On the streets of the Gourmet City of Pucci, alluring aromas mingled and intertwined in the air. The savory scent of roasted meat, the sweet fragrance of pastries, and the fresh briny smell of seafood blended into an intoxicating storm of flavors.
Seven-year-old Bonney held cotton candy in her left hand and a stick of takoyaki in her right, her cheeks puffed out, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
"This place is just too amazing!" Bonney exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down, a bit of grease smudged at the corner of her mouth. "It's practically heaven!"
Kuma looked down at her, his broad palm gently ruffling her small head, his eyes full of tenderness.
But soon, a shadow almost too faint to notice passed through his gaze.
He remembered his deal with the Five Elders. The days of living as 'Bartholomew Kuma' were numbered.
'At least… before I undergo the transformation, while Bonney can still be carefree like this… I should spend more time with her.'
Just then, Bonney suddenly tugged at the hem of his coat.
Her mouth was full of takoyaki as she mumbled, "Daddy, what are they looking at over there? It looks really lively."
Not far away, a crowd had gathered in a circle, exclamations of amazement occasionally rising from it.
"What kind of dish is this?"
"It actually laughs… that's so creepy!"
Kuma followed Bonney's gaze. He gently picked her up and sat her on his broad shoulder. "Let's go have a look too."
In the center of the crowd, a black-haired young man stood before a cutting board. His eyes were focused and determined, his fingers deftly kneading and shaping dough, then placing it into a wok of hot oil.
Sizzle!
As the hot oil bubbled, the pastries slowly expanded, then-
"Ahahahaha!"
A bizarre chorus of laughter emerged from within the steamed buns, as if some unknown creature were chuckling playfully. The onlookers instinctively took half a step back, their faces showing shock.
"That's… that's scary!" someone whispered.
"I heard the Emperor, Big Mom has the ability to put souls into food. Could there be pirate souls in those buns?" A pirate muttered in horror.
Amid the hushed whispers of fear, Bonney, sitting on Kuma's shoulder, clapped her little hands with glee. "They sound so happy! That's so fun!"
Hearing her words, many people thought to themselves, 'Where do you hear happiness in that? That's clearly eerie laughter!'
Setsuna followed the source of the voice, spotting Kuma and Bonney. Though a bit surprised, he didn't think much of it, simply offering a slight smile. "Little girl, would you like to try my [Golden Laughing Bun]?"
Although he hadn't come to Chuka Ichiban World, he had spent a year in the Toriko World, so replicating this dish wasn't difficult for him.
"Mhm! Yes, please!" Bonney nodded eagerly.
When she took the golden bun, its crispy, fried outer shell trembled slightly in her palm.
She took a big bite. The piping-hot beef filling suddenly erupted with 'Hahaha' laughter, startling her so much she nearly dropped it.
But the next second, the meat juices, infused with the aroma of garlic and black pepper, exploded in her mouth. The bun's skin emitted a satisfying 'crunch' between her teeth.
Even more magical was how the juicy beef filling shifted flavors as she chewed… one moment like a perfectly seared steak, the next like a slow-simmered beef stew.
"So yummy!" Bonney's eyes squeezed shut in bliss. She quickly grabbed another one and handed it to Kuma. "Daddy, you eat too!"
Kuma's broad palm accepted the golden bun. His fingertips could feel the slight vibration from the fried outer shell. He took a bite.
"Daddy, is it good?" Bonney looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
Kuma looked down at his daughter's shining eyes. His throat tightened slightly.
"Yes, it's delicious," He replied softly, his voice gentler than usual.
"Is it really that good?" Ace picked up a bun with a mix of doubt and curiosity and stuffed it into his mouth. His eyes instantly lit up.
The minced beef was mixed with tender, crunchy bits of tendon, each chew unleashing a new explosion of texture.
The best part was how the fried bun skin, after absorbing the meat juices, still maintained an incredible crispiness.
"Captain, I feel like you could even compete for first place."
Seeing their reactions, the previously hesitant crowd now descended into a frenzied scramble.
"Mmm, it really is delicious."
"I declare Setsuna-sama the winner of this competition!"
Setsuna himself picked up a bun to taste, feeling quite pleased.
Although a large portion of these people were lavishing praise due to his status, even by his own standards, his culinary skills were quite commendable.
…
The grand feast lasted for a whole month. Setsuna sampled almost all the delicacies the city had to offer.
From the spice-rubbed whole roasted bull, a specialty of the East Blue, to the cloudberry mille-feuille from the North Blue, to the glowing sushi specially supplied by the deep-sea Fish-Men.
His Gourmet Cells reveled in the celebration, completing their second evolution. His Observation Haki perception became even more acute, and the quality and quantity of his Armament Haki reached the level expected of a seasoned Vice Admiral.
Kuma approached with Bonney. The little girl still had cream at the corner of her mouth, her eyes bright and sparkling.
"Setsuna-sama!" Bonney cheered, running over. She held up a misshapen bun… clearly her own failed attempt at making one. "I want to eat the laughing bun again!"
Setsuna couldn't help but laugh. He casually took the suspicious-looking dough, infused it with a trace of Haki, and the bun immediately let out a 'pfft-pfft' comical laugh.
Bonney beamed with delight. Beside her, Kuma bowed his head slightly, his voice deep and gentle. "Thank you for your kindness during this time."
"No problem. I quite like Bonney too," Setsuna smiled.
"Mhm! I really, really like Setsuna-sama too! That's why I voted for you in the chef selection!" Bonney raised her little hand.
"Huh? Chef selection?" Setsuna was confused.
"Setsuna-sama, you don't know?" Bonney explained proactively. "This chef competition uses a diner voting system. The person with the most votes is the champion. When we went to vote, you were already way, way ahead of second place!"
Setsuna felt a bit speechless, 'Who had added me to the list?'
While he considered his cooking skills decent, they definitely couldn't compare to truly top-tier chefs.
As if sensing his confusion, Kuma explained, "The organizers probably wanted to curry favor with you, so they took the liberty of adding you. But they clearly didn't anticipate that those wanting to please you would far outnumber them."
Setsuna felt both amused and exasperated, but he could understand the voters' thinking.
From their perspective, he might not remember who voted for him, but he'd surely remember who didn't.
Equally baffled were the CP8 agents lurking on-site. They had been ordered to recruit the champion chef and turn them into a government mole within the Gourmet Navigation Group.
So, the question arose: How were they supposed to persuade the Captain of the Gourmet Navigation Group to spy on himself?
At this moment, they faced an unprecedented professional crisis.