Target: Ying Kingdom

On a sea current route in a certain area of the New World.

Ganzi, a notorious smuggler pirate clad in golden armor, looked over the news regarding the Rocks Pirates.

"Ahahaha, it seems a group of lawless monsters has arrived in the New World!"

"As long as they don't interfere with my business, though, I couldn't care less!"

Ganzi picked his nose and flicked the booger into the sea, instantly causing a massive splash to erupt on the surface.

The smuggler pirate Ganzi was, in fact, a user of the Paramecia-type Bomb-Bomb Fruit Ability.

In a laboratory somewhere in the New World.

Twenty-year-old blonde researcher Buckingham Stussy had suffered repeated experimental failures due to a lack of research capability, leading to reprimands from the project lead and her financial backers.

The financier even took a liking to Stussy's beauty, his lust flaring up as he harassed her repeatedly.

In a fit of rage, Stussy slaughtered the project lead and the financier, looted all the experimental equipment and funds, and officially set sail as a Science Bandit.

At the mafia headquarters in the West Blue, the mafia boss Malone had recently completed the preliminary unification of the West Blue underworld; he was in the prime of his life, with his career flourishing.

However, seeing the astronomical bounty on Rocks, he knew that he, a mere West Blue mafia boss, was still a long way from becoming the World's Worst Pirate.

Once he fully unified and integrated the West Blue underworld, he would set out for the New World, where there was far more room for growth.

The position of a mafia boss was not enough to satisfy Malone's ambition!

On an island in the New World, shrouded in smoke and fire.

The Steel Balloon Charlotte Linlin and the Gourmet Knight Streusen had just finished pillaging a town, each carrying a massive sack of treasure.

"World's Worst Pirate? This guy's bounty is so much higher than mine, I don't even measure up to a fraction of his."

Charlotte Linlin stared at Rocks' wanted poster, suddenly feeling the urge to go and crush the bastard.

"Linlin! That kind of big shot isn't someone we can afford to provoke. We'd better make more money and keep looking for Mother."

Streusen didn't dare take Linlin to find a monster like Rocks, whom even the World Government couldn't handle.

He only wanted to use Charlotte Linlin's power to make money for himself.

By now, the girl was completely obedient to his words.

"Right, finding Mother Carmel is still the most important thing!"

Charlotte Linlin's thoughts came and went quickly; she still held finding Mother Carmel as her primary goal.

Hearing how easily the monster girl was swayed by his words, Streusen revealed a sinister smile.

Still looking for Carmel?

She had long since been eaten by you, you monster!

However, had that cunning old nun and human trafficker, Carmel, really been eaten by Linlin just like that?

Even now, Streusen didn't understand how Linlin had inherited Mother Carmel's Soul-Soul Fruit Ability.

In other seas of the New World.

Captains like Gier Buster, Bolo Gram, and John were all reading the news and intelligence regarding the Rocks Pirates.

Rocks, that monster, had indeed placed immense pressure on every pirate crew.

After all, most of them didn't dare to engage a Marine Admiral in battle.

Yet, Rocks had forcibly killed a Marine Admiral in the heavily guarded Holy Land of Mary Geoise.

How could that not inspire dread and fear?

They could only hope they wouldn't encounter the Rocks Pirates, that monster crew, out on the sea.

Several weeks later.

Under the sudden, harsh weather of the New World, the Rocks Pirates rarely flew through the air, opting instead to sail steadily across the sea.

During this voyage, they learned how to cope with various types of extreme weather.

The officers sparred with one another, essentially confirming their approximate standing on the ship.

Aside from Sambel, the officers were all roughly on par, though Houka was a bit of an exception.

"Jiehahaha! I'm so envious, Newgate! You're about to get your hands on a Supreme Grade Sword!"

Golden Lion Shiki's tone was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment; as for the famous blades he desired, Houka had yet to give him a single prophetic hint.

"Gurarara, then you'd better butter up Houka, the prophet!"

Watching the island of the Ying Kingdom draw closer, the smile on Newgate's face grew broader.

Rocks had Xebec's Sword, Houka had the Seven-Star Sword, Xiong had Silver Axe, and even Babel had given his meteor anchor a name: the Abyss Anchor.

Babel even wanted to listen to Houka's casual "suggestions" to slowly temper the Abyss Anchor into a Supreme Grade Anchor!

He firmly believed that if Houka could say it, he would surely achieve it in the future.

Even Sambel now possessed his own weapon, a red trident he called the Sea Knight Trident.

Soon, Edward Newgate would also possess his own Supreme Grade Sword, the Murakumogiri.

That left only Shiki on the ship, still using two ordinary double-edged swords.

"That guy Houka is too cunning; he's waiting for me to take the initiative to owe him a favor and pay for the intelligence."

Golden Lion Shiki complained loudly, even directing his voice toward Houka.

Meanwhile, Houka was within his own gravity field, continuously swinging a massive barbell.

Sambel, striving to become stronger, was also taking advantage of Houka's gravity field; he had to earn Rocks' recognition to remain on the ship.

"Stingy guy! Get lost!"

Hearing Shiki's complaints, Newgate sent him flying with a single shockwave.

"Wahahahaha! We've arrived at the Ying Kingdom. Newgate, are you going to plunder it yourself, or do you want our help?"

Rocks licked his lips; having plundered the capital of the Cang Kingdom last time, he now wanted to plunder the capital of the Ying Kingdom as well.

After all, no one ever complained about having too much treasure and Berries!

He had to bring back more treasure when he returned to his old home at God Valley in the West Blue.

"I don't need your help! I'll plunder it myself!"

Newgate spoke indifferently; he could take this opportunity to demonstrate his destructive power and increase his bounty.

Perhaps Houka was right—as a man of his stature, how could his bounty be lower than that of a little girl?

Most importantly, he didn't want to see that noisy bastard Shiki yapping in front of him.

"Tch! You go grab the sword, we'll go grab the treasure!"

Silver Axe Xiong hoisted his giant axe, already impatient to begin his first large-scale raid.

Back when he was a Yakuza Killer, he had always collected bounties based on missions or robbed other pirates and underworld figures himself.

This was his first time participating in a raid to invade an entire nation.

"The Ying Kingdom, why is there another nation with the style of Wano Country!"

Houka thought of the Sang Kingdom in the West Blue and Wano Country in the latter half of the New World, which meant he would feel even less psychological pressure when he took action.

Of course, Shiki's attire was also in the style of Wano Country.

He seemed to know Kurozumi Higurashi and Kurozumi Semimaru, two fugitives from the Kurozumi Clan of Wano Country.

Before Kozuki Sukiyaki was born, the Kurozumi Clan had nearly succeeded in usurping the throne to become the Shogun of Wano Country.

After the failed coup, the members of the Kurozumi Clan had either died or fled!

The Kurozumi siblings were the survivors who had escaped overseas, and now both were in their forties or fifties.

Houka was already inquiring about these two from Shiki.

He had his sights set on Kurozumi Semimaru's Paramecia Barrier-Barrier Fruit Ability.

After all, having an extra defensive ability to save his life certainly wouldn't be a mistake!