Rocks slowly stood up, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he carefully looked each person over.
"Linlin, you've certainly put on quite a bit of weight since I last saw you."
"Kaido, your appearance has changed more than anyone else's."
"Shiki, you've aged and look far more weather‑beaten than you did back in the day."
"And Edward… you've grown broader and more powerfully built than ever before."
It was true — all four of them had changed greatly, so much so that at first glance Rocks had almost failed to recognise them.
While he still felt deep resentment toward Shiki, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin for what they had done in the past, he had no intention of killing them here and now. After all, in the current state of the New World, their existence was still necessary to maintain the balance of power.
Hearing Rocks' words — which sounded almost like friendly concern — Shiki and the others all wore expressions that grew far more serious and tense. To them, this felt like the calm before the storm.
There was no way of knowing if the man standing before them, who appeared so gentle and composed right now, might suddenly launch a deadly attack in the very next moment!!!
After a long silence, Shiki was the first to speak.
"It has been a very long time indeed, Captain Rocks!!!"
"It certainly has been a long time, Shiki. If you and the others hadn't betrayed me and left me for dead back then… I expect we would have seen each other every single day since," Rocks replied calmly, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked directly at him.
As soon as the words left Rocks' mouth, Shiki felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his sword in a defensive stance, his eyes fixed sharply on Rocks.
He knew full well that Rocks still held a grudge over what had happened during the battle at God Valley all those years ago.
He could not simply wait passively for his fate to be decided — he had to be ready to fight at a moment's notice.
"Why so tense, Shiki? Won't you sit down?" El asked, still seated in his chair and smiling faintly.
Hearing El speak, Shiki turned his gaze toward him.
If he had only been facing Rocks today, Shiki would not have been anywhere near this afraid or anxious. But if El was standing alongside him… Shiki knew very well that if it came to a fight, he would stand absolutely no chance of victory.
He had realised long ago just how terrifying El's true strength really was. He had even witnessed it with his own eyes back in Loguetown, when El had fought the three strongest commanders of the Roger Pirates single‑handed and defeated them completely.
And now, El also possessed the power to bring the dead back to life. Shiki simply could not imagine just how immense and unimaginable El's power had become now.
After staring at El for several seconds, Shiki took a deep breath and sat down in one of the seats inside the tavern.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Linlin looked directly at Rocks and spoke earnestly.
"Captain Rocks… regarding what we did in the past, we are truly sorry and we hold deep regret for our actions!"
Even though Charlotte Linlin was now one of the most powerful and feared pirates in the entire New World, standing in front of El and Rocks, she did not dare to show even the slightest trace of arrogance or pride.
The battle she had fought against El not long ago was still fresh in her memory. The entire nation of Totto Land that she had built with her own hands — with the sole exception of Whole Cake Island itself — had been completely reduced to nothing but ruins and ash when El unleashed the power of Heaven Shaking Stone Meteor upon it!!!
She had experienced El's overwhelming power firsthand, and she was also fully aware of just how terrifyingly strong Rocks was as well.
Under these circumstances, she dared not say anything that might offend or anger either of them. Her only choice right now was to lower her head and submit.
She had no way of knowing if Rocks still intended to kill her, but she knew she had to do everything in her power to earn his forgiveness. No matter what happened, she absolutely had no desire to ever find herself in battle against two such monstrously powerful beings.
"Is that so? Do you truly feel regret and remorse toward me, Linlin?" Rocks asked, his expression carrying a knowing and mysterious smile.
Hearing Rocks question her like this, Charlotte Linlin's expression instantly grew heavy and grave, and beads of cold sweat began to pour across her forehead.
She had absolutely no idea how to answer in a way that would satisfy him. If she said the wrong thing, she feared it would only serve to enrage him further. So in the end, she chose to remain silent.
"Hahaha… there is no need to be so nervous. Please, have a seat."
Rocks laughed aloud.
Hearing this, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, and Whitebeard all took their seats within the tavern.
Kaido did not bother with any polite formalities or beating around the bush. Instead, he looked straight at Rocks and asked directly:
"Captain Rocks… what do you intend to do with us?"
"Originally… I had planned to eliminate every single one of you," Rocks replied calmly.
The moment those words were spoken, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido all tensed up completely. Each of them placed their hands firmly on their weapons and watched Rocks with extreme vigilance.
Even though they knew in their hearts that they had absolutely no hope of winning if a fight were to break out, they could not simply resign themselves to death without putting up any resistance at all.
Everyone held their breath and waited nervously to see what Rocks would do next!!!
"However… I have changed my mind."
Rocks picked up a bottle of wine from the table and tossed it toward them, speaking in a steady and calm tone.
If Rocks could have continued to live in this world for a long time, he would have personally stood by El's side and helped him claim the highest throne of all. In that case, there would have been no reason for Shiki, Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, or any of the others to remain alive at all.
But sadly, his time was running out today, and he would soon be unable to serve El any longer. And because of this, he could no longer bring himself to simply wipe these three from existence.
"Captain Rocks… what do you want us to do?" Shiki asked immediately upon hearing this.
He understood perfectly well that for Rocks to set aside his desire for revenge, there must be certain conditions attached. But no matter what those conditions might be, Shiki would agree to them without hesitation if it meant he could keep his life.
Compared to facing death and seeing everything he had built and achieved vanish into nothingness, Shiki was more than willing to lower his head and continue living.
"It is very simple. If you wish to be spared, I require all of you to swear your loyalty and allegiance to El!!!"
Rocks looked each of them in the eye and spoke with absolute seriousness.
Since he himself would no longer be able to personally stand beside El and help him conquer the world, he would instead demand that these men and women submit to El and assist him in rising to the very peak of power.
That was the condition Rocks had decided upon.
Hearing what Rocks had said, all four of them were taken completely by surprise.
None of them had expected this to be the condition he would ask for.
After a long silence, Shiki was the first to speak once again.
"Captain Rocks… if we swear our loyalty and allegiance to El, will you let go of all the grudges and hatred you hold from the past?"
For Shiki, agreeing to serve El was something he could actually accept. After all, in the current era of the New World, there was no one else who could even come close to matching El's power and influence.
Swearing loyalty to such a powerful figure was certainly a far better outcome than being destroyed by Rocks himself.
"Exactly."
Hearing his answer, Shiki, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin exchanged glances with one another, each of them making up their minds and preparing to speak their decision.
But it was at that moment that El suddenly spoke up.
"There is no need for you to swear loyalty to me."
To be honest, even El himself had never imagined that Rocks would be willing to set aside his long‑held resentment and anger on such a condition.
But the truth was, having these people swear allegiance to him was something El did not need in the slightest.
In fact, if he accepted them, it would only bring him unnecessary trouble and complications in the future.
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