Chapter 22: Wolves Among Monsters
Charlotte didn't say anything.
He didn't agree with Rocks' twisted hierarchy of strength-over-everything—but he wasn't foolish enough to argue about it. From the beginning, he'd never felt any real sense of belonging among the Rocks Pirates. He'd joined not out of loyalty, but necessity.
Now that he was here, his path was simple: grow stronger. No matter the cost.
"You're the captain of the Eighth Division now," came Rocks' low voice, cold and impassive. "You run your own ship and crew as you see fit. But seventy percent of all spoils go to me. That's the rule. Understood?"
The command wasn't barked, but it carried weight like a thunderclap.
"Yes, Captain," Charlotte said firmly.
Rocks gave a nod of approval and stood up, his coat swaying in the morning breeze.
"We're anchored here for a day. Make your preparations."
"Yes."
Edward Newgate and Golden Lion Shiki didn't come to blows after all.
For a moment, it looked like their clash would split the heavens—but Shiki backed down with a scoff and drifted off into the sky. Newgate remained alone on the deck, staring into the sun as it climbed above the sea.
When will I have my own family…?
The question lingered in Whitebeard's mind like a wound that wouldn't heal. The silence around him only made it louder.
The Next Day
Charlotte stood on the port with over a hundred people gathered behind him.
These weren't random tagalongs—they were members of the Wild Wolf Gang. His people. And when they'd heard he was setting sail as a pirate, they demanded to follow.
He hadn't stopped them.
Among them were doctors, navigators, cooks, shipwrights, fighters, and even the five maids who had served him for years—girls who had long since become something more like family.
All of them had chosen to throw their lot in with him.
At their backs loomed the ship Charlotte had been building for over a year. It wasn't as massive as the Rocks Pirates' galleons, but it was sturdy and built with precision. A vessel meant to survive the storms of the New World.
"Jihahahaha! Look at this brat, bringing his whole damn village along," Golden Lion Shiki sneered from above, watching the procession.
"Haha! First time leaving home—of course he overpacks," Rocks said with a shrug.
Charlotte said nothing. He was already hoisting the flag—the jolly roger of the Rocks Pirates.
A deafening roar echoed from Rocks as the entire fleet surged to life.
Ten towering ships, each larger than Charlotte's, took to the sea in formation. His own ship trailed behind, sails catching wind, cutting through the water with determination if not speed.
Charlotte stared at the vanishing coastline. His hometown grew smaller and smaller.
He sighed.
How long until I come back?
Then he caught himself.
"Again? These damn emotions aren't even mine…"
Ever since his Conqueror's Haki had awakened, Charlotte had found himself more and more vulnerable to the emotions of others. Joy, sorrow, rage—if someone near him felt it strongly enough, it bled into him.
That was part of what had driven him to save so many slaves over the past two years. He hadn't planned to—he'd simply felt their pain too vividly to ignore it.
He didn't regret it.
A real man didn't make excuses for what he chose to do.
"Master?"
A gentle voice broke into his thoughts.
Jenny stepped forward and placed a hand on his forehead, gently brushing away the tension there.
He touched her hand in return, quietly grateful. After the accident last year—after that night when too much wine had lowered too many walls—Charlotte no longer saw his five maids as mere attendants.
They were family.
"Wake me if something happens," he murmured, then reclined in a deck chair and drifted into sleep, snoring lightly.
Their lone ship sailed behind the Rocks fleet, a small shadow following ten giants across the vast ocean.
Several Days Later
Pirate Island — Hachinosu
"Jihahahaha! Finally! I thought that trip would never end!"
Golden Lion Shiki was the first to leap from the ship, planting his boots on the dark, jagged stone of Pirate Island with dramatic flair. Behind him, the rest of the fleet docked in chaotic unison.
Rocks hadn't allowed any detours. No stops. Ten straight days of open sea.
Even hardened pirates were groaning with relief as they stepped onto dry land.
Charlotte followed, his eyes scanning the infamous island. So this is Pirate Island…
Hachinosu—legendary haven of outlaws, murderers, and mercenaries. Home to thieves, killers, and the scum of the sea.
He expected squalor. Instead, he found a thriving, chaotic sprawl.
It was noisy, messy, and dangerous—but also lively. Markets bustled, ships unloaded, and sword-wielding men passed half-naked slaves like it was normal.
It was ugly.
But it was real.
"Impressed?" Shiki floated over beside him. "Not bad for a pirate kingdom, huh? It's ours."
Charlotte nodded.
It was leagues beyond his home on Kamei Island.
"Captain! You're back!"
Three men stepped forward to greet Rocks: Captain John, Silver Axe, and Wang Zhi.
Rocks grinned. "John, Silver, Wang—mission accomplished?"
"Of course, Captain!" John beamed, eyes glinting with greed. "The kingdoms you sent us to? Burned to ash. Their kings lost their heads."
Rocks laughed. "Good. Standard cut—seventy percent goes to me. Split the rest however you like."
John nodded, but something dark flickered behind his smile. The other two—Silver Axe and Wang Zhi—said nothing. Their faces were hidden behind steel and shadow.
Charlotte watched them silently.
Then came the moment.
"I heard we've got a new addition," John said, scanning the crowd. "Where is he? I'd like to see this Eighth Division Captain for myself."
Charlotte narrowed his eyes.
He was standing right there—a head taller than most, dressed in black, eyes cold as iron.
Is he pretending not to see me?
The other division captains exchanged glances. Grins formed. They knew what this was.
Initiation by fire.
Charlotte stepped forward. "If your eyes don't work, you should donate them to someone who needs them."
John's smile didn't waver. "So this is the new blood. I hear he's a swordsman. Not sure someone this green should be a division captain."
Charlotte's aura changed instantly—his killing intent flaring like a drawn blade.
"Then step up and find out if I deserve the title."
The air around them crackled with Haki.
John smirked. "Oh? That's some real Conqueror's spirit. Your mother never taught you how to speak to your elders?"
Then he gave a theatrical slap to his forehead. "Oh, wait. That's right. You don't have a mother, do you?"
He laughed.
Charlotte didn't.
He was already moving.
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