What do you mean?"
She pointed to the empty plates. "We chefs have a saying: perfect food reflects a perfect chef. Flaws in taste reveal flaws in character. But I tasted no flaws at all."
Igaram blinked. "Isn't that... good?"
"Then tell me," Terracotta said with a bitter smile, "what kind of woman could a flawless man ever fall for?"
"A flawless woman?" Igaram whispered.
"Do you think such a woman exists?" she murmured.
Shirogai returned to the banquet and sat beside Vivi, casually picking at his food. Vivi kept sneaking glances at him, cheeks flushed.
Across from her, King Cobra watched silently. He saw his daughter's affection—and he sighed.
Her taste is excellent... and dangerous.
If Shirogai ever stayed in Alabasta and became her consort, the kingdom would rise to unprecedented power.
But that was a dream Cobra couldn't afford.
This man... he wasn't made for a throne.
He belonged to the sea.
To the hunt.
To Vespera—the group that dared hunt Celestial Dragons.
And Vivi?
To Shirogai, she might be no more than a fleeting light.
A beautiful, fleeting light.
One destined to fade alone.
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