88 In the Name of Sanji

Upon hearing Sherwin suggestion, Sanji, who had just been lying on the floor in frustration, instantly sprang back to life. He pointed at Sanji Meow and shouted loudly, "That right! Let have a proper competition and see whose cooking is better!"

He still couldn't accept the idea that the skills he had painstakingly honed were actually inferior… to a cat.

Just look at that body—not even tall enough to reach the stove. How was Sanji supposed to believe that Sanji Meow cooking could be better than his own?!

Faced with Sanji provocation, Sanji Meow calmly scratched his chin, putting on the air of a seasoned master. With a breezy tone, he said, "Since you insist, I suppose I can reluctantly give you some guidance, meow."

(ω)

"You damn cat, what the hell are you being so smug about?!"

At this point, Sanji was still too young—nothing like the tactician he would later become as one of the few brains of the Straw Hat crew...

Of course, that only applied when there weren't women or a certain moss-head involved.

As for this "friendly" culinary exchange between the two Sanjis, their respective groups were all very supportive.

Sherwin, who had proposed the idea in the first place, needed no further explanation. As for the chefs at Baratie—most of whom were former pirates—they were exactly the kind who loved chaos and excitement.

Even Zeff, who had started to see the potential in Sanji cooking, didn't make any move to stop it. In fact, he was more than happy to see Sanji Meow teach Sanji a good lesson.

However, this much-anticipated "Food War" didn't begin immediately—it was postponed by Zeff until the afternoon.

After all, it was nearing mealtime, and Baratie, being a famous seafaring restaurant, still had to operate as usual. With Zeff experience and character, he would never let guests go hungry.

Sherwin had no objections to that. They had just finished a hearty lunch, and jumping into a food war right after would leave their still-digesting stomachs with no room to appreciate more gourmet food.

So, until Baratie dinner rush was over, Sherwin and the others grabbed some drinks and, under Zeff arrangements, went to the staff dining room on the second floor to pass the time.

"Hm? Sanji, aren't you going to check out their kitchen?" Sherwin looked at the little yellow cat who had come along with them, asking curiously.

"I want that idiot to lose fair and square. Until then, I'm not going to spy on the enemy, meow!"

Sanji Meow was taking the upcoming match very seriously. He didn't want Sanji to have any excuses after being defeated.

"You're that confident you can beat him?"

"Of course, meow! That idiot skills are decent, but still a notch below mine, meow!" Since Sanji wasn't around, Sanji Meow didn't bother downplaying the other ability.

Instead, he spoke objectively and with confidence: "If this were back when I had just started sailing, maybe I wouldn't be so sure. But I've learned tons of new cooking techniques in the West Blue. Beating that dumb human who has the same name as me is absolutely no problem, meow!"

Seeing the little yellow cat so fired up and full of confidence, Sherwin, the ever-enthusiastic instigator, of course wasn't going to just sit back and do nothing.

So he offered Sanji Meow a suggestion: "Since you're so sure you're going to win, why not make a little wager when the match begins?"

What kind of Food War would it be without stakes?

Sanji Meow was a mischievous little rascal himself. The moment he heard Sherwin idea, his eyes lit up, and he eagerly leaned in to whisper with Sherwin, secretly discussing what exactly to bet with Sanji.

"Sherwin-nii, what are you two talking about, meow? Klee wants to know too, meow."

(=ω=)

Klee Meow, who loved sticking her nose into excitement, climbed up onto Sherwin using both her hands and feet, stretching her little head out to join in the conversation.

"Ahem… I was just discussing with Sanji what kind of prize he should get from the other Sanji if he wins," Sherwin replied with a perfectly serious face, skillfully rebranding the wager.

"Since it a competition, there has to be a reward, right?"

"Meow? Right! Totally, meow!" Poked by Sherwin, Sanji Meow quickly picked up on it and nodded enthusiastically.

"I can't go through the trouble of competing with him and walk away with nothing, meow!"

Seijuro Meow, who had been meditating with his sword, opened one eye and gave the two troublemakers a speechless look.

"Then can Klee join the competition too with her grilled fish, meow?"

Sherwin didn't really care about the prize, but the idea of entering the contest and actually winning something was very appealing to Klee Meow.

"Ahem, ahem… This is a competition between the two Sanjis, so Klee, maybe you should just sit this one out…"

Sherwin quickly spoke up to distract Klee Meow. With his wild cooking style, by the time she "roasted" her fish, the Baratie would probably have closed for the day.

Besides, if Klee Meow also joined the food duel, the showdown would be less about Sanji, and he wouldn't get to enjoy the spectacle as much.

So Sherwin decisively scooped Klee Meow into his arms and began offering full "kitty pampering" services.

Under Sherwin caring hands, the Felyne immediately purred contentedly and completely forgot about competing.

Lunchtime passed quickly, and as the customers slowly filed out of the restaurant, Zeff came up to the second floor along with the Baratie chefs.

"Thanks for waiting," Zeff said, clearly interested in the Sanji showdown. He couldn't hold back: "If there are no more questions, why don't we start now?"

"Wait, meow!" Sanji Meow, who'd been waiting for just the right moment to spring his "penalty" on Sanji, leapt forward with dramatic flair.

Pointing straight at Sanji, he declared, "Since it a contest, the winner deserves a prize, meow! And if you lose, you'll have to call me 'Teacher,' and you can't share my name, meow!"

"Sure thing!" Sanji had already lost his composure and agreed without hesitation. "The same goes for you if you lose!"

"Of course, meow."

Tch… so boring…

Sherwin clicked his tongue at the thought—he was hoping this contest would be thrilling enough to draw blood.

The wager Sanji Meow proposed sounded serious, but in reality, once they left the Baratie, it wouldn't mean much anymore… Cats really are too kind.

If it were Sherwin, he would've made Sanji wear a dress or something—and made sure to take pictures as proof.

Still, he had no intention of changing Sanji Meow mind. After all, this was his bet, and it wouldn't be right to interfere too much.

"Speak up! How are we going to compete?"

Sanji, huffing and puffing with rage, asked aggressively.

At moments like this, Sherwin naturally stepped forward without hesitation.

After all, he'd watched quite a few food-themed anime like Cooking Master Boy and Food Wars!, as well as cooking shows like Hell Kitchen and Top Chef.

When it came to food battles like this "Shokugeki," he had a wealth of (viewing) experience.

And so, under Sherwin suggestion, the duel between the two Sanjis was decided to consist of three rounds.

The chosen categories were: desserts (strongly requested by Klee Meow), seafood dishes (collectively demanded by the cats), and staple dishes…

The last one was Sherwin request. Since he had given some of his earlier food to the cats, he was now hungry again and wanted something like rice to fill up.

Although all three competition themes were chosen by Sherwin and the others, neither Zeff nor Sanji raised any objections.

Sherwin had also explained that when the dishes were presented, the judges would not be told which dish was cooked by the cat and which by the human.

This way, fairness in the competition would be maintained… although, aside from Sanji, none of the Baratie chefs actually cared about that.

As for the judges, each side would select three. On Sherwin side, naturally, everyone would participate.

On the Baratie side, Zeff brought along Patty and Carne, the two most well-known background characters.

"Then... the first Baratie Culinary Showdown begins now!"

At Sherwin command, both Sanjis dashed into the kitchen at top speed.