A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

Roger waved his hand, a nonchalant smile on his face.

"Fighting can happen anytime, but food should be eaten while it's hot! Besides, I'm really curious about the dishes made by the chef who can make these monsters obey!"

He actually shouted directly at Renn on the Azure Dragon, "Hey! Little chef over there! Do you have any leftover food? How about we share some? I'll trade you my treasured Roguetown brew!"

This move left the Rocks Pirates speechless.

How does this guy's brain work?

One second they're fighting to the death, the next they want to board the ship and freeload a meal?

Rocks's face darkened as well. He looked at Roger's grinning face and said coldly, "My crew's food isn't something just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can eat."

"Don't be so stingy!"

Roger jumped directly onto the railing of the Azure Dragon and winked at Rocks.

"What's wrong with sharing a meal? We'll be friends from now on!"

"Who says you're a friend!"

Just as Lockes was about to punch the shameless guy away, Renn's calm voice rang out again.

"can."

Ryan came out of the kitchen, looked at Roger, and then at Locke.

"There are still ingredients left, so it's okay to make a few more servings."

He turned to Lockes and explained in a calm tone, “Captain, Mr. Dorum just telepathically told me that if you and Captain Roger were to exchange another punch, there is a 93 percent chance that the keel of the Azure Dragon would break on the spot.”

"I think it would be better to have a peaceful dinner to celebrate the launch of the new ship."

Rocks: "..."

Dorum nodded frantically behind the helm, tears streaming down his face.

Ultimately, thanks to Ryan's mediation and Roger's persistent pursuit, what should have been a world-shaking showdown turned into a bizarre social dinner at sea in a way no one expected.

At the enthusiastic invitation of their captain, the members of Roger's pirate crew reluctantly boarded the Azure Dragon.

When Raine served the fragrant Dragon King Fish Head Hot Pot and the perfectly proportioned, sizzling pork ribs, the two groups of pirates who had just been fighting to the death instantly became friends and turned into gluttons fighting over the food at the table.

"Hahaha! Delicious! This fish soup is more potent than any alcohol I've ever had!"

Roger gulped down his soup while mumbling his praises.

"This meat! It's roasted to perfection! Chef, you'll be my employee from now on! I'll make you my first mate!"

Although Rayleigh ate elegantly, he didn't slow down his eating at all. He looked at Rein with admiration in his eyes.

“Young man, your understanding of the timing and control of fire has surpassed that of most sword masters.”

Rocks and Newgate sat in the main seats with dark faces, watching their own crew mingle with these uninvited guests, and then looking at Rein, who was being enthusiastically discussed with Roger about how to roast sea kings with the aroma of alcohol. They felt that their authority had been challenged like never before.

The dinner, filled with laughter and a fierce battle for food, continued until late into the night.

Finally, the Roger Pirates, satisfied, returned to their ship, drunk, with several buckets of leftovers packed by Rein.

Before leaving, Roger patted Rocks on the shoulder forcefully and laughed loudly, "Rocks! You're a real nuisance, but your chef is quite good! Next time we meet, let's have another good fight! After that, we'll continue the feast!"

As Roger's pirate ship disappeared into the thick fog, calm returned to the deck of the Azure Dragon.

Dorum was holding a small notebook, painfully calculating the dozens of new scratches and dents that had appeared that night.

Gatz was holding his stomach, happily savoring the taste of the barbecue.

Rocks walked to the bow of the ship, looked in the direction Roger had left, remained silent for a long time, and then let out a cold snort.

"A man who is like an idiot."

He paused, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.

"However, their strength is not bad."

He knew that from this day forward, he had gained a formidable rival on this vast ocean, one he had to overcome, and also... an opponent with whom he could occasionally share a meal.

And all of this is just the beginning.

The winds of the new world have only just begun to blow.

Chapter 79 Two Years Later

Roger's pirate ship disappeared into the horizon under the cover of night, but the deck of the Azure Dragon remained restless for a long time.

Dorum was holding his precious little notebook, examining the new scratches on the hull while his heart ached and he muttered to himself, calculating the losses caused by this unexpected get-together. With each new number added, his face grew paler.

Gatz, with his round belly, lay contentedly on the deck, still savoring the domineering deliciousness of the Dragon King Fish Head Hot Pot.

"Hiccup... Head Chef, when will we be able to eat such a delicious fish again?"

Ryan was methodically clearing the messy table when he heard this, and he simply glanced at him calmly: "Next time we catch a dragonfish."

"Let's go fishing now!"

Gatz sprang to his feet with a bang, full of energy.

"idiot."

Silver's voice came from the shadows of the mast, as concise as ever.

"It's a miracle to encounter a sea king of that level even once in a lifetime."

At the other end of the deck, Rocks and Newgate stood side by side, gazing silently in the direction Roger had gone.

The sea breeze tousled Lox's wild black hair, and his expression was complex, containing both the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent and a hint of barely perceptible... displeasure.

"Gu la la la la..."

Newgate's deep laughter broke the silence.

"An interesting man, isn't he? That guy's domineering aura is similar to yours, yet completely different."

Lox snorted and crossed his arms: "He's just a lucky idiot who does things haphazardly and on a whim."

"But he managed to draw with you on a whim."

Newgate bluntly exposed the truth.

Lox's lips twitched, but he did not refute.

He knew Newgate was telling the truth.

Roger's strength lay not in plans or strategies, but in his pure free will, which seemed to make the impossible possible.

It was a path completely opposite to his, yet equally standing at the pinnacle of power.

"captain."

Raine walked over unnoticed and handed over two steaming cups of tea with a faint herbal aroma.

"Dorum just telepathically told me that if you unconsciously release gravity again because of anger, there is a 98% chance that the No. 3 alloy armor plate on the port side of the hull will be completely scrapped due to metal fatigue."

Rocks: "..."

He took the teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and the warm, soothing sensation calmed the last trace of agitation in his heart.

He looked into Ryan's calm, unwavering eyes and suddenly smiled.

"Raine, how many guys like Roger do you think are left in this world?"

This question made everyone present prick up their ears.

After thinking for a moment, Raine calmly replied, "According to the food distribution map I currently have, we have explored less than five percent of the Grand Line. Most of the known legendary foods live in remote and desolate places, or are protected by powerful forces. Where top-tier foods can be produced, top-tier experts can also be born."

"This ocean is much bigger than we imagined."

Ryan's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples in everyone's hearts.

Yes, although they have already made a name for themselves, it is still just the beginning for this vast world.

"Hahaha! Well said!"

A domineering flame reignited in Lox's eyes. He crushed the teacup in his hand and opened his arms as if to embrace the entire starry sky.

"Men! Did you all hear that?"

"There are countless landscapes we haven't seen, strong liquors we haven't tasted, powerful opponents we haven't fought, and... ingredients we haven't eaten!"

His gaze swept over each crew member, his voice booming like a bell.

"From this day forward, our goal is to reach the ends of the earth! To trample all those who stand in our way! To seize all the most precious treasures on this vast ocean!"

"Oh oh oh!"

Gatz was the first to roar with excitement, raising the anchor as if he could already see countless powerful opponents and mountains of roast meat.

Newgate's eyes also gleamed with fighting spirit; he longed to clash with stronger opponents and to have a home that could support his dreams.

Although Silver and Dorum did not utter a sound, their clenched fists and slightly trembling bodies betrayed their inner excitement.

Thus, the unexpected encounter with the Roger Pirates did not stop these monsters from moving forward; instead, it became a catalyst for them to step onto a wider stage.

The voyage of the Azure Dragon has begun again.

……

Two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Two years is enough time for a helpless infant to learn to run, and enough time for a newborn beast to show its fangs that can shake the world.

The Rocks Pirates—this name has swept across the world like a super storm in the past two years.

In the past two years, they have visited the legendary Sky Island. Gatz excitedly fought with the Sky Knights, but was eventually blasted down by the angry residents with Impact Shells because he ate up half a year's worth of pumpkins from Angel Island.

Raine harvested a large number of rare plants and shellfish there and successfully created a unique food guide for the Sky Island region.

They also dived to the Fishman Island, which is 10,000 meters below the surface. Charlotte Linlin looked at the colorful dessert factory and almost refused to leave. In the end, it was only after Lox promised to recreate all the desserts for her that she was persuaded to leave.

It was there that Newgate first developed a vague longing for the concept of racial coexistence.

They even broke into Wano Country, a mysterious country that was closed off from the world.

In that country full of oriental charm, Renn learned new cooking techniques and an understanding of Japanese cuisine, which elevated his culinary skills once again.

Every adventure is accompanied by earth-shattering battles and unbelievable rewards.

Rocks' Conqueror's Haki became increasingly solid. He didn't even need to lift a finger; a single glance was enough to make the king of an island submit.

The kingly aura emanating from him was beginning to truly take shape, the beginnings of a ruler dominating the world.

Newgate's Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability has been developed to a whole new level. He no longer simply pursues destruction, but has learned more refined control.

He can shatter the ocean with a single punch, and he can also concentrate the power of the shock into a single point, silently shattering the bones inside an enemy's body.

He was becoming more and more like the patriarch of the crew. Although he didn't say it, he would always protect everyone in critical moments.

Thanks to Ryan's meticulous care over the past two years, Charlotte Linlin's cravings have become much less frequent, and her mood has stabilized considerably.

Her power became more controllable, and Prometheus and Zeus also became stronger by consuming the thunderclouds of the Sky Island and the foxfire of Wano Country.

Chapter 80 Crystal Garden

Through countless battles and the nourishment of Rein's medicinal cuisine, Gatz's physique has been honed to resemble that of a true prehistoric beast, and his pure strength is even capable of wrestling with some giant warriors.

Silver perfectly blended his assassination skills with Observation Haki, allowing him to merge into shadows and transform into a gentle breeze, becoming the most feared ghost in the dark world.

Shipwright Dorum has had a bittersweet experience these past two years.

Under the torment of these monsters, the Azure Dragon underwent seventeen major repairs and more than three hundred minor repairs, with almost every part of its hull being replaced.

But it was precisely because of this that Dorum's shipbuilding skills advanced by leaps and bounds. He absorbed the propulsion technology of Skypiea, the coating process of Fishman Island, and the seastone reinforcement method of Wano Country.

He transformed the Azure Dragon into a truly unique mobile sea fortress, and his reputation for ironclad defenses resounded throughout the world.

Of course, all of this is inseparable from that small kitchen.

Raine's life over the past two years has seemed uneventful, with him spending his days either researching new ingredients or preparing three meals a day for these monsters.

But only he knows that these two years have been the golden period for his rapid growth in culinary skills.

Raine's food encyclopedia has expanded to an astonishing extent, from cloud shells of Skypiea to lanternfish of the deep sea, from cherry blossom carp of Wano Country to all kinds of exotic flowers and herbs of the New World, all of which he has recorded and analyzed.

His culinary skills improved rapidly with each feast he prepared using legendary ingredients.