The Diger Pirates and the Rocks Pirates entered the waters of Changshui Island at the same time, only to find the bodies of pirate minions strewn across the ground—nearly half of them had lost their lives.
Rocks' expression was dark and fierce, his mood clearly soured. The casualties on his side seemed even worse than expected. He had meticulously trained his men, yet they still couldn't withstand the Diger's artillery force.
His gaze landed on Wang Zhi and Silver Axe, both severely wounded. It wasn't what he had envisioned—Wang Zhi didn't achieve a breakthrough in the heat of battle, nor did he slay Xiao Feng to boost Rocks' prestige.
Emerging from the pirate ship, Xiao Feng looked visibly embarrassed. Though he had taken a short rest alongside Jeviler, his face was still pale. He hadn't expected to not only fail in taking down Wang Zhi but also be humiliated by an upstart pirate group.
"Xiao Feng, what happened? Have you gotten weaker? You can't even handle Wang Zhi? Tsk, tsk~"
A lazy, slurred voice broke the silence. A man swaggered forward, his pirate saber dangling at his waist. His clothes were filthy, and his captain's hat was tattered.
"Jack, shut up!"
Before Xiao Feng could snap back, Diger Sparrow cursed his own disappointing son, Jack Sparrow.
"Diger, if you want to discipline your son, do it back at your base instead of embarrassing yourself here! Now tell me—what's the plan? The battle has no clear winner. Why don't we just split these four islands in half?"
Rocks grinned menacingly, crossing his arms over his chest. His aura alone was enough to make the Diger Pirates' lower-ranked crew members bow their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
"Hey, I was already beating Wang Zhi into the ground! I could've finished him off anytime! If those Hell Pirates hadn't interfered, Wang Zhi would be a corpse by now!"
Xiao Feng, despite his pale complexion and shaved head, stepped forward angrily.
"Hah! You think so? Who's to say whose corpse it would've been?"
Wang Zhi stood up, despite his severe injuries. Blood continued to seep from his waist wound, but his posture remained firm—his body, like a drawn sword, refused to waver.
"Oi, Wang Zhi, don't push yourself too hard. Look at you—your kidneys are practically hanging out! If you don't get treatment soon, you'll be half a eunuch. If you don't need them, why not donate them to someone more deserving, eh?
Oh! Speaking of which, I know this black-market organ shop that doubles as a funeral home. Want me to introduce you? Maybe they'll even give you a discount on your coffin, haha—"
Before Jack Sparrow could finish, Barbossa jabbed a telescope into his mouth, effectively shutting him up before he could provoke further chaos.
"You bastard, Jack! Let's settle this in a duel today!"
A Rocks Pirate officer with a massive upper body stepped forward, his killing intent clear. He was an old veteran who had followed Rocks for years—his rank even higher than Wang Zhi's!
"Oh, it's you! Dumbass Rocket Jonas."
Jack Sparrow spat to the side, cracking his knuckles in provocation.
"That's enough! Jack, get your ass back here!"
Diger raised his hand and threw Jack behind him. A loud crash followed—along with the sound of bowls and pots shattering.
"Rocks, since the duel between Xiao Feng and Wang Zhi was interrupted by the Hell Pirates, let's settle it another way. Whoever captures or forces the Hell Pirates to submit first will get ownership of these four islands. Sound fair?"
Before arriving, Diger had also caught a glimpse of the golden flying ship fleeing the battlefield. It was a pity, but he wasn't about to let that pirate crew rise unchecked.
He wanted to team up with Rocks to suppress the Hell Pirates' growth—even crush or recruit them if possible!
"Hahaha~, Diger, I see what you're playing at—but fine, I accept! The strong take all!"
Not only would the victor seize control of four more islands, but they could also subjugate the Hell Pirates, a rising force in the seas. Rocks had already set his sights on their golden ship—it was now a target worth taking.
Moreover, their crew had many promising fighters, especially Charlotte Linlin. He had heard rumors of her strength years ago and had intended to recruit her.
And now, the Thunder Fruit had appeared among them? That only fueled his desire to conquer this Overlord candidate pirate group even more.
---
BOOM!
"But before that… how dare you interfere when I'm disciplining my own son!!"
Diger was the only one allowed to berate his son—outsiders had no right to do the same!
"Hah! Your son's got a damn nasty mouth. My crew won't just sit back and let him run his mouth unchecked!"
Rocks laughed wildly. Was this a show of strength? Fine! He'd let Diger see how much he'd grown!
When two Overlords meet, they must exchange blows—otherwise, how could they claim to have stood before each other?
Their Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) erupted, shaking the very air itself. The pressure was so immense that all the pirates nearby were forced to bow their heads, unable to withstand the overwhelming force.
Then, from their respective pirate ships, both Rocks and Diger gathered their full strength—a powerful punch from each of them clashed in midair with their peak energy and spirit behind it!
On the sea between the two pirate crews, two massive, transparent fists materialized and collided violently. Black lightning crackled in the sky as the sea itself churned in response. The thick storm clouds above were torn apart, creating a gaping void in the heavens.
BOOOOM!
The impact was devastating! Gigantic waves dozens of meters high crashed down as their respective ships were forcefully pushed back by the shockwaves.
"Hahaha! Diger, you're getting weaker! I can feel it!"
Rocks let out a boisterous laugh, leading his pirate ship away first. His voice was brimming with arrogance and unshaken confidence—it was only a matter of time before he surpassed Overlord-level power!
Diger, expressionless, followed suit with his crew. The pirate minions who had perished on the island? They were simply fertilizer for the land.
With that, the four islands had temporarily become no man's land. For now, they might be occupied by some minor pirate groups, but that was of no concern to these two Overlords.
---
On board in Rocks ship...
Rocks observed the injured Wang Zhi and Silver Axe, his gaze indifferent. He wasn't pleased. They had failed to break through and become stronger warriors.
"You said the Hell Pirates have a little giant who can fight against Jevaler?"
Hearing Wang Zhi's report, Rocks was momentarily taken aback.
As the Overlord of the New World, he had seen most Devil Fruit records. But now, the Hell Pirates had not only the Soul-Soul Fruit and Thunder Fruit…
They even had a Tremor-Tremor Fruit user?
Interesting.
A glint of ambition flickered in Rocks' eyes.
----
These Devil Fruit abilities are terrifying, each holding limitless potential. If I can bring these individuals under my command, I will unify the New World within ten years!
How could this Overlord candidate, Brook, have such insane luck in recruiting so many powerful crew members? Moreover, his Devil Fruit seems incredibly strong. Could it be a soul-type fruit?
With this, Rocks' attention shifted away from Shiki the Golden Lion and onto the Hell Pirates. They even possess a flying pirate ship! Their value now far surpasses the strategic importance of Golden Lion Shiki.
However, Rocks D. Xebec declared that he wanted both the Hell Pirates and Shiki the Golden Lion! There was only one ruler of the New World—him.
Still, when it came to intelligence, the Rocks Pirates couldn't compare to the Diger Pirates, who had held dominance for years. Now, even the World Dark News belonged to Diger.
Most of the information he received came from Kandor, the president of the World Dark News. This imbalance was a major problem for Rocks.
Rocks had maxed out his military prowess, but his ability to manage and expand his power was far inferior to Diger's. A firm believer in raw strength, he was beginning to realize just how crucial an intelligence network was.
"I should just kill Diger and seize the World Dark News for myself!"
At this point, Rocks felt as if his entire crew was being watched by Diger, with vulture news birds constantly monitoring their every move.
From now on, whenever I see one of those vulture news birds, I'll shoot it down! If worse comes to worst, I'll stop buying their newspapers altogether. I'd rather let the Navy track my location than have Diger know my movements!
"The newspapers from the Economic News Agency are actually better than those from the Dark News. Plus, I won a prize a few days ago—got a free Den Den Mushi!"
Hearing this, a tall and lanky man with a monkey on his shoulder boasted proudly while casually promoting the Economic News Agency.
"Hoshizuki, how the hell does an old pervert like you have such ridiculous luck? This is completely unfair!"
A small giant with a skull belt wrapped around his waist grumbled. He was often overshadowed by Hoshizuk, which created some tension between them.
"You big-headed skull collector, I can't even be bothered to talk to you!"
Hoshizuki dismissed him with a wave. The little giant had gained Rocks' favor due to his loyalty, but Hoshizuki had no patience for him.
"What?! You damn monkey, fight me if you've got the guts!"
The little giant was furious, but Hoshizuki ignored him completely. The ranking system on Rocks' ship dictated that higher-ranked fighters could challenge lower-ranked ones, but not the other way around. Since the little giant outranked Hoshizuki, his challenge was meaningless, and Hoshizuki had no reason to respond.
On this ship, rankings were determined through constant duels, which also dictated the distribution of loot. Lower-ranked members could refuse challenges, but higher-ranked ones had no such luxury. Those at the top had to defend their rank—or lose it.
Special crew members and those who completed additional missions were given extra rewards, but beyond that, power dictated everything.
Rocks saw the crew's internal conflicts but didn't care. He only intervened when someone with great potential needed extra support.
This brutal system ensured that the Rocks Pirates continuously produced top-tier powerhouses. Currently, their mid-to-high-level strength was on par with the Diger Pirates.
However, the gap between them lay in military forces and weaponry at the lower levels. Their wealth and territory also lagged behind. If they clashed now, Rocks was confident he could survive—but at the cost of 80-90% of his elite forces. That kind of loss would create an opening for the Ice Demon Pirates and other rising factions.
So, Rocks had to continue growing his forces. Only when he held an overwhelming advantage—enough to annihilate the Diger Pirates and fend off multiple rival overlords—would he make his move to dominate the New World.
"With the Diger Pirates cutting off intelligence trades with us… Heh, interesting."
If I can't have an intelligence network, then neither can they!
Determined to shatter Diger's monopoly on information, Rocks changed tactics. Instead of pursuing Shiki and the Hell Pirates, he ordered a full-scale attack on the Diger Pirates' territories.
Their primary target: the World Dark News.
Kandor, the president of the Dark News, was a Zoan-type user with the Vulture-Vulture Fruit—a flying Devil Fruit that made him invaluable in gathering intelligence. But even he couldn't escape the darkness that fell upon his island that day.
Under the cover of night, the World Dark News was wiped off the face of the New World.
Kandor, the so-called Hidden King, vanished from existence.
When Diger arrived, he found only a razed island. Enraged, he pursued the Rocks Pirates, and the first earth-shattering battle between two overlord factions erupted.
The clash left both sides in ruin.
The Rocks Pirates lost the majority of their lower-ranked members, overwhelmed by the superior numbers and strength of Diger's forces.
However, among the top elites, Rocks managed to injure Diger—a shocking turn of events. Their high-ranking officers fought to a near-standstill, suffering heavy casualties on both sides.
At the same time, three aspiring overlord factions—sensing an opportunity—attempted to seize power for themselves.
But instead of rising to prominence, these three factions merely provided Rocks and Diger an excuse to halt their battle. The enemy of my enemy is my ally, even if only temporarily.
As a result, a massive shift occurred in the New World's power structure.
With so many key figures dead, a power vacuum formed across multiple islands. The three ambitious pirate groups used this chance to officially step into the overlord scene, while countless young rookies rushed to carve out their own territories.
To prevent further chaos, the Navy Headquarters took advantage of the situation and introduced a new system.
The old Three Overlords of the New World were now the Six Overlords—a restructured balance of power.
The Rocks Pirates, battered but not broken, retreated to Hive Island and Hachinosu to rebuild their forces. After all, no matter how vast their territory was, it meant nothing without soldiers to hold it.
Meanwhile, the three new overlord factions formed an alliance to defend their newfound power from the original three.
But would Rocks—the most ambitious man in the New World—allow them to thrive?
The answer was obvious.
Even the Hell Pirates had their sights set on this fragile new alliance.
Perhaps the Four Emperors of the future would emerge from this chaos…
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