On the Millennium Falcon's deck, when idle, Silas enjoyed fishing. Partly to pass time, partly to supplement their increasingly strained food stores with fresh ingredients.
"Old man, I want to leave the White Wolf Pirates!"
"Oh, why?"
Silas wasn't surprised by Rocks's arrival. Just as Rocks came directly to him rather than choosing to sneak away.
"Because I want to become stronger!"
Rocks's gaze was serious and sharp. After over a month, his injuries had long healed. Even his damaged eardrums had gradually recovered as he mastered the Six Powers ultimate technique—Life Return.
Though he'd lost to Holy Knights members, Rocks hadn't gained nothing.
Conqueror's Haki awakening. Life Return comprehension.
All this proved the previous battle wasn't meaningless.
But Rocks wasn't satisfied. Losing was losing.
Without Silas, if he'd been alone, he wouldn't have had the chance to experience this growth. Death would've been his only destination.
He'd never forgotten his ideals.
But the reality was his increasing dependence on Silas, becoming less courageous than before, and lacking his initial fighting spirit and drive.
"Staying by your side, I'll stagnate like Ripley!"
"Kid, you really dare say that!"
Bonking Rocks on the head with the bottle, Silas wasn't angry at his words.
"Ripley is indeed too comfortable."
But what could be done? Had Ripley not grown stronger? From their first meeting to now, she'd become countless times stronger.
A great pirate worth over 100 million—were there many on these seas?
Some people were satisfied; others weren't.
"Sometimes, blind reliance isn't necessarily good either."
Silas smiled but said no more.
However, Rocks finished what Silas hadn't said.
"Because Ripley's a woman."
Rocks sat beside Silas, curling his lips.
"Though you always say you don't treat crew members differently, you definitely treat men and women differently."
If Rocks knew the term, he'd realize Silas was typically chauvinistic. So-called respect for women was only within limits, essentially self-centered.
"This is arrogance!"
"Of course."
Silas didn't deny it.
"So I always wondered why I couldn't awaken Conqueror's Haki before. Was it just lack of talent?"
Speaking of arrogance, even Celestial Dragons might not match Silas's arrogance.
This was a prescient person's pride.
Perhaps because as a transmigrator, Silas subconsciously looked down on these natives, believing he should be the world's protagonist.
Anyway, due to this mentality, Silas had taken many beatings before. Even after getting the system to correct his attitude, Silas spent a long time.
"Conqueror's Haki is the heart's power."
"When you possess sufficient strength and knowledge yet still believe in yourself, still refuse to submit to everything—that's when it manifests."
"So after seeing you awaken Conqueror's Haki..." Silas glanced at Rocks, unsurprised. "I knew you'd leave."
When someone submits to another, their Conqueror's Haki stagnates. No matter their talent, growth stops.
Many Marine officers possessed Conqueror's Haki. But those who could fully realize their potential were very few.
Kong was like this. Rona too.
Without breaking the cage, you can't transcend it.
Kong and Rona's cage was the Marines, the World Government.
And Rocks's cage was him!
So leaving the White Wolf Pirates was just the first step.
If Rocks wanted to surpass him, he had to rebel against him—by any means, ultimately defeating and conquering him!
"I agree."
Silas's tone was calm, just as Rocks expected.
"This is the first time, and the only time."
Rocks looked at Silas, releasing his fishing rod, and then knelt before him.
Kowtowing.
"I won't forget your teachings or your kindness these years."
Rocks admitted he'd gained and received much in the White Wolf Pirates, but this wasn't what he wanted.
What he wanted was always much more than what he'd received.
He was greedy. Far greedier than others imagined.
But he was equally fearful, knowing Silas was also greedy.
The more he gained from Silas, the more he'd need to repay in the future.
"I'll give you twenty years—twenty years to become strong, stronger than me. If you can't manage it, then obediently come back."
Silas looked at Rocks.
Four years had passed since he first met him. In just four years, Rocks had grown from a rookie pirate barely stronger than ordinary people into a great pirate worth nearly 100 million Berry.
And Rocks's actual strength exceeded that of ordinary great pirates.
Twenty years. When Rocks would be forty-five. His physical peak for physique, Haki, and skills.
Silas allowed him to challenge him then!
"Not necessary!"
Rocks declared firmly.
"Five years—I'll become countless times stronger than now!"
Indeed, after twenty years, Rocks could reach his theoretical peak. Then, he might even dare challenge the world.
But Rocks couldn't accept it. He couldn't accept such charity!
"Who knows if you'll be dead in twenty years, old man? I want to defeat you at your prime, not when you're decrepit!"
Rocks's words made Silas laugh loudly.
"Puhahahaha, brat, who do you think I am?"
"Don't forget, I have Pure Gold!"
"Even without it, why do you think I keep getting younger?"
Silas looked at Rocks, sneering.
"But since you dare boast, I'll give you one chance—ten years! I'll give you ten years!"
Honestly, it wasn't that Silas looked down on Rocks.
In this sea's current environment, Rocks would struggle to find suitable opponents. The overall situation was much worse than later.
Why were there so few strong fighters in this era? Wasn't it because of working behind closed doors?
Under Marine suppression, few New World pirates had fixed territories. Most spent 90% of their time wandering at sea.
In such circumstances, captains like Silas, who brought subordinates to trouble Marines, giving crew training opportunities, were rare finds.
Don't let Rocks spend years unable to find strong opponents, only to return and find others had grown stronger.
But such situations might not occur.
Sea Circle Calendar 1463, June.
When the Millennium Falcon brought the slave group to Sphinx, another message shocked the entire world.
After the chaos at Sabaody Archipelago and the devastating attack on Holy Land Mariejois, World Government officials heavily criticized the Marines' inability to maintain order.
In response to mounting pressure and the need for a new approach to pirate control, they implemented a radical solution.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea system!