"Damn it, why! Why can even a woman like her awaken Conqueror's Haki!"
Shikaku's face twisted, nails digging into his palms.
Another woman—one after another—was awakening the kingly talent he coveted, right before his eyes!
And he, who called himself Hachinosu Island's second-in-command, remained forever barred from that Haki!
Jealousy writhed like a viper in his heart, turning his gaze toward Gloriosa thick with resentment and spite.
"U-hahaha! Not bad, not bad at all!"
Rocks' wild laughter shattered the brief silence; the Conqueror's Haki he'd unleashed withdrew, and his eyes sparkled as if he'd found treasure.
"Never thought tonight's welcome for a new officer would come with such an unexpected bonus!"
"Tch—already over?"
Shiki smacked his lips in disappointment, reining in his own aura, yet his eyes now appraised Gloriosa with newfound interest.
"Rocks!" Whitebeard Newgate barked, his own mighty Conqueror's Haki subsiding, displeasure written across his face.
"What the hell are you playing at!"
The earlier clash had wiped out every man he'd brought, despite his protection—an outcome that infuriated him.
Rocks rolled his neck with a crack and laughed wildly.
"Newgate, you of all people should know what I want."
"You still haven't given up on that scheme?" Newgate's brows knitted tight.
"Of course not!" Rocks' voice rang with iron certainty and fanatic zeal.
"Besides the fact he's the man I acknowledge, I need his strength for the day fate has chosen—my plan won't work without him!"
"So what exactly is your goal, Rocks!" Charlotte Linlin demanded coldly, barely restraining her temper.
This madman had nearly let her, a transmigrator, taste the humiliation of being "cannon-foddered."
"U-hahaha! If it isn't Linlin!" Rocks seemed only now to notice her.
"Looks like the toll you paid was worse than I thought. Tell me who dared hurt our Rocks Pirates' number one—"
He paused, glanced at Gloriosa shielding Charlotte Linlin, and amended,
"—number two beauty. As your Captain, I'll settle the score!"
Rocks meant the offer; he'd assumed Linlin was mostly recovered, yet moments ago she'd nearly fainted, unable even to use Haki—proof her injuries far exceeded expectations. And since it happened near Hachinosu Island, it reflected badly on him.
"No comment." Linlin's tone stayed icy, though sensing his rare goodwill she added,
"But no one survives my finishing move."
"Oh?" That single word ignited Shiki's interest.
"Shi-hahaha! With swagger like that I've gotta test your ace! Wonder if it tops Roger's 'Kamisari' for thrills?"
"If you're looking to die, I don't mind showing you," Linlin shot back, her gaze as sharp as a blade.
"Rocks!" Gloriosa stepped forward, glaring at the man on the main seat; the faint crimson of her newborn Conqueror's Haki flared steady and defiant.
"You still haven't answered—what are you after!" This man's recklessness had nearly put Linlin in danger.
Rocks' gaze swept the dozen-odd powerhouses still standing, voice trembling with near-religious fervor:
"I'm taking you all to meet the real 'gods'! That stubborn Harald scoffed that my crew couldn't even get past the so-called God's Knights, right?
This time at Elbaf I'll make him watch with his own eyes whether my pirates deserve to shake those self-styled gods!"
He flung his arms wide as though to embrace the world. "Let's see what excuse that bastard has left to refuse me! U-hahaha!"
"God's Knights?"
The unfamiliar term dropped like a stone into still water, sending ripples through everyone except Charlotte Linlin. They exchanged blank, curious glances.
Only Linlin understood: God's Knights—the supreme guardians of the Celestial Dragons. But Harald? That name lay beyond her knowledge's edge. The banquet ended amid Rocks' wild declarations; save for officers kept behind, in one month Rocks would sail with this monster-stacked crew for Elbaf.
A force like that, Linlin mused—if its purpose weren't "visiting," she'd swear they meant to raze Elbaf. Every survivor present, even the weakest, rivaled top-tier Warlords from her memories.
As the crowd dispersed, Charlotte Linlin of the Heavenly Punishment Pirates turned to Gölz beside her.
The giantess hung her head, broad shoulders hunched, the same stoop she'd kept through the latter half of the feast, sorrow thick enough to touch.
"Gölz," Linlin said, voice gentling,
"Elbaf… that's your homeland, isn't it? This is your chance to go back. Tell your people the truth; they'll understand and take you back."
"R… return?"
Gölz's shoulders shook as though struck. She lifted a tear-streaked face, huge fists bunching her skirt, knuckles white.
"How… how could I show my face…" Her voice cracked like a frightened child's.
"Everyone saw… me… me driving a sword through Elder Yoruru's heart…"
Fat tears rolled off her broad cheeks, splattering the stone with dull thuds.
"They all think I murdered Elder Yoruru… that I betrayed Elbaf…"
Her voice shrank beneath the weight of self-loathing and despair.
"No one will believe me… no one wants a traitor who killed an elder… I'm a Sinner…"
She sobbed so hard her massive frame trembled.
"The nun deceived and used me… my kin hate me to the bone… Maybe my living is the mistake… If Elder Yoruru hadn't told me to live on… if I hadn't met Lord Thunder God… I'd probably have…"
Words failed; she only bowed her head and let grief flood out. Where was the mighty giant? Before Linlin stood a broken child crushed by injustice, convinced the world had cast her out.
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