A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

A pressure greater than ever before, filled with primal and wild energy, instantly enveloped the entire island!

All the creatures on the island froze in their tracks, trembling as if they had encountered their king.

"It's...it's the King of the Forest!"

The old man's face turned deathly pale instantly. He stared into the depths of the forest, his eyes filled with fear and a hint of... awe.

"Your arrival has awakened it!"

"The King of the Forest?"

Gatz excitedly tossed the anchor, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

The next second, an unimaginably huge head suddenly emerged from the canopy of the dense forest!

It was a head made entirely of the hardest ancient wood that had grown for thousands of years and intertwined vines. Its two eyes were huge tree burls burning with green flames, and its nostrils spewed out a thick miasma mixed with the smell of soil and decaying leaves.

Next, there was its massive, mountain-like body.

Its body is pieced together from countless different plants, with giant mushrooms forming its shell, sharp thorns constituting its claws, and a deadly, alluring tail made up of countless carnivorous plants trailing behind it.

This was a living plant behemoth formed from the combined will and power of the entire forest!

【Ingredient Name: King of the Forest (Guardian Form)】

[Attribute: Plant-type conceptual life form, guardian of the Hundred Flavors Tree, connected to the entire island's ecosystem, capable of infinite regeneration as long as the forest exists.]

[Capture Level: Unable to estimate (This creature is immune to most physical attacks and can manipulate the plants of an entire forest to attack; its only weakness is...)]

Information about the behemoth flashed through Renn's mind, but the most crucial weakness remained a blur.

"Hahaha! What a huge thing! Watch me smash it into wood chips with one anchor!"

Gatz roared excitedly and was the first to rush forward.

Gatz charged like a runaway heavy truck, wielding the massive anchor into a black whirlwind of death, carrying terrifying power capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, and slammed it down on the Forest King's enormous head.

However, the King of the Forest merely raised a giant claw made of countless enormous vines with disdain.

clang!

The anchor collided with the giant vine claws, but instead of making the expected loud noise, it felt like hitting a huge, elastic piece of rubber.

Gatz felt a strange force that was both incredibly resilient and yet possessed a gentle strength. His unstoppable attack was easily neutralized, and he was sent flying backward uncontrollably.

"Wow! This thing is so slippery!"

Gatz tumbled through the air a few times before landing awkwardly on the ground, his face full of astonishment.

"Its body can disperse the impact throughout the entire forest; brute force is useless against it."

Raine's voice came just in time.

This king of the forest is practically an indestructible, inexhaustible mobile fortress; as long as the island exists, it is invincible.

"Gats, step back."

Newgate's voice was deep and powerful as he slowly walked to the front.

He looked at the colossal beast before him, which exuded an aura of world-destroying power, but his face showed no fear. Instead, he revealed an appreciation as if he were looking at a top-quality ingredient.

"Since it's the will of the forest, then let me see if your will is stronger, or my fist is stronger!"

Newgate took a deep breath and pushed the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to its limit.

Instead of attacking the King of the Forest directly, he slammed his fist into the ground beneath his feet!

"seaquake!"

Rumble!

This time, it's not just a simple tearing of space, but a direct challenge to the entire island's ley lines!

Centered on Newgate's location, massive, spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread across the entire island, causing the earth to tremble and groan violently, and countless towering ancient trees to collapse with a deafening roar.

The king of the forest's massive body suddenly stiffened, its energy link with the forest being forcibly disrupted and severed by this tyrannical and unreasonable force!

Its wounds stopped healing, and the continuous supply of power also came to an abrupt halt.

"Now!"

Newgate roared.

However, just as everyone was preparing to swarm forward and completely dismantle the giant beast, which had temporarily lost its power supply, into firewood, Renn's voice rang out again.

"Captain, gentlemen, please stop."

Everyone was taken aback when they heard the words.

Raine walked over calmly. He glanced at the Forest King, who was somewhat weakened by the loss of energy, and then at the old man beside him, who was pale and trembling from the destruction of his home. He sighed softly.

"It is not an enemy; it is merely a guardian dutifully performing its duty."

Raine's gaze shifted to the chest of the King of the Forest.

There, a gigantic parasitic mushroom, entirely black and exuding an aura of decay and death, pulsated slowly like a heart. Countless mycelia, like venomous snakes, burrowed deep into the core of the king of the forest and continued to erode the roots of the Hundred Flavors Tree.

"I see."

Renne understood.

"This king of the forest is not inherently tyrannical, but his mind has been corrupted by a parasitic fungus called the Mourning Spore. His rage is simply because he is in pain."

Renn turned around and nodded slightly to the stunned old man.

"Old man, please trust me this once. I can not only cure it, but also cure your Hundred Flavor Tree."

The old man looked into Raine's calm yet confident eyes, then at the forest king struggling in agony. In the end, he chose to remain silent, which meant acquiescence.

Without saying another word, Ryan took something out of the food box.

It was a small pinch of white powder shimmering with tiny lights—the Philosopher's Salt.

Instead of sprinkling the salt directly at the king of the forest, he gently poured it into a crystal glass filled with clear spring water.

Then he handed the cup to Marco.

"Marco, use your purest regenerative flame to atomize this cup of water, and then let the mist embrace it."

Marco didn't understand, but he did as instructed.

The azure flames gently enveloped the crystal cup, and the salt water inside evaporated rapidly, transforming into a warm white mist filled with the essence of life and purification, which slowly drifted toward the King of the Forest.

The mist seemed to possess a life of its own; it gently and thoroughly seeped into every inch of the King of the Forest's body, and also into that evil parasitic mushroom.

"Squeak!"

The Mourning Spore let out a shrill scream unlike any other living thing. The moment its jet-black body came into contact with the mist, it melted and disintegrated rapidly, like ice and snow exposed to sunlight, and finally turned into a wisp of black smoke and dissipated into the air.

After being freed from the torment of the parasites, the king of the forest slowly ceased its struggles.

Its eyes, which were burning with green flames, gradually lost their ferocity and anger, replaced by clarity and...gratitude.

It slowly lowered its massive head, gently nuzzled against Renn's face, then turned and, with heavy steps, returned to the depths of the forest.

A momentous battle has come to an end in such a healing and gentle way.

Chapter 282 Heading to Fishman Island

Seeing this miraculous scene before him, the old guardian finally let down his guard and hostility. He leaned on his cane, walked up to Renn, and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, young man, you saved this forest and you saved us."

He led the group to the deepest part of the forest, where an unimaginably huge ancient tree, seemingly connecting heaven and earth, stood silently.

Its trunk is colorful, as if it were made of countless different gems, and its leaves are dreamlike and translucent. As they sway gently in the breeze, they emit a complex fragrance that cannot be described in words, a mixture of thousands of different scents.

That is the Hundred Flavors Tree.

The old man did not stop him. He personally broke off the tenderest branch from the Hundred Flavors Tree, which was flowing with seven-colored sap, and solemnly handed it to Renn.

That evening, a unique celebration banquet was held on the back of the ancestral giant tortoise.

Raine didn't use any complicated ingredients; he simply simmered a pot of clear soup with the most common fish bones and seaweed.

Then, he gently placed the branch of the Hundred Flavors Tree into the soup.

In an instant, a miracle occurred.

The ordinary clear soup suddenly seemed to be infused with a soul, boiling instantly and radiating brilliant light. An indescribable aroma, as if containing all the delicious flavors in the world, instantly enveloped the entire ship.

After finishing a bowl of soup, everyone's face lit up with an incredibly happy, childlike smile.

Newgate experienced the warmth of family reunion.

Gatz was experiencing a never-ending barbecue feast.

Dorum was experiencing a perfect ship that would never break.

Teach, on the other hand, tasted a cold, rusty, and bloody flavor in the soup, a flavor called power.

He calmly finished the soup in the bowl, his silly smile still on his face, but the desire for power in his small eyes had become even more intense.

……

The journey of the ancestral giant tortoise continues.

This ancient creature, which has lived for countless years, sails steadily across the peaceful blue waters of the East China Sea, like a moving territory.

The warm sunshine, the gentle sea breeze, and the occasional dolphin leaping out of the water gave this giant ship, which carried a group of monsters, a lazy vacation atmosphere.

In recent years, they have traveled almost all over the world, from the tropical charm of the South China Sea to the cold order of the North China Sea, from the scholar islands of the West China Sea to the peaceful villages of the East China Sea.

The ingredients catalog of Raine has been greatly enriched, and the crew's strength has steadily improved through a series of gourmet feasts and occasional battles.

But for these monsters whose blood runs in the veins of adventure, the Four Seas were ultimately too small and too peaceful.

"Dad."

Marco leaned lazily against the railing, gazing at the endless expanse of blue in the distance, and suddenly spoke: "We've been away from the New World for a long time, yoi."

"Yes."

Joz echoed in a deep voice, "That's what you call the sea! It's spacious and powerful! The sea monsters here aren't even as big as my fist."

"I think so too!"

Gatz immediately perked up, tossed aside the sea monster he was holding, and brought his massive head closer: "My anchor's practically rusted! I want to go fight something even bigger! The kind that can punch through an island!"

The few words exchanged by the crowd instantly ignited the simmering flame of adventure on the deck. All eyes were drawn to the mountain-like figure on the throne.

Newgate put down the barrel of wine, looked at his energetic sons with a gleam of pride in his eyes.

He knew it was time for the ship to return to its true stage.

"Gurarararar! You lot, are you tired of living here?"

Newgate laughed loudly, his voice booming like a bell.

"Alright! It's settled then! Our next goal—to return to the New World!"

"Oh oh oh oh!"

The deafening cheers almost shook the clouds apart.

"So how do we get there?"

Dorum poked his head out of the shipwright's room. His usually worried face now showed a hint of excitement, but his professional habits made him immediately start thinking about technical issues.

"To enter the New World, we either have to go through the Red Line, or go through Fishman Island, or cross the Calm Belt. Our home is too big; we definitely can't go through the Upside Down route."

"Traveling across the Red Earth is too troublesome."

Vista shook his head: "We still have to deal with the Navy, it's annoying."

"What about crossing the Calm Belt?"

Gatz suggested, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "I heard the sea kings there are as big as islands! Let's catch a few to add to the head chef's meal!"

"turn down."

A calm voice came from the kitchen; it was Ryan.

"Although the sea kings in the Calm Belt are huge, their flesh is loose, their energy is mixed, and their taste is extremely poor due to the lack of competition, which does not meet our food standards."

Gatz's face fell instantly, like a child whose toys had been confiscated.