12,012

After crafting wood for a while, Li Yue had amassed 528 wooden planks when she noticed that the one delivering logs to her had changed from the young ox to the polar bear.

Li Yue asked, “Where’s Kaido?”

“By the beach,” the polar bear replied.

Was there wood by the beach?

Li Yue was just mindlessly tapping to craft wood, her hands aching from the constant clicking, so she decided to take a break and, following the polar bear’s directions, wandered over to the beach.

To her surprise, Kaido was plucking feathers from birds!

A variety of small, naked birds with bald wings were scattered across the sand, all angrily squawking at the young ox. The ox seemed oblivious, using its hoof to grab a seagull that was flapping around its head—wait, how did the ox manage to catch a seagull with its hoof?

Then it plucked the seagull’s feathers and stuffed it haphazardly into its jacket pocket.

What on earth had these birds done to provoke it?

As Li Yue approached, the birds continued to squawk at Kaido. Kaido showed no mercy, instead expressing disdain: “So noisy.”

The birds, big and small, cried out even more mournfully.

“Tonight’s dinner is roast bird,” Kaido said mercilessly.

The featherless free-range chickens on the ground immediately fell silent. They weren’t afraid of humans, but they all scurried behind Li Yue.

Kaido glanced over at Li Yue.

Li Yue thought perhaps it was because those bully seagulls had stolen the young ox’s fries… or some other trivial matter, hence the ox’s anger.

But since the birds had already been “educated,” and seeing the number of birds turned into plucked chickens, Li Yue thought that if there were an animal protection society in this world, they would probably have sent Kaido a lawyer’s letter by now.

Quickly, Li Yue said, “Kaido, don’t be angry with the birds. I actually have something to ask you…”

Though, in truth, she had no particular business—just trying to divert Kaido’s attention.

Kaido was still holding a seagull wing when it stopped its action upon hearing her. The seagull pecked fiercely at Kaido’s hoof, but the ox’s thick skin seemed impervious to pain.

Li Yue had a sudden idea and asked, “Do you know how to catch fish?”

“I’m more in the mood for fish today. And Newgate seems to like fish, too…”

“Fish?” Kaido had a question mark appear on its forehead. “That guy doesn’t seem like he likes fish…”

But it was a bear, and bears were supposed to like fish, weren’t they? Li Yue recalled the polar bear’s refusal to eat her cooking, citing that it wasn’t to its taste.

So as long as she prepared dishes matching the bear’s palate, Newgate should be willing to eat them.

Thinking of the gifts the polar bear had given her, Li Yue became even more determined to return the favor: she absolutely had to let the polar bear taste her cooking!

Li Yue looked at Kaido and asked after some thought, “Do you want to eat roasted birds today?”

Should she prepare two meals? Did buffaloes really eat meat?

The birds hiding behind Li Yue, hearing such wolfish words from her as well, suddenly suspected her intentions and scattered even further away.

“No. I don’t care what we eat tonight…” As long as it’s not your dark cuisine.

Kaido said, “Let that guy cook dinner.”

“No way!” Li Yue refused. “We’ve already bothered the polar bear once, and this time I want to surprise him, so I have to cook myself!”

Kaido: “...So it’s for him, huh.”

Well, that’s better, as long as it’s not for me.

Li Yue misunderstood Kaido’s meaning and smiled at it. “I won’t play favorites; you’ll have your share, too!”

Kaido, just relieved, froze with a stiff expression.

…

Though Kaido was reluctant, it did not completely refuse when Li Yue pulled it along to teach her how to fish.

See, it really is a newbie guide-type NPC—just ask if you don’t know something!

But Li Yue didn’t expect the fishing part in this game to be so…

Not exactly simple, but certainly unexpected.

Li Yue had imagined the fishing process as making a fishing rod, finding bait, and waiting by the seaside for fish to bite.

In reality:

Kaido held a spiked club. Li Yue thought it intended to beat fish in the water, but when fish shadows gathered—

【Kaido used the skill [Conqueror’s Haki]!】

【You’ve witnessed [Conqueror’s Haki] for the first time; related information has been updated.】

【Conqueror’s Haki is not yet unlocked. Requires [Armament Haki] level 4 and [Observation Haki] level 4 to unlock!】

Li Yue: ???

What? This is a tutorial stage here too?

How did she trigger a new skill again?

Li Yue switched her expression to a blank stare, and Kaido seemed a bit smug at her surprise.

“Just a few fish,” Kaido said, tossing several large fish onto the sand.

So Kaido was showing off this “Conqueror’s Haki” skill—a special AOE fishing move?

Li Yue pondered. This move needed Armament and Observation Haki levels and she wondered if it was only usable for fishing.

If so, this “Conqueror’s Haki” seemed a bit pointless.

Li Yue considered her current skill levels: Armament Haki was level 2, Observation Haki still level 1.

Though she didn’t understand why carpentry increased her Armament Haki proficiency, she didn’t mind. She crafted a plank every two seconds, each granting +1 proficiency.

Accumulating over 500 experience points barely pushed her Armament Haki up one level.

This showed how long the leveling process for these skills was. Even aiming for level 4 would take time.

But she wasn’t very fond of fish anyway.

Seeing no chance to unlock Conqueror’s Haki anytime soon, Li Yue relaxed: after all, this was for the polar bear’s cooking!

As a slow-paced farming player, she no longer chased after everything immediately.

She figured the skill would unlock automatically once she reached the required level and soon forgot about the fishing skill.

Li Yue set up a pot on the beach.

Kaido’s faint pride vanished completely. Seeing Li Yue set up the pot seemed to disgust it, its face turning a bluish-purple.

Li Yue threw a whole fish into the pot.

The fish thrashed and jumped inside.

Suddenly recalling she should add water, and before the pot heated up, Li Yue lifted the pot with the fish and scooped in a basin of seawater, accidentally bringing some sand in as well.

Watching from the side, Kaido’s expression turned ashen. It felt it couldn’t bear to watch anymore and only pitied Newgate.

But there was a hint of schadenfreude too.

Thinking this food might be for it as well, Kaido felt no sympathy and grew melancholic, desperately pondering how to refuse.

Meanwhile, Newgate, who was resting at the camp due to Li Yue’s absence, suddenly sneezed four times in a row. He touched his chin, puzzled.

It couldn’t be Rocks thinking about him, could it?

Why did he have such an ominous feeling?

Regardless of others’ feelings, in the end, Li Yue’s luxurious cooking was ready.

【Congratulations! You have obtained an SR-grade dish: [Appetizer-Repelling Seafood Dish].】

【Description: You’ve found a new way to waste ingredients. Even the world’s geniuses combined would struggle to make such a hellish dish.】

Why did this lousy game seem to be mocking the player’s cooking skills again?

【Effect: Increases attack power by 5 points.】

But it didn’t matter—as long as there was a bonus effect, it was a perfect dish!

And it boosted attack power—who wouldn’t appreciate such a straightforward, powerful effect?

Li Yue made 21 servings, mainly because fish ingredients were running low.

Twenty-one dishes should be enough for the polar bear, right?

If not, she thought she could gather some mountain delicacies and make a “three fresh vegetables” dish…

Humming a tune, Li Yue found the polar bear and proudly handed over the dishes.

Meanwhile, Newgate, resting at camp, felt an increasing sense of foreboding.

Until he saw Li Yue preparing a new dish and eagerly offering it to him.

“This is made especially for you! Last time you said the food didn’t suit your taste, so I asked the young ox to help catch fish… You should like fish, right?”

Newgate glanced at the thick soup containing a live fish—head, tail, and scales all intact—twitching inside.

His expression twitched as well.

Newgate was about to refuse again: “I…”

Then he met the young girl’s sincere and admiring eyes.

“Thank you for doing so much for me and for bringing me a gift! I want to give you something in return, but all I can cook now is food. I want to repay you!”

Newgate: “I…”

“Do you still think it’s not to your taste? What kind of food do you like? I’ll work hard to make it!” Li Yue’s eyes sparkled with cautious hope.

Newgate: “…”

Strangely, he felt a pang in his heart.

But if he really ate this dish, he felt the pain might be more than just in his heart.

For the first time in his life, Newgate experienced such a dilemma, torn between options.

A cold sweat trickled down his temple.

After hesitating, Newgate made up his mind. He closed his eyes and dipped a finger into the soup.

“…Hmm?”

Surprisingly, there was no harsh taste.

It wasn’t delicious, but it wasn’t terrible either.

In fact, the entire dish had almost no flavor, like plain boiled water.

Newgate took the dish with some puzzlement, while Li Yue’s face lit up with relief and joy.

Newgate closed his eyes and drank the entire dish in one gulp.

—He felt nothing at all.

It didn’t feel like he had eaten anything; even the barely alive fish slid down his throat like water.

This dish literally melted upon entering.

No sensation of “eating,” yet a warm current settled in his abdomen.

Newgate was amazed to find that perhaps after eating this dish, that strange lingering warmth—though faint—was real.

He looked at Li Yue in disbelief: “Do you have more dishes like this?”

Li Yue exclaimed with delight, “So you do like fish!”

“…No, it’s not really because of that.”

Li Yue had prepared all the fish dishes but didn’t forget to give some to Kaido.

“I made 21 servings! That should be enough for you!”

Newgate closed his eyes and ate another serving, smacking his lips and deep in thought.

Seeing Newgate, who had resisted before, smoothly finish two servings, Kaido clenched its teeth and ate one too.

Because the polar bear’s favorability wasn’t high enough, Li Yue could only see Kaido’s status info:

【Kaido ate a mysterious dish, attack power +5!】

After eating, Kaido smacked its lips and looked at Li Yue in surprise: this time the dish wasn’t so bad!

It no longer expected anything regarding “color, aroma, and taste.” For Kaido, having food that boosted its abilities without a bad flavor was progress!

Kaido took another serving.

【Kaido ate a mysterious dish, attack power +5!】

The polar bear, looking hungry as well, ate three to five servings in a row.

Li Yue watched the little creatures go from disdain and constant criticism of her cooking to now wolfing down her dishes (?), praising them (?)—she felt indescribably touched.

The animals were finally willing to try her cooking!

A small step forward in culinary skills was a giant leap for the world!

Li Yue felt the animals’ silent approval and was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

She almost forgot this was a farming game and briefly considered changing her goal to become a master chef.

…Wait, actually, learning to cook and farming infrastructure development on the island didn’t conflict at all.

Li Yue silently updated her game objectives:

She would make the island a world-famous five-star destination!

She would also make her cuisine famous overseas, becoming the world’s number one master chef!