Although he was only a trainee cook, he had seen real masters at work. The captain of the sea restaurant, Zeff, was himself an extraordinary chef, yet compared to Amon there seemed to be a noticeable gap. Just this knife work alone was not something an ordinary cook could pull off.
"Incredible knife skills, Mr. Amon. Can I learn from you?" For a chef, knife work is the most basic and most important foundation. Watching Amon carve meat so perfectly, Sanji suddenly felt the urge to take him as a teacher.
"My knife work is not something you can pick up. Do not worry about it. You will not need to learn it from me, because in a moment you will know it yourself."
The reason Amon's knives looked so terrifying, aside from his culinary arts, was that his swordsmanship had reached a high level. It would be far too difficult for Sanji to study that. Amon had no intention of teaching it. Besides, Sanji had drawn a Master Chef card. Once he used it, his cooking would jump to master level, and his knife work would not be shabby.
"Huh? I will know it in a moment?" Amon's words left Sanji blinking. What does that even mean, that I can somehow grasp it with no teacher?
"Yes. You will know it in a moment. As for why, let me keep you guessing for now. Come, let us talk through the remaining tools."
Amon did not explain directly and instead teased him a little. Then he picked up the rest of the Kitchenware and continued the lesson.
This time, he lifted a utensil with ringed patterns like a looping Audi logo. It was the Revolving Magic Kettle. Legend said it could speed up the making of sauces. Put the ingredients in, and it would reduce them into sauce immediately.
"This is the Revolving Magic Kettle, specialized for sauces. With it, not only does the sauce form quickly, the flavor is sweeter and rounder than a normal reduction."
As he spoke, Amon demonstrated, dropping the small fish he had hooked earlier into the kettle. Under Sanji's curious gaze, he turned the body of the utensil. A few minutes later, a rich aroma of fish sauce drifted out.
"So fast, already a sauce? That is amazing." Sanji felt his old notions wobble. Normally, turning something into a sauce required a complex process and a very long time. Something you could toss in and get a better result than the usual procedure would produce, he had never seen.
"Try it." Amon poured the sauce out. Sanji touched a fingertip to it and tasted.
"Sweet and fresh, not a trace of fishiness." He licked the taste clean and grew excited.
"Well then, very practical, is it not?" Amon chuckled at his expression.
"Yes, it is incredible. What are the others for?" Sanji's curiosity was fully hooked.
"Let us see." Amon drew out the next piece. It looked like a large twin-handled goblet, with the same motif as the Ever-Soul Knife.
"This is a Brazier which specializes in aerating ingredients and simmering soups. Place the ingredients inside and it will foam them on its own, then quickly turn them into broth."
"Automatic soup making? That powerful?" Sanji's eyes lit up at once. He loved soup work and prided himself on it. Hearing the function of the Brazier, he could not help wanting to see it with his own eyes.
"Mr. Amon, can you show me?"
"No problem." Seeing how excited he was, Amon smiled and dropped the freshly dressed seagull into the vessel whole. Without adding any water, bubbles began rising inside. Soon a concentrated fragrance of soup rolled out.
After the last few demonstrations, Amon did not have to speak this time. Sanji had already fetched a ladle and tasted on his own.
"Mm. Delicious." With a small sip, Sanji was stunned again.
"Of course. Otherwise how could they be called Legendary Kitchenware." Amon laughed at his amazement and took a small taste himself. Not bad, still a touch below what he could do. So his culinary craft level really did edge it out.
"Next is this special Kettle. Its purpose is simple. It automatically breaks down ingredients. Toss them in, and whether you want shreds or mince, it completes the job in an instant. It is a wonderful aid in a busy kitchen, and when customers crowd in, it will do miracles."
After introducing the Brazier, Amon set down a large kettle with a phoenix motif and spoke again. He dropped raw fish inside and demonstrated once more. Watching the result emerge, already perfectly processed, Sanji felt another rush of excitement.
"After that comes the Spirit Storehouse. It is used to preserve freshness. Whatever you put in, no matter how much time passes, it remains as fresh as the moment you stored it. It is an irreplaceable tool for holding ingredients."
"As for the last one, it is the Jade Cauldron. Its power is to sense and resonate with the other kitchenware. Besides that, the Cauldron's temperature can change according to the eater's needs. Put simply, even if you have nothing to heat it with, it can still cook."
When he finished explaining, Amon pushed all the Kitchenware toward Sanji. Holding them, Sanji trembled with excitement. No chef could stay calm in front of tools like these.