One Piece:Becoming the King of the World from the Rocks Era

"Big Brother Chinjao, Big Brother Ashura Doji, and Big Brother Howard, when will you let the captain give you a shot at becoming a core officer?" Karoo asked, glancing at Chinjao and the others beside him.

"Maybe in a couple more years; my drill head isn't hard enough yet!" Chinjao responded, rubbing his drill-like head. Even though he had improved a lot over the past year, he knew he still wasn't ready to withstand Li Yuan's strike.

"When I reach the level of Grand Swordsman, that's when I'll go for core officer status!" Ashura Doji declared with determination. Previously, he had been the strongest of the Infinite Pirates' officers, but now that Barrett had surpassed him, it only spurred him on. If Barrett could become that strong so quickly, how could he let himself slack off?

"Haha, Karoo, it might take me another decade or so," Howard added, recognizing that his abilities couldn't quite keep up with the others. His strength mostly came from his Impact-Impact Fruit powers, and even with all the resources of the Infinite Pirates, his progress was slow. But he was still improving, and he couldn't guarantee he would ever reach core officer status.

"Captain, is there a rank higher than core officer in the Infinite Pirates?" Barrett asked excitedly after using Life Return to suppress his injuries.

This wasn't just Barrett's question—the surrounding pirates were curious too.

"Hahaha, of course, there is! I didn't mention it before since we didn't have a core officer. But now that Barrett has made it, I believe more core officers will emerge in the future."

"So, above the core officers, I'll be establishing the rank of Vice Captain!"

"The Vice Captain is above the core officers, with double the benefits, meaning a Vice Captain will receive a monthly salary of 16 million Beli plus various additional perks!" Li Yuan announced, his voice carrying excitement about this next step for the crew.

"What would it take to become Vice Captain, then?" Barrett continued to ask.

"Hahaha, interested in being Vice Captain? To earn that position, you'll have to face me in a full-power battle and withstand my attacks for six hours without falling!" Li Yuan replied with a grin.

"No way—is becoming Vice Captain that hard?" The gathered pirates were stunned by Li Yuan's conditions. Just one strike from Li Yuan had nearly taken down Barrett completely; to survive a full-power fight would require withstanding countless blows. The thought alone sent chills down their spines.

"Captain, I will become Vice Captain someday!" Barrett declared, unfazed by the daunting challenge.

"Hahaha, Barrett, I look forward to that day!"

"Now, to celebrate the promotion of our three new officers and our first core officer, let's have a banquet!"

Seeing everyone's excitement, Li Yuan shouted, calling for a celebration.

"Banquet! Banquet!"

"Let's party!"

With the announcement of a banquet, the cheers of twenty thousand pirates rose even higher. After all, there's no pirate who doesn't love a good party!

News of Barrett's promotion to core officer and Karoo, Kano, and Radtiz becoming officers quickly spread beyond the Infinite Sea. The Infinite Pirates, as a legendary crew, had always drawn attention from pirates across the New World and factions around the world, and their top personnel were closely watched by powerful forces.

Naturally, the changes within the Infinite Pirates stirred interest and apprehension among these factions. The crew's promotion system blatantly prioritized strength, with officers proven capable of surviving Li Yuan's sword, and now a core officer who had survived a full-power strike from the captain himself.

"Gahahaha, can't let the Infinite Pirates hog all the glory! Spread the word—we're reforming the ranks in the Flying Pirates as well. We'll pit our officers against each other; whoever wins ranks higher!" The Golden Lion laughed, throwing down his newspaper. Deciding to rank his officers by strength, he wouldn't let Li Yuan steal all the attention.

Following suit, the Whitebeard Pirates and other crews showcased their leading figures too.

However, just two weeks after Barrett's promotion, the Infinite Pirates sent shockwaves across the world with yet another monumental announcement!

> "In three months, the Infinite Pirates will host the World Swordsmanship Tournament on Venice Island in the Infinite Sea, inviting swordsmen worldwide to participate in a contest to determine the world's true strongest swordsman!"

> "The first-place winner of the tournament will receive 10 billion Beli and a Supreme Grade Blade; second place will receive 8 billion Beli and a Great Grade Blade; third place, 6 billion Beli; fourth, 5 billion; fifth, 4 billion; sixth, 3 billion; seventh, 2 billion; and eighth, 1 billion."

> "One week before the tournament, the Infinite Pirates will hold a Pirate Expo featuring powerful Devil Fruits, an array of weaponry, famous blades, jewelry, pharmaceuticals, steel warships, and more for auction!"

Through the World Economic News, the Infinite Pirates' announcement spread rapidly worldwide.

The newspaper even featured photos of the newly built Venice Combat Pyramid, a towering structure that left onlookers feeling small. To capture its scale, Li Yuan had a video recorded with Den Den Mushi, showing pirates entering the colossal arena, dwarfed by its massive construction. Even giants looked like mere children inside its immense corridors.

"A World Swordsmanship Tournament, inviting swordsmen worldwide to compete for the title of world's greatest swordsman?"

"What an exhilarating event! This is the dream of so many swordsmen. Missing out would be a lifelong regret," Dwight Roberts, the mentor of a young Dracule Mihawk, remarked as he read the newspaper in a West Blue dojo.

"Master, are you going to the tournament?" a thirteen-year-old Mihawk asked with hopeful eyes.

"Of course! I can't miss a tournament dedicated to swordsmanship. Mihawk, get ready—we're heading to Venice Island in the New World right away," Dwight replied, excitement flashing in his eyes. Though he was older now, his heart still burned for the sword.

In Frost Moon Village in East Blue, Koshiro's father, Kousaburou, said resolutely, "I can't miss the World Swordsmanship Tournament, even if it's hosted by the crew that overtook Wano. It no longer matters to us!"

"Hahaha, exactly, Father! We have no ties to Wano now, but missing this event would be a pity," Koshiro exclaimed, eagerly packing for the journey.

"Hahaha, a World Swordsmanship Tournament? Knowing Li Yuan, he probably organized it to boost his reputation. But he must be confident that no one can beat him, right?" Roger laughed, reading the news.

"Captain, he has reason to be confident. He's the only swordsman who can wield three kinds of swordsmanship simultaneously. Neither you nor I can do that." Rayleigh chimed in. "Plus, the rules favor him—sword skills are prioritized, Haki is secondary, and Devil Fruit powers are not allowed. Under those conditions, he has every reason to be fearless."

"Look, you two," Jaba cut in. "You're both Grand Swordsmen; you have to participate! Even if you don't take first, second or third place would still get you 14 billion Beli. That's 14 billion! We could finally set ourselves up comfortably!"

"Hahaha, Jaba's right! I'm setting off to train my swordsmanship right away. Once the tournament starts, I'll take first place!" Roger laughed.

"Gahahaha, the World Swordsmanship Tournament, huh? Count me in. It's about time I honed my swordsmanship again. Since getting the Float-Float Fruit, I've fallen behind Li Yuan's pace," the Golden Lion muttered. His power once lay in both swordsmanship and his Devil Fruit ability, but since he started focusing on his fruit powers, Li Yuan had surpassed him in the art of the sword. He wasn't about to let that stand.

At Navy Headquarters:

"What's your take on this?" Steel Bone Kong asked, once everyone had finished reading the news. The Navy took the Infinite Pirates' announcement seriously enough to hold a meeting on it.

"If this tournament succeeds, the Infinite Pirates will gain immense influence and wealth," Zephyr noted. Though he had stepped back from active duty, he had been called to this meeting by Steel Bone Kong. "Most importantly, the Combat Pyramid will likely become a sacred battleground, a place where the crew's members can constantly hone their skills. This would continuously raise the crew's overall strength."

Kong nodded, recognizing the pyramid's potential to rival the Navy's elite training program. Where the Navy trained through structured learning, the Combat Pyramid offered non-stop fighting to foster growth.

"Should we send someone to participate?" Garp asked, his interest piqued. A world-level swordsmanship tournament sounded too thrilling to miss. If only it were a martial arts tournament, he'd sign up himself.

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