The next day.
Caelan stretched his body. He had expended a lot of energy hunting down those pirates.
It wasn't that they were particularly strong, but they had been too spread out across the sea.
"Well, time for a big meal and some relaxation."
The sea restaurant Baratie was in this area, so there was no reason to miss out.
Caelan took off the greatsword from his back and swung it hard toward the sea behind him.
A massive wave of sword energy roared out, creating a huge recoil that pushed Caelan's boat forward at high speed.
In just one hour, Caelan spotted a fish-head-shaped ship carrying a green two-story building.
The sea restaurant Baratie had arrived.
After securing his boat to the side of the Baratie, Caelan stepped into the famous restaurant of the East Blue.
As soon as he entered, he saw the restaurant was nearly packed, the air filled with laughter and the rich aroma of seafood and various spices.
"Smells like the food here really lives up to its reputation."
Caelan narrowed his eyes and nodded in approval.
"Oh? A guest with good taste. What would you like to order?"
Hearing Caelan's praise, Zeff, wearing his chef's hat and sporting two golden mustaches, took the initiative to greet him.
Zeff, who had spent years on the Grand Line, could tell at a glance that Caelan was not an ordinary person. He was stronger than most of the pirates Zeff had encountered.
Sanji, standing nearby with a cigarette in his mouth, widened his eyes. He had never seen the old man treat anyone so politely before.
"Bring me all your signature dishes. If that's not enough, keep them coming."
Caelan didn't stand on ceremony. He could easily eat as much as several tables' worth of diners.
Ever since syncing with the Heracles template, his appetite was on par with a dimensional stomach. No matter how much he ate, it was never enough.
"Nani?! We absolutely do not allow any food waste in this restaurant!"
Zeff immediately shouted. His early hardships had made him intolerant of wasting food, and he didn't care how special Caelan might be.
"No problem. That won't be an issue."
Caelan smiled in response. He wouldn't waste a single bite.
But his calm reply came off as a provocation to Zeff, as if Caelan were mocking the quality of the Baratie's food.
"In that case, I'll make sure you leave here clutching your stomach!"
Zeff snapped back with a glare.
"Sanji, give it everything you've got!"
Zeff grabbed Sanji and headed straight into the kitchen.
Caelan casually found an empty seat, sat down, and leaned his greatsword against the chair beside him.
A few diners recognized Caelan and raised their glasses to him.
Some pirates, terrified, quickly paid their bills and fled the restaurant.
Caelan glanced at them and immediately saw they were just small fry with bounties of a few tens of thousands of berries. He couldn't be bothered with them.
"Old man, you're acting really weird today."
Sanji felt something was off. This wasn't like the old man at all.
Zeff shook his head and didn't explain. He simply pointed toward Caelan.
"What is it? Who the hell is that guy?"
Following Zeff's gesture, Sanji looked over—and was stunned.
The man had a lion-like build, wrapped in faint wisps of black mist, radiating an oppressive aura.
The cheerful, lively dining atmosphere had gradually fallen silent, with Caelan at its center.
The diners closest to him were visibly on edge, quickly finishing their meals and leaving in a hurry.
Noticing Sanji staring at him, Caelan smiled.
"Ugh…"
Sanji shivered. Despite Caelan's handsome face, the pressure he exuded was nothing short of demonic.
"Now you see?"
Zeff gave Sanji a meaningful glance before turning to focus on the food.
Sanji followed, putting his full effort into preparing the meal to meet Caelan's request.
"Am I really that scary?"
Caelan sighed to himself. The Heracles template naturally carried a berserk, fearsome aura. Even if he suppressed it, he couldn't completely avoid making others feel uneasy.
Grilled steak, salt-grilled chicken skewers, signature shrimp, seafood soup…
With Zeff and Sanji working together, the first round of dishes was quickly brought to Caelan's table.
"This is excellent."
Caelan tasted the food carefully. He had to admit, the skills of these two chefs were truly impressive. In both his past and present life, he had rarely encountered cooking of this level.
Though his eating manners were proper, his speed was astonishing. An entire table of dishes disappeared in moments.
From the kitchen, Sanji and Zeff watched, their eyelids twitching. They hadn't expected Caelan's appetite to be so massive.
The two of them returned to the stove, working quickly to prepare more dishes, replacing the empty plates at Caelan's table one after another.
Just as Caelan was happily enjoying his meal, a group of uninvited guests entered the restaurant.
Don Krieg, supported by Gin, limped into the Baratie. Their pirate crew had been devastated by Dracule Mihawk's blade and were in desperate need of supplies.
"Captain, let's get out of here. That's the strongest bounty hunter in the East Blue."
The moment they entered, Gin recognized Caelan.
"The East Blue is too weak. The so-called strongest bounty hunter here is just another small fry."
Krieg sneered. He was a pirate who had entered the Grand Line.
"But I'm too weak right now. I need to recover my strength first."
Not long ago, he had encountered Mihawk, who sank fifty of his ships. Krieg had barely escaped with his life, only to be hounded by the Marines. He had been starving for over ten days and was now completely exhausted.
Desperate, Krieg lunged at a diner's table like a starving dog, shoving food into his mouth frantically.
He needed to recover his strength as quickly as possible to avoid being an easy target for the bounty hunter.
"That's Don Krieg! The overlord of the East Blue, with a bounty of 17 million berries!"
"Didn't the Krieg Pirates already enter the Grand Line? How did they end up like this?"
Many of the restaurant's patrons recognized Krieg, and panic spread quickly.
"We're doomed! These are vicious pirates!"
Everyone knew Krieg's reputation. He was ruthless, despicable, and had taken countless lives. Even in his current pitiful state, no one dared question his strength.
Caelan noticed Krieg's presence but didn't take him seriously. Instead, he focused on something else.
If the story had reached this point, then Luffy and the others should be here as well.
Sure enough, when Caelan glanced up, he saw the Straw Hat crew watching from the second floor.
He had no particular interest in them, but since he planned to enter the Grand Line, he happened to be short of a navigator.
With that in mind, Caelan subconsciously looked around for Nami.
He spotted a slender figure quietly slipping out of the restaurant.
Oh?
Leaving so quickly?
Caelan smiled to himself. It seemed there was still a chance.
"Wahaha! I'm back again!"
After eating and regaining some strength, Krieg laughed arrogantly.
Now that he had recovered, he no longer feared Caelan, the so-called strongest bounty hunter of the East Blue.
Krieg removed his outer jacket, revealing golden armor beneath. His spiked, mountain-like cape fluttered behind him.
At that moment, his confidence returned, as if he had regained his former glory as the ruler of the East Blue.
"Hey, you over there! I'm talking to you!"
"I'm Don Krieg, the big pirate with a bounty of 17 million berries. If you've got the guts, come and claim it! Wahaha!"
Krieg pointed directly at Caelan, planning to use the strongest bounty hunter of the East Blue as a stepping stone to reclaim his lost reputation.
Faced with Krieg's provocation, Caelan simply smiled.
He hadn't expected that just coming here for a meal would bring him some extra rewards.
(To be continued.)