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Chapter 862: I Invite You All to Eat
Chapter 862: I Invite You All to Eat
Three days later.
G-3 Fortress.
Inside a lavish private room within the Dining Hall, a large round table was fully occupied—Ju Geng included, seated alongside Kuro’s Navy officers.
Atop the table sat an enormous copper hot pot, its base hollow and connected to a vertical copper column exhaling flame. Red and white broth bubbled within, sending wisps of steam skyward. Surrounding the pot lay an array of raw ingredients—thinly sliced beast meat, sea fish fillets, unnamed wild vegetables, and mushrooms, some with red caps and white stems.
Before each guest sat a small dish of dipping sauce. Yet none touched the food, their eyes fixed on the steaming pot. The host had not arrived.
Suddenly, the door swung open. Kuro strode in wearing a golden-dress uniform, his hooded cloak fluttering behind him, flanked by Lida and Klah.
All rose instantly.
“Sit, sit, sit,” Kuro waved lazily, settling into the seat facing the door. “Take your places.”
“Kuro, is this what you had me describe to Ju Geng?” Lida chirped, nibbling her fingertip as she eyed the pot, her nose twitching. A bead of drool threatened to escape. “It smells amazing!”
Kuro had tasked Lida to explain this very scene to Ju Geng: red and white broth, scalding ingredients, and pre-mixed dipping sauces. Unmistakably, hot pot.
He snatched a white napkin from the table, deftly draping it over his neck, then faced his guests.
“I’m not much for drinking, smoking, or perms. Occasionally tea, though. Today, I wanted to treat you all to something from my homeland. First, you’re all close comrades—officers under G-3. The future of this fortress and the safety of nearby sea areas rest on your shoulders.”
At his words, the room’s reactions varied.
Lida drooled openly, puzzling over how to eat the steaming marvel.
Klah pushed his glasses up, unimpressed.
Ai En sat rigid, struggling to parse Kuro’s words.
Binz mirrored her.
Donald poked at the hot pot, recalling similar fare in the Flower Country.
Sazil’s mind wandered, fretting over promotions.
Moer yawned, zoning out entirely.
Fen Ni scribbled notes on experiments, her face hidden behind her notebook. After months mastering the Plague-Plague Devil Fruit’s power, she’d finally emerged from seclusion.
Ju Geng? She didn’t catch a word.
In short—only two paid attention.
“Kuro-san, you flatter us!” Kas leapt up, shaking. “It’s you who’ve guided us! Once a lowly East Blue sergeant, now Commodore of Headquarters—your leadership forged this path! This Persistent Justice is our creed!”
“Hold on, hold on,” Kuro waved him down. “I’m not done.”
As Kas sat, Kuro cleared his throat, lit a cigar, and exhaled. “Second: This is hot pot, a specialty of mine. You must try it. So, feast! Third—concerning the Grand Line’s state and G-3’s future, I want your thoughts. Eat, speak—both at once.”
“Can we eat now?!” Lida blurted. “Do we drink the broth?!”
“Not quite,” Kuro smiled. He speared a paper-thin meat slice, swirled it in the red broth, then dropped it onto her plate. “Dip it here, then eat.”
Lida dipped the meat, popped it in her mouth, and froze. Her eyes lit like lanterns. A catlike ‘mrrbl!’ escaped her as her chopsticks darted out, mimicking Kuro’s technique.
“Allow me to begin,” Klah stood, lifting a dish from Kuro’s plate. As he dunked meat slices, he spoke: “I oversee G-3’s logistics. While repair costs are expected, Kas Commodore and Wilbur Commodore’s expenditures rank second. Perhaps trimming these would help?”
Kuro had issued orders beforehand: During his ‘injured phase,’ G-3 would retreat inward, easing into a tranquil retreat. But first, he needed to gauge these officers’ ambitions.
Could he not know these figures? Kuro himself claimed one-fifth of G-3’s budget. Headquarters’ outdated firearms were his for the upgrading. Another fifth went to other officers—including Klah. Such was the Navy’s tradition. Twenty years in, Kuro had long embraced the system. Salaries and perks were distinct matters.
“Trim?!” Kas scowled. “With respect, Klah Commodore—we cannot retreat now! Though nearby seas are pacified, our duty spans the New World! We must purge the chaos, spreading Justice across the Grand Line!”
“Kas speaks truth!” Wilbur echoed. “Let us seize this New World chaos, and let our Justice reign!”
Klah fired back with Kuro’s scripted rebuttal: “Justice guides us, but pragmatism binds us. The Navy bides its time, awaiting New World’s verdict. G-3 must conserve strength. Perhaps pivot—Dressrosa’s tourism route, backed by Kuro-san and David, needs Navy escorts. A long-term patrol?”
(End of Chapter)
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