บท 30: Chapter 30: The Seventh Crew Member
The ship docked.
The entire crew disembarked, quickly making their way up the towering volcano.
At the summit, two giants were sitting around the crater, cooking food.
The delicious aroma filled the sky.
Kuke couldn't help but twitch his lips as his stomach growled. He was hungry.
To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing. Even though he had made a name for himself on the high seas and humiliated both the World Government and the Navy, since setting sail, Kuke had not eaten a single good meal.
There were only a few people on the Radiant Eclipse, and none of them were proper chefs.
In an effort to ensure Kuke ate well, Boa Hancock had been trying to learn to cook. Unfortunately, she had no talent for it and had nearly burned down the Radiant Eclipse several times.
Gion's cooking was at best "edible."
Kuke himself wasn't much better.
And Koala was still too young.
Every day, they just made do with whatever they had.
Now, suddenly, the smell of delicious food wafting through the air made Kuke's appetite surge.
"I heard you're hungry. Please, have some," said one of the giants, Panz Fry, who was using the volcano's heat to cook food. He generously handed over a serving.
Beside him was his daughter, Lily Enstomach, who had eaten the Mini Mini Fruit.
"Dad, I think they're...," Lily muttered while handling some ingredients, glancing at Kuke. She tilted her head, trying to remember where she had seen him before.
Then, her eyes widened with realization, and she slapped her forehead, smearing some leaves onto it in the process. "I remember now! You're the ones who've been all over the newspapers recently!"
Her eyes sparkled as she suddenly became fangirlish.
With boundless enthusiasm, she added, "Please, have a seat! More food is coming right up!"
Kuke didn't hesitate and sat down with the rest of his crew.
As they ate, they couldn't help but marvel at how good the food was.
Not only was it better than anything they had eaten in the past few days, but it was also better than anything Kuke had ever tasted even during his time in the Navy.
It made Kuke realize how desperately he needed a chef—preferably a female one.
As he devoured the food, Kuke casually chatted with Lily Enstomach. Watching her skillfully handle the food, Kuke was convinced her culinary talents were extraordinary.
"Where are you two headed?" Kuke asked between bites.
Panz Fry replied, "Oh, we're just traveling freely across the seas, feeding hungry travelers and searching for our friends who left home a long time ago."
Kuke thought for a moment before asking, "Do you know the giants, Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy?"
Panz Fry froze, his giant face coming closer as he set down the massive iron pot. "You're talking about the great Dorry and Brogy? You've seen them? Do you know where they are? They've been gone for nearly a hundred years!"
"Yes, I know where they are. They're on Little Garden."
"Could you take us to them?" Panz Fry asked eagerly.
Kuke nodded. It was on the way anyway.
Panz Fry became even more hospitable, cooking up an even greater feast.
Kuke ate his fill, thoroughly enjoying the experience.
Soon after, two ships set sail—one led by the Radiant Eclipse, the other trailing behind was Panz Fry's vessel.
On board the Radiant Eclipse, Lily Enstomach had come aboard as a guest, shrinking down to human size using her Mini Mini Fruit ability. Despite being a giant, she now stood at a regular height and had quickly bonded with the crew, especially with Koala and Hancock's sisters.
"Is that the Mini Mini Fruit?" Gion commented, raising an eyebrow. "That's probably the best Devil Fruit a giant could get."
Giants were known across the seas for their immense strength. Many powerful figures across the world held those connected to giants in high regard.
But giants had their weaknesses.
Their great strength came with a trade-off: they were often slow and cumbersome. Against powerful enemies, they became easy targets, making it rare for any giant to rise to the level of a top-tier fighter.
However, with the Mini Mini Fruit, Lily Enstomach had eliminated the giants' main disadvantage.
Her potential was far greater than that of other giants.
"Are you thinking of recruiting her?" Gion asked, noticing Kuke's interest.
"We'll see," Kuke replied. He wasn't in a hurry to invite her yet.
There were still a few days before they reached Little Garden.
During those few days, Lily spent most of her time aboard the Radiant Eclipse. She got along especially well with Hancock's sisters, forming fast friendships and having a lot of fun with them.
Meanwhile, with Panz Fry around, Kuke and his crew were eating well every day and enjoying themselves.
Soon enough, they arrived at Little Garden, marking their approach to the exit of the Grand Line.
"Dorry! Brogy! It's really you!" Panz Fry shouted excitedly upon spotting the two giants on the island, rushing toward them with tears of joy.
After a boisterous reunion with lots of hearty laughter, Kuke, who had brought Panz Fry to the island, gained the friendship of the two giant warriors. Giants were straightforward and loyal by nature, and once you earned their trust, they were allies for life.
After some time, Panz Fry regretfully approached Kuke. "Kuke, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to continue traveling with you. I plan to stay here for a few years with Dorry and Brogy."
"That's your choice," Kuke smiled.
He then turned his gaze to Lily.
"What? Years?" Lily pouted.
A few years might not seem long to a giant, but for the restless and adventurous Lily, the thought of staying on an uninhabited island for years was unbearable.
"Lily, why don't you come travel with us instead?" Kuke suggested. "Join our crew."
"Yes, come with us!" Hancock's sisters, who had grown attached to Lily, pleaded.
The two sisters looked at Kuke with hopeful eyes. "Captain, can she join us?"
"Can I really?" Lily asked, her excitement bubbling over as she looked to Kuke for confirmation, her eyes wide with anticipation.
"Of course. If you want to join us, you're more than welcome," Kuke replied with a grin.
"Yay!" Lily leaped into the air, hugging Hancock's sisters as they all squealed in excitement.
Her father, Panz Fry, smiled approvingly. "Go on, Lily. Travel with Kuke and see the world."
And just like that, the Radiant Eclipse gained a new member.
The seventh official crew member: Lily Enstomach, Giant with the Mini Mini Fruit.
Her battle power: 10,236.
Kuke's total battle power increased by another ten thousand points, nearing the 300,000 mark.
At the same time, Kuke received two new attributes:
+5 to Constitution
+10 cm in height
"Giants have incredible constitutions, so I gained some of their strength, and the Mini Mini Fruit's ability to alter size caused my height to increase too," Kuke observed.
His total Constitution stat now stood at 55.
His height: 2.41 meters + 10 cm = 2.51 meters.
Thankfully, the height increase was gradual over the next month, so it wouldn't be noticeable to Gion and the others.
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P.S.: This story was never completed, and I want to finish it. If you'd like to help me financially so I have the time to translate it as fast as possible, you can join me on my Patreon at Patreon. com / Emik01 and you can read up to chapter 45.
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