Chapter 26: Recruiting New Members

Seeing the pirates surrounding the hall, Rocks laughed heartily.

"Wahahaha! Wahahahahaha!"

"Do you scum want to join the Rocks Pirates? If so, then fight! Only the last 800 standing will make it!"

"Wahahahaha!" Rocks declared, addressing the thousands surrounding him.

"Kyahahahaha!" Shiki the Golden Lion, chewing on his cigar, watched the scene unfold. This decision by Rocks perfectly aligned with his own views: only the strong deserve to join the Rocks Pirates.

The pirates surrounding the hall, upon hearing this, glanced around nervously. The sheer number of people, with countless pairs of bloodshot eyes, was intimidating. Many of the new, eager pirates gulped, feeling a chill run down their spines.

"Roar!"

After a moment of silence, the pirates erupted into a fierce battle cry. Countless pirates drew their swords and began slashing at those next to them. This triggered a chain reaction, unleashing a brutal and bloody melee among the thousand-strong crowd.

Behind Rocks, each officer displayed a different reaction. Edward Newgate, the Whitebeard, looked on with some discomfort, while Shiki the Golden Lion laughed maniacally. Charlotte Linlin, meanwhile, casually ate her cake, showing no interest.

The armored Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, had his expression hidden beneath his helmet, and John sipped his drink, watching the carnage like a spectator. Upon noticing Sharlo looking at him, John flashed a smile, prompting Sharlo to turn away in disdain. The Kurozumi siblings trembled with fear, raising questions about how they even became officers.

Rocks intently watched the slaughter, and Sharlo glanced around, noting several capable fighters but none worthy of being officers. Many devil fruit users were present, but swordsmen were rare. Most were simply pirates swinging their large swords wildly, which Sharlo dismissed with a glance.

As the slaughter continued for about three hours, Rocks finally shouted, "Stop!" His Conqueror's Haki subtly suppressed the combatants, halting the chaos.

"Wahahahaha! Congratulations on surviving the final test and welcome to the Rocks Pirates!" Rocks' voice was filled with enthusiasm.

The surviving pirates, hearing this, hugged those they had just been fighting, some even bursting into tears of relief.

"Rocks!"

"Rocks! Rocks!" The crowd cheered ecstatically, chanting Rocks' name.

"Wahahahaha!" Rocks continued to laugh heartily at the scene.

After a while, Rocks' expression turned serious. "Do you want to be officers?" His enticing words echoed through the crowd, captivating everyone, even the eight officers behind him, who looked confused by his intentions.

The pirates below, however, began breathing heavily, greed evident in their eyes.

"If you want to become officers, then defeat these existing officers or at least fight them to a draw!" Rocks announced with a smile, addressing the more than 800 pirates.

Hearing this, the ambitious pirates set their sights on the officers behind Rocks. The eight officers stepped forward. Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, stood silently with his supreme-grade sword, Murakumogiri, exerting immense pressure on the crowd with his six-meter-tall frame. Shiki the Golden Lion kept smoking, his mouth curling into a wicked grin. Charlotte Linlin continued eating her cake, unfazed by the staring pirates. The armored Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, looked unapproachable, while John disdainfully eyed the pirates, hand resting on his rapier. The Kurozumi siblings, terrified, were easy targets, and many pirates eyed Sharlo greedily.

Sharlo, noticing this, scornfully addressed the pirates. "Anyone who wants to fight, come forward now. After this moment, you won't get another chance!"

Rocks, raising an eyebrow, shrugged. "Those who wish to challenge the eighth division commander of the Rocks Pirates, the Bloody Swordsman Rockefeller Sharlo, step forward!"

Upon Rocks' words, more than forty pirates surged forward. Rocks raised an eyebrow again.

"Is that all? Last chance!" Rocks declared with a smile.

Another twenty pirates stepped forward.

"Alright! Let the challenge begin!" Rocks commanded.

Over sixty pirates charged at Sharlo. Seeing the motley array of weapons, Sharlo sneered in disdain. Drawing his exquisitely crafted sword—a treasure looted from a World Government affiliate nation—he prepared to fight.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunfire erupted, but Sharlo didn't even look up. Slightly tilting his head, the bullets missed him entirely. For someone with top-tier Observation Haki like Sharlo, these bullets were mere toys.

"Now it's my turn," Sharlo said, drawing his sword and unleashing a 40-meter slash that cut through the charging pirates. His power had increased significantly through battles over the past days, ranking him among the top five in the Rocks Pirates.

"Ahhh!" Screams echoed as the slash decimated the pirates, leaving none alive.

"Oh! Unfortunately, all challengers have perished. How sad!" Rocks feigned sorrow, though his tone betrayed his amusement. "Sharlo, why the lethal force? They were to be our comrades!"

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(40 Advance chapters)