"Hahaha... The strength of the Grey Nation is far beyond what I expected, Rosinante. I truly can't wait to meet you soon." Doflamingo looked toward Area One as he spoke.
"But the impact of this matter is far greater than you imagine. Hahaha... Rosinante, don't think you can wrap things up so easily. This is the difference intelligence makes. After all this, you'll understand just how important information is — assuming you manage to survive this whole event. Of course, I have plenty of confidence in you." Doflamingo chuckled.
"Alright, now that this issue has been wrapped up neatly, it's your turn." At the same time, Rosinante noticed that Fosfitt had already been wiped out. Knowing the matter had reached its end, he turned toward Oni Warrior and the others.
"Seven... two... zero."
Hearing Rosinante's words, Oni Warrior and the others instantly tensed up.
They had every reason to be nervous. At first, they didn't know the height of the sky or the depth of the sea — they believed the Grey Nation was just a rising pirate force. Even if the reports praised them all the way to heaven, to veterans of the dark world like Oni Warrior's group, it meant nothing.
After all, people like Oni Warrior and the Ghost Warrior had once been movers and shakers in the New World. They were infamous pirates in their own era.
In terms of reputation, back then they weren't necessarily weaker than the Grey Nation.
And as for those rumors — fighting Sengoku to a standstill, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him, escaping from Garp's pursuit... as mercenaries of the dark world, they knew better than anyone that even things seen with their own eyes weren't always true, let alone hearsay.
So they had never believed the Grey Nation was anything amazing. Ghost Warrior, who had been a big name in the New World, even felt disdain. When I was sailing through the New World, you lot were still sucking on baby bottles!
From the very beginning, Ghost Warrior and the others never thought they would lose. With such overwhelming manpower, they believed they could even challenge the emperors of the New World.
But after this battle, their pride had been thoroughly shattered.
After witnessing Rosinante's slash and Enel's thunderous lightning strike, they realized they had truly encountered a colossal monster — a monster they could not resist.
And they finally understood that it was monsters like these who had driven them out of the New World to begin with.
"First, congratulations. You've passed the first round of the trial." Rosinante said.
"What do you mean?" Even knowing Rosinante was monstrously strong, Ghost Warrior's tone remained icy.
"It means, for them, this whole large-scale battle was nothing more than a selection test for the Grey Nation's elite combat force. And the fact that you made it here means you passed the first round." Dark Thorn spoke with a blank expression.
Ever since Fosfitt's ship was blown apart, Dark Thorn had been in a daze.
Fosfitt's death seemed to abruptly rip away his purpose — the very reason he existed.
But after that daze, Dark Thorn quickly found a new purpose. The look he gave Rosinante brimmed with killing intent.
Dark Thorn had been a slave since childhood, adopted by Fosfitt.
He was subjected to harsh, inhuman training from a young age. Thanks to his exceptional talent, he stood out among all the slaves and became Fosfitt's primary candidate for assassination training.
After countless training sessions and years of conditioning, Fosfitt became the core of his life.
He had been raised from childhood to believe he lived for Fosfitt. But now that his reason for living had disappeared, his heart was thrown into confusion.
To give himself a new reason to continue living, Dark Thorn quickly set a new goal — to kill Rosinante and avenge Fosfitt.
Thus, the killing intent in his eyes burned fiercely. This was his reason to live.
Hearing Dark Thorn's explanation, Oni Warrior, Ghost Warrior, and the others were shocked.
They never imagined that a war involving over a hundred thousand combatants had been nothing more than a recruitment test for the Grey Nation's combat forces.
"Well, more or less. Although honestly, this idea just came to me halfway through." Rosinante said casually. "Since there's a first round, naturally there's a second. You may choose to forfeit the second round. As a reward for clearing the first round, if you choose to withdraw, you can leave alive. You can also choose to join the Grey Nation as an ordinary member, or even as an officer-level cadre. But if you choose to participate in the second round and pass, you will become a squad captain of the Grey Nation — or even a member of the Bloodsworn Guard."
Hearing this, everyone raised their brows, thrown off by the sudden shift in circumstances.
They had originally come to take down the Grey Nation, yet now they were being invited to join it — the reversal was hard to digest.
Leaving now might be the wisest choice. But after such a massive battle, after losing so many subordinates and barely crawling their way here in tatters, simply leaving with their tails between their legs felt unbearably humiliating.
If they left now, their reputation — painstakingly built over the years in the underground world — would be ruined. Losing to the Grey Nation wasn't shameful. But being dismissed like mercy cases and sent away? Their pride would never allow it.
"What if I want to kill you?" Dark Thorn said coldly.
"Then your chance is coming. Because I'll be the one personally testing you next. All you need to do is survive the trial. Whether you want to kill me or prove yourselves, it will be the best opportunity." Rosinante said lightly.
Hearing this, Dark Thorn, Oni Warrior, and the others were instantly fired up.
Dark Thorn wanted to kill Rosinante. Oni Warrior and the others wanted to prove themselves. There was no way they would let this next test slip away.
"Of course, the next battle will be serious. If your strength isn't enough, you will die." Rosinante said calmly.
A domineering aura erupted from him, spreading outward without restraint.