Rocks showed absolutely no anger toward the "rebellion" of Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate.
In fact, he seemed somewhat excited.
These three had finally begun reaching a fraction of his expectations.
But it was still far from enough!
Until they mastered Conqueror's Haki infusion, they remained nothing more than slightly larger ants in Rocks' eyes.
"So you want to steal Ignis away as your vice captain?!"
"Then come and try it!"
Rocks grinned as he drew Eclipse.
Today, he intended to properly show these people what true terror looked like.
Violent Conqueror's Haki surged outward, instantly crushing the Haki of Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate.
The nearly tangible Conqueror's Haki directly shattered the surrounding ground.
The entire Chibaku Tensei skull fortress trembled violently.
Endless black-red lightning erupted across all of Elysium Island.
In an instant, pirates within a 5,000-meter radius centered around the skull fortress were blasted away by the overwhelming Haki shockwave, collapsing unconscious like discarded rags.
Most pirates across the island were knocked out by the aftereffects of Rocks' Conqueror's Haki. Even pirates aboard ships in the harbor couldn't escape the terrifying pressure.
Only a handful of truly powerful pirates managed to resist within Rocks' Haki.
Polo Gram stared in horror toward the gigantic eyes of the skull castle.
'What kind of monstrous Conqueror's Haki was this?!'
'This was a true monster!!'
Inside the skull eye socket, the weaker members such as Streussen, Sunbell, and Stussy immediately broke into cold sweats and dropped to one knee, supporting themselves against the ground with both hands as they struggled to endure.
Ganzui, Kyo, Barbel, and Gill all had their pupils violently contract. The muscles in their faces trembled intensely as they forcibly remained standing in one final act of resistance.
Their shaking bodies made it seem as though enormous mountains had been placed upon their shoulders.
Ignis likewise suffered under Rocks' indiscriminate suppression. His spirit felt as though it were being smashed by a giant hammer.
He was even being specially targeted by Rocks, enduring stronger Conqueror's Haki than the other officers, the same level of pressure suffered by Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate.
The terrifying Haki pressure was so overwhelming that Ignis couldn't even speak. His eyelids and muscles trembled heavily while cracks spread across the ground beneath his feet.
The effect of Rocks' monstrous Conqueror's Haki on reality itself was almost comparable to the crushing pressure of the Gravity Fruit.
If Rocks wished, he could completely infuse Conqueror's Haki and crush the Chibaku Tensei skull fortress in a single blow, just like "Iron Fist" Garp once smashed Hachinosu Island with one punch.
He could even crush all of Elysium Island.
"Vohahaha!! I hope you still dare draw your blades against me!"
Rocks laughed wildly as dense black-red lightning exploded around him. His eyes glowed crimson like a descending demon.
His black-and-white spiked hair floated wildly upward.
The Conqueror's Haki of Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate had been suppressed to within barely three meters around their bodies.
All three had turned deathly pale.
They knew Rocks was strong, but they never imagined he was this overwhelmingly monstrous.
So all those attacks where Rocks casually one-shot people… those had merely been ordinary attacks.
"Vohahaha! Do you still want to steal Ignis now?!"
Rocks walked toward Shiki and grinned at this arrogant officer.
"…Yes! Someday I will…"
Cold sweat trickled down Shiki's forehead as he stared into Rocks' crimson eyes.
But in the end, he still gritted his teeth and answered, his gaze filled with pride and defiance.
"Your determination and will are good."
"But right now, it's still not enough!"
"Go spend more time tempering yourself!"
In the next second, Rocks blasted Shiki away with a single slash.
Shiki tore straight through the skull castle, blasting a massive hole through the side of the skull eye before crashing onto Elysium Island while coughing up blood, raising a mushroom cloud of dust.
"And you?"
Rocks grinned toward Charlotte Linlin.
"Ignis is mine!!"
Charlotte Linlin's expression was even fiercer and more determined than Shiki's.
"Your obsession with Ignis is different from Shiki's."
"But since you dared challenge me and try stealing Ignis away, you still deserve punishment!"
Rocks mercilessly blasted away the thirteen-year-old Iron Balloon fat girl with another slash.
Another huge passageway appeared in the skull fortress as Charlotte Linlin likewise crashed onto Elysium Island.
"Newgate, even if you were only joining the fun, there's still a price to pay."
Rocks raised an eyebrow and mocked him casually, as though these strongest officers weren't even worthy of his concern.
"Come then, Rocks!"
Newgate erupted with all his Conqueror's Haki. White shockwaves burst from the Supreme Grade Blade Murakumogiri.
He actually broke free from Rocks' suppression and launched a ferocious counterattack instead.
"Vohahaharo! As expected of the right-hand man I value most. I acknowledge your strength."
Rocks slashed toward Newgate.
Eclipse and Murakumogiri collided through the air, instantly unleashing terrifying shockwaves that blasted every other officer out of the headquarters.
Only Ignis remained in place by relying on the Gravity Fruit.
The violent collision force split enormous cracks throughout the Chibaku Tensei skull mountain, making it seem as though the entire skull fortress would collapse at any moment.
"Rocks, do you really have to go this far?!"
Ignis was speechless.
'These bastards were all complete maniacs for destruction.'
The skull fortress headquarters and his comfortable room, things he'd spent over ten days arranging, were now about to become ruins in an instant.
"Vohahaha! Ignis, all this happened because of you!"
"Newgate! Continue struggling to catch up! I'll give you time!"
Rocks still looked completely relaxed.
He was very satisfied with Newgate's progress. Whether in Haki, abilities, or raw strength, Newgate had already become extremely impressive.
However, once Rocks unleashed even stronger Conqueror's Haki infusion, Newgate, despite possessing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and monstrous strength, was still mercilessly blasted away.
Newgate also crashed onto Elysium Island, creating another giant dust mushroom cloud.
Coughing blood heavily amidst the rubble, even Newgate's white mustache became stained red.
"Rocks!! I will definitely surpass you someday!!"
Newgate roared unwillingly.
The gap between him and Rocks was simply too enormous right now. He couldn't even see the shadow of Rocks' true strength.
Polo Gram, who had barely survived under Rocks' Conqueror's Haki, hurried over after hearing Newgate's voice.
'What kind of monster was this guy?'
'He had endured Rocks' Haki and even directly taken one of Rocks' attacks, yet he still hadn't lost consciousness and even had the strength to keep shouting angrily.'
'The other two who'd been blasted out seemed nearly unconscious and unable to speak.'
"Vohahaha, Ignis. Now only the two of us remain here."
"To be honest, do you truly want to become the vice captain of the Rocks Pirates? Your ambitions should go far beyond something this small…"
Within the crumbling skull fortress, Rocks laughed wildly as he concentrated all his Conqueror's Haki pressure onto Ignis alone.
Under Rocks' full suppression, Ignis grit his teeth and desperately resisted. His body was nearly forced into kneeling.
"Becoming vice captain is merely a hobby…"
"My true goal has always been immortality… and the sea of stars…"