Year 1484 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
The New World.
Hachinosu Island.
This place—
Could truly be called the heart of the New World.
Why?
Because Hachinosu Island was home to the strongest, most fearsome, and absolutely dominant pirate crew in the world—
The Rocks Pirates.
And this island was their base of operations.
Today. This very day. This very moment.
A rare bustle had overtaken the island.
Once every five years, the Rocks Pirates' Trainee Recruitment Tournament was held here.
From across the New World, countless pirates had flocked to this place…
All for one reason—
To join the most dominant crew on the seas: the Rocks Pirates.
---
"Gurararara~~~!"
A booming, hearty laugh echoed across the streets.
A towering man with a white crescent-shaped mustache, wielding a massive naginata, and golden hair strode confidently forward. He laughed and said,
"A new recruitment, huh? I'm really looking forward to this. I wonder what kinds of monsters will join the Rocks Pirates this time!"
"Mamamamamama~~~!"
A scary grinning woman—tall, yet oddly proportioned with an air of monstrous perfection—spoke with menace. Wearing a captain's hat and carrying a massive sword over her shoulder, her pink hair flowed behind her as she sneered:
"Monsters? Haven't all the monsters in the world already gathered under the Rocks banner?"
"Gyahahahaha~~~!"
A roar of laughter like that of a lion thundered through the sky.
Floating mid-air was a man with wild golden hair and two famed swords hanging at his waist. Arrogant and fierce, he declared:
"I'm damn excited to see what these so-called monsters can do. Let them come! I'll make them my underlings!"
"Hmph!"
A knight clad in thick armor and gripping a giant silver battle axe snorted coldly. With equal pride, he scoffed:
"Become your underlings, little kitty? Obviously, they'll be joining my command!"
"Hehehehe~~~"
A deep, mocking laugh followed.
Another towering figure, this one with a long, flowing beard and carrying a massive greatsword, smirked arrogantly and said:
"Shiki, Silver Axe—aren't you two getting ahead of yourselves? On this ship, no one's dumb enough to follow either of you!"
"Gulp, gulp, gulp~~~"
Unlike the others, this pink-haired man wasn't flaunting his power. He simply drank large swigs of alcohol, his drunken voice slurring:
"Cut the crap… What I'm really looking forward to is what Captain Rocks said—once this recruitment's over, he's planning something big."
...
"The commanders of the Rocks Pirates are showing up!"
"Whitebeard: Edward Newgate!"
"Golden Lion: Shiki!"
"Big Mom: Charlotte Linlin!"
"Silver Axe: The Battle Knight!"
"Wang Zhi (Ōchoku) of the Five Peaks!"
"Captain John, the Ruthless!"
"The Six Great Commanders of the Rocks Pirates! Look! Just behind them are the 600 elite members of the crew!"
"Incredible!"
"I want to join the Rocks Pirates so damn badly!"
"Same!"
Around them, pirates from all corners of the sea roared in excitement and anticipation.
After all, who wouldn't want to join the most notorious pirate crew in the world and rise to infamy?
They had all come here with the same dream.
"Wahahahahaha~~~!"
Suddenly, a wild, maniacal laugh cut through the air.
A man, perhaps around three meters tall—shorter than the towering monsters like Newgate, Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, or Linlin—stepped onto the scene.
And yet—
His flowing hair, the smirk at the corner of his lips, and the overwhelming aura that radiated from him silenced the crowd.
His presence alone confirmed his identity.
Captain of the Rocks Pirates.
Rocks D. Xebec.
A monster among monsters, feared even by the other monsters that roamed this world.
"That's the strongest man in the world?"
"Rocks D. Xebec!"
"This pressure… I feel like I can't breathe."
"Yeah…"
"If we could join a crew led by a monster like that, I would probably grow rapidly."
"ROOOAAARRR!!!"
After a short moment of stunned silence, the entire crowd of pirates erupted into madness.
"Wahahahahaha~~~!"
Rocks laughed maniacally, his voice filled with savage amusement as he declared:
"Brats! The moment you stepped foot on this island, you accepted the possibility of death!"
"You wanna know the rules of this tournament, don't you?"
"Then let me make it clear—it's real simple!"
"On this island, the last five standing will be the victors."
"Wahahahahaha~~~!"
"Brats!"
"The bloodbath begins now!"
"Survive!"
Rocks' voice echoed through the island.
All the pirates heard him.
And for a brief moment, silence returned.
But then—
"RAAAHHH!!!"
With a beastly roar, chaos exploded.
They were pirates, after all—madmen by nature.
Now that they had come all this way, they had only one thought in mind:
To fight.
To kill.
To survive.
---
All non-participants had already been evacuated from Hachinosu Island.
The Rocks commanders and their 600 elite members now sat back—
Ready to enjoy the five-yearly bloodbath.
"Let's go!"
"You bastard!!"
"I'll kill you!"
"Come!"
No one knew who made the first move—
But in a flash, the powder keg was lit.
Hachinosu Island was instantly transformed into a brutal battleground of blood and death.
Madness. Mayhem. Murder.
This was the essence of the Rocks Pirates.
It was through this kind of savage trial that they became the strongest crew on the seas.
—
At the edge of the island, a striking young man landed.
He had golden hair, sharp features, and wore a black shirt, black pants, black shoes, and a black coat fluttering behind him.
Step by step, he walked onto the blood-soaked island.
"Hmm. That took longer than I expected."
"I wasted so much time…"
"But I've finally arrived at Hachinosu."
He paused, sensing the overwhelming bloodlust and chaos around him.
Smirking with confidence, he muttered:
"Looks like the battle's already begun."
"Then..."
"Shall we begin?"