A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

Oden refuted this with righteous indignation.

"The food on their ship is delicious! And their captain is a very generous man! I'm sure I can see a wider world by following them!"

"Food...food?"

The retainers looked at each other, feeling that their lord's thought process was beyond their comprehension.

In the end, no matter how earnestly his retainers tried to persuade him, they could not shake Oden's heart, which had already flown to the sea.

He entrusted all matters, large and small, in Kuri to his most trusted retainer, then, carrying his twin swords, ran towards the port without looking back.

"Everyone! I will definitely come back! When I return, I will tell you all the stories from the outside world!"

Oden's laughter echoed through Kuri, filled with boundless anticipation for the future.

On the deck of the New Moby Dick, the crowd watched the samurai, carrying large and small bags, excitedly run aboard, and their expressions varied.

Gatz was the happiest; he felt he had finally found someone like him who could goof around with him.

He put his arm around Oden's shoulder and showed him the fully automatic sea king fishing machine at the stern. The two soon got into a heated argument about whether there were a hundred or two hundred ways to eat sea kings.

Dorum looked utterly dejected. He stared at Oden's two incredibly sharp swords, then at his own pristine deck, feeling a dull ache in his heart and wallet.

He had already started considering whether to apply another layer of coating to the deck using sea stone.

Marco, Joz, and others maintained a cautious and observant attitude towards this new partner.

They acknowledged Oden's strength, but remained somewhat concerned about his overly naive nature.

Newgate, on the other hand, looked like an old father watching his family gain another troublesome son, with a helpless yet doting smile on his face.

Chapter 136 The human heart is more complex than ocean currents

After spending about half a month in Wano Country, the Whitebeard Pirates were preparing to leave.

The ship is about to set sail.

At the port of Wano Country, Kin'emon and the others were still shouting at the top of their lungs, trying to persuade their lord to stay.

Just as Oden stood at the bow of the ship, excitedly waving goodbye to them, Renn walked up to him.

"Mr. Oden."

"Hmm? What's wrong, bro Renn! Is it time for dinner?"

Oden turned around, a hopeful smile on his face.

"It's still early for lunch."

Renn shook his head, his eyes calm yet carrying a depth that was difficult for others to perceive.

"I just wanted to remind you of something."

"Remind me of what?"

Raine's gaze passed over Oden's shoulder and looked towards the distant land where cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and at several figures in the port crowd, each with a different expression.

He remembered that at this point in time, Kaido had not yet invaded, but Wano Country was no longer as peaceful as it seemed on the surface, and undercurrents were already surging within.

Especially that man lurking in the shadows like a venomous snake, Kurozumi Orochi.

Raine cannot speak of the future directly, as that would cause unnecessary trouble and might even change the course of history, leading to worse consequences.

But he could plant a seed of vigilance in a more subtle way.

"Wano Country is beautiful, like a perfect painting."

Raine spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching Oden's ears: "But even the most perfect painting may have a few termites quietly gnawing at the frame on the back."

Oden paused for a moment, his simple mind seemingly failing to grasp the Zen-like meaning of the statement.

"Moths? What does that matter? Just catch them and burn them!"

He laughed nonchalantly.

"Some insects can disguise themselves as part of the painting, making them difficult for you to detect."

Ryan continued, "Before you leave, are you sure everything is arranged? Are all the people you entrusted with this task as trustworthy as you trust them?"

Raine's words were like a small pebble thrown into Oden's clear and calm heart, stirring up a barely perceptible ripple.

He thought of his loyal retainers, the officials in the general's mansion who always flattered him, and the seemingly humble and timid fellow who always followed behind him...

"Brother Renn, what do you mean by that?"

Oden frowned. For the first time, he felt that the boy in front of him, who was younger than him, had such deep eyes that he couldn't see through him.

"Means nothing."

Renn withdrew his gaze and resumed his calm expression.

"Just a reminder that the human heart is more complex than ocean currents, and some dangers do not come from the sea, but from the places you know best."

"Have a pleasant journey, Mr. Oden."

After saying that, Raine turned and went back to the kitchen, leaving Oden alone at the bow of the ship, his brows furrowed, deep in thought.

The New Moby Dick's steam core emitted a deep rumble as the massive ship slowly turned and sailed away from the land of cherry blossoms, heading towards the vast and unknown ocean to begin a brand new adventure.

The addition of Kozuki Oden brought a strong and humorous touch to the daily life of the New Moby Dick.

He was like a giant baby who had just come out of the deep mountains, full of curiosity about everything, with energy that gave everyone a headache.

On the first day of the voyage, he saw Dorum using a special lubricant to maintain the rudder gears and immediately went over to him excitedly.

"Oh my! Dorum! What is this? It smells like tempura oil! Can I drink it?"

As he spoke, he actually reached out to dip his finger in the water and taste it.

Dorum was terrified and pounced on the oil drum like a mother hen protecting her chicks, clutching it tightly and letting out a desperate wail.

"My God! This is the ship's joint oil! Not your soy sauce! You'll die if you drink it! The ship will fall apart!"

On the second day of the voyage, he saw Gatz fishing for sea kings with the fully automatic fishing machine at the stern, and he immediately became interested again.

"Gatz! You're too slow! Watch me!"

Without saying a word, Oden used his famous sword, Ame no Habakiri, as a harpoon and threw it at a giant sea turtle that was passing by and was as big as a small island.

With a flash of light, the turtle's hard shell was pierced through.

However, the injured turtle was enraged. It swung its tail violently, creating a giant wave tens of meters high that slammed into the ship.

Boom!

Although the New Moby Dick was sturdy, it was still shaken violently by the impact.

Dorum's screams echoed through the sky once more: "My ship! My hull armor! It says it feels like it's about to break!"

Gatz, however, was not alarmed but delighted. Looking at the enraged turtle, he roared excitedly, "Hahaha! Oden! Well done! This guy looks really chewy!"

Two battle maniacs, weapons in hand, jumped into the sea and engaged the sea turtle in a fierce battle, turning the world upside down.

In the end, the unfortunate turtle became the main dish on the dinner table—Raine's special Dragon Palace Turtle Soup.

Oden and Gatsu each held a soup bowl bigger than their heads, sweating profusely as they drank, still arguing about who had knocked out the turtle first.

On the third day of the voyage, Oden finally turned his attention to the two most mysterious people on the ship—Silver and Ryan.

He saw Silver standing on the highest lookout tower, his eyes closed, as if he had become one with the wind, his breath gone.

"Silver! What are you doing? Sleeping?"

Oden shouted at the top of his lungs.

Silver slowly opened his eyes, his cold gaze sweeping over without saying a word.

The next second, his figure vanished from the spot and reappeared behind Oden, the spear in his hand silently pressed against Oden's back.

Oden's body tensed instantly; he could feel the terrifying sharpness emanating from the spear tip, sharp enough to pierce through his body.

"Your senses... are too dull."

Silver's voice, like an icy spring, rang in Oden's ears.

Cold sweat beaded on Oden's forehead. For the first time, he realized that besides Newgate and Ryan, there were so many unfathomable monsters on this ship.

His curiosity about Ryan reached its peak at mealtimes every day.

Ryan's kitchen was like a bottomless treasure trove, where he could conjure up bizarre dishes that he had never heard of or seen before every day.

There's volcano-grilled meat that can boost muscle activity, deep-sea fish brain soup that can enhance mental concentration, and various salads made with exotic flowers and herbs that have a unique taste.

Oden felt as if he had boarded a mobile ark of gourmet food, rather than a pirate ship.

The thing he looks forward to most every day is hearing Ryan call for dinner.

……

Chapter 137 Conversation with Kozuki Oden

In just one month, Kozuki Oden fully integrated into the unique family of the Whitebeard Pirates.

He was no longer just a passerby who boarded the ship out of curiosity and for the food, but was truly inspired by the group's boldness and bond, and became one of them.

Oden began to learn to live like a real pirate.

He learned from Gatz how to play rock-paper-scissors with the rudest language and the most exaggerated movements. If he lost, he would punish himself with a large bucket of fresh water, and then the two of them would run to the toilet arm in arm.

He also learned from Dorum how to distinguish different types of wood and alloys. Although he could never remember those complicated names, his amazing wrist strength always came in handy when it was necessary to forcibly reinforce the hull.

This changed Dorum's attitude towards him from initial disdain to a complex feeling of "he's very capable of taking things apart, but we can still make do with him."

Oden would even take the initiative to spar with Silver.

Although he was repeatedly humiliated by his opponent's unpredictable marksmanship, his beast-like combat instincts and tenacious vitality grew rapidly during these high-intensity training sessions.

Oden began to understand that battles were not just about wide-ranging slashes, but also about deadly blows hidden in the shadows.

Of course, Oden's greatest idols were still Newgate and Ryan.

In Oden's eyes, Newgate was the epitome of boldness and power.

After a day of fooling around, Oden liked to pull up a small stool and sit next to Newgate's throne, listening to him tell stories of the past and describe his understanding of his family.

Newgate's indomitable spirit and determination to protect his family were deeply imprinted in Oden's heart, planting an important seed for his future life path.

In Oden's eyes, however, Raine was a complete god.

He can create mouthwatering delicacies from the most ordinary ingredients; he can articulate the most profound truths in the calmest tone; and he can calmly command everything on the most chaotic battlefield.

Oden even felt that Ryan was the real captain of the ship, while Newgate was just responsible for fighting and drinking.

That evening, a banquet was held on the deck.

Ryan brought out his treasured ingredients and cooked an extremely luxurious feast for everyone.

The main dish is an "eternal longevity soup" made by simmering the skirt of the giant sea turtle that Oden and Gatsu subdued together, along with more than a dozen kinds of rare mushrooms brought from Wano Country, over a low flame for a full eight hours.

The soup is golden in color, rich and mellow, and every sip feels like savoring the essence of life.

Everyone sat around the campfire, eating meat and drinking wine heartily, creating a lively and warm atmosphere.

Oden, his face flushed from drinking, put one arm around Gatz's shoulder and held up a huge wine glass in the other, singing loudly a song he had made up about the heroes of Kyuri. Although he was completely off-key, it was full of joy.

Newgate leaned back on his throne, gazing at the scene before him, his usually dignified eyes now filled with tenderness and contentment.

He looked at Oden, who was drinking with Gatz, and at Dorum, who was sighing because another piece of paint had been chipped off the side of the ship.

Looking at Marco, who was quietly refilling everyone's drinks, and Renne, who was sitting quietly in the corner, wiping his kitchen knife with a faint smile on his face.

He knew this was the home he wanted.

A home where all the homeless bastards can drink and laugh without worry.

After the banquet, everyone dispersed.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Raine was about to return to his room to study the latest changes in the Heart of the World when he saw Oden standing alone at the bow of the ship, gazing at the distant starry sky, seemingly lost in thought.

Are you homesick?

Raine walked over to him and handed him a cup of hot tea made with calming herbs.

"Ah."