Saitama and Gustave caught various seafood from the ocean, including abalone, lobster, sea cucumber, and a normal-sized tuna over a meter long. With their impressive haul, the two returned to Saitama's apartment.
However, after arriving back at Saitama's place and examining the sparse seasonings in his kitchen, Gustave sighed and asked:
"Saitama, where's the nearest supermarket? I need to buy some supplies."
When it came to supermarkets, Saitama was an absolute expert. He knew the locations of every supermarket within a fifty-kilometer radius of where he lived. After all, he needed to constantly track discount trends at all surrounding stores.
So, under Saitama's guidance, Gustave followed him to a supermarket five kilometers away. This particular store was celebrating its anniversary today with a promotion offering fifteen percent off all products.
After purchasing the necessary seasonings—including onions, ginger, garlic, and various spices—Gustave and Saitama headed home together.
Gustave surveyed the day's catch and outlined the evening menu: braised abalone, scallion-fried sea cucumber, garlic lobster, and pristine tuna sashimi.
Tuna sashimi was the simplest. As long as the fish was fresh, even minimal technique resulted in pure flavor. Gustave laid the meter-long tuna on the counter and slid his palms along its body. A faint static crackled between his fingertips and the fish, tenderizing and loosening the fibers ever so slightly. The electricity did not cook it, instead making the flesh smoother and easier to cut.
He expertly skinned and deboned it, removing any portion that wasn't perfectly suited for sashimi. After trimming, only about two pounds of translucent ruby-red meat met his standards.
He shaped the blade of his kitchen knife with a thin layer of blue lightning. It turned razor-sharp, clean enough to glint without heat. The tuna sliced effortlessly into half-centimeter pieces, each one falling gently like a soft pink petal. He fanned them across a chilled plate, added a touch of wasabi, and the air itself seemed to brighten from the freshness.
The first dish was done.
The real challenge lay in the garlic lobster. The flavor depended on a powerful garlic sauce, but peeling garlic was tedious. Naturally, Gustave assigned that part to Saitama while he tackled the lobster.
He separated the head, tail, and claws, tapping the shells with a knife. A spark of electricity followed the blade's path, cracking each shell just enough to expose the juicy meat inside. The lobster flesh glistened like fresh jade.
He placed soaked glass noodles on two large plates, arranging the lobster pieces on top. The noodles absorbed dripping juices, promising flavor even before cooking.
But when he turned around, Saitama was still peeling garlic at a snail's pace.
With a sigh, Gustave shifted to the abalone.
He removed each abalone from its shell, cleaned it thoroughly, and scored neat cross-hatch patterns. Every slice was guided by soft arcs of electricity, which ensured the knife glided smoothly without tearing the meat. There were many abalones, and though the steps were simple, the workload piled up quickly.
Just as he finished the last piece, Saitama perked up.
"Gustave! All the garlic's peeled!"
He arrived with a bowl full of glistening cloves.
"Good. Now mince them," Gustave said, glancing over the bowl and nodding at how cleanly Saitama had peeled everything.
With a cheerful hum, Saitama tossed the garlic into a food processor. A few seconds later, a fresh bowl of minced garlic was ready.
Gustave accepted the minced garlic and began the sauce.
He ignited the wok with a touch of his lightning. The oil heated instantly, forming tiny ripples that shimmered gold under the electric glow. He added the minced garlic and chopped chili. They sizzled loudly, releasing waves of heat and aroma.
As he stir-fried, tiny sparks danced through the wok, keeping the temperature perfectly even. He seasoned it with soy sauce and oyster sauce, letting the fragrance bloom. The moment the garlic turned caramel-gold, he lifted the wok off the heat.
He poured the aromatic garlic sauce over the lobster. The mixture seeped through the cracks in the shell, sinking into the meat.
He steamed the lobster until its shell turned a bright, celebratory red. After removing excess liquid, he heated another wok with a jolt of high-voltage heat. When the oil began shimmering fiercely, he poured it over the steamed lobster.
A loud whoosh filled the kitchen, and a burst of garlic-infused steam blossomed upward. The garlic lobster was complete.
Next came the braised abalone.
He blanched the scored abalone with scallions and ginger to remove any fishy odor. Then he drained them thoroughly.
He heated oil, added rock sugar, and with a careful flick of his finger, guided a tiny spark through the wok. The sugar melted swiftly, turning into a fragrant amber caramel.
When he added the abalone, each piece glistened as the sugar clung to the scored pattern. He added water, a splash of soy sauce, and a hint of oyster sauce. Because the ingredient quality was excellent, he seasoned lightly.
The abalone simmered in the pot, absorbing flavor while Gustave kept the temperature unwavering with faint electric pulses. Once tender, he thickened the sauce with a cornstarch slurry. It turned glossy and rich.
He plated them neatly, sprinkled chopped scallions, and the dish shone like polished bronze.
For the scallion-fried sea cucumber, the first step mirrored the abalone: blanching.
Next, he heated oil and fried scallion sections until their aroma infused the entire kitchen. He removed the scallions and stir-fried the sea cucumber in the fragrant oil. As he moved the wok, streaks of lightning arced across the metal, allowing him to maintain high heat without burning anything.
He added boiling water, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. The sea cucumber simmered, absorbing the savory broth. Once ready, he returned the fried scallions and added a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
For color, he added julienned red bell pepper, tossing everything together until it gleamed beautifully.
With four seafood dishes on the table, something crisp and refreshing was missing. Using lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots from Saitama's refrigerator, Gustave prepared a chilled vegetable salad. The colors—green, red, and orange—balanced the rich seafood spread perfectly.
When he finally stepped back, electricity still quietly humming through his fingertips, the table glowed with a feast that looked almost divine.
"Gustave, come sit down! Let's eat!"
Seeing Gustave bringing the vegetable salad to the table, Saitama wiped away his drool with an expression that practically screamed "finally!"
"Haha, did I make you wait too anxiously?"
"Not really, I can wait."
Saitama scratched his bald head with a patient expression.
"Then let's start eating quickly."
"Yeah!"
As soon as Gustave finished speaking, Saitama grabbed his chopsticks and began attacking the dishes.
"Haha!"
Gustave smiled and shook his head, then started eating as well.
Gustave first picked up a piece of tuna sashimi, dipped it lightly in wasabi, placed it in his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, and realized the flavor was somewhat one-dimensional—it needed something more.
'Oh right, I should add soy sauce or spicy sauce!'
Realizing what was missing, Gustave stood up. Seeing Saitama eating enthusiastically with huge bites, he asked:
"Saitama, would you like some spicy sauce? It pairs excellently with tuna sashimi."
"Yes!"
"Coming right up!"
So Gustave retrieved two small dishes and poured some spicy sauce into each.
Returning to the table, he picked up another piece of tuna sashimi, dipped it in the spicy sauce, spread a touch of wasabi on it, and placed it in his mouth.
"Now that's the right flavor!"
Gustave nodded with satisfaction.
Gustave had prepared generous portions for this dinner. Although only two people were eating, everything was consumed completely without any leftovers remaining.
Over the next few days, no monsters appeared and life remained peaceful. Beyond cooking daily meals, Gustave also exercised alongside Saitama.
Honestly, Saitama's training regimen offered no benefits for Gustave's current level, so after completing the daily routine with Saitama, Gustave would conduct his own specialized training—at minimum, he needed to condition his newly regenerated flesh to match his body's other areas.