chapter 15

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"We need a chef."

"You must dislike me," grumbled Pei Jin, who was temporarily working as a part-time chef, clearly unhappy.

"Don't you want to eat delicious meals every day?" asked Rhodes.

"Well, that's true. Let's find a proper cook, Captain," Pei Jin quickly changed his attitude.

"Of course, I'm looking for a chef," Rhodes said, wiping his mouth. Pei Jin's cooking was just average, but Rhodes had no desire to do it himself, so he made do for now.

However, having a talented chef was crucial for long voyages at sea. A skilled cook could not only provide delicious meals but also master special recipes that could subtly enhance the crew's health, just like Sanji's experience with the Okama cooking techniques from the Kamabakka Kingdom.

But finding a chef of that caliber wouldn't be easy.

"Before that, let's make a name for ourselves and stir things up!"

Hearing this, everyone looked at Rhodes with eager eyes. Those who chose to sail together were clearly not ordinary people.

"Our first target is Speda Miles, a stronghold of the Don Quixote family. We'll use the Shichibukai as our stepping stone."

"Shichibukai!?" Gray exclaimed.

"Why are you acting surprised? Didn't we discuss this already?" Rhodes asked.

"When did we talk about this?" Gray asked, confused.

"Oh, right, you were injured and passed out."

"So, you didn't discuss it with me!" Gray retorted.

"Well, it's not that important," Rhodes waved him off.

"It's very important! You jerk!" Gray fumed.

"Everyone, get ready!" Rhodes continued, ignoring him.

"Is it too late for me to get off this ship? I'm just a scientist trying to build ships. Why do I have to face the vicious Don Quixote family…" Gray muttered nervously. As a native of the North Blue, he knew all too well the reputation of Doflamingo and his crew.

"At our current speed, we'll reach Speda Miles in two days," said Nairo, unrolling a navigation chart and pointing to a marked spot.

"From the intel we've gathered, Speda Miles was once a stronghold of the Don Quixote family in the North Blue. Although it was abandoned for a while, after Doflamingo became a Shichibukai, they returned with more men and took control of the town again. It's a major hub for their operations."

"Not only that, but the Don Quixote family controls numerous industries in the area—auctions, weapon shops, casinos, and more—all under the protection of the Shichibukai title. The town has become a bustling trade city, though beneath the surface, it's full of shady dealings. Because of their Shichibukai status, the Navy won't move against them without hard evidence. In fact, the Navy might even have secret deals with them. According to our intel, many nations, including those affiliated with the World Government, are involved in secret deals with the Don Quixote family," Nairo explained.

"As expected of the Shichibukai! Their influence is vast, with ties to so many interest groups. Just hearing about it is overwhelming," Nia remarked. Compared to the Don Quixote family, their previous adversaries, the Felker family, seemed like children playing games.

"It sounds intimidating, but with our captain here, we'll be fine," Pei Jin said confidently.

"Once we take them on, we'll probably have bounties on our heads. I wonder how high mine will be," Xia Qi added with excitement.

"I've made a terrible mistake. I should never have gotten involved with the Felker family in the first place..." Gray muttered, regretting his decision to join Rhodes' crew. Hearing Nairo's detailed description made him even more nervous.

"Our main adversary there is Gladius, a user of the Explosive-Explosive Fruit. He's been with Doflamingo since the beginning. Luo, you know more about him, right?" Nairo asked.

Luo gave Rhodes and Nairo a thoughtful look. These two had gathered a surprising amount of information about the Don Quixote family, suggesting they'd been planning this confrontation for a while. Reflecting on it, Luo realized he had been too cautious, even planning to take on Doflamingo alone.

"Yes, Gladius is dangerous. He can detonate his own body or anything he touches, with explosive power far greater than ordinary explosives. His bounty was 31 million berries years ago, but he's much stronger now," Luo said, his mind flashing back to his past.

Gladius had been a strict mentor when Luo was a boy, and despite the time that had passed, he remembered those lessons well. Gladius was fiercely loyal to Doflamingo and had a temper as volatile as his explosive powers.

When Gladius saw Luo again, there would be no surprise—only fury.

"I'll fulfill your wish, Mr. Corazon," Luo thought, recalling the smiling face of his beloved mentor.

"As a Shichibukai, Gladius' bounty hasn't increased, but his strength has," Nairo added. "We should also be cautious of Edorad Manudo, a Dog-Dog Fruit user. He's a reserve officer in the Don Quixote family and once defeated a pirate with a 43 million berry bounty."

"Now that everyone knows the situation, we need to make a strong debut!" Rhodes declared, rallying the crew.

"The Don Quixote family must have stockpiled a lot of wealth over the years," Nia said, her eyes gleaming.

"And they control the arms trade across the North Blue. There's bound to be some advanced technology we can take," Gray noted, now more focused.

"We'll get huge bounties for taking down the Shichibukai in our first battle!" Pei Jin and Xia Qi cheered, high-fiving.

"Maybe there's a cute little bear waiting for us!" Bepo said with a blush, lost in his own thoughts.

As the crew buzzed with excitement, Luo quietly patted Bepo's head, staying silent.

Before they knew it, two days had passed. The crew had finally arrived at Speda Miles!

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