Meeting! Marine Admirals Zhu Yan and Qiong Qi!

Rocks swept his gaze over the executives present and continued:

"All executives, gather at the conference hall immediately."

"Yes, Captain."

The executives quickly followed Rocks, heading toward the castle.

As for whether the pirates hauling the treasure might line their own pockets, Rocks was not the least bit worried.

He had long ago arranged for trusted confidants to oversee the operation, with specific personnel assigned to count and record every single crate.

Besides, who would dare embezzle the Heavenly Tribute?

The consequences of doing so went without saying.

The rules of the Rocks Pirates were simple: distribution based on merit, fair and impartial.

Conference hall.

Luo Tian, Shiki, Whitebeard, and other executives took their seats one after another.

Rocks sat silently at the head of the table, observing everyone in silence.

His gaze swept over every face like a hawk, as if trying to capture some information from the subtle changes in their expressions.

From this operation, Rocks felt that there must be a Marine mole among the executives; otherwise, the Marines' plans could not have been so comprehensive.

It was also possible that the Marine high command had anticipated they would intercept the Heavenly Tribute.

Seeing that Rocks did not speak, the executives also remained silent, each harboring their own thoughts.

For a time, one could hear a pin drop in the hall.

After a long while, Rocks finally spoke:

"Silver Axe, give a brief account of your operation."

Silver Axe, being named, shuddered, immediately straightened his back, and reported truthfully to Rocks:

"Captain, our group followed the plan and headed to the designated sea area to intercept."

"We did indeed encounter a Marine fleet, led by several Vice Admirals from Marine Headquarters, whose strength was not to be underestimated."

"However, they were ultimately no match for us. We sank three Warships and wounded two Vice Admirals, but..."

Silver Axe showed a look of regret, his voice dropping:

"We did not see the transport ship carrying the Heavenly Tribute."

If they had also seized the Heavenly Tribute, their share of the spoils would certainly have been much larger.

But now... they would likely only receive some scraps.

No joy or anger could be seen on Rocks' face; he simply nodded slightly:

"You've worked hard."

His gaze turned to the others:

"Does anyone else have anything to add?"

The hall was silent.

"There is no need for you to be disappointed."

Rocks broke the silence, his gaze sweeping over every executive, his tone indifferent:

"You will each have your share of the Heavenly Tribute seized this time."

"According to the rules, those who participated in the battle will receive sixty percent, and the remaining forty percent will be distributed to those who did not."

"The specific details of the distribution will be announced later."

"There is one more thing: I have just received word that this interception of the Heavenly Tribute has completely enraged the World Government."

"They have issued an order to recall the two Admirals, Zhu Yan and Qiong Qi."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.

"The Marines are actually recalling those two old guys who are about to retire?!"

Ochoku, John, Silver Axe, and several other executives changed color instantly.

Zhu Yan! Qiong Qi!

These two were Admirals of Marine Headquarters, peak powerhouses from a generation even earlier than Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, with unfathomable strength!

These three were among the first executives to follow Rocks, and they remembered the might of Zhu Yan and Qiong Qi vividly.

When the Rocks Pirates were first established, it was those two who frequently led the Marines to engage with the Rocks Pirates!

Silver Axe unconsciously touched his left chest with his right hand.

There were two crisscrossing scars there, and even after so many years, they remained hideous and terrifying.

Those were left behind by Qiong Qi's claw strike.

Ochoku subconsciously touched the scar at the junction of his shoulder and neck.

If Rocks hadn't pulled him away in time back then, he would have surely met his end.

That was a wound caused by a slash from Zhu Yan.

Qiong Qi, shaped like a tiger with wings on its back; Zoan, Tiger-Tiger Fruit, Mythical Type, Qiong Qi Model!

Zhu Yan, shaped like an ape with a white head and a red tail; Zoan, Monkey-Monkey Fruit, Mythical Type, Zhu Yan Model!

The nicknames of these two admirals were both derived from their Devil Fruits.

Compared to the current Sengoku and Zephyr, those two... were likely even several degrees stronger!

"The World Government's move is undoubtedly aimed at us."

Rocks's voice pulled everyone back from their memories:

"With the return of Zhu Yan and Qiong Qi, almost all of the Marine's top combat power has been assembled!"

"What we are about to face may be the most powerful encirclement force in the history of Marine Headquarters."

Even Rocks himself wore a look of gravity on his face.

The return of the two admirals, combined with a lineup including Steel Bone, Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, was enough to flatten any force in the New World.

"Jiehahaha... Has the Captain forgotten? Those two old fogies have long passed their prime; otherwise, they wouldn't be on the verge of retirement."

Golden Lion Shiki laughed loudly, breaking the heavy atmosphere:

"Hmph! Even if they were in their prime, I would still want to test their strength. I want to see just how much power these old men have left!"

Hm! Golden Lion Shiki remained as arrogant and rampant as ever!

"Shiki is right."

Newgate also stood up, slamming his Murakumogiri heavily against the floor.

The stance taken by the two strongest executives eased the atmosphere in the hall slightly.

After the meeting ended, Luo Tian and the others followed John the Miser to participate in the distribution of the Heavenly Tribute, as instructed by Rocks.

Inside the underground warehouse of the Beehive Fortress, treasures were piled up like mountains.

Gold coins, gold bricks, gemstones, pearls, artifacts, and luxury goods... were sorted and stacked neatly.

Rocks presided over the scene personally, with trusted executives overseeing the process and ordinary crew members handling the transport, keeping the entire operation orderly.

In addition to the Devil Fruits they had previously obtained, Luo Tian, Shiki, and Newgate were each entitled to a share of the treasure.

However, according to the rules, since Luo Tian, Shiki, and Whitebeard had contributed the most, their shares were still several percentage points higher than those of the other executives.

"Executive Luo Tian, this is the list of your share."

A clerical pirate responsible for record-keeping respectfully handed over a piece of parchment, which detailed the items allocated to Luo Tian:

One hundred thousand gold coins, fifty gold bricks, three chests of gemstones, two bags of pearls, ten barrels of rare wine...

Afterward, Luo Tian absorbed these spoils into his Spatial Warehouse.

Spatial Warehouse: Opens a space in the palm to store items!

At night, bonfires were lit across Beehive Island.

The air was filled with the charred aroma of roasted meat and the scent of wine, with laughter and cheers echoing through the night sky.

Luo Tian sat at a table with Whitebeard and Shiki.

"Jiehahaha... Kid Luo Tian, you deserve the most credit for seizing the Heavenly Tribute this time!"

Shiki held a jar of rare wine, tilted his head back, and drank deeply. He wiped his mouth and laughed:

"Who dares to look down on you now? This is the respect earned through strength!"

Shiki was speaking the truth.

Whitebeard also downed a jar of strong liquor, his voice booming:

"Gurarara... Shiki is right."

On this sea, only the strong can command respect.

"Luo Tian, it seems you have no intention of forming your own fleet—"

At this moment, Shiki lowered his voice, leaned forward, and looked at him with a serious expression:

"Why not stay on my ship permanently? When I build my own pirate crew in the future, the position of vice-captain will be yours and yours alone!"

As soon as these words were spoken, even Whitebeard cast an astonished look his way.

The position of vice-captain was the highest promise Shiki could possibly make.

Indeed, Luo Tian was not only powerful but also possessed both courage and strategy.

If he had his help, his grand ambition might truly be within reach.

Now that Luo Tian was a powerhouse renowned across the four seas, if he didn't extend the invitation now, what qualifications would he have to invite him aboard once he became even stronger?

Shiki was serious.