Dorry and Brogy could no longer be bothered with warrior's honor. They grabbed the scorching hot dragon steaks with their bare hands and began to tear into them.
"Waaaaah! Delicious! This is too delicious!"
"This meat... it melts in your mouth! My teeth don't even feel any resistance!"
The expertly cooked dragon meat contained a strange energy. As they ate, pure streams of heat flowed through their limbs. Gatz felt every muscle in his body cheering. With every chew, he felt his strength increase. The few small scratches he had gotten during the hunt healed at a visible rate.
Silver's eyes became brighter than ever before. He felt his five senses being magnified to an incredible degree; he could even hear a beetle crawling across a leaf several miles away. Dolum's chronic back pain from years of shipwright work was washed away by a warm current, leaving him feeling light and refreshed.
This was the true power of the "Boon of the Feast"! By combining top-tier ingredients and culinary skill, the energy within the food was maximized and directly applied to the consumer's body, bringing about permanent enhancements to their constitution!
Rocks leaned against a tree with a bowl of dragon bone soup, feeling the ever-growing and solidifying power within him. His face was a mask of satisfaction and ecstasy. He knew he had obtained the world's most precious treasure. Devil Fruits, famous swords—they all paled in comparison to a chef who could make his comrades continuously stronger through his cooking. This pirate crew was growing at an unbelievable rate!
The Feast of Giants lasted from dusk until late into the night. The entire Rockhorn Triceradragon was devoured by the six humans and two giants, right down to the bones, which were cracked open to suck out the buttery, fragrant marrow inside. Everyone lay on the ground, rubbing their full bellies, their faces flushed with happiness.
"Buuuurp..." Dorry let out a world-shaking belch. "I've lived for over a hundred years," he said with heartfelt emotion, "but only today did I learn that eating... can be such a happy thing."
Brogy nodded in deep agreement. "Master Ren! From now on, you are the most honored guest of Elbaf! Anyone who disrespects you is provoking all the giant warriors!"
Their address for Ren had changed from "little one" to "Master Ren."
The warmth of the feast had not yet faded when the first light of dawn pierced the dense canopy of the ancient jungle, falling on the sleeping figures.
The first to wake was Gatz. He sat up abruptly, feeling an inexhaustible strength coursing through him, as if he had swallowed a volcano the night before. Gatz subconsciously clenched his fist, and the air made a dull popping sound. He stared at his hand, then at the giant anchor nearby, which usually required both hands to wield. On a whim, he reached out with one hand and lifted it with ease.
"My god..." Gatz's mouth formed an 'O'. He felt like he could punch through a mountain.
Silver also opened his eyes. His world was clearer than ever before. He could hear the faint sound of a beetle chewing on a leaf miles away and could distinguish hundreds of different floral scents in the wind. His body felt as light as a feather. With a mere thought, he appeared like a ghost on the top of a tree ten meters away, completely silent.
Dolum stretched, and a series of cracking sounds came from his bones. It wasn't the creak of old age, but a song of rebirth. He felt twenty years younger. The chronic muscle strain and old injuries from years of ship repair were completely washed away by a warm force, filling him with unprecedented vitality.
Overnight, the members of the Rocks Pirates had undergone a complete metamorphosis.
"Kyahahaha! Master Ren's cooking is a gift from the God of Elbaf!" Brogy's bell-like laughter sent birds scattering from the trees. He and Dorry also felt the changes in their bodies. They felt their warrior blood reignited, even more vigorous than in their youth.
The two giants walked over to Ren, their massive figures casting shadows like mountains. Then, they did something that surprised even Rocks. They knelt on one knee, placed their right fist over their hearts, and offered the eight-year-old boy the highest salute of an Elbaf warrior.
"Master Ren!" Dorry's voice was solemn and respectful. "From this day forward, you are an eternal friend of the Giant Warrior Pirates! Elbaf will never forget your kindness!"
"That's right!" Brogy looked up, his eyes burning with passion. "Whenever, wherever, at your single word, all the warriors of Elbaf will fight for you! This is our vow, sworn on our warrior's honor!"
This was no simple thank you; it was the highest promise of a battle-born race with centuries of heritage. Rocks watched with his arms crossed, an amused smile on his face. To make the proud giants bow with cooking—only his Head Chef could pull off something like that.
Ren calmly accepted their salute. He knew the weight of this vow. "I'm just a chef. All I did was restore the ingredient to its proper value." He paused and looked at the two giants. "However, I accept your friendship."
Dorry and Brogy stood up, their faces beaming with sincere smiles. They felt that this was still not enough to repay Ren's kindness. They exchanged a look, seeming to have made a decision.
"Captain Rocks, Master Ren," Brogy said, his tone turning serious. "To express our gratitude, we want to tell you an ancient legend, one passed down only among the warriors of Elbaf."
"Oh?" Rocks raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued.
"In the logs of our ancestors, it is recorded that deep in the Grand Line lies a forbidden place known as the Island of Whispering Shadows," Dorry continued. "That island is perpetually shrouded in a strange fog. Any living creature that approaches will hear a soul-stealing demonic sound and eventually become lost in despair."
"Doesn't sound like a nice place," Gatz scratched his head.
"But according to legend, a unique, mythical ingredient grows on that island—the Soul-Echo Fruit," Brogy said, his voice tinged with awe. "It is said that whoever eats that fruit can, for a short time, hear the Voice of All Things!"
The Voice of All Things!
At these words, the look in Rocks's eyes changed instantly. It was a mixture of fanaticism, ambition, and absolute determination.
Ren's heart also skipped a beat. His system's ingredient index had no record of such a fruit. This was beyond the scope of known ingredients; it was truly the stuff of legend!
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