Several weeks later, on a rather famous pirate island in the New World.
"Why are we helping that golden cat steal swords first?!"
"I want to go to the North Blue first too!"
Watching the fierce battle in the distance, Kyo complained unhappily to Rocks.
"The next stop is the West Blue."
Rocks answered calmly, completely ignoring Kyo's dissatisfaction.
He had long wanted to return to his hometown, God Valley in the West Blue, and there was no way Kyo's protests would change his plans.
As for the North Blue, they could deal with that after finishing matters in the West Blue.
"Hmph!"
Kyo could only sulk bitterly.
He knew that Rocks clearly favored elite officers with kingly potential like Newgate, Shiki, and Linlin.
Previously, Rocks had personally helped Newgate seize the Supreme Grade Blade Murakumogiri.
And now he was helping Shiki seize the famous swords Oto and Kogarashi.
As for Ignis, there was even less to say.
As long as Ignis made a request, Rocks and every officer on the ship would probably throw themselves into fire and water for him.
Meanwhile, "ordinary" officers like Kyo barely had any voice at all.
"Bahahaha! Only when you awaken Conqueror's Haki and become an officer with kingly qualifications will Rocks actually listen to your opinions."
Seeing Kyo get humiliated once again, Barbell sneered disdainfully.
This brute was even worse than the fish-men brothers at understanding the ship's internal rules.
If Kyo continued failing to recognize his own position, forget awakening Conqueror's Haki, before long, even newcomers like Polo Gram and Gill Bastar would surpass him.
As for Ganzui, his bounty and fame had always been higher than Kyo's to begin with.
Thanks to his immense strength, his status aboard the ship had already surpassed Kyo's.
Ganzui's Bomb-Bomb Fruit powers were genuinely terrifying, even Barbell currently couldn't defeat him.
Now Kyo wasn't just struggling against Barbell anymore; he couldn't even suppress the newly joined Polo Gram.
Gill Bastar's Hollow-Hollow Fruit powers also left Kyo completely helpless.
At this rate, Kyo would only be able to bully Stussy and Streusen.
Even Sunbell was rapidly growing stronger.
As one of the original crew members personally protected and brought aboard by Ignis, with Ignis's gravity field assistance, combined with his sincere attitude and almost suicidal dedication to training, if Barbell didn't work harder, Sunbell might surpass even him in the future.
Barbell estimated that within a few years, Kyo would drop to third from the bottom, ranking only above Stussy and Sreussen.
Even he himself was ninety percent certain he would eventually surpass Kyo completely.
Unless Kyo obtained an extremely powerful Devil Fruit, Barbell would definitely defeat him someday.
"Hmph!!"
Kyo had thought he could adjust his mentality and become more broad-minded.
But watching Shiki and Newgate grow stronger and stronger only made him increasingly anxious.
There was simply no way to stay calm about it.
....
Meanwhile, on the battlefield.
Shiki was battling a dual-sword swordsman whose blades were precisely the famous swords Ignis had spoken about: Oto and Kogarashi.
It could be said that Ignis's "prophecy" had brought disaster upon this swordsman far earlier than fate originally intended.
"Jihahaha! Excellent, excellent!! Your swords are magnificent!"
Looking at the chips in his own two swords, Shiki became even greedier for the enemy's famous blades.
"You actually covet my Oto and Kogarashi?!"
The dual-sword swordsman's eyes filled with killing intent.
For a swordsman, the hatred of losing one's blades was no less than the hatred of losing one's wife or one's life.
"Jihahaha! In a moment, they'll become my Oto and Kogarashi!"
Shiki made no attempt to hide his greed and desire.
He absolutely intended to seize those famous swords.
On these seas, strength ruled above all.
The victor takes everything.
The loser eats dust.
The treasured blades and beautiful women you cannot protect,
There will always be stronger men willing to "protect" them for you.
"Over my dead body! As long as I live, my swords remain with me!"
The dual-sword swordsman's eyes burned with determination.
He would never abandon the blades that had accompanied him for years.
"Tch. Didn't you steal those swords from someone else too?"
"If you want to die that badly, then I'll grant your wish!"
Originally, Shiki had planned to imitate Newgate, take the swords and spare the man's life.
But if the fool insisted on dying, then Shiki certainly wouldn't show mercy.
"Lion's Menace: Imperial Earth Roll!"
Shiki slapped the ground, activating the Float-Float Fruit.
The earth transformed into four gigantic mud-and-rock lions that surged toward the dual-sword swordsman.
Wave after wave of sword slashes split the stone lions apart.
But under Shiki's control, the lions reformed endlessly and continued lunging at the swordsman.
Today, he would absolutely not let those famous swords escape.
.....
"Vohahaha! That dual-sword swordsman is pretty good. If Shiki hadn't targeted him, maybe we could've offered him a chance to join."
Rocks openly admired the swordsman.
The fact that he could last this long against Shiki already proved his strength.
"But he's a bounty hunter who specializes in hunting pirates. You want him to become a pirate?"
Ganzui shrugged.
As far as he knew, this dual-sword swordsman was notorious for his hatred of pirates. Apparently pirates had once destroyed either his hometown or his family.
"Why not?"
"If one slash doesn't work, then use two!"
Rocks firmly believed that in the face of death, people would eventually compromise and submit.
And if they truly refused to surrender even unto death, then they could die.
"Ignis, why won't you throw away those love letters? Am I really still not attractive enough for you?"
Stussy clung to Ignis's side, still determined to win over this de facto vice captain and supreme grade incubbus.
But this man seemed… rather too flirtatious.
If she dared seduce him, Ignis would absolutely take advantage, yet he refused to commit to loving only her or making any promises.
His attitude was essentially:
Not proactive.
Not rejecting.
Not responsible.
It drove Stussy crazy.
She absolutely refused to share Ignis with other women.
But before Ignis made a commitment, she also refused to completely give herself to him so easily.
"You are attractive."
Ignis continued watching Shiki's battle while casually pinching Stussy's pretty cheek.
"Then I'm going to burn all those love letters!"
Stussy immediately tried to act while the moment was hot, afraid Ignis might change his mind again.
"That won't do."
"That's a completely different matter. How could I, the Great Love Immortal Venerable, bear to make all those beauties sad?"
Ignis shamelessly enjoyed the benefits while simultaneously rejecting her, completely unaffected by Stussy's seductive schemes.
"You!!"
"How can you be like this?!"
Stussy's eyes instantly filled with grievance, looking both angry and pitiful at the same time.
"I have a dream."
"That dream is to spread love throughout the entire world and give everyone a warm home."
Ignis looked at the green-tea beauty gently, his eyes filled with both affection and boundless compassion.
"Gurararara! This is the first time I've heard someone describe being a womanizer as a noble dream!"
Seeing that Ignis remained completely unmoved despite Stussy's aggressive advances, Newgate realized just how terrifyingly rational this crafty prophet truly was.
"Vice Captain truly is a role model for our generation!"
Gill Bastar immediately took out his little notebook and began recording Ignis's quotes, studying and imitating them carefully.
"My dream is also to give all races a warm home!"
Charlotte Linlin's eyes sparkled brightly.
Her desire to obtain Ignis only deepened further…