Antonio thoughtfully prepared a large room for the newest member of the crew. When designing the Golden Ark, accommodations for giants had already been taken into consideration. freeweɓnøvel.com
Brook had long anticipated the issue of accommodating small giants like Charlotte Linlin, who stood at 8.8 meters, and Edward Newgate, who was 6.6 meters tall.
The Golden Ark had three levels in the cabin. One side featured massive rooms that combined two floors into one, while the other side had standard two-story rooms. The lowest level was used for storage.
On the deck, there were two additional floors that housed a lounge, a combat strategy office, a training area, and a sparring room.
Besides, Fish-Man Tom himself was over three meters tall and quite broad, so the entrances to the Golden Ark were built accordingly. With so few crew members on board, everyone could have their own private quarters—including even the apprentice crew member, Fisher Tiger!
"Captain Brook, is the new recruit a combatant as well? When are we going to find a proper cook? You hardly ever cook yourself, and that just doesn't match the standards of a pirate crew as grand as ours! A crew this luxurious should at least have a top-tier chef!"
Shakky's teasing once again bruised Antonio's already fragile heart. Every time they brought in a new member, she took the opportunity to mock his subpar cooking skills.
"You said you could cook when you first joined the crew," Brook retorted, unwilling to let her off the hook. "Yet I haven't seen you in the kitchen more than a handful of times."
"Captain, I'm busy these days! I have to keep an eye on the weather—it's exhausting!"
The others might have believed her if she weren't leisurely licking an ice pop as she spoke.
"A skilled chef will be joining soon," Brook said. "The only question is whether he can be trusted."
Streusen's cooking skills were certainly exceptional, but his motives were questionable. Brook had already come up with a plan to deal with him, one that would also take care of the knowledge he had about Charlotte Linlin devouring Mother Carmel.
Did people really think Brook kept a memory sea horse for no reason? He'd simply erase Streusen's memories of the past decade, burying the secrets of the Sheep's House forever.
Brook needed to carefully orchestrate this. He couldn't afford to let Streusen escape, and he had to find an opportunity to be alone with him, memory sea horse in tow, to ensure a thorough "reeducation."
Streusen had once been both a chef and a pirate, but his career was abruptly ended by a more powerful pirate crew. He drifted aimlessly until he stumbled upon the horrors of young Charlotte Linlin, which led him to take her under his wing and form a new, powerful force.
Even if Streusen someday realized a chunk of his memories were missing, what could he do? He'd already bound himself to the Hell Pirates. Given Linlin's current attitude toward him, she certainly wouldn't go out of her way to help him remember the past. He was destined to remain just another crew member.
In a portside bar, the towering Edward Newgate sat drinking. Aside from his love for alcohol, he seemed uninterested in women, power, or even wealth—all the treasure he plundered was sent back home!
"Hey, you! The big guy! Are you a pirate? You sure have some nerve showing up on the territory of the Magaro Kingdom's assassin syndicate!"
The island was home to numerous bounty hunters and assassin organizations that specialized in hunting pirates from the New World to claim their bounties. Pirates here were generally stronger, but their bounties were also much higher.
The New World was both a pirate's paradise and a hunting ground for bounty hunters, assassins, and underground organizations. Here, the line between hunter and prey could shift in an instant.
"Edward Newgate, combatant of the Lion Pirates. Only a 90 million Belly bounty? What the hell have you been doing? That's not even enough to cover my meals for a month!"
A hitman held up a wanted poster featuring Newgate, alongside another of their captain, Laine, whose bounty was 170 million Belly—standard for a rising Supernova in the New World.
Clearly, there was a massive disparity between local pirate crews in the New World. Some, like the Ice Demon Pirates—one of the dominant forces—were native to the region and immensely powerful.
The Ice Demon Pirates thrived in a brutal, frigid land inhabited by the rare Ice Giants. Even Oars, the legendary giant, had perished in that icy domain centuries ago.
On the other hand, the Rocks Pirates, composed of ambitious rulers from the Four Seas, fought their way into the New World to claim dominance. Despite their strength, they couldn't take down all three major powers at once. That was why Rocks was so desperate to expand his forces at such an alarming rate.
"That's right," Newgate said, downing a large swig of liquor. "I am Edward Newgate. But I've already left the Lion Pirates. So? You here to collect on my bounty?"
His massive fists crackled as a white glow spread across his knuckles.
"Oh? So you've eaten a Devil Fruit? No wonder you left the Lion Pirates. Planning to start your own crew, huh? Too bad—you won't get the chance!"
A mere pirate with a bounty under 100 million? Even if he had a Devil Fruit, there was no way he'd escape the syndicate's clutches. They'd taken down pirates with bounties over 200 million before. Even if Laine himself were here, he wouldn't leave this island alive!
"I'm just waiting for my new captain," Newgate said, standing up as he eyed the killers surrounding him. He was eager to test himself. Ever since he acquired the Gura Gura no Mi, he'd realized just how perfectly suited it was to him—simple and devastatingly powerful.
"So you're already looking for another crew to join? Kill him!"
The assassin group's gunmen opened fire, while their elite killers drew poisoned daggers, waiting to strike after the initial gunfire.
Newgate slammed his fist into the ground. A shockwave erupted, deflecting every bullet and sending the attackers flying backward, spitting blood as they crashed into walls. The dagger-wielding assassins managed to dodge the direct impact, but they now realized just how terrifying his ability was.
"That Devil Fruit... its destructive power is unreal!"
In a single move, he had wiped out their entire gun squad.
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