Shiki grinned maliciously, immediately trying to sow discord between Kyo and Ignis.
If Kyo offended Ignis, Newgate and Barbel would probably both shun him.
Then Kyo's situation on the Rocks Pirates would become very dire.
This was exactly the result Shiki wanted.
"Hmph!"
Kyo didn't explain himself, just drank with a dark expression.
"Shiki, stop playing these little games."
Ignis gave a meaningful laugh, seeing through Shiki's instigation at a glance.
"Kyo, welcome aboard!"
Ignis raised his wine glass towards Silver Axe, completely ignoring Shiki's dry chuckle.
"..."
Kyo, cold by nature, looked at Ignis in surprise. In the end, he accepted Ignis's goodwill, raising his glass in return, but didn't speak.
"Bwahaha! One's a sly fox, the other's cold and distant! Neither is straightforward!"
"Newgate! Let's drink!"
Barbel wasn't so friendly towards the two newcomers. He raised a huge barrel of wine towards Newgate.
"Bottoms up!"
Newgate was also a heavy drinker. He accepted whatever came his way, drinking as much as was offered.
With these two drunkards leading the way, the atmosphere at the new crew member's banquet finally livened up a bit.
"Vohahaha! Then let's go help Newgate get Murakumogiri first."
Rocks looked at his six subordinates with a satisfied smile.
He had originally planned to seek out the powerful Giant King, Harald, first.
But Ignis said it would be a futile effort, so he had temporarily suppressed that idea.
"Gurararara! Thanks then!"
Newgate laughed heartily. Although this pirate crew had rules he found distasteful, the feeling of it was pretty good for now.
At least his relationships with Ignis, Barbel, and Sunbell were good.
He hoped the two newcomers, Shiki and Kyo, wouldn't turn out to be bastards he despised!
"Ignis, take a look at this guy. This is a name we haven't mentioned before. Does he have a chance to become my subordinate?"
Rocks handed a wanted poster to Ignis. He had his eye on this guy with decent strength.
"Four-Armed Gun King" Gill Bastar, Paramecia-type Ghost-Ghost Fruit user.
"Hmm?"
"Him?"
"We can take him onto the ship!"
"He is indeed one of the executives of the Rocks Pirates!"
Ignis looked at the man wearing a hat and sunglasses. He had nearly forgotten about this Rocks executive.
After this guy died, he would later be turned into a zombie general by Gecko Moria.
He never expected him to be a Ghost-Ghost Fruit user!
Could he be related to Ghost Princess Perona somehow?
Could the bullets he fires be imbued with negative ghost abilities?
Bullets paired with negative ghosts, not a bad combination!
"And this one, Polo Gram, captain of the Polo Pirates. This guy also seems qualified to come aboard!"
Rocks handed another wanted poster to Ignis, seeking his opinion.
'Pineapple-headed Marco?'
'No, wait, this must be Marco's father!'
Ignis's eyes narrowed. This guy looked exactly like Marco.
"You can give it a try!"
Ignis nodded slightly. This guy seemed to be about as strong as Silver Axe and Gloriosa, and could even kick Silver Axe. His strength was indeed decent.
"Vohahaha! If he's got your approval, it seems this guy has a decent reputation in the future."
Hearing Ignis say he could give it a try, but not stating that Polo Gram was an executive of the Rocks Pirates,
Rocks knew this guy must have a considerable reputation, appearing in the future that Ignis could foresee.
"This guy has a bit of a connection with Newgate in the future."
Ignis spread his hands. Polo Gram was one of the great pirates who participated in the God Valley War.
He even clashed with Silver Axe and Gloriosa, fighting over treasure and Devil Fruits.
Perhaps Marco's Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit was one of his spoils.
By the time of the God Valley War, Marco was already 7 years old.
Polo Gram claimed to be a fan of Whitebeard and even tried to recruit Whitebeard Newgate.
It was unknown when Polo Gram died in battle, entrusting his son Marco to Whitebeard Newgate.
In the world of pirates, entrusting one's children to friends is not uncommon.
In the original timeline, the Warlord Hanafuzza entrusted his children, Ulti and Page One to Kaido of the Beasts.
And the Pirate King Roger entrusted his child to his rival and friend, "Iron Fist" Garp.
"He's my friend in the future?"
Newgate cracked a smile, picking up Polo Gram's wanted poster and memorizing the pineapple-headed man's face.
"Hey, hey, hey, Rocks, you're the captain. Why do you just believe whatever Ignis says!"
Silver Axe Kyo was a bit displeased seeing Ignis seemingly become the center of the entire crew.
Rocks's strength was immense, and Kyo accepted that without question.
But he wasn't convinced by Ignis, who just talked a good game.
At the very least, Ignis hadn't beaten him into submission yet.
He didn't want a vice captain above him, under Rocks.
"Jehahaha! Then you should challenge Great Strategist Ignis."
Golden Lion Shiki immediately started fanning the flames again. He actually wanted to know Ignis's true strength, too.
He already knew Ignis possessed gravity abilities.
But recently, he discovered Ignis could also summon bloodshadow bats that drained many pirates dry.
In that moment, he knew this seemingly mild-mannered Great Strategist was definitely not as simple as he appeared.
"Vohahaha! I also endorse you beating Ignis up."
Rocks put down the wanted posters, also starting to stir the pot.
He usually hadn't gone all out against Ignis. Having a newcomer force out Ignis's limits was a good idea.
Rocks didn't believe Ignis had no hidden cards.
This crafty kid was definitely holding back a lot of his strength.
"I want to challenge you, Ignis!"
"If I win, you have to forbid others from calling you Vice Captain!"
Encouraged by Rocks and Shiki, Silver Axe Kyo directly issued a challenge.
Since the Rocks Pirates operated on a "might makes right" basis, then, as Rocks had said, there should be no Vice Captain on the ship!
Under Rocks, every executive should prove their standing through strength.
"Tsk, tsk, I seem to look even weaker than Sunbell, making you newcomers think I'm just a prophet who talks a good game."
Ignis saw Rocks, Shiki, and the others all looking eager for a show. Even Newgate and Barbel had never truly witnessed Ignis's strength.
They too wanted to know how Ignis's combat ability measured up.
"Vice Captain, you'll always be the Vice Captain in my heart!"
Honest Sunbell immediately spoke up to state his firm position.
Hearing this, Barbel's expression shifted slightly, inwardly screaming that Sunbell, you kid, got the jump on me.
"Ignis, you know, I also recognize you as my Vice Captain."
Barbel decisively followed suit. He wasn't as arrogant as Newgate and Shiki. He knew how to align himself with the right people!
Besides the invincible Rocks, the wise Ignis was the absolute pillar on the ship.