Shishishi, Luffy laughed, bouncing on his seat. "I think I need some food! I'm hungry! And meat!"
Everyone around him laughed at his antics, the tension in the room easing slightly.
Zeff, however, stood up, clearing his throat with authority. "Then let me prepare the meal for you." His gaze briefly flicked to Cry. "My lady, if you wish, I can also prepare a dish for you."
All the chefs and Sanji gulped simultaneously. Another battlefield had opened.
It's easier to fight the Krieg pirates than make a meal for a goddess… everyone thought silently, fear and awe mixing in their hearts.
Cry, unaware of what any of this meant, simply tilted her head in curiosity.
When Luffy heard the words, he shouted excitedly, "Hey Cry! Give us meat!"
The room froze. All eyes turned to Cry once more. To look at her now—to watch her move—required more courage than fighting the pirates themselves. She only heard the word meat, and somehow understood the request.
Slowly, deliberately, the goddess made a small movement. She lifted her slim, elegant index finger to her cute pinkish lips, pouting ever so slightly, and blew.
Every observer felt it in their chest. A flush of heat ran through them, and their hearts raced. Even Sanji, though bleeding from his nose, did not dare look with lust—his eyes held reverence instead. He knew instinctively: this was sacred, untouchable, a sin to dare contaminate with desire.
From her lips, a tiny, sparkling grin of salt appeared. It hovered at her fingertip, glimmering like crushed diamonds in sunlight. And then, slowly, impossibly, it began to expand.
The single gleam of salt stretched, twisted, and grew into a vast, undulating form over a hundred feet long. Not just a creature—it was a masterpiece, a living sculpture of mystery and art. Its slender, leaf-like appendages flowed like water-colored silk, adorned with vivid shades of green, yellow, and deep amber. The translucent fins rippled as if a gentle current moved through them, and its eyes shone like molten gold, filled with ancient intelligence.
It was a Leafy Sea Dragon, a living legend, hovering in the air as if gravity itself honored its majesty. Its body coiled and spiraled elegantly, a harmonious blend of natural grace and otherworldly beauty. Every scale, every fin, glimmered with an ethereal glow, making the spectators' breaths catch in awe.(👉🏻)
No one moved. No one dared speak. They watched, completely entranced, at the goddess before them, and at the impossibly magnificent creature she had conjured with nothing but a breath and a gesture.
The room remained frozen, every eye locked on the magnificent Leafy Sea Dragon hovering above Cry's fingertip.
Luffy's mouth hung open. "Wha—what is that…?" His usual excitement was muted, replaced with wide-eyed disbelief. "It's… huge! And… it's… alive?!" He shuffled closer, but even he instinctively stopped himself, as if afraid to break some invisible rule around Cry.
Zoro's grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles white. His usual stoic expression faltered, replaced with a rare mixture of awe and disbelief. "Impossible… That's… no ordinary creature. And it came from her…" He exhaled slowly, almost like trying to steady his own racing heartbeat. Then, in a voice so low it was barely audible, he muttered to himself, "I've never… I've never seen power like this… and it's calm… yet so… absolute."
Usopp's hands shook, and he pressed them against his mouth as if holding back a scream. "No… no way… That's… that's not natural! I've seen big things… but… that… that's…" His eyes darted from Cry to the Leafy Sea Dragon, like a child witnessing a miracle that didn't belong in this world.
Jonny and Yusaku were frozen in place, their swords half-raised but forgotten. Jonny whispered, "I… I knew she wasn't normal… but… this… this…" His voice faltered. Yusaku nodded slowly, eyes wide, sweat forming on his brow. "It's… beyond human… she's… she's… a goddess…"
Sanji's breathing hitched. His usual composure was gone, replaced with reverent awe. His hands trembled slightly as he adjusted his chef's apron. He whispered under his breath, "It's… it's a sin… a holy sin… just to breathe the same air as her… to see this…" His eyes, normally filled with lust for beauty, held pure veneration. He didn't dare meet her gaze, only stole glances at her from under his lashes, like a knight before a queen.
Zeff's face was pale, his usually commanding presence momentarily broken. He clenched his fists, feeling both pride and fear. "By the heavens… I've cooked for kings and nobles… for emperors of taste… but this…" His voice cracked slightly. "…this… this is divine."
Even the other chefs, crouched in corners of the Baratie kitchen, had stopped moving. Their knives, ladles, and spoons hovered midair, forgotten. Every one of them had witnessed legendary ingredients, but this… this was impossible. Whispers barely escaped their lips:
"This… is from All Blue… it has to be…"
"It's not just the fish… she is… she's the one…"
Cry, meanwhile, remained calm, tilting her head innocently, curious about every flicker of movement in the room. Her crystal-blue eyes reflected the shimmering fins of the Leafy Sea Dragon, as if she were studying a toy. She didn't yet understand the awe, the fear, or the reverence surrounding her—but the mortals felt it all for her.
Nami, standing closest to Cry, swallowed hard. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She glanced at each of the crew, watching their reactions—the awe, the disbelief, the subtle fear. She reached out, gently holding Cry's hand, and whispered softly, "It's okay… just watch, just be yourself."
The entire Baratie, from diners to chefs, from pirates to wandering sailors, had collectively lost their words. Even Luffy, normally unstoppable in his enthusiasm, sat stunned, silently reaching for a piece of meat, as if testing reality itself.
And Cry? She just stared, curiosity unshaken, tilting her head again. Her small, perfect lips formed a quiet "hmm," and the goddess before them continued to radiate a presence that made time itself feel still.
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To be continued