A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

"Hahaha! Excellent! What a wonderful mobile food city! No wonder you've chosen the head chef! I grant your wish!"

He walked up to Renn, placed his huge hand on Renn's head, and stared intently at him.

"You just focus on pursuing your culinary art. As for the stage, ingredients, and any enemies who dare to stand in your way, leave them all to me!"

"This ghost ship is just the beginning. One day I will build you a real city of gastronomy, let it sail on this sea, and let the whole world come to admire your culinary skills!"

One is an ambitious man striving to conquer the world, the other a dreamer seeking the ultimate goal of culinary art.

Two seemingly unconnected souls are now bound together by their respective ambitions.

Chapter 20 The Island of Glory

By evening, the Ghost had completed its resupply—primarily by moving all the unique, edible plants and minerals from Whispering Shadow Isle.

As for the two CP prisoners, they were knocked unconscious by Lockes and thrown onto a life raft found on the Ghost, left to fend for themselves at sea.

As Dorum excitedly started the engine, the black ship of kings glided silently out of the harbor, disappearing into the vast night like a true ghost.

Life on the ship became quite pleasant.

In the spacious dining room, Ryan was preparing dinner.

With a brand-new kitchen and a wider variety of ingredients, he was finally able to unleash his full potential.

He simmered a pot of incredibly delicious soup using a type of naturally salty moss from the island and several kinds of mushrooms.

They also used a giant lizard with meat similar to free-range chickens to make roasted meat with a crispy skin and tender meat.

When the food was served, Gatz's eyes practically popped into the soup bowl.

"Wow! This smell! Head Chef, I feel like my soul is being stolen by this aroma!"

"Eat."

"This ship consumes a lot of energy, and you all need to replenish your strength," Rein said calmly.

A sumptuous dinner left everyone thoroughly satisfied.

With better ingredients and culinary skills, the effects of food become even more pronounced.

Everyone felt their bodies becoming stronger and more resilient in a subtle way.

After dinner, Rocks gathered everyone together.

He spread a huge nautical chart on the table. It was the latest version of the World Government's internal nautical chart, which he had found on the Ghost Ship. It was a hundred times more accurate than the ones circulating in the market.

"Our next goal."

Rocks traced his finger across the nautical chart, finally placing a heavy tap on a place called Radiant Island, located in the first half of the Grand Line.

"According to the information from those two good-for-nothings, the Celestial Dragon Saint Garuma's vacation villa is located here. He comes here every year to escape the summer heat and enjoy the delicacies and toys he has collected from all over the world."

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Locke's lips.

"Didn't he want the Soul Echo Fruit as a toy? Then let's go tell him that we've already eaten his toy."

Gatz slammed his hand on the table excitedly: "Yay! Let's go beat up the Celestial Dragons! I've been wanting to get my hands on those guys who look like light bulbs for ages!"

Dorum said with some concern, "Captain, those are Celestial Dragons. The World Government will definitely send a large force to protect them, and there might even be a Marine Admiral among them..."

"so what?"

Rocks interrupted him, his arrogant and domineering aura flashing by in an instant.

"Perfect, let the World Government and those high and mighty Celestial Dragons remember our names."

He looked at Raine: "Head Chef, are you ready? Let's go and see what good things are hidden in the kitchens of the so-called world's elite."

Ryan was wiping his kitchen knife when he heard this and paused.

He raised his head, his eyes calm and undisturbed.

“I’m not interested in their kitchen.”

After a pause, Raine added, "I just wanted to see if meat roasted with Celestial Dragons as firewood would taste better."

As soon as these words came out, the whole place fell into silence.

Then, Rocks burst into laughter louder than ever before.

……

The Ghost sailed through the unpredictable waters of the Grand Line for nearly half a month.

The ship's performance far exceeded Dorum's expectations; it was not only incredibly fast but also had a robust hull, making it capable of easily handling all kinds of extreme weather.

Dorum practically lived and ate in the captain's cabin and engine room, taking care of every part of the ship like a lover, constantly muttering "my darling," which gave Gatz goosebumps.

Life on the ship became much more colorful because of Ryan's presence.

The daily meals became the most anticipated feast for the crew.

Ryan made full use of the ship's advanced equipment and the ingredients he replenished along the way to showcase his culinary skills.

From the bursting octopus balls made from giant deep-sea squid to the crystal jelly made from the fins of flying fish, and the smoked ham made from wild boar from the island, each dish refreshes the crew's understanding of delicious food.

Under the combined effects of the Food of Righteousness and the Fruit of Soul Echo, their strength increased at a visible rate.

Gatz is now able to lift the giant anchor with one hand and unleash a punch with a shockwave.

Silver's marksmanship became increasingly unpredictable; he could even lock onto the left eye of a seagull hundreds of meters away simply by smell, without firing a shot.

Dorum's defenses became even more astonishing. He tried to smash his body against the reef, and the reef shattered without breaking a single skin.

The Rocks Pirates, this nascent sea monster, are accumulating power in the most ruthless way, waiting for the moment to make a name for themselves.

Finally, guided by the nautical chart, a dazzling island appeared on the horizon.

That is the Island of Glory.

The entire island appears to be made of gold and jewels, with extremely luxurious architecture that reflects a dazzling light under the sun.

The harbor was filled with all sorts of magnificent ships, and the air was thick with a nauseatingly sweet smell that was a mixture of money and perfume.

"Pah! This place is so bright it hurts my eyes."

Gatz stood at the bow of the ship, looking disgusted.

"It doesn't look like a good place."

"This is the capital of the Kingdom of Prospekt, a member state of the World Government, and a famous luxury goods trading center and resort."

Silver observed the port through his binoculars and calmly said, "The defenses are very tight. There is a navy stationed in the port, and the city is full of Kingdom knights and CP plainclothes officers."

"How do we get in? Should we just fight our way in?"

Gatz is already itching to get started.

"Don't worry."

Lox waved his hand, a playful smile on his face.

"We should deal with such hypocritical places in a more civilized way."

They docked the Ghost at a secluded cliff, changed into civilian clothes seized from CP agents, boarded a small boat and mingled with ordinary merchant ships, and quietly landed on the island.

The moment you set foot on the land of Radiant Island, an air of extravagance washes over you.

The streets are paved with white marble, and the shops on both sides display a variety of precious jewelry, fashion and art.

The pedestrians on the street were all wealthy and noble, dressed smartly, with arrogant expressions on their faces.

"I really want to smash this place to pieces with an anchor."

Gatz muttered to himself.

They went into what looked like the most luxurious restaurant, intending to gather some information first.

The restaurant's interior was resplendent with gold and silver, crystal chandeliers hanging from the high dome, and tableware made of pure silver. The waiters were dressed in impeccably tailored tuxedos and were very polite.

However, when the menu was served, the expressions on the faces of Lox and his companions became somewhat strange.

"Golden baked snails, 800,000 Berries?"

"Diamonds adorning caviar, 1.5 million Berries?"

"Seven-Colored Crystal Soup, three million Berries?"

Gatz stared at the menu, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets: "This is highway robbery! Is this soup made of gold? It's so expensive!"

Locke didn't care about the price at all; he just casually ordered a few of the most expensive dishes.

Chapter 21 Something even worse than pig feed

Soon, the dishes were served.

Its appearance was truly astonishing.

The golden baked snails were indeed covered with a layer of edible gold leaf, which shimmered under the light.

The caviar is garnished with a few tiny diamonds, smaller than grains of rice.

The bowl of seven-colored crystal soup was served in a crystal bowl, and the soup had a dreamlike seven-colored halo, which was very beautiful.

Gatz eagerly scooped a spoonful of soup into his mouth, and his expression instantly froze.

He chewed twice, then spat it all out with a "pfft".

"What the hell! This is just plain water with seven kinds of vegetable coloring! It has no taste at all!"

He forked another golden snail, stuffed it into his mouth, and then showed a pained expression: "The meat is tough and chewy, like chewing rubber bands! You can't taste anything but gold!"

Silver and Dorum each took a bite, and both frowned.

These dishes are only expensive and visually appealing; they are utterly worthless.

Ryan didn't touch the cutlery at all; he just glanced at it before giving his assessment.

"The ingredients were not fresh, the cooking was terrible, and the seasoning was a mess. The chef only pursued visual appeal and completely ignored the taste of the food itself. This is an insult to cuisine."

Just then, a commotion broke out in the restaurant.

A tall man, dressed in a pure white chef's uniform with gold trim and with his hair slicked back, walked in surrounded by a group of people.

He wore an extremely arrogant expression, with a chef's badge made of pure gold pinned to his chest.

"It's the Golden Chef, Lord Baccarat!"

"Good heavens, Lord Baccarat would actually come to such a humble restaurant!"

"I heard he was Saint Carlos's most trusted personal chef!"

The surrounding diners all stood up and bowed and scraped to the man named Bakala, fawning over him.

Ignoring the compliments, Bakara walked straight to the restaurant manager, flicked the dust off the table with his white-gloved fingers, and said arrogantly, "Saint Carlos is hosting a grand feast tomorrow and needs some kitchen helpers. Your restaurant should select a few quick and efficient cooks to report to the villa at the top of the mountain."

"Yes! Yes! This is our greatest honor!"

The restaurant manager was so excited that his face turned red and he almost bent over.

Bakara nodded in satisfaction and was about to leave when his gaze inadvertently fell on Lockes and his group's table.

He saw the few plates that had barely been touched, masterpieces made by his former student, and the undisguised look of disgust on Gatz's face.

Bakara's brow furrowed instantly.

"Do you have any complaints about my cooking?"

Bakara's voice was cold, tinged with a hint of offended anger.

On this island, no one has ever dared to question his culinary skills.

The air in the restaurant seemed to freeze instantly.

Everyone looked at Rocks and his group as if they were dead.

Just as Gatz was about to explode, Rocks smiled and raised his hand to stop him.

Locke stood up, a warm smile on his face, and said to Baccarat, "Master Chef, you've misunderstood. We're not dissatisfied with your cooking."

He paused, then his smile became playful.

"We just felt that this stuff, which is worse than pig feed, doesn't deserve to be called a dish."