Just then, the Complete Body Susanoo reappeared. It crouched down and gently placed something on the ground with its massive hand. Newgate and the others looked closely. It was Rocks.
Although his whole body was charred black and his sword was broken, the slight rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.
"Wh-why?" Rocks, having exceeded his limits, panted as he looked at Makoto, who had deactivated Susanoo and come before him.
Makoto chuckled lightly. "You deserve an intact corpse."
Rocks was stunned for a moment. Then, he couldn't help but laugh. "Vohahaha... To be acknowledged by the King of the New World is truly my honor."
Rocks wasn't being sarcastic. It came from the heart. His original goal had been to defeat the World Government and go from [King of the Sea] to [King of the World].
And now, the whole world considered the man before him the [New King of the World], so Rocks' target naturally shifted from the World Government to Makoto.
It was like Roronoa Zoro targeting Dracule Mihawk. But if you're going to challenge someone, don't blame the other party if you get killed.
Feeling his life force ebbing away, Rocks knew his time was short. Rocks raised the broken blade, now only half remaining, and shouted to the sky like a certain future swordsman forty years later, "Hey, Newgate!"
Hearing Rocks' call, Newgate, who had not yet acquired the title [Whitebeard], raised an eyebrow slightly. "Go to God Valley and deliver a message to my son for me."
Newgate didn't answer, just looked at him silently. Rocks used the last of his life force to shout, "A person's dreams will never end!!!"
"Vohahaha!!! Vohahaha!!!!" The laughter echoed across the sea, growing fainter and fainter.
Then… Rocks's hand fell. The broken blade slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground. He was no longer breathing.
At this moment, even the players, who were his enemies, felt moved by Rocks's spirit. Although none of them had actually spoken a word to him, they all felt that this guy deserved the title of 'King'.
The members of the Rocks Pirates were silent. Newgate murmured in reply, "Got it, idiot. Consider it repayment for the drinks I owe you."
Apart from Newgate, the others in the Rocks Pirates showed little emotional fluctuation over Rocks's death in battle.
Shiki lit a cigar and said, "From today onwards, the Rocks Pirates are history."
"Where to next?" John muttered, gulping down some sake.
Streusen looked at Linlin and said, "Linlin, let's go too."
Silver Axe turned his gaze to Makoto. His fundamental reason for joining the Rocks Pirates had been to fight the World Government.
And now, Makoto was undoubtedly the best choice. After all, this guy hadn't just opposed the World Government... he had treated the World Government like a dog to play with.
But would that man take him in?
Regardless, these executives of the Rocks Pirates were ready to go their separate ways.
Just then…
"Who said you could leave?" Makoto's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present. These vicious pirates, who had been ready to flee, were all frozen in place.
"N-no, it was Rocks who provoked you. It has nothing to do with me," Linlin couldn't help but complain.
Ganzui, the current user of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit, also spread his hands and cried out his innocence, "Before you started fighting, I said I was just here to watch the fun!"
Others chimed in as well. "Yeah, yeah, we didn't do anything at all!"
"Rocks is dead, we don't want his fleet either. Just let us go!"
Makoto looked at these scoundrels who had been arrogant just moments ago but were now defending themselves like a bunch of elementary school students in trouble. "Because I'm stronger than you, you have to listen to me."
Makoto's girlfriends behind him were also quite surprised by this decision.
Because Makoto wasn't the type to like recruiting underlings. If it weren't for the fact that Yu and the others were such 'sycophants', Makoto probably couldn't be bothered to take them in.
But Makoto naturally had his reasons for doing this. After all, the mission assigned by the Reincarnation Game this time was to participate in the Summit War, and many of these people were witnesses to that future event… especially Edward Newgate.
After thinking it over, Makoto felt it necessary to keep these people under his watch for the time being, to ensure the Summit War could proceed smoothly.
Although Makoto had previously thought that staying in the One Piece World indefinitely wouldn't be too bad, since its world was quite expansive and there was plenty to do, after two months of traveling, he felt it was still inferior to the real world.
For one thing, in the real world, he could at least be selected by the Reincarnation Game again and go to various other worlds for fun.
So after some comparison, Makoto felt it necessary to complete the dungeon mission in order to return to the real world.
Although the members of the Rocks Pirates were very reluctant, having witnessed the overwhelming power Makoto had just displayed, they didn't dare object and could only obediently comply with his decision.
Makoto stepped onto the Rocks Pirates' ship, the Rocks' Fury. These great pirates, with bodies like monsters, stood on the deck, each with a grim expression, but none dared to speak.
Makoto's gaze quickly swept over them… Edward Newgate, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, Silver Axe, John, Miss Bakkin, Streusen, Ganzui... Faces that would shake the world in the future, all standing obediently before him now, like a group of elementary school students waiting to be sentenced.
Finally, Makoto's gaze fell on Newgate. "Edward Newgate."
Newgate raised an eyebrow slightly but didn't answer, just looked at Makoto. "From today onwards, you are the manager of this group."
As soon as he said this, the pirates present showed various expressions.
Makoto continued, "Normally, you will lead them, commanding this ship to follow behind the Otherworlder-Go. Once I give an order, execute it immediately."
"Why should we be under his command?" Shiki's voice was clearly dissatisfied. If it were Makoto or Rocks in charge, he might reluctantly accept it, but Newgate…
He glanced at Newgate. He had never thought the other party was significantly stronger than himself. The atmosphere on the deck suddenly froze.
Newgate didn't speak, just gave Shiki a calm look. The others also remained silent, waiting to see how Makoto would respond.
Shiki continued, "Besides, we only gathered together because of Rocks in the first place. Now—" He didn't finish. Shiki's voice stopped abruptly.
Because Makoto suddenly appeared before him, his left hand holding a strangely shaped kunai. Shiki's pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively tried to step back, but it was too late.
A flash of cold light from Makoto's right hand… so fast that no one present could see what he had done.
"Aaaggghhh—!!!!!" Shiki let out a heart-wrenching scream and collapsed onto the deck.
Blood gushed from his left knee, staining the wooden planks beneath him. And beside his body, a severed leg lay quietly in a pool of blood. Everyone was stunned. Even Newgate couldn't help but frown.
Shiki lay in a pool of blood, veins bulging on his forehead. He looked down at his severed leg, then up at Makoto, his eyes filled with shock and anger.
Makoto looked down at him, his expression unchanged. "My orders are to be executed unconditionally."
Makoto swept his gaze around… Newgate remained silent, Linlin had put away her previous casual expression, Kaido's eyes grew even more somber, and John stopped drinking...
"Set sail." Makoto put away his kunai and turned to walk back to the Otherworlder-Go.
"Oh, and one more thing." Just as he was about to leave, Makoto turned his head slightly and glanced at Shiki lying in the pool of blood. "He is not allowed to have his leg reattached."
With Flying Thunder God Technique, Makoto's figure disappeared from the deck of the Rocks' Fury.