Chapter 21: Red-Leg Zeff

Big head, thick neck—if they aren't a big shot, they’re a cook.

Red-Leg Zeff’s neck was indeed thick, but his head was normal, just thin to the point of being skeletal.

Looking at the skull-like profile, Siano observed carefully for a while before barely matching the other party with the face in his memory.

So miserable... I don't know how long he’s been hungry... In the original timeline, it seems this pair of grandfather and grandson, Zeff and Sanji, lasted 85 days before being rescued. I should have arrived earlier, right?

Siano thought for a while, bent down, picked up a pile of food from the boat, and walked toward Zeff.

He took away over a million in cash from the secret room. When he left Asakura Island, he was generous and specifically hoarded food worth tens of thousands of Beli.

He thought he bought too much, and the two of them couldn't finish it in a month, but he didn't expect it to come in handy now.

"Junichi." He didn't forget Sanji, and instructed, "You take some food too, and go find if there are any other people nearby. If there are, rescue them."

"Understood, Boss!"

The wind and rain grew stronger.

They were almost there when Zeff finally sensed the footsteps behind him in a daze.

"Hey, brat..."

Zeff was still staring into the distance, his eyes under his bangs seemingly covered by a layer of shadow. "Why did you come? Didn't we agree? One watches one side, and if a ship comes, we shout..."

*Snap!*

A bag of food was thrown out and rolled down the rock slope to Zeff’s feet. The old man glanced at the movement and was stunned, his eyes fixed and unable to move away.

"Bread?"

His hand reached out subconsciously, but suddenly stopped. He forced himself to swallow his saliva, sat up straight, and sneered, "Why, do you think the food I shared with you was too little, so you ran over to beg for more?"

"Old man, didn't I say it? I’m an adult, my appetite is several times bigger than yours, so of course I need several times the food! I don't have enough myself, so don't expect me to share food with you!"

Several black lines appeared on Siano’s forehead.

Damn, this stubborn old man, who are you acting tsundere for? Do I not know that the bulging bag next to you is filled with treasures?

You have time to secretly drool there, having a battle between heaven and man in your mind, but you’d rather not look back to see who the handsome guy who came is.

He suddenly felt mischievous and didn't speak immediately, but continued to throw the food in his hand one by one.

*Snap!*

"Cookies?" Zeff was surprised.

*Snap!*

"Canned luncheon meat?" The old man’s eyes widened.

*Snap! Snap! Snap!*

Pickled meat, chocolate bars, compressed rice balls... even citrus, bananas, and other fruits. Siano threw them faster and faster. In a short while, a small mountain piled up in front of Zeff.

"..."

Zeff was already speechless. Anyone who was stupid would have reacted by now. It was impossible for someone who could take out so much food to be Sanji.

*Gurgle, gurgle~*

His empty stomach happened to make a sound.

Zeff suddenly tore open the bread bag and ate it mouthful by mouthful like a madman. After a few bites, a large bag of bread was gone, and then he immediately grabbed the next bag.

"Cough cough cough!"

A lump of bread dough soaked in saliva suddenly got stuck in his throat. Zeff hammered his chest, making a dull sound on his rugged ribs.

"Here, take this."

Siano handed over the water bottle. The old man immediately looked up and drank fiercely. The turbid water mixed with bread mud flowed down his beard, and he didn't know if it was mixed with tears.

After the water was finished, Siano took it back and threw him a can of luncheon meat.

"It’s food, it’s food... it’s food!!!"

The old man held the can in his hand and looked at it again and again. "It’s real food, what a wonderful aroma and taste..."

*Click*, Zeff’s fingernails inserted directly into the can, and he pried it open with one hand.

He didn't even notice the lid cutting his thumb, and the dark red meat was dug out and stuffed into his mouth. He swallowed it mouthful by mouthful, his narrowed eyes full of enjoyment.

"Slow down, don't choke again."

Siano sighed softly and sat on a big rock behind him.

He suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable, reached out and fumbled, and pulled out a dirty severed foot, which was already rotten and festering, emitting a foul odor.

"..."

Siano gagged and almost threw this thing into the sea, but soon realized something. He glanced at Zeff, who was still eating desperately, and launched a sacrifice quietly.

[Sacrifice: "Red-Leg" Zeff’s Severed Foot]

[Quality: Epic]

[Value: 2000 points]

[Appraisal: The severed foot of the great pirate Red-Leg Zeff. He once shocked the East Blue with his exquisite leg skills and could retreat unscathed after wandering the Grand Line for a year. After drifting on a desert island, he shared all his food with Sanji, while he himself cut off his right leg to eat it. Sanji was saved because of this, and Zeff knew he was no longer qualified to continue wandering the sea, so he passed his dream of finding ALL BLUE to Sanji.]

The part above the ankle was gone, presumably already eaten by Zeff.

The remaining part was rotten and deteriorated, which just happened to be waste utilization, providing him with a considerable amount of points.

Siano didn't close the system panel immediately, but stared at the appraisal text for a long time, rarely remaining silent.

"This thing..."

He suddenly smiled and stretched out his empty right hand, letting the rain wash away the dirt on his palm. "Speaking of which, it cheated me out of quite a few tears back then."

The famous scene in his long-term memory suddenly replayed in front of him.

This feeling was still quite subtle.

After the rain washed his hands clean, Siano turned his head to look, and the small mountain of food was more than half empty.

Zeff stopped eating at some point, holding a half-eaten rice ball in one hand and holding his forehead with the other, his body trembling constantly with his back to him.

Why is he crying?

"Ashamed, ashamed..."

Sensing his gaze, Zeff turned his head. He was clearly grinning, but tears couldn't stop flowing. "Benefactor, this is the best meal I’ve ever eaten in my life. I originally thought I was going to die, dead for sure..."

Zeff suddenly turned over, knelt in the heavy rain, and kowtowed to Siano.

When he got up, his forehead was red and swollen, but the old man didn't seem to notice and continued to kowtow hard.

"No need, no need."

Siano hurriedly reached out to help the old man up. It wouldn't be fair to let you kowtow alone. I haven't thanked you for these two thousand points you gave me for free!

"Benefactor, there is also a companion, I have a companion!"

But Zeff was still kneeling, pulling on his trouser leg and begging. "There is also a blonde brat, who is also on this reef, having been hungry for dozens of days just like me. I beg you, Benefactor, save him too!"

How can this old man still have such scary strength after being hungry for so long? Siano felt his pants were about to be pulled down and hurriedly pulled up with force.

"It’s okay, I came with a companion too. Don't worry, before I came over, I already let him take food to find other survivors. He should find the kid you mentioned soon."

"That’s good, that’s good..."

Zeff finally felt relieved, sat back on the ground, looked at Siano gratefully, and buried his head to continue eating.

Siano turned his head to look at the direction of the grounding just now, feeling a bit puzzled.

No...

Where is Sanji?

What on earth is Junichi doing? This reef is only so big, how can it be so difficult to find a living person, and there’s been no movement for a long time?

"Uh, Boss?"

Just then, Junichi’s somewhat guilty voice came. "Can you come over here?"

"What’s wrong?"

Siano immediately stood up and walked toward the figure that appeared in his field of vision. "Did you find him?"

"...This, it’s not convenient to talk here, you follow me first."

Junichi gave a dry laugh, pulled Siano, and walked all the way to the side of the boat.

In Siano’s confused gaze, he swallowed his saliva, squatted down, and tried his best to lift the boat up by a few centimeters, revealing the thin figure wearing a chef’s uniform underneath.

"Here, he’s here. I found him, it’s just, he’s a bit flat..."

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 24 =====