Chapter 3 - Hestia.

[Chapter Size: 2411 Words.]

Third Person Pov.

Some Street, Orario.

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While people, still curious about the mysterious voice echoing in the city sky, began to disperse, Luffy ran through the bustling streets of Orario, determined to find the restaurant that the girl Naei had mentioned.

"HM?! Well! I guess it's not here..." Luffy scratched his head, trying to get his bearings. At the moment, he found himself in the slums, over 8 kilometers from the guild where he started his journey. The narrow alleys and winding alleys further complicated the situation, but curiosity and hunger drove the young man to continue.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The fierce roar of his stomach indicated that the search for the restaurant was becoming a race against time. "I guess I'll keep looking. I won't last much like this..." Luffy muttered, aware that his energy was starting to decline due to hunger. He quickened his pace, entering the unfamiliar streets with determination and hunger.

As he explored, his eyes widened at the sight of a bustling street in a part of the slums and a stall with some strange dumplings. A variety of delicious aromas wafted through the air, further sharpening Luffy's voracious appetite, which seemed to have turned into a dog sniffing out its prey. He didn't hesitate and ran towards the stall, where a certain goddess was serving.

Driven by the irresistible aroma, Luffy approached the stall and observed the available food options. Hunger consumed him, and he could hardly wait to taste the unique flavors offered by that picturesque establishment. The scene at the stall was lively, with the goddess interacting with customers and preparing appetizing delicacies, handing out portions to anyone who requested one. The tables around were occupied by hungry adventurers, each enjoying their culinary choices. The soft mid-afternoon light highlighted the colorful details of the scene, creating a warm, welcoming, and vibrant atmosphere. Something that made the goddess Hestia smile with satisfaction, as she was the goddess of the hearth, and this climate was perfect for her.

Hestia was busy behind the stall counter as always, with a determined expression on her face while serving hungry customers. Her eyes shone with a mixture of skill and charm, reflecting her dedication to the work, as it was her current livelihood at the moment.

The small stand always attracted the attention of passersby with promises of flavor and satisfaction. Every move Hestia made was carefully calculated, from the skillful handling of utensils to the appetizing presentation of Jagamarukuns.

Despite the hustle around her, Hestia remained calm and efficient, managing orders and preparing new portions with mastery. Her black hair swayed gently as she moved, creating an image of grace and skill to satisfy her customers' hunger.

While the busy atmosphere around Hestia's stall continued, a new customer approached, drawn by the irresistible aroma of the delicacies she was preparing. Hestia, with her remarkable ability to spot potential customers, quickly identified the figure approaching. With a warm smile, she prepared to welcome him, as was her custom when serving everyone seeking a meal at her quaint stall.

"Hello, dear customer!" Hestia greeted enthusiastically, her smile reflecting the dedication she had to make each customer's experience special.

"Food...."

However, her cheerful demeanor quickly turned into a surprised expression upon seeing the young man before her, whose expression seemed to indicate a desperate urgency. His eyes were fixed on the Jagamarukuns resting behind the counter inside the oven, as if they were the most precious treasure in the world. His disheveled appearance, eyes shining with intense hunger, and tongue hanging out like a true culinary enthusiast. Drooling as if the mere aroma of the Jagamarukuns was already beginning to satiate him before the first bite.

His exaggerated expressions made it clear that his urgency for food was something beyond the ordinary, as if every second without food was an eternity.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

The sound of his stomach growled loudly, startling Hestia a bit.

"W-What can I do for you..." Hestia stammered, cautious and a little fearful in the face of Luffy's hungry expression.

"I want food! Give me all of it!" The young man exclaimed with a peculiar expression, his eyes shining with an irresistible mix of anticipation and desire.

"Hm... alright... here you go. Hm?!" Hestia responded with a bit of caution but moved to grab some Jagamarukuns from the oven and handed them to the young man. However, before she could realize, the dumplings disappeared from her hand, going straight into Luffy's hungry mouth. The speed at which he devoured the food was impressive, as if the taste of Jagamarukuns was the answer to all his prayers.

The young man seemed to be in ecstasy with every bite, and his peculiar expression now mixed satisfaction and pure joy. Each dumpling that disappeared into his mouth was like a victory won, and Hestia watched the scene with a mix of surprise and bewilderment.

"Wow, you must be really hungry, huh?" Hestia commented with a calm smile, trying to find words between the shock and fascination caused by Luffy's voracity.

The young man seemed like a different person now; his face was happier, and he looked at Hestia in a way she had never seen in a mortal, seeming so sincere that it surprised her with that wide smile.

"Give me more!" He demanded excitedly with his broad smile.

Hestia, still a bit stunned, did as the young man wanted, grabbing more of her Jagamarukuns, and once again, those sticks with the snack disappeared from her hand in the next moment.

"More, please!" He said again after quickly consuming more of her products. Hestia, trying to process what was happening, took another portion, but the dumplings disappeared from her hand in the blink of an eye once again.

"More..." The young man said, and Hestia, without hesitation, did the same.

"I want more dumplings!"

"Add more!"

"Another, please!"

"A little more!"

"An extra!"

"Don't stop, I want more!"

"One more, please!"

"More!"

In the next 10 minutes, Hestia was exhausted from handing new Jagamarukuns to this young man, who annihilated the entire stock of the stall, which was supposed to be sold for the rest of the day.

"More?" The young man asked again, and Hestia looked at him with lifeless eyes wondering if he was still serious.

"You want more? You wiped out the entire stock!" Hestia shouted indignantly, realizing that her stall, once filled with delicacies, was now empty, thanks to the insatiable appetite of the new customer.

"Seriously? But I'm still hungry..." He lamented.

"You're hungry, you just ate for 20 people!" Hestia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had many customers looking at her with disappointed eyes, as her stock had run out for the day thanks to this stranger who seemed to have a black hole in his stomach.

"That's too bad..." Luffy said, lowering his head with a sad expression.

"Anyway, that's 5 thousand valis." Hestia asked for payment.

Luffy took out a small bag of valis handed by the south gate guard, presenting it with a big smile.

"Here!"

"That... but there are only 2 thousand valis here!" Hestia immediately protested, with a disapproving look.

"Really... I didn't know..." Luffy murmured, his tone laden with apologies.

"..." Hestia remained silent for a moment, staring at the valis and the young man who seemed unaware of his situation.

"..." Luffy scratched his head, not knowing how to react to the situation.

"You don't have money, do you?" Hestia finally asked the most obvious question, making her suspicion clear.

Hestia crossed her arms, waiting for a convincing answer from Luffy.

"In fact, no. My grandma always said street food is free when we lived in the forest!" Luffy replied with an innocent smile, genuinely surprised by the charge, and she knew he wasn't lying.

Hestia sighed, realizing she was dealing with someone unfamiliar with city norms.

"That might work in the forest, but here in Orario, things are different. People need to pay for what they consume." Hestia patiently explained, trying to make Luffy understand the basic rules of civilization.

"I see... So, how much is it?" Luffy asked, showing willingness to pay but still not fully grasping the concept of money.

"You need to pay the missing 3 thousand valis to cover the total cost." Hestia replied, hoping this explanation would be sufficient.

Luffy scratched his head, looking at the valis with confusion. "Hmmm... can I pay with food?" He suggested, recalling the previous episode at the stall.

Hestia didn't know what to do at this point and sighed again, realizing that explaining the monetary system to Luffy would be a challenging task.

Hestia looked at the insufficient valis, realizing she was in an unfavorable situation. Her face began to reflect the inevitability of the financial problem.

"You know if I don't get this money, I'll owe the stall owner..." She said, her tone already indicating concern about the consequences.

"Sorry." Luffy replied without removing the smile, as if he wasn't doing anything wrong. It seemed that the understanding of the nuances of the common monetary system still escaped him.

While Hestia looked at the insufficient valis, her mind debated between common sense and an inexplicable sympathy for Luffy. She pondered on financial responsibility and the reputation of her stall, but an unusual thought began to sprout.

"Maybe... maybe this is a unique situation. This boy, despite his impulsive and irresponsible attitude, seems genuinely grateful and... innocent."

Hestia let out an exasperated sigh. "Why do I care, fine, I'll cover your meal." Despite her frustration, she recognized the purity in Luffy's eyes. His smile was something unique, innocent, and genuine, even if he left her more in debt.

"Really! You're so cool! So now we're friends!" Luffy shouted, attracting the attention of the street and even startling Hestia with his straightforward words.

"I-I guess so..." She said stammering and bewildered by the sincere words of this mortal.

"Let me introduce myself, I'm Monkey D. Luffy! We're friends from now on!!" Luffy announced with the same smile.

"I'm Hestia..." The goddess was still cautious about this character; he was too straightforward.

"..." Luffy looked at her still without saying anything, just smiling.

"You have nowhere to go, right?" Hestia said, seeing that the young man hadn't moved.

"No!" He replied in an enthusiastic tone.

"Let me pack up the stall, as my stock is finished anyway. I don't need to work anymore today." Hestia said, starting to pack up everything there and dismantle her stall.

Luffy sat in a corner, waiting for Hestia to finish. Once she was done, she joined the peculiar guy.

"Hestia, right? That's cool! So, are you an adventurer too, or do you only work here at the stall?" Luffy asked, displaying an infectious smile.

"Hmm, actually, I just work at the stall to pay some bills." Hestia could say she was a goddess at this moment, but would the kind and sincere young man think poorly of her like the others? So she remained just Hestia for now, and he didn't recognize her as a goddess, making him think she had no more dignity.

"But enough about me, I'm curious about you. I've never seen you before; where did you come from? How did you end up in Orario?" Hestia questioned while finishing closing the stall.

Luffy scratched his head, thoughtful. "Hmm, my grandma and I lived in the forest far from here. She taught me to be strong and love meat. Then one day, she sent me here to become a great adventurer, saying I can have many adventures and eat a lot of meat!"

"I see... A life in the forest, huh? It must have been interesting. And your grandma, is she an adventurer too?" Hestia was genuinely intrigued by Luffy's story.

"No, grandma is not an adventurer. She just wanted me to have an exciting life and eat a lot of meat!" Luffy laughed, recalling his grandma's words.

"Hmm, seems like a good reason to come to Orario. But what about your family, Luffy? Besides your grandma, do you have any other relatives?" Hestia continued to inquire, trying to better understand this peculiar adventurer.

"I don't have a family other than Grandma. But now, you mentioned something about joining your family, right? How does that work?" Luffy asked with curious eyes.

"Hm? You haven't joined any family yet, Luffy?" Hestia had this doubt since he said he had nowhere to go, but now she had the chance to ask.

"Not yet. I want to be an adventurer and have my adventures, but Neia, a funny woman with funny ears, told me I need to find a family first!" Luffy spoke with a thoughtful expression.

"And you want to look for a god to be an adventurer?!" Hestia seemed quite interested.

"YES! I'm going to be the greatest adventurer, so I need a god!" Luffy said with enthusiasm.

"So, Luffy-kun, join my family!" Hestia announced, gaining some confidence.

"Seriously, it takes a god for that, do you know any? I'll join you!" Luffy seemed even more excited, with a gleam in his eyes, but Hestia almost fell to the ground.

'I'm a goddess! He hasn't even realized!' Hestia thought but still didn't respond for caution.

"Wait?! You're going to join me?!" Hestia still couldn't believe that someone didn't reject her request for the first time, even though she hadn't revealed herself as a goddess.

"Of course I will, you gave me food, after all, now we're friends!" Luffy didn't seem to object at all.

"Come on, take me to your god!" Luffy spoke again while getting up and talking to the petite Hestia.

"Hmm....Luffy-Kun, I am Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and home! I am the very goddess of the family, and you will be the first member of my family, do you want to join my family?" Hestia announced with some pride and happiness.

"Really, you're a goddess?!" Luffy had star-shaped eyes at this moment, analyzing Hestia in front of him as if she were the most incredible creature in the world.

"Y-Yes! I am a goddess!" Hestia was a bit surprised and stunned by this reaction, but soon her goddess pride took over as she stood with her back firm and closed her eyes in a proud expression.

"Hestia..." Suddenly, Luffy spoke in a serious tone.

"Yes... Luffy-Kun." Hestia opened one eye, seeing that Luffy seemed serious now in his tone.

"Do you poop?"