Under the night sky, Arthur, Edward, and Linlin boarded the main ship.
Inside, Shiki, John, Ochoku, Silver Axe, Kaido, and dozens of other officers—fifty in total—were already gathered.
"Hmm?"
The three newcomers exchanged puzzled looks.
The Rocks Pirates almost never summoned all of their officers at once. Why would they? Their strength was already overwhelming.
So overwhelming, in fact, that even someone like Edward, leading just a handful of lieutenants, could crush an entire World Government affiliate nation. That was the might of the Rocks Pirates—the very reason they could dominate the New World.
The power gap was absurd. It wasn't even on the same scale as anything that came later. Not in the Great Pirate Era, not in the Yonko Era, not even in the so-called "new generation."
Even if you added up all the Yonko crews in the future… could they really compare to the Rocks Pirates? Arthur doubted it.
On paper, the Rocks Pirates had Captain Rocks, a monster beyond measure. Beneath him stood six great commanders, and a host of near-admiral-level fighters. Arthur and Kaido themselves were already considered "royal-level" officers.
If Arthur unleashed his Red Dragon Form, he could even rival a Yonko's right hand or a near admiral level.
And beneath that? Fifty or so officers easily on par with Marine Vice Admirals—just within the main fleet. Add in all the subordinate crews flying the Rocks flag, and the numbers ballooned even further.
That's why, when the Rocks Pirates eventually fell, the New World collapsed into chaos. When a titan like this topples, the vultures come flying, eager for scraps.
For now, though, there were only two choices for pirates in the New World: join the Rocks Pirates, or get crushed underfoot.
So why summon everyone now? Strange.
Arthur stood beside Kaido and asked quietly, "Any idea what this is about?"
Kaido shook his head. "No clue. I was training outside when they dragged me back. Tch!"
Worth noting—since Arthur had provoked him, Kaido's training had become downright terrifying. Each day harsher than the last, like a madman pushing himself to the brink. And his growth was just as monstrous.
Before Arthur could ponder further, a booming laugh shook the hall.
"OOOH-HAHAHA!"
Captain Rocks sat upon his throne, grinning wildly. "Boys and girls! Do you know? Someone out there actually declared war on the Rocks Pirates!"
"What?"
"Huh?"
"You're kidding me!"
The room erupted in disbelief. Who would dare? The World Government? The Marine Headquarters?
Even Arthur froze, stunned. Have they lost their damn minds? Did a donkey kick their heads in?
Even the World Government, for all its arrogance, wouldn't openly launch a head-on war with the Rocks Pirates. That would be suicide.
Attacking the Rocks Pirates wasn't like attacking any other crew. On the offensive, some captains might slack off, but on defense? When forced to fight back? Not a chance. The difference in firepower was night and day.
Rocks' voice rumbled again:
"The New World's three superpowers, eighteen allied kingdoms, and five underground emperors have formed a coalition army of three million men. They're marching against us!"
"..."
The hall fell into silence.
So it was true. They really had lost their minds. Either insane, or with heads smashed in by donkeys.
Did they actually believe that just "joining forces" would let them defeat the Rocks Pirates?
Even after the Red Line operation drained their numbers, the Rocks crew still had at least 140,000–150,000 men. The officer corps remained almost untouched—over a hundred top-level combatants, not counting their subordinate fleets.
War? Challenge? This was suicide.
"Jiehahahaha!"
Shiki burst out laughing, golden hair flying. "These guys must think they're fearless honey badgers! Honey badgers! Honey badgers~!"
No one batted an eye at Shiki's outburst. Everyone knew he was unhinged. Most of the time he acted like a lunatic. Still, when it came down to real battles, his strength never wavered.
"Hmm…"
Ochoku stroked his beard, frowning. "I can't wrap my head around it. With their positions of power, they shouldn't be so stupid…"
Arthur, calm and collected, said, "I think it's simple. After our recent campaign, people got the wrong idea. On the surface, it looked like the Rocks Pirates finally suffered a loss. And that illusion made them think… they had a chance."
The room went quiet again. His words struck home.
Edward clicked his tongue. "Still hard to believe… So, Captain, are we fighting back?"
"OOOH-HAHAHAHA!"
Rocks rose to his feet, laughter shaking the ship. "Of course we are! What did you expect? Crush them! Leave none alive! Show these arrogant fools once and for all—who rules the New World!"
"ROOOOAR!!!"
A thunderous battle cry shook the sky.
Arthur, however, simply sighed to himself.
These fools… they've signed their own death warrants.
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