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The kitchen was buzzing.
Most of the chefs had their eyes glued to the fierce fight between Krieg and Nami — and honestly, who could blame them? Krieg's earlier rampage had nearly gotten everyone killed.
But one person wasn't watching.
Sanji.
He was far too busy fending off a certain persistent woman.
"Miss Carne, I've told you a hundred times — I'm busy! I don't have time for a cooking duel right now!"
Normally, the ever-gallant Sanji would never turn down a beautiful woman. The man practically ran on flirting.
But this was work time — customers were waiting for their meals, and his pride as a chef wouldn't allow him to slack off.
Professionalism first, even for a ladies' man.
The woman in question, Carne, was a well-known beauty chef from the East Blue — famous not just for her looks, but her fire.
Her hair was a wild explosion of bright pink curls, bursting out in every direction like fireworks. A yellow ribbon tied across her forehead gave her a sharp, confident look.
She was tall, curvy, and carried herself with fearless energy — a real knockout.
The kind of woman who walked into a room and instantly became the center of attention.
"No way. You're dueling me right now," she said, hands on her hips, eyes blazing.
Ten years ago, she'd watched Sanji cook — just once — and had been completely mesmerized. His skill, his flair, his passion… she'd never forgotten it.
From that day on, she swore she'd beat him in the kitchen, fair and square.
But after that one meeting, Sanji disappeared.
She spent the next ten years chasing rumors, traveling from town to town, entering every cooking competition she could find.
She crushed every rival who dared step into the kitchen with her — not for fame, but for one reason only: to draw Sanji out.
To face him again.
To prove herself.
But life rarely goes the way you want it to.
Ten years passed. Her cooking grew sharper, her name spread across the East Blue… yet there was still no trace of him.
Then one day, she overheard a sailor praising a certain floating restaurant — said the food there was the best he'd ever tasted.
That was all she needed to hear. Carne sailed straight for the Baratie, heart pounding with hope — and when she saw Sanji there in the kitchen, her decade-long dream reignited in a flash.
And that brought us to now.
Ten years of searching. Ten years of training.
How could she wait another minute?
"Sanji, hurry up! Table Three just ordered a whole feast!"
Patty pulled the curtain aside and poked his head in, only to frown when he saw Carne blocking Sanji's way again.
"Miss Carne, I get how you feel, but this is work time! Please don't get in the way of business!"
"Once Sanji's done cooking, I promise he'll have time for your duel, okay?"
Table Three was full of VIPs — big spenders ordering the priciest dishes on the menu. No one could afford to upset them.
"Patty's right," Sanji added quickly. "Once we close up, I'll give you my full attention. But right now, forcing me to duel you? Even if you won, that wouldn't count as a real victory, would it?"
His words hit home.
Carne fell quiet, her fiery expression softening. After a long breath, she nodded.
"...You're right. That wouldn't be fair."
She'd waited ten years. She wanted to earn this.
No cheap wins.
"Fine. You cook — I'll help serve the dishes."
Sanji smiled in relief. "Thanks."
At Table Three, Kaya, Nami, and the other girls were chatting quietly among themselves while Logan leaned back, bored, scanning the room.
As night fell, the Baratie lit up like a jewel on the sea. The place was packed now, the earlier commotion forgotten. Laughter, music, and the aroma of food filled the air.
Every guest sang praises of the food — which only made Logan's curiosity grow stronger.
Sure, Makino and Nojiko were both great cooks, but they weren't professionals. Their meals could hold their own against most home chefs, but the Baratie… that was another level entirely.
So, until Mihawk arrived and chaos began, Logan figured he might as well enjoy some fine dining.
Eat well. Fight better later.
Perfect plan.
"Here it comes! Our food's here!"
Nami's eyes sparkled like stars as she grabbed her fork and knife.
Logan's eyes sparkled too — but for a different reason.
While Nami was focused on the steaming dishes… he was staring at the woman carrying them.
"Carne?!" Logan blinked in surprise.
He didn't expect to see her here.
In the original story, she'd only had a few short appearances — but she was a solid canon beauty, one of those rare "plot" characters who stood out even with limited screen time.
And now, here she was in the flesh.
Not that he cared how or why she was here.
Because the moment he saw her, Logan already knew — Carne's fate had just been sealed.
"Sorry for the wait, everyone," Carne said warmly, placing the plates in front of them. "Please enjoy your meal."
With a dazzling smile, she turned and disappeared back into the kitchen.
The moment she left, Nami's nose twitched and her pupils turned into stars.
"This smell— it's incredible! I'm digging in!"
Kaya and the others needed no convincing; they dove right in.
Halfway through the meal, Kaya leaned closer to Logan and whispered,
"Logan, don't tell me you've fallen for that beautiful chef already?"
Unfortunately, the other three girls heard her loud and clear.
"WHAT?!"
Nami's head shot up, cheeks puffed and eyes blazing.
"You just met her and you're already planning to recruit her to the ship?!"
Nojiko and Makino quickly looked down and pretended they'd heard nothing.
Only Nami would dare say it out loud.
Logan gave a helpless smile.
He hadn't even said a word yet!
Although… she wasn't wrong.
It was a misunderstanding — a technical one — but still.
There were countless beautiful women across the seas, and he'd already met more than a few.
Even right here in the Baratie, there were at least a dozen stunners — some even on par with Nami herself.
But none of them interested him.
He was only drawn to storyline beauties.
And Carne was one of them.
Looks like he'd have to "pluck this flower" too.
"....."