While they were clearing out enemies on this side, another pirate ship was approaching Fullalead Island, and it wasn't long before it arrived at the harbor where Nereus was.
On the ship's black sails, the letters "ROCKS" stood out conspicuously, with one of the letters replaced by a crimson skull. This was the main ship of the Rocks Pirates.
The man standing at the bow was none other than Rocks himself, with his hair in shades of blue and white, a lock falling over his forehead, and a lightning-shaped mark on the left side of his face.
Although he bore some resemblance to Blackbeard, he possessed a Haki far beyond anything Blackbeard could match. Before the ship had even docked, he leaped ashore, letting out a hearty laugh.
"Vohahahahahaha, Nereus, I'm back! About the thing I mentioned before, have you thought it over?"
Leaping off the ship first, Rocks walked up to Nereus, acting quite familiar. There were two folding tables set up here, with some fruit and bottles containing liquid laid out on top.
It was already like this when Nereus arrived earlier.
Neither Nereus himself nor the other officers like Sebastian took those slave traders seriously.
They just used them as target practice to test their combat strength, which was why the atmosphere here was so relaxed.
So Rocks grabbed a nearby bottle and poured its contents into his mouth, then immediately frowned.
"How come it's grape juice? I thought it was red wine."
"I don't drink alcohol. Besides its bitterness, all it does is numb your mind."
"Oh, come on, a pub owner who doesn't drink… Do you know how much effort those winemakers put into removing the sweetness from grapes?"
"I have no idea. I think they're making things needlessly complicated. There's also orange juice here. Want to try some?"
"Forget it, I'll just stick with this. This is wine from West Blue."
Once Rocks arrived, the surrounding Fish-Men and Merfolk all left, clearing out a large space. For them, it was better to keep their distance.
Though the man before them appeared bold and unrestrained, his name was one that struck terror across the seas.
Rocks D. Xebec, real name Davy D. Xebec, captain of the Rocks Pirates, currently the most vicious criminal on the seas.
Within just two years of the Rocks Pirates' formation, they had already become a huge headache for the World Government.
Rocks alone was enough to give them trouble, let alone a whole crew.
On record, there were sixteen attacks, seventy-six ships sunk—most of them large Marine warships—fourteen ports burned, five towns destroyed, and one country wiped out.
There were three special cases violating Article 18 of the World Law, and as many as twenty-five criminal records that were simply erased by the World Government to keep them from becoming public knowledge.
And this was only from those first two years.
Because of all this, Rocks himself had practically become the symbol of this era. Even though there were many strong people in these seas, there were two men Rocks could never forget.
One was Harald of the Giant Kingdom, and the other was Nereus. These two were the only men who could go toe-to-toe with him in a one-on-one fight. It was precisely because of this strength that Rocks treated them differently.
"So, what's your answer?"
Wiping the wine from the corner of his mouth, Rocks quietly waited for Nereus's reply.
"Xebec, my answer is the same as before. It hasn't changed."
Nereus's tone was calm, but the refusal was unmistakable.
"Ah? Why? If you join forces with me, and we find a way to convince Harald, the three of us together could stand atop the world and rule it!"
"Didn't you swear on Elbaf back then that you'd never invite him again?"
"That's right, which is why you should be the one to invite him."
Two years ago, Rocks and Harald had fought. Harald wanted to lead the Giant Kingdom Elbaf toward peace and join the World Government.
The World Government, in turn, made it a condition that Harald deal with Rocks. The two fought a battle with no clear victor, but Nereus didn't know what exactly they discussed.
But after that, they never met each other again. However, after returning to Fullalead, Rocks never stopped bringing up the matter.
Judging from his attitude, Rocks hadn't truly given up on the idea; in fact, he'd even come up with a new plan to have Nereus be the one to invite Harald.
This was an idea that flashed into Rocks's mind during this voyage; after all, that Devil Fruit was most compatible with Giants, and only if Harald ate it could its true power be unleashed.
If possible, Rocks still wanted to pull Harald into his crew.
Nereus had lost count of how many times he'd heard similar things from Rocks; perhaps, the more he couldn't get something, the more he wanted it.
Rocks valued Harald not only for his strength, but also for personal reasons. In a sense, it was similar to the way Cao Cao looked at Chen Gong.
"You... you're not like Harald, are you? Don't tell me you believe in those World Government guys too?"
Rocks's gaze became rather odd. He couldn't understand why the two people he recognized as strong didn't support his plan.
"No, I've never believed in them. Whether it's pursuing peace or racial equality, those so-called gods, the Celestial Dragons, are parasites that must be eliminated.
But at the same time, I don't support your idea either. The World Government isn't a good thing, but it has ruled the world for eight hundred years, and in that long history, its position has remained stable.
More than a hundred and seventy affiliated nations recognize its existence. You might think the World Government is stupid, but it's not weak.
The Marines, Cipher Pol, and the Knights of God are all military arms the World Government can mobilize."
Besides that, Nereus was well aware that the so-called World Government was just a tool in Imu's hands, ultimately serving the Celestial Dragons.
And Nereus knew exactly what kind of people the Celestial Dragons were. If they really existed in reality, they should all be sent to Xi'er's family's soap factory. [TN: Don't know who the author is talking about here. But it may be a dark metaphorical allusion, referring to the historical horror of the Holocaust, where victims of Nazi concentration camps were murdered and their bodies used to produce soap. This metaphor is used in online discussions, particularly in Chinese forums, to describe characters or groups considered so evil, inhumane, and deserving of brutal punishment that they should be completely eradicated and their very matter repurposed.]
Likewise, even though he hadn't paid much attention to the post-Egghead arc and wasn't familiar with this period's events, Nereus knew that Rocks would eventually lose during the God Valley Incident.
He was here, not because he wanted to be a pirate, but because freeing slaves had led to a series of events, like being labeled a pirate by the World Government after killing Marines sent to capture him.
There weren't that many Marines or World Government people on Fullalead Island, and Nereus wanted to hone his own strength. All these factors were why he was here. That's why he didn't agree with Rocks's plan.
"You want to quickly end things by relying on the power boost from two Devil Fruits, but you don't understand what trump cards the World Government holds. And have you thought about how to deal with the consequences afterward?"
"Why do you sound just like Harald…? He's a king, but you're not. Sure, you have high prestige on Fishman Island, but…"
"Funny you mention it. Becoming king of Ryugu Kingdom is part of my plan."
When he heard Nereus say he intended to become king of a country, Rocks looked as if he'd just heard something unbelievable.
"Huh? What did you say? You, of all people, are interested in playing the king's game? Isn't that just like Harald! Don't tell me that next you're going to be like Harald, begging the World Government for scraps in exchange for some so-called peace! B*stard!"
Hearing what he considered "naive" words from Nereus, Rocks was visibly furious.
He simply couldn't understand why both Nereus and Harald, with all their strength, refused to support his "perfect" plan.
"Of course not. I just need that identity in order to better carry out my plan. As for the details, that's my secret.
Looks like, for now, we'll just stick to our usual routine. See you at the usual place."
As he spoke, a pair of broad bat wings suddenly sprouted from Nereus's back, and he flew toward the giant skull-shaped rocky mountain in the middle of Fullalead Island.
That mountain didn't originally look like a skull. Later, when Silver Axe joined, he carved out two skull eyes there to show off his strength.
And the mountaintop was also the spot where Nereus and Rocks often sparred.
"Tch, it's no wonder that brat Kaido gets along with you. You're the real battle maniac here."
Watching Nereus soar high into the sky, Rocks muttered to himself, but didn't bother answering aloud.
The "usual routine" Nereus referred to wasn't complicated. Whenever Rocks brought up this topic, their conversations always ended up with a fight.
For Nereus, it was a part of honing his strength. Without fighting strong opponents, growth was always much slower.
There weren't many people on the sea who could serve as a whetstone for him, and Rocks just happened to fit the bill.
Rocks then flexed his wrists, pushed off powerfully with his legs, and shot up after Nereus, stepping several times in the air to follow him.
The technique was similar to Geppo, both being temporary means of remaining airborne. For these top-tier powerhouses, using physical skills to achieve this wasn't difficult. It just wasn't as free and convenient as true flight.
"This time let's pick a different place. If we fight there again, that rock won't survive our tussle. I spotted a reef beach on the way back. Let's go there."
"Choosing the battlefield at sea. Are you serious?"
"Of course. I know you're special, and even though you're a Devil Fruit user, throwing you into the sea won't do much.
But this time, I want to see what you are like when you go all out."