Bad Relations Between Crew Members (4000 words)

In a certain sea of the New World, the Rocks Pirates had now completely shaken off the Navy's pursuit and escaped danger.

"Jahahaha..."

When Golden Lion saw Whitebeard bring Patri Vic aboard the ship, he burst into loud laughter.

"Vic, we meet again!"

Hearing this, Patri Vic glanced at Golden Lion before him, nodded, and said with a slight smile, "Indeed, Mr. Shiki, we meet again."

"Are you planning to join us now?"

Earlier at the tavern, Patri Vic had refused to join the Rocks Pirates. Now that he'd suddenly appeared, Golden Lion wondered if he'd changed his mind.

"Well... that depends on whether Captain Rocks agrees. If he doesn't, I'll simply leave when we next make landfall." Patri Vic gave a faint smile.

He didn't care much whether he got on the ship or not. If they wanted him, fine; if not, that was fine too.

As Patri Vic's words faded, Rocks, standing at the ship's bow, spoke up.

"So you're the Patri Vic that Edward mentioned?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Join as a probationary crew member," Rocks said flatly.

"A probationary crew member?"

Patri Vic was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected Rocks to agree so readily.

"Congratulations, Vic. Since you're joining the Rocks Pirates, how about becoming my apprentice? I can teach you Haki training," Golden Lion asked with a grin.

He had some appreciation for the man. In the two months since they'd last met, he noticed Patri Vic's presence had grown even stronger.

Golden Lion knew Patri Vic had considerable potential.

"I'll handle teaching him Haki."

Whitebeard placed a hand on Patri Vic's shoulder, his gaze sweeping the surroundings.

His meaning was clear: Patri Vic was under his protection.

"What's the matter, Edward? Afraid I'll do him harm?" Golden Lion shrugged casually in reply.

He did genuinely admire Patri Vic and even wanted to train him personally, but Golden Lion also knew Patri Vic was Whitebeard's man.

His idea of recruiting Patri Vic would have to be shelved.

"Vic, from now on, I'll teach you Haki." Whitebeard patted Patri Vic's shoulder.

On this dangerous Rocks Pirates ship, the best way to protect him wasn't to guard him closely, but to make him stronger.

"I look forward to seeing what you can do on the ship, Patri Vic." Rocks glanced at the two of them and left.

That Whitebeard would go so far to shield him made Rocks curious about Patri Vic's future performance.

"I'll do my best not to disappoint you, Captain." Patri Vic smiled in reply.

Since he was now aboard the Rocks Pirates as a crew member, it was only right to show some respect to Rocks.

Patri Vic's presence on the Rocks Pirates didn't draw much attention. Except from those who had ties to Whitebeard.

Over the past few days, the Rocks Pirates had encountered many other pirate crews at sea.

But without exception, no pirate could stand against the Rocks Pirates.

Because every officer on the Rocks Pirates was no ordinary figure.

During these days, Whitebeard, like a master, earnestly taught Patri Vic the power of Observation Haki.

Since Patri Vic had already learned the basics of Armament Haki, Observation Haki was now crucial to him.

Whitebeard didn't just train Patri Vic's Observation Haki—he also sparred with him every day.

Patri Vic needed constant combat to improve his Ninja Body Technique and Fire Release progress.

Only that could drive up the completion rate of Hashirama Senju's character template.

Fire Release, like Ninja Body Technique, increased the Hashirama Senju character template's completion by 0.1% for every 1% improvement.

After these days of sparring, everyone on the Rocks Pirates thought Patri Vic was a Devil Fruit user.

What specific Devil Fruit it was, no one knew.

Because Patri Vic could both cover his body in purple steam, releasing immense pressure, and unleash flames.

These two powers were completely different from each other.

A few more days passed, and the Rocks Pirates encountered Navy warships at sea.

"It's the Rocks Pirates—prepare for battle!" the Navy Vice Admiral at the bow shouted anxiously.

Since there was no Admiral leading their ship, he was panicking at the sight of the Rocks Pirates.

"Jahaha... just a bunch of small fry?" Golden Lion, wielding two famous swords, floated in midair with a ferocious laugh.

There was no doubt about it—this battle ended in victory for the Rocks Pirates.

But Rocks didn't kill all the Marines. He let them relay a message to the Navy and the World Government.

"I, Rocks, will become the ruler of the world. Sooner or later, I'll drag the World Government down from its pedestal."

Those were Rocks' exact words—arrogant beyond measure, utterly reckless.

The Rocks Pirates openly challenged the World Government.

Such an act naturally drew the attention of the Navy and the World Government's top brass.

Holy Land Mary Geoise.

The leaders of the World Government and the Navy gathered, their faces grim as they discussed urgent matters.

"Damn Rocks, daring to openly defy our World Government." The World Government's leader spoke coldly, his face dark, chin resting on his hands.

No one had expected that Rocks, bold as could be, would challenge the World Government just two months after founding the Rocks Pirates.

"It's a shame we didn't wipe them out on Hachinosu Island. Finding a chance to finish them off on the vast sea is undoubtedly difficult." The Fleet Admiral crossed his arms, a hint of helplessness in his tone.

Leaving aside the difficulty of tracking them down, the Rocks Pirates also had Golden Lion, whose ability could make ships float—a real headache.

Surrounding and annihilating the entire Rocks Pirates was impossible in the short term. It required long-term planning.

"We can't let their power keep growing. I have a feeling they might develop into a pirate crew that poses a massive threat to us." Navy Admiral Krieg spoke gravely, his voice heavy.

He had taken part in the battle to wipe out the Rocks Pirates on Hachinosu Island. Rocks' strength was enough to match his own.

And the officers on his ship were all extraordinary in their own right.

Remember, they were still young. If they were allowed to grow, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Raise their bounties. Have the Navy keep a close watch on the Rocks Pirates in the New World. If the chance comes, we must wipe them out."

The battle report from the siege a few days ago, along with Rocks' latest provocation, had made the World Government and the Navy fully aware of this pirate crew that had only existed for two months.

····

A few days after the Rocks Pirates clashed with the Navy, new bounties were issued.

Rocks Jibeck: 1,500,000,000 Berries! (Don't argue about the D—the World Government hid it.)

Edward Newgate: 800,000,000 Berries!

Shiki: 800,000,000 Berries!

Charlotte Linlin: 700,000,000 Berries!

Because Rocks had openly provoked the World Government, the bounties on his officers had all been raised significantly.

As for Patri Vic, though he had taken part in the battle with the Navy, he wasn't given a bounty.

That was a good thing for Patri Vic—he didn't want to be on the Navy's radar.

Since many members of the Rocks Pirates had their bounties increased, the crew held a party on some island that night.

Patri Vic was dragged along by Whitebeard.

Though Patri Vic looked down on sitting with these bloodthirsty pirates, the party had top-tier food and fine liquor—there was no reason to miss out.

Patri Vic sat with a group of apprentice crew members, stuffing his face. After all, this was rare, delicious fare.

The officers of the Rocks Pirates gathered together, drinking fine wine and eating grilled meat.

Rocks swept his gaze over the men around him and said slowly, "In a few days, we're going to attack a kingdom called Amendos. That country is dripping with wealth."

Rocks had declared his opposition to the World Government a few days ago, so now he naturally had no qualms about planning to attack one of its member states.

To Rocks, being a pirate meant doing whatever he wanted—whatever he pleased.

"Attack a World Government member state? Looks like we're fully at odds with them now." Ochoku said as he ate grilled meat.

"It's just the World Government. Scared?" Golden Lion taunted, a cigar dangling from his mouth.

As officers of the Rocks Pirates, they were all fiercely proud and looked down on each other.

Now that there was a chance to kick someone while they were down, Golden Lion wasn't about to miss it.

"You want a fight, Shiki?" Ochoku asked, his expression hostile.

As another officer of the Rocks Pirates, Ochoku wasn't about to back down from Golden Lion's mockery. In fact, he was ready to throw down.

"Kiehehe... Let me carve a mark on your face, Ochoku." Golden Lion let out a savage laugh, drawing the two famous swords at his waist.

"Are they gonna fight?"

"I'll bet ten million Berries on Golden Lion. Anyone else in?" An officer laughed, sweeping his gaze over the crowd.

Gambling was their favorite pastime—it made money fast. Then again, it made you go broke just as fast.

"I bet one hundred Berries on Ochoku winning, then ten million Berries on Shiki winning."

Though both were officers of the Rocks Pirates, they clearly valued Golden Lion's strength more.

"Damn it, you look down on Ochoku? He's an officer on par with us! I bet five million Berries on Shiki!"

"Listen to yourselves—Ochoku's no weaker than Shiki, but I'm still putting twenty million on Shiki."

The officers of the Rocks Pirates all bet on Golden Lion's victory; his side's chips had already reached hundreds of millions.

But Ochoku's side had barely a hundred.

"Bastards, you look down on me?" Ochoku stood up and roared in fury.

"It's not that we look down on you—it's that we think you can't even beat that rookie who just boarded, Patri Vic." A officer suddenly sneered, taunting him.

"What do you mean by that?"

Whitebeard swept a cold glare over the officer who spoke.

How did a fight between Golden Lion and Ochoku drag Patri Vic into it?

"That kid you're friendly with must be no slouch—I reckon Ochoku's no match for him." Another Rocks Pirates officer sneered.

"You looking for trouble?" Whitebeard's face darkened as he replied coldly.

The man he was talking to was an officer on the ship who held a grudge against him.

Their goal was simple—use others to kill. They resented Whitebeard but didn't dare act rashly.

After all, both were officers; setting aside whether they could win, Rocks didn't allow them to fight.

Since their hatred had no outlet, they'd pin it on Patri Vic.

But they wouldn't do the deed themselves—they'd goad Ochoku into it.

Killing one rookie, Rocks probably wouldn't say much.

"A mere rookie—I'll kill him right now." Ochoku, blinded by rage, didn't see the true intentions of those around him.

"You want to die, Ochoku?" Whitebeard stood, gripping Murakumogiri, and demanded coldly.

"We'll hold Edward back for you. Go challenge that rookie—but don't get yourself killed." Two officers with grudges against Whitebeard stood up with sneers.

"You want to make trouble right in front of me?" Rocks, who had been silent, swept his chilling gaze over everyone.

The scheming officers and Ochoku, feeling that terrifying stare, obediently sat back down.

Of course, at that moment, Patri Vic was wolfing down food and guzzling wine, completely unaware of the blame suddenly falling on him.

Though Ochoku sat down obediently, he had already etched a nameless hatred for Patri Vic into his heart.

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