One Piece Devouring Fruit - Chapter 60

Amidst the vast expanse of yellow sand, all that could be seen was a sea of yellow, making one feel like they were sailing in an endless yellow ocean, evoking a sense of boundless vastness and insignificance.

And within this desert lay an oasis, like an island in the endless sea.

Bustling, chaotic, yet lively, it drew people in with its intriguing allure.

“Oh, that means there must be a lot of unique and delicious food here, right?” Sora’s excited exclamation interrupted Michion’s thoughts.

Hearing Sora’s words, Michion couldn’t help but give her a peculiar look.

When arriving at a new place, food lovers typically think about food first.

In an unfamiliar place, their first reaction would be to find out what special delicacies were available and to try them.

Seeing a new species, the first thought would be, “I haven’t eaten this before. How should it be cooked to taste best?”

Looking at Vice Admiral Akainu, Michion noticed his slight, awkward smile. He clearly felt helpless about Sora’s food-focused enthusiasm.

The buildings in the oasis were primarily yellowish-brown, with thick mud walls on each structure.

Even from a distance, the rough, uneven walls of the houses were visible, with small and few windows designed for practicality over aesthetics.

These small mud buildings might not look impressive, but they resulted from decades of experimentation by the people living in this desert oasis.

During the day, the houses provided cool shade, reducing the sun’s heat, while at night, they retained heat, keeping the interior relatively warm.

Though there were limits, this design was well-suited for desert living.

Despite their external mud walls, the materials used in construction included various additives, making the walls exceptionally sturdy and capable of withstanding typhoons and other extreme weather conditions.

Michion and his group walked through the bustling market, where the streets between buildings became wider but more crowded. The smells of unwashed bodies assaulted their noses, as fresh water was a precious resource in the desert.

Many people transported fresh water from other parts of the island, leading to a transport industry.

Street vendors and shops lined both sides of the street, all sheltered by simple canopies to block the scorching sun.

Despite being a desert, the nearby ocean provided moisture, leading to frequent rainfall and sustaining the oasis. Various fruits were grown within the oasis, though most trees were breadfruit trees.

This tree seemed familiar to Michion, reflecting the world’s unique characteristics. The breadfruit trees here produced significantly larger fruits than in his past life.

In his previous life, a single breadfruit tree could feed two people for a year. Here, one tree could feed about ten people for a year!

The sheer size of the fruits was remarkable.

Michion and his group naturally didn’t miss out on these unique items, buying some to try.

When cut open, the roasted fruits revealed a faint golden color and emitted a slight fruity fragrance. The texture was soft, like mashed potatoes, but fruity.

After trying the breadfruit, they found the other fruits quite ordinary.

Nearly every shop also sold fruits to passing travellers, earning extra income.

“Come and see! Freshly chilled fruit, sweet and juicy, perfect for quenching your thirst!”

“Desert honey ants, honey ant wine—don’t miss this special delicacy!”

“Freshly cooked spicy insect hotpot, a unique desert dish, cheap and delicious!”

Walking through the market, Michion and his group noticed a stall with two large black pots at the entrance, manned by a burly man stirring with a spatula. Skewers were periodically pulled from the oil.

“Spicy insect hotpot? Sounds interesting; I want to try it!” Sora rushed over first. With a resigned sigh, Michion signalled Vice Admiral Akainu to go ahead with the supplies while he watched over the group.

“Take care of them; I’ll be back shortly.” Akainu, having spent enough time with Michion, trusted him to keep things under control.

Sora eagerly paid for a large paper bag of food, sharing it with the group.

Inside were fried ants, desert snake meat, and oil-fried scorpions and centipedes, which looked rather intimidating.

But the group wasn’t deterred. They eagerly tried everything, undeterred by the appearance.

Compared to the Navy’s survival training, where they had to eat whatever they could find in the wild, this spicy insect hotpot was quite palatable.

Thinking back to the week-long survival training with no large animals and minimal supplies, this spicy dish was a treat in comparison.

Michion found the desert snake meat particularly tasty, and others in the group had their favourites, eating heartily.

This training was a way to enhance survival skills, as anything could happen at sea.

After trying the various insects and munching more snake meat, Michion’s curiosity turned to another unique offering.

Among the various shouts in the market, the call for honey ants and honey ant wine had caught his attention.

Michion was curious about honey ants, and his foodie instincts from his previous life told him this was worth a try!

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