A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

Chapter 218 Do you want to eat?

Ryan's gaze swept over the children, finally settling on the boy whose face was covered by a scarf.

Even though he was just a child, Katakuri's powerful Observation Haki talent was already beginning to show. He seemed to sense something unsettling about Rein, and his eyes showed a hint of wariness.

"Hey, hey, hey! Newgate, you still haven't answered my question!"

Lingling's patience seemed to have run out. She pointed at the ancestral giant tortoise, her eyes filled with undisguised greed.

"This toy at your feet smells delicious! Hand it over to me and I'll spare your lives!"

This righteous and righteous bandit logic made the members of the Whitebeard Pirates laugh in anger.

"Are you kidding me!"

Gatz was the first to roar.

"Trying to take over our home? Ask our anchor for permission first!"

Lingling's eyes instantly turned incredibly dangerous, and a terrifying aura of Conqueror's Haki erupted, turning the clouds in the sky an ominous black because of her anger.

"Gats, you little brat, you've gotten bolder and bolder over the years! Looks like I'll have to make you dessert first!"

Charlotte Linlin revealed a cruel smile. The sun Prometheus above her head instantly expanded, transforming into a giant fireball. The scorching heat caused the surrounding seawater to boil.

"Heavenly Fire!"

At Lingling's command, the enormous fireball, like a real meteorite, with a long trail of flame, crashed down on the head of the Primordial Giant Tortoise.

"Gulalalalala! Lingling, your temper is still as bad as ever!"

Newgate laughed loudly. He stood still, not even using the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power, and simply swung his naginata forward casually.

An invisible slash, formed purely from Conqueror's Haki, pierced through the air and struck the massive fireball precisely.

boom!

There was no earth-shattering explosion. The fireball, powerful enough to burn an entire island to ashes, vanished silently upon contact with Newgate's domineering aura, like a punctured balloon.

"Ok?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Lingling's eyes. She hadn't expected that Newgate's domineering aura had improved so much over the years.

However, this is just the beginning.

"Emperor's Sword - Blade Breaker!"

Lingling grasped Zeus the thundercloud in her left hand and Prometheus the fire in her right. With a flick of her arms, flames and lightning intertwined, forming a giant sword a hundred meters long, burning with thunder and fire in her hands!

She wielded the massive sword, powerful enough to split the heavens and earth, and brought it down on Newgate's head!

"Good timing!"

Newgate was equally fired up, and a pure white aura of vibration instantly gathered on the naginata in his hand.

"seaquake!"

The knife and sword collided with a loud crash in mid-air.

In that instant, it was as if all the sounds of the world had been sucked away.

What followed was an energy storm that defied description!

The black and red Conqueror's Haki lightning intertwined with the seven-colored power of the Soul-Soul Fruit, tearing a huge hole in the clouds in the sky, and the seawater below was also forced into a huge depression with a diameter of more than a kilometer by this power.

The two massive ships, which resembled mobile fortresses, were pushed backward and slid hundreds of meters by the terrifying aftershocks.

Dorum clung tightly to a broccoli tree, feeling as if he were experiencing a Category 12 storm at sea. His heart, which had been pounding with worry about the ship's structural integrity, was about to leap out of his throat.

After the attack, both of them were knocked back.

Newgate landed steadily on the head of the progenitor tortoise, while Lingling retreated back to her cake boat.

Both men wore solemn expressions, knowing that neither could gain the upper hand in the short term.

Just as tensions were running high and a great battle was about to break out, an indescribable, domineering aroma, a blend of the ultimate milky fragrance and the scent of kiwi, suddenly wafted from the direction of the ancestral giant tortoise, instantly enveloping the entire sea area.

Newgate and Lingling, who were facing off, instinctively stopped what they were doing and looked toward the source of the fragrance.

On the soft mossy lawn of the Primordial Giant Tortoise, a simple set of kitchen utensils had been set up by Renn at some point.

He ignored the earth-shattering battle and focused on sprinkling a special seasoning called Dream Salt, which he had collected from the island, into a crystal pot that was simmering something.

The pot contains a broth made from the energy-rich honey fluid secreted by the Primordial Giant Tortoise, along with several calming herbs unique to the Sky Island, and a peculiar creature called the Longing Fish, found near the Rainbow Mist Orchid.

When the pot of rich soup, with its dreamlike iridescent sheen, was finally cooked, the aroma that seemed to soothe all wounds and anger reached its peak.

"Gurgle..."

A discordant sound of swallowing saliva rang out.

The source was none other than the arrogant BIG MOM Charlotte Linlin.

Her eyes, always filled with greed and tyranny, were now fixed on the crystal pot in front of Renn, her saliva flowing like a small waterfall, soaking a large area of ​​her dress.

Prometheus and Zeus, who were above her, seemed to be attracted by the smell as well, and temporarily abandoned their attack stance, staring longingly at the other side, looking like they were craving something.

"What...what is that? It smells...better than any dessert I've ever eaten..."

Lingling's voice trembled slightly, a tremor that came from the depths of her soul—a longing for the ultimate deliciousness.

"Oh my god! Ryan! Hand over what you made! I might consider making you my thirty-fifth husband!"

Lingling pointed at Raine and commanded in a self-righteous tone.

Ryan ignored her and calmly handed Newgate a bowl of steaming soup.

Newgate took the soup, smelling the familiar, calming aroma, and a helpless yet indulgent smile appeared on his face.

He knew that this battle was unlikely to break out again.

His head chef always manages to solve all problems in the most incredible way.

"Want some?"

Newgate, holding his bowl, raised an eyebrow at Lingling, his expression resembling that of an old father showing off his precious child.

Lingling's eyes instantly reddened. Looking at the glistening, rich soup in Newgate's bowl, she felt as if her soul was screaming.

"Newgate! You bastard! Give it to me now!"

"sure."

Newgate grinned: "But you have to agree to one condition first."

"What are the conditions?!"

"Come aboard our ship, as guests, and sit down for a proper meal."

Newgate's voice was steady, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Then, let's talk about your so-called rules."

Lingling's expression shifted between light and shadow. She looked at Newgate, then at the crystal pot in front of Ryan that was still emitting a deadly aroma. In the end, the appetite that came from the depths of her soul overcame her reason.

"Okay! I promise you!"

Lingling said through gritted teeth.

And so, to everyone's surprise, a battle that should have been earth-shattering was abruptly halted by a pot of soup from Renn.

Charlotte Linlin, the future Queen of the Sea, arrived at the Whitebeard Pirates' home for the first time as guests, accompanied by her group of still-children sons and daughters.

Chapter 219 Afternoon Tea

When Charlotte Linlin's enormous body stepped onto the back of the progenitor tortoise, the entire island swayed slightly due to her weight, prompting Dorum to mutter in alarm.

"Wow! This place is so nice! It's so soft and fluffy underfoot, like a giant cotton candy!"

Lingling stomped her foot curiously, filled with interest in this living land.

Behind her, Katakuri, Perospero, and several other older children followed closely. Although they were young, they had already shown a level of vigilance and composure far beyond their years.

They curiously observed the group of men around them who exuded a terrifying aura, especially the young chef who remained unusually calm throughout.

Katakuri's gaze never left Rein. His innate and powerful Observation Haki allowed him to sense an aura from Rein that was even more unfathomable than his mother's, like a bottomless abyss.

This chef is dangerous.

The banquet was held on the soft mossy lawn on the back of the ancestral giant tortoise.

There was no fancy dining table, only a few huge rocks made of biscuits serving as makeshift seats.

Raine didn't immediately serve the pot of Rainbow Soup of Longing. He knew that one dish was far from enough to deal with a top-tier diner like Lingling.

Like a composed artist, he slowly and deliberately took out one ingredient after another from his ingredient box, each one gleaming with a strange light in Lingling's eyes.

There are butter flowers brought from Hangulila Island that can automatically ferment into butter.

There are musical note fish that have been marinated with sound waves on Symphony Island and have a bouncy, jelly-like texture.

And on the heart of the world, formed from life energy and obtained from the island of gluttony, there was a small, seven-colored glass-like leaf that had just sprouted.

"What are all these things? I've never seen them before!"

Lingling's eyes widened like two giant copper bells as she stared intently at the ingredients in Ryan's hands, her saliva almost forming a small river.

Ryan ignored her urging and calmly began his performance.

He whipped the butter flowers, and the butter automatically shaped in the air, turning into pure white clouds that exuded a rich milky aroma.

He then sliced ​​the musical note fish into thin slices, and the slices made a melodious sound, like wind chimes, the moment they came into contact with the air.

Finally, he gently placed the colorful leaf on top of the creamy cloud.

hum-

A soft, dreamlike light emanated from the leaves, instantly transforming the entire creamy cloud into a dazzling rainbow of colors.

An indescribable fragrance, a blend of exquisite milky aroma, sweet fruity notes, and a faint, almost imperceptible scent that seemed to awaken the most beautiful memories in one's heart, instantly filled the air.

"This is the afternoon tea I prepared for you."

Raine pushed the dessert, called Rainbow Dream Soufflé, in front of Lingling.

"afternoon tea?"

Lingling stared at the dessert in front of her, which was like a work of art, for a moment, then burst into a thunderous laugh.

"Wow! How interesting! How interesting! On this vast ocean, no one has ever dared to invite me, Charlotte Linlin, for afternoon tea!"

She picked up a utensil made of a giant spoon-shaped cookie and unceremoniously scooped out a large piece and put it in her mouth.

The next second, all the expressions on Lingling's face, which always wore an aura of greed and tyranny, froze instantly.

It was an exquisite taste she had never experienced before, a taste so delicious it made her soul tremble.

The cream melts in your mouth; it doesn't feel like eating, but more like kissing the softest, purest cloud.

Immediately afterwards, the chewy texture of the musical note fish danced on the tip of the tongue, and with each chew, it was as if a tiny musical note exploded in the mind, playing a cheerful melody.

But the most deadly thing is the dreamlike scent brought by that seven-colored leaf.

In that instant, Lingling felt as if she had returned to when she was a child, to Elbaf, to the sheep house she called home.

She saw Sister Carmel's kind smile, saw the children of different races playing with her, and felt the purest warmth and joy that she had long forgotten but which was buried deep in her heart.

A huge, glistening tear uncontrollably slid down from the corner of her contorted eye.

"nun……"

Lingling murmured to herself, her voice carrying a hint of vulnerability and longing that she herself was unaware of.

Everyone present was stunned by what they saw.

Newgate, Gatz, and the others exchanged bewildered glances. They had never imagined that this woman, who seemed like a natural disaster, would shed tears over a dessert.

Katakuri and Perospero were even more shocked, their mouths agape. In their memories, their mother was always that powerful, willful, and arrogant queen. They had never seen her show such a vulnerable side.

"Is this...this...the taste of happiness?"

After a long while, Lingling finally came back to her senses from that brief dream. She looked at the half-eaten soufflé in her hand, then at the still calm young man opposite her, and her eyes became incredibly complicated.

There is awe, there is greed, but more than anything, there is a kind of... the purest reverence that diners have for the chef.