Fang Huo had previously considered having Rocks relocate the Davy Clan to the Sky Island in the New World or the Grand Line.
He even thought about having Golden Lion Shiki move the entire God Valley to the New World.
This would prevent Figarland Garling from miraculously finding God Valley again.
Fang Huo also wanted to capture the red-haired woman from God Valley; after all, she was the mother who gave birth to two Kings: Red-Haired Shanks and Shamrock.
Inside Skull Castle.
"The World Government has really blockaded Red Soil Island?"
Rocks' tone was filled with excitement, meaning the location of the Native Purge Competition was basically confirmed.
This time, he was determined to thoroughly plunder the Celestial Dragons and avenge the Davy Clan, who had been hunted by the World Government for generations.
He also wanted to test whether his current Conqueror's Haki could kill the Gods Knights, or even the Gorosei.
As for Imu, that immortal old-timer, Rocks still had no confidence without obtaining those two legendary Devil Fruits.
"Going too early will arouse the suspicion of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons; going too late will result in more Red Soil Island residents dying."
"Also, we need to prevent Harald, that reckless man, from accidentally exposing our intelligence on Red Soil Island to the World Government for the sake of so-called peace."
During the core meeting of the Rocks Pirates, Fang Huo slowly spoke, while the Roger Pirates were not yet qualified to attend this meeting.
Golden Lion Shiki and Silver Axe Fierce had already been summoned back to Hachinosu by Fang Huo.
"Then we'll call Harald just before we set off!"
Rocks made the decision directly. He absolutely could not miss this opportunity to deal with the Celestial Dragons.
"Yo! Redfield, quite a unique look you've got there!"
Golden Lion Shiki propped his feet on the table, staring at Redfield's bruised eyes, wondering who had beaten this ice-cold man to such a state.
"Hmph!"
Redfield snorted coldly. Fang Huo's Conquerors Haki Coating Black Flash elbow had prevented his injuries from recovering quickly.
"Clap!!"
"Kyahahaha! Newgate! See that! My bounty has surpassed yours!"
Golden Lion Shiki ignored the cold Redfield and excitedly slapped down his latest wanted poster.
Golden Lion Shiki, bounty 1,347,000,000.
This bounty had already surpassed Whitebeard Newgate's 1,146,000,000, and was even just shy of Charlotte Linlin's 1,388,000,000.
He was just one step away from becoming the third most important figure in the Rocks Pirates.
Now he planned to emulate Charlotte Linlin, change his development direction, aggressively expand the territory of his Flying Kingdom, and further elevate his influence and notorious reputation.
This way, his bounty would quickly surpass Charlotte Linlin's.
"Do you want to sink into the sea?"
Whitebeard Newgate took a swig of sake and spoke indifferently, exuding a calm demeanor that suggested Golden Lion Shiki couldn't beat him.
"Do you really think I can't beat you?!"
Golden Lion Shiki immediately bristled, cursing and standing up.
"Want to try?"
Newgate raised an eyebrow, and a glowing white orb appeared on his fist, causing the entire castle to vibrate.
"My bounty is higher than yours!!"
Golden Lion Shiki's face was filled with apprehension. In a one-on-one fight, he genuinely struggled against this monstrous Tremor-Tremor Fruit Ability user.
But he quickly sat back down, grinning as he held up the wanted poster.
"You can't beat me!"
"My bounty is higher than yours!"
"You can't beat me!"
"My bounty is higher than yours!"
Whitebeard Newgate and Golden Lion Shiki were at loggerheads, neither willing to concede.
"Enough!!"
At Rocks' command, Newgate and Shiki grudgingly fell silent.
Fang Huo glanced around, his gaze settling on Cadres like Silver Axe Fierce, Ganzi, Barbel, Kiel Bastard, and Bolo Gram.
"This Red Soil Island incident is a great opportunity for King Executives to break through to Conqueror's Haki, and also a chance for you all to awaken Conqueror's Haki!"
"Ganzi, I thought you would have a chance to awaken Conqueror's Haki after becoming the King of Beehive Island."
"When you shouted that you wanted to become king and awaken Conqueror's Haki, you weren't like this greedy person obsessed with digging for gold after occupying Beehive Island."
"Shiki and Fierce still go out to fight pirates and Marines, but you've been digging for gold for so long!"
Fang Huo coldly eyed Ganzi, who was covered in gold, his tone somewhat indifferent.
This smuggling Great Pirate was essentially a lost cause.
Fang Huo had given up all hope for him.
Ganzi gave an awkward dry laugh, not daring to retort.
He indeed hadn't awakened Conqueror's Haki and was still engrossed in mining gold on Beehive Island.
"Can killing Celestial Dragons really awaken Conqueror's Haki?!"
Silver Axe Fierce's aura was incredibly sharp. Now, with the Dice-Dice Fruit Ability, Fierce could transform his entire body into sharp steel, growing stronger and stronger.
Even Ganzi's Bomb-Bomb Fruit Ability could no longer injure him. He was already like Fūgetsu Kisaburō, his strength surpassing Ganzi's.
He had become one of the strongest Cadres below the King Executives.
Silver Axe Fierce, in Fang Huo's eyes, was the Cadre with the most potential to awaken Conqueror's Haki.
Fūgetsu Kisaburō still had a bit of loyalty to the emperor influencing him, and Bolo Gram was a bit lazy. Both of them lacked the unwavering resolve of Silver Axe Fierce.
"Killing Celestial Dragons..."
Barbel also wanted to awaken Conqueror's Haki, but he wasn't as resolute as Silver Axe Fierce. He still had some concerns about Fish-Man Island beneath Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Sanbel was a bit chivalrous and also not a potential candidate for awakening Conqueror's Haki.
"Hehe! As long as there's a chance, I'll try it!"
Even Kiel Bastard, normally a flippant fellow, was more domineering than Ganzi and Sanbel. He made no secret of his determination to kill Celestial Dragons and awaken Conqueror's Haki.
As a member of the rare Four-Armed Tribe, he didn't have much fear or apprehension towards the World Government and Celestial Dragons; in fact, there was even racial hatred.
After all, rare races like his had been one of the most desired slave races for Celestial Dragons for generations.
Their Four-Armed Tribe and Three-Eyed Tribe were actually not much better off than the Lunarian Tribe and Buccaneer Tribe.
They were all rare races on the verge of extinction.
"Vice Captain! I will definitely perform well this time."
Ganzi spoke earnestly, but his words were laced with the perfunctory tone of a seasoned veteran.
...
Fang Huo glanced at the man covered in golden armor, completely giving up on him.
This kind of person was better off as his Quartermaster and Chief Miner.
"For now, you all will train with the Roger Pirates!"
"Rocks, I'm going to Wano Country to prepare a batch of Sea Stone."
"I'll bring Harald and Loki back with me then."
"You all wait for me on Hachinosu."
Fang Huo felt it was better to let Rocks train and push these Cadres hard, to prepare them for war.
As soon as the intelligence officers monitoring Holy Land Mary Geoise sent news, they would immediately launch the Red Soil Island operation.
Fang Huo didn't know if Sea Stone would affect Imu's granted immortality.
But it should be effective against the Gods Knights who possess Devil Fruit abilities.
Conquerors Haki Knot would be used against Imu, as well as the teleported Gorosei and Gods Knights.
As for the Gorosei and Gods Knights who personally arrived at Red Soil Island.
Fang Huo and Rocks planned to try to exhaust them with Conquerors Haki Infusion, or imprison them with Sea Stone.