Shiki couldn't hold back any longer. He wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth and grinned.
"Hahaha! Luo Tian, you're a commander now, too. When are you planning to put together a crew of your own?"
Luo Tian took a swig of wine, then looked up at that. "Well... I haven't really thought about it yet.
It's a hassle managing a lot of people, and there are too many rules.
I'll enjoy myself on my own for a while first and see just how vast this New World is. As for territory and subordinates, I'll think about that later."
"Is that so?" Shiki's eyes lit up. He felt that the newcomer was just his type and didn't beat around the bush. He went straight to the invitation:
"Why don't you come stay on my ship for a while? You don't have anywhere permanent to go anyway.
You and I both use swords, so we can spar and exchange ideas, and study the sword together!
You can't improve at swordsmanship by staying cooped up indoors. You need a worthy opponent!"
Now that Rocks had personally acknowledged Luo Tian as a commander, the two were equals in status. Shiki couldn't openly try to recruit him anymore.
But there was nothing wrong with building a good relationship and establishing a close personal friendship.
A monstrous newcomer like this—he couldn't become an enemy, even if he couldn't be a crewmate aboard the same ship.
Besides, he liked Luo Tian's temperament.
More importantly, at their level, simply growing stronger had become increasingly slow.
If the two of them could spur each other on and exchange ideas and techniques, perhaps they could break through the bottleneck in their swordsmanship and advance further.
"Stay at your place for a while?" Luo Tian looked thoughtful. He didn't refuse right away.
He was genuinely interested in Shiki's swordsmanship, especially the way he combined it with the Float-Float Fruit.
His Space-Space Fruit could also make use of spatial buoyancy, so the two abilities had something in common.
"Exactly! I'm one of the crew's acknowledged master swordsmen, after all!" Shiki declared proudly.
"If we spar, we'll both take our swordsmanship to the next level.
My Oto and Kogarashi haven't faced an opponent who could excite me in a long time!"
Among the entire Rocks Pirates, when it came to pure swordsmanship, only their unfathomable captain, Rocks, surpassed Golden Lion Shiki.
He had obtained his Float-Float Fruit by chance only after becoming a top swordsman. Most of the time, he used its power to support and extend his swordsmanship. Its foundation and core had always been the way of the sword.
Whitebeard Newgate, by contrast, had taken a different path.
He relied primarily on the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, whose power could destroy heaven and earth. As for his Supreme Grade Blade, Murakumogiri—
most of the time, it seemed more like a medium for unleashing his Tremor Power. His attacks were sweeping and powerful.
Though his might was limitless, his path differed from Shiki's when it came to the subtle variations of pure swordsmanship.
"Gurararara... Shiki, who are you calling an 'improper' swordsman?" Whitebeard burst out laughing as he drank nearby.
But he didn't argue the point.
It was true that Whitebeard knew he fell a little short of Shiki in the pure techniques of swordsmanship—the skill, speed, and variety.
But when it came to overall strength, range of destruction, and control over the battlefield, he still considered himself a cut above Shiki, thanks to the destructive power of his Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
The two of them followed different paths, so it was hard to say which was superior.
"Hmph..." Whitebeard looked at Luo Tian and spoke in a deep voice, his tone carrying a senior's warning:
"Luo Tian, it's good to spar, but Shiki isn't strong enough.
If you really want to learn something, come aboard my ship instead. I'll show you what true 'power' is."
He and Shiki had fought countless times in the past, with victories on both sides, but overall, he had won more often.
Whitebeard was rather contemptuous of Shiki's bragging in front of the newcomer and his rush to recruit him. The man's skin was getting thicker by the day. He'd have to find another chance to "spar" with him and teach him a lesson.
Luo Tian merely smiled and raised his glass to the two men. He didn't respond.
He had a general idea of how things stood.
Shiki's swordsmanship was exquisite, while Whitebeard's strength was overwhelming. Each had their own merits.
He wasn't in a hurry to pick a side. He'd rather learn from them both.
Just then, Whitebeard and Shiki abruptly stopped talking and no longer made any deliberate effort to get closer to Luo Tian.
Instead, they each picked up their glasses and took small, studious sips, their gazes drifting elsewhere.
They even quietly shifted their stools to the side, putting a subtle bit of distance between themselves and Luo Tian.
Huh? Luo Tian was mildly surprised.
One had just warmly invited him, and the other had made a pointed remark. How had they suddenly become so "aloof" and "reserved"?
Something strange was going on.
Before he could figure out what had prompted the sudden change, a bright female voice came from behind him. At the same time, he felt a powerful presence approaching.
"Luo Tian, you're so handsome and strong. You haven't had children with anyone yet, have you?
"You've got great genes and limitless potential... Why don't we—have a few kids together? I'm sure we could raise the finest offspring!"
The speaker was Charlotte Linlin.
Tall and beautiful, she looked Luo Tian up and down with a heated gaze, as if appraising a rare treasure.
She had originally planned to wait until later in the banquet, when the mood was more relaxed, before talking to Luo Tian in private.
But when she saw Shiki and Whitebeard approach him first and keep him talking, she couldn't hold back.
If Luo Tian agreed to stay aboard Shiki's ship, then according to the unwritten rules within the crew, commanders couldn't casually intrude on another commander's fleet. It would be difficult to approach him after that.
Even if she couldn't bring Luo Tian entirely under her control, the way she had with Kaido—
having his children and strengthening her crew with a few talented offspring who inherited the best of both of them would be wonderful, too.
In any case, she wasn't about to let the Golden Lion have all the pick of such a high-quality "resource"!
Hearing Charlotte Linlin's horrifyingly blunt "proposal"—or perhaps "breeding invitation"—Luo Tian shuddered. Goosebumps broke out all over his body.
He immediately understood why Shiki and Newgate had suddenly run off as if fleeing a plague.
He glared at those two fair-weather friends, who had made a lightning-fast escape at the critical moment. They had clearly experienced Linlin's enthusiasm before.
That's right... In the original story, the future BIG MOM, Charlotte Linlin, really did love collecting genes and giving birth to children with all sorts of abilities, using them to build her kingdom.
And nearly every man who had been with her was eventually used up, discarded, or pushed aside.
Charlotte Linlin's life was practically enough to fill an autobiography. The title could be More Children, More Fortune: How I Conquered the New World Through My Offspring!
That said, while Charlotte Linlin's voice was still pleasant in her youth and her looks and figure were quite good—she could even be called a beauty—
Luo Tian still chose to refuse. Without the slightest hesitation.
Mostly because he couldn't help thinking of what she'd look like when she was older.
What a miscalculation. Charlotte Linlin has set her sights on me.
Luo Tian's mouth twitched. It was as if several invisible lines had drooped across his forehead, while a thousand horses stampeded through his mind.
Before you continue