While the cleanup on this side was still underway, another pirate ship was already approaching Hachinosu Island.
Before long, it had arrived at the port where Nereus stood.
On its black sail, the word “ROCKS” stood out sharply.
The “O” was replaced by a crimson skull emblem—the unmistakable flag of the Rocks Pirates’ main vessel.
Standing at the bow was none other than the man himself.
Blue-and-white hair, a strand falling over his forehead, a lightning-shaped mark on the left side of his face—Rocks D.
Xebec.
Though he bore a slight resemblance to Blackbeard, the aura he exuded was on an entirely different level—an overwhelming, tyrannical presence that Blackbeard could never match.
Before the ship even docked, he leapt down and burst into laughter.
“Wororororo!
Nereus, I’m back!
About what I said before—have you thought it over?”
He strode over to Nereus as if it were completely natural.
Nearby, two folding tables had already been set up, with fruit and bottles filled with liquid placed on top.
They had been there since Nereus arrived.
Neither Nereus nor his subordinates like Sebastian treated the slave traders as anything significant.
They were merely targets—tools for testing combat strength.
That was why the atmosphere remained so relaxed.
Without hesitation, Rocks grabbed a nearby bottle and downed it in one gulp.
Then he frowned.
“Grape juice?
I thought it was wine.”
“I don’t drink alcohol.
It’s nothing but bitterness and a way to dull the senses.”
“Tch.
A tavern owner who doesn’t drink… Do you know how much effort winemakers go through just to remove the sweetness from grapes?”
“I don’t.
I think they’re just wasting effort.
There’s orange juice too—want some?”
“Forget it.
I’ll stick with this.
This is West Blue liquor.”
As Rocks arrived, the surrounding Fish-Men and merfolk subtly stepped back, giving the two of them a wide berth.
For them, maintaining distance was simply safer.
The man looked carefree—but his name carried terrifying weight across the sea.
Rocks D.
Xebec—real name: Davy D.
Xebec.
Captain of the Rocks Pirates.
The most dangerous criminal in the world at present.
Within just two years of forming the Rocks Pirates, he had already become a major headache for the World Government.
Rocks alone was enough to overwhelm them—let alone an entire crew.
Recorded incidents included sixteen attacks, seventy-six ships sunk (mostly Marine warships), fourteen ports burned, five towns destroyed, and the annihilation of a country.
There were also three classified violations of World Law Article 18, and twenty-five additional crimes erased from records because the World Government refused to publicize them.
And that was only within the first two years.
Because of all this, Rocks had effectively become the symbol of the era itself.
Even so, there were two people he could never forget.
One was Harald of the Giants.
The other was Nereus.
Both were men capable of fighting him one-on-one.
That alone earned them Rocks’ special attention.
“So, what’s your answer?”
Rocks wiped the alcohol from his lips and waited.
“My answer is the same as before,” Nereus said calmly.
“It hasn’t changed.”
“Ah?
Why not?
If you and I join forces—and then convince Harald as well—the three of us could stand at the top of the world!”
“Didn’t you swear after that fight in Elbaf that you’d never invite him again?”
“Yeah.
That’s why you should go invite him.”
Two years ago, Rocks and Harald had clashed in a massive battle.
Harald sought to lead Elbaf toward peace and join the World Government, while the World Government used that condition to pit him against Rocks.
The fight ended without a clear victor.
What exactly was said between them remained unknown to Nereus.
But after that day, neither of them had looked the other in the eye again.
Still, Rocks never stopped bringing it up.
It was clear he hadn’t abandoned the idea.
Now he was even trying to recruit Nereus to do the job instead.
Apparently, during this voyage, he had a sudden inspiration: that certain Devil Fruit would reach its true potential only in the hands of a Giant like Harald.
If Harald ate it, its power would fully bloom.
So Rocks still wanted him on board.
Nereus had heard similar ideas countless times.
Sometimes, the more unattainable something was, the more obsessively it was pursued.
For Rocks, Harald was both a recognition of strength and something more personal—an attachment not unlike how some conquerors fixate on rivals they cannot subdue.
“You… don’t tell me you’re like Harald—believing in the World Government too?”
Rocks’ gaze turned strange.
He didn’t understand why the two men he acknowledged both refused his vision.
“I don’t trust them,” Nereus replied.
“Never have.
Whether it’s their so-called peace or equality of races, those self-proclaimed gods known as Celestial Dragons are parasites that need to be eradicated.”
“But I don’t support your plan either.”
“The World Government isn’t good—but it has ruled this world for eight hundred years.
Its foundation is still stable.”
“Over 170 member nations recognize it.
You can call it foolish, but it is not weak.”
“The Navy, CP agencies, the God’s Knights—these are all military forces under its command.”
More importantly, Nereus knew the truth behind it all: the World Government was merely a tool of Imu, serving the Celestial Dragons.
The Celestial Dragons deserved nothing less than being thrown into the lowest furnace imaginable.
Even so, Nereus understood something else: Rocks would ultimately fail in God Valley.
That outcome was already known.
His own presence here wasn’t about becoming a pirate—it was tied to liberating slaves, which had escalated into a series of events that forced him into opposition with the World Government.
On Hachinosu, there weren’t enough Marines or World Government agents to matter.
That, combined with his need to sharpen his strength, was why he was here.
“So you want to use the power of two Devil Fruits to launch a decisive blitzkrieg,” Nereus continued.
“But you don’t understand the World Government’s true cards.
And you haven’t even considered what comes after.”
“You sound just like Harald…” Rocks clicked his tongue.
“He’s a king, fine—but you’re not.
Even if you have reputation on Fish-Man Island…”
“Coincidentally,” Nereus interrupted, “becoming the king of the Ryugu Kingdom is part of my plan too.”
Rocks froze.
“…Hah?
You’re serious?
You too?
A guy like you playing king?
That’s just like Harald!”
“Next thing you’ll tell me is you’ll beg the World Government for scraps of peace like a dog!”
Rocks’ expression darkened with irritation.
He couldn’t understand it.
Why did both Harald and Nereus—men he acknowledged as strong—refuse his perfect vision?
“Of course not,” Nereus said.
“I only need the identity.
It helps me execute my plan.
The details are my secret.”
“And it looks like things will proceed as usual.
We’ll meet at the old place.”
At that moment, wings of bat-like shadow suddenly unfurled from Nereus’ back.
He shot upward toward the skull-shaped rocky mountain at the center of Hachinosu.
That mountain hadn’t always looked like a skull.
It was only after “Silver Axe” joined Hachinosu that its structure was carved into two hollow eye sockets as a display of power.
The summit of that mountain was where Nereus and Rocks often fought.
“Tch… No wonder Kaido gets along with you.
You’re just a battle maniac.”
Rocks muttered as he watched Nereus ascend, though he didn’t receive a reply.
The “usual procedure” was simple: every time they discussed this topic, it inevitably ended in a fight.
For Nereus, it was training.
On the seas, there were too few people strong enough to sharpen him like a blade.
Rocks happened to be one of them.
Without hesitation, Rocks bent his knees and shot upward as well, stepping through the air in bursts like Moonwalk.
“Change the battlefield this time,” Rocks called out.
“That rock won’t survive us again.
I spotted a reef flat on the way back.
Let’s use that.”
“You’re serious?
Fighting in the sea?”
“Of course.
I know your situation.
Even as a Devil Fruit user, drowning you won’t matter much.”
Rocks grinned.
“Still… I want to see what you look like when you go all out.”