Chapter 127: The Captive of Food

"Delicious!"

"I'm so full, I can't go on..."

Two hours later, after visiting seven or eight restaurants and watching more than a dozen round-bellied Mink children, as well as the Donquixote family members who had also unbuttoned their shirts, Rosinante had a vein pulsating on his forehead.

"Are all of you bottomless pits?!"

If they encountered enemies in this condition, they wouldn't even know how they died. They didn't possess the strange "Life Return: Eating Version" technique, so what gave them the courage to gorge themselves like this?

"Hehe, but the food here is really delicious~"

Toribopol, who had gone from "tall and thin" to "plump," patted his stomach with embarrassment.

In theory, the Donquixote Family, which had a vast territory and industries in the North Blue, should be able to provide any delicacy they wanted. Plus, with Chopper's cooking skills...

"We've lost, completely lost..."

Jora, who was usually elegant and composed, was now dispirited, kneeling on the ground in self-disappointment.

????

"Alright, if you want to eat, go ahead."

Since they still had Rosinante, Doflamingo, the Minotaur warriors, and the Mink girl who remained in their normal forms, and the main combatants were still on high alert—

"Boss, bring me twenty more portions of fried potatoes."

As Rosinante spoke, the grey-haired girl Marnie immediately turned to the vendor next to her.

Luffy, my eating buddy...

"Jora,"

Throughout their journey, Rosinante had been using his Kenbunshoku Haki to full capacity, but he didn't sense any malice from any of the vendors or restaurant owners.

"There's nothing unusual,"

Jora, who was dejected from her culinary failures, shook her head. On her finger, there was a ring with the ability to detect poisons, and it hadn't reacted either.

Strange...

"Rosinante, don't overthink it."

Next to him, Doflamingo lightly patted Rosinante's shoulder as he held a bottle of wine.

"I've seen through Kaido's tricks,"

"After eliminating the weaklings who have just entered the Grand Line with the 'Beast' on Sabaody, they use 'cuisine' to dull the minds of pirates passing through the Sabaody Archipelago."

"I heard that the third island is Kaido's base: Carnival Island. It's said to be a daily celebration and you can buy anything you want there... Fu fu fu."

After he finished speaking, Doflamingo pushed his sunglasses up with a smirk.

"This route acts as a filter, eliminating weak pirates entering the New World layer by layer, and then assigning them roles: slaves, vassals, collaborators... Once we take control of this route, we can also learn from the 'seniors'."

"Yeah, but be careful to distinguish: not everyone who enters the Grand Line is a pirate."

After the conflict they had with Kaido's forces, Rosinante and his group were determined to take over this route. However, despite thinking about their future after taking over, Rosinante was still puzzled about the current situation.

"Is it possible that Kaido is so arrogant that he doesn't take us seriously?"

In theory, when the Donquixote Family arrived on this island, it should have been a moment of intense conflict. It's hard to believe that they haven't realized it yet.

"Don't worry about him; our plan won't change—"

Pointing towards a massive building in the center of the city, shaped like a "wok," Doflamingo's target was crystal clear.

"We'll take down the ruler of this island and raise our flag there!"

That's right, no matter what kind of conspiracy or trickery the enemy had, charging into their base, defeating the island's executives, and raising their flag would solve all their problems.

In this world, that's how simple and brutal the thought process is.

"Wow!"

"Be careful—"

Just as Rosinante and Doflamingo were setting their sights on their target, something suddenly rushed out of an alleyway next to the street! It lunged towards the Mink children in the group.

Bang!

The next moment, the thing that rushed out was kicked by Luffy and slammed against the wall.

"Dare to provoke the Donquixote Family?"

With a flash of his sword, accompanied by Diamante's angry shout, the long Western sword in his hand was unsheathed, cutting an arc as it landed on the shoulder of the thing that rushed out. To everyone's surprise, it was a person!

Or rather, a man wearing a tattered and faded dark sailor uniform, with his hair tied into dirty braids.

"Cough... cough, please, ladies and gentlemen..."

Pinned down by Diamante's longsword, the emaciated man struggled and extended his dirty fingers towards the Mink children with a pitiful expression.

"Give me a bite to eat, I beg you..."

????

Seeing the pitiable condition of the man on the ground, the kind-hearted Mink children couldn't bear it. A golden-furred dog girl named Vonda stepped forward and handed him her ice cream cone.

"Here..."

Thwack!

He snatched the ice cream cone and shoved it into his mouth with greed. Like a starving ghost, the emaciated man devoured the cold treat, and a long-lost expression of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Licking the remnants of ice cream off his dirty fingers, the glowing-eyed Tonkotsu turned to the other children.

"Not enough... still not enough..."

Huh?

"Hey, Doflamingo, Rosinante."

While the man greedily savored the ice cream, Diamante continued to press him down with his sword and turned his head to ask.

"Can I kill him?"

"Wait a moment,"

Rosinante walked over, not because he sympathized with the emaciated man. The scars on the man's loose skin and the visible ribs on his chest, along with the clearly discernible skull on his chest, indicated that he was once a pirate.

And pirates... chose to venture out to sea. If they died, they only had themselves to blame.

"Here,"

Rosinante signaled to Diamante to release the man. He handed his own grilled meat to the man, who, amid his incoherent thanks, began devouring it again.

"Delicious... I haven't had something this delicious in a long time..."

Something's not right.

"Vergo, give me your pineapples."

Taking pineapples from Vergo's hand, Rosinante also received a can of milk from one of the Mink children and handed them all to the emaciated man.

"Thank you, thank you..."

No matter what kind of food it was, this dirty, emaciated man didn't discriminate. With each bite, he showed a look of ecstasy, making Rosinante furrow his brow even more.

"What's wrong?"

Facing Doflamingo's puzzled gaze as he approached, Rosinante shook his head, reaching out to grab the emaciated man's wrist.

Unusually cold... just as he suspected.

"Here, quickly!"

Just then, three uniformed police officers hurried over. They pushed the frail pirate to the ground, and one of them grabbed the pirate's hand, dragging him aside.

"Sorry, sorry."

The remaining officer bowed apologetically to everyone.

"We apologize for allowing this destitute 'scum' to disturb you, esteemed travelers."

"Don't worry about it. Please enjoy the cuisine on this island to your heart's content. We'll take our leave."

After saying that, the police officer turned around and used his truncheon on the emaciated man, who had been clamoring for food in his mouth, effectively "physically silencing" him. Then he gestured to his two colleagues to drag the dirty, emaciated man away.

...

"It seems that even the so-called 'Food Island' is shrouded in darkness."

After the three police officers had dragged the emaciated pirate away like a dead dog, Rosinante clapped his hands and turned around.

"Everyone, take out all the food you've purchased on this island."

Everyone was taken aback.

"Is the food poisoned? It's impossible; my ring didn't react..."

Jora was the first to step forward.

"It's not poison,"

Rosinante shook his head.

"Just now, I gave that man pineapples and milk. When these two things are consumed together, they cause nausea and discomfort, but he still found them very delicious."

"Furthermore, that man doesn't look older than thirty from his teeth, but he's abnormally thin, and his body temperature is significantly lower than a normal person's. All in all..."

Rosinante glanced at the spot where the emaciated man had been dragged away, with scattered food.

"These foods are rich in a special 'spice,' and its name is..."

"Poppy!"

Huh?

Facing the puzzled expressions of everyone, Rosinante had to continue explaining.

"It's a special plant, and the substance extracted from it can be used as a seasoning for food, making ordinary food taste delicious."

"Most importantly, this seasoning is addictive!"

What?!

"Long-term consumption will turn you into a slave to this seasoning."

"If you stop eating, you'll feel itchy all over, become mentally restless, and even progress to becoming irritable, prone to self-mutilation, and madness."

Just like the pirate just now, his mind and body had completely deteriorated.

Hiss!

In an instant, almost instinctively, everyone threw the food in their hands on the ground. Even Toribopol had already started sticking his fingers down his throat, preparing to induce vomiting.

"This stuff... isn't poison?!"

Even Doflamingo's face looked extremely ugly. He didn't expect there to be something so insidious in the world.

"It's indeed not poison. Strictly speaking, it's an excellent painkiller and stimulant."

But if used excessively, it becomes a full-fledged drug!

Yes, it's none other than the famous "Sea Prism Stone."

"So... what should we do..."

The group of Mink children were scared out of their wits. They had just escaped the slavery of the "collars" and now they were going to become slaves to food?

"Don't panic. Small amounts won't make you addicted."

At least Rosinante felt no "cravings" for these foods. However:

"From now on, everyone should not eat any food on this island. And..."

Turning his head to look at the massive "cauldron"-shaped building in the center of the city, Rosinante narrowed his eyes.

"I'm going to destroy this city!"

Poppy, a corrupting substance like this, must not be allowed to remain!

"Fufufu, then what are we waiting for—"

With veins bulging on his forehead, Doflamingo pushed up his sunglasses, clearly infuriated.

"Let's go; we'll make the blood flow like a river!"

————

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(End of this chapter)