A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

Gatz became his most loyal supporter, following him around every day, calling him Chef Ryan and acting as attentive as a servant.

Whenever Ryan needed help, such as chopping wood or carrying heavy objects, he was always the first to rush up and work harder than anyone else.

While Silver and Dorum weren't as exaggerated as Gatz, they showed more genuine respect for Rein.

The time I look forward to most every day is mealtime.

However, even the most skilled cook can't cook without rice. The ship's food reserves quickly dwindled.

Although Renn can turn the rotten into the miraculous, he cannot conjure things out of thin air.

For several days in a row, the only thing on the table was grilled fish simply seasoned with an endless bottle of seasoning.

"Chef Renn, the grilled fish today was also delicious... but..."

Gatz munched on the fish while looking pitifully at Renn.

"When will we be able to eat meat again? I miss your meat porridge."

"There are no ingredients."

Ryan's words were concise and to the point.

Lockes sat to the side, listening to the crew's complaints, then looked at Rein's calm face, and suddenly slapped his thigh and stood up.

"That's right! How can my crew of Lox eat grilled fish every day!"

Rocks walked to the bow of the ship, facing the sea breeze, opened his arms, and shouted with boundless pride: "I promised to give you the world's finest ingredients! Today, I'll fulfill my first promise!"

He turned to Ryan, his eyes burning.

"Head chef, tell us, what kind of prey is worth hunting in this area?"

This problem was exactly what Rennes wanted to solve.

He had already unlocked the Grand Line Food Guide (early stage) in his mind, and had a clear understanding of the rare food items in the nearby seas.

Chapter 4 Hunting the Bluefin Tuna

Ryan walked over to Lockes and pointed to the shimmering sea, saying, "Sail southeast for about thirty nautical miles. There you'll find the confluence of rapid warm currents, where there's a fish called the Bluefin Tuna."

"Because it chases warm currents all year round, the meat is firm and rich in fat, especially the belly part, which is known as the Wagyu beef of the sea and is an excellent ingredient for making top-quality sashimi."

After a pause, Ryan added, "However, it swims extremely fast, comparable to a cannonball, and is so huge that ordinary fishing boats simply cannot catch it."

"Comparable to a cannonball?"

Gatz licked his lips excitedly and hoisted his anchor.

"Challenge! I love it! Captain, give the order!"

Rocks laughed.

"Hahaha! Alright! That's it! Dorum, adjust course! Silver, to the lookout! Gatz, get your harpoons ready! Today we'll hunt a cannonball and give our head chef a treat!"

"Oh!"

The crew roared in unison, their morale soaring.

The dilapidated pirate ship, clumsily maneuvered by Dorum, turned around and sped off in the southeast direction Rein had indicated.

Silver, like a nimble monkey, quickly climbed to the lookout tower at the top of the mast, raised his monocular telescope, and scanned the sea with his sharp eyes.

About an hour later, Silver's voice came from above, calm and clear: "Anomaly on the sea surface at three o'clock ahead! Signs of large-scale biological activity!"

Everyone perked up.

As the ship approached, the current in that area of ​​the sea noticeably quickened, and beneath the surface, a huge, dark blue-green shadow was rapidly moving, creating trails of white spray.

Its dorsal fin displays a magnificent turquoise color, shimmering with a metallic sheen in the sunlight—it is the Bluefin Tuna!

"Wow! That's huge!"

Gatz looked at the enormous figure, which was at least ten meters long, and was more pleased than surprised. He stood at the bow of the ship, his muscles tense, ready to throw.

"It's now!"

Silver's voice rang out again.

With a roar, Gatz hurled the enormous harpoon, which was bound with a thick cable, with all his might.

The harpoon, with a whooshing sound, shot straight towards the shadows beneath the water like a black lightning bolt.

However, the bluefin tuna's reaction speed was astonishing.

Just as the harpoon was about to hit it, it suddenly swung its huge tail fin, and its entire body instantly shifted several meters to the side at an incredible angle, narrowly avoiding the attack.

The harpoon plunged into the sea with a splash, creating a huge spray.

"Damn! That was too fast!"

Gatz punched the gunwale in frustration.

The bluefin tuna seemed to be enraged. Instead of fleeing, it turned around and charged straight at the pirate ship.

Its massive body carved a white line in the water, moving so fast that it created waves in front of the bow.

"Oh no! It's coming at us!"

Dorum's expression changed drastically, and he gripped the rudder tightly.

"This dilapidated ship can't withstand a blow like that!"

Just as the mountain-like fish head was about to crash into the ship, Lockes did not retreat but advanced. He rushed to the bow of the ship with a wild smile on his face.

"Well done!"

He neither used a weapon nor struck any pose; he simply threw his right fist at the churning sea in front of him.

hum-

An invisible yet visible shockwave emanated from Lockes' fist and spread outwards.

The seawater in front of us seemed to be slapped hard by an invisible giant hand, instantly exploding to both sides and forming a brief depression.

The bluefin tuna, which was charging at high speed, crashed into the area of ​​sea affected by the shockwave.

Its massive body jolted violently, as if it had crashed into an invisible wall. Its speed decreased drastically, and the immense inertia caused it to tumble in the water, revealing its white belly. It had clearly been stunned.

One punch.

With just one punch, the power of the punch stunned a giant sea monster, comparable to a cannonball, across the seawater.

Gatz, Silver, and Dorum were all stunned.

They knew their captain was strong, but they didn't expect him to be this strong.

Lockes withdrew his fist and shook his hand as if he had done something trivial.

He yelled at the dumbfounded Gatz, "What are you all standing there for? Pull it up!"

"Huh? Oh! Okay!"

Gatz snapped out of his daze and, together with Dorum, struggled to drag the unconscious behemoth onto the deck with a rope.

A huge bluefin tuna occupied nearly half of the deck space, its scales shimmering in the sunlight, exuding a sense of vitality.

The crew cheered for the successful hunt and were awestruck by Lox's power.

Only Renn walked over and squatted down next to the huge fish.

I didn't look at the locusts; all my attention was drawn to the perfect ingredients.

Raine reached out his small hand and gently stroked the fish's smooth skin, feeling the firmness and elasticity of the muscles beneath. Then he looked up at Locke, who was also looking at him, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"This fish belly is quite good."

Looking at Ryan's professional inspection of the goods, Locke couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He knew that his promise had ignited the young head chef's creative desire.

An unprecedented maritime extravaganza is about to begin amidst the anticipation of everyone.

On the deck, Ryan stood next to the enormous bluefin tuna, looking exceptionally small.

But the aura he exuded at that moment made everyone hold their breath.

Raine unwrapped the thick cloth covering the kitchen knife, revealing the long, narrow knife that gleamed coldly inside.

It wasn't a famous sword; it was just a companion made of the finest steel, personally sharpened and maintained day and night by Renn.

"Gats, hang it up, head down."

Ryan issued the first command.

"okay!"

Gatz immediately sprang into action, working with Dorum to slowly lift the massive, multi-ton creature using pulleys and ropes.

Raine walked to the tail of the fish, took a deep breath, and moved the long sword in his hand.

There are no fancy moves, only speed, accuracy, and stability.

With a flash of light, the massive tail fin was cleanly severed.

Then, Ryan made a swift, fluid cut along the fish's spine, without the slightest hesitation.

With a soft swishing sound, the thick fish skin, along with the fat underneath, was completely peeled off, revealing the pink, clearly textured fish meat inside.

Ryan's every movement was so precise that it was as if he were not dissecting a fish, but performing a meticulous work of art.

The crew members were dazzled; they had never imagined that preparing food could be so visually appealing.

Chapter 5 The Rocks Pirates are officially formed

"Silver, bring me the cleanest ice, the more the better."

"Dorum, set up the biggest pot and start a fire. I want to make soup with fish bones and fish heads."

"Gats, rinse these cut fish pieces with lightly salted water."

With methodical command, the rough pirates who were originally only good at fighting and sailing have now become his most obedient helpers.

The most prized part of the fish belly was sliced ​​into evenly thin slices by Renn.

The fish meat displayed beautiful marble-like patterns, with pinkish-white fat intertwined with bright red lean meat, resembling a work of art.

Renn carefully arranged the sashimi slices on a plate that had been chilled with ice, each slice neatly arranged.

Next, Ryan took out a piece of lean meat near the back of the fish, gently pounded it with the back of a knife, and minced it. He also took out some unknown dried spices from his bag.

Raine once again quietly used the Endless Seasoning Bottle, creating a drop of special sauce in his palm that blended the umami of soy sauce with the fragrance of fruit vinegar. He then mixed it with minced meat and spices to make several exquisite tartare raw fish dishes.

Finally, Ryan placed the oily fish fillet on the sizzling hot iron plate.

Shila-

The moment the fish touches the hot plate, the oil melts rapidly, producing a pleasant sizzling sound, and a strong, overpowering aroma instantly ignites the entire venue.

It was a pure, ultimate aroma of caramelized oil, mixed with the natural freshness of the fish, a hundred times more intense than any other flavor before.

Gatz's mouth was watering. He squatted to the side, staring longingly at the fish fillets on the hot plate, making gurgling sounds in his throat like a starving beast.

When the fish bone soup turned milky white and emitted a rich, savory aroma, Ryan announced.

"dinner time."

The crowd, already impatient, immediately surrounded them.

There were three dishes on the table.

Crystal-clear bluefin tuna sashimi, sashimi with a savory sauce, and fragrant teppanyaki fish fillets.

There was also a large pot of milky white fish bone soup next to it.

Rocks was the first to pick up a slice of fish belly sashimi, put it directly into his mouth without dipping it in any sauce.

The moment the fish entered his mouth, he felt as if his tongue was enveloped by a soft, cool cloud.

As the temperature in the mouth rises, the premium fat in the fish begins to melt, and an unparalleled sweetness and umami flavor explodes on the taste buds.

It's a pure, unadulterated flavor from the sea, so delicious that it's intoxicating without needing any extra seasoning.

"This……"