Just as Rocks, Babel, and the others waited eagerly for Houka to speak, he didn't continue. Instead, he solemnly announced that the banquet was beginning.
Rocks clenched his fists until they crackled, the veins on his forehead bulging.
Even Newgate felt like punching someone!
"Come on! My chief strategist Houka, my vice captain Houka, just tell us already! You're making it impossible to enjoy our food!"
Babel had completely dropped his defiant attitude and, like Sambel, started calling him the vice captain.
After all, even Rocks, the boss, called him by his name. There was no need to call him captain.
So if Rocks said there was no such position as vice captain, they could just ignore him.
They liked calling the chief strategist Houka their vice captain. What could Rocks do about it?
As long as they followed the rule that the strong made the rules, that was all that mattered on the ship.
They could do whatever they liked about everything else.
Sambel also looked at Houka with longing. Who didn't want to become stronger?
When Rocks heard Babel call Houka that, his eyes blazed even brighter. He finally understood what that brat was up to.
He suddenly really wanted to beat Houka up!
But the Davy Clan needed a way to increase the chances of awakening Conqueror's Haki, too.
Rocks wanted the Davy Clan to grow stronger as well.
Then he wouldn't have to fight alone, searching for powerful allies and subordinates out in the world.
As things stood, apart from him, the other members of the Davy Clan really were a sorry lot.
Centuries of seclusion had worn away their people's kingly bloodline.
Rocks's father had once been powerfully built, with a strong physique. Now, he liked to wear a straw hat and grow vegetables, looking every bit like an old farmer.
Newgate finally understood why Houka could keep Rocks—the monster who had killed a Marine Admiral—in check.
Houka was the Rocks Pirates' chief strategist, their brains!
Sambel had just quietly told him that Houka could see the future.
He'd also said that Newgate was destined to come aboard and become the strongest officer.
If Newgate were captain, he'd value a talent like Houka, too.
Not only could he see the future and find powerful crew members, he also had all kinds of ways to help people grow stronger.
It was practically cheating!
"Hey, Babel, if you and Sambel keep calling me that, you're going to get me beaten to a pulp by Captain Rocks."
"Call me the chief strategist. There's no vice captain position on this ship."
"Newgate, you'll become a master swordsman someday, and you'll get a Supreme Grade Sword..."
Houka spread his hands and smiled at Babel and Sambel, refusing the title of vice captain with righteous conviction.
He also casually mentioned Newgate.
Newgate's ears perked up, and his eyebrows lifted. He'd get a Supreme Grade Sword in the future?
Why did that feel like the thrill of winning a prize?
No wonder Rocks and Babel had let Houka get the better of them. It seemed he'd been taken in, too.
"I don't care. I like calling the chief strategist the vice captain. Rocks can't stop me."
Babel answered decisively, though he still stole a glance at Rocks. He didn't want another beating.
But compared to a way to awaken Conqueror's Haki, one beating was nothing.
"Ahem. Chief strategist or vice captain, either way, it shows how much we value you, Houka."
Newgate spoke with a straight face, accepting Houka's title and position. He wanted to know the shortcut to awakening Conqueror's Haki—and the name of his Supreme Grade Sword.
Rocks said nothing, only grinning at Houka.
It was obvious he really wanted to beat him up.
But he couldn't bring himself to give up the method for increasing the chances of awakening Conqueror's Haki.
Houka stopped provoking Rocks. Otherwise, he was genuinely afraid Rocks would hit him even harder.
"Hey, we're all trying to make the Rocks Pirates stronger. Why would I keep anything from you?"
"To increase your chances of awakening Conqueror's Haki, you have to face your fears and overcome them!"
"The simplest way is to kill Celestial Dragons!"
"In one era, Died, captain of the Big Daddy Pirates, and Dongye Huanglong, leader of the Huanglong Pirates, loved taking their subordinates to hunt Celestial Dragons. Most of the senior officers on their ships awakened Conqueror's Haki."
"Nowadays, people fear the World Government and the Celestial Dragons."
"Take down a Celestial Dragon, and your spirit will undergo a transformation. You'll have a chance to become one of the first awakened users of Conqueror's Haki, someone with the qualities of a king."
"This is especially true for your Fish-Man Race and many other rare races. Their fear of the Celestial Dragons runs deep in their bones."
"All right, now you know what to do. The question is whether you dare to try."
Houka looked slyly at Rocks and the others.
Sure enough, Babel and Sambel's faces changed. They'd never imagined the method would be so terrifying.
They really were afraid of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
After all, countless members of their race had become slaves to the Celestial Dragons, and they couldn't fight back or change anything.
And if they killed a Celestial Dragon, wouldn't that bring trouble to Fish-Man Island?
"Wororororo! That really is a great method."
"But what era were Died and Dongye Huanglong from? I'd love to meet them."
Rocks laughed brazenly and licked his lips. He was eager to meet such domineering overlords.
"Kill a Celestial Dragon? That's a crazy move!"
Newgate raised an eyebrow. It didn't seem like his style.
Still, he was confident he could awaken Conqueror's Haki on his own before ever running into a Celestial Dragon.
With a monster like Rocks by his side, he was filled with the desire to grow stronger.
"Babel, Sambel, don't overthink it. People change, and the more they go through, the stronger they become. There's no need to worry about it now."
"When you have the spirit to face a Celestial Dragon, you may already have completed your transformation!"
"Now let the banquet begin!"
Houka laughed, and all kinds of food floated into the air, forming a "wine pool and meat forest." Everyone could reach for the food and wine at their leisure.
"Hmph, they're just Celestial Dragons! I'll kill them sooner or later!"
Babel stuck out his chin and made a bold declaration, not wanting to lose face in front of Rocks and Newgate.
Sambel stayed quiet and humble. With these big shots watching over him, maybe he didn't need to become a king after all.
But Houka's words and the method he'd shared had already been etched deep in their minds.
Rocks remembered the names Died and Dongye Huanglong and decided he'd have to find a way to get more information out of Houka.
Unfortunately, he would never meet the two of them, because Houka had made them up.
Newgate thought the title "Pops" sounded pretty good. If he ever had children or subordinates, he'd have them call him that.
The banquet for the new recruit went pretty well, and everyone had a good time.
Newgate gradually loosened up and became a heavy drinker.
The next day, Houka began actively searching for information about Sleepy Town, while Rocks had already picked out the next person he wanted to find.
Shiki the Extreme, an underworld swordsman who had the Paramecia Float-Float Fruit Ability.
Once they recruited him, together with Houka's Gravity Ability, their Sword of Xebec would be able to sail much faster.
They would find other strong fighters sooner and complete the formation of the Rocks Pirates.