"If it's such a great thing, why didn't you go get it?" Silver asked calmly, posing the logical question.
A look of bitterness and helplessness appeared on the faces of Dorry and Brogy. "Because that island has a terrifying guardian, called the King of Laments by our ancestors. Over the years, many powerful giant warriors have gone to challenge it, never to return. That place has become a land of sorrow for Elbaf."
"The King of Laments?" Rocks licked his lips, his smile growing wilder. "Interesting. This is getting more and more interesting!"
Challenging the forbidden, hunting the legendary—this was the game he loved most! "Gatz, are you interested in this fruit?" Rocks asked, turning his head.
Gatz was drooling, his mind consumed with one thought: What does that fruit... taste like? Sweet or savory?
Seeing the eager looks in his crew's eyes, Rocks knew their next destination was set.
"By the way, take this," Brogy said. He rummaged through the remains of the Rockhorn dragon and pulled out a strange, jet-black stone the size of a human head with a metallic texture. It was the dragon's gizzard stone, the essence formed after swallowing countless minerals. "We don't know what it is, but it seems to react faintly to the fog on that island. Perhaps it can serve as your guide."
Ren took the heavy stone. It was cool to the touch, and he could feel a strange, contained energy within it.
After bidding farewell to the two giants, the Rocks Pirates set sail once more. As the two giants waved goodbye with powerful sweeps of their arms, the battered ship sailed into the turbulent, unknown seas.
Onboard, Ren was studying the dragon's gizzard stone on a table, while Gatz excitedly tested his newfound strength. He accidentally snapped a mast rope, earning a string of curses from Dolum. Silver stood at the bow, gazing into the distance as if he could already see the legendary, fog-shrouded island.
Rocks stood at the helm, laughing into the fierce sea wind. "Alright, boys! Are you ready? Let's go find this so-called King of Laments and see if it really knows how to cry!"
A new hunt, centered on a legendary ingredient, had already begun.
Several days after leaving Little Garden, the crew was still excitedly adapting to their massively increased strength.
On deck, Gatz and Dolum were engaged in a primitive test of strength: arm wrestling. They leaned over a rum barrel that served as a table, the muscles on their arms bulging like rocks, veins popping.
"Hah!" Gatz roared, putting all his force into his arm.
CRACK!
With a sharp snap, the victor was not Gatz, but the barrel beneath them. The barrel, made of fine oak, was crushed to pieces by the immense force of their contest, spilling rum all over the deck.
"You bastard! That was my private stash!" Dolum yelled in distress, forgetting the competition as he scrambled to salvage the splintered wood.
Gatz scratched his head sheepishly, grinning foolishly. He hadn't expected his strength to have grown to such a degree.
Elsewhere, Silver was practicing his spear techniques. He wasn't aiming at anything, just standing by the ship's rail, thrusting his spear forward again and again. Each thrust created a sharp, piercing sound, and you could faintly see a white shockwave expanding from the spear's tip. His speed and power had more than doubled.
Rocks leaned against the mainmast, watching all this with satisfaction. This fledgling pirate crew was growing at an astonishing rate. He believed it wouldn't be long before their name made the entire sea tremble.
"Captain, the Head Chef is asking for you," Dolum said, walking over after cleaning up the mess.
Rocks entered the kitchen. Ren was at the stove, studying the black gizzard stone from the Rockhorn dragon. "The energy in this thing is very stable, but its structure is strange," Ren said, tapping the stone with the handle of his knife, producing a crisp metallic sound. "It seems to be able to absorb and store a specific type of energy wave."
"Can you eat it?" Rocks's primary concern was always direct.
"No," Ren shook his head. "But it might make a decent piece of cookware. For example, for dishes that require constant high heat."
Just then, Silver's alert came from the crow's nest, his voice calm but tinged with gravity. "Dead ahead. Five Marine warships, standard fleet formation. They've spotted us."
The atmosphere on the ship changed instantly. Gatz and Dolum immediately grabbed their weapons, warlike grins spreading across their faces. "Marines? Perfect timing! I've been itching for a fight!" Gatz shouldered his anchor, his muscles screaming for action.
Rocks walked to the bow and raised a spyglass. In the distance, five warships were fanning out to encircle them, their dark cannons already aimed at their small, fragile-looking ship. The lead flagship flew a flag with an iron fist and a seagull—the symbol of the Grand Line's G-5 branch, famous for its tough and ruthless methods.
On the flagship's deck, a tall Marine captain with a steel-like stubble on his chin was watching them coldly through a pair of binoculars. "Captain Scylla, it's just a small pirate ship with only four or five crew members. Is this formation really necessary?" an adjutant asked softly beside him.
The man known as "Iron Fist" Scylla lowered his binoculars, a contemptuous sneer on his face. "Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit. Headquarters has been very displeased with the security in the first half of the Grand Line lately. We'll make an example of these rookies who don't know their place. Pass the order: three rounds of covering fire. We're not accepting surrender. Sink them directly!"
"Sir!"
The order was quickly relayed. The marines on the five warships skillfully adjusted their cannons, their expressions relaxed. To them, this was just another simple clean-up mission.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Dozens of cannons roared at once. Cannonballs, trailing black smoke, rained down on the Rocks Pirates' small ship like a dense, iron storm.
Faced with a barrage that could level a small town, Rocks didn't even bother to move. He simply turned his head and grinned at his crew. "Gatz, Silver, Dolum, time to stretch your legs. Remember, don't sink all their ships. We're running low on rum and food."
"OOOH!" the three responded in unison, their eyes shining with excitement.
"Watch this!" Gatz was the first to charge.
He kicked off the deck with explosive force, launching himself into the air like a cannonball, soaring dozens of meters high. In mid-air, he swung his giant anchor, creating an impenetrable black whirlwind.
CLANG! PING! BAM!
The dense barrage of cannonballs slammed into the whirlwind as if hitting an indestructible wall. They were all deflected or detonated, exploding into brilliant fireworks in mid-air. Not a single one reached the ship.
-------
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