New World · Paradise Island.
"Impossible!!"
"Even a grand fleet led by an Admiral couldn't wipe out the Rocks Pirates, who number only a handful?!!"
"Pirate Patriarch" Wang Zhi stared at the latest headline, shocked by the terrifying battle record of the Rocks Pirates.
A fleet dispatched by Marine Headquarters on that scale has no equal in the New World.
Yet Rocks crushed it with unstoppable momentum.
Most frightening were the Executives under Rocks—each one absurdly powerful.
"Great Demon Venerable" Koyuki Fang Huo, "Whitebeard" Newgate, "Golden Lion" Shiki... they all felt nearly as strong as him.
And every one of them so young!
Where did Rocks find so many monstrous subordinates?
"Damn it! If the Rocks Pirates come after me, how could I possibly win?"
Wang Zhi clicked his tongue, restless; Rocks's fondness for the Davy Back Fight had become infamous across the Grand Line and the New World.
Should he abandon Paradise Island?
Or... join the Rocks Pirates?
Wang Zhi's face shifted between gloom and anger; as a major pirate of the New World, how could he bend the knee to another?
Just then, a mysterious suit-clad squad infiltrated Paradise Island and secretly approached Wang Zhi...
On Lamb Island in the mid-rear of the New World, "Iron Balloon" Charlotte Linlin and "Gourmet Knight" Streusen returned from another raiding expedition.
Charlotte Linlin had made Lamb Island her home; she longed for Mother Carmel to reappear with those children.
Alas, years of searching had yielded no trace of Mother Carmel.
"The Rocks Pirates are actually this terrifying!!"
Streusen's face darkened as he read the paper; he now saw Charlotte Linlin as his cash cow.
And Rocks loved to steal powerful crewmates through Davy Back Fights.
If they met the Rocks Pirates, they'd surely be forced aboard.
Although siding with the "World's Worst Pirate Crew" might bring benefits, Streusen preferred his current freedom of controlling Charlotte Linlin.
Once the gifted Linlin matured, her strength might rival Rocks himself.
"We must avoid the Rocks Pirates!"
Streusen resolved not to let Charlotte Linlin be taken by Rocks.
Yet what Streusen didn't know was that the Rocks Pirates were already targeting them and searching everywhere.
Somewhere in the New World.
The Smuggler-Pirate Gan Zhi, fresh from a big deal, stared wide-eyed at the newspaper.
The Rocks Pirates are that fierce?
They actually annihilated a Marine Grand Fleet!
"Monsters have truly appeared in this world!"
Gan Zhi sighed, though it had little to do with him.
After all, smuggler-pirates differed from common pirates; they preferred steady profit.
Smuggling was no less profitable than robbery, and it was safer and more reliable.
Those battle-crazy pirates ended up selling their loot to him anyway.
Underworld smugglers and fences earned plenty too.
"Rocks robbed the Kingdom of Cang, Black Hand Pirate Island, and the Kingdom of Ying—who knows how much treasure they hold."
Gan Zhi licked his lips greedily, but remembering Rocks's habit of stealing people, he'd best not provoke the "World's Worst Pirate."
In East Blue, Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, and Maron of West Blue; in the New World, Kiel Bastard and "Captain" John all turned their attention to the "World's Worst Pirate Crew"...
Aboard the Saber of Xebec, "Golden Lion" Shiki and "Silver Axe" Fierce fought daily.
Shiki petitioned Rocks for priority in locating his destined blades: Oto and Kogarashi.
While the Rocks Pirates scoured for Charlotte Linlin, Shiki hunted intel on those two famed swords.
"Fang Huo!! Any Devil Fruits you'd recommend?"
"Silver Axe" Fierce wanted power; he aimed to steal a mighty Devil Fruit.
At least one not inferior to Shiki's Float-Float Fruit.
"Not for now."
Fang Huo replied coolly; if he found a strong fruit, he'd eat it himself—no way he'd yield it to Fierce.
Besides, Fierce, like Shiki, nursed dreams of leaving the Rocks Pirates to stand alone.
Only if Fang Huo deemed a fruit worthless might Fierce get a turn!
"I'm not fighting you for it—just suggest something; I'll seize what I want myself!"
Fierce knew Fang Huo could pluck abilities directly, while he could only eat fruits.
Thus, Fierce still had a shot at nabbing decent Devil Fruits.
"Logia or Mythical Zoan will do!"
Fang Huo spoke slowly—provided "Silver Axe" Fierce could find any.
"I know those are strong! Give me details—like a general location."
"Silver Axe" Fierce retorted; to pry intel from Fang Huo, he'd have to pay.
"I'll trade a few tidbits!"
"Back when I was an assassin on that 'Pirate Patriarch's' Paradise Island, I met a fellow hitman with the Warp-Warp Fruit!"
"In West Blue, there's also a 'Gangster Killer' whose body can turn into a castle!"
"You might fancy their abilities!"
Ever since learning Fang Huo's gravity came from the Kingdom of Cang's General, "Silver Axe" Fierce had guessed more secrets.
This Prophet's mutated gift was truly terrifying!
"Assassins? No wonder intel is scarce..."
Fang Huo narrowed his eyes; gathering intel on ability users was an open mission of his.
It was no secret aboard the ship!
Even Shiki helped collect ability-user info while hunting for Oto and Kogarashi.
"The future Magma-Magma Fruit and Glint-Glint Fruit users will hail from North Blue."
Fang Huo smiled faintly, offering a seemingly useless clue.
"The mightiest offensive Logia and the fastest one?"
"Silver Axe" Fierce's eyes lit up; as long as those fruits remained uneaten, he still had a chance.
Best of all, Fang Huo had pointed him toward North Blue.
From now on, he'd focus his search there.
Fang Huo's words pricked even Shiki's ears.
If the chance arose, he wouldn't mind snatching those mighty Logia fruits from his rival.
He couldn't use them, but he'd be damned if Fierce did.
Of course, finding two unknown fruits across vast North Blue was near impossible.
If someone ate them first, Fierce would be out of luck.
Then those users would simply become Fang Huo's prey!