One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 113 Mint Cake

After returning from the main square, Moko went straight to the top floor. Four burly navy men stood outside the conference room door. They remained unfazed when they saw Moko come up, standing ramrod straight and guarding the conference room door tightly.

Moko glanced at it briefly before turning away and opening the door to the room next to the conference room. Besides the conference room and the marshal's office, the only other room on the top floor was a kitchen. This kitchen was usually only open for large, lengthy meetings at headquarters that required meals. Although its opening hours were limited, it was fully equipped. This time, there were quite a few snacks to make, and a wood-fired oven was needed. Without much thought, Moko went straight to the kitchen. Her office only had an oven, not a wood-fired oven, so she usually prepared the day's snacks at the villa and brought them to the office. The snacks she occasionally made in the office were always very simple.

Moko made no noise when she pushed the door open, but even so, all the chefs in the kitchen looked over. When they saw that it was Moko, their eyes lit up.

Since Moko took over the responsibility of preparing tea and snacks for the marshal and generals, every chef in the kitchen knew her. They trusted her culinary skills, and even those who didn't were convinced after tasting her desserts.

They are cooks, and apart from heroic marines like Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp who deserve their respect, they treat all other marines equally and do not show them any special treatment.

But Moko is different. Not only is she loved by the Marshal and the Generals, but she is also the granddaughter of their most respected Lieutenant General Garp. Furthermore, the food Moko makes is something they have never eaten before, and the power contained in her food is something only legendary chefs can possess. You know, becoming a legendary chef is every chef's dream, and Moko has already become a legendary chef at a young age. For this alone, Moko deserves the respect of all chefs.

Despite possessing such excellent culinary skills, Moko is not arrogant at all. She always patiently teaches chefs who humbly seek her guidance. She is extremely modest and never hesitates to share the various novel desserts she makes with every chef in the kitchen. How could such a kind, friendly, and beautiful girl not be likable? Even the usually serious head chef, Alec, smiles with affection when he sees Moko.

Alec is considered a veteran of the Marine Headquarters. He joined the Marines in the same batch as Sengoku and Garp, but when they were assigned to different departments, he went to the kitchen while Sengoku and Garp went to the combat department. It can be said that he watched Sengoku and Garp rise to the highest positions in the Marines. The three of them became close friends when they were trainee Marines, and their relationship is even closer now. Alec would never mistreat his good brother's granddaughter, especially since little Momoko is much more pleasing to the eye than that old man Garp.

(Garp: You old bastard, you still don't like me!)

Alec: If you're so capable, then don't sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night (?o?o), it made me think the kitchen had been burgled!

Garp: Tsk, what do you mean sneaking around? I did it openly and honestly. _(owo?ゝ)

Alec: (?Д ??)?=?Eat my frying pan. )

"Little Moko, you've arrived."

“Grandpa Alec.” Moko smiled sweetly at Alec.

Alec handed the pot to the chef next to him, walked a few steps to Moko, and saw the bamboo basket Moko was carrying. Alec asked softly.

"Is Xiao Moke going to use the kitchen?"

"Yes, I plan to use the oven here."

As soon as Moko finished speaking, without even needing to be told by Alec, a stove had already been prepared, and even the tools for making desserts were neatly arranged. Moko was already used to this, so she nodded her thanks to the chefs who were tidying up, and then placed the osmanthus she had picked on the worktable.

Alec raised an eyebrow as he looked at the incredibly diligent chefs. He had never seen these rascals so hardworking before, but Xiao Mo seemed to have been injected with adrenaline as soon as she arrived.

Upon seeing Alec's gaze, all the chefs turned away, avoiding eye contact with him. Even just looking at their backs, one could tell how guilty they were.

"Is Xiao Mo planning to make osmanthus cake?"

Alec was too lazy to talk, and his gaze fell back on Moko. He watched as Moko took out other ingredients for making desserts from the bamboo basket and asked in confusion. Moko tiptoed and pulled out a basket of bright green mint from the food cabinet, and shook her head at Alec.

"I'm not making osmanthus cake today; I want to try mint-filled cake instead."

"Mint-filled cake?"

Alec had never heard of it before, and assuming it was another new dessert that Moko had come up with, he stopped thinking about it.

"Do you need my help?"

As he spoke, Alec stretched his wrists. Having been a chef for so many years, Alec was no novice. He was skilled at both main courses and desserts.

"Grandpa Alec, please prepare the rest of the dishes first. Once they're done, you can try them and see how they taste."

The meeting was likely nearing its end, and it was time not to delay the main course because of the snacks. Moko had no intention of delaying the main course, and Alec naturally understood this as well. Since Moko had said so, Alec did not refuse and told the chefs to continue with their work.

Although the chefs returned to their posts, their eyes kept drifting towards Moko, wanting to see how she made that mint cake. Alec didn't say much about it. As long as the final dish was good, he didn't care what they did in between. But if the dish didn't taste right, don't blame him for hitting her on the head with a spatula.

Mo Ke pretended not to feel the intense gazes around her, brought over a basin of water, and poured a full basket of osmanthus flowers into it. The osmanthus flowers gently fell onto the water's surface, stirring up delicate and long ripples. Slowly, the elegant fragrance spread across the water, masking the messy smell of cooking oil in the kitchen.

Drain the cleaned osmanthus flowers and set them aside. Mix glutinous rice flour and wheat starch, and gradually pour in mint water while stirring until a smooth batter is formed. Perhaps because of the addition of mint water, the batter has a light green color. The fresh and natural aroma is invigorating, and the drowsiness caused by the hot weather is quickly eliminated.

"Chef Alec, the meeting is adjourned. They say we can serve the dishes now."

The chef standing at the door exchanged a few words with the navy outside, and then shouted to Alec, who was tossing the wok so fast it was almost blurry, that he could hear Alec. Alec heard that the food was ready and quickly tossed the wok a few times to separate the cooked food into plates.

"Everyone, stay alert. This is the face of the Navy Headquarters' cooks. Anyone who makes a mistake can go back to the newbie village."

"Yes!" The chefs' expressions turned particularly strange when the novice village was mentioned.

The "newbie village," as the name suggests, is where newly recruited trainee naval personnel stay. Trainee naval personnel are assigned to various departments upon recruitment, but regardless of the department, they must undergo one to two years of intensive training. They also need to take time to study in their assigned department. Unless they make outstanding contributions or are promoted to a higher rank by the naval authorities, they generally cannot become official naval personnel until they pass the exam at the end of the two years. Aesop is an example of a trainee naval personnel who was promoted.

Mo was personally appointed by the Marshal and worked directly under the Admiral. Even without a title, her status in the Navy was much higher than that of most other naval officers. After all, no one would be foolish enough to offend someone valued by both the Marshal and the Admiral.

As for why the chefs looked so strange when they heard about the beginner village, it was because life in the beginner village was not easy. To be more precise, it would be an exaggeration to describe it as arduous. Whether it was accommodation or food, the living conditions of the trainee naval personnel were not even half that of the regular naval personnel.

Whether it's headquarters or a branch, the accommodation and meals for trainee naval personnel are all established rules. If you want better living conditions, you have to work hard to climb the ranks. The navy never accepts useless personnel, and useless personnel are even less worth training.

Hearing what Alec said, and recalling the harsh conditions in the beginner village, all the chefs shuddered. One by one, they mustered their spirits and put in their best effort to prepare the dishes. Alec stood at the entrance where every dish would pass by, staring intently at each dish that was pushed past him. No flaw could escape Alec's eyes.

While the chefs were busy and efficient, Moko was quite relaxed. She stood in front of the steamer, watching the flames burning in the oven, occasionally adding a piece or two of wood to ensure the right temperature. Actually, it would be easier to put it in the oven, as the temperature could be adjusted directly. However, when it came to food, Moko would not compromise on quality for the sake of convenience.

Whether the food tastes good and whether it can bring a smile to the face of the eater are all things that Moko values. If the food she makes cannot make the eater feel happy, then she is a complete failure as a chef.

For baking pastries, you can use fruitwood. Pastries baked with fruitwood will have a light fruity aroma and a richer and more varied flavor. Using it to steam and bake mint-filled cakes can perfectly neutralize the overly pungent taste of mint.

(Fruitwood: A tree that grows all over the world. Its trunk is brownish-gray. Because it does not bear fruit and takes a long time to burn, it is often used as firewood. Mocha is often used to bake various pastries.)

Once the main course is served, the mint cake in the steamer will be almost ready. At this point, you can reduce the heat, and Moke won't need to keep an eye on it all the time. Moke can also leave to do other things.

Although the mint-filled cakes were not yet ready, the chefs could already smell the aroma of mint wafting through the air. Mixed with the sweet scent of fruit and wood, the pungent mint flavor became mild and refreshing, quietly soothing the chefs' restlessness and making them even more eager for the moment the mint-filled cakes would be ready.