Rocks felt no anger at the 'rebellion' of Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate—only excitement.
These three had finally met a sliver of his expectations.
But it was still far from enough!
Until they mastered Conqueror's Haki Coating, they were nothing more than slightly larger ants in his eyes.
"So you want to snatch Fang Huo away to be your first mate?"
"Then come and try!"
Rocks bared his teeth, drawing the Gibeck Sword—today he'd show them true terror.
Raging Conqueror's Haki surged, instantly crushing the Haki of Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate.
The near-corporeal Conqueror's Haki cracked the ground around them.
The entire Chibaku Tensei Skull quaked.
Endless black-red lightning sprayed across Paradise Island.
In an instant, every pirate within 5,000 meters of the skull was flung away by the rampaging Haki blast, falling like torn rags, unconscious.
Most pirates on Paradise Island fainted from the aftershock; even those on ships in the harbor couldn't escape.
Only a handful of powerful pirates remained on the island, barely holding out against Rocks's Haki.
Bolo Gram stared in horror at the giant eyes of Skull Castle.
What terrifying Conqueror's Haki!
A true monster!!
Inside the skull, the weaker Long Bread, Sanbel, and Stussy broke into cold sweat, dropping to one knee, hands braced against the floor.
Ganzi, Silver Axe, Babel, and Kiel Bastard's pupils shrank, their facial muscles twitching as they forced themselves to stand.
Yet their trembling bodies showed mountains pressing on their shoulders.
Fang Huo suffered the same indiscriminate crush; it felt like a giant hammer smashing his mind.
Rocks even singled him out, hitting him with stronger Haki than the other Executives—equal to what Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate endured.
The terrifying Conqueror's Haki pressed so hard Fang Huo couldn't speak; his eyelids and muscles twitched, the ground beneath his feet cracking.
Rocks's overwhelming Haki affected reality itself, producing pressure almost on par with the Gravity Fruit.
Had he wished, Rocks could now use Conqueror's Haki Coating to shatter the Chibaku Tensei Skull—or even all of Paradise Island—with a single move, just as Garp once punched Hachinosu apart.
"worororo!! I hope you still dare draw your blades against me!"
Rocks laughed wildly, black-red lightning crackling around him, his eyes blazing crimson like a demon's.
His black-and-white spiky hair whipped skyward.
The Conqueror's Haki of Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate was ground down to a three-meter radius around them.
All three turned deathly pale.
They'd known Rocks was strong—just not this unimaginably strong.
So the attacks he used to one-shot them before really had been casual swings.
"worororo! Still want to snatch Fang Huo away?"
Rocks strode toward Golden Lion Shiki, grinning at the arrogant Executive.
"…Yes! Sooner or later I will—"
A bead of cold sweat ran down Golden Lion Shiki's forehead; meeting Rocks's crimson gaze, he clenched out the words, defiant and unbowed.
"Fine spirit—but not enough yet!"
"Go down and stew on it!"
The next second Rocks blasted him away with a single sword strike.
Golden Lion Shiki punched clean through Skull Castle, tore a gaping hole beside the skull's eye, and slammed bloodily onto Paradise Island, raising a dust mushroom.
"How about you?"
Rocks grinned at Charlotte Linlin.
"Fang Huo is mine!"
Charlotte Linlin's eyes blazed fiercer than Shiki's, her resolve absolute.
"Your obsession with Fang Huo is different from Shiki's—but since you dared challenge me, you'll still get your lesson."
Without mercy Rocks sent the 13-year-old iron balloon flying with the same sword strike.
Another new tunnel appeared in Skull Castle; Charlotte Linlin crashed onto Paradise Island as well.
"Newgate, even if you're just joining the fun, you'll pay the price!"
Rocks raised an eyebrow, joking—he barely regarded these strongest Executives as threats.
"Bring it, Rocks!"
Newgate erupted with his own Conqueror's Haki; the supreme grade meito Murakumogiri blazed with a white shockwave.
He actually broke Rocks's suppression and launched the fiercest counterattack.
"worororo! Truly my most valued right arm—your strength has my respect."
Rocks slashed at Newgate; Gibeck Sword met Murakumogiri mid-air, and the colossal shockwave blasted every other Executive out of the skull's eye.
Only Fang Huo stayed put, thanks to his Gravity Fruit.
The violent clash tore massive fissures across the Chibaku Tensei Skull Mountain—Skull Castle seemed ready to collapse at any moment.
"Rocks, did you have to go this far!!"
Fang Huo was exasperated—these maniacs were all destruction freaks. The headquarters he'd spent ten days setting up, his comfy room—now reduced to rubble.
"worororo! Fang Huo, you started this mess."
"Newgate! Keep chasing me—I'll give you the time!"
Rocks remained relaxed; he was pleased with Newgate's progress—Haki, Fruit, and raw power all commendable.
Yet as Rocks unleashed even stronger Conqueror's Haki Coating, Newgate—despite the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and titanic strength—was still sent flying.
Newgate smashed onto Paradise Island, another dust mushroom blooming.
Coughing blood in the ruins, his short white beard turned crimson.
"Rocks!! I'll catch up to you!!"
Newgate cursed in frustration; the gap was so vast he couldn't even glimpse Rocks's back.
Bolo Gram, barely staying conscious under Rocks's Haki, rushed over at the sound of Newgate's voice to see who this madman was.
To survive the Haki and take a direct hit—
—and still stay conscious, even cursing up a storm.
The other two who'd been blasted out were nearly comatose, unable to speak.
"worororo, Fang Huo—now it's just us two."
"Honestly, do you really want to be first mate of the Rocks Pirates? Your ambition should be bigger…"
In the tottering Skull Castle, Rocks smiled and poured every ounce of his Conqueror's Haki onto Fang Huo.
That full attention nearly drove Fang Huo to his knees, teeth clenched in resistance.
"Being first mate is just a hobby; my real goals are immortality and the sea of stars…"
—