Chapter 122: The New Uchiha Population

In the East Blue, wherever there is talent, Raijin will show up. In the East Blue arc of One Piece, there are only a few islands and places worth mentioning.

Now, the Straw Hat crew has almost all been captured by Raijin. Except for a few people in the Grand Line, the rest have been taken under his wing.

In the East Blue, the only one left is Vinsmoke Sanji.

Raijin sighed slightly as he made his way around the East Blue. He noticed that even Dressrosa had taverns, and now there were even more high-end restaurants.

The overall setup was becoming more and more complete, all thanks to the Straw Hat crew.

You could say snatching from others is much more reliable than relying on luck.

When you rely on luck, only a few out of ten thousand might turn out to be geniuses.

But with Luffy, the main characters are all geniuses in their respective fields.

There’s no need to think for yourself, just follow the storyline and dig for talent.

"Five people? Please wait a moment!"

Next to the sea restaurant, a massive warship blocked the view of the restaurant.

Seeing this, the original customers inside the restaurant panicked and quickly fled.

Even though it was a warship, they still found it terrifying.

They had never seen such a large warship in the East Blue.

However, the restaurant owner remained calm, hobbling on one leg as he placed a menu in front of Raijin and the others.

As long as they were here to eat, everything would be fine.

If not…

Zeff realized there was nothing he could do.

"Serve your signature dish! I want to see if this place, which has been called the sea restaurant for the past two years, is up to standard."

Raijin didn't even look at the menu and directly gave his order.

Immediately, a fierce glare was directed at Raijin from around the restaurant.

These were the waiters and chefs inside the restaurant.

They thought this guy was here to cause trouble, not to eat!

Who talks so arrogantly?

They all wanted to punch him.

"No problem!"

Zeff calmly nodded, his gaze shifting back and forth between Zephyr and Garp.

He hadn’t expected that a small pirate like himself would attract the attention of Garp and Zephyr.

But since they had come to his doorstep, Zeff wasn't going to back down.

Besides, running away was not an option.

If they wanted to catch him, they could find him anywhere.

"Old man, let me help you!"

Sanji also seemed to sense that Raijin and his group weren’t here with good intentions.

He planned to lend a hand in the kitchen!

Bang!

A wooden stick landed directly on Sanji’s head.

Zeff's face showed some disdain.

"With your clumsy hands, what help could you possibly offer? Get back to practicing your basics!"

"If you haven't mastered the basics, you can only wash vegetables in the kitchen. Don't even think about touching the stove!"

Without any mercy, Zeff kicked Sanji aside when he tried to help.

Although Sanji’s skills were already enough to do odd jobs in the kitchen, and he could even cook a couple of decent dishes, Zeff’s standards were much higher.

Sanji’s current level was far from meeting his expectations.

He still needed another two years of training before he would be allowed to handle the stove and learn anything else.

“Damn it.”

Sanji glared at the old man with resentment as he set up a stool and began washing vegetables.

He knew the old man wouldn't let him help.

Sanji thought he was doing well, but he still couldn't meet the old man's standards.

“Huff!”

Zeff glanced at Sanji, his face showing a hint of helplessness.

Today's guests were not ordinary!

The food Sanji prepared might not be satisfying.

If the guests were even slightly displeased, they might destroy the restaurant.

Zeff didn't want his hard-earned sea restaurant to be ruined, so he had to give his all to prepare a feast for these people.

And he couldn’t just focus on taste, neglecting appearance and quantity.

This was going to be tricky.

“That guy, isn’t he Red-Leg Zeff? I haven’t heard any news about him for years. I thought he might have died at sea, but it turns out he’s opened a sea restaurant here.”

“What an impressive fellow!”

Garp looked in the direction Zeff had gone, a bit surprised.

He hadn’t expected to see a pirate who once made a name for himself on the seas here in the East Blue.

Back then, Red-Leg Zeff caused quite a stir and was considered one of the supernovae.

But after making a name for himself for a short time, he disappeared from the seas.

His fleet continued sailing for a while before being wiped out at sea.

In Garp's eyes, as long as someone wasn’t a pirate, they were a good person.

Anyone who reforms is a good person!

“Pirates…”

Nami, sitting at the table, flinched.

She always reacted when she heard the word "pirate."

But seeing Raijin beside her, she calmed down a bit, avoiding another scolding from him.

“Impressive? They probably just tasted something different and decided to change their lifestyle.”

“That leg is the key to him being able to open a restaurant in the East Blue.”

Raijin said flatly.

Pirates can never truly reform.

“That leg? Seems like you know some inside information, Raijin.”

Garp’s face lit up with curiosity, and he quickly asked.

Back in the day, Red-Leg Zeff’s kicking techniques were the most refined.

But one of his legs was gone now. Who knew what had happened back then?

“Back then, I just encountered a minor setback. It's not worth mentioning.”

“But to be recognized by Vice Admiral Garp, that's an honor.”

Zeff walked out of the kitchen, carrying some desserts and placing them on the table.

He hadn’t expected to catch Garp’s attention!

Even more so, Garp seemed interested in some of his secrets.

But Zeff had no interest in talking about those things.

It was an embarrassing chapter of his life, not something to boast about.

A chef nearly starving to death at sea—what a disgrace.

“Nice presentation! It seems the former captain of the Chef Pirates still has some skill.”

Garp poked at the dessert with his fork. His first impression was positive.

But Garp often ate at the Marine Headquarters, so he was used to dishes from top chefs.

No matter how tasty the food was, it didn’t impress him much.

He preferred quantity.

“…”

At this point, Zeff just wanted them to leave.

Why did they keep bringing up the past?

He had long forgotten those days.

Now, he was just the chef of this floating restaurant.

“The taste is good! Though it doesn’t compare to the Marine chefs, it’s acceptable.”

“But desserts alone aren’t enough. The main course is what matters.”

Zephyr commented, giving some credit to Zeff.

The dessert was good, but that didn’t guarantee the rest of the meal would be.

So he wasn’t ready to make any final judgments.

After all, his students would be eating this food in the future.

It didn’t need to be as good as the Marine chefs, but it had to be close.

“Bring out your best dishes! Don’t disappoint us!”

Raijin nodded and spoke to Zeff.

In the Naruto world, as long as it was edible, it was fine.

But on the seas, there were more considerations when it came to food.

Some dishes could even help restore strength quickly.

A chef is crucial on the sea.

A good chef can help warriors recover their strength and heal faster after a battle.

Meanwhile, Nami and Shiranui Genma were focused on eating.

They weren't interested in anything else. Just listening to Raijin talk was enough for them.

“No problem!”

Zeff squinted, listening to their strange conversation.

It made him, a seasoned sea traveler, sense something different.

It seemed like this group had come to the sea restaurant with a purpose.

But he was just a small fry. In front of Garp and the others, he was nothing.

He could only follow orders. He had no other choice.

Zeff returned to the kitchen, while Garp, like a pig eating ginseng fruit, devoured the dessert in one bite.

Zephyr and Raijin ignored him.

Eating like this was a display of boldness on the sea.

“Vice Admiral Garp!”

Raijin suddenly looked at Garp.

“Huh?” Garp was taken aback.

“Your son founded some sort of rebellion, didn’t he?”

“…”

Garp squinted his eyes, noticing that Zephyr's gaze had turned toward him.

Although his family often caused a ruckus, he was just an old man who didn’t care much about anything.

"Why do you keep bringing this up? Is there any benefit for you in talking about this? What do you hope to gain from me?"

“No other meaning! Zephyr, ease up on that fierce look. You’ll scare Vice Admiral Garp.”

Seeing Garp’s smile vanish in an instant, Reijin couldn’t help but chuckle.

He quickly urged Zephyr to soften his harsh gaze.

“I heard your son’s subordinates have a recipe that can quickly restore strength. I wonder if you could help me get in touch with them. I’m willing to pay for it. If the Navy has something similar, I hope you can support Dressrosa with it.”

“We never paid much attention to food before, but now we plan to slightly improve the Uchiha clan's physical constitution. Even if future children aren't born yet, we hope they'll have strong bodies.”

Reijin said with a smile to Garp.

But Garp frowned immediately at Reijin’s attitude.

Isn’t this guy being a bit too outrageous?

What does the Navy even mean to Reijin?

He’s willing to pay for something from his son’s rebel army, but when it comes to the Navy, he just hopes for a donation to Dressrosa.

This shameless scoundrel has really taken it to the extreme.

Garp found himself at a loss for words.

“I’ll mention it to Sengoku. There should be someone who can send some recipes over.”

“There are many talents like that in the Navy. We should be able to give you some recipes.”

“As for Dorag, I can't get in touch with him. If you can find him, go ahead and do it yourself.”

Garp scratched his nose, firmly distancing himself from Dorag.

Right now, he’s a Navy hero, while Dorag is a notorious criminal wanted by the government.

No way would Garp admit he could contact Dorag.

If he even hinted at it, next time, Reijin might actually ask him to contact Dorag.

Better not to open that door. He’s not at all familiar with the rebel army.

“That’s really unfortunate! I’d still like to meet this legendary figure someday.”

“If he’s ever discovered, that would be quite something.”

Reijin said with a hint of regret.

“Wait a minute! I remember a few of Dorag’s subordinates were captured in Impel Down. You could send someone to question them.”

“Uchiha Reijin, mind your status. As a Warlord of the Sea, it’s not appropriate to seek out a rebel army.”

Garp quickly intervened. If Reijin ended up connected to Dorag over something like this, Garp might really have to face Sengoku’s wrath.

What on earth is this scoundrel thinking?

As a Warlord under the World Government and the Navy, contacting a rebel army would be blatant treason.

Right now, Reijin is the only Warlord who isn’t a pirate.

So they’re really hoping he continues being a law-abiding king.

They’re willing to cover for him most of the time, but Reijin absolutely cannot become a pirate.

“Alright, I’ll send someone to ask after I get back.”

Reijin nodded in satisfaction.

And Zephyr fell into deep thought beside them.

What exactly is Sengoku protecting?

Why does it feel like the Navy is leaking information everywhere?

They didn’t stay long at the restaurant.

What followed was Zeff showcasing his skills.

One dish after another was served at the table.

Nami’s cheeks were puffed out as she kept shoveling food into her mouth.

Apart from thinking the food was delicious, Nami couldn’t find the words to describe anything else.

Even the chefs from the pirate crews she had snuck into couldn’t make food like this.

At this moment, Nami didn’t care whether they were pirates or not; all she wanted was to feast.

“The main course isn’t bad either. It barely meets the standard.”

“When the time comes, I’ll borrow two chefs from the Navy to train them a bit; that should be enough.”

Zephyr had become more adaptable now.

What’s the harm in borrowing people from the Navy?

It’s not like they wouldn’t be returned. Once the culinary skills are passed on in Dressrosa, they can leave.

And why does Reijin want a swordmaster from Wano as a teacher?

Isn’t that a waste of talent?

If he had opened up to the idea earlier, Zephyr could have brought in a swordmaster from the Navy.

“???”

Garp had a puzzled expression.

Is the Navy your private property or something?

How come borrowing people from the Navy rolls off your tongue so easily?

It’s as if you don’t take it seriously at all. What is this guy thinking?

“What are you... what are you talking about?”

Zeff asked, arms crossed, looking at Reijin and the others.

It felt like they were discussing him.

“You’re going to be the chef of Dressrosa, so there’s no need to waste your time in a place like East Blue anymore.”

“If there are any outstanding chefs on your ship, bring them along!”

Reijin said to Zeff.

“Dressrosa?…”

Zeff immediately understood who these people were.

He glanced at Garp, who was entirely focused on eating.

Hearing Reijin speak, Garp didn’t even react.

As for Zephyr, he had retired recently and was probably living in Dressrosa.

But why were they interested in him?

Zeff couldn’t figure it out!

But feeling the strong pressure from the people in front of him, Zeff found it hard to refuse.

“Alright, but I want to bring a kid with me. I hope you’ll agree.”

After hesitating for a moment, Zeff gave in. After all, he had no other choice.

These people, like pirates, were here with overwhelming power to take him.

Refusing probably wouldn’t end well.

Besides, they were merely informing him.

It seemed they weren’t even seeking his permission.

“No problem. We’ve just established an academy in Dressrosa. The kid can go there for further training.”

Reijin nodded.

“Then I’ll go say goodbye!”

Zeff nodded and left.

Reijin was a bit surprised that things went so smoothly.

You don’t need to waste many words with smart people.

Zephyr also smiled, feeling satisfied with Zeff.

【Ding! A new Uchiha child has been detected. The template will now be activated.】

Reijin was taken aback. It had been a while since the system had surfaced.

But then a template appeared before him.

【Name: Unnamed】

【Talent: Superhuman Haki】

【Level: A】

【Evaluation: Focus on training, as they will become a powerful asset.】

Whoa!

(End of Chapter)