It was another restless day aboard the Sword of Xebec.
Silver Axe Xiong and Golden Lion Shiki fought as usual, while Whitebeard Newgate also sparred with Rocks to improve his strength.
The big girl Charlotte Linlin had been driven away by Houka again. Grumbling, she went to the kitchen to find something to eat.
Babel and Sambel were also training their Haki and physical combat skills. They refused to fall behind.
They were going to become the strongest people on Fish-Man Island.
In Houka's private strategy conference room for the chief advisor.
"Streusen, wouldn't you like to live forever and stay young forever~"
The Seven-Star Sword in Houka's hand floated in midair. His voice drifted by Streusen's ear like a demon's whisper.
Streusen was now thirty-seven years old, making him the oldest member aboard.
Oldest in age, shortest in stature, weakest in strength, and tied with Sambel for the lowest standing—that was the chef's current lot in life.
Streusen had just come in carrying pastries. Houka's seductive whisper caught him off guard, and he froze.
"Live forever and stay young forever?"
A glint of red flashed in Streusen's greedy eyes.
"What do I need to do, Vice Captain?"
Fearful yet greedy, Streusen fell further under Houka's control.
"Then join Glorious Evolution!"
Houka felt no qualms whatsoever about using someone like Streusen. The Seven-Star Sword's eerie green light grew ever brighter.
Houka intended to make Streusen his first test subject and turn him into his Vampire Blood Servant.
Soul Fire transformed into a vampire bat, flew to Streusen's neck, and bit down hard.
With his eyes glowing red, Streusen didn't resist at all. He let the vampire bat alter his body.
"Argh!!"
Streusen suddenly screamed and collapsed to the floor. The pastries in his hands tumbled toward the ground, but Houka's Gravity Ability kept them floating in midair.
Houka leisurely took a pastry and began eating, watching Streusen's transformation with interest.
On other pirate crews, turning on one of your own was an unforgivable taboo.
But on the Rocks Pirates, it was no big deal.
Besides, Houka hadn't actually killed Streusen. He'd merely granted him the power to stay young forever.
As the transformation continued, Streusen's pupils turned completely red, and a pair of sharp fangs grew in his mouth.
"I can feel endless vitality!"
Streusen scrambled to his feet in excitement. He cut himself with a knife, and his wound healed before his eyes.
It was as if he'd eaten a Mythical Zoan Fruit and gained tremendous regenerative powers.
Houka's abilities were really this outrageous?
Didn't that mean Houka could mass-produce Vampire Blood Servants no less powerful than Zoan users?
"Go get used to your abilities. Just act like nothing happened."
After finishing his pastry and observing Streusen for a few minutes, Houka waved him away.
Now the craftiest little runt aboard had completely become his subordinate.
He was even more obedient than Sambel and the others.
Houka wasn't going to betray Rocks, the man who'd saved him and guided his path. He was just dealing with potential dangers in advance.
He didn't want to see Rocks's crew fall apart, either!
At least until Imu was dead, Houka wouldn't leave the Rocks Pirates.
To deal with Imu, Houka really did want Rocks's strength.
"All right, Vice Captain!"
Streusen eagerly felt the power coursing through him and tried retracting his vampire fangs, returning to normal.
Even his pupils returned to their original color, as if nothing had happened.
As Streusen left, Houka rubbed his chin. His development of the Vampire Fruit Ability had taken another important step.
However, transforming a Vampire Blood Servant consumed a great deal of the Blood Energy Houka had collected.
So unless it was necessary, Houka didn't want to create more Vampire Blood Servants.
Not unless he completely became a demon and slaughtered people on a massive scale to gather blood.
Houka suddenly realized that he was a little like Imu, that old monster.
He had multiple Devil Fruit abilities and could transform servants. In the future, he might even gain the ability to teleport.
Wasn't that just like the relationship between Imu, the Five Elders, and the Holy Knights?
Tsk, am I really going to become the next Imu?
The boy who slays the dragon becomes the dragon?
Houka grumbled to himself, but he felt no regret or guilt. He would keep walking this path.
Rocks wanted this world, while Houka wanted only immortality and power!
He would break out of this world and explore the wider, unknown universe and other worlds!
"Too bad I still haven't awakened Observation Haki. I can't even use a flashy, over-the-top move like Meteor Fall."
Houka continued developing his Gravity Ability and Vampire Ability.
He'd also discovered that his Moonlight Ability seemed to have a special effect that strengthened his Vampire Ability.
That made Houka pay even more attention to how he combined his abilities going forward.
Abilities that enhanced and complemented one another would let Houka unleash greater combat power—and find even more ways to get his enemies killed.
Until he possessed Three-Color Haki and strength as powerful as Rocks's,
these flashy Devil Fruit abilities were Houka's greatest trump cards.
Fortunately, he had the Vampire Ability to replenish his stamina. Otherwise, developing three abilities would have been a heavy burden for him at this stage.
In the kitchen aboard the Sword of Xebec.
"Linlin! Didn't the Vice Captain tell you to eat less?"
As soon as Streusen returned to the kitchen, he found Charlotte Linlin stuffing herself.
Houka was deliberately trying to change Linlin's overeating habits, so Streusen had been reducing her portions of sweets according to plan.
But he'd let his guard down for a moment, and Charlotte Linlin had cleared out half the kitchen.
"Your presence has changed..."
"Besides, you can't tell me what to do!"
Charlotte Linlin stuffed food into her mouth. She immediately noticed the change in Streusen.
But she couldn't be bothered with the bastard who had "betrayed" her!
Streusen now did nothing but flatter Houka. He wasn't the obedient Streusen she'd known before.
"..."
"The Vice Captain made me stronger!"
"Also, you want the Vice Captain to find out about Mother Carmel for you."
"You should talk to the Vice Captain more. He's a good person."
Streusen looked at Charlotte Linlin, who was still as fat as ever. No wonder Houka didn't want to deal with her.
It seemed Linlin really needed to lose weight.
"Hmph, you think I haven't tried talking to him? Houka can't stand me!"
Charlotte Linlin wiped her mouth and grumbled, puffing out her cheeks.
"So you need to change!"
Streusen's little eyes shifted as he leaned in and quietly offered Charlotte Linlin some advice.
He'd always thought Charlotte Linlin was a once-in-a-thousand-years genius.
But the ship was full of monsters no less extraordinary than Linlin.
His perspective had been too narrow.
No wonder his old pirate crew had been wiped out. There were countless monsters in this world.
Now they needed to cling to Rocks and Houka, their two strongest backers!
Several days later, a huge Flying Warship entered the waters around Elysium Island...
"Finally, they've arrived!"
Ochoku licked his lips, wondering how he could join the Rocks Pirates with dignity and conviction intact.
Black Flag Black, the Cipher Pol Aigis Zero spy, wore a confident look, as if he had everything under control.
As long as he showed off his strength, he was 98 percent sure he could join the Rocks Pirates!