Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

Aboard one of the Whitebeard Pirates’ ships, Marco eventually came looking for Haruto.

He scratched the back of his head and gave him an awkward smile.

"Haruto-san, there’s something I need to tell you."

Haruto raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to continue.

"When we came to Marineford, we were prepared to die."

"To strengthen everyone as much as possible before the battle, we distributed all the Devil Fruits whose abilities we had already identified. As for the ones we couldn’t identify, we sold them and used the money to buy a huge amount of weapons and supplies for the war."

Marco hesitated before finally getting to the point.

"So... about the Devil Fruits Pops promised you as payment. We don’t actually have any left to give you right now. Sorry."

Haruto stared at him for a moment, then sighed helplessly.

A large part of the reason he had given Whitebeard those dishes in the first place was because he wanted Devil Fruits.

And now they were telling him they did not have any?

Still, after thinking about it, Haruto could understand.

The Summit War had been an all-or-nothing gamble for the Whitebeard Pirates. Using every available resource before heading into a battle they might not survive was perfectly reasonable.

Seeing Haruto’s expression, Marco became even more embarrassed and hurriedly continued.

"Don’t worry, Haruto-san. The Whitebeard Pirates won’t forget what we owe you."

"Devil Fruits aren’t actually that difficult for us to find. We just need some time."

"Pops already decided that we’ll give you ten Devil Fruits as payment."

That immediately improved Haruto’s mood.

"All right. I can wait. I’ll head to the New World later and collect them from you."

He had not received his payment immediately, but ten Devil Fruits was already far beyond what he had originally expected.

If that was what Whitebeard was offering, Haruto had no problem waiting.

There was no need to follow them into the New World right away either.

He had barely explored the first half of the Grand Line.

Marco visibly relaxed when Haruto agreed.

"Thanks for understanding, Haruto-san. If there’s anything else you need, just say the word. As long as it’s something we can do, we’ll help."

Being unable to immediately provide the agreed payment clearly bothered him, so Marco wanted to make up for it somehow.

Haruto was about to decline when an idea suddenly occurred to him.

"Actually, could you give me a few Eternal Poses for islands in the first half of the Grand Line?"

Marco naturally had no objection.

Before long, several Eternal Poses were delivered to Haruto.

He checked which islands they pointed toward.

Of the names, the only one that immediately caught his interest was Water 7.

That settled his next destination.

Before Haruto left, Whitebeard even sought him out personally to thank him again.

...

Charizard was fast.

Only a day later, the distinctive silhouette of Water 7 appeared on the horizon below, its sprawling cityscape connected by countless waterways.

As one of the most famous shipbuilding cities in the first half of the Grand Line, Water 7 was far more prosperous than most islands Haruto had visited.

Charizard descended into an open area near the harbor.

Its arrival immediately attracted plenty of attention, but one look at the enormous black dragon was enough to discourage anyone from casually approaching.

Haruto patted Charizard on the neck and recalled it.

Then he released Lapras and entered the city by water.

Yagara Bulls pulled boats through the canals in an endless stream, while the laughter and chatter of tourists filled the waterways, giving the entire city a lively, bustling atmosphere.

Haruto, however, was not particularly interested in sightseeing yet.

What he wanted to try most was one of Water 7’s famous local specialties.

Water Meat.

Following the faint aroma of meat drifting through the streets, Haruto soon found a shop specializing in it.

Large quantities of Water Meat were soaking in water behind the counter, their glossy appearance alone enough to make someone hungry.

The moment the owner noticed Haruto, he hurried over enthusiastically.

"Looking for some Water Meat, sir? You won’t find anything more authentic anywhere in Water 7!"

"I’ll take all of it."

Haruto answered without hesitation.

"All of it?! Coming right up!"

The owner’s face immediately lit up as he began pulling every piece from the water.

Haruto handed him a piece of gold, accepted the Water Meat, and examined one closely.

The meat looked so moist and tender that it seemed as though water might seep out from the slightest squeeze.

Haruto swallowed and took a bite.

The instant it entered his mouth, he understood exactly why people described Water Meat as exceptionally tender and juicy.

The meat was unbelievably smooth, almost wobbling like jelly against his tongue.

The slightest pressure from his teeth caused juices to flood out.

It was so tender that it barely required chewing, carrying a rich meaty fragrance with a faint trace of sea-salt savoriness.

"That’s really good."

Haruto could not help praising it.

He finished the first piece in only a few bites.

Then came the second.

And the third.

Before long, every piece of Water Meat he had bought was gone.

Haruto called the shop owner back just as the man was preparing to close up and wiped his mouth.

"Boss, what exactly is Water Meat made from? How does it stay this tender and juicy?"

The owner immediately puffed up with pride.

"You asked the right person!"

"Water Meat comes from sea pigs found only in the waters around Water 7."

"These sea pigs spend their entire lives in the ocean and never come onto land. That’s why their meat holds so much moisture. It’s practically bursting with juice!"

"You can’t raise them properly anywhere else. Without the waters around Water 7, you simply won’t get real Water Meat."

He grinned proudly.

"Even chefs from Gourmet City secretly come here to buy Water Meat for themselves."

Haruto nodded in understanding.

"Then do you know where I can buy live sea pigs?"

As far as Haruto was concerned, Water Meat was an excellent ingredient.

Naturally, he wanted to raise some himself.

The owner blinked.

"Live sea pigs?"

"You’ll want the seafood market near the harbor. There are fishing boats there that specialize in catching them."

Then he added a warning.

"But they’re difficult to keep alive. Once you take them away from the waters around Water 7, they tend to die quickly, and even if they survive, the flavor of the meat gets much worse."

Haruto smiled.

That was not something he was particularly worried about.

"Thanks for the warning."

With a new objective in mind, Haruto climbed onto Lapras and headed straight toward the harbor’s seafood market.

The shop owner watched him leave without trying to persuade him further.

Only then did his eyes settle on the creature Haruto was riding.

He stared blankly for a few seconds.

"Huh?"

"Is that some kind of Yagara?"

He scratched his head.

He had certainly never seen one that looked like that before.

Eventually, the owner shrugged and went back to cleaning his stall.

...

Riding Lapras through the canals, Haruto soon reached the seafood market.

The place was extremely lively, with stalls packed full of freshly caught fish, shellfish, and strange marine creatures.

After asking around for a little while, Haruto found a vendor selling sea pigs.

Several round, plump creatures were swimming lazily inside large tanks. Their skin was smooth and glossy, and their slow movements made them look almost comically harmless.

Haruto negotiated briefly with the vendor before buying every sea pig in the stall.

He also purchased a large supply of the seaweed normally used to feed them.

Then, without ceremony, he transferred both the sea pigs and the seaweed into the Gourmet Restaurant.

On the way to the market, Haruto had already collected enough seawater to create a small saltwater pond inside.

It was more than sufficient for raising a handful of sea pigs.

Once he released them into the pond and sensed the creatures happily swimming around inside, Haruto nodded in satisfaction.

From now on, whenever he wanted Water Meat, he would have access to the freshest possible supply.

His actions naturally attracted quite a few curious looks from people in the market, but Haruto paid them no attention.

With the sea pigs taken care of, he resumed wandering through Water 7.

Before long, he happened upon a shop selling sea salt.

Only then did Haruto remember another specialty of Water 7.

The city’s salt was produced from highly concentrated seawater left behind by the enormous annual tidal wave, Aqua Laguna.

Haruto entered the shop and chatted briefly with the owner before taking a tiny pinch of the salt and placing it on his tongue.

The first thing he tasted was not an aggressive burst of saltiness.

Instead, it was surprisingly gentle and savory, accompanied by a faint mineral astringency. The saltiness itself was moderate, while the finish lingered pleasantly on the tongue.

It was completely different from ordinary sea salt.

Whether used for marinating meat, grilling, seasoning soup, or simply bringing out the natural flavor of an ingredient, this salt would work exceptionally well.

It enhanced the food without overpowering it.

Haruto immediately bought a large quantity.

For a chef, good salt was never something worth passing up.

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