The first challenge Gustave faced was processing the pig intestines—a task that separated amateur cooks from true professionals. The organs required meticulous separation into large intestines, small intestines, and casings, each demanding thorough cleaning. The large intestines particularly needed to be turned inside out and scrubbed completely clean, since nobody wanted to bite into unpleasant surprises.
Even with decades of culinary experience, the cleaning process tested Gustave's limits. The overwhelming stench finally forced him to create a small electromagnetic barrier around his head, isolating his nose from the task's more challenging aromatic aspects.
Raw intestines couldn't be grilled directly—they required pre-boiling to achieve proper texture and safety. Rather than handle this preliminary step himself, Gustave delegated the task to Lucky Roux, whose own cooking experience made him perfectly capable of monitoring the delicate timing.
He also handed over the pig stomach to Lucky Roux for initial cooking, planning to finish it later as a cold dish with carefully balanced seasonings.
With the delegation complete, Gustave turned his attention to creating "blown liver"—a traditional delicacy that required both skill and patience.
The seasoning mixture came first: chili powder, pepper powder, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and high-proof alcohol combined in precise proportions. Traditionally, blown liver required someone to literally blow air into the organ through its bile duct—a technique many modern diners found unsanitary. Gustave opted for a mechanical air pump instead, maintaining authenticity while improving hygiene.
The inflation process demanded careful attention. Each burst of air needed to be followed by gentle patting to distribute pressure evenly throughout the liver while avoiding tears or ruptures in the delicate organ walls.
Once properly inflated, Gustave poured roughly one-third of his prepared seasoning mixture directly into the liver cavity, then spread the remainder across its outer surface. The preparation would now require time—traditionally a month of air-drying under optimal conditions. Tonight's feast wouldn't benefit from that extended aging, but a quick-dried version could be prepared by boiling and slicing for immediate consumption.
After hanging the blown liver in a suitable drying location, Gustave returned to check on Shanks' butchering progress.
"Not bad at all, Shanks," he observed, examining a piece of the sliced meat. "Your knife work is quite decent—these cuts are perfect for grilling."
Rather than interrupt the Emperor's focused work, Gustave collected the completed chunks destined for stewing and carried them to his cooking station.
This pork would receive simple treatment—boiled with salt, onion, and ginger to preserve its natural flavors. Diners could choose their own presentation: bold eaters might attack the chunks directly, while those preferring refinement could slice portions thin. Plain consumption or sauce accompaniment remained entirely up to individual preference—the beauty lay in complete freedom of choice.
With the stewing pork set to cook, Gustave checked Lucky Roux's progress on the pig stomach.
Perfect timing—the stomach had just finished cooking and was cooling for easier handling. Gustave sliced the tender organ into uniform pieces, then created a vibrant dressing: chili peppers, chili powder, minced garlic, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper oil, and vinegar combined with red oil for visual appeal. A simple toss brought everything together into an appetizing cold dish.
Po had claimed responsibility for the pheasant and mushroom stew, with Tu Shanyan hovering nearby in obvious anticipation. The fresh birds eliminated any need for blanching—their quality was beyond question.
Since wild pheasants carried minimal fat from their active lifestyle, Po began by rendering pork belly in his wok, creating a flavorful cooking foundation. Once the fat was properly extracted, he added aromatics: onion, ginger, peppercorns, star anise, and dried chilies, stir-frying until their fragrances bloomed.
The chopped pheasant went in next, cooking until half-done before receiving light and dark soy sauce for flavor and color enhancement. Po continued stir-frying until excess oil disappeared, then added the mushrooms and boiling water for the final stewing phase.
Salt provided the only additional seasoning—the natural flavors of game bird and wild mushrooms needed no artificial enhancement. The stew would be ready when chopsticks could pierce the meat easily, at which point sweet potato vermicelli would join the pot for a final few minutes of cooking.
"Since your pheasant stew is nearly finished, we can start the evening celebration," Gustave announced with satisfaction.
The beach provided perfect ambiance for their feast, with the roasted whole deer serving as a dramatic centerpiece surrounded by countless supporting dishes. The meal followed a semi-buffet format—everyone received personal grilling equipment along with access to Shanks' sliced pork, cleaned intestines, fresh seafood, and seasonal vegetables.
Gustave placed his stewed pork alongside Po's fragrant pheasant creation next to Tom's masterpiece of whole roasted deer. As the sun began its descent toward the horizon, their extended family gathered in a circle around the crackling bonfire.
Before anyone could begin eating, Gustave rose with his drink held high.
"Tonight's incredible feast exists thanks to one person above all others," he declared with theatrical solemnity. "Without Shanks' brilliant suggestion, we never would have experienced this hunting adventure. Without his generous donation of Griffin for meat preparation, we couldn't enjoy such abundance. Let's raise our glasses to Shanks!"
"Gustave, you absolute bastard!" Shanks grabbed a handful of sand and hurled it at the grinning chef.
Gustave ducked the sandy projectile with practiced ease, laughing as he continued: "To Shanks!"
"Cheers to Shanks!" the crowd chorused, forcing their reluctant honoree to raise his own glass in acknowledgment.
After the ceremonial toast, Gustave stood once more. Shanks tensed for another verbal assault, but the chef simply smiled and shouted:
"Let's eat!"
Laughter erupted as everyone dove toward the roasted deer—the evening's undisputed main attraction.
Tu Shanyan quietly claimed a generous bowl of pheasant stew, her eyes sparkling with long-awaited satisfaction as she savored her first taste.
"This meal tastes better than anything you've made before," Shanks observed between bites of perfectly prepared venison.
"That's because today's ingredients represent our own hard work," Yasopp replied, raising his glass with enthusiasm. "We hunted every piece ourselves!"
"Exactly right," Gustave agreed wholeheartedly. "Previously you only ate finished dishes. Tonight's ingredients were earned through blood, sweat, and terror—that always improves the flavor!"
"Maybe we should organize more activities like this," Beckman suggested thoughtfully.
"Absolutely not!" Luffy shuddered at the memory of his wild boar encounter. "I never want to be chased by anything that size again!"
The entire group burst into renewed laughter at his traumatic recollection.
As the celebration reached its peak, Tom retrieved his guitar and began strumming a gentle melody. Uta's clear voice joined the music in perfect harmony, recreating the magical performances they'd shared during previous visits. Jerry added an unexpected element by dancing along to their duet, his tiny form creating surprisingly graceful movements.
The feast continued long into the night, filled with food, friendship, and the kind of memories that would warm their hearts for years to come. Under the stars, with the ocean waves providing percussion for their impromptu concert, the crew of the Bamboo Staff celebrated not just their successful hunt, but the bonds that made them family.