Black Flag Black

Inside a secret room of a tavern on Elysium Island.

"My Lord, we have successfully bribed Ochoku!"

"Furthermore, Black will make a name for himself in the New World as a pirate, under the alias Black Flag Black!"

A CP0 squad reported the latest developments to a Den Den Mushi sitting on the table.

"Then proceed! You must successfully join the Rocks Pirates and report all of their movements and objectives back in a timely manner."

An aged voice came from the other side of the Den Den Mushi.

This time, they were employing a two-pronged approach: bribing a great pirate while simultaneously planting a CP0 mole.

As long as Rocks set his sights on either one, the World Government would be able to insert a spy into the Rocks Pirates.

After that, the Rocks Pirates would no longer be a threat!

A few days later.

On the renowned Elysium Island, a pirate named Black Flag Black rose to fame after defeating seven or eight pirate captains in succession.

Black Flag Black even challenged the master of Elysium Island, the Pirate Patriarch Ochoku.

The two engaged in a fierce battle on Elysium Island, which ultimately ended in a stalemate, with Black Flag Black departing safely.

This much-discussed battle spread rapidly across the New World.

Another powerful great pirate had risen.

By virtue of his performance in fighting the Pirate Patriarch Ochoku to a draw, Black Flag Black received his first bounty from the World Government: 444 million Berries.

This newcomer forcefully dominated the headlines of the newspapers.

Aboard the flying Sword of Xebec.

"Houka! Another powerful newcomer! Is this one a candidate for an officer of the Rocks Pirates?"

"No matter! Whether he is or not, I am going to snatch him up."

Rocks looked at the news from the past two days, a smile of absolute certainty on his face.

Previously, he had intended to beat the Pirate Patriarch Ochoku into submission, but after hearing from Houka that this guy would inevitably betray them and constantly leak the Rocks Pirates' intelligence, he changed his mind.

Therefore, Rocks intended to slaughter Ochoku!

Since he could not subdue a guy who dared to call himself the Pirate Patriarch, he would kill him instead to build a reputation for the Rocks Pirates.

Subduing a big shot like the Pirate Patriarch would have been a better way to build the Rocks Pirates' reputation, but killing him would also serve the purpose, firmly establishing their position as the overlords of the New World.

Moreover, while Rocks had initially felt a bit of regret about killing Ochoku, now that a substitute powerhouse of equal standing had suddenly appeared, he would be even less likely to show mercy.

Ochoku probably never dreamed that his cooperation with the World Government to increase his chances of joining the Rocks Pirates would actually lead to his death even faster!

"Black Flag Black?"

Houka looked at the news of the battle on Elysium Island and the appearance of Black Flag Black on the wanted poster.

It was a face he had never seen before.

This was a background character who had not appeared in the original plot; he had no idea where this guy had died.

"In the future I have seen, I have never seen this person!"

"Perhaps he died somewhere."

"Of course, we can investigate his origins; it is possible he is some kind of mole for the World Government."

Houka spoke indifferently; he was very familiar with the tactics of the World Government and the Marine Headquarters.

In particular, Houka had recently been keeping an eye on the Walder Pirates, a newcomer pirate crew rapidly developing in the Grand Line.

Byrnndi World was 23 years old this year, and after obtaining the power of the More-More Fruit, he seemed to be getting increasingly arrogant, actually daring to call himself the World Destroyer.

He was even more arrogant than the future Iron-Headed Kid.

With the Walder Pirates currently expanding, he wondered if a spy had already infiltrated their ranks.

"A mole?"

Rocks' good mood instantly settled. Houka said he hadn't seen this Black Flag Black in the future.

Either this guy had died early, or the future had already changed, and this guy had popped up out of nowhere.

"Regardless, let's go snatch him up first!"

"If he is a mole, I will drag him out, and I trust you, Houka, will be able to spot the clues!"

Rocks did not want to let go of such a high-potential great pirate; whatever problems he had, they could deal with them after he was on board.

"As you wish!"

Houka spread his hands. In the original timeline, Rocks hadn't even discovered that Ochoku was a mole.

Their operations were leaked ahead of time again and again, leading to them being surrounded and suppressed by the Marines.

In the end, even their base on Hachinosu was infiltrated, Malone was killed, and Shakky the Flower of Hachinosu was captured.

Houka suspected that Rocks's Voice of All Things Observation Haki was flawed and incomplete; it could not distinguish between good and evil, and it could only communicate mentally with the D Clan.

Otherwise, he would not have just requested Roger and Garp to kill him, but would have also had Newgate and the others do it.

Perhaps there was another reason: most of the executives on the Rocks Pirates ship harbored malice, and Rocks did not care about this, which was why he had not identified the traitor Ochoku.

"Then it is decided! Take out the Pirate Patriarch Ochoku! Snatch Black Flag Black onto the ship!"

Rocks made the decision directly; he believed in himself, and he believed in Houka even more.

The future of the Rocks Pirates would surely be able to storm Mary Geoise!

"Rocks! When are we going to the North Blue?"

Silver Axe Xiong was very eager to go to the North Blue to search for the Magma-Magma Fruit and the Glint-Glint Fruit, but Rocks now wanted to find Charlotte Linlin, and there were also the smuggler Ganzi, those guys like Black Flag Black...

He even had to go to the West Blue to find the mafia boss Malone...

So when would there be time to go to the North Blue? Xiong did not want to wait that long.

"Wait patiently! We should go within a year or two."

Rocks answered casually. In any case, after leaving the New World, he had to return to his hometown of God Valley in the West Blue to send back the treasures and supplies.

"Bastard!!"

Silver Axe Xiong felt a hint of displeasure; it was going to take that long.

Watching Shiki grow stronger and stronger, he felt increasing pressure.

Shiki's talent was a cut above his own, and he also possessed a powerful Devil Fruit ability.

He would really be left behind by Shiki in the future!

"Jehahahaha! Just as Houka said, luck is also a form of strength."

"If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not encountering a powerful Devil Fruit."

Shiki spoke cheekily, and with one sentence, he ignited Xiong's fury.

The two began their daily bickering and fighting once again.

The Rocks Pirates searched these waters for a full two and a half months before they finally found the tracks of Charlotte Linlin and Streusen.

These two seemed to be hiding from the Rocks Pirates.

This reminded Rocks of the experience of tracking that bastard Shiki, and he was filled with rage.

Moreover, the New Year had already passed, and they had entered a new year.

Rocks had been away from his hometown for over a year.

"So they can fly too!!"

Rocks, aboard the Flying Warship, saw Charlotte Linlin flying on a thundercloud.

And when Streusen saw the Rocks Pirates' Flying Warship approaching, he urged Charlotte Linlin to run even faster.

The Rocks Pirates chased for another two and a half days before they forcibly intercepted the two fleeing figures.

As soon as he stopped them, the hot-tempered Rocks let Charlotte Linlin and Streusen witness what the fury of a devil was like.

The so-called indestructible Steel Balloon was covered in wounds by Rocks in an instant.

He did not care at all that Charlotte Linlin was only a thirteen-year-old female pirate!