"Boss, are we going to have trouble?" Seeing Reynold's deep frown, Shadow couldn't help but ask.
"Not exactly trouble, but..." Reynold paused. "Shadow, notify Rocks: Ten days from now, the Reynold Pirates will arrive at Hachinosu!"
Having been in the pirate world for decades, Reynold had only read about the famous maritime overlord in newspapers, never having met him face-to-face. Now that the layout of the sea was largely settled, it was time for them to finally meet Rocks.
"Don't worry, Boss." Shadow didn't ask further. His form shifted, and a giant black crow shot into the sky, quickly vanishing without a trace.
"Rogue, set course for Hachinosu!"
"Aye, Captain!"
...
Hachinosu!
Inside the skull hall, there was a deathly silence, and the atmosphere was eerie. Shiki, Whitebeard, and the other Division Captains frowned, their gazes subtly flicking toward Rocks.
"Reynold actually said that?"
"He's coming here to find me?"
Below, a pirate subordinate, pale and trembling, replied: "Boss, that's what the messenger said."
"HAHAHAHAHAHA... Good! Good!! I haven't even gone to find him yet, and he dares to come here actively seeking death!!"
The wildly arrogant laughter contained both excitement and rage! He was excited that Reynold had delivered himself, saving him the effort of searching. He was enraged that Reynold held him, Rocks, in such contempt—an act of extreme arrogance! Not even the Navy dared to come looking for him in his headquarters. How dared Reynold!!
Whitebeard and the others exchanged glances. They knew Rocks was furious. Reynold was about to face disaster!
"My subordinates, ten days from now, we will hold a feast to welcome our new member!!"
"OH!!"
"Boss is invincible!!"
The subordinates below raised their weapons and shouted in unison.
...
Ten days later!
Reynold arrived as promised!
The ship sailed unhurriedly across the sea. The moment it entered the territory of the Rocks Pirates, it was spotted by a pirate subordinate responsible for intelligence. The subordinate immediately pulled out a Transponder Snail and contacted Rocks.
"Finally, he's here!" Rocks, sitting on his throne, grinned widely and crushed the Transponder Snail in his hand. Below him, the many Division Captains and pirates were already fully prepared!
"Boss, this kid Reynold clearly holds you in contempt. This time, he must be taught a thorough lesson!" Wang Zhi, who had once been soundly beaten by Reynold's crew, immediately stepped forward to fan the flames.
"That's right! Let these ignorant kids know who the true master of this sea is!" Countless pirates echoed the sentiment.
"My subordinates, follow me out!" Rocks waved his large hand, and the pirates grabbed their weapons. Tens of thousands marched mightily toward the main plaza.
Ten minutes later!
"Boss, they're here!!" As far as the eye could see, a massive pirate ship was approaching Hachinosu, drawing closer from the distance! A nearby intelligence officer immediately pulled out the Reynold Pirates' bounty posters!
"Boss, everyone from the Reynold Pirates is here. They are..."
Reynold Pirates Captain Reynold, Bounty: 2.53 Billion Beri!
Fighter Lingling, Bounty: 1.8 Billion Beri!
Fighter Hajrudin, Bounty: 1.5 Billion Beri!
Fighter Jess, Bounty: 1.3 Billion Beri!
Fighter Flame Flower, Bounty: 1.1 Billion Beri!
Fighter Red Count, Patrick Redfield, Bounty: 1 Billion Beri! (Bounty was set based on previous exploits, as he rarely makes public appearances!)
Intelligence Officer Shadow, Bounty: 500 Million Beri!
Musician Brook, Bounty: 50 Million Beri!
Navigator Rogue, Bounty: 40 Million Beri!
Head Chef Long Bread, Bounty: 30 Million Beri!
Shipwright Rupert, Bounty: 30 Million Beri!
Hearing the report, Rocks subconsciously grinned. What a truly luxurious lineup, one that even he envied! Anyone with a bounty over 500 million Beri could be called a great pirate! And anyone with a bounty over one billion Beri was at least Vice Admiral level in combat strength! Yet the Reynold Pirates had six such individuals! If he could absorb the entire Reynold Pirates, overthrowing the World Government would be just around the corner! The time for him to become King of the World could be drastically shortened! How could Rocks not be excited at this thought?!
The only thing that slightly surprised him was Redfield's unexpectedly high bounty. Redfield was extremely low-profile; even Rocks knew very little about him.
Whitebeard, Shiki, Captain John, Wang Zhi, Silver Axe, and the other great pirates stood on either side of Rocks, their expressions varied! Some had grim expressions, some were gloating, and others were preparing themselves for action... But they all shared one common thought: Reynold was about to suffer disaster! When you provoke Rocks, there are only two choices! Submission, or death! Even Reynold was no exception!
"HAHAHAHAHAHA... Reynold, let me test your mettle!!"
WHOOMP.
As Rocks' voice faded, the air vibrated, and dark red currents surged. A powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki swept like a tide toward the ship.
"Hehehehe... As expected of Rocks. Truly overbearing!!" Reynold, standing proudly at the bow with his hands clasped behind his back, curled his lips into a playful smirk. His slightly narrowed eyes suddenly snapped wide! Immediately, a fierce and highly aggressive wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body, turning into a surging giant tide that ruthlessly countered the attack.
Clash—
The two terrifying waves of Conqueror's Haki collided in mid-air. The epicenter of the clash shot out countless dark red lightning bolts that zipped and crackled like snakes, shaking the surrounding area! The sea became turbulent, stirring up waves dozens of meters high before crashing down violently!
"That Reynold guy, he can actually withstand the Boss's Conqueror's Haki?!"
"Bastard, that can't be real?!"
"Reynold's Conqueror's Haki is actually equal to Boss Rocks'?!"
On the plaza of Hachinosu, countless pirates showed expressions of shock and inner dread. Whitebeard, Shiki, and the many Division Captains narrowed their eyes, their hearts equally churning with shock. As fellow Conqueror's Haki users, they knew that facing Rocks' Haki, they could only resist for a moment and certainly couldn't match him equally! But this Reynold!!
Rocks, who was locking horns with Reynold, was also surprised, but his expression was quickly replaced by wild arrogance. As expected of the man he intended to recruit, he deserved to have such power! With Reynold's assistance, he was absolutely certain he could overthrow the World Government and become the true King of the World!!
"HAHAHAHA... Excellent, I like you very much!" Rocks let out a low growl, and the Conqueror's Haki inside him burst forth without reservation, erupting with the force of a volcano! In front of so many subordinates, how could he possibly fall behind!
"This guy can even fend off my brother's Conqueror's Haki?!"
"Interesting, truly interesting!!"
"Oh my goodness, is this the strength of Rocks?! He seems quite strong!"
Lingling, Jess, and the others felt exactly the same! Living with Reynold daily, only they truly understood how terrifying Reynold's power was! Whether in swordsmanship, physical strength, or the three types of Haki, he had no weaknesses! Any single aspect crushed everyone present! Yet Rocks could not only contend with Reynold's Conqueror's Haki but even increase the pressure—how could this not shock them?!
At this moment, everyone's expressions were extremely grim, and their nerves were taut.
"Hehehe... I like this king-to-king way of saying hello!"
BOOM!
Reynold frowned, and the Conqueror's Haki within him also poured out without reserve, transforming into a ferocious, man-devouring beast that charged forward fiercely!
As the two powerful waves of Conqueror's Haki clashed more intensely, a Haki domain formed at the center, and the dark red currents spread out, covering several kilometers. Even the sky turned dark red.
In Hachinosu, engulfed by the Haki, the pirate subordinates had no time to react. One by one, they rolled their eyes, foamed at the mouth, and passed out.
Thud.
The sound of pirates hitting the ground rang out continuously, non-stop. Neither Rocks nor Reynold showed any intention of stopping, continuing their power struggle. Tens of thousands of pirate subordinates fell sprawling onto the ground, unconscious. In less than a moment, only a thousand pirates remained standing. Even among those, a large number were deathly pale, struggling to stay upright by jamming their weapons into the ground!
The sound of bodies dropping nearby made Rocks' expression ugly. They were still several hundred meters away from Reynold, yet tens of thousands of pirates couldn't even withstand the radiating Haki. What a bunch of garbage!! While furious, he was also incredibly surprised!! How many years had it been! Since he became the strongest pirate on the seas, he couldn't remember the last time someone's Conqueror's Haki had rivaled his own! And now, Reynold showed no sign of fatigue whatsoever!
"Boss, stop! Otherwise, our men won't be able to hold on!"
"Yes, Boss! Your Conqueror's Haki is truly too overwhelming!"
"Boss..." Before they could finish speaking, dozens more fell. And these were all pirates with bounties exceeding ten million Beri.
"Useless trash!!"
Rocks snorted coldly and slowly reduced the pressure of his Conqueror's Haki.
Reynold, at the bow of the ship, seemed to sense this. His lips twitched slightly, and he made the same choice. His Conqueror's Haki was roughly equal to Rocks', and continuing the stalemate served no purpose. Under the control of both men, the two waves of Conqueror's Haki finally vanished without a trace. The mountain-like pressure on everyone suddenly disappeared, and the pirates who remained standing gasped for breath, letting out heavy pants. They hadn't noticed, but their backs were completely soaked in sweat, and their legs were visibly trembling.
The ship continued its approach, crossing the remaining hundreds of meters, finally stopping directly in front of Rocks! At this moment, Reynold finally stood face-to-face with Rocks! The atmosphere between the two sides instantly became explosive!
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ONEPIECE My Crewmates Are All God-Tier! (152 Chapters, Ongoing)
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Lingling, Jess, and the others stood on either side of Reynold, fully prepared to strike at any moment! Whitebeard, Shiki, and the many Division Captains were likewise ready! The moment the opposition made any suspicious move, they would immediately attack to gain the advantage!
"HAHAHAHAHAHA... Reynold, you truly have not disappointed me!!" Rocks suddenly threw his head back and let out a wild, arrogant laugh! "You have the qualifications to become one of my Division Captains!"
"Hehehehe... Rocks, I have no interest whatsoever in becoming one of your Division Captains. What you want to do is your business, and it has nothing to do with me!" Reynold responded with a continued smile, then shifted his gaze to the person standing next to Rocks.
"Whitebeard, you rejected my invitation to join, yet shortly after, you joined the Rocks Pirates. In your opinion, am I truly inferior to this man?!" As he spoke, Reynold's eyes narrowed slightly, a chilling coldness flickering within them.
Whitebeard, called out by name, tensed his muscles and instinctively gripped his Murakumogiri, but gave no answer.
Seeing this, Reynold didn't mind and continued: "Rocks, I only came here to exchange greetings with you. Now that the pleasantries are over, there's no need to stay."
A clear rejection! An unmistakable refusal! Rocks' expression instantly darkened upon hearing this. The clash just now was merely a contest of Conqueror's Haki; he possessed far more powerful techniques! Did Reynold truly believe this was enough capital to refuse him?!
Not just Rocks, but the surrounding pirates who were still standing couldn't tolerate it either!! Every single person who remained standing was a famous, named pirate! They might not be Reynold's match, but with Boss Rocks supporting them, what did they have to fear?!
Immediately, several pirates, unafraid of death, stepped out and uttered extremely provocative remarks!
"Hehehehe... Rocks, control your little strays, lest they die without even knowing how!"
"A large crowd of trash is still just trash!!" Jess glanced at the tens of thousands of pirates who had passed out on the ground, his eyes filled with disdain.
"That's right! If you want a fight, we're certainly ready!"
"Recruit my brother? What the hell do you think you are?!" Seeing Rocks disrespect Reynold, Lingling was the first to lash out! Reynold was her sore spot; not just one Rocks, but ten wouldn't dare! Even if they couldn't win, she would be the first to charge, refusing to lose in spirit!
"Hehehehe... Rocks, control the mouths of your subordinates. If you can't, I can do it for you!" Flame Flower made a mental command, and the Homie of Gale transformed into a tornado, letting out a howling roar, ready for deployment! With its power, it could easily destroy all of Hachinosu!
"Golden Lion, you'd better not make any hasty moves!" Redfield, having firmly locked onto Shiki, issued a warning as his umbrella sword slowly opened. Shiki, surprised, fixed his gaze on Redfield. His brow immediately furrowed. He felt an inexplicable pressure emanating from Redfield, a man who had always been inconspicuous. This pressure was far greater than that coming from Jess and Flame Flower. Could it be that Redfield's strength surpassed theirs?!!
"All of you, settle down!!" Hajrudin continuously tossed a massive iron ball into the air, caught it, and tossed it again. He deliberately glanced toward Captain John, Wang Zhi, and the others.
The silent Shadow said nothing. He snapped his fingers, and countless dark crows burst forth from his body, their wings beating as they shrouded the entire sky. Dark mist permeated the air, and his figure suddenly vanished, concealed within it.
"YOHOHOHO... Even as a skeleton, I wish to contribute my strength to the Captain!" With a crisp sound, Brook slowly drew his Soul Solid, a frigid aura from the Underworld coiling around the blade, making it extremely dangerous.
After the earlier clash of Conqueror's Haki, only about a thousand pirates remained standing in the Rocks Pirates. Although the opposition still held a numerical advantage, that advantage was meaningless in the face of the overwhelming strength of Jess and the others. It was clear that the handful of pirates comprising the Reynold Pirates held a vastly superior presence and momentum!
"Rocks, are we going to fight?!"
Reynold spoke with a smile, breaking the explosive tension.
"Reynold, stop wasting words!!"
Rocks gritted his teeth.
"The whole world knows I intend to overthrow the World Government and take its place! With your strength added to mine, I will have one hundred percent certainty! Fight me, one-on-one!!"
"If you lose, you and your entire crew will join my Rocks Pirates, becoming my subordinates! If you win, I will never bother you again!" Rocks got straight to the point, laying out his terms immediately! He knew well that aside from Reynold, the other members of the Reynold Pirates were also formidable. If the two pirate crews went to war, the losses he would incur would be immense—a cost he could not afford. He had only managed to amass this power base over many years; he couldn't let it be decimated by the opposing crew.
"Hehehehe... Rocks, those are your terms?! Are you talking, or are you just spewing nonsense?!"