Chapter 88: Cole's Physical Evolution
Whitebeard examined the ship and was quite satisfied. He figured that next time he met Garp, he could use it to mock him. Turning to the dock supervisor beside him, he said, "We'll take this 500-meter-long one. It'll be ready to set sail tonight, right?"
"No problem at all, Lord Whitebeard."
"Good. We'll head off for now. Have the ship brought to the port and ready for departure by then."
"Yes, Lord Whitebeard."
Whitebeard then led Luo Han and Cole out of the dockyard. Noticing there was still plenty of daylight left, he said to Luo Han, "You two can have some fun around the island. Let's meet at the port this evening. I'm going to buy some booze."
Luo Han nodded. "Alright, we'll head off then!" He parted ways with Whitebeard, placing his hands behind his head and walking with Cole toward the largest and most eye-catching sign in the distance.
Cole had long been eager to explore this lively island, and now that he had the chance, he walked a bit faster than usual—scaring quite a few pedestrians along the way.
Soon, the two arrived beneath a massive signboard. Looking up, it read: "New World Grand Restaurant."
Inside, a waiter quickly arranged a large table for them. Just as they sat down, the restaurant owner came over in person and politely asked, "Do the gentlemen have any specific dietary needs?"
It was an experienced question—on the sea, with so many scattered islands and cultures, people often had special food requirements. Getting it wrong could lead to serious trouble.
Luo Han wasn't picky, and Cole didn't have any special requests either.
"Just bring out your best dishes. Oh, and maybe a lot of them," Luo Han added.
The owner nodded confidently. "No problem! We've heard all about Lord Cole's appetite. We'll make sure both of you are satisfied." He then went into the kitchen to personally supervise the chefs.
Luo Han picked up the drink handed to him and downed it in one gulp. "Ah… now this is living."
…
That evening, Luo Han and Cole returned to the port, completely stuffed. Walking along the docks, they noticed ships being transferred or undergoing delivery like at a bustling trade port. Merchants moved about, buying and selling nonstop.
From afar, they spotted the new ship Whitebeard had chosen. Its color seemed different, and before they even got close, the strong smell of paint hit their noses. Both covered their faces with their hands.
Once closer, it was obvious—the ship looked exactly like a navy battleship. Maybe it was Whitebeard's twisted sense of humor that made him have it painted that way.
"If Garp sees this, he's going to be speechless," Luo Han muttered to himself.
Getting closer, they realized how massive it really was. The ship even had an ID number on the hull: D–130A.
"Is this the 130th ship produced? And the 'D'... does that refer to Rocks himself?" Luo Han mumbled, full of questions.
The two vaulted aboard and stepped onto the deck. "Definitely bigger than the last one," Luo Han noted.
At least now there'd be space for a proper banquet. Before, the cooks had to carry food to the deck for Whitebeard and the rest. Now, everyone could feast together.
Sigh. As he thought about it, Luo Han suddenly felt downhearted. He recalled the pirates from earlier that morning, and the memory sapped his mood. He didn't feel like partying anymore—they weren't his kind of people.
…
Soon, Whitebeard and Sister Shao returned. The head chef and the crew brought the kitchen equipment from the old ship onto the new one.
As Luo Han watched the crew board the new ship one by one, he kept thinking about that little girl and her words: "I want to eat, Papa…"
He couldn't bear to stay.
He approached Whitebeard and Sister Shao with a downcast expression. "Newgate… Sister Shao. Cole and I will go stay on Tucker's ship. We'll just follow behind you."
Whitebeard and Sister Shao exchanged a glance, both silently acknowledging the situation with a hint of helplessness in their eyes.
Whitebeard replied, "Alright."
Luo Han waved and, together with Cole, flew back to Tucker's ship. Not long after, Whitebeard's new ship set sail, and they followed behind.
…
Time slipped by quietly. Six days had passed since they left Battleship Island.
As dusk approached, the sky was bathed in hues of crimson. The group had arrived at a desolate little island, made entirely of rocky layers stacked unevenly—some 40 centimeters thick—forming a coral-like terrain.
Perched atop a jagged brown rock formation in the distance sat a ten-meter-tall, red-skinned giant radiating intense heat and steam—like a boiled lobster. The crew watched him warily, a flicker of fear in their eyes.
This fear traced back to day one of the voyage.
On that first day, Cole had admitted that his body still wasn't strong enough. He feared becoming a liability if they encountered Roger again. He wanted to evolve further by devouring Sea Kings.
Luo Han understood. After all, he had severed the arm of one of Roger's crewmates. Knowing how much Roger valued his comrades, revenge was inevitable.
"Next time we face them, it's going to be brutal."
But Luo Han didn't regret it. They had come to kill him. He couldn't just hold back because they were canon characters. That'd get him killed.
Luo Han wasn't too worried about himself—he had speed and awareness. But if Rayleigh and Jabber double-teamed Cole, he wouldn't be able to help, and that could be fatal.
So Luo Han quickly agreed to Cole's proposal and asked Whitebeard, "I want to spend a few days hunting Sea Kings to help Cole evolve. If we face Roger's crew like this, we won't last long."
Whitebeard thought about it. Cole would definitely struggle against Rayleigh or Jabber. He agreed.
Luo Han and Cole began working together to hunt Sea Kings. On day one alone, they captured five Sea Kings, each over 3,000 meters long.
And for the first time, the crew witnessed Cole's full beast form devouring a Sea King. They would never forget that sight.
"What is that?!"
"Terrifying!"
With the help of Kyoka suigetsu and telekinesis, Luo Han pulled a massive conch-shaped Sea King from the ocean. Then they watched as Cole transformed into a 6,000-meter-long kun—a mythical fish. His jaws, lined with razor-sharp teeth, opened like a black hole and swallowed the creature whole.
There was no visible movement in his neck or belly. Some even wondered if he had really eaten it.
Then Cole let out a belch that felt like a level-twelve typhoon. The stench nearly knocked everyone out. Only then did they believe he'd truly eaten it.
Afterward, they were terrified. Cole ate five massive Sea Kings in one go. His body didn't even swell.
When he returned to human form, his body simply let off some steam—no major transformation.
"Still not enough?" Luo Han asked from above.
Cole checked his body and shook his head. "Still not enough energy."
Luo Han stroked his chin. It was the first time Cole had actively tried to evolve by devouring Sea Kings. A lot was still unknown.
"Think you can eat more?" Luo Han asked.
Cole touched his belly. "Nope. I need time to digest."
So there was a limit after all. Luo Han nodded. "Then let's wait a few days."
On day two, Cole devoured five more Sea Kings.
On day three, he devoured seven.
On day four… twelve.
By then, the crew had stopped reacting. They were numb to it.
…
(END CHAPTER)
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