Morning! Rise and shine!
Embrace the sun!
Let your body be filled with radiant light!
Overflow with positive energy…
On the Going Merry, the day began quietly, until the sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence.
At dawn, Chopper and Koby went door to door, knocking on every cabin, spreading Luffy's newest order: everyone was to gather in the ship's main hall.
Within minutes, the sleepy-eyed crew had assembled, some still stifling yawns as they slumped into their seats.
Sanji's exclusive chef's sofa, something Luffy had designed the night before during the feast, was already waiting, perfectly set in place.
But…
Just as everyone had settled down, Koby came running back from the crew's quarters, out of breath and flustered.
"Luffy, sir! I knocked for a long time, but… but no one answered!"
Luffy gave Koby a puzzled look, then glanced around the hall, noticing one empty seat. He murmured softly:
"Usopp's not in his room?"
"If it's not too urgent…"
Sanji's voice cut in as he checked the clock on the wall. Seeing that Usopp's absence might delay things, and not wanting to waste the morning, he suggested politely:
"How about I prepare breakfast for everyone first? We can talk while eating."
But Luffy just smiled and shook his head.
"No need. You're the main star today, just wait a bit longer."
As he spoke, Luffy opened the ship's system interface, switching into God's-eye view to survey the Going Merry. Then he turned to Koby and said casually:
"Go to the training room. Usopp's there."
"The training room…?"
Koby blinked, then realization hit him. "Ah!" He dashed out immediately, sprinting toward the training chamber.
Luffy chuckled softly, watching through his system's bird's-eye view as Usopp strained under heavy training weights. He shook his head and gestured for the others to relax and wait.
Zoro grinned, the first to take his seat in the vice-captain's chair.
"Yohohoho~"
Brook followed with a laugh, settling beside him.
Robin and Nami exchanged knowing smiles, taking their usual spots on Luffy's left and right.
Only Sanji remained standing, eyes full of confusion.
After a moment, seeing everyone seated, he sighed lightly and sat down as well.
========
A few minutes later, Koby returned, dragging a sweat-drenched Usopp by the arm.
"Huff…!"
Usopp yanked his arm free the moment they entered, leaning against a sofa while gasping for air.
"Huff… huff…"
Seeing him like that, Zoro smirked.
"Ha ha ha! What's this, Usopp, your morning exercise?"
"Oh?"
Usopp suddenly lifted his head, eyes burning with spirit.
"This isn't morning training! This is continuing my all-night regimen from last night!"
"L-last night!?"
Koby's eyes widened. "Usopp, you mean… you trained all night long?"
"Phew…"
Catching his breath, Usopp finally straightened and answered coolly:
"Not that long, really. Our feast ended late anyway, so… maybe not even ten hours total."
He said it casually, but his raised chin, smug smile, and gleaming teeth screamed:
Impressed yet? Go ahead, praise me!
"…Oh, I see."
Koby replied with a surprisingly calm nod, completely unfazed.
After all, for him and Zoro, a twelve-hour training day was a rest day.
"Hahahahaha!"
Laughter erupted across the room.
Usopp's prideful grin froze awkwardly as the others burst into an uproar of teasing.
But beneath the laughter, who knew how many had quietly decided to add a few extra hours to their own training?
When the mirth finally faded, Luffy stood up and moved to the center of the crescent-shaped sofa circle.
"Yesterday," he began with a grin, "Sanji's miraculous cooking made our banquet a bit too wild, didn't it?"
The crew exchanged embarrassed smiles.
That dinner had turned into an actual battle, a glorious, chaotic war of appetite. Remembering it now made more than one person blush.
Still, if given the chance to redo it, none of them would have chosen differently.
After all…
Glowing dishes, food that radiated light, could only be made by a chef whose culinary skill had reached the pinnacle of mastery.
And after that meal, every member of the Starry Sky Pirates had felt a small but noticeable increase in their stats.
========
Luffy clapped his hands lightly, dispelling the awkward air with a laugh.
"Anyway," he continued, "yesterday I got a little too excited… and I forgot a very important step!"
"Oh!"
Everyone smiled knowingly.
Then Luffy turned toward Sanji, his tone soft but serious.
"Sanji, come here."
"Huh?"
Sanji blinked in confusion. Not understanding what was happening, he hesitated until Usopp yelled from behind him:
"Don't just stand there, Sanji! Do what Luffy says! Your chance is here!"
Still uncertain, Sanji obeyed, taking slow, deliberate steps toward Luffy until they were only a foot apart.
"Sanji," Luffy said gently, "every new member of the Starry Sky Pirates receives a special gift from me.
Today, it's your turn. Use this power well."
As he finished, Luffy stepped forward and pressed his joined index and middle fingers against Sanji's forehead, right beneath his blond fringe.
Gulu… gulu…
A strange liquid sound echoed, as though something was stirring in thick syrup.
A surge of mysterious energy burst from the system, sweeping through every cell in Sanji's body.
Instantly, those cells began to mutate, radiating a dangerous, unstable aura.
Thump… thump… thump…
Sanji's heartbeat accelerated wildly.
Pain struck a moment later, sharp, deep, and all-consuming.
"AAAH!!!"
Sanji screamed, but it did nothing to dull the agony.
It hurts!
It hurts so much!
Every fiber of his being was on fire, every cell alive with torment.
His entire world became nothing but pain… and an overwhelming hunger.
"Food… food… FOOD!!!"
His eyes flared crimson, veins bursting across the whites as madness took hold.
The sudden transformation shocked everyone in the room, including Luffy.
"Koby! Check the kitchen, see if there's any leftovers!"
Zoro was the first to recover, shouting orders.
But Koby quickly shook his head.
"No use, sensei! We didn't leave a single scrap last night!"
"Then grab whatever can be eaten raw, fruits, veggies, fish, anything! Hurry!"
Zoro roared again, his instincts razor-sharp.
He knew from experience: when a crewmate first awakened one of Luffy's bestowed powers, they often lost consciousness, or acted on pure primal instinct.
If Sanji was crying for food, then feeding him was the only logical solution.
========
Koby bolted from the room, moving so fast it was nearly Soru-level speed.
But Sanji's condition worsened by the second.
His black suit crumpled and tore as his body tensed unnaturally.
He clutched his head with both hands, trembling violently, drooling as he groaned:
"Food… food… I need… to eat…"
His pupils were empty, his mind blank.
Thump… thump… THUMP!
Each beat of his heart sounded like an explosion about to burst.
A massive, golden silhouette began to form around him, terrifying, luminous, pulsing with power.
Luffy could tell, this wasn't an illusion.
That golden aura flickered like a giant's transformation, its afterimages blurring faster than even Luffy's eyes could track.
With every pounding heartbeat, the golden energy surged higher, brighter, madder.
And just as Sanji was about to lose all reason,
A brilliant, seven-colored light shimmered in Luffy's hand.
A rainbow-hued fruit materialized out of thin air.
========
Note: Gourmet Cells: From Toriko, a concept granting limitless strength through eating powerful foods. When fused into Sanji's body, they manifest his hunger as both power and madness.