Rocks D. Zebek

While they were wiping out the enemies here, another pirate ship was also approaching Hachinosu. Before long, it arrived at the port where Nereus was.

The letters ROCKS stood out prominently on the ship's black sails, one of them replaced by a crimson skull. It was the flagship of the Rocks Pirates.

The man standing at the bow was none other than Rocks himself. His hair was blue and white, with a lock hanging over his forehead and a lightning-shaped mark on his left cheek.

Though he bore some resemblance to Blackbeard, he possessed a Haki Blackbeard could never match. Before the ship even docked, he leaped down and let out a hearty laugh.

"Wororororo! Nereus, I'm back! Have you considered what I told you before?"

Having jumped down first, Rocks strode familiarly to Nereus's side. Two folding tables had been set up here, covered with fruit and bottles filled with liquid.

When Nereus had arrived earlier, the place had already looked like this.

Neither Nereus nor officers like Sebastian took those human traffickers seriously.

They merely treated them as targets for testing their combat strength, which was why everyone was so relaxed.

Rocks grabbed a bottle from the side and took a swig, then frowned.

"Why is this grape juice? I thought it was red wine."

"I don't drink. Aside from being bitter, that stuff only numbs your nerves."

"Honestly, a man who runs a tavern but doesn't drink... Do you know how much effort those winemakers put into getting rid of grapes' sweetness?"

"I don't. I think they're wasting their time. There's orange juice too. Want to try it?"

"Forget it, I'll drink this instead. This is wine from the West Blue."

After Rocks arrived, the nearby Fish-Men and Mermaids all moved away, leaving a wide open space. Keeping some distance was better for them.

The man before them appeared bold and unrestrained, but his fearsome reputation was known throughout the seas.

Rocks D. Zebek, whose real name was David D. Zebek, captain of the Rocks Pirates and the most vicious criminal on the seas today.

Within just two years of the Rocks Pirates' founding, they had become a major headache for the World Government.

Rocks alone was enough to give them a migraine, let alone an entire crew.

Sixteen recorded attacks, seventy-six ships sunk, most of them large Marine warships; fourteen ports burned, five towns destroyed, and one nation wiped out.

There were also three special cases violating Article 18 of the World Law, while twenty-five criminal records had been directly erased because the World Government did not want them made public.

And that was only from those first two years.

Because of this, Rocks himself had practically become synonymous with this era. Though the seas were full of powerful figures, there were always two people he could not stop thinking about.

One was Harald of Elbaf, and the other was Nereus. Both were men capable of facing him one-on-one in combat, and it was precisely that strength that earned them Rocks's special regard.

"So, what's your answer?"

Wiping the wine from the corner of his mouth, Rocks quietly waited for Nereus's reply.

"Zebek, my answer is the same as before. It hasn't changed."

Nereus spoke calmly, but the refusal in his words was beyond doubt.

"Aha? Why? If you join forces with me, then we find a way to convince Harald too, the strength of the three of us will be enough to stand at the top of the world and rule it!"

"Didn't you swear in Elbaf that you would never invite him again?"

"That's right. So you can invite him instead."

Two years ago, Rocks and Harald had fought. Harald wanted to lead Elbaf, the land of giants, toward peace and join the World Government.

Using that as leverage, the World Government had asked Harald to deal with Rocks. Their great battle ended without a winner, and Nereus did not know what exactly they had discussed.

But afterward, neither of them ever saw the other's face again. Still, Rocks had complained plenty about it after returning to Hachinosu.

Judging by this, Rocks had not completely abandoned the idea. He had even come up with a new plan: having Nereus invite Harald.

Rocks had thought of this method in a flash during this voyage. After all, that Devil Fruit was best suited to giants. Only Harald could unleash its true power after eating it.

If possible, Rocks still wanted to recruit him.

Nereus had no idea how many times he had heard similar words. Perhaps because he could never have him, Rocks wanted him even more.

Rocks valued Harald's strength, but personal feelings were involved as well. In a sense, it resembled the way Cao Cao looked at Chen Gong.

"You... Don't tell me you're like Harald too, believing in those World Government bastards?"

Rocks's gaze turned strange. He could not understand why the two powerful men he acknowledged both thought so little of his plan.

"No, I never trust them. Whether it's peace or racial equality, those Celestial Dragons who call themselves gods are parasites that need to be eliminated.

"But likewise, I don't support your idea. The World Government is no good thing, but it has ruled this world for eight hundred years. Throughout that long history, its position has remained stable.

"More than one hundred and seventy affiliated nations acknowledge the existence of this organization. You can think the World Government is foolish, but it is not weak.

"The Marines, Cipher Pol, and the Holy Knights—these are all armed forces the World Government can deploy."

Besides, Nereus knew full well that the so-called World Government was merely a tool in Imu's hands, serving the Celestial Dragons as a whole.

Nereus knew exactly what the Celestial Dragons were like. If people like them really existed in reality, they all ought to be sent to Seele's family soap factory.

Likewise, even though he had not paid much attention to the story after the Egghead arc and knew little of this period, Nereus knew that Rocks would lose at the Battle of God Valley.

He was here not because he wanted to be a Pirate, but because of the chain of events triggered by freeing slaves—such as being labeled a Pirate by the World Government after destroying the Marines sent to capture him.

There were not many Marines or World Government agents on Hachinosu, and Nereus himself needed to hone his strength. With so many factors at play, he had come here, but he did not agree with Rocks's plan.

"You want to use the increase in power brought by two Devil Fruits to fight a quick, decisive battle, but you don't understand the World Government's hidden cards. Have you considered how to deal with the consequences afterward?"

"Why do you sound so much like Harald... That guy's a king, but you aren't. Sure, you're highly respected on Fish-Man Island, but..."

"What a coincidence. Becoming king of the Ryugu Kingdom is also part of my plan."

Hearing Nereus say that he intended to become the king of a nation, Rocks looked as though he had heard something unbelievable.

"Huh? What did you say? A man like you is interested in playing king too? Doesn't that make you just like Harald?!

"Don't tell me you're going to say that, like Harald, you'll beg for the World Government's dog food in exchange for that so-called peace! Bastard!"

Listening to Nereus's "naive" words, Rocks became extremely enraged.

He could not understand why Nereus and Harald were both like this. They clearly possessed such overwhelming strength, yet neither of them approved of his perfect plan.

"Of course not. I simply need that status to better carry out my plan. As for the details, that's my secret.

"Looks like we'll still follow the usual routine. See you at the old place."

As he spoke, a pair of broad bat wings suddenly sprouted from Nereus's back. He flew toward the gigantic rock mountain in the center of Hachinosu, which resembled a skull.

The mountain had not originally looked like a skull. Later, when the fierce Silver Axe joined them, he had blasted two eye sockets into it to show off his strength.

The mountaintop was also where Nereus and Rocks often fought.

"Tch. There's a reason that brat Kaido gets along with you. I think you're the real battle maniac."

Watching Nereus fly into the sky, Rocks muttered to himself, though he did not answer him.

The old routine Nereus mentioned was not complicated. Whenever Rocks brought up this matter, their conversation would always end with them fighting.

For Nereus, it was part of honing his strength. Without fighting powerful opponents, his growth would always be much slower.

There were not many people on the seas who could serve as his whetstone, and Rocks happened to fit the role.

Rocks then rolled his wrists and launched himself skyward with a burst of force from his legs, taking several steps through the air as he gave chase.

The technique was similar to Geppo, both being methods for briefly remaining airborne. For top-tier powerhouses like them, accomplishing this with physical skill was not difficult; it simply was not as free or convenient as flying.

"Let's change locations this time. If we fight there, that rock won't survive us tossing it around. On my way back, I spotted a reef flat. We'll fight there."

"You're seriously choosing the sea as the battlefield?"

"Of course. I know you're special. Even though you're a Devil Fruit user, knocking you into the sea wouldn't do much.

"But this time, I want to see exactly what you look like when you go all out."