Silver Axe Xiong Joins!

"BOOM!"

Rocks' Cannon Hammer Sword Qi instantly annihilated Xiong's Heaven-Slaying Axe Qi.

The violent force struck like a giant hammer, blasting a massive crater into the island.

In an instant, gravel flew in all directions amidst billowing smoke and dust.

The entire street where the tavern stood, along with all the surrounding buildings and the ground itself, collapsed into a deep depression.

Countless pirates were caught in the blast, their screams cut short as they were pulverized into meat patties.

"Hey, Rocks, aren't you being a bit too ruthless?"

Newgate frowned as he spoke, witnessing so many innocent lives being slaughtered by mistake.

"Gahahahaha! Newgate, everyone on this island is either a pirate or a gangster; if they die, they die."

Shiki laughed wantonly and flew down rapidly, eager to see if his old rival, Xiong, had been finished off.

If he couldn't even survive a single blow from Rocks, Rocks probably wouldn't bother recruiting him.

That way, Shiki wouldn't have to worry about becoming a "comrade" with Xiong on the same ship!

"Wahahaha, that was just a casual strike of mine!"

Rocks grinned, completely unbothered by the dissatisfaction on Newgate's face.

He treated everyone to that level of intensity as a baseline.

If he were to get serious, it would be a high-intensity, destructive slash capable of taking down a Marine Admiral!

"Rocks, I know your Cannon Hammer Sword Qi is powerful, but could you try not to destroy so much next time? There might be food and treasure up there."

Houka didn't care whether the pirates and gangsters on this pirate island lived or died.

But if there happened to be a user of a special Devil Fruit among them, and they were accidentally killed by Rocks, causing the fruit to respawn elsewhere, Houka would be at a loss.

"Wahahaha, I'll try to be careful next time. Besides, wasn't it that guy who attacked first?"

Rocks sheathed his sword casually and shrugged with an indifferent expression, giving Houka, the prophet, a bit of face.

Deep within the crater on the island.

Yakuza Assassin Xiong lay amidst the ruins, looking even more wretched than Huoyun Xieshen after being flattened by the Buddha Palm, blood spilling from his nose and mouth.

Xiong struggled to his feet, his cells trembling all over. He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood and looked toward the sky in terror.

"How is this possible! Shiki couldn't possibly be this strong!"

"Who! Who was it that unleashed that sword qi!"

Xiong's angry voice carried a hint of fear; that sword qi, with its cannon-hammer-like shockwave, was terrifyingly strong!

"Gahahahaha! You're not dead yet? What a pity!"

Seeing that his old rival hadn't perished, Shiki felt a twinge of disappointment.

However, seeing Xiong beaten so miserably by a single strike from Rocks made him laugh even more heartily.

"Shiki!! It really is you?!"

Xiong stared at Shiki in the sky in disbelief. Could it really have been Shiki who swung that sword qi?

Just then.

Five figures emerged in the sky. Backlit by the sun, Xiong felt that these silhouettes possessed a monstrous, terrifying pressure.

"Vice-Captain Houka, your gravity ability is far stronger than Shiki's Float-Float Ability."

"That guy's Float-Float Ability can't affect living organisms at all. The Vice-Captain's Anti-Gravity Field is much better."

Babel looked at Houka, who was sitting on his shoulder, his tone filled with delight.

He was very pleased to see Houka's trust in him.

Originally, Houka had sat on Newgate's shoulder, but the six-meter-tall Newgate couldn't compare to the ten-meter-tall Babel.

Babel's shoulders were broader and sturdier.

Of course, Newgate wasn't exactly thrilled about letting Houka sit on his shoulder either.

Sambel, on the other hand, felt a bit envious of Babel's physique; he was only five or six meters tall, not even matching Newgate.

"Wahahaha, this feels pretty good."

Rocks tested his movement speed within the Anti-Gravity Field.

Perhaps in the future, he could have Houka coordinate with his combat style.

"Gahahahaha, Xiong, look closely! This is the pirate crew I've joined!"

Shiki floated over to the five of them, looking down at Xiong in the crater together.

"Wahahaha, I am Rocks! Yakuza Assassin Xiong, the fact that you survived one of my blows means you have the qualifications to join the Rocks Pirates."

"Now, do you choose to join, or die? Or perhaps you'd prefer an interesting game of Davy Back Fight?"

Rocks shouted at Xiong, his violent Conqueror's Haki crushing the Yakuza Assassin, who was quite famous in the New World.

"The World's Worst Pirate, Rocks?!!"

Xiong's pupils constricted behind his sunglasses; he had actually run into this monster who had taken down a Marine Admiral?

So, the terrifying slash from just a moment ago had been unleashed by Rocks.

He had known that bastard Shiki, who only knew how to run away, couldn't possibly be that strong!

"A star-studded pirate crew of total villains!"

"Since a bastard like Shiki can join, then I'll join too!"

Xiong glanced at Shiki, that smug little man, and accepted Rocks' invitation without hesitation.

If he refused, even if Rocks didn't kill him, Shiki—who loved to bully others by relying on his master's power—would certainly finish him off.

It would be better to join the Rocks Pirates and find an opportunity to vent his anger on Shiki later.

"Wahahahaha, welcome aboard. On my ship, the strong are respected, and I don't mind the crew fighting among themselves."

"I hope you and Shiki have a good time playing together!"

Rocks swept a glance at Shiki; since this guy dared to covet Houka, he would let him suffer a setback.

Having Xiong cause trouble for Shiki was also a way to let both of them grow through combat and pressure.

"The strong are respected? I like this kind of villainous pirate crew."

Xiong wiped the blood from his nose and mouth, revealing a cruel smile.

Being on the same ship as that bastard Shiki was going to be delightful.

"Hmph, I'll surpass you soon enough!"

Shiki's expression turned incredibly serious; if he couldn't avoid the fight, he would grow as quickly as possible.

He believed he could absolutely do it!

Following the addition of Yakuza Assassin Xiong to the Rocks Pirates, Houka and the others landed on this pirate island to resupply.

They also took the opportunity to inquire about other powerful individuals or Devil Fruit users.

The news that Shiki the Extreme and Yakuza Assassin Xiong had both joined the Rocks Pirates quickly spread across the pirate island.

The crew members following the World's Worst Pirate, Rocks, were one by one coming into the sights of various pirates and intelligence agents.

"Gahahahaha! Scum, remember this: from now on, I am Golden Lion Shiki!"

"Remember my name!"

Shiki crushed several pirate crews at the port, unscrupulously plundering the treasures from their ships.

"I am Nautilus Babel, an executive of the Rocks Pirates!"

Babel lifted a pirate ship with both hands and threw it directly, displaying immense strength.

It was no wonder his original title was Catfish Wrestler; his power was even greater than that of the Giants.

He had also seized a ship's anchor, using it to forcefully destroy several other pirate ships.

"Bahahaha, this Meteor Ship Anchor is truly excellent!"

The more Babel swung it, the more satisfied he became; it was worthy of being a weapon suggested by Houka, perfectly suited to his fighting style.

Houka, Newgate, and Sambel did not join in the destruction, as they didn't seem to care for building their reputations through such chaos.

"The Prophet? I'm called Silver Axe Xiong in the future?"

After some initial exchanges, Xiong had a rough idea of the situation on the ship, though he still harbored a trace of suspicion toward Houka.

Still, the title of Silver Axe was actually quite good!