Holy Land, Mariejois.
Room of Authority.
Upon learning of Zephyr and Garp's defeat, the Five Elders were furious, flying into a rage.
"Kong! What are you Marines doing? Truly a bunch of useless trash!!!"
"Are these the two guys you praised in front of us??? Such trash is fit to become Marine Admirals?!"
"Exactly! If trash like this can become Marine Admirals, then the future might really belong to the pirates!!"
"Useless! A bunch of good-for-nothings!!!"
"The opponents are just a few wet-behind-the-ears brats! How formidable can they be??"
"Are they more powerful than Rocks?!!"
"Kong, we give your Marines so much money every year, just to raise such trash?!"
"If your capability is only at this level, then there's no need for your Marines to exist!!"
After hearing the report, the Five Elders immediately unleashed a torrent of abuse on Kong without letting him speak.
Knowing he had failed, Kong kept a gloomy face, letting their spittle fly onto him.
Endure. Must endure!!
"Alright, everyone calm down!"
St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro (the bald elder with the sword), the only one still maintaining rationality, spoke calmly.
Like magic, hearing his voice, the other Five Elders calmed down one after another, ceasing their barrage on Kong.
Suppressing their anger, they began to discuss countermeasures.
Regardless, the issue had to be resolved.
"Where exactly did this pirate crew come from?? Why have we never heard of them for so many years?? Have they been hiding and training in that remote little country all this time??"
The still-angry St. Jaygarcia Saturn (the elder with dreadlocks and a cane) threw out question after question.
...
"Speak, you!!"
Furious, St. Jaygarcia Saturn slammed his cane down. Powerful Armament Haki erupted, poking a large hole directly into the hard floor.
Sensing Saturn's unkind gaze, Kong finally spoke slowly.
"We also know very little about the Raynor Pirates. We only know that they killed two Marine Vice Admirals eight years ago and then vanished."
"I once sent people to investigate them, but found nothing."
"Until... until Saint Roswald was killed by them."
"Trash! Truly a bunch of trash!!"
"Couldn't find them for eight years, and even let them kill a Celestial Dragon!!"
Hearing this, St. Jaygarcia Saturn, who had just suppressed his anger, lost control again.
"Alright, calm down. It's already happened. Now we need to find a solution."
St. Shepherd Ju Peter (the blonde elder) stepped in to smooth things over.
"According to what you just said, what can be confirmed is that there are at least three powerhouses in the Raynor Pirates."
"They are Shakuyaku with the Soul-Soul Fruit, Linlin with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and their Captain Raynor, whose strength is no less than theirs, correct??"
"Correct. Not only that, there are other members in the Raynor Pirates, but they didn't engage us at the time, so we are unclear about their abilities and strength," Kong added.
"Three powerhouses comparable to Marine Admirals... this is troublesome!!"
Calming down, the Five Elders found the situation tricky.
They called Zephyr and Garp trash.
But they knew the strength of those two very well.
Although they were only Vice Admirals, their strength was comparable to Admirals.
Becoming Admirals was only a matter of time.
For a pirate crew appearing out of nowhere to have three such powerhouses... who wouldn't be worried!
To eliminate them would be easier said than done!!
"Bastard! Rocks is already troublesome enough, and now a Raynor appears!!"
Mentioning Rocks made the faces of the Five Elders even gloomier.
"If the Marines mobilize in full force, I am confident I can destroy the Kast Kingdom," Kong stated his thoughts.
Currently, the Marines were full of talent.
Besides him as the Admiral, the rising stars Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr all had strength comparable to Admirals.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's strength was comparable to a Commodore (Note: likely meant pseudo-Admiral or strong VA contextually).
In his view, mobilizing such a lineup would surely take down the Raynor Pirates.
"Inappropriate!" St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro shook his head immediately, rejecting Kong's idea.
"This method won't work!"
"In the current New World, Rocks is making waves, Roger is restless, and Whitebeard, Shiki, and others are poised for action. We must arrange manpower to keep an eye on them."
"If the Marines mobilize in full force, creating such a big commotion, they will inevitably notice. If Rocks and the others take the opportunity to stir up trouble, you won't be able to attend to them."
"Exactly!"
"Seconded!!"
Ethanbaron V. Nasjuro's explanation met with the unanimous approval of the other Five Elders.
While Raynor deserved to die a thousand deaths, they could not simply ignore the other pirates roaming the seas—especially that madman, Rocks!
"You've been analyzing this for ages—saying this won't work, that won't work—so what are we supposed to do?!"
"Are we just going to let this Raynor fellow continue to run rampant?"
"Don't forget, even Rocks hasn't dared to kill a Celestial Dragon yet!"
"If we let this brat live, where will the World Government's dignity be?"
"No matter what, the Raynor Pirates must be destroyed!!"
Realizing there was no immediate solution to deal with Raynor, the temperamental Jaygarcia Saturn radiated a palpable, murderous intent.
"Kong, once you return, issue their wanted posters immediately."
"Set Flame Flower's bounty at 400 million, Linlin's at 500 million. As for Raynor..."
Shepherd Ju Peter rubbed his chin, hesitating.
According to Kong's report, Raynor, the captain, was a master of Taijutsu and Haki, and had even awakened the one-in-a-million Conqueror's Haki. However, his true, full strength had not yet been fully revealed in battle.
"One billion!!"
While Ju Peter was still undecided, Ethanbaron V. Nasjuro spoke with absolute decisiveness.
"One billion??"
"We don't even know his true strength yet. Isn't a bounty of one billion a bit too high?"
The other Elders looked at each other, furrowing their brows.
Bounty amounts were not just about strength; they also reflected the threat level posed to the World Government. It wasn't simply a matter of picking a random number. To set such a staggering figure for Raynor, whose limits were still unknown, seemed—to the others—a rash decision on Nasjuro's part.
"Since we cannot deal with Raynor ourselves right now, let us have others do it for us," Nasjuro explained, meeting their skeptical gazes.
"I've heard that Rocks has been recruiting powerful figures across the seas. Great pirates like John, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe have already fallen under his banner. Why don't we borrow Rocks' hand to eliminate Raynor?"
Nasjuro carefully wiped the blade of his beloved sword, the cold steel reflecting his grim expression. "Tell me, if Rocks finds out about someone like Raynor, do you think he will remain indifferent?"
The others' eyes lit up instantly. "That's right. The Raynor Pirates possess three combatants with power comparable to Navy Admirals. They certainly won't submit easily."
"And it won't be easy for Rocks to swallow them whole, either!"
"They will tear each other apart, and we will reap the benefits!"
The Five Elders were in immediate agreement.
"But what if... and I'm just saying what if... what if Raynor is like Wang Zhi and the others? If they actually join the Rocks Pirates, wouldn't that pose an even greater threat to us?" Kong voiced his concern.
"Do you have a better idea?" Nasjuro retorted coldly as he sheathed his sword. "Besides, this incident has caused such a stir that we can't hide it. Rocks finding out is only a matter of time. Since that's the case, why don't we fan the flames?"
"With Raynor's rise, Rocks won't sit idly by. Let him solve this problem for us."
"Agreed. We will use Rocks to kill Raynor!!"
"And even in the worst-case scenario—if the Raynor Pirates do merge with Rocks—we will simply awaken Lord Im. When that time comes, we will wipe them all out in one fell swoop!!"
"Seconded!!" "Seconded!!"
...
After their deliberation, the Five Elders made their final decision.
Upon receiving his orders, Kong immediately returned to Marineford and issued the wanted posters for Raynor, Flame Flower, and Linlin.
News of the Raynor Pirates destroying the Romanov Kingdom and defeating both Zephyr and Garp spread rapidly through the New World.
However, regarding the assassination of the Celestial Dragon, Saint Roswald, they naturally did not foolishly broadcast it to the world. If they did, the World Government would lose all face. Only a small fraction of powerful figures knew the truth about the leak; the vast majority of civilians remained completely in the dark.
Under the Navy's deliberate manipulation, Raynor and his pirate crew quickly entered the public eye.
In the New World, countless pirates and underground powerhouses turned their attention to the remote nation known as the Castor Kingdom.
Naturally, this included Rocks!
...
Hachinosu (Beehive Island) – The Rocks Pirates' Stronghold.
At the top of the giant skull rock.
Captain Rocks D. Xebec sat upon the main throne. Below him stood his three cadres: John, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe.
Each held a newspaper, their expressions varying as they read the bold headlines.
"Raynor? Where the hell did this kid pop out from?"
"One billion Berries?? Even I don't have a bounty that high!!" Captain John swigged his liquor and slammed the newspaper onto the table. He had roamed the New World for years and made a name for himself, yet his bounty was only 400 million.
"The most ridiculous part is that the Navy slapped a one-billion bounty on him without even confirming his strength. Utter madness," Wang Zhi remarked, stroking his long beard with a lack of interest.
"Compared to this Raynor fellow with his unknown power, I'm more interested in these two women." Wang Zhi shifted his gaze to the silent Rocks. "Linlin, the user of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit (Gura Gura no Mi), bounty 500 million. And Flame Flower, the user of the Soul-Soul Fruit (Soru Soru no Mi), bounty 400 million."
"Boss, these two are no joke. Are you interested?"
"Isn't the Boss targeting Whitebeard and the Golden Lion?" Silver Axe shouted with his massive voice. "Besides, believe only half of what the Navy prints."
"Did they really defeat Garp and Zephyr?"
Rocks, hidden in the shadows, muttered in a low voice, his expression shifting unpredictably. As soon as he spoke, the other cadres fell silent.
Although they hadn't joined the Rocks Pirates willingly—bound only by mutual benefit and lacking any true camaraderie—as long as Rocks existed, they obeyed him absolutely.
"I didn't expect such a group of brats to exist in the New World. It seems I've been a bit out of touch!"
Rocks slowly stood up and walked into the sunlight.
"While Garp and Zephyr aren't worth mentioning, the fact that these kids defeated them is... decent."
"Boss, have you decided to recruit them?" John asked, picking up on the implication.
"That's right. The Rocks Pirates must grow. We must absorb powerful crew members. Only then can I crush the World Government in one blow."
"However, news just came in regarding Whitebeard's location. He and the Golden Lion remain my primary targets. I will go recruit Whitebeard first."
Rocks rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment. "As for Raynor and his crew... Silver Axe has a point; the Navy's reports can't be fully trusted."
"Wang Zhi, you go to the Castor Kingdom. Recruit that kid for me."
Caught off guard, Wang Zhi hesitated. "Boss, what if those kids refuse?"
BOOM!
The moment the words left his mouth, a violent, overwhelming surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Rocks' body like a volcanic explosion, instantly engulfing the entire island of Hachinosu.
"Bo... Boss!!!"
The pressure, heavy as a mountain, turned the cadres' faces pale, forcing their backs to bend.
"Refuse?!!"
Rocks grinned savagely. "If they dare to refuse, then once I have Whitebeard and the Golden Lion under my command, it will be their death date!!"
"No one dares to refuse me, Rocks. Do you understand?"
It was a display of pure dominance. John and the other cadres nodded furiously like chickens pecking at rice until the terrifying pressure finally dissipated.
"Hah..."
As the pressure vanished, everyone gasped for air, looking at Rocks with eyes full of dread. Even though they were great pirates of the New World, they dared not harbor a single rebellious thought in front of him.
"Boss, I'll handle it immediately!!"
Wang Zhi grabbed his giant sword and hurriedly left the scene.
...
Somewhere in the New World, on a nameless island.
A pirate ship sat quietly anchored by the shore. In the center of the island, a banquet was in full swing.
"Bwahahahaha! Rayleigh, your barbecue skills are getting better and better!"
Roger was devouring the roasted meat like a wolf, his mouth smeared with grease.
"Captain, slow down. There's plenty left, no one is fighting you for it," Gaban said, shaking his head helplessly at Roger's utter lack of image. Who would have thought the private side of Roger looked like this?
"Sunbell, what are you spacing out for? Come eat!" Rayleigh urged, glancing at the Fishman who had been staring at a newspaper for ages.
"No, Captain, everyone... you have to come see this. It looks like some formidable kids have appeared in the New World."
"Hahahaha... Formidable? How formidable could they be?"
"Are they tougher than us?"
"Exactly, just come eat..."
"They defeated Garp and Zephyr!"
...
The noisy crew instantly fell into a dead silence.
Even Roger's wide grin slowly closed.
"A captain with a one billion bounty, Raynor. A user of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Linlin, with five hundred million. And Flame Flower, user of the Soul-Soul Fruit, at four hundred million."
"Just a bunch of brats appearing out of nowhere."
"Captain, are you interested in these kids?" Rayleigh, the vice-captain, asked casually as he tended to the barbecue grill.
"I mean, Rocks has been recruiting crew members like a madman lately. Should we...?"
Others chimed in. If they could absorb Raynor and his group into the Roger Pirates, their strength would undoubtedly reach a whole new level.
"Bwahahahaha... What are you all talking about? I have no interest in these brats."
"Rocks recruiting crew members is his business. What does that have to do with us? Compared to that, I'm much more interested in eating Rayleigh's barbecue."
"Let's carry on, everyone!!"
"Oh! Banquet time!!"
...