Chambord Island No. 56
Island 56, like the other numbered groves of the Chambord Archipelago, served primarily as a ship coating and repair yard. Without the tip from the little girl, Rin and the crew would've never guessed that a restaurant was concealed within such an industrial setting especially not one inside a working shipyard.
"Captain, we've arrived there's the Ari Shipyard up ahead," Casa reported, pointing toward a massive facility near the harbor.
"That's it?" Rin squinted at the building. Five bold letters spelled out "ARI SHIPYARD," and to the untrained eye, it looked identical to every other repair facility across Islands 50 to 59. If the girl hadn't mentioned it, even a seasoned traveler would have overlooked it entirely.
"Hurry up and get inside." Rin's stomach grumbled loudly, and he pulled the others along without delay.
Inside, the shipyard was buzzing with activity. Coating engineers, mechanics, and craftsmen hurried to and fro some installing resin membranes, others hammering hulls or adjusting air chambers beneath ships.
"Hello! Can I help you with anything?" a cheerful shipwright in blue overalls approached them.
"Do you have a restaurant here?" Casa asked without hesitation.
"Yes, we do," the worker nodded. "But it's not easy to find."
"Then take us there our captain's starving." Casa gestured toward Rin, who looked ready to devour the nearest anchor.
"Do you have a reservation?" the worker asked with practiced formality.
"A reservation? To eat?" Rin blinked, taken aback. The girl hadn't said anything about needing to reserve a table.
"No worries then, follow me." The worker turned, guiding them through a maze of corridors and machinery until they reached what appeared to be a simple metal warehouse door. He tapped a code into a cipher pad beside it, and the rolling shutter slowly creaked upward. Inside were rows of industrial shelves, neatly stacked with ship tools, spare rudders, and coils of membrane tubing.
"You're not expecting us to eat these tools, are you?" Rin asked dryly, eyeing the stacks of mechanical parts.
"Of course not. This way, please." The man led them deeper into the warehouse until they reached a corner, where a narrow staircase spiraled downward.
"Here's the restaurant," he said, and then promptly walked away to return to his duties.
"Let's go," Rin said, already hearing the muffled din of chatter and clinking dishes from below. The sounds of activity reassured him that it wasn't a trap not that he was afraid.
At the bottom of the stairs, the space opened into a smoky underground canteen. It was filled with rough-looking customers pirates, smugglers, mercenaries all likely preparing for a voyage into the Grand Line or the New World. Rin and his crew found an empty table in the corner and sat down.
"I'm starving! Waiter, bring me the menu!" Rin called out. A moment later, a tired-looking server handed over a grease-smudged menu.
Rin, like a beast let loose from captivity, ordered an excessive amount of food and tore into it ravenously. Nearby diners stared in stunned silence, watching him devour plate after plate like a man cursed with eternal hunger.
"Rin-sama, your appetite's definitely increased lately," Enel commented with mild surprise.
"Yes, I've noticed it too," Artoria agreed. "You've been eating a lot more than usual these past few days."
"Maybe my powers are developing further. You know what they say the greater the power, the greater the need for calories." Rin spoke between bites, mouth still full of rice and meat.
"Well, it's a good thing to have an appetite. A healthy pirate captain should eat like this," Casa remarked with a nod.
"Yes! Casa, you understand me best!" Rin grinned, clearly pleased with the sentiment.
And so the four of them enjoyed their meal in the murky warmth of the hidden canteen, smoke rising from sizzling pans and loud voices echoing through the chamber.
"Hic… That hit the spot!" Rin let out a massive burp and looked at the now-empty dishes that had once covered the entire table. He patted his bulging stomach in satisfaction. But then, an urgent pressure hit him.
"Captain, we should get moving now that we've eaten," Casa said, already rising from his seat.
"Wait, I need to take care of something first," Rin groaned, standing. "Where's the restroom?"
He caught a passing waiter who was juggling several plates.
"Oh—the toilets are over there," the man replied, nodding toward two shadowy corridors near the stairwell.
"Hey, where's that dish?!" a customer from across the room shouted impatiently.
"Coming!" the waiter rushed off, fearing complaints.
Rin walked toward the twin passages and picked one at random. The hallway was lined with closed doors—storage rooms, he assumed and stretched far into the dim distance.
"Weird… which of these is the bathroom?" Rin muttered, stopping at one door.
From behind it, he heard voices.
"You didn't call me here just to treat me to a meal," one man said in a hushed but cold tone.
"That's right. I came to ask you to assassinate someone," replied another voice this one younger, and far more intense.
Assassination? Rin's ears perked up immediately. Curious, he leaned closer, resisting the urge to use Observation Haki so he wouldn't risk being detected by someone with equal power.
"You know we don't take cheap jobs," said the first man, suspicion lacing his voice.
"Do I look like someone who can't afford it?" the other retorted. There was a rustling noise likely a bag of Berries being placed on the table.
"This? You insult me. I don't kill for pocket change," the assassin scoffed.
"There's more after the job's done," came the calm reply.
"Who's the target?" the assassin asked after a moment of silence.
"Otohime. From Fish-Man Island."
---
This chapter is dedicated to @[ DALLAS ALOOK ].....Thanks for your subscription to our DIAMOND PACKAGE...There will be a bonus chapters in few hours
40+ advanced chapter on patreon....Visit patreon now to read my exclusive content... posting 5 chapters per day, Our collection is now available on PATREON
visit patreon.com/Mgoldtranslation to view 40+ advanced chapters
Please subscribe guys