Faced with Weiwei's persuasive tactics and the facts, the rebels agreed to lay down their weapons and cease their attacks. Momo promised that the drought would be alleviated once they returned the weapons to their homes. As for why the rebels believed Momo, "Damn it, what else could we do but believe you? If there's a disagreement, you just casually unleash a flame that melts the sand dunes, then freezes the melted dunes into icebergs, and then directly shatters the icebergs. How dare we utter a single word of dissent?"
Of course, after scaring them, Mo Mo also gave them some hope. After the negotiations ended, he used half of his forces to create a torrential downpour, soaking everyone to the bone. Standing on the sand dune, looking at the so-called peace agreement in Weiwei's hand, and then at the rebels slowly dispersing below, Mo Mo took Weiwei's hand and left. Of course, the Baroque Studio personnel, tied up in a rope, also left with Mo Mo.
When Kosa finished his work and climbed halfway up the small dune where Momo and the others were, Momo left with Weiwei and a group of people from Baroque Works. In the distance, Kosa vaguely heard a sentence carried on the wind: "Crocodile, cherish the time you have left, because your time is running out."
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 33 Grilled Sand Crocodile
In the boundless golden desert, a young man stood suspended in mid-air above the ruins of a city nearly buried by the yellow sand. The howling, sand-laden wind began to subside three zhang (approximately 10 meters) away from him, gradually dissipating as it approached within a zhang. Within a hundred zhang of the young man, the wind was noticeably gentler than outside. Yes, it was gentler. The overwhelming sandstorm's force and speed decreased drastically as it entered within this hundred-zhang radius, only to rage again once it left this area. It was as if something within that circle terrified them, causing them to tread lightly, afraid of disturbing him with their footsteps.
"The yellow sand is everywhere, and nothing can stop it. The power of nature is indeed strong. I'm afraid that the ancient kingdoms of the Western Regions in history also perished in this way!" Looking at the ruined city under his feet that was gradually being buried by the yellow sand, Mo Mo sighed in his heart.
"There are few cities in the desert to begin with, and this city hasn't been completely buried by the yellow sand yet, so there's still some foundation left. Since we've met, it must be fate. You're destined not to perish. Wake up!"
"boom"
A surge of power erupted from that seemingly frail body, momentarily halting the raging storm before slowly recovering after two or three seconds. Seeing the sandstorm raging again around him, Mo Mo didn't give it a chance to continue its rampage.
"rise"
With a roar from Mo Mo, a tornado slowly formed around him, growing larger and larger until it reached the sky, visible to people several kilometers away. As the tornado grew stronger, Mo Mo's expression grew increasingly serious. When the tornado completely engulfed the city beneath his feet, Mo Mo finally made a new move.
Mo Mo formed hand seals, and as his hands continued to form seals, light green energy began to emerge around his body. The light green energy began to swirl around Mo Mo, and as Mo Mo's hand seals became faster and faster, more and more energy emerged. Finally, the green energy formed a green tornado outside Mo Mo's body. The green tornado grew larger and larger until it completely merged with the tornado formed by the sandstorm. When the two tornadoes merged together, Mo Mo's hands finally stopped.
Seeing the green-glowing tornado, Mo Mo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, a glint flashed in his eyes, and the power within his body suddenly erupted. A light green energy beam shot directly into the sky. With the burst of this energy, the green tornado slowly twisted and deformed, eventually transforming into a five-clawed divine dragon that was two or three hundred feet long and twenty-three feet thick.
Mo Mo was very satisfied with the soaring dragon. It was worth all the effort he had put in and the time he had spent here.
"go"
Mo Mo pointed in the direction from which the sandstorm was coming, and the majestic and imposing behemoth roared and then rushed towards the sandstorm, accompanied by a gust of wind.
Wherever the dragon carrying the gale passed, the storms ceased, and the dragon, composed of storms, moved forward, becoming smaller and smaller. Finally, when the dragon became a tiny dot in Mo Mo's eyes, it roared and exploded with a "boom," forming a huge mushroom cloud on the spot. The sandstorm gradually subsided with this roar.
"The power is not bad, and the appearance is also good, but the preparation time is too long, and the practicality is not strong enough."
Looking at the city that had been completely transformed, Mo Mo felt gratified. Although it was still somewhat dilapidated, it could be rebuilt and relocated. "Since I'm doing this, I might as well go all the way." Mo Mo stretched out his right hand, and a green energy ball slowly grew larger in his hand. After the energy ball reached the size of a basketball, it stopped growing, but its color became darker and darker, and finally, the void itself seemed to show signs of breaking.
Looking at the vibrant energy ball in front of him, Mo Mo nodded in satisfaction, then tossed it upwards. With a "whoosh," the energy ball shot straight into the sky, then exploded with a bang about a kilometer above the ground, forming a green rain that covered an area of nearly ten miles.
"With this rain, it won't be long before this place becomes an oasis. We've done everything we could. Hopefully, this place can bring some comfort to this suffering country." After saying this, Mo Mo left. After all, he was there to settle scores with Crocodile Sand. Doing these things was just something he did on the spur of the moment.
However, Mo Mo was unaware that his casual act would later create the desert holy city, "City of Rebirth." It's said that the city was abandoned, but one day, after a sandstorm, people came to pay their respects and discovered that the city, which should have been buried by the sand, had not only survived but had also revived. A small oasis slowly formed within a ten-mile radius of the city, hailed as a miracle, attracting many to settle there. But that's a story for later. Meanwhile, our protagonist, Mo Mo, had arrived outside Rain Banquet, Crocodile's lair in Rainland. The reason the city quickly became an oasis was because the energy sphere was formed by Mo Mo compressing and combining wood and water elemental energies. It contained abundant water and wood elemental energy, allowing vegetation to rapidly revive and grow.
Meanwhile, Mo Mo, looking at the yellow and blue pyramid-shaped building in front of him, couldn't help but mentally complain, "The pyramids are the tombs of the pharaohs! How could someone build their headquarters into a tomb? How much do they want to die sooner! They're still alive and already eager to move into their graves. I'm speechless. And what's with the crocodile on top of the pyramid? It's even wearing a banana on its head. Is it because it can't catch any prey that it can eat the banana on its head? And it grows back in a few days?" But complaining aside, it was time to get down to business.
"Crocodile, come out here right now! Bah! I'm not here to take your dog's life. All irrelevant people, leave immediately. Anyone still at Rain Party after three minutes will be considered Crocodile's accomplice and henchman, and we will not be responsible for any accidental injuries."
"boom"
To convince those inside of Mo Mo's words, Mo Mo directly turned one of the pools on either side of the road outside the Rain Banquet into a pool of fire, and the other into an iceberg. Feeling the extreme cold and heat of the ice and fire, those outside the Rain Banquet were the first to flee. Those inside the Rain Banquet followed suit, also fleeing for their lives. In less than three minutes, not only inside the Rain Banquet, but also the streets outside were deserted. Of course, saying it was deserted wasn't entirely accurate, as Crocodile's million elders and others from afar were rushing to the scene.
"What exactly do you mean? If you're going to fight, then fight. What's the point of surrounding me without saying a word or making a move? When is your boss, that little crocodile, coming? I need to go back for dinner. If I don't make it back in time, Nami and the others will worry." After being surrounded by a million elders who had rushed over upon hearing the news for five minutes, Mo Mo couldn't take it anymore. After all, anyone would find it unbearable to be surrounded by a group of grown men staring at you without saying a word, not answering your questions, taking a step forward and then retreating, and vice versa. And this was all happening under the scorching sun for five minutes. What's worse, the main culprit refused to show up.
Looking up, Mo Mo noticed a surveillance Den Den Mushi staring at him from the entrance of Yu Yan's restaurant. He then used his divine sense to scan Yu Yan's restaurant, and after the scan, Mo Mo was so angry that he almost exploded. Crocodile was drinking red wine and embracing a girl in the secret room, watching him through the surveillance Den Den Mushi. "He who hunts geese all day long gets pecked in the eye by the goose."
"Damn it, I was actually looked down upon and even tricked. It seems I've been lying low for too long. I'll make you scum relive your past fears in the next few days."
"Fire Fist - Meteor Shower"
"boom"
The fiery fist, imbued with a hint of gold, rapidly expanded after detaching from Mo Mo's fist, growing to nearly ten meters in size by the time it was about to strike Yu Yan. The ten-meter-tall fiery fist, before the horrified eyes of the million elders, directly blasted Yu Yan into collapse.
Looking at the bizarre pyramid that had mostly collapsed and was now ablaze, Mo Mo was quite satisfied with his punch. He clapped his hands nonchalantly, "Now you should come out, little crocodile. You are a Devil Fruit user, after all; you shouldn't be burned to death, right?"
"Boom!" Before Mo Mo could finish speaking, the still-burning Yu Yan suddenly exploded, creating a large hole. A stream of sand flew out of the hole and began to condense in front of Mo Mo, first his feet, then his legs, then his body, and finally his head.
Looking at Crocodile, who had reformed into human form, Momo curiously examined him from head to toe. "He's as annoying as ever." Crocodile's most memorable features were the scar that split his face in two, the golden hook on his left hand, and his laugh that evoked a deep-seated revulsion. Now, all these elements matched up, along with the sand-transforming characteristic, making the person before him undoubtedly Crocodile.
"You dare to come to my Rain Party and cause trouble? Do you want to become a mummy?" Crocodile let out his signature laugh, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Momo glanced at Crocodile and said, "Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, one of the three major powers of the Grand Line. Each of the Seven Warlords of the Sea possesses catastrophic strength."
Crocodile said in a gloomy tone, "Oh, so you actually know me, know my background and still dare to act wildly in my place. You really have a lot of nerve."
"Why are the Seven Warlords of the Sea called the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Besides the fact that your strength is below the Four Emperors, don't you have any other thoughts? The Four Emperors are emperors! And you are kings below them. Haven't you ever thought that there is a 'king' above you!"
"boom"
As soon as the word "King" was uttered, Crocodile was sent flying by Momo's punch. Momo didn't even use Haki; he just added some water to his fist when he threw the punch. As for the shameful thing about sneak attacks, you're a villain, and you're telling me it's shameless? When you're playing a game and trying to defeat a boss, who doesn't use every trick in the book? Only a fool would confront a boss head-on.
"Cough! Cough!"
Crocodile, lying on the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said with some fear, "Could you be the legendary person who first proposed the Seven Warlords of the Sea policy?"
"I don't know if I proposed the idea of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but when I left, Sengoku did tell me that I was the king above the Seven Warlords of the Sea." Mo Mo was unusually patient in explaining to Crocodile.
"Alright, now that you've answered all the questions, you should get going. I also need to head back for dinner; I need to give you some instructions, otherwise it'll just be those salad rice balls and the like again."
"boom"
"Huh! You actually dodged my fire punch? Well, let's see how you dodge this one."
"Whoosh"
Momo appeared directly behind Crocodile. "Little Crocodile, you're a user of the Sand-Sand Fruit, right? As long as you don't touch water, you can't be harmed, right? Now I have a really fun game that you'll definitely like."
"Great Flame Ring - Cage" "Too lazy to think of a name for this move, Ace, I'll borrow your Flame Ring for now." Mo Mo thought to himself after using this move.
"boom"
A raging inferno erupted from Momo's body, engulfing Crocodile before he could even turn to sand. The flames were initially orange-red, then slowly turned gold, and finally a pale blue, gradually becoming transparent. Crocodile, inside the fireball, initially cursed Momo, saying he was nothing special. But as the flames turned gold, his curses became more anxious. When the flames began to turn blue, he started howling and begging for mercy. By the time the flames were completely blue and transparent, Crocodile was already lifeless.
"Tsk tsk tsk! Looks like your sand can't beat my fire. Since it's destined to be this way, I can't let you off the hook even if I want to! Mission accomplished, time to go back and eat."
After Mo Mo left, it took a long time for the million elders to dare to go and check. After searching for a week, they couldn't find a trace of Mo Mo, or even a hair on their boss. They only found a pool of solidified glass at the site of the battle.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 34 Foodies on the Tip of Their Tongue
"How can you do this! I just came back a little late, why should I cook! I went all the way to the Rainlands to take care of Crocodile! I fought a huge battle and was exhausted, but not only did I not get a reward, I also have to cook. This is outrageous!" Although Mo Mo protested, he still obediently succumbed to the women's domineering attitude and went to cook.
Frying, deep-frying, boiling, stir-frying, steaming, and braising took nearly two hours. He used all his skills to the fullest and was almost exhausted when he finally finished this dinner of nearly thirty dishes. However, seeing the table full of dishes filled Mo Mo's heart with satisfaction. It was worth the effort. After a hard day's work, sitting with his family and enjoying a table full of delicious food made all the fatigue of the day disappear. Happiness is sometimes that simple.
Five minutes later, Mo Mo brought the last dish, "Stir-fried Cabbage with Vinegar," to the table. Looking at the dishes on the table and then at everyone who was swallowing their saliva but not starting to eat because Mo Mo hadn't spoken, Mo Mo smiled knowingly. "Alright, all the dishes are served. You can start eating now. Eat quickly, or it won't taste good if it gets cold."
"Yay! Great, let's get started."
Looking at Kobra and Weiwei Momo, who were stuffing themselves with greasy food without any regard for their princess and king image, Momo secretly thought to himself, "Little brat, is there any foodie in this world that a table of food from the Foodie Empire can't satisfy? If so, then two tables will do. After two tables, even if they're not foodies, they'll still be foodies."
"These dishes are delicious, aren't they! Do you want to eat them every day? Today's dishes are all home-style cooking. I still have so many more dishes I can cook that I haven't made yet. I could cook something different for you every day for a year. If you don't believe me, ask Nami and the others. How many of the dishes I've cooked for them over the years have been the same?" Mo Mo, who was smiling broadly and trying to coax Weiwei, didn't realize that he looked exactly like a creepy uncle trying to seduce a little girl, and that everyone around him was watching.
Mo Mo wasn't lying; the dishes on the table were indeed just home-style cooking: shredded pork with green peppers, braised pork belly, steamed sea bass, spicy chicken, stir-fried prawns, fish head with chopped chili peppers, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, stewed old hen with mushrooms, and so on, a total of twenty-eight dishes with a mix of meat and vegetables.
"Mmm, mmm, the food Mo Gege makes is really, really delicious! Weiwei really wants to eat Mo Gege's cooking every day!" After swallowing the food in her mouth with difficulty, Weiwei took a sip of water from the water Mo Mo handed her to clear her throat, and breathed a very satisfied sigh.
"Mmm, if it's delicious, eat more. Here's some stir-fried prawns, they taste really good." She said, placing a peeled prawn into Weiwei's bowl. "Eat or not, after you come aboard, I won't be cooking for you every day anymore. At most, I'll prepare a special meal for you every two or three days. The rest of the time, you'll only be able to enjoy the special meals prepared by my apprentice and assistant, Charlia."
"Hmph, the captain is biased. Kaya, let's not play with him anymore."
Looking at Nami's pouting lips and then at the expressions of the other girls, Mo Mo quickly served everyone a bite of food, even Vivi's father, Cobra.
The meal was a great success, with both hosts and guests enjoying themselves. Although the guests cooked the dishes while the hosts ate, it did not affect the perfection of the banquet. The only drawback was that the guards, maids, and two deputy captains of the guards watched them drooling as they ate. Due to the rules, the kind and amiable king and princess could not allow them to sit at the table with them.
After the meal, looking at the table full of food, only bones and soup remained, Mo Mo felt a sense of accomplishment. "It seems my cooking skills are still pretty good! They actually finished everything. Even the king and princess of a country couldn't refuse my food and put aside their pride to eat and drink to their hearts' content."
Touching her round belly, Nami looked completely satisfied. "The captain's cooking is so delicious, I can never get enough of it! I'm so happy!"
"Yeah! Nami always eats until her belly is so full she can barely walk, and the captain has to carry her everywhere." Robin teased, looking at Nami who was rubbing her belly.
"Hey! Who told the captain to cook such delicious food? He's responsible for making everyone stuffed." Nami said matter-of-factly.
After carrying Nami back to her room, Mo Mo returned to the restaurant. When he was still four or five meters away from the door, he heard the maids talking inside. Out of curiosity, Mo Mo hid by the door to listen to what they were saying.
"Wow, amazing! Not a single bite was left. It's one thing for the King to eat so rudely, but I didn't expect Princess Vivi to lose her usual elegance and eat so uncouthly. But Princess Vivi is also cute when she's uncouth, unlike the King, who is not cute at all."
"Yeah! Did you see that pirate named Nami? She was so full that she had to carry herself back. It's so funny! I wonder if it's really that delicious, although the aroma is really tempting and it looks really good. I really want to try it!"
"So that's what they were talking about! Luckily, it was me who overheard. Luckily, the class system isn't that strong in this country. If this were ancient China, those maids would have been dead eight hundred times over. Talking behind their own king and princess's back and about the hero who saved the country, tsk tsk. But even though we don't care, we still need to punish them." Mo Mo thought to himself.
Mo Mo coughed and walked in through the door. The maids who had been excitedly discussing something just moments before were startled when they saw him enter, and their faces turned pale instantly.
Looking at the restaurant, which was over 100 square meters, and then at the long oval table that had been rearranged after the round tables were removed, Mo Mo stroked his chin and said, "You guys have been talking about us behind our backs. Now I'm going to punish you. I'll make you help out in the kitchen."
An hour later, the restaurant table was once again filled with delicious dishes. Although these were all Chinese dishes, they were not all made by Mo Mo. Except for a few dishes, the rest were prepared by the original chefs in the kitchen under Mo Mo's guidance. After all, he was a royal chef of the country, and his cooking skills were quite good. Mo Mo only had to explain the methods of handling the ingredients and cooking, and they were able to quickly make the finished products.
"Alright, this table of food is your dinner tonight. Enjoy!"
"Okay, then let's get started."
Seeing the guards and maids making a ruckus, Mo Mo smiled slightly and walked out of the restaurant. "Cobra, this is just a small token of my appreciation, a little compensation. I hope you like it. Of course, I'll prepare a bigger gift for you later."
As the sun sets, a heartbroken traveler wanders the ends of the earth. Kou Sha faces the setting sun, not with the warmth of spring or the blooming of flowers, but only with the desolate sorrow of a future spent tending horses and chopping wood. It's impossible not to feel sorrow. Although the rebellion has been quelled, the country has regained peace and stability, and the people are living happy lives again, what has he done for this country, working tirelessly and tirelessly? The rebellion was quelled in an instant, the national crisis was resolved just as quickly, and his goddess was abducted. Moreover, because he was the leader of the rebel army, he was even disliked by her. Poor boy!
Of course, Kou Sha's current predicament is more or less related to Mo Mo. Although your original intention was good, you rashly launched a rebellion and led the rebel army to attack this kingdom without investigating the truth. To put it nicely, you are a righteous army, and you are doing this to liberate the country. But in essence, it is a rebellion. Therefore, Mo Mo dislikes you and secretly trips you up by sending you home to be with your old father.
Every day, Mo Mo and his companions would wander around, bringing rain to the cities of the country. After returning, they would chat with Weiwei and Nami, and then cook them a big meal in the evening. Mo Mo and his companions stayed in Alabasta for three days. Although Mo Mo successfully turned Weiwei into a successful foodie after three days, Weiwei still refused Mo Mo's invitation and did not board the ship to go on an adventure with Mo Mo and his companions. However, Mo Mo was not in a hurry, as he still had a trump card to use.
So the next day, Mo Mo prepared a sumptuous seafood feast. To make this meal, Mo Mo carried back eight sea monsters. In addition to the ordinary types, there was a lobster-shaped one, a crab-shaped one, and the most amazing one was an enormous, dragon-like one. Mo Mo caught that one in the Calm Belt, and it took him most of the day to get it. "Dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat on the ground," Mo Mo said. Since there was no dragon, he caught a seafood that looked like a dragon and believed it would taste good.
Ultimately, despite being tempted by Mo Mo's delicious food and Nami's friendly advances, Weiwei still failed. Although she was extremely tempted, she gritted her teeth and refused. "She's definitely a girl with a strong sense of responsibility, but I like her." So Mo Mo continued his unfinished great mission, determined to conquer this girl with food.
"I refuse to believe it! There's someone that even the foodies of this great foodie empire can't handle! Weiwei, I'm going to stick with you until I get you!" Mo Mo declared through gritted teeth.
"Go, Captain! We're rooting for you!" Kaya flashed her cute little tiger teeth to cheer Mo Mo on, while the others joined in the cheering.
"Looks like I have no choice but to use my ultimate move."
For the next three days, Mo Mo was out early and back late, disappearing all day long. He would only return around dinner time, and even then, he wouldn't cook. He would just stand by and instruct Tila Gotan. Tila Gotan was the wife of Icarum, the captain of the kingdom's guard. Like Icarum, she had a unique head of curly hair and they looked exactly like a married couple. She was the head chef in the kitchen and had been cooking in the palace for thirty years, so the dishes she made in just a few days were already six or seven times the level of Mo Mo.
Three days later, on the seventh day after Momo and his crew arrived in Alabasta, Momo finally cooked for himself again, starting at noon and not emerging from the pirate ship's kitchen until dinnertime. That's right, this time he cooked in the ship's kitchen, demonstrating how much Momo valued this dinner.
"Captain, what are we having for dinner this time? You're taking this so seriously! I've never seen you cook with such solemnity before!" Nami's eyes lit up when she saw Mo Mo finally come out.
"That's what I wanted to say too. Even on my coming-of-age ceremony, the captain didn't prepare such a grand dinner for me. He just took me to the treetop to watch the sunset and eat birthday cake, although that cake was indeed very delicious." Hancock's tone was clearly tinged with resentment.
"Yeah, yeah! I remember someone was unhappy that the captain only gave her a cake on her coming-of-age day. After watching the sunset for a while, she went to the captain's room that night and ate him!" Kaya made a face at Hancock and then ran behind Momo to hide.