Everyone gulped as the realization finally settled in.
This goddess before them was something pulled straight out of legend.
Nami had seen and heard the entire exchange. She knew the tale of All Blue—every navigator, every cook who loved the sea had heard whispers of it. To hear Zeff speak its name with such certainty sent a chill through her spine. Slowly, she turned her gaze to Cry's innocent face, so calm, so unknowing.
Nami swallowed.
If that fish really came from All Blue… then Cry… what are you?
The thought lingered in her mind, heavy and unsettling.
Luffy, completely oblivious to the storm of meaning crashing around him, continued eating with gusto, stuffing his mouth as if nothing extraordinary was happening. Zoro, however, had stopped. He stared at Cry in silence, one hand resting near his sword—not in threat, but in instinct. Usopp looked like he had seen a ghost, his face pale, eyes trembling. Jonny and Yosaku exchanged glances and whispered almost in unison, voices shaking.
"I knew it… this goddess isn't normal…"
The diners remained frozen.
They all knew it—All Blue was supposed to be a myth, a sailor's lie, a bedtime story told to foolish dreamers. Deep down, most of them had accepted it as nonsense. And yet here it was, hanging in the air before them, undeniable and real.
The chefs stared at the hovering fish, tears gathering in their eyes. Years of dreams, frustrations, and silent prayers welled up all at once. Zeff's gaze was locked onto the fish before him, his vision blurred by tears that carried not sorrow, but something closer to fulfillment.
With a shaky breath, Zeff finally spoke.
"I… I can't accept this as payment," he said, his voice trembling. "This… this is something I can't—no, I shouldn't accept."
Gasps rippled through the room. Everyone turned to see how the goddess would respond.
Cry simply tilted her head and looked at Zeff.
She didn't understand his words, but she felt him—his excitement, his reverence, his overwhelming curiosity. She could sense his emotions, both toward her and toward the fish.
Then Zeff did something no one expected.
Straightening his back, his resolve sharpening, he spoke again—this time louder, firmer.
"May I make a request instead?"
The room stiffened. Eyebrows rose. Hearts pounded.
Nami, ever the one to speak when others couldn't, nodded slowly. "What kind of request, Mister Zeff?"
Zoro, Luffy, and Usopp all paused and turned toward him.
Zeff took a deep breath.
"We are cooks of this sea," he said. "Not just me—everyone here. And we all share the same dream. A dream to find the place where the rarest, finest ingredients exist… All Blue. That has always been our goal."
He turned suddenly and grabbed the collar of the blond cook who had been standing stiff as stone, eyes still locked on the fish—and on Cry.
"This kid," Zeff continued, "take him with you. Let him travel with you as your cook."
Sanji snapped out of his daze instantly. "What the hell are you saying, old man?!" he shouted, yanking himself free as he began protesting loudly. The two moved off to the side, their argument heated and personal, voices overlapping as only they could manage.
The others watched, unsure how to react.
Luffy laughed, that familiar carefree grin spreading across his face. "Shishishishi… looks like we'll be staying here a bit longer."
Zoro took a long swig of sake, uninterested in the drama. Usopp nodded, still overwhelmed by everything he'd seen.
Nami glanced back at Cry, who remained quietly at her side, head slightly tilted, still not understanding what was happening around her.
Then, without warning, the fish hovering above Cry's fingertip began to shimmer. Slowly, it collapsed back into a grain of salt-like light. Cry gently inhaled, and the grain vanished between her pink lips.
Everyone saw it.
And with that simple act, even more questions flooded their minds—questions none of them yet dared to ask.
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After the incident at Baratie, Luffy decided to stay for a while—not because of the good food, and definitely not because it was free. For once, even he could tell something important was unfolding, and he wanted to see where it led.
Nami and Cry returned to the docked Merry at the entrance of Baratie. The restaurant behind them was still steeped in a strange haze. The diners remained unsettled, their minds replaying the image of the goddess and the revelation they had witnessed. Curiosity burned in their chests, but none of them dared pry. Some things felt too sacred—or too dangerous—to question.
Inside Baratie, Zeff and Sanji were still locked in a heated argument. Their voices echoed through the halls, neither willing to back down. It was clear they would need more time to reach a decision. Usopp, Jonny, and Yosaku stayed behind with Zoro and Luffy, choosing to rest and hang around the restaurant, letting the tension cool while enjoying the strange calm that followed such an overwhelming event.
Meanwhile, far away—kilometers from Baratie—something else was moving.
A dilapidated ship, its hull scarred and broken as if it had just survived a brutal war, cut through the sea. Its sails were torn, its mast cracked, and the deck bore the marks of cannon fire and bloodstains long dried by salt and sun. Despite its condition, it pressed forward stubbornly, driven by malice, anger, and unfinished business.
Its course was clear.
It was heading straight toward Baratie.
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