A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

"Master Raine!"

Dongli's voice was solemn and dignified.

"From this day forward, you are our Giant Warrior Pirates' friend forever! Elbaf will never forget your kindness!"

"That's right!"

Broki looked up, his eyes burning.

"No matter when or where, if you give the word, all the warriors of Elbaf will fight for you! This is the oath we have sworn in the honor of warriors!"

This is not just a simple expression of gratitude, but the highest promise of a warrior race that has been passed down for hundreds of years.

Lockes watched this scene with his arms crossed, a playful smile on his face.

Using culinary skills to subdue an arrogant giant—this is something that probably only his head chef in the whole world could do.

Ryan calmly accepted their respect; he knew the weight of that vow.

"I'm just a chef. All I do is bring the ingredients back to their rightful value."

He paused, then looked at the two giants.

"However, I accept your friendship."

Dongli and Bloki stood up, their faces beaming with genuine smiles.

They felt that this was not enough to repay Renn's kindness.

The two exchanged a glance, seemingly having made up their minds.

"Captain Rocks, young master Ryan."

Brogy became serious.

"To express our gratitude, we would like to tell you an ancient legend that is only passed down among the warriors of Elbaf."

"Oh?"

Lox raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Our ancestors' logbooks record that deep within the Grand Line lies a forbidden land known as the Isle of Whispering Shadows."

Dongli continued, "That island is shrouded in an eerie mist all year round. Any creature that gets close will hear a mesmerizing, demonic sound and eventually get lost in despair."

"It doesn't sound like a good place."

Gatz scratched his head.

"But according to legend, a unique magical ingredient grows on that island—the Soul Echo Fruit."

Broki's tone carried a hint of awe.

"It is said that whoever eats that fruit will be able to hear the voices of all things for a short period of time!"

The Voice of All Things!

The moment those four words were uttered, Lox's expression changed instantly.

It was a look that mixed fervor, ambition, and a sense of certainty.

Renn's heart skipped a beat.

His system's ingredient encyclopedia had never recorded anything about this fruit. It was beyond the realm of known ingredients; it was a true legendary item!

Chapter 13 The Dragon's Stomach Stone

"Why don't you take such good stuff?"

Silver calmly raised the question.

A bitter and helpless expression appeared on Donald's and Brogy's faces.

"Because there is a terrible guardian on that island, whom our ancestors called the King of Weeping. Over the years, many powerful giant warriors have gone to challenge him but never returned. It has become a place of sorrow for us in Elbaf."

"The King of Sorrow?"

Lox licked his lips, his smile growing even wilder.

"Interesting, getting more and more interesting!"

Challenging taboos and hunting legends—this is the game he's most passionate about!

"Gats, are you interested in this fruit?"

"Lox turned his head and asked."

Gatz was drooling, his mind filled with thoughts of, "What does that fruit taste like? Is it sweet or salty?"

Seeing the eager looks in the crew's eyes, Lockes knew that the next target had been identified.

"By the way, this is for you."

Broki rummaged through the remains of the Rockhorn Dragon for a while and pulled out a strange stone the size of a human head, completely black, and with a metallic texture.

This is the dragon's stomach stone, the essence formed after it devoured countless minerals.

“We don’t know what this is, but it seems to react slightly to the fog over that island, so perhaps it can be a guide for you.”

Raine took the heavy stone; it was cold to the touch, and he could feel a peculiar, restrained energy emanating from it.

Having bid farewell to the two giants, the Rocks Pirates set sail once more.

The dilapidated ship sailed into the turbulent, unknown sea as the two giants waved goodbye with great force.

On the ship, Renn placed the dragon stomach stone on the table to study it, while Gatz excitedly tested his suddenly increased strength, accidentally snapping a mast cable, which drew a barrage of curses from Dorum.

Silver stood at the bow of the ship, gazing into the distance as if he could already see the legendary island shrouded in mist.

Rocks stood by the ship's wheel, facing the fierce sea wind, and laughed loudly.

"Men! Are you ready? Let's go and drag out that so-called King of Sorrow, and see if it can actually cry!"

A brand new hunt centered around legendary ingredients has begun.

Several days after leaving the small garden, the crew members were still excitedly adjusting to the surge of power within them.

On deck, Gatz and Dorum are engaged in a primal contest of strength—arm wrestling.

The two men lay sprawled on a rum barrel that served as a table, their arm muscles bulging like rocks, veins popping out.

"drink!"

Gatz let out a loud shout and suddenly exerted force in his arm.

"Crack!"

With a crisp crack, the victor wasn't Gatz, but the barrel beneath them.

The fine oak barrel was crushed into pieces by the immense force of the two men's struggle, spilling rum all over the ground.

"Damn it! This is my treasured wine!"

Dorum cried out in distress, forgetting the competition, and frantically tried to salvage the remaining wood chips.

Gatz scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled sheepishly.

He never imagined that his strength had reached such a level.

On the other side, Silver was practicing his marksmanship.

He didn't aim at any target; he simply stood on the ship's side and thrust his spear forward again and again.

Each thrust produced a sharp whistling sound as the spear tip cut through the air, and a faint white shockwave could be seen spreading from the tip.

His speed and strength were more than twice as fast as before.

Rocks leaned against the mainmast, watching all this with satisfaction.

This fledgling pirate crew is growing at an astonishing pace, and he believes that it won't be long before their name will make the entire sea tremble.

"Captain, the head chef is calling you."

After cleaning up the mess, Dorum came over and said.

Rocks went into the kitchen.

Raine was standing in front of the stove, studying the black stomach stone from the Rockhorn Dragon.

"This thing has stable energy, but its structure is very strange."

Raine tapped the gastric stone lightly with the handle of his kitchen knife, producing a crisp metallic sound.

"It seems to be able to absorb and store a certain type of energy fluctuation."

"Can I eat it?"

Rocks's most pressing concerns were always so direct.

"No."

Ryan shook his head.

"But it could be a good kitchen utensil, for example, for making dishes that require a constant high temperature."

Just then, Silver on the lookout tower sounded an alarm, his voice calm but tinged with a hint of gravity.

"Straight ahead, five warships, a standard naval fleet formation. They've spotted us."

The atmosphere on the ship changed instantly.

Gatz and Dorum immediately grabbed their weapons, their faces breaking into belligerent grins.

"The Navy? Perfect timing! I've been itching for a fight!"

Gatz carried the anchor, his muscles bulging with rage.

Rocks walked to the bow of the ship and picked up the monocular telescope.

In the distance, five warships approached in a fan shape, their dark cannons already pointed at their seemingly frail and dilapidated little boat.

On the flagship leading the way, a flag bearing an iron fist and a seagull fluttered, the symbol of the G-5 branch of the Grand Line, known for its tough style and ruthless methods.

On the flagship's deck, a tall naval captain with a stubble of steel needles on his chin held up binoculars and coldly watched them.

"Colonel Seaclay, the other side is just a small pirate ship, with only four or five crew members. Is such a big fuss really necessary?"

An adjutant whispered something to him.

The man known as Iron Fist Sicre put down his binoculars, a disdainful sneer appearing on his face.

"Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Recently, the higher-ups have been very dissatisfied with the security situation in the first half of the Grand Line. It's a good opportunity to use these reckless newcomers as a warning to others. Pass down the order: three rounds of artillery fire. No surrender accepted, sink them on sight!"

"Yes!"

The order was quickly relayed. The naval soldiers on the five warships skillfully adjusted their cannons, their faces relaxed.

In their view, this was just a simple clearing operation.

Boom boom boom...

Dozens of cannons roared simultaneously, their shells trailing black smoke, raining down on the Rocks Pirates' small boat like a dense storm of steel.

Faced with artillery fire that could level a small town, Lockes didn't even bother to move.

He simply turned his head and grinned at the crew behind him.

"Gats, Silver, Dorum, stretch your legs. Remember, don't sink all their ships. We're running low on rum and food."

"Oh!"

The three responded in unison, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Look at me!"

Gatz was the first to rush out.

He pushed off with both legs and shot into the air like a cannonball, leaping dozens of meters into the sky.

In the air, he swung the giant anchor in his hands into an impenetrable black whirlwind.

Ding! Clang! Bang!

The dense barrage of shells struck the whirlwind as if hitting an impregnable city wall, bouncing off and exploding into brilliant bursts of fireworks in mid-air, none of them landing on the ship.