This was the true nature of the Rocks Pirates.
Without sufficient strength, even joining this crew meant living with constant danger.
But El didn't have to worry about that.
Given his current power, unless one of the senior executives of the Rocks Pirates personally took action, none of the ordinary crew members posed any real threat to him.
"I see," El nodded thoughtfully.
Rocks leaned close to El's ear and whispered in a voice only he could hear,
"Come to the bow tonight. I have something to tell you."
"Hmm?"
El was slightly taken aback.
Just as he was about to ask what Rocks meant, the man turned and left without another word, leaving El standing there, bewildered.
Something to tell me?
What could that be about?
He had only joined the Rocks Pirates today—what could Rocks possibly want to discuss privately?
And why not just say it now instead of making him wait until nightfall?
No matter how much he thought about it, El couldn't figure it out.
In the end, the only way to find out was to go to the bow of the ship later and hear what Rocks had to say.
"Hehehe... Congratulations, El, on becoming a full-fledged member of the Rocks crew."
The Golden Lion approached with a grin, his tone as casual as that of an old friend.
"You seem even happier than I am, Shiki san," El said with a puzzled smile. "Could it be that joining the Rocks Pirates brings me some kind of special benefit?"
Although El knew of the Golden Lion from his knowledge of the original timeline, this was their first real meeting in this world—his first encounter with the infamous Rocks Pirates.
So Shiki's familiarity, and the excitement he showed at El's recruitment, only made El more curious.
"I just enjoy talking to smart people," the Golden Lion said with a wide grin before continuing.
"Become my subordinate, El. You should know that without proper guidance, even a talented swordsman wastes time wandering down the wrong paths. My swordsmanship is far superior to yours right now. But if you serve under me, I'll teach you everything I know. With my instruction, you'll grow far stronger in no time."
As mentioned before, everyone aboard the Rocks Pirates' ship had joined for their own benefit.
None of them cared about helping Rocks become ruler of the world.
They all looked out for themselves—and Shiki was no exception.
On the surface, the Golden Lion was one of Rocks' key executives.
But behind the scenes, he was already recruiting his own followers.
After crossing blades with El, Shiki had a clear grasp of his potential.
El had managed to wound him—twice—purely through his own skill as a swordsman. That talent had greatly impressed him.
If only I could make El my subordinate, he thought.
With his guidance, Shiki was confident he could mold El into a swordsman rivaling himself.
And with El's strength by his side, the Golden Lion believed that once he left the Rocks Pirates, he would surely become a tyrant ruling over the seas!
El was quite surprised by the Golden Lion's sudden remark.
He hadn't expected that Shiki would bring up such a topic on his very first day aboard the ship.
"It's certainly an honor to receive your guidance, but… does Shiki san think so highly of me?" El asked, his bright eyes fixed on the Golden Lion.
"Of course. You have great potential—I can see it! So, what do you say? Are you interested?"
El pondered for a moment. Although the offer sounded appealing, it wasn't enough to tempt him.
After all, I have the system. There's no need to worry about how to grow stronger.
The Golden Lion could teach me powerful swordsmanship…
But the system can grant me the power to transcend this world itself.
There's no need to follow him.
"Forget it, Shiki san," El finally said calmly.
Hearing El's refusal, the Golden Lion wasn't discouraged. Instead, he grinned.
"Have you really thought this through? Becoming my subordinate will only bring you benefits, not harm. So, are you still going to refuse?"
"Yes," El replied without hesitation.
"Hehehe… You really did turn me down without a second thought, huh? But I won't give up that easily, El. I must have a guy like you!" Shiki clenched his fists, his grin widening.
The more El refused, the more determined the Golden Lion became.
To him, El was a raw gem waiting to be polished—
And he wanted to be the one to shape him into a true powerhouse,
To make him his right-hand man… his subordinate… his king's blade!
"Hey, Shiki, didn't you hear him reject you? Why keep spouting useless nonsense?" Charlotte Linlin walked over, waving her hand dismissively.
"Hey, Linlin, I was the one who spotted this guy first," the Golden Lion said coldly.
"So what? You may have your eye on him, but he clearly doesn't have his eye on you," Linlin shot back.
"What do you mean by that?"
Ignoring the Golden Lion, Charlotte Linlin turned her gaze toward El, a confident smile on her face.
"My name is Linlin. I am destined to become the woman of the King of the Sea. Will you follow me, El?" she asked boldly.
El was stunned.
What the hell is going on?
Asking something like that right off the bat is a bit much, isn't it?
Besides, Rocks is on this ship—
Isn't it a little disrespectful to flaunt your ambitions like that in front of him?
However, El was overthinking it. Rocks' ambitions were far greater. He wasn't interested in merely ruling the seas; he wanted to dominate the entire world.
"Forget it," El said with a helpless shrug. "I only want to follow Captain Rocks right now. I'm not interested in anyone else."
He truly hadn't expected both the Golden Lion and Charlotte Linlin to be so fixated on him.
Too lazy to think of a better excuse, he simply used Rocks' name as a convenient shield.
The Golden Lion crossed his arms with a smirk. "Looks like he's not interested in you at all, Linlin."
"Shut up, Shiki," Linlin snapped coldly, glaring at him.
As their argument began to heat up, a crew member cautiously approached and said,
"Both Captains… Captain Rocks has ordered me to show Lord El to his quarters."
At those words, both the Golden Lion and Charlotte Linlin turned their eyes toward Rocks' dep
arting figure in the distance and fell silent, ending their bickering.
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