"Let's eat something in the meantime, we'll take a while to get there," X said calmly.
Both walked into the interior of the pirate ship's kitchen, where there was a wide variety of ingredients everywhere. Most of them were meats, and the smell was so strong it made the stomach growl.
"Give me a really big portion of meat!" Ahu exclaimed, wagging his tail enthusiastically.
X let out a light chuckle. "Alright. You stay outside and tell me if anything happens, understood?"
"Yes, Chef!" Ahu replied with a smile, leaving as X closed the door behind him.
X washed his hands and dried them quickly with a cloth. Then he put on a pair of kitchen gloves and grabbed a sharp knife. In front of him, a shiny onion waited on the board. Without hesitation, he began to chop it with agile, precise movements, the pieces falling like rain onto the wood.
The sound of the knife cutting echoed through the kitchen, mixed with the soft sizzle of the oil already heating in the pan.
Once he finished, he tossed the chopped onion into the pan and a gentle aroma began to fill the air. Then he took some fresh mushrooms, cut them into small cubes and added them alongside the onion, letting the heat slowly embrace them.
Finally, he grabbed a few sprigs of rosemary, chopped them finely and sprinkled them over the mixture. The smell of roasted herbs and vegetables began to spread, filling the kitchen with a warm fragrance that would make anyone salivate.
X moved the pan skilfully, making sure the vegetables didn't burn. The sound of the sofrito bubbling filled the air.
Then he took a large bowl that was on the table and placed several boiled potatoes inside. With a fork, he began mashing them hard until they became a smooth purée. Immediately, he poured the sofrito from the pan into the bowl, letting the heat and aroma fuse with the potatoes.
He added a pinch of salt, a touch of black pepper and a bit of curry, giving it a stronger color and scent. He stirred everything with a wooden spoon, mixing until the texture was uniform, creamy and full of flavor.
When it was ready, he put the mixture on the table and, carefully, began to shape it. He rolled the filled purée until it formed a perfect cylinder, compact and golden at the edges, ready for the next step.
After finishing the filling, X placed it carefully in the fridge to rest for an hour. Meanwhile, he took a large chunk of meat and sliced it into thin slices, almost transparent. He lit the stove and used the same pan where traces of the previous sofrito remained — that flavorful juice that mingled with the curry aroma.
He placed the strips of meat and began cooking them, moving them with precision so they browned without burning.
After several minutes, X took a plate and started arranging the meat carefully, forming a perfectly ordered column.
Then he opened the fridge and took out the now-chilled purée. With agile movements, he wrapped it in strips of bacon until it was completely covered, then wrapped it in parchment paper and put it in the oven preheated to 220 degrees. Time: fifteen exact minutes.
While the main dish baked, X prepared a larger pan. He poured in a splash of red wine, then added soy sauce and a little butter. The aroma that rose from the mix was deep and elegant. He moved the pan with one hand, reducing the sauce until it reached the perfect texture, finishing it with a few final touches and a bit of fresh rosemary.
After the time passed, X carefully took the purée from the oven. The bacon was golden and crispy, giving off an irresistible scent. He placed it on a large plate and poured the hot sauce over it, covering it with that dark reddish color, almost brown, that shone under the firelight. For the final touch, he sprinkled a few small fresh rosemary leaves that popped with their aroma.
To one side of the plate he arranged thin strips of meat in a perfect semicircle, while the rest he placed on the column of meat he had prepared earlier. He picked up both plates and carried them to the table, setting them down with care.
"Ahu, the food is ready," X said as he opened the door.
On the other side, the dog waited with his tongue out, wagging his tail and licking his lips in anticipation.
"Yes!" he answered excitedly, running toward the table.
With a leap, Ahu jumped onto the chair. In front of him, a plate full of golden meat waited, steaming and smelling in a way that made the stomach growl.
"Thanks for the food!" he exclaimed with a grin from ear to ear, before launching into eating enthusiastically, his tail wagging in pure delight.
X sat opposite him calmly, took a fork and cut a piece of the bacon-wrapped purée. He brought it to his mouth and savored it slowly, letting the intense flavors of rosemary and curry mingle on his tongue.
Several minutes later, both had finished eating. Ahu was so full from devouring all the meat that his belly had visibly swollen, and he could barely move.
"You ate too much, Ahu," X commented, a drop of sweat sliding down his temple as he watched his canine friend, exhausted and barely breathing.
"It was the best thing I've eaten in a long time..." murmured Ahu, leaning back in the chair with a dopey smile and his round stomach, completely satisfied.
"Well, I never thought you were that hungry. Don't finish all the food before we reach the next island," X replied sarcastically.
On the other side of the sea, a huge ship slowly approached where our protagonist was. On its sails waved the drawing of a skull with a big red nose and a hat that made it look like a clown.
The ship was impossible to ignore: twice the size of the white-haired boy's, with a shiny purple hull and golden details that glittered under the sun.
On the deck, several pirates could be seen leaning over the edge, watching the horizon attentively.
"Captain Buggy! We found a pirate ship!" announced one of the deckhands, panting with excitement.
Buggy smiled with a mix of cruel joy and greed; his excitement was noticeable from miles away.
"Hahaha! Finally! After so much searching, we found one. We'll plunder all their treasures!" Buggy shouted, rubbing his hands.
Suddenly another pirate staggered over, sweat beads rolling down his forehead and panic written on his face.
"Captain, that ship belongs to Don Krieg's crew!" he said in a trembling voice.
"What did you say?" Buggy responded incredulously. He snatched the binoculars from the pirate in one pull, put them to his eyes and looked. Instantly his expression changed.
"Damn it!" he muttered.
"Sir, it's not Krieg's main ship, it's a secondary vessel. We can attack them and kill them all; he wouldn't even notice," another pirate said, brandishing a sword with a maniacal smile.
"Really?" Buggy licked his lips and let out a mischievous laugh. "Then this will be quite the show."