A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

Since a pure hand-to-hand combat was no longer effective, the two began to use their respective Devil Fruit abilities simultaneously.

"Goo la la la la!"

Newgate threw a punch, but the air in front of his fist shattered like glass.

Click!

That's the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

An invisible shockwave traversed space and directly impacted the area where Lox was located.

The space beneath Lox's feet began to distort violently, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

Faced with this terrifying power capable of shattering an island, Rocks merely snorted coldly.

He spread his five fingers and made a loose fist towards the front.

"Dark Domain".

A pitch-black sphere, seemingly capable of swallowing all light, rapidly formed before him and completely enveloped him.

The moment Newgate's shockwave touched that dark area, it was swallowed up and dissolved silently, like a mud ox sinking into the sea, without causing a ripple.

Rocks's power is a more domineering and unreasonable force related to gravity and space.

He can create an absolute void, annihilating all attacks.

Shock and annihilation—two diametrically opposed supreme forces—began to stage the most magnificent duel in this sea.

Newgate shattered space with a single punch, and Rocks then swallowed it with darkness.

Rocks launched a high-density gravity ball, which Newgate detonated halfway with an even stronger shockwave.

They stirred up the ocean, sometimes creating tsunamis hundreds of meters high, and sometimes creating bottomless whirlpools.

Gatz was already parched from watching, and he muttered to himself, "Is...is this even human?"

Dorum clung to a mast, tears welling in his eyes: "My ship... my ship... after they're done fighting, who knows how many planks will be left..."

Silver's gaze was more focused than ever before. He was trying to capture the slightest flaw and essence in the fight between the two. For him, this was a rare and precious spectacle.

The battle continued into the third day.

The clash between Devil Fruits and Haki has reached a stalemate.

Both Rocks and Newgate were wounded and their breathing became heavy, but the fighting spirit in their eyes did not diminish at all; on the contrary, it burned even more fiercely.

They were like two tireless prehistoric beasts, turning fighting into an instinct.

Their minds were highly focused, transcending physical fatigue, and they entered a profound state.

Finally, on the third day at dusk, as the setting sun dyed the sea a golden-red, the two launched their final charge simultaneously.

Strands of dark gravity and domineering lightning were wrapped around Rocks' fist.

Newgate's fist was covered with a pure white, vibrating aura and an equally ferocious domineering presence.

Two fists, powerful enough to destroy everything, collided violently once again, and for the last time.

Boom!

This explosion was several times more terrifying than the attack three days ago.

A beam of light shot into the sky, tearing a huge hole in the clouds on the horizon.

The light dissipated.

On the sea, both Rocks and Newgate remained in their punching stances, locked in a stalemate.

The next second, the two of them simultaneously coughed up a mouthful of blood, and then, as if all their strength had been drained, they both fell backward onto the sea, panting heavily.

silence.

Deathly silence.

After a long time.

"Gu la la la la..."

“Wahahahaha!”

Two weak yet joyful and hearty laughs rang out simultaneously on the sea.

They stared at each other, their eyes revealing a sense of exhilarating satisfaction and a profound recognition of each other's abilities.

This fierce battle, which lasted for three days and three nights, finally ended in a draw.

The battle was over, but its aftershocks lingered on the sea for a long time.

The Rocks Pirates' ship was now in complete disarray.

One mast was broken, the sails were torn to shreds, and the deck was riddled with cracks from the impact. Dorum was holding a broken piece of keel and crying like a 300-pound child.

"My ship! The keel I personally forged! It's broken! It's actually broken!"

Gatz was so excited that his face turned red. He looked at the two figures on the distant sea that looked like demons and felt his blood boiling.

"Too...too strong! I've never been impressed by anyone in my life, but today I've truly seen something amazing!"

Silver leaned against the remaining half of the mast, his eyes closed, seemingly reliving the earth-shattering battle. His aura was even more concentrated and dangerous than before.

Rocks and Newgate, supporting each other, staggered back onto the ship.

They were all injured and exhausted, but their spirits were exceptionally high.

"You're pretty good, buddy."

Lox plopped down on the deck and punched Newgate in the chest.

"You too."

Newgate grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"It's been a long time since I've had such a satisfying game."

The two exchanged a smile, a gesture of mutual respect between heroes.

Just then, an indescribable, warm, and mellow fragrance, as if it had a life of its own, silently drifted out and precisely entered the nostrils of everyone.

The aroma was unlike any dish that Renn had ever made before.

It wasn't domineering or intense, but like a gentle hand, it soothed everyone's tense nerves caused by the fierce battle and calmed their wildly beating hearts.

Everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to that small kitchen.

Raine slowly walked out of the kitchen carrying a huge wooden tray. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes were unusually focused, as if he were holding not food, but some kind of sacred offering.

"First, replenish your fluids and energy."

Ryan placed the tray on a relatively intact table in the center of the deck.

On the tray were two enormous bowls made from sea monster skulls.

The bowl contained a milky white, still steaming soup.

The soup was a rich, jade-like color, with a few emerald green, unidentified herb leaves floating on the surface, and a few bright red goji berries dotting the surface, making it quite a beautiful sight.

"Sea King Bone Marrow Resuscitation Soup".

Ryan explained succinctly.

This was the result of three days of simmering over a low flame using the finest spine of a sea king he had previously hunted, along with more than a dozen precious and nourishing herbs he had obtained from Radiant Island.

Rocks and Newgate were already starving, and they couldn't resist the aroma that could awaken their souls.

The two of them each picked up a bowl, not caring that it was hot, and drank it down in big gulps.

The moment the soup touched their lips, their eyes widened instantly.

Chapter 27 I've made up my mind, I'm joining you.

It was an exquisite freshness that defied description.

The richness of bone marrow, the fragrance of herbs, and a hint of sweetness from the sea blend together perfectly, transforming into a warm current that slides down the throat into the stomach.

The next second, the heat transformed into the purest energy, like rain falling from the sky on a parched riverbed, quickly flowing through their limbs and bones.

The muscle soreness and internal organ concussion caused by three days of intense fighting were quickly repaired under the nourishment of this warm energy.

They could even feel their depleted strength recovering at an incredible speed.

"Glug glug glug... Delicious! So delicious!"

Newgate downed the entire bowl of soup in one gulp, let out a satisfying burp, and felt every cell in his body cheering.

"Hahaha! As expected of my head chef!"

Rocks also drank every last drop, feeling he could fight for another three days and three nights.

Gatz watched with drooling eyes, looking pitifully at Rein: "Head Chef, um... what about ours?"

Ryan ignored him and turned back to the kitchen.

A moment later, he came out pushing a small cart that Dorum had temporarily modified.

When the lid on the cart was lifted, an even wilder, more primal aroma of meat exploded out like a volcanic eruption!

It was a huge, charred, and fragrant bone-in steak, about half the size of a table.

The surface of the steak is an enticing dark brown, and the fat sizzles under the high temperature, exuding a deadly temptation.

"Volcanic rock grilled giant tomahawk steak".

With a large dinner knife, Ryan easily cut the steak into several pieces and gave them to Lox and Newgate.

Newgate took the steak, which was bigger than his face, grabbed it with his hand, opened his mouth wide, and took a big bite.

Click!

The crispy outer skin cracked open, revealing incredibly tender and bouncy meat inside.

The moment his teeth tore open, scalding hot, rich meat juices burst in his mouth. The purest meaty aroma, fueled by fire and volcanic rock, mixed with Renn's secret spices, overwhelmed his taste buds like a raging tsunami.

good to eat!

So delicious you can't even think!

Newgate felt as if he had returned to the most primitive era, transformed into a hungry beast, and was enjoying his spoils to the fullest.

This is the purest form of satisfaction and joy, stemming from the very instinct of life.

He swallowed a steak weighing several kilograms in just a few bites, feeling an explosive force generating within him, making him want to roar to the sky.

Just when everyone thought this was the main course, Ryan brought out a huge iron pot that was still bubbling and steaming.

The pot was filled with all sorts of seafood that I couldn't name, stewed until tender: huge crab legs, bouncy octopus, sweet and fresh clam meat, and scraps from the bluefin tuna from before.

All the ingredients are soaked in a golden, incredibly rich-looking broth.

"All corners of the world are united in one pot."

Ryan placed the pot in the center of the table and then gave everyone a large bowl.

"eat together."

This time, there is no distinction between primary and secondary.

Lox, Newgate, Gats, Silver, Dorum—everyone was gathered around the large pot, scooping out their favorite foods with spoons, forks, or even their bare hands.

Newgate picked up a piece of fish that had soaked up the broth and put it in his mouth. The complex, warm, and delicious flavors that intertwined with countless other flavors left him stunned.

He looked up and saw Lox and Gatz fighting over the biggest crab claw in the pot, the two arguing heatedly.

They saw the usually silent Silver carefully removing the fish bones from Dorum.

I saw Ryan quietly distributing soft, toasted bread to everyone.

Noisy and chaotic, yet there was an indescribable...warmth.

This is more than just a pot of food.

This is a taste of home.

Looking at the scene before him, at this group of people with different personalities who were sitting together sharing food, Newgate's longing for family was deeply touched.

He recalled his turbulent past and his original intention for going to sea.