Internal Meeting of the Rocks Pirates (No Idle People Allowed Edition)

Facing Charlotte Linlin's proposal, Annus refused without hesitation, far more decisively than when he had rejected Shiki and Rocks.

"No."

"Why?!" Charlotte Linlin asked.

"Because you're not my type, Linlin. I can't handle a woman who hurts men as easily as drinking water."

After a pause, Annus added, "Besides, with my own strength, I can obtain the Devil Fruits I want. You don't need to worry about Lilith, Diumil, or Yale."

"Mamamaha, is that how you see it? Fine, I won't force you... But since you rejected me, having a drink with me isn't too much to ask, is it?"

Linlin showed surprisingly little anger at being rejected by Annus. Instead, smiling broadly, she offered him once again the drink Whitebeard had wanted earlier.

Annus raised his eyes to look at Linlin, accepted the cup, hesitated for a moment, and brought it toward his lips.

At the same time, Annus secretly watched Linlin's eyes. When he noticed them growing brighter and brighter as the cup neared his lips, he suddenly lowered it.

The brightness in Linlin's eyes abruptly went out. After a brief moment of surprise, it turned into a fake smile.

"Mamamaha... Annus, why did you stop drinking?"

"Tell me, Linlin, you didn't drug the wine, did you?"

"How could I?!" The false smile in Linlin's eyes spread across her entire face. "I'm Charlotte Linlin! Do I look like the kind of person who would stop at nothing just to have a child with you?"

"...Hard to say."

How could Annus not see through Linlin's little scheme? He immediately flicked the wine from the cup onto the floor.

Linlin's expression changed at once. "Hey! Annus! What are you doing?! That was very precious wine!"

"The precious part was the drug in it, wasn't it? And what kind of wine would be this cloudy?"

"Damn it!" x2

They spoke almost in unison. Just as Linlin was about to explode, "Silver Axe" Xiong beside them roared the exact same words.

This man had a crew cut, a massive "Xiong" tattooed across his chest, and loved wearing sunglasses to look cool—yet insisted on carving an X into the lenses to show how different he was. He was also one of the Rocks Pirates' officers, and had once been an assassin.

It was worth mentioning that Xiong and Shiki had both run with the underworld before joining the Rocks Pirates, and they called each other "sworn enemies."

After letting out that roar, the man was currently grabbing Shiki by the collar as Shiki grabbed his, looking ready to start a fight at any second.

Irritated at being interrupted, Linlin shouted, "What the hell are you two doing?!"

"That bastard Shiki said I'm not good enough for Shakuyaku!" Xiong said furiously. "My body's obviously way better than his!"

That was not wrong at all. Xiong's physique and looks were considered top-tier throughout the Rocks Pirates. His well-proportioned frame and powerful muscle lines brimmed with the charm of a grown man.

By conventional standards, aside from John, Kiel, and Rocks, there was truly no one whose looks could compare to Xiong's.

Of course... Annus himself had to be excluded from that comparison first.

Compared with the men of the Rocks Pirates, Annus's beauty was simply on an entirely different level.

That was also why Linlin had never given up on wanting to have a child with Annus.

Strength was one thing, but who wouldn't want a beautiful partner?

"Don't be stupid, Xiong! A body like that isn't important at all! The man Shakuyaku wants must be someone like me, with the most treasure!"

The one refuting Xiong was Captain John, another officer of the Rocks Pirates and a drunkard with long purple hair draped over his shoulders.

Though he was also a fervent admirer of Shakuyaku, John was calmer than the other admirers. He always believed that no woman was more important than money, not even a woman as beautiful as Shakuyaku.

"You're wrong, John! Shakuyaku will fall in love with the man who rescues her! And that man will be me! Once Shakuyaku and I get married, I'll treat all of you to drinks!"

Still clutching Xiong's collar, Shiki shouted provocatively at John.

"What did you say?!" x2

Now it was not just Xiong. Even John got into a scuffle with Shiki.

No one stopped Shiki and the other two from fooling around. The other officers were all watching the show while quietly making their own plans.

"Maybe if I rescue Shakuyaku, she'll agree to have a half-fish-man pirate with me?"

The one indulging in such fantasies was a catfish fish-man with a string of Buddhist beads around his neck, named Babel, with a head of wild hair burning like fire.

"So she's in West Blue! No wonder I haven't been able to find Shakuyaku for the past year!"

A huge man clad in armor with his hair tied into a ponytail muttered to himself. He was Ganzi, the "Smuggling Pirate," and before joining the Rocks Pirates, he had been a giant in the smuggling trade.

Even after joining the Rocks Pirates, he had not given up his achievements in smuggling. At present, nearly every smuggling operation in the New World had something to do with him.

Because of that, Ganzi possessed extensive intelligence and had been searching for Shakuyaku's whereabouts ever since she vanished.

Yet he had searched the entire New World without finding even the slightest trace of her.

For that reason, even yesterday, Ganzi had still been cursing the culprit who had taken Shakuyaku away.

Kiel Baster sat silently in a corner the entire time, merely mocking Shiki and the other two as they fought over Shakuyaku.

Within the Rocks Pirates, Kiel Baster was also considered mysterious. His build was the closest to that of an ordinary person.

Other than his fondness for orange sunglasses and the top hat with a gold velvet band that he wore year-round, there was almost nothing distinctive about him.

If there was anything else to mention, it was that he was fairly handsome. Because of the wicked smile often hanging at the corner of his lips and his superb marksmanship, the pirates of Hachinosu called him the "Dashing Killer."

"Those three are really idiots, Newgate. You won't be like them, will you?"

Beside him, the young and alluring Buckin mocked the three men's unsightly behavior while asking Whitebeard.

"Who knows? Anyway, if Shakuyaku throws herself into my arms after I save her, I wouldn't mind having another wife."

Whitebeard thought about it before replying.

"You bastard! Isn't having me enough for you?!"

At that moment, Buckin no longer had any interest in discussing how they could seize more treasure later with Whitebeard.

"Don't talk nonsense. I've never said you were my woman."

Facing Buckin as she threw herself at him, Whitebeard sidestepped her, appearing utterly indifferent.

"Newgate!"

The young Gloriosa ignored the commotion around her and remained immersed in her own world, considering how she could earn Roger's gratitude by rescuing Shakuyaku.

Like Buckin, Gloriosa was deeply annoyed that Roger, the man she loved, was also infatuated with Shakuyaku.

But there was nothing she could do. Shakuyaku was her clanswoman, and had once been her second-in-command—a sister bound to her by unshakable affection. She had to be rescued.

"These idiots..." Linlin shook her head.

Annus watched the three men brawl with great interest. If they learned that Shakuyaku had actually always loved Rayleigh, how would they react?

That would definitely be amusing.

As he thought that, the faces of Xiong, John, and Shiki looked more and more like Buggy's in Annus's eyes.

"Hey! Annus! I've already gotten the information on the Lunarians you were looking for!"

Linlin suddenly leaned over again, interrupting Annus's thoughts and bringing up a subject he could not ignore.

"Really?" Annus looked at Linlin with slight hesitation.

"Of course it's true!" Linlin snorted. "But considering your behavior just now, I don't plan on telling you! If you want it, come have a child with me!"

"Pick another condition. That's impossible, and I've also asked Ganzi about this. You aren't the only one who can provide it." Annus did not accept Linlin's threat.

"Worororo! What are you two talking about? Enough of that! Let's discuss taking the Devil Fruit!"

Kaido leaned over from behind them and threw an arm around both Linlin and Annus's shoulders.

"What are you doing, brat? Let go already!" Linlin grabbed Kaido by the ear.

"Don't touch me, Kaido." Annus also frowned slightly.

"So cold! You can't just enjoy yourselves! Annus! Linlin! I want to experience the joy of becoming a Devil Fruit user too!" Kaido let out a drunken belch, breathing out a pungent wave of alcohol.

"Just how much did you drink?"

Linlin shoved the drunken Kaido to the ground and stepped over him without the slightest courtesy.

At the same time, Rocks's perpetually gloomy expression suddenly melted like cream as he sat at the head of the table, as though he had figured something out. He burst into a "Wahahaha" laugh.

In the corner, the lowly Streusen looked at everyone and felt utterly helpless.

Seeing that Rocks had finally put on an expression that said he could be spoken to, he said to Rocks, "Ochoku has a point. News about Shakuyaku suddenly emerging after she's been missing for a year... Could the Marines be trying to lure us into a trap?"

"Shut up! Anyone who's scared can stay on the island!!"

That was Rocks's response to Streusen. He rose from the main seat, stood at an elevated position, and looked down at everyone.

"Stop fighting! Shakuyaku is still waiting for us to rescue her! We're leaving! For God Valley!!"