Charlotte Linlin's fierce battle with Ochoku far surpassed everyone's expectations.
Even Golden Lion Shiki was startled by the big girl's ferocity.
This was a terrifying, island-destroying battle.
Their fight left the Ochoku Pirates' headquarters in ruins.
Ochoku was furious. He had already prepared himself to join the Rocks Pirates.
But why did they have to fight this hard?
Was this a fight to the death?!
Did Rocks have no intention of recruiting him?
The longer they fought, the more panicked Ochoku became. He wondered whether he should give in and join the Rocks Pirates.
He no longer wanted to fight Rocks head-on just to improve his standing.
"If I beat you, Houka and I can be good friends!"
Charlotte Linlin had clearly made defeating Ochoku a prerequisite for getting information about Mother Carmel.
"Damn it! You fatso! Get lost!!"
Ochoku's Armament Haki-coated fist struck Charlotte's, only for his own fist to twist painfully.
"So hard!"
Ochoku hadn't expected Charlotte Linlin's skin to be even tougher than his Armament Haki.
What kind of monster was she?!
How had Rocks managed to recruit so many monstrous prodigies?!
"Don't call me fat!"
Charlotte Linlin was angry. Houka had already told her she needed to lose weight, and that had made her very unhappy.
She did want to change her figure a little, so she was sensitive to words like "fat."
"Boom!! Boom!!!"
Every punch Charlotte Linlin threw carried terrifying strength, smashing huge craters into the ground as cracks spread across the earth.
The lightning and flames unleashed by her Homies forced Ochoku to dodge in a sorry state.
No one had expected Charlotte Linlin, the "Steel Balloon" with a bounty of 500 million Beli, to make Ochoku, the "Pirate Patriarch" with a bounty of 757 million Beli, look so wretched.
Ochoku had already endured a gauntlet of battles against Sambel, the Tidal Sea Demon; Babel, the Nautilus; and Xiong, the Silver Axe.
But even so, he shouldn't have been beaten this badly.
After all, Charlotte Linlin was only a thirteen-year-old pirate.
"Unbelievable! If the Steel Balloon is already this strong—"
"Then how strong are the Golden Lion, Whitebeard, and the Great Demon Lord?"
"I'm already a fan of the Rocks Pirates' senior officers!"
"Lord Houka looked so cool flying on his sword!"
"Lord Shiki's Float-Float Fruit Ability and golden hair are so imposing!"
···
As Ochoku's aura of invincibility as the "Pirate Patriarch" crumbled, pirates who worshipped strength gradually became fans of the Rocks Pirates' strong fighters.
Black Flag Black was also stunned by the overall strength of the Rocks Pirates.
He had thought that with Ochoku's strength, he would surely hold the second-in-command position once he joined the Rocks Pirates.
With Ochoku as the second-in-command serving as an inside man, and himself as a senior officer, all they'd need was the right opportunity to wipe out the Rocks Pirates in one fell swoop.
But now that he thought about it, they'd need to plan this out carefully!
"Linlin, my turn!!"
Golden Lion Shiki was already itching to take over the fight. He wanted to make a name for himself by defeating this Pirate Patriarch.
If Charlotte Linlin took Ochoku down, they wouldn't even get a chance to step in.
"Houka said I have to beat him!"
Charlotte Linlin didn't pay Golden Lion Shiki any attention. She didn't even want to listen to Rocks's orders, so why would she listen to Shiki?
"Houka!!"
"Are you going to do something about this or not?"
Golden Lion Shiki looked at Houka in exasperation. By now, no one would believe Houka wasn't the vice-captain.
"Linlin, that's enough! You're very strong."
Seeing the resentful look on Golden Lion Shiki's face, Houka shrugged, but he still called Charlotte Linlin off.
After all, he wanted to put Ochoku to good use and squeeze every last drop of value from his reputation as the "Pirate Patriarch."
"Then are we good friends now?"
Charlotte Linlin happily rushed toward Houka like a little girl asking for candy.
Without Streusen, that cunning pirate, guiding her, Charlotte Linlin was still a fairly innocent big girl.
The more brutal and evil Charlotte Linlin became later on might have had something to do with Streusen's influence—and perhaps with Mother Carmel, the previous owner of the Soul-Soul Fruit.
Houka would change this big girl's future.
"We're already good friends!"
Houka smiled faintly, flew over, and patted the big girl on the head. A large cake floated over as a reward.
"Thank you!"
Charlotte Linlin happily took the cake and ate it. Her eyes curved into crescents, and a satisfied smile spread across her face. She looked like a little girl who was very easy to placate.
Golden Lion Shiki had already taken over the fight. Holding a long sword in each hand, he slashed at Ochoku.
"Rocks!! I give up! I'm willing to join the Rocks Pirates!"
Seeing another man come at him, Ochoku had had enough of being beaten.
"Give up my ass!"
"Fight me first!"
Shiki wasn't about to pass up this golden opportunity to make a name for himself.
The Pirate Patriarch was the stepping stone Houka, the prophet, had specially picked out for them!
If they didn't build their reputations properly, they'd be letting Houka's prophetic abilities down.
"Damn it!!"
Ochoku was nearing his breaking point. He finally understood what the Rocks Pirates were doing: they were climbing to the top by stepping on his face.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
Golden Shiki's golden slashes rained down on Ochoku.
"Another bastard who can fly!"
Ochoku cursed furiously. Though Golden Lion wasn't as strong as Charlotte Linlin, this flying lion had powerful swordsmanship and far greater agility than Charlotte Linlin.
The two launched into another chaotic battle.
Xiong and Shiki weren't this strong before. They must've grown so powerful after joining the Rocks Pirates.
Does Rocks have some powerful ability to train people?
Black Flag Black watched as Golden Lion Shiki held his own against Ochoku. His growth in strength was downright outrageous.
And there was Whitebeard Newgate, who had been nothing more than an ordinary fighter in the Whale Pirates.
As for Houka, he had once fallen into slavery, and his strength had been mediocre.
How had all of them grown so strong so quickly after meeting Rocks?
Did Rocks have some special ability or method to bring out people's potential?
It seemed Rocks's threat level needed to be reassessed.
The battle between Golden Lion Shiki and Ochoku wasn't as savage or destructive as the fight with Charlotte Linlin.
But it was elegant and dazzling, a showcase of speed and swordsmanship.
Golden Lion Shiki could even control the earth to fight. That was far beyond anything people had imagined the Float-Float Fruit Ability could do.
Shiki seemed to have a real talent for developing the Float-Float Fruit.
In fact, Shiki's rapid growth in strength came not only from Rocks beating him to his limits, but also from Houka's guidance. He'd been spared at least ten years of detours.
The longer Ochoku fought, the angrier he became. Thinking of Whitebeard and the Great Demon Lord waiting in the wings filled him with resentment toward Rocks.
He swore that if he ever got the chance, he would make sure to destroy the Rocks Pirates!