Flare stared at her father in shock.
Chōshokushin had explained this principle to her before, but she had never taken it to heart. To her, it was just the rambling of an old, stubborn man.
But now...
"But..."
"It's fine if you don't understand right now. You will, eventually. I didn't get it at first either. But I had questions. I knew I wouldn't find the answers in the Gourmet Kingdom. I had already reached the top there, as the Gourmet God. So, I slipped away from the kingdom, planning to travel the world in search of my answer..."
A bitter smile appeared on Chōshokushin's face.
"But the journey didn't go smoothly. The moment I set sail, I ran into rough seas and was washed up on a strange island. Everything I had was gone. Luckily, I came across a group of pirates fleeing from the New World to the North Blue. After countless close calls, we somehow crossed the Calm Belt and reached the North Blue. I thought, with my cooking skills, it'd be easy to find a job and continue my journey. But to my surprise, I—the Gourmet God—almost starved to death because I couldn't even get hired as a cook."
"What?!"
Chōshokushin chuckled.
"The reason was simple. I couldn't accept making ordinary dishes with ordinary ingredients. I saw it as an insult to my cooking. I kept insisting on using only the finest ingredients for the best cuisine. I ended up wasting food and got kicked out of restaurants. What frustrated me even more was that, even when I cooked something I was proud of, some customers didn't appreciate it. I just couldn't understand it. Back then, I thought those people were too ignorant to recognize good food. So I kept wandering... until I came to East Blue. To Loguetown. That's where I met your mother."
"When I first stepped into this place, I was shocked. Back then, it was much smaller—barely enough for twenty people—but it was always packed. And every customer sang praises of your mother's cooking. Not a single complaint. Honestly, I couldn't understand it. To me, her food looked like cheap dishes for people who couldn't tell real flavor from fake."
"But I had gone days without eating and couldn't find work. With no choice left, I had to swallow my pride and start as a lowly helper in your mother's kitchen."
"Later, I found the answer I'd been searching for—but how I found it, I can't tell you. That's something you'll have to discover for yourself. Even if I explained it, you probably wouldn't understand..."
At that moment, Chōshokushin looked seriously at his daughter.
"So, do you still think you've surpassed your mother and me? Do you still want to compete in cooking?"
"I..."
Flare still felt a bit defiant inside, but she had to admit—in front of her parents, she was nothing more than a frog in a well. And to think, she had believed she'd already surpassed them.
"Then what do I have to do to truly surpass you both?"
Chōshokushin thought for a moment, his face full of memories.
"At the very least, you'd have to reach a level where you could become a Gourmet God in the Gourmet Kingdom. Only then would you be qualified to compete against me."
"But didn't you say the Gourmet Kingdom is a graveyard for chefs?"
"You fool. Your old man already became a Gourmet God—that's why I get to say that. Right now, you don't even qualify to be buried in that graveyard."
...
Flare gritted her teeth, glaring at her father. But now that she knew about his brilliant past, she couldn't come up with a single word to argue.
Just then, she saw her father, Chōshokushin, bow deeply to the pirate Yemu and say,
"I'm entrusting my daughter to you."
"!!!"
Flare jumped in shock.
"Hey! Oyaji, are you crazy?! How can you just hand me over to a pirate?!"
Chōshokushin returned to his usual gruff fatherly self and barked back at her.
"You're heading to the Gourmet Kingdom, which means you'll have to go to the New World. Are you planning to go alone...?"
"But even becoming a Marine would be better than becoming a pirate... Besides, there's still another option..."
"Idiot. Look at those two. One's just curious about cooking... And honestly, I don't like pirates—but I can't say I like Marines or Marine defectors either."
"Uh..."
Kuzan and Dragon, who were suddenly dragged into the conversation, were left speechless. They wanted to object, but somehow, Chōshokushin wasn't wrong.
Just like that, the situation flipped. The man who had been firmly against his daughter becoming a pirate was now suddenly recommending her to Yemu.
"Captain Yemu, don't worry. My daughter's skills may not match mine, but she inherited half of her mother's talent. Plus, she's a cook who's eaten the Ryōri Ryōri no Mi, the Cooking Fruit. She won't be a burden."
"Ryōri Ryōri no Mi!?"
"Yeah... I found it in the North Blue. Flare's hands can transform into all kinds of kitchen tools. She can handle any ingredient with ease and cook whatever she wants. She's born to be a chef. So, what do you think?"
Chōshokushin rubbed his hands together, clearly hopeful, waiting for Yemu's response.
But to his surprise, Yemu shook his head.
"To be honest, I'm really tempted. I want to say yes. But what I'm looking for... is a companion. And I'm not about to force anyone."
Hearing that, Chōshokushin looked at Yemu with even greater admiration, then turned to his daughter, who was still in a daze.
"Captain Yemu's right... Flare, all your old man can do is point out a road. Whether you walk it or not, that's your choice."
At that moment, Flare stood at the most important crossroads of her life.
"Become a pirate...?"
Though the idea still made her uneasy, when she thought about the person standing in front of her...
She remembered how he had held her twice, agreed to her childish requests, and shielded her in the freezing cold. Thinking of those moments, she realized she didn't dislike the idea as much as she thought.
But...
Flare looked at Yemu and asked seriously,
"If I become your companion... will you help me achieve my dream?"
Yemu shook his head.
"No... Dreams are something you have to achieve with your own effort. That's what makes them worth chasing. But as your captain, I'll be your strongest support. So, as long as you're on my ship—my crew—don't hesitate, don't waver. Just charge straight toward your dream. Even if you turn the world upside down, as long as I'm alive, I'll always have your back, giving you the strength to keep moving forward."