The Chief of Staff is the Vice-Captain

Just as Rocks, Babel, and the others waited in eager anticipation for Houka to speak, he did not continue, but instead solemnly announced the start of the banquet.

This made Rocks's knuckles crack as he clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead.

Even Newgate felt the urge to throw a punch!

"Hey! My Great Strategist Houka, my Vice-Captain Houka, please just say it. You're making it impossible for us to enjoy our meal."

Babel had completely dropped his arrogance, calling him Vice-Captain just like Sambel did.

After all, even their boss, Rocks, was addressed by his name, so there was no need to call him Captain.

Since Rocks claimed there was no such position as Vice-Captain, they could simply ignore him.

They liked calling Great Strategist Houka "Vice-Captain," and what could Rocks do about it?

As long as they followed the rule that the strong were respected, that was all that mattered on this ship.

They could do whatever else they pleased.

Sambel also looked at Houka with longing; after all, who wouldn't want to become stronger?

When Rocks heard Babel's address for Houka, his eyes blazed with fire. He finally understood the little brat's goal.

He suddenly felt a strong urge to beat Houka up!

However, the Davy Clan also needed a way to increase the probability of awakening Conqueror's Haki.

Rocks also wanted the Davy Clan to become stronger.

That way, he wouldn't have to fight alone, searching outside for powerful partners and subordinates.

As it stood, apart from him, the other members of the Davy Clan were indeed quite lackluster.

Living in seclusion for hundreds of years had worn away the royal bloodline of his kin.

Rocks's father possessed a powerful physique and a sturdy build, yet now he preferred to wear a straw hat and grow vegetables, looking exactly like an old farmer.

Newgate finally understood why this guy Houka could keep a monster like Rocks—who had slaughtered a Marine Admiral—under his thumb.

So, Houka was the Great Strategist and mastermind of the Rocks Pirates!

Just a moment ago, Sambel had whispered to him that this guy Houka could foresee the future.

He had even said that Newgate was destined to be the strongest executive to join the crew.

If Newgate were a captain, he would also value a talent like Houka immensely.

Not only could he foresee the future and find powerful crewmates, but he also possessed all sorts of methods to grow stronger.

This was practically cheating!

"Sigh, Babel, you and Sambel calling me that is just going to get me beaten to a pulp by Captain Rocks."

"Call me Great Strategist; there is no Vice-Captain position on this ship."

"Newgate, you'll be a master swordsman in the future, and you'll obtain a Supreme Grade Sword..."

Houka shrugged, smiling broadly at Babel and Sambel, while righteously rejecting the title of Vice-Captain.

He also casually mentioned Newgate.

Newgate's ears perked up and his brows arched. He would obtain a Supreme Grade Sword in the future?

This feeling was strangely like the joy of winning a prize.

No wonder Rocks and Babel were being handled by Houka; it seemed he was being handled too.

"I don't care, I like calling the Great Strategist 'Vice-Captain,' and Rocks can't control that."

Babel spoke quite decisively, though he still snuck a glance at Rocks, fearing another brutal beating.

But compared to a method for awakening Conqueror's Haki, a beating was hardly worth mentioning.

"Ahem, whether it's Great Strategist or Vice-Captain, it all shows how much we value you, Houka."

Newgate spoke with a straight face, tacitly accepting Houka's status and position. He also wanted to know the shortcut to awakening Conqueror's Haki and the name of his future Supreme Grade Sword.

Rocks remained silent, merely grinning as he watched Houka.

It was clear he really wanted to beat Houka up.

But he couldn't bear to lose the method for increasing the probability of awakening Conqueror's Haki.

Houka didn't continue to provoke Rocks, lest he find Rocks's fists becoming even more powerful and harder.

"Hey, it's all to help the Rocks Pirates grow stronger, so why would I hide anything?"

"To increase the probability of awakening Conqueror's Haki, you must face your fear head-on and shatter it!"

"The simplest way is to kill the Celestial Dragons!!"

"In a certain era, Captain Died of the Big Daddy Pirates and Captain Dongye Huanglong of the Huanglong Pirates loved to take their subordinates to hunt Celestial Dragons, and as a result, most of the high-ranking executives on their ships awakened Conqueror's Haki."

"Right now, the world fears the World Government and the Celestial Dragons."

"If you kill a Celestial Dragon, your spirit will undergo a transformation, giving you the chance to become a first-generation Conqueror's Haki awakener with the qualities of a king."

"Especially for you of the Fish-Man Race and many other rare races, your fear of the Celestial Dragons is deep-seated in your marrow."

"Alright, now that you have the method, it all depends on whether you have the guts to try it."

Houka looked at Rocks, Babel, and the others with a wicked grin.

Sure enough, the expressions of Babel and Sambel shifted drastically; they had never imagined such a terrifying approach.

They were indeed fearful of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.

After all, countless members of their race had been reduced to slaves for the Celestial Dragons, yet they were powerless to resist or change any of it.

Besides, wouldn't killing a Celestial Dragon bring disaster upon Fish-Man Island?

"Wahahaha, that is indeed a fine method."

"However, from what era are this Died and Dongye Huanglong? I truly wish to make their acquaintance."

Rocks laughed wantonly, licking his lips with his long tongue, his eyes burning with an even greater desire to meet such domineering overlords.

"Kill a Celestial Dragon? That is truly a mad act!"

Newgate raised an eyebrow, feeling that this did not align with his own path.

However, he was confident that he would awaken his own Conqueror's Haki long before he ever encountered a Celestial Dragon.

Having a monster like Rocks by his side filled him with the desire to grow stronger.

"Babel, Sambel, don't overthink it. People always change; the more you experience, the stronger you become. There is no need to worry about it now."

"When you possess the mettle to face the Celestial Dragons head-on, perhaps you will have already completed your transformation!"

"Let the banquet begin!"

Houka laughed heartily, and various foods floated into the air, forming a 'forest of meat and pool of wine,' allowing them to enjoy the readily available delicacies and spirits to their hearts' content.

"Hmph, they're just Celestial Dragons! I'll kill them sooner or later!"

Babel stiffened his neck and spat out the harsh words, not wanting to lose face in front of Rocks and Newgate.

Sambel remained honest and low-key; with these big shots covering for him, he figured he didn't necessarily need to become a king.

But Houka's words and this method had already been deeply etched into the hearts of these men.

Rocks kept the names of Died and Dongye Huanglong in mind, determined to find a way to make Houka reveal more information.

Unfortunately, he was destined never to meet these two, as they were entirely fabricated by Houka.

Newgate felt that the title of 'Daddy' sounded quite good; if he ever had children or subordinates in the future, he would have them call him 'Old Man.'

This newcomer banquet was quite a success, and everyone was relatively happy.

Newgate, the newcomer, gradually loosened up and began to turn into a heavy drinker.

The next day, Houka actively sought out intelligence on Sleepy Town, while Rocks had already set his sights on the next target to recruit.

Shiki the Extreme, a yakuza samurai who possessed the Paramecia-type Float-Float Fruit ability.

As long as they could subdue this fellow, combined with Houka's Gravity Ability, their Sword of Xebec would be able to sail at even greater speeds.

They would accelerate their search for other powerhouses and complete the formation of the Rocks Pirates.