I Will Become Hokage in One Piece

Chapter 21: Baratie

Sea Restaurant Baratie, renowned as the most famous restaurant in East Blue, bears the name "Rose Arbor." Its chef, "Red-Shoes" Zeff, is a pirate who once sailed the Grand Line for a whole year. 

Due to certain circumstances, he lost his most important right foot and returned to East Blue to open this sea restaurant, providing endless delicacies to both merchants and pirates sailing the seas.

The restaurant boasts a clean and comfortable environment where guests indulge in their meals. Amongst a group of girls and young women, a young man with blond hair and curly eyebrows dons a black suit, exhibiting elegant behavior and speaking softly. He can be regarded as a true gentleman.

After Rodney took his seat, a waiter promptly approached him, pouring a glass of fresh water and presenting the menu. With a friendly tone, the waiter asked, "My guest, what would you like to eat?"

Rodney opened the menu and ordered, "I'll have the sweet and sour sea king tenderloin, braised beef balls, seafood fried rice, rainbow fish sashimi, and any wine will do for me, please." 

"Very well, sir. Please wait a moment, and I'll arrange it for you. However, I must remind you that at Baratie, wasting food is strictly prohibited. Are you sure you can finish your meal?" The waiter couldn't help but inquire upon seeing Rodney's figure.

At sea, every piece of food is hard-earned, and wastage is not tolerated. Those who waste food are promptly expelled from Bharati Restaurant.

"Don't worry, I can finish it," Rodney replied with a smile.

The waiter nodded and refrained from further questions. After taking Rodney's order, he turned and departed.

The restaurant's pleasant environment delighted the guests as they relished the delicacies prepared by the chefs. 

All the chefs in Baratie are eager to show their culinary skills. To them, Baratie holds a special significance. It is a great honor for the chefs to provide delicious food to those sailing the seas and witness their satisfied smiles.

Many skilled chefs also perceive the restaurant as an opportunity to challenge themselves and enhance their cooking abilities. Under Chef Zeff's guidance, their culinary skills have rapidly improved.

Soon after, Rodney's order arrived. The sweet and sour sea king tenderloin was presented on a large plate, with the sea king's considerable size making a single piece of tenderloin occupy more than half of the table.

This sight did not surprise many since there are numerous hearty eaters in this world. They possess great strength and appetite, making them formidable fighters.

Rodney began with the sashimi. Each piece had a consistent thickness and glistened on the plate. He delicately picked up a piece of sea rainbow fish sashimi and savored it.

'Mmm, so good!'

The taste exploded on his taste buds, prompting the secretion of gastric juices and intensifying his craving for food. He then indulged in a brown beef ball, filled with savory soup.

'Mmm, delicious!'

The beef ball, soaked in soup, burst with a strong umami flavor, providing a refreshing sensation with each bite.

Rodney proceeded to cut a piece of tenderloin, its red sauce removing any fishy odor from the sea king meat. The sweet and sour flavor stimulated his appetite, although it did not have a significant effect. He then took a bite of the seafood fried rice.

'Mmm, this is heavenly!'

Various seafood ingredients intertwined with the rice, creating an explosion of umami taste that slid down his esophagus into his stomach, satiating his hunger.

'Satisfied, indeed!'

Rodney commenced his feast, consuming meat and wine heartily. The experience was immensely gratifying, especially with such delectable food.

Although his movements were subtle, the dishes on the table swiftly vanished. Rodney called the waiter, saying, "Bring me another serving of the same dishes, excluding the sashimi. Also, bring me three more bottles of wine."

"Certainly, sir," replied the waiter, no longer questioning Rodney's capacity to eat. Despite consuming a significant amount of food, his stomach only slightly bulged.

After engaging in regular exercise, Rodney's physique has been growing, and his food requirements have increased as well. While Military Rations Pill provides the necessary energy, it doesn't stop him from enjoying a good meal.

As Rodney chewed his food, it filled his stomach, exerting pressure, and digestion had already begun.

Soon, another dish arrived, and Rodney continued eating, patting his now bulging stomach. He expressed his satisfaction, remarking, "Ah, that was satisfying. Baratie Sea Restaurant truly lives up to its reputation. I'll pay the bill."

The prices at Baratie are reasonable, similar to the cost of using the mutual detonator last time. Contentedly patting his stomach, Rodney purchased a few bottles of wine and tucked them into his pocket.

At that moment, a group of menacing individuals stormed into the restaurant. The leader was a one-eyed man, accompanied by his ill-favored subordinates. One of them, known as the "short winter melon(1)," opened his mouth, revealing a set of decayed teeth, and stuttered, "D-don't...move, we're robbing you!"

A voice from beside the short winter melon shouted loudly, "Sea Pirates!"

The once-quiet restaurant suddenly turned chaotic. Helpless merchants, lacking any fighting prowess, cowered in fear, further fueling the pirates' arrogance.

"Hahaha! Hand over all your money! And you, kid, call out your chef and give us all your money. I..." 

Before the short winter melon could finish speaking, a leather shoe enlarged before his eyes, kicking him and sending him plunging into the sea with a loud splash. Sanji, with his raised leg and a cigarette in his mouth, spoke up, "What was that? I didn't quite hear you!"

His action caused many girls to scream in admiration. 

"Oh, how handsome he was!"

Rodney, who was initially about to intervene, witnessed the scene and returned to his seat. It seemed there was no need for him to act. Sanji should be considered the strongest combatant at Baratie, perhaps rivaled only by Zeff. Even if that the old man had lost a leg, he still possessed some formidable skills.

"Let's go!"

"Bring it on!"

"Attack... Charge!"

Crackling!

After a thorough thrashing, Sanji kicked the group out of the restaurant. These individuals were not welcome there, seemingly lacking any respect for food and even frightening the adorable little sisters...

"Miss sister... Hehehe…"

Sanji's expression fluctuated, lost in his own thoughts. Despite being a perverted cook, he was a gentleman, a knight who would not even attack someone of a third gender, such as a ladyboy, in this world.

After dealing with the pirates, Rodney returned to the merchant ship with a bottle of wine. The amount of wine he had was not enough to get him drunk—it was simply a refreshing beverage. The next step was to engage in exercise. After all, what would happen if he didn't exercise?

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Creating a shadow clone, Rodney engaged in a battle with pure physical skills.

Utilizing all the Taijutsu(2) techniques from Naruto, he employed the Rokushiki, ensuring that his main body remained burdened by weight. Throughout the battle, his Sharingan remained active, allowing him to gain double experience and increase his reaction speed.

He and his shadow clone fought at sea, closely tailing the merchant ship without falling behind or being detected. Time passed in this manner, and they successfully completed an escort mission.

Next, Rodney joined another caravan for a reconnaissance mission. The primary objective was to investigate the secret cargo being transported by this particular caravan.

Under the cover of darkness, Rodney, transforming into a shadow clone, infiltrated the cabin. Such perilous tasks were best suited for the shadow clone, capable of handling various dangerous assignments.

Sneaking into the cabin, the shadow clone effortlessly controlled the guards with Sharingan, eventually reaching the innermost section. After surveying the area, Rodney noticed that it was filled with grain and local products.

It felt odd—it shouldn't be like this. There couldn't be any exceptions; otherwise, the system wouldn't have assigned this task.

Could it be...

Approaching the grain warehouse, Rodney began pushing aside the grain, eventually discovering a box hidden beneath it. Opening the box, he found it contained brand-new firearms.

Arms smuggling!

These individuals were truly audacious. If their activities were exposed, they would face severe consequences.

However, a significant portion of the marines in East Blue was relatively...corrupt. Arranging the cover-up from top to bottom, disguising the arms beneath the food, and selling them to pirates was not an issue. It would prove to be a lucrative venture.

The shadow clone disappeared, and within a few days, Smoker received a report from enthusiastic citizens, leading to the detention of the caravan.

Ratoon's Note:

(1)short winter melon-In Chinese slang, the term is a derogatory term used to describe someone who is short, unattractive, or socially awkward.

(2) Taijutsu- or "body technique" is a Japanese martial art blanket term for any combat skill, technique, or system of martial art using body movements.