Half an hour later.
The merchants of the Black Flag Trading Company returned to their ship, and it was apparent that during this half hour, Nicholas had reached another secretive deal with one of the merchants.
Watching the Black Flag Trading Company ships gradually disappear into the distance, Nicholas stood on the deck, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, the crew on the other ships, under the leadership of their captains, began to set the direction and course, heading towards the Hachinosu Sea.
Three days later, Nicholas successfully arrived in the Hachinosu Sea. Originally expecting fierce battles with the Navy before entering this area, it was surprisingly empty of any Navy presence.
As Nicholas appeared, the Rocks Pirates, who had received advance notice, sent out crew members to greet him.
"You seem unfamiliar."
Looking at the young man with golden hair and cowboy attire in front of him, Nicholas asked curiously. After all, the crew on Rocks's ship followed an elite path, and he couldn't claim to know them all, at least not by face.
"Captain Nicholas, I joined not long ago. Oh, by the way, the captain instructed you to go straight to the central castle after landing. The other captains have already arrived."
"Alright, got it."
Following the lead of the young man with golden sunglasses, Nicholas's ship entered the harbor of Hachinosu.
Surveying the bustling harbor before him, the young man's lips curled into a cold smile.
Seemingly noticing Nicholas's gaze, the young man explained, "These guys all rushed here from various parts of the New World upon hearing the captain's message. But they're just a bunch of small fries trying to make a name for themselves in troubled waters. They probably don't realize they're just cannon fodder."
As a crew member of the Rocks Pirates, even as a novice, there was enough confidence to look down on these temporarily gathered individuals.
Observing the demeanor of this individual, Nicholas was left speechless. Laughing at others as cannon fodder while being just that oneself? Even the vice captains under Rocks were likely seen as stepping stones to the World King's throne in Rocks's eyes.
"Captain Nicholas, I can only take you this far. I don't have the authority to go inside."
After bidding farewell, the young man with golden sunglasses turned and left.
Nicholas proceeded towards the castle on foot.
Entering the castle, the revelry among the pirates abruptly ceased, and they began to drink silently. After all, rumors about Nicholas's erratic behavior had long circulated within the Rocks Pirates.
Sometimes he would turn a blind eye to what they did, but at other times, inexplicably, it would invite a beating or even cost lives. While their strength was considerable, facing Nicholas was almost like being swept away by the autumn wind and fallen leaves.
Once Nicholas's figure disappeared into the depths of the castle, the pirates regained their liveliness, but it didn't return to the previous state.
"Cough, this lunatic is still as frightening as ever."
"There is no choice; dealing with a lunatic is never easy. The other vice captains may also have their quirks, but at least their temperaments are somewhat predictable. But this damn guy can unexpectedly cost lives at any moment."
One of the pirates took a sip of his drink directly from his hand.
Then, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he said, "Last time, when the bronze alchemist planned to do something to amuse himself on his own ship, he didn't expect this lunatic to find out. Not only was the poor guy electrocuted into charcoal, but he was also hanged at the harbor. And the most important thing is, according to reliable intelligence, this guy once destroyed a large island with nearly a million people!"
"That's about right. Those rumors about the observation, Haki, aren't just talk. If you want to die, don't take us with you. Drink up, drink up. After this war, who knows if there will be another chance to drink?"
Meanwhile, after Nicholas entered the castle, he realized he was the last to arrive.
"Hey, Whitebeard, why is your head wrapped in bandages? And you, Old Lion, why is your left hand hanging? Oh, is this Lin Lin? Sorry, I didn't recognize you with your distinguished appearance. And Silver Axe, why did you change your armor, and who's this big brother with wings? Is that flame real?"
Listening to Nicholas's banter, the atmosphere in the room noticeably grew more oppressive, with black lightning even flickering in the air. Obviously, Nicholas's words seemed to hit a nerve with some people.
"Alright, Nicholas, take your seat."
Rocks spoke up directly, obviously not in a good mood at the moment.
Once seated, Nicholas sneakily glanced at Summer.
Summer whispered to Nicholas, "Whitebeard and Gold Lion were ambushed by the World Government and two Navy Admirals, respectively. As for Lin Lin, she was unlucky to be hit head-on (Bitch-slapped) by Garp. If it weren't for Lin Lin's special constitution and Silver Axe receiving the captain's order to support him, Lin Lin would probably have been captured. As for the masked man with wings, he's from a rare race, the Lunaria Tribe, considered an ally recruited by the captain."
While Summer was chatting with Nicholas, Rocks's voice lowered: "June, report the losses."
"...Yes, Captain."
June replied softly, "In the past month of battles, we've annihilated five thousand enemies and sunk thirty warships, including ten vice admirals and twenty-five rear admirals. However, our losses amounted to two thousand troops and twenty-three sunk ships."
With June's report, Nicholas could clearly feel the atmosphere in the room becoming even more oppressive. After all, if the high-end combat power of their side was bogged down by the enemy, the well-trained Navy undoubtedly had the upper hand in such large-scale battles. Without the strong individual strength on their side, the losses would have been even more severe.
There was no mourning for the fallen pirates, as they were seen as cannon fodder by the people in this room.
The problem lay in the fact that while their high-end combat power had the advantage, it was not absolute. And the lack of coordination among the lower-level combat forces in large-scale battles would undoubtedly affect the balance of the outcome of this war.
"Hahaha!"
Upon June's report, Rocks burst into laughter. "Now, this is interesting! This is what a world war looks like. What's the point if the enemy is easily defeated?"
"Gulalalala, Captain, you truly have a big heart," Whitebeard said, raising a giant bowl-like cup and drinking heartily.
Clearly, for Whitebeard at that moment, the prospect of battling against the world's top fighters filled him with excitement.
"Kekahaha, Rocks, once we deal with the World Government and the Marines, you're next!"
Upon hearing Shiki's words, figures like Silver Axe and Captain John looked up in shock.
Rather than respond, Rocks scanned the room with a gaze, and with an authoritative tone, he said:
"When I recruited you all, I told you my goal was to become the Pirate King. If you have the guts, you're welcome to come and try to kill me and become the new Pirate King!"
"But," he added, "be prepared to be killed!"
Bzzz!
A violent burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted, sending everything on Rocks's table flying. Almost simultaneously, several other bursts of Conqueror's Haki erupted, countering Rocks's.
"Cough, Captain. I know you all have Conqueror's Haki, but there's no need to unleash it at the drop of a hat. It affects us weaker ones a lot," Nicholas said, causing all eyes in the room, including those of the Lunaria tribe's ally, to fixate on him.
Under their gaze, Nicholas continued, "Captain, you gathered us to declare war on the world, right? Let's not waste time on trivial matters."
Nicholas's implication was clear: let's get on with it; let's not waste time.