A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

Amidst deafening cheers, the ancestral giant tortoise let out a long, ancient cry.

Its massive body slowly turned around, carrying this group of monsters who had found a new dream, and resolutely charged into that magnificent and turbulent era of pirates, which had been completely stirred up by the fall of a king!

……

Roger's death was like a sun thrown into the Dead Sea; it didn't create towering waves, but rather a steam called dreams that boiled the entire ocean.

Just two months.

The number of pirate ships on the Grand Line has increased more than tenfold at an almost insane rate.

Countless young people, driven by greed for wealth, fame, and power, were seduced by the last words, "I left everything in the world there." They unfurled all sorts of crudely made skull and crossbones flags and, like a swarm of locusts crossing a river, fearlessly poured into this route that had once struck fear into the hearts of countless people.

A brand new, chaotic era, brimming with infinite possibilities, has arrived with a bang in the most ruthless and unreasonable way.

"Tch, how boring."

On the broad back of the Primordial Giant Tortoise, Gatz slammed a giant sea monster, as big as a warship, which he had just fished out of the sea, onto the deck with a dull thud.

He pursed his lips, his huge face full of dejection.

“The creatures in these waters have become increasingly weak lately. Just now, I stunned that big guy with just one anchor; it wasn’t even a warm-up.”

"That's because you've gotten stronger again, Gatz."

Vista polished his twin swords, his aura more refined and unrestrained than it had been a few months ago.

"Moreover, Chef Renn's cooking is not for nothing."

"Gulalalalala..."

Newgate leaned back on his personal throne, sipping a special rum brewed by Raine from Sky Island Cloud Wheat, and watched the ships that occasionally appeared on the distant horizon and then hurriedly scurried away, letting out a satisfied laugh.

The colossal body of the progenitor giant tortoise, along with its pirate flag fluttering in the wind and adorned with a huge white crescent-shaped mustache, has long been the most striking and awe-inspiring symbol on this vast sea.

Countless new-generation pirates have seen this shadowy, island-like formation from afar during their voyages, but unless they've been out of their minds, they'll immediately turn their ships around and escape as quickly as possible.

Are you kidding me? Go challenge Whitebeard? What's the difference between that and willingly jumping into a Sea King's mouth?

"However, there are always some reckless fools who are not afraid of death."

Marco leaned lazily against the railing and pointed to the distant sea.

Three flamboyantly designed pirate ships, flying seemingly weak skull and crossbones flags, were seen recklessly charging straight towards them.

It seems they mistook this enormous ancestral tortoise for some legendary treasure island.

"Hahaha! Look! What's that over there? A moving island!"

On the lead ship, a one-eyed captain wearing an eyepatch was holding up binoculars and roaring excitedly, "There must be Roger's great treasure hidden up there! Men, charge! Take that island, and we'll be the new Pirate Kings!"

"Oh oh oh!"

A group of malnourished-looking pirates were shouting, their faces filled with a morbid fanaticism.

This scene, brimming with dark humor, elicited strange expressions from the members of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"These guys... do they have bad eyesight?"

Joz said in a muffled voice.

"No, they were just unlucky."

Bista added calmly.

"Head Chef..."

Gatz turned his head and looked towards the kitchen with an expectant gaze: "What do these guys... smell like?"

"A sour, rotten smell of cheap rum mixed with cheap ambition."

Raine's calm voice came from the kitchen: "Without a doubt, it's the kind of junk food that would be rejected even if it were made into pet food."

"That's such a pity."

Gatz sighed regretfully.

He was too lazy to even lift a finger, but was feeling a bit annoyed because he hadn't gotten a satisfactory prey. He let out a huge, resentful burp at the three pirate ships that were getting closer and closer.

"belch!"

A terrifying shockwave swept out instantly.

The three wooden pirate ships, which didn't look very sturdy, were instantly lifted into the air by the burp that was comparable to a naval cannon, like leaves blown by a Category 12 hurricane.

It performed a 720-degree Thomas spin in the air before collapsing and turning into a pile of wood chips floating on the sea.

As for the hotheads on the ship who dreamed of becoming the Pirate King, they didn't even have time to scream before they were stunned by the huge impact and fell into the sea like dumplings being dropped into a pot, their fate unknown.

The whole world is quiet now.

Chapter 280 The Hundred Flavors Tree

"Tch, so fragile."

Gatz pursed his lips, feeling that what he had just done didn't even qualify as an appetizer.

The deck was filled with a cheerful atmosphere once again.

For them, this life of peaceful living, searching for ingredients and cleaning up marine debris in all sorts of bizarre ways, was far more interesting than fighting for that elusive throne.

In the corner, Teach was still perfectly playing his role as a well-behaved and sensible person.

He dragged the sea king that Gatz had knocked unconscious to the side, carefully wiping the bloodstains on the deck with a rag, a naive and harmless smile on his face.

But his small eyes, hidden in the shadows, peered through the ravaged battlefield toward a more distant new world, full of chaos and opportunity.

The era that Roger ushered in was, for him, an unprecedented feast where he could plunder at will.

He, however, was already burning with unbearable thirst.

"captain."

Ryan emerged from the kitchen, holding a brand-new, hand-drawn nautical chart of ingredients.

On it, one name after another, filled with legend and danger, was circled in red ink.

"The era has begun, and the feast should begin."

A flame of ambition, unlike anything seen before, burned in Raine's eyes.

“I just found an interesting place in the old papers of those Ohara scholars.”

He spread the map out in front of Newgate, his long fingers pointing to an island marked with a primeval forest and a huge question mark.

"According to a fragmented ancient cookbook, there exists a magical plant called the Hundred Flavors Tree on this sea."

"The fruit it produces does not have a fixed taste, but rather presents a unique flavor that belongs only to that person, based on the deepest memories and desires of the taster."

"I want to see what kind of amazing fruit will grow when the flavor of an era is tasted by this fruit."

"Goo la la la la!"

As Newgate looked at the map filled with challenges and delicious food, and at this young chef who was more arrogant than anyone else, his own ambition was completely ignited.

"Okay! It's settled then!"

He slammed his hand on the throne, his mountain-like figure exuding an undeniable aura of dominance.

"Men! Let's go!"

"Oh oh oh!"

Amidst deafening cheers, the ancestral giant tortoise let out a long, ancient cry.

Its massive body slowly turned around and charged headlong into that vast and magnificent era of pirates, which was completely stirred up by the fall of a king!

……

Guided by the incomplete ancient cookbook, the ancestral giant tortoise sailed at sea for nearly a month before finally arriving at the legendary island.

As soon as they entered this sea area, everyone felt an aura that was completely different from other parts of the New World.

The air is no longer just salty and damp, but a mixture of the fragrance of thousands of different plants and the richness of primal vitality. Just one breath is enough to make you feel refreshed and invigorated, as if your soul has been cleansed.

Ahead, an enormous island covered by a dense primeval forest slowly came into view.

That's no ordinary island.

The trees on the island soar into the clouds, each one seemingly having grown for thousands of years, with huge, python-like vines wrapped around their thick trunks.

From time to time, ancient roars filled the forest, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Wow, this place feels really nice."

Marco transformed into a phoenix and circled once above the island. He could clearly sense that the island's life energy was incredibly concentrated.

"I smell it! It's that... smell that can make your bones stronger!"

Gatz sniffed intensely through his nostrils like a blower, his face filled with ecstasy.

The ancestral giant tortoise slowly came to rest on the shore of the island, and the group disembarked one by one, stepping onto this land full of primitiveness and mystery.

However, as soon as they stepped onto the beach, an old and hostile voice came from the dense forest not far away.

"Leave here, outsider."

Everyone perked up and looked in the direction of the sound.

An old man with a hunched back, a wrinkled face, and dressed in simple clothes made of animal skins and leaves was slowly emerging from the shadows of the forest, leaning on a cane made of ancient wood.

His eyes were cloudy, yet they held a firm and unyielding determination like a rock, as he warily surveyed the group of uninvited guests with terrifying auras.

"Grandpa, we mean no harm."

Newgate stepped forward, trying to make his voice sound gentle, even though his mountain-like frame was inherently imposing.

"We're just here to find a special plant, and we'll leave once we find it."

"The Hundred Flavors Tree?"

A predictable sneer appeared on the old man's face.

"Just like those greedy guys before you, your goal is the same."

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Gatz's massive anchor and Vista's twin swords at his waist, his eyes growing even colder.

"This forest does not welcome you. Take your weapons and ambitions and get out of my territory now!"

"Hey! How dare you talk like that, old man?!"

Gatz was the first to object; he hoisted the anchor, his huge face contorted with rage.

"Our captain is speaking to you politely, don't be so rude!"

"Shut up, Gatz."

Newgate stopped him, looking at the stubborn old man before him with a slight frown.

He could sense that although the old man looked frail, he possessed a vast and pure natural energy that was integrated with the entire forest.

He is like the embodiment of the island's will.

"Old man, we are not those robbers who wantonly destroy things for their own selfish desires."

Marco also tried to step forward to explain: "We just want to borrow a little bit of the power of the Hundred Flavor Tree, we will absolutely not harm it."

"borrow?"

The old man chuckled, a deep sorrow and disgust showing in his cloudy old eyes.

"The last guy who said that cut off the largest branch of the Hundred Flavors Tree, making it rest for fifty years to recover its strength. The one before that wanted to uproot the whole tree, but was eventually swallowed up by the forest's rage."

His gaze sharpened, fixed intently on Newgate.

"You pirates spout all sorts of sweet words, but your veins are filled with greed and destructive blood. I will never trust any of you again!"

The old man's attitude was extremely firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

Just as the two sides were locked in a standoff and the atmosphere became somewhat tense, a deafening roar, as if the earth were shaking, suddenly came from the depths of the forest!

Chapter 281 King of the Forest (Guardian Form)

Immediately afterwards, a terrifying roar filled with anger and majesty, powerful enough to make the entire island tremble, resounded through the sky!