"Oh? You recognize me, huh? Hahaha, don't worry, you won't go hungry." Zeff laughed heartily.

He's worked here for over a decade, so it's normal for people to recognize him. But he's already retired, so it's nothing.

"What's the meaning?"

Following Zeff into the restaurant, Lida asked in a low voice.

"An old pirate."

Kuro shrugged: "He used to be a great pirate, but he's been retired for so many years and the government isn't pursuing it anymore, so we Marines don't care. As long as we have food, that's fine. If he doesn't give it to us for free, I'll arrest him."

It doesn't matter if we capture a retired old pirate.

He's not a golden lion.

Zeff chuckled inwardly. He was so serious about eating. How much of himself could he possibly eat?

...

The sound of plates being stacked echoed throughout the restaurant.

The sailors were seated at the other tables, while three people sat in the very center.

Kro sat upright, occasionally adjusting his glasses, with red wine and steak on the table.

Kuro lay there lazily, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, glancing occasionally at the white-haired man beside him who was chewing voraciously.

Lida was engrossed in eating, her plate piled high on the table in front of her.

The chefs serving nearby looked ashen-faced.

At first, the chefs looked down on Kuro because Lida looked so hungry that they thought the little girl must have been abused and was not getting enough to eat.

But they soon realized something was wrong.

They eat so much.

They have an enormous appetite.

The stack of plates was already on its third run.

Many of the navy soldiers had already finished eating, but the number of cooks in the kitchen remained the same, all because of this little girl. She ate at a speed comparable to that of eighty navy soldiers, and she was like a bottomless pit that could never be filled.

The dishes were gone in no time, so food had to be served non-stop to keep Lida eating.

Kuro took a puff of his cigarette, not to show indifference, but to subtly convey to the chefs that Lida's appetite was limitless.

Watching the chefs' faces go from initial pampering to eccentricity, then anger, and finally dejection was really entertaining.

Sigh, raising a foodie is such a nerve-wracking and boring experience.

"Head chef, we're running out of ingredients!"

People started shouting in the kitchen.

Zeff walked out of the kitchen with a sullen look on his face. Looking at Lida, who was still eating, he forced a smile and said, "Little girl, how's the food?"

"Hmm, not bad, I'm about 60% full!"

Lida nodded emphatically, still chewing: "Baratie is indeed Baratie, the food is so delicious, much better than the branch canteen!"

"Six points..."

Zeff paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Still not full? Alright, as a chef, I won't lose to my guests!"

He went back into the kitchen, where his roar echoed: "Go buy the ingredients now! Make sure the guests are well-fed! That's the reason Baratie exists! Fight! This is a fight!"

Immediately, chefs left Baratie and took boats to purchase ingredients.

"Kuro, is it a bit inappropriate for me to eat like this?"

After finishing another plate, Lida licked her oily lips and asked with some concern.

"You foodie, you're worried about the consequences? Eat up! The chefs here all have a fighting spirit. Eating is a battle for them. They won't stop until they've fed you properly."

Kuro said casually.

There was a town near Baratie, and the purchasing ship returned soon. The cooks resumed their work, and Lida... of course she was happy to have something to eat.

The meal lasted until late at night.

"I'm so full! I haven't eaten this much in ages. It feels so good."

Lida leaned back without any regard for her image, patted her round belly, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Kuro, this is such a great place. Let's hurry back to the East Blue after we finish at headquarters. I want to come here to eat again."

Kuro glanced at the chefs who were exhausted and collapsed, and a smirk appeared on his lips.

Have some compassion and forgive these people.

"Making sure our guests are well-fed is our biggest goal at Balati."

Zeff, who was clearly exhausted, forced himself to walk out and managed a smile.

Huge loss!

At that moment, he secretly regretted saying those words, why he insisted on treating everyone, and why this little girl could eat so much.

Kuro certainly wouldn't let the old man lose everything, since Lida had eaten too much. Before leaving, he left behind the eight million Berry bounty criminal, which would also allow him to share some of the credit.

The sailors boarded their ships; some rested, others sailed, their destination Loguetown.

...

"Loguetown..."

Kro looked at the town that was gradually approaching and sighed.

"Hmm? You've been here before?" Kuro asked.

"No, I never intended to go to the Grand Line. This is my first time here."

Kro said, "Besides, there's Colonel Smoker here. Since he came, pirates haven't been able to land in Loguetown."

A few years ago, Loguetown was quite chaotic, and pirates often gathered there in order to reach the Grand Line.

But things have calmed down here since Smoker took office.

After all, it's a natural type.

What? You're saying he's weak?

It depends on who you're comparing yourself to.

Kuro felt a bit of empathy. Two years later, Smoker became a Vice Admiral and went to the New World. Look at all the weirdos he encountered.

Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, is a freak born with Conqueror's Haki.

Vergo is an eccentric genius who can use Armament Haki on his entire body. His mastery of Haki and physical skills are top-notch.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!