The sun began to rise over Grand Jipang. At a new flat, Ash and Pikachu slept soundly with Ash under a blanket. Robin woke up and slid the door open. "I guess it's time for him to wake up," she wished. She huddled over the futon where Ash and Pikachu still slept. She saw something that gave her pause: Ash's face. Seeing an innocent face made Robin stop and stare. All she saw was a young man who had shown his grit in defeating Buggy and his clan be at peace. She smiled as she petted Ash's hair. 'I thought it was a one-off moment, but the more I see him… especially like this… I feel like I want to protect him like I would Vivi. Why am I falling in love with him? But… he's too young for me. He would be better with Orika. Maybe… it's something more personal.' She leaned down and gave Ash a kiss to his forehead. The fluctuating light made Pikachu wake up.

("Is it morning?") he squeaked. Robin smiled to Pikachu awakened.

"Good morning, Pikachu." she greeted. "All we need is him…" They saw Ash asleep, thinking it would be rude to wake him up. She gave Pikachu a kiss to the forehead, causing him to squeal.

Food! Ash Learns to Cook!

Ash would wake up before he joined Robin and Pikachu on a morning walk through Grand Jipang. "Were you trying to wake me up by kissing me?" he asked.

"No, I just admired your cuteness while you slept," Robin corrected. "Were you dreaming of something that you didn't want to wake up?"

"Nah, I was just thinking that I didn't get enough sleep."

"Well, a good night's rest can do that." They soon reached the Pinwheel as Blue-Nose Sensei spotted them.

"Ash, there you are!" the reindeer called out. He rushed to the adult and Summoner.

"Good morning, Blue-Nose Sensei," Robin greeted. "Did you have to make an emergency call?"

"Not exactly, but I finished treating the last of Buggy's victims from yesterday," Blue-Nose Sensei briefed. He noticed Ash looking at him quizzically. "Ash, is there something in my antlers?"

"No, just thinking curiously," he denied. "Are you and Ocarrot related?" Blue-Nose Sensei gawked to the question before laughing.

"Me and Ocarrot!?" he cackled. "Are you serious!?" Ash wasn't sure how to answer Blue-Nose Sensei's sudden fit of laughter.

"He's asking since you're both furry, can walk and talk," Robin clarified. Blue-Nose Sensei took a minute to ease of his laughter.

"I'm sorry," he snickered. "I'm sorry… It was just too darn funny." With a deep breath, Blue-Nose Sensei started to address the clarification. "I'm not a Mink like Ocarrot. I was given this by eating a strange fruit. Minks are born the way they are." Ash and Pikachu seemed to understand the difference."

"I see," Ash smiled. "I'm sorry, I just thought that you and Ocarrot-"

"No need to apologize," Blue-Nose Sensei smiled back. "I get that a lot. Besides, Ocarrot isn't the only Mink in Grand Jipang. If you ask her, I'm sure she can take you to see where they are in the royal city." Ash and Pikachu seemed intrigued.

"Let's pop in and see if she's around," Robin suggested. They entered the Pinwheel where Ocarrot was strapped down by Onami with some rope.

"Let me see him!" cried Ocarrot. "Don't do this to me!"

"You need to calm down, Ocarrot," Onami advised. Ocarrot whined to the denial as she saw Robin, Ash and Pikachu enter.

"What's going on?" asked Ash.

"DARLING!" cried Ocarrot. "A little help!" Onami pouted to Ocarrot's behavior.

"She was so anxious to see you learning to cook that she even beat Sanji here," Omao briefed. Ocarrot soon stopped and whimpered.

"Will you behave from now on?" asked Onami.

"Yes…" cried Ocarrot. They untied her and Ash helped the Mink onto her feet.

"There you go," he eased. Ocarrot sighed.

"Part of me wants youteia as a husband, even as a lesser Mink," she wished.

"Yeah, I actually wanted to ask about that. You and Blue-Nose Sensei are different, even though you have fur and can talk." The question made Ocarrot interested.

"Youteia are interested in Minks?" A giggle came from Ash. "Well, I'm not the only Mink in Grand Jipang. There are more Minks in a close by district. We do vary in types."

"I see, but you didn't eat anything strange that gave you all of this, right?"

"Heck, no! We're born this way!" Relieved, Ash sighed.

"Are you ready, Ash?" asked Sanji as he appeared. Ash turned and nodded to Sanji. They returned to the kitchen where Ash and Pikachu saw different kitchen utensils.

"This is more than I carry when Pikachu and I traveled to here," Ash awed as he picked up a large knife.

"You'll have to thank Franky for all of it," Sanji pointed out. "It helps with properly making the food here."

("Especially with rice,") Pikachu squeaked. Sanji picked up some of the meat that Ash used in his onigiri.

"I noticed that the meat you have is dried," he studied. "Any reason?" Ash chose to brief Sanji on the occasion.

"I learned that drying the meat from my hunts to stay alive preserves the meat so that I can have it at a later time," he replied.

"Oh, that's actually smart," Onami praised.

"I second that," Sanji agreed. "However, let's get you started on some of the basics in making Tempura." As he reached a table, he noticed that the wood that was used to help cook his food. "Dammit, I forgot to heat the wood!" The women gawked to the oversight.

"Let me get the flint," Omao sighed.

"That won't be necessary," Ash halted. That's when he pulled out a red scroll.

"Ash, that won't be needed," Blue-Nose Sensei wished.

"It's all good," Ash promised as he undid the scroll. "Attacking the flank of his flame becomes the inescapable inferno! COME FORTH, QUILAVA!" A flash from the scroll illuminated. When it stopped, a dark bluish mole-like creature emerged with the other half being of cream color. There were numerous red spots on the creature's back. "Use Flamethrower!" The mole-like creature blew flames into the wood that started the fire.

"Thanks a bunch, Ash!" awed Sanji. "And… Quilava… Thank you, too." Quilava smiled before smelling food.

("Sanji is helping Ash learn to cook,") Pikachu explained. Quilava awed the idea and decided to watch.

"Now, let's get some oil boiling," Sanji prepared. As they started to learn to cook, Ocarrot saw new customers enter.

"Welcome to the Pinwheel-" she welcomed but stopped. She screamed and alerted everyone. Sanji maintained his composure.

"Omao, go and see what Ocarrot's freaking out about," he voiced. Omao nodded before she and Pikachu left to look. At the entrance was a green-haired young woman wearing a yellow robe with a similar sash like Onami. There were also pink fish-like fins instead of feet and that a large bubble ring around her. There was also a large orange man-like octopus with silver hair that looked like spikes. He wore a yellow robe with white trousers underneath and a brown sash around.

"Omao-Chin!" the green-haired greeted. Hearing the green-haired, Onami emerged to see the pair.

"Camie!" she cheered. "And Hachi's with you!" Hachi shyly itched the back of his head.

"Onami, you're looking at marvelous as ever," he flirted. Onami had a blush with a giggle.

"Hachi, stop…" she irked.

("Another Fishman?") gawked Pikachu. Hearing the mouse, Camie looked to see him.

"I have never seen a mouse like that!" she pointed out. Looking down, the others eyed Pikachu before he jumped into Onami's arms.

"No one in Grand Jipang has until earlier this week," she briefed. "I mean, you've heard the news, right?" Camie blinked, confused.

"News?" she repeated.

"Oh, I know what news you're talking about," Hachi remembered. "The news about the Summoner arriving in Grand Jipang and what he did with Lord Nelson's castle." Camie started to recall details.

"Summoner?" she repeated. "Is that one of his summons?"

("No longer a summon,") Pikachu corrected.

"Pikachu belongs to the Summoner," Omao introduced. Camie floated to Onami and Pikachu.

"It's so cute that I want to hold it!" she cooed. Onami nodded to let Pikachu jump into Camie's arms.

"I bet you've never been held by a mermaid, right?" she pointed out.

("Never had!") confirmed Pikachu. He leaped into Camie's arms who held him. She cooed wildly to holding Pikachu.

"We heard so much about the Summoner that the Ryugu Kingdom wants to meet him to request having him as a bodyguard," Hachi briefed.

"I see…" awed Ocarrot. "I can bet the princess is among the kingdom who want to see Ash."

"The Summoner has a name?" awed Camie. Ash heard his name and came out, holding a wok with breaded shrimp.

"Someone called for me?" he asked. Those turned to see Ash coming out. The two gawked to seeing the famed Summoner.

"Who's that!?" asked Camie. "Is he… the famed human?" Ash seemed humored by the sight.

"I've heard of Merfolk, but it's the first time I've seen one," he pointed out. "But I've seen fishmen when I first arrived."

"They are apparent in here," Blue-Nose Sensei clarified.

"I see," Ash confirmed. Camie floated to Ash.

"You're the Summoner!?" she gawked. "But… you're a child!" Quilava also appeared to see the new people. Hachi gasped in shock to seeing Quilava.

"It is him!" he realized. Freaked out, Camie's eyes bulged out of her head and her lips stretched across as well.

"THE SUMMONER IS A BOY!?" she screeched before fainting; her bubble still intact.

"Camie, are you okay!?" worried Sanji as he came to and lifted her up. "Do you want a kiss!? Maybe a hug to know you're okay!? I can give one-"

"She's fine, Sanji," Onami dismissed. Sanji didn't listen and tried to comfort Camie in any way possible.

"So, what's the Summoner doing in Grand Jipang?" asked Hachi.

"My sensei's orders," Ash briefed.

"Oh, something going on that your master needs you here?"

"Pretty much… Today, I'm learning to cook different foods like Tempura and Udon."

"I see… Maybe we can add Takoyaki into the mix." The food made Ash and Pikachu blink as Camie soon recovered.

"Oh yeah!" realized Ocarrot. "Hachi is one of the finest Takoyaki makers in Grand Jipang." Ash and Pikachu gawked to the title.

"Wow!" gasped Ash. "If he's that good, I want to taste to know how good they are!"

"Yeah, I made some to try." Opening the box Hachi brought, there was a stack of golden-brown balls with white drizzle. Ash picked one up and ate it. His eyes and smile lit up.

"Oh, this is good!"

"Luckily, I can teach it to you."

"I'm always willing to learn."

"Then, let's go…" They headed to the kitchen where Ash and Hachi prepared flour, eggs, stock and some raw seafood. While they prepared the Takoyaki, Orika and the other kids came around.

"Is everything okay, Onami?" she asked.

"Oh, hey, kids!" greeted Onami. "We're fine. Why ask?"

"We heard that you guys were attacked by the Crime Lord, Buggy," Aisa briefed.

"We were attacked by him as well," Pepper addressed.

"He did attack us, but Ash is making sure he remembers," Omao joked. The kids gulped to the description.

"Why do I have a bad feeling it was painful?" wondered Onion. Back in the kitchen, a tray of brown balls were cooked.

"Now, turn the balls slightly with the sticks," Hachi instructed. Ash used the sticks to turn each of the balls. "Good… You're doing great…" After a minute, Ash turned all of the balls. "You'll need to do that a few more times to even out the process."

"Okay!" accepted Ash. He rotated the balls again as Luffy arrived.

"Something smells good…" he believed. Onami looked to Luffy with a scowl, recalling the tab.

"Wow, you're a quick study!" applauded Hachi as Ash seemed to be holding the stack of golden-brown balls. Luffy reached the kitchen to see the two.

"Hachi!" he cheered. "Are you teaching Ash about takoyaki?"

"I am, Boss," Hachi confirmed.

"That's awesome!" awed Luffy. Ash dressed the takoyaki with soy sauce. He presented it to everyone.

"Takoyaki!" awed Carrot. "And you made it, Ash?"

"Well, with Hachi's help," Ash mentioned. Everyone took a takoyaki and ate it. They smiled to the taste.

"That was a pretty good first attempt," Ocarrot praised.

"It is," Sanji agreed. "Maybe some other time, we can improve on it." Ash agreed with nods. After the giveaway, Ocarrot faced Ash.

"Tomorrow, I can take youteia and Pikachu to see the other Minks," she offered. Ash accepted with a nod. "Great! I can't wait to see their reactions!" Ash and Pikachu would find seeing Minks as a new experience.

TO BE CONTINUED...