Chapter 20: A Sword in the Shadows
Rocks D. Xebec's voice boomed across the harbor.
"I now name Rockefeller Charlotte, Captain of the Eighth Division of the Rocks Pirates!"
Every pirate present froze.
For a moment, the only sounds were the lapping of waves and the wind snapping sails. Dozens of hardened criminals stared at Charlotte with disbelief. One moment he'd been a stranger. The next, a killer. And now—one of the crew's elite.
But among the inner circle of Rocks' monsters, no one even batted an eye.
Whitebeard leaned silently against the railing, arms crossed. Big Mom kept licking icing off her fingers. Kaido yawned, expression blank. Shiki puffed his cigar with a grin, as if nothing important had happened.
Even Charlotte blinked in surprise.
He hadn't expected to be promoted so soon.
Rocks gave him a hearty slap on the back. "Cheer up, boy. You're one of us now. Time to celebrate!"
He turned back to the crowd. "Banquet! We drink and eat until the sun rises!"
"Jihahaha! That's what I like to hear!" Shiki roared with laughter.
Even Edward Newgate let a small smile creep onto his face.
"Ooh! More cake!" Linlin's eyes sparkled.
Charlotte finally exhaled. For the first time since joining, the tension in his chest loosened.
He had survived the test.
And more than that—he felt a thrill.
This wasn't fear. It wasn't guilt.
It was exhilaration.
He was one of the Rocks Pirates now. One of the monsters.
He smiled.
But far away, in the shadows just beyond the edge of the feast, a figure held up a Den Den Mushi camera.
Click.
A few shots of Charlotte, laughing and drinking with Rocks' core members, were captured silently.
Then transmitted.
Across the seas, far from the lawless territories of the New World, a massive naval fortress rose from the sea like a steel mountain.
Within its towering walls, the Navy worked tirelessly.
Warships docked. Marines marched. Signals flashed.
Suddenly—
"Urgent report! Urgent report!"
A Navy colonel burst through the doors, face pale, clutching a file.
He kicked open the doors to the commander's office.
"Fleet Admiral Kong! G-8 base has fallen! The entire branch—wiped out by the Rocks Pirates!"
Steel Bone Kong shot to his feet.
"What?! Let me see that report!"
The colonel handed it over. Kong read the first few lines—then his expression darkened.
"Those bastards…"
He turned to the aides. "Get me Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru! Now!"
Moments later, three Vice Admirals stepped into the room, coats of justice flowing behind them.
Sengoku took the report first.
The details were horrifying.
The entire G-8 branch—over two thousand Navy officers—massacred. No survivors.
His face hardened as he passed the report to Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Her eyes narrowed as she read, lips pressed in a tight line. Then she handed it to Garp.
The cheerful grin faded from Garp's face the moment he saw the numbers.
"…Over two thousand…" he muttered.
Bang!
He slammed his fist onto the desk. "Give the order, Kong! I'm heading to the New World to take down Rocks myself!"
But Kong didn't even look at him.
Instead, he turned to Tsuru.
"Your thoughts?"
Tsuru's voice was calm, measured—but the weight of her words fell heavy.
"Our strength is spread too thin. We've lost too many high-ranking officers in the New World. Germa 66 is still rampaging in the North Blue, and Admiral Zephyr is tied up there. The Eight Treasures Navy is tearing through the West Blue. The South Seas are in chaos. And now… the Roger Pirates have resurfaced. We don't have the manpower to face Rocks right now."
The room fell silent.
"We need to consolidate," she continued. "Or we'll lose more than just G-8."
"Grrr… I'll take down Roger myself!" Garp growled.
SLAM!
"Sit down!" Kong barked.
Garp grumbled and sank into his chair like a scolded child.
Kong rubbed his temples. The Navy wasn't what it used to be. They had no admirals yet—only himself as Fleet Admiral. The Vice Admirals were stretched thin across the globe. Their forces were fractured, vulnerable.
If Rocks kept pushing…
The colonel burst in again, interrupting.
"Sir! Transmission from the World Government!"
Kong opened the new dispatch—and his face tightened.
He passed it to the other three.
"Another recruit," he muttered. "They've taken in a swordsman. Rockefeller Charlotte."
Sengoku raised an eyebrow. "Charlotte?"
Tsuru frowned. "Didn't we see that name in the G-8 destruction report?"
Garp said nothing, arms crossed.
Kong closed the file.
"Let's put a bounty on him."
"How much?" Sengoku asked.
"Based on his display… at least 300 million."
"Agreed," Sengoku nodded. "He's definitely a swordsman. Judging by the casualties at G-8, 300 million is a fair evaluation."
Tsuru nodded silently.
Garp scratched his chin and muttered, "Hm. Guess he's another monster."
"Then it's decided." Kong turned to the messengers. "Issue a bounty: Rockefeller Charlotte. Three hundred million Berries. Dead or alive. Captain of the Eighth Division of the Rocks Pirates."
The order was given.
And with it, the Navy officially declared war on Charlotte.
The news spread fast.
"Extra! Extra! Read all about it! G-8 wiped out! Over two thousand marines dead!"
"The Rocks Pirates grow stronger! New recruit earns a 300 million Berry bounty!"
"Rockefeller Charlotte! Dead or alive!"
Seagulls soared across the world, newspapers dropping like rain on towns, ports, and kingdoms.
The world burned with reaction.
Some cheered.
Some trembled.
Some prepared.
Would-be pirates saw the name Rockefeller Charlotte and set sail with stars in their eyes.
Ordinary citizens read the numbers and locked their doors in fear.
The age of pirates had never felt so real.
Inside the halls of the World Government, chaos erupted.
"Who authorized this? Why was the press allowed to publish this information?!"
"Find Morgans! Arrest him immediately!"
"He's leaking critical details—again!"
The orders flew fast and furious.
"Mobilize CP0! Shut down the press! And order the Navy—sweep the New World! Wipe out the Rocks Pirates at all costs!"
Back in Marineford, Fleet Admiral Kong gathered his top officers once more.
"This is an emergency directive from the Celestial Dragons themselves. The World Government is demanding we purge the New World of pirate activity."
He stood tall, voice echoing across the command room.
"I will lead the fleet myself. Sengoku, Garp—you're with me. We'll take seven Vice Admirals, twelve Rear Admirals, and every warship we can spare. The rest of you—hold down the fort here. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
The order sent shockwaves through Navy HQ.
Within the hour, sails were unfurled and steel cut through waves.
Dozens of ships departed the fortress, en route to the New World—flags of justice raised high.
But even before they reached the horizon, the story had already broken.
"Morgans again?! Damn him!"
"Send CP0! Catch that damn bird!"
But the world had already seen it.
A clash was coming.
And at the center of it all—
Rockefeller Charlotte.
Captain of the Eighth Division.
A new name on the sea.
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