Chapter 17: The Rocks Pirates

#### May 5, 1480, Sea Calendar

On this day, Sharlo was practicing his swordsmanship by the sea when he suddenly felt a pang of unease.

"What's going on? Why do I have such a bad feeling?"

He stopped his training and stared out at the ocean, but saw nothing.

…

"Captain Rocks! You're incredible! You've wiped out another Marine base!" Amidst the sounds of cannon fire, screams, and fierce fighting, a towering red-haired man looked on impassively while the surrounding pirates cheered.

"Guhahaha! With this base gone, the Marines have lost control of the central waters of the second half of the Grand Line," laughed a tall, blond man wielding a large sword.

"Newgate's right! The second half of the Grand Line will soon belong to us pirates!" said another man, about two meters tall, holding twin swords and chewing on a cigar.

"Mamamama! Then Linlin can eat even more sweets!" added a tall, voluptuous woman in a red leather outfit, towering over the blond man.

Had Sharlo been there, he would have immediately recognized them: Edward Newgate (Whitebeard), Shiki (Golden Lion), and Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom).

"Let's wrap this up quickly! We don't have time to linger here!" ordered the red-haired man.

"Guhahaha! Since the captain has spoken, let's get to work!" said Edward Newgate, covering his sword with a white light and launching a massive shockwave at a Marine officer. The officer's eyes filled with despair as the wave engulfed him, tearing apart the island.

"Jihahahaha! Leave some for me, Newgate! Lion's Wrath: Imperial Earth Scroll!" Shiki shouted, creating three giant lion heads from the ground that attacked indiscriminately.

"Shiki, we're on the same side!"

"Help! Shiki, stop!"

"Damn it! Justice will never fail!"

Marine and pirate alike cried out, surrounded by the lion heads.

"Shiki, at this rate, you'll kill all our crew!" Newgate frowned.

"Hahahaha! If they can't survive one of my attacks, they don't deserve to be our crew! There are plenty of small fry pirates out there. You feel sorry for these guys?" Shiki sneered. Newgate fell silent. With no further objections, Shiki obliterated the G-8 Marine branch, leaving only ten pirate ships filled with treasure.

"Shakky! Is there an island nearby where we can resupply?" Rocks asked his navigator, Shakky.

"Let me check." Shakky scanned the map and found a nearby island. "There's a small island nearby, home to about a thousand people. According to my information, a very formidable individual lives there. Many pirates who've approached the island recently have been killed, and their heads were taken to Marine bases for bounties."

"A formidable individual? How strong?" Shiki asked, unimpressed.

"Seems he can unleash slashes like a swordmaster. The reports say he's a teenager. The island is also under the influence of Umiis, one of the six kings of the underworld," Shakky explained.

"Umiis? That rat?" Shiki scoffed.

Seeing Shiki's interruptions, Shakky looked helplessly at Rocks.

"Interesting. A teenager who can unleash swordmaster slashes. Let's check it out," Rocks said, intrigued. Known for collecting talented individuals, Rocks was now interested in this island.

"Yes, captain!" Shakky instructed the crew to change course and notified the other ships.

"Guhahaha! Looks like we'll have a new crew member soon!" Newgate laughed, taking a swig of sake.

"New member? If he can't withstand a single blow from me, he doesn't deserve to be my comrade!" Shiki said disdainfully. Newgate ignored him, continuing to drink, while Shiki remained silent. Rocks stood at the bow, lost in thought as he gazed at the endless sea.

The fleet quickly changed direction towards Came Island. On the port, Sharlo's anxiety grew. He stood silently, waiting for the unknown danger.

Seeing Sharlo standing still, some curious onlookers wanted to approach him, but he ignored them, focused on the sea.

"Everyone, run to the mountains! Pirates are coming!" Sharlo shouted as he saw a large fleet approaching through his Observation Haki. The dockworkers, merchants, and vendors looked at him, then out at the calm sea, seeing nothing.

"Run to the mountains! There are a lot of pirates!" Sharlo continued to shout. Some townspeople, trusting Sharlo from past experiences, began to run towards the mountains, leaving their work behind.

However, outsiders and skeptical merchants, seeing nothing on the sea, dismissed his warnings and stayed, even trying to stop the dockworkers from fleeing.

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