Silver Axe's legs scraped across the deck, sliding dozens of meters before he finally steadied himself and avoided falling.
How is this possible?
How can he be this strong?!
Why is his strength so far beyond what it used to be?!
Silver Axe stared at Rocks in disbelief, confusion flashing in his eyes.
He had always known he wasn't a match for Rocks, not actually.
But still…
He thought he had at least earned enough strength to be acknowledged, he had never imagined the gap would be this terrifying.
After countless battles as a member of the Rocks Pirates, Silver Axe had grown far stronger than in the past.
But he had overlooked one crucial fact, while he was improving, Rocks was also improving.
And worse… Rocks was improving faster than him.
"If it's like this, there's no way I'll ever earn his recognition," he muttered. "Much less become one of the main cadres."
"No… I can't give up. I still have a chance!"
Silver Axe gritted his teeth and steadied his stance, forcing himself to stay focused.
"Was that basically an instant kill?" Ayr murmured from a distance, clicking his tongue. "So this is the gap between the future New World powerhouses and the sea overlord, Rocks?"
When the Rocks Pirates eventually disbanded, Silver Axe would go on to become a renowned pirate in the New World—second only to legends like the Golden Lion, Whitebeard, and Charlotte Linlin.
That alone was proof of his strength and potential.
But in front of Rocks, that strength meant absolutely nothing.
When Rocks had caught Silver Axe's giant axe earlier, he could've ended the fight right there.
But he didn't.
Instead, he gave him another chance.
"Damn it!"
Silver Axe calmed his breath and focused. Thick blue veins popped on his arms as a stronger layer of Armament Haki wrapped around both his weapon and his limbs.
His aura surged wildly, reaching its peak.
"Come again!" he shouted.
With a fierce roar, he charged forward once more. This time, his speed was faster, his presence heavier.
"Axe of Thunder!!!"
He appeared in front of Rocks in an instant, raised his axe high overhead, and brought it crashing down.
The force distorted the air around him. A faint flicker of lightning seemed to cover the axe—not from a Devil Fruit, but a visual afterimage created by sheer speed and power.
This was Silver Axe's strongest attack—his full strength, poured into a single, desperate blow.
Shhhk!
The giant axe came down, aiming for Rocks' face.
"Too slow, Silver Axe."
In the instant before the axe connected, Rocks vanished—then reappeared directly behind him.
Bang!!!
The axe hit nothing but air and slammed down into the deck.
Krak-ka-ka!!!
The reinforced wood, made from the legendary Treasure Tree Adam,splintered beneath the blow. Cracks spread across the deck, reaching dozens of meters away.
The impact stirred the sea itself, raising waves several stories high that slammed against the ship. The water churned violently, forming a whirlpool.
Had the ship not been massive and sturdy, it might've capsized then and there.
The damage alone proved how terrifying that blow had been.
But it had all been useless.
Rocks not only blocked Silver Axe's, he did so effortlessly.
Snap!
In a blur, Rocks appeared behind Silver Axe, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him off the ground.
He wasn't even squeezing, and yet, the strength in his grip made Silver Axe's face turn red as he struggled to breathe, choking from the pressure.
Then, Rocks casually swung his arm and hurled him like a rag doll.
Bang!!!
Silver Axe's body crashed into the ship's railing, fracturing it into a web of cracks.
"Do you want to continue, Silver Axe?" Rocks asked calmly, hands behind his back as he walked toward him. "This performance won't do."
"I… I admit defeat," Silver Axe coughed, struggling to stand. Blood trickled from his mouth. "I give up."
He wasn't joking, Rocks hadn't even gone all out. He could've easily killed him.
To challenge Rocks again would be suicide.
Looking up at the captain's imposing figure, Silver Axe felt a chill run through his body.
Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. His instincts screamed.
He wasn't outmatched.
He was outclassed.
No matter how strong he had become over the years, even as one of the top fighters in the crew, only second to Whitebeard and a few others, he had been utterly destroyed.
"Insane… So strong," muttered one of the crew.
"He hasn't shown his strength in a while, but it's way beyond what it was before."
"Silver Axe couldn't even last two moves. With a monster like Captain Rocks leading us, we'll rule the seas!"
The crew roared, chanting his name across the deck.
"Silver Axe, how pathetic," Charlotte Linlin scoffed. "You challenged the captain and ended up like this?"
"You bastard," Ochoku growled. "What a disgrace to the cadres. Why did you even challenge him?"
"If you weren't one of us, you'd be dead already," John sneered. "Idiot."
"Silver Axe… you're not even as strong as Ayr," Golden Lion said coldly.
That was the mood among the Rocks Pirates.
Even though they were all crewmates, no one truly saw the others as companions.
Ridicule came just as quickly as praise.
Silver Axe gave Ayr a cold glare, but said nothing.
Even though Golden Lion's words were meant to mock, Silver Axe didn't take Ayr seriously.
After all, Ayr had only been on the ship for two days. He was barely a full crew member.
And Silver Axe was a cadre.
Noticing the glare, Ayr sighed in frustration and cursed under his breath.
"Why me?"
"I just watched a fight, and somehow I'm being dragged into it?"
"Man, I'm just sitting here, and the pot lands on my head out of nowhere."
After defeating Silver Axe, Rocks turned his attention to the other main cadres, Golden Lion and the rest.
His cold gaze lingered on them, silent but clear.
A warning.
They understood immediately.
They'd gotten a little too bold lately.
But Rocks was the captain.
And he never needed to remind them twice.
⸻
That evening, Rocks gave the order to head for a nearby shipyard.
The ship had taken heavy damage—from Ayr's clash with the Golden Lion yesterday, and from Silver Axe's attack today.
The cannons hadn't been maintained in a long time either.
Supplies were nearly depleted.
By the next day, the Rocks Pirates had docked in a massive ship-repairing nation in the New World.
The interns were sent out to buy supplies.
Others disembarked to explore and entertain themselves.
Since it was already night when they arrived, Ayr, who had spent hours training with Rocks, was still fast asleep in bed.