The Golden Lion's Solicitation!

Shiki could not hold back any longer; he wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth and grinned.

"Hahaha! Luo Tian, kid, you're an officer now. When do you plan on recruiting your own crew?"

Luo Tian downed a mouthful of fine wine, looked up at the question, and replied in a casual tone, "That? I haven't really thought about it yet."

"It's a hassle to manage too many people, and there are too many rules."

"I'd rather enjoy myself for a while first, to see just how vast this New World really is. As for territory and subordinates, that can wait."

"Is that so?" Shiki's eyes lit up. He felt this newcomer's temperament suited his own, so he didn't beat around the bush and extended an invitation directly:

"Then why not stay on my ship for a while! You don't have a fixed destination anyway."

"We both use swords; it would be the perfect chance to spar and study the way of the blade together!"

"You can't master swordsmanship by locking yourself away; you need a worthy opponent!"

Now that Luo Tian was an officer personally recognized by Rocks, his status was on par with Shiki's, making it inappropriate for Shiki to openly recruit him as a subordinate.

But building a relationship and establishing a close personal bond was never a bad idea.

A monster of a newcomer like this—even if he couldn't be a companion on the same ship, he must never become an enemy.

Besides, he felt that Luo Tian's personality was to his liking.

More importantly, at their level, simple growth in strength had become increasingly slow.

If they could sharpen each other, colliding their thoughts and techniques, perhaps they could truly help each other break through their bottlenecks and advance their swordsmanship further.

"Stay with you for a while?" Luo Tian looked thoughtful and did not refuse immediately.

He was indeed interested in Shiki's swordsmanship, especially the way he combined his blade with the Float-Float Fruit.

His own Space-Space Fruit could also manipulate spatial buoyancy; the two had similar underlying principles.

"That's right! I am, after all, the recognized Great Swordsman of this pirate crew!" Shiki said with a proud air:

"If you and I spar, it will surely take our swordsmanship to the next level."

"My Oto and Kogarashi haven't encountered an opponent who could excite me in a long time!"

In the entire Rocks Pirates, if one were to speak of pure swordsmanship, aside from the unfathomable captain Rocks, Shiki the Golden Lion was the strongest.

His Float-Float Fruit ability was only acquired after he had already become a top-tier swordsman; most of the time, it served as an extension and supplement to his swordplay, while the foundation and core remained firmly rooted in the way of the sword.

In contrast, Newgate the Whitebeard walked a different path.

He relied primarily on the destructive power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and that Supreme Grade sword in his hand, Murakumogiri?

It often served more as a medium to unleash his tremors, and his fighting style was wide and sweeping.

Though infinitely powerful, it differed from Shiki's path in terms of the subtle nuances of pure swordsmanship.

"Gurarara... Shiki, are you implying that someone here doesn't practice the sword 'properly'?" Whitebeard, who was drinking heavily nearby, laughed upon hearing this.

But he did not directly refute the claim.

It was true; Whitebeard knew that in terms of pure sword technique, speed, and variation, he was indeed a step behind Shiki.

However, in terms of overall strength, range of destruction, and control over the battlefield, he—possessing the devastating Tremor-Tremor Fruit—still considered himself a cut above Shiki.

The two walked different paths, and it was hard to conclude which was superior.

"Hmph..." Whitebeard looked at Luo Tian and said in a deep voice, his tone carrying the warning of a senior:

"Luo Tian, kid, wanting to spar is a good thing, but Shiki's strength isn't enough."

"If you really want to learn something, come to my ship instead. I'll show you what 'power' truly is."

He and Shiki had clashed countless times in the past with mixed results, but overall, he was the one who won more often.

Whitebeard felt a sense of disdain for Shiki's act of bragging in front of a newcomer and rushing to recruit him; he thought the guy's skin was getting thicker by the day and decided he would have to find another opportunity to "spar" and teach him a lesson soon.

Luo Tian just smiled, raised his glass to acknowledge them both, and didn't take the bait.

He had a rough idea of the situation.

Shiki's swordsmanship was exquisite, and Whitebeard's power was tyrannical; each had its own merits.

He was in no rush to pick a side; he preferred to draw from the strengths of all.

Just then, Whitebeard and Shiki suddenly stopped their conversation and stopped trying to curry favor with Luo Tian.

Instead, they each picked up their glasses, pretended to be serious as they took small sips, and cast their gazes elsewhere.

They even quietly shifted their stools to the side, creating a subtle distance between themselves and Luo Tian.

Hm? Luo Tian felt a flicker of surprise.

A moment ago, one was enthusiastically inviting him and the other was making snide remarks, so why had they suddenly become so "aloof" and "reserved"?

When things are abnormal, there must be a demon at play.

Before he could figure out the reason for this sudden change, a bright, feminine voice came from behind him, and he felt a powerful presence approaching:

"Little brother Luo Tian, you're so handsome and so strong, you haven't had children with anyone else yet, have you?"

"I see your genes are excellent, with infinite potential... why don't we—have a few children together? We would surely produce the most outstanding offspring!"

The person speaking was none other than Charlotte Linlin.

With her tall stature and beautiful face, she scanned Luo Tian up and down with a burning gaze, as if evaluating a rare treasure.

Originally, she had intended to wait until the latter half of the banquet, when the atmosphere was more relaxed, to have a private chat with Luo Tian.

But seeing Shiki and Whitebeard take the lead, surrounding Luo Tian and talking incessantly, she could no longer hold back.

If she truly let Luo Tian agree to live on Shiki's ship, according to the unwritten rules within pirate crews, officers were not allowed to intrude upon other officers' direct fleets at will, making it difficult to make contact later.

Even if she couldn't recruit Luo Tian entirely like she had with Kaido.

If she could unite with him and give birth to a few exceptionally talented children who inherited the strengths of both sides to strengthen her own team, that would also be excellent.

In short, such a high-quality "resource" could not be left entirely for Golden Lion to take advantage of!

Hearing this shockingly direct "marriage proposal," or rather, "breeding invitation" from Charlotte Linlin, Luo Tian shuddered, and goosebumps broke out all over his body.

He immediately understood why Shiki and Newgate had suddenly dodged away like they were avoiding a plague god.

He glared fiercely at those two disloyal guys who had slipped away at the critical moment; they had clearly experienced Linlin's enthusiasm before.

Right... in the original story, the future BIG MOM Charlotte Linlin truly loved collecting genes and giving birth to numerous children with various abilities to build her kingdom.

And almost all the men who had been involved with her were eventually discarded or marginalized after she had finished using them.

Charlotte Linlin's experiences could fill an autobiography, with the title: "Many Children, Much Happiness: How I Conquered the New World Through My Offspring!"

That said, although the young Charlotte Linlin's voice was still pleasant and her appearance and figure were quite good, enough to be called a stunner.

Luo Tian still chose to refuse, without the slightest hesitation.

It was mainly because he couldn't help but think of what she looked like when she grew old.

A miscalculation; he had actually been targeted by Charlotte Linlin.

Luo Tian's mouth twitched, invisible black lines seemed to hang from his forehead, and ten thousand horses galloped through his heart.