Rocks's Invitation

"Shiki, you finally made it back. Newgate, who left with you, returned four days before you!"

After flying with Shiki for two full days, Oak finally arrived at an island that, from afar, was packed with chaotic buildings like a honeycomb, with a mountain resembling a giant fish standing at its center.

This was Hachinosu, the New World's most famous pirate paradise and the headquarters of the Rocks Pirates.

The moment they landed at the harbor, a woman immediately came up to them, teasing Shiki with a pleasant laugh.

Following the sound, Oak saw that she had long, fluffy pink hair casually draped over her shoulders. Her features were delicate and striking, her skin fair, and her brows carried an innate pride and wildness.

She stood tall and slender, without a trace of excess weight. Full where she should be full, slim where she should be slim, her entire figure formed a perfect S-curve.

Noticing Oak's gaze, the woman swept back her long hair, raised an eyebrow at him, and flashed a seductive smile.

"Linlin, this isn't my fault. My target was farther away than that Newgate guy's, and I had the bad luck to run into the Marines on the way back, which delayed me for a while. By the way, why are you here?"

Shiki spoke as he led Oak forward.

"Of course Rocks told me to wait for you. Otherwise, I couldn't be bothered to show up."

The woman called Linlin rolled her eyes at Shiki.

"Jihahahaha! So that's how it is. I thought you missed me, Linlin, and came here specially to wait for my return!"

Shiki laughed heartily as he teased her.

"What are you fantasizing about? Even narcissism has its limits. Someone as ugly as you, Shiki—and you're not even some special race—I'd never miss you. The little brother beside you would be more like it."

"A handsome little brother like this is exactly my type!"

Linlin made no attempt to hide her disdain for Shiki, declaring that young and handsome types like Oak were what she liked. As she spoke, she winked at Oak, making his heart skip a beat.

"I like you too, big sister!"

In an instant, Oak erased the image of the future Four Emperor Big Mom from his memories and replaced it with the alluring beauty before him. Wearing an innocent expression, he moved closer.

"Such a good boy!"

Finding him amusing, Linlin opened her arms and gave him a huge hug, and Oak's face instantly experienced an unprecedented softness.

So soft!

Oak rubbed against her hard, revealing a lecherous grin worthy of Momonosuke.

"Gigigigigigi! What an interesting little brother!"

Rather than getting angry, Linlin let out a pleasant laugh and pressed his head downward hard in her embrace. Their first meeting had given him quite the treat.

"Hmph. I knew you were a little pervert the moment we ran into that Marine woman!"

Shiki was displeased by the vast difference between his treatment and Oak's. He snorted heavily before speaking to Linlin.

"Linlin, stop flirting with this brat for now. There will be plenty of chances later. Take him to see Rocks first!"

With that, he floated gracefully toward the center of the island.

Linlin, the future Four Emperor Big Mom, finally released Oak after hearing that, allowing him to finally catch his breath.

He had nearly been smothered to death just now, but remembering how it felt, he thought it would have been worth it even if he really had died that way.

"Let's go, little brother!"

With him in tow, Charlotte Linlin followed Shiki toward the enormous skull-shaped landmark at the center of the island.

"You're Tux Oak, the brat hailed as the Terminator of the Battlefield in West Blue?"

Inside the enormous skull-shaped landmark, in its largest hall, Oak had barely stepped inside when he felt several powerful presences.

The strongest of them belonged to a man at the very front, surrounded by everyone in the room as though he were the stars surrounding the moon.

The man was tall and powerfully built, with a beastlike, ferocious face. His wild, short blue-and-white hair flared outward like flames, and his eyes were as sharp as blades, carrying a domineering aura that seemed capable of devouring everything.

He stared at Oak and asked calmly, making Oak feel as if he were facing a volcano that could erupt at any moment. The suffocating pressure was indescribable.

This was Rocks D. Zebek, a figure who struck fear into everyone on the seas today.

"That's me!"

Oak straightened his back and met the man's gaze without fear, nodding calmly in reply.

A long silence followed, lasting more than ten seconds.

"Wororororo!"

"You've got guts. So, brat, are you willing to join my pirate crew and become one of us?"

Rocks suddenly burst into a bold laugh, extending his hand to Oak in invitation.

Though Oak had anticipated this before coming and had already made his decision, he did not answer immediately when faced with the offer.

Instead, he smiled faintly and asked, "Join your pirate crew? Then may I ask what your goal is? Before I join, at least let me understand the ambitions of the person inviting me. Without enough ambition, you won't be able to attract me."

"Wororororo! I was right about you. Not only do you have courage, you're also a brat with ambition.

Since you want to know my ambition, I'll tell you. I hope you won't be too shocked when you hear it.

My ambition is...

To conquer the entire world and become the one and only king of this world!

Well? Is that ambition enough to make you join?"

Rocks stared into Oak's eyes, displaying his unrestrained bearing. In that instant, an unparalleled kingly aura erupted from him, enough to make anyone who saw it submit in awe.

Oak grinned.

"That's ambitious enough. I agree to join."

As he spoke, he extended his hand and clasped Rocks's firmly.

Smack!

"Please take care of me from now on!"

"Welcome aboard. From now on, you're one of us!" Rocks shook Oak's hand and introduced him to the people around them. The first person he introduced was a tall figure at the very edge of the crowd.

"This is Kaido. He joined four days before you, and it seems he's the same age as you. From now on, you two will be the only apprentice pirates in our crew."

Following Rocks's introduction, Oak looked toward Kaido. At this time, Kaido was not yet as massively built as he would be in the future. Though he stood a full seven meters tall, his slender frame looked somewhat lean, but the definition of his muscles was unmistakable.

When Kaido noticed Oak looking at him, he appeared extremely arrogant. Carrying a spiked club over his shoulder, he said expressionlessly,

"Although we're both apprentices, I joined before you. So, shorty, I'll be your big brother from now on. You don't have any objections, do you?"

Expressionless, Kaido spoke as though it were only natural.

The people around them all turned to look at Oak in unison, waiting for his answer.

"Feeling itchy?"

Oak's answer did not disappoint those around him who wanted to watch a show. He merely cast Kaido a sidelong glance, tossed out those words, and vanished from where he stood.