The news of the Rocks Pirates annihilating the Wang Zhi Pirates spread quickly.
The great pirate known as the "Pirate Guru," Wang Zhi, had been defeated and killed by an executive of the Rocks Pirates, without Rocks himself even lifting a finger.
This once again showed the world the immense power of the Rocks Pirates.
The iconic terrain features on Elysium Island now were the creations of the Rocks Pirates' "Great Demon Lord" Ignis and "Golden Lion" Shiki.
"Whitebeard" Newgate had split Elysium Island in two with a single punch, creating a strait through its center and forming a natural harbor.
This allowed more pirate ships to sail into the strait, making Elysium Island increasingly prosperous.
Rocks publicly proclaimed himself the "New World Overlord" on Elysium Island!
He declared that he welcomed any great pirate of the New World to come and challenge him.
This new epithet for the world's worst criminal once again sent waves of pressure through the New World's great pirate crews.
"New World Overlord", the goal of this title was obvious.
Rocks intended to become the absolute ruler of the New World!
Although some great pirates were defiant, none dared to set foot on Elysium Island to challenge the monster Rocks.
After all, a monster capable of killing a Marine Admiral was simply too terrifying.
Then Rocks announced that the Rocks Pirates would recruit affiliated crews.
This news instantly rocked the New World!
Was this New World Overlord finally about to expand his power?
Countless pirate crews, eager to latch onto a powerful force, streamed towards Elysium Island, determined to become part of the Rocks Pirates.
At the same time, many up-and-coming crews wanted to see the Rocks Pirates' strong members for themselves.
They didn't believe Rocks could kill everyone who refused to join.
A flood of pirate crews descended on Elysium Island, making it incredibly lively and bustling within just ten days.
The World Government and Marine Headquarters felt the immense threat posed by the Rocks Pirates.
...
The fearsome reputations of the Rocks Pirates' executives also spread rapidly.
Even the bottom-ranked members, "Tidal Demon" Sunbell and "Gourmet Knight" Streusen, had their own fans.
Countless fish-men and chefs looked up to them.
The fact that they had successfully joined the Rocks Pirates and stood their ground among monsters proved their strength.
"Depth Juggernauth" Barbel and "Silver Axe" Kyo had both fought Wang Zhi to a "standstill," displaying extraordinary strength.
"Golden Lion" Shiki and "Iron Balloon" Charlotte Linlin had even gained the upper hand against Wang Zhi at times.
"Whitebeard" Newgate was even stronger, having defeated Wang Zhi with a single blow, his strength was truly terrifying.
And then there was the Rocks Pirates' Vice Captain, the "Great Demon Lord" Ignis, who had personally killed the "Pirate Guru."
With his handsome features, eerie demeanor, immense strength, and spectacular abilities, he had become the Rocks Pirates' number one star.
His wanted poster had become a collector's item for countless female pirates and beautiful women across the seas.
Ignis had even received mountains of love letters from around the world, much to the annoyance of Shiki and Kyo.
They couldn't understand why women liked a pretty boy like Ignis instead of strong, virile men like them.
Also, perhaps the World Government didn't want to further hype up the Rocks Pirates.
After the Elysium Island incident, the World Government and Marine Headquarters had yet to issue new wanted posters for the crew.
Logically, after destroying the Wang Zhi Pirates, all their bounties should have increased.
...
At the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Elder Saturn was furious about the failure of the CP0 agents.
After all, Guyue Ignis was personally designated by Lord Im as a target for capture.
And now even the important pawn Wang Zhi was dead.
It was incredibly difficult for the World Government to buy off a great pirate.
Those great pirates were famously defiant and lawless, ignoring the World Government completely.
Wang Zhi, greedy and lustful, had been a rare exception.
This failure forced Saturn to once again devise a plan to capture Guyue Ignis.
Otherwise, he would be in trouble once Lord Im grew angry.
Meanwhile, the God's Knights' search mission had also yielded nothing.
They hadn't even determined which sea Rocks had come from.
This Rocks seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
No trace of his existence could be found.
Even the World Government and Marine Headquarters' vast intelligence networks had uncovered no information.
That could only mean that Rocks came from a non-member nation,
an island not touched by the World Government's influence.
Not even the underworld had any information on Rocks.
Before the Reverie, it seemed no pirate or merchant had even encountered Rocks.
This revealed another important point.
Rocks's hometown might not have had any contact with the underworld either.
Based on these clues and deductions, the God's Knights could only continue searching among the lesser-known non-member nations and islands.
As for the Guyue Village Ignis had come from, it had been swept clean several times by the God's Knights.
But no other mutants like Ignis was found.
And since Guyue Village had been destroyed by the Goan Kingdom, the God's Knights had very little intelligence or leads on Ignis.
...
In some sea area of the New World, the smuggler pirate Ganzui, clad in golden armor, saw the news about the Rocks Pirates and his eyes lit up, seeing endless business opportunities.
He immediately led his smuggling fleet, loaded with various goods, to head to the bustling Elysium Island.
He was determined to make a fortune on the rapidly developing island.
As for becoming an affiliated crew of the Rocks Pirates, that never crossed his mind.
Wasn't it better to be his own boss?
Why become someone else's underling?
His interest and goal were making money. He loved shiny gold and had no interest in fighting.
But if he could establish ties with Elysium Island, his business would gain another stable source of income.
...
In another sea area, up-and-coming crews like the Polo Pirates and the Bastar Pirates all headed towards Elysium Island, wanting to see the sights.
As long as they kept a low profile, they probably wouldn't attract the attention of big shots like Rocks.
"This Whitebeard Newgate is so young and already this strong."
For some reason, Polo Gram felt an instant connection with Whitebeard Newgate.
He felt that Whitebeard was definitely someone worth befriending.
Maybe even a reliable friend to whom one could entrust one's children.
"The Rocks Pirates seem to be lacking a sniper..."
"Four-Armed Gun King" Gil Bastar, surrounded by four transparent ghosts floating beside him, was considering whether to continue on his own or become an affiliate of the Rocks Pirates.
Or even try to become one of the Rocks Pirates' executives himself.
Perhaps joining the Rocks Pirates wasn't a bad option!
Of course, having Rocks come and 'take' him would display his strength and fame more than proactively joining.
But ending up like Wang Zhi, suddenly killed, would be a bit unjust.