One Piece: The Strongest Swordsman Of The Rocks Pirates

"What if you want to become a cadre?"

As soon as those words left Himmel's mouth, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

All eyes turned toward him, filled with amusement, mockery, and even bloodlust.

The rookie pirates that had arrived with Himmel scoffed openly, their sneers carrying the unspoken sentiment: *You're already a dead man.*

"Oh?" Rocks D. Xebec finally looked intrigued, his massive figure leaning forward slightly.

Ambition. It had been a while since someone this brazen appeared before him.

He didn't mind ambition—he welcomed it. What he despised was weakness masked by hollow dreams.

Over the years, he'd brought in plenty of recruits from across the New World, but none had dared utter such boldness.

"What's your name?" Rocks asked, his voice booming with the weight of command.

"Himmel. The Marines call me 'The Dark Demon.' My bounty stands at 150 million berries," Himmel replied, his tone steady, his eyes unwavering.

Albert, Himmel's companion, collapsed to the ground in a panic. His heart pounded against his ribs, filled with regret. *Why in the world did I ever encourage Himmel to come here?*

"The Dark Demon? So you're one of the supernovae." Rocks grinned, his sharp teeth glinting.

Supernovae—pirates who had made it out of the Grand Line and into the New World, earning infamy along the way. They had potential, sure, but most still lacked the strength to command true respect.

"If you can kill them all," Rocks said with a low chuckle, gesturing to the room filled with pirates, "then I'll consider it."

"Good."

Himmel's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his blade. The air around him shifted, growing sharp and heavy, as if it were being sliced apart by his sheer presence.

"Albert, move. If you stay here, you'll die."

Albert hesitated, glancing at the bloodthirsty pirates around them before stumbling to his feet and retreating as fast as he could.

"This rookie's got guts," Shiki said from his seat, his golden hair glinting in the dim light.

Beside him, Edward Newgate, the man who would one day be known as Whitebeard, took a long sip from his bottle of sake. "Hmm. That one's a swordsman, no doubt about it."

When they'd first entered the hall, Newgate had dismissed Himmel entirely. The young man had no aura to speak of, no presence worth noting.

But now? He was different. The air around Himmel felt like that of a finely sharpened blade, waiting to strike.

"Thinking of testing him yourself, Newgate?" Shiki smirked knowingly, noticing the growing excitement in the man's eyes.

"If this kid's any good, maybe I'll challenge him later," Newgate rumbled. His love for a good fight was well-known, and this rookie was piquing his interest.

"Good. I'll join you."

---

The murmurs in the hall grew louder. The other newcomers, encouraged by Himmel's audacity, began eying the cadres greedily.

They, too, wanted more than just to be crew members—they wanted the wealth, the status, and the power that came with being a cadre.

Himmel, unfazed by the growing tension, scanned the room with a cold smirk. "Who's coming first? Or do you all want to come at me together?"

A tall, scarred man stepped forward, his lips curling into a sneer. "Boy, I was going to break your limbs and make you my personal doll, but now I think I'll just kill you outright."

The man's name was Yoder, and his bounty stood at 320 million berries. He drew his blade—a finely crafted weapon that gleamed under the dim light—and pointed it at Himmel.

The other pirates didn't move, choosing instead to watch Yoder test this arrogant rookie. They wanted to see if Himmel was worth taking seriously.

Himmel drew his sword, the black blade glinting with a quiet menace. His gaze locked onto Yoder, and his entire body tensed, ready for combat.

"Die!" Yoder snarled as he lunged forward, his blade slashing through the air with deadly precision.

Himmel didn't move—not until the very last second.

With a swift, fluid motion, his sword struck.

*Slice.*

Yoder's head flew into the air, blood spraying in every direction. His decapitated body stumbled forward a few steps before collapsing to the ground.

The room fell silent.

Even the veteran members of the Rocks Pirates stared at Himmel, their faces a mix of surprise and newfound respect.

They hadn't expected much from him, but in the blink of an eye, Himmel had killed Yoder—a man with a reputation as a ruthless butcher in the New World.

"Well done," Rocks said, his grin widening. His eyes gleamed with interest now. This wasn't just some kid running his mouth—this was someone with the strength to back it up.

The other newcomers stared at Himmel in disbelief. Their earlier mockery had vanished, replaced by unease and fear.

But Himmel's calm demeanor didn't falter. He cleaned his blade and turned back to the crowd.

"So," he said, his voice as sharp as his sword. "Are the rest of you going to come at me together now?"

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