A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

"I'm not afraid!"

Oden puffed out his chest, a fearless smile on his face: "I am Kozuki Oden! The daimyo of Kuri! The strongest man in Wano Country!"

"Oh?"

Newgate raised an eyebrow: "The strongest man?"

"Of course!"

Oden planted his twin swords in the ground, raised his fist at Newgate, and his eyes instantly became incredibly serious.

"Once I defeat you, you'll be my subordinate, and then we can set sail together!"

This logic was so bizarre that everyone present, including Ryan, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of their mouth.

Marco, Joz, and the others were so angry that their faces turned pale.

"You bastard! What did you say?!"

Joz took a step forward with his massive frame, causing the ground to tremble: "How dare you disrespect your father!"

"Don't be impulsive, Joz."

Newgate raised his hand to stop them.

Looking at the man before him, so full of life, even somewhat naive, his admiration grew stronger.

He knew that such a person was either a complete idiot or a true strongman with absolute self-confidence.

Kozuki Oden clearly belongs to the latter category.

"You want to defeat me?"

Newgate's voice carried a hint of amusement.

"That's right!"

"it is good."

Newgate nodded, took a few steps forward, and his mountain-like body cast a huge shadow over Oden.

"If you can withstand three moves from me, I'll agree to take you out to sea."

This proposal relieved Marco and the others, who considered it an impossible task.

Let alone three moves, there are very few young people on this vast ocean who can withstand one of my father's moves without falling.

However, Oden did not feel slighted when he heard this; on the contrary, he became even more excited.

"Three moves? You underestimate me! Watch me take you down in one move!"

He drew his twin swords, assuming a unique stance. A fierce and unparalleled sword pressure, mixed with Conqueror's Haki, soared into the sky, causing the surrounding cherry blossoms to flutter and dance in the air.

"Kozuki Itto-ryu: Peach Blossom Spring!"

Oden roared, transforming into a white dragon-shaped phantom, carrying an aura of cutting through everything, and charged straight toward Newgate.

Those two legendary swords seemed to come alive in his hands, emitting bursts of dragon roars, and the very space seemed to be torn apart where the swords pointed.

Despite this earth-shattering blow, Newgate still wore a faint smile.

He didn't even use the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power; he simply casually held the naginata horizontally forward.

clang!

A deafening metallic clang.

Oden's all-out attack, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, struck Newgate's naginata squarely.

The anticipated cataclysmic scene did not occur.

Oden felt as if his twin swords had struck an unshakeable, boundless sea.

A seemingly casual yet terrifyingly heavy force emanated from the opponent's blade, instantly neutralizing his fierce sword strike.

Immediately afterwards, an even more violent counterforce came from the naginata.

"what?!"

Oden's pupils contracted sharply. He felt as if his arms had been struck head-on by two mountains, and his tiger's mouth instantly split open, bleeding profusely.

He flew backward uncontrollably, carving two deep furrows in the ground, and finally came to a stop after crashing into seven or eight cherry blossom trees.

one move.

With just one move, the difference in skill was immediately apparent.

"How can this be……"

Oden struggled to his feet. He looked at his still slightly trembling hands, then at the godlike man in the distance who hadn't changed his posture at all. For the first time, a look of shock appeared in his eyes.

He had always thought he was the strongest being in Wano Country, but today he realized how narrow-minded he had been.

"Do you want to continue?"

Newgate's voice came through.

"Of course!"

Instead of being discouraged, Oden's fighting spirit grew even stronger. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gripped his twin swords tightly once more.

"That's more interesting!"

Just as he was preparing to charge again, an indescribable, domineering aroma, a blend of rich meaty scents and exotic spices, unexpectedly wafted from the side and precisely entered his nostrils.

Gulu...

Oden's stomach growled involuntarily, and his newly raised fighting spirit was instantly dissipated by the sudden aroma.

He followed the aroma and saw that the young chef, who had been unusually quiet throughout and looked to be only a teenager, had somehow set up a small pot next to him.

Something was bubbling away in the pot, and that irresistible aroma was emanating from it.

Raine glanced at the ingredients in the pot, then at Oden, who looked on with a hungry expression, and calmly spoke.

"You have to fill your stomach before you can fight."

Raine's voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to possess a certain magic, instantly easing the tense atmosphere on the battlefield.

Kozuki Oden's gaze was completely drawn to the small pot, and he took a deep sniff.

The aroma, a blend of rich soy sauce, spicy spices, and the raw, oily scent of meat, made him feel as if his empty stomach was launching a massive protest.

He stared at the bubbling, dark red meat and glistening rice in the pot, his Adam's apple bobbing uncontrollably, and even the twin knives in his hands felt heavier.

"Gu la la la la..."

Newgate couldn't help but burst into laughter at Oden's greedy expression.

He knew that the battle no longer needed to continue; his head chef had begun the conquest of the strongest samurai in Wano Country in a more direct and irresistible way.

"Come on, eat."

Raine handed Oden a steaming bowl of meat rice piled high like a small mountain.

"This was made from the little wild boar you just released; consider it a return to its rightful owner."

Oden stared at the bowl of rice, stunned.

The rice in the bowl was distinct, glistening with rich meat gravy, topped with large chunks of tender, flavorful stewed pork, and sprinkled with some green spices he had never seen before, giving it an enticing sheen.

This is not just a bowl of rice, it's practically a work of art.

Chapter 135 Kozuki Oden Boards the Ship

Oden hesitated for a moment, but in the end he could not resist the fatal temptation. He put down his twin swords, took the bowl of rice which was bigger than his face, and disregarded the etiquette of pirates. He grabbed a large piece of meat with his hand and stuffed it into his mouth.

The moment the piece of meat entered his mouth, Oden's eyes, which always shone with a wild light, widened in shock.

It was an explosive and exquisite taste that he had never experienced before.

The pork was stewed to perfection, fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry. With a gentle touch of the teeth, the pieces of meat soaked in the secret sauce melted in the mouth.

The rich aroma of meat, mixed with the complex flavors of more than a dozen spices, blooms layer by layer on his taste buds like fireworks.

Immediately afterwards, he shoveled a large mouthful of rice soaked in meat juices.

The sweet aroma of the rice perfectly balanced the saltiness of the meat, and the satisfying texture made him feel as if his entire soul was trembling with happiness.

"Wow! It's so delicious! It's so good!"

Oden let out a muffled, beast-like exclamation, no longer caring about the demeanor of a daimyo, and began to wolf down his food.

He ate at an astonishing speed; the mountain of meat and rice disappeared at a visible pace, making Gatz, who was sitting next to him, swallow hard, feeling as if he had met the most formidable opponent he had ever faced at the dinner table.

"The head chef...that guy...can eat so much..."

Gatz whispered to Ryan.

Raine didn't answer, but calmly watched O-Ten as he quickly jotted down notes in his cookbook.

[Experimental subject: Kozuki Oden.]

[Attributes: Human, top-tier swordsman, possessor of Conqueror's Haki, special physique, suspected of possessing the bloodline of some ancient giant.]

[Ingredient Quality: Top-tier. Its life energy is as boundless as a rushing river. The meat fibers are tough yet elastic, making it the perfect main ingredient for top-quality power-based dishes. The energy contained in its blood is particularly abundant, making it suitable for simmering rich, flavorful broths.]

[Weakness Analysis: Naïve personality, strong curiosity, and lack of resistance to the unknown, especially... delicious food.]

[Cooking advice: This animal is best cooked using the most robust methods, such as roasting it whole on volcanic rock or stewing it in a large pot. Any delicate cooking would be a waste of its primal vitality.]

[Overall Assessment: A walking, talking, and self-aware top-tier ingredient database with immense development potential; long-term holding and observation are recommended.]

After finishing a bowl of rice, Oden let out a long, satisfied burp, feeling all his fatigue and pain vanish, and his limbs filled with inexhaustible strength.

This was more amazing than any delicacy he had ever eaten.

Oden's gaze changed completely as he looked at the still expressionless young chef.

It was no longer just curiosity, but filled with awe and worship.

Oden walked up to Rein and bowed deeply in a solemn manner.

"I made a decision!"

Oden raised his head, staring intently at Raine, then turned to Newgate: "I don't want to defeat you! Please let me on your ship! Even as a menial laborer, I'll do it!"

"I would give anything for the chance to eat such delicious food every day!"

This turn of events left Marco and the others speechless once again.

They thought it would be an earth-shattering battle, but it was resolved with just a bowl of rice.

Looking into Oden's sincere and eager eyes, and then at his own head chef who always managed to create miracles, Newgate finally couldn't help but burst into laughter again.

"Gurarararar! Renn, it seems you've found me another interesting family member!"

He walked up to Oden and patted him heavily on the shoulder with his huge hand.

"Want to board my ship? Sure."

Newgate grinned.

"However, you have to answer one question for me first."

"what is the problem?"

"From now on, will you be responsible for washing all the dishes on the boat?"

Newgate's line, "You're on the ship to wash the dishes," was less of a problem and more of a well-intentioned joke and a sign of acceptance.

Upon hearing this, Kozuki Oden not only didn't feel humiliated, but excitedly patted his chest and loudly replied, "No problem! Not only will I wash the dishes, but I'll also take care of washing the deck and cleaning the cannon barrels!"

In his simple worldview, being able to exchange work for top-notch gourmet food and the opportunity to go on sea adventures every day was simply the most worthwhile deal in the world.

And so, Kozuki Oden, the future shogun of Wano Country and the daimyo of Kuri, dramatically became an apprentice crew member and dishwasher on the New Moby Dick in a way that no one could have predicted.

This decision caused a huge uproar in Wano Country.

When Oden excitedly ran back to Kuri's castle and announced that he was going to sail with pirates, his loyal retainers, such as Kin'emon and Denjiro, were all stunned.

"Lord Oden! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Kin'emon was the first to jump out, sweating profusely: "Pirates are outlaws, vicious and wicked people! How could you associate with them!"

"They are not bad people!"