A cook, vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates?

It was a fist-sized, bright red chili pepper with golden, lightning-like veins covering its surface—a thousand-volt chili pepper.

Instead of simply tossing the chili peppers over, he put them into a special grinder along with several spices that emit unique, calming sound waves, grinding them into the finest powder.

He then loaded the powder into a small torpedo launcher, which was sponsored by Dorum.

"Dorum, help me calculate the trajectory, target, the urchin's mouth."

"what?!"

Dorum felt his brain wasn't quite up to the task, but he still completed the calculations as quickly as possible.

"emission."

call out!

A miniature torpedo coated with a strange spice powder traced a precise arc in the water and struck the giant parasitic sea urchin's open mouth, which it used to suck energy!

"Squeak!"

The mournful cry of the agonizing beast was unlike any other creature. The moment its jet-black body came into contact with the powder, it melted and disintegrated rapidly, like ice and snow exposed to sunlight, and finally turned into a wisp of black smoke and disappeared into the deep sea.

After being freed from the torment of parasites, the giant oarfish slowly stopped struggling.

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

It slowly lowered its enormous head, gently rubbing against the huge bubble enveloping the ancestral giant tortoise, then turned around, its massive body swaying, and actually carved out a smooth and safe channel in the surging undercurrent ahead.

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

Escorted by the deep-sea oarfish, the ancestral giant turtle successfully traversed the most dangerous trench area and finally arrived at the legendary seabed at a depth of 10,000 meters.

Ahead, a dreamlike island enveloped in a giant double-layered bubble, radiating a soft glow, slowly came into view.

A vibrant coral forest, schools of beautiful mermaids, a magnificent palace built from giant seashells... We've arrived at Fishman Island.

The arrival of the ancestral giant tortoise caused an unprecedented uproar on Fishman Island.

As this figure, resembling a moving continent, slowly approached the guardian bubble of Fishman Island, alarms blared throughout the entire Dragon Palace Kingdom.

Countless fish-men and mermaids stared in terror at this enormous creature they had never seen before, thinking it was the end of the world.

"Protect His Majesty the King!"

"All soldiers! Prepare for battle!"

Chaos reigned within the Dragon Palace.

Just then, a dignified yet anxious voice rang out.

"Calm down! That...that flag is..."

King Neptune of the Ryugu Kingdom, the giant coelacanth fish-man, was holding a telescope when he saw the pirate flag with a huge white crescent beard fluttering in the wind on the back of the progenitor giant tortoise. His usually dignified face was filled with unbelievable ecstasy.

"It's Whitebeard! It's Brother Whitebeard! He's here!"

Ignoring the ministers' objections, Neptune rode his giant catfish mount, leading his three sons, and excitedly swam toward the primordial tortoise.

"Brother Whitebeard! Long time no see! What happened?... You've changed to such a big ship?!"

Neptune looked at this living land before him and felt his heart was about to jump out of his mouth.

"Gurarararar! Neptune, long time no see, you're still the same."

Newgate stood at the bow of the ship, laughing heartily.

The reunion with old friends instantly dispelled the tension on Fishman Island, replacing it with a grand welcome and celebration.

That evening, the Dragon Palace hosted its grandest banquet in history.

Chapter 285 Xia Li

Neptune brought out his prized brew, made from deep-sea pearls, which he had treasured for centuries.

Meanwhile, Raine presented everyone with a dreamlike feast that blended the charm of the sea and land, using the sweet and refreshing coral vegetables unique to Fishman Island and top-quality meats brought from the land.

The banquet hall of the Dragon Palace was enveloped in an atmosphere of near-boiling joy.

The enormous coral chandelier cast a soft glow, illuminating the walls inlaid with pearls and gemstones with a shimmering light.

The air was filled with the unique aroma of Rennes' carefully prepared dishes, a blend of the rich, meaty flavors of the land and the fresh, sweet scents of the sea.

Intertwined with the rich aroma of Neptune's centuries-old deep-sea pearl wine, it is enough to intoxicate any gourmet.

"Wow! This is the best barbecue I've ever had in my life!"

A plump mermaid noblewoman in a gorgeous dress stuffed a large piece of roasted sea monster spine meat into her mouth, eating with grease dripping from her mouth, and praising it indistinctly.

"This wine! This soup! I feel like my fish scales are glowing!"

Another merman warrior held a giant seashell goblet and drank the golden War God Resurrection Soup in one gulp, feeling all his fatigue and hidden injuries swept away by the warm power.

The main characters of the banquet, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates, completely let loose and let loose.

Gatz was like a giant bear that had broken into a granary. The plate in front of him was piled up like a small mountain, and he devoured all kinds of roast meat, seafood and desserts in a whirlwind.

The way he ate left the surrounding mermaid ladies dumbfounded, and they all wondered if his enormous belly was connected to another dimension.

"Burp...Delicious!"

Gatz let out a satisfied burp, and a wave of heat mixed with roasted meat and alcohol erupted out, almost knocking out a mermaid nobleman next to him who was elegantly savoring a coral salad.

"This plate is too small! It's not even enough to fill a gap between my teeth!"

"You idiot Gatz! Watch your manners in someone else's palace!"

Dorum whispered a reminder from the side, but his own mouth was also covered in cream, so he had obviously eaten quite a bit.

Newgate sat back on the throne that Neptune had specially prepared for him, carved from a single piece of giant coral. He held a golden goblet larger than a human head in his hand, clinking glasses with his old friend Neptune and occasionally letting out hearty laughter.

“Neptune, the ingredients here are really good, especially those mushrooms that glow on their own, they have a very unique texture.”

"Hahaha! If you like it, Brother Whitebeard, I'll have someone load a whole boatload for you later!"

Neptune, his face also flushed from drinking, patted his chest, appearing extremely generous.

Ryan did not join in the revelry. He simply stood quietly in a corner of the banquet hall, like a calm observer, calmly watching the scene before him filled with laughter and joy.

His sense of food, like an invisible tentacle, quietly spreads through the air, savoring everyone's emotions.

There was joy, satisfaction, and anticipation for the future, but also... a discordant murmur hidden in the corner.

His gaze pierced through the noisy crowd and landed behind a huge coral pillar in the banquet hall.

There, a mermaid girl with long, orange curly hair and wearing a ruffled top peeked out, secretly observing the legendary pirates.

Her clear, large eyes were filled with a melancholy beyond her years and a hint of...fear.

Shirley.

The name flashed through Ryan's mind.

The future fortune teller is currently just a little girl following the dragon, full of curiosity and unease about the world.

Just as Raine was about to step forward and greet him with a freshly baked cloud-shaped cotton candy to soothe his emotions, a voice filled with violence and disdain rang out behind her.

"Tch, a bunch of humans who only know how to eat, drink, and have fun, what's so interesting about them?"

A tall, muscular fish-man with a jagged nose and shark-like bluish-gray skin approached; it was Evil Dragon.

He glanced at his fellow countrymen at the banquet, who were mingling with human pirates, and a hint of undisguised contempt flashed in his eyes.

"Shirley, stop looking, let's go."

The dragon's tone carried an unquestionable command.

"But, Brother Long..."

"I can't speak," Shirley said timidly, her gaze involuntarily falling on the towering figure who was clinking glasses with King Neptune.

“I…I saw something…bad in that white-bearded man.”

"Something bad?"

The dragon chuckled and cracked his fist.

"What could be so bad? Is there anything worse than our fish-men being oppressed by humans for hundreds of years?"

"no!"

Xia Li panicked; her face flushed red, and fragmented, blurry images appeared in her clear eyes.

She saw a collapsed pirate flag with a white crescent-shaped mustache drawn on it.

I saw towering flames and countless faces filled with despair.

They also saw a blurry figure shrouded in darkness, standing atop countless corpses and emitting a maniacal, savage laugh.

"I saw... betrayal! I saw destruction! This ship... this home... will be utterly destroyed from within!"

Shirley's voice was choked with sobs; the heavy sorrow emanating from the future was almost unbearable for her small body.

"Shut up! You're talking nonsense!"

The dragon's face instantly darkened. He grabbed Shirley's arm and shouted sternly, "I'm warning you, Shirley! Stop using your ominous prophecies to spread rumors! Whitebeard may be strong, but he's still just a human! There's not a single good human! Their lives are none of our concern!"

Although the dragon's voice was not loud, everyone present was sharp-eared and sharp-eyed.

The noise in the banquet hall instantly subsided, and countless eyes turned to this corner.

The smiles on the faces of the Whitebeard Pirates disappeared, replaced by cold scrutiny.

"Hey, you long-nosed guy, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Gatz was the first to stand up. His massive body cast a huge shadow, and a savage sense of oppression made the dragon's face turn pale.

"I...I was just disciplining my sister!"

The dragon argued, outwardly fierce but inwardly cowardly.

"A lesson? Yoi?" Marco had appeared beside Shirley without her noticing. He crouched down and asked in the gentlest tone, "Little sister, what did you just say? Can you say it again?"

Xia Li was so frightened by this sudden turn of events that she couldn't speak, and could only keep crying.

Just as the tension was building and the atmosphere was somewhat frozen, Renn walked over carrying a small plate made of glowing seashells.

On the plate is a freshly made soufflé, as white and soft as a cloud, with a cute smiley face drawn on it with strawberry jam.

"Don't be afraid."

Raine's voice was calm and gentle, as if it possessed a kind of soothing magic.

"Try this, it can make tears sweet."

Chapter 286 Shirley's Prophecy

Shirley looked at the clean-looking older brother in front of her, who didn't look like a pirate at all, and then at the tempting dessert on the plate. After hesitating for a moment, she finally reached out her little hand, scooped up a small spoonful, and put it in her mouth.

The next second, her tearful eyes suddenly lit up.

It was an exquisite flavor she had never experienced before, flavor so delicious it could melt her soul.

The soufflé melted in her mouth; it didn't feel like eating anything, but more like kissing the softest, purest cloud. The warm sweetness instantly dispelled all the fear and sorrow in her heart.

"good to eat……"

Xia Li murmured to herself, her tear stains still wet on her face, but the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.

"Now can you tell us what you saw?"

"Raine asked with a smile."

Looking into Ryan's calm and kind eyes, Shirley finally mustered the courage to recount the fragmented images she had witnessed.

After hearing her prophecy, the entire banquet hall fell into a deathly silence.

Betrayal? Destruction? Destroyed from within?

These words struck like thunderclaps in the hearts of every member of the Whitebeard Pirates.

They instinctively looked at each other, their eyes filled with disbelief and a hint of... wariness.

"Gulalalalala..."

Newgate’s signature laugh broke the silence as he put down his glass and slowly stood up.