Chapter 181 The Melee of Old Friends (1....)
"Rocks!"
Newgate stood steadily on the violently rocking ship and walked towards the figure illuminated by the thunderstorm.
"Rocks, the commotion is too great. The Navy is approaching us. We need to get out of this storm zone as soon as possible!"
Once people recover from the initial chaos and look outside, they will realize that the terrible thunderstorms and tsunamis are all contained within a certain range by an invisible wall. In this way, even a fool would know to leave this unlucky place as soon as possible.
The Rocks Pirates were full of powerful members, and even though the warship that came was carrying Kong, Sengoku, Tsuru, and Garp, they were not afraid at all.
But meeting and fighting in normal sea areas is one thing, fighting in seas teeming with thunderstorms and boiling waters caused by undersea earthquakes is quite another.
Although Newgate was not the helmsman of the Sword of Gibbeck and had never seen the ship's blueprints, he still had basic common sense as a pirate who made a living at sea.
Based solely on the sheer intensity of the Gibbean's recent up-and-down movements, and the ominous sounds it made when it was struck head-on by waves and directly hit by lightning, Newgate had ample reason to suspect that if they were to engage in war with the navy, the combined forces of both sides would cause even the sturdiest ship to crumble on the spot.
At that time, apart from Linlin, who can create levitation objects using her Homie Devil Fruit ability, all of their lives will be in Shiki's hands!
Newgate, who had just been bombed by Shiki, said he absolutely did not trust Shiki!
Lox sheathed his sword and turned to look at the two rather familiar ships charging towards them from one behind: "Are you trying to escape, Newgate?"
Newgate frowned: "You know perfectly well that's not what I meant."
The scars on his back are a warrior's shame. Although he has no camaraderie with the Rocks Pirates, let alone any sense of shared destiny, he still refuses to leave alone in the face of a formidable enemy.
This had nothing to do with his relationship with Rocks or the other crew members; it was simply the pride of a strong man.
But pride is not arrogance.
Newgate: "We could have left this place and then sunk those two fleets."
Locus glanced at Newgate, who was looking serious and seriously analyzing the best battle location, and a brilliant idea suddenly popped into his head.
“Newgate, I’m going to tell you a secret that only the captain knows.”
Newgate: "..."
Seeing Rocks's obviously malicious smile, Newgate really wanted to turn around and leave to show that he didn't want to hear any of Rocks's damn secrets.
But… Newgate glanced at Lox, took a deep breath, and mentally prepared himself: “Go ahead and say it.”
“A little mouse has gotten into our ship, a dark, timid little mouse that’s done something bad and is trembling with fear.” From Lockes’ expression, Newgate couldn’t tell whether he was angry or happy. “She’s not very honest; she’s reached into places she shouldn’t have and stolen things she shouldn’t have.”
Newgate felt that Rocks' expression looked strangely familiar.
His train of thought interrupted, he paused, then asked without much expectation, "What did you steal?"
"All the food and drinking water on board."
Newgate: "..."
Newgate: "Huh?!"
Is this something that can be said in such a relaxed tone?!
"It's alright, we have spare supplies."
Following Locke's gaze to the two ships not far away, Newgate figured he probably didn't need to ask where the spare supplies were.
Newgate: "Don't we need to catch mice?"
"Don't worry about her yet. That rat was too impatient and revealed her most fatal secret to me," Lockes said with a deep laugh. "Although there are still some things I can't understand, this sea is just so magical!"
Newgate glanced once more at the apocalyptic landscape around him. His intuition told him that it wasn't just the food and water on the ship, but also the sudden thunderstorms and waves that were inextricably linked to the "little mouse" that Lockes had mentioned.
"Don't go too far, Rocks."
——
Shanks stood by the ship, wiping the wet seawater from his face. Looking at the familiar Orleans Jackson in the distance, a surge of emotions welled up in his heart, no less than the raging waves on the surrounding sea.
"call--"
He let out a long breath, wanting to make his usual joke about how "he just wanted to take a spontaneous adventure, but Violet gave him a magical journey he couldn't even imagine."
But as soon as Shanks opened his mouth, he found himself as if struck by lightning, his mind blank and unable to utter a sound.
Shanks' superior eyesight allowed him to see Roger standing at the bow of the ship wearing a straw hat, and Rayleigh, the first mate standing next to Roger, looking helpless and resigned.
There's also navigator Jia Peng, ship's doctor Crocas, helmsman Tang Qinuo...
At this time, the captain was not yet suffering from an incurable disease, and the first mate's beautiful blond hair was still free of gray. Everyone was full of vigor and high spirits, heading towards a goal that no one dared to believe—the final island.
Rocks's reputation provided them with excellent protection, allowing this fleet, which was more like an adventurer than a pirate, to develop quietly until they made a name for themselves by setting foot on the final island and completing a great adventure that no one before them had been able to accomplish!
"Really..." Shanks chuckled softly, "It's been a long time, Captain."
"Um?"
"What's wrong, Roger?"
Seeing Roger's suddenly serious expression, as if he were searching for something, Rayleigh asked in confusion.
Roger raised his hand and rubbed his cheek with his knuckles: "Strange."
He had a feeling that a gaze had just fallen on him, not like that of an enemy, but more like... an old friend?
This is interesting. Where did Rocks get his old friend from the Rocks Pirates... Hmm, Rocks has a penchant for stealing other people's crew members, so it doesn't seem impossible.
"Rayle, do you think Rocks would agree to play Davy Back Fight if I invited him?"
"...Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
"I always had a feeling that there was a very interesting guy on Rocks' ship, and that guy might make a good partner."
Thanks to Roger's powerful imagination and action, Rayleigh actually imagined the scene of Roger taking away Rocks' crew after he finished speaking. It would be quite interesting to see Rocks, who was always the one taking other people's crew, having his crew taken away by someone else.
However, it's best to just think about it. Putting aside the question of whether the captain can beat Rocks, even if he does, Rayleigh doesn't think Rocks will necessarily abide by the rules and hand over the crew to them.
With a deafening boom, another bolt of lightning struck, but this lightning was different from the naturally generated lightning around it. It contained a powerful and domineering aura as it struck straight at the Orl. Jackson.
Bang!
A figure rushed to the side of the lightning bolt, raised its long, straight left leg and kicked the lightning bolt with force, sending it flying into the sea not far away, causing a terrible explosion and a new wave.
Lingling, standing on Zeus's thundercloud, glared angrily at the figure that had blocked her attack.
"What are you doing, Flame Flower?!"
"That's the question I should be asking you, Charlotte Linlin! How dare you try to hurt my lover in front of me!"
Watching the two women arguing above him, and seeing that their argument was about to escalate into a physical fight, Rayleigh couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Roger, on the other hand, had a sudden flash of inspiration when he saw the Flame Flower.
"Gloriosa! Did you know that Shakky resigned from her position as captain of the Kuja Pirates? It's too dangerous for her without crew protecting her. Tell me where Shakky is now, I need to go protect her!"
"Oh, Roger is calling my name~" Flame Flower, with a hot body and a giant snake clinging to her waist, pressed the back of her hand to her head and leaned back as if she was about to pass out drunk.
The giant snake at her waist quickly tensed its muscles to support the flames, allowing them to gently fall onto her.
"Ah, I've been struck by love, I'm... I can't think straight anymore..."
"Hey Flameflower, are you even listening to me?!" Roger said impatiently. "As her former captain, you should know where Shakky is!"
"Xia Qi, Xia Qi..." Flame Flower, feverish with love, heard the familiar name and weakly opened her eyes. "I'm right in front of you, yet you're calling for another woman. How cruel..."
Roger laughed, "Stop fooling around, Flameflower, tell me the answer already!"
"Xia Qi must be lovesick."
Although Shakky and Flameflower are rivals in love to some extent because of Roger, Shakky is also Flameflower's disciple, crew member, and the new leader of Amazon Lily whom she favors.
All the Nine Serpent Empresses suffered from lovesickness. Once they met their beloved, they became like moths drawn to a flame, either abandoning everything to go to sea in pursuit of their love, or dying in extreme pain from lovesickness.
Xia Qi, so you are also... A trace of sadness and pain flashed in Flame Flower's eyes. The age difference between her and Xia Qi was too small, and the time interval between their lovesickness was too short. This meant that Xia Qi and Nine Serpents Island might not have yet cultivated a qualified new empress.
This left Flameflower in an even worse state, tormented by love, worrying about both Xia Qi and Snake Island.
Flameflower's beautiful pink hair fell to her chest, revealing a fragile yet strong expression. For a moment, the crew members of the Navy, Roger Pirates, and Rocks Pirates, who should have been fighting, were all stunned.
Flameflower took a deep breath and continued, "She will go to find her love without hesitation; this is the curse and fate of every Nine Serpent Empress."
At this point, Flame Flower glanced at Roger, her meaning clear: the Nine Serpent Empress, suffering from lovesickness, wouldn't engage in any tsundere behavior. The fact that Roger had pursued Shakky for so long without success could only mean that Shakky didn't love Roger.
"Shawn is sick?!"
"What? Lady Shakky is sick!"
"Damn it! So, Lady Shakky really won't be appearing at sea again? I set sail just so I could meet Lady Shakky one day!"
"Waaaaah, why? Why is the kind, beautiful, and elegant Lady Shaki sick? If Lady Shaki just smiled at me, I would be willing to sacrifice myself and get lovesick for her!"
"You bastard, how dare you eat and take things at the same time! I think you'd rather be dead!"
"...If that's the case, I'm willing!"
“Shakky…” Although Rayleigh had already guessed based on Shakky’s previous behavior and actions, he couldn’t help but show a worried expression after receiving confirmation from Flameflower.
He couldn't be like Shakky, abandoning his crew, companions, and a future full of adventure, challenges, and endless possibilities, just to pursue so-called love.
But at this moment, his inner worries were genuine.
He initially believed that Xia Qi's love for him was doomed to fail, so he was unwilling to reciprocate her feelings, hoping that Xia Qi would understand his determination and give up on the relationship to find someone more suitable for her.
But if what Flameflower said is true, then wouldn't Shakky, who can't pursue love,... die?
Rayleigh frowned, slowly exhaling. He felt that even his usually self-satisfied wisdom was insufficient at this moment; he simply couldn't think of a solution that would satisfy both sides.
"Xia Qi?!"
When Shiki and Newgate arrived, they were equally surprised to hear that Shakky was ill.
Rocks: "..."
Lox was a beat slower, and he also showed a surprised and worried expression, but it looked rather strange on his fierce face.
Perhaps Rocks himself thought so, so the expression only lasted for a moment before disappearing, replaced by a surge of fighting spirit in the face of the Roger Pirates.
"Roger, and the Navy, you've come at the perfect time!"
"From this moment on, all the supplies on your ship belong to me!"
Lockes swept his fierce gaze across the two ships: "I do not accept any objections."
After Rocks uttered that harsh statement, everyone was shocked by his arrogant and domineering tone, which was typical of robbery.
Even Roger was taken aback by Rocks' shout. He reflected on his decision not to simply kidnap Shakky and bring her onto the ship. Indeed, he had lost to Rocks in terms of shamelessness and ruthlessness.
Roger: "As expected of Rocks."
Rayleigh: "..." Is this the time to lament my failure as a pirate?!
"Ha, Rocks, so it's your ship, you bastard?"
Just as everyone fell silent for Lox, a black head popped out from above the warship, picked its nose, and said in a clearly bewildered tone, "I'm really lucky to have run into you, haha!"
"I heard you broke into Mary Geoise. Hmm, that's pretty impressive."
"Lord Garp!" a Marine exclaimed in alarm. "Please, please don't speak of the Holy City in that tone!"
"Hey, Garp!" Roger, who was standing nearby, also snapped out of his daze. He looked up at Garp and snapped, "Don't just spout nonsense! Don't you have any manners as a Marine?"
The naval warship that Garp was on was taller than the Orleans Jackson and the Sword of Giebeck. Considering the angle, wind direction, and the strength of Garp's hand, he could very well have been thrown onto their ship!
"Ha, manners?" Garp grinned maliciously, rolling up his sleeves to reveal his fists, which were covered in Armament Haki and were pitch black. "You don't need manners to deal with a bunch of scum from the sea, all you need is your fists."
After saying that, Garp took the lead and jumped off the warship, rushing towards Rocks.
Even in the air, he didn't forget to issue the order: "All cannons, aim at the Sword of Giebeck!"
"What?!" Roger protested. "Why wasn't it aimed at our Orleans Jackson?"
Garp has always been chasing after him, his nemesis and rival. In the past, when the two met on the high seas, no matter how many people were on each other's ships, they would choose each other as their opponents without hesitation.
Roger was absolutely furious at that moment: "Lo! K! S!"
"Tsk, hopefully we'll have a chance to tow the Orleans Jackson to the dock for repairs later... Helmsman, keep the ship under control, everyone else, follow the captain!"
Garp, Roger, and Rocks, along with their subordinates or crew, knew each other so well that the seemingly chaotic battlefield was resolved in just a few minutes, with each person finding their most suitable opponent.
"That's spectacular!"
"Yes, I never thought I'd have the chance to see captains and first mates of this age fighting..." Shanks was saying when he suddenly realized something was off. Why did that voice sound so familiar?!
He turned around abruptly and saw Vera standing calmly beside him, eating a cream puff and looking on with amusement.
"Vell?"
"Shh, keep your voice down." Although those guys might not notice Violet because they were busy fighting, Violet still needed to keep a low profile while she was in hiding.
Violet handed Shanks the cream puff she was holding: "Want some? It's strawberry flavored, and it's still chilled."
"Where did you get this? Hmm, it tastes good. Do you have any wine? I'm so thirsty."
With fresh water scarce on board, it would be impossible for an intern like Shanks to obtain the rare beverages.
Violet glanced at Shanks, who was rudely ordering, thought for a moment, and then tossed him a bottle of liquor she had picked up from the Rocks collection.
Shanks quickly reached out and took it, feeling a slight coolness in his palm.
He was a little surprised. He had thought that, given Vera's personality, she would most likely give him a glass of freshly squeezed juice or one of those alcoholic fruit and vegetable drinks she made herself.
“This brand… is really rare. In my memory, this distillery has been out of production for several years.” Shanks sighed. “Their liquor is basically no longer sold at sea, and even now I have a hard time finding it.”
"So, why not take advantage of this timeline to experience things we won't be able to experience in the future?"
"..."
"Haha, Violet, so you can also hint at things indirectly." Shanks had only been adventuring with Violet for a few days, but he felt a sense of satisfaction, as if his child had grown up. "Hmm, you're right, but not now."
Shanks smiled and handed the bottle of wine back to Violet: "As for this bottle, could you please keep it safe for me? I'd like to... drink it at a more suitable time."
Violet glanced at Rayleigh, who looked much younger and more naive than she remembered, and Roger, who was still alive and hadn't turned into the black-nosed man in the photo. She then glanced at Shanks, who was hiding in a corner like her, pretending not to exist.
"...Whatever you want, but if there's not enough space in my backpack, I might just clear it out."
"No—" Shanks cooperated by pressing down on Violet's shoulders and staring intently into her eyes. "Vile, give me a break and help me keep that bottle of wine safe."
"……hehe."
"Rayleigh." Roger suddenly called out to Rayleigh, who had just escaped from the combined attack of Shiki and John, his gaze passing over him as if searching for something.
"I have a feeling... that someone is watching me?"
“…There are people watching you everywhere here.” Rayleigh was speechless. Not only were there people watching Roger everywhere, but there were also many who wanted to stab Roger in the heart.
"It's not that feeling..."
As a powerful intuitive being, Roger was certain that the owner of that gaze was quite special, and that the other party had been glancing at him every now and then ever since he approached the Sword of Gibbeck.
That's really strange...
"Roger, are you planning to just admit defeat and give us all the supplies and treasure on the ship? You're actually spacing out during the battle?"
"Huh?" Roger grabbed the other man's weapon with a backhand, his advanced application of Armament Haki rendering the sharp blade completely ineffective. "You'd better focus on yourself; one day you'll die because of your greed..."
"John!"
Thus began a chaotic battle of attack and defense among the three ships amidst thunderstorms and tsunamis, boarding ships, counterattacks... Blood splattered into the air, only to fall into the sea and disappear in an instant.
With a bang, Rocks, having launched his attack, landed back on the deck of the Sword of Gibbe. He looked at his subordinate pirates who had risked their lives to board the Oro Jackson and other warships during the recent melee. While the powerful pirates were entangled with each other, these seemingly insignificant pirates split into several groups and carried the food, fresh water, and drinks they needed to the Sword of Gibbe.
Charlotte Linlin flew around the three ships on thunderclouds, and whenever she saw someone trying to leave the battlefield to stop the Rocks Pirates from plundering, she would throw a lightning bolt at them to trap them.
"Lingling, Shiki!"
Locke's loud voice came from the ship, but Lingling, who was directing the Homies to carry heavy cream from the warship, pretended not to hear it and continued to replenish the dessert ingredients that were just as essential to her as fresh water.
It wasn't until she keenly noticed that something was off about the two boats she had chosen for the free purchase that Lingling's vigilance, which had been shattered by her so-called "companions" more than once, instantly spiked to its highest level.
This time, she stopped fighting over the cream and chocolate and directly controlled the Homies to quickly retreat.
But before the Homies could leave the warship and the Oro Jackson, Lingling saw the waterline of the two ships drop lower and lower, as if the seawater in front of her was being rapidly drained away.
No, it's not that the seawater was drained, but rather—
"Whoa! How did I fly?"
"Aaaaaah! Don't go! I finally saved up my merit points to get this weapon!"
After pestering Roger for half a day, Flameflower, having replenished her love energy, was once again full of vitality, standing on the deck of the Oro Jackson and roaring at Skeeter.
"Hey, Shiki, we're still here!"
"Pfft, why don't you just jump over here?"
"What about the lower-ranking crew members?!"
Without the gangway, they simply couldn't jump that far.
“Ah, that’s true.” Shiki, standing next to Rocks, froze for a moment, then instantly broke into a mischievous expression. “Then we’ll have to ask Flameflower and Linlin to bring them back!”
"Otherwise, we can just hand them over to the Navy and Roger. Anyway, with crew members of this caliber, as long as we mention the name of the Rocks Pirates, we can recruit as many as we want."
Rocks chuckled, but did not object to Shiki's words.
This is the confidence of the "King of the World," the strongest person in the world today.
Even though everyone knows that the Rocks Pirates are full of betrayal and bloodshed, every moment, pirates who choose to follow Rocks for money, fame, or simply because they are impressed by his unparalleled freedom and power can line up all the way from the Sabaody Archipelago to the Calm Belt.
They never had to worry about the lack of janitors on board to clean the decks and peel potatoes.
"I'm getting a little bored."
A crisis was so easily averted; if that little rat who had infiltrated the fleet only had this much ability, he was indeed a bit disappointed.
Given Lox's character, regardless of whether the other party wanted his interest and expectations, he would still make them feel bad if they failed to meet his expectations.
Simply emptying the ship of its supplies isn't enough to make him acknowledge her existence.
As the captain of the ship, the little mouse was not considered to have boarded the ship unless he gave his consent.
Yes, that's how unreasonable it is!
Since she wants to become my crew member so much, she should learn this skill as soon as possible. Pirates are more about who has the bigger fist than reasoning!
This can be considered a small, enthusiastic lesson from her future captain.
Thinking of the little mouse's panic and helplessness when encountering pirate-style dominance for the first time, and the chaos of this world with its rules, Rocks sneered at Vera in his heart with pure malice.
Rocks returned to the captain's cabin, and the next second his eyes suddenly sharpened as his gaze fell instantly on the display window behind his captain's chair.
Behind the cold glass, there should have been his favorite wines. Given his reputation on the ship, even if everyone was at sea for a long time and couldn't even get the cheapest sour wine, no one would dare to covet his collection.
But at this moment, all the wines he had treasured had vanished, replaced by rows and rows of neatly arranged...
Locke sniffed, catching a faint, unpleasant fresh scent in the air.
Rocks lowered his brows slowly, and a crack appeared in his expression, which showed that he was at ease even when fighting against Roger's Pirates and Garp's Marines at the same time.
His tone was filled with doubt and uncertainty.
"Mixed vegetable juice?"
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Author's Note: Healthy eating, Rocks [doge emoji]
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