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Over two weeks had passed since the Hurricane Pirates' clash with the Krieg Pirates.
Thanks to the widespread buzz from the newspapers and bounty posters, Aero's name had spread across the East Blue like wildfire.
Now, whenever his black flag sailed into view, other pirate crews gave way without hesitation. Even villagers on remote islands grew uneasy at the sight of the Hurricane banner.
Wherever they went, at least one or two Navy scouts were always tailing them, watching from a distance, and reporting their location back to command.
Aero and his crew were well aware of the shadows following them.
But they didn't bother confronting the spies.
They just went on with their lives.
For Aero, life had been quiet almost too quiet. The peace was starting to bore him.
Gin had developed quite a taste for Bugsy Kingdom's strong liquor. Though he often had a bottle in hand, he knew when to drink and when to stay sharp.
He'd also been training hard trying to catch up to Dylan and Eddie. In raw power, he wasn't far behind. But those two had learned Rokushiki (Six Powers), giving them a serious edge.
Gin had also started studying the world around him, trying to make sense of how it all worked.
Technology in this world was… strange.
There were laser-firing androids with artificial memories, yet people still traveled by wooden sailboats powered by wind.
Aero sometimes found it hilarious. With robotics that advanced, why were people still using flintlock pistols?
He often joked that if he knew how ironclads or modern weapons worked, he'd revolutionize this world overnight.
But he wasn't a scientist. He didn't know how to reverse-engineer laser rifles or automatic weapons.
So instead of trying to change the world with tech, he focused on thriving within it.
Today's plan? A little indulgence.
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Baratie – The Floating Restaurant
After days at sea, the crew was tired.
Eddie suggested they visit the legendary Baratie, East Blue's most famous floating restaurant, for some real food.
Even Gin, who'd grown up isolated in his hometown, had heard of it.
As for Aero, he was well aware. After all, this was the place where Sanji made his debut in the original timeline.
Not to mention, the home of the Red-Leg Zeff.
"Captain! I see it!" Eddie called from the crow's nest, peering through a spyglass.
Aero stepped to the bow and looked ahead. A faint silhouette appeared on the horizon the distinct shape of the Baratie.
Dylan and Gin emerged from below deck, wiping sweat from their faces.
They'd been sparring hard in the training room.
Eddie was their sniper, not a great match for close-quarters drills, so Dylan and Gin often trained together.
Lately, Gin's mastery of [Soru] had improved. Now Eddie was starting to consider learning some Rokushiki moves himself.
Aero, on the other hand? Still hadn't learned any.
"Guess getting a Devil Fruit comes with a price like zero learning aptitude," he muttered to himself.
"I heard that place only hires unwanted chefs," Dylan said, tossing his sweat towel over his shoulder as he approached.
Gin already had his cloak on and listened silently.
Eddie leapt down from the rigging and chimed in, "Yeah, that's right. They say most of the cooks are ex-thugs or pirates. Ironically, those violent chefs are why pirates don't mess with Baratie."
"They'd better live up to the hype," Dylan muttered. "I want to see if they can really make food into art."
Lately, Dylan had handed over kitchen duties to the others, focusing entirely on improving his strength.
"Eddie, do you know who Baratie's head chef is?" Aero asked suddenly.
"Huh? Umm… I think it's Zeff. Yeah—Zeff!"
"Right. Red-Leg Zeff," Aero replied flatly.
"Wait—the Red-Leg Zeff? The guy who sailed the Grand Line for a year and came back alive?" Eddie gawked.
"Seems like it," Aero said with a calm nod.
Eddie was stunned. "Red-Leg Zeff… Why's he running a restaurant? He was the captain of the Cook Pirates! I guess it weirdly makes sense."
"Do you have his bounty poster?" Aero asked, eyeing Eddie.
"What?! No, of course not! That was years ago! Who'd still have something like that?" Eddie replied quickly. Then, hesitating, he added in a low voice, "Captain… maybe we shouldn't go. I'm betting his bounty was way higher than yours. The guy survived the Grand Line."
"We're not here to fight him," Aero said calmly. "We're just here for a good meal."
He knew exactly what Eddie was thinking.
Nearly every time Aero encountered a known pirate, it ended in a fight. But this time was different.
Zeff wasn't just some East Blue thug. He'd been to the Grand Line.
Eddie's caution wasn't cowardice it was strategy.
The Hurricane Pirates had become a little too flashy lately. Eddie worried the Marines might soon launch a focused strike, especially with that Colonel from HQ rumored to be in the area.
But Aero wasn't worried.
Not yet.
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