Carlo fell silent.
In his heart, he was surprised by Rocks' intuition.
He almost thought Rocks had seen through his identity as a transmigrator.
When dealing with world-class powerhouses like Rocks, Roger, and Garp, one really had to guard their thoughts.
These guys' perceptions were far too sharp.
Moreover, they possessed the BUG-level Observation Haki known as the Voice of All Things.
Especially someone like the Red Count, who could intuitively probe the memories in others' hearts.
He had to be on guard.
Seeing Carlo's silence, Rocks didn't mind. He took a deep breath, looked at the two of them, and said in a heavy voice, "My hometown is what the newspapers call... God Valley!"
"What?" Harald was shocked.
It was as if he had thought of something, and he said in shock, "If your hometown is God Valley, then does that mean the World Government's hunting game was specifically organized to lure you out?"
Rocks shook his head.
"No, so many Celestial Dragons went there; how could they possibly want me to go?"
"So, to them, this should be their mistake. I have to thank that newspaper office and the mysterious person who leaked the news of God Valley."
"To the World Government, kidnapping Shakky was definitely a failure on their part. I'm just going there to rescue my wife and child!"
"But for some reason, I always have the feeling of being swept forward by a vortex of fate."
"I feel like I'm quite unlucky myself!"
Rocks picked up a wine bowl, gulped down the strong liquor inside, threw the bowl aside after finishing it in one breath, stood up abruptly from the gunwale, and reached out his hands.
"Harald! Come help me! Let's deal with those hypocritical fellows of the World Government together!"
Harald seemed to understand his meaning and stood up as well, shouting angrily, "I refuse! Rocks! You evil pirate! I will sink you right here!"
"Wahahaha, then bring it on! Big guy!"
The two of them shouting so deliberately made Carlo, who was sitting nearby drinking, somewhat speechless.
This acting was a bit too forced.
However, the giant big guys behind them actually believed it. They grabbed their gear and were about to rush over to protect him.
But Harald waved his hand and stopped them in a low voice.
At the same time, he poured wine onto the deck beneath his feet, personally took out a flint, and ignited the wine.
Soon, a raging fire quickly spread across this mountain-like giant ship.
The rising smoke and flames could be seen even from over ten miles away.
Amidst the firelight, Rocks watched Harald's actions and shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Why go this far! I thought we had broken ties four years ago..."
Harald stood in the fire, grinning and revealing a mouthful of white teeth.
"True friendship won't be destroyed by such a small thing. Rocks, you will always be my friend, Harald. Go! I hope you get what you want and rescue your family!"
"And I also hope you get what you want and fulfill your dream."
With that, Rocks flipped his black cloak behind him and walked back.
Carlo followed silently.
He hadn't said a single word throughout.
Suddenly, Rocks, walking ahead, stopped and turned his head to look at him.
"Carlo, do you know why I let you follow me and told you my secret?"
Carlo shook his head: "I don't know."
"I said just now that at some point, I always feel like I'm being swept forward by an invisible fate, and some changes are beyond my control. Actually, those words weren't just about myself."
Rocks spoke as if to himself, raising his hand to point at the distant gibecks sword.
"The people I'm talking about also include them."
"Whether it's Newgate, Shiki, Linlin, or anyone else, they all seem to be caught in a vortex of fate, unable to extricate themselves."
"Newgate, because of the poverty of his hometown, couldn't afford the expensive celestial tribute and was forced to go to sea as a pirate, sending the money he earned back home batch by batch while living in poverty himself."
"Shiki seems free, but in reality, he is driven by his own ambition, wanting to surpass all of us, walking towards an ultimate destruction without realizing it."
"Linlin, because of her childhood abandonment by her parents, developed the extreme idea of creating a large family that would never betray her, and has been looking for husbands to have children with all these years."
"Everyone else in the pirate crew more or less has things they must do, or ambitions."
"Kaido wants violence, Black Charcoal Cicada wants to help her family, Gloriosa wants Roger, Stussy is greedy for money..."
"Only you... Carlo, I don't know what you are pursuing."
Carlo pulled a cigar from his coat, lit it on a burning rope nearby, and stuck it in his mouth. "Of course, I have my own ambition!"
Rocks smiled: "Ambition? What is your ambition? To create your own pirate crew? That's not right, is it? Although your pirate crew is getting bigger and bigger, you don't seem to care much about them. I'm afraid even if John and the others all died, you might not feel a hint of heartache, right?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"I want to say, of all the people I've seen, only you, I can't see through." Rocks' eyes were complex: "It's as if everyone is being swept forward by the vortex, but you are the exception. You are like—a person of uncertain fate."
"I think you've got one thing wrong." Carlo pulled out another cigar and tossed it over.
"Oh? What did I get wrong?" Rocks caught it and also lit it on the burning rope.
Carlo bit his cigar and leaped toward the gibecks sword.
"Ambition and dreams aren't some predetermined fate. Those things change at any moment with one's mindset. If you feel God Valley is your place of destiny, then crush it! Fate? Just a pretentious bitch! We are pirates! Don't let that bitch control you; we should do the opposite and control her ruthlessly!"
"Fate... is a pretentious bitch?"
Behind him, Rocks was stunned for a moment, then grinned and laughed loudly.
"Wahahaha, that's right! If you're unhappy about being swept away by that bitch, then crush her! Wahahahaha! I really didn't misjudge you! Carlo!"
On God Valley island.
Every three years, the Celestial Dragons would choose one non-Affiliated Nations to conduct a hunting game of slaughtering the indigenous people, which had now officially begun.
In the clearing in the center of the island, hundreds of Celestial Dragons wearing bubble helmets on their heads were waving their arms, eyes turning into hearts, drool flowing from their mouths, looking at the high platform in front of them with infatuation.
On that temporarily built high platform, the prizes for this hunting competition were placed.
Besides the nine treasure chests containing rare Devil Fruits placed on top of nine stone pillars.
The most attractive thing was undoubtedly the peerless beauty standing in the center of the high platform, wearing a qipao and high heels, with a face that could topple cities and nations.
"Alright, everyone! Following the appearance of the rare Devil Fruits, here is the heavyweight prize of this competition: the former Empress of the Kingdom of Women from the Calm Belt of the Grand Line, a beauty renowned throughout the world for her number one beauty... Shakky!"
"A high-grade item that has been properly kept after acquisition, never allowed to be tainted by a hint of filth!!"
"Whether to marry her as a wife or degrade her to a slave, the winner decides!"
Following the announcement by the Celestial Dragon host on the high platform.
A large group of Celestial Dragons below let out impatient cheers while drooling.
"Ooh! A great beauty! A great beauty!"
"This is too beautiful! I really want to possess her! I want her to be my eighteenth wife!"
"I want her to wear a collar and crawl in the Holy Land!"
It wasn't just those ugly, ordinary Celestial Dragons who were coveting Shakky's beauty on the stage.
Even the main contestants, elite members from God's Knights, the noble Saint Gringo, Saint Somaz, and others, were lusting after Shakky's beauty.
To fight over Shakky, it was foreseeable that a bloody hunting game was about to begin!