Work and a chef challenge

During the meal, Ethel listened attentively to the conversations around him. The tavern was bustling with sailors and merchants, each sharing stories of their travels and experiences. Suddenly, a burly sailor with a thick beard and a booming voice captured his attention.

"Did you hear they took down that pig Alvida?" the bearded man said, a satisfied grin on his face.

"Really? Was it the Navy?" asked his companion, a younger man who seemed as surprised as intrigued.

"No, it was a kid from a ship they docked with. They say he stretched his arms and hit that ogre. A sight to see," explained the sailor, shaking his beer mug.

"Stretched? They might be making it up, though I hope it's true. Those pirates deserve a good thrashing," the young man responded, laughing at the idea.

Ethel, listening intently, couldn't help but smile to himself. "Seems like Luffy just took down Alvida. So, the main story has just begun. Maybe I'll run into the Straw Hats before reaching the Grand Line," he thought, feeling a surge of excitement at the possibility of crossing paths with the future heroes. However, he knew his fate wasn't written and that he needed to follow his own path.

"For now, the first step is recruiting people for my journey. I don't want to become a pirate, at least not for now. Maybe forming a merchant crew, going from island to island to trade and transport goods isn't a bad idea. Ultimately, what I need most right now is to make money," Ethel concluded in his mind, thinking about the future.

After finishing his meal, Ethel stood up and approached the group of sailors discussing Alvida.

"Hello, my name is Ethel. I'm looking for a job. Do you need more people for your ship?" he asked, trying to sound confident and determined.

The sailors looked him up and down, assessing the young man before them. After a brief silence, one of them, who seemed to be the highest-ranking, spoke.

"We're always in need of more hands. Show up tomorrow at the port. You'll see a ship painted white called The Queen. Tell them you come from Lauro to start working. The pay is good, but the work is hard. If you can't handle it, we'll leave you at the next island we stop at," Lauro said, his voice firm but not unfriendly.

"I understand, no problem. If I can't handle the work, I'll leave myself. See you tomorrow," Ethel replied, nodding gratefully before leaving the tavern.

As he exited, there were still several hours of sunlight left. Ethel decided to sit on a bench, a little away from the crowd, to organize his thoughts. Finding a quiet spot, he sat down and opened the shop.

With a simple thought, the interface appeared before his eyes, visible only to him. The many items were arranged with their prices. Ethel decided to filter the list by price, from lowest to highest.

As the list sorted, the first things that appeared were a vast array of food and everyday items—basic things that didn't interest him at the moment. He continued scrolling down, seeing prices gradually increase. Soon, various weapons appeared: knives, maces, and other combat tools. Knives, for example, cost around ten thousand Berrys, while a firearm reached prices of hundreds of thousands of Berrys. Nothing he could afford with the five thousand Berrys he had in his pocket.

Looking at his budget and the price of even the most basic skills, Ethel was disheartened to realize that even the most basic skills, like Night Vision, required at least two million Berrys.

"For now, I need to forget about the shop unless I need food or something like that," he said to himself, closing the interface with a sigh. Determined to focus on the immediate, he stood up and began searching for a place to spend the night.

After a while, he found a modest inn and paid for a night. He settled into his room and, despite the uncertainties that awaited him, slept soundly, regaining his energy for the next day.

Before the sun had risen on the horizon, Ethel was already on his way to the port. Despite the early hour, the place was buzzing with activity. Sailors were preparing to depart, and families were saying their goodbyes with hugs and words of encouragement. Ethel walked among the crowd, searching for the ship called The Queen. When he found it, he raised his voice to make himself heard.

"Hello, today is my first day! Lauro told me to come here," Ethel shouted to one of the sailors on deck, waiting for a response.

"Come on up," the sailor responded with a gesture indicating him to follow.

Once aboard, the sailor explained the tasks Ethel would be responsible for. As expected for a novice, his task was the most basic: loading boxes from the dock into the ship's hold.

"Alright," Ethel nodded, accepting the task without complaint. Without wasting time, he began loading the heavy boxes, one after another.

After two hours of intense labor, with sweat streaming down his forehead and the sun beginning to illuminate the horizon, all the boxes were finally loaded onto the ship.

"Good job, everyone, you did well. Now, rest until further notice," Lauro, the man in charge, said, patting the workers on the back.

Ethel, feeling the exhaustion in his muscles, took a moment to catch his breath. Next to him were two other men who had also been working hard. He decided to introduce himself.

"My name is Ethel, nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand in a friendly gesture.

"I'm Ron, and this is my brother Marcel," replied one of the men, the thinner one, while pointing to the other, who was considerably more robust.

Ethel observed them more closely. Ron, the thin one, had long, disheveled hair, while Marcel, though much more muscular, was completely bald, giving them a quite contrasting appearance.

"I didn't think you were brothers," Ethel commented with a smile. "In any case, we'll be together on this journey, so let's get along."

The brothers nodded with smiles. Ron, the more talkative one, added:

"That's right, kid. This job isn't easy, but it's more bearable if we support each other."

With that brief conversation, they sat in a corner of the deck, enjoying a well-deserved break.

Hard work was soon upon them. Initially, Lauro assigned the tasks clearly and concisely.

"Ethel, you'll help in the kitchen. You two, the brothers, will clean the deck," Lauro said firmly.

Ethel headed to the kitchen, where he was greeted by a scene he hadn't expected. Upon entering, he found the ship's head chef, and he couldn't believe someone of her caliber was on such a small vessel.

"Carmen, this young man is Ethel and will be helping with whatever you need," Lauro explained, pointing to Ethel.

"It's a pleasure," Ethel said, extending his hand with a smile. "I thought Carmen would be in Logue Town, but it seems she's the cook for this ship. Interesting," he thought, observing the chef.

Carmen, with her usual arrogant tone, looked him up and down and said:

"This kid is going to help us? He probably hasn't cooked an egg in his life."

Ethel, undeterred, responded seriously:

"I'm no expert, but I can hold my own in the culinary arts."

Carmen raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

"Oh, really? Then let's see if you can cook or not. Prepare a dish for us, and we'll judge your skill," Carmen said, with a mix of challenge and curiosity.

Lauro tried to intervene, noticing the tension in the air.

"Carmen, I don't think it's appropriate. The kid just wants to help," Lauro said, trying to calm the situation.

Carmen crossed her arms and responded with determination:

"I don't work with those who don't have a passion for cooking."

Ethel, unfazed, nodded.

"I'll prepare a dish; I have no problem doing so," he said, preparing to take on the challenge.