Golden Lion Shiki and Skaredo desperately rowed through the raging storm, knowing that one wrong move could send them straight into the maw of the towering waves.
"Faster, faster! Row a bit farther! Once we reach a calmer part of the storm, we can take off immediately!"
Even in the eye of the storm, Shiki didn't dare to use his Float-Float Fruit powers. He had no choice but to row his way out first.
Meanwhile, the crew aboard the Flying Pirates' ship was on the verge of losing their minds—Captain Shiki was running away!
"Damn that so-called Supernova leader! That worthless conqueror's Haki user! That cowardly, irresponsible Golden Lion just up and abandoned us!"
Shiki could practically hear his crew's curses echoing through the wind. He scoffed.
"Idiots! This is called a strategic retreat, taking my pirate flag with me. None of you deserve to be my crew!"
He would find stronger subordinates. One day, he would make Rocks pay for the humiliation he suffered today.
Rocks and his men watched the chaos aboard the Flying Pirates' ship, sensing that something was off. Was a mutiny breaking out?
Seeing the pirate ship hoisting a white flag, Rocks frowned. Could it be? Had Golden Lion Shiki already abandoned his crew and fled?
If that were the case, then these weaklings were useless to the Rocks Pirates. Rocks only wanted Shiki's Float-Float Fruit power!
The massive Flying Pirate ship obscured his view, preventing him from spotting Shiki and Skaredo escaping in a small boat. Otherwise, he would have kept chasing.
But in their panic to survive, the Flying Pirates made a fatal mistake—they approached the Rocks' ship to surrender, unknowingly buying Shiki precious time.
As soon as the ships drew close, Rocks and his officers—Silver Axe and Ochoku—leaped onto the deck.
"Where is Golden Lion?!"
Rocks grabbed a small-time officer by the collar, his piercing gaze so terrifying that the pirate fainted on the spot.
"Captain Shiki and Officer Skaredo have already escaped! Please, Captain Rocks, spare us! We swear allegiance to the Rocks Pirates! Take us in!"
One of the pirates collapsed to his knees, begging for mercy. The others quickly followed suit, pleading for their lives.
"Gehahaha! So, the Golden Lion really ran away!" Rocks laughed boisterously. "That bastard sure knows how to survive. As expected of a conqueror's Haki user—you don't tame a beast like that so easily."
The first time they fought, Rocks had shattered Shiki's fleet. This time, he'd forced him to abandon both his ship and his crew. Next time, he would make him submit.
"Captain Rocks, what do we do with these men?" Ochoku asked, his blade gleaming menacingly.
"Gehahaha! Since they surrendered willingly, take them back to Hachinosu and put them to work. Let them build up our stronghold. And next time I get my hands on Shiki, I'll make sure he sees the crew he threw away."
Rocks turned his gaze toward the horizon. He had let a golden opportunity slip away, but he had faith in himself. Fate favored him. He was of the D. Clan, after all, destined to turn the world upside down. Every great figure of this era would eventually kneel at his feet and pave his path to the throne.
Far beyond the storm, Shiki and Skaredo finally broke free from the tempest's grip. Without wasting a second, Shiki activated his Float-Float Fruit, lifting their boat into the sky and speeding away.
"Captain Shiki, where do we go next? Should we start recruiting new crew members?"
Skaredo felt a wave of relief at having escaped Rocks' pursuit but couldn't ignore the harsh truth—they were now the last remnants of the Flying Pirates. Their massive fleet was gone. Their flagship was lost. They had nothing.
"That's right. This time, I'll build a stronger crew of elite pirates."
In this lawless sea, a large fleet without a solid foundation was nothing but dead weight—a liability that attracted the attention of New World powerhouses. It was a mistake he wouldn't repeat.
He would form an elite crew first. Once he had the strength and territory, he would rebuild his fleet.
Lately, the Den Den Mushi chat group had gone quiet. Shiki hadn't even contacted Brook in a while. In truth, Brook was doing better than him, which irritated Shiki to no end.
He had once thought about recruiting Brook, believing the man had great intellect. Now, he realized Brook had predicted this failure all along. That made it even worse.
Perhaps he needed a strategist of his own.
More importantly, he needed a genius navigator. If he had one, he wouldn't have gotten trapped in that damn storm in the first place.
For now, they needed to find a safe place to lay low. The last thing they wanted was for the Rocks Pirates to track them down again.
But in the New World, staying hidden was easier said than done. The moment you bought a single copy of the Newspaper, your location could be exposed. The newspaper's shady owner, Kandor, secretly sold pirate whereabouts on the black market.
If you had the right amount of money, he would even send newsbirds to spy on your target.
That meant one thing—if you were on the run from a major power, you couldn't stay in one place for too long. You had to watch out for newsbirds tailing you. Or worse, bounty hunters lurking in the shadows.
Aboard the Golden Ark.
The crew was celebrating Whitebeard's arrival. Even Brook had come down to personally cook, while Antonio eagerly tried to learn from him.
"Gurararara! This is my first time sailing on a flying ship!" Whitebeard laughed heartily as he stood by the railing, gazing down at the scattered islands below and the endless blue sea.
"You'll get used to it, Newgate! I was just as amazed when I first came aboard!" Fisher Tiger replied as he scrubbed the deck. As a trainee, he had daily cleaning duties.
"Newgate, according to Captain Brook's plan, I'll have you awaken both Armament and Conqueror's Haki in the shortest time possible. With your physique, you've already reached the threshold. Once you learn the method, I believe you'll awaken them quickly."
Redfield took a sip of his wine with his usual elegance. This wasn't just any wine—it was a rare mermaid-crafted vintage from Fish-Man Island. Even Brook wouldn't usually let him have it unless he wanted to show off.
"I'll do my best. I want to become strong enough to protect everyone!"
If Whitebeard awakened both Haki types, his strength would soar to match Brook and Redfield. With his raw power, he might even surpass them.
Meanwhile, Fish-Man Tom had begun drafting plans for a sea train. Brook had also asked him to experiment with a Sky Island cloud train—just to see if it was possible.
Ship doctor Crocus was busy researching the venom from Fish-Man Island, hoping to turn it into a deadly weapon. Even sniper Silva had developed poisoned bullets.
Brook couldn't help but feel these two were natural-born schemers.
Shakky, on the other hand, had started training seriously.
"I'm preparing to awaken Conqueror's Haki," she declared with determination.
Brook chose not to crush her enthusiasm. Sometimes, believing you could do something was half the battle.
+100 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg