"It's the middle of the day—quit the noise! Get in!"
Roldy had knocked only once when a thunderous shout erupted from inside.
Shiki and Whitebeard clearly found this sort of thing routine. Roldy didn't hesitate either. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
If the door itself was extravagant, then the interior was sheer excess.
Golden ornaments inlaid with gemstones were scattered throughout the room. A wine cabinet crafted from the finest timber stood in one corner. At the center was a luxurious sofa upholstered in the hide of some unknown beast.
Leaning back upon it was a man barely over two meters tall.
In his hand was a glass of whiskey clinking with ice. He appeared clearly intoxicated, his entire body relaxed—utterly without guard.
And yet—
Roldy was certain of one thing.
If he were to show even a trace of hostility now—if he used his Devil Fruit power and struck at full speed—
He would be crushed without suspense.
It was the instinct of a Mink, a predator's intuition.
Though Rocks merely sat there, he embodied two words:
Invincible.
A storm churned in Roldy 's heart.
Rocks was on a completely different level from Whitebeard, Shiki, Garp, or Zephyr.
"Kehahahahaha! And who do we have here? The Marine brat who made headlines!"
For some reason, Roldy found the glass in Rocks' hand oddly unsettling…
"Captain Rocks. It's an honor."
The most dangerous criminal in the world stood before him. Roldy couldn't help but feel a flicker of tension.
Yet unexpectedly, Rocks was more welcoming than he had imagined.
The man rose from the sofa. His facial features were unremarkable, yet arranged together they gave off a natural aura of wickedness. He walked forward, looked up at Roldy , and extended his right hand.
"The Marine Vice Admiral who killed a Celestial Dragon pays me a visit. Looking for shelter under my banner? That's a wise decision!"
The news had already spread across the seas.
Rocks had a particular appreciation for young men like Roldy —
More precisely, for powerful individuals bold enough to stand against the World Government.
He didn't care what monsters served under him.
He only cared that they were willing to oppose the World Government.
With the scale of Roldy 's headline-grabbing deeds, even Rocks could hardly ignore him.
"Jihahahaha! The brat's ambitions go even further! He wants a Division Commander seat!"
Shiki crossed his arms, casually swiping a premium cigar from the table—a rare West Blue import, worth a fortune.
"Oh? Even better!"
Rocks' eyes lit up.
For his coming grand plan, the Rocks Pirates had been recruiting on a massive scale. They had numbers—but lacked sufficient high-end combat power.
A Division Commander seat?
If someone believed they had the strength to claim it—
So be it.
As for betrayal?
Rocks didn't care in the slightest.
Roldy had expected some kind of trial—
Instead, Rocks abruptly grabbed a Den Den Mushi from the table.
Not just any Den Den Mushi.
It was an amplifier Den Den Mushi—used by the captain to broadcast orders across all of Hachinosu.
Its voice would reach every corner of the island.
"—Ahem!"
He cleared his throat.
Outside, the amplified sound echoed across the island.
Pirates who had been lounging in small groups looked up toward the highest point of Hachinosu—Rocks' residence.
Was the captain about to issue another insane command?
"Listen up, you lot! The legendary Marine Vice Admiral —the defector who made headlines—the man with a 940 million Berry bounty, Fite Roldy ! From today onward, he is the Seventh Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates! To celebrate his joining, there will be a banquet in the plaza tonight! Cheer! Raise hell!"
With just a few sentences, Rocks had confirmed Roldy 's position.
The reactions across the island were mixed.
Some pirates cheered.
Some eyes gleamed with greed.
Some remained indifferent.
"All right. From today on, you're my Seventh Division Commander. Don't worry about those World Government bastards—they don't have the guts to come here. And sooner or later, we'll kill them ourselves!"
Rocks' casual tone left Roldy momentarily stunned.
Shiki provided the explanation.
"Jihahahaha! No need to look confused, kid. That's how things work here. Strength decides everything. The captain's announcement gives you the title—but it also sets the rule."
"Be prepared. Over the next few days, plenty of fools will challenge you. Some will try to assassinate you. Your job? Crush every last one of them."
"Survive three days. After that, people will start applying to join under you."
That was the tradition of the Rocks Pirates.
Three days.
If Roldy died, then the Seventh Division had never existed.
If he survived—
No one would question his authority again.
"Your strength isn't what I'm worried about! Those idiots can't handle you. Oh—and you'll need to fund and build your own flagship. We've got channels for that."
And just like that, Roldy 's first meeting with Rocks ended.
Compared to Roldy , the top-tier overlord seemed far more interested in finishing his whiskey.
Whitebeard had already returned to his quarters. Shiki remained beside Roldy , strolling the island with him, talking at length.
It was obvious—
Shiki truly wanted to recruit him.
Roldy was the type who repaid both grudges and favors. Regardless of Shiki's motives, he had undeniably helped him. Roldy 's attitude softened noticeably.
"By the way, Mr. Shiki… where do the Division Commanders stay? And where can I buy supplies?"
Roldy had arrived alone—essentially penniless. Most of his money remained at his former residence, with a portion under Zephyr's care.
Dusk was approaching.
He had begun considering where he would sleep.
"Huh? You're being serious?"
Shiki looked at him like he'd heard a joke.
"Buy things? We're pirates! You're a Division Commander now! The houses, the people, the goods—if your fists are strong enough, they're yours!"
He pointed toward a residential district in the distance, noticeably superior to the rest.
"That's where some of the tougher independents stay. They've got some strength, but not much. They don't belong to any division. Pick whichever house you like."
Shiki spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
For Roldy —
A door to a new world had just been kicked open.
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