A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

"An island...full of jokes!"

This name will become the ultimate dream pursued by countless pirates for decades to come, and will also become a synonym for an era.

At this moment, it was born from the purest, hearty laughter of a group of maritime heroes, from the depths of their souls.

……

The mornings in Windmill Village are always filled with the salty sea breeze and the fragrance of green grass.

The Whitebeard Pirates stayed on this peaceful island for three days.

On the first day, they fought fiercely with the naval heroes, then drank and made merry, finishing off all the wine stored on the island.

The following day, led by Ryan, they conducted a friendly food gathering activity on the island.

He also helped the villagers repair the roofs damaged by the aftershocks of the battle between Garp and Newgate, although Dorum insisted that they had caused far more damage than he had repaired.

On the third day, supplies were replenished, and it was time to leave.

The colossal body of the ancestral giant tortoise slowly rose from the bay without disturbing anyone, like an ancient mythical beast awakening, preparing to embark on its aimless journey once more.

On the deck, everyone enjoyed the rare tranquility that belonged to the East China Sea.

Gatz was happily gnawing on a huge wild boar leg he had hunted from the forest behind Windmill Village, muttering indistinctly, "The meat from the East Sea may have less energy, but it tastes really good, it has a taste of freedom."

"That's because you stole the village chief's fruit wine, which he had treasured for thirty years, and used it as a marinade, yoi."

Marco lazily exposed him from the side.

In this peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, a rapid flapping sound of wings came from afar.

A dutiful newsbird circled and landed on the mast of the New Moby Dick.

"Oh? Do you have a newspaper? Come and take a look. Is it another one bragging about the Navy catching some lowly pirate?"

A crew member laughed as he took the latest newspaper from the newsbird's leg.

However, when he unfolded the newspaper and saw the headline printed in the largest font size, bold and black, the smile on his face instantly froze.

It was an expression of shock and disbelief, as if someone had been struck by lightning.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did the World Government announce its surrender?"

His companion, making a joke, leaned over.

The next second, he froze on the spot, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

Soon, the newspaper spread like wildfire throughout the ship, and everyone who saw it wore the same expression.

The noise and commotion on the deck gradually subsided, replaced by a deathly silence.

Finally, the newspaper carrying the earth-shattering news was delivered to Newgate.

Newgate merely glanced at it, and his hawk-like eyes, which always carried a hint of majesty, suddenly narrowed.

The front page headline of the newspaper was a somewhat blurry photo, but the outline was still clearly visible.

In the photo, a battered ship is moored in an unknown sea, and a man wearing a straw hat on the bow is spreading his arms and laughing loudly at the sky.

Above that photo was a huge headline that could silence the entire world.

[The world is shocked! Gol D. Roger arrives at the final island, Laugh Tale, conquering the Grand Line. The world acknowledges—the Pirate King is born!]

One Piece!

These three words struck the heart of everyone like an invisible hammer.

That was no longer a vague legend, an illusory goal that all pirates were pursuing.

From today onwards, it has become a synonym for a person.

A unique, supreme throne belonging to Gol D. Roger, surpassing all other pirates.

……

This news, in just a few days, swept across every corner of the world in an unprecedented, unreasonable and domineering manner.

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

In the Marshal's office, Steelbone Kong crumpled the newspaper in his hand into a ball, veins bulging on his usually stern face.

"Damn it! That bastard Morgans! Who gave him permission to use that title?! Pirate King? This is blatant provocation against our World Government's eight hundred years of rule!"

Standing opposite him was Sengoku, whose expression was extremely solemn.

"Marshal, I'm afraid this is not something Morgans can decide."

Sengoku said in a deep voice, "This title was given to him spontaneously by the people. It was bestowed upon him by the seas he conquered and the pirates he left far behind. It has become a kind of... momentum."

A powerful trend that can ignite the passion of countless people and send them rushing to the sea...

New World, Whole Cake Island.

"Mmm...One Piece?"

Charlotte Linlin stuffed the newspaper along with the cream puff next to it into her mouth, her eyes flashing with jealousy and resentment.

"That bastard Roger actually beat me to it! But the throne isn't so easy to sit on!"

The country of Wano, the island of ghosts.

"Hehehe! Roger?"

Kaido of the Beasts downed the huge wine bowl in his hand in one gulp and roared disdainfully.

"Once I've assembled the strongest army, both the Pirate King and the World Government will be utterly crushed by me!"

In an instant, the whole world was in turmoil.

Some felt awe, some envy, some fear, and some... were filled with unprecedented ambition.

Everyone knows that the landscape of this ocean is about to undergo a dramatic and irreversible reshuffling because of the birth of this title.

At the heart of this storm, another name began to enter the sights of all the top powers with an unstoppable force—Laugh Tale.

That final island, which once existed only in legends but has now been proven to exist, and the enormous treasure that Joy Boy may have hidden on it.

Countless ambitious people, schemers, the strong, and the weak all began to cast their gazes, intentionally or unintentionally, toward that legendary ship painted with a straw hat and skull.

They knew that an unprecedented and immense storm surrounding the title of king and the ultimate treasure was about to descend upon this sea with unstoppable force.

……

Chapter 277 I've got a home, and that's enough.

On the deck of the ancestral giant tortoise, the sea breeze rustled the newspapers, but it couldn't dispel the solemn and complex atmosphere on the deck.

"One Piece?"

Newgate stared at Roger's wild and unrestrained smiling face in the newspaper, remained silent for a long time, and finally let out a soft sigh filled with complex emotions.

The sigh contained admiration for the arch-rival's achievement of his dream, a sense of loss at the impending end of an era, and a hint of... loneliness at meeting a worthy opponent, which even he himself was unaware of.

He fought Roger for half his life, from the East Blue to the New World, from the destruction of the Rocks Pirates to the creation of the Whitebeard Pirates, and now he is a dominant force in the region.

They are enemies, rivals, but at the same time, they are also the people who understand each other best on this vast ocean.

Now, the guy who always rushed to the front has finally reached the finish line, while I have chosen a completely different path.

"Dad..."

Marco watched Newgate's slightly forlorn figure, wanting to say something, but not knowing where to begin.

"nothing."

Newgate waved his hand, turned around, and his face once again wore that kingly, magnanimous smile.

"Gurarararar! That guy got to where he is because of his own ability! We should be happy for him!"

He casually tossed the newspaper in his hand aside, letting it be swept away by the sea breeze.

"We have our adventures, he has his throne, and this sea is vast enough to hold more than one king!"

Newgate's words were like a shot in the arm, energizing everyone.

Yeah, what's there to be afraid of?

Their captain was Whitebeard, another legend on this sea who could rival Roger.

"That's right!"

Gatz was the first to yell, throwing his half-eaten pork leg on the ground and hoisting his anchor.

"So what if he's the Pirate King! What's so great about that! Once we find the best ingredients in the world and host the most amazing banquet in the world, our name will definitely be more famous than his! Then, we'll be called... the King of Gourmet Food!"

This uniquely personal title instantly drew good-natured laughter from everyone, completely dispelling the somber atmosphere on the deck.

"The King of Gourmet Food? Sounds good, yoi."

"That captain is a culinary emperor!"

"The head chef is the god of food!"

Everyone started brainstorming ideas for their future titles, and the deck was filled with a joyful atmosphere once again.

Ryan didn't join in their antics. He simply walked quietly to Newgate and handed him a cup of calming mint tea, freshly brewed with spring water from Windmill Village.

"captain."

"Ok?"

Do you regret it?

"Rain asked calmly."

He knew that Newgate spoke lightly, but he must have been deeply moved.

That was, after all, a dream that their generation had pursued together.

Newgate took the teacup but didn't drink it. He looked at the endless sea in the distance and remained silent for a moment.

"regret?"

He repeated the word in a low voice, then shook his head, a genuine and incredibly satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Do not."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of power.

“I may have lost the chance to become the one and only king, but I gained something more precious than that.”

He stretched out his huge hand and pointed to the group of family members behind him who were arguing fiercely over the titles of General of Barbecue and Marshal of Dessert.

"I have a home, and that's enough."

These words warmed a heart full of emotion for Renn.

He knew he hadn't chosen the wrong captain.

This seemingly rugged and bold man possesses the broadest mind and the gentlest heart on this vast sea.

However, in another corner of the deck, the figure who was always ignored by everyone, after hearing this conversation, had a hint of unfathomable darkness flash in his small eyes hidden in the shadows, which was out of place with this feast.

Teach swallowed the last bite of bread, his face still bearing that innocent, harmless smile.

But the seed of ambition in his heart, nurtured by the words "Pirate King," took root and sprouted at an unprecedented speed.

family?

What a ridiculous and boring bond.

He looked at the content man on the throne, then at the cook in the distance who seemed uninterested in the throne, and his desire to take his place grew ever stronger.

Since none of you want it, then I'll take the final throne!

"Thief, hahahaha..."

Silent, maniacal laughter echoed wildly in his heart.

He knew that Roger's ascension to the top signified the end of an era and the beginning of a new, more chaotic and opportunity-filled one.

And he, Marshall D. Teach, will be the ultimate and only victor of this new era.

The ancestral giant tortoise's voyage continues, carrying a group of monsters with diverse thoughts, slowly sailing towards an unknown future.

The news of Roger becoming the Pirate King was like an unstoppable super storm, and its aftershocks were far more intense and far-reaching than imagined.