Taking a Shortcut

John had to admit...

People were born unequal!

Some were born fast runners, some beautiful, some to poor parents, some with illnesses...

Birth, upbringing, talent—every human being was different!

And John had already reached the limit of what he could achieve. No matter how hard he trained, he would not improve any further.

His bloodline and fate had shackled his upper limit.

However, heaven never sealed off every path. There was one thing that could break through bloodline and destiny.

The brain!

The thoughts, understanding, and ideology it produced were the true sharp blade that allowed mortals to slay gods!

John would not choose to relentlessly train on warship punching bags like Koby. With his ordinary bloodline and fate, not only would he fail to grow stronger, he would probably drop dead early instead.

The current Marine vice admiral Zephyr was an example. He had put in unimaginable effort and reached the ceiling of ordinary humans, only to have his arm cut off by a Shichibukai.

Therefore, John wanted to take a shortcut.

Humans were animals too. If "S.I.Q" could be used on those ferocious beasts, then naturally it could be used on humans as well.

Although it carried a risk to life, as long as one endured it and completed the evolution, one could catch up to—or even surpass—bloodline!

If someone did not approve of taking shortcuts, that was merely a difference in understanding. Right and wrong would be judged by the result.

"What is that..."

"It's a Giant Tribe warship!"

A sudden commotion drew John and Shiki's attention.

Ahead of the Rocks Pirates' flagship, an enormous black shadow appeared, nearly blotting out the sunlight and casting the deck into darkness.

Compared to it, the pirate flagship looked as small as a child's toy boat.

But the pirates did not care whether it was big or small. If it dared block their path to rescue Shakky and seize treasure and Devil Fruits, then it had to be destroyed!

"They dare block our course? Sink them!"

In an instant, the ship's cannons were adjusted and loaded. They were about to open fire without even a declaration of war.

"Wait!"

Rocks flickered into view at the bow. His feathered cloak billowed in the wind as he raised a hand to stop the vicious-looking pirates.

The pirates were utterly confused and all turned their gazes toward him.

"Why? Don't stop here, Rocks!"

"..."

Rocks did not explain. He merely looked up at the figure standing by the rail of the gigantic warship ahead.

That was the king of the Giant Kingdom, Elbaf—Harald.

Before this, Rocks had invited Harald many times, hoping to bring him into the pirate crew and overthrow the World Government together.

However, Harald had refused on the grounds that he was Elbaf's king and had to take responsibility for his people.

Before this, Rocks had greatly admired Harald in every respect!

He had also thought this big fellow was too stubborn and overly cautious.

But now, Rocks understood Harald.

As long as one still had family and weaknesses, one could not devote oneself wholeheartedly to ambition.

Otherwise, Harald would follow in his footsteps and turn Elbaf into a hunting ground for the Celestial Dragons.

Those beasts in the World Government had no bottom line whatsoever!

"Rocks..."

Harald gripped the ship's rail with both hands. His face was calm, but the pain in his eyes could not be concealed.

"The order I received was to stop a pirate crew obsessed with a certain woman."

"If we fought with all our strength, sinking your little ship would be as easy as turning over my hand."

As he spoke, Harald turned to look at the sea on his left.

"Do you see that ship in the distance? The World Government is watching us."

"So... go back."

Hearing this, Rocks followed Harald's gaze and indeed saw a small black dot hiding far away on the horizon.

Rocks frowned, doubt rising in his heart.

Could it be that the Celestial Dragons had chosen God Valley as their hunting ground not because they had discovered it was the homeland of the Davy Family?

And not to lure him there and wipe them out in one stroke?

Was it merely a coincidence?

As his thoughts turned, Rocks looked back at Harald.

"So you think this will earn you merit with the World Government? That it will make Elbaf an allied nation?"

"'King of the Giants,' you're too naive. You should know... the World Government is even less trustworthy than us pirates!"

"On the contrary, if you simply stand by and let us pirates and the World Government slaughter each other, the Five Elders will offer you a higher price in order to win over military strength."

"Far more than what you're demanding from the World Government now!"

"So... can we talk? Just the two of us."

These words plunged Harald into silence.

He was not all muscle and no brain. He understood the logic in Rocks's words, and personally, he did not want to stop him either.

After weighing it briefly, Harald nodded.

Seeing that, Rocks grinned and flashed onto the rail of the gigantic warship.

The two dismissed everyone around them, filled bowls with wine, and began conversing calmly.

On the pirate flagship, the officers were all displeased when they saw Rocks peacefully drinking wine as though nothing was happening.

"How can that bastard Rocks be so leisurely!"

"At a time like this, my Shakky is still waiting for me to rescue her!"

Shiki bit his cigar in half in fury, while Silver Axe practically wanted to glare Rocks to death...

"Everyone!"

John's leisurely voice rang out at an inappropriate moment.

Only after the officers turned toward him did John raise a hand and point at the small black dot on the distant horizon, smiling as he spoke.

"How about we play a round? Everyone puts up ten million Beli. We attack at the same time and see whose strike sinks that eyesore first."

"The winner takes all!"

"Oh?"

Shiki and the other officers immediately became interested.

After all, they could not hear the conversation between Rocks and Harald. Waiting around would only make them more anxious, so they might as well find something to vent with.

"Fine, let's do it!"

"Count me in!"

"MAMAMA~ Excluding the dead Maron, there are twelve officers here. That makes one hundred and twenty million Beli in stakes. I'm in."

"Linlin, don't count me. I'm not a combatant." Streusen hurriedly waved his hands in refusal.

"Linlin, lend me ten million..."

"You're just an apprentice crewman. Don't meddle in officers' business. Get lost!"

Kaido reached out to borrow money from Linlin. Not only was he refused, he was humiliated as well, making his face flush with anger.

Little did he know that Linlin was considering Kaido's situation. After all, he currently had no long-range attack methods whatsoever.

Losing was inevitable!

"Don't just talk. Paying up is what counts as signing up."

John would not give these people the chance to make empty promises. He was the first to take a gemstone from his pocket and toss it onto the deck.

Newgate, who had been eager to join, immediately looked uncomfortable upon seeing the gemstone.

He had sent all his treasure back to his hometown. He usually mooched drinks off others, and now he could not take out anything valuable at all.