"Pffft—! It not tasty at all, meow! Sherwin, you tricked Klee again!"
"Hmm? It really does have a special flavor. I actually like it. Admiral, buy me a few more—I want to take them back as snacks, meow."
"Oh oh oh! What a weird taste, meow! But it also so interesting! I love it, meow! Check it~"
(ゝω)~☆
"What so special about this thing? Isn't it just an ordinary cherry pie, meow?"
Hearing the four Felynes give three completely different opinions, Sherwin silently nodded… Sure enough, the cherry pie here was something unusual.
With that thought, he also picked up the cherry pie in front of him and took a small bite…
A sweet and sour taste filled his mouth. Just as Sanji Meow said, it was clearly just an ordinary cherry pie.
It wasn't even freshly baked—more like one that had already cooled for a while. If he were to judge it, he'd say it tasted average, with a slightly stale texture.
Yet Klee Meow, Huamei Meow, and Purah Meow all tasted something different from it. Only Sanji Meow seemed to feel the same as Sherwin.
As Sherwin savored this strange cherry pie, the four Felynes started arguing about it.
"Huamei big sister, are you sick, meow? This cherry pie tastes awful, meow!"
Klee Meow leaned in close to Huamei Meow, putting her little paw against her forehead with concern.
"But I really think it delicious, meow…" Huamei Meow took another bite of the pie, chewed thoughtfully for a while, and then said with conviction, "I don't taste anything weird at all. It sweet and sour—this is exactly the kind of flavor you usually like, Klee Meow."
"Yeah, this cherry pie tastes great, meow. Could it be that you're the one who sick, Klee Meow?" Purah Meow nodded in agreement and also reached out a paw to touch Klee Meow forehead.
∑(=⊙Д⊙=)The little ragdoll stared in utter shock.
At that moment, Sanji Meow spoke up weakly, "But I think it just an ordinary cherry pie, meow. It not bad, but definitely not what I'd call delicious, meow."
Sherwin followed, "I feel the same as Sanji. It just an ordinary cherry pie… But didn't I say the cherry pie here is supposed to be special? Oh, and their drinks are said to be the same—but with the effect completely opposite to the pie."
"Really, meow?"
The Felynes immediately dropped their argument and began trying the drinks in front of them.
"Gulp gulp gulp gulp… ha—! This drink is so good, meow! Sherwin, Klee wants more, meow~"
The little ragdoll Felyne carefully licked the drink in her cup, her eyes lighting up instantly before she downed the rest in one go, eagerly wanting another.
Huamei Meow, on the other hand, took a small sip, then immediately put her cup down with a frown. "I don't like this taste, meow."
"Bleh—" Purah Meow reaction was even more straightforward. She spat the drink right back out and shuddered instinctively. "This tastes worse than medicine made from bitterbugs, meow."
As for Sherwin and Sanji Meow, their impression was the same as with the cherry pie—just an ordinary drink.
"Could you sell me the recipe for this cherry pie and drink, meow? And also—what the principle behind this, meow?"
Even though the flavor felt completely normal to him, the drastically different reactions from the others had piqued Sanji Meow curiosity. He immediately turned to ask the tavern owner.
Anyone who could run a bar in a place like Magic Valley Town would naturally be well-informed, so the owner didn't dare take Sanji Meow lightly.
He hurriedly replied, "These are all made by our cook. I don't really know the reason myself. Please wait a moment—I'll call him over right away."
Soon, a rather ordinary-looking cook was brought over by the owner. When Sanji Meow made his request, the man readily agreed, not even accepting any payment from Sherwin group.
"They're just ordinary recipes for cherry pie and drinks—nothing valuable at all," he said with a casual smile.
And soon enough, Sanji Meow confirmed that was indeed the case.
"It really just a very simple, even somewhat rough method for making cherry pie, meow. The drink ingredients and preparation steps aren't special at all either… But why would something like this happen, meow?"
"I have no idea either," the tavern owner said with a bitter smile.
"Every year, pirates end up fighting in this bar over the flavor of that pie. I've even tried to find some kind of pattern, but the result was… there absolutely none."
After that, Sanji Meow asked the cook many more detailed questions and even went into the kitchen to watch him make a cherry pie from start to finish, determined to perfectly reproduce this mysterious food.
When they were finally done, Sherwin and the others brought back a bunch of purchased cherry pies and drinks, along with the ingredients used to make them, and returned to the dock…
"Everyone, come try this cherry pie and drink! They're super interesting, meow!"
As soon as Klee Meow got back on the ship, she started calling everyone over to try the strange food and drink, while Sanji Meow immediately took the ingredients and headed into the kitchen.
The reactions from the other Felynes were just as varied.
Seijuro Meow, like Klee Meow, thought the cherry pie tasted terrible but found the drink delicious.
Haibara Meow and Robin, on the other hand, were the complete opposite—they sided with Huamei Meow and Purah Meow.
Link Meow reaction was the same as Sherwin and Sanji Meow—no special sensation at all.
"Hmm… I think I might be figuring out the pattern…"
Sherwin glanced back and forth between the Felynes and Robin, resting his chin on his hand thoughtfully.
"Me, Sanji, and Link all know how to cook, so we aren't affected. Klee and Seijuro have something in common—they're more straightforward in personality. As for you, Huamei, your group tends to be a bit more… hmm… let say, smooth-talking."
"You mean sly and scheming, right?" Haibara Meow rolled her eyes, exposing Sherwin true thoughts.
"If that really the case, then you should like cherry pie too, meow! Besides, Klee can cook as well—her fried fish is the signature dish of our restaurant, meow!"
"Alright... I guess you kind of have a point there…" Sherwin couldn't argue against what Haibara Meow said.
Well, to be precise, he couldn't refute the part about Klee Meow cooking skills.
After all, besides her signature fried fish, that little Felyne doll could also make a variant of Fisherman Toast—fragrant fish toast. In terms of taste, it was actually even better than the performance-style fried fish.
If Sherwin didn't use his "Human Sword Fruit" ability to make Roasted Meat G, with his actual cooking skill, the dishes he made might not even taste as good as Klee Meow fish toast.
More than ten minutes later, the cherry pie that Sanji Meow replicated was served.
Then…
"Pfft—! It even worse than the one we bought before, meow!"
"As expected of little brother Sanji, the flavor even better, meow~"
"Tasty! Way better than the one from the bar, meow! Check it!"
(ゝω)~☆
"I'm so glad Sister Huamei and Sister Purah like it, meow~~~" Sanji Meow joyfully spun around them in circles.
Sherwin: "..."
This little yellow cat wasn't curious about this mysterious food at all—he had learned to make it only because Huamei Meow and the others liked it!
Still, the fact that he actually managed to recreate such a miraculous cherry pie was impressive.
Even though they still couldn't figure out the principle or pattern behind it, if they could also reproduce the drink, then their Felynes Seaside Mobile Restaurant would gain another signature dish and a special beverage on the menu.