Chapter 33: Rocks Sets Sail: The March on Uru Island

“Hahahaha!”

Rocks stood at the helm clutching a sea chart, excitement glowing on his face.

His powerful voice rang out across the ship: “Our next target is the X Pirates! They’re no threat to us anymore!”

The pirates on deck erupted with cheers. They knew that once the X Pirates were taken care of, the second half of the Grand Line would belong to Rocks alone.

Golden Lion stood beside Rocks, quietly nodding his agreement.

Rocks towered above the gunwale, his long black hair billowing in the wind—a picture of unshakable resolve.

Edward Newgate, after a moment’s thought, spoke up, “We should strike before they get wind of us. Hit them hard and fast, wipe them out. That way we can rule the entire back half of the Grand Line.”

Rocks nodded, spreading the chart out on the command table. His finger landed on a red mark. “This is Uru Island, the stronghold of the X Pirates. That’s where we make our move.”

Golden Lion, Newgate, and the others fixed their gazes on the chart, committing their new target to memory.

They all knew—this battle would end in victory for the Rocks Pirates on the beach.

“Prepare to depart!”

Rocks’ voice echoed across the harbor, and the pirates immediately leaped into action.

They checked their weapons, adjusted the sails, and readied themselves for the fight to come.

The pirate fleet slipped out of the harbor and began the journey toward Uru Island.

Rocks had waited so long for this day.

From his perch atop the Jibeck, he gazed out over the endless sea.

In the old days, pirate crews at the top of the world seemed endless, all fiercely battling for territory and riches.

But as time went on, only three major factions remained, locked in a tense standoff.

Now, finally, Rocks was about to put the first step of his grand plan into action.

If his pirates could unify the Grand Line’s back half, they’d draw in more members and gain the strength needed for his ultimate goal.

Rocks turned to face his crew, arrogance and determination burning in his eyes.

He ordered John, Wang Zhi, and Kaido to head to the Giant Pirates’ base on Kuro Island, clean up the aftermath, and gather up the island’s treasures.

Meanwhile, the rest would follow Rocks to Uru Island.

This was a turning point, and Rocks knew that succeeding here would win his crew even more support and resources for his ambitions.

A fierce longing flared inside him—he’d been waiting for this moment far too long.

“Heaven really is smiling on me.”

“I can’t believe things are going so smoothly.”

Rocks hadn’t expected that a single little scheme could set his Grand Line takeover in motion.

There were still six or seven hours left to Uru Island. For now, Rocks retreated to his cabin.

“Mama mama mama!”

“Shiki, I need a favor.”

Charlotte Linlin spoke quietly, a cunning glint in her eyes.

“I want to have a child with Karl.”

“You can name any price you want.”

Charlotte Linlin pressed her lips together, fixing Shiki with a determined stare.

When the others had gone their separate ways, Charlotte Linlin had pulled Golden Lion Shiki aside.

In her mind, Karl’s strength was still climbing fast. If he surpassed them, forcing things would only get harder.

Better to take her chance while Karl wasn’t at his peak—get him drunk and she’d stand a much better shot.

She’d already noticed that Karl couldn’t hold his liquor.

The two of them locked eyes, a moment stretching in silence.

“Gehahahaha!”

Golden Lion hadn’t expected Charlotte Linlin to scheme against Karl, but at the same time, it made him realize just how obsessed she was with the idea of having Karl’s child.

Truth was, Shiki was a little envious. He’d heard about Karl’s Titan bloodline and watched his body grow stronger as if he had no limits.

“Never thought the old hag would need a favor from me.”

“Alright, I’ll help you out this time.”

After some thought, Golden Lion decided to grant Charlotte Linlin this opportunity. He needed powerful allies if he ever wanted to leave the Rocks Pirates—of course he didn’t know the crew would fall apart too soon for this debt to matter.

“Remember, you owe me one.”

That was what Golden Lion cared about most. For him, this was a crucial piece in his escape plan from the Rocks Pirates.

But Charlotte Linlin didn’t care about a simple favor. She believed only direct bloodlines could be trusted among pirates. The stronger the bloodline, the stronger her power would become. Karl’s Titan blood was simply too valuable to pass up.

And in the end, that’s how Charlotte Linlin built the Charlotte Pirates—thanks to strong bloodlines and sheer fertility.

…

Krell followed close behind Karl, heading for Newgate’s room. Karl wanted to know if there were any X Pirates with Devil Fruit powers requiring special caution.

After all, there were so many tricky Devil Fruit abilities in this world—it’d be embarrassing to get tripped up by one.

“Newgate, is there anyone in the X Pirates we should keep an eye on?”

Karl hadn’t been with the Rocks Pirates long. He only had a rough idea of the sea’s powers, with little time to properly study the world’s factions thanks to battle after battle.

“There is one.”

Newgate paused, then answered.

“The third division captain, Baroque.”

“He’s got the Poison-Poison Fruit.”

“Definitely a tough opponent to watch out for.”

Newgate’s brow furrowed as he said this—clearly he’d dealt with the guy before.

Finishing his warning, Newgate took a large swig from his jug, finally relaxing a bit.

Poison-Poison Fruit… If Karl remembered right, wasn’t that the same power the prison warden had in the story’s prologue?

He hadn’t paid much attention back then, but the Poison-Poison Fruit’s moves were still etched in his memory, though the warden’s name escaped him.

“That’s all you really need to worry about.”

After thinking it over, Newgate decided Baroque was the only one in the X Pirates with a unique power.

The rest didn’t bother him. With his Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he could sweep them aside.

That was reassuring, so Karl and Newgate shared a couple drinks before Karl headed back to his cabin.

“Krell! How are their trainings coming along?”

Of course, Karl was asking after Long Yi and Long Er.

“Reporting to Lord Karl—Long Yi and Long Er have mastered the Golden Light Spell. As for Daoist Thunder Magic, since I haven’t practiced it myself, I’m not sure of their progress. But their Five Elements Fist is looking good.”

“Glad to hear it. Keep training; once you’ve fully mastered the Golden Light Spell, I’ll teach you Daoist Thunder Magic.”

“Thank you, Lord Karl.”