"No, Silver Axe," a tall, graceful woman standing at the bow said with a teasing smile,
"you forget—he's much younger than you were when you started. Could you have done something like that at his age?"
It was Charlotte Linlin, in her youth—
beautiful, slender, radiant.
(Though in the future… well, her figure would become far more legendary in another sense.)
She had noticed that El looked no older than seventeen or eighteen,
and yet he had single-handedly wiped out a pirate crew led by a captain worth 300 million berries.
That kind of feat was not something just anyone could accomplish.
Footsteps echoed across the deck—
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The air seemed to grow heavy as a tall, broad-shouldered man walked forward,
his very presence radiating an ominous, crushing pressure.
Even Whitebeard and Golden Lion Shiki instinctively stepped aside,
making way for him.
This man was none other than Rocks D. Xebec—
captain of the Rocks Pirates,
and the man who would one day become the most feared name on the seas.
"A brat, huh?"
Rocks grinned, eyes gleaming as he looked down at El's ship.
Rocks' Invitation
The strategist of the Rocks Pirates, Black Charcoal Orochi, squinted at El and said,
"If I'm not mistaken, this kid's a new pirate—set sail only about a year ago. Goes by El. Bounty: 100 million berries."
"What? Only a year at sea—and his bounty's just 100 million?"
"No way! How could someone like that possibly annihilate a crew led by a 300-million-bounty captain?"
"Look closer—he's completely uninjured. Not even a drop of blood on him!"
"Meaning… he crushed them. Totally one-sided."
"This guy… he's not simple."
Whispers spread among the Rocks Pirates.
Many of them found themselves intrigued by El's calm, unfazed demeanor.
After all, anyone who could obliterate a 300-million-bounty pirate crew alone,
without suffering a scratch,
was far from ordinary—
even by the Rocks Pirates' brutal standards.
El, standing on the deck of the destroyed ship, raised his gaze toward the monstrous flagship before him.
"So that's Rocks…"
Even without hostility, the sheer pressure emanating from the man made El's chest tighten.
So this was the aura of the future ruler of the seas—
a man destined to die at God Valley.
Just as I thought, El mused silently.
The Rocks Pirates fell not because they lacked power—but because they were divided.
After all, with Rocks, Whitebeard, Shiki, Linlin, Silver Axe, John, Wang Zhi, and Kaido all on the same ship…
it wouldn't have been strange if they had actually conquered the world.
Rocks spread his arms, smiling with wild confidence.
"Interested in joining me, brat? The Rocks Pirates are a place where monsters like you can shine."
El's eyes lit up.
The invitation of a lifetime—
delivered by Rocks himself.
Rocks was always recruiting strong pirates to expand his crew.
If he spotted someone with potential, he would pull them in immediately—
and El, young and clearly powerful, fit that bill perfectly.
He wasn't strong yet, but the potential was undeniable.
Given time, he could easily become one of Rocks' core fighters.
"Of course," El replied without hesitation.
He had already been planning to join a powerful crew,
and the Rocks Pirates were the perfect choice.
They fought the strongest opponents—the Navy's top forces—
which meant endless chances to increase his Sage Body progress.
And since the Rocks Pirates frequently raided World Government member nations,
there was always the chance of finding more Devil Fruits among the treasures.
Joining Rocks' crew meant two things—
a faster path to power,
and more opportunities to gather Devil Fruits.
There's no reason to say no.
"Just inviting him like that might be hasty, Captain," Orochi interjected cautiously.
"We don't yet know his full strength."
"True," said Shiki, smirking.
"Then let me test him. A quick spar should reveal everything."
"Oh?" Rocks raised a brow. "You, Shiki?"
"Why not?" Shiki laughed. "Let's see if he's got what it takes to stand among us."
Rocks grinned. "Not a bad idea."
El had clearly proven his strength by destroying a 300-million crew,
but no one here had seen him fight.
And Rocks himself was curious.
"Captain Shiki's going to fight him himself?"
"Isn't that a bit much?"
"Yeah, the kid's strong, sure—but come on, this is Shiki! He's worth over a billion berries!"
"I bet he ends it in ten moves, tops."
"Ten? Ha! More like five!"
The crew broke into excited chatter.
It wasn't that they looked down on El—
it was just that Shiki's strength was on another level.
After all, to stand as one of the Rocks Pirates' main forces,
just below Rocks himself—
you had to be a monster.
"Oi, Shiki," Whitebeard grumbled, swigging from his sake gourd.
"Don't you think picking on a newbie is a bit low?"
Even Whitebeard wasn't confident he could beat Shiki outright,
and the idea of Shiki personally challenging a 100-million rookie
felt… excessive.
"Jihahahaha! Don't worry, Edward," Shiki chuckled.
"I know my limits. The captain invited this brat—I won't break him."
Of course, Shiki had his own reasons.
The Rocks Pirates, though united in name,
were already fracturing internally.
Shiki had begun quietly gathering his own followers.
If El proved impressive, Shiki would definitely try to recruit him later.
If not—well, he wasn't worth remembering.
"Come on up, brat," Rocks said, gesturing toward the massive deck.
El smirked.
"Fighting Shiki, huh? Sounds perfect."
Inside, he was already calculating.
His Sage Body progress sat at 970 out of 1000.
Just 30 points more,
and he'd reach the mid-stage—
gaining a massive boost in strength and a special system reward.
But those last 30 points wouldn't come easily.
And facing a powerhouse like Golden Lion Shiki…
was exactly the kind of challenge he needed.