Katakuri stepped into the kitchen on the eighth floor breathing a bit heavy and a thin sheen of sweat on his skin.
"Hm? Katakuri-sama, what are you doing here at this hour?" a short statured chef with a pocket watch on his waist and a thick, gray handlebar mustache asked.
"Streusen. I need three meals to be sent to my quarters, with the usual dessert." Katakuri spoke politely.
"Damn it!" an aggrieved shout unfamiliar to Streusen rang out from behind Katakuri. The diminutive chef leaned over to peer past the taller man and saw a young woman trudging over to the kitchen, looking annoyed. It was a strange emotion to be on her face considering she was half soaked in blood and was setting a rather vicious broken arm straight before continuing as if it wasn't broken at all.
Streusen recognised the woman, of course, as she was on the guest list and he had made a point to memorize everyone on it. That included the dossier that Big Mom's spy network had put together on her, so it was safe to say he was quite well informed.
"Trouble, Katakuri-sama?" Streusen raised an eyebrow at the man who dwarfed him a few times over.
"Hardly." Katakuri spat.
"Stop being so mean to me, Katakuri-chan~!" Cherry singsonged, her voice dripping with insincerity. "I need a gentle guiding hand to learn from, not tough love~!"
"I don't believe that I agreed to teach you anything. Moreover, I'm not under any obligation to help the enemy get stronger." Katakuri spoke coldly, not even looking at her.
Streusen was very confused now. Katakuri's words echoed the relationship he'd known about between this woman and the Big Mom pirates, but the fact that he hadn't killed her for the blatant disrespect in mocking him was a surprise. Then again, it's not like many people dared to mock Katakuri in the first place and those who did were already going to die by his hand regardless, so perhaps this was the normal way for him to react to such provocations?
"I'm in the mood for something spicy… and so is she," Katakuri pointed at Cherry.
"I don't care for spicy food," Cherry complained. Katakuri ignored her and said, "Make Brulee's favorite for the third."
Streusen nodded, motioning to the chefs behind him to get to work on it immediately and glaring at the ones who were gawking too obviously.
Streusen thought it was rather odd though. Katakuri and Brulee sharing a meal in private happened from time to time, as well as a few other of his siblings, but including an outsider? Especially one he referred to as an 'enemy', and not without good reason? Literally unheard of.
'Is he being proactive in trying to recruit her?' Streusen wondered. 'He's never done that as far as I know, though…'
Katakuri walked out of the kitchen with the bloodied younger woman prancing along behind him happily. A thought briefly reared its head that Katakuri might have a small crush on the woman, but he quickly dismissed such nonsense. The other chefs were not quite so professional.
"Head Chef?" one of the younger chefs called his attention. Streusen motioned for him to speak. "Do you think Katakuri-sama meant for Miss Harpin's meal to be a normal level of spicy, or his preferred level?"
Streusen paused at that. That was a good question to ask and he hadn't thought to do so. He made a mental note to keep an eye on the young man for his attentiveness.
"Make it the same level as Katakuri-sama prefers." Streusen concluded. There was a reason Katakuri asked them to make her something spicy despite her protests, and since he didn't clarify otherwise he can only assume that Katakuri knew what he was doing.
…
Katakuri looked at the two plates of curry in front of himself and Cherry. 'I didn't think to tell them to prepare a normal dish for her.'
In order to maintain his manly image, Katakuri did a lot of unnecessary little things. One of which was eating his meals with enough spice to kill a normal man.
Brulee was beaming, her smile more genuine than it had been for many years. "We really should do this more often, Onii-chan."
"I agree, it's been far too long~" Cherry inserted herself.
"We've never done this with you." Katakuri felt the need to cut her off before she went on some strange, imaginary tangent.
"Never is quite a long time ago~" Cherry somehow managed to agree with him.
Cherry spooned some curry and Katakuri held his breath, watching her lift it to her mouth slowly.
"Mm?!" Cherry started, the moment it touched her tongue. Katakuri caught himself worrying and stuffed the feeling back down.
"Tatababasco sauce? How'd you guys get a hold of this?" Cherry smiled and took another bite, seemingly unphased.
"Mama's forty-first husband, and Normande's father is a dwarf. He was the one who introduced it." Katakuri explained, wondering if she was faking her lack of distress.
"Oh, from the Tontatta tribe?" Cherry asked, before realizing the implications. "How did he…?"
"Please do not ask about my mother's sex life while I'm eating. And no, I don't know what the Tontatta tribe is. He was from the Nisseto tribe." Katakuri narrowed his eyes at her in warning.
"There's more than one tribe of dwarves then. That's interesting, and I suppose it makes sense. I wonder if there are other lands with giants, if there are for dwarves?" Cherry wondered aloud.
Brulee flinched, and naturally Cherry caught it. "What?"
"It's best if you don't talk about giants here. It's a… touchy subject with Mama." Brulee recommended.
Cherry filed that away as a potential thing to fling at Big Mom in case she wants to piss the emperor off.
Katakuri shoveled down his curry like it owed him money whilst Cherry's was looking at Brulee, and when she turned to look at the racket he was making he was already finished with his scarf back up on his face.
"You're just pretending to like spicy food, aren't you~?" Cherry teased.
"He's just trying to get to dessert quicker~" surprisingly Brulee joined in and betrayed Katakuri most viciously.
Cherry picked up her plate and shoveled the remaining food into her mouth. "Ahhh~ I'm a little disappointed that you didn't poison it, to be honest~"
"I don't need poison to kill you." Katakuri stated.
Brulee looked thoughtful at the words he said.
"Since we're on the subject of killing me, about my crew…" Cherry said.
"We won't help you get your crewmate back." Katakuri denied before she could finish.
"Good." Cherry nodded.
Katakuri and Brulee were confused. Wasn't she about to ask for them to help her?
Seeing this, Cherry said, "I expect you to do what you have to do, and I'm sure this doesn't need to be said, but if you dare to go easy on my crew then I'll tear this island apart. Big Mom's little craving tantrums will pale in comparison to the destruction I will wreak."
Katakuri frowned.
*knock knock knock*
"Katakuri-sama, I have your donuts here." a voice announced from outside the door, just in time to interrupt the tension in the room before it could grow.