A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

It was called spiritual practice, but it was actually a one-sided beating.

Newgate didn't even bother to use the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power; with just one hand and pure Haki, he completely overwhelmed Gatz, who was wielding a giant anchor and acting like a madman.

With each collision, Gatz felt his blood surge and his hands go numb, but the expression on his face was not one of pain, but rather one of exhilarating excitement.

"Gurarararar, little devil, your strength has increased a lot, but your brain still can't keep up."

Newgate delivered a karate chop to the back of Gatz's neck, causing Gatz's eyes to roll back and his massive body to crash to the ground with a thud.

In the corner, Lingling was taking small bites of a piece of energy cake specially made by Raine, using sea king fat and sky island honey.

Zeus and Prometheus above her head are like two docile pets, one fanning her and the other illuminating her, creating an atmosphere so peaceful that it seems out of place with the violent scene on the deck.

Silver practiced his marksmanship on the ship's side.

His movements became increasingly concise. Each thrust was devoid of unnecessary flourishes, yet it always precisely left a tiny, slowly healing puncture point in the air.

He no longer pursues speed, but is instead honing a deeper level of artistic conception known as "always hitting the target".

The shipwright, Dorum, wandered around the ship like a ghost, carrying a small notebook and a special tuning fork. Every now and then, he would tap on the alloy armor of the hull, listen intently, and jot something down in his notebook.

Chapter 65 Replenishing Supplies

"The third power conduit on the left side shows slight metal fatigue, with a resonant frequency shift of 0.01 Hz. This is caused by the aftereffects of Lord Newgate and Gatz's sparring match..."

"There's a slight dent in the shape memory alloy stern panel; Miss Lingling accidentally bumped into it while turning over... This is the fifth time this week..."

His face was etched with weariness and anxiety, a complex mix of pride and despair.

He was proud that the ship could withstand the torment of so many monsters, yet despairing that he felt he could die of exhaustion at any moment.

The root of all this chaos points to that small, expressionless figure standing in the empty storage room.

Ryan looked at the last potato and frowned almost imperceptibly.

The storage room of the Azure Dragon was cleaner than Dorum's wallet.

After more than half a month of continuous sailing, coupled with the monsters on board who had appetites comparable to sea kings, especially the bottomless pit that was Lingling, even the supplies that the G-2 branch had enough to support a fleet's long voyage had been completely exhausted.

"Head Chef..."

Gatz woke up at some point, his huge head poking in through the storage room door, his face plastered with a fawning smile, looking just like a big dog that had spotted a bone.

"Um... what are we having for lunch?"

Ryan glanced at him and picked up the lone potato.

"Potato soup for lunch today."

"Just...just potato soup?"

Gatz's face fell instantly, and his massive body seemed to shrink: "Not even minced meat?"

"There's no meat left."

Ryan's answer was concise and to the point.

"Where are the fish? We can go fishing!"

"The seawater in this area has a very special composition, containing a trace amount of inert mineral, which causes the fish here to have a metallic fishy smell and are inedible."

Ryan calmly stated a harsh truth.

Gatz's face showed an apocalyptic expression; he felt his stomach singing a very sad song.

Just then, Rocks' voice came from outside.

"What's wrong? Why do you all look so worried? Are you surrounded by the navy fleet?"

He had just finished meditating in the captain's cabin when he came out and saw the crew members looking half-dead.

"captain!"

Gatz, as if seeing a savior, scrambled over and grabbed Lockes' leg.

"We...we're going to run out of food!"

Lockes was taken aback, but then realized the seriousness of the problem.

He walked into the storage room and looked at the shelves that were cleaner than a face, and his lips twitched involuntarily.

He may not care about wealth or fame, but he cannot neglect his food.

This not only affects the morale of the crew, but also whether he himself can enjoy top-notch cuisine every day.

For a pirate crew, there is no crisis more terrifying than running out of food.

"Dorum!"

Rocks roared outside.

"Yes, Captain!"

Dorum came running over, stumbling and crawling.

"Bring me the latest nautical chart! Find an island immediately where we can replenish our supplies! The closest one!"

Lockes' tone left no room for argument.

"Yes!"

Soon, a huge nautical chart was laid out on the deck.

Dorum's fingers moved quickly across the nautical chart, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Captain, we're in a very awkward position. We're in an uncharted area of ​​the Grand Line, with no clear markers on the charts. The nearest known route is at least five days' journey away..."

Just as everyone's hearts sank, Silver on the lookout tower suddenly spoke, his voice as calm as ever.

"An island has been spotted directly ahead at the ten o'clock position."

"what?!"

Everyone perked up and looked in the direction Silver had pointed.

On the distant horizon, a blurry black dot was slowly emerging.

As the Azure Dragon approached, the outline of the island became increasingly clear.

It was a fairly large island, covered with lush vegetation and vibrant greenery, with a towering mountain in the center that looked full of life.

"Great! We're saved!"

Gatz danced with excitement.

"Good luck."

Newgate grinned too.

"Don't get too excited yet."

Dorum held up his binoculars, his brow furrowed: "This island... it's not recorded on any nautical charts, it's an unnamed island, I wonder what might be on it."

"Who cares what it is!"

Locus waved his hand, his arrogant smile returning: "As long as there's something to eat! Even if there's a dragon living on the island, we can catch it and add it to our head chef's meal!"

"Men, speed up! Target: that nameless island! Prepare to land, hunt, and replenish supplies!"

"Oh oh oh!"

Under Lockes' command, the Azure Dragon roared and sped off like a shark that had caught the scent of blood toward the island full of unknowns and hope.

Hope was rekindled on the faces of the crew members.

Only Raine, watching the island draw ever closer, then glancing at the monsters around him who were excited about the impending meal, had a subtle, almost imperceptible, playful glint in the depths of his calm eyes, as if he were anticipating something.

He had a feeling that this resupply trip wouldn't be so simple.

The Qinglong docked in a secluded fjord on the island.

Everyone rushed ashore, breathing in the fresh air of the island, which was filled with the fragrance of earth and plants, and felt all the fatigue from the voyage over the past few days disappear.

"Hahaha! I smell it! It's the smell of wild boar! What a fat wild boar!"

Gatz had a nose sharper than a dog's. Carrying the anchor, he charged ahead into the dense jungle, letting out excited roars that startled countless birds into flight.

“You guys go hunting. Dorum, you check if there’s any suitable timber nearby to repair the hull.”

Lox gave the order.

“Raine, you and Silver go together and see if there are any special spices or edible plants on the island.”

"Yes!"

The group accepted the order and immediately split up to carry out their tasks.

Raine and Silver walked side by side through the woods. Silver led the way, spear in hand, vigilantly observing their surroundings and clearing obstacles for Raine.

Ryan, like a professional botanist, would occasionally squat down to pick some unknown mushrooms and ferns and put them in the food bag he carried with him.

"This mushroom contains a weak paralyzing toxin, but after being processed at high temperatures, it produces a spicy flavor similar to Sichuan peppercorns."

"The rhizomes of this bracken are rich in starch, which can be ground into powder to make pastries."

As Ryan picked the fruit, he explained in a low voice. Although Silver didn't understand, he listened attentively.

The two walked in front of and behind each other, cooperating perfectly, creating a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.

However, when they passed through a dense forest and arrived at an open valley, the sight before them made them both stop in their tracks.

Chapter 66 Shiki the Golden Lion

In the center of the valley, a man was sitting cross-legged in mid-air with an extremely arrogant posture.

He had long, wild, golden hair like a lion's mane, a cigar dangling from his mouth, and wore a magnificent kimono. Beneath his feet were two renowned swords—Sakura Ju and Mukuro.

Even more astonishingly, dozens of massive rocks weighing several tons around him also floated in the air as if defying the laws of physics, slowly rotating with his breath, as if they had become part of his body.

The man seemed to sense their arrival, slowly opening his eyes. Two sharp, knife-like gazes swept over them, carrying an arrogant air of looking down upon the world.

"Oh? Have we had guests?"

His voice was hoarse and magnetic, full of the authority of a superior.

Silver's body tensed instantly, his fingers gripping the spear tightened slightly, and a sharp aura rose from him.

He sensed a terrifying aura emanating from this blond man that was in no way inferior to any of the monsters on the ship.

Raine's pupils contracted sharply the moment he saw the man.

A golden lion's head, twin swords... Although his legs were still intact, Rein would never mistake this appearance or these abilities.

Golden Lion, Shiki!

A legendary pirate of the future, a figure on par with Roger and Whitebeard.

Renn's heart skipped a beat.

How could it be him?

He clearly remembered that, in the original story, Shiki the Golden Lion should have joined the Rocks Pirates at a very early stage and become one of their powerful generals.

But perhaps because of my appearance, this timeline has already deviated subtly.

The golden lion before them had clearly not yet joined any faction. Like a lone lion, he roamed the seas on his own and had already made quite a name for himself.

Just as Renn's thoughts were racing, a commotion came from the other end of the valley.

"Hey! Golden Lion up ahead! See that wild boar as big as a house?!"

It was Gatz's voice. He emerged from the woods carrying a huge wild boar that he had already knocked unconscious, followed by Rocks and Newgate.

When they saw Shiki floating in mid-air, they were all stunned.

Rocks' gaze swept over Shiki, and the casualness on his face disappeared, replaced by the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.

Newgate grinned and let out his signature laugh: "Gurglalalala, looks like there's more than just wild boars on this island, there's a more interesting lion too."

Shiki's gaze shifted from Ryan and Silver to Rocks and Newgate, who were standing later.

When he sensed those two equally domineering auras, he was not afraid at all; instead, he laughed loudly.

"Hahaha! Interesting! Really interesting! I never expected to run into two decent guys on this godforsaken island!"