On the calm sea, the Rocks Pirates' ship advanced steadily.
Several commanders stood on the deck, discussing something.
"How long have Edward and Bob been gone?" asked Shiki, casually puffing on a cigar.
"Counting the days, it's almost been half a month!" replied John, gazing at the horizon.
"Could it be that they won't make it back? The Roger Pirates are no push overs!" Wang Zhi stroked his long beard, a playful smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"Who knows? Taking on such a task without any benefits, they must be out of their minds!" John yawned.
"This sea breeze is making me sleepy!"
"Heh, it might be better if they don't come back. That way, there are two fewer people to share the treasure with!" Silver Axe, clad in gleaming silver armor, chuckled darkly.
Hearing this, everyone turned to look at him simultaneously.
Their expressions were complex, their eyes uncertain. They neither agreed nor disagreed with Silver Axe words.
"Hey, look over there!" Silver Axe suddenly exclaimed, frowning.
Everyone followed his gaze and saw a ship approaching the Rocks Pirates' vessel.
"It's Edward and Bob... they're back!" Wang Zhi spoke up, his eyes fixed on the sea. His tone was unreadable, neither happy nor disappointed.
Soon, the distant ship drew close to the Rocks Pirates' vessel.
Bob and Whitebeard boarded the ship, and the moment they appeared, a figure suddenly materialized on the deck.
"Captain!"
Upon seeing this person, everyone immediately greeted him respectfully.
Rocks glanced at the group, his gaze lingering on Bob and Whitebeard for a moment.
"Call the other commanders to the meeting room!"
In the meeting room of the Rocks Pirates, all the commanders had taken their seats.
Rocks sat at the head of the table, looking at Bob and Whitebeard.
"So, what did the Roger Pirates say?"
"I tried my best to invite them, but they still refused," Bob shrugged helplessly.
Having just boarded the ship, they were already being called to a meeting. Bob felt that the Rocks Pirates were becoming more and more annoying.
Hearing Bob words, Rocks' expression remained unchanged. He nodded to acknowledge the information.
He hadn't held much hope to begin with, and the moment Bob appeared, he knew the mission had failed.
Otherwise, Bob wouldn't have returned on that small boat but on the Roger Pirates' ship.
This only confirmed his suspicions.
"They actually dared to say no to our Rocks Pirates! Bob, Edward, didn't you do anything about it?" Shiki glared at the two, gritting his teeth.
"They disrespected our Rocks Pirates. As commanders, Edward and I couldn't just let it slide!"
"We clashed with them right then and there. Look, we even lost our ship and had to return on another one!" Bob shook his head.
Hearing this, Rocks' eyes flickered, and his fingers tapped rhythmically on the table.
"Since you fought them, how strong are they?"
The Roger Pirates were the second most powerful pirate force in the New World. For Rocks, if he couldn't bring them under his wing, it meant they could serve as a stepping stone to his rise to the top of the world. On this vast sea, they could only be enemies.
And when it came to enemies, it was essential to have a clear understanding of their strength.
"They are incredibly strong. Even their four main crew members are on par with Wang Zhi, John, and Silver Axe, especially Roger, who is a whole level above them!"
As soon as Bob finished speaking, before Rocks could respond, three people immediately stood up.
"Are you deliberately picking a fight? How could the crew of some small pirate crew be stronger than us? Beating them would be as easy as playing around!"
"Damn it! If I had gone, I would have come back with Roger's head!"
"We haven't even fought yet, what are you trying to say by mentioning this?!"
"..."
The three commanders were clearly displeased when Bob used them as a benchmark for strength.
The room erupted into a cacophony of voices.
Bob hadn't expected such a strong reaction from just giving a practical example, and he couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.
Meanwhile, after hearing this, Rocks had a rough understanding of the strength of the Roger Pirates.
He rapped his fingers forcefully on the table, a signal for the commanders to quiet down.
Once everyone had settled, Rocks continued.
"Good! As long as you all returned safely, that's what matters!"
"Let's put the matter of recruiting the Roger Pirates aside for now. The reason I called you here today is for something even more important!"
Hearing this, the commanders furrowed their brows.
Something even more important? Their eyes all turned to the captain, waiting for his next move.
Feeling their gazes, Rocks smirked wickedly.
"In two months, the Celestial Dragons will hold a grand event at the Valley of the Gods!"
"That's when we'll go hunting for them!"
As he spoke, his expression was filled with excitement, his lips curling into a wide, sinister grin.
"The Valley of the Gods?" Wang Zhi, John, and the others frowned even more deeply. They had never heard of this place.
"I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before," Whitebeard said, stroking his chin.
"Jihahaha, are we really going to hunt Celestial Dragons?" Shiki focus was entirely on the Celestial Dragons, not the Valley of the Gods.
Killing Celestial Dragons—what a feat for pirates! Among the commanders, only Bob had managed to do it before, earning him immense prestige.
Shiki felt that if he could kill a Celestial Dragon, he would reclaim the respect he had lost.
"But there's one problem. To get to the Valley of the Gods, we need something!"
"And that thing is in Mary Geoise!"
"It's called the Eternal Pose!!"
Rocks' words were soft, but they carried immense weight in everyone's hearts.
The Eternal Pose! Mary Geoise.
They were unfamiliar with the first, but the latter was all too familiar.
The residence of the Celestial Dragons, the seat of the World Government.
What it represented in this world was self-evident.
It was undoubtedly heavily guarded, with countless elite warriors protecting the Celestial Dragons on the island.
"The Eternal Pose will always point to the Valley of the Gods, so if we want to get there, we must obtain it!"
"So... we need two people to retrieve the Eternal Pose!"
As soon as Rocks finished speaking, the captains began to furrow their brows in thought.
Going to Mary Geoise to retrieve something was undoubtedly an extremely difficult task.
Although as pirates, they all wanted to turn Mary Geoise upside down, thoughts were one thing, and actual actions required careful consideration.
After all, their lives were more important than anything else.
This matter carries great responsibility and significant risks.
"Jihahaha! You cowards, always boasting about killing the Celestial Dragons, but now you're hiding like turtles!"
"Captain, leave this mission to me!"
Shiki, holding a cigar in his hand, laughed heartily. As he spoke, his gaze turned to Bob, his meaning clear.
"Count me in!" Bob said with a smile.
Mary Geoise was a place Bob had always wanted to see, and this was the perfect opportunity.
Seeing Bob join, Whitebeard also wanted to come along.
But remembering the captain order to send only two people, his hand, which had been halfway raised, fell back down.
"Hahaha! Excellent!"
"With the two of you going, I can rest easy. I'll be waiting for your return on the Rocks ship!"
"Remember, your mission this time is to retrieve the Eternal Pose, not to kill anyone!"
"Once the objective is achieved, withdraw immediately!"
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