Rocks swept his gaze over the assembled officers and continued:
"All officers, report to the conference hall immediately."
"Yes, Captain."
The officers quickly followed Rocks toward the castle.
Rocks wasn't worried that the pirates carrying the treasures would pocket some for themselves.
He had already assigned trusted men to keep watch, with someone responsible for counting and recording every crate.
Besides, who would dare steal the Heavenly Tribute?
The consequences spoke for themselves.
The Rocks Pirates had simple rules: distribute rewards according to contribution, fairly and impartially.
Conference hall.
Luo Tian, Shiki, Whitebeard, and the other officers took their seats one after another.
Rocks sat silently at the head of the table, observing everyone.
His gaze swept over every face like a hawk's, as if trying to glean something from the slightest changes in expression.
During this operation, Rocks had sensed that there had to be a Marine spy among the officers. Otherwise, the Marines' plans couldn't have been so thorough.
It was also possible that the Marine leadership had anticipated their attempt to seize the Heavenly Tribute.
When Rocks said nothing, the officers remained silent as well, each with their own thoughts.
For a moment, the hall was so quiet that a pin could have dropped.
After a long while, Rocks finally spoke:
"Silver Axe, give us a brief account of your operation."
At the sound of his name, Silver Axe shuddered, then immediately straightened and reported honestly to Rocks:
"Captain, our group followed the plan and headed to the designated waters to intercept them."
"We did encounter a Marine fleet, led by several Headquarters Vice Admirals. They were formidable."
"But they were no match for us in the end. We sank three Warships and wounded two Vice Admirals, but..."
Silver Axe's face fell, and his voice dropped:
"We never saw the Heavenly Tribute transport ship."
If they had seized the Heavenly Tribute too, their share of the spoils would have been far greater.
But now... they'd probably have to settle for scraps.
Rocks showed no sign of how he felt and only nodded slightly:
"Thanks for your efforts."
His gaze turned to the others:
"Does anyone else have anything to add?"
The hall fell silent.
"There's no need to be disappointed."
Rocks broke the silence, his gaze passing over every officer as he spoke in an even tone:
"You'll all receive a share of the Heavenly Tribute we seized this time."
"According to the rules, those who took part in the battle receive sixty percent, and the remaining forty percent goes to those who didn't."
"The specific distribution details will be announced shortly."
"One more thing: I've just received word that this raid on the Heavenly Tribute has thoroughly enraged the World Government."
"They've ordered the return of the two Admirals, Zhu Yan and Qiong Qi."
At his words, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned tense.
"The Marines are actually calling back those two old geezers who were about to retire?!"
Ochoku, John, Silver Axe, and several other officers immediately changed expression.
Zhu Yan! Qiong Qi!
They were Marine Admirals, peak fighters from a generation before Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr. Their strength was unfathomable!
The three of them had been among the first officers to follow Rocks, and they still remembered the terror of Zhu Yan and Qiong Qi.
When the Rocks Pirates first formed, those two were the ones who often led the Marines into battle against them!
Silver Axe unconsciously laid his right hand over his left chest.
Two crisscrossing scars marked the spot, still hideously visible after all these years.
They'd been left by Qiong Qi's claws.
Ochoku instinctively touched the scar where his shoulder met his neck.
If Rocks hadn't pulled him away in time, he would have been dead.
That wound had been caused by Zhu Yan's slash.
Qiong Qi was shaped like a tiger, with a pair of wings growing from his back: Zoan, Tiger-Tiger Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Qiong Qi form!
Zhu Yan looked like an ape, with a white head and a red tail: Zoan, Monkey-Monkey Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Zhu Yan form!
Both Admirals' epithets were named after their Devil Fruits.
Compared with the current Sengoku and Zephyr, those two... might well be several notches stronger!
"The World Government's intentions are clear. They're targeting us."
Rocks's voice brought everyone back from their memories:
"With Zhu Yan and Qiong Qi returning, nearly all of the Marines' top fighters will be assembled!"
"Next, we may face the strongest force the Marines have ever sent to surround and crush us."
Even Rocks himself looked grave.
With two Admirals returning, alongside Kong, Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, they had enough power to steamroll any force in the New World.
"Gyahahahaha... Captain, have you forgotten? Those two old geezers are well past their prime. Otherwise, they wouldn't be close to retirement."
Golden Lion Shiki burst out laughing, dispelling the tense atmosphere:
"Hmph! Even at their peak, I'd still want to test their strength. I'd like to see how much power those old geezers have left!"
Golden Lion Shiki was still as arrogant and unruly as ever!
"Shiki's got a point!"
Whitebeard stood up too and planted Murakumogiri heavily on the ground.
The words of the two strongest officers eased the tension in the hall somewhat.
After the meeting, Luo Tian and the others joined the greedy John in distributing the Heavenly Tribute, as Rocks had instructed.
Treasures were piled high in the underground warehouse of Beehive Fortress.
Coins, gold bars, gemstones, pearls, treasures, luxury goods... Everything was sorted by type and neatly stacked.
Rocks personally oversaw the operation, trusted officers kept watch, and ordinary crew members carried the goods. The whole process proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Aside from the Devil Fruits they'd already received, Luo Tian, Shiki, and Newgate were also entitled to a share of the treasure.
But according to the rules, Luo Tian, Shiki, and Whitebeard had contributed the most, so their shares were still several times larger than those of the other officers.
"Officer Luo Tian, here's the list of your share."
A pirate responsible for keeping records respectfully handed him a piece of parchment, which listed in detail what Luo Tian had received:
One hundred thousand gold coins, fifty gold bars, three chests of gemstones, two bags of pearls, ten barrels of fine wine...
Luo Tian then absorbed the spoils into his Spatial Warehouse.
[Spatial Warehouse] Opens a space in the palm to store items!
At night, bonfires burned across Beehive Island.
The air was filled with the rich scent of roasted meat and wine, and laughter echoed through the night.
Luo Tian sat at the same table as Whitebeard and Shiki.
"Gyahahahaha... Luo Tian, you did more than anyone to seize the Heavenly Tribute this time!"
Shiki raised a jug of fine wine and drank deeply. Wiping his mouth, he laughed:
"Who would dare look down on you now? That's the respect your strength has earned!"
Shiki was telling the truth.
Whitebeard downed a jug of strong liquor too, his voice booming:
"Gurarara... Shiki's right."
On these seas, only the strong earned respect.
"Luo Tian, it seems to me you have no intention of forming your own crew—"
Shiki lowered his voice, leaned forward, and met Luo Tian's eyes earnestly:
"Why not stay with me? When I start my own pirate crew someday, the position of first mate will be yours and no one else's!"
Even Whitebeard looked at him in surprise.
The position of first mate was the greatest promise Shiki could make.
Luo Tian was indeed not only powerful, but also brave and resourceful.
With his help, Shiki's ambitions might truly be within reach.
Luo Tian was now a renowned force across the seas. If Shiki didn't invite him now, what chance would he have once Luo Tian grew even stronger?
Shiki was serious.
Before you continue