Chapter 22 The Night Before ArrivalThe moonlight, like water, spilled across the calm sea, casting a silvery glow on the Going Merry's elegant ram's head figurehead.
It was the fifth day since they left Syrobumi Village, and the voyage had gone smoothly.
On deck, the three women were each doing their own thing.
Nami sat cross-legged on the floor, carefully studying a more detailed East Blue chart by the light from the cabin, occasionally making marks with charcoal.
Nojiko sat on a low stool beside her, needle and thread in hand, skillfully mending the hem of Nami's clothes that had been accidentally torn during training that day.
Kaya leaned against the ship's railing, reading an ancient medical book by moonlight, occasionally glancing up at the starry sky, her eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.
Luffy lay between them, his head resting on Nojiko's lap, his feet casually draped beside Nami, his straw hat covering his face; he seemed to be asleep.
A gentle sea breeze ruffled the hair and hems of their clothes, creating a serene scene unlike anything seen on the perilous high seas.
"Hmm..."
Nami paused, circling a spot on the chart with her charcoal pencil, then did some calculations.
"At our current speed and wind direction, we should be able to see the Baratie floating restaurant by noon tomorrow."
Luffy stirred under his straw hat, removing it to reveal a blank expression: "Finally, we can eat something delicious."
Nami glanced at Luffy, pouting: "All you ever think about is food. I heard the cuisine there is the best in the East Blue, but it's definitely not cheap..."
She subconsciously began calculating the possible costs.
Luffy ignored Nami's question about money, simply reaching out and naturally pulling the still-muttering Nami into his arms.
Nami struggled symbolically for a moment, then, finding it futile, gave up and leaned against his chest, still muttering about the budget.
Seeing this, Nojiko smiled, put down her needlework, and moved closer.
Kaya closed her book, glanced at it shyly, and then shuffled over to sit on Luffy's other side.
The four of them squeezed together in the middle of the deck, bathed in the gentle moonlight.
"Luffy, what's a sea restaurant...?" Kaya asked softly.
"I don't know, but it definitely has meat," Luffy replied decisively.
Nami couldn't help but laugh, lifting her head from Luffy's embrace. "Can't you think of something else? I heard it's a giant fish-shaped building floating on the sea, and many of the chefs inside used to be pirates. They're incredibly strong, known as 'fighting chefs.'"
Nojiko asked curiously, "Fighting chefs? Cooking while fighting?"
Nami shrugged. "Something like that. They're definitely not to be trifled with, but the food is supposedly absolutely delicious."
Kaya's blue eyes flashed with worry. "Then... won't it be dangerous?"
Luffy tightened his grip, pulling the three girls closer to him, his voice strong:
"I'm here."
Those three simple words warmed the hearts of all three girls simultaneously.
Nami leaned back, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Nojiko's eyes softened.
Kaya softly hummed in agreement, pressing her face against Luffy's arm.
After a moment of silence, Nami suddenly sat up straight, her greedy nature fully exposed: "By the way! Kaya, do you have enough money? I heard that the top-tier cuisine at Baratie is super expensive! Especially the chef's..."
Nojiko chuckled helplessly, "All you ever think about is money."
Nami, though unconvinced, retorted, "Money is important, okay! We need to buy new navigation equipment, replenish our supplies of high-quality food and medicine, we need to buy..."
"Nami-neechan, it's okay, I brought enough money," Kaya gently interrupted, a soft smile on her face.
Nami's eyes lit up instantly, and she rushed over to hug Kaya like she'd found a treasure: "Really?! Kaya, you're the best! I love you!"
Kaya was thrown back by the hug, but Luffy caught her with his arm. Her face flushed slightly, but she still smiled and nodded.
Luffy watched them playfully and suddenly spoke, "When we reach the Grand Line, there will be lots of treasure."
The three girls all looked at him.
"Then we can buy whatever we want."
Nami rushed back into Luffy's arms again, this time cheering genuinely, "Luffy, you're the best too!"
Nojiko and Kaya exchanged a warm smile.
Despite knowing the man's calculating side, his promise at this moment was still incredibly tempting.
Laughing, Nojiko suddenly remembered something, her tone becoming serious: "By the way, Nami, you said before that the Grand Line... is it really that dangerous?"
Nami's smile faded, and she sat up from Luffy's lap, her tone becoming more serious:
"I read it in various logs and legends... it's called the graveyard of pirates.
The weather is completely unpredictable; one moment it's clear blue skies, the next it could be a devastating storm.
The currents are unpredictable and erratic; without a Log Pose, it's impossible to move an inch. The sea creatures are terrifying; monsters larger than the Sea Kings of the East Blue are said to be common."
Nami thought for a moment, then continued, "And the pirates who gather there are all formidable characters who have passed the Reverse Mountain's selection process; many have bounties over ten million, some even over a hundred million."
Kaya listened, her face paling slightly, and she subconsciously moved closer to Luffy.
Luffy sensed her unease and reached out to ruffle her blonde hair. "What are you afraid of?"
The three women looked at him.
Luffy's gaze swept over Nami's worried face, Nojiko's thoughtful eyes, and finally settled on Kaya's somewhat timid blue eyes.
"I'm here."
Those two words again, shorter than any grand declaration, yet more powerful than any promise.
Nami looked at Luffy's calm yet profound profile in the moonlight, and her unease strangely dissipated.
Yes, with this monstrous man by her side, what did the Grand Line matter?
Nojiko also smiled with relief.
Kaya hugged Luffy's arm tightly and nodded vigorously.
Night deepened, and the sea breeze grew cooler.
In the comfort Luffy brought, the fatigue accumulated from several days of sailing and training overwhelmed them, and the three women gradually fell into a deep sleep beside him.
Nami leaned on his shoulder, Noki rested her head on his arm, and Kaya curled up beside him, their breathing becoming even and long.
Luffy wasn't asleep; his eyes remained open, gazing at the starry sky.
His Observation Haki expanded naturally, like breathing, spreading outwards from the Going Merry to the surrounding seas.
Within a radius of several nautical miles, everything was normal.
Only seabirds navigating at night, schools of fish swimming in the deep sea, and…
Luffy's senses extended even further.
To the southeast, beyond the horizon, the outline of a man-made building, radiating warm light and the aroma of food, faintly appeared on the edge of his perception.
Even from this distance, the vibrant life force and bustling voices gathered there were as clear as a lighthouse in the night.
Baratie, the floating restaurant.
Tomorrow's destination.
Luffy closed his eyes, slowly withdrawing his Observation Haki, and began calmly sorting through the known information in his mind.
Baratie.
Head Chef Zeff, former captain of the Chef Pirates, possessed considerable strength, now retired to the East Blue to run a restaurant.
Combat Chef Sanji, Zeff's adopted son and apprentice, possessed superb leg techniques, lecherous but adhering to chivalry.
And there were other former pirate chefs like Paddy and Carne.
Some of this information came from the nautical chronicles in Kaya's family library, and some from fragments of his past life's memories.
Furthermore, there was another person worth noting—Roronoa Zoro.
According to fragmented intelligence, the green-haired swordsman who clashed with Morgan in Shells Town seems to have escaped death and is recuperating in Baratie.
A pure swordsman pursuing the title of "World's Greatest Swordsman," his strength is considered high-level in the East Blue.
Luffy assessed in his mind.
Zoro, in the original timeline, would have been Luffy's most important right-hand man.
But now, that timeline has been distorted by his arrival.
To him, that swordsman is currently just a test subject to measure the strength of the East Blue, a sample to observe this world.
Perhaps in the future, if Zoro demonstrates enough value to be used, he could become a pawn, or a useful weapon.
But that's all.
After all, Zoro is male, completely outside the scope of his "harvesting" abilities.
The primary purpose of this trip to Baratie is to replenish high-quality food and fresh water, and incidentally, to let the three women experience the top-notch cuisine of the East Blue, a little something to enjoy during the voyage.
Secondly, they could gather more specific information about "Upside-Down Mountain" and the sea behind it.
Finally, they could observe Zoro's current situation and assess the quality of this sample.
As for that lecherous chef Sanji… Luffy didn't have any particular thoughts.
A useful tool with decent cooking skills; perhaps he could borrow him in the future, but there was no need now.
Nami unconsciously snuggled closer in his arms, finding a more comfortable position, and murmured:
"Treasure…"
Nojiko's breathing was shallow and steady.
Kaya seemed to be dreaming of something; her eyelashes fluttered gently in her sleep.
Luffy's arms tightened around them, the movement not exactly gentle, even carrying a hint of control.
He confirmed that everyone was safe and sound beside him, sleeping under his presence.
The moonlight shifted, leaving a long silver trail on the sea.
The Going Merry rocked gently, like a loyal steed, carrying its master into the distance.