A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

Edward Newgate (Whitebeard): Bounty of 3.5 billion Berries!

[Criminal Charge: Core combatant of the Rocks Pirates, possessing the power to destroy the world, second only to Captain Rocks in terms of danger!]

Lingling's bounty poster was even more outrageous, showing her commanding Prometheus and Zeus as if a catastrophe had struck.

[BIG MOM Charlotte Linlin: Bounty of 3.2 billion Berries!]

[Criminal Charge: A born destroyer, capable of controlling the weather; its destructive power and danger are immeasurable, leaving nothing but desolation in its wake!]

Lingling tilted her head, saw the shockingly high amount of money, and smiled happily: "Hahaha! With so much money, we could buy the entire Cake Island!"

Even the bounties for Gatzi, Silver, and Dorrum have seen astonishing leaps.

[Giant Anchor Gats: Bounty of 500 Million Berries!]

[Silver the Ghost: Bounty of 480 million Berries!]

[Iron Wall Dorum: Bounty of 200 Million Berries!]

The most peculiar thing is the bounty on Renn's head.

In the photo, he stands calmly on a smoke-filled battlefield, holding a food box in his hand, seemingly out of place amidst the devastation around him.

[Head Chef Ryan: Bounty of 800 million Berries!]

[Criminal allegiance: The heart of the Rocks Pirates; ability unknown, suspected to possess a Devil Fruit ability to greatly enhance companions through cooking; strategic threat level—extremely high!]

This newly formed rookie pirate crew has already surpassed the 11.7 billion mark in total bounty for its core members!

This number is enough to make any pirate crew take notice.

……

Chapter 75 Peak state

Meanwhile, in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, between powers.

Five elderly men, each with different hair color, beards, and scars, yet all exuding an unfathomable aura, sat around a huge round table, the atmosphere so heavy it was almost palpable.

In front of them were several freshly printed bounty posters.

"Four billion... Rocks D. Gibbec..."

The bald old man holding the first generation Kitetsu uttered the name in a hoarse voice, his eyes filled with undisguised killing intent.

"Even the combined forces of Sengoku and Garp were defeated so thoroughly. This is no longer just a simple pirate group; this is a disaster that could shake the very foundation of the world."

The old man with a long white beard sighed: "According to the report sent back from the Warring States period, their defeat was not due to a lack of strength, but to a key variable—that chef named Rein."

"A chef?"

Another blond old man frowned.

"The report says that he restored the exhausted Rocks Pirates to their peak condition with just one meal, and even surpassed them. This is simply a fantasy!"

"But the facts are right in front of us."

The old man with the knife said in a deep voice, "Sengoku wouldn't lie about something like this, and besides, that damned 'D' appears in that Rocks' name again!"

"Is the will of D stirring up trouble once again?"

"This storm must be nipped in the bud! Immediately issue the order to summon CP0 and, at all costs, annihilate the Rocks Pirates!"

Just as the five were discussing, a huge door silently opened from the deepest shadow in the room.

A slender and tall figure slowly walked out.

Upon seeing this figure, the five powerful elders simultaneously stopped their discussion, stood up in unison, and respectfully knelt on one knee.

"Lord Im."

The figure called Im did not speak, but walked silently to the round table.

He stretched out his pale, slender fingers and precisely pulled out Locke's bounty poster from a pile of wanted posters.

He gazed silently at the arrogant smile in the photograph, his eyes devoid of any emotion, yet the temperature of the entire power structure seemed to plummet to freezing point.

After a long while, Im turned around and walked towards the empty throne deep in the room, which symbolized the king of the world.

He stopped before the throne and then slowly raised the bounty poster in his hand.

puff.

A rapier, its origins unknown and bearing the marks of time, emerged from the shadows and pierced precisely through the eye of the wanted poster bearing Rocks's name.

Having done all this, Im's figure once again disappeared into the darkness, as if he had never existed.

The Five Elders slowly stood up, looking at the wanted poster nailed to the air, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

They knew that Lord Im had truly intended to kill them.

This man named Rocks has been placed on the World Government's highest-level kill list.

The upheaval in the world did not affect the daily lives of the monsters aboard the Azure Dragon.

For them, the soaring bounty was nothing more than a topic of conversation after dinner, a badge of honor to prove their strength, and far less of a concern than what Ryan would eat next.

"Hahaha! Five hundred million Berries! I'm a big shot now!"

Clutching his bounty poster, Gatz ran around on the deck, showing it off to everyone he met. He even started seriously planning which island to buy a mountain of flesh with this huge sum of money.

"Two hundred million... The World Government is too stingy. The repair cost of my ship alone is more than that."

Dorum sighed at his bounty poster, which contained a lengthy repair list of dozens of pages, with each part costing a fortune.

Lingling had no concept of money; all she knew was that she seemed to have become more valuable. So, she confidently ordered all the desserts for the next month from Ryan, ranging from molten chocolate volcano cake to deep-sea pearl mousse, with no two being the same.

Ryan simply nodded calmly and then silently wrote it down in his notebook.

"Charlotte Linlin's symptoms of high-calorie sweets addiction are worsening. New low-sugar, high-energy alternatives need to be developed to prevent structural obesity in the ship."

Rocks and Newgate remained the two most relaxed, each carrying a barrel of rum, sitting at the bow of the ship, discussing which clueless naval base they should visit next to borrow some better vintage rum.

The repair work on the Azure Dragon was proceeding in an orderly manner thanks to the blood and tears of Dorum and the precise logistical coordination of Rein.

The spare alloy plates, high-strength cables, and even spare energy conduction tubes captured from the naval fleet were all sorted out.

Like the most intricate puzzle pieces, they were gradually pieced together by Dorum and his forcibly recruited shipwright apprentices to fill the wounds of the Azure Dragon.

The restoration lasted for three full days.

For the past three days, the monsters on the ship have been unusually well-behaved.

Perhaps seeing Dorum's haggard appearance, as if he might suddenly die at any moment, even the most energetic Gatz quietly did strength training in a corner of the deck, afraid that the sound of his stomping feet would add another crack to the bottom of the ship.

Lingling was completely captivated by the desserts made by Raine using the top-quality flour and rare fruits she had captured.

Every day, she would sit happily at the stern of the boat, holding a cake that was bigger than her head and had various shapes.

Even Zeus and Prometheus above her head became docile, one responsible for creating tiny rainbows and the other for providing the faint flames for roasting marshmallows, looking like two harmless pets.

Rocks and Newgate, the two most laid-back guys, moved the captured naval officer's deck chairs onto the deck, each with a glass of chilled fruit wine specially made by Ryan, and discussed topics that ordinary people could not understand.

"Gulalalalala... Forty billion, that number sounds much better."

Newgate swirled the liquor in his glass, the ice cubes clinking together with a crisp sound.

"This is just the beginning."

Locke's gaze pierced through the azure sea, looking towards the distant unknown.

"Once we conquer Mary Geoise, we'll have to add another zero to that number."

“Before that, we need a ship that can sail to Mary Geoise.”

Newgate glanced at Dorum, who was listening to the ship's rudder with a stethoscope not far away, and chuckled softly, "I feel that Dorum's mental state is more fragile than the keel of this ship."

"That's why a good chef is needed."

A meaningful smile appeared on Lockes' lips.

"A chef who can make everyone feel full and happy."

He knew that Raine's presence was more than just providing logistical support. This little head chef was using his incredible culinary skills to unite these unruly monsters in the most peculiar yet most solid way.

Chapter 76 Roger Pirates

Ryan is organizing a new ingredient catalog in his kitchen.

The supplies of the G-1 fleet far exceeded his expectations. It contained not only rare ingredients from all over the world, but also several experimental nutritional supplements developed by Dr. Vegapunk to study the physical limits of soldiers.

Raine had little interest in those chemically synthesized products, but he discovered several natural plant extracts on the ingredient list of the nutrient solution that could significantly improve energy conversion efficiency.

"I see. Boiling the juice of this Boiling Blood Grass with the nerve cords of Sea Kings can create a combat broth that instantly triples muscle activity..."

Ryan was scribbling away quickly in his notebook, his eyes sparkling with the light of a scientist discovering a new continent.

For him, the sea is his largest kitchen, and all enemies and allies are ingredients and diners waiting to be explored on his menu.

Three days later, the repair work on the Qinglong was finally completed.

Although some battle marks remain on the hull that cannot be completely repaired, the overall structural strength is even higher than before.

Dorum used all his strength to weld all the parts that could be reinforced with double-layered alloy plates. Now, the Azure Dragon looks like a black behemoth wearing heavy armor.

"Captain! We may set sail!"

Dorum stood before the newly refurbished rudder, shouting excitedly like a general about to lead the invincible fleet into battle.

"it is good!"

Rocks leaped to his feet, his voice booming like a bell.

"My men! Raise the sails! Set sail!"

"Oh oh oh!"

Amidst deafening cheers, the Azure Dragon's power core emitted a deep roar, and the massive hull tore through the calm of the sea, boldly setting sail towards that legendary, most dangerous sea area in the world, where powerful figures were said to roam freely!

Having left the turbulent waters behind, the rest of the voyage went exceptionally smoothly.

The performance of the Azure Dragon far exceeded everyone's imagination. It was like a mobile fortress gliding on the sea, ignoring the unpredictable and strange weather in the first half of the Grand Line.

After sailing for nearly ten more days, the Qinglong entered a sea area shrouded in thick fog year-round.

The fog here is peculiar, with a pale milky white color. It not only blocks vision but also seems to shield sound and breath. Even Silver's Observation Haki is greatly limited here.

"Something's not right about this place."

Gatz, carrying the anchor, looked around warily. He felt an uncomfortable, sticky dampness in the air.

Dorum gripped the helm tightly, cold sweat beading on his forehead: "The log pointer has malfunctioned again! The magnetic field here is completely chaotic! It's like we're trapped in an airtight box!"

Just as everyone was on guard, Silver on the lookout tower suddenly spoke, his voice as calm as ever, yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible gravity.

"A ship has been spotted directly ahead."

Everyone perked up and looked toward the bow of the ship.

In the thick fog, a huge black shadow slowly emerged and gradually became clear.

It was a peculiar single-masted sailing ship, its hull constructed from an unknown dark wood that appeared exceptionally sturdy.

The figurehead is a grinning skull, and on the sail is another skull wearing a straw hat. The crossed background is not bones, but two sharp swords.

That flag was flamboyant, confident, and brimming with an infinite yearning for adventure.

"Roger..."

Lox looked at the flag and slowly uttered the name he had been hearing often lately. For the first time, a genuine interest appeared on his arrogant face.

"Gulalalalala, yet another one with a 'D' in their name. This sea is getting more and more lively."

Newgate walked over, looked at the ship, and grinned.

Just as the two ships were about to pass each other, a burst of extremely hearty laughter came from the other ship.

"Hahaha! The ship up ahead looks pretty tough! Want to come aboard for a drink?"

A man wearing a straw hat and sporting a black mustache stood at the bow of the boat, one hand on his hip and the other holding a large wine glass, gesturing towards them from afar.

He appeared unrestrained, but his eyes, which shone like stars, contained an aura of dominance that was in no way inferior to that of Lox.

The laughter seemed to possess a peculiar penetrating power, ignoring the obstruction of the thick fog and clearly reaching the deck of the Azure Dragon.