After leaving Lodestar Island, the crew's eyes no longer held the confusion of having reached a false destination, but rather the burning desire to uncover the world's greatest secret.
A new and powerful vitality filled the deck of the Oro Jackson.
The newcomers, like Nozdon and Ellio, were no longer satisfied with basic physical training. They began pestering Jabba and Rayleigh constantly for lessons in more advanced combat techniques. Even the ship's cook got swept up in the excitement, trying to invent a "treasure hunt bento that brings good luck," though the resulting taste… was difficult to describe.
Kyle didn't stop pushing himself, either. The fight with Whitebeard had shown him the terrifying power of pure Haki and strength. The battle with the Golden Lion had reminded him how a top-tier Devil Fruit ability could completely turn the tide of a fight. Some might choose to master one or the other, but Kyle was determined to have it all. He would master his Devil Fruit and his Haki.
However, this calm and positive atmosphere was shattered one morning by the flapping wings of a News Coo.
"It's the newspaper! Today's paper is here!"
Ellio excitedly took the newspaper from the seagull's leg. Reading the daily news had quickly become the most anticipated form of entertainment for the new recruits. But when he unfolded the paper and saw the shocking headline plastered across the front page, the smile on his face instantly vanished.
"This… How is this possible…?" His voice was filled with disbelief, attracting the attention of his nearby crewmates.
"What's wrong, Ellio? Did the World Government finally surrender and ask our captain to be King of the World?" Nozdon joked as he leaned over to look.
When his eyes fell on the contents of the newspaper, he froze on the spot.
The usual morning bustle on the deck gradually died down as everyone gathered around, their gazes focused on the single sheet of paper. The front-page headline was printed in the largest font possible, designed to inspire shock and fear:
TYRANT OF THE SEAS, ROCKS D. XEBEC, GAINS MORE POWER! "WHITEBEARD" EDWARD NEWGATE, "GOLDEN LION" SHIKI, AND OTHER LEGENDARY PIRATES ANNOUNCE THEY HAVE JOINED THE ROCKS PIRATES!
Below the headline was a large photograph. In the center, a figure was cloaked in shadow, with only a blurry and distorted outline visible—that was Rocks. Arranged beneath him were the prominent faces of a gallery of infamous pirates. There was the iconic crescent mustache of Whitebeard, the arrogant golden mane of Shiki, and many other notorious figures typically only seen on high-value bounty posters—Silver Axe, Captain John, Ochoku…
The newspaper's main article spared no expense in its dramatic portrayal. It painted Rocks D. Xebec as an incarnation of evil itself—a man driven by brutality and an ambition to overthrow the World Government and become the "King of the World." The article described his new crew as "the most evil terrorist organization in human history" and warned the entire world that an unprecedented era of darkness was about to begin.
"Newgate… and that Lion-face… they've both joined someone else's crew?" Jabba's voice was low, his knuckles white as he gripped the handle of his battle-axe.
"This has to be a joke… Every single one of those people is a monster strong enough to rule a sea on their own!"
"How could they possibly agree to follow someone else's orders?"
The crew broke into worried discussion. Each name on that page represented the pinnacle of power, and now they were all gathered under a single flag. The thought alone was suffocating.
Kyle stood with his arms crossed, looking at the newspaper while a storm of sarcastic thoughts raged in his mind. This is why you can't trust journalists. If those guys actually listened to a single word Rocks said, I'd eat my own hat. What a dream team: Newgate, Big Mom, Kaido, Shiki... Rocks is the real winner here, getting to ride on their coattails. Just kidding. After the God Valley incident, they all walked away without a scratch while Rocks was the only one who got taken down. So, were you guys just slacking off that whole time?
"It seems the seas are about to get a lot more interesting." Rayleigh had walked up beside Kyle at some point, his eyes also on the paper. "To make a group of unruly monsters like that fall in line, even temporarily… this man named Rocks must be a true monster himself."
Kyle nodded. Rocks' strength was undeniable; otherwise, it wouldn't have taken the combined might of Roger and Garp to finally defeat him. He was a pure tyrant, a man who could keep all the other monsters on his ship in check through absolute, overwhelming power.
Just then, a hearty laugh cut through the heavy atmosphere on the deck.
"Kuhahaha! Now this is interesting!"
Roger walked out from the ship's cabin. His face showed no sign of worry, only the pure excitement of finding a worthy opponent.
"Captain?" Ellio looked at him, confused.
"What's with all your expressions?" Roger scanned his crew, then broke into a wide grin. "Isn't this great? It saves us the trouble of hunting them down one by one. They've gathered themselves all in one place for us. How convenient!"
He tilted his head back, took a long swig of sake from a gourd, and wiped his mouth with his thumb. His gaze was burning as he looked out at the distant, ever-changing sea.
"He wants to be King of the World? That Rocks fellow has an even bigger mouth than Shiki!" Roger's eyes were practically on fire with excitement.
That unshakable confidence, that heroic spirit that came from his very bones, instantly blew away the dark cloud of gloom that had settled over the crew.
What were they afraid of? They were the crew of Gol D. Roger!
"That's right!" Jabba slammed his battle-axe onto the deck with a heavy thud. "Who cares about Rocks? If he dares to stand in our way, we'll just cut him down like anyone else!"
"YEAH!" The crew's fighting spirit was reignited, their shock and unease transforming into a defiant roar.
"However," Rayleigh said, his expression turning serious again, "the Rocks Pirates' base is on Hachinosu, also known as Pirate Island. It's a lawless place. With that much power gathered in one spot, they won't just be sitting around having banquets. The World Government must be having a massive headache right now."
Kyle's heart suddenly jumped. The world-shaking "God Valley Incident" was the very battle that led to the fall of the Rocks Pirates. And the event that triggered that battle was Rocks making a move against the Celestial Dragons. The newspaper's claim that Rocks wanted to be "King of the World" wasn't just propaganda. His true target was the Celestial Dragons, the rulers who sat at the pinnacle of global power.
Well, you have to admit, Rocks certainly aimed high, Kyle thought.
This "strongest pirate crew in history" had now been assembled. The legendary battle couldn't be far off. If Laugh Tale was the end of the Grand Line, then God Valley was the stage where the destinies of all the strongest people of this era would collide.
How could he possibly miss an event like that?
"Rayleigh-san," Kyle suddenly spoke, his voice not loud but clear enough for everyone to hear. "For the 'feast' that's coming, shouldn't we… also prepare a few special 'dishes' of our own?"
Rayleigh looked at him, saw the undisguised fighting spirit in the young man's eyes, and couldn't help but grin.
"Ah, you're right about that."
Roger laughed even louder and walked over, slapping Kyle on the back so hard he stumbled.
"Kuhahaha! Well said, Kyle! Let's show the entire world who is truly the freest man on this sea!"
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