I’ll Join You 18: I’ve Decided…
I’ll Join You Ryne was already planning the menu he would prepare after the battle—a meal designed to restore their strength and replenish every ounce of energy they expended.
The battle entered its second day.
Raw hand-to-hand combat alone was no longer enough to decide a victor.
Without a word, both men simultaneously unleashed the powers of their Devil Fruits.
“GURARARARA!” Newgate threw a punch.
The air in front of his fist shattered like glass.
Crack!
It was the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
An invisible shockwave crossed the distance and struck directly at the space surrounding Rocks.
The very air beneath Rocks’ feet twisted violently, as though reality itself were on the verge of collapsing.
Faced with a force powerful enough to shatter an island…
Rocks merely snorted.
He spread his fingers and made a grasping motion toward the void.
“Dark Domain.” A pitch-black sphere rapidly formed before him.
It swallowed every trace of light, completely enveloping his body.
The instant Newgate’s quake wave entered the darkness…
It vanished.
Silently.
Without creating so much as a ripple.
Rocks’ ability manipulated gravity and space itself—a power even more overbearing and unreasonable than simple destruction.
Within his absolute void, every attack was annihilated.
Quakes…
Versus annihilation.
Two supreme powers clashed across the sea in a breathtaking spectacle.
Whenever Newgate shattered space with a punch…
Rocks consumed it with darkness.
Whenever Rocks hurled a sphere of overwhelming gravitational force…
Newgate detonated it midway with an even stronger quake.
The ocean itself descended into chaos.
Towering tsunamis hundreds of meters high rose one moment.
Bottomless whirlpools opened the next.
Gatz could only stare, his mouth dry.
“T-They’re still human…
right?” Dorum hugged one of the masts, looking ready to cry.
“My ship…” “My poor ship…” “By the time they’re finished…” “There won’t even be enough wood left to build a rowboat…” Silver watched with unprecedented concentration.
His eyes followed every exchange, trying to grasp even the smallest flaw and every subtle lesson hidden within the duel.
For him…
This was an opportunity that might never come again.
The battle continued into the third day.
Even their Devil Fruit and Haki clash had reached a stalemate.
Both Rocks and Newgate were covered in wounds.
Their breathing had grown heavy.
Yet the fighting spirit in their eyes burned brighter than ever.
Like two prehistoric monsters locked in combat, battle itself had become instinct.
Their minds had surpassed physical exhaustion, entering a mysterious state of absolute focus.
Finally…
As the setting sun painted the ocean gold and crimson on the evening of the third day…
Both men launched one final charge.
Black gravity intertwined with black-and-red lightning of Conqueror’s Haki around Rocks’ fist.
Newgate’s fist was wrapped in brilliant white vibrations and equally overwhelming Haki.
The two world-destroying punches collided one last time.
BOOM!!
The explosion dwarfed the one from three days earlier.
A pillar of light shot skyward, tearing an enormous hole through the clouds.
When the light faded…
Both men remained frozen with fists extended.
A heartbeat later…
They simultaneously coughed up blood.
All strength left their bodies.
Both fell backward onto the sea, floating on its surface while gasping for breath.
Silence.
Deathly silence.
After what felt like an eternity…
“GURARARARA…” “WAHAHAHAHA!” Weak laughter echoed across the sea.
Yet it was filled with exhilaration.
With satisfaction.
With mutual respect.
Looking into one another’s eyes…
Each found the greatest acknowledgment a warrior could receive.
Their battle…
Three days and three nights without pause…
Ended in a draw.
The battle was over.
Its aftereffects were not.
The Rocks Pirates’ ship had become a complete wreck.
One mast had snapped.
The sails had been reduced to ribbons.
Cracks ran across the deck in every direction.
Dorum hugged a broken section of the keel, sobbing like a heartbroken child.
“My ship…” “I shaped this keel with my own hands…” “It’s broken…” “It’s actually broken…” Meanwhile, Gatz’s face was bright red with excitement.
Watching the two figures standing atop the sea…
He felt his blood boil.
“So…
unbelievably strong…” “I’ve never respected anyone in my life…” “Today changed that.” Silver leaned quietly against the half-destroyed mast.
Eyes closed.
Reliving every moment of the earth-shattering battle.
The aura surrounding him had become even sharper than before.
Supporting one another, Rocks and Newgate finally climbed aboard the ship.
Though battered and completely exhausted…
Their spirits had never been higher.
“You’re one hell of a guy.” Rocks dropped onto the deck and lightly punched Newgate in the chest.
“So are you.” Newgate grinned broadly.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a fight this much.” The two exchanged a smile.
A bond born from mutual respect.
Then…
A rich, warm fragrance quietly drifted across the deck.
It seemed almost alive.
It gently slipped into everyone’s nose.
Unlike any dish Ryne had made before.
It wasn’t overpowering.
Nor overwhelming.
Instead…
It soothed the tension left behind by battle.
It calmed pounding hearts.
Every eye turned toward the tiny galley.
Ryne slowly emerged carrying an enormous wooden tray.
His expression remained calm.
His eyes, however, were completely focused.
As though what he carried wasn’t food…
But a sacred offering.
“Rehydrate first.” “Then restore your energy.” He placed the tray on one of the few tables that had survived intact.
Upon it rested two enormous bowls carved from the skulls of Sea Kings.
Each bowl was filled with creamy white broth that still steamed vigorously.
The soup shimmered like polished jade.
Unknown green herbs floated upon the surface, accompanied by several bright red berries that added vivid color.
“Sea King Bone Marrow Recovery Soup.” His explanation was brief.
The soup had simmered over a low flame for three full days.
It was made from the finest marrow extracted from the spine of a previously hunted Sea King, combined with more than a dozen rare medicinal herbs gathered from the Island of Splendor.
Both Rocks and Newgate were starving.
The soul-awakening aroma shattered whatever restraint they had left.
Each grabbed a bowl.
Ignoring the heat…
They drank.
The instant the soup entered their mouths…
Their eyes widened.
It was an indescribable depth of flavor.
The richness of the marrow.
The refreshing fragrance of the herbs.
A faint sweetness born from the sea itself.
Every flavor blended together into perfect harmony.
The warmth flowed down their throats into their stomachs.
Then…
It transformed into pure energy.
Like long-awaited rain nourishing a dried-up riverbed.
The energy spread throughout every inch of their bodies.
Sore muscles.
Internal injuries.
The damage from three days of relentless combat.
Everything rapidly recovered beneath the soup’s gentle warmth.
They could actually feel their exhausted stamina returning at an unbelievable rate.
“GURARARARA!” “Delicious!” “This is incredible!” Newgate emptied the bowl in one gulp before letting out a deeply satisfied burp.
Every cell in his body seemed to be celebrating.
“WAHAHAHA!” “That’s my Head Chef!” Rocks drained his bowl just as thoroughly.
He genuinely felt capable of fighting another three days and three nights.
Watching from nearby, Gatz practically drooled.
Looking pitifully at Ryne, he asked, “Head Chef…” “What about ours…?” Ryne ignored him.
Instead, he quietly returned to the galley.
Moments later…
He pushed out a cart that Dorum had hastily modified.
The instant its lid was lifted— An even wilder…
More primal…
Explosion of roasted meat filled the air.
Upon the cart rested an enormous bone-in steak nearly half the size of a dining table.
Its surface had been roasted to a perfect deep brown.
Fat sizzled over the heat, releasing an irresistible aroma.
“Volcanic Stone-Grilled Tomahawk Steak.” With a massive carving knife, Ryne effortlessly divided the steak into generous portions.
He served Rocks and Newgate first.
Newgate accepted a steak larger than his own face.
Grabbing it with one hand…
He bit down.
Crunch!
The crisp crust shattered.
Beneath it waited impossibly tender meat bursting with elasticity.
As his teeth tore through it…
Scalding juices exploded across his mouth.
The pure aroma awakened by volcanic stone and open flame blended perfectly with Ryne’s secret seasoning.
It crashed over his senses like a raging tidal wave.
Delicious.
So delicious…
That thought itself became impossible.
For a moment…
Newgate felt transported back to the age of beasts.
Like a starving predator devouring its hard-earned prey.
It was the purest satisfaction born from instinct itself.
Within moments…
He had devoured several kilograms of steak.
Explosive strength surged through his body.
He nearly threw back his head and roared.
Just as everyone assumed that was the main course…
Ryne returned once more.
This time carrying a gigantic iron pot still bubbling vigorously.
Inside simmered every imaginable kind of seafood.
Massive crab legs.
Tender octopus.
Sweet shellfish.
Even trimmings from the Azurefin Tuna.
Everything rested within an impossibly rich golden broth.
“Four Seas Harmony Stew.” Ryne placed the pot in the center of the table.
Then handed everyone a large bowl.
“Eat together.” This time…
No distinctions remained.
Rocks.
Newgate.
Gatz.
Silver.
Dorum.
Everyone gathered around the pot.
Using spoons.
Forks.
Even their bare hands.
Each reached in to grab whatever looked most delicious.
Newgate picked up a piece of fish soaked in the rich broth.
The complex…
Warm…
Layered flavors filled his mouth.
He froze.
Then he looked up.
Rocks and Gatz were arguing fiercely over the largest crab claw in the pot.
Their faces had turned bright red from the struggle.
The usually quiet Silver patiently removed fish bones for Dorum.
Ryne silently walked around the table, handing everyone freshly baked, fluffy bread.
Noisy.
Chaotic.
Yet somehow…
Warm.
This wasn’t merely a pot of stew.
It was…
The taste of home.
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS sagamaster789 Liked It?