The next day.
The news that Steel Balloon Charlotte Linlin had joined the Rocks Pirates made the papers.
The most vicious pirate crew had gained another powerful officer!
The atmosphere across the New World grew even more oppressive!
The pressure the Rocks Pirates put on every other pirate crew had increased.
With Streusen now serving as their official chef, Rocks unceremoniously kicked the Sword of Xebec's sailors and deckhands off the ship.
He didn't need weaklings aboard!
The young Sambel instantly switched roles to helmsman and sailor. Like Streusen the chef, he became one of the crew's lower-ranking officers.
Fortunately, Streusen's bounty was even lower than Sambel's was now.
That made Streusen the lowest-ranked member aboard.
[Gourmet Knight Streusen, bounty: 177 million Beli.]
That bounty was one Streusen had picked up by following Charlotte Linlin around.
Streusen usually didn't fight.
But his true strength was probably worth more than that bounty suggested.
His Paramecia-type Cook-Cook Fruit ability had already reached an impressive level.
He could turn any non-animal matter into food.
At the moment, he could easily turn an entire pirate ship into a soft, fluffy cake.
"Wahaha! Delicious! I've never eaten anything this good!"
Even Rocks had been won over by Streusen's cooking and was now stuffing himself.
The food he'd eaten before was practically mud.
Streusen, the future head chef, was a master of his craft as well as someone who could create food with the Cook-Cook Fruit.
"I'm glad you like it, Captain Rocks!"
"Vice Captain, I prepared these dishes especially at your request."
Streusen was respectful toward Rocks, but he was even more obsequious toward Houka, practically behaving like a groveling servant as he brought him plate after plate of Chinese food.
Everyone was baffled!
How had Houka managed to tame the man so completely?
Golden Lion Shiki was a little annoyed. He and Houka had beaten Streusen up together, after all.
Why wasn't Streusen as respectful to him as he was to Houka?
Was it because Houka was the vice captain?
Was Streusen really that practical? He only sucked up to Captain Rocks and Houka, the Pseudo-Vice Captain.
Even Charlotte Linlin felt a little jealous. Why was her personal chef serving Houka like a lackey?
"This is bad, Sambel. That little human runt's trying to take your spot as Houka's number one fan."
Babel had thought he'd already secured his place at Houka's side, but now this little runt was groveling even harder.
That human chef had no shame. He was taking ass-kissing to a whole new level!
"Vice Captain probably doesn't like that kind of flattery. He says we're all true partners, and encourages us to grow stronger and become big shots in our own right."
Sambel was also a little disgusted by Streusen's groveling, but he wasn't worried that the wise and clever Vice Captain would let such things affect him.
In his eyes, Houka was the all-knowing Prophet!
Houka watched Streusen's deferential display. It seemed his Seven-Star Sword had been useful after all, successfully influencing the sly, cunning little runt.
That would make dealing with Charlotte Linlin even easier.
"Houka, how long do we have to stay together before you'll give me a prophecy?"
Since coming aboard, Charlotte Linlin had asked Houka that question at least fifty times, but he still hadn't given her a definite answer.
It depended on his mood and whether inspiration struck.
Linlin was starting to get annoyed!
But now that her chef had been lured away by Houka, and she couldn't beat Rocks, she had no choice but to remain aboard the Rocks Pirates' ship.
"If you keep asking me every day, it'll take even longer!"
Houka wasn't about to indulge Charlotte Linlin, who was in the middle of transforming from a giant fatso into a great beauty.
"Hmph~"
Charlotte Linlin felt a little aggrieved. It wasn't pleasant having both Rocks and Houka push her around.
Even Streusen, who used to be so "obedient," was disobeying her now.
"Why don't we take a trip around the North Blue?"
Silver Axe Xiong still couldn't let go of his obsession with going to the North Blue to find a Devil Fruit!
Houka, Newgate, Shiki, and Linlin were all powerful Devil Fruit Users. He needed a powerful ability of his own, too.
Otherwise, he'd never have a chance of beating those bastards!
"Once we've dealt with that Pirate Patriarch, we'll head to the West Blue and find the Mafia boss Malone!"
Rocks glanced coolly at Silver Axe and once again rejected the suggestion to go to the North Blue. He wanted to return to his home in God Valley, in the West Blue, and see if anything unexpected had happened.
He also planned to secretly send some things back there!
"Hmph!"
"Then let me fight Ochoku first!"
Silver Axe Xiong said angrily. He desperately wanted to prove his strength and raise his bounty.
"Just don't get yourself killed."
Rocks grinned cruelly. Xiong couldn't even beat Linlin, so he probably couldn't beat Ochoku, who was known as the Pirate Patriarch.
Still, this was a good opportunity to let the Pirate Patriarch test the strength of his crew.
He wanted Houka, Newgate, Shiki, and Linlin to make names for themselves by beating Ochoku.
He wanted the world to see just how powerful the strongest pirate crew was.
That way, at least Ochoku would die for a purpose!
Soon, the New World would have only one Pirate Overlord—Rocks. There would be no Pirate Patriarch Ochoku.
"If he can't even deal with some newcomer like Black Flag Black, then Ochoku can't be much of a threat!"
Silver Axe didn't believe Ochoku could beat him. The Pirate Patriarch was famously greedy and lustful. How strong could a man like that really be?
"Black Flag Black appeared out of nowhere, just like Rocks. There wasn't a single report about him before he showed up."
"I'll test his strength myself and see if I can force him to reveal what he can really do."
Houka looked at the latest Underworld reports, his expression turning serious.
If Black Flag Black really was a Cipher Pol agent, he would surely use techniques like Rokushiki to save his own skin when backed into a corner.
"Wahaha! The seas are full of heroes from the Four Blues. There's nothing strange about someone appearing out of nowhere."
Rocks was far more interested in Black Flag Black than in Ochoku, the "traitor destined by fate."
And then there was Bolo Gram.
He wanted to recruit more powerful people beyond the reach of prophecy and truly change the future.
Deep down, he despised fate and destiny. He wanted to break this damned predestination!
New World · Elysium Island.
Ochoku read the newspaper and saw that the Rocks Pirates had recruited another monstrous officer.
He had a feeling that Rocks would come looking for him soon.
After all, his nickname, "Pirate Patriarch," was certainly provocative.
A domineering monster like Rocks would never let him be.
Fortunately, he had already made a few deals with the World Government.
Joining the Rocks Pirates now wasn't out of the question!
Once the Rocks Pirates had conquered their own territory, he could work with the World Government to kill Rocks.
Then he could seize—or even inherit—everything the Rocks Pirates had!
The more Ochoku thought about it, the more excited he became. His long tongue danced gleefully in the air.
In the end, this ferocious dragon from the mainland was destined to work for him, the local snake.
At a secret location somewhere on the island.
Two Cipher Pol Aigis Zero agents and Black Flag Black received the latest report: the Rocks Pirates' Flying Warship was closing in on Elysium Island.
"The big fish is in the net!"
"One day, we'll avenge General Walker's tragic death!"
The three Cipher Pol Aigis Zero agents could already picture the day Rocks was brought to justice.