This Sword Will Be Awesome!

"Wahahaha, to have earned your approval, it seems this fellow makes quite a name for himself in the future."

Upon hearing Houka say that it was worth a try, though he stopped short of calling Bolo Gram an executive of the Rocks Pirates, Rocks knew this guy must have some renown to appear in the future Houka had foreseen.

"This guy has a bit of a friendship with Newgate in the future."

Houka shrugged; Bolo Gram was one of the great pirates who participated in the God Valley War.

He had even clashed with Silver Axe and Ganzi, fighting over treasures and Devil Fruits.

Perhaps Marco's Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit was one of his spoils of war.

By the time of the God Valley War, Marco was already seven years old.

Bolo Gram claimed to be a fan of Whitebeard and had even tried to recruit Whitebeard Newgate.

It was just unclear when Bolo Gram had died in battle, entrusting his son Marco to Whitebeard Newgate.

In the pirate world, entrusting one's offspring to a friend was not uncommon.

The Shichibukai of the original timeline, Hanafusa, had also entrusted his children, Ulti and Page One, to Kaido of the Beasts.

The Pirate King Roger had also entrusted his own offspring to his rival and friend, Iron Fist Garp.

"Is he a friend of mine in the future?"

Newgate flashed a grin, picked up Bolo Gram's wanted poster, and committed the pineapple-headed man's appearance to memory.

"Hey, hey, hey, Rocks, you're the captain—why do you believe everything Houka says?"

Silver Axe Xiong, seeing Houka effectively become the center of the entire crew, felt a sudden surge of irritation.

He was wholeheartedly convinced by Rocks's peerless strength, but he was not yet sold on Houka, who relied on his silver tongue.

At the very least, Houka had yet to beat him into submission.

He certainly didn't want another vice-captain looming over him beneath Rocks.

"Kehahaha, then why don't you challenge Grand Advisor Houka?"

Golden Lion Shiki immediately began to stir the pot; he, too, wanted to know the true extent of Houka's power.

He already knew that Houka possessed a Gravity Ability.

But not long ago, he had discovered that Houka could also summon Blood Shadow Bats to drain pirates dry.

At that moment, he realized that this seemingly mild-tempered Grand Advisor was definitely not as simple as he appeared.

"Wahahaha, I also support you giving Houka a beating."

Rocks set down the wanted poster and joined in the provocation.

He usually didn't lay a heavy hand on Houka himself, so this was the perfect opportunity for a newcomer to force out Houka's limits.

Rocks did not believe Houka had no trump cards.

This cunning brat was surely hiding a great deal of strength.

"I'm challenging you, Houka!"

"If I win, you have to forbid everyone else from calling you vice-captain!"

Under the instigation of Rocks and Shiki, Silver Axe Xiong issued his challenge directly.

Since the Rocks Pirates were a crew where the strong reigned supreme, then as Rocks said, there should be no vice-captain on board!

Beneath Rocks, every executive should speak through their strength.

"Tsk tsk, I must look even weaker than Sambel, making you newcomers think I'm just a prophet who talks a big game."

Houka looked at Rocks, Shiki, and the others, all of whom were eager to watch the spectacle; even Newgate and Babel had never truly witnessed Houka's power.

They, too, wanted to know what Houka's combat prowess was really like.

"Vice-Captain, you will always be the vice-captain in my heart!"

The honest Sambel immediately spoke up to declare his firm stance.

Babel's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, his heart crying out that Sambel had beaten him to the punch.

"Houka, you know that I also recognize you as my vice-captain."

Babel decisively placed his bet; he wasn't as arrogant as Newgate or Shiki, and he knew how to latch onto a powerful backer!

Aside from the invincible Rocks, the peerlessly wise Houka was the absolute pillar of the crew.

"Hmph!"

Silver Axe Xiong let out a disdainful snort. These Fish-Men were spineless indeed; no wonder Fish-Man Island was trampled by pirates and slave traders.

However, Xiong dared not voice these thoughts, fearing that Sambel and Babel would fight him to the death.

"They may recognize you as vice-captain, but I certainly do not."

"I reckon Newgate and Shiki wouldn't approve either!"

Xiong did not respect Houka, but he did not want to offend him completely, so he dragged Newgate and Shiki, who were merely watching the show, into the fray.

The fact that those two hadn't stated their positions was proof enough of this reality.

Hearing Xiong shamelessly attempt to sow discord, Shiki's expression shifted slightly, while Newgate's eyes turned cold, a flicker of irritation toward Xiong rising within him.

His friendship with Houka was not something for Xiong to comment on!

"Hahaha, I'm not a golden berry; I don't need everyone to approve of or like me!"

"However, the way you're trying to stir up trouble between us makes me a bit unhappy."

"Let me see just how strong you, the Yakuza Killer, really are!"

The smile on Houka's face slowly faded as he looked at the young Xiong.

None of these guys had reached their peak strength yet, and they were already this arrogant.

These brutes really couldn't be dealt with unless they were beaten into submission!

Houka slowly drew the Seven-Star Sword, and an aura of evil, tyrannical malice surged forth.

"It's out! It's Lord Houka's Seven-Star Sword!"

"Get away! Don't look at the Seven-Star Sword!"

The sailors and handymen of the Rocks Pirates scrambled to hide, terrified of being controlled by the cursed blade once again.

This Seven-Star Sword was an evil weapon that Captain Rocks and the Grand Staff Officer Houka had discovered together before any of the other executives had even boarded the ship.

"Jiehahahaha! What a truly evil cursed sword!"

Golden Lion Shiki immediately unleashed his Haki, focusing his consciousness as he stared directly at the evil, double-edged blade radiating an eerie green light.

"Is this really not one of the Supreme Grade Swords? It's so wicked every time it's unsheathed!"

Newgate's expression also turned serious; even he had nearly been affected by the evil power of the Seven-Star Sword when he first saw it.

"Bahahaha, Xiong, you really have annoyed the Vice-Captain. Usually, he only ever uses his Gravity Ability!"

Babel burst into laughter, his face filled with a playful, spectator's grin.

"Vice-Captain is so strong!"

Sambel's eyes sparkled with adoration; Vice-Captain Houka was not only brilliant but also incomparably powerful!

"Watch closely, everyone!"

"This strike will be quite stylish!"

A pair of demonic bat wings sprouted from Houka's back, and the crescent moon mark on his forehead glowed with a ghostly blue light.

"Seven-Star Gravity Slash: Getsuga Tensho!"

Houka's eyes narrowed, and a four-colored sword aura—purple, red, green, and blue—whistled instantly toward Silver Axe Xiong.

"How is this possible!"

As Silver Axe Xiong stared at the terrifying slash, his pupils contracted sharply behind his sunglasses.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as a horrific pressure crushed down upon him.

At the very last moment, he dodged with everything he had, not daring to take Houka's strike head-on!

"BOOM!!!!"

A terrifying sword aura, shot from the town in the center of the island, cleaved straight through the land and continued out to sea, carving a trench over a thousand meters long into the ocean.

A sword mark over ten meters deep stretched across the island all the way to the shore.

Even the buildings and the ground on either side of the mark were pulverized and crushed several meters deep by the terrifying gravity and sword pressure.

"Gulp~"

Silver Axe Xiong stared at the exaggerated trench left by the blade, beads of cold sweat rolling down his forehead.

To think that such immense power could erupt from Houka's slender frame!

The next moment, a horrific gravity continued to press down upon him, while an evil, alien force began to invade his mind...