The Pirate Patriarch of Elysium Island

New World, Elysium Island.

"How is this possible!!"

"Even a massive fleet led by a Marine Admiral couldn't take down this Rocks Pirates crew, which only has a handful of members?!!"

Pirate Patriarch Ochoku stared at the latest breaking news, shocked by the terrifying combat record of the Rocks Pirates.

A massive fleet mobilized on the scale of Marine Headquarters was something no pirate crew in the New World could possibly withstand.

Yet, they had been crushed by a powerhouse like Rocks in a display of absolute dominance.

Most importantly, the officers under Rocks were all absurdly strong.

Great Demon Lord Guyue Houka, Whitebeard Newgate, Golden Lion Shiki...

How did it feel like these officers were already not much weaker than himself?

And they were all so young!

Where did Rocks find so many powerful subordinates?

"Damn it! If the Rocks Pirates set their sights on me, how could I possibly fight them off?"

Ochoku flicked his tongue, his expression restless and anxious. It was well known that Rocks loved playing the Davy Back Fight game, a fact that had already become notorious across the Grand Line and the New World.

Should he abandon Elysium Island?

Or, join the Rocks Pirates?

Ochoku's expression shifted between light and shadow. He was, after all, a major pirate lord of the New World; how could he ever bow down to someone else?

Just then, a mysterious squad in suits infiltrated Elysium Island and secretly approached Ochoku...

Lamb Island, in the middle-to-latter section of the New World.

Steel Balloon Charlotte Linlin and Gourmet Knight Streusen had just completed another expedition of plunder and returned to the island.

Charlotte Linlin had come to treat Lamb Island as her home; how she wished Mother Carmel would appear once more with all their little friends.

Unfortunately, she had searched for Mother Carmel for so many years without a single lead.

"The Rocks Pirates are actually this terrifying!!"

Streusen looked at the newspaper, his expression dark and unreadable. By now, he had come to view Charlotte Linlin as his own cash cow.

And Rocks loved playing the Davy Back Fight game to snatch up powerful members.

If they were to encounter the Rocks Pirates, they would surely be forcibly dragged onto Rocks' ship.

Perhaps hitching their wagon to this World's Worst Pirate crew would bring great benefits, but Streusen still preferred their current life of freedom, where he remained in control of Charlotte Linlin.

Once the naturally gifted Linlin grew up, her strength might not necessarily be inferior to Rocks'.

Must avoid the Rocks Pirates!

Streusen made up his mind; he could not let Charlotte Linlin be snatched away by Rocks.

However, what Streusen did not know was that the Rocks Pirates' current target was precisely them, and they were searching everywhere for their location.

In a certain sea area of the New World.

The smuggler pirate Ganzi, having just finished a big deal, stared wide-eyed at the newspaper.

Was the Rocks Pirates really that fierce?

They had actually routed a massive Marine fleet!

"A group of monsters has truly appeared in this world!"

Ganzi sighed, though it didn't have much to do with him.

After all, they were smuggler pirates, different from other pirates; they preferred stable profits.

The money earned from smuggling was no less than what could be gained from looting, and it was stable, long-lasting, and safe.

Those pirates who only knew how to kill and fight would eventually end up selling their stolen goods to them anyway.

They, the smugglers and fences of the underworld, made quite a fortune themselves.

"The Rocks Pirates raided the Cang Kingdom, Black Hand Pirate Island, and the Ying Kingdom; who knows how much treasure they have in their hands."

Ganzi licked his lips greedily, but thinking of Rocks' habit of snatching people, he decided it was better not to provoke this World's Worst Pirate!

Gol D. Roger and Silvers Rayleigh in the East Blue, Malone in the West Blue, and Gier Buster and Captain John in the New World all began to pay close attention to this World's Worst Pirate crew...

Aboard the Sword of Xebec.

The old rivals Golden Lion Shiki and Silver Axe Xiong were fighting every single day.

Shiki even petitioned Rocks for priority to go and find his fated swords: Oto and Kogarashi.

While the Rocks Pirates were busy inquiring about the whereabouts of Charlotte Linlin, Shiki was also searching for information regarding those two famous swords.

"Houka!! Do you have any Devil Fruit recommendations?"

Silver Axe Xiong also wanted to become stronger; he wanted to seize a powerful Devil Fruit to enhance his own strength.

At the very least, it couldn't be inferior to Shiki's Float-Float Fruit Ability.

"None at the moment."

Houka spoke indifferently. If he were to encounter a powerful Devil Fruit, he would eat it himself; there was no way he would leave it for Silver Axe Xiong.

Most importantly, this guy Xiong was impossible to tame. Like Shiki, he harbored intentions of breaking away from the Rocks Pirates to establish his own crew.

Unless he encountered a Devil Fruit that he himself looked down upon, it was unlikely to ever reach Xiong!

"I'm not trying to snatch it from you; I'm just asking for a recommendation. If I want something, I'll take it myself!"

Xiong was now aware of some secrets regarding Houka's multiple abilities, knowing that even if Houka knew of better powers, he would never hand them over to him.

However, it seemed Houka could directly plunder the abilities of fruit users, whereas he could only consume the fruits themselves.

Therefore, Xiong still had a chance to snatch a decent Devil Fruit for himself.

"Logia types and Mythical Zoans will both do!"

Houka spoke slowly, with the prerequisite that Silver Axe Xiong could actually find them.

"I know those abilities are strong! But can you be more specific? Like, their general location."

Silver Axe Xiong spoke irritably. It seemed that if he wanted to obtain information from Houka, he would have to pay a certain price.

"I'll trade you with a few pieces of information!"

"When I was working as an assassin, I encountered a fellow assassin on the Pirate Patriarch's Elysium Island who used the Teleport-Teleport Fruit ability!"

"There is also a mob assassin in the West Blue whose body can transform into a castle!"

"Perhaps you'll be interested in their abilities!"

Ever since Silver Axe Xiong had figured out that Houka's Gravity Ability had been obtained from the general of the Cang Kingdom, he had guessed at even more secrets.

This prophet's mutated talent was truly terrifying!

"Assassins? No wonder there was so little information..."

Houka narrowed his eyes. It was no secret on the ship that he was currently scouting for information on various Devil Fruit users.

Even Shiki, when he went to inquire about Oto and Kogarashi, would incidentally help Houka gather intelligence on ability users.

"The future Logia Magma-Magma Fruit ability and the Glint-Glint Fruit ability both originate from the North Blue!"

Houka smiled faintly, offering a piece of information that was currently useless.

"The Logia known for the highest attack power and the Logia known for the fastest speed?"

Silver Axe Xiong's eyes lit up, and his heart immediately grew fervent. As long as these Devil Fruit abilities hadn't been consumed yet, he still had a chance.

Most importantly, Houka had provided the information that these two Logia abilities were highly likely to be in the North Blue.

From now on, he could focus his efforts on the North Blue.

At Houka's words, even Shiki pricked up his ears.

If the opportunity arose, he wouldn't mind snatching these powerful Logia fruits right out of the hands of his rival, Xiong.

He might not be able to use them, but he certainly couldn't let Xiong have them.

Of course, finding two unknown Devil Fruits in the vast North Blue was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Once someone else ate them first, Xiong would have no chance left.

By then, those ability users would simply become prey for Houka!