"Listen to this first."
Anyone could tell something was wrong with Rocks. His current agitation was unlike his usual self. Because of this, Charlotte Linlin produced a Tone Dial—a special recording version used to play back audio.
This Tone Dial was quite large, much bigger than a standard one. Usually, they were kept in surveillance rooms alongside Image Dials, but in Linlin's hands, it looked just the right size.
After a quick adjustment by Linlin, a voice began to play in the room. Simultaneously, everyone present was handed a printed intelligence report.
"Ahem... no matter who receives this message, I guarantee the following information is absolutely true! This is a Celestial Dragon slave ship. The Celestial Dragons are about to hold a game of their own."
"Treasures, Devil Fruits, and rare slaves are all prizes. Every one of those treasure chests is worth over a billion Berries!"
"The destination is God Valley in the West Blue. The specific coordinates are..."
A low female voice spoke at a rapid pace, laying out the situation. She didn't act pitiful or beg for rescue; she simply explained how massive the rewards on the island were.
Led by the World Government and escorted by the Marines, those who preached "Justice" were responsible for this death sport. She knew clearly that her only hope lay in attracting people through sheer greed.
Wealth moves hearts. If the profit is high enough, someone will always be willing to take the risk. Only by causing chaos would there be a chance to escape.
"Isn't this too suspicious? Where did this intel come from?"
Ochoku (Wang Zhi) clearly didn't believe the news. Beside him, Miss Bakkin suspected that some within the Marines were starting to waver, allowing the news to leak.
However, more people... were focused on Shakky.
"Shakky is still alive!"
"Where is she?!"
"Idiot, didn't they say it? God Valley!"
"I'm asking where God Valley is! I'm not a navigator, how am I supposed to know those coordinates?!"
Amidst the chaotic arguing, some were still analyzing the situation.
"So it was those bastards from the World Government who stole our Shakky?! No, I should have known it was them... no wonder my channels couldn't find her..."
Gansui muttered to himself. Most members of the Rocks Pirates had extensive side businesses; many were mobsters before joining. Gansui's expertise was in smuggling. To smuggle, one needs stable routes, and Gansui controlled many secret paths across the sea. After Shakky went missing, his contacts on those routes reported nothing, which had frustrated him for a long time.
"So, are we going to go grab Shakky back?"
"Silver Axe, what kind of stupid question is that? Of course! Maybe Shakky will fall in love with the man who rescues her."
Golden Lion (Shiki) criticized Silver Axe's remark, but he quickly became the target of rebuttal himself.
"No, besides Shakky, there's the treasure! Shakky should fall in love with whoever grabs the most treasure!"
The speaker was Captain John, famous for his greed. Shakky was important, but compared to treasures of such value, he had to weigh his priorities.
The group launched into a heated debate centered around Shakky. The meeting seemed to be veering off course, gradually turning into a "sexually frustrated patients' exchange meeting."
"If I rescue Shakky, Roger will probably thank me too..."
This was Gloriosa's (Elder Nyon) thought. She was quite infatuated with Roger, and since Shakky also came from Amazon Lily—previously serving as her Vice-Captain and the successor to the Empress—she naturally had to save her.
Miss Bakkin had no interest in Shakky but loved the treasure. Just as she was about to discuss a plan with Whitebeard, she heard him say:
"Out of friendship, I think we should save her. If she falls in love with me because of it, I wouldn't mind."
"Newgate, what are you talking about!" Bakkin snapped.
Rocks remained silent. Those coordinates confirmed it: that was God Valley, his homeland. Unlike the chaotic magnetic fields of the Grand Line, compasses worked normally in the four blues, so he was very familiar with that location.
Charlotte Linlin didn't join the argument. Instead, she walked over to Logan.
"Logan, let's team up. I was likely the first to receive that message, but the way it's being spread is crude; others will find out soon. Between the Marines, the Celestial Dragons, and other pirates, that island is going to be a mess. Let's join forces to seize those fruits and treasures first, then split them."
Linlin, who also had no interest in Shakky, had other plans. She was certain the situation on the island would be total chaos, and it was better to secure an ally early. Although their conflicting worldviews made things unpleasant at times, Logan was the person she trusted most among the Rocks Pirates.
In this crew, everyone had to watch their back, even against Rocks. Linlin had once warned Kaido not to trust others too much.
"I have no objection. We can team up for now."
Logan knew the ultimate outcome of God Valley and some of the events that occurred, but he didn't know all the details. Thus, he accepted Linlin's invitation.
"Wait, Logan, Linlin—you're both ability users, right? Those fruits are useless to you!"
"Kaido, what nonsense are you talking? Even if you don't eat it yourself, you can give it to others. Even on the Black Market, rare fruits like those won't come cheap."
Logan glanced at Kaido. Aside from Rocks and himself, Kaido was the only male present unaffected by Shakky. He had no room for women in his heart; he only wanted a powerful Devil Fruit. However, his logic sounded flawed to Logan.
"In that case, count me in. I only need one."
Kaido submitted his request to join. In the original timeline, without Logan, Linlin would have likely teamed up with Kaido. However, their agreement ended differently back then—Kaido had eventually ambushed her to steal the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu. Now that Linlin had a "better option" in Logan, she hadn't approached Kaido, but that didn't stop him from inserting himself into the group.
Thump!
"Shut up!"
Before Logan or Linlin could answer Kaido, Rocks suddenly slammed his fist onto the table. The hard stone table instantly cracked, looking as if it would collapse at any second.
"It's too early to talk about splitting the loot! Listen up: Shakky, the treasure, the Devil Fruits—none of that is in our hands yet!"
"We team up for now. We take everything back first, then we discuss how to divide it. Any objections?"
"The cowards can stay on the island. Those who are going to God Valley, get ready to set sail!"
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