After settling into his room, Tang An locked the door and came down to the first-floor lobby. At this moment, quite a few people were dining in the hall.
Graceful music played while successful people dressed in proper attire ate steak with their female companions, swirling red wine and enjoying themselves immensely.
Even some pirates appeared remarkably elegant under this atmosphere, though whether it was just an act remained unknown.
Thus, the ambiance felt quite fitting.
At the same time, numerous waiters bustled about the restaurant.
Business was even better than expected.
"What would this guest like?"
Just as he descended the stairs, a waiter approached with a smile. It would have been even better if the man didn't have that scar on his face, wasn't a fierce-looking brute, and were instead a sexy, alluring beauty.
"Bring a few of your signature dishes."
Guided by the waiter, Tang An sat at a window seat where he could see the ocean just by turning his head.
"Would you like some red wine? We have vintages ranging from one to ten years."
"Bring a five-year one."
"Please wait a moment."
As the waiter left, Tang An surveyed the vast lobby.
Some couples were whispering sweet nothings, others were murmuring softly, and some were devouring food and drinks voraciously!
Many pirates dared not cause trouble, leaving immediately after finishing their food and paying the bill.
About ten minutes later, an eight or nine-year-old boy walked up to Tang An carrying a tray of food.
That blond hair and those curly eyebrows were unmistakable.
Vinsmoke Sanji.
"Please enjoy your meal, guest. We do not allow a single scrap of food to be wasted here."
Despite being only eight or nine years old, Sanji already possessed the spirit of a knight and a chef.
He pointed to a warning sign on the wall, which strictly prohibited wasting food.
Having survived on a desolate island with Zeff, he cherished food immensely.
"Your name is Sanji?"
Tang An fought the urge to draw his gun, refraining from calling Sanji by his full name.
He could not kill the other party yet, at least not until he prepared an escape route.
"Yes."
Sanji's expression was solemn and serious as he nodded.
"I look forward to your guidance in the future."
Tang An flashed a gentle smile.
Sanji didn't quite understand Tang An's meaning, so a look of confusion lingered on his face.
"I'm here in the East Blue for sightseeing, and I heard the food at the seaborne restaurant Baratie is exceptionally delicious, so I plan to stay for a month."
Tang An looked at the steak-like food on his plate, picked up the knife and fork, and began to cut into it.
His manners were far from elegant; he still preferred using chopsticks.
Unfortunately, none were available here--only a knife and fork.
"Baratie has the greatest chefs in the world; we won't disappoint you. I look forward to working with you this coming month."
Sanji bowed deeply, exuding a strong sense of elegance.
"Damn Sanji, slacking off during work hours!"
An explosive roar echoed from the kitchen. Sanji, who had just been acting so elegant, instantly dropped his composure and cursed toward the kitchen, "Damn old man, letting the guests understand every dish is also a chef's responsibility!"
"You idiot Sanji, you're merely an apprentice!"
Zeff poked his head out of the kitchen, wearing a chef's hat and holding a spatula, looking utterly furious.
"Idiot old man, one day I'm going to throw you into the ocean! I've told you before, I am no longer an apprentice, and this gentleman's meal was made by me."
Sanji rolled up his sleeves, resembling a furious little bull, and marched step by step toward the kitchen to hurl insults back and forth with Zeff.
From time to time, the sound of pots and pans clattering could be heard from within, alongside exposures of each other's embarrassing pasts.
Many regular patrons in the lobby had long since grown used to the sight.
Tang An withdrew his gaze and began tackling the food before him.
It appeared to be a certain type of sea fish; the texture was smooth and delicate, and the flavor was just right.
Judging from what Sanji had said earlier, this dish was prepared by the boy himself. He hadn't expected such culinary talent to already be showing.
After finishing his meal, Tang An began strolling around Baratie to get a feel for the surrounding environment.
Once finished, Tang An returned to his room and began his cultivation.
Within a month, he had to successfully master Shave.
At the same time, he needed to enhance his physical constitution in accordance with the elementary Military Combat Technique.
Time flew by, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
Early in the morning, Tang An tied sandbags filled with iron blocks to his legs and began jogging around Baratie.
"Yo! Mr. Tang An."
"Mr. Patty."
"Good morning, Mr. Tang An."
"Good morning, Mr. Carne."
Baratie was large in some respects and small in others. Over these ten days, Tang An had preliminarily gotten to know these people.
"Is Mr. Tang An training again?"
Sanji stood on the balcony, yawning, just as Tang An jogged past below.
"Morning, Sanji!"
Tang An waved with a smile, then continued on his run.
"Mr. Zeff."
Passing by Zeff's quarters, the man was busy washing up.
"Mr. Tang An."
Zeff merely nodded, lacking the enthusiasm of the others.
After jogging around Baratie for an hour like this, Tang An returned to his room and began doing push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups...
Three hundred repetitions for each category.
He finished his workout around eleven o'clock, rested for twenty minutes, then jumped straight off the balcony into the churning sea to swim for over twenty minutes.
Afterward, he returned aboard to wash up and headed to the lobby to prepare for lunch.
In the afternoon, he would practice Shave, and the evening would still be dedicated half to foundational training and half to Shave--a cycle repeated every single day for the past ten days.
"Mr. Tang An, this is a dish I've recently researched."
As soon as he sat down at the window seat, Sanji punctually served the new creation.
"Oh? Then I must give it a good taste."
Under Sanji's expectant gaze, Tang An began to sample the dish.
"How is it? How is it? Has it already surpassed that damn old man?"
Sanji sat across from Tang An, his face a picture of nervous anticipation.
"Well, compared to other chefs, you're already doing well enough, but compared to Mr. Zeff, you still fall a bit short."
Tang An spoke the truth. Seeing Sanji's dejected expression, he continued, "I believe you can definitely surpass Mr. Zeff."
"I think so too."
The previously discouraged Sanji instantly regained his confidence.
"Damn Sanji, slacking off again!"
The routine roar erupted from the kitchen.
"Damn old man, one day I'm going to kick you to death!"
Sanji cursed, leaving his seat to head into the kitchen.
Finishing his lunch, Tang An exchanged greetings with familiar faces along the way and returned to his room to practice Shave.
Progress over the past ten days had been remarkable. From stepping once every 0.36 seconds at the very beginning, he could now manage four steps.
Tang An didn't know how much sweat he had shed for those three extra steps; every time he finished, his legs would be completely numb.
Tang An had originally thought he could master it within a month, but at this pace, let alone one month, even two months would be a stretch.
Little did he know that if it weren't for his continuous foundational training like push-ups to enhance his physique, coupled with the various knowledge and techniques stored in his mind, it would have been utterly impossible for him to step four times within ten days.
Shave was even harder than Tang An had imagined.
"Boom boom..."
In an instant, Tang An stomped four times consecutively, but this time he noticed he still had stamina left, actually reaching four and a half steps.
After trying it a few more times, the corners of Tang An's mouth curled upward.
The effort and sweat he had put in were worth it!
"Today, I'm breaking through to five steps."
With a hardened expression, Tang An began the tedious training over and over again.
As the sun sank below the horizon and Tang An continued to pour out his sweat, the sky gradually grew dim.
At the very last moment, Tang An smiled, for he had successfully achieved five steps within 0.36 seconds.
His mood was wonderful right now, as if all his exhaustion had completely vanished, keeping his spirit in a state of exhilaration.