A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

"Why should it belong to you! I haven't even tasted what an electric eel tastes like yet!"

Gatz roared defiantly, slamming the giant anchor onto the deck with a dull thud.

Dorum's heart pounded as well; he felt his heart rate curve and the ship's structural strength curve plummeting in perfect sync.

"Gulalalalala..."

Newgate watched his sons arguing fiercely over an ingredient they hadn't even seen before, and let out a satisfied laugh.

This is the kind of adventure he wants.

It's not about fighting for territory, nor about a hollow throne, but about pursuing the finest delicacies and satisfying the purest, most primal desire: to fill one's stomach.

"Alright! Now that our head chef has chosen the menu, we diners are naturally responsible for bringing back the main courses!"

Newgate delivered the final blow, rising from his throne, his mountain-like figure casting a massive shadow, exuding an undeniable aura of dominance.

"Minions! Set sail! Destination—the Sea of ​​Thunderclouds!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh!"

Amidst deafening cheers, the sails of the New Moby Dick were raised once more.

The white whale, carrying the dreams of a group of monsters, turned its bow and, like a hungry beast that had caught the scent of its prey, sped toward the legendary sea, a place full of unknowns and dangers.

The voyage to the Sea of ​​Thunderclouds was long and tedious, especially after the exhilarating banquet with the Roger Pirates.

The atmosphere on the ship briefly became one of holiday-induced lethargy.

Gatz's greatest pleasure each day was lying on the deck sunbathing, his loud snoring carrying for miles.

Occasionally, when he woke up hungry, he would go to the kitchen to bother Renn, trying to get some snacks in advance. Without exception, Renn would hit him on the head with a soup spoon and chase him away.

Oden became completely obsessed with a form of entertainment that didn't exist in Wano Country—fishing.

Of course, his fishing method was also unique.

Instead of using a fishing rod, he wraps his domineering aura around a specially made fishing line made of sea monster tendons and plunges it directly into the deep sea at a depth of 10,000 meters. He calls this the Mind's Eye Fishing Method, which is specifically designed to challenge those huge and irritable deep-sea overlords.

As a result, he often caught some strangely shaped deep-sea monsters that could scare Dorum into fainting on the spot.

Although most of these monsters have unpalatable flesh, they have added a lot of new material to Raine's food encyclopedia.

【Ingredient Name: Abyssal Lanternfish (Mutant)】

[Attributes: Deep-sea fish; its flesh contains a potent toxin, but its bioluminescent organs can serve as a highly efficient and pollution-free source of energy for lighting.]

[Capture Level: 30]

[Cooking suggestion: Not for consumption, but its venom glands can be extracted to create a special seasoning that can instantly paralyze nerves, suitable for handling certain overly active ingredients, such as... Gatz.]

Rein's notebook was filled with more and more entries like these.

Teach, on the other hand, continues to perfectly play his role as a well-behaved and sensible character.

He became even more diligent and attentive, polishing the deck until it shone every day and remembering everyone's preferences clearly.

He would proactively help Gatz deal with the fishy-smelling deep-sea monsters he caught, and when Oden was annoyed because his fishing line had been bitten through, he would immediately offer him Rein's specially made thirst-quenching juice.

He was like the perfect younger brother and the most considerate crew member, winning the favor of most people on board.

Only Ryan could catch a fleeting, deeper flame in his seemingly innocent eyes every time he handed him food.

On this day, the New Moby Dick sailed into a peculiar sea area.

The sky was no longer a simple azure, but instead displayed a magnificent orange-red hue, like the sunset, while a thin layer of pink mist, like cotton candy, floated on the sea.

A faint, sweet fragrance filled the air, instantly uplifting one's mood.

"Wow! This place is so beautiful! It smells like strawberries!"

Oden stood at the bow of the ship, curiously reaching out his hand to try and touch the pink clouds.

Don't touch it!

Ryan's voice stopped him in time.

"These are spores of the dream-eating starfish, which have a strong hallucinogenic effect. If you inhale too much, you will have a very sweet dream, and then starve to death in your dream."

Oden was so frightened that he quickly withdrew his hand.

"Then... what do we do? Go around it?"

"Gats asked."

"Need not."

Ryan shook his head and took out a huge machine from the kitchen, which looked like a blower.

"Dorum, connect this to the ship's backup steam core."

This is a super exhaust fan that Raine modified with the help of Dorum, based on the knowledge in his mind, specifically designed to deal with various foods or environments with special odors.

As the exhaust fan was turned on, a powerful airflow gushed out from the bow, forcefully clearing a safe passage through the pink sea of ​​clouds.

Just when everyone thought they could cross smoothly, the sea suddenly exploded!

A monster the size of a small island, covered in pink carapace and resembling a giant Patrick Star, burst out of the water, its two enormous eyes filled with the rage of its disturbed dream.

Chapter 195 Sea of ​​Thunderclouds

"Roar!"

With a roar filled with the aroma of milk, the giant starfish swung its five mountain-like tentacles and slammed them down on the New Moby Dick!

Faced with this sudden attack, the crew of the New Moby Dick were not panicked at all; instead, they all showed expressions of excitement.

"Hahaha! Finally, I have something to stretch my muscles!"

Gatz was the first to rush forward with the anchor on his shoulder; he felt that if he didn't fight soon, his bones would rust.

"This looks so bouncy and chewy! I wonder what it tastes like!"

Oden's twin swords were drawn, and his eyes gleamed with the light of a gourmet discovering a new ingredient.

"All of you, step back."

Newgate’s steady voice rang out; he didn’t even rise from his throne, but simply tossed the barrel of wine in his hand forward casually.

The enormous oak barrel spun rapidly through the air, producing a dull whistling sound, and struck precisely one of the giant starfish's tentacles as it slammed down.

boom!

With a muffled thud, the barrel burst open, and the aged rum exploded like mist.

The starfish's tentacles were also knocked to the side by this sheer force, hitting empty air and creating a towering wave.

"Roar?"

The Dream-Eating Starfish seemed surprised that this small wooden barrel possessed such power, and a hint of confusion appeared in its enormous eyes.

However, the next second, Newgate's figure appeared ghost-like above its head.

He didn't use the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power; he simply threw a punch.

It was a fist wreathed in jet-black Armament Haki and wisps of black and red Conqueror's Haki lightning.

"Shut up, you're disturbing my drinking."

Boom!

A deafening roar, seemingly capable of shattering the sky, resounded.

The enormous body of the Dream Eater Starfish was struck head-on by a battering ram, and its hard shell was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks.

Before it could even let out a scream, it was pierced through the middle by this earth-shattering punch, its massive body exploding into countless pink specks of light and rich strawberry jam.

A crisis that could have wiped out an ordinary pirate crew was resolved so easily.

"That's... all?"

Gatz and Oden were dumbfounded. They felt like they had been preparing for a home run for ages, only for the baseball to explode on its own.

"The captain is awesome!"

Dorum exclaimed in genuine admiration, feeling that as long as Newgate was there, the ship was invincible.

Ryan then took out his notebook and quickly took notes.

【Ingredient Name: Dream Starfish (Mature)】

[Attribute: Soft-bodied mythical beast, feeds on marine microorganisms and travelers' dreams, lazy in nature, becomes extremely irritable when disturbed.]

[Capture Level: 85 (This creature possesses extremely high physical defense and can create a large-scale hallucinogenic field, making it extremely difficult to deal with.)]

[Cooking Tips: Its flesh (strawberry jam) contains abundant energy and hallucinogenic components. Improper handling can turn it into a deadly poison. However, if purified using special methods, it can be made into a dream dessert that can induce deep sleep and quickly restore mental alertness.]

Renn directed everyone to collect a lot of strawberry jam floating on the sea surface using a special container, preparing to study new desserts later.

The ship set sail again, and the usual noise returned to the deck.

After several more days of sailing, they finally arrived at the legendary Sea of ​​Thunderclouds.

Upon entering this sea area, the sight before them left everyone speechless.

The sky was no longer azure, but shrouded in a thick, churning black thundercloud that seemed almost within reach.

Boom!

Thick, silvery-purple bolts of lightning, like wildly dancing dragons, raged through the clouds, tearing the sky and illuminating the dark sea with flickering light.

The air was thick with a metallic, ozone-like odor that made it hard to breathe.

The sea was no longer calm; instead, towering black waves, tens of meters high and crackling with lightning at their tips, surged forth, like countless giant hands reaching out from the abyss, ready to drag all intruders into hell.

"My God..."

Dorum looked at the apocalyptic scene before him, his face turning deathly pale. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the ship's rudder tightly.

"Is this... really a place where ships can get in?"

"Gurarararar! This is more fun!"

Instead of showing fear, Newgate burst into laughter, his eyes burning with an unprecedented fighting spirit.

"This is the kind of place that's fit for the adventures of the Whitebeard Pirates!"

"Gatz! Oden!"

Newgate's voice boomed like a bell: "Lower the sails! Use your might to stabilize the ship!"

"Silver! Go to the lookout! Keep a close eye on that legendary giant mudskipper!"

"Dorum! Focus! We're going to dance in the cracks of the thunderstorm!"

"Raine!"

Newgate looked towards the kitchen one last time.

"The kitchen is yours! I have a feeling tonight's dinner will be the most satisfying meal we've ever had!"

"Oh oh oh oh!"

Everyone was infected by Newgate's heroic spirit and let out a thunderous roar.

The New Moby Dick, this legendary ship that embodies the hard work of countless people, with everyone's concerted efforts, is like the sharpest dagger, resolutely piercing into this sea of ​​death composed of lightning and storms!

The ship rocked violently in the giant waves, and huge bolts of lightning grazed the masts and crashed down, creating massive whirlpools on the sea surface.

But the performance of the new Moby Dick was pushed to the limit. Its hull, made of Wapo metal and shape memory alloy, was exceptionally sturdy, and each collision with the giant waves produced only a dull, reassuring roar.

Gatsu and Oden, one on each side, unleashed their Armament Haki to its fullest extent, like two anchors firmly holding the ship's balance.

Dorum then unleashed the full potential of a top shipwright; his hands, usually used for calculating repair costs, became incredibly dexterous.

Every turn of the rudder was perfectly timed, allowing the behemoth to perform breathtaking extreme drifts during the breaks in the thunderstorm.

Just then, Silver on the lookout tower suddenly spoke, his voice colder than the surrounding thunder.

"found it."

"Straight above, in the clouds."

Silver's voice, like the most precise coordinates, instantly drew everyone's attention to the churning, dark thunderclouds overhead.

At first, there was nothing there, only silver snakes dancing wildly and thunder rumbling.