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Chapter 20: Heading to Paradise! The Approaching Fish-Man Island
Heavenly Tribute.
It refers to the portion of treasure that the World Government's affiliated nations must annually pay to the Celestial Dragons.
The 170 affiliated nations deliver their tribute to escort ships operated by the World Government Navy,
Which then transport the Heavenly Tribute to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
If Lotte remembered correctly,
In the original story, Doflamingo had used intercepted Heavenly Tribute to blackmail the World Government into granting him a position among the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Just this fact alone
Was enough to prove how extraordinarily important the Heavenly Tribute was to the World Government!
After a brief moment of shock,
Excited grins spread across the other cadres' faces.
"Jie hahaha! Finally giving those Celestial Dragons a proper wake-up call! Let them know the price of provoking us!"
"Exactly! Even the Fleet Admiral couldn't do anything to us! The Marines are nothing to fear!"
"Boss! Which affiliated nation is our first target?"
Golden Lion asked eagerly, rubbing his hands together.
Every affiliated nation's tribute to the Celestial Dragons was an astronomical sum.
If these cadres could claim even a portion of Heavenly Tribute—after deducting what had to be handed over—they'd make a fortune!
For Shiki, who planned to form his own pirate fleet in the future,
This influx of funds was exactly what he needed to cover the costs.
As for offending the Celestial Dragons—they didn't care in the slightest.
A ferocious grin spread across Rocks' face.
He tossed several intelligence reports directly to the cadres in front of him.
"According to the intel I've gathered, the Heavenly Tribute routes pass through these nations."
"We'll split into groups and plunder them simultaneously."
"Anyone who helps the crew locate Heavenly Tribute will receive personal rewards—plus, you can take one item from my personal treasury."
As the words fell,
Even Lotte couldn't help but be startled.
Rocks, as captain of the entire pirate crew, had accumulated a treasury filled with extremely valuable treasures.
It was said to include ultra-rare Logia Devil Fruits.
And even world-shaking famous swords!
This alone showed just how seriously Rocks was taking this operation.
Lotte reached out and took one of the reports.
He scanned it carefully,
Noticing that almost all the targets were nations in the first half of the Grand Line.
Rocks spoke up.
"Right now, the New World's affiliated nations are under too much Marine scrutiny. But the ones in the first half are a different story."
"Even if the Marines discover us, they won't have time to react."
"The Four Blues are too far away."
The cadres nodded in agreement.
After all, their current position wasn't far from the boundary between the New World and the first half of the Grand Line.
They only needed to pass through Fish-Man Island's coating to reach the first half—
The area known as Paradise.
As for the Four Blues, they were simply too distant. Investing so much effort only to come up empty would be a major setback for the upcoming plan.
Lotte's eyes lit up at the mention.
Fish-Man Island?
If he could perform a new sign-in there, his strength would definitely take another leap!
Even if they failed to seize the Heavenly Tribute, he wouldn't lose out!
Some might profit modestly, but he would never lose!
Rocks glanced at the excited cadres.
A vicious smile curled on his lips.
"Hahahaha! Excellent! If there are no questions, then prepare to move out!"
"Let those fools experience the true cost of provoking the Rocks Pirates!"
"Lotte—you'll go on this operation with Whitebeard."
After saying this, Rocks deliberately glanced at Golden Lion Shiki.
The implication was unmistakable.
Though Rocks wasn't surprised by his cadres' ambitions, Lotte was someone he had high hopes for—someone who would play a major role in two years.
He had no intention of letting Shiki poach him.
Compared to Shiki,
Whitebeard—with far less overt ambition—was clearly the one Rocks trusted more.
Golden Lion noticed the look and snorted inwardly, feeling somewhat frustrated.
Recruiting Lotte just got more troublesome!
As soon as Rocks finished speaking,
The other cadres showed no particular surprise.
They simply sighed inwardly,
Marveling at how long it had been since the captain showed such interest in a newcomer.
This kid named Lotte really had extraordinary luck!
Could he be the captain's illegitimate son or something?
They wondered secretly.
But Silver Axe's expression was far from pleased.
He had planned to use this operation to give Lotte a harsh lesson, but if Whitebeard was accompanying Lotte...
That changed everything!
Even Silver Axe, who considered himself among the stronger cadres,
Had no confidence in defeating Whitebeard and his terrifying Tremor-Tremor Fruit!
Thinking this,
Silver Axe's mood soured even further.
Whitebeard noticed the dark look in Silver Axe's eyes and glanced sideways at Lotte beside him.
This kid was now being targeted.
Lotte, hearing Rocks' instructions, naturally had no reason to refuse.
He nodded slightly toward the captain.
"Understood, Captain."
After all, when it came to bodyguards and support on this ship,
Whitebeard was undeniably top-tier!
Until Lotte fully matured,
Whitebeard's overwhelming strength was more than enough to handle most threats.
Whitebeard Edward slung an arm around Lotte's shoulders, shaking him lightly with a grin.
"Gurararara!"
"Lotte, you haven't experienced one of our Rocks Pirates' operations yet, have you!"
"This time, let me show you what it's like!"
At the same time,
Whitebeard leaned close to Lotte's ear and whispered.
"Silver Axe is the type who holds grudges. You've clearly been marked this time."
"Be careful on the ship from now on."
Silver Axe was a veteran cadre.
Though his strength hadn't advanced much in recent years, he was still far beyond what a rookie could handle.
That's why Whitebeard specifically warned Lotte against getting ambushed.
Lotte narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this.
He originally hadn't wanted to make enemies on the ship,
But someone had targeted him anyway.
Perfect—after this operation,
His combat power should have leaped forward again.
By then, on this ship, Silver Axe would become the perfect target for establishing dominance.
He'd make sure the cadres knew he wasn't someone to mess with!
Charlotte Linlin, Wang Zhi, and the others watched the scene with interest.
Dark undercurrents swirled throughout the meeting room.
Rocks, however, couldn't be bothered with it all—as long as no one died, it was fine.
He slowly rose, retracting his overwhelming pressure,
And waved his hand with a vicious grin.
"This pre-war meeting is over. Cadres—begin preparations!"
"Turn the entire seas upside down!"
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