The Den Den Mushi connected to the Marine's head chef, and Luffy passed it over to Bell-mère, who listened intently, taking diligent notes. In this world, every skill was a guarded secret, and learning anything outside of an official setting was no easy feat.
Just like the Six Powers technique, one not only needed the right physique but also formal approval before training could even begin. In the Marines, such training was reserved for Headquarters soldiers, who were the elite of the elite; even a third-class soldier from Headquarters was equivalent to an officer in the Four Seas.
With such valuable knowledge at stake, Bell-mère took it seriously. She didn't have any special skills; she had been the lowest-ranking foot soldier and had survived the battlefield by sheer luck, eventually returning to her hometown, Cocoyasi Village, to start a modest life.
Her home was on the village's outskirts, and like everyone else, she scraped by growing tangerines. With two daughters to raise, there wasn't much room for advantage. So, when presented with a chance to learn, she seized it eagerly—even if she only picked up the basics, it would still help her family prosper.
As she listened, she carefully followed the instructions, amazed by the depth of knowledge required even in cooking. Meanwhile, Luffy helped out, glad to keep himself busy. Cooking in this world was indeed a hassle; ingredients were enormous, with radishes reaching a meter in length and fish easily stretching several meters. Cleaning and descaling them was such a chore that Luffy preferred not to cook.
In the living room, Uta chatted with Nami and Nojiko. Winning over these two was easy, as money could buy their favor, and with Uta's wealth and lack of concern for it, their admiration skyrocketed.
Nami brought out her hand-drawn maps and illustrations to show Uta. "This is a map of Cocoyasi Village I drew. See, these are contour lines…"
"Wow, Nami, you're amazing!" Uta exclaimed, genuinely impressed. "When I try to study this stuff, I just get sleepy."
"It's nothing special," Nami replied, though her grin betrayed her pride. "My dream is to draw a map of the whole world one day, to travel everywhere and chart every ocean…"
"I have dreams too! I want to use my songs to bring happiness to the world and create a new world where everyone's happy. And I want to travel the world with Shanks… he still owes me that!" Uta added with a giggle.
"Can you sing for us?" Nami and Nojiko's eyes sparkled as they looked at her, eager to hear the voice of the famous songstress.
"Of course! This is a song Luffy wrote…"
呼んでいる 胸のどこか奥で…
*(Deep in my heart, I feel a calling…)
いつも何度でも 夢を描こう…
(Let's keep drawing the colors of our dreams again and again...)
Uta tapped on the table in rhythm, her soft, lilting voice filling the room, enchanting the two girls.
"What a beautiful voice," Bell-mère smiled as she glanced toward the living room, warmth filling her gaze.
From the kitchen, the delicious aroma wafted out, intensifying as Bell-mère completed each dish. Her training from the Marine chef was already making a difference. One by one, dishes were placed on the table, and Nami immediately reached for her chopsticks, only to have Nojiko swat her hand away.
"Nami, we need to thank Luffy and Uta first."
"Thank you both, for this wonderful meal and for the clothes… it's like you're gods…" Nami said, bowing her head toward Uta. "If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up. I want to stay with you guys, happy like this forever."
"Nami, are you happy right now?"
"Mm-hmm!" The tangerine-haired girl nodded enthusiastically.
"Then let's eat. No need for so many formalities," Uta said with a sweet smile.
With that, Nami dove right in.
Nojiko turned to Uta, curiosity evident in her gaze. "Why do you keep asking about happiness?"
"Because I want my songs to make everyone happy. To do that, I need to understand what happiness means. I'm more than willing to share my own happiness with others," Uta explained earnestly.
"So Uta's really a girl who loves sharing?" Nojiko asked, admiration in her eyes.
"Of course! There's nothing in this world that can't be shared with others."
"Really?" Nami interjected, skeptical. "Do you really think you can share everything? Like… the bookstore in town has so many books, but if I take even one without paying, it's wrong. When you're a grown-up, you won't want to share so easily; they'll only trade things for the right price."
"Even when I'm a grown-up, I'll still share," Uta replied confidently.
"I don't believe it. How about I find something you wouldn't want to share!" Nami challenged.
A hint of competitive spirit lit up in Uta's eyes, and a low-level tension filled the air.
"Is that a challenge? I won't back down!"
"Fine!"
"Now, now, let's eat. What's all the fuss about?" Bell-mère laughed as she laid out the final dishes, filling the table with food.
"This is incredible, Bell-mère!" Nami exclaimed, wide-eyed.
"We owe it to our new benefactors," Bell-mère said, chuckling. "To celebrate, how about a little wine?" She poured a glass of red wine.
Uta's eyes widened as she stared at the deep red liquid, which seemed to beckon like forbidden fruit. She pressed her legs together, visibly flustered.
"I-I don't think we should… Shanks said…" she mumbled, her violet eyes fixed on the enticing color.
"Relax, it's fine," Bell-mère said with a sly smile. "I'm an adult, after all. It's just a tiny bit of grown-up knowledge from a naughty older sister. And besides, if girls learn to handle alcohol early, it'll be easier to avoid getting tricked by men later."
Nami nodded, grinning. "Bell-mère only gives us a little bit—just a taste. It's weird but fun."
"Just a little…" Uta whispered, her heart racing with a thrill of crossing a boundary.
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