"Boom!"
Rocks's Cannon Hammer Sword Qi instantly obliterated Xiong's Heaven-Slaying Axe Qi.
The berserk force slammed into the island like a giant hammer, blasting a massive crater into the ground.
In an instant, rubble flew everywhere and clouds of dust billowed.
The buildings and streets in the area around the tavern where Xiong had been were crushed into the ground.
Countless pirates were caught in the blast and turned into meat patties amid screams of terror.
"Hey, Rocks! That was way too brutal!"
Seeing so many innocent people killed by mistake, Newgate frowned and spoke up.
"Gyahahaha! Newgate, everyone on this island is a pirate or a gangster. Dead is dead."
Shiki laughed wildly and swooped down. He wanted to see whether Xiong, his old nemesis, had been taken out.
If Xiong couldn't withstand even one of Rocks's attacks, Rocks probably wouldn't recruit him.
Then Shiki wouldn't have to become "partners" with Xiong on the same ship!
"Wahahaha! That was just an ordinary attack!"
Rocks grinned, paying no heed to the displeasure on Newgate's face.
He started every fight with an attack of that strength, no matter who he was facing.
If he got serious, he could unleash a high-powered, devastating slash strong enough to take 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's food and treasure up there."
Houka didn't care whether the pirates and thugs on an island like this lived or died.
But if there happened to be a special Devil Fruit User among them, and Rocks accidentally killed him, the Devil Fruit would respawn somewhere else. That would be a loss for Houka.
"Wahahaha! I'll try to be more careful next time. The guy started it this time, didn't he?"
Rocks casually sheathed his saber and shrugged, completely unconcerned. It was a small concession to Houka, the Prophet.
At that moment, in the crater on the island,
Yakuza Assassin Xiong lay amid the ruins, in even worse shape than Huoyun Xieshen after being flattened by the Buddha Palm. Blood seeped from his nose and mouth.
Xiong struggled to his feet. Every cell in his body was trembling. He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood and stared fearfully at the sky.
"How is this possible? Shiki can't be that strong!"
"Who was it? Who unleashed that sword strike?!"
Xiong's furious voice carried a hint of fear. That sword attack, like a cannon hammer shock wave, was terrifyingly powerful!
"Gyahahaha! You're still alive? What a shame!"
Seeing that his old nemesis hadn't died, Shiki felt a little disappointed.
But when he saw how badly Rocks had beaten Xiong with one move, his laughter grew even louder.
"Shiki!! Is that really you?!"
Xiong stared at Shiki in the sky, incredulous. Had Shiki really been the one to unleash that sword strike?
Just then,
five more figures drifted down from the sky. Backlit by the sun, their silhouettes radiated the terrifying pressure of monsters.
"Vice Captain Houka, your Gravity Ability is much stronger than Shiki's Float-Float Ability."
"That guy's Float-Float Ability doesn't work on living things. Your Anti-Gravity Field is far more impressive, Vice Captain."
Babel looked at Houka, seated on his shoulder, and spoke with a note of delight.
He was glad that Houka trusted him.
Houka had sat on Newgate's shoulder before, but Newgate, at a little over six meters tall, was no match for Babel, who stood over ten meters.
Babel's shoulders were broader and sturdier.
Of course, Newgate wasn't keen on having Houka sit on his shoulders, either.
Sambel, meanwhile, envied Babel's size a little. He was only five or six meters tall, not even as tall as Newgate.
"Wahahaha, this feels great."
Inside the Anti-Gravity Field, Rocks tested his movement speed.
Perhaps he could get Houka to support him in battle in the future.
"Gyahahaha! Xiong, see that? This is the pirate crew I joined!"
Shiki floated over to the others, and together they looked down at Xiong in the crater.
"Wahahaha! I'm Rocks! Yakuza Assassin Xiong, if you can take one of my attacks, you're already qualified to join the Rocks Pirates."
"Now, do you join, or do you die? Or would you rather play a fun little game of Davy Back Fight?"
Rocks shouted at Xiong, his overwhelming Conqueror's Haki crushing down on the notorious Yakuza Killer of the New World.
"The World's Worst Pirate, Rocks?!"
Xiong's pupils contracted behind his sunglasses. Had he really run into the monster who had taken down a Marine Admiral?
So Rocks had been the one to unleash that terrifying slash.
He'd known that Shiki, the cowardly bastard who did nothing but run away, couldn't possibly be that strong!
"A star-studded pirate crew full of villains, huh!"
"If that bastard Shiki can join, then I'll join too!"
Xiong glanced at Shiki, the smug little bastard, and accepted Rocks's invitation without hesitation.
If he refused, even if Rocks didn't kill him, Shiki would—like a dog relying on its master's power.
He might as well join the Rocks Pirates and look for a chance to settle the score with Shiki later.
"Wahahahaha! Welcome aboard! On my ship, the strong rule, and I don't care if the crew fight each other."
"I hope you and Shiki have a good time together!"
Rocks glanced at Shiki. The man was still daring to covet Houka, so Rocks would make sure he took a few hits.
Having Xiong give Shiki trouble would also help the two of them grow through battle and pressure.
"The strong rule, huh? I like this villainous pirate crew."
Xiong wiped the blood from his nose and mouth and gave a cruel smile.
Being on the same ship as that bastard Shiki would be delightful.
"Hmph. I'll surpass you soon!"
Shiki's expression turned deadly serious. If he couldn't avoid fighting, he would grow as fast as possible.
He believed he could do it!
After Yakuza Assassin Xiong joined the Rocks Pirates, Houka and the others landed on the pirate island to replenish their supplies.
They also planned to ask around for news about other strong fighters and Devil Fruit Users.
Word that Shiki the Extreme and Yakuza Assassin Xiong had both joined the Rocks Pirates quickly spread across the island.
The crew members traveling with Rocks, the World's Worst Pirate, soon caught the attention of pirates and informants from all over.
"Gyahahaha! Listen up, scum! From now on, I'm Golden Lion Shiki!"
"Remember my name!"
At the harbor, Shiki crushed several pirate crews and shamelessly plundered the treasure aboard their ships.
"I'm Nautilus Babel, an officer of the Rocks Pirates!"
Babel lifted a pirate ship in both hands and hurled it away, displaying his incredible strength.
No wonder his old title had been Catfish Wrestler. He was even stronger than the Giants.
He also grabbed a ship's anchor and used it to smash several other pirate ships.
"Bahahaha! The Meteor Ship Anchor really is great!"
Babel was more and more pleased as he swung it around. As expected of a weapon Houka had recommended—it suited his fighting style perfectly.
Houka, Newgate, and Sambel didn't join the destruction. None of them seemed to like building their reputations by wrecking things.
"The Prophet? In the future, I'll be called Silver Axe Xiong?"
After getting a rough idea of the crew, Xiong still had some doubts about Houka.
Still, the title Silver Axe sounded pretty good!