One Piece: We already have the Four Gods, so my Six Paths Sage is reasonable, right?

Lockes did not turn around. His swinging arm froze in mid-air, his hand slowly closing, his thumb and forefinger gently forming a circle.

Spread the other three fingers out in the air to make an "OK" gesture.

Loki's face was already covered in tears and snot, but he had a bright smile on his face, and tears kept flowing out from under the bandages and sliding down his cheeks.

This time... it wasn't because I was sad, but because I was happy.

His gaze followed the departing figures, as if he were trying to etch that gray and white scene into his mind.

He looked forward to that day arriving as promised.

I hope to become a member of the Rocks Pirates.

I hope that I can stand next to those figures, become one of them, and then use my own hands to help Rocks ascend to the highest throne.

In the hazy distance ahead, the figures of Rocks, Ron, Whitebeard, and Linlin were gradually receding into the distance.

Their figures were outlined in a blurry silhouette by the remaining light of the underworld, as if they were walking into an unfinished painting.

Loki vigorously wiped the wetness from his cheeks, staring ahead at the row of figures walking almost side by side: "One day, there will be a place for me there, right? I'll be waiting for you, 'King of the World'."

-------------------------------------

A new world, an island, a port.

Sunlight spread across the stone pavement of the harbor, casting long, thin shadows of the moored ships and pedestrians.

As soon as the Kuja Pirates' ship entered the port, the people on deck sensed that something was wrong.

There were so many pirate ships anchored in the harbor, with pirate flags of all sizes fluttering on their masts, as if someone had temporarily held a pirate gathering here.

Normally, unless a pirate crew is so powerful that it is not afraid of being surrounded and attacked by the Navy, it will not choose to dock at a port, because it is too conspicuous and easy to be targeted.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, most pirates only stop at some secluded coastal corners when they land on the island.

But the port in front of us was bustling with activity, like a market.

If you didn't know better, you'd think you'd come to the wrong place, to Beehive Island.

"It's...it's the Kuja Pirates!"

Someone on the shore shouted first, like a pebble falling into calm water.

Soon, pairs of eyes turned and fell on the boat that was docking.

Immediately afterwards, the crowd seemed to be set ablaze, with many people starting to push back and surge towards the edge of the harbor, shouts erupting one after another.

"Shakky!"

"Shakky!"

"Gloriosa!"

A unique shout emerged from the crowd, carrying an exceptionally persistent passion.

"Bro," someone immediately patted the person who shouted on the shoulder, "this is Shakky's fan zone, Gloria Osa's. Can't you find a corner to shout from?"

"What a joke!" the person retorted defiantly, their voice rising even louder, "Gloriosa, I love you!!"

"Damn it!" Several people nearby turned around simultaneously, their eyes filled with hostility. "Beat him up!"

"Tap tap tap,"

A series of light footsteps came from the deck of the Kuja Pirates.

Xia Qi appeared at the ship's side, her hands resting on the railing, leaning slightly forward, her gaze casually sweeping over the throng of people on the shore.

The clamor on the harbor fell silent for a moment.

Then, as if reignited, it erupted with an even more intense surge than before.

She simply stood there, doing nothing, but the faint smile on her face was enough to make most of the men on the shore lose their rhythm.

"That's unusual." Shakky's voice was neither loud nor soft, landing lightly above the harbor. "So many pirate crews gathered here... Could it be that you're plotting something big?"

"Gurgle~~"

The man closest to him on the harbor swallowed hard, turned around, and said incredulously to the person next to him, "Hey, did you hear that? Shakky is talking to me!"

"Screw you," the person next to him immediately retorted, "Stop flattering yourself! That direction is clearly talking to me! Xia Qi's tone... is so gentle..."

"Tsk."

Another man in the crowd crossed his arms and sneered, "What are you daydreaming about? Xia Qi would never look at lowlifes like you."

Faced with the cacophony of responses and arguments from the port, Xia Qi's smile remained unchanged, but the light in her eyes flickered slightly; not a single answer was what she wanted to hear.

"It seems you've really just happened to be here."

suddenly.

A woman's voice came from the crowd. The volume was not loud, but it was clear enough to pass through the chaotic shouts and reach Xia Qi's ears.

Xia Qi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman standing on the other side of the group of men on the shore.

She was tall and hot, with outstanding looks, standing among the pirates like a rose blooming in a weedy field.

"It's nothing major. Ron, who's known as the 'Cold-Blooded Butcher' on the high seas and is widely considered the strongest rookie pirate in recent years, has left the Rocks Pirates. He's currently recruiting crew members on this island," the woman said.

Xia Qi's finger paused on the railing for a moment.

Rocks Pirates?

Has Ron left the Rocks Pirates?

How long has he been a member? And why? Did Annika leave with him?

These questions flashed through Xia Qi's mind like a row of lamps lit by the wind, shining for a moment and then going out.

But her expression didn't change much. She looked back at the young woman who had spoken, a faint smile playing on her lips: "So, Alice, you're also interested in his recruitment of partners?"

Alice was clearly taken aback. She hadn't expected Shaki to know her name, but then she thought about it and it wasn't so strange.

As pirates, it's only a matter of time before they are wanted if they do anything detrimental to the World Government, and it's only natural that they will be remembered.

Alice smiled and said calmly, "It's not that I'm interested in his recruitment of crew. I just happened to be here and thought I'd drop by to see what this so-called strongest rookie pirate, 'The Cold-Blooded Butcher,' is all about."

When Ron was mentioned, Shakky's gaze shifted slightly for a moment. She recalled the scene of their first meeting, when the young man stood on the deck of the Rocks Pirates, facing her face, without showing any extra emotional fluctuations.

That was the first time in her life she had met someone like that, who didn't flinch or scrutinize her, as if she were just an ordinary ornament.

"You two seem to know each other." Alice noticed the change in Shakky's eyes for a moment, her tone tinged with curiosity.

Shakky snapped out of her reverie, her gaze returning to Alice, her tone gentle and wistful: "I met him once when I was with the Rocks Pirates. He was a very strange person."

Alice tilted her head slightly and replied, "Men are nothing strange at all. Lustful, bloodthirsty, and full of malice, the title of 'cold-blooded butcher' is truly well-deserved."

Xia Qi paused, wait...? Curiosity? Aggression? Are they talking about the same person?

etc....!

Xia Qi increasingly felt that something was not quite right.

[Giving away free little gifts is a good idea; every penny counts, and over time it adds up to quite a bit.]