The Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
Imu looked at the news about Rocks, a flicker of emotion passing through his many pupils.
A powerful member of the D Clan, with a surname Imu had never heard before.
He had even dared to invade the Flower Room, claiming to admire Davy Jones.
This had to be another D family fleeing from place to place and changing its surname.
"Are you gathering powerful fighters from all over..."
Imu took a brief look at the other members of the Rocks Pirates.
A Press-Press Fruit user, a Tremor-Tremor Fruit user, a Float-Float Fruit user...
Two members of the Fish-Man Race...
What an impressive crew!
But they weren't a threat yet.
"Kozuki Houka..."
"A Devil Fruit user who isn't affected by Seastone!! A multiple Devil Fruit user?"
Imu looked over Houka's information again. The secrets surrounding this pirate seemed even greater than those surrounding Rocks, a member of the D Clan.
Had another destabilizing factor appeared in this world?
"Ancient Moon..."
Imu's expression grew serious. Could it be the Moon People and Half-Moon People from ancient times?
Or the warrior allies of Joy Boy?
Kozuki, Amatsuki, Shimotsuki, Fugetsu, Ugetsu...
And now another Ancient Moon had appeared.
Imu's interest in Kozuki Houka suddenly surpassed his interest in Rocks, the member of the D Clan.
"Warcury! Find out everything there is to know about Rocks D. Zebek!"
"Imu wants to know his true surname!"
"And bring that Kozuki Houka back!"
"Imu wants to know the secret behind his immunity to Seastone and his ability to wield multiple Devil Fruits!"
Imu's voice suddenly sounded in the minds of the Five Elders.
"Yes, Lord Imu!"
Saint Warcury and the others immediately answered Imu's command!
Soon, the Holy Knights were mobilized in full, searching all over the world for every trace of Rocks.
They had to find Rocks's hometown and family.
Meanwhile, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, the Warrior God of Science and Defense, personally established a Cipher Pol Aigis Zero task force to capture Kozuki Houka.
They would find a way to capture the Rocks Pirates' "vice captain," Kozuki Houka!
"Lord Saturn, the Rocks Pirates are expanding rapidly!"
"Why don't we pose as powerful pirates, join the Rocks Pirates, and look for a chance to capture Kozuki Houka and dismantle the crew?"
"We could also try to secretly buy off some of the Rocks Pirates' officers."
With the special capture team established, a group of seasoned and powerful Cipher Pol Aigis Zero agents suggested using the three classic tactics of Cipher Pol agents against the Rocks Pirates.
Using undercover agents against pirate crews had always worked like a charm, with a success rate of over eighty percent.
Few crews targeted by them could escape their manipulations and schemes.
"Approved!"
Saint Saturn planted his wooden cane on the ground and gave the Cipher Pol Aigis Zero agents' plan his direct approval.
Previously, they had nearly brought Kozuki Houka, a Devil Fruit user with a unique ability, to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise to become one of their test subjects.
But they had never expected Rocks to snatch him away at just the right moment.
The coincidence was just like what kept happening with the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika, which the World Government had been trying to reclaim for ages: all kinds of accidents always seemed to occur at the crucial moment.
After the Rocks Pirates' incidents in the Kingdom of Cang, Black Hand Pirate Island, and the Ying Kingdom, the World Government finally prepared to move against this crew of villains.
Marine Headquarters also received orders from the World Government: make the Rocks Pirates their top target!
For a time, the Holy Knights, Cipher Pol Aigis Zero agents, and Marines all poured into the New World.
Not long after.
A Marine fleet departing from the New World's G5 Fortress, G11 Fortress, and G14 Fortress took the initiative and set out to hunt down the Rocks Pirates.
The fleet consisted of a full thirty warships, packed with firepower and led by a Marine Admiral. It set out in imposing formation.
But the fleet was utterly destroyed by the Rocks Pirates.
Rocks cleaved six warships apart with a single slash, while Houka destroyed five with one gravity slash...
Newgate unleashed a shock wave that raised a massive tsunami, wiping out five warships in an instant. Shiki lifted two warships into the air and smashed them into two others, destroying four in moments...
Silver Axe Xiong, Babel, and Sambel each sank two warships...
What had been meant to be an annihilation turned into a rout.
Before the Marines could even complete their encirclement, the Rocks Pirates' devastating long-range attacks had destroyed more than half their warships.
The few battered ships that remained fled in panic. The Marine Admiral was wounded by Rocks and limped away in disgrace, bearing a permanent shadow in his heart!
The battle claimed the lives of six Marine Vice Admirals, along with dozens of Rear Admirals and Captains...
The Rocks Pirates' name sent shockwaves across the world!
No one had expected a crew with only a handful of members to be so terrifyingly powerful!
Every officer wielded power capable of shaking the heavens and earth!
Rocks, in particular, was like a fiendish god, seemingly on an entirely different level.
The news that Rocks had killed a Marine Admiral in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise had been no fake!
After receiving reports of the devastating defeat, the World Government and Marine Headquarters could only issue one order.
No one was to engage the Rocks Pirates unless accompanied by at least two Marine Admirals.
Facing the Rocks Pirates and their flying warships, the World Government and Marine Headquarters could only deliberate at length and look for other ways to deal with them!
Several days later.
In a stretch of sea in the middle section of the New World.
"Gyahahaha!! My bounty's already over five hundred million Beli!!"
Golden Lion Shiki held up the latest newspaper and wanted poster, laughing wildly.
The newspaper was full of grim reports about the Battle of Omaha.
The article had branded the Rocks Pirates the World's Worst Pirate crew, the strongest pirate crew in the world...
Every last one of them was a brutal villain!
"Damn it! That bastard Shiki's bounty is already higher than mine!!"
"Just because he got a powerful Devil Fruit Ability!"
Silver Axe Xiong's eyes brimmed with resentment. So what if his Devil Fruit Ability had destructive power? What was so impressive about that!
Golden Lion Shiki, Paramecia Float-Float Fruit user, bounty: 547 million!
Silver Axe Xiong, bounty: 400 million Beli!
Shiki had performed far better than Silver Axe Xiong in this battle, thanks to his Float-Float Fruit Ability.
And lately, Shiki's strength had been growing at a dizzying pace. He was gradually catching up to Silver Axe, and might even surpass him.
That only made Silver Axe Xiong more eager to get his hands on a powerful Devil Fruit Ability!
"Bwahahaha! I almost beat Xiong!"
Babel looked at his new wanted poster with a satisfied grin. It had been worth wreaking havoc underwater, sinking two warships and drowning two Marine Rear Admirals!
Nautilus Babel, bounty: 388 million Beli!
Next time, he might even surpass Silver Axe Xiong. He was no weaker than Xiong.
Out at sea, he had the advantage!
If they fought aboard a pirate ship, Babel was certain he could kill Silver Axe Xiong, sinking the ship and taking him down with it.
When Sambel saw his new wanted poster, tears nearly sprang to his eyes. His bounty had gone up by so much.
He couldn't tell whether it was thanks to the Rocks Pirates' infamy or his own strength.
Tidal Sea Demon Sambel, bounty: 320 million Beli!
But his epithet had changed from Tidal Knight to Tidal Sea Demon, which made Sambel furious!