Chapter 77 Player Cooperation
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
At that moment, Zeff had the same question as Tesoro when the monk was on the airship.
Unlike Tesoro, who was ambitious and wanted to accomplish great things, Zeff was completely bewildered when Val brought him to the captain's cabin of the Orbit.
Given the potential for a friendly cooperative relationship between her and Zeff, after Luo checked the treasure brought over by Zeff's crew and confirmed that the amount matched, Violet had Tesoro clean the gold dust from their bodies, and then generously allowed the pirates except for Zeff to return to their original pirate ship.
Anyway, their captain is still in her hands. Even if the crew abandons the captain and runs away, it doesn't matter. The core of a pirate fleet is standing in front of her. With the captain there, the fleet can always be rebuilt.
While Luo was outside watching Tesoro clean the gold dust off the passengers who were paying for the cruise ship, Val, along with Sabo and Zeff, unceremoniously pushed open the door to the captain's cabin and then sat down in the tall, dark brown executive chair as if she were at home.
Sabo, being very tactful, stood next to Violet, with the end of the pipe still bearing dried blood protruding from the outside, and looked at the two of them expressionlessly.
Violet leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and interlacing her fingers under her chin, and said bluntly, "I own an island with cultivated farmland that can stably supply a large quantity of fruits and vegetables."
“I’ve always wanted to find a restaurant on the sea as a partner to promote the name ‘Ralleya Fruits and Vegetables’.”
Feeling inexplicably nervous under their intense gazes, Zeff swallowed hard and cautiously said, "An island called R'lyeh? Sorry, I don't seem to have heard of this place in the East Blue..."
“R'lyeh isn’t in the East Blue, it’s in the Grand Line.” Violet dropped a bombshell with a calm expression. “To be precise, it’s in the middle to late part of the Grand Line, near the New World.”
"If you'd like to visit our farmland in person, and if our initial negotiations go smoothly, I can take you there."
Zeff stared at the girl in front of him in surprise.
What did she say? An island located on the Grand Line?!
She owns an island located on the Grand Line?!
It's already amazing enough that a child this age owns an island, but considering Violet's strength and her extraordinary attire, Zeff doesn't think it's incomprehensible.
But now, Violet is saying that the island she owns is located in the latter half of the Grand Line, near the New World?!
This was far beyond Zeff's expectations.
Are all newcomers these days so over-expert, or is it that he's simply not experienced enough after only a year on the Grand Line?
"No need, actually you shouldn't have come to me." Zeff, who had already made up his mind to retire from the pirate life, shook his head and refused after a moment of reflection. "I have no more ambition. A young man like you should find some more powerful partners to cooperate with."
He was already like the setting sun, about to disappear into the sea. The grand promises that Violet made, such as "laying out the entire industry chain," "connecting the upstream and downstream of the catering industry," and "one-stop direct delivery to customers' plates," no longer attracted him at all.
Zeff tilted his head back at a 45-degree angle, lamenting his lost youth.
Sigh—it's all the kids' world now...
Hmm, what smells so good?
As a chef, his highly sensitive sense of smell detected a rich aroma. Zeff tried to hold back, but he couldn't resist pulling himself out of his reverie and looking in the direction of the fragrance.
Violet was holding a bowl of rich and fragrant stew.
Vera lowered her eyes, gazing affectionately at the [stewed meat soup]: "Look at your perfect marbling, your deep color, and your tender chunks of meat, my darling. But alas, your shelf life is almost up, and still no one appreciates your deliciousness. I can only painfully throw you away..."
Zeff calmly closed his eyes, unmoved.
Ha, do you think he'll fall for this little trick of provocation?
Vera, carrying the stewed meat soup, got up and walked to the window: "Poor stewed meat soup, from its inception until now, has never been tasted by anyone, has never received a word of praise from any diner, and is about to be poured into the cold seawater."
A trap, phew—it's a trap, Zeff, you need to calm down.
Vera opened the window, feeling the sea breeze blowing in from outside: "A stew made with three large pieces of meat and one small piece, simmered over low heat... Goodbye, I hope you find someone who appreciates your delicious food in your next life..."
Patience, patience... I can't bear even a little bit more!
Zeff lunged forward, snatching the stew from Violet's hand with a speed and agility completely out of character for his age.
His hand was steady, and not a single drop of juice spilled.
Zeff roared, "How can you waste food like that, kid? Someone like you who's never been hungry has no idea how precious food is!"
“No,” Violet suddenly said quietly, “Of course I know what hunger feels like.”
Hunger is a recurring theme in this game. Before she found R'lyeh and successfully harvested her first wave of food, she had several near-death experiences from hunger.
My body felt like it had been ripped open with a gaping hole that could never be filled. My stomach was burning, and every cell in my body was screaming in agony, sending hunger signals to my brain.
This is true hunger.
Facing the frozen Zeff, Vera slowly withdrew her gaze: "Won't you try some?" She had a lot of confidence in the quality of the food produced in the game.
Zeff lowered his head, looking at the light brown broth in the iron bucket in his hand, and the fist-sized chunks of meat inside, and couldn't help but swallow.
Oh no, I didn't notice it when Violet first served it, but now it smells better and better.
But now that he'd already snatched it, Zeff didn't hesitate any longer. Under Violet's watchful gaze, he held the iron bucket with both hands like a pirate and drank it down in large gulps with great gusto.
A fist-sized piece of meat landed in his mouth, and Zeff chewed it vigorously.
The stewing process was done to perfection, neither too soft and mushy to lose the meat's fibrous texture, nor too tough and difficult to chew. The meat used was of superior quality, with a perfect balance of fat and lean. The fat was partially melted, allowing its aroma to fully infuse the lean meat and broth, delivering a direct and satisfying flavor experience.
Zeff: "Ha!"
He let out a long breath and put down the empty iron bucket.
"This is a delicious soup, thank you for the treat." Zeff couldn't help but ask curiously, "Is this your Devil Fruit ability?"
You could understand it that way too.
"That's quite an ability," Zeff exclaimed sincerely. Judging from Violet's performance in battle, it was clear that her cooking was not only delicious but also had a series of magical effects such as healing wounds and lowering body temperature.
This is a dream come true for any chef.
However, Zeff was not tempted by any greed. Not only was he not the kind of person with a very ambitious personality, but Zeff also had a clear understanding of himself and knew that even if he were given such a fruit, he might not be able to keep it.
Isn't there always been a saying that Devil Fruits choose who eats them, and that a power will only appear around the person most suitable to use that power?
As a pirate who makes a living on the sea, Zeff greatly respects the sea's choices.
...Is it just like when Violet appeared in front of him? Is this also the choice that the sea made for him?
"You said your island is in the latter half of the Grand Line?" Zeff began to examine the information provided by Violet with the mindset of a potential collaborator. "But my floating restaurant, at least for a long time to come, will only be in the East Blue."
Cargo transport is a big problem; the Grand Line is not a safe place.
Zeff: "Are you going to personally go every time you deliver a shipment?"
“You don’t need to worry about that.” Violet took out a papyrus from her backpack, on which she had written down the bodyguard fees she and Marco had agreed on.
Marco and Violet, who started as interns and rose through the ranks to become squad leaders, even listed the price for Whitebeard as their bodyguard.
Of course, that was an exorbitant price that even if Violet were to be emptied of her pockets, she could not afford to pay now.
Mr. Edward, you're very good. When she has money, she'll take care of you (crossed out) and hire you.
Zeff stared at the name listed on the papyrus and nearly bit his tongue: "Edward Newgate?! Is this the Edward Newgate I've been imagining?"
And what is this long list below? Marco, Jozu, Thatch... Is this a bounty poster for the Whitebeard Pirates?
No, that's not right, the numbers that follow are incorrect.
Wait, what did Vera say when she took out this list... that she shouldn't worry?
Zeff felt like his mouth wasn't his own anymore: "No, there's nothing to worry about?"
"Don't worry about security. For each shipment, we can hire members of the Whitebeard Pirates for security."
Under normal circumstances, considering the travel losses, security costs, and coating costs, this trip would either result in the fruits and vegetables selling for exorbitant prices, or it would be a loss-making business.
But Violet has a backpack, and not only a backpack, but also a refrigerator that can extend the freshness of items by 50% and has 9 item compartments.
Therefore, for Violet, the amount of fruits, vegetables and meat she could carry on each shipment was quite astonishing, and the bodyguard fees and shipping costs, when spread out over each portion of fruits and vegetables, were not much.
and……
Violet's fingertips traced a long list of names, finally landing on the name [Marshall D. Teach].
Violet proudly showed Zeff the bodyguard she had long ago with, who offered exceptional value for money: "Teach has the strength of a squad leader, but because he has no desire to become a squad leader, his price is just that of an ordinary crew member."
Vera: "He's a guy like Zeff, not very ambitious."
Isn't it perfect for a stable and peaceful freight business? By flying the Whitebeard Pirates' flag, you can basically scare away 90% of the malicious people on the Grand Line.
The chances of a fight are very low; Teach will basically only serve as a mascot.
This job is perfect for a seasoned veteran like me who is powerful, unambitious, and just wants to coast along in the Whitebeard Pirates.
Zeff nodded in understanding and remarked with a sigh, "So there are people like this in the Whitebeard Pirates too."
Of course, what large organization doesn't have a few lazy bums who slack off all the time?
With freight security resolved, the next issues are price and quality.
Having said that, Zeff was already quite tempted.
High-quality ingredients are hard to find, otherwise he wouldn't have led his pirate crew to the Grand Line and gone through all that trouble just to find the legendary place where fish from all four seas gather, ALL BLUE.
Moreover, the Whitebeard Pirates.
Leaving aside the importance of reputation, while Violet's bounty is by no means a small amount for a newcomer, it is nothing compared to the famous Whitebeard Pirates. At least neither Zeff nor Tesoro remembered that Violet's face had appeared on a wanted poster.
But the Whitebeard Pirates are different. Regardless of whether people feel disgust, fear, or admiration towards them, their strength and high standards cannot be denied.
Being able to cooperate with the Whitebeard Pirates is itself proof of their strength and skill.
Violet: "As for the quality, you can come and see for yourself on our ship."
Docked next to the merchant ship was a simple wooden boat that looked barely big enough to accommodate Violet and her two companions. However, upon closer inspection, it became clear that although the boat was extremely plain, it was small but complete in every way.
The wooden boat was decorated with orange-yellow seashells as anti-collision devices, its triangular sails were raised high to catch the sea breeze, and fireflies caught in glass bottles were hung at the bow as boat lights.
At the same time, there were also many high-tech products on the wooden ship that Zeff couldn't understand.
For example, propellers that can work without a power source, refrigerators that can work without a power source, scientific machines that can work without a power source...
No, has modern navigation technology developed to this extent?
Zeff carefully avoided the strange machines and wooden crates on the ship, following Vera toward the stern.
Vera opened the refrigerator door and showed Zeff the neatly arranged and fully stocked food inside.
Vier: "Vegetables include potatoes, corn, tomatoes... Fruits include watermelon, dragon fruit... In addition, we can also provide various meats, fish, and shellfish."
Zeff couldn't resist stepping forward and taking out a tomato to examine it.
Zeff: "So beautiful..."
Violet: "..." Fine, if swordsmen's wives are swords, why can't chefs' wives be vegetables?
Zeff was so excited that his mustache stood on end and his face turned red.
As a chef, he doesn't need to taste the ingredients to judge that they are of absolutely superior quality.
Is Violet testing him with these things?
Which chef could withstand such a test?!
Zeff: "I want it!"
What? You're asking if such sweet bait could be followed by a terrible trap?
I can't understand any of their rambling, but whatever, let's eat first!
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Author's Note: Violet: What's the point of making money? To buy an island; what's the point of buying an island? To cultivate more land and harvest more fruits and vegetables; what's the point of harvesting more fruits and vegetables? To buy an island…
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