Perhaps because only the two of them remained here, Ignis finally cast aside all his disguises.
The clever and wise chief strategist, the vain and flamboyant supreme grade incubus, the ambition for the vice captain position…
Those were merely the Ignis everyone else saw.
"Vohahaha! Honestly, making you my vice captain would indeed be wasting your talent a little."
"I don't know what your sea of stars truly means."
"But right now, you haven't even awakened Conqueror's Haki, and you still want to become vice captain?"
"You want Newgate to keep suppressing his own talent just like he did back in the White Whale Pirates, merely to preserve his captain's pride…"
"If you don't awaken Conqueror's Haki and become strong enough, I will never allow you to become vice captain!"
"Otherwise, Newgate and Linlin's talents may end up being dragged down by a weakling vice captain like you!"
"If you truly want to become a vice captain purely for fun, then awaken all three types of Haki and surpass Newgate and the others in strength!"
Rocks walked step by step toward Ignis, his Conqueror's Haki becoming increasingly terrifying, nearly forcing Ignis unconscious.
Rocks had long wanted to fully squeeze out Ignis's potential, but he'd never found a suitable opportunity.
Today, with Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate "rebelling," was the perfect chance to let Ignis experience the sensation of death.
"Ignis, today I'm going to teach you something."
"If your strength can't keep up with your ambitions, you truly will die!"
A cold killing intent seeped into Rocks' overwhelming Conqueror's Haki.
It genuinely seemed as though he intended to kill Ignis.
"An ant dares seek immortality? Guyue Ignis, you are far too arrogant!"
Rocks slashed toward the struggling Ignis.
There was no emotion in his eyes, only endless coldness and brutality.
Ignis, who possessed a trace of future sight, had always believed he controlled everything.
But he still had not witnessed the true cruelty of this sea.
Ignis never expected Rocks to truly direct killing intent at him!
'Damn it!'
'This really will kill me!'
Under Rocks' icy killing intent, Ignis's pupils shrank into tiny black points, and his entire body stiffened.
His eyes were filled with unwillingness.
'How could this happen?!'
"I can't die!!"
The sudden crisis of death gave Ignis no time to think.
He instinctively resisted with everything he had.
He struggled wildly, desperately trying to break free from Rocks' Conqueror's Haki suppression.
As Eclipse descended before his eyes, the ultimate sensation of death caused Ignis to erupt with violent momentum.
He forcibly broke through Rocks' Haki suppression and twisted his head to the side.
Even if one shoulder were severed, he absolutely could not die!
The rapidly descending Eclipse struck Ignis's shoulder with overwhelming force, instantly spraying blood into the air.
Yet amid Rocks' wild laughter, the blade stopped just barely against Ignis's bone.
"Vohahaharo! See? Didn't you awaken it just now?"
"A sly bastard like you with such complicated thoughts really can't squeeze out your potential unless you experience death at least once!"
Rocks sheathed the Eclipse while the overwhelming Conqueror's Haki and killing intent rapidly dissipated.
Ignis simply thought too much. His mind was too complicated.
Awakening Conqueror's Haki was indeed far harder for him than it had been for Newgate and Shiki.
To make Ignis experience death, Rocks truly hadn't held back at all just now.
If Ignis hadn't awakened Conqueror's Haki, then even if Rocks didn't outright kill him, he still would've left him critically wounded and near death.
"Hah… hah…"
Ignis collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily.
His contracted pupils still trembled, as though he hadn't yet recovered from the near-death experience.
"Rocks, you bastard!!"
Lying on the ground, Ignis cursed loudly.
He truly had been drenched in cold sweat by Rocks' sudden assassination attempt.
"Don't act spoiled after gaining such a huge advantage!"
"If I hadn't suddenly gotten inspired, a scheming bastard like you who keeps trying to manipulate the other officers probably wouldn't have awakened Conqueror's Haki for who knows how much longer."
Rocks burst into laughter and sat down beside Ignis while looking at the miserable little brat.
Now that Ignis had awakened Conqueror's Haki, allowing him to become vice captain was no longer impossible.
Of course, the prerequisite remained the same,
Ignis's strength had to completely surpass Newgate, Shiki, and Linlin.
Only if Ignis became stronger than those three would Rocks consider making him Vice Captain.
Otherwise, Ignis's strength would end up holding Newgate back.
Newgate was still too sentimental.
"You almost killed me just now!"
Ignis cursed furiously.
That moment had left him even more despairing than when CP agents transported him to Mary Geoise in the past.
He truly thought the suddenly crazed Rocks was about to kill him.
"But… thanks."
Feeling the new power he had gained, Ignis's resentment toward Rocks finally faded by about half.
Originally, he'd expected it would take years to awaken all three forms of Haki.
Yet under Rocks' sudden murderous assault, that goal had been achieved immediately ahead of schedule.
Though the process had nearly cost him his life.
"Vohahaha! Sometimes becoming stronger really is this simple and direct!"
Rocks flashed his neat white teeth.
Now Ignis had awakened Conqueror's Haki.
That meant he now commanded four Conqueror's Haki users beneath him!
A genius who awakened Conqueror's Haki would grow far faster than the other officers.
"Then go give Kyo and Ganzui the same treatment."
Ignis still couldn't resist complaining. He truly thought he was about to die.
"They're different. Their talent, ambition, and spirit haven't yet reached the level required for awakening."
"You and Shiki had already reached the critical point. That's why I acted against you."
Rocks answered calmly.
Talent was something innate.
But ambition and spirit depended on a person's growth and experiences.
He knew Ignis's ambitions were immense, perhaps even greater than his own goal of overthrowing Imu, the King of the World.
Therefore, Ignis's will and determination surpassed even Shiki and Newgate's.
Even if Ignis's physique was somewhat weaker, he could still awaken Conqueror's Haki.
"Enough nonsense. Hurry and bring those idiots back. Otherwise everyone will think our crew is falling apart from internal conflict!"
After recovering slightly, Ignis immediately began directing Rocks around.
Even if he wasn't officially vice captain, Rocks still listened to the words of his chief strategist and prophet.
"Vohahaha! This lesson should leave a deep impression on them and motivate them to keep becoming stronger!"
Rocks laughed mischievously.
So what if they awakened Conqueror's Haki?
They were still several levels beneath him.
Rocks could beat down each one of those little brats with a single strike effortlessly.
At this moment, atop a certain ruin on Elysium Island, the pineapple-haired Polo Gram helped the heavily wounded Newgate out from the rubble.
"Tsk tsk, another burst of Conqueror's Haki. Exactly how many officers in your Rocks Pirates possess the qualities of a king?"
"No wonder you're the world's number one pirate crew!"
Polo Gram glanced toward the skull fortress now covered in gigantic cracks.
That was the fifth burst of Conqueror's Haki coming from the skull eye socket.
"Who awakened it? Was it Ignis?"
Newgate's eyes also brightened.
Aside from Ignis, he couldn't think of anyone else.
At the very least, Kyo, Barbel, and Ganzui definitely weren't capable of it.
"Ignis? Your Vice Captain? The 4-billion Supreme Grades Incubus, Great Demon Lord Guyue Ignis?"
Polo Gram looked somewhat surprised.
That vice captain of the Rocks Pirates had only just awakened Conqueror's Haki now?
He still vividly remembered Ignis's earlier godlike appearance.
He truly had been powerful, handsome, and magnificent all at once…