Linne Horsdoeuvre. No one could ever determine just how precious the treasures she possessed are.
The same could be said for Maha Zoldyck, a figure from the older generation who had been in the assassination business for countless years. To any assassin, he held treasures that were incomparable to anyone else's.
Both of them were the same. The treasures they possessed had been accumulated over an extensive period of time, like a tree planted by predecessors that had grown so large it could block out the sun.
What Linne could pass down wasn't just her culinary skills. What was even more valuable were the experiences, insights, knowledge, and the recipes she had constructed over her long life… a true recipe for life itself!
It was something she began to accumulate from the moment she started pursuing her dream, and it continued to this day. From the countless things she had acquired, she selected the most valuable elements, which now formed her life's recipe.
For example, this small dish of condiment may look so inconspicuous and small, but it took Linne two years to brew it, and it is also a condiment unique to this world.
Two years, that was just the time spent. Like a skilled construction worker, without the meticulous design of an architect, could they simply build a beautiful house with just their hands?
Two years was the time invested, but the true foundation lay in Linne's age.
One generation plants the trees, and another enjoys the shade, this is what inheritance is.
Linne had nurtured a giant tree through her long life. The only question was, who would be able to enjoy the shade under this tree?
It didn't necessarily have to be passed down... but if there was a suitable candidate, that would be ideal.
Linne thought this way. If there was no suitable person, even if it were to end here, it wouldn't be a pity.
On the square table, the bowls and plates at the three seats were empty, not a single grain of rice left. Even the seasoning in the dipping dishes was completely clean, without a trace remaining.
Netero, Maha, and Linne had all finished their portions of the exquisite meal, while Law had left half of his.
Radish, bean sprouts, condiment, rice, and clear soup… this simple meal was a unique delicacy born from Linne's hands. Once you took the first bite, it was hard to stop until everything was gone.
"Why... don't you want to eat anymore?"
Linne's cloudy, unfocused eyes stared at Law. Though her pupils seemed unable to focus, they formed a gaze as solid as a physical presence, firmly pressing down on Law.
As an elderly woman, she wouldn't get angry over this, but she still wanted to know the reason.
Maha and Netero looked at each other and acted as if they were outsiders and had nothing to do with the matter.
'Since I've known Linne, I've tasted countless delicious dishes. But in the beginning, there were also many failed attempts. Back then...'
couldn't help but recall the distant past. Looking at Linne now, who was as calm as a cold stone, he felt that as humans walk through the long journey of life, they are always gaining something while also losing something.
'Now, Linne probably wouldn't get overly excited about food anymore, would she?'
It wasn't that Linne had grown numb or indifferent, but rather that the things worth getting excited about had become increasingly rare in her eyes.
Perhaps, this was the result of standing at the pinnacle, where the air was thin, or perhaps... it was simply the reality of growing old.
If there was still something that could excite her, it would likely be the 'world outside'… the enormous world that they hadn't even fully stepped into back then.
However, it is precisely because they knew they no longer had the chance to explore it that their pursuit gradually slowed down and eventually came to a complete halt, much like their aging hearts.
Because the heart had grown old, the body had lost its drive.
'If only... no, there are no 'ifs' in that matter.' Netero looked at Linne, who resembled the twilight haze, and remained silent.
Netero, who had once ventured into the Dark Continent with Linne, wished at this moment that there was an injection that could infuse Linne with the vitality of a rising sun.
'Law, would you be the one?'
But whether Law is or not, it doesn't matter. It has nothing to do with Netero, as this was something only Linne could decide.
Sentimentality was never a trait that suited Netero. He quickly snapped out of it and turned his gaze back to Linne and Law.
Facing Linne's question, which was a natural inquiry from the host, Law didn't hide anything and openly shared his thoughts, "These...are so delicious. I want Machi to have a taste, too."
"Machi?" Linne said calmly, "The other little one who's with you but couldn't make it?"
Law nodded silently. At that time, Machi indeed didn't have the ability to come.
Linne fell silent for a moment before suddenly releasing her Aura and enveloped the remaining half of the exquisite meal in front of Law, just as she had done before.
That aura seemed to possess a preservation ability far surpassing that of a refrigerator.
After releasing her aura, Linne pointed to the small amount of condiment still left in front of Law and said, "Words of the Sea… that's the name I gave to this condiment. Do you know how many ingredients are needed to brew such a small portion?"
"I don't know." Law replied, glancing at the condiment, which, despite being sealed by Linne's Aura, still emitted an intoxicating aroma. In truth, the White Smoke Font had provided information about the radish, bean sprouts, and rice, but there was no information at all about the condiment.
This was the second time such a situation had occurred since Law gained the ability to see the White Smoke Font. The first time was with the stone slab in the Stargie's Tomb, where the White Smoke Font had also displayed 'unknown'.
This shows that the White Smoke Font is not omnipotent. The world was vast and full of wonders, and there would always be things beyond the White Smoke Font's understanding.
However, since even the White Smoke Font couldn't identify it, it must be something extraordinary. Whether it was the stone gate seemingly connected to the Dark Continent or the condiment Linne had concocted, both belonged to this category.
Moreover, this table of simple meals made his Six Nen Categories Average directly exceed 50%!
It must be known that since breaking through 40%, the rate of improvement had been as slow as an ant's pace...
"One hundred and one ingredients, all taken from the deep sea." Linne continued, unaware of Law's thoughts. Her tone carried no emotion.
One hundred and one deep-sea creatures had ultimately been transformed into such a small amount of condiment.
However, with so many types of ingredients, how many attempts must it have taken to ensure that the quantity of each ingredient didn't cause a clash in flavors? And how did she arrive at a reasonable structural balance?
Law couldn't imagine the immense effort hidden within this small dish of condiment. If Nen Abilities were involved... perhaps it made sense, but there was no denying that it required an extraordinary amount of time and energy.
'If I can get this recipe at an acceptable price, can I…'
Looking at Law's extremely surprised expression, Linne's eyelids drooped slightly as she said, "Let her come."
She didn't use exaggerated adjectives to emphasize the rarity of this small dish of condiment. Instead, she used the simplest explanation to make Law understand its value.
There would be no second chance to taste it.
Linne announced this to Law, and then it was up to him to decide whether to let someone else enjoy the portion of the meal that rightfully belonged to him.
'True delicacies didn't need to be savored meticulously, they were meant to be shared…'
Linne's slightly drooping eyelids seemed to lower even further. It was easy for someone to share ten dollars out of a million, but could they share a million?
Using wealth as a metaphor might not be entirely appropriate, but precisely because it was possible, it made it all the more precious.
Law's choice... is of course to share.
This was who he was. Even after tasting the dish, he was willing to give up half of this meticulously crafted, unparalleled delicacy so that Machi could also enjoy it. If circumstances allowed, he would have liked to let Buhara and the others taste it as well.
Seeing Law make his decision with a slightly excited smile, a faint sense of amusement welled up deep within Linne's heart.
…
Meanwhile, the team of 235 people sent to retrieve a sample from Demon Island was facing an unprecedented crisis.
The sudden turn of events had exceeded their imagination and surpassed their psychological expectations.
Expel, expel!
The method of dealing with foreign invaders had always been expulsion, and there were many ways to expel them.
Kill them all, devour them all, make them disappear completely!
The native species of Demon Island, under some kind of mutation, had taken the concept of 'expulsion' to its extreme.