The birthday party was over, and everyone returned to their own lives.
The once-bustling Totto Land grew quiet again, with everything developing steadily.
However, during these peaceful days, a school called Academy City quietly began to enroll students. Under the mandate of Totto Land, all young children were required to enter Academy City to begin their studies.
With the authority established by Charlotte Linlin, the first student enrollment met with no resistance and proceeded smoothly.
Without a doubt, the current Totto Land possessed all the advantages a nation could have.
In contrast to the tranquility of Totto Land, the Rocks Pirates out on the grand seas were becoming increasingly famous, and the incidents they caused were growing larger in scale.
Powerful pirates were continuously losing to Rocks in the pirate games, allowing Rocks to gather more formidable subordinates.
The pirate game was also known as the "Davy Back Fight."
This is a game among pirates, originating from a certain pirate paradise, with the goal of poaching talented crew members from others. It's also known as the "Crew Poaching Battle."
The game is decided in three rounds, and the loser must swear an oath to "Davy Jones" to serve the winner for life.
If there are no crew members they desire, the winning side can also take the losing side's pirate flag. It is a cruel competition where "comrades" and "pride" are on the line.
It has three major rules:
What is lost in a Davy Back Fight must be won back in a Davy Back Fight.
The crew member from the losing side chosen by the winner must immediately swear allegiance to the enemy captain.
The flag taken from the loser must never be raised again.
Those who violate these three rules are considered a disgrace to all pirates and will be sent to Davy Jones's Locker.
During the Long Ring Long Land arc, the Straw Hat Pirates were challenged by the Foxy Pirates, and they competed in a Davy Back Fight.
During the event, both Chopper and Nico Robin were chosen by Foxy, but the Straw Hat Pirates ultimately won and successfully got them back.
This game was acknowledged by all pirates, and everyone, no matter what, would abide by all its rules. Because of this, Rocks' crew grew with more and more powerful members.
After all, whenever they saw a strong individual or someone with potential, they would challenge them to the game. As long as they kept winning, the potential of the Rocks Pirates would continue to rise.
The Marines were helpless against this, and even the World Government let them develop freely.
The Rocks Pirates were rampaging across the seas. On this day, their target was the International Charity Alliance Monastery.
"Haul all of this away! This is an incredible amount of money," Wang Zhi said with a wide grin, greedily eyeing the treasure scattered everywhere.
He then turned to the guards who had come to stop them, a mocking smile on his face. "Thanks for all your hard work. We'll be taking all of it."
"Let's move out!"
"Stop right there!" the head monk shouted in terror. "You can't just take that money! It's for the children..."
"How amusing," Bakkin Stussy said with a look of disdain, a large money bag on her back. "It's precisely because you didn't give the money to the children that there's so much of it here."
The Rocks crew broke through, carrying the treasure without being stopped.
Just then, Wang Zhi received a call for help on a Den Den Mushi: "Hey! Wang Zhi, lower the last ladder."
"We're all still in the basement."
Wang Zhi looked annoyed; he hated that commanding tone. "What a pain, Shiki!"
"Huh? Oh, right!" Shiki's eyes widened as if he were genuinely surprised that people were still below. "I completely forgot about them."
"We have to care for our comrades. We can't just leave them in the dark."
The next moment, Shiki dropped a bomb. It fell and exploded with a tremendous bang.
He plugged his ears with two fingers, a wide grin of a successful prank on his face.
"Shishishi, hahahaha! Our shares just got bigger!"
"Damn it! Can you idiots stop messing around?" Wang Zhi's already ugly, twisted face became even more contorted as he yelled in frustration at Shiki.
"They know everything about us! We can't let them escape! Close the monastery gates! Hasn't the army arrived yet?" the head monk shouted to his subordinates.
The surrounding monks immediately activated a mechanism, and massive iron grates fell, locking all the exits.
But for great pirates like them, this was futile.
"Hehehe, do you really think a few iron bars can trap us in here?" Bakkin Stussy said, a mocking smile on her pretty face.
"Wang Zhi, hurry up and do it."
Just as he was about to act, the entire temple began to shake violently.
"Hey! The foundation seems to be sinking." Everyone could feel the ground beneath them steadily giving way.
"What's happening? Is this an earthquake? It must be his doing."
The sea churned violently, the island began to break apart, and an unparalleled destructive force was tearing everything on the surface to shreds.
"Newgate!" Everyone knew who had unleashed this power, and they all called out Newgate's name.
Their bodies were completely out of control, rocking with the tremors, free-falling with the collapsing ruins until the island was completely leveled and the monastery had vanished. Only then did the disaster subside.
"Is this the power to destroy the world?" Kaido asked, looking at Newgate beside him with immense admiration.
"I'm so jealous! I want it too."
Newgate tilted his head and looked at Kaido. "Huh? The ability?"
"You'll have to search for it slowly. After all, you'll be stuck with that body for the rest of your life."
"That's true," Kaido said, nodding in agreement.
"Hey, who was it! Who screwed us over so badly?" a man, unlike Kaido and Newgate, with blood trickling from his forehead, roared in anger.
Seeing his furious expression, Wang Zhi pointed up at the sky in Shiki's direction.
A figure floated by nonchalantly.
John wore sunglasses, but his expression clearly showed his rage. "It really was you, Shiki, you bastard."
A wide, mocking smile spread across Shiki's face, and his eyes widened. "Oh! John, you're still alive!!"
"I was so worried about you...!! ♥"
Having confirmed their target, the two old rivals began to beat each other senseless.
"I'm going to kill you."
Watching the two of them fight, Rocks looked exasperated. "Stop with the pointless squabbling! Everyone, hurry up!!"
"Is the treasure all safe?!"
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