Captain of the Cook God Pirates

Ata, a thirty-year-old woman, has a legendary past. She was once the captain of the Cook God Pirates, renowned for her exceptional Two Sword Style swordsmanship and astonishing culinary skills. Her strength and talent made her a highly sought-after figure, with a bounty of 130 million.

Ata displayed unparalleled culinary skills in the cooking competition on Chef Island, ultimately winning first place. However, on the very day she celebrated her victory, a sudden conspiracy completely changed her life. Her crew suffered heavy casualties, and she was the only one who escaped the disaster.

From then on, Ata's temper became unusually volatile. She was no longer the gentle and kind cook, but someone who would resort to violence at the slightest provocation. She was filled with hatred for those who had plotted against her back then, and firmly believed that they were still hiding on Chef Island.

This was what was written on the paper. When Moke finished reading, extreme surprise appeared in his eyes. He never expected that this seemingly ordinary cook would have such an astonishing bounty, comparable to that of Supernova. What was even more surprising was that this bounty was from several years ago, as Ata had been searching for the murderer on Chef Island, so her bounty had remained unchanged.

"Interesting," Moke muttered to himself, a growing interest in the Ata. Without hesitation, he said, "Information on the people who plotted against her back then? If you have it, bring it over! I'll buy it too."

The waiter paused slightly, then narrowed his eyes. "Considering this is your first time working with us, and you have the potential to become a valued customer, I'll make an exception and remind you this once: whoever buys this intelligence will also have their own intelligence in their hands. So, are you sure you want to buy this intelligence?" Moke's body trembled slightly upon hearing this, a look of astonishment flashing across his face, but he quickly regained his composure. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were pondering the hidden meaning behind those words.

From this guy's words, Moke gleaned two important pieces of information. First, he wasn't the first person to buy information about the killer from the Underworld, meaning others had likely tried before. Second, the killer was clearly someone of considerable influence, since Ata was still on Chef Island, indicating either those who bought the information had been dealt with, or they had backed down after learning the killer's identity.

Nevertheless, Moke's curiosity was thoroughly piqued. He nodded and said to the waiter, "Thank you for the reminder, but I've decided to buy this information anyway. Give it to me, I can't wait!"

Seeing this, the waiter's lips curled into a meaningful smile. He seemed unsurprised by Moke's decision, as if he had expected it. He said, "Alright, sir. But this information isn't cheap. After all, everyone knows this information could very well bring a pirate with a bounty of over 100 million into your fold." As he spoke, he winked at Moke, as if hinting at something.

Upon hearing the waiter's quote, Moke couldn't help but smile. He said with interest, "Oh? That's so high? Then I'm even more interested in her."

Seeing this, the waiter was secretly pleased, knowing that this customer valued Ata highly, so he quickly added, "Yes, sir, ten million Beli is a high price offered by the Underworld!"

A glint of light flashed in Moke's eyes. He knew that the higher the price, the stronger Ata was. Therefore, upon hearing the price, he not only did not hesitate but felt a surge of joy.

Without hesitation, he pulled a dazzling jewelry necklace from his pocket, placed it on the table, and said confidently, "This should be worth ten million Beli, right?"

Seeing this, the waiter's smile immediately became even more sincere, and he quickly nodded and said, "Of course, sir, the value of this jewelry necklace is definitely far more than ten million Beli!"

He secretly calculated that if he could successfully complete this deal, the reward he would receive would be quite substantial. So, he quickly put the necklace away and said, "Please wait a moment, I'll go and fetch you detailed information about Ata."

Before long, the waiter returned with a thick document. He placed it in front of Moke and said with a smile, "Sir, this is the information you requested."

Moke eagerly opened the document and began to read it carefully. The contents of the document shocked him greatly—it turned out that Ata was actually a member of the Donquixote Family under Doflamingo in the New World, Gladius, a Paramecia Bomb-Bomb Fruit user with a bounty of 31 million Beli.

However, this is only the apparent bounty amount. In reality, Gladius's true strength is far greater than that; he possesses a strength exceeding one hundred million. Moreover, he meticulously planned an ambush using his Boom-Boom Devil Fruit Ability, successfully killing Ata's Cook God Pirates. Apart from the captain Ata himself, everyone else perished.

Furthermore, Gladius successfully seized the Devil Fruit from Ata, which undoubtedly boosted his strength to a new level.

Holy crap!

Moke's shock deepened; he hadn't expected that the one who made the move would be Gladius, a member of the Donquixote Family! This was completely unexpected, considering that Gladius was backed by Doflamingo and the entire Donquixote Family!

Moke couldn't help but wonder what kind of Devil Fruit would prompt Gladius to personally intervene. Moreover, Gladius chose an ambush instead of a direct confrontation, indicating that he was still somewhat wary of Ata's strength. However, even with such a meticulously planned ambush, he failed to kill all of Ata to eliminate any future threats. This was enough to prove that Ata's strength should not be underestimated.

Therefore, while Gladius's strength is not weak, it is probably still inferior to Ata's. Doflamingo naturally wouldn't personally make the trip for such a trivial matter, which led to the current situation.

Thinking about this, Moke immediately felt that the money was well spent! Not only did he obtain a precious Devil Fruit, but he also unexpectedly discovered a powerful figure like Ata. More importantly, Moke suddenly felt that making this culinary god Ata his first partner would be an extremely wise choice.

Just then, as if suddenly remembering something, Moke quickly added, "Oh, right, could you also give me a map to Chef Island...?"

The waiter's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, then he quickly pulled a neatly folded sheet of paper from his pocket, carefully unfolded it, and handed it to Moke.

Moke's gaze fell on the blueprint, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Oh? This is for me?"

The waiter nodded and said softly, "This is a route map, a small personal gift for you. I hope it will be helpful."

Moke took the map, examined it carefully for a while, then looked up, exchanged a glance with the waiter, and said with a smile, "Thank you very much!"

However, Moke didn't stop there; he added, "But I think we should get down to business now, shouldn't we?"

The waiter was clearly surprised by Moke's keen observation. He paused for a moment, then laughed, "Haha, you really are a smart guy! You noticed it so quickly."

The waiter took a deep breath, straightened his clothes slightly, then stood up straight and said with a serious expression, "Since that's the case, then I won't beat around the bush. On behalf of Baroque Works, I formally invite you to join us. With your skills and abilities, once you join Baroque Works, you will immediately become one of our senior agents."

Moke listened silently to the waiter's words, but his heart was churning with thoughts like a vast ocean.

He had long heard of Baroque Works' reputation, especially in the first half of the Grand Line, where Crocodile's Baroque Works was practically a legendary entity in the underground intelligence network. However, Moke had no intention whatsoever of becoming Crocodile's underling.

Although he was fully aware of the capabilities of Baroque Works, he valued his independence and autonomy even more. He preferred to roam the world alone rather than be bound by the power of others.

Just as Moke was about to refuse, the waiter seemed to read his mind and quickly added, "Don't be so quick to refuse... You can listen to our terms."

Upon hearing this, Moke hesitated for a moment, then decided to give them a chance and hear what conditions they could offer.

Seeing this, the waiter quickly added, "First, we will share information with you. Whatever information you need, we will provide it to you free of charge. Moreover, if anyone is against you, or if someone tries to buy information about you, we will notify you immediately, and may even send people to help you directly."

Moke's heart skipped a beat. Intelligence was indeed of utmost importance to him, and such intelligence sharing would undoubtedly bring him great convenience.

Seeing that Moke was somewhat interested, the waiter quickly stated the second condition. "Secondly, as long as you join our Baroque Works and complete the tasks we assign, you will receive generous rewards."

At other times, you have complete freedom of movement. Moreover, Baroque Works will reward you handsomely for successfully completing tasks. This is undoubtedly a very attractive offer.

In addition, there is a third form of cooperation available. In this mode, you will have priority access to intelligence, and the studio will promptly alert you if anyone attempts to harm you. However, this cooperation is not without its costs; you will need to pay Beli a fee... and of course, you will also need to complete specific tasks. It's worth noting, however, that if you choose this form of cooperation, you will have some flexibility. That is, not every task assigned to you is mandatory; you can choose based on your own circumstances. Throughout the year, you only need to select two or three tasks from your assigned assignments to complete.

It must be said that this third form of cooperation is indeed quite tempting. But for Moke, it doesn't seem to be of much need. After all, problems that can be solved with money aren't a big deal for him. As for intelligence, he can simply buy it with Beli. Moreover, no matter how eloquently the other party tries to persuade him, agreeing to this kind of cooperation would be tantamount to bringing himself under Crocodile's Baroque Works, which Moke absolutely cannot accept.

Therefore, Moke rejected the offer without hesitation. Seeing this, the waiter could only leave helplessly. Moke then began to study the route map to Chef Island. Before long, the names of two small islands caught his attention, which made him feel a jolt.

Whiskey Peak and Asuka Island both hold significant meaning for Moke. Whiskey Peak is the lair of bounty hunters, a place Princess Vivi and Luffy will both visit. Asuka Island is home to the Holy Sword, a mysterious and powerful weapon that holds immense appeal for Moke.

The Holy Sword's power is astonishing. Not only can it heal wounds automatically, but it can also amplify the strength of the user and their companions. Even more astonishing is its ability to control people's minds, achieving a state of Man-Sword Unity. If Moke could absorb this Holy Sword, his strength would undoubtedly be greatly enhanced.

However, Whiskey Peak is a place that Moke must visit. Although his purpose in going there is not to meet Princess Vivi or Luffy's crew, there is something very important to him there— the Meito, Kashu.

According to the intelligence Moke possesses, the famous Meito seems to have fallen into the hands of an agent of Baroque Works. In the original storyline, the sword was eventually acquired by Tashigi. Now, Moke wants to win over Ata, and besides providing her with crucial information about the killer, he believes he needs a more substantial gift. And this famous Meito, Kashu, is undoubtedly an excellent choice.

For a true Swordmaster, Meito is undoubtedly the most suitable gift. It not only represents extremely high value, but also reflects recognition and respect for the other person's swordsmanship.

In the tavern, Moke enjoyed a sumptuous meal, greatly satisfying his taste buds. After a hearty meal, he lay contentedly on the comfortable bed, enjoying a peaceful and tranquil night.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Moke's face, the gentle light waking him from his slumber. He slowly opened his eyes, stretched, and felt every cell in his body being activated. Then, he quickly got up without hesitation, transforming once again into a dazzling beam of light, speeding away like Inazuma, his target the Reverse Mountain.

Meanwhile, in his office at Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku was handling various matters at his desk. Suddenly, a rapid phone call rang. He picked up the Den Den Mushi, listened for only a few moments, and his expression instantly turned extremely serious. He was so startled that he stood up abruptly, exclaiming in shock, "What?!"

The sudden exclamation caught the attention of Garp and Vice Admiral Tsuru, who were also in the office. They both looked at Sengoku, especially Garp, who was about to put the donut in his mouth when he was startled by the sudden scene and forgot to chew.

Garp rarely saw Sengoku so out of control, and he couldn't help but feel a little surprised. Vice Admiral Tsuru frowned slightly, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart. She felt that something Summit War had probably happened again.

Vice Admiral Tsuru quickly asked, "What happened?" Sengoku hung up the Den Den Mushi, took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and then slowly said, "Colonel Wild Dog, who succeeded Smoker in the East Blue, has been killed."

"How could this be?" Garp was astonished. He was very familiar with the situation in the East Blue and knew about the pirate forces there. There were very few powerful pirates in the entire East Blue, and none of them had the courage or strength to kill the highest-ranking officer of the East Blue Navy! Obviously, Tsuru held the same view. After all, the pirates in the East Blue were generally weak, otherwise it would not be called the weakest sea among the Four Seas.

With a hint of doubt, Tsuru couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that some powerful figure has appeared in the East Blue?" Sengoku nodded slightly in agreement, then slowly said, "Indeed. As far as we know, this person Moke Mok's age and birthplace are unknown. But his swordsmanship is quite outstanding, and he is also Devil Fruit User."

Sengoku paused, seemingly considering how to more accurately describe Moke's abilities, before adding, "According to intelligence, his swordsmanship was learned from Corporal Tashigi, Smoker's second-in-command. Furthermore, his Devil Fruit ability is exceptionally unique; he not only possesses the power of light and earth, but also the Elementalization ability unique to Logia Fruits."

"Ah?"

Vice Admiral Tsuru and Garp both showed expressions of astonishment.

Garp stared at Sengoku in astonishment and exclaimed, "Sengoku, are you sure you heard me right?! What Logia Fruit user can control both light and earth at the same time? That's pure fantasy!"

Not to mention Garp, even Sengoku himself began to doubt his own ears. He muttered to himself, "Logia, Logia, Logia users should be a type of natural element in nature, right? How could two natural abilities exist in the same person? This is completely illogical! Could it be that such a Devil Fruit really exists? Or is this person possessing the abilities of two Devil Fruit simultaneously?"

The more Sengoku thought about it, the more incredible it seemed. Various possibilities flashed through his mind, but no matter which one, they were all far beyond their previous understanding.

Just then, Vice Admiral Tsuru, who was standing nearby, also came to her senses. She turned to Sengoku and said, "Since this person learned swordsmanship from Smoker's second-in-command, Tashigi, why don't we ask them? Perhaps they'll know what's going on!"

Upon hearing this, Sengoku's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope. He quickly nodded and said, "That's right, how could I have forgotten about that! He, you're right, let's go find them and ask them!"

Just then, Smoker was intently chasing the Straw Hat Crew, his eyes fixed on the turbulent sea ahead, seemingly deep in thought. However, his contemplation didn't last long. Suddenly, a soldier rushed up to Smoker, holding a Den Den Mushi scooter).

After the soldier stood at attention, he respectfully reported to Smoker, "Captain Smoker, it's a call from Fleet Admiral Sengoku of Headquarters." Upon hearing this, Smoker's pupils contracted sharply, and an ominous premonition welled up in his heart. He quickly turned his head and exchanged a glance with Tashigi beside him; both of them wore expressions of worry.

After all, Smoker's pursuit of the Straw Hat Crew was a unilateral decision, without prior approval from the Marine Headquarters. Otherwise, the Marine Headquarters would never have agreed to allow a colonel like him to pursue such an important target. And now, with Fleet Admiral Sengoku calling personally, things have likely become quite complicated.

However, things had come to this point, Smoker had no way out. He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and then, steeling himself, took the Den Den Mushi and said into the receiver, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Smoker."

On the other end of the phone came Sengoku's deep and serious voice. "Do you know anything about Moke Ke?"

"Ah?"

Smoker and Tashigi were both taken aback. They hadn't expected Fleet Admiral Sengoku to suddenly ask about Moke. They had been prepared for a severe reprimand, but now they were completely baffled by the question and filled with doubt.

However, despite this, the two quickly regained their composure, after all, they were facing Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Although they still had many questions in their minds, they answered without hesitation, "We know a bit about Moke; he's a friend of my second-in-command, Tashigi."

Then, Smoker paused briefly before continuing, "Not only does Moke possess an astonishing talent for swordsmanship, but he also has a very special Devil Fruit ability."

Upon hearing this, the Fleet Admiral Sengoku's interest was clearly piqued, and he pressed for details, "Oh? Tell me more!"

Seeing this, Smoker turned to Tashigi, signaling her to continue explaining. Tashigi understood and immediately said, "About three months ago, I met Moke by chance in a weapon shop in Loguetown. He actually bought two Meito at once, which piqued my interest. Later, he offered to teach me swordsmanship in exchange for one of the Meito, and I agreed after some consideration."

Tashigi recalled the scene and couldn't help but sigh, "To be honest, at the beginning, Moke knew absolutely nothing about swordsmanship. However, in just three months, his swordsmanship had far surpassed mine, and he was only one step away from becoming a true Swordmaster. His talent in swordsmanship is absolutely the best I have ever seen in my life... Even the Vice Admiral in headquarters who are known for their swordsmanship are probably far inferior to his talent."