Chapter 13: The Chief Strategist Is the Vice-Captain[1]
Just as Rocks, Babel, and the others waited expectantly for Akane to speak, Akane didn't continue. Instead, Akane solemnly announced that the banquet was starting.
It made Rocks so furious his fists cracked loudly, veins bulging on his forehead.
Even Newgate felt like hitting someone.
"Hey! My Chief Strategist Akane, my Vice-Captain Akane, hurry up and say it. If you do this, we won't even enjoy eating."
Babel had completely dropped his arrogance and, like Sanbel, started calling Akane vice-captain.
Anyway, even the boss himself was called by name, no need to say "Captain."
So when Rocks said there was no vice-captain position, they could ignore it.
They liked calling Chief Strategist Akane vice-captain. What could Rocks do about it?
As long as they followed the rule of the strong, everything else was up to them.
Sanbel also looked at Akane with longing, because who didn't want to become stronger.
When Rocks heard Babel's way of addressing Akane, his eyes practically spat fire. Now he finally understood that brat's goal.
He suddenly really wanted to beat Akane up.
But a method to increase the odds of awakening Conqueror's Haki was something the Davy clan needed too.
Rocks also wanted the Davy clan to become stronger.
That way he wouldn't have to fight alone, searching outside for powerful partners and subordinates.
Right now, besides him, the other clan members really were pretty useless.
Hundreds of years of hiding had worn down the clan's kingly blood.
Rocks' father had a powerful body and a huge frame, yet now liked wearing a straw hat and growing vegetables, looking exactly like an old farmer.
Newgate finally understood why Akane could keep Rocks, the monster who had slain a Navy admiral, in check.
So Akane was the Rocks Pirates' chief strategist, their brains.
Sanbel had even whispered to him that Akane could foresee the future.
Sanbel said Newgate was destined to come aboard as the strongest officer.
If Newgate were a captain, he would also value a talent like Akane.
Not only could Akane foresee the future and find powerful crewmates, Akane also had all kinds of ways to grow stronger.
It was basically cheating.
"Hey, Babel, you and Sanbel calling me that, aren't you just getting me beaten up by Captain Rocks?"
"Call me chief strategist. There is no vice-captain position on this ship."
"Newgate, in the future you'll be an expert with a blade. You'll get a Supreme Grade Blade."
Akane spread a hand and spoke to Babel and Sanbel with a bright smile, righteously refusing the title of vice-captain.
Akane even casually mentioned Newgate.
Newgate's ears perked up, eyebrows lifting. In the future he would get a Supreme Grade Blade?
It felt like winning a jackpot.
No wonder Rocks and Babel were getting played by Akane. Now it felt like Newgate was getting played too.
"I don't care. I like calling the chief strategist vice-captain. Rocks can't control that."
Babel spoke decisively, but still sneaked a glance at Rocks. He was afraid of getting beaten again.
But compared to a method for awakening Conqueror's Haki, a beating was nothing.
"Ahem. Chief strategist or vice-captain, either way, it's just to show how important you are to us."
Newgate spoke seriously, quietly accepting Akane's status and position.
Newgate also wanted to know the shortcut to awakening Conqueror's Haki, and wanted to know what his Supreme Grade Blade would be called.
Rocks said nothing, only grinned at Akane.
It was obvious he really wanted to beat Akane up.
But he couldn't bear to lose that method to increase the odds of awakening Conqueror's Haki.
Akane didn't keep provoking Rocks, because Akane genuinely feared Rocks' fist would get even harder and heavier.
"Heh. It's all for making the Rocks Pirates stronger. How could I hold anything back?"
"To increase the chance of awakening Conqueror's Haki, you have to face fear and break fear."
"The simplest way is to kill a Celestial Dragon."
"In a certain era, the captain of the Big Daddy Pirates, Die Die, and the leader of the Wild Dragon Crew, Dongye Huanglong, liked leading their men to hunt Celestial Dragons. Most of their high-ranking officers awakened Conqueror's Haki."
"Right now, people fear the World Government and fear the Celestial Dragons."
"Kill a Celestial Dragon, and your spirit will undergo a transformation. You'll have a chance to become a first-generation Conqueror's Haki awakener with kingly qualities."
"Especially you fish-men and many rare races. Your fear of the Celestial Dragons is carved into your bones."
"Alright, the method is here. Now it depends on whether you dare to try it."
Akane looked at Rocks and Babel with a wicked grin.
Sure enough, Babel and Sanbel's faces changed dramatically. They had never imagined such a terrifying method.
They really did fear the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
After all, countless of their people had become slaves to the Celestial Dragons, and they had no way to resist or change it.
And if they killed a Celestial Dragon, wouldn't that implicate Fish-Man Island?
"Wororororo! That really is a good method."
"But what era were Die Die and Dongye Huanglong from? It'd be great to meet men like that."
Rocks laughed wildly, licking his lips, longing even more to get to know such domineering heroes.
"Kill a Celestial Dragon? That's insane."
Newgate raised his eyebrows. It didn't feel like his path.
Still, Newgate was confident he would awaken Conqueror's Haki on his own before ever meeting a Celestial Dragon.
With a monster like Rocks nearby, the desire to become stronger burned fiercely.
"Babel, Sanbel, don't think too much. People change. The more you experience, the stronger you become. There's no need to worry about it now."
"When you finally have the spirit to face a Celestial Dragon, you might already have completed your transformation."
"Now, the banquet begins!"
Akane laughed, using gravity to make all kinds of food float in the air, forming a feast of food and wine that could be grabbed at will.
"Hmph. Celestial Dragons? So what. Sooner or later I'll kill them!"
Babel stiffened his neck and talked tough, not wanting to lose face in front of Rocks and Newgate.
Sanbel stayed honest and low-key. With these big shots backing him, maybe he didn't need to become a king anyway.
But Akane's words and that method had already been burned deep into their hearts.
Rocks memorized the names Die Die and Dongye Huanglong, and planned to make Akane reveal more information later.
Unfortunately, he was destined to never meet them, because Akane had made them up.
Newgate felt like the title Big Daddy sounded good. If he ever had children and subordinates, he would have them call him Old Man.
The newcomer banquet was fairly successful, and everyone was in a good mood.
Newgate gradually loosened up and slowly turned into a heavy drinker.
The next day, Akane actively searched for information about Sleepy Ancient Town, while Rocks had already picked the next target.
Gokudo Shiki, a Paramecia Float-Float Fruit user, a gangster swordsman.
Once they recruited him, together with Akane's gravity power, the Xebec Sword could sail even faster.
They would speed up the search for other powerhouses and complete the formation of the Rocks Pirates.