"Mr. Zeff."
"Thank you."
Zeff took the cake but did not eat it.
Tang An kept smiling, cut a piece for himself, and clinked plates with Sanji before starting to eat.
After a bowl-sized piece of cake went down into his stomach, Tang An saw Zeff take a single spoonful.
Quite vigilant indeed.
However, the waves behind push the waves ahead, and the waves ahead are bound to die on the beach.
Tang An had already taken the antidote beforehand.
As for this intensely spicy laxative, just a single drop was enough to empty a person out and drain them of all physical strength. To ensure absolute foolproofness, Tang An had poured the entire bottle in while Sanji wasn't looking.
The laxative was colorless and odorless like water, totaling about 500 milliliters. From just that one spoonful, Zeff must have consumed at least two drops.
The crucial part was that Zeff had finished it all.
"Hey, wait... I need to use the restroom."
Gradually, someone couldn't hold it anymore, clutching their rear end as they limped toward the toilet.
"Pfft..."
A foul stench suddenly drifted across the entire hall. The once lively and boisterous atmosphere vanished instantly, and all eyes turned toward a waiter.
"Pfft... Pfft..."
There was simply no stopping it. Like a fuse being lit, a series of firecracker-like sounds popped off in succession.
In an instant, the air was filled with a nauseating odor.
"What's going on?"
Patty collapsed to the ground, a large patch of yellow mud already staining his crotch. Meanwhile, his backside felt as though it were being roasted over an open fire, the scorching and agonizing sensation completely overwhelming him.
Most importantly, his body lacked even a shred of strength, feeling utterly hollowed out.
"Patty."
"Carne, what's wrong with everyone?"
Sanji's face turned pale and bluish-purple, desperately fighting to keep from passing out because the smell was simply too pungent.
Before he could even take two steps, he abruptly clutched his stomach and collapsed to the floor, purging endlessly.
He didn't even have the strength to stand.
"The cake is poisoned."
Zeff also lost his late-life reputation, collapsing to the floor and looking up at Tang An.
Because Tang An was the only person in the entire room still standing.
Leisurely setting down the plate in his hand, Tang An blocked his nose with a tissue as a Type 92 pistol materialized in his right hand.
"Mr... Mr. Tang An?"
Sanji's voice trembled.
"Bang!"
With a calm expression and absolute silence, Tang An fired a shot straight at Zeff; he needed to eliminate this most dangerous threat first.
Faced with Tang An's gunfire, Zeff--despite being unable to muster a single ounce of strength--forced his body to shift, causing the bullet to strike his shoulder instead.
"Damn it."
An imposing aura burst forth from Zeff, resembling a ferocious beast.
Tang An did not close the distance. He feared the ultra-spicy laxative hadn't achieved its expected effect; if this old man suddenly went berserk, a single move would finish him off.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Three consecutive shots rang out, all aimed at Zeff's vital points.
"Head Chef!"
"Old man!"
Sanji and the others stared with splitting eyes, watching the bloody holes appear on Zeff's forehead and face as they struggled in vain.
Now Tang An could approach with peace of mind.
Luffy's incident had taught him to learn from experience, so he aimed the fifth shot point-blank at the back of Zeff's head and pulled the trigger.
Blood and brains splattered out, spraying Tang An's hand.
There was no longer any possibility of Zeff surviving.
"Why?"
Sanji wasn't afraid; on the contrary, he was furious.
He looked at Tang An, who had walked up to him and pressed the muzzle of the pistol against his forehead.
He was demanding an answer.
"Bang!"
Yet the only reply Sanji received was the sound of a gunshot.
His consciousness was gradually fading, and Tang An's calm face began to blur.
Why?
"This is the most delicious dessert I've ever eaten, Sanji. You're a genius, and you'll definitely be the world's greatest chef in the future."
Why would a Mr. Tang An who said such words want to kill him?
"Bang!"
Tang An fired another follow-up shot, completely blasting apart the back of Sanji's head.
Out of the ten bullets, only a single one remained.
Having killed Zeff and Sanji, Tang An picked up the cake-cutting knife from the table and walked expressionlessly toward the others.
Cutting weeds by the roots without leaving a single trace had always been Tang An's survival rule.
A few minutes later, the entire hall was reeking of blood and foulness. From the beginning until now, Tang An hadn't uttered a single word.
He had watched plenty of movies and read many novels, knowing full well that countless villains failed because they talked too much, ultimately getting counter-killed by the protagonist.
He wasn't going to make such a low-level mistake.
Kill the protagonist first, and then you can do whatever you want--isn't that wonderful?
Yet people always insist on courting death.
Ten minutes later, a supply boat departed from the Baratie.
It was the small provisioning boat used by the floating restaurant. Tang An loaded some treasures and food into it, then consulted a navigational chart and set sail.
These preparations were the fruits of Tang An's labor over this period, having figured out the surrounding island sea routes and the operation of the supply boat from Carne, Patty, and the others.
If he hadn't already prepared these escape routes, Tang An wouldn't have made his move so quickly.
Behind him, the Baratie was engulfed in blazing flames, likely destined to sink to the ocean floor before long.
Killing people and setting fires without leaving a single trace, never rambling, never looking back, crisp and decisive...
This was what made a qualified and excellent villain.
Sitting cross-legged on the deck, Tang An pulled up the light screen.
"Successfully hunted a major supporting character of the One Piece world, Vinsmoke Sanji. Rewarding dice rolls based on circumstances. Congratulations on obtaining three chances, Luck +1."
Looking at this narration, Tang An showed a look of disdain.
It was identical to the first two times, save for the name being changed.
This "rewarding dice rolls based on circumstances" was clearly just a fixed three chances.
Playing word games?
Besides, Zeff was at least a minor supporting character, right? Yet he didn't even cause a single ripple.
It was practically an insult to Zeff.
Weren't bit players human? Especially when he was a minor supporting character who influenced the life of a major one.
The fist-sized die began to spin and bounce, landing on a two.
Tang An did not use his luck value.
A model airplane flew past with a rumble, the dazzling light vanished, and an item appeared before Tang An's eyes.
"One bottle of Ymir's Bloodline Serum."
"Description: Drinking it will grant half the bloodline of the progenitor of the Attack Titan, Ymir (Eldian), with no side effects..."
The Attack Titan?
Half of Ymir's bloodline?
Looking at the serum in his hand, Tang An frowned.
He knew about the Attack Titan--a heavily restricted powerhouse anime series.
If he were in the Attack Titan world, this serum would be extremely important.
He could drink this serum, inject a Pure Titan's spinal fluid, and transform into a Pure Titan to devour one of the Nine Intelligent Titans, thereby becoming an Intelligent Titan himself.
Becoming an Intelligent Titan might even let him live past the 13-year curse.
But this was the One Piece world; what good was this serum?
He continued rolling the die, and the model airplane flew three spaces.
Tang An still chose not to use his luck value.
"A pair of black elastic boxer briefs."
"Description: A man's fig leaf, his final stubborn dignity. Made with ultra-high elasticity and breathability, sourced from... Features automatic repair and one-touch outfit changing."
There was only one chance left.
Tang An directly threw the die to distract himself, afraid he would lose control if he kept looking at those shorts.
To hell with the fig leaf and the final stubborn dignity, screw your mother!
The die settled on a six.
The airplane flew past noisily. This time, Tang An used his luck value.
The dazzling light vanished. Looking at the item before him, Tang An's gloomy expression gradually dispersed a little.
"A single Senzu Bean."
"Description: A miraculous food from Dragon Ball. Eating just one keeps you from feeling hungry for ten days, can repair missing limbs, restore physical strength and energy in the shortest possible time (nearly instantaneously) during extreme fatigue, and reset the body to its optimal state. Ineffective against diseases."
Without a doubt, this Senzu bean was equivalent to an extra life, easily worth a king's ransom.
The only thing that displeased Tang An was that it was ineffective against diseases.
Yet, recalling how Son Goku died of a heart disease, Tang An accepted it.
That was Son Goku, a being whose energy blast could destroy the Earth, yet he died of a heart disease!
They really know how to play.