As Kiel Bastard and Golden Lion Shiki rose into the sky, Charlotte Linlin reacted as well.
"Zeus! Prometheus!!"
Charlotte Linlin shouted, immediately following Fang Huo. Thunder and flame twin halos framed her like a Valkyrie.
Fortunately, her body had matured—graceful curves and pink hair billowing.
The sight drew wild cheers and roars from countless male pirates!
"That's Soul Queen Linlin?!"
"How did Lady Linlin become so gorgeous!"
"No way! Lady Linlin is my new goddess from now on!!"
Paradise Island erupted again; every pirate, man or woman, had someone to cheer for.
"I think I can strut a bit too!"
Long Bread flapped his bat wings and joined the airborne showing-off squad.
"Then I guess I can as well!"
The new Executive Maron dropped what little dignity a Mafia boss had left, mounted his three-meter bird, and flew out waving calmly.
Even if the Paradise Island pirates weren't cheering for him, the West Blue surely had his fans—showtime first, think later!
"Damn it! Every last one of you loves the spotlight, huh!!"
"Fang Huo!! If you don't give us a decent entrance, you'll taste my fists!"
Rocks cursed under his breath, knuckles cracking.
"..."
Fang Huo was speechless—hadn't they agreed they didn't care about empty fame?
"Gravity Field!"
Clapping his hands, he levitated tons of rubble above Paradise Island, shaping it into an aerial road!
"Thunderbird!"
"Thunder Beast!"
One after another, colossal lightning beasts formed to serve as the ceremonial escort for Rocks' arrival.
"worororo! Now that's more like it!"
"As expected of my first mate—next time I'll teach you Conquerors Haki Infusion."
Rocks adjusted his cloak and hair, then strode along the sky-road, waving to the pirates below, heading calmly toward Skull Castle headquarters.
Newgate, Babel, and Sanbel hurried after him, savoring the spotlight.
Kozaburo and Furiko had meant to stay aboard the gibecks sword until the spectacle ended.
But Fūgetsu Kisaburō, a gangster to the core, wouldn't miss a chance to bask in underling adoration.
He shoved Kozaburo and Furiko onto the sky-road for their Paradise Island debut.
The moment Shimotsuki Furiko and Kozaburo set foot on it, they cast aside their embarrassment, assumed the poise of great clans, and followed with heads high.
They even waved now and then, flaunting their noble bearing.
Fūgetsu Kisaburō drew his gokudō kaisen and gave the pirates below a samurai sword-salute.
Up on Skull Castle, Ganzi and Gram stayed silent—such a crucial entrance and they'd been left out.
They could only stand in the castle to welcome Rocks and the others.
Reporters and spies everywhere snapped photos of the Rocks Pirates' arrival.
Pirates across Paradise Island burned even hotter with envy and longing to join.
They wanted their own chance to show off and get famous!
A pirate who doesn't crave the spotlight isn't a real pirate!
Even after the crew slowly filed into Skull Castle, the cheers on Paradise Island never ceased.
"wahaha!! That's how the world's strongest pirate crew should make an entrance!!"
Inside Skull Castle's hall, Rocks was delighted with the cheers.
Even a sovereign who cared nothing for weaklings savored such glory.
"Gahahaha! Hear that? Plenty of pirates were cheering for me!!"
Golden Lion Shiki gloated over the share of limelight he'd snatched.
"Shiki, you didn't fly us up there!"
Ganzi complained—he and Pineapple Head had been invisible.
Silver Axe, still away, didn't count.
Even a few unknown rookies outshone them.
"Gahahaha! You never asked!"
Golden Lion Shiki grinned—he wasn't about to share the spotlight.
"You three don't seem much stronger."
Rocks' powerful Observation Haki swept over Shiki's trio again and again, showing faint displeasure.
"I'll work harder, Captain!"
Bolo Gram was first to pledge improvement.
Golden Lion Shiki merely curled his lip; Ganzi gave an awkward chuckle.
"Enough. Today we reunite—celebrate first!"
Fang Huo floated goblets of fine wine aloft, eyeing his mighty crew, and raised a toast.
"The first mate's right! Drink!!"
Babel and Stussy happily lifted their cups!
"Special training comes later."
Rocks muttered, then smiled again.
The Rocks Pirates had grown enough to satisfy him.
"Cheers!!" xN
Executives formed a ring, raised their cups, and toasted reunion and growth… All of the Rocks Pirates and the pirates on Paradise Island sank into a sleepless night of revelry.
Only Silver Axe, alone on a sailboat in the North Blue, chased every scrap of intel…
After days of rest and relaxation,
the Rocks Pirates set their next plans.
Rocks would put Shiki & company through hellish training and then head to Elbaf to find Harald.
Fang Huo would hunt down Captain John and the Misfortune Hunter.
After discussion, Fang Huo sent the entire Shimotsuki clan to Whitebeard Newgate's home island—Sphinx Island.
There they would found Shimotsuki Village and a sword dojo, teaching the Sphinx islanders self-reliance.
Under the Rocks Pirates' flag and with Newgate and Fang Huo's attention,
the non-World-Government island would soon become a stable, war-free haven.
Had they not wanted contact with the outside world, Fang Huo would've moved everyone to a Sky Island in the New World.
Later, when Whitebeard Newgate sent money home, the Shimotsuki could take a cut and keep the islanders from being spoiled into helpless dependents.
Shimotsuki Furiko, like Amatsuki Toki, was a woman who dared love and dared hate.
She pursued Fang Huo openly.
The Great Love Immortal Venerable, of course, embraced her with universal love.
Once the Shimotsuki were settled on Sphinx Island, Furiko night-assaulted Fang Huo and became his ideal Yamato Nadeshiko.
Stussy, fearing Furiko might bear Fang Huo's first child,
clung to him even tighter, openly rivaling Furiko!
Both women wanted to give Fang Huo his first heir!
It drove him to turn into "seven-times-a-night" Fang Huo!
When solid intel on the Misfortune Hunter finally arrived, Fang Huo charged off alone, fleeing the two women's endless demands…