Son of Evil Omen, Rocks D. Xebec.
Bounty: 85 million Belly!
Much higher than their Giant Rock Pirates captain "Rock" Butler's bounty.
Most importantly, Rocks D. Xebec was a crew member of the White Wolf Pirates!
Seeing Rocks alone standing before his captain, Shiki could not help feeling excited. So this is a White Wolf Pirates member?
Butler was already drenched in sweat.
Why would a White Wolf Pirates member be here? And standing up for Fish-Man Island's mermaids?
Butler screamed internally, but giving up was not possible.
"Even if you are a White Wolf Pirates member, you are just a brat! If you want to stop me, wait another twenty years!"
Butler roared, stepping forward.
"Rock Armament!"
The entire Coral Hill street shook violently with Butler's step. He was a Stone-Stone Fruit superhuman who could assimilate contacted rocks into his own power.
Though many said the Stone-Stone Fruit was just a Paramecia Devil Fruit, Butler believed it was no worse than the strongest Logia fruits!
Seeing Butler use his ability, Shiki's expression grew grave.
Because this was the move that had defeated him.
He was a Float-Float Fruit user who could make objects float and attack. That should have been one of his abilities.
But before he could use his power, Butler had merged the ground with himself, making his ability unable to float the ground at all.
So he had lost before the fight even began.
How would a White Wolf Pirates member handle this move?
Then he witnessed an unforgettable scene.
Rocks simply drew his sword from behind. Shiki felt his vision blur. Rocks had already appeared before his captain, Butler.
Seeing Rocks suddenly appear before him, making a slashing motion, Butler's pupils contracted. He desperately raised surrounding rocks, trying to block Rock's strike.
But...
"Useless."
Rocks's sword cut through the rocks like tofu.
Rocks's calm voice came.
"How could ordinary rocks block my Haki?"
One strike to behead!
From start to finish, Rocks had only made one slash.
The captain who had left him unable to resist was easily killed by Rocks!
"This is a White Wolf Pirates crew member!"
Shiki looked at Rocks with fanatical eyes. If even crew members were this strong, how powerful would White Wolf Pirates captain Silas be?
"Hmm?"
Noticing Shiki's gaze and seeing the mermaid Shiki held, Rocks raised his hand, preparing to slash.
Though not a traditional swordsman, cutting someone from dozens of meters away was not a problem.
However, before he could act, he saw a fish-man near him scream and run frantically toward dark street corners.
As if seeing something terrifying.
But before running far, the fish-man's head tilted.
He foamed at the mouth and fainted.
Conqueror's Haki?
Seeing this, Rocks muttered.
Silas had demonstrated his Conqueror's Haki before him more than once, so Rocks knew that precisely knocking someone unconscious from kilometers away was routine for Silas.
Rocks was just wondering... did he also have Conqueror's Haki?
The higher you climbed, the slower strength progress became.
Whether Armament or Observation Haki, Rocks felt he was approaching a bottleneck. Going further should be the internal destruction and future sight Silas mentioned.
Rocks was not anxious about this.
He was only just over twenty. Whether it was Armament Haki's internal destruction or future sight, Rocks did not think they would stump him.
Only Conqueror's Haki...
This was power only kings could possess, an inborn talent.
People without Conqueror's Haki potential, no matter how much they trained, could not develop Conqueror's Haki.
Did he have Conqueror's Haki?
"Well done!"
Only after Rocks finished off the enemies did Silas's voice come from above.
"Your current strength could run rampant in the Grand Line's first half. Ordinary pirates are not your match. How does that feel?"
"So-so."
Rocks did not consider first-half Grand Line pirates opponents at all. Since the strongest pirates gathered in the New World, his targets were naturally New World pirates.
And standing at the pinnacle of New World pirates was undoubtedly the man before him.
"Silas."
"Mm?"
"Do I have Conqueror's Haki?"
"Haha, do you think you do not?"
Hearing the change in how Rocks addressed him, Silas grinned.
"Do not forget what you want to do!"
Rocks's current strength had reached a bottleneck. Most pirates without Devil Fruit abilities got stuck at this stage.
Armament Haki's internal destruction was one barrier.
Observation Haki's future sight was another barrier.
If both abilities were mastered, even non-fruit users could infinitely approach Silas's former peak strength.
But to go further required mastering Conqueror's Haki coating!
Did Rocks have Conqueror's Haki?
Nonsense.
Of course he did!
But under his suppression, Rocks's Conqueror's Haki awakening would not be easy. But once awakened, it would probably immediately grow to heights that impressed even him!
But now, Silas focused on another person.
Golden Lion Shiki!
One of future Pirate King Gol D. Roger's strongest opponents.
Once drove Roger to desperation.
But that was decades in the future.
What appeared before Silas now was still a young man with short golden hair, sausage lips, and an unremarkable appearance.
A bit older than Newgate but younger than Rocks.
At this moment, Shiki looked nervously at the man appearing beside Rocks.
White King Silas!
He had never expected to encounter Silas under such circumstances.
He wanted to challenge Silas.
But that was supposed to happen after countless adventures, finding companions, and building a sufficiently powerful fleet!
Meeting Silas now...
What was the difference from a hero meeting the demon king right after leaving the starting village?
"Haha, seems you are a bit nervous."
Seeing Shiki's tense expression, Silas's face gradually hardened.
"Young man, could you please let go?"
"That little mermaid behind you is very scared!"