A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

"Hahaha! Disappeared? That just means there's something good hidden inside!"

Gatz's thinking was always so simple and direct. He excitedly slammed his hand on the table, making the golden cup on the table jump.

"Is there some legendary treasure hidden there?"

"Treasure?"

Lox chuckled, a near-fanatical glint in his eyes.

“There are many things more interesting than treasure. I heard some interesting rumors from those two CP agents. It is said that a certain king is sleeping in the center of this land of slumber.”

He didn't say what kind of king he was, but his unspoken ambition sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

To find a sleeping king and... take his place? Or to bring him to your side?

This idea is even crazier than provoking the Celestial Dragons.

"Perfect timing. Our reputation isn't strong enough yet. The Navy and the World Government's lackeys probably think we only pick on the weak."

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

"Let's go to this land of slumber and unearth a surprise that will shake the world, as the opening ceremony for the official debut of our Rocks Pirates!"

His words were highly persuasive, instantly igniting the adventurous spirit within the crew.

"Yoohoo! Let's go beat up that King!"

Gatz raised his fist, already imagining himself smashing a crowned guy flat with an anchor.

Silver didn't speak, but silently wiped his spear, the tip of which gleamed more sharply than ever before.

Although Dorum was still worried about the safety of the ship, he was also infected by the fervent atmosphere and began to quietly plan how to modify the ship to make it capable of dealing with the legendary forbidden seas.

"head chef."

Lox looked at the silent Renn.

Are you interested in slaying dragons and gods?

Raine was maintaining his kitchen knife with a silk cloth when he heard this. He looked up, and for the first time, a hint of anticipation appeared on his calm face.

"I'm only interested in unknown ingredients. If the king can eat them and they taste good, I don't mind designing a suitable menu for him."

"Hahaha! Excellent! You truly deserve to be my head chef!"

Lox laughed loudly, waving his hand with a voice as resonant as a bell.

"My men! Raise the sails! Set sail! Our next destination—the Land of the Sleeping Gods!"

And so, while navies and intelligence agencies around the world were frantically searching for their whereabouts, the Rocks Pirates turned their ship around and set sail again for an unknown sea that even the World Government dared not easily set foot in.

Sailing can be tedious, especially on the unpredictable seas of the Grand Line.

But for the members of the Rocks Pirates, the ten-day voyage was a painful yet joyful training.

Chapter 25 Whitebeard, Edward Newgate

With the support of top-quality ingredients, Raine's Food Magic effect is transforming their bodies at an alarming rate.

Every day, for three meals a day, Raine would use rare ingredients scavenged from Radiant Island to carefully cook dishes containing enormous energy.

My experience points and cooking skill points are steadily increasing, and it seems that it won't be long before I can advance to the next level of cooking skill.

Master level.

Renn has been looking forward to this level of culinary skill for a long time.

Gatz felt that he was stronger every time he woke up.

He can now wield the huge anchor with one hand with great skill, and even occasionally leave shallow footprints on the deck.

In his spare time, Gatz's favorite thing to do was to arm wrestle with Dorum, which resulted in the tables and chairs on the ship being replaced time and time again, and Dorum's repair tools being worn down to almost nothing.

Silver's changes were more subtle.

His senses became increasingly acute; sometimes, when a flying fish leaped out of the sea, he could even predict its precise landing point half a second in advance.

His marksmanship improved day by day. He was no longer bound by the moves, but pursued a state of perfect harmony between man and gun. Sometimes he would just stand there quietly, his whole being like a peerless weapon ready to strike.

Dorrum's body was getting stronger and stronger. Once, while securing the mast cable, he accidentally fell from a height of several meters, which resulted in a dent in the deck. He simply dusted himself off and stood up without even breaking a sweat.

This made him more confident in his reputation as an ironclad fortress, but also increasingly worried about the fragility of the ship's hull.

Ryan acted as both an observer and a controller, calmly observing the changes in each person and fine-tuning the daily menu according to their physical condition.

On the tenth day of the voyage, the weather was clear and the sea was calm.

Just as Gatz was lying on the deck, sunbathing and daydreaming about what to eat next, Silver on the lookout tower suddenly issued a warning.

"A person spotted directly ahead."

"one person?"

Gatz sat up with a jolt and picked up his binoculars.

"How could there be anyone in this godforsaken place? Was it a wrecked merchant ship?"

Everyone gathered at the bow of the ship and looked in the direction Silver had pointed.

On the distant sea, a black dot could be seen slowly approaching.

That wasn't a boat, it was a raft, and the person was just standing on the raft, drifting with the current.

As they got closer, they finally saw what the person looked like.

He was an exceptionally tall young man, his physique as imposing as a small mountain, his bronze skin covered with crisscrossing scars, each one seemingly telling the story of a fierce battle.

He was shirtless, wearing only a simple pair of trousers, his muscles bulging and bulging, exuding an explosive sense of power.

What is most striking is the two crescent-shaped white mustaches that curve upwards on his face.

The two mustaches contrasted sharply with his youthful face, and instead of looking comical, they added an indescribable air of majesty and dominance to him.

He had no weapon at hand, but stood there calmly, as if he were the center of the ocean.

Lox's pupils contracted sharply. He put down his wine glass, and the smile on his face slowly disappeared, replaced by an excitement and solemnity of having met his match.

He could sense that the aura emanating from that man was as deep and boundless as the ocean, both violent and restrained, in no way inferior to his own.

"Hey, boat ahead."

The man spoke, his voice deep and resonant, as if carrying the echoes of ocean waves.

"You guys look strong. Who's the captain? Come out and fight me."

His words were simple, direct, and full of unquestionable confidence.

The members of the Rocks Pirates were stunned.

This was the first time they had ever seen such an arrogant guy, who immediately challenged their captain to a duel.

"Hahaha! Who are you? You've got quite the nerve!"

Gatz, carrying the anchor, was about to step forward to argue.

"Step back, Gatz."

Rocks' voice rang out as he walked step by step to the bow of the ship, facing the white-bearded man from a distance.

Two equally domineering and unparalleled wills collided silently in the air, causing the atmosphere between them to distort and waves to rise on the calm sea.

Lox grinned, revealing a wild smile.

"Want to fight? Sure."

"My name is Lox D. Gibbek, and yours is..."

The man also grinned, revealing a set of white teeth; his smile was full of towering pride.

"Edward Newgate."

In the future, the man hailed as the world's strongest man encounters the Rocks Pirates in the most primal and pure way.

There was no unnecessary talk, and no probing.

The moment Edward Newgate announced his name, Rocks disappeared from the bow of the ship.

The deck beneath his feet shattered with a deafening roar, and he was like a black cannonball, tearing through the air and traversing hundreds of meters of sea surface, before punching Newgate in the chest.

This punch, imbued with the domineering and unparalleled power of Rocks, even carved a clear trench into the sea surface with its force.

Faced with this earth-shattering attack, Newgate neither dodged nor avoided it, but also took a step forward.

The sea beneath his feet seemed to have turned into solid ground, and his mountain-like body advanced instead of retreating, throwing a punch to meet the attack.

"Gurarararar! Good timing!"

boom!

The two fists collided violently in mid-air.

In that instant, heaven and earth fell silent.

Immediately afterwards, a visible white shockwave spread wildly outwards in a ring shape from the two people as the center.

The sea beneath their feet was forcibly pressed into a huge depression with a diameter of over 100 meters, and the surrounding seawater was pushed aside, forming a towering tsunami that swept in all directions.

The Rocks Pirates' ship rocked violently in the aftershocks of the terrifying storm, like a leaf in a tempest.

Dorum clung tightly to the helm, his face deathly pale, muttering repeatedly, "It's over! It's over! The ship's going to fall apart! My precious darling!"

Gatz and Silver clung tightly to the gunwale, their faces filled with shock.

For the first time, they directly experienced the devastating power contained within their captain's seemingly casual fist.

And that man named Newgate was able to take that punch head-on, and... it was evenly matched.

After the attack, both men retreated simultaneously.

Rocks landed on the sea, his feet resting on an invisible force field, his expression excited.

Newgate stood firmly in place, shaking his slightly numb fists, his fighting spirit growing even stronger.

"You are strong."

Newgate was genuinely impressed.

"You're not bad either."

Lox's smile grew even more arrogant: "However, the warm-up is over!"

Before the words were even finished, the two of them transformed into two blurry afterimages once again, engaging in the most primal and intense hand-to-hand combat on the vast sea.

Fists and feet clashed, each collision accompanied by the mournful cry of the air and the roar of the sea.

They didn't use any fancy techniques; it was just a clash of pure strength and dominance.

Strands of still somewhat immature black and red lightning kept bursting out between them.

A clash of Conqueror's Haki!

The clouds in the sky were churned up, and the sea boiled at their feet.

Chapter 26 A Battle Lasting Three Days and Three Nights

The first day was a contest of pure physical skills and domineering aura.

They fought from dawn till dusk, and from night till dawn.

The entire sea area became their battlefield. The fish in the sea had long been killed by the shock, and even the sea kings avoided this land of death from afar.

The Rocks Pirates crew went from initial shock to numbness, and finally only deep awe remained.

They watched from a distance, not daring to approach, for fear of being torn to shreds by the terrifying aftershocks of the battle.

Only Ryan stood by the kitchen window, calmly observing.

His Observation Haki had already been activated, but he wasn't focused on the outcome of the battle. Instead, he was concerned with the rate at which the two were consuming energy, the degree of muscle fatigue, and the rhythm of their every breath.

"High-intensity energy output leads to severe loss of body water and salt, and muscle fibers are constantly tearing and rebuilding..."

In his mind, Renn had already begun to devise a menu that would replenish their energy reserves to the greatest extent possible in preparation for the end of this battle.

The battle entered its second day.