The next day.
The news of Charlotte Linlin joining the Rocks Pirates hit the newspapers.
This worst pirate crew had gained another powerful executive!
The atmosphere in the entire New World grew increasingly oppressive!
The pressure the Rocks Pirates exerted on all other pirate crews had greatly increased.
With Streusen now acting as the official chef, Rocks unceremoniously kicked the sailors and laborers off the Xebec's Sword.
He had no use for weaklings on his ship!
Sunbell, the younger brother, immediately transitioned to the roles of helmsman and sailor, becoming a low-level executive along with the chef, Streusen.
Fortunately, Streusen's bounty was even lower than Sunbell's.
So Streusen became the bottom-ranked member of the ship.
["Gourmet Knight" Streusen, Bounty 177,000,000 Berries.]
This bounty was earned just by following Charlotte Linlin.
Streusen usually didn't fight.
But his true strength was probably higher than this bounty.
He had developed his Paramecia Cook-Cook Fruit ability to a considerable level.
He could turn any non-animal substances into food.
He could easily turn a pirate ship into a soft, spongy cake.
...
"Vohahaha! Delicious! I've never eaten anything this good before!"
Even Rocks was conquered by Streusen's cooking, eating and drinking heartily.
The food they had before was like mud.
Besides using the Cook-Cook Fruit to create food, Streusen's own culinary skills were also superb.
"I'm glad you like it, Captain Rocks!"
"Vice Captain, these are the dishes I specially prepared according to your requirements."
Streusen was very respectful to Rocks and even more subservient to Ignis, almost like a fawning servant, presenting plate after plate of food to Ignis.
This puzzled everyone!
How had Ignis tamed this guy so well?
Shiki was a bit annoyed. He had beaten Streusen alongside Ignis.
Why wasn't Streusen as respectful to him as he was to Ignis?
Was it because of the Vice Captain position?
Was this guy Streusen that realistic? Only fawning over Rocks, the captain, and Ignis, the 'fake' Vice Captain.
Even Charlotte Linlin was a bit jealous. How had her personal chef become like a little servant serving Ignis?
"This is bad, Sunbell. This little human dwarf is trying to take our position as Vice Captain Ignis's number one supporter."
Barbel considered himself to have latched onto Ignis's thigh, but this little dwarf was even more shameless in his groveling.
This human chef had no shame! So desperate to curry favor!
"The Vice Captain probably doesn't like that kind of flattery. He says we're true partners and encourages us to get stronger and become great figures who stand on our own."
Sunbell also felt a bit disgusted by Streusen's fawning, but he wasn't worried that the wise and wise Vice Captain would be affected by such things.
In his heart, the Vice Captain was the all-knowing prophet!
Ignis looked at the respectful Streusen. It seemed his Shichiseiken had done its job, successfully influencing the treacherous little dwarf, Streusen.
That would make dealing with Charlotte Linlin even easier.
...
"Ignis, how much longer do we have to interact before you can prophesy for me?"
Since boarding the ship, Charlotte Linlin had asked Ignis this question no less than fifty times, but Ignis had never given her a definite time.
It all depended on his mood and sudden inspiration.
This made Linlin a bit dissatisfied!
But now, even her chef had been stolen by Ignis, and she couldn't beat Rocks. She had no choice but to stay on the Rocks Pirates' ship for now.
"Keep asking every day, and it'll take even longer!"
Ignis wasn't about to indulge this Charlotte Linlin, who was in the process of transforming from a fat giant into a beautiful woman.
"Hmph~"
Charlotte Linlin felt a bit wronged. Both Rocks and Ignis were suppressing her. It didn't feel good.
Even the 'obedient' Streusen was no longer obedient.
"Let's go to the North Blue for a while!"
Kyo still couldn't let go of his obsession with finding a Devil Fruit in the North Blue!
Ignis, Newgate, Shiki, and Linlin were all powerful Devil Fruit users. He also needed a powerful ability.
Otherwise, he would have no chance of defeating these bastards!
"After we deal with the 'Pirate Guru', we'll go to the West Blue to find the Mafia boss Marlon!"
Rocks glanced coldly at Silver Axe, again rejecting the proposal to go to the North Blue. He needed to return to his hometown, God Valley, in the West Blue to see if there were any unexpected developments.
And to secretly deliver some things!
"Hmph!"
"Then let me fight Wang Zhi first!"
Kyo spoke angrily. He desperately wanted to prove his strength and raise his bounty.
"Then don't get yourself killed!"
Rocks smiled cruelly. Kyo couldn't even beat Linlin, so he probably couldn't beat the man calling himself the 'Pirate Guru' either.
But this was a good opportunity for the 'Pirate Guru' to test the strength of his subordinates.
He wanted Ignis, Newgate, Shiki, and Linlin to all step on Wang Zhi's reputation and rise to prominence.
Let the world see the strength of the strongest pirate crew.
Then Wang Zhi would have died a worthy death!
From now on, in the New World, there would be only 'Pirate Overlord' Rocks, and no 'Pirate Guru' Wang Zhi.
"He couldn't even handle some guy named Kuroki who popped up out of nowhere. I doubt this Wang Zhi is all that."
Silver Axe didn't believe Wang Zhi could kill him. That 'Pirate Guru' was famous for being greedy and lustful. How strong could such a person be?
"This Kuroki appeared just like Rocks did, seemingly out of nowhere, with no prior intelligence on him."
"When the time comes, I'll test his strength myself and see if I can force out his true abilities."
Ignis looked at the latest underworld intelligence, his expression quite serious.
If he really was a CP agent, when pushed to his limits, he would certainly use techniques like the Six Powers to save his life.
"Vohahaha! Great talents emerge from the four seas like crucian carp crossing a river. There's nothing strange about someone popping up."
Rocks's interest in this Kuroki was much higher than in Wang Zhi, the 'destined traitor'.
And also that Polo Gram.
He wanted to recruit more powerful individuals beyond the prophecies and truly change the future.
Deep down, he greatly disliked fate and destiny. He wanted to break this damnable fate!
...
New World, Elysium Island.
Wang Zhi looked at the newspaper, seeing that the Rocks Pirates had recruited another monster executive.
He had a feeling that Rocks would come for him soon.
After all, his epithet, 'Pirate Guru', was quite ostentatious.
A domineering monster like Rocks would certainly not let him off.
Fortunately, he had already made some deals with the World Government.
Joining the Rocks Pirates now wasn't out of the question!
Once the Rocks Pirates carved out a territory, he would find a way to cooperate with the World Government to kill Rocks.
Then he could seize and even inherit everything the Rocks Pirates had built!
Wang Zhi grew more and more excited, his long tongue dancing happily in the air.
This formidable dragon, Rocks, would ultimately end up working for him, the native snake.
At a secret location on the island, two CP0 agents and Kuroki received the latest intelligence that the Rocks Pirates' flying warship was approaching Elysium Island.
"The big fish has taken the bait."
"One day, we will avenge the tragic deaths of Admiral Walker."
The three CP0 agents seemed to already see the day when Rocks would be brought to justice.