"Listen to this first."
Anyone could tell that something was off about Rocks. This impatience wasn't like him.
So Charlotte Linlin simply took out a Den Den Mushi, a special recording type that could play back recordings.
This kind of Den Den Mushi was quite large, much bigger than a regular one, usually placed in a monitoring room alongside a Visual Den Den Mushi. But in Charlotte Linlin's hands, it seemed just the right size.
After a simple setup from Charlotte Linlin, a recording began to play in the room, and everyone present received a printed copy of the intelligence.
"Ahem, no matter who's hearing this, I guarantee the message that follows is absolutely true! This is the Celestial Dragons' slave transport ship. The Celestial Dragons are about to hold a game of their own.
Treasures, Devil Fruits, and special slaves are all prizes. Each treasure chest is worth a billion Berries!
And the destination is God Valley in the West Blue, at the exact coordinates…"
A low female voice spoke at breakneck speed, describing the details.
She didn't plead for pity or call for rescue; she just stated how abundant the prizes on this island were.
The World Government was leading, the Marines were responsible for escort, and these so-called people of justice were responsible for this deadly game. So she knew very well that her only hope was to attract people with promises of huge profit.
Wealth moves people's hearts; if the reward is high enough, someone will always take the risk. Only by causing chaos would there be a chance to escape.
"Too suspicious, isn't it? Where's the intel from?"
Wang Zhi didn't seem to believe the message. Buckin, meanwhile, felt it had probably leaked from someone inside the Marines who was having doubts.
But more people… were focused on Shakuyaku.
"Shakuyaku is still alive!"
"Where is she?!"
"Idiot, didn't they say? God Valley!"
"I'm asking where God Valley actually is! I'm not a navigator. Who understands these coordinates anyway?!"
Amidst the chaotic arguing, some people were still analyzing the situation.
"So it was the World Government b*stards who took our Shakuyaku?! No, I should've known it was them... No wonder my contacts couldn't find her…"
Ganzui muttered to himself. Most of the Rocks Pirates had rich side businesses, many having been part of various gangs before joining, and Ganzui was especially deep in the smuggling business.
Smuggling required many key factors, and on these seas, the most important thing was having stable routes. Because of this, Ganzui controlled many secret routes.
After Shakuyaku's disappearance, none of his contacts along those routes reported any findings, which had frustrated Ganzui for quite a while.
"So, are we going to get Shakuyaku back?"
"Kyo, what a dumb question! Of course we are! Who knows, maybe Shakuyaku will fall for the one who saves her."
Golden Lion shot down Silver Axe's comment, but soon he himself became the target of rebuttal.
"No, it's not just Shakuyaku. There's all that treasure! Shakuyaku should fall for the one who gets the most treasures!"
This came from John, who was infamous for his greed for treasures. While Shakuyaku was important to him, compared to those priceless treasures, he had to think it over.
A group of people began fiercely arguing over Shakuyaku, and the meeting started drifting off-topic, slowly turning into a forum for the s*xually frustrated.
"If I rescue Shakuyaku, Roger will be grateful to me, right…"
This was Gloriosa's thought. She was infatuated with Roger. Plus, Shakuyaku was from Amazon Lily like her, had once been her First Mate, and was the successor to the Kuja Empress, so of course she wanted to save her.
Buckin wasn't interested in Shakuyaku, but she loved treasures just as much. She was just about to discuss with Whitebeard how to go after the treasures when she heard Whitebeard say:
"As a friend, I think we should rescue her. If she falls in love with me because of it, I wouldn't mind either."
"Newgate, what are you talking about?!"
Rocks still hadn't said a word, but those coordinates convinced him it was indeed God Valley: his hometown.
Unlike the Grand Line's chaotic magnetic fields, compasses worked fine in the Four Seas, so the location was very familiar to him.
Charlotte Linlin didn't join in the discussion, but instead approached Nereus.
"Nereus, let's team up for now. I should be the first to have received this intel, but the way it's being spread is so crude, others probably have it by now too.
Marines, Celestial Dragons, and other pirates; there'll be all kinds of trouble on that island. Let's work together and grab those fruits and treasures first, then split them evenly afterward."
Charlotte Linlin, who similarly had no interest in Shakuyaku, had more ideas. She was certain that the situation on the island would become a huge mess, so it was best to secure an ally first.
Even though their values sometimes clashed, out of all the Rocks Pirates members, Nereus was actually the one she trusted the most.
Everyone here always had to guard against each other; even Rocks was no exception.
Charlotte Linlin had even warned Kaido before, not to trust anyone too much.
"I have no objections. Teaming up for now is fine."
Nereus knew the ultimate outcome of God Valley and was aware of some events that happened in between, but not the specifics, so he accepted Charlotte Linlin's invitation.
"Wait, Nereus, Linlin, you're both Devil Fruit users, right? The fruits are useless to you!"
"Kaido, what nonsense are you talking about? If you don't eat them, you can give them to others, or even sell them on the black market. Rare fruits like that will never be cheap."
Nereus glanced at Kaido. Aside from Rocks and himself, Kaido was the only man present who wasn't affected by Shakuyaku.
He had no women in his heart, only the desire for a powerful Devil Fruit. But to Nereus, his logic sounded off.
"If that's the case, count me in. I only need one fruit."
Kaido declared his desire to join. In the original timeline, without Nereus, Charlotte Linlin should have teamed up with Kaido temporarily.
But the terms and the end result were very different. In the end, Kaido ambushed Charlotte Linlin and snatched away the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, that she had obtained.
Now, with a better option, Charlotte Linlin hadn't gone to Kaido on her own, but that didn't stop Kaido from coming over to team up.
Bang!
"Enough arguing!"
Before Nereus and Charlotte Linlin could reply to Kaido, Rocks suddenly slammed his fist down on the table in front of him.
The sturdy stone table instantly cracked in countless places, looking as if it could collapse at any moment.
"It's way too early to be splitting the loot! Shakuyaku, treasure, Devil Fruit, none of that is in our hands yet.
For now, we'll team up, snatch the goods first, then figure out how to divide them up. No objections, right?
Anyone too scared can stay on the island. Those who want to go to God Valley, prepare to set sail!"