A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

Oden took the teacup, scratching his head somewhat embarrassedly: "This is the first time I've been out for so long. I kind of miss those guys from Kuri."

He paused, then added, "However, I don't regret it at all! This place is a hundred times, a thousand times, more interesting than Wano Country!"

Raine smiled but didn't speak. He looked at Oden's face, which was full of innocence and boldness, but a complex emotion, barely perceptible, flashed through his heart.

He knew that Oden's adventure had only just begun, and that he would face even more treacherous human nature and fate in the future.

Rein recalled the words he had spoken to Oden before he left, wondering if that seed of vigilance had sprouted in his heart.

Perhaps sensing Renn's silence, Oden turned to look at him and asked seriously, "Brother Renn, what exactly did you mean by what you said earlier? Do you know something?"

Raine met his clear gaze and remained silent for a moment.

He knew that saying things too clearly could backfire.

Ryan simply sighed softly and said in a half-joking tone, "I'm just a chef. I only know that some ingredients may look shiny and appealing on the surface, but they may be rotten and spoiled inside. You need to carefully distinguish them before you can eat them."

"Just like some smiles, they may seem incredibly sincere, but behind them may lie the most deadly poison."

“Mr. Oden, you are a hero, but sometimes a hero’s eyes are too bright, and he can’t see the shadows under his feet.”

After saying that, Ryan said no more and turned to leave.

Oden stood there, pondering Rein's words, seemingly understanding but not quite.

He raised his head and looked up at the deep starry sky once more. For the first time, a hint of contemplation crept into his boundless longing for the future.

The New Moby Dick's voyage continues.

This white whale, carrying a group of future maritime overlords, is speeding towards an even more magnificent era, bearing all their dreams, glory, and bonds.

……

On this day, the New Moby Dick sailed into a strange sea area known as the Shattered Mirror Sea.

The sea surface here is no longer a flat plane, but is composed of countless huge, mirror-smooth ice floes.

These ice floes range in size from islands to houses, and they drift and collide at an extremely slow pace, making a crisp, wind chime-like sound.

Sunlight refracts and reflects between these ice floes, forming countless dazzling and mesmerizing beams of light, distorting the entire world into a bizarre and abstract painting.

Wow! This place is so beautiful!

Oden stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the fantastical scene, his eyes sparkling with childlike curiosity.

"pretty?"

Dorum's face was pale, he gripped the helm tightly, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

"This place is a shipwright's nightmare! These ice floes look smooth, but their edges are sharper than the sharpest blade! If our ship gets scratched, it's no joke!"

"Gurararara, don't worry, Dorum."

Newgate leaned back on his throne, leisurely sipping his drink: "Perfect, let these energetic brats stretch their muscles."

Just as everyone was marveling at this spectacular sight, Silver on the lookout suddenly spoke, his voice colder than the surrounding ice floes.

"Captain, something is coming from directly ahead."

Chapter 138 Another Encounter with Shiki the Golden Lion

Everyone perked up and looked ahead.

In the distant ice labyrinth, a massive shadow was rushing toward them at an incredible speed.

The shadow drew closer and became clearer until finally, they saw what it truly was.

That's not a ship, it's an island!

A massive floating island, like a mobile garbage mountain, pieced together from the wreckage of countless broken pirate ships!

Around the island, more than a dozen warships of varying sizes hovered, defying the laws of physics as they circled the main island like satellites, forming an imposing fleet formation in the air.

At the very top of the main island, a flamboyant figure with long, golden hair like a lion's mane stood against the wind.

He had a cigar in his mouth, wore a gorgeous kimono, and wore an arrogant smile that seemed to look down on the world.

"Then...what is that?!"

Gatz was dumbfounded.

"The ship...is flying in the sky?"

Newgate's pupils contracted sharply. He put down the barrel of liquor in his hand, slowly stood up, and a serious expression appeared on his usually languid face.

“Shiki…”

He slowly uttered the name.

Since the destruction of the Rocks Pirates, this sea has entered an era of many heroes rising up.

Countless powerful figures who had previously remained hidden have emerged and established their own forces.

The Flying Pirates are undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching and powerful forces among them.

Its captain, Shiki the Golden Lion, was a great pirate who stood at the pinnacle of his era, on par with Roger and Whitebeard.

Unexpectedly, we met again in this shattered mirror sea.

Two equally domineering auras collided violently across the distant sea, causing the surrounding massive ice floes to groan under their strain.

Shiki the Golden Lion's fleet approached slowly with an air of supreme dominance.

The floating main island, pieced together from countless shipwrecks, resembled a ferocious beast from the sky, casting a massive shadow that completely enveloped the New Moby Dick.

The air seemed to freeze under this oppressive atmosphere, and the crisp, melodious sound of the ice floes colliding in the Broken Mirror Sea abruptly ceased, leaving only a deathly silence.

"Gurarararar... Shiki, you still have such a big entourage."

Newgate shouldered the naginata and walked to the bow of the ship. His mountain-like body stood firmly, like a pillar that stabilized the sea, instantly dispelling the suffocating sense of oppression.

"Newgate!"

Shiki's voice came from high above, hoarse and magnetic, carrying an undeniable arrogance.

He looked down at the giant white whale below, his eyes scrutinizing his prey.

"I didn't expect to run into you here. That idiot Rocks is dead, so you've started your own business now!"

His words were full of condescending sarcasm, as if the destruction of the Rocks Pirates was nothing more than a farce in his eyes.

"Shiki! You're still as annoying as ever!"

Gatz roared at the sky.

"Hahaha! Same here!"

Skeeter burst into laughter, exhaled a smoke ring, and scanned everyone on the ship before finally settling on Newgate.

"Newgate, I've heard you've been making quite a stir in the New World lately. How about it? Interested in working for me?"

Shiki's invitation was simple and direct, filled with an unquestionable domineering air.

"My fleet is already taking shape, and my plans are about to begin. Follow me, and I can give you everything you desire, whether it be treasure, fame, or... a real kingdom where you can drink in peace!"

These words stunned both Gatz and Dorlum.

They didn't expect that this great pirate would not start by challenging them to war, but by recruiting them.

"Your kingdom?"

Newgate raised an eyebrow, a playful smile appearing on his face.

"I have no interest in ruling other people."

"No, you misunderstood."

Shiki shook his head, opened his arms as if to embrace the whole world, his eyes burning with a mad ambition.

"I don't want to rule, I want to dominate! I will use my power to lift this obstructive sea, along with those foolish lands, all into the sky! I will build an absolute empire that belongs only to me, floating above the clouds!"

"At that time, the World Government, the Navy, the Celestial Dragons—everything will tremble beneath my feet! And you, Newgate, will become the first Admiral of my Empire!"

This outrageous declaration left everyone present speechless.

Will the whole world float up into the sky?

This guy's ambitions were even more arrogant and unrealistic than Lox's.

"Dominate the world?"

Newgate chuckled softly, his voice filled with disdain: "Ski, you're still the same as before, your head is full of unfounded fantasies."

"fantasy?"

Shiki's face instantly darkened, and the floating island beneath his feet trembled slightly at his anger.

“Newgate, you don’t understand! Power, only absolute power can bring absolute freedom! Your childish family games won’t work on this cruel sea!”

"is it?"

Newgate's eyes sharpened, and a powerful, mountain-like aura of Conqueror's Haki erupted, soaring into the sky.

"Then let me see just how strong your so-called absolute power really is!"

"Hahaha! This is exactly what I wanted!"

Shiki's fighting spirit was also completely ignited, and the two famous swords at his feet—Sakura Ju and Mukuro—hummed excitedly.

"Since you refuse to submit, then let your beautiful ship become the foundation of my floating island!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly pressed his hands down.

"Lion Power·Earth Scroll!"

Rumble!

The sea around the New Moby Dick suddenly began to churn violently, and countless huge ice floes were lifted from the water by an invisible force, crashing down on the New Moby Dick like boulders hurled by giants!

The scene was like the end of the world, with the sky collapsing and the earth sinking.

"Oh my God!"

Dorum let out a desperate wail, feeling as if his heart, like the ship, was about to be smashed to pieces.

"Hahaha! Well done!"

Gatz and Oden simultaneously roared with excitement, each carrying their own weapon, ready to charge forward and clash head-on.

"Everyone, stand down."

A calm voice rang out; it was Ryan.

He had somehow reached the bow of the ship, carrying a huge tray with several glasses of fruit juice of various colors and emitting strange aromas.

"It's just a pre-meal exercise, no need to make such a big fuss."

He handed Gatz a glass of juice that was a dark red, lava-like color: "This juice is made from Explosive Pepper and Boiling Blood Herb. It can instantly increase your strength by 30%, but the side effect is that it will make you feel like you are breathing fire."

She then handed Oden a glass of pink juice that smelled of cherry blossoms: "This is made with cherry blossom petals from Wano Country and an energy berry that can activate Haki. It will make your Ryuo even more refined."

Finally, he handed Newgate a glass of pure white liquid that emitted a soft glow.

"This is made with the marrow from the millennium clouds and the sap from the Tree of Life. It can make your vibrational power more stable and... more penetrating."

Chapter 139 Shiki's Shock

The three of them took the juice and drank it all without hesitation.

The next second, three completely different, yet equally terrifying auras erupted from them!

Newgate watched the ice floes raining down from the sky, and simply swung his naginata forward casually.

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a slight hum.

An invisible, imperceptible vibration ripple spread out in a fan shape.

All the massive ice floes that came into contact with this ripple instantly, like sand sculptures weathered by the elements, silently turned into a shower of shimmering powder, which fell in abundance, forming a spectacular diamond rain under the sunlight.

High in the sky, Shiki's arrogant smile froze on his face.

The sky was filled with sparkling ice shards, which fell like diamonds, making the azure sea look like a dream.

The New Moby Dick rests quietly amidst this spectacle created by power, its hull pristine white and undamaged.