A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

It was a very faint yet extremely penetrating scent, like two ancient murder weapons that had been sealed away for hundreds of years being pulled from their graves, carrying the resentment and murderous intent of a bygone era.

"Is trouble brewing?"

Raine muttered to himself, a sharp, cold glint flashing in his usually calm, abyss-like eyes.

He didn't make a sound, but silently quickened his movements.

The dinner menu was changed at the last minute.

The originally prepared light seafood soup was replaced with a berserker soup made from the heart of a blazing mammoth and boiling blood grass, which could set one's blood ablaze.

The main course, pan-fried fish fillet, has been replaced with a double portion of "King of Roasted Meat" made with the spine meat of a whole deep-sea crocodile, along with more than a dozen spicy spices that can stimulate muscle potential.

"Dinner is ready."

When Raine brought the dish, radiating intense heat and a domineering aroma, to the deck, everyone felt their appetites ignited like never before.

"Hahaha! Head Chef! What's the occasion? Why are the dishes so delicious!"

Gatz was the first to roar with excitement; he felt a surge of power just from smelling the aroma.

"nothing."

Ryan calmly replied, "I just suddenly felt that everyone might need to replenish some extra energy."

Without much thought, everyone immediately immersed themselves in this powerful and splendid feast.

They ate meat and drank soup heartily, and everyone's face was filled with a satisfied smile.

In the corner, Teach was diligently gnawing on a huge piece of roast meat while secretly observing everyone from an angle only he could see.

He could sense that the atmosphere was different today.

The aura of the monsters on the ship became more violent and aggressive than ever before after they ate this meal.

And the head chef, who was always unusually calm, seemed to have a hint of... murderous intent today.

"Hehehehe... This is getting more and more interesting."

Teach smiled silently to himself as he swallowed the last bite of meat.

He knew that the ship was about to face a real storm.

All he needs to do is hide in the safest corner, quietly waiting for the storm to arrive, and then, at the most opportune moment, steal the sweetest fruit that is enough to overturn the world.

As night deepened, the New Moby Dick, like a white behemoth, cruised leisurely in the boundless blue.

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone dispersed, some going back to their rooms to sleep, and others enjoying the sea breeze on the deck.

Newgate leaned back on his throne, gazing intently at the starry sky above, obscured by dark clouds.

He could also sense that the sea's emotions... had become somewhat agitated.

This is an intuition derived from top-tier experts, an instinctive warning of danger.

"Raine."

Newgate's voice was deep.

"I'm here, Captain."

Ryan's figure emerged from the shadows of the kitchen.

"Did you feel it too?"

"Ah."

Raine nodded: "The wind smells wrong, like old rust being soaked in blood again."

This metaphor instantly sharpened Newgate's gaze.

"It seems that the defeat of the Knights of God has made those old guys restless."

Who will they send?

"do not know."

Newgate shook his head.

"But there aren't many things on this vast sea that can make me feel pressured anymore. No matter who it is, this banquet will probably not be an easy one."

"It's alright."

Ryan's tone remained calm, yet carried an undeniable confidence.

"We'll meet force with force and water with earth. As long as the kitchen is still there and we have enough ingredients, we'll fight to the bitter end, no matter who comes."

"Goo la la la la!"

Newgate burst into laughter, the last trace of gloom in his heart completely dispelled by Ryan's simple words.

Yeah, what's there to be afraid of?

He has the strongest family in the world, and... the strongest chef in the world.

"That's true."

Newgate lay back down, shaking the bottle of special happy water in his hand: "Then for breakfast tomorrow, I'd like something a little sweeter."

"understood."

Ryan turned and walked back to the kitchen, and the deck returned to silence.

However, unbeknownst to everyone, a massive storm, capable of upending the entire world order, was surging toward them with unstoppable force beneath this seemingly calm sea.

Three days later.

The New Moby Dick sailed into a strange sea area.

There was no wind or waves here; the sea was as calm as a giant black mirror, reflecting the leaden gray sky overhead, a sky so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

There was no smell in the air, neither the saltiness of the sea nor the scent of life; it all seemed to have been completely erased by an invisible force, forming an absolute and chillingly silent realm.

"Strange...where am I?"

Gatz, carrying the anchor, cautiously looked around. For the first time, his sensitive nose failed him, which made him feel inexplicably irritated and uneasy.

"The record pointer is malfunctioning, and the permanent pointer is spinning around like a headless fly."

Dorum gripped the helm tightly, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"It seems we've stumbled into... a sea that shouldn't exist."

"Gulalalalala, interesting."

Newgate slowly stood up, his vast and boundless Observation Haki spreading out, only to be surprised to find that his Haki was suppressed by at least 70% in this desolate sea, greatly shortening his perception range.

He could sense that the laws governing this sea area seemed to have been forcibly distorted and rewritten by some more powerful force.

"Everyone, on high alert!"

Newgate's voice was loud and clear, carrying an unprecedented solemnity.

Almost the instant he finished speaking.

On the distant horizon, a huge black dot slowly emerged.

That wasn't an island, it was a ship.

A massive steel warship, entirely black, with a design that exudes classicism and majesty, yet also radiates an aura of endless unease.

Chapter 179 The Five Elders Attack

The ship wasn't flying any flags, but its mere presence seemed to swallow up all the light in the sky.

An ancient, terrifying pressure that transcended life and death crashed down on the New Moby Dick like an invisible mountain!

Under this oppressive force, the sturdy hull of the New Moby Dick groaned under the strain. Dorum turned pale, feeling as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

Even top-tier fighters like Gatzi and Oden felt their bodies become incredibly heavy, making it difficult to even breathe.

"What...what kind of monster is this?!"

Gatz gritted his teeth, his muscles bulging, trying to resist the terrifying pressure, only to find that his strength was as insignificant as an ant in the face of that power.

The dark warship slowly approached and finally stopped on the sea a kilometer away from the New Moby Dick.

Two figures slowly emerged from the deck.

On the left is a person wearing a black kimono embroidered with gold patterns, wooden clogs, and a long sword that emits an eerie purple light at his waist.

He was thin, with a face like withered tree bark, and his bald head reflected an eerie light in the gloomy sky.

He is one of the Five Elders, the financial god, Izambaron V. Nassshuro.

The man on the right is tall and burly, wearing a dark green suit, but his face is expressionless, like a lifeless sculpture.

He was bald, with a mustache shaped like the number eight, a birthmark on his forehead, and empty yet profound eyes that seemed to contain the birth and death of the universe.

Environmental War God, Topman Vochuli Saint.

The moment Newgate saw those two faces, his pupils contracted sharply, and a look of shock appeared on his usually bold face.

"The Five Elders..."

He forced out those three words through gritted teeth.

As a former core member of the Rocks Pirates, he naturally knew these men who stood at the pinnacle of world power.

But he never imagined that he would confront them in this way.

"Edward Newgate."

Nasujiro Sei spoke slowly, his voice hoarse yet full of penetrating power, as if it could pierce directly into a person's soul.

“We thought you would be the next person closest to the throne after Rocks’ death, but you have disappointed us. You have chosen a childish path.”

His gaze swept over the people on the New Moby Dick, as if he were looking at a group of trash waiting to be disposed of.

"A motley crew trying to meddle in God's domain, how utterly foolish."

"Enough with the nonsense!"

Gatz was the first to roar; he couldn't tolerate anyone insulting his family.

"You bunch of cowardly old codgers! What right do you have to judge us!"

"qualifications?"

A faint expression finally appeared on Sacred Vocuri's face—a smile that was a mixture of pity and cruelty, like a god looking down upon ants.

"The weak have no right to ask questions."

Before he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot.

The next second, he appeared above the New Moby Dick as if by teleportation, and opened his mouth.

There was no sound, no roar.

But an invisible, terrifying suction force, powerful enough to distort space, instantly enveloped the entire ship!

"not good!"

Newgate's expression changed drastically. He could sense that the force was not simply gravity, but rather a devouring of space itself from a higher dimension!

He immediately pushed the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to its limit, attempting to tear apart the locked space with the force of the tremors.

However, the moment his vibrational power came into contact with that devouring power, it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, easily dissolved and absorbed.

"it's useless."

The voice of Saint Vocuri rang out.

At the same time, the New Moby Dick began to tremble violently, its hull emitting a mournful cry of unbearable strain, as if it were about to be completely swallowed up by that invisible maw at any moment.

The people on the ship felt as if their souls were being ripped out of their bodies, and they were all swaying and in great pain.

The scales of victory tipped dramatically from the very beginning.

At this critical moment.

A calm voice, clearly transmitted through the ship's public address system, reached everyone's ears.

"I already told you not to disturb the chefs while they're serving meals."

The moment the words fell, a domineering aroma, completely opposite to the lifeless stillness of the Sacred Vocuri, burst forth from the direction of the kitchen without warning!