Noirs eyes slowly opened. Elbows resting against a granite countertop. Smooth, lithe fingers rubbings against his eyes. Tips pulling his lids down. Covering his mouth and gazing upward. It'd been three years. Three years since Desamare. Over a year since he had begun his training with Mar-Syl and Diva.
A hand smacked into his back roughly! Snapping him from his Zoned Out focus, Elegant voice coming into tune as the world around him pulled back into clarity. Chatter, Shouts, Noise of utensils clashing against each other. The smells of Aromatics, Meats, Flame and fresh produce filled his nose a moment later.
"Behind!" The voice warned "Hop to it Pretty boy!" Diva spoke, waist wrapped in an apron with his hair done up into a net.
Noir turned around. Cook after cook, prepper after prepper, chef after chef clamored around the enormous kitchen. Stoves, sinks and stations stretched all across the Kitchen that stretched near 100 feet wide by nearly the same width. Half a dozen counter dops vertically parallel in the middle, each with pots and pans hanging above them. Back wall lined with specialty stations, sea food prep, large soup prep, enormous cutting area for massive cuts of meat, pasta making, etc. Along with the middle that was a clear intersection between the aisles for anyone to safely reach even in traffic, held non standard ware. Near each station was a separate large fridge containing the respective stations prepped ingredients.
Wall to the Far Left held an enormous sink where a Short stout man stood on a stool washing vigorously amidst mountains of suds. The other wall held an enormous walkable section. Carved into the wall with wooden tables, coolers, freezers, ice beds, and liquor all meant for Cooking. Baskets Fruits and Vegetables, Exotic, and Typical. Enormous barrels of Flour, Sugar, Salt. Freshly Caught and Imported Fish. Small Smoke Closet. Herbs and Spices fresh on the stim ready to be cut. 'The Garden' was its name.
"Yes Chef!" Noir replied, a moment later. Approaching the counter next to him. It was officially Dinner Time. And on tonights menu, was a Dish that Noir had developed. His Fish course for his Full Course Menu.
"Alright listen up! Were gonna need to be ready for Emperor Salmon Sea Voyage!" Noir declared to the Chefs. "Remember your fish prep lessons. Emperor Salmon and the Other Fish need to be prepped carefully!"
"If you got questions bring them to me." Noir was the Head Chef now. Feta having allowed him to take the position to best deliver the best training possible. Mar-Syl serving as wait staff and sommelier. Other Queens had been brought by Diva to fill out niches in the kitchen Noir knew he could rely on.
Noir nodded to the woman adorned in a suit, Meni. Hair done tight into a pony tail. Square shaped face and tanned skin. She was the Expo who coordinated the Kitchen with the flow of tickets and orders and a spread sheet of who has what and communicates to waitstaff for the best service possible.
"Lets let it rip." Noir said. The doors opening to allow the flood of people to begin filing in. It took only a few seconds from the moment the doors open for the first order to come in. Noir's loafers clacking against he light wooden floors that contrasted against the stainless steel of equipment that sat a top it.
"Table 1, Nitro Chicken Curry with Naan and True Bluefin Saute. This ones patient. No need to rush!" Meni said. The Waiters had special hand signs to quickly communicate between one another and deliver any standard menu dishes along with the demeanor of the table. Gauging and determining how to treat them.
Noir, within the Garden, plucked a large Elephant Tuna from the Ice Bed. A four foot long dark blue scaled fish with a large trunk off the end of it. Specially caught in the Grand Line in one of the most elusive stretches of the Fourth Route. Filled with a unique environment for the most common fish around the world known to be in every sea.
The Sapphire Reef.
Quickly, with pace, Noir set it against the Seafood Station. The massive 695 lb slap shook the counter. With a blur he plucked a fillet knife from the block, handle round and spread with a distinct circular graining. Blade a steel blue with a Hamon Waving against the edge.
Starting at the chin, he sliced deep into tuna, slicing down through the scales against the grain. With professional and exquisite skill in a blur.cutting a curve against the tailfin, up around the top, and then down other side. In only a half second, the entire side of the tuna was released from the bone, the other done on the opposite side.
His hands smeared the air as he expertly flashed the skin off, peeling it away in one go leaving only the deep reddish purple flesh. Air flashing the space in front of him. Carving into then fillets, Sashimi, and Steak Cuts.
"Bluefin Tuna Ready." Noir declared. Already a few Chefs commenting 'Corner' to their fellow cooks to announce their movements and make way to the Tuna.
With deftly routined hands, Noir plucked a pan from above, hand turning the gas on. But Noir did not need the striker, instead with the use of his Conduit Kata, Ignicion, simply snapped his fingers and produced embers as if from steel being struck with flint.
With a FWOOSH, the Gas ignited, pan clanging against the grill top. Noir letting it heat up. Grabbing a mortar and pestle, his hand reached into a a manifested yellow semi transparent shaped to resemble Food Cabinets. A small two and a half foot tall rectangular piece, flat at the top with a small overhang. Four small feet at the Bottom.
It was his Konseki, a Tool Type known as Garde Manger. It allowed Noir to access this Cabinet and reach into an pull what ever is needed from a distance of 100 meter radius. With the use of a Vow, he added a rule to it that Allowed him to pull from a specific destination so long as he is 1. Near it, or 2. Has Touched or Been in Contact with the Area.
From the cabinet he spun a bottle of Sake, Soy Sauce, and Mirine. With elegant hands he poured a quarter cup of Soy Sauce, then three table spoons of Sake and the Same for the Mirin.
Pulling a Jar from the Garden through his Cabinet, he used a Honey Dipper, perfectly measuring half a tablespoon of it to help with browning from the sugar.
The subtle scrapping of metal against glass shrieked, Noir whisked the marinade together. Shaving ginger into thin strips, making sure it was large enough and processed well to give it the tang along with preventing burn during sear.
A few quick cuts later, he sectioned the bluefins tail into sections. Leaving four distinct triangular Tuna Sirloins.
With a linen cover, Noir placed the Tuna Sirloin Marinade into the small refrigeration unit near by.
Allowing it to swell in the Flavor, Noir's deep pan of Water had begun to Boil. Plucking herbs, he prepared for a fused oil. Cinnamon Basil, Jade Chives, and Park Parsley.
Dumping them into the Boiling water, he blanched them. With Armament Coated hands, swirl pattern covering the Metal-Like skin with a yellow shine, dipped his digits into the boiling water!
The Haki protected him from the temperature, as he dunked them into a large pool of iced water. With another burst of Conduit, this time air, Noir dried them in but a moment. Placing them into the pestle and grinding them down with practiced circular motions.
Splashes of Extra Virgin later amidst the crushing, he strained the liquid after letting it sit into a bottle he plucked from the under of the counter, and poured the Strain in. Topping with a spout. "Extra Virgin Infused Holy Cinnamon Chive oil on my counter!" His eyes didn't even look up to make the announcement.
They all knew that Noir was the one to make the first Dish of the Night. They'd probably have three more bottles of that same infusion made and just as many gone through by the end of the night.
A diced and chopped onion later, he splashes regular Olive Oil into a pan to begin Caramelizing in a separate vessel. Stirring with a wooden spatula, squirting with water.
After they became sweetened, thickened and had a jammy touch, added in two table spoons of Soy Sauce and Honey with more mirin. Reducing it down for a minute and a half.
Letting it sit, he prepared a spicy paprika tuile. 4oz water, 3oz Veg Oil, 2 tbsp each of all purpose flour, almond meal, 1 tbsp each of Sweet and Hot Paprika. Sifted through fine mesh, before being whisked together.
With a non stick pan, he exquisitely produced the browned hardened paper thin tuile filled with holes.
Finally, with a Carbon Steel Skillet, he douses oil in it, pulls the perfectly marinated Tuna Sirloin from its confines and places it onto the pre-heated metal. He let the meat sizzle, aroma of tuna filling the air, crust forming along all three of the fish tail.
With the same pan, he replaced the tuna, tossed in blanched Asparagus an a clove of Garlic. Lightly searing them. Noirs hand shook the pan, wistfully rotating it over the open flame, letting it all lightly sear.
Ceramic clattered. The fun began.
He meticulously leaned forward. Shaping the Reduced Caramelized Onions into a disc. Sprinkled with sesame seeds. He cut the tuna into two, setting one flat against the disc. And then balancing the other vertically on top.
With a smear, Noir decorated the plate with herb oil for dipping. Noir did not flourish his dishes unless they benefited the experience and flavor of the food. He despised chefs who only made fancy food that taste like garbage.
To end it off, he surrounded the Tuna with Asparagus, set around the perimeter like logs, laid flat onto the plate with the tips of each resting on the back of the other. With the Tuile sat straight into the disc vertically.
He knew it was gonna be destroyed. He hoped it would. He wanted his eaters to enjoy the looks before using it all, to devour it all.
"Phew!" He smirked. "True Bluefin Saute, Order Up!" He looked to the side where one of the handlers was already coming for pick up. Noir giving the go ahead "Hands." Before passing it off.
Sweet, flavorful, and filled with blasts to the palette so good it was bound to make even the most Hardened of Sea Dogs Cry.
The Dinner rush was going, well enough. As well as any other Dinner Rush with a new Dish.
Behind Noir, using the other Prep Station, Diva Sat, knife in hand. Blurring through the air as he sliced into fish with precision. "What made you think of this dish, Pretty Boy?" Diva asked.
"Dead set on calling the head chef of this place 'Pretty Boy'?" The chef responded, speaking out of the Corner of his mouth.
"Indeed I am, I know Drag Queens aren't the usual queens you admire, but I see the way you look at some of them." knife edge scrapped against the cutting board. "And how they look at you."
Eyes rolled at the comment. Plenty of them were attractive. But wouldn't anyone be if they dolled themselves up with femininity.
"I thought of this Dish while swimming. Feta took me out to the Ocean Garden."
"Ocean Garden? Only Heard of Big, Little, Meat and Plantea. Just how many are there?" Diva inquired.
"Grand Line's a big place aint it? Read once, when I was a kid, that the Marble has Millions of Islands. It's said the New World has nearly double the islands of Paradise. Hard to believe." Countless places, named kingdoms and islands, all filled with limitless possibilities. The furthest logic that science could allow, and even further that the supernatural could plausibly imagine.
"You're bound to not know everything!" Except Kirk…Noir thought to himself.
"Still doesn't tell me my answer~" Diva chimed back.
Slicing deep into a Yellow Tail, Noir continued. "No clue. Feta said that theres a group of Chefs and Navigators that venture around the Blues. Most of them pre-designated, going and evaluating them and if so designating them as Gardens due to Biodiversity and sustainability"
"But he took me to the Ocean Garden. Its this…Massive stretch of water. Feta said it was somethin' like– Twelve Kilometers Deep, and 250 Kilometers wide. It was…Stunning." He said thinking back to it.
The Azure blue of the water. Peaked with vibrant white caps as the surface gently swayed. Hundreds fish below the surface. Schools of Demon Angel Fish. Large angel fish with large horns on the front and angler like teeth.
Whales that were more like snakes than anything else. Spots on their backs glowing with bioluminescence. Urchins the size of beach balls. Elephant Tuna the size of shoes, the size of buildings. Morray Eels clumped in Coral and Anemone that benefited from their Bioelectric.
Lobsters that were so large they held entire Reefs on their backs. Octopuses that shot Ink that was a hallucinogen. Squid that could stretch and grow their limbs as if they were Leroy. Jelly Fish that shot electricity and produced a substance that was close to genuine Jelly.
Noir thought that he had discovered the All Blue. His original childhood dream. A dream he still wished to accomplish one day but was more focused on discovering it all. That same dream he declared at the foot of Reverse mountains four years ago.
"Sounds amazing…" Diva was left in awe at the way Noir described it all. The eloquence and vibrancy of his words. She had even stopped cooking from the wrapped attention Noir could command.
Shaking his head suddenly. Diva returned to prep.
"Yep. Its where I got all of this from. Elephant Tuna, Saffron Yellow Tail, Greatwide Squid, Monkey Octopus, Emperor Salmon, Blanco White Fish, Tangle Weed Nori, Egg Clams, Popper Hopper Shrimp, Crimson Lobster Tail, and Nitro Rice. That all makes the Emperor Salmons Sea Voyage."
He finished the touches on the prep. Ready to put it all together.
"My Fish Course for my Training Full Course Menu…"
The squid was skinned and left to thin white, almost flat wash in color. Served on a plate with Dried Nori seasoned with large crystal sea salt taken from the ocean garden. The Great wide squid was a massive cephalopod that was dark brown and striped black with white spots. It was wide, incredibly so. It acted as a filtered feeder of sorts. Like a short bristled broom across the sea floor. The Nori grew thin and long like ribbons of deep emerald that was known to tangle fish, serving as a way to spread their growth through predator and scavenger sea life.
Monkey Octopus, given its name by the way it seemed to have 'monkey paws' in the form that each of its eight limbs ended with another set of five smaller limbs that worked similar to hands. Known to be ingenious and smart, able to twist door knobs and open jars, its 'Monkey Paws' were sliced and fried in batter for Takoyaki, with pickled ginger, Green onion, and a squirt of sweet mayo.
Plated with wooden skewers in a set of four, on a flat wooden board sprinkled with chives.
Tekka Maki, was a classic simple Sushi Roll, typically used with tuna as the filling. But Noir's Emperor Salmon used the Saffron Yellowtail as a center. The Saffron Yellowtail was known to have a slight bitterness and honey flavor mixed with rich butteryness typical of Yellowtail, Blending the salt of the Nori with the Earthy bitter and butter of the Yellowtail.
Served on a a thin ceramic platter. Each one cut to a inch and a half in depth.
Within a wooden bowl, stacked like bills of currency, easy to be plucked from, was Dried Salted Nori.
Egg Clams were fascinating creatures. When they entered a mating cycle, they waited for fertilization before closing their shell and filling the sealed material with yolk and white. Just like a Poultry Egg. Waiting for only a few short weeks before opening and releasing a cloud of Clams. This meant that the either during Mating, or when done once a month before being released as waste, the inside of the Clam could be cooked just like an egg.
Served on a plate of five, each clams mouth opened and the egg inside scrambled, Topped with Salt and Pepper with chopped clam sprinkled on top.
Elephant Tuna, Known for its long trunk meant for grasping and feeding, was served as sashimi and nigiri, on a bed of Rice. And wrapped in a band of Noir, plated with a circular dish and drizzled with soy sauce.
Blanco White Fish was known to be one of the most elusive fish, not from rarity, but the difficulty in being spotted when swimming. As their sheer white scales reflected the refracted light of the water around them. Only able to be caught when they slowed or when sleeping. Noir had this fish grilled, squeezed with lemon, seasoned with salt and pepper and herbs. Distinctive deep slashes across the meat.
Presented with lemon wedges on top, two fillets partially stacked atop each other. And dusted with the same seasoning on the fillet itself around the round plate.
Shrimp Poppers were a classic finger food. And Hopper Popper Shrimp were perfect for it. Each of these shrimps were only a inch long, and traveled in massive schools, literally hopping from spot to spot like a cloud of Grasshoppers. Popping out of the sand that settles and hides them from their landing. Served in a cocktail glass rimmed with hanging poppers, glass filled with sriracha.
Nitro Rice, known to supposedly hold '10x' the flavor of normal rice, was ludicrously hard to farm, immense water needed, but was grown in Salt Water. Absorbing the sodium to give it a rich flavor. A bowl of this was stacked high in black ceramic.
Emperor Salmon. The Center of the Dish Platter. Emperor Salmon was the largest Species of Salmon in the world. Capable of easily reaching the Size of King and Chinook Salmon. Averaging at 6 feet and 5 inches and weight 245lbs. Sashimi served from this fish was thick, deep bright vibrant orange with streaks of white. Noir had two variety of Emperor on the dish, one Sashimi Smoked with wood, and the other left raw. Both of which had one on a nigiri bed of rice, and the other left raw. Four, five inch lengths of Salmon on a beautiful rectangular ceramic platter, decorated with Nori, Pickled Ginger left in a line, with a line of fresh Wasabi squeezed on the other.
All of it filled the table. All expertly and specifically placed on the table from one flavor to the next. The Emperor Salmon Sat in the direct middle, plates surrounding it like seats and a throne.
Paired with Light and Fruity Sake, Earthy Rich Matcha, In house soysauce, with ginger and wasabi optional.
"Order Up! Emperor Salmon Sea Food Voyage ready for table!" Noir declared, wiping his brow with his hand. He was definitely going to need a smoke after all of this.