In fact, one could tell just from the bizarre rules and regulations designated by Vice Admiral Jonathan that this Commander took the meals of his Marine soldiers very seriously.
And that was indeed the case. When "Lieutenant Commander" Sherlock and "Sergeant" Nami arrived at their destination, they found it hard to believe that the dining environment before them—which rivaled the ocean-going restaurant Baratie—actually belonged to a Marine fortress cafeteria.
Although there were a large number of Marines dining at this time, it didn't feel crowded at all. The air was filled with a mouth-watering aroma of food that set one's appetite whetting. No one was making a ruckus; in fact, there was hardly anyone even speaking. The entire cafeteria was so quiet it was almost eerie.
Every Marine was quietly working through the dish in front of them. Judging by the beaming smiles on their faces, they were extremely satisfied with the quality of today's meal.
Gulp...
Standing at the entrance, Nami subconsciously swallowed hard, her smooth forehead instantly breaking out into a fine sweat.
Previously, the female navigator hadn't thought too much about it. But now, looking at the massive crowd of Marine soldiers dining before her, Nami suddenly realized just what a crazy thing she was doing!
Two audaciously bold pirates had snuck into a Marine fortress's cafeteria to scrounge a free meal! Good grief, you probably couldn't find a second pair like them in the entire Grand Line.
"Um... Sherlock, I think we should first..."
After hesitating for a moment, Nami was just about to dissuade him, but Lieutenant Commander Sherlock had already walked over to a nice, empty table near the window on his own. His calm and casual demeanor made it look as if he were in his own home.
"Don't be shy, Sergeant. What would you like to eat today?"
Propping his elbows on the dining table with his fingers interlaced, the Sorcerer looked at the tense Nami, amusement dancing in his deep black eyes.
"Hey, look over there. Who is that young Marine Lieutenant Commander?"
"I don't recognize him either. Maybe he was recently transferred here from Headquarters?" The surrounding Marines whispered among themselves, their gazes darting toward them from time to time.
Just as Nami feared, this unfamiliar pair naturally drew the attention of the dining Marines. However, none of them dared to come over and question them, leaving them to only speculate inwardly.
After all, these Marines never expected that anyone would have the audacity to masquerade as Marine officers just to scrounge a free meal in their cafeteria.
"Right now happens to be the recruits' mealtime; they wouldn't have the guts to question a Marine Lieutenant Commander."
Sherlock smiled and nodded politely to a young Marine nearby who had been staring their way. Once the latter awkwardly averted his gaze, Sherlock subtly whispered to the orange-haired female Marine sitting across the table:
"Hurry up and eat, Nami. Your unnatural behavior is actually more likely to make others suspicious."
"Uh, that's... that's true..."
Feeling the gazes around them gradually diminish, Nami felt a bit more at ease. She let out a soft sigh, picked up her knife and fork, and gently placed a small piece of fish into her mouth.
"So delicious~~~" Nami's eyes instantly lit up.
Although the little thief cat, who hadn't eaten all night, had lowered her expectations for food quality, the taste of this grilled fish far exceeded her expectations.
(I didn't expect the chefs in this fortress to be so skilled.)
Nami marveled inwardly while picking up her eating pace. Before long, she had completely polished off the large plate of grilled fish.
"Did you taste anything in particular, Nami?"
Sherlock kept his eyes lowered, unhurriedly managing the food in front of him. His entire being exuded an innate sense of elegance. The way he wielded his knife and fork could practically be written into a textbook on aristocratic dining etiquette. What was even stranger was that while the Sorcerer appeared to eat very slowly, the stack of empty plates on the table silently testified to his sheer efficiency.
"Taste anything?" The little thief cat, who was wiping her mouth, blinked. "Well... it's incredibly delicious. It seems the quality of life for these Marines is pretty great."
"That's not what I was asking you..."
Sherlock raised an eyebrow with a look of sheer exasperation, casting an extremely bizarre look at the orange-haired girl across from him. That gaze, which felt like he was looking at Luffy, made Nami's cheeks flush slightly.
"In this dish, the fish skin is incredibly crispy, perfectly complementing the soft, slightly rare fish meat. It's tender yet crunchy, offering a very rich texture."
Pointing at the fish dish on the plate, Sherlock continued at an unhurried pace, "Furthermore, I tasted a distinct aroma within it. Tangerine peel must have been used during the cooking process to enhance the freshness."
"Tangerine peel?" Nami's expression shifted.
"Yes, tangerine peel." Nodding, Sherlock looked toward the kitchen. "This happens to be Sanji's secret ingredient when preparing fish dishes. I doubt anyone else in the entire Grand Line cooks it this way."
Because of the few tangerine trees on the stern of the Going Merry, tangerines were the only fruit Sanji frequently had access to.
"If I'm not mistaken, he and Luffy are right next door in the kitchen. We should be able to see them in a little while."
"..." Nami silently stared at the Sorcerer, who was still methodically working through the food on his plate, completely at a loss for words. She truly hadn't expected Sherlock to deduce so much based solely on the taste of the food.
(As expected of Sherlock. It feels like as long as he's around, escaping unscathed from this Marine fortress won't be a difficult task at all.) Thinking of this, Nami couldn't help but flash a reassured smile. The feeling of having a god-tier teammate carry you and show off was just too satisfying.
Right at that moment, however, a soft, sweet, and melodious voice abruptly rang out from not too far away.
"Hey, you, the orange-haired female Marine."
The smile on Nami's face instantly froze. Although she had only heard this adorable voice once before, it was deeply etched into her memory. Stiffly turning her head, she focused her gaze.
Heterochromatic black-and-white twin tails, a red-and-black Gothic Lolita dress, a custom-made, extra-small Marine officer's coat, and a cute skull-shaped eyepatch. An inscrutable light gleamed in her amber right eye.
With such a highly recognizable appearance, who else could it be but Rear Admiral Alan, the "Enemy of Nature"?
(What the hell?! Where did she spring from?!)
Nami stared blankly at the legal loli before her—the very same one who had once brazenly groped her breasts back in the Alubarna grand bathhouse—her mind going completely blank.
(My Observation Haki didn't detect her at all. How bizarre... It's as if she just materialized out of thin air, like she was blending into the atmosphere. Is this the Devil Fruit power of the 'Enemy of Nature'?)
Although he was equally startled by Alan's sudden appearance, Sherlock remained calm as he calculated a countermeasure. Looking at this loli Rear Admiral whom he was meeting formally for the first time, his eyes narrowed slightly.
(Furthermore, what is she trying to do by coming here?)
For some inexplicable reason, Sherlock couldn't sense even a shred of hostility from the little loli before him.
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