After intense battles among more than twenty small formations, the final victors emerged.
Dozens of people were covered in blood—some from their opponents, some from their own wounds. Their eyes were filled with ferocity and an overwhelming sense of brutality.
Without exception, those who stood till the end in this mode possessed formidable strength and unyielding perseverance.
And these were exactly the kind of people the Rocks Pirates needed.
Seeing that the official crew members had been selected, figures like Golden Lion and Whitebeard lost interest in watching further.
From their observations, these individuals were decent compared to ordinary pirates, but none of them caught their attention.
Recruiting new members wasn't a particularly important task for them, especially since there was no genius like Bob among the newcomers.
Feeling bored, they instructed a few ship doctors to carry Kaido away and then returned to the Skull Rock to prepare for the evening celebration.
Those who had fought their way to the end couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment when they saw this. The division commanders didn't even glance at them, leaving some pirates who had hoped to gain attention deeply disheartened.
However, no one cared about their feelings. In this place, failing to catch the attention of the commanders simply meant their strength wasn't sufficient.
To carve out a place for themselves, they would have to prove their worth through sheer power.
....
In the evening , the banquet hall was filled with pirates from the island gathered to celebrate the arrival of the new comer.
The tables were laden with all kinds of food, and the hall buzzed with the raucous chatter of pirates.
"Guararara! I knew you'd make it!" Whitebeard exclaimed, sitting next to Bob, laughing heartily as he took a large gulp of strong liquor from an oversized mug.
"Now you can join my division, right? In my crew, you'll get first pick of the treasures we plunder!"
Whitebeard had gone to great lengths to recruit Bob to his division, from giving him early notice to supporting him during the trials and now offering tempting incentives.
The pirates who overheard Whitebeard's words couldn't help but feel envious.
But before Bob could respond, Golden Lion who had been keeping an eye on the situation, stepped in.
"Bob treasures are just the basics for pirates! Come to my side, and I'll teach you top-tier swordsmanship, the three types of Haki, and even some martial arts techniques!"
"On the Rocks Pirates, aside from the captain, I'm the strongest! Choosing me would be the right move!"
Golden Lion wasn't boasting. With his two legendary swords, Oto and Kogarashi, he was already a top-tier swordsman, and his achievements in swordsmanship were unmatched by most.
Moreover, he possessed the Paramecia-type Float-Float Fruit, a Devil Fruit no less formidable than Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
After fully developing its potential, the fruit's power had been fully demonstrated.
Being hailed as a legendary piratel alongside Whitebeard and Roger, his strength was beyond doubt.
Seeing that Bob remained unmoved, Golden Lion leaned closer with a peculiar expression.
Lowering his voice, he whispered...
"Follow me, and together we will reach the pinnacle of the world!"
Hearing this, Bob smiled.
Does the Golden Lion dare to say such things? The pinnacle of the world? What does that even mean? Does he intend to become the king of this world? As expected, Golden Lion, you are born with a rebellious nature! Everyone knows that.
The man who aspires to be the king of the world would be Captain Rocks.
If he heard this, Golden Lion would be lucky to escape with just a layer of skin peeled off. However, this also confirmed one of Bob suspicions.
In the original story of the Pirate King, during the Battle of God Valley, the reason Rocks was defeated by Roger and the Marines working together was largely due to the lack of effort from these captains.
After all...
If Rocks didn't die, they would always be overshadowed by him.
Stepping over their boss to climb higher seemed like a pretty good option.
Thinking this, Bob couldn't help but curse inwardly.
'Damn, the traitors on this ship are terrifying!'
"Golden Lion, why are you always everywhere?'"
"I was just having a few words with Bob, and you had to butt in!"
"You can teach the three types of Haki, but I can't?"
"If you have the guts, come and spar with me!"
Seeing Golden Lion's behavior, Whitebeard didn't hold back at all. On this matter, he wouldn't yield an inch.
With that, he tossed aside his wine cup, picked up the large Naginata beside him, and an invisible pressure began to emanate from it.
"Bring it on, I'm not afraid of you!"
Golden Lion didn't back down either; his aura was suddenly erupting.
Before the two even clashed, the terrifying pressure they exuded collided in the air.
Instantly, a powerful gust of wind swept through.
The pirates present gritted their teeth, struggling to resist.
Just as the two were about to engage in battle, a figure suddenly appeared between them and spoke calmly.
"Stop it now!"
""Captain Rocks!""
The surrounding pirates and the officers were all shocked. Whitebeard and Golden Lion had no choice but to rein in their auras and stop.
Captain Rocks had intervened.
This fight was definitely not going to happen.
"You two are my right-hand men. This place can't handle your antics!"
"Today is a day of celebration, so relax a little!"
Rocks looked at them calmly.
His words, though plain carried an undeniable authority.