Mr. Norman and Nolan both took a bite of the pizza I had prepared and within moments, they fell unconscious foming from the mouth.
"Dammit! I knew this would happen. Last time, everyone was fortunate because they spat out the fried rice in time, but these two actually ate the pizza," Lucas exclaimed as if he had foreseen this outcome.
Confused and alarmed, I asked Lucas, "Lucas, what do you mean by that?" My mind raced to understand the situation.
"Frankie, I don't have time to explain right now. Give me a hand; we need to move them to some spare rooms we have in the Scorpion Syndicate's old base so they can rest," Lucas directed with a determined tone.
"Alright," I agreed, and together with Lucas, we carried Mr. Norman and Nolan to the spare rooms within the Scorpion Syndicate's old base.
Afterward, Lucas let out a relieved sigh and turned to me with a stern expression. "Phew... that was exhausting. Frankie, promise me one thing – never set foot in the kitchen again."
"Alright, I promise I won't cook again," I told him, my voice trembling slightly due to his intense expression.
"Okay, make sure to keep that promise. Anyway, I'm very tired, and it's already nighttime, so I'm heading to bed. Good night, Frankie," Lucas said with a stern face, then added, "Oh, and be sure to dispose of that 'biological weapon' you made." He said this last part with a straight face before heading to his room.
The term "biological weapon" left me perplexed. Could my cooking really be that bad? I couldn't resist the urge to investigate further, so I returned to the kitchen and grabbed a slice of the questionable dish, taking a bite. It tasted perfectly ordinary to me. I couldn't fathom why they were reacting as if it were a hazardous weapon.
Afterward, I finished the pizza and headed to bed for the night.
…..
The morning sun began to rise, its gentle light creeping through the window and landing on my face.
"Agggh," I groaned as I woke up from my sleep, immediately greeted by Rex's cheerful presence.
Woof Woof
"Good morning, Rex. You're up early today," I greeted him with a smile, feeling more awake by his energy.
After a quick refresh, I descended the stairs to the diner. Lucas, Nolan, and Mr. Norman were already seated, engaged in a lively conversation. Lucas, as usual, was diligently preparing coffee.
"Good morning, everyone. Nolan, Mr. Norman, how are you feeling?" I greeted them, my concern evident as I focused on Mr. Norman and Nolan.
"Well, I thought I was going to meet my maker yesterday, and that's not all—I even saw the light. But when I woke up, I realized it was just the sunlight. Well, that's to be expected since I'm still young and full of energy. Nolan, you could learn a thing or two from me, and Lucas and Frankie, you guys too," Mr. Norman said casually, accompanied by a nonchalant shrug.
I couldn't help but give a wry smile, unsure of how to respond."I see. Looks like you're doing well, Mr. Norman. What about you, Nolan?" I turned to Nolan, my curiosity piqued.
Nolan appeared somewhat perplexed, struggling to find the right words to respond to my question. Eventually, he gathered his thoughts and spoke up.
"W-well, I can safely say I'm not a fan of that pizza, and I'm genuinely curious how you managed to turn ordinary food into something resembling a biological weapon. Are you some sort of chemist? Who turns regular food into disguised biological weapons?" He asked, his tone serious and unyielding.
Once again, I couldn't help but offer a wry smile, uncertain of how to address his concerns. I attempted to change the subject, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. "O-of course not, Nolan. I'm just a regular guy. Enough about that. What were you guys discussing earlier?"
"Well, we were discussing what happened yesterday, particularly your culinary creation, and we decided to call the Pizza, 'Paralysis Pizza' because both Nolan and I were left paralyzed by just a single bite. What do you think of the name?" Mr. Norman inquired with a sly grin on his face.
I couldn't help but feel frustrated. Was my cooking really that terrible? Before I could respond, Mr. Norman continued with another request.
"And, we were wondering if you could prepare something small and easy to carry, like dumplings," he asked, his expression filled with anticipation.
"I-I mean, I can. Why are you asking this?" I felt uneasy about his request.
"Really? You can! Thank God. Having your 'biological weapons' on our side will be very reassuring when we fight those slave traders later," he exclaimed with great excitement.
I cursed inwardly. I had a feeling he would respond this way. With each passing conversation, my respect for this old man seemed to dwindle. As I silently contemplated this, he continued speaking.
"You know, we were discussing how with a smaller version of your 'biological weapons,' we wouldn't even have to kill the slave traders. We could just feed them your food and subject them to a fate worse than death. We've even come up with a name for your dumplings – we call them 'Danger Dumplings.' What do you think?" The old man said with a sly grin.
What did I think? I think I should have made you eat more of my pizza yesterday.
"That's enough, Grandpa. Stop teasing Frankie. Anyway, Frankie, we should start getting ready. We plan to attack within a day or two once we receive word from Grandpa's contact. I also need to prepare my sniper rifle," Nolan intervened, putting an end to the old man's foolish banter.
"Nolan, I've been wondering about this. How did you end up becoming a sniper?" My curiosity got the better of me. After all, he was initially known as a genius Nautic engineer.
"Well, it's a somewhat lengthy story, but I'll simplify it. When we were kids, my parents, along with David's parents, were killed by the Blood Beard pirates. That tragedy led me down a path of seeking revenge against those pirates. I started learning how to fight, but taking on such a formidable group head-on was no easy feat," he explained, his determination shining through.
"So, I decided that if I couldn't confront them directly, I would find a way to eliminate them from a distance. That's how I became a sniper. However, the weapons in this world, especially long-range ones like sniper rifles, are incredibly expensive. Unfortunately, Grandpa couldn't afford them while taking care of both me and David. With David's support, who was like an older brother to me, I resolved to earn money. That's how I ended up becoming one of the best Nautic engineers in the world," he revealed, his face reflecting a complex mix of sadness, nostalgia, and unwavering determination.
"I-I see, I didn't realize it was such a personal story. I'm sorry for making you revisit those horrible memories," I apologized with a sympathetic look.
"Don't be. While it's true I went through a lot, those experiences shaped me into who I am today," Nolan reassured me with a casual shrug before continuing.
"Snipers from your world are indeed more powerful compared to those in this world. What's even more impressive is their longer range. There were a few of those snipers lying around on NS Scorpion, so I asked Grandpa and took one. I've been practicing with it during my free time. It can be challenging to use consistently due to its recoil, but it's a small trade-off for the immense power it offers," Nolan explained, his eyes reflecting genuine surprise and admiration for the sniper from our world.
I gave him a wry smile and remarked, "Well, I'm not sure whether to be happy or sad about it because powerful weapons often mean less peace and more war."
"Ehh... War is common everywhere, regardless of the world. People always fight for something. Take it from me, who has lived in two different worlds and witnessed many things in my life," Mr. Norman commented with a casual shrug.
"I suppose that's true," I replied with a wry smile.
"Anyway, Lucas and I need to meet my contact and gather more information. What are you guys planning to do?" Mr. Norman inquired, addressing both me and Nolan.
"As for me, I'm planning to postpone the work on NS Scorpion for a few days and learn how to use the sniper from your world. Frankie, can you help me with this? Weren't you also in the Navy, just like Grandpa? While we're at it, I can show you how to use the Omni Replicator Forge," Nolan asked for my assistance.
"Sure, I don't have anything else to do, so I guess we'll split up here and meet later tonight," I informed everyone.
Nolan and I bid farewell to Mr. Norman and Lucas and went on our way. Rex accompanied Mr. Norman and Lucas.