Chapter 356

Since the Roger Crew era, whenever passing an island, Saint Saint Saiwen always sought out various delicacies and exchanged culinary insights with master chefs.

And in the Kingdom of Alabasta.

Tira Gutan, who vowed to stake her next thirty years as a chef in a showdown against Luffy's Wang Zhi stomach, became Saint Saint Saiwen's clear target.

As of this point in time, Tira Gutan had already served as royal court chef for twelve years.

Even more remarkably, she possessed the royal secret cookbook of Alabastan cuisine.

Saint Saint Saiwen naturally would not miss it.

It was not that Saint Saint Saiwen wished to monopolize this royal secret—he merely sought to absorb the strengths of all schools, integrate the essence of global cuisines, and enrich his own culinary foundation.

After all, one must never neglect one's own stomach.

After all, every top chef must first be a seasoned foodie.

Only by understanding how to savor food can one discern ingredient quality and perceive the precise timing of heat.

Only after tasting flavors from every corner of the sea can one hold countless taste references, knowing what is fresh, what is balanced, and what delights the palate.

The foodie's passion is the chef's original intention and the deepest obsession in refining culinary skill.

And Saint Saint Saiwen had never forgotten his original intention.

As for the taster, besides Saint Saint Saiwen himself and Tira Gutan, there was also Lachi Lu, the foodie who always held a roasted lamb leg.

"Lord Saint Saint Saiwen."

Tira Gutan was nervous.

A man's name, a tree's shadow—whether as World Noble Lord Saint Saint Saiwen or captain of the Morning Star Crew, he had already shaken the seas through Morgans' rampant publicity.

Yet she, Tira Gutan, was merely a humble cook, now expected to exchange culinary insights with Lord Saint Saint Saiwen.

"Sister," Saint Saint Saiwen said gently, "treat me as an ordinary chef."

Tira Gutan couldn't help muttering inwardly.

Do you think I'd dare?!

Thousands upon thousands of pirates have died at your hands—if I accidentally win this time, you might just chop me into eight pieces.

Besides, there are so many stoves here, I don't even need to search for one.

Tira Gutan really wanted to ask Saint Saint Saiwen: you must have a serious misunderstanding of your own reputation.

She didn't know about other places, but within Alabasta, the name Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen could make children stop crying—and even drunken giants would snap awake upon hearing it.

More effective than any hangover remedy.

The culinary exchange began and ended under this atmosphere; Saint Saint Saiwen had to admit that his fame as Lord Saint Saint Saiwen had robbed him of freedom.

Fortunately, he had another identity—and if he wished, he could instantly activate countless others.

Though no true culinary exchange occurred, Saint Saint Saiwen still obtained the royal secret Alabastan cookbook under his Lord Saint Saint Saiwen identity.

This cookbook was meant, years later, to be given by Tira Gutan to Xiao Shan Zhi.

Saint Saint Saiwen felt no guilt over seizing this opportunity for his beloved son Xiao Shan Zhi—if Xiao Shan Zhi wished to learn, Saint Saint Saiwen could teach him anytime.

The three mainstays of the Straw Hat Crew are now Saint Saint Saiwen's adopted sons: Xiao Shan Zhi and Zoro are the same age, but since Xiao Shan Zhi's birthday comes first, he is the eldest.

Zoro is the second son.

Luffy is the youngest.

Saint Saint Saiwen's early arrival advantage was clearly evident.

Since the Inazuma diplomats were still negotiating with Alabasta officials, Saint Saint Saiwen had more time to tour Ducheng Arubana.

He even occasionally sent small palace objects precisely to a future point in time—his fruit ability had grown so skilled through such practice.

Of course, Saint Saint Saiwen had not neglected swordsmanship or body arts.

But he had entered a bottleneck; further improvement in swordsmanship and body arts would require far more time.

Unlike using the Sui Sui Fruit ability to mimic various Devil Fruits, which yielded visible progress.

In fact, there was an even faster method.

That was absorbing more Devil Force to elevate the Hito Hito no Mi, Mythical Beast Type, Satan Form—when that happened, not only would the fruit's power increase, but the Mythical Beast's physical enhancement would also grow stronger.

This would have to wait until signing the Abyss Contract with Imu.

While Saint Saint Saiwen strolled leisurely through Arubana, a lost lamb—Marine Admiral Kizaru—had secretly arrived in Inazuma several days prior.

Kizaru wanted to see for himself—

Whether Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen's rebellion was meant to save humanity or driven by personal desire.

If it was only for personal desire, Kizaru would lead the Marines into battle to prevent the seas from descending into chaos.

But if the man sought to save humanity, he could simply turn a blind eye and lead the Marines to maintain order across the four seas.

Disguised as a wealthy man seeking to emigrate, Kizaru quietly blended into the immigration inspection team.

He inspected Kuri, then Shimi, then Usawara, then Suzuho, then Bai Wu—but never went to the Flower Capital.

Kizaru knew this.

Although Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen was visiting Alabasta and not in Inazuma, the Inazuma Chief Domestic Official Master Tenghu had long been stationed in the Flower Capital.

And Kizaru had fought Master Tenghu more than once.

If he rashly entered the Flower Capital, Master Tenghu's Kenbunshoku Haki would likely detect him.

Though he never entered the Inazuma capital, what he had seen and heard in the other regions had deeply shaken Kizaru inside and out.

Across the four seas, all nations allied to the World Government struggled under heavy burdens.

Year after year, they paid exorbitant Celestial Gold; wealth was stripped layer by layer, nobles lived in luxury, while the common people struggled in poverty and oppression.

Kizaru had seen countless times—

The fear and timidity in the eyes of allied nation citizens, terrified of pirates, yet more terrified of the World Nobles' oppression, living in constant humility and unease.

Moreover, countless non-allied nations unable to pay Celestial Gold had their citizens sold as slaves to the powerful.

But Inazuma was entirely different.

Relying on its own foundations and powerful national strength, Inazuma had accumulated countless treasures, truly becoming the wealthiest in the land, overflowing with riches.

The court was stable, the people's livelihoods prosperous, with no need to live in fear of others' moods.

The common people had no worries about food or clothing; their spirits stood tall, their eyes and brows filled with calm confidence, completely lacking the lingering cowardice and fear seen in the citizens of allied nations.

On one side were nations gasping for breath in the cracks; on the other stood Inazuma, independent, prosperous, powerful, with everyone full of high spirits.

Such a stark contrast.

Made Kuzan fully understand that this fellow Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen was serious, truly preparing to save the world.

But Kuzan truly found it hard to accept.

A pirate, one who destroyed Marineford, with a bounty as high as 5.2 billion, who had clearly become a World Noble, a Celestial Dragon, yet insisted on providing countless military funds to the Revolutionary Army.

Insisting on liberating all slaves and building a world where everyone could eat their fill.

And what of the Marines?

The Marines, who should uphold justice, now still could not break free from the shackles of the World Government, gradually plunging toward the abyss of becoming Celestial Dragons' lackeys.

This... was more than just absurd.

If these things only shocked Kuzan, the moment he saw Kizaru in Bai Wu's district, Kuzan's head was buzzing.

"You... how are you here?"