Summary:
Luffy sits at the helm of the Going Merry while Usopp uses his goggles on top of the ship trying to see through the fog. A ship appears in front of them and he realizes it belongs to the Marines, which unsettles him. More begin to appear, and Nami suggests that the marines must also be unable to see through the fog, with Robin agreeing, saying that there’s probably nothing to worry about. Sanji then spots a child standing on one of the naval ships and the child is startled to see a pirate flag, causing him to pass out and fall overboard. Sanji starts to jump to save the child, but Robin insists that she should save him by using her Devil Fruit powers to reach the boy and bring him to safety. Surprised to see the aliens, the boy says that they are probably planning to attack the marines. Luffy denies the accusation and Sanji brings the boy soup. The boy accepts the observation after a while and happily enjoys it, then introduces himself as Taijo, one of the Marines’ test cooks.
Before falling off the ship, Taijo explains that he was recently carrying a pot full of soup when he tripped over a broom and spilled it. He apologized to the chef who told him to make another if he was really serious. Taijo agreed, but didn’t do very well, and Nami asks him if he has any experience. He answers her that it’s only been half a year since he joined as a probationary chef. Sanji says it’s long enough to learn something. Taijo disagrees, revealing that all the time he’s been washing dishes and peeling things, he’s never made a real meal. Then he adds that the soup was not prepared for an ordinary lunch, but for a special lunch consisting of all the sea captains. Sanji tells him to apologize again, but Taijo reveals that if he doesn’t make a new soup, he will be kicked off the ship. Luffy asks why he can’t just cook on land and Nami asks if this particular ship means anything. The boy smiles and asks if any of them have heard of All Blue, which Sanji wonders about as the boy explains to them what he knows about it.
After Nami says that he should return to his ship, Sanji offers to help him and then asks Luffy to help them return to the ship. Luffy holds out his hands as Nami asks Sanji for help and he explains that he just wants to see Gally on the naval ship. Clinging to Luffy, he shoots them towards the ship like a sling shot; but when he decides to join them, Sanji angrily demands an explanation. Luffy responds by asking Sanji how he planned to return to the ship without him. Taijo then shows Sanji where Gally is and Sanji notes how expensive everything looks. Suddenly, hearing a noise nearby, Taijo approaches the pantry to find Luffy calming down with various items, and when Sanji asks him what he’s doing, he lies and claims that he was exploring. Before he can leave, Sanji forces him to empty his pockets. Taijo then starts talking about when he was younger, when he had the same job as him. His chef told him that he would never learn anything by doing chores all the time, and this made Taijo realize that the chef didn’t teach him because he didn’t want to, but because he wanted him to learn by watching. Taijo remembers the chef preparing the curry and begins to remember the steps to make it.
Meanwhile, Luffy admires the mast of the huge ship, touching it until he hears two marines approaching. To avoid detection, he pulls himself up to the very top and hangs there until they pass.
Taijo slowly remembers everything the chef did when making the curry and slowly prepares some as Sanji tries it. Sanji criticizes and reminds him that cooking can’t be rushed, causing Taijo to remember the chef explaining the process to him in fine detail. He tries to use this to improve the curry, but Sanji notices another mistake and helps him with some advice.
Then Luffy is spotted by a Marine who is on alert.
With a little more help, Taijo prepares the curry to perfection and thanks Sanji when they notice Luffy, who he is chasing. He stretches his arms and prepares to leave when Sanji tells Taijo that he thinks Great All Blue is there as well, then holds on to Luffy allowing them to escape before the marines arrive. Taijo smiles as the marines approach to ask if he saw anyone suspicious. He claims not, and suggests that the fog may have played with their eyes.
Luffy and Sanji are back with the crew and Nami gets upset that Luffy was caught by the marines because it could have gotten them into trouble. Usopp angrily chews him out for damaging the Going Merry and reminds him to be more careful with it.