After hearing Newgate's words, the gravity on Rocks's face suddenly vanished, replaced by a laugh louder and more unrestrained than ever before. "Wahahahahahaha!"
He stood up, walked over to Newgate, and slapped his shoulder heavily. "Well said! What I, Rocks, want has never been a pack of dogs who only follow orders! I need kings who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me and overturn the world together!"
The fire of ambition burned fiercely in Rocks's eyes. He looked directly into Newgate's eyes and said, word for word, "I don't care about subordinates, partners, or family! As long as our goals are the same, as long as we can still sit at the same table to drink and eat, then we are on the same ship!"
"From this day forward, you, Edward Newgate, are the second-in-command of the Rocks Pirates!"
"Gurararara! Then it's settled!"
The two men, both standing at the pinnacle of their era, made an agreement that would change the future of the world in the simplest, most direct way. There was no complex ceremony, no lengthy oath. Only two large, scarred wine bowls clashing heavily in mid-air.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Strong liquor down the throat, heroic spirit soaring.
"Oh yeah! Great! Another drinking buddy!" Gatz finally came to his senses. He excitedly raised his own barrel and was about to challenge Newgate to a drinking contest. But as soon as he got close, he was pushed back by the aura Newgate unconsciously emitted, nearly stumbling.
"You're still far too weak, you brat!" Newgate glanced at him and laughed heartily.
Gatz wasn't angry. He just grinned foolishly. "Of course! Big Bro Newgate... no, Big Bro Whitebeard! It's a pleasure to be working with you!" Looking at Newgate's signature mustache, he had taken it upon himself to give him a nickname.
"Whitebeard?" Newgate stroked his mustache. He thought the name was quite fitting. "Gurararara, call me whatever you want!"
Dolum, on the other hand, was on the verge of tears. He was scribbling in his small notebook, calculating the ship's weight limit and drawing all sorts of wild reinforcement plans. "This won't do. I have to find some Treasure Tree Adam wood... otherwise, this ship will be shaken apart by the aftershocks of their punches sooner or later..."
"It would be best to get a Seastone-plated hull too. What if they get drunk and use their abilities on the ship..."
"And the food stores. With another big eater, the Head Chef's pressure will be immense. The cold storage must be expanded..."
The shipwright's muttering became a dark, humorous background noise to the heroic banquet.
Ren silently handed the last piece of toast to Silver and then began to clear the dishes. To him, one more person on the ship just meant preparing one more meal a day. Besides, this man named Newgate was incredibly strong, his vitality like a furnace. He was the perfect test subject for the "Boon of the Feast." A faint smile, like that of a scientist who has found the perfect specimen, touched the corners of Ren's lips.
The celebration for their new comrade lasted late into the night. The deck was a mess of plates and cups, with barrels of wine lying about. Gatz finally got his drinking contest with Newgate, and the result was, of course, that he was drunk into oblivion. He was now hugging the anchor chain, fast asleep and snoring, still mumbling about another barrel.
Rocks and Newgate were leaning against each other, looking at the starry sky, chatting idly.
"Why did you set out to sea?" Rocks suddenly asked.
Newgate took a swig of wine, his gaze becoming distant. "What I want is simple. A family." He looked at the crew members sprawled across the deck, a gentle smile on his face. "A family that can be noisy together, drink together, a family that I would risk my life to protect."
Hearing this, Rocks was silent for a moment, then scoffed. "What a boring dream." He paused, drank the last of his wine, and his voice became incredibly firm. "But, since you're on my ship, I'll help you achieve your dream along the way."
"From this day on, the people on this ship are your family."
Newgate turned his head and looked at Rocks's face, which was filled with arrogance and ambition. After a long moment, he nodded heavily. "Gurararara... you're a real bastard, but you do say something nice once in a while."
The two men's laughter echoed far into the silent night. A new, terrifying combination that would one day make the World Government tremble was officially born after this feast of fine food and strong liquor.
The addition of "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate brought about a world-shaking change to this already extraordinary pirate ship. The most direct evidence was that daily life on the ship became much livelier.
Mornings were no longer started by the sound of Dolum hammering on the hull, but by the terrifying commotion created by Newgate and Rocks's morning training on deck. The two wouldn't actually fight, but the occasional clash of their Conqueror's Haki was enough to make the whole ship tremble and wake Gatz from his sleep, thinking they had run into another storm.
Gatz became Newgate's number one little brother. He no longer pestered Rocks, but instead followed Newgate around, calling him "Big Bro Whitebeard." He would eagerly ask Newgate for advice on how to make his punches heavier. When Newgate was in a good mood, he would give him a few pointers. Just a few tips on how to use his strength were enough for Gatz to benefit greatly, feeling his destructive power had risen to a new level.
Silver, on the other hand, had found the perfect sparring partner. He would proactively challenge Newgate. Although every one of his attacks was easily blocked by a single finger, this opportunity to hone his spear skills against an absolute powerhouse deepened his understanding of the assassin's way. His spear became faster, more unpredictable, and more deadly.
Dolum was caught in a state of happy distress. He discovered that although Newgate looked rough, he had a beast-like intuition about the ship's structure. Newgate could clearly hear which plank on the hull was groaning and could sense where the keel's weakest point was. So, Dolum began to pester Newgate every day, asking him to "listen" to the ship.
"Lord Whitebeard, could you listen again? Does this mainmast sound a bit weak?"
"Lord Whitebeard, what do you think? How's the watertightness of this new plank I just installed?"
Newgate was annoyed by him, but seeing his almost fanatical obsession with the ship, he had no choice but to patiently help him with the inspections. One would ask, the other would answer. A shipwright and a future hegemon of the seas began to have an in-depth and bizarre exchange about ship repair and maintenance.
At the center of all this was still Ren's kitchen.
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