The next day.
The news that the Rocks Pirates had gained three new officers had already spread explosively across the world.
As for the later Conqueror's Haki clash and Polo Gram's joining, those stories had yet to spread because the spies and journalists had all been knocked unconscious.
What truly stunned people was that the news of the three great pirates, "Great Pirate Smuggler" Ganzui, "Four-Armed Gun King" Gill Bastar, and "Science Robber" Buckingham Stussy, joining the Rocks Pirates…
Was far less popular than Ignis's newest photographs.
Ignis's Moon God-themed photo set once again became a bestselling sensation across the seas.
The newspaper agencies discovered that as long as they included even one photograph of Ignis in the paper, every copy would sell out.
To boost circulation, the cunning newspapers secretly inserted different Ignis photos into different copies released on the same day.
As a result, a single edition sold several dozen times more copies than usual.
Collecting Ignis's photographs rapidly became a worldwide trend among countless girls.
This time, the popularity of Ignis's "Moon Rising Over the Sea" imagery had completely surpassed even the Sesshomaru version and the vampire version.
Even the female Celestial Dragons of Mary Geoise went mad once more.
More female Celestial Dragons joined the underground bounty placed on Ignis, offering increasingly outrageous rewards to capture him.
These lofty "descendants of gods" believed that only people like themselves were worthy of possessing a once-in-a-millennium beautiful man like Ignis.
...
When the News Coo delivered the newspapers to Elysium Island, the pirates who had been knocked unconscious finally slowly awakened beneath the glaring morning sunlight.
The moment they opened their eyes, they saw the skull fortress covered in gigantic cracks, along with the surrounding ruins devastated by Conqueror's Haki.
"What happened here?!"
"Did the Rocks Pirates break out into internal conflict?!"
"Did Rocks fight against his officers?!"
.....
As more and more pirates regained consciousness, Elysium Island gradually became lively again.
The pirates blasted away by Rocks' Conqueror's Haki had all been swept over five thousand meters away from the skull fortress, their bodies covered in injuries.
They had finally witnessed the terrifying strength of the world's most evil pirate.
At this moment, within the skull-eye headquarters of Chibaku Tensei, Shiki and Newgate were both wrapped head to toe in white bandages.
Since Shiki was too heavily injured to use the Float-Float Fruit to repair the skull fortress, and Ignis was busy stabilizing and familiarizing himself with his newly awakened Conqueror's Haki rather than using gravity powers to rebuild.
The headquarters remained in ruins.
The newcomer Polo Gram was currently explaining to his awakened companions why he had joined the Rocks Pirates.
Following the Guyue Club, the very first affiliated pirate crew, both Ganzui's smuggling fleet and Polo Gram's Polo Pirates officially became affiliated crews of the Rocks Pirates as well.
They had earned the right to fly the banner of the Rocks Pirates and rampage across the New World in Rocks' name.
Several other pirate crews who had performed decently yesterday and last night were also accepted by Rocks and approved as affiliated crews.
However, their captains were still too weak and failed to catch Rocks' interest, leaving them unqualified to join the main crew.
Still, if those affiliated captains continued growing stronger, they might one day earn the opportunity to join the main crew.
...
The most heavily injured among them, Shiki, looked at Charlotte Linlin, who was already fully recovered and happily stuffing herself with meat, and honestly couldn't help feeling jealous.
The defensive power of the Iron Balloon physique combined with the healing abilities of the Soul-Soul Fruit was genuinely absurdly powerful.
Even Newgate had already started drinking and eating meat again while wrapped in bandages.
Only Shiki still looked like a mummy lying around.
"Hey Golden Cat, all three of you got hit by the same slash from Rocks. Just look at Linlin and Newgate, then look at yourself…"
"Your physique seems even weaker than Ignis's."
Kyo naturally refused to miss such a perfect opportunity to mock Shiki.
He was filled with resentment and dissatisfaction toward Shiki's lucky acquisition of the Float-Float Fruit and his sudden awakening of Conqueror's Haki.
"I awakened Conqueror's Haki."
Shiki calmly glanced at Kyo, a trace of pride and disdain flashing across his lips.
"I'm saying you're the weakest among them all!"
Kyo's expression darkened, and even the wine glass in his hand trembled.
"I awakened Conqueror's Haki."
Shiki raised an eyebrow and smiled, completely ignoring Kyo's mockery and insults.
"You!!"
Kyo instantly crushed the wine cup in his hand, wishing he could split Shiki's skull open with an axe.
"I awakened Conqueror's Haki."
"That's the difference between us."
"Even if I'm inferior to Ignis, Newgate, and Linlin, I'm still stronger than you."
"If you want to catch up to me, awaken Conqueror's Haki first."
Originally, Shiki had been somewhat frustrated over not measuring up to Newgate and Linlin.
But with Kyo serving as a comparison, he once again felt like a one-in-a-million genius.
"…"
Kyo breathed heavily, nearly dying from rage.
"I'll definitely awaken it…"
He forcibly suppressed his anger, repeatedly reminding himself internally to maintain composure and presence rather than falling for Shiki's provocation.
One day, when he successfully awakened Conqueror's Haki,
He swore he would smash Shiki's arrogant face to pieces.
"Hehe, then I'll wait for that day…"
Now in a much better mood, Shiki returned to his usual slightly obnoxious self.
.....
Elsewhere, Sunbell was in Ignis's room helping his idol organize and pack the love letters arriving from all around the world.
Stussy acted as though she were already close family, voluntarily helping sort through the letters.
At the moment, Ignis was in the training room cultivating Conqueror's Haki with Rocks and had no time to bother with her.
Unable to sit idle, Stussy had already decided to fully integrate herself into Ignis's daily life.
How could these seductive little vixens' love letters possibly compare to a true beauty like herself?
While organizing the mail, she secretly tore up quite a few letters whenever Sunbell wasn't paying attention.
Especially those sent by famous female celebrities or powerful female pirates.
What was wrong with using a few small tricks in order to monopolize Ignis?
After all, among the Rocks Pirates, only she and Charlotte Linlin were female officers.
And that fat woman Linlin wasn't remotely qualified to compete with her.
Therefore, Ignis could only belong to her!
Just imagining that this man, whom even the female Celestial Dragons couldn't obtain, would soon become her personal possession…
Filled Stussy with excitement.
The supreme grade inccubus who had enchanted the entire world, she would become the first woman to "eat it".
...
Meanwhile, among the pirates of Elysium Island.
The newcomers Ganzui and Gill Bastar had replaced Shiki and Kyo as the new examiners.
They also announced to everyone the news that Polo Gram had joined the Rocks Pirates.
Gill Bastar excitedly spread news of the "One Overlord, Four Kings" structure beneath Rocks.
Under Rocks, the supreme overlord, stood four kings possessing Conqueror's Haki:
"Great Demon Lord" Guyue Ignis.
"Whitebeard" Edward Newgate.
"Golden Lion" Shiki.
"Iron Balloon" Charlotte Linlin.
The public revelation of this information further solidified the Rocks Pirates' position as the world's strongest pirate crew!