A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

Joz was unharmed. He grinned and beckoned to the candy puppet with his finger: "Come on, big guy! Let grandpa see how tough you are!"

A head-to-head showdown between diamonds and candy is about to unfold on this magical island.

The rest of the group bypassed the battlefield and continued exploring deeper into the island.

Soon, Vista's exclamation came from ahead.

"Come and see! There's a waterfall here!"

The group rushed over and saw a golden waterfall, exuding a rich, sweet fragrance, cascading down a cliff tens of meters high and flowing into a huge lake made of biscuits below.

That's not water at all, it's the purest and most concentrated honey!

Chapter 123 Seven-Colored Pheasant

"Honey Falls..."

Bistasven's face also showed a shocked expression: "Does such a place really exist?"

Just as everyone was marveling at this spectacular sight, several pairs of jewel-like eyes, shimmering with seven colors, suddenly lit up in the cave behind the waterfall.

Immediately afterwards, several enormous pheasants, comparable in size to ostriches and with feathers as vibrant as rainbows, walked gracefully and slowly out of the cave.

Their crests were as translucent as rubies, their eyes were proud and sharp, and they emanated a faint aura that seemed to captivate the mind.

The rainbow pheasant has been found.

But they don't seem to be as docile as ordinary ingredients.

They are the guardians of this honey waterfall and one of the true kings of this island.

The appearance of the rainbow pheasant instantly added a dangerous edge to the sweet smell in the air.

They strolled out of the cave with elegant steps, their ruby-like eyes showing no fear, but rather a condescending gaze as if scrutinizing their prey.

Their vibrant feathers refracted a mesmerizing halo in the sunlight, as if silently proclaiming themselves the rulers of the island.

"Oh! I found it!"

In the distance, Gatz, who had just teamed up with Jozu to smash the rock candy golem into a pile of candy, charged over like a shark that had smelled blood, carrying the anchor, his mouth practically watering.

"Head Chef! Is this the seven-colored pheasant you were talking about? It looks delicious!"

However, before he could get close, the largest and most robust of the seven-colored pheasants suddenly opened its sharp beak.

Tweet!

A cry, though not loud, was extremely penetrating.

The next second, a beam of light, as beautiful as a rainbow, formed by the convergence of seven colors, shot out from its mouth and shot straight at Gatz's face at a speed that was difficult for the naked eye to perceive!

"not good!"

Gatz was startled and tried to use the anchor to block, but it was too late.

Just as the beam of light was about to hit him, a bluish-green figure appeared in front of him like a ghost.

"Flame of Regeneration - Wings of Protection!"

Marco had transformed into a phoenix at some point, his azure flame wings weaving into an indestructible shield that blocked the rainbow beam completely.

It's sizzling!

The beam of light collided with the flames, but instead of exploding, they annihilated each other like water and fire merging, bursting out in a large amount of dazzling light debris.

"Watch out, Gatz!"

Marco said in a deep voice, "These guys are not simple, yOi!"

Gatz, still shaken, stared at the slightly blackened skin on his chest from the aftershocks of the laser beam, swallowing hard. "This...this chicken can spit lasers?"

"Gurarararar, interesting prey."

Newgate burst into laughter, and the naginata in his hand began to hum, clearly showing he was in high spirits.

"Bitsta, Silver, you two go deal with those smaller ones over there."

Newgate gave the order: "Joz, Gatz, you two are tough as nails, come with me to take down the biggest one!"

"Alright, Dad!"

A hunt for top-quality ingredients has officially begun!

Newgate was the first to be hit, his massive body pressing down like a mountain, his naginata swinging wildly, each swing carrying the power to shatter space.

The seven-colored pheasant king clearly knew how powerful Newgate was. Instead of confronting him head-on, it used its agile body to dodge and weave around the edge of Newgate's attack range, while constantly spitting out rainbow beams of light to harass him.

"Don't even think about running away!"

Gatz and Joz flanked them from two directions.

Jozu used his diamond-like body as the strongest shield, standing at the forefront to block all beam attacks and create an environment for his comrades to deal damage.

Gatz wielded the giant anchor with tremendous force, each swing causing the earth to crack and forcing the Pheasant King to reposition himself.

On the other hand, the battle between Vista and Silver was more like an elegant sword dance.

The smaller pheasants were equally formidable; they were lightning fast, their feathers like the sharpest blades, leaving afterimages in the air with every sweep.

Vista's twin blades transformed into two fluttering roses, their dazzling sword light weaving into an impenetrable net that tightly bound the pheasant's range of movement.

"Rose Dance - Thousand Petal Kill!"

Silver was more direct; his figure blended into the shadows, his spear like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, each thrust coming from the most cunning and unbelievable angles, forcing the other pheasant into a frantic struggle.

"Shadow Thrust - Silent!"

Marco hovered in the air like a highly perceptive battlefield medic, constantly monitoring his comrades' condition and occasionally unleashing a shower of regenerative flames to heal their wounds and provide them with continued mobility.

Raine did not participate in the battle; he stood at the edge of the battlefield, calmly observing and quickly taking notes in his notebook.

"The seven-colored pheasant is an omnivorous bird whose meat is rich in seven different trace light elements, which can produce a slight boost to the body in all aspects after consumption."

"Its feathers are tough and can be used to make special textiles or weapons. Its attack method is to spray a high-concentration energy beam from its mouth. Its weakness lies in the energy converter in its throat..."

He analyzed every characteristic of these monsters clearly, like a top-notch biologist.

The hunt lasted for nearly an hour.

Finally, after Newgate delivered a powerful and devastating blow to the king pheasant, the once-invincible pheasant let out a mournful cry and collapsed to the ground.

Seeing this, the other pheasants were also subdued by Vista and Silver, who seized their weaknesses.

"Hahaha! We won! We're having roast chicken tonight!"

Gatz excitedly hoisted the king pheasant, which was even bigger than him, and drool was already dripping all over the ground.

However, just as everyone was celebrating their victory, Renn put down his notebook and looked into the depths of the island with a slight frown.

"strangeness……"

He muttered to himself.

"What's wrong, head chef?"

Vista leaned closer and asked.

"The ecosystem of this island is too perfect, and too... monotonous."

A hint of doubt flashed in Ryan's eyes: "All living things, whether plants or animals, seem to exist solely to become edible, which doesn't conform to the laws of nature."

"Moreover, I can sense that all the life energy on this island seems to originate from the same source, just like..."

Ryan's gaze deepened: "Like different fruits growing on a large tree."

His words stunned everyone.

Just then, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled violently without warning, as if the heart of the entire island had pounded heavily.

A life force, richer and more abundant than ever before, flashed from the center of the island.

Chapter 124 Two choices

"This breath..."

Newgate's face also darkened; he could sense a hint of decay and sorrow in that aura.

"Go and have a look."

Ryan's tone left no room for argument.

He entrusted an unconscious rainbow pheasant to Marco's care, and then walked alone toward the source of the aura.

The group exchanged glances and followed suit.

They had a feeling that an amazing secret was hidden behind this food island.

They passed through Honey Falls, circled Cookie Hill, and finally arrived at a huge, crater-like basin.

In the center of the basin, the sight left everyone speechless.

There was no magma there, but a colossal, slowly beating core of life, woven from the roots and veins of countless ingredients.

With each pulse, pure energy surges from the core, flowing through roots like blood vessels to every corner of the island, nourishing all things.

This island is truly alive!

It is an unimaginably huge, dormant life form!

Everything on the island is just a part of its body!

Just as everyone was awestruck by this miraculous sight, they also discovered the problem.

The enormous heart beat very slowly, almost weakly, and its light appeared somewhat dim.

Huge, scar-like cracks covered the surface of the heart, from which black, putrid viscous fluid seeped continuously.

This great life is heading towards death.

"This...this is..."

Even the well-traveled Newgate couldn't help but murmur in shock at the sight before him.

He could clearly sense the immense life energy, as well as the loneliness and sorrow, contained within the enormous, decaying heart before him.

This is not just a living organism; this is a world.

"I see."

A look of understanding flashed in Raine's eyes. He walked to the edge of the basin, squatted down, and reached out to gently touch the roots that resembled blood vessels.

"This island, which I call the Island of Gluttony, is itself an ancient, super-giant life form that feeds on energy."

"By absorbing the energy between heaven and earth, it nurtures all sorts of unique food organisms on its own body, forming a perfect self-sufficient ecological cycle."

Raine's voice was calm, yet carried a hint of reverence for the greatness of life.

"But at some point, perhaps due to crustal movement or energy depletion, its energy source for survival was cut off. In order to survive, it could only begin to devour the life it had nurtured, drinking poison to quench its thirst."

"That's why the scent we smell is so enticing, because it's the last and most splendid fragrance that a life releases as it burns out all its essence."

Ryan's words weighed heavily on everyone's minds.

Gatz stopped clamoring for roast chicken. He looked at the heart that was beating painfully, scratched his head, and showed a hint of sympathy on his face.

Jozu and Vista remained silent, recalling the Diamond Heart they had once protected, a crystallization of the island's energy, so similar to the scene before them.

"Then... is there any way to save it?"

Marco couldn't help but ask. His phoenix ability made him exceptionally sensitive to the breath of life, and he could sense the silent wailing emanating from this great being.

Raine did not answer immediately. He stood up and walked around the enormous heart, like a meticulous doctor diagnosing a terminally ill giant.

After a long while, he stopped, his eyes flashing with a complex light.

"There are two options."

Ryan held up one finger.

"First, while it is at its weakest and most flavorful, take out this Gluttonous Heart. It is the crystallization of the life energy of the entire island, a true divine ingredient that surpasses all legendary ingredients."

"The dishes made with it are enough to make our strength leap forward in a short period of time, and even... can bring your body back to its peak, Captain."

This proposal caused everyone to hold their breath.