Into The city

As Eleo strolled down the long bridge, he whistled a completely out-of-tune melody, occasionally stopping to peek over the edge. The water below was crystal clear, reflecting the sky like a giant mirror.

"Wow! This water's so clean I could drink it!" Eleo said, leaning over. He paused. "Wait... would I drown if I tried?"

He scratched his head, deeply pondering this important scientific question when—

"HALT!"

Eleo flinched as two guards stepped forward, blocking the entrance to the city. They wore polished uniforms, crisp and intimidating—exactly like the ones from that fancy boat that got wrecked earlier. Their dark blue coats had an eagle emblem stitched onto the back, its wings spread wide, giving off an air of authority. Above them, two watchtowers loomed, and Eleo could feel the sharp gaze of more guards peering down at him.

"Yo! Can I go into Lola Island?" Eleo asked, waving casually.

The first guard furrowed his brows. "The city is called Umapin. Lola Island is the name of the island itself."

"Ohhh," Eleo nodded sagely. "Wait, but the map only said Lola Island—"

"Yeah, we know," the second guard sighed. "Tourists keep getting confused, but nobody listens when we try to fix it."

"That's dumb," Eleo said bluntly.

"Right?! That's what I said!" the second guard blurted before the first guard elbowed him.

"AHEM. Anyway, state your business," the first guard said, crossing his arms.

Eleo grinned. "I'm here to eat food, punch people, and become the strongest!"

The second guard blinked. "So... just chaos, then?"

"Not just chaos," Eleo corrected. "There's also food."

The guards exchanged glances. The first one sighed, already exhausted. "Do you have a passport?"

Eleo froze. "...A what now?"

The guards stared at him.

"You don't have a passport?" the second guard asked.

"I don't even know what that is," Eleo admitted, scratching his head. "Is it a fruit?"

The first guard facepalmed. "No, it's—ugh, listen, you can't just walk in. Umapin is a high-security city! Only authorized people can enter!"

"But I walked all this way!" Eleo groaned dramatically. "You mean I gotta turn around? That's so far! My legs are already sore!"

"You were literally skipping a second ago," the second guard pointed out.

Eleo gasped. "YOU WERE WATCHING ME?!"

"Y-you're literally right in front of us—"

"Spying on a poor traveler like that, huh?" Eleo shook his head, wiping an imaginary tear. "Shameful. Truly, the corruption of the law is a tragic thing."

The first guard's eye twitched. "Alright, I'm done with this conversation. You're not getting in."

"But what if I fight my way in?" Eleo grinned.

"You'd get arrested instantly," the guard deadpanned.

"...What if I sneak in?"

"You just said that out loud in front of two guards."

"Damn, true," Eleo muttered.

The second guard sighed. "Look, if you really need to enter, you'll have to get permission from the Umapin Embassy."

"Ohhh, gotcha! Where's that?" Eleo asked.

The first guard pointed. "On the other side of the island."

Eleo's jaw dropped. "BRO. THAT'S EVEN FARTHER THAN TURNING AROUND!"

"Not my problem."

Eleo groaned, dramatically collapsing onto the ground. "This is so much work just to get some food."

The second guard sighed, rubbing his temples. "Just... just go. I'm already tired of dealing with you."

"Wait, for real?" Eleo perked up.

"YES, JUST GO BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!"

"AWESOME!" Eleo fist-pumped and ran past them.

The first guard turned to the second, frowning. "Are we gonna get fired for that?"

The second guard sighed. "At this point? I don't even care."

As Eleo ran into the city, he grinned. "Alright! Time to find food!"

He immediately crashed into a fruit stand, toppling it over.

"MY CABBAGES!" the vendor screamed.

Eleo dusted himself off, rubbing the back of his head as the furious vendor picked up his scattered cabbages.

"Ah, my bad, old man!" Eleo said, waving apologetically. "Didn't see your stand there!"

The vendor scowled, clutching a bruised cabbage. "How do you not see a whole cart, boy?!"

"Uhhh... I was too excited about food?" Eleo grinned sheepishly.

The vendor sighed, shaking his head. "Just go before you destroy something else."

Eleo gave him a thumbs-up. "Will do!"

As he walked further into the city, his eyes widened in awe. Umapin was huge. The towering white buildings were adorned with intricate carvings, giving them a grand yet ancient feel. Large banners with the same eagle emblem as the guards' uniforms hung from balconies and windows, swaying in the breeze.

The streets were bustling with life—merchants shouting about fresh produce, blacksmiths hammering away at glowing metal, and groups of musicians playing lively tunes on street corners. The delicious scent of roasted meat, fresh bread, and exotic spices filled the air, making Eleo's stomach growl loudly.

"OOOH!" Eleo gasped, spinning in circles as he took everything in. "This place is fancy as hell! Look at all this stuff!"

A luxurious horse-drawn carriage rolled past him, its wheels gleaming like polished gold. Inside, a noblewoman in an extravagant dress glanced at Eleo through her fan, then quickly turned away in disgust.

Eleo scratched his head. "...I think she just called me poor with her eyes."

Nearby, a massive fountain stood in the middle of a plaza, its water sparkling under the sunlight. People gathered around it, tossing coins in and making wishes. Kids ran through the streets, laughing as they weaved between stalls and dodged annoyed merchants.

Eleo grinned. "Alright! First things first—FOOD!"

His eyes darted from stall to stall, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options. One stand had skewers of grilled meat dripping with savory juices, another had golden, flaky pastries filled with cream, and further down, a shop boasted massive bowls of steaming noodles.

Eleo practically drooled. "I want ALL OF IT."

Then, he froze.

Wait.

His pockets felt suspiciously light.

He patted himself down, panic creeping onto his face. "No way... NO WAY... I'M BROKE?!"

A long, dramatic silence followed.

Then, Eleo dramatically collapsed onto the ground. "THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!"

People around him stared. A mother quickly pulled her child away.

Eleo sat up, deep in thought. "Okay, think, Eleo. No money means no food. No food means no strength. No strength means no becoming the strongest!"

He clenched his fists. "Alright! I gotta find a job!"

A man standing by a nearby food stall overheard and smirked. "Hey, kid! You want a job?"

Eleo perked up. "YES! DO I GET FREE FOOD?"

The man laughed. "You get a meal after work."

Eleo grinned. "Deal! What's the job?"

The man clapped him on the back. "Congrats, kid. You're now a waiter at The Golden Spoon!"

Eleo blinked. "Wait... I gotta serve people?"

"Yep! Now put on this apron and get to work!"

Eleo said, "Well, okay!" as he tied the apron around his waist, completely oblivious to what his actual job was supposed to be.

He stepped into The Golden Spoon, and instantly, the chaotic energy of the place hit him like a flying frying pan. The restaurant was PACKED. People were eating, laughing, singing, and even dancing on the tables. Some guy was juggling plates, a group in the corner was arm-wrestling while eating soup, and at least two fights had broken out over who got the last piece of bread.

Eleo tried squeezing through the crowd. "Excuse me—pardon me—whoa, nice flip—oof, sorry about your drink—hey, was that a knife?!"

Finally, he pushed through the madness and into the kitchen. Unlike the dining area, the kitchen was a finely tuned warzone of chefs chopping, stirring, and shouting. Pots clanked, flames roared, and the air smelled amazing.

In the middle of it all was a bald, thick-mustached man who was yelling orders at lightning speed. "WHERE'S MY SOUP?! WHERE'S MY MEAT?! WHERE'S MY—"

Eleo, not paying attention, spotted a huge pile of fresh, bright-orange carrots. His stomach grumbled.

"Man, I'm hungry." Without hesitation, he grabbed a carrot and chomped down. It was crunchy and delicious. So he took another bite. Then another. And another. Until—

"WE NEED CARROTS FOR THE STEW!" a waiter burst into the kitchen.

Several chefs rushed to the carrot pile, only to freeze in horror.

Half the carrots were GONE. And the other half? Bitten. Chewed. Abused.

They slowly turned to see Eleo, mouth stuffed like a hamster, chewing innocently.

He blinked. "Hello."

The entire kitchen exploded.

"YOU IDIOT!"

"WHY WOULD YOU EAT THE INGREDIENTS?!"

"SPIT THEM OUT! SPIT THEM OUT NOW!"

Eleo, still chewing, mumbled, "I don't fink you want 'em back now."

Then, the bald man—JJ, the legendary head chef—stormed over, veins popping on his forehead. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

A terrified chef pointed. "Sir JJ, this moron ate the CARROTS!"

JJ's mustache twitched. He stomped over to Eleo, grabbed him by the apron, and lifted him off the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Eleo dangled in the air, still munching. "I was hungry."

JJ's eyes nearly burst out of his skull. "IS THAT SO?!"

Eleo nodded. "Yup." Then, realizing something, he beamed. "Ohhh, are you gonna cook me something?!"

The entire kitchen fell silent.

JJ's mustache quivered. His hands shook.

Then he threw Eleo through the kitchen doors.

Eleo crashed directly into a waiter carrying a tray of food, sending soup, steak, and an entire roasted chicken flying into the air—

—Which Eleo instinctively caught in his mouth like a wild animal.

The restaurant gasped.

Eleo, still chewing, gave a thumbs up. "Mmm. That's good food."

JJ's voice BOOMED.

"GET THIS IDIOT OUT OF MY KITCHEN!!!"

Eleo, still rubbing his head from being thrown, quickly jumped up. "Wait, wait, wait! Just give me another chance! I can, uh... I can cook! Yeah, I was the BEST cook in Coco Island!"

Inside Eleo's mind: Hahaha! No, I wasn't!

JJ narrowed his eyes. "...Fine. But if you mess up again, I'm launching you straight into the ocean."

Eleo beamed. "Ohhh, I always wanted to be launched into the oce—"

"SHUT UP AND GET BACK IN THE KITCHEN!"

Eleo cheered and sprinted back inside, ready to prove himself.

JJ sighed, rubbing his temples. "Alright, listen carefully. Do exactly as I say. You are going to make a simple stew. Got it?"

Eleo saluted. "AYE AYE, CHEF MAN!"

The kitchen roared back into action, with chefs moving like a well-oiled machine. Eleo stood in front of a large boiling pot, stroking his chin.

"Hmmmm... what should I add?"

He glanced down and—

GASP!

A dead rat lay on the floor.

Eleo's eyes SPARKLED.

"Perfect!"

He scooped up the rat and shoved it into the pot. Then, without measuring anything, he started hurling ingredients in.

"Let's see... needs salt!" He poured half a barrel of salt.

"Vinegar!" He dumped in the whole bottle.

"Water!" He poured dirty dishwater in by accident.

"Pepper!" He emptied the entire container.

"SPICES!" He grabbed random jars and flung them into the pot—glass and all.

After a few seconds, the pot looked like a bubbling, black cauldron of doom.

Eleo nodded proudly. "Alright, this pot is READY!"

A chef passed by, took one look, and immediately FAINTED.

JJ turned around. "Alright, let's see how you—" He froze. His face turned pale.

"...WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY SPATULA IS THAT?!"

Eleo grinned. "Stew! Try it!" He grabbed a spoon and forced it into JJ's mouth before he could react.

JJ chewed. He paused. His whole body trembled. His mustache curled up like burnt paper. His soul LEFT his body.

Then—

JJ exploded into a FURIOUS RAMPAGE.

"THAT WASN'T FOOD—THAT WAS POISON!"

"Well, I am a creative chef," Eleo said, proud.

"YOU PUT A RAT IN IT!"

"Yeah, for flavor!"

JJ ripped off his chef's hat and threw it on the ground. "OKAY, NO MORE COOKING! YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING EASY!"

JJ handed Eleo a knife. "Just cut these tomatoes. That's it."

Eleo nodded. "Got it!"

He grabbed a tomato—

And sliced the cutting board in half.

JJ's eye twitched. "...Okay. Maybe that was too hard."

"Just clean these plates," JJ said. "Don't break them."

Eleo nodded. "Got it!"

One second later—

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

JJ turned to see Eleo spinning plates like a circus act, except they were all shattering.

JJ fell to his knees. "I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND..."

JJ handed Eleo a notepad. "Just write down what the customers want. That's ALL you have to do."

Eleo confidently walked up to a table.

The customer said, "I'd like a steak, medium rare, with—"

Eleo nodded and walked away before they finished.

He proudly handed JJ the notepad.

JJ read it.

It said:

"Guy wants food."

JJ SNAPPED.

"THAT'S IT! I'M DONE!" JJ grabbed Eleo by the collar and dragged him to the back alley.

"Since you're USELESS, you can at least take out the garbage."

Eleo crossed his arms. "Pfft, fine. I can handle that."

He picked up a garbage bag—

And threw it through a restaurant window.

JJ screamed.

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!!!"

He grabbed Eleo back inside, opened the back door—

And KICKED HIM so hard he flew into a pile of trash.

The entire kitchen staff poked their heads out.

JJ took a deep breath and bellowed:

"NEVER COME BACK!!!"

Eleo groaned, sitting up in the trash pile.

"...Man. That was the best job I ever had."