Moonlight bathed Star Island, and night cloaked the entire archipelago. After a long day, all the competing chefs were tallying their food ticket earnings.
"Yo, we've got over a thousand tickets! Tomorrow we move to the central area," Charles said, clearly pleased with today's results. He had survived the fiercely competitive outer islands and achieved his goal before sunset. Now he needed to plan his dishes for tomorrow. After tidying up his stall and glancing one last time at the lord's castle, Charles clenched his fists.
Meanwhile, on the lord's island, Leo and Will climbed the cliff behind the castle under the cover of darkness.
Click!
"Shh… be quiet. Looks like there are guards on the slope." It was their first real stealth mission, and both were thrilled. In Leo's imagination, the Devil Fruit was like a princess leaning over a balcony under the moonlight, and he was the poor boy desperate for her favor. As the saying goes, if you can't win the wife, abduct the concubine… if she doesn't cooperate tonight, well, don't blame yourself for being forceful.
"Who's there!" The guards were alerted. A man in a black suit followed the noise, but after searching thoroughly, found nothing and gave up.
Once the guards left, Leo slid down from Will. Luckily, Will's entirely black back made him almost invisible in the dark.
Leo carefully maneuvered around the guards and reached the castle's base. After a long search, he found a balcony on the second floor that he could reach.
"Will, push me up. You stay here and hide until I come back." Only two people stacked could reach this balcony, and Will's size made it impossible for him to climb up, so he stayed behind.
Click… creak… Leo quietly pushed open the balcony door and slipped inside. The room was a dressing chamber, walls lined with lavish clothes, the air heavy with powder. Spotting an idea, Leo's eyes fell on a small figure entering the room.
He grabbed a black suit, slicked back his hair, and transformed into a godfather-like figure. Tonight, he would masquerade as a gangster.
After some reconnaissance, Leo grew increasingly puzzled. Why weren't there even servants in the lord's castle? Was Lord Grady really this frugal?
Descending the stairs, he finally noticed a few figures. Maids pushing carts hurried past into the dining hall, vanishing from sight. Leo peeked into the hall from the stairwell and froze in astonishment.
Where did everyone go? As he pondered this, two shadowy figures appeared on a wall at the end of the dining hall.
Devil Fruit users? Some secret mechanism? Observing carefully, Leo realized that the person had no Devil Fruit abilities—this wall was clearly special. Acting swiftly, he trapped the unsuspecting guard in a water sphere using his Deep Sea Cage ability, then hid him beneath a table, concealed by a long tablecloth.
Creeping along the back wall, Leo discovered two layers of walls, staggered to create a hidden space. A small door led into a dark passage.
Descending dozens of meters underground, torches appeared along the walls. At the end of the dim corridor, a large door awaited.
What's going on? Something bad must have happened. Curiosity overcame caution. Leo gently pushed open the door.
Before him lay a grand theater, packed with people. The host's voice boomed as he introduced several slaves. It was a secret slave auction.
Grady was truly despicable. Slipping into the shadows, Leo watched this infernal event without blinking.
Looking around, over five hundred masked bidders waved cards signaling their desired slaves. In the VIP section, a Celestial Dragon lounged lazily while Grady fawned over them, bowing and flattering.
1… 2… 3… Around twenty Star Island guards patrolled the auction, with eight suited bodyguards around the Celestial Dragon. They looked dangerous.
Leo naturally didn't intend to confront Grady directly. A plan to plunder the lord's treasury slowly formed in his mind. But with the Celestial Dragon present, the risk of acting recklessly was too high.
Retracing his steps, Leo eliminated the guard under the dining table and slipped back into the dressing room.
"Will, let's go."
Huff… puff…
A tic-tac-toe pattern seemed to appear above Leo's head before he slapped Will hard.
"Ah? Is it dawn already?"
"Stick your head out and get moving."
The next day, Charles secured a prime spot on the central island. It was large, with only two other competitors, perhaps the strongest, so most chefs avoided them. Charles, however, remained fearless—his goal was the championship, and anyone could be a rival.
At the lord's castle, guards reported to Grady: "Sir, last night several guards went missing on the back mountain, and footprints were found on the dressing room balcony."
"Hah? You idiots didn't notice someone sneaking into the castle? Were those fools raised by Berry? Strengthen your guard immediately. If the Celestial Dragon is attacked, I'll sink you all in cement-filled barrels."
The captain organized the day's duty, while Grady fretted, suspecting Charles might be behind the intrusion. The plan had to change. Unfortunately, he couldn't shatter Charles' morale in front of everyone during the finals.
Charles spent nearly all day at his cooking station, just sending off his second table of customers. Diners praised his skills, even secretly inviting him, but he politely declined.
Bang! Bang!
"Chef, hurry up with the food!" Five middle-aged men in ill-fitting suits with hostile expressions sat at a table, one even propping his feet up, shouting for food.
Charles frowned. This last table seemed malicious. But he only needed this table to advance, so he suppressed his anger and asked their order politely.
"Leo, Leo! I found the chef, look!" Seeing the image from the Telephone Bug, Leo confirmed Charles was on Island 22 and set off with Will.
Meanwhile, Lord Grady approached Charles:"Charles, how's business today? Ready to advance? I'm still hoping you'll rise. Once you truly win, I'll return your father's relics."
Charles ignored the vile lord but frowned, suspecting a hidden scheme.
As expected, Grady exchanged a look with the last table before leaving, a sinister grin on the visitors' faces.
When Leo arrived, Charles was arguing with this table. Furious, his face flushed red.
"Why rush me? A chef doesn't kick out guests!"
"Yes, yes! I'll leave a bad review!"
"Kid, our Captain Karn is visiting your restaurant—a huge honor! Yet you serve poorly and keep whining. Bring some wine, or I'll destroy your stall." They were pirates, aiming to block Charles from reaching the finals.
Dejected, Charles slumped onto a stool, a towel over his head.
"Hey, Chef Charles, remember me?" The boy from yesterday approached.
Charles didn't respond, still too frustrated.
"Were you bullied? Need help?"
"Don't bother me. I want to be alone."
"Don't give up. Remember your bet. If you lose, you lose everything."
After a brief silence, Charles rasped,"What's the point? They always find a way to stop me… I… sob…"
Seeing the pirates occupy the table with only one water cup, Leo rolled his eyes. There might still be a way.
He entered the kitchen, surveyed the ingredients, and started cooking. About twenty minutes later, he brought two covered dishes to Charles.
"Want to try what I made?" Leo unveiled the first plate: seafood fried rice.
Charles barely lifted an eyelid, prompting Leo to shout:"You coward! Giving up over such a small obstacle? Don't forget your father's knife is still in that bastard's hands!"
"Stop bothering me. If you know nothing, stay out of it. Fate can't be defeated."
"Nonsense. Taste this. All the answers you seek are right here."
Charles hesitated, then took a spoonful:"Ah… pfft."
"How is it?"
"Terrible. You don't know how to cook at all."
"Ha! Sorry, I laughed out loud. You think I'd cook for those bastards?"
"Bastard! Are you trying to poison my guests? No… what exactly are you trying to do?"
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