Several days later, in the coastal waters near Hachinosu Island.
The flag of the Rocks Pirates fluttered loudly in the sea breeze.
Raiver Sky stood at the bow of the ship, watching the island growing closer in the distance. It was the headquarters of the Rocks Pirates, one of the most dangerous places in the New World.
"Finally back," the voice of Golden Lion came from beside him. "This trip was quite fruitful."
Whitebeard nodded: "Gurarara! Indeed. Not only did we test the strength of the Roger Pirates, but Raiver also made a name for himself. This trip was worth it."
As they spoke, a large ship flying the Rocks Pirates' flag slowly approached them.
Through his Space Perception, Raiver sensed an intense gaze from that ship firmly locked onto him. The gaze was full of scrutiny, provocation, and jealousy.
Raiver looked up.
Standing at the bow was a tall figure—shirtless, holding a massive spiked club, with long purple hair and a pair of red horns on his forehead.
Kaido.
One of the future Four Emperors who would rule the New World, a monster known as the "World's Strongest Creature."
But the current Kaido was merely a captain under Charlotte Linlin, far from reaching his future heights.
Raiver's gaze swept over Kaido, then calmly shifted away.
The current Kaido didn't interest him much.
He was too weak. Kaido hadn't yet obtained the Devil Fruit that would change his life—the Mythical Zoan-Type Fish-Fish Fruit, Azure Dragon form.
With just the monstrous physique granted by his Ogre Bloodline, he wasn't much to look at in Raiver's eyes.
"Gurarara! It's Kaido, Linlin's subordinate!" Whitebeard recognized him and greeted him with a loud laugh.
But Kaido ignored Whitebeard.
His gaze remained fixed on Raiver.
The two ships slowly drew closer, eventually stopping side by side on the sea.
Kaido leaped across, landing on the ship where Raiver stood.
"So you're Raiver Sky?"
A rough voice rang out, carrying an undisguised tone of interrogation.
Raiver raised an eyebrow slightly, looking up at Kaido.
Their eyes met in the air.
"I am Raiver Sky," Raiver replied calmly.
Kaido looked Raiver up and down, his lips curling into a ferocious grin: "I heard Captain Rocks designated you as an Officer?"
"What about it?"
"Hmph!" Kaido's smile suddenly turned cold: "I don't understand why Captain Rocks would take a fancy to a brat like you. A kid who's still wet behind the ears, what gives you the right to climb above me?"
As his words fell, a terrifying Haki erupted from Kaido!
It wasn't Conqueror's Haki, but a pure, beastly ferocious aura!
The other pirates on the deck were pressured by this aura and involuntarily stepped back.
But Raiver stood in place, completely unmoved.
"So?" Raiver's tone remained calm. "What are you trying to say?"
A flicker of surprise passed through Kaido's eyes, quickly replaced by even stronger anger.
He was being ignored!
"I challenge you to a fight!" Kaido raised his spiked club, pointing directly at Raiver:
"Let me see what skills you actually have to warrant an officer position!"
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Whitebeard and Golden Lion exchanged a glance, neither showing any intention to intervene.
They too wanted to see how Raiver Sky would handle Kaido's provocation.
Raiver Sky slowly raised his right hand, fingers spread wide.
"Space Imprisonment!"
The space around Kaido instantly solidified, freezing him in place, unable to move or budge!
"Space Cage!"
Raiver Sky raised his hand and erected transparent spatial walls around Kaido, completely isolating the interior from the exterior space!
"Kneel... before me!"
As soon as Raiver Sky spoke, an immense gravitational force pressed down on Kaido, forcing his knees to bend until he knelt on both knees before Raiver Sky.
"Pathetic clown!" Raiver Sky snorted coldly and executed Space Displacement, teleporting Kaido mid-air.
Thus, the scene unfolded with Kaido kneeling on both knees in mid-air.
His face was contorted in rage, his body trembling violently as he exerted all his strength to resist the gravitational force crushing him.
Under Raiver Sky's multiple restraints, unless a core officer intervened, there was no hope of freeing Kaido from his confinement.
Newgate and Shiki wouldn't intervene, and Rocks wouldn't bother with such trivial matters, leaving Kaido to wait for his superior, Charlotte Linlin.
Even if Charlotte Linlin arrived, she would likely need considerable effort to break the multiple restraints binding Kaido.
At this moment, Kaido was no different from being publicly humiliated, as this was near the waters of Hachinosu Island, with passing ships able to clearly see him kneeling mid-air.
...
"Hey, have you heard? Lord Raiver clashed with Rayleigh, the 'Dark King' of the Roger Pirates!"
"More than just clashed! I heard from the brothers who returned with Lord Shiki's fleet that it was a direct confrontation! Rayleigh seemed to have come off worse!"
"Really?! That's the 'Dark King' Rayleigh! Roger's right-hand man! Wasn't Lord Raiver just appointed as an officer?"
"Absolutely true! I heard Rayleigh's clothes were torn to shreds, and he fell into the sea wearing nothing but red underwear!"
"Hiss... that powerful?!"
Despite his previous achievement of defeating Wang Zhi, when Captain Rocks directly appointed Raiver Sky as an officer, many veteran pirates in the crew still felt somewhat unconvinced.
They believed this young man might be exceptionally talented and lucky to have obtained a powerful Devil Fruit.
But in terms of overall strength, experience, and prestige, he was far from qualified to stand equal with the veteran officers who had fought alongside Captain Rocks for years.
However, the rumors of his clash with the "Dark King" Rayleigh and gaining the upper hand instantly shattered all doubts.
The reputation of the Roger Pirates' vice-captain was renowned throughout the New World.
He was truly one of the strongest at the pinnacle of the seas.
Unconsciously, the perception of Raiver Sky among many in the pirate crew had fundamentally changed.
In the Rocks Pirates, where the law of the jungle prevailed, only tangible battle achievements and overwhelming power could earn respect.
Raiver Sky had proven this in the shortest time possible.
At the port, Rocks stood at a high point and shouted:
"Enough idle talk, everyone! We have a major operation next, so get ready!"
"Ooh—!!"
"Treasure! Treasure!!"
"Hehehe, finally time for some real action!"
At these words, the pirates erupted into fervent cheers.
For the vast majority of pirates, the pursuit of wealth and pleasure was an eternal driving force.
Castle Conference Hall.
Seeing that Shiki and Whitebeard had already taken their seats on either side near the head position, Raiver Sky casually found a spot as well.
Several Officers had already gathered in the hall.
Everyone remained silent, waiting for Rocks' arrival.
Raiver Sky tilted his head and asked Shiki, who was beside him puffing on a cigar and blowing smoke rings:
"Shiki, why has Captain Rocks suddenly summoned all the Officers? Judging by the atmosphere, it doesn't seem like an ordinary plundering mission."
Shiki: "Hahaha, Raiver Sky, you're quite perceptive.
If my guess is correct, this won't be some small-scale skirmish.
For Captain Rocks to personally summon all the Officers... we're likely going to face the Navy's main force head-on, perhaps even their elite combatants."