Chapter 12: The Former Rocks Pirates' Main Ship!

"Rocks?!"

Hearing this, the Five Elders were all taken aback.

J García Saturn, in particular, subconsciously touched the scar on his face.

Although fourteen years had passed, the mere mention of that name still caused a dull ache.

"In the year 1480, Rocks led his pirate crew with the intention of breaking into the 'New World,' only to discover that the flagship he had brought from the West Blue was too large to pass through the fissure beneath the Red Line. Left with no choice, he had to switch ships."

Im's tone was slow but detailed, clearly explaining the cause of the event. The five men below listened intently; back then, they hadn't paid any attention to the Rocks Pirates changing ships. After all, what mattered was the people on the ship, not the vessel itself—it wasn't as if it were 'Pluton.'

"Do you mean that the Rocks Pirates' former flagship is large enough to serve as a naval base for the Reverse Mountain branch? But where is it?" Shepherd Ju Peter, who was in charge of intelligence, asked hesitantly, while his mind raced to recall anything related to the ship.

It had been over a decade, and his memory was a bit hazy, but he knew he could just have someone pull the files later. The other four were equally astonished; just how big would a ship have to be to serve as a naval base?

After all, in their impression, the Rocks Pirates were primarily associated with the 'New World' era.

"The ship is called Thriller Bark. It should be the largest ship in the world. According to the future visions I have seen, it will eventually become Gecko Moria's flagship. It should currently be deep within that sea of fog," Im said coldly.

He remembered clearly that when Gecko Moria and his crew fought Kaido in Wano the following year, his flagship was not Thriller Bark.

Based on background information, Moria must have fled into the fog-covered sea after his defeat, where he encountered Thriller Bark and claimed it as his territory.

The reason it was called a territory rather than a flagship was that whether Moria was heading to the Summit War or going to the 'New World' to find Blackbeard to rescue Absalom, he never sailed Thriller Bark out.

Clearly, Moria also understood that the ship was too massive to be used as a vessel.

"Gecko Moria? Isn't that the pirate supernova who just received a bounty of 120 million berries?" Shepherd Ju Peter kept a certain level of attention on pirates with bounties over 100 million.

"His Kage Kage no Mi ability is quite interesting, as is his racial lineage. Find an opportunity to dispatch CP0 to capture him alive."

Im gave the order without hesitation. The current Gecko Moria had not yet grown into his power. Although sending CP0 might be overkill, he didn't want to give him time to grow; it was better to capture him first!

"As you command," Shepherd Ju Peter replied respectfully with his head bowed, then added, "Then, regarding the sea of fog, I will also dispatch personnel to investigate."

Im nodded and instructed, "Once Thriller Bark is found, immediately mobilize craftsmen to renovate it. The castle and other structures on it must be converted to a naval style, especially that gate with the red lips and white teeth—tear it down immediately."

"Yes, Lord Im!"

The Five Elders responded in unison.

"That is all for now. Once these preparations are in place, we will consider the base commander for the new branch. Next, let us discuss Fish-Man Island..." Im's eyes flickered.

Outside Pangea Castle.

A dozen Holy Knights guarding the gate of the 'Land of the Gods' noticed three Celestial Dragons—two men and one woman—sitting atop their respective slaves. Accompanied by a retinue of attendants in suits, they were walking slowly toward the gate, even wearing their bubble helmets, clearly intending to head out.

When the Celestial Dragons approached, a captain saluted respectfully and asked, "Saint Winifried, where are you headed?"

"Open the gate! I am going to the Sabaody Archipelago with Saint Leopold and Saint Veronica to have some fun!" Saint Winifried said haughtily.

The captain's expression, hidden behind his helmet, turned troubled. "Saint Winifried, the Five Elders issued an order a few days ago: without permission, no World Nobles are to leave the 'Land of the Gods' without authorization."

"Hmph, so what? I've been suffocating for days. It's just a few days out for fun; I'll be back naturally. Open the gate!" Saint Winifried roared in anger.

He was aware of the Five Elders' order, of course, but he didn't believe that he would truly be stripped of his Celestial Dragon status just for going out to play. Besides, he had Saint Leopold and Saint Veronica with him.

No matter what, no one would dare to directly strip a Celestial Dragon of their status, right?

Even if they were the Five Elders!

"This... I am very sorry, but I cannot disobey the Five Elders' orders." The captain gritted his teeth and held his ground.

"How dare you!"

Saint Winifried was furious. He pulled a flintlock pistol from his pocket and pulled the trigger at the captain without a second thought.

*Bang!*

The scorching spherical bullet shot out. However, the plate armor worn by the Holy Knights was not made of paper; the moment the bullet struck, it ricocheted off with a *ding*. This scene turned everyone present pale, including the captain and Saint Winifried himself.

"Shigan!"

At that critical moment, one of the suit-clad attendants standing behind the three Celestial Dragons flashed to the front. A slender index finger turned into a blur, flicking the incoming bullet away.

"Phew..."

All the Holy Knight soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, as did the captain, though he knew he was in deep trouble.

Regardless of the reason, the bullet had indeed ricocheted off him toward Saint Winifried. This was more than enough to be considered an attack on a Celestial Dragon!

"You dare attack me?!"

Sure enough, once Saint Winifried regained his composure, he flew into a rage, his face turning beet red, though he dared not use the flintlock again.

"..."

The captain's eyes behind his helmet were filled with despair. He was a dead man; the best outcome would be becoming a slave and being tortured to death by the other party.

"You! Beat him to death for me!" Saint Winifried ordered the CP7 member who had just protected him.

Saint Leopold and Saint Veronica looked on with contempt and sneers, anticipating the sight of the Holy Knight captain being beaten to death, while the other two CP7 members stood coldly in the background.

"Yes—huh?"

Just as the CP7 member who had been ordered was about to agree, a *brrr-brrr* sound rang out. He pulled out a small Den Den Mushi in confusion. The next second, the Den Den Mushi spoke, its voice cold and merciless.

"Saint Winifried attacked the Holy Knights, which is considered an attempt to force his way through the gate of the 'Land of the Gods.' This is a serious violation of the Five Elders' prohibition. According to regulations, his status as a World Noble is permanently revoked, and he shall no longer enjoy any privileges or qualifications."

"Order: Arrest Winifried immediately and imprison him in the Holy Land prison!"

As soon as the words fell, the Den Den Mushi closed its eyes without hesitation, but Saint Winifried was left in absolute terror.

Even Saint Leopold and Saint Veronica beside him scrambled off their slaves' backs in a panic, putting a distance of four or five meters between themselves and the former.

At the same time, the CP7 member slowly turned around and looked coldly at Saint Winifried.

The protector of the previous second had become the captor of the next!

Perhaps even Im hadn't expected that he had truly underestimated the stupidity of the Celestial Dragons.

Im sat high upon the Empty Throne, his golden, rippled eyes looking down at you, the tiny readers, and said coldly: "Offer up your collections, recommendations, and comments, and I shall lead you to sweep across the heavens and myriad worlds, the multiverse, to stand at the pinnacle of the rankings and look down upon all living things!"

(End of chapter)