Rocks stood at the bow, facing the sea breeze, looking down at the white wake torn open by the warship. His face was filled with unconcealed arrogance and satisfaction. This ship was the king's vessel that could carry his ambitions. "Captain," Ren's voice came from behind.
Rocks turned and saw Ren standing behind him, holding a menu. "The new kitchen equipment has been debugged," Ren said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "To celebrate moving into our new home, tonight's menu is the 'Banquet of the Hegemon'."
Rocks raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How hegemonic?"
"The main course is the entire spine of the A5-grade Iron-Armored Bull from the G-5 icehouse, roasted at volcanic rock temperature, and then drizzled with a sauce made from their hundred-year-old rum and thirty different spices. I call it 'The King's Spine'."
"The soup is the 'Seven Illusions Rainbow Pot,' made with seven top-tier seafood ingredients like snow crab, deep-sea lobster, and phantom light shells, simmered with the head of the previous Azurefin Tuna and enhanced with Stardust Ink."
"And for dessert, 'Rainbow Paradise Island,' made with Linlin's favorite glowing berries and sky-island honey."
With every dish Ren announced, Rocks's Adam's apple bobbed. He knew this was not just a celebration dinner; it was Ren's declaration of his supreme culinary skills on this brand-new stage.
That night, an extremely luxurious feast was held in the warship's spacious dining room. When the "King's Spine," which looked as if it were cast from gold and exuded a fatal meaty aroma, was brought to the table; when the lid of the "Seven Illusions Rainbow Pot," which was so fragrant it seemed to contain the entire sea, was lifted, everyone went into a frenzy.
Under the dual enhancement of the "Boon of the Feast" and the top-tier ingredients, waves of energy, purer and more massive than ever before, flowed into everyone's body. The stamina they had consumed in the battle at G-5 was instantly replenished. They even felt their strength breaking through to a new level under the catalysis of battle and food. Of course, the experience points Ren gained also soared, although he was still a long way from the next level of culinary skill.
At the end of the banquet, Rocks raised his wine glass. His gaze swept over every comrade present. "We have the world's strongest ship, the world's best chef, and..." He paused, grinned. "A group of the world's most lawless bastards!"
"Alright, boys! To our new home, and to the hegemony we are about to begin, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Marineford, the atmosphere in the Fleet Admiral's office was so heavy you could squeeze water out of it. The current Fleet Admiral, "Steel Bone" Kong, slammed a newly arrived urgent report on the table with a loud bang. "Damn it!" His roar made the entire office buzz. "The G-5 fortress fell within three hours! Commander Bastille is seriously injured and unconscious! And most importantly... the Marines' top-secret, latest experimental warship, the Behemoth, designed with the participation of Dr. Vegapunk, has been stolen by a group of pirates!"
Standing opposite him was a young figure in a white suit, munching on a rice cracker with a playful look on his face. It was the future hero of the Marines, Monkey D. Garp. "Reporting, Fleet Admiral. According to the survivors' descriptions, the captain of that pirate crew is a man named Rocks," Garp said indistinctly, crunching on his cracker. "And on their ship, there's a giant woman who can control fire and lightning, and a white-bearded man who can shatter space."
"Rocks... Rocks again!" "Steel Bone" Kong's fists clenched so hard they cracked. He looked at the photo of the wildly laughing man in the report, an unprecedented killing intent in his eyes. He knew that an unprecedented era of terror, one that could shake the rule of the World Government, had officially begun with the theft of that behemoth.
And on the vast sea, the black warship, now named the Behemoth, was carrying a group of future hegemons of the seas, sailing resolutely toward the New World, braving the storm...
On the sixteenth day of the voyage, the Behemoth entered a bizarre sea region. There was no wind here. The sea surface was as smooth as a mirror, but the sky was covered in a thick, lead-gray fog, reducing visibility to less than ten meters. All around was dead silence. There were no seabirds, no signs of fish. It was as if they had stepped into the world's graveyard.
"This place is a bit off," Gatz shouldered his anchor and looked around warily. He could feel a sticky, uncomfortable dampness in the air.
Dolum gripped the helm, sweat beading on his forehead. "The Log Pose is not working. The magnetic field here is completely chaotic! It's like we're trapped in a sealed box!"
Just as everyone was on alert, Silver's voice suddenly came from the crow's nest. It was as calm as ever, but with a hint of gravity. "Straight ahead. A ship has been spotted."
Everyone's spirits lifted, and they all looked toward the bow. In the thick fog, a blurry black dot slowly appeared and gradually became clearer. It wasn't a large ship, just a small, ordinary-looking, single-masted fishing boat. A man was sitting at the bow, holding a simple fishing rod, leisurely fishing, as if he were completely unfazed by the strange surroundings. He was wearing a washed-out linen short coat, his messy hair tied back, and he had a scruffy beard. A huge wine gourd was hanging from his waist. He looked like the most down-and-out fisherman, but the eyes of Rocks and Newgate both narrowed. They could feel that the seemingly ordinary man contained a power as deep as an abyss, yet as volatile as a volcano, ready to erupt at any moment. It was not killing intent, but a pure, tempered strength that had returned to its true essence.
"Hey! You on the boat ahead! Who are you?!" Gatz shouted in his loud voice, trying to use the volume to dispel the unease in his heart.
The man heard him, lazily looked up, revealing a plain, even somewhat decadent face. He seemed to have just woken up. He yawned, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and then his gaze swept over the massive hull of the Behemoth, finally landing on the kitchen's chimney. He sniffed hard, and his eyes suddenly lit up. The sharpness in that instant was a huge contrast to his decadent demeanor. "Smells good..." he muttered to himself. Then, he stood up, put away his fishing rod, and gave Rocks and the others a simple, honest smile. "Uh... bros, could you spare a bite to eat? I've been lost in this place for days, and I've run out of dry rations."
Gatz and Dolum looked at each other. Is this guy crazy? To see a huge, black ship that was clearly not friendly in this bizarre sea, and his first reaction was not to run, but to beg for food?
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (330 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (130 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (140 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (330 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (160 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (170 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (90 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (130 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (140 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (140 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (150 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (120 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (100 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (50 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (60 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.