Early the next morning, inside the captain's cabin of the pirate ship.
Brian was examining a nautical chart, while on the table in front of him, a Den Den Mushi showed an active connection.
"Wahahaha, Brian, oh Brian, you always manage to bring me such huge surprises."
"It's only been such a short time, such a short time, and you've already taken out the Chinjao Pirates, and the entire Pirate Crew at that."
"This achievement isn't much less impressive than when you defeated the Navy and captured a Celestial Dragon not long ago."
Unconsciously, Rocks' evaluation of Brian rose yet again in his mind.
He had now reached a status almost equal to that of Whitebeard and the others, just a tiny step away.
Although they were all part of the Rocks Pirates' four top officers, Brian had only joined a few months ago.
How could he possibly be compared to the other three senior officers under Rocks? That was simply impossible.
However, Brian's performance over these past few months had indeed been exceptionally outstanding.
First, he joined forces with Shiki to crush the Navy's grand fleet led by Sengoku, shaking the world profoundly.
What surprised Rocks even more was that they had accomplished something unprecedented.
They actually managed to capture a Celestial Dragon alive and bring them back.
Whose subordinate is this, so incredibly brave?
Oh, it's mine, Lord Rocks. Well, that explains it.
Rocks admitted that having such a subordinate was truly satisfying!
During that period, Rocks couldn't help but ask himself in private whether his luck was just a bit too good.
The subsequent trade involving the Celestial Dragon even made Rocks feel tempted—so many valuable goods that it made him somewhat restless.
But after all, he was the boss; he wouldn't stoop to snatching his subordinate's merits and spoils. That would be too degrading.
Unexpectedly, during this trade, Brian teamed up with the other three senior officers and dealt another crushing blow to the Navy.
This time, they even managed to kill two Marine Admirals.
Oh my, double blessings—Rocks was absolutely delighted inside.
Although he had been furious for several days afterward due to matters involving the Roger Pirates, that couldn't overshadow the joy in his heart.
And now, because of the Atoll Island incident, Brian had brought him yet another pleasant surprise.
Naturally, Rocks had heard of the Chinjao Pirates. Although they were nowhere near the level of the Rocks Pirates, they were still a solid force among the New World Pirates, with considerable strength.
His initial expectation for Brian's mission was simply to drive away the Chinjao Pirates and reclaim the island.
He never imagined that Brian would annihilate the entire Chinjao Pirates, along with so many other pirates on the island.
Such capability—his kingly demeanor was growing stronger and stronger.
With such a capable subordinate who had never overstepped his bounds since joining the Pirate Crew, what leader wouldn't appreciate him?
At any rate, Rocks was very fond of him. His status simply had to be elevated.
Of course, no matter how much it rose, the old comrades under Rocks still held a slightly higher position in his heart.
Especially Whitebeard—the two had known each other for many years, and Rocks could even entrust his back to Whitebeard.
That was an incredibly rare kind of trust.
This is the "second brother" wielding a guandao!
Getting back to the main topic, hearing Rocks' generous praise through the Den Den Mushi, Brian readily accepted the compliments.
"The Chinjao Pirates are indeed quite strong overall, especially their leader Chinjao, who left quite a deep impression on me."
"The Happo Navy's overall strength is still quite impressive, not much inferior to the Navy's elite forces."
"Kano Country truly lives up to being one of the world's great nations, possessing substantial heritage."
"Wahahaha, you're right about that. Kano Country is indeed quite powerful."
In his casual tone, Rocks revealed a secret about Kano Country.
"However, Kano Country is currently in civil war, and its strength has been declining."
"Especially since you completely wiped out the Chinjao Pirates this time - that's a massive blow to Kano Country."
——
"After this, if Kano Country can just maintain its national power without being carved up by other forces, that would be quite an achievement."
Though Rocks wasn't in the West Blue himself, he was almost perfectly clear about the intelligence from there.
With a top intelligence officer like Shakky under his command, it would be hard not to know.
"Civil war? Isn't the current emperor of Kano Country a queen?"
"Exactly, she's the only daughter of the previous king. Otherwise, she wouldn't have become emperor."
"Unfortunately, she's having a tough time as queen - her power keeps getting divided up."
"Captain, you're paying so much attention to Kano Country. Got some ideas?"
"Hahahaha, what ideas? My biggest interest in Kano Country is their flower wine - it's truly delicious."
"Too bad it's a specialty liquor supplied exclusively to the World Government, rarely making its way overseas. I've only had it a few times."
There isn't a pirate who doesn't enjoy drinking, and Rocks was no exception.
Having tasted most of the world's fine liquors, Kano Country's flower wine ranked among the best in his opinion.
Unfortunately, those Celestial Dragon bastards would rather waste these exclusive liquors than allow more flower wine to appear outside - an insult to the gods.
"Then why not find an opportunity to make a move in the West Blue?"
"After all, current Kano Country only has Big Mom and a few small fries left."
"How did you know I've already started taking action, kid?"
"Oh? So Captain, are you planning a big operation?"
"The West Blue is the World Government and Navy's backyard - not an easy place to make moves."
Brian immediately perked up. Was this old man really going to target Kano Country just for flower wine?
If true, that would be really exciting.
"Wahahaha, don't get ahead of yourself. We won't be making moves that quickly."
"It's not suitable to launch large-scale operations in the West Blue in the short term. I have other arrangements coming up."
Rocks skillfully changed the subject, leaving only a hook.
"Alright then, remember to call me when there's action. I'd really like to see the West Blue."
"Don't worry, I won't forget you guys."
"In that case, we'll discuss the rest when you return."
Rocks was about to hang up when Brian interrupted him.
"Wait, Captain."
"What is it?"
"What's my next mission? I have some matters to handle and won't be returning soon."
"Oh, I see. Hold on a moment."
Rocks' voice suddenly disappeared as he walked away.
After a while, he reappeared, and the Den Den Mushi opened its eyes again.
"Since you're not in a hurry to return for now, head to Fish-Man Island next."
"Fish-Man Island?"
Brian's voice suddenly carried a note of surprise.
What a coincidence?
"What's wrong? Is there something going on?"
Rocks was somewhat puzzled—it was just Fish-Man Island, why such a big reaction?
"Nothing, nothing. Tell me about the mission, Captain."
"What task do you need me to carry out on Fish-Man Island?"
Brian had assumed it would be similar to this time—eliminating a group of pirates or something along those lines.
But the next moment, what Rocks said left him utterly astonished!